"TELL US, WHEN?"

Matthew 24:3-8                        (ESV)

"3 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?"

4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.

5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains."

I am currently 54 years old.  If you ONLY consider my age, I have to be considered on the "back side" of my lifetime.   Both of my grandfathers lived to be almost 90 years old, and their fathers likewise.   However, the time I have left on this earth may not be determined by my health, or my ability to avoid an traumatic accident.  The return of JESUS CHRIST cannot be too far away.  

JESUS speaks in scripture many times about HIS second coming.  It is not whether HE will return or not.  The only question is "WHEN" HE is coming back. In Matthew 24:36, JESUS says "But concerning THAT day and hour NO ONE knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, but the FATHER only."  I certainly don't KNOW when HE is going to be sent back to get HIS church.  But HIS second coming will not be like HIS first physical visit.  "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess" (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 8:11) that JESUS CHRIST is LORD!    

You may say you don't believe all of this "spiritual stuff"?  Let me humbly ask you one question....."Have you EVER been wrong"?  Well, what if you are wrong about the question of eternity?  There are no "do overs" in the game of life.  You can't call time-out and re-evaluate the consequences.  The enemy will tell you that you have PLENTY of time left.  But on my way to my office this morning I will drive five feet (or so) from another vehicle going 55 MPH.  There is no guarantee that my car, or the other car, will not malfunction causing an accident. 

JESUS may get HIS return instructions before I leave for the office this morning!  "TELL US, WHEN" was a question submitted by the closest friends of JESUS.  If HE couldn't tell them, what makes us think we will have notification of HIS return?  As I see things. Mercy and Grace are the only things preventing HIS return.  Are you willing to gamble when that Mercy and Grace has run its course?  The time for answering the question of "TELL US, WHEN" is now!