While You’re Waiting

I became a Christian in 1970. There was a lot of excitement back then, because a revival called the Jesus Movement had broken out. Historians agree that it was a genuine spiritual awakening.

There also was a lot of teaching about the last days. We thought Jesus was coming back at any moment. Back then, I was a graphic artist, so I designed a “Jesus is coming!” bumper sticker. But now some Christians are wondering why He hasn’t come back yet. Did He forget His promise to us?

The Bible tells us why Jesus hasn’t returned: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT).

The Lord is waiting for the last person to believe. And when that day comes, when that person believes, we will meet Him in the air in the Rapture.

The passage continues, “Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. . . . And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight” (verses 11–12, 14 NLT).

How are we to live as we await the return of Christ? We should live holy and godly lives, making every effort to be spotless and blameless and at peace with Him. That is what we should be doing. And if we don’t understand this, then we’re missing the point.

People have an endless appetite for last days events. They want to hear about the Rapture, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, Armageddon, and all the rest. That is great. But as we study all these things, what we learn should have an impact on the way we live.

As we look forward to the return of Christ, we should be shining lights in a dark place. Jesus said, “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35 NLT). In this statement, Jesus was referring to a first-century Jewish wedding.

These weddings were unique in that no one knew when the bridegroom would arrive. It might be at 3:00 in the morning or at 3:00 in the afternoon. But suddenly the announcement would go out that the bridegroom was on his way. Everyone would quickly take their places, and then the wedding would begin.

Jesus was saying this is what it will be like as we wait for His return. So, let’s be ready to go. Let’s be shining our light. As our culture gets darker, we need to shine brighter as Christians.

Let’s be known for what we are for rather than what we are against. Let’s look for opportunities to show the love of Jesus Christ in a tangible way, earning the right to share the gospel.

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