Come, Lord Jesus

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

"I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

These are the final words of the Bible. Think about that for a moment. After thousands of years of human history — creation, the fall, the flood, Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, Israel, the birth of Jesus, His death, His resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, persecution, suffering, miracles, and the spread of the Gospel to the nations — the Bible ends with a cry: "Come, Lord Jesus!"

When I first became a Christian in 1980, I didn't understand the desperation in those words. I loved Jesus. I was excited about my new life in Christ. I wanted to learn the Bible and serve Him. But I didn't understand why anyone would be desperate for Jesus to come back.

I do now.

I Grew Up in a Different America

I grew up in the 1950s, and it was an entirely different world. We didn't have the internet or social media or smartphones. We didn't have 24-hour news broadcasting the worst things happening around the world directly into our living rooms. We didn't know what was happening everywhere — and perhaps because of that, we didn't realize just how much evil existed in the human heart.

Christianity had a much more visible place in the culture then. Children were familiar with the Bible. Christmas was openly celebrated. Churches were respected and pastors were generally treated with honor. The Ten Commandments were familiar to most people, and even those who never attended church usually knew who Jesus was. There was a cultural awareness of God that is increasingly difficult to find today.

I'm not saying everything was better. It wasn't. Sin was still sin and people were still broken. There was racism, violence, sexual immorality, abuse, alcoholism, divorce, and every other kind of human wickedness. The human heart hasn't changed. What has changed is how much of it we can see.

Now We See Everything

Today, evil comes into our homes with the push of a button. We watch wars unfold in real time. We see children starving, Christians being persecuted, terrorism, human trafficking, slavery, pornography placed into the hands of children, marriages destroyed, children abused, and babies killed through abortion. We see violence and corruption and deception and hatred, and we see people celebrating the very things previous generations recognized as deeply destructive.

And because of the internet and social media, we don't just hear about these things — we see them. Over and over, day after day, hour after hour, sometimes minute after minute. The world has become a 24-hour window into the brokenness of humanity, and if we aren't careful, our hearts can be overwhelmed by it.

The Bible Tells Us Why

Scripture has never been confused about the condition of the human heart. Jeremiah said it plainly:

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."

Jesus taught that evil comes from within, out of the human heart. And Paul wrote in Romans 8 that creation itself is groaning, waiting for the revealing of the children of God. Why? Because creation is broken. Sin entered the world, and death and suffering came with it. The whole creation is waiting for the day when Jesus makes all things new. This world is not our final home — and sometimes I think we forget that.

The Earth Is Groaning

Look around. Wars and earthquakes. Famines, floods, and fires. Disease, violence, death. Families torn apart. Children growing up without fathers. Women exploited, men enslaved by pornography, young people drowning in anxiety and confusion. Millions of unborn children lost. Christians persecuted for their faith. Human beings sold for sex. People living under brutal dictatorships. The list seems endless.

And sometimes I find myself asking the same question the martyrs asked:

How long, Lord? How long will evil continue? How long will innocent people suffer, children be abused, human beings be bought and sold? How long will mothers weep over children killed in war? How long will Christians be persecuted for simply confessing the name of Jesus? How long?

And then I remember: Jesus promised He is coming.

"Come, Lord Jesus!"

That cry isn't escapism. It's hope. When the Spirit and the Bride say "Come!", they aren't saying, "Jesus, get us out of here because we don't care about anybody else." They're saying, "Come, King Jesus. Come and make things right."

Come and judge evil. Come and destroy death. Come and end suffering. Come and establish righteousness. Come and wipe away every tear. Come and fulfill Your promises. Come and reign. Come and make all things new. Come, Lord Jesus.

But There Is a Question We Have to Answer

What about the people who haven't heard? This is where some believers become uncomfortable. They say, "Connie, if Jesus came today, there are millions of people who have never heard the Gospel." Yes — there are. And every day, more children are born who don't know Him.

But here is the harder question: at what point does the King return? How many generations must come and go? How many more people must die without hearing? How long do we expect God to wait? There will never be a day when every single human being has heard. And yet Jesus gave His Church a clear command — go into all the world, make disciples, preach the Gospel, be My witnesses. We don't know the day or the hour of His return, but we know exactly what He told us to do while we wait. Go.

The Delay Is Mercy

Peter gives us an extraordinary perspective:

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Think about that. Maybe what we perceive as delay is actually mercy. Every day Jesus waits is another day for someone to repent — another day for the prodigal, the addict, the atheist, the person who has never once heard His name. Another day for the pastor who has fallen, the teenager who thinks nobody loves them, the person sitting in a prison cell. God is patient. But His patience should never be confused with indifference. Jesus is coming.

And That Should Make Us Urgent

If we really believe Jesus is coming, we shouldn't become passive — we should become more passionate about the Gospel. We shouldn't spend all our time arguing about when He is coming; we should spend it preparing ourselves and helping others prepare. Jesus said:

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

Are we ready? That's the real question. Not "Can I calculate the date?" or "Can I figure out the timeline?" or "Can I identify every possible sign?" — but simply: Am I ready? Is my heart right with God? Am I walking in obedience? Have I forgiven? Am I living in holiness, loving people, making disciples, telling others about Jesus, storing up treasure in heaven? Am I faithful?

Are You Hungry for God?

This is the question that keeps coming back to me. Are you hungry for God? Not hungry for church, or a platform, or an experience, or prosperity, or attention — hungry for God Himself. Do you want Him more than you want the things of this world? Do you long for His presence and desire His Word? Do you ache for the people who don't know Him? Do you find yourself saying, "Come, Lord Jesus"?

There Is a Difference Between Being Ready and Being Tired

Sometimes when Christians say they want Jesus to come, what they really mean is, "I'm tired of this world." I understand that. I get tired too. But our longing for Jesus must be deeper than our desire to escape. We don't want Jesus merely because the world is difficult — we want Jesus because He is worthy. We want the King. We want the Bridegroom. We want the One who loved us enough to die for us, the One who conquered death, the One who promised, "I am coming soon."

The World Needs to See a Church That Is Alive

And this brings me to the Church. If we truly believe Jesus is coming, then we have work to do, because there are people all around us who are thirsty. Notice how Revelation ends:

"Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life."

Did you catch that? The same chapter that cries "Come, Lord Jesus" also says "Let the thirsty come." That's not an accident. While the Bride is crying Come! to her King, she is also calling the lost: Come. Come to Jesus, come to the water, come to forgiveness and salvation. Come to the cross. Come home.

We Are Both Waiting and Working

That's our assignment. We wait for Him, and we work until He comes. We worship and pray and preach. We disciple, love, serve, give, and forgive. We tell people about Jesus. We raise our children to know Him, we strengthen marriages, we care for the broken, we defend the vulnerable, we reach the lost, and we remain faithful. And through all of it, we keep our eyes on the King.

I Don't Want to Be Found Sleeping

Jesus warned His disciples again and again to watch, to stay awake, to be ready. I don't want to spend my remaining years distracted by things that don't matter. I don't want to build a kingdom that belongs to me, or chase popularity, or waste my life arguing with people on social media. I want to finish well. I want to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That is what matters.

One Day He Will Come

One day there will be no more abortion, no more pornography, no more human trafficking, no more abuse. No more war, no more terrorism, no more cancer. No more funerals, no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more night. Because the King is coming — and when He comes, evil will not have the last word. Jesus will.

So I Say It With Everything in Me

Come, Lord Jesus. Come. Come for Your Bride and for Your Church. Come and make all things new. Come and establish Your kingdom. Come and destroy the works of the enemy. Come and wipe away every tear and fulfill every promise. Come, King Jesus.

But while we wait — give us souls. Give us the lost and the broken, the prodigals and the addicted and the hopeless. Give us the nations. Give us courage to preach, boldness to speak, compassion to love, wisdom to disciple, and holiness to represent You well. And keep our hearts burning until the day You come. Because I don't want to merely talk about Your return — I want to be ready for it.

The Final Words of the Bible

The Bible ends with these words:

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'"

And the Church answers: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." That is our hope, our longing, our prayer. And until He comes, we have one assignment — be faithful. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other. Keep preaching and praying, keep loving and serving, keep watching and waiting and working, and keep your lamp burning. Because the King is coming.

Yes, Lord Jesus. Come.