Ready Or Not, Here I Come!

There is a billboard not far from my house on the interstate that is sharing to those who pass--"Judgement Day is May 21, 2011."

I have to say I am quite cynical of the whole predicting the second coming thing. I mean how many times has a date come and gone just like every other day when it was deemed the day of judgement. I am also not a fan of trying to predict how the second coming will go down, you know all the pre, post and amillennial stuff. I like what someone once told me, "I am a 'pan'millennialist. Everything is going to pan out in the end."

Seriously, trying to predict how and when the second coming of Jesus is going to happen is like trying to predict when and where lightning will strike next.

The disciples were standing looking up into the sky when Jesus ascended (Acts 1:9). He had just told them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8).

Yet they still stood there gazing into the sky waiting for Jesus to come back. "Waiting" is a word that defines most Christians. It is a sedentary word which shows no action. We "wait" for those who are far from God to show up at church on Sunday morning hoping the service will attract them to be a part of our club. We "wait" on God to provide the necessary resources before we step out on faith and trust Him where he may be leading us. Then when the resources do not appear we claim God shut the door.

There just is not a sense of urgency within the western Christian world. We stand and wait to much. We look for when Jesus is going to come back and this becomes our sense of urgency? Not the fact that there are people going to hell all around us?

Jesus never told us to figure out the day he was coming and warn people about that day. The message is not a message of judgement it is a message opposite of judgement, it is a message of grace.

Look, Jesus is coming someday that is truth. But even he said he would come as a thief in the night. Our sense of urgency as followers of Jesus should not be tied into the truth that he is coming to gather his followers someday. It should not create a complacent attitude. And it surely should not make us feel comfortable.

Our sense of urgency should be tied into the truth there are people who will miss out on grace if we do not take serious our mission and call to make disciples of all nations. We should be willing to give up our own wants, desires and comforts for so that people can know the grace Jesus wants to extend to all people.

Selfishly I want Jesus to come back on May 21, 2011 or even before. But if he does there are people I know that have yet to become followers of Jesus. My love for them compels me to hope Jesus does not come until they understand His grace and what He has done for them. The longer he waits the more people there will be in His presence forever. That describes the heart of God.

As the disciples stood there it says "they were looking 'intently' up into the sky" when two men dressed in white asked them what they are doing. The two men explained Jesus would return the same way they saw him go into heaven. It must have been said in a way that the disciples understood it was not going to be immediate. It must of reminded them of their calling.

They left. Not long after that the Spirit came on them as promised and they went into the world telling people about Jesus. Their urgency to be His witnesses launched the church. They told people of his grace, mercy and love. Did they mention the second coming? Of course. But they never said when it was going to happen, they only taught that it would happen someday.

The hope is that people will be ready for the day Jesus comes for those who call him Lord.

Below is a song written in the sixties by Larry Norman. It is redone in the 90's by DC Talk. Larry Norman's message is that he hopes everyone will be ready when that day comes.