Looking around our world we can not help but wonder if the time of the end is at hand. Violence worldwide is increased. Islamic terrorism, genocide of Christians around the world, poverty and disease spreading. Families are more fragile than ever. Governments are ever corrupting. People all over the world are becoming more and more dependent on government to meet their “needs” and thereby setting themselves up for more government control and ultimately a totalitarian world system. Even if this is of no concern to you, you will die, sooner or later.
What attitude and action should a Christian have and take in view of these things?
Christians have been looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ from the time Jesus lifted off the earth 2000 years ago. Even before His death the apostles were asking “What is the sign of your coming and the end of this age?” Matthew 24:3. Just before His ascension the twelve who had JUST been taught for 40 days about the Kingdom of God by the King Himself asked, “Lord, are you going to restore the Kingdom to Israel now?” Acts 1:6.
The Return of Christ is a watch word of the Church. Jesus is coming again. As we see the world changing and aligning with biblical prophecies of the end-times we should “look up for our redemption is drawing near.” We are not to be ignorant of the SIGNS of the times. In fact, Jesus Himself warned us to not be ignorant of the signs of His return.
Israel becoming a NATION, literally in a day, is probably the biggest SIGN in recent history that indicates that the “end-time clock” is ticking (Isaiah 11:11; 66:8). Since Israel became a Nation over 50 prophecies have been fulfilled (See Ken Johnson’s book, “Ancient Prophecies Revealed”).
Looking for and anticipating the Lord’s return will change our lives. Instead of being self-centered we will be more God focused, Christocentric and willing to do His will. What is His will? It reminds us that, when Jesus comes or when we die, we will be judged for our faithfulness, our obedience, during the time God gives each of us before we see HIM face to face.
The will of God is for us to know God’s Word and live according to His Word having a faith that pleases God (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 11:6).
“…In the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
The world is ready for the end. How about you Christian? Are you ready? Because, Ready or Not when He appears we will either be confident or ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
Following from “Believers Sharing or Forfeiting Christ’s Glorious Reign” Page 17, 18 By W. F. Roadhouse
- ““WAIT FOR”—Heb. 9:28, “Unto them that wait for Him shall He appear a second time, apart from sin, unto salvation.” 1 Cor. 1:7, “Waiting for the revelation of the Lord.” Also Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; also 1 Thess. 1:10.
- “GIVE DILIGENCE” (an overplus word)—2 Tim. 2:15, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God.” Heb. 4:11.
- “WORKing” (both ergon and poieo, Gr.)—Col. 4:11, “Fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God.” 1 Tim. 6:18, “Rich in good works . . . laying up . . . lay hold on . . .” Paul speaks 16 times of “good works.” Total usage is 26 times; look them up. We are “saved” without works—we are studying rewards here.
- “AWAKE”—Rom. 3:11-13, “That now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation (end-time rapture) nearer . . . the night is far spent, the day is at hand.”—Eph. 5:5ff.
- “WATCH”—Luke 21:36, “Watch ye therefore . . . (thus) accounted worth to escape” (in rapture). Mark 13:35; Matt. 24:43; Rev. 16:15. Used 15 times.
- “PRAY”—Luke 21:36, “And pray always . . . escape.” Escape used 13 times.
- “LOOK FOR”—Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope.” Jude 21, etc. Used 14 times.
- “HASTING UNTO”—2 Pet. 3:12, “Hasting unto the day of God.” Used 3 times.
- “ENDURANCE”—Jas. 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth (hupomeno, Gr.) temptation . . . approved . . . the crown.” Heb. 12:1; Matt. 24:31; Mark 13:13. 12 times, and another great word (makrothumia, Gr.), 3 times, Jas. 5:7, 8, “Be patient therefore unto the coming”; Heb. 6:12.
- “LOVE”—2 Tim. 4:8, “Unto them that have loved His appearing.” Contrast Demas (v. 10; Jas. 4:4). Matt. 24:12. The overcomers (Rev. 12:11) “loved not their lives unto the death.” The word is hagios, the deeper word for love.
- “Be ye HOLY”—2 Peter 3:11, “Seeing . . . what manner . . . in all holy living and godliness.” Cf. 1 John 3:1ff; 1 Thess. 5:23, 24; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 22:11. 20 times!
- “READY”—Matt. 24:44, “Therefore, be ye also ready . . . the Son of man cometh.” Luke 12:40. This word is used fully 10 times re preparedness. “All things are now ready!” Are we?
- “ABIDE”—1 John 2:28, ‘And now little children, abide in Him; that if He shall be manifested, we may have BOLDNESS, and NOT BE ASHAMED before Him at His presence?” 1 John 2:17, “He that doeth the will of God, ABIDETH FOREVER.” 1 Cor. 3:14, “If any man’s work ABIDE . . .” 5 times.
SUMMARY—Thus there are 122 references to one’s deep, innate attitude toward our Lord’s Return. The worldling, the apostate, the agnostic, the cleric minus the evangelical message (1 Cor. 15:1-4), the all-absorbed world-betterer without “the blessed hope,: these and multitudes everywhere of indifferent, self-pleasing believers will be shortcomers in that day—not “overcomers” as the foregoing Scriptures reveal these to be! It is His standard—not ours! Do we “love His appearing?””