Preparing While you Wait for Jesus’ Return

All around us Christians are recognizing the signs of the end of times as summarized by Jesus to His disciples. Matthew 24:3-14: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

We know the scripture and Jesus’ words, but what do WE DO while we are waiting? One, pray day and night. Stay connected to God and IN The Word because as Jesus says above “He who endures will be saved!” Two, Be ready for His coming. Continue to do good every day and in every possible way! Three, become more Christlike and be His hands/feet on earth as He commanded. Four, remember the wedding supper and that we are ALL brides of Christ. Think about the parable of the 10 virgins. Matthew 25. 5 were wise and prepared. 5 were not. Make sure your lamp is always full of oil and you are being His light on this earth!

One, Stay in The Word. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

Two, Be ready! Luke 12:40-43 “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food (eternal life) at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”

Hosea 12:6 “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.”

Jesus has given each of us gifts, skills and resources. He will be honoring those who used these things to further the Kingdom of God. He hasn’t made all these provisions so we can fill our own cups and leave the cup of others empty. Be compassionate, generous, loving, and kind, and tell everyone The Good News!

Three, become more Christlike! John 3:2-3 “ Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like

him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Jesus expects us to stay focused and not be overly distracted by all the worldly things going on around us. Above, He tells us exactly how He loved the church. We are supposed to love our spouses, each other, and Him as He taught us through selfless love.

It is very easy to keep our faith as prayers are answered and blessings rain down upon us, quenching our thirst for the satisfaction of selfish needs, but it is a much more difficult proposition for us to stay in complete servitude and faith while waiting for His redemption while living in a cruel/unfair world.

We must stay in The Word, following Christ and representing His values to this world as it becomes immoral, cold, and loveless. He expects us to be better than those around us. He expects us to be like HIM!

Fourth, remember ultimately we are the bride of Christ. Loved, cherished and finally honored at the Wedding Supper. Ultimately, we need to be the kind of people Peter discusses in the following verses:

2 Peter 3:11-14 – “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him.”

Few men would willingly marry a bride who is unfaithful and untrustworthy. In that same morality, Jesus wants His “brides” to be faithful, joyful in servitude, and willing to stay chaste while the world around them is full of immorality. Representing what Jesus represents shows Him you are ready to be His partner and eternal bride.

In summary, waiting for Jesus to return is not passive, It is active and requires each of us to be ready, be faithful, and be true. Jesus came down to earth and sacrificed Himself to teach us the way back into God’s grace and have eternal life. Complaining and being paralyzed with fear while waiting on His return is not His command. He commands us to “be not afraid” and to do our best to represent His morals, His love, and His example to every person on earth. He expects us to spread and share the Gospel (Good News) with everyone, not just sit around and wait. ALWAYS keep your lamp full so you can LIGHT UP THIS WORLD with everything that is good, everything that is true, and everything that improves the lives of others.

Don’t be caught sleeping, surprised, or unprepared when Jesus returns!

Love, hugs, and blessings, Lisa ><>