Come On Back, Jesus!

What sorrow awaits you who say, “If only the day of the LORD were here!” You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion—only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house—and he’s bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the LORD will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope. “I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living. [Amos 5.18-24]

I have said it myself... "Come on back, Jesus!"

And, here today Amos' words stand as a warning to all who wish this would all just be over with and Jesus would return.

Here's the catch: people in Amos' day likely looked at these words in anticipation of "Messiah" and yet, the most religious among them didn't recognize Him (Jesus) when He came! In that way, that day indeed brought darkness, not light... The Messiah, Jesus, revealed just how dark their lives had become and how far away from God they actually were even though they had become so religious.

Is our religion today all show and pretense? Are our gatherings hypocrisy? Are our offerings unaccepted by God? Are our elaborate worship services just noise?

Before we proudly declare, "NO!" to the questions posed here, we must ask ourselves if our modern-day religious exercises are a mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living! Do we even know what that means?

Speaking as one on this journey myself, I believe a mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living begins and continues with repentance. At whatever point God's people wander away from humble repentance is the point where their worship of God becomes show and pretense - mere hypocrisy and unacceptable noise before our just and holy God.

When Jesus returns (Luke 18.8) will He find faith? We are not talking about entitlement here! We are talking about powerful, humble, and Biblical faith that is Jesus Christ's life and works manifest in those who follow Him. Jesus' life and works ARE a mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living. There is not an ounce of discernable pride in a follower of Christ because:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [Philippians 2.6-8]

It is in, and ONLY in, this repentant (humble) lifestyle that Jesus commanded His followers to reflect Him (present a mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living) to the world:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

So, before we say, "even so come Lord Jesus!" we better be sure what He sees when He gets here is Himself!

Father, how easily we forget our mission. How easily we slip off into "show and pretense" with nothing of Jesus evident in our lives. Please forgive us for allowing this. May this hypocrisy stop and may Jesus' readily identifiable "mighty flood of justice an endless river of righteous living" be found in and all over our lives. So be it.