Preparing for His Second Coming

We have decided to title this message 'Preparing for His Second Coming' instead of 'Understanding the Times (Part 2)' as earlier stated in our last message. This is because our focus in this message will mainly consider what we as believers are to do and get engaged in as we see the Day approaching.

Firstly, we have to Watch and Pray (Mark 13:37)
To watch means to be always on the alert, that is we have to be prepared at all times. The Bible foretells that the second coming of The Lord Jesus Christ will be very sudden. That Day will be likened as that of a thief that suddenly preys on his victims in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10). The Lord Jesus warns in Luke 21: 34-36 (NIV) “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

In order to escape all that is about to happen, believers in Christ must watch against sin and pray that their love for Christ will not diminish or extinguish in their lives.

Secondly, as believers we must Shun Worldliness and Desire to be Godly.

To be worldly is to set our minds on earthly wealth, fame and power. It is to be carnally minded and be a practitioner of evil deeds. It is to live a self-focused and sinful lifestyle. The Bible in Colossians 3:1-2 enjoins those who have been raised with Christ; whose minds are with Christ in heaven to set their hearts on things above and allow their attitudes to be determined by things above. They are to value, judge and consider everything from an eternal and heavenly perspective. Their focus should be to seek spiritual things, resist sin and put on Christ's character (Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 4:24).

Thirdly, believers must Long for Christ's Second Coming.
The more a believer longs for Christ's coming, the more his or her attention is shifted unto Him and the more intense he or she will crave to develop a deeper relationship with Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). As Christians, we must possess an intense longing for The Lord's return to take us from earth to be with Him in glory in heaven forever.

Philippians 3:20-21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Titus 2:11-13 “11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Fourthly, we must not neglect the assembly of believers (Hebrews 10:25). Let us state very clearly that no church can save. However the church one attends determines one's spiritual focus and preparedness to meet His Saviour. Prosperity preaching churches that abound these days cannot prepare you for the Day of The Lord. Churches that teach you "7 Steps into becoming a millionaire" or preachers who tinkle your fancy with enticing human philosophies that do nothing to enhance your spiritual depth and those who make promises of God’s blessings to you even in your gutted spiritual condition will only lead you to one place - Hell Fire. Danger! Be Warned!

Brethren as we see the Day approaching we must engage ourselves with churches that will encourage us to: live holy and righteous lives; hold firmly to The Lord Jesus Christ and the apostolic faith of the new covenant.

Fifthly, we must reach out to lost souls. The last of Christ’s commands to the Church as He was departing this world is for believers to go out into the world and preach the gospel of the kingdom. We have to preach the word at all times (2 Timothy 4:2). He did not tell us to Christianise the world but to make Disciples for Him. Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” The Lord Jesus defines a disciple as one who holds on to His teaching. John 8:31 “31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” Making disciples for Christ involves teaching converts to keep and practise all that Christ commanded in the Gospels and the Holy Spirit inspired teaching of the early Apostles as seen in the Epistles. We have to correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction, especially in these days when many professing believers have failed to put up with sound doctrine and have turned away their ears from the truth to embrace myths and human ideologies from false preachers and teachers (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Conclusion
Are you prepared to meet the Lord Jesus Christ? The devil is on rampage in most churches today as he knows that his judgment is near. Churches are continually being distracted from the apostolic ministry into mundane issues and activities. As a result believers are becoming worldlier and very less spiritual. We need to be like the wise virgins who had enough oil in their lamps and were not caught unaware by the lateness of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-12). Our Lord Jesus Christ says in Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”


God bless you in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Present sir.

I must make heaven..

Pls op can u narrate dat second coming of jesus?