Are You Ready?

"Behold I am coming quickly..."  Revelation 22:12

     A few weeks back I was in our greenhouse starting our seeds for the spring.  I have enjoyed planting in a greenhouse ever since I was in Horticulture class in High School.  I started a few different kinds of heirloom tomatoes and peppers to plant in the garden in late April. My wife enjoys flowers, lots of flowers, so most of the shelves in the greenhouse are filled with vincas, marigolds, zinnias, petunias and daisies that will go into the front yard. The day that I had set aside to plant all of these seeds was during the week that was so bitterly cold. That week it was down in the teens at night and didn’t feel much better during the day.  I was beginning to question my own sanity as I was carrying watering can after watering can full of water into the greenhouse. I began to think, “Do I really need to be doing this right now?” It sure would be a lot warmer in the house. The thought had popped into my head that this task could probably wait until a later date. Maybe until it was warmer, maybe a day the wind wasn’t blowing, maybe I should even wait until the spring, after all the weather would be nicer, but I realized that it would be too late if I waited. If I didn’t prepare the seed then, they would come up too late and I wouldn’t be able to plant a garden at all. I knew even though it was cold then, that Spring was coming and I had to be ready. Even though Spring seemed to be a far off day. I knew it was coming and I had to be ready.

     In Revelation 22:12, Jesus is trying to help us to understand His Second Coming.  He wants the world to be ready. When Jesus says here that He is coming quickly, He doesn’t mean in a few seconds or a few minutes. He is telling us that when He comes back, it will be all of a sudden. So we must be ready. Christians will be making breakfast, and never get to eat it. Christians will be running bath water to bathe, and never make it to the tub. Jesus will come back and He will take us with Him. Now that is great news, isn’t it? But are you ready for that day? Will Jesus be pleased with the life that you have lived?

     On the other hand when that day comes, the lost will be buying movie tickets, holding a menu trying to decide what to order for supper and driving to work, but Jesus comes back. And without Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, their time is up. The time that God has given us to be prepared will be over. No more invitational hymns. No more chances to kneel beside the bed and pray. Time is up.

     We as Christians need to make sure that we are ready and prepared for that day. We also need to help the lost around us to be ready too. Many of them may not realize that time is running out. They may not realize the urgency of time being short. We must live, witness and serve as if Jesus were coming back today.