REVELATION 1:3 NKJ Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for THE TIME IS NEAR.

These words were written by the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos when Jesus Christ appeared to him in an open vision and showed him the End Time events to come.

I believe the Lord has shown me that His return is imminent. We are closer now to the return of Jesus Christ than ever before. Therefore we the Church of Jesus Christ need to be ready for His return by doing all that we can for the Great Commission to be carried out.

THE TIME IS NEAR is a call of urgency and preparation just like the message of John the Baptist who said in MARK 1:3 NLT He is a voice shouting in the wilderness ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’.

Preparation means anticipation. It means we are expectant for the Lord’s return and our life reflects this prophecy. According to the Word of God prophesied global events all point to the fact that Jesus Christ is about to return. 

2 PETER 3:3-4 CEV 3 But first you must realise that in the last days some people won’t think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you 4 and say ‘Didn’t your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died and the world hasn’t changed a bit’. 

The Apostle Peter goes onto say 2 PETER 3:9-10 LIVING BIBLE He isn’t really being slow about His promised return even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. 10 The day of the Lord is surely coming as unexpectedly as a thief and then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fire and the earth and everything on it will be burned up.

This is a serious hour we live in and until Jesus Christ returns there is still time to repent of sins and put faith and trust in Jesus Christ to escape impending judgement.

THE TIME IS NEAR is a clarion call for the Church to ARISE and SHINE for the Glory of God. It’s a time for PRAYER, PRAISE, OFFERING and REVIVAL.

The Bible says in ROMANS 5:20 NKJ ‘But where sin abounded grace abounded much more.’ That means that as the earth descends into a greater abyss of sin God’s grace rises in the midst to save heal and deliver in Jesus name. 

2026 could very well be the year that Jesus Christ returns. As it says in AMOS 4:12 NKJ Prepare to meet your God. 

Are you ready to meet with God and face him with an account of your life? 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 NKJ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad.

THE TIME IS NEAR is a warning against complacency and sinful living. It could also be interpreted as a question ‘The time is near so what are you going to do about it?’. I believe the call for preparation and vigilance to the return of Christ involves the following…

  1. ABSOLUTE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.
  2. ABSOLUTE TRUST IN GOD’S WORD.
  3. ABSOLUTE ANTICIPATION IN CHRIST RETURN.
  4. ABSOLUTE FOCUS IN LIVING RIGHT.
  5. ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE IN REVIVAL.
  6. ABSOLUTE REST IN GOD’S PROMISES.
  7. ABSOLUTE HOPE IN ETERNAL LIFE.

When an Angel of God appeared to the disciples after the accession of Jesus Christ the angel said these words ACTS 1:11 NKJ Men of Galilee they said ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’

Jesus return to earth is an event known as the RAPTURE of the Church. The term RAPTURE comes from the Latin word ‘rapturer’ in the Greek the word is ‘harpazo’ and in English it’s ‘caught up’ Rapture means to be ‘snatched away or removed.’ 

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-17 NKJ 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

According to MATTHEW 24 Jesus gives us the signs before His return with all of them being fulfilled today.

8 SIGNS BEFORE THE RAPTURE

  1. Religious deception (Rise of false worship & occult)
  2. Wars and rumours of war (Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Iraq)
  3. Famines (Gaza, Yemen, Somalia – 1M per decade)
  4. Pestilences (disease epidemics) Covid & NIPAH
  5. Earthquakes (Over 20,000 this century)
  6. Signs in the heavens (Tedrads, Solar & Lunar eclipses)
  7. Persecution of the followers of Christ (1 in 7)
  8. Lawlessness (Public disorder, crime & chaos rise)

When we look around the world today we can clearly see that these signs are all being fulfilled right before our very eyes. Signs are designed to get your attention and the Lord has already warned us in advance what to look for.

Signs will tell you what to do next like driving on the road. Signs give us a direction to arrive at our destination. Signs will keep you from getting lost and going astray.

HEBREWS 9:27-28 CEV 27 We die only once and then we are judged. 28 So Christ died only once to take away the sins of many people. But when He comes again it will not be to take away sin. He will come to save everyone who is waiting for him.

When the Bible says ‘THE TIME IS NEAR’ and we have SIGNS that point to the imminent return of Jesus Christ it gives us an opportunity to PREPARE for what comes next….ETERNITY! Church THE TIME IS NEAR!

1. ABSOLUTE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST ACTS 4:12 AMP And there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation.

2. ABSOLUTE TRUST IN GOD’S WORD JOHN 8:47 NLT Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.

3. ABSOLUTE ANTICIPATION IN CHRIST RETURN PHILIPPIANS 3:20 NKJ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. ABSOLUTE FOCUS IN LIVING RIGHT 1 PETER 4:2 GOD’S WORD That way you won’t be guided by sinful human desires as you live the rest of your lives on earth. Instead you will be guided by what God wants you to do.

5. ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE IN REVIVAL 1 PETER 2:1-4 NLT I urge you first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Saviour 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

6. ABSOLUTE REST IN GOD’S PROMISES HEBREWS 4:1 NKJ Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

7. ABSOLUTE HOPE IN ETERNAL LIFE 1 PETER 2:25 NKJ And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life.