Are you prepared for the end of the world? Not like “Project Hail Mary” or any other end-of-the-world blockbuster movie; I mean, life is not going to continue on like this indefinitely. Make no mistake, the end is coming. Jesus died and rose and ascended on high. Today He sits at the Father’s right hand. One day, He will return. He Himself taught the people, “There will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt 24:30-31).” Paul taught the Thessalonians the same thing, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thes 4:16-17).” So what are you doing to be prepared?
We prepare for trips and vacations. We plan ahead and get all the tools ready to repair our houses and ingredients ready to bake cakes. Are you prepared and ready for His return? Sure, you don’t know every detail; it’s not like you’re Batman with a utility belt that has everything possible (Batman just happens to have “bat-shark repellent” when he’s at the beach – how convenient)! But get ready. Jesus is coming back. How are you ready for that day? We encourage and build up one another with this good news (1 Thes 4:18 and 5:11). It is good to remember that Jesus is coming back. Life is hard and the news sucks and we are overwhelmed with troubles and trials. It is helpful and comforting to know that we are not left alone here; He will return for His people and we will be with Him forever.
We also walk as children of light and day. Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians 5 that many people scoff and mock and don’t believe Jesus is coming back. “There is peace and security,” they say, “everything’s fine, no problems here, smile and wave. Live life large, live your best life now, eat, drink, and be merry. No shirt, no shoes, no problem!” But we are not in darkness. We will not be surprised at His return. He will come as a thief in the night, sudden and unexpected, but we know how this works. We’ve been warned, and we live accordingly. We are not asleep or drunk, but awake and sober. We live with faith and love and hope to guide us and guard us until that day.
This world is not our home; believers and followers of Jesus live for something better, a brighter future with Him forever. Live today constantly expecting Him to come, as if today is the day. Live prepared and ready. Don’t wait to the last minute to try and get your life together. Live every day sober, in the light, as if it’s the last. Today may be the Day Jesus returns. But be encouraged. He has not forgotten or forsaken you. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him (1 Thes 5:9-10).” Come quickly, Lord Jesus!