Watch Until Our Lord’s Return

 

by Tucker Whitaker & Andy Coticchio

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Excerpted from Life on the Highest Plane – Ruth Paxson (1928):

Matthew 24:36-42 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Mark 13:33-37 “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.” Life will be flowing on its ordinary channels when “the day of Christ” finally comes. We will rise to the ordinary tasks; we will be in our accustomed haunts; we will be eating, drinking, working and sleeping as usual.

No warning will be given us that we may hastily prepare ourselves to meet the Lord. No time will be given to change our occupation or our garments. So there is but one attitude for the Christian to have toward the coming of the Lord and that is the attitude of watchfulness. He may come any moment, therefore I should be watching every moment.

Words of Grace for Strength

Is this your attitude? Do you live in a state of watchfulness every day, every moment? We daresay that this is not the attitude of the majority of people who profess to be Christians. However uncomfortable it may be to admit, most Christians go about their everyday lives as if the return of Jesus is still a millennium away. Who concerns themselves with events 1000 years into the future? No one, quite frankly.

Yet we are told to be watchful, to be in a constant state of alertness for the return of our Lord and Savior. There is not one prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled before His Father tells Him to step out on the clouds and call His church, His bride to meet Him in the air, and join Him at His Father’s throne. This rapture, as He appears in the clouds, is in fact our Blessed Hope, and the imminence of that Blessed Hope should be at the forefront of the mind of every believer.

From an attitude of watchfulness, expecting our Savior’s return at any moment, should grow a desire to share the reality of His return and His free gift of grace with everyone who does not already have a personal relationship with Him. In fact, from this attitude of watchfulness should grow an ever-increasing sense of urgency to do more for Christ in obedience to His instruction to go out and make disciples of all the nations.

There should be an urgency for each of us to accomplish those things which He has made us responsible for in His call on our lives, living consistently in our walk and witness to others, in order to bring Christ to them, and them into a relationship with Christ, which leads to eternal life.

This is not a stand on the mountaintop and await His return watchfulness; It is living our lives daily in such a way that we are going about our Father’s business until the day of the Son’s return. Doing His will as we should every day, yet doing so in the realization that today could be the day.

Our watchfulness should be like that of any good soldier, wary of any attack or ambush of the enemy, while moving forward toward the goal which the Captain of our salvation has placed before us. Watching as we move, for Him and the victory He brings when He appears before us.

Our watchfulness should also be like that of the faithful servant who longs for his Master’s return. Having been obedient in accomplishing the tasks He has placed before us, we long to hear Him say; “well done, good and faithful servant.”

His return is imminent! Watch therefore!

Even So Come.

Dr. Tuck Whitaker and Andy Coticchio 

www.evensocome.org

[email protected]

http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/wc78.html

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