Are We There Yet

-Bill Petite

Some of us adults may have had our children ask this question as we traveled to a certain destination. Maybe, when we were kids, we asked this same question while traveling with our parents. At times. It just seemed like such a long ride and we, as well as our kids, were getting a little tired of the ride. Maybe it’s the same for some Christians as we live through the decades of life. Jesus did promise He would return for us and He would prepare a place for us before His return. Some Christians yearn for His return and just can’t seem to wait any longer. They have had a difficult time in this life and know they are destined to go to heaven either at death or when Jesus returns.

Who can blame them for being impatient and wanting to go home and be with the Lord. Maybe they live in a country that is always persecuting Christians, burning church buildings and brutalizing pastors and Christian leaders. Or, maybe they are suffering with illness and pain; can we blame those in these situations for wanting to depart this world and be in the comfort of the Lord in heaven? As a Christian, we should all look forward to eternal life with Jesus in the new heavens and earth. I believe heaven is just a staging area where we will be until God creates the new heaven and earth where we will reside with Jesus for eternity. To me, that sounds more exciting than just heaven. But we don’t even know what heaven is really like although we will be with Jesus and that can never be disappointing.

Jesus told His disciples that no one knows when His return will happen except the Father. Again, it’s just my opinion but, I believe Jesus does know now. He and the Father are one and what the Father knows, Jesus also knows. In Matthew 24, He gives signs to look for which will signal His return is near. He tells His disciples there will be wars and rumors of wars, many will come in His name saying they are Him but are not and there will be famines and earthquakes. There will be many false prophets and nations will rise in opposition to each other with the threat of war. All of these signs are visible today and we can point to many of these occurrences and declare that Jesus’ coming is right around the corner. But we don’t know that for sure and we might be selling short His description of these signs. Things can get worse; ask an elderly Christian what signs they thought were the sure thing fifty or sixty years ago and even farther back. I remember as a young boy when John Kennedy was shot and killed and people were saying he was the antichrist. They were trying to use the passage from Revelation 13:3 where the beast was healed of a fatal head wound and rumors that Kennedy was still alive and in hiding began to circulate.

Kennedy was dead and he was not miraculously healed. There are always those who will go out of their way to try to fit Bible passages or prophecy into something that has happened and known to the world. Ever since sin entered the world, people were born with a sin nature and sin has been running wild in this world. But, God’s Holy Spirit has it somewhat restrained and if He didn’t, we would think what we see today is heaven compared with what it could be. And, the worst is yet to come.

Okay, I don’t want to get into an end time senecio; but we are getting closer to the return of Christ and the signs are there. No, I’m not going to make a prediction on when. I think that is absolutely ridiculous and how can anyone other than God know when that time is.

His word tells us that so, anytime I hear of someone giving a date when the rapture is going to happen or the return of Christ, I just cringe and pray that Christians won’t fall for that lie. There have been many people left with nothing after being told to sell off everything because Jesus is coming on this day. And then they give a date; how many have been left spiritually devoid and with questions unanswered and left without any hope at all? The answer is simply too many.

But we can take comfort in knowing that every day is one day closer to His return. And we can look around and see events which can be signs which he warned us about in Matthew 24. There are wars happening around this world and some we don’t even know about. Just look at our own nation and the unrest which happens every day. And it doesn’t take much of an event to get people in the streets protesting over something. Regardless if it’s what they believe is an illegal offense by law enforcement or a court ruling which they disagree with. Christianity is the butt of jokes by TV celebrities and comedians and others in a public eye. Social media is an open platform for those who oppose the Christian faith and hate Christianity. They call Jesus/God just a fairy tale or illusion for Christians. He can’t be seen so He can’t be real and Christians are fools for believing in an invisible God who is not even real. But the Bible tells us the exact opposite. Only a fool says there is no God or something very close to that in Ps 14:1. The word fool in the Greek means empty headed. So, if you are one of those who say there is no God, remember the meaning of the word fool is empty headed. Is that you? Are you empty headed? In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the word fool caries meanings such as, to be insane or to be silly or stupid. So, take your pick; do you want to be insane or just silly and stupid when you say you believe there is no God?

Jesus is real and was a real person who walked this earth for 30+ years before being hung on a cross to die for our sin. He’s alive and seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The tomb is empty because He rose from that grave and defeated death which means there is no eternal death for those who trust Him as their Lord and savior. But for those who insist He’s a fake and a fraud, well there is eternal death waiting for them. An eternity of suffering with no relief and a memory of all the times they heard the gospel and rejected it.

So Christian, look around at the chaos we see today and know that Jesus foretold all of this when He spoke to His disciples. God knew all this before He created the universe and everything in it. And know the time for His return gets closer every day regardless of what is happening around you. Dan 12:4 gives us another sign and if we take the time to stop and look around, we will see it is true.

But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

We live in a time when people do rush here and there. Look at an airport during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Look at a video of any major city in this country; if you’re not paying attention, you could get ran over by someone in a hurry to get somewhere. Knowledge has definitely increased in this day and age. For someone in my age bracket, we can remember no cable TV, rotary telephones on a landline, a party line, no social media or computer or smart phone. In the past 60 years, technology has increased at lightening speed. I remember when color TV was new and we thought that was amazing. You can laugh now.

Yes, we are living in a time which Daniel was told about. And, if you can tolerate it, just watch a nightly newscast or a cable news channel and see that all of this is what the Bible points to in end times. And, as a reminder, the end times started when Jesus ascended back to heaven. Now, I don’t watch any cable news channels and only watch about 15 minutes of local news. Depending on your worldview, you have to pick the news channel which satisfies your ideology, morals and values.

So, to answer that question, no, we are not there yet but we are awfully close. Now, don’t stick you head in the sand and just wait. Go to a good Bible teaching church, read and study your Bible and pray. Stay in prayer every day. Paul tells the Thessalonians in 1Thess 5:17 to never stop praying. Stay in fellowship with other believers and regardless of what you hear concerning God’s word, you check it out in the Bible and be sure it is there. Jesus is coming and we as Christians, need to be ready. I know there are going to be many Christians surprised and caught off guard, as the saying goes. They will be surprised because they were not watching as Paul tells us in 1 Thess 5:4-6.

But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

Be alert and on guard but don’t spend all of your time dwelling on this one topic. Be an active Christian busy in your church, in your family and at work and anywhere else. Live the Christian life and stay in prayer and all the while keep alert and be ready when the time comes; if it comes in your life time.