Who Will Be Awake When the Lord Returns for His Bride?
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36- and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37- Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” -Luke 12:35-37 (ESV)
There are just too many Christians and Christian pastors and leaders asleep at the wheel in many, many of our Christian churches, fellowships and small groups. In these [last] days the reality of the end times via Bible Prophecy MUST be preached by the shepherds and taught to the lambs and the sheep in the church – John 21:14-15.
Early Warning Systems – Discerning the Signs of the Times
But unfortunately, this is not happening. I was talking to an [arrogant, and pompous] pastor recently that would have nothing to do with “tending” the lambs and feeding the sheep with what is happening to the world currently and what is coming according to Scripture – according to what Jesus taught. Now, this is tragic … with many today who are scared, afraid, and confused at the ever-increasing turmoil in the world and especially, in the US, Bible Prophecy MUST be taught! Apparently, this pastor doesn’t quite get it! He doesn’t care if 28% of the Bible is about Prophecy. Consider how Jesus blasted the “educated” religious leaders of His time in Scripture – Matt 16:2-3.
Many Aren’t Watching for the Lord’s Return – Discerning the Signs of the Times
Now, these kinds of skirting the issues of Bible Prophecy will happen before the Lord returns for (1) His Bride, in the rapture and (2) His actual Second coming upon the face of the earth but who’s awake to these Biblical facts?
Whether you believe in the Rapture makes no difference since according to Scripture it WILL happen and those not ready for it may be surprised. Why? Read Heb 9:28. Just because you attend church regularly does NOT grant you a get-in-free pass to our Lord’s Kingdom. He does impose restrictions on entry but that is not to be elaborated in this post – for another time – Rom 10:9-10; Heb 12:14; Matt 10:37, etc.
So as we draw closer to His return (1) the signs that He told us about in His word will become more visible and pronounced. – They will increase like birth pains – Matt 24:8. Today, the signs of the end times are all around us and we must pay attention to what the Word of God teaches us. We must be alert, watching and awake to the events unfolding in the world today. For I firmly believe that the Lord’s return for His Bride is at the door.
Yes, IMHO, all these increasingly distressing signs are indicators that HE is coming very soon. How soon? You will get no dates from me, however, we are to know the season – 1 Th 5:2.
“Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.” – Luke 21:10-11 (NASB)
Many Christians Are Still Fast Asleep Not Watching for His Return
Some may think this but not profess it, that He’s not going to come back because perhaps they feel He’s taking too long at it. Most, I would casually say, are not watching because they are asleep at the wheel of end days Bible prophecy. Lazy and lethargic to put it in the proper context. We have clear signposts of His return in Matt 24; Mark 13; Luke 17 and 21 and many other verses in Scripture. If you read and meditate on these you will find some interesting facts on the season of His return. But … you have to study, and dedicate some of your time to Him – in prayer and in reading His word.
The world is heading for … something getting worse and worse and the signs of calamity, disaster and distress seem to be increasing by the day. And now with wars breaking out now all over the globe. The weather is off the charts, the economic conditions of nations is bleak, and the sun is amazingly active! All this, IMO, equates to the end days of the last days before the Lord returns in the clouds to pick up His Bride – 1 Cor 15:51-52.
The big question for you is are you engaged too much in the world and distracted by worldly things thereby taking your eyes off the Lord? Are you too caught up with the stuff of regular life that you make no time to study God’s word so you will know the truth of what’s being taught at church and what’s happening on and in the earth?
Don’t be found asleep when the Lord comes. He has commanded us to watch and so we, as professing, walking, talking, living Christians must continue daily to watch for His return and the signs marking the season.
“…come suddenly and find you asleep. 37- What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!” – Mark 13:36-37 (ESV)
Things are being shaken up pretty good these days … so are you awake or asleep?
“Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” -Heb 12:25-26 (KJV)
-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman
GLORY TO GOD!