On a recent episode of Countdown to Eternity, Pastors James Kaddis and Tom Hughes offered a sobering and timely reminder: Jesus is coming soon—and we must be watching, waiting and prepared.
“Christ could come at any moment,” Kaddis opened. “And yes indeed, Jesus is coming soon.”
Hughes followed with a reading from Luke 12:35–40, where Jesus tells His disciples to “let your waist be girded and your lamps burning.” The command is clear: believers are to live in a state of expectancy, ready for the return of the Master at any hour—even the third watch of the night.
“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching,” Hughes emphasized. “There’s a reward for watching.”
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However, watching isn’t passive. As Kaddis explained, “You can watch till you’re blue in the face, but if you’re not sober, then you’re in trouble.” He referenced 1 Thessalonians, where believers are instructed to “watch and be sober,” highlighting the urgency of spiritual alertness in these prophetic times.
Both pastors warned against the widespread apathy in the modern church toward Bible prophecy. “Most pastors say, ‘Don’t pay any attention to these things,’” Hughes said. “But Jesus says, ‘Watch and be ready.’ It’s an act of obedience.”
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Kaddis likened the coming of the Lord to lightning—sudden, unmistakable, yet easy to miss if one isn’t looking. “When lightning happens, you recognize it, but if you’re not paying attention, you can miss it.”
Drawing from Luke 12, Hughes unpacked Jesus’ metaphor of the second and third watches. “If He doesn’t come in the second watch, and you’re still watching in the third, there’s a blessing. But if you’ve fallen asleep spiritually—if you’re not grounded in Scripture—you’re going to miss it.”
The problem, they agreed, lies in how Bible prophecy is often sensationalized or ignored altogether. “A lot of prophecy guys don’t teach the Bible. They don’t teach the whole counsel of God,” Kaddis said. “They make predictions without proper biblical grounding, and when those predictions don’t come to pass, people lose heart.”
Instead, Kaddis pointed to the days of Noah and Lot—not for their wickedness, but for their indifference. “People were eating, drinking, marrying,” he said. “They saw the symbol of God’s judgment and ignored it.”
Kaddis said, “God was giving them a sign, and they mocked it. And we’re doing the same today. Jesus said the signs would be like the days of Noah. They saw the signs and still didn’t care.”
Both men called for a return to faithful, Bible-based teaching of prophecy that includes the gospel message of repentance and hope.
“If a quarter of the Bible is prophecy and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, shouldn’t we be proclaiming it?” Hughes asked.
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As we navigate these uncertain times, the call to remain vigilant and sober-minded grows ever more urgent. Understanding biblical prophecy with clarity and faith equips believers to watch actively and wait expectantly for Christ’s return. This readiness isn’t passive but an intentional, ongoing commitment to live faithfully, rooted in Scripture and inspired by hope.
Ultimately, the promise of reward awaits those who persevere, embracing both the challenges and the hope of the coming Kingdom.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
