Amos 5: 18-20 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light--pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

Those of us who are in Christ Jesus have become Ambassadors for Christ. We have been given a message of hope, and mercy, and redemption that is found only in Jesus Christ. We are sent to proclaim the Way to God and eternal life and that proclamation is, Jesus Christ. Yet, many Christians seem to delight in telling those who are perishing of their impending destruction and seem to long for the day of the LORD, or what many of us call The Great Trubilation which ends in Armeggedon.

Though it is written that such a dark day will indeed fall upon the earth and signs now present in the earth seem to point to its coming soon, this is not where we, the church, should place our hope. There is no hope in the destruction of the wicked for there is no life in destruction; instead, only bitter sorrow and hopelessness. Our hope is in Jesus and if we long for the destruction of others, then we are not thinking and acting in accord with our true hope. Fear is not the way to God and though some may have been frightened into church attendance, no one has been frightened into faith in Jesus. There is no pragmatism of any kind that gives people faith in Jesus, that is fully the work of the Holy Spirit, over which no man has any control.

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The message of the church is that reason for the hope that is in us, Jesus Christ. That was the message given us at the beginning of the age and it will remain the same until the end of the age. The Way to God is open to all through Jesus the Christ's sacrifice upon the cross and His conquering Death that we might receive Life in Him. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." God has saved us by His Mercy and it is Mercy that we are to extend to others not condemnation.

Acts 7:54-60 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

The greatest persecution I have known is that of mocking by others. Some of this has come from within the church and some without. I have also suffered verbal stoning online but I have never endured any physical punishment as a result of my faith in Jesus. However, I do know that the possibility does present itself of this possibly occurring in the future. There is a time for every purpose under Heaven and Evil will also enjoy a time appointed for its full purpose. I want to be like Stephen during the darkness that is coming. I want to keep my eyes on Jesus so that I too am not overcome by the darkness and remain true to my message of Hope. I and none of my brothers and sisters in Christ will be able to accomplish this upon our own strength but only upon the strength of Jesus Who lives in us. Without Him, there is only the filling of bitterness that is the natural response to hatred from others and the only joy of bitterness is destruction. Those who long for the destruction and the burning that will be in the Day of the LORD, exhibit hearts made bitter and only filling by the Holy Spirit will release their hearts from bitterness. By filling, I mean renewal of mind and the cleansing of our hearts as we read God's Word and pray. When God's thoughts become our own thoughts, then the thoughts of vengeance (even though it is vicarious)are replaced by right thoughts. Thoughts of God's desire for Mercy and not sacrifice. We, the church, the Living Stones of the New Jerusalem, have been chosen as vessels of honor by which God is glorified in His pouring out Mercy upon those who deserve no Mercy. Such vessels can only rightly extend that Mercy to all others for the Mercy doesn't belong to us, it is only being stored within us to be poured out at the appropriate time. Just as Stephen in His hour of bloody trial, poured out the Mercy in him upon Saul and those with him. This pouring out of Mercy was not without effect for Paul later had his eyes opened to Jesus in a mighty way. If all the vessels of Mercy that have been filled during this long age were to be broken and poured out upon all men, what could the result be but that every eye would be opened to, Jesus and every knee bend and confess, Jesus as Lord. This is the Hope that I have, that is Jesus, Who I have been given to by the Father in order that in me, He might demonstrate His Mercy. I with, Stephen also cry, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." I have been given the power to forgive sins upon the earth and I forgive just as I have been forgiven. I long for all eyes to be opened to Jesus; even those like Saul, who must first be made blind that they might receive spiritual sight. All my hope is in Jesus in Whom I have found infinite Mercy. I do not long for the Day of the LORD or the destruction that it promises; but if I am called to live through it, I will do so only by keeping my eyes firmly upon Jesus and by hoping that all will eventually see, Jesus. "My hope is nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Look and Live!