Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

Matthew 24:3-5

“3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”


I travel and recruit Christian athletes for our sports camps as a profession. I agree with Chuck Swindoll who says that, "Happiness is seeing anything but home in the rear view mirror of my car." To put it flatly, I hate leaving home. But, alas, I'm on the road 40-50 days a year. Now, there's nothing special about the real estate my home occupys, but my wife and four kids have been the strongest magnet I've ever known. Those five magnets drew my heart home from a recruiting trip like honey draws bees to the hive. I'd drive a million miles if that's what it took to get home to be there when my kids woke-up in the morning. When they were small, sometimes after I'd been gone a week or two, I'd come home to "Daddy's home" and "Welcome Home Dad" banners and posters strung all over the house. More often than now, I came home with little gifts for all the kids ... a pack of baseball cards, a Precious Moments doll, an N.B.A. T-shirt. "Dad, what did you bwing me?" four-year-old Cooper would always enunciate with his childhood language of love.

images/Blog Images/show/uk4i" src=" " alt=" " />"I brought you ... me!" I'd reply.

"I know dat, Dad, but what did you really bwing me?"

Late one night, I arrived at my door after a week of travel away from home to find one of my little girls asleep with her blanket by the front door, so I wouldn't miss her when I first walked in. I wept with joy inside as I picked her up and carried her to the room, cuddled as lovingly to my chest as I could possibly hold her.

If my homecomings were that much fun, how incredible do you think the final homecoming when the real "Daddy's home" will be?


QUESTIONS:
1. How do you know that Jesus will include you when He returns to earth? (Hint: Good dads never forget their kids!)
2. Why do you think He's coming back someday?
3. When do you think it will be?

LIFELINE:
Help your family get ready!