Undistracted Devotion to the Lord – More so as the coming of the Lord Jesus draws imminently close –

One does not need to be a student of eschatology to recognize how the prophetic words of the Lord Jesus concerning the last days are unfolding before our eyes. This in the light of what the whole world is witnessing in the form of earthquakes as well as national unrest in countries of North Africa and West Asia – more particularly in the last few months.
 

I believe there is no scarcity of reference to the imminent coming of our Lord Jesus in churches today. With the world getting to see devastating pictures from earthquakes in New Zealand (Feb. 21), Japan (Mar. 11) and Myanmar (Mar. 24), preaching of the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus must most certainly be preached from pulpits everywhere.
 

In the light of this, I am reminded of what the Word of God says in 1Corinthians 7: 29-31, 35 – and though the context of Paul’s writing was in matters concerning marriage, the spirit of what he is trying to convey is amply clear.
 

But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none;

And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything;
 

And those who deal with this world – over-using the enjoyments of this life – let them live as though they were not absorbed by it, and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world – the present world order – is passing away.
 

Now I say this for your own welfare and profit, not to put a halter of restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly and good order and to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.

I believe that the time has come for churches – in every village, town and city in every district of every state in India and in countries all over the world – to preach the word of God so as to secure from the redeemed and precious saints of God an undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.
 

Teachings of earthly blessings from the Lord has its place. Teaching that God desires to deliver us from sickness and debt also has its place. But the time has come and now is when believers all over the world need to live with that single minded devotion to the Lord where eternal things have singular focus in their pursuit of things.
 

Our God give grace to each of us that we do not squander the precious opportunities we have before the Lord’s return, but use every one while it is still ‘today’.

 

A search on earthquakes that occurred in the first three months of 2011 alone produced the following result. The list below contains earthquakes of a magnitude of 6.0 and above.
 

January 2011 

• Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred on January 1. At a depth of 583.6 km, shaking was weak and was not strongly felt.
• Araucanía Region, Chile was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred on January 2.
• Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia (Island in the Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that occurred on January 5.
• South of Iran was struck by a magnitude 5.4 earthquake that occurred on January 5, injuring 16 and damaging homes.
• Vanuatu (Island in the Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred on January 9.
• Bonin Islands (South of Tokyo, Japan) was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that occurred on January 12.
• Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred on January 13.
• Southwestern Pakistan, 45 km west of Dalbandin, was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that occurred on January 19.
• Tajikistan was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on January 24.
• Simeulue (Indonesia) was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on January 26.
• Southeastern Iran was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred on January 27.
• Jan Mayen island region (Norway) was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on January 29.
• Tonga (South Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred on January 31.

February 2011

• Northwest of Myanmar was struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that occurred on February 4.
• Solomon Islands (Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on February 7.
• Celebes Sea (near Indonesia) was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that occurred on February 10.
• Offshore Bio-Bio (Chile) was struck by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that occurred on February 11.
• Tonga (South Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on February 13.
• Offshore Maule (Chile) was struck by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred on February 14.
• Sulawesi (Indonesia) was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on February 15.
• South of the Fiji islands was struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that occurred on February 21.
• Canterbury Region of New Zealand was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that occurred on February 21.

March 2011

• Easter Island region (Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred on March 1.
• Tarapacá region (Chile) was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on March 6.
• South Sandwich Islands region (South Atlantic) was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that occurred on March 6.
• Solomon Islands (Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred on March 7.
• Near the east coast of Honshu (Japan) was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that occurred on March 9.
• Papua New Guinea was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that occurred on March 9. 
• Bali Sea (near Indonesia)was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that occurred on March 10.
• Near the east coast of Honshu (Japan) was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred on March 11.
• Tonga (South Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on March 12.
• Vanuatu (Pacific) was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that occurred on March 17.
• The Philippines particularly in the Northern Luzon region was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on March 20.
• Southern Mid-Atlantic ridge was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that occurred on March 22.
• The east of Shan State in Myanmar was struck by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that occurred on March 24.