Are You Ready For The Return of Jesus?

Who is waiting on the Lord to return?  I am so ready! But if he doesn’t come back while I’m alive now, I’m still happy.  But I know I got to live ready.  

A few years back some tornadoes came through America and were a pair of the most devastating tornadoes ever.  The disaster had the highest total deaths. It was a real tragedy.  So much hurt and destruction.  When I saw what happened, I had to go and help.  A buddy and myself went down and immediately volunteered. We helped clear wreckage, hand out water, and just sit with people who were affected by the natural disaster.  

And while I was sitting with those affected there was a sense of joy about them even in the pain. A calm as if things were going to be alright. They were cracking jokes, laughing, and had smiles on their faces. What was crazy though to me was stories they were telling about what they called “siren parties”.  They said when a tornado warning came and the sirens went off they would just kinda throw parties or have drinking games. It became commonplace during those few days leading up to the event to hear sirens go off. The people in the area just didn’t believe a tornado touching was going to happen. They didn’t believe this kind of incident would occur. But when it did, it turned out to be the worst one yet. It was an EF-4 that ran through the state with almost 6 miles of destruction. No one thought it was coming and when it did it came full force. 

This event explains well the thoughts of some people in the early church.  Peter had to write explaining that Jesus is coming back and that he will judge the world. There was a group of people that were trying to cause the church to turn from living committed lives to the Lord. They said things like “judgment is not coming so live however you want” and “Jesus is not returning so there will be no punishment for living however you want”.  Peter responded.  He explained through the scriptures (the old testament for them) that Jesus was returning and there would be judgment. And then he explained why he had not returned yet.  I love how Peter displays the robust and full picture of who God is.  What he does is demonstrate the reality of judgment that will come upon the world when Jesus returns, and also in his explanation for his delay, he reveals the rich and abundant love God has for us through Jesus.  Peter says this about God’s delay, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

You see I can still be happy and overjoyed if he calls me to himself before he returns to the earth.  This is because his purpose is to call people who were like me to himself.  People who though undeserving, receive life and love through the sacrifice of Jesus.  He wants all to come to repentance and so he delays his coming. But I must be prepared.

There definitely are many factors that play into why there were so many injured and killed in this tragedy of a natural disaster, but I hate to think that one of them could have been the possibility that instead of the sirens being warning signs they became merely the chimes for the start of festivities.   They were not prepared for the coming of a fierce storm. The Lord is a fierce storm that is coming and we must be prepared for him. So let me ask a question.  Have you turned your life over to the one who will judge everyone? Have you made him ruler of your life? Repenting and submitting to him is the only salvation from the judgment to come. Don’t let this post become just background noise to the return of the king.  Instead let it motivate you to trust in him for salvation. For the time will come when he returns and there will be no sirens, only the fury of the wrath of God.