Revelation 16:15
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
When it’s all said and done, there’s no question that Billy Graham will be known as one of the greatest soul-winning Evangelists for Jesus of all time. This man of GOD not only had the ear of the rich and poor, the saved and unsaved, but he also had the ear of heads of state.
Conservatively, hundreds of millions were won for Jesus directly through Graham’s ministry. Not to mention the souls that were saved through his re-broadcast of sermons. And if you had to sum up his message throughout his 70-plus years of ministry it was this, Jesus is coming soon, get ready!
Despite his many dynamic sermons over the years, Billy Graham had a knack for mentioning, in all of his messages, current events of the day.
From the Korean Conflict to the nation at the point of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis, it was modern-day events for him, but history for many of us. One of his messages that stood out was when he explained that many famous people had died in the time frame of one year. (ie. Marilyn Monroe, Eleanor Roosevelt, Patsy Cline, Pope John XXIII, and C.S. Lewis). That message was preached in October of 1963. Little did he know that in less than a month, President John F. Kennedy would be assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
Nevertheless, Graham’s message stayed the same, Jesus is coming, get ready!
As this article is being written, Russia is at war with Ukraine, Israel is preparing a ground assault on the Gaza Strip after being attacked by Hamas, and China is threatening to invade Taiwan. Furthermore, the United States is financially and militarily supporting Ukraine and Israel in their war efforts. If that isn’t enough, the United States has sent military ships to the Mediterranean Sea in support of Israel.
This sounds Biblical!
One day as his disciples were admiring the beauty of the Temple, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2 KJV).
Then his disciples asked Jesus when will this happen? However, they didn’t stop there. They also asked Jesus, “What would be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3 KJV).
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:4-14 KJV).
Sounds familiar?
The message is simple and clear, get ready, Jesus is coming soon. Jesus repeats this message about being prepared for his coming expressing the importance.
Jesus continues in Chapter 25 with the story of the ten virgins waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. Five virgins had extra oil for their lamps, and the other five did not.
When the cry was made that the bridegroom was coming, the five virgins who did not have extra oil ran out to buy more. However, the five virgins that were prepared entered the marriage feast, while the others were left out.
Jesus called five virgins wise and the others foolish. Getting ready for the return of Jesus means more than just being born again, Jesus expects us to do what he has called us to do.
After the story of the virgins, Jesus immediately told the story of the talents. Please read Matthew Chapters 24 and 25. It is vital to understand the warnings that Jesus gave on the last days, the end times, and the Final Judgement. However, for a summary of the story of the talents.
A man was going on a journey and gave one of his servants five talents, another two talents, and the third one talent. Two of the servants doubled the talents given to them, but the servant with the one talent buried it in the ground.
When the man returned from his journey, he congratulated and rewarded the servants that produced more, however, for the one that buried the talent, he had the servant thrown into outer darkest where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV).
It’s clear that when Jesus returns everyone who thinks they are ready will not be. We have to be the wise servants of Jesus. We must do the things Jesus tells us to do.
This is not the time to sin. This is the time to purify ourselves for the return of the head of the church. Since Billy Graham preached for us to get ready for the return of Jesus, I will leave you with the words of Jesus.
“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:46-51 KJV).
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
G. Edward Wyche