Do you believe it?
Many are saying it, and even the Bible talks extensively on the End Times. On Jesus Second Coming. Make no mistake, the End of the World is Coming and more and more people are seeing the signs in our world that it's on it's way. So, what do we do? We that believe the end of the world is coming? What Should We Do? What…Should…We…Do? We want to do something. We feel the need to do something. Yes, it’s as simple as that we want to do something, anything. Instinctively we feel the need to do something so we might believe we are playing the part God wants us to play, so we’ll be ready for him when he returns. To do nothing seems slothful. So what is it we are supposed to do? Read the following Bible verses--
Matthew 24:45–47
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Mark 13:32-37
But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Luke 21:34-36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing- doing. Yes, there’s the word- do. What is Jesus referring to? Well he likens those of us at the end times before his return to servants- faithful and wise servants that he’s entrusted his household to. Let’s take this to another level- it’s our current day and you work for a rich man and he leaves his house to travel the world, going away and you’re left not knowing exactly when he’ll return. You as one of his faithful and wise servants will keep his house and those in there safe and sound. You won’t be slothful letting the household go to ruin and the others within starve. You will actively keep the house in the best shape possible as well as the other servants within. You’ll do all you can to have things perfect for when the rich man returns to his house. Jesus entrusts us to keep his household and to care for those in that household as necessary. It’s natural to think of Jesus’ household as His church, His people. Who did Jesus come to minister to? Who are his people that make up his church?
Rev. 12: 17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(Note- Isaiah 54:1-8 compare with 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:25-27, look at Revelation 19: 6,7-- over and over the woman is symbolic of the church- of God’s people, his bride)
Remnant means last of something.
Dictionary Definition of Remnant--remnant (remnant) noun
1.Something left over; a remainder.
2.A leftover piece of fabric remaining after the rest has been used or sold.
3.A surviving trace or vestige: a remnant of his past glory. See synonyms at remainder.
4.Often remnants . A small surviving group of people.
So in the last days before his coming Jesus will have a people, a remnant- a small surviving group of people that are his and these people will keep his commandments and his testimony. The household left at the end times which Jesus admonishes *(Remember Matthew 24:45- Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? {24:46} Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.) That household we are all part of and as such as faithful and wise servants in that household we need to feed the hungry in that household- feed them how?
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:48 I am that bread of life.
John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Luke 4:4
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Can it be any more clear? In due season, when those in God’s household, when his remnant people are hungry we need to feed them and be found doing so. Feeding them the Word of God.
Doing something. If you want to know what else we should be doing keep reading.
Let’s look at Mark 13:32-37
But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Watch. And… Pray. Watch. Pray. What are we watching for? We are watching for Christ to return. We actively need to be looking for Christ to return again. When you go to the airport to pick someone up, as news of the plane’s arrival comes you begin to actively look for the person you’re waiting for. When you are watching for anyone, a friend to come out of the store, a loved one to get home from work, a child at the bus stop after school, this watching is important isn’t it? There’s a risk that if you’re not watching that you might miss them. Sure part of you is saying, they’ll just find their way home if I miss them. But is that true? Of an adult maybe, a child it is less likely. Who are we? Children of God who are admonished to watch. We aren’t to sleep, to have in the backs of our minds well…Christ will find me when he comes again. Christ wants his people to watch for him and this is doing something, this is an activity. Watching and praying. We are to pray. We don’t know when he’s going to come. There is no Second Coming schedule set up so that we can mark the date on our calendars. How crucial it is to keep vigilant especially because we don’t know when He’s returning. No wonder he tells us to watch, to keep active in that watching. If your loved one went away and told you they’d be back sometime next year, to watch for them, would you again. just assume they’ll find their way home and you can do whatever you want? It’s so easy to think that way and Christ knew how tempting it would be to just stop watching, to stop looking for His second coming because we don’t know when it would be. How many times have you heard stories of missing children and the family’s diligent search for them? Some never give up, others lose hope and do. We can’t give up hope that Christ is coming and if we want to know what we are to be doing while we wait and watch for him, he tells us… pray.
Matthew 25:1-13
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so;] lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
See— Watch therefore. We don’t want to be like the five virgins who foolishly didn’t take oil with them. We want to be prepared, ready, waiting…watching. So far we’ve seen that we are supposed to exhort one another (those remnant in His household) left waiting for his return, by feeding them, sustaining them with the Word of God, the Bread of Life. Also we’re told to be watching and praying, all very active things for Christ’s people in the last days. We are obviously to be very busy people. Let’s look at another passage-
Luke 21:34-36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Another interpretation of the same event with Jesus expounding on the last days and what his people are to be doing. Watch and pray always. Watching isn’t something we can take lightly. If we give up the watch we’re going to miss Him, it’s that simple. We are told not to be caught up in cares of this life and all that entails. How can we not be caught up in them? We have to live in the world and work, and do all it takes to stay alive; take care of a family, keep ourselves from becoming destitute. We have to be involved in the world we live in there is no doubt about that, but while we’re in the world doing ALL those things, we shouldn’t be so caught up in them that we stop watching for the most important event in our lives, Jesus’s return. He’s coming there is no doubt about that, and he will have his remnant serving the Bread of Life, praying, and watching for him.
Let’s see what the Book of Revelation has to say-
Revelation 1:1-3-
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.
We all want to be blessed, to be blessed means to be among the remnant that will make up God’s people when Jesus returns. To be blessed we need to hear the words of the prophecy John is giving us on the Revelation of Jesus Christ and something else… we need to do something else. Again there is that word ‘do’, a word that has us actively participating, what are we admonished to do this time? We have to keep the things that are written in this Revelation of Jesus. In order to keep them we need to know what things we’re keeping so a study of this prophecy is very necessary. We’re admonished to ‘hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein’. This is God speaking to each and everyone of us. This is God telling us what he wants of His people, the same God who commanded Abraham and Moses, the same God who spoke to David and Solomon of old. He is speaking to us today each of us, and we will be blessed just as his chosen of old if we listen to him. Also as you've seen we've been admonished to pray.
How did Jesus tell us to pray?
Matthew 6:9-13
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Look at that, really look at it closely. Thy kingdom come. Right there in those three words Jesus acknowledges the last days. Because it is in the last days God's kingdom shall come and we are to pray for that always. So you see if you want to know what you should be doing as a person looking for Jesus's second coming, there you have it-- very active things for you to be doing and each one so very important. May God our Heavenly Father bless us all as we continued to seek and know his will and as we strive to be the children he wants us to be, loving and obedient, confident that we have a Heavenly Father that loves us and wants us with him in the glorious day.