Jesus Christ, a thief in the night!?!

Jesus isn’t a burglar! He’s your knight in shining armor coming to take you home to heaven.

In a matter of speaking, yes.

As God, He only comes into your home and into your life if invited in. (Rev. 3:20)

However, there is one area where He is like a thief, according to God’s own Word.

There will be no warning of Christ’s coming, just as a thief in the night comes without warning.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

For you, yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

His Word says He is coming for His Church.

And nobody but God the Father knows when.

Amazingly, not even Jesus knows when He will return for His Church.

“But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)

But … He Is Coming. And when He returns, it will be like a “thief in the night.”

What Does “Like A Thief in the Night” Really Mean?

‘Like a thief in the night’ means Jesus will come unexpectedly:

“Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24: 42-44)

‘Like a thief in the night’ means Jesus will come suddenly:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor. 15: 51-52)

‘Like a thief in the night’ means Jesus will come at His Father’s appointed time:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24: 36)

‘Like a thief in the night’ means Jesus will come with His own rewards:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12)

Do You Have the ‘Living Trust’ Inside Of You?

I started thinking about the Lord’s imminent return when I was reminded I still haven’t created a living trust so that my sons can easily inherit my earthly property and avoid tax penalties.

(Not to be confused with a living will, which deals with end-of-life wishes from a medical sense.)

Like Christmas decorations still up in April, I have been hanging around procrastinating.

Of course, what better Living Trust than to trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but the state of California has other plans for anything you leave behind.

So, if I want to be a responsible parent and leave my inheritance to my children, a living trust hurdles the drawn-out probate process.

But a living trust comes with a price and is normally structured by an attorney. (Or you can buy the software and do it yourself.)

And so I drag my feet.

A Trust in Jesus comes with a price, too, but thankfully it has been paid in full when He died on the cross.

The Son of God paid for mankind’s sins that day on Calvary.

The Lamb that was slain as a sacrifice for all sinners.

With abundant, love, grace, mercy and sacrifice, it was God’s will that His Son would die to expunge our sins and bring us back into a relationship with Him.

At least, my Living Trust in Christ is (to borrow the lyrics of an old song) “signed, sealed, delivered, I’m His”.

• I’m signed in by the Blood of Christ.
• I’m sealed in the Book of Life.
• I’m delivered into the will of God.
• I am a child of God.
  

The Big Question: Will You Be Ready For Christ’s Return?

Today, are you able to tell God, “Lord, I’m yours.”

Good, then give Him a shout out and tell Him, “I’m yours!”

If you aren’t there yet, isn’t it time to trust your life to Jesus?

Doing the will of God is infinitely more important than any will on Earth.

What’s more important, the finite pleasures of the world or living eternity with God?

Like me, you may have many reasons why you haven’t formulated a financial living trust.

But if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you are not ready for his return, what excuse will you have when He returns “in the twinkling of an eye”?

Do you want to be Raptured with the Church or left behind holding the remote control saying, “Hey, what’s on TV tonight?”

Yes, there is a price you will pay to become a follower of Jesus. Persecution abounds.

You will be looked down upon by the world. You will still have problems and you won’t be perfect.

But you will be a sweet fragrance and beautiful work-in-progress to God Almighty.

If I could give you a $1 billion to spend, what is that worth compared to eternal life in heaven singing hosannas to our Father?

Time is of the essence to get your “Living Trust” made with Jesus.

He just might return tomorrow.

Romans 10:9 underscores an important point in your life:

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Do You Want the Assurance of Salvation?

Here is a simple prayer you can pray:

“Jesus, I acknowledge that You are Lord, that you died for my sins and I believe in my heart You were raised three days later. I sincerely want to repent of my sins. Jesus, I ask You to be the Lord of my life. Please send the Holy Spirit to dwell within me, to guide my path from this day forward. In Jesus name I pray. – Amen.”

If you’ve just prayed a prayer of repentance and sincerely meant it:

Welcome to the Family of God!

You now have the promise of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!

It’s a “Living Trust” no one should leave Earth without having made.