Don’t see the audio player? Click here.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security guards our borders 24/7. They stay alert because they never know when some enemy may attempt to invade our country by air, sea, or land. Staying alert is what Jesus urged His followers to do, even though we obviously would not do it in the same way our government does it. Jesus said the best way to be ready when He returns is to stay ready. Of course that does not mean we sell our belongings and move to some isolated countryside to await His arrival. We stay ready by being constantly engaged in what He has asked us to do; living Christ-centered moral lives; promoting His Kingdom values of justice and righteousness for everyone; and by sharing the Good News of God’s readiness to forgive the sins of all who place their faith in His Son. Jesus said while we wait, we must also guard against false teachers that claim they know when Christ will return. Jesus assured us that “no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” (from vv. 32–33). Followers of Jesus Christ take Him serious because they respect His identity as God’s Son and know He is incapable of misstating the truth. While we do not know WHEN He will return, we are confident that one day He will. Until then we live to please Him.
