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Do you look forward to the second coming of Christ? Do you wake up with the hope that this may be the day I see my Savior face to face? I am not talking about engaging in debates regarding his second coming but really that eager expectation of His return?
The second coming of Jesus Christ is the anticipation of every true believer. Just as the Bible says; “He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him” ~Hebrews 9:28
I have heard young people make statements like, “I hope Jesus doesn’t come back before I get married or before I buy my own house or before I accomplish my dream of being a billionaire.” Unfortunately, this shows that we are more eager for the riches of this world than we are for our Savior. It shows that our hearts’ desires are more for the world than they are for God.
As believers, we eagerly wait for His return because we are not of this world; the things of the world do not captivate our hearts. We desire to be with the lover of our soul, the one who quenches our hunger and thirst—the one we love with all our hearts, all our soul, and all our mind.
“For we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives and we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior” ~Philippians 3:20
Since we know He will indeed come again, the big question becomes, are we prepared for His coming? For how can we eagerly await His return when we are not prepared?
As Jesus was telling His disciples about the end times, He said to them, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” ~Matthew 24:42
PRAY
One of the crucial ways we stay prepared for the second coming of our Lord and Savior is by developing and nurturing our relationship with God in prayer. Prayer is simply communication with God and that helps us to stay connected to His Heart. Just as communication is the fuel to any relationship, so is prayer like the fuel that keeps our relationship with God going.
Jesus actually gives a parable of the ten virgins; five of them did not take any oil with them while the other five took oil in their vessels with their lamps (Matthew 25: 3-4). They were all waiting for the bridegroom, and when he delayed, they all slumbered and slept. Unfortunately, when the bridegroom finally came, only five were ready while the other five had no oil in their lamps.
This is what the Bible says, “And while they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But He answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you’ ~Matthew 25: 10-12
Many of us might wonder, how can Jesus claim not to know us when He is the one who created us and put us here on earth? The answer to that question is that the ‘know’ used in this scripture is the same ‘know’ used when the Bible tells us in Genesis 4:1 that Adam knew Eve and she conceived. It is a knowing of intimacy. Jesus will say to those whom He did not know intimately through communion in prayer, ‘I do not know you.’
Just as Apostle Peter wrote, “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers” ~1 Peter 4:7
My prayer is that we will all be found ready when our Bridegroom finally comes. May we will be found in a constant place of living in and enjoying the presence of God. May our hearts be found yearning and desiring more of God as we seek Him with everything we are. May our prayer lives be found flowing with oil.
STUDY THE WORD
The Lord told Joshua, “Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night, so you will be sure to do everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” ~Joshua 1:8
To be ready for the coming of our Lord, we have to be students of the word of God. For how can we know God without studying His word? God knows us through our intimate fellowship with Him in prayer while we get to know Him by diligently reading and studying the scriptures.
John wrote and said, “In the beginning was the word and the word was God and the Word was with God.” He then continues to say that Jesus is the Word made flesh.
The word of God is pure, without any error, complete, sufficient, and true. Therefore, though the world will pass away, the word of God will by no means pass away.
I challenge you to be a student of the word of God, take time from your daily schedule to sit quietly, and read the Bible, and the Lord will show you wonderful things that will renew your mind and transform your life.
OBEY
It is not enough to simply read the word and store that information as knowledge. We are called to obey the Word of God. James wrote and said, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” ~James 1:22
When we only read, study, and hear the word of God but refuse to do what it says, we are walking in deception. “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he is” ~James 1:23-24
Jesus also spoke and said that if we love Him, we will obey his commandments. Jesus said that those who practice lawlessness would not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
As the day draws near, may we be found ready as true followers of Jesus Christ who obey the word of God and do what it says. May our lives bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit as Sons of God and Children of Light.
Whenever you find yourself walking in disobedience to the ways of God, be quick to ask God for His forgiveness and repent, turning away from that sin.
The Bible tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes our sins defile the temple of the Holy Spirit. It may range from pornography addiction to poor eating habits. Jesus set us free from all things that may hold us from being who He died for us to be; Children of God. It is now for us to stay free. (See Galatians 5:1)
LOVE FOR EACH OTHER
Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “By this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have a love for one another” ~John 13:35
As disciples of Jesus Christ, the world will know that we are true followers of Christ by how we love each other. And to be ready for His coming, we must be living in peace, love, and unity with each other.
Let’s not be caught in dissensions with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, let’s be quick to forgive. Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother when he sins against him, and Jesus replied and said seventy times seven.
Jesus also taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I believe that one of the ways we show love to those around us is by telling them about Jesus and what He did for them, sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can also show Love by helping those in need. An interesting passage where Jesus explains this in great detail is Matthew 25:31-46, and I encourage you to study that portion of scripture.
Jesus also taught us to love our enemies and pray for them. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven” ~ Matthew 5:43-45
It seems that the life of a believer is walked out in Love everywhere and to everyone. So I hope that we will be found ready, loving on every human being, and in every way possible.
CONCLUSION
Interestingly, preparing for the Lord’s coming is not as complex and complicated as many of us may think. Instead, it is simply living as children of God, cultivating a relationship with Him through prayer and studying the scriptures, obeying Him, walking in Love, spreading the good news. Following the example Jesus set for us.
The Holy Spirit is always there, willing to help us to stay alert and be always prepared for the coming of our Bridegroom. For no one knows the time nor the hour, it may be today or a few months from now or a few years from now. What we know is that it will be unexpected.
“Two men will be in the field: one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know the hour your Lord is coming” ~Matthew 24:40-42
Originally posted 2021-05-30 17:47:37.
