Are you ready and waiting, or do you need more time?

Manchester:

The fact that God has not yet put in His appearance is often taken for granted because we have lived to see another year, another week, another day, and still, 'the clouds have not opened' and some of the events we have been told would signal His coming seem to have been postponed.

But what if while you were at a party, working late one evening, committing a sinful act, sleeping unbothered, or reading this very article, the day you have been told for years came?

According to communications director of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Pastor Damian Chambers, in a recent sermon at a local church, Jesus, in prophetic language, has always warned His people to be ready and waiting.

"Jesus never left anything to chance. He told them plainly what would happen. After He declared those things, He also said that no man knows the day nor the hour when the Son of man will appear, and so it is important for people to be ready."

The warnings given before the destruction of Jerusalem are very similar to warnings given for the end time to come, and only obedience will save individuals from perishing.

"Because the disciples listened to Jesus and followed His instructions, Ellen White tells us in the book The Great Controversy, "not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem because they followed the Word of Jesus, and that is telling us something. If we follow His guidance and leading, there is no need to worry about His second coming."

WARNING FROM JESUS

According to Chambers, as soon as Jesus was done telling them of the signs, He told them how to get ready: "He warned them. He told them don't be like the people in the time of Noah that would not heed the warning and perished.

"The parables Jesus used tell us that we are on duty. When God came here, He declared that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and the time is going to come when the master will go away, but the work must continue. You have work to do. As much as the angels in Heaven have their duty, the workers on earth have their duty."

He continued, "One day we are going to give an account of how we manage the time and resources the Lord gave us. If today the Lord should cut short His journey and come to you right now and ask you for account as to how you spent your time, resources, how you treated your body and how you worshipped Him, what account would you give?

"Would you be able to say, 'I faithfully utilised my time every day. I improved my knowledge, my services, and I am grown because I was a faithful steward'. Or would you say, 'Life is hard and people didn't give me the opportunity that I wanted'?

"The Bible says each man receives according to his ability, which means that some people in life will have more and be able to do more. But what must not happen is that one must not lose what the Lord has given one.

"The same 'well done' that the Lord will say to a man of five talents is the same 'well done' He will say to the man with two talents. The purpose of stewardship is character development. Of all the talents He has entrusted us with, God will ask us about our time - everything is measured by time. Think about the last 24 hours. How did you spend them? If you spent it, sitting down complaining, you are like the man with one talent, what you did was bury the Lord's talent."

Pastor Chambers stated that a misuse of the Lord's time translates to unfaithfulness.

"Use God's time wisely and care for the body temple. Without health, you can do nothing. God has given us enough information to manage this resource. The only principle that can work in managing resources, including money, is to put God first."

familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com