2 posts tagged “jesus”
Several times during His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus warned His followers to be ready for His coming again. For instance, He said in Matthew 24:42, "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." Two verses later Jesus warned, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (verse 44). In the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matthew 25:13).
All born-again believers believe that the Lord Jesus is coming back one day. Now, we may not agree on just when we think He will return, particularly for His bride, the church, but we believe that just as surely as He came the first time He is coming again one day. The question is not, "Is Jesus coming again?" It's not even, "When is He coming again?" because no one but the Father knows when. The question we as believers need to ask ourselves is, "Are we ready for our Lord's return?" Are we heeding His warning and watching for His return?
The late evangelist and pastor R.A. Torrey once said, "The return of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a pure, devoted, active life of service." Indeed, if we truly believe that Jesus is coming again and that He could come at any moment then our lives will reflect our belief. Unfortunately, though we believe that our Lord is coming back one day many of us do not live with the urgency that indicates that it is a real belief. Instead of loving and serving our Lord as we should, many Christians give mere lip service to Him.
What if? What if our Heavenly Father chose to warn us that on a particular day the Lord Jesus would return? Gone would be our lip service. Many who have for years set as spectators on the sidelines would suddenly get busy for the Lord. Those who have never shared their faith with a lost person would immediately begin to tell the Good News. Those who have robbed God of His tithe would try to play catch up. Those church members on our rolls who have not set foot in a church in ages would suddenly become some of the most faithful members our churches have ever had.
I think you get the picture. If we knew that Jesus was going to return in a week, a month, or a year that knowledge would impact the way we live for Him. Well, friend, we know that He is coming again one day. Therefore we ought to live each day as though it were the day of His return.
As faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ we must be ready because He is coming again one day and today could be that day!!! So as our Lord taught us, let us be dressed and ready for His return. Let's keep the lamps burning and watch, and as we watch let us be faithful and fruitful servants!
Jesus is coming! Are YOU ready?
I suppose every child has a hero or heroes that he looks up to and admires as he grows up. I’m sure I probably had several as I grew up but honestly I can only remember one. His name was Gary Barnes. Gary was the son of Horace and Ruth Barnes, close friends of my parents who are now in heaven with the Lord they dearly loved. Gary is a few years older than me. He played football and basketball at Valley High School in Valley, AL where we grew up. During the summer of his high school days Gary worked at a textile mill that was a block away from his house. Many days I would meet Gary when he got off work and would carry his tennis shoes as I walked home with him. I didn’t think about it then but as I look back on it now I realize those shoes must have been nasty and probably didn’t smell all that well after working all day in that hot mill, but I didn’t noticed. After graduating from high school Gary signed with Clemson University and spent his college years playing for the Tigers (wrong Tigers since I pull for Auburn). When he finished his playing days at Clemson Gary signed with the Green Bay Packers. This was during the Vince Lombardi days. Now my hero had made the BIG time. Gary was fortunate to play on one of the Packers’ championship teams. Needless to say, my hero was bigger than life to me! I still have heroes today. One of my greatest heroes is my dad, Leonard “Boochie” Garnett (to be honest I don’t know where he got the nickname). Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I recognized how blessed I was to have the dad I have. As I finally began to grow up I began to realize how much my dad (and mom) had sacrificed to provide for my sister and I as we grew up. However, it wasn’t the material things he provided that made him my hero. It’s his relationship and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ that I most admire about daddy. For as long as I can remember he has known Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior and has sought to live in a way that would always honor his Lord. Because of his relationship with Jesus and the life he has lived, my dad has been a very positive influence in my life ever since I was born. It’s just that it took almost 30 years for me to recognize that daddy is one of my greatest heroes. I thank God that daddy continues to encourage me and influence my life today! Thanks daddy for all you’ve been and continue to be to me!!! You are my hero! I do have one hero who is an even greater hero to me than my dad and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, my personal Lord and Savior that my dad introduced me to as I grew up. It wasn’t until I was almost 27 years old that I committed my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I was a member of a Baptist church at the time Jesus came into my life but before that night in March 1977 when I met the Lord Jesus all I was was a lost church member. But on March 9, 1977 I gave my life to Jesus and have sought to follow and serve Him ever since that day. Jesus is a true hero because He gave His life not only for me but for the whole world. As Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world (that’s you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever (that’s you and me) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Just think, the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, left the glory of heaven and came into this world that He might die on a cross to pay the debt of our sin. Now that’s a hero in the truest sense of the word. Everyday my hero, the Lord Jesus Christ, continues to prove His love for me. Although I have failed and disappointed him many times over the years, He has never failed or disappointed me! Not once! His promise is, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). That’s my hero the Lord Jesus Christ! He is always with me and especially when I need Him most. If you do not know Him as your personal Lord and Savior, I encourage you to talk with a Christian friend or a minister who can tell you how you can have a personal relationship with the One who gave His life that He might be your Savior and your biggest hero!
