“I Am Coming Back”

“I Am Coming Back”

I have some friends who are studying Revelation. My response, “Good luck.” There is much in Revelation that is just indiscernible. But, as is typical with God and his word, much is discernible, as well.

My go-to passage for these hard-to-understand areas of God’s word is this:

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to
us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
(Deuteronomy 29:29)

For the next few weeks, I am going to dig into four statements from Jesus that are “the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever ….” They are:

1. I am coming back
2. Only a few
3. You must be born again
4. Here matters there

Jesus was adamant that he is coming back and, only a few will live forever with him and, to live with him forever you must be born again and, the way you live here, matters there for eternity. (Yes, there is a reward system in both Heaven and Hell, and the way you live here affects your experience at both.)

Today, “I am coming back” – Part 1:

“I am coming back”

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and
then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew
16:27) (Both his promise as well as his rewards system.)

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples
of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory.  31  And he will send his angels with a loud
trumpet call … (Matthew 24:30-31)

So what? Perhaps you have heard this all your life, and it is so familiar it has become unfamiliar. But it matters. It really matters.

It matters for two primary reasons.

1. Does it affect your perspective on how you live here, today?
2. Are you ready?

    1. Does it affect your perspective on how you live here, today?

In these uncertain times, in this unstable, unpredictable, and seemingly unredeemable world, the fact – the fact – that Jesus is coming back gives me a sense of certainty amid the uncertainty, stability amid the instability, predictability, and absolute redeemability.

Oswald Chambers captures this perfectly in his April 29 devotion:

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life — gracious uncertainty is the mark of the
spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not
knowing what tomorrow may bring.
This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of
breathless expectation. (My Utmost for His Highest)

Jesus says it even better:

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  19  Before long, the world will
not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  20  On
that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in
you.” (John 14:18-20)

“Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one
will take away your joy.” – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world.” (John 16:24 & 33)

But the beautiful thing is, we don’t have to wait for his return to live as a part of his
family, and to have his peace, to overcome grief and to experience his joy.

You can have it all, now.

Next Week: Are you ready?