“The Lord’s Gonna Burn It All Up”

I have long believed that the greatest spiritual problem we face, at least in America, is plain old worldliness—too many of us are simply too attached to things on this earth. The Bible counsels us repeatedly about this: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15). The human heart is simply not big enough to hold love for God and love for the world. In the parable of the sower, Jesus warns us about one kind of failing heart: “’And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful’” (Matt. 13:22). Notice: “the care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.” We must not be deceived by worldly pleasures. This problem of the world is what led to Israel’s eventual downfall: “For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant” (Deut. 31:22). And they had nothing, material-wise, compared to us.

Marshall Keeble was a wonderful Negro preacher of last century. Wherever he went to preach, he drew multitudes of people, both black and white. The number of souls he baptized into Christ is innumerable. He was a great servant of the Lord.

The story is told about how, one time, at a place where he was holding a gospel meeting, Marshall Keeble was invited out to the ranch of a very wealthy man who wished to show the preacher how lovely it was. He led Keeble around the fine ranch house, the beautiful land, let him see all the horses and livestock…the rancher was obviously quite proud of his possessions and what he had accomplished, and he shared such with Marshall Keeble. When the tour was over, the man asked Keeble what he thought. The preacher’s response was, “The Lord’s gonna burn it all up.”

And, of course, Keeble was correct: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (II Peter 3:10). Now, Jehovah put us on this earth, of course, and He intends for us to enjoy its blessings while we are here. But it’s very important to remember that we are here on this earth to “fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). The worldly blessings we have are not ends in themselves, they are tools in helping us serve the Lord. For, indeed, serving Jehovah is our prime mission and ought to be our number one priority. Yes, we should be thankful, every day, for what the Lord has given us. But, we should also heed Jesus’ teaching “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:19-21). Why set our hope on things the Lord is going to burn up?

And since the Lord is “gonna burn it all up,” “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness” (II Peter 3:11). Well, we shouldn’t be worldly people, that’s for sure. “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory” (Col. 3:2-4). Gentle reader, untie yourself from the world before the Lord burns it all up.