James 5:7-8

NIV: Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

The Message: Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

James' letter was written to the scattered Jewish Christians who were living amongst the Gentiles in the Mediterranean world because of persecution.  Imagine having to flee your home because you knew you would be killed if you stayed there. Having to take all your belongings (or as many as you could carry) and just run for your lives, no matter what the age of the family members - from the youngest babe in arms to the frail and elderly.  The one thing you would be longing for would be the return of Jesus to make everything right.

It's been 2,000 years now, and His return is still awaited.  Yet doesn't it tell us in the bible that Jesus will return?

Matthew 24:30-31 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Mark 13:26 (NIV) At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NIV) May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Just as the believers scattered throughout the world needed to have patience 2,000 years ago, so we need to have patience now.  It is clear from all that is going on around us that we are living in the End Times:

Luke 17:22-29 (NIV) The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.  Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

Luke 21:8-11 (NIV) He replied: Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.  When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.  Then he said to them: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

We have nations rising against nation, kingdoms against kingdoms - look at Sudan which has split into two countries and now North Sudan is arming militia to attack South Sudan.  There are earthquakes with people still suffering in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake last year.  There are famines - you only have to look at Africa to see that.  There are pestilences, with a pestilence being, according to the Oxford English Dictionary "a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague ".  Just look at the numbers of people afflicted by Aids, malaria and other diseases. 

It is only a matter of time before Jesus returns, and in that time, the whole world needs to hear the gospel in order that all people might have the chance to be saved.  Just as the farmer waits patiently for harvest before he can bring the crops in, so we are told to wait patiently for the return of Jesus.  This is an event that all Christians long for, but then I always worry about my family, what will happen to them, and know they need more time before they become believers.   I take comfort in the words of Jesus that "In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost" (Matthew 18:14, NIV).   I am just thankful that God is willing to wait.  On the one hand, the return of Jesus would be amazing and wonderful, but on the other hand, I want my family to be there with me, not to be cast into the lake of eternal fire.

What about you?  Do you long for the return of Jesus?  Do you actually believe in Jesus and that He will return?

One day, the truth of whether or not He exists will be made clear to all men and we will all face the judgement seat of Christ:

Revelation 20:11-15 (The Message) I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

Whether you are alive or dead when Jesus returns, you will face Jesus and every knee will bow to Him.  You will also be judged by the way you have lived your life and whether or not you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.  If your name is not in the Lamb's Book of Life, if you did not accept as your Lord and Saviour, you will be thrown into the lake of fire.  If your name is in the Book of Life, then you will be rewarded on the basis of how you have led your life.

Don't leave it too late before making a decision.  Once you are dead, there is no changing your mind.