Coming Back

(New Living Translation) 
 . . . When you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.

When we see what things?  This promise comes at the end of Matthew 24, the chapter in which Jesus revealed to His disciples the events of the future.  What were some of those things they might see?  This is the preview of history which Jesus provided:

. . . If anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it.  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.  See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
. . . If someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it!   For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.  Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.  In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door (Matthew 24:23-33; New Living Translation).

In recent times we've seen advertisements in newspapers and on television announcing that Jesus has returned and is receiving the faithful.  We hear reports of people claiming to be able to read the future - false Christs and false prophets are not hard to find in our 21st century world.  The first three of the signs in the heavens are a matter of historical record.  A Google search of "the dark day" yields several reports, http://www.johnhorrigan.com/darkday.html being of most interest to me.  The moon was also affected in this event.  http://www.angelfire.com/ar/freedmen/stars.html  provides an account of the third sign as passed down in oral history.  Because these events occurred after the period of tribulation known as the dark ages there is no doubt that they are the signs of which Jesus was speaking.  There has been no event since that could be described as "the powers in the heavens [being] shaken."  Either it refers to the first three signs or it is yet to come. 

Jesus IS coming again!  He is bringing His rewards with Him - forever life with Him for His friends, everlasting(permanent) separation from the Source of life for all who have rejected His mercy and grace.  Don't wait to be reconciled to Him.  Don't risk being among those who are caught mourning when Jesus returns.

Father God, open our hearts to all You provide, prepare our hearts and our minds to meet Jesus in peace, and joy!

Philippians 1:6   I am confident that He who has begun a good work in you will continue that work until the day of Jesus Christ.