Like A Thief In The Night

Our Lord Jesus Christ told us how to get ready for His second coming. He wants us to prepare as if we knew that a thief was coming to break into our home to rob our property. This is an apt illustration when you consider that at His coming He will "steal" away all those who have trusted Him as their personal Lord and Savior. In 1/20th of a second (i.e. in the blink of an eye), Christians all over the world will disappear, and, along with the dead in Christ who will be raised with immortal bodies, be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And forever they will live, rule, and reign with Him.
But how does preparing for a thief relate to living our Christian life? "Like a Thief In The Night" answers that question in many practical areas like watching and waiting; locking the windows and doors; taking inventory of our household goods; changing our locks; turning on the outside lights; getting a weapon ready; and having an escape plan. It also shows how the "Thief" becomes our Judge, Bridegroom, Commander-in-Chief, King, and our eternal residence Builder.
Some skeptics will say, "Doesn't every generation think the Second Coming is near?" That was probably done by God's design. The Lord wants us to be living representations of His sacrificial love in every generation. So He wants us to live our lives, look forward, and prepare to meet Him at any moment. Having said that, we know there is a generation that will, indeed, be alive when He returns. And it appears more and more certain from the signs of the times that we may be that very generation.