When I was growing up, I would hear our ministers say, "The appearing of the Lord is very soon. Jesus is coming." And I thought that meant any day I would be raptured to heaven! Then years went by, and I would hear my Mother say, "Carolyn Ann, Jesus is coming so soon. Be ready." And the years went by again.
When I got older, I continually warned my children when they were young, "Girls, Jesus is coming. We're getting closer and closer to His appearing." And here it is already beyond the year 2000, and I'm saying it more now than ever before.
Why? Because the signs are everywhere. You can get your Bible out while watching the nightly news, and see the signs of His coming happening in the earth today. Even ungodly people are wondering, "What has our world come to?"
This is not the time to get in fear. It's time to get in faith. If you knew that Jesus was coming tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m., what would you do right now? You would probably quit reading this article, jump in your car and go to all of your family member and friends' houses and ask them to receive Jesus.
You'd probably be out in the streets all night witnessing to every person you came in contact with. Wouldn't you? You wouldn't even be concerned about getting your seven to eight hours of sleep or what you should wear to go out witnessing. You would just feel an urgency to get up and go!
Well, we are in the last stages of our time here on planet Earth. We do not have much time left. If you have loved ones who are not serving God, then I would suggest you make it your number 1 priority to witness to them. Do what you can to win souls in these last days.
Do you know what I find so exciting about Jesus' return? That He chose you and me to be alive to witness it. Before the foundation of the world, God actually hand-picked you out to live in this year. Not in 1776. Not in the year 1829. But in this year, God actually picked you out and wanted you to be alive on planet earth. You're one of the ones that He could fully equip and qualify to be able to get His job done in the remaining days that we have left. Does that make you feel a little pressure?
As I meditated on that thought, I bowed before the Lord and wept thinking, "God, You know within me I have the ability to do what You called me to do in these last days." In my own mind, I don't think I can. I feel inadequate, unqualified. Who am I? But because of the written Word of God, He has equipped us and qualified us.
How do we know that we are the generation that will witness the return of Christ? The Bible says that the generation that sees the budding of the fig tree, that means Israel becoming a nation (which was in 1948) that generation will not pass away until they see all things fulfilled.
Folks, there are a lot of things left to be fulfilled. We've got our work cut out for us. If you have family members who are unsaved, witness to them. Get your household saved. Get your friends born again.
Share the love of Jesus with your neighbors. We must get this Gospel out so Jesus can return. Don't let the phrase, "Jesus is coming" become just a religious cliche or a sign you read on a bumper sticker. It's true. He's coming. And we are closer now than we've ever been before.
Do you know what I find so exciting about Jesus' return? That He chose you and me to be alive to witness it. Before the foundations of the world, God actually hand-picked you to live in this particular year; because you're one of the ones that He could fully equip and qualify to be able to get his job done in the days that we have left.
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