Be careful of waiting fatigue

We've all had to wait for something. It could be waiting to pick a friend from the airport or for a home appliance to be delivered. It could be waiting for a child to be born. The expectant could arrive earlier or later than expected. Anxiety sets in when the expected time passes and there's no sign of them. Doubts begin to set in. Will he/she come? Your mind keeps wondering and all kinds of negative thoughts set in.

In some African cultures it is said that if a woman spends too much time during labour it means she had done something wrong. The people around her will begin to encourage her to think deep if there's something she might want to confess. The point is no one wants to wait more than expected.

There appears to be waiting fatigue surrounding the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Several years ago while on evangelism with a group of students, a young man said something about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ which I've still not forgotten. The young man told us that if Christ was being pushed on a shopping trolley from heaven to earth he would have arrived by now. He told us it's complete false that Jesus will come gain. Sadly, many people share the views of this young man.

You can call Jesus all kinds of names you like, but a liar wouldn't be one of them. Therefore, I believe when Jesus said "...people will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. He will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens". Will you be one of his elect?

The anxiety of waiting can be distressing and sometimes impatience can cause us to make a decision that we'll regret later. After waiting for your home appliance to be delivered and no sign of it's coming, you might decide to storm out in frustration only to come back in few minutes to find a note saying, sorry, we missed you. Don't storm out yet lets Christ come and find you've disappeared.  Just as people find something useful to occupy themselves while waiting, Christ knew the anxiety of waiting hence he recommended that we occupy till he comes, Luke 19: 12, 13.

Some of the things you could do while waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ are;

• Hold firmly to the word of God
• Submit to his Lordship
• Accept his moral standard
• Depend on his strength
• Live in constance relationship with him.

B&B appeal: Christians have human rights too, says QC

Where do we draw the line? Where your rights end is where my starts. This is an interesting case. Christians have been taken for a ride for far too long. It's about time we claimed our rights. Christians aren't second class citizens.

You can't gatecrash the Kingdom of God

As we approach Christmas I believe many have prepared for the festivities. Many have bought all their presents. Those who haven't bought anything yet might have decided where and when they'll get their stocks for the festivities. Many have budgeted for how much they would spend on presents, food and drinks, decoration etc..  It is called preparation. It is much easier to prepare for something when you know the day or the hour of the event. It's very difficult to prepare for anything when you don't know when that event will take place.

That is the situation we find ourselves when it comes to the second coming of Jesus Christ. The disciples had sought to know when that event will take place, but all they had were some clues. Signs of the End Time. Christ gave the disciples several hints to warn them of what to expect of His second coming. He specifically referred them to Matthew 24:36, 42, and verse 50. Christ assured the disciples that His second coming would be sudden and unexpected, and then concluded the discussion with The Parable of the Ten Virgins . The parable is to teach us the suddenness and the unexpectedness of the second coming of Christ and call upon us to prepare in order not to be caught in an unexpected moment. Christ was making sure that what happened at His first coming doesn't happen again so He gave ample warnings.

The key point in The Parable of the Ten Virgins is that Christ will come again at a time when no one expects; and He would come just once and that is it. Once the door is shut you can knock as much as you like and He will not give in. He would have no concern whatsoever for those who remain outside the door. You can't gatecrash the Kingdom.

Christians are like the 10 girls who profess to know the bridegroom and promised to wait as long as it takes for when the bridegroom finally comes they would join in the celebration. They know the prize of their waiting- celebration with the groom. They had prepared very well for this day. They had shown physical signs of commitment- well dressed and eager to wait. So are we the Christians. We like showing off to people about our level of intimate with Christ through outward appearance.

No wonder Christ said let both grow together until the harvest. The way all the 10 girls had dressed no one could have distinguished between the fools and the wise. Only the searcher of the heart knows. Outwardly they looked like they were all prepared- they all had the wedding garments on, they all had their lamps, and they were all ready to wait as long as it takes. Outward appearance can be deceptive. Many of us just want to show that we're religious. It wasn't their beauty or ugliness that distinguished them. It wasn't their upper or lower class that distinguished them. It wasn't their excellent speech that distinguished them. It was their level of preparedness that separated the fools from the wise.

The 50/50 number is staggering. Imagine if only 50% of your congregation could only make it to the Kingdom. That would be a shame isn't it? You would want more of your family members, colleagues and some facebook friends as well as those you follow or follows you on twitter.

Give us some of your oil. No way! Go and get yours. This is not about being selfish. The point is that salvation is not transferable. Each and every one of us will continue to work out your salvation. The fact that you go to a mega bible believing church doesn't mean that you will enter the Kingdom en bloc. It's an individual affair.

Once the Master shut the door no amount of knock can persuade Him to open again. No matter the persuasion and explanation, the answer will still be I know you not. Don't be caught unaware. Get prepared.