Excitement for Jesus' Return, Pt. 1

This week in our devotions, we will probe deeply into the grand subject of Jesus' return. I hope you are blessed and encouraged by what you read this week.

Excitement for Jesus' Return, Pt. 1

"Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.' Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'"

(Matthew 24:1-3)

Most Americans were pleased with the outcome of the presidential election of Donald Trump last Tuesday evening; I know I was. The inauguration of Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America will take place on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. I am praying for President Biden to finish well and that there will be a peaceful transfer of power. You may not have voted for Trump, but if you are a follower of Christ, we are commanded in Scripture to pray for those in authority. For the next four years, I will be praying daily for Trump and his family: Melania, Don, Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron. They will need our prayers!

In his "30 Life Principles" series of messages that Charles Stanley preached, he completed the series with this title: "Anticipating the Lord's Return". Stanley was the pastor of FBC Atlanta, GA for over 50 years and was well known for his faithfulness to teach the Bible on his In Touch TV broadcast. Stanley passed away on April 18, 2023, at 90 years of age.

This week in our devotions, we will probe deeply into the grand subject of Jesus' return. I hope you are blessed and encouraged by what you read this week. The second coming of Jesus is one of my favorite topics in the Bible. I love studying and learning about eschatology, which means a study of the last days. The Bible teaches us a great deal on this subject. In fact, an entire book of the Bible is written on what will happen in the future: the book of Revelation. I have preached through this amazing book on two occasions. When we speak of the Lord's return there are many interpretations on how it all will transpire or unfold. I have my own convictions and beliefs, but this topic should not cause us to have numerous debates; nor should the topic instill fear in the child of God. Rather, this topic should bring great hope and comfort to followers of Jesus. After all, we are talking about Jesus coming back!

As I have done with the previous 29 life lessons from Dr. Charles Stanley, I will share his teachings and interject my own thoughts and beliefs as well. Stanley and I agree in our beliefs on end times, but he approaches it much more pragmatically and pastorally and not as in-depth theologically. For example, in his message, he references a rapture but no teaching on the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus in Revelation 20 or the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21.

Stanley began his message by pointing out that believers in the New Testament, like today, were enamored with one thought: When? They wanted to know when Jesus would return (see our biblical text for today, Matthew 24:3). But while they, and many today, are pondering when, the focus in the Bible is not so much on when but how we should be living our lives as we anticipate Christ's return to earth. The best way to be prepared for His return is to always be prepared. Let us live daily for Christ so that if He comes in our lifetime, He will find us faithfully serving Him.