Christ is coming back and we must be ready for His arrival. There are four things that are profoundly affected in a believer’s life when they realise that Jesus is coming back to planet earth. After giving His disciples four signs that will indicate His return, Jesus gave them ways of how to be ready, through the telling of parables (Matthew, Ch 25). 

1. Faithful Service: The real test of faithful service is not what we are doing when we know He is coming but what we have been doing while He’s been away… JESUS WANTS TO FIND FAITHFUL SERVANTS! The highly respected American evangelist, D. L. Moody, said… “When I learned that Jesus is coming back, I wanted to work three times as hard.” Faithful service is not limited to work performed in and around the church but includes work done in the home, marriage, parenting, friends, work, recreation, everywhere! – All the time! The Lord is more interested in ‘how’ we work, rather than ‘what’ we do. Billy Graham’s wife had a sign mounted above her kitchen doorway that said… “Divine services conducted here three times each day.”

2. Global Evangelism: Jesus left us a job to do and it’s not complete. He said the Good News must be preached to all the nations, then the end will come… therefore, go and make disciples! In the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic Friar, challenged his followers with these words… “Go into the world and make disciples… and if you have to, use words.” Did you get his drift?

3. Social Reform: Those who are expecting Jesus to return want to make this world a better place – This attitude is natural in the DNA of born-again believer. Friends, this is an amazing attitude to have. In the 1600’s, Anthony Ashley Cooper was the 1^st Earl of Shaftesbury, England. Lord Shaftsbury worked all his life to get children out of the factories, establish proper wages and working conditions. He wrote to every person in authority. At the top of his letters was the inscription “Even so, come Lord Jesus”. This is what motivated him – Jesus was coming back and Lord Shaftesbury wanted to make the world the best he could. Is the world becoming a better place through your transforming life?

4. Personal Holiness: The NT says that whoever has ‘this hope of Christ’s return’ purifies themselves… because when Jesus appears we should be as much like Him as possible (Romans 8:29). In several places in the NT the Church is pictured as a ‘bride’ and ‘Christ’ as the ‘groom’. Now which bride doesn’t pull out all stops to prepare herself on her wedding day as best as she can for her husband-to-be?  Christians prepare themselves before Christ returns through righteous deeds. The more we realise this the more personal holiness will become a driving ambition in our lives.

Saint Augustine was born in the year 354 AD. He was Bishop of North Africa… He said, “He who loves the coming of the Lord is not he who affirms it is afar, nor he who says it is near, but rather he who, whether it be far or near, awaits it with sincere faith, steadfast hope, and fervent love.” Are you ready?


Best wishes
Bill Joukhadar