Esotropiart

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight the cry rang out: "Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!"

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out."

"No," they replied, "there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves."

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. "Sir! Sir!" they said. "Open the door for us!"

But he replied, "I tell you the truth, I don't know you."

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13 NIV

I'm no soothsayer or prophet, but the time for Christ's return is pretty near. Even when the disciples had just experienced Jesus' presence in the flesh and saw Him gathered up in the clouds, they thought His return would be near. Does 2000 years that separate us numb our senses to think that, "Eh, it won't 'happen' to me"?

Let me share with you an insight that occurred to me some time ago. For each person, including you, He will "return" in your lifetime. This is a radical idea and not a theological one or to start some new movement, but it is a practical one. For the life of each person who has lived since Jesus came to earth, He has come again in their lifetime. What do I mean by that?

There are two possibilities for the end of your life. One of these will certainly describe your end of days.

1. You will die the normal physical death and be stored up for the judgment of Christ.
2. Jesus will physically return and collect the dead and the living all at once, including you if you are alive at that moment in time.

Are you relying on the numbers of probability and are therefore coasting through life? Here's what I mean. Okay, so about 2000 years have passed since Jesus made the promise to return. The average life expectancy in this part of the world is about 78 years. So, assuming nothing "goes wrong", you can say that you have about a 1 in 25 chance of Jesus returning during your lifetime. Is that shocking? Are your laws of probability already being shaken? 1 in 25 is a pretty good chance, wouldn't you say? Would you bet your life on those stakes alone? Chances are, you already have if you aren't living your life for Jesus Christ!

Of course there is far more to the probability equations that that. For example, we don't know when Jesus will return. He could come in the year 4000, which would decrease your odds to 1 in 50. Do you really think He will tarry that long? I can almost guarantee He won't! Look at the signs of the times! If He waits more than 100 years from now, I believe we will completely destroy each other, and there will be no one living to collect to Himself. It would be a 100% resurrection, rather than a gathering of the living and the dead.

Besides, even if He waits until the year 4000, your chances are still 1 in 25. Why? Because 2000 of those years have already passed, and Jesus hasn't returned to take us away yet. So that leaves 2000 as the balance, thus returning your odds to 1 in 25. Worse yet, since it's very unlikely God will wait that long to send His Son again, I think we can safely shave off some years from that 4000 "worst case scenario". He's coming sooner than that, I tell you! What if He is very likely to come in the next 200 years of human history? That means that you, your children, or a few generations out will see the coming of Jesus Christ. And it may be your own lifetime to see it. If you still feel like being lazy, at least gain some passion for your childrens' sake! If Jesus doesn't come in your lifetime, it may be your children who see it. Don't you want them to be ready? Don't you want to pass on an excitement, rather than apathy? The time is short.

To shift the probability even further, who says you will live to your full expectancy? Who says you'll be on this earth tomorrow? Is it not true that you can die at any moment? Car crashes, unexpected or hereditary disease, murder, war, natural disaster, etc. Don't you know at least one person if not many in your small circle of existence who has died before "their time"? Maybe it was an accident, maybe murder, maybe suicide. At any rate, maybe that person will be you! I'm not trying to scare or dishearten anyone. I just want to be aware myself of the importance of this subject, and I hope it strikes someone else too.

Let me take this probability analogy even further, and this was my "discovery" a while back. For all practical purposes Jesus is guaranteed to "return" in your lifetime. Lest someone quote me on that and put me in the local papers as a psycho false prophet, hear me out. Review the 2 possibilities of the end of your days above. You will either die as your fleshly body gives up its ghost, or you will see the return of Christ and be gathered (or be left behind). No duh! How does that "guarantee" the coming of the Lord in your lifetime?!

From the perspective of your own opportunities, for all practical purposes you are the very virgins waiting outside for the bridegroom to show up. Your time is limited. You have a predetermined number of days. If you die before Christ returns, your time is up. If He returns while you are alive, your time is up. It makes no difference at all! Once you breath your last, it is as if Christ has returned. You no longer have an effect on this world. You can no longer make a choice concerning repentance from your sins. You can no longer fight the darkness in this world as a soldier for Christ. You can no longer share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone who is perishing. In short, Jesus will return for you at the end of your life, and your time is up. For you, it won't matter if Jesus comes one second after you die or in the year 4000.

Therefore, our time is short. Jesus is coming soon. Let's live as though He will come back tomorrow, for if we ignore the lateness of the hour, something will be lost. If we are playing games and waiting for the last second to repent of our sins, living in sin... it will come as a thief in the night - either His return or our own accidental demise. If we are Christians but are lazy about the late hour, living in comfort and acquiring things... He will return when we least expect it, or our bodies will perish at an unknown time, and our chance to reach someone God has placed in our life will end. Consider the probability. Jesus is going to return in your lifetime. Please, let's do something about it!

So what am I saying in all this? What's my point? Hasn't it been a while since you've heard an end times sermon? I used to hear more of these types of sermons when I was a child. It seems like it's been a while. People, we need to take this seriously. Jesus is coming back soon! Our time is short. As Satan is anxious because he knows his time is limited, shouldn't we also consider the same? We are the antithesis of Satan, his worst enemy. He hates us as he hates Christ Himself, for we are the physical embodiment of Christ in this world. We are the Body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God dwells in our hearts! Should we not also consider the hour late and take up weapons against our enemy? He is killing and destroying quite effectively. Souls are being lost every minute. What are we going to do about it, friends? I have been a lazy Christian, broken apart by the trials of this life... not doing much for the Kingdom of God, not bearing much fruit. I'm sick of it. I don't know how to "solve" this dilemma. Shouldn't we pray about it though? Shouldn't we pray that God change our apathetic hearts so that we are willing to lay down our very lives for Him? Our lives will end anyway, one way or another. Why not for Christ? Why not in His name? He is coming. Jesus Christ is coming soon!

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

2 Peter 3:8-13 NIV

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV