Yes, Jesus
Christ is coming back again, and whether you believe it or not, you will
someday have to face Him as your Savior or your Judge.
My heart breaks when I
think about how soon the Lord’s return may be, and how little His Church is
being prepared or encouraged to watch and wait for His coming as the Bible
instructs us to do.
For
most Christians, the major strategy in dealing with the doctrine of Christ’s
return is to ignore it. For those in liberal churches, the solution is to opt
for some kind of socialistic utopia here on earth and call it the kingdom of
God
But
according to the teachings of the New Testament, other than proclaiming the
gospel of salvation, there is no more important doctrine than the coming again
of Jesus Christ. By His coming, Jesus
will bring God’s promise of redemption into complete and total fulfillment.
We’ll no longer just talk about the streets of gold, we’ll walk on them. We
will no longer simply talk about Jesus, we’ll talk with Him face to face, and
His own hand will gently wipe every tear from every eye. We’ll not only talk
about seeing our loved ones who have gone on before, we’ll be together with
them for eternity without ever again experiencing a single moment of
separation.
God’s
prophetic clock is counting down to the appointed hour. If you don’t believe
it, listen to the latest news reports or read the morning papers. The signs of
His coming are everywhere, yet the silence of the churches is deafening when it
comes to proclaiming this vital truth of Scripture. How it must grieve the heart of God to look
at a sleeping church in a hell-bound world.
We
are witnesses today to the fulfillment of manifold signs and prophecies of the
Lord’s return. In fact, no generation since Pentecost has ever witnessed more
fulfilled prophecies regarding Christ’s coming again than has this present
generation. But being a witness to these things carries with it great
responsibilities.
Today
we are witnesses to the return of the Jews to their land and the
reestablishment of the nation of Israel. We are witnesses to a resurgence of
the gospel among the Jewish people, who are embracing Christ as their Messiah
in numbers not seen since the time of Pentecost. We are witnesses to a revived
hatred for the Jews, along with a global effort to destroy the Jewish state. We
are witnesses of a hatred throughout our culture for the name of Christ and His
Word, as well as a hatred for those who proclaim it.
We
are witnesses to the martyrdom of thousands of Christians who are laying down
their lives for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, under the grotesque
hand of militant Islam. We are all witnesses today of attempts to create a
one-world government and a one-world economy.
We
are witnesses today of “the great falling away,” as so many churches embrace
apostasy, false teachings and unbiblical practices. If Paul told the churches
of his day to “WAKE UP,” what do you think he would say to the churches in the
twenty-first century who have joined the ranks of the enemies of God?
The
doctrine of Jesus’ imminent return must be reclaimed today in its pristine
richness, as taught by the New Testament Church. Without this compelling
doctrine, it is unlikely the fires of revival will ever burn again in our
churches. If the events of the past decade, as well as the events that are
presently unfolding in the world, are unable to motivate the church to rise up
and proclaim the truth of God’s Word, the world will remain without a shred of
hope!
“Rise
up, O men of God, have done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind
and strength to serve the King of kings.”
David R. Barnhart
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