Telling the Truth Ministries
Jill Briscoe
"Watching for His Coming"
"Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!"
Zechariah 14:1
"Get real," shouted a young man. "There's no way you can get me to believe Jesus is coming again!" Yet Christians believe that He is! Zechariah spoke of such a day. Jesus describes the same event: "Everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27).
After Jesus' ascension into heaven, angels appeared and assured the disciples that Jesus would physically return just as He had physically left (Acts 1:11). So someday, sometime, it will happen. We cannot know the exact time (Matthew 24:36), but Jesus has told us to be ready (Luke 12:40). So how are we to prepare for that momentous moment?
First, we can avoid the scoffer's error: "Jesus promised to come back, did He?" (2 Peter 3:4). If we know that His return is a reality, then we can be patient. Second, we can ask God to create a sense of urgency within us for those who are not yet saved. Third, we can heed James's advice: "Don't grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door!" (James 5:9). Fourth, we can let the reality of Christ's return govern our behavior. The prophet Zechariah, hundreds of years before Christ, knew of a coming day of the Lord and looked forward to it with hope and expectation. Let's check out the reality of our faith--and be found watching.
For further study: Zechariah 14:1-21
Jill Briscoe
"Watching for His Coming"
"Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!"
Zechariah 14:1
"Get real," shouted a young man. "There's no way you can get me to believe Jesus is coming again!" Yet Christians believe that He is! Zechariah spoke of such a day. Jesus describes the same event: "Everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27).
After Jesus' ascension into heaven, angels appeared and assured the disciples that Jesus would physically return just as He had physically left (Acts 1:11). So someday, sometime, it will happen. We cannot know the exact time (Matthew 24:36), but Jesus has told us to be ready (Luke 12:40). So how are we to prepare for that momentous moment?
First, we can avoid the scoffer's error: "Jesus promised to come back, did He?" (2 Peter 3:4). If we know that His return is a reality, then we can be patient. Second, we can ask God to create a sense of urgency within us for those who are not yet saved. Third, we can heed James's advice: "Don't grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door!" (James 5:9). Fourth, we can let the reality of Christ's return govern our behavior. The prophet Zechariah, hundreds of years before Christ, knew of a coming day of the Lord and looked forward to it with hope and expectation. Let's check out the reality of our faith--and be found watching.
For further study: Zechariah 14:1-21
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