Live blessed: He is coming soon

Jesus is coming—soon.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus said he was coming soon?

It’s been more than two thousand years since Christ appeared to John on the island of Patmos and gave him the book of Revelation.

Toward the end of the revelation, Jesus said, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:6–7).

I included these verses in my teaching last week, with a new thought. Most sermons about this passage are about the ultimate end of our world when Jesus returns for the final time. The book of Revelation teaches us that everything on earth is temporal, with a beginning and an end. We are supposed to live like Jesus could return tomorrow.

But, again, it’s been more than two thousand years.

What did Jesus mean by “soon”?

How should we define soon?

My mom and I spent the weekend driving to northern Arkansas and then back again. I took Mom to her brother’s funeral service. She is the youngest child in her family. She had ten brothers and three sisters. Now, Mom is the only one still living.

I watched the photo montage the funeral home put together and wondered how Grandma and Grandpa were able to raise fourteen children to be such fine human beings. But they did. Now, they are in heaven, except for my mom. She will join them one day, but today, she is without all of them, and my dad too.

The good news: Jesus is coming soon.

A wonderful woman from our church in Midland, Texas, was lying on her deathbed. Her family was gathered around quietly singing a hymn. She had not spoken in several days when she sat up and exclaimed, “Jesus!” and then she was gone.

Jesus had come to bring her home to heaven. It was sooner than the family expected it would be.

And that’s the point. We might not say that two thousand years is an accurate description of “soon,” but how many times have you lost someone you wished could have lived a few more years? Did their death feel like it came too soon?

Jesus is coming soon.

For all of us, it will be less than one hundred years from now, fifty years from now, twenty years from now—or sooner. If that makes you feel concerned, look at what Jesus said right after “Behold, I am coming soon.” He said, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7).

What does the Revelation promise to bless?

Are you living a blessed life now?

If you are, the return of Christ is something to anticipate, not fear. The book of Revelation promises blessings to all of us. When last did you find joy in those promised blessings?

Jesus said:

We are blessed by reading the Book.

Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).

The last book of the Bible is the only book of the Bible that promises blessing to the reader.

And again, Jesus said, “For the time is near.” The book of Revelation is not easy reading. In fact, it is a book to be studied with a good commentary in hand. (I suggest The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.)

When last did you read the book of Revelation?

Jesus promised a blessing to everyone who does.

We are blessed by dying in Christ.

Jesus said, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Revelation 14:13).

Jesus taught us to look at the death of a Christian, especially a Christian who has lived their life in great service to the Lord, as a wonderful reward, a blessing. My dad died with a smile of peace on his face. My uncle, who only recently gave his life to the Lord, died with a smile on his face. The woman in Midland, who sat up on her deathbed and called out to Jesus, was glad to see him.

If we are in Christ, we are blessed when we die!

We should live today, blessed by that assurance.

We are blessed by living “ready.”

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15).

Simply put, we should be steadfastly faithful all of the time so that we are okay with Jesus returning any time.

Live today like it could be tomorrow.

Christians were blessed at the moment of their salvation.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

When faithful Christians pass a mirror, they should see the reflection of a person who is already abundantly blessed! We have been invited to be the honored guest of Jesus at the eternal banquet of heaven. We are invited to the best meal of our entire lives, for every moment of our eternal lives. And with our eternal bodies, we can eat whatever we want! (That last sentence is more my thought than God’s. But, it seems likely.)

Maybe we should “look” at our invitation a little more often. It is printed in gold.

Christians are blessed by keeping our lives clean.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates” (Revelation 22:14).

We are “washed” by the blood of the lamb. That is, the blood that was shed by Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. A Christian has forgiveness. We are blessed every time we confess our sins and receive his mercy and cleansing. Christians will live eternally clean, but we can receive his cleansing today as well.

It’s better to seek forgiveness now and arrive in heaven as “clean” as possible.

Are you blessed and ready?

Jesus is coming soon.

He said it, and for most of us, the day will come sooner than we think it should. That’s the point.

If you speak to an older person, they will almost always say, “Time is flying by!” They are genuinely surprised to look in their mirrors and see an older face looking back. I watched that photo montage and some of those pictures were taken decades ago. My mom and dad were sitting together at a picnic, smiling. She told me it seemed like yesterday.

Jesus is coming soon.

If you are living today with that hope, you are living a blessed life. If there are areas of life that could use some “washing,” then go to the fountain now and get cleaned up.

Heaven is real, and heaven is promised to those who have placed their faith in Jesus. My uncle wished he had made that decision earlier in his life. Who do you know that still needs to choose Christ?

Jesus promised you will be blessed by reading the book of Revelation. Let’s do that this week and obey the prophecy that inspires your soul. If we do, we will see the Lamb and the Spirit use us to give the hope of Christ to others.

Don’t wait.

He is coming soon!

The Mission of Christmas

The viral photo of Sully, a service dog, lying in front of the president’s casket, touched our hearts. The caption read, “Mission Complete. #Remembering41”.

Sometimes a picture does speak a thousand words.

The country will pause from the Christmas season to honor the life of our 41st president this week. I’m praying the service and the media broadcasts will cause people to think about their own lives, with a Christmas perspective. All of us are born with a mission to complete. The greatest satisfaction of life is knowing we have accomplished what the Lord intended us to do.

When Barbara Bush passed away, I remember thinking it wouldn’t be long before her husband joined her in heaven. My grandpa died eight months after my grandma passed. One of the great blessings of getting older is gaining a better perspective on the important things of this life. Heaven looks more like home when the people you love are living there.

The president told his best friend, Jim Baker, that he wanted to go to heaven. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I think President Bush desired to spend Christmas in heaven and God said, “Okay. We can do that.”

The Mission of Christmas

I was considering the Christmas story with a “Mission Complete” mindset. God had a great purpose for everyone that first Christmas, and they accomplished their mission.

  • Mary was preparing to be a wife when God asked her to be a mother too. She gave birth to the Messiah that first Christmas. Mission complete.
  • Elizabeth told Mary what she needed to hear. Those words of encouragement brought Mary great joy, when she most needed a strong faith. Mission complete.
  • Joseph planned to quietly divorce Mary when he found she was with child. Instead, he obeyed the angel, took Mary as his wife, and kept her safe. Mission complete.
  • The shepherds planned to look after their sheep that night. Instead, they saw a great light and went to look for a baby lying in a manger. They completed their mission by telling others what they had seen.
  • The wise men spent months following a star, in search of the king. When they bowed before their Messiah and honored him with their gifts, their mission was complete.
  • The angel Gabriel made sure that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escaped to Egypt. The Messiah would live to become a man. Mission complete.

I found myself asking the Lord, “What is my ‘mission’ this Christmas season?”

Your Mission

There are always a lot of things that need to get done. But, I think President Bush would tell us the “whats” aren’t as important as the “whos.”

Maybe the question should be, “Who is my mission this year?”

I want to be able to say, “Mission complete.”

An important life will be remembered and honored this Christmas season. The grave of President Bush will be next to his wife and daughter’s graves at his Presidential Library in College Station. But his life is with them in heaven. Imagine their unique joy this Christmas as they celebrate the holiday with Robin again, after so many years apart.

Who has been on your mind as you read these words?

Jesus told his disciples, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Let’s spend some time listening for that voice this Christmas season and working to obey his calling. It would be a blessing to pack up the Christmas decorations in a few weeks knowing our holiday is over and that mission is complete.