Ready or Not—Jesus is Coming!

Can we look at all our possessions, plans, and dreams, and truly say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus?”

By Kerby Thompson

The house is a mess. The laundry is piled on the sofa, unwashed dishes are covering the kitchen counter, dinner is not ready, and the guests are standing on the doorstep. Do you feel comfortable with that picture?

Let me try again. The house is clean and tidy. The laundry is folded and put away, the table is set with your best china, the turkey is just ready to come out of the oven, and the guests are standing on the doorstep.

Which situation would you rather be in? That’s not a hard question to answer, is it? If you are expecting someone to come to your home for dinner, you like to be ready when they arrive. Preparing for dinner guests is an activity we may find ourselves occupied with from time to time, but there is another preparation that needs to be taking place in our lives that is far more vital—spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord.

Are you ready?

In Revelation 22:20 we read these words, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The word amen means “so be it.” Is that the cry of your heart? So be it—come quickly, Jesus. Are you ready for that day? Can you say with all of your heart, “There isn’t anything keeping me from wanting Jesus to come”?

All of us probably have some thoughts or plans for the days ahead of us, and there is nothing wrong with that, for the Lord himself instructs us to occupy until He comes. But are we holding all of those thoughts and plans with a loose hand? Can we look at our intentions, possibilities, and dreams, and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. None of these things matter more than Your return”? Or are we mentally saying to ourselves, “But I really want to . . .”

A variety of excuses

Perhaps someone is looking ahead to a graduation ceremony. He might say, “I am going to graduate, and I wish the Lord would just wait a while longer. I have worked all these years for this moment, and other people have graduated.” Can we say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” even if we have a graduation up ahead?

Someone else might offer this reason for delay. “But I am getting married. The wedding is all planned, I’ve done a lot of the preparation, and I have been looking forward to this day for years. I really wish the Lord would wait until after our wedding and allow me a little time to enjoy married life.” Can we relinquish those dreams of a wedding day and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”? We have to put our marriage plans in the right place.

Or this: “I’m right in the process of building a new house. I’ve worked for a lot of years, saving every bit I could, so that we could build someday. I had a special savings account, and we finally accumulated what we needed and worked long and hard on developing a floor plan that would exactly meet our needs. I really want to live in this house that I’ve worked so hard to acquire.” Can we lay aside our dreams of a new home and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”?

Maybe this would enter someone’s mind. “But I would really like to have a family first. Having a child of my own has been my dream ever since I was a little girl playing with dolls. I just know I am cut out for motherhood, and I really don’t want to give up my dream of being a parent.” Children are the heritage of the Lord, the Bible tells us, and there is nothing wrong with dreaming of the day we will become parents. But can we put that desire in the right place and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”?

Another reason could be, “I have this goal in my career. There is a certain level I would like to reach, and I have invested a great deal in order to realize that ambition. I’ve worked long hours and given up a lot of activities in order to achieve it. Now it is finally in sight. I really would like to move into that spot, and then the Lord can come.” Jobs, careers, and professional advancement need to be left in the Lord’s hands. Can we take our hands off and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”?

What about this. “I’ve been planning this cruise for over a year now. I’ve always wanted to make this trip, and now we’ve bought the tickets, arranged for time off, and obtained our passports. It’s the trip of a lifetime! I wish that the Lord would wait until next fall at least, when our trip will be behind us.” Can we lay aside the travel brochures and the tickets, and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”?

Spiritual needs must be addressed

While these issues can loom as highly important in many people’s minds as they consider the Lord’s return, there are other reasons that some hold this tremendous event at a distance. Those reasons are spiritual in nature.

“I don’t want the Lord to come now. I’m not saved. I know I am not ready for His return, so I hope He holds off until I get ready. I intend to, someday.” Salvation should never be put off! The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time.” If we have been neglecting our soul’s eternal destiny, it is hard to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” isn’t it?

What about those who need to be sanctified? They may say, “I need my sanctification. I know that the Lord prayed that we might be sanctified. I’ve been taught that the Lord paid the price for my sanctification, suffering ‘without the gate’ so that experience could be accomplished in my life. I’ve prayed for it, but I guess I just haven’t made the deep consecrations that are required.” If we know of something we need to receive from God, and we haven’t pressed in to receive it, we will find it hard to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

“I need the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I want to receive power to be an effective witness for God, but so far I have not tarried until I obtained that spiritual experience.” It would be a little easier to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” if we had that power in our lives, wouldn’t it? We know that it doesn’t say in the Bible that if you want it, that’s good, and if you don’t, that’s fine too. This could be a reason to wish to postpone the Lord’s return. “There is a consecration the Lord has been asking of me. I know I should quit avoiding this issue, but it seems so difficult. I just don’t see how I could do it.” Is it easy to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” if we have a consecration to make? No, it is not.

“I need to witness to someone. A certain person has been on my mind for quite a few weeks now, and the Lord has been urging me to pray for him. I know I should talk to him, but somehow it seems the right time just hasn’t come up.”

Something yet undone can be a hindrance. “I need to ask someone to forgive me for something I said. I didn’t really mean it, but it came out wrong, and I know my words hurt. It keeps bothering me, and I know I should make it right, but I haven’t had a good opportunity yet.” Is it easy to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” when you know there is something between you and someone else?

Open your heart to God

Has the Lord put His finger on something in your life that needs to be taken care of? If anything in your spirit resists the thought of Christ Jesus’ soon return, you need to open your heart up before the Lord and ask Him to search out the reason this is so. It is of eternal importance that we have everything taken care of—that we are ready for the coming of the Lord at all times. We want to be sure that our names are written in the Book of Life. We need to be walking in all the Light of God’s Word. We need to live like we expect Him at any moment. The preparations must be made, and the longing of our hearts must be focused on His imminent return.

In Hebrew 9:28 we read these words: “. . . and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Are you one of those who are truly looking for the coming of the Lord? If you are, then you can say from the bottom of your heart, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”