You don’t have to read my writings long before you see how much I focus on Jesus' return, or His Second Coming, as we often call it. Sometimes, like this, I will write a more in-depth post to focus on the event. Other times, I may write a single-sentence snippet that serves as a reminder that He could come today, and we should be ready.
Why do I focus so much on the return of the Lord? Well, for several reasons. Primarily because of the nature of His coming like a thief in the night, none of us know when it will happen. Many will be caught off guard, even those who believe in Him and know He will come. We are like the wicked servant who beats the other servants because we don’t expect Him to come right now.
Some want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season before settling down and giving their lives to Him. We are like those who eat, drink, and throw a party, engaging in riotous living. We want to fulfill our evil desires and turn a blind eye toward the return of the King.
Still, others just don’t take Kingdom living seriously. We don't take the time to read God’s Word, study it, or put it into practice. We are like the five virgins who did not bring enough oil, so we will be ready when the Lord returns. Instead of helping others and sharing God's blessing, we live for ourselves first.
In many of His parables and other teachings, Jesus warns about being ready. He is blunt in His warning of consequences for those who are not ready when He suddenly returns. The angels accompanying Him during His return are not there for window dressing. They are there as harvesters, separating the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats.
All of these things we just discussed do not deal with the world, which consciously decides to reject King Jesus' Lordship; rather, they are directed at those who profess to be His servants. Jesus gives us everything we need to be found ready, watching, and waiting for His return. Those who are unprepared to meet their Lord on that day are unprepared because they choose to be, not because watching is too difficult for us to do.
Actually, it’s quite simple. It comes down to a heart issue. We must ask the poignant questions, “Do I want to be ready when the Lord returns, or do I want to live my own way for the moment.” Notice, the question is not, “Do I want to suffer the consequences of being caught unprepared when Jesus comes?” None of us want that. If we don’t focus on the right question, we will be at a disadvantage as we try to align our hearts for Kingdom living.
Kingdom living is all about living in such a way that we prepare ourselves for the Lord’s return. It’s all about living out our allegiance to our King, and it’s all about the decisions we make every day when we first wake up. It’s being focused on this one question: “What am I going to pursue today?” Jesus never asks or expects our perfection, but He does ask and expect that we walk the narrow path with Him daily. When we stumble, we don’t let go of His hand. When the world tempts or frightens us, we fix our gaze on Him for strength. When we do glance away for that brief moment and begin to sink in sin, we do what Peter did, reach out to Jesus and call out, “Lord, Save Me!”
Jesus will do what He did for Peter and pull us up. But if we want to walk our own way, swim in our sins, and fix our eyes on life’s temptations, then we run the risk of running out of oil like the five foolish virgins and miss the return of the Bridegroom.
When Jesus returns, there are some things we can be confident of. It will not be a quiet event that many will miss. We will not have to run around to everyone trying to convince them that the King has returned. His return is designed to be a spectacle none will miss, and everyone will understand what is happening.
It will be an event that we all participate in. Whether in the midst of a great metropolis or on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we will see the Lord return in power. Whether we are alive or dead, this event will be witnessed by everyone He has created as the dead and the sea give up their dead for the great resurrection.
When this day happens, will we be the ones who spent a lifetime mocking and rejecting Jesus’ rule?
Will we be the ones who knew we should bend the knee to King Jesus but never made the commitment of allegiance to Him?
Will we be the ones who named Him as Lord but then traded it all away for the pleasures of sins, having gone back into the world, shipwrecking our faith?
Will we be the ones who committed to Him but never really prepared for His return, realizing that we did not have enough oil when the Bridegroom arrived?
Or will we be the ones who wake up each day and live like today is the day our Master will return?
When Jesus returns, will we be found watching and waiting, or will we be caught off guard because we don’t want to prepare for His return? One day, the Son of man who rides the clouds of Heaven will return, not as a Savior but as a Judge. Will we bend the knee of our own accord or as a conquered foe?
It’s not hyperbole to say that today could be the day. Trim your lamps. Read your Bible. Pray to God. Love your neighbor. Confess Him before man so He will confess you before His Father when He returns.
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14 ESV).
“And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”
But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:60-62 ESV).
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11 ESV).
I always thought it would be awesome to live in the first century and witness miracles firsthand.
What an amazing boost to our faith that would be, right?
To witness the blind receive sight,
To see the deaf hear again,
To see the lame walk,
To hear prophecies and watch them come to pass,
To perhaps even see the dead raised back to life.
But then I noticed that some of the most notorious persecutions faced by God's people happened during the times when men performed miracles.
Here's a question to contemplate...
Would witnessing the miracles and perhaps even performing miracles ourselves be worth the persecution and sacrifice that could possibly accompany them?
I'm not sure if this correlation is correct, but it does make you wonder. Indeed, many suffer for His name today, where no miracles are performed. But we know,
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48b ESV).
Rejoice that the sovereign Lord and Creator is mindful of you today.
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8b ESV).
I truly hope so.
I am in Isaiah in my daily Bible reading. Listen to what Isaiah says of Babylon's arrogance:
“You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” (Isaiah 47:10 ESV).
Isn't that the same attitude many individuals have toward God today?
It doesn't take being a city to lift ourselves up in pride against God.