There is a lot of talk these days about the coming of Christ. True, there has always been the Bible scholar/student who has made prophecy study his/her forte’ or focus. But with the current crisis involving Israel and Hamas, the interest has been taken up a notch. Even those who just read the Bible or don’t even know the Bible-and even those who have been skeptics-are curious. Is this the end times? Is this the sign of the times?
Well, there certainly is no shortage of those wondering. And there certainly is no shortage of those who will answer in the affirmative. And there is also no shortage of those who will be yelling, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Sadly, there will also be those hucksters who will crawl out of their rat hole to exploit people for their own gain.
People ask me what I think. “Pastor Bill, is this the end times? Could this be the last days when Jesus will return? Or is there more to come and more to wait for?” My answer? Yes. Possibly. I don’t know. Why the lack of conviction? Because no one truly knows.
Here is what I do know: 1) Jesus said He will return. I believe that. 2) Jesus Himself did not know when. I believe that also. 3) If Jesus promised it, and if Jesus did not know when, how in the world am I supposed to know? Spoiler alert: I am of the persuasion that we have been in the last days since the beginning of the church in Acts 2. I’ll let it lay there. I personally believe it is much more important to have an intimate relationship with Jesus and be ready when He does come, than to worry about dates, times, signs or anything else we have no clue about or allow to occupy our time.
Jesus came the first time at the appointed hour, and He will come the second time at the appointed hour. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Do you see those words “but when the fullness of time had come”? That says it all. I’ll stand with that. His second coming will be the same way-“at just the right time.” Not before. Not after. And no amount of my sign-watching or date-scheming will change that.
Is Jesus coming back? Without a doubt. Does anyone know? Yes and no. No one knows when (if they say they do or set a date run as far away from them as you can). But I do believe He will come back. I just don’t know when. No one does.
Oh…except the Father. And if Jesus says He doesn’t know, only the Father does, that is good enough for me. Let’s stop looking for signs and start living a life of holiness as we wait.
“Start living a life of holiness as we wait.”
That’s the best advice I’ve read on this subject since all this mess began, Bill. Thanks so much for your gift of common sense that you share with us here.
Blessings!
WOW Martha! That might be the first time someone said I had common sense. 🙂 Thank you for the compliment.
Absolutely agree with your post today, Bill. Be ready. Be ready. Be ready.
Pam
I definitely agree with your assessment Bill… not that you require my agreement 🙂
We do not know the timing, though we are told to be prepared. One thing I can guarantee outside of finding ourselves in a DeLorean and traveling back in time… is that we are closer now than we have ever been to seeing the events unfold.
Whether it happens in our lifetime and whether it happens in the manner that we have been previously taught or believe is secondary to the importance of being prepared… This is a ship you you don’t want to see pulling away from the dock without you on it.
No doubt we are closer today than ever. And tomorrow will be the same. But I most certainly agree you don’t want to see the ship pulling away without you.
I agree with you Bill. Only God knows the time and it will be the perfect time. If Jesus said He does not know when, I have no idea why anyone would feel like they would know more than Jesus. I agree we just need to concentrate on the our relationship with God, read our Bibles, and be prepared for Jesus to return, because He promised He would. Does not matter when, the Bible is clear on how to prepare for Christ return, that is all we need to worry about.
as I said, if someone says they know or sets a date run away from them. Being prepared is essential.
more than ever, I’m saying, ‘come quickly, Lord Jesus.’
we trust that God will know when the time is right. til then we look heavenward even as we do the work He’s given us to do.
weekend blessings to you and your flock, Bill.
I find myself saying that under my breath as well Linda. I know He will come, as you say, when the time is right. thanks for the blessings Linda. I’m hoping that for you and your loved ones as well.
The enemy can sure use things like this to get our eyes off of what God wants us to do – live a life of holiness while we wait, as you said. Such a good perspective to “occupy until He comes.”
You are so right Cheryl. I had a friend who texted me about listening to Mike Bickle. I told him No under no circumstances would I then gave him books to reference. His study led him to debunk all that garbage. Like you said, the enemy is good at doing that. What is ironic is that the video he asked me to watch was his “prophecy” about the Second Coming. As if he knows…