The Ballestero Blog

If You Really Believed Jesus Was Coming Soon…

What Would You Do?

I grew up in a generation accustomed to hearing sermons about the coming of the Lord. Since I was born during World War II, my parents truly believed they were in the last days and did their best to live and pray accordingly.

My Mother said that when I was born she never dreamed the Lord would tarry long enough for me to even start Kindergarten, but that was 70 years ago.

No one knows the day or the hour that He will come again. Yet, everything within me chooses to focus on the hope that today will be the day.

When I proposed to my beloved, we settled on the date of August 28, 1965. However, within weeks of our engagement, we heard a series of sermons on the coming of the Lord. We moved our wedding up to August 14, to beat the rapture… and we did.

Desert Storm brought backsliders back by the droves. Some of them didn’t wait for the preaching, but walked straight from the door to the altar. After the scare of the war was gone, so were they.

The reality is, folks who don’t believe that the return of Jesus is imminent, have a tendency to live like He is not coming soon.

If I really believed that Jesus was coming, what would I do? How would I respond to that news?

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Imagine: If the Lord loved you dearly enough to give you a private ‘heads up’ that He was coming back for His church in one week, what would you do? How would you plan each day in preparing for the rapture?

These are quite possibly some things that I would do. Not necessarily in this particular order.

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Day One – I Would Really Repent!

The first thing I would do is repent to God for everything I have done, said, thought or felt. I would repent for my wrong spirit, my bad attitude and every thing I can think of that would be displeasing to the Lord.

·      I wouldn’t just pray, I would pray through.

·      I mean really pray through.

·      Not just a two-dollar tune-up but rather a complete major over haul.

When I finished, I would look in my mirror and see if I could find anything about the way I looked or the way I dressed that was displeasing to Him. I would make sure that my body was not adorned with things the Bible warned me about that would keep me from going up.

·      I would walk through my house and remove anything and everything that had a carnal base or worldly flavor and influence upon it.

·      I would make sure that every music album in my house would be something He would approve of.

·      I would not want any thing in my house that I would not want Jesus to see or hear.

·      I would clean my closet and remove anything I would not want to be wearing when Jesus came.

·      I would look at my magazines and books.

·      If I found anything that I didn’t want to be in my hand when the rapture took place, I would throw away.

I Would Repent. I Mean, Really Repent… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Two – I Would Apologize To My Brother And Sister In Christ!

·      I would quit fighting with my brother and sincerely apologize.

·      Even if I thought he was the one that should be apologizing first.

·      I would choose not to be offended any more.

·      I would ask him to forgive me for everything I had done and said.

And, if I had taken anything from him, I would restore it and pay extra for damages and them give him the Biblically required usury.

·      I would tell him that I loved him.

·      I would strive for unity in the Body of Christ.

I Would Want To Love My Neighbor As Myself… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Three – I Would Consecrate Like Never Before

·      I would surrender my will to His Will.

·      I would humble myself before the Lord.

·      I would pray, not my will but Thine be done.

·      I would no longer have a problem with Pastoral authority.

·      I would ask my pastor if he saw anything in me I needed to change or improve before the Lord came.

·      I would no longer have a problem with Doctrine.

·      I would no longer have a problem with Holiness Standards.

·      I would make sure that my attitude towards the things of God was right.

I Want My Heart To Be Right… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Four – I Would Focus On My Church Attendance

·      I would make sure I made it to the mid-week services.

·      I would get there early for prayer.

·      I would sit as close to the front as I could.

·      I would worship like I never had before.

·      I would sing with all my heart.

·      I would sing loud and clap my hands and say Amen.

·      During the invitation, I would come to the altar and pray with seekers.

·      I would even ask if I could sing in the choir. (I would like to be singing in the choir when the Lord comes.)

I Would Put My Heart Into Having Church… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Five – I Would Gather My Family Around Me

I would apologize and express my love to my spouse. I would speak gentle and loving to the members of my home.

·      I would apologize for all the arguments and harsh words that caused hurt feelings.

·      I would apologize to my children.

·      I would apologize to my parents.

·      I would apologize to my siblings.

·      I would apologize to my in-laws.

·      I would adjust my grumpy attitude.

I Would Wrap My Family Up In Love… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Six – I Would Have A Financial Review

·      I would go through my bills and make sure they were paid.

·      I would look at my Pay Check Stubs and my W-2’s and then look in my check book to make sure I was current with my tithes and offerings.

If Not, I Would Catch Up and Add The Biblically Required Twenty Percent To My Tithe… Jesus Is Coming!

Day Seven – I Would Wake Up In A Panic Thinking About The Lost!

At daybreak I would be at my friend’s house inviting myself to teach him a home Bible Study.

I would scramble around all day looking for every relative I could talk to and every acquaintance doing my best to talk to them about the coming of the Lord.

I Would Try To Take Everyone I Could To Heaven With Me… Jesus Is Coming!

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So… What would you do if you believed Jesus was coming? Would you change anything about the way you live, talk, think, act, dress or believe?

Would you correct the things in your life that need correcting?

Would you do everything in your power to be ready for That Day?

Then Just Do It. He Really Is Coming!