The Lord’s Return

When will the Lord return? Will it be soon? Will I be ready?

As a child, I remember watching the Christian movie, “Thief in the night,” where I saw dramatized the vanishing of Christians and the horrible predicament of those who were not ready, who missed the rapture and now would have to face the persecution of the tribulation. I understood that the Lord could come back at any moment, and I had better be ready… or else. At some level I was traumatized by the knowledge that if I were caught unprepared with sin in my life, I would suffer, or worse yet, go to hell. So, I had better live in a perpetual state of being right with God. (Which of course is the best way to live.)

The question of the Lord’s return has been on the hearts of Christians for almost two thousand years. Even in the first century, they were watching and expecting Jesus to come back. The apostle Paul wrote about the Lord’s coming as a thief in the night in 1 Thessalonians 5:2. The early Christian did not want to miss His return. Perhaps even more quoted (at least at funerals) is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “…the dead in Christ will rise first, after that, we who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.”   What an awesome hope we have!

Jesus himself talked about his coming when his disciples asked him in Matthew 24:3 “…what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age.”   He tells us the signs, but wraps up with the well-known line, “no one knows the day nor the hour.”  But then immediately goes on to talk about the wise and faithful servant who is always ready for his master’s return and the bridesmaids who are always ready for the bridegroom’s coming. “Therefore” Jesus says in 25:31 “keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour.”

Keep watch. As I watch the world around me, I see things shaping up and coming in line to fulfill what the Bible says will happen in the last days. As I look around, I see the signs of His soon return.

During the last three weeks of August, we will be having a Sunday School class on the End times and return of the Lord Jesus. You are invited to join this discussion on Bible Prophesy in the light of current events.

But whether you are able to attend the class or not, the questions still remain:  Are we watching for the coming of Jesus, do we understand the times in which we live, and most importantly, are we spiritually ready? When you clear all the “stuff” away, it’s just you and Jesus… Are you ready?

Let’s pray, “Lord Jesus, help me to be ready for your coming by living in right relationship with you.  I want to live in eager expectation of that day when you will come as King of kings and Lord of lords. Help me to understand your Word that I will not be deceived but be the witness you would have me to be. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Vern