As I said, we grow careless. We cease praying, reading our Bible, and worshiping with the brothers and sisters. We come in at night, flop down exhausted, and watch the antics of Satan on the television. We do not have an inkling that there is anything wrong with our spiritual condition. Satan makes certain of that!

When Satan considers that the time is right, he makes his move. All of a sudden we try to shake ourselves, like Samson, and God is not there. Maybe some dreadful event occurs. We get a telephone call that our son has been in a car accident. Perhaps our little girl who was supposed to be at a slumber party never showed up.

Now we are panicked. We are too frightened to pray. Maybe we ask some Christians to pray. We have no peace in God because we have not been accustomed to looking to the Lord several times each day. We did not realize it but the Spirit of God has drained out of us and the waters of the world have taken their place.

When the lukewarm, careless Christians discover God is moving they are going to want to be part of the refreshing. They will want others to pray for them. They have become accustomed to having other people do their praying for them. But it is too late for this. The days of sharing are over. Every believer will have to accept what happens to him or her in that Day

Many of us are too soft to be able to comprehend the finality of God's actions. We are so accustomed to being able to find a soft spot—some way of evading the consequence of our actions. But when God speaks there is no way of bringing pressure on Him to make Him change His mind—not in the Day of which we now are speaking.

"No," they replied, "there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. (Matthew 25:9)

Fervent Christians often have a number of people who are counting on them to do their praying for them. When they get in trouble, they want us to pray.

Sometimes careless Christians begin to reap what they have been sowing. They become ill, or have domestic or economic problems. Then they come to a pastor or counselor wanting to be delivered.

Perhaps the counselor may be able to give them advice that will help them—at least for a while. Maybe the individual decides to become a true disciple, is ready to take up his or her cross of self-denial and follow the Lord each day.

But there will come a time of definition. The lukewarm will be removed until only the cold and the hot remain. Those who are righteous and holy will remain that way. Those who are disobedient and morally filthy will remain that way. There will be no way to change then.

If we really believe Christ is coming again, then we need to get busy and plan for what we hope to receive in that Day. I am afraid the present teaching leaves the impression we can be lazy and indifferent now, and when the Lord returns all will be different. We will be received warmly and made a great king over the nations. We ought to know better than this, but apparently, from what is being taught, we don't.

In that Day we no longer will be able to go to the righteous and get help. The righteous themselves will be saved with difficulty. This is what Peter said.

To be continued.