Monday, July 4, 2005
The love of Mary Ann's life, Tom, was coming for a visit. He lived in another state, so those visits were really special. He was due to arrive Friday night or Saturday sometime, and Mary Ann's room had been declared a federal disaster area. Finally, on Thursday afternoon, she decided she'd better get busy trying to recover her room. It was in pretty embarrassing condition. You know sometimes you have to make things messier in the process of getting them put away or thrown away. Mary Ann's room was at that point on Friday morning when the phone rang. It was Tom. He was calling to say he loved her and that he was looking forward to seeing her soon. That was all the incentive she needed to finish the job. Unfortunately, she didn't get that opportunity. Tom had called from downstairs. He had arrived earlier than Mary Ann expected. So in he walked and there she stood, dressed in her "grubbies," hair matted on her forehead, surrounded by an indescribable mess!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Ready Or Not, Here He Comes."
Poor girl! I mean, he came at a time when she did not expect him, and she was not ready. Not being ready might be okay when it's a boyfriend who's arriving unexpectedly. It's not okay when it's God who's arriving unexpectedly - which seems to be His modus operandi.
That's why Jesus provided this inside information for us in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 24, beginning with verse 39, where He tells us what His coming will be like. "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come ... Be ready because the Son of God will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Jesus was speaking specifically here of that day when He will return to this earth to write the final chapter of human history - the Second Coming of Christ. And while He made clear that no one will be able to predict the exact time He will come, He did give us signs that would be evident in the world where heaven's two-minute warning has been sounded. And many Bible scholars believe that the world has never looked more like the kind of world Jesus said He would return to than it does today. People seem to be able to sense that. Look at how they have made the "Left Behind" series huge bestsellers because they describe a scenario for what the Bible calls the "last days." One major network just aired a major mini-series entitled "Revelations" - again imagining that world that Jesus will return to.
But whether or not Jesus comes back physically in our generation, He is most certainly going to come for you in this generation. And when He does, will you be ready? The Bible describes us as being in a mess - the mess of a life where we've sinned against God, ignored God, rejected God's rule of our life.
But that same Bible says, "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8). You and I did the sinning; Jesus did the dying so He could forgive those sins that otherwise will condemn us forever. You're not ready to meet Him until your sins are erased from God's book. And that can only happen when you make the Savior your Savior, by turning over your life to the One who gave His life for you. This can be your "get ready" day if you'll tell Jesus, "I'm Yours." I've written a little booklet about getting started with Him called Yours For Life and I'd love to send it to you if you're interested.
He'll be coming for you, one way or another, and then it's too late to get ready. The time to do that is now. Putting it off means risking your eternity. Opening your heart to Jesus means you are ready for eternity, whenever it comes.