By Odon Bulamba
Today we are going to go to our Bible in Mathew 24:27. This is a simple verse that anyone can understand. It talks about the return of Jesus. Here Jesus is not talking about signs anymore but insisting on the fact that He will come back and no one will realise that Jesus is here. It will be extremely fast to the point that people will not have time to repent or to ask for forgiveness.
Sometimes when I read this verse, it pushes me to think about the lightning. Lightning is something mysterious which appears in the sky. It doesn’t appear every day and no one can predict it. Sometimes meteorologist will tell you that there will be rain and lightning but we can’t predict it. Some people are scared when they see the lightning and by the time we scream, it is gone. You can’t say Jesus. By the time you open your mouth, it is gone.
When Jesus comes, you will see the light wherever you are. Why did Jesus take this example? Because lightning is not a product of human being and is a mystery, you can’t control it, you can’t stop it, you can’t prevent it. I’m not talking about the thunder with all the noise, I’m talking about lightning.
My mother asked me to draw lightning. I drew a root of a tree. Sometimes it takes different shapes from the last one. It can hit different places from yesterday. You can’t predict how God will appear when He comes back, you can’t draw it and tell others how He will come down. We only know that it will be extremely fast.
Lightning makes you feel something is coming. Some think of the rain coming. The rain may be heavy. When the world is saying, let the spirit rain and come down, we want to see God controlling everything. That time will be late, the Son of Man will already be there. God is telling the church, “You won’t have enough time to repent. Are you ready to go with Me, when I come back?
The Bible says that it will be so quick that the church will be gone at the same speed as blinking your eyes. Will you be ready when Jesus comes back? It’s not written in the calendar. The date is not there.
Very often when we see the sun raising up, we see the signs of the sun coming and then light will appear. Whenever we see the morning star we can tell where it comes from and where it is going. Jesus is the morning star, the Sun but when He comes back, be ready. To be ready is not a matter of kneeling down and praying and crying but to tell God, “Make me ready”.
We are God’s children and He cares for us. He knows the right time when He will come back. For Christian’s who have the revelation will tell God, “Please prepare me for when you come back so I can be ready. Please I don’t want to miss that opportunity”. Like any parent who prepares their children to go somewhere, they know that at a certain time they will leave for the party, “Children, get ready, put on those shoes, it’s time to go now”.
Those who love Jesus, should tell Him, “Prepare me so that you can take me with you, I want to go with you, I don’t know how to prepare myself”. Most of the time we sin without knowing. Many times we sin by just thinking and we don’t even realise it. Because God knows very well what is inside us and understands us better than anyone else, run to him and ask him to prepare you. “I’m your slave, your child, your loved one, prepare me”. If not, you won’t go with Jesus.
Jesus said, whenever a child asks for a bread, the parent won’t give a stone. If you ask for a stone it will be given to you but if you know exactly what to ask your Lord, then that should be given to you. God doesn’t give everything we want but all that we need. What is your first need in life?
Many will say to buy a house, to have money, be joyful. I have a sister who was extremely beautiful in our area. Now that she is getting older, she looks at her old photos, I don’t believe this is me anymore. Her body has been changing every day. It is the same for our mind, soul and hearts, there is change.
That is why, when someone is born again, he looks spiritually fresh with spiritually good skin colour spiritually. They love Jesus and read Bible every second but as they grow up spiritually they feel tired, I don’t need to know more from the Bible, I’ve been going to church for years, I need a break. Those weaknesses will grow in us but it is our responsibility to tell God, “I need your support. Through my experience, many can learn”. In Revelations, Jesus tells us to remember our first love.
My mum says that when a child is born, no one will teach a child how to swallow the milk. They know how to feed themselves. Our spiritual life should be the same, we should find a way to live naturally in God, to be a part of His family. You can feel something touching you and your arm will move and touch where you felt it and automatically you will look. Any part of your body will intervene to remove it.
I’ve seen many people, especially women, touching their hair instinctively. We need to be like this in the Lord. If something strange touches us spiritually, we should notice. We should feel the glory of God but today people don’t feel the power of God in their lives because the church is sleeping. Only those who have eyes to see will see the light when Jesus comes. All will see the light but only those with eyes will really see it.
When you look at the Word of God, do you see what God sees? If a mother is walking with a child and sees a danger, they will intervene. E.g. a snake was in our house and I wanted to touch it. My mum screamed and rushed to pick me up. Her first step was to take me away from the danger. She called men to kill the snake.
In Africa, we kill the snake but in Australia, they release it but we don’t because it might attack again. Sometimes we walk in God and don’t see danger and think it is fair and normal but if you walk near to God, He can quickly tell you, “Don’t walk there,” and take you from danger. Imagine if that snake was there but my mum was too far away. I could touch it and after being bitten, I would not be able to tell my mother what is wrong which would produce death.
It’s time to tell Jesus, “Walk by my side, let me not be far from you, wherever you go Jesus, let me know with you. Don’t give me time to walk far from you”.
Jesus gave a good example that we all know. Whenever two things are put together, no man should separate (talking about marriage). Jesus is our husband, are we faithful and committed to Jesus? Have we decided to follow Jesus for the rest of our lives? Does Jesus continue to hold your life in his hands or have you asked for your life back? Maybe you regret because you married Jesus, this is not what you were expecting.
Many Christians will tell God, “Since I became a Christian my life has changed in a bad way, I don’t have freedom, I used to steal but now I don’t have money, I used to drink beer but now I can’t, I am restricted”. In any responsible family, rules exist. Children will tell you, in our house, we can’t do that.
I know what things that my father would not accept in his house but whenever God gives us rules, we believe that He is mean. We sometimes think He is far from us so we do what we want to do. As Jesus is coming back, we are the light of this world in the same way that Jesus is the lightning appears, we should also be like lightning and quickly appear when Jesus asks us to.
Paul said, imitate me like Jesus. Why can’t we be quick to repent when we do something wrong. Whenever we do something wrong, we say, “I was angry,” and then we decide not to talk to that person. Whenever we do a mistake, instead of repenting immediately, we think that somehow, I am right. If that person hadn’t done this, then I couldn’t do this.
When I did something wrong as a child, I learnt to tell my mum quickly before she found out. That was good. My mum would say, bring yourself to justice. When you feel in your heart to share the gospel, just bring it out.
I went to a shop in Hamilton where an Arab man was there from Iran. I told him to give his life to Jesus because He loves you, repent and give your life to Jesus. I walked away. People looked at me. It sounded rude but I felt in me that I should say it. The next time I went into the shop, he asked “Why did you say that?” I said because there is no time, we need to repent.
I once went to an interview with 3 people. I asked them before we start to read John 21:20, John said to Jesus, who will be the apostle who will betray you. I told these 3 people, who will betray Jesus in our world today. One said, we are here for this job interview. I said yes, this is also part of my job because if I know it’s me, I should repent. One said, I betrayed my wife two days ago. Another said, I betrayed my parents. I think I should repent. I got the job.
Sometimes God will use you. You appear like lightning, pass on the message, be the light, then go. Don’t worry about what they will think or say about you, pass on the message and move away.
God loves you so much, that is why He has been giving us warnings. That is why He is telling you, “I will come like lightning”. If you want to be in His kingdom ask God so that you and your family and friends do not miss that day and minute.
