WILL JESUS BE RETURNING SOON?

World events have certainly heated up, prophetically speaking, during the recent months and days:

The Islamic nations' alliance with Russia, the very countries presently banded together against Israel, are detailed in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. This confederation of nations will attack Israel to take a spoil (and annihilate her), but God will intervene and destroy 5/6ths of the invading armies, protect Israel and turn the hearts of the Jewish people back towards Him.

Also, the resurgence of the old Roman Empire, the European Community (EC), is fitting right into Daniel's visions concerning the final world kingdom. It will be ruled by the antichrist, to whom the rulers of the EC countries will pledge their allegiance. This prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.

Another quickly approaching prophetic event relates to the new mark of the beast technology. This is a computer chip containing personal information that will be injected under the skin on people's hands, to provide a positive I.D. and to provide other personal information when placed under a scanner. The book of Revelation describes how the antichrist will cause each person in the world to take his mark in their hand or forehead as a sign of personal allegiance and worship of him. Those who refuse to take the mark will not be permitted to buy or sell. They will be hunted down and put to death. Revelation 13:15-18

There is also the growing apostasy throughout the whole world, man turning away from the true and living God, and believing lies and fantasies. The hearts of the people are waxing cold, true agape love is rare and hard to be found; hate, greed, pride, cruelty, and all manner of ungodly pursuits and lifestyles are the drummers of the day – and the people of the world are marching to their beat. Read 2 Timothy Chapter 3 for a detailed description of the evil motives and deteriorating morals and lifestyles of the people that will be living in the last days before Jesus returns. It presents an amazingly accurate description of the world we live in today.

There are many other signs pointing towards the soon return of Jesus for His Church. This event will be followed by the Great Tribulation Period spoken of by Daniel the prophet and Jesus himself. These events are detailed in the book of Revelation. They will culminate with the second coming of Jesus Christ to set up His millennial (1000 year ) kingdom, when He will reign on this earth.

Jesus said we cannot know the day or the hour of His return, but we can know the times and the seasons which point to His soon return. Referring to the many prophetic signs He provided to His disciples, recorded in Luke chapter 21, Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

Believing that the return of Jesus may happen any day, what should we then do?

We, as believers, should live our lives as though Jesus will be returning any day. We should be thinking about His soon return and looking forward to the day when we will see Him face to face. The Bible says that those who have this hope in them purify themselves, even as He is pure. John 3:2-3

Think about it for a minute. If you knew that the Lord would be returning in 24 hours, what would you do with the time? What, if anything would you do differently? Are there some people you would want to warn so they could also be ready for the Lord's return? (Knowing that without Jesus in their lives, as their personal Savior and Lord, His return will be horrific for them!)
Would you seek to warn others? Would they listen to you?

How would you reach these people, teach them about Jesus and God's plan of salvation, and prepare them to meet the Lord in such a short amount of time? Remember that Lot tried to convince his family and friends and the people of Sodom about the impending destruction of the city by God, but they wouldn't listen and even laughed at Lot, resulting in their ultimate destruction. Only Lot's wife and two daughters, that the angels took out of the city bodily, were saved! And lot's wife looked back to where her heart was, in the city of Sodom, and she thereby perished also. There was not enough time for Lot to teach and prepare them, and their hearts were far from God. The result was that they all perished. I wonder how different the story might have ended if Lot had been trying to reach out to the people of Sodom to draw them to God the whole time he dwelt in Sodom???

If we take heed to the story of Lot and the fulfillment of prophetic events in our day, we should be moved to be ready at all times for His return and to let the Lord use us as messengers of His light and love and to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. We may not have much more time to do so!

Also, we should do everything, with God's help and by His power, to keep our own lives pure, turning away from sin, so that we are credible witnesses of God's light and life in us, and will not be ashamed of what we have done with our lives, talents and time, when Jesus returns for us.

"Oh Lord, teach us to number our days that we might incline our hearts unto wisdom!"

I hope these thoughts will bless you and set the course for your future days until we meet our Lord in the Air when He returns for His church as He promised:

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

Perhaps today!!

May God richly bless you.