Sometimes when a believer tries to share with others about the imminent return of Christ and how that everything going on in the world is pointing to the nearness of the Day; we are often met with criticism, mockery, and scorn. When you mention the signs of the season of His return given by Jesus Himself and the Apostle Paul, the response from others can range from doubt to outright vitriol.
People will say that we have always had these things going on in our world. They will say that we have always had wars and rumors of war, disease, natural disasters, and wickedness in the hearts of men. Yes, we have, but Jesus taught that the closer we get to His return these things will be happening simultaneously and with increasing intensity and frequency, like labor pains. As we look around the world today, are we seeing the beginning of the birth pains?
Others will say that we Christians have been talking about the return of Jesus for two thousand years, so where is He? Where is the fulfillment of the promise of His return? Even in the first century A.D. the doubters were already asking these questions. Peter reminds us in his second epistle that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise. He reminds us that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. So when you think about it, on God’s calendar, Jesus has only been away for two days. Hopefully that gives the doubters a new perspective!
God keeps all of His promises. The God who kept all of His promises concerning the first coming of Jesus to this earth is the same God who will keep all of His promises related to the second coming of Jesus. So we can, with full assurance, sing along with the late Andrae’ Crouch, “Soon and very soon we are going to see the King. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We are going to see the King!”
Soon, when the King returns, there will be no more war or terrorism. Soon and very soon, when the King returns, there will be no more famine or disease or suffering or death. Soon, when Jesus reigns, children will no longer be abused and sold into slavery. We will see our loved ones who have died in Christ and we will see our King and Lord and Savior face to face. What a day that will be!
But while we wait, in this age between the crosses and the crowns, we are not called to sit back, wait on Jesus, and let the world go to hell. He has called us to love Him and to serve Him faithfully with our all. He has called us to be salt and light in this world that desperately needs Him.
Soon could be today. Soon could be ten years from now or one hundred years from now. But when Jesus comes back to this earth, and He will, will He find you faithful?
Leave a Reply