Read today’s texts first: Matthew 23-25
Jesus is coming soon - are you ready?
“As slow as the Second Coming” has become a common expression today. In reading Matthew 24, you would think Jesus is coming at any moment, but 2000 years have passed since it was written.
I remember as a child learning that the fig tree (24:32-34) likely referred to Israel reforming as a nation. When that took place in 1948, it was expected that Jesus would return within that generation, typically a 40 year span. Well, 7 plus decades later, we’re still waiting, and our eschatology keeps adjusting with each passing decade.
If we are not careful, we could let our guard down and begin to compromise (24:49). That’s the very point Jesus was making. He will come when we least expect it. That’s why we should live every day with purpose, serving faithfully until the Master returns.
It was the imminence of Christ’s return that inspired the founder of Foursquare to include “Soon-coming King” as one of our four doctrinal hinge-points. When Sister Aimee would traverse North America on her crusades, she drove her gospel car emblazoned on one side with “Jesus is coming soon” and on the other the question “Are you ready?”
“Lord, I am ready for your return. May I never question your perfect timing but practice faith and faithfulness as a trusted servant. I want to live today and the next expecting the unexpected.”
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