In the movies, the cameras pan to the red blinking lights in the cockpit of a fighter jet. Hostile fire has found its target and the plane is going down, the pilot radios for help”¦”˜May Day! May Day!”™

One day, each person will stand before the living God, the Judge of all the earth and with authority He will do what is right. (See Genesis 18:25b).

We need God”™s help; we need Him to protect us from His anger against sin in our lives. We need to be saved from hostile fire. We need to call “˜May Day! May Day!”™

It is only God Who can help us; it is only God through the Lord Jesus Christ Who can save us before we go down in flames.

This is why we need Jesus ““ today! We need His protection ““ today! We need to be saved by Jesus as our Savior ““ today!

Is this your prayer to God ““ today? “˜May Day! May Day!”™

John the Baptist is explaining to his wilderness audience about Messiah and the last part of his message is:

(NASB) Matthew 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Farmers would have been familiar with John”™s “˜picture”™ of Messiah”™s coming judgment. Harvesters would “˜fork”™ the harvested grain, tossing it into the air for the wind to blow away the straw and chaff, and the heavier grain would fall to the threshing floor.

The farmer would then remove any foreign material from the grain, and then bag it getting it ready for transport.

What is the “˜picture”™ given? Isn”™t it so we can understand the process God will use to judge the world? God does not give us “˜feel good”™ or “˜warm fuzzies”™ about His coming judgment. He gives us warnings that stem from His love for us. (See Psalm 9:7-8 which describes God as Judge.)

Messiah will separate believers from those who have not had a change of heart toward Him. He will take His followers (those who listen and do what He says) and gather them to Himself.

The chaff ““ those without Christ as their Savior, will be judged with unquenchable fire.

Have you called out to God for help? “˜May Day! May Day!”™

Who do you know who needs to call out for Him to save them?