Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

Did you know the final message in all of Scripture that Jesus gave to His Church was, “Ready or Not, here I come?” Listen to Jesus’ words in Revelation 22:20 that echo the longing of His heart for His people, “…Surely I come quickly. Amen...” The Greek word for “quickly” tells us, in no uncertain terms, that Jesus’ return will occur speedily, it will happen very soon, it will be unexpected and without warning, and it will catch people by surprise.  

While Jesus’ return should inspire and fortify upright godly living, sadly, there are people in the church who just don’t seem to care. Many people are comfortable in this world. Distracted by materialism, money, power, fame, reputation, and other selfish pursuits, that they live their lives oblivious to the things of God with little or no spiritual interest; they love their sin too much.  This sounds eerily similar to what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:4, when he was describing people living in the last days as “reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” And he was talking about people in the church! 

Beloved, Jesus’ final message, “Surely, I come quickly,” is a wake-up call to every believer.  The how is not certain, the when is not certain, but the event is sure. If you are a child of God and you have knowledge that Jesus could return at any moment, this should stir your heart to “say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” Titus 2:12-13. If his imminent return doesn’t excite you, then you need to ask yourself, why?  In 1 Corinthians 15:34, Paul challenged struggling believers to “Think carefully about what is right and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.” Beloved, the time is now! Wake up! Because ready or not, Jesus is coming, and it could be today!  

This is Laine Wilder for Carry the Light Ministries, bringing you Insights From an Elder. 

by Laine Wilder

author of “Insights From an Elder” for

Carry the Light Ministries