Good morning,
Is Jesus coming back again?
I have been thinking, and I wonder if you can help me with a difficult question. When we read the whole Bible and from the writings of reliable historians, when was there another time in history when the whole earth was controlled by raw terror at the same time? Lest you think that I have lost my faith in God’s Word, we need to start with this truth from Jesus himself, However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.(Mat.24:36) I have no interest in setting a date on when Jesus will come again! Having said that, I think that we have the answer from Jesus himself about the time of his return. In the next verse he says, "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.(v.37) He tells us two important things. First, In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.(v.38) Have you noticed how important it is for our world leaders to take the responsibility for the success of our future by understanding science and the vast collection of information to make things turn out right. The second point was, People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.(v.39) The people of that day were so busy trying to control life and enjoy what they were doing, that they had no time to listen to that stupid Noah, building a crazy boat.
So what was it that Jesus wanted us to do if we were to become a genuine part of God’s eternal family. "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming.(v.42) Then the Lord gave us this example, Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.(v.43) I think that what has happened to so many of us is that we are thinking about ourselves and our successes and our plans, instead of being aware that the time for the return of our Savior and Lord could be today or this week for this month. Jesus makes this clear when he tells us, You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.(v.44) In another place Jesus tells us, For you don't know when the master of the household will return–in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.(Mk.35,36)
I have been thinking about this a lot as we have seen the nations of the world not only faced with the deadly coronavirus, but the people of our world who have been overwhelmed with terror and rage, and alas our leaders have become successful in taking control of the infrastructures of all of their countries. Alas, our Enemy has been allowed to take control of this virus and to use it to break apart the way we live and the way we worship our gods. For those of us who call ourselves Christians and the people who call themselves Jews have now found ourselves controlled by laws that keep us from sharing together the most important part of our worship of our eternal God. For the Jews, the Passover and for Christians, the resurrection of Jesus. For genuine children of God, this is a wonderful time to help those around us to turn from their fear and rebellion and become a part of God’s eternal family. To those who call themselves Christians, but are actually only religious followers, it’s a wake up call before it’s too late. For those who feel safe because they are from the family of Abraham, it’s a warning to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord instead of their good deeds and family relationships. Dear Lord, please help us to be genuinely involved in keeping watch for your coming.
Matthew 25:13 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Roy Wisner
