It is said that when Christ died on the cross, and in three days rose victorious over death, and came out of his tomb alive, that God figuratively put his hand on the wheel of time and turned it in another direction. That is why the finished work of Christ is called ‘the good news’, which is exactly what the word ‘gospel’ means.
The question is not why we would continue to proclaim a two thousand year event as good news, but how dare we not proclaim it? A new year can bring hope, but then bring only more problems and difficulties. Every year it’s just one notch above a gamble. The finished work of Christ is not a game of chance, but rather a destiny in a place and a state of perfect victory.
At or near the end of any man’s life, there is no rush to replenish wealth, the size of our families, or our sphere of influence. Thoughts of what our life has meant take precedence, even among those who do not believe they will have to give an account to God.
The primary message of any good preacher, prophet, or messenger turns out to be the cross, not just the clock. False prophets will always proclaim a bright new future, while true prophets will always proclaim God’s unchanging system known as ‘reap and sow’. We will receive exactly what we deliver.
The proclamation of the cross is a paradigm shift away from the mere anticipation of a new and better year, but instead is a promise of a new life, year after year and into eternity. “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things passed away; behold, they are all made new.” (2Cor 5:17)
The gospel is not a mother religion but it is a completely new path. He calls those who follow the crowd: “…broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many are those who go on it.” (Mt. 7:13) to get away from the abyss and enter another life, a life so different that it is called the Kingdom of God. A kingdom is not a religion.
It is the kingdom that first begins in individuals submitting to the King of the Kingdom (Christ) and his rules, but it does not stop there. This is exactly the reason why Christianity is despised by some. It doesn’t stop until the King returns and settles on earth. “And the seventh angel blew his trumpet; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
The only question now hanging over men is, when? This is where the issue of time comes into play. Just before the first coming of Christ, almost all of the 167 messianic prophecies were fulfilled, and then, just in time, Christ was born. The second coming of Christ has its own prophecies and any conservative theologian, messenger, prophet or Bible-based preacher knows that almost all of the premillennial prophecies of the second coming of Christ have now been fulfilled and the few remaining prophecies are being fulfilled. even as I write these words.
Some people get scared; others are just crazy, because while man thought he was traversing time and space with plenty of time to discover space; That is not the case. The Bible clearly assigns dominance of a single planet to man and then proceeds to warn us that it is time, specifically, for our own sixty-ten or more that we will be called to account, no more.
Now, as the ball drops in Times Square each year, it’s become clearer that the clock can be friend or foe. Those who believe that all religions are equal, who believe in the modern world’s call to change laws to allow all lewd behavior, and the freedom to abort our own kind indiscriminately throughout the world, can rejoice when the clock ticks. It marks twelve, but it wouldn’t be, if they knew how near the end of their own kingdoms.
It is the crowd of unsuspecting, complicit and totally distracted, totally secularized people across the planet who will usher in the last days with the help of their elected or appointed leaders at the helm. As long as economies are relatively stable and personal liberties to indulge in almost all godless activities are not interfered with, the mob won’t even recognize leaders who deceive them, until it’s too late. For the crowd, time is not on their side.
Those who stand by warning of coming dangers are all Noah’s stock in the eyes of the unregenerate. There are so many charlatans building ships in the desert; they are the scum of the planet, not worthy of being given the time of day. How ironic that the Bible calls them the blessed of the living God who will be deemed worthy of special recognition and rewards in the coming day. They are the trumpets and messengers of the times in which we find ourselves, but much more, they are the very servants of the Guardian of Time. These words were written for a song of the same name in 1997.
I see the time you’ve wasted; I see the time well spent
I see when time is in your hands, and when you have little time to waste
I for the hours on you, for some it seems like years
For those who suffer, and for those who live in fear
Some say that time is merely the passing of events
Spend time in idleness, with pleasures are content
Some fill the busy hours, others work all day
But few know who I really am, until I take them all
I’ve got voices all over the world, saying I’m moving fast
They raise their voice urgently, but they don’t tell you the past
They speak of fleeting days and the brief hour of life that vanishes
Who will listen to their messages, from the dying flower of this world?
I’m not the spirit of the times; I’m not the pop culture ace.
I’m the one who drives and I’m the pace, I’m the one who sets the pace
I have swallowed the mighty; I have reduced riches to dust
I have seen your maiden voyages, and I have turned your ships to rust.
I am a storyteller; I’m a beat maker
I am a poet, I am a prophet: I am the Keeper of Time
Keeper of Time © B&S Music, lyrics by Rev. Michael Bresciani 1997 all rights reserved
After giving a detailed summary of the events and conditions that would prevail on earth on the brink of His return, Christ launched a severe rebuke at those present for their hypocrisy regarding their favorite perceptions of time. Men continue to be insensitive to discern time, but the clock also continues on its unstoppable path, regardless of man’s indifference or mistakes. In a scene almost as difficult to imagine as when the east finally meets the west, the two, the indifference of man and the persistence of the clock, will collide at the second coming of Christ.
“And he also said to the people: When you see a cloud rising from the west, then you say: Downpour is coming; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say that it will be hot. And it happens that hypocrites, you can discern the face of heaven and earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time? (Lk 12,54-56)
I will cautiously wish you all a Happy New Year; however, I prefer to wish you a happy new beginning in Christ if you have not yet embarked on that path. As the ball rolls down this year, as you search for who you could kiss, consider this.
“Kiss the Son, so that he is not angry, and you perish on the way, when his anger is kindled just a little. Blessed are all who put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2:12 KJV)
Maybe now I can say, happy new year.
