“Come, Lord Jesus, come!” 

In an uncertain world, New Apostolic Christians can look to the future with confidence. A glorious future is in store: the return of Jesus Christ. 

The New Apostolic Church in Pakistan is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. In September 2026, Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler travelled to Pakistan to celebrate two divine services with the brothers and sisters there. On Friday, 25 September 2026, he visited the congregation in Karachi and chose 1 Peter 1: 8–9 as the basis for his sermon. “[Jesus Christ] whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” 

At the beginning of his sermon, the Chief Apostle addressed what he called the “most important point of our faith”. New Apostolic Christians place big hopes in the future, he said. We believe that 

• “… Jesus Christ will return” 
• “… there will be a marriage of the Lamb in heaven” 
• “… there will be a kingdom of peace” 
• “… there will be the Last Judgement” 
• “… in the end, there will be a new creation” 

Hope for the future 

“Why do we believe that?” asked the Chief Apostle. “Because it is written in the Bible.” In John 14: 3, Jesus Himself promises: “… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” And in Acts 1: 11 the angels confirm this: “This same Jesus … will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Jesus is coming. That’s a fact. 

There are so many terrible things in the world: war, violence, hatred. And we wonder what the future will be like. Some believe that without God things will get better and better, while others believe that they will get worse and worse and end in total chaos. Neither is the case: “We have hope for the future. The future is bright light with Jesus Christ. With Jesus Christ the future is peace, love, fellowship, and relationship.” 

Longing for Jesus Christ 

“Do you want Jesus Christ to return?” The Chief Apostle asked the congregation this personal question. He explained that some want to enjoy their life first, but assured the congregation that Jesus does not take anything away from us. “He will give you much more than you expect.” Some might think that the return of Jesus is a little bit like dying, but that is absolutely not the case. “There will be a new life—with inexpressible joy.”  

Some may be afraid of the unknown, of what they cannot see. But the return of Jesus is about love. A pregnant woman cannot see her child in the womb, yet she loves it. It is similar with Jesus Christ. “My human eyes cannot see Him, but I have a longing in my heart for His return.” 

“Why do we want Jesus to return?” the Chief Apostle asked. Possible answers might be: “I suffer a lot, and when He returns my suffering will come to an end.” Or: “I have done so much for God. I deserve the coming of Jesus Christ.” – But “what is the motivation for believing in the return of Christ?” Anyone who is honest with themselves, the Chief Apostle said, can only say, “I want Jesus to return because I love Him. And because I want to help Him proclaim His gospel in the kingdom of peace.” 

Ready for the day of the Lord 

“When will Jesus come?” asked the Chief Apostle, before answering, “I don’t know.” The Bible tells us that only God knows the day and the hour, and that Jesus will come when no one is expecting Him. But what about the so-called signs of the times: earthquakes, wars, epidemics, and famines? Some might think that once these have been fulfilled, Jesus will return. “That is a wrong interpretation,” the Chief Apostle said. All the Bible tells us is that these things will happen, but they are not indications of the end. The only solution is to follow the example of the farmer: “He sows the seed and then he cannot do anything more. He can only wait. So, let us be patient.” 

“What will it be like when Jesus returns?” In 1 Thessalonians 4: 16–18 we read that Jesus will descend from heaven. Then the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be transformed, and both will receive a new body—the resurrection body. Then both groups will be caught up to Him together, in this new body. 

“And who is this bride?” It is grace to be part of the bride of Jesus Christ. The surest way of becoming part of the bride of Christ is believing in Jesus Christ, being reborn out of water and the Spirit, following Christ and His Apostles, and preparing for His coming through God’s word and Holy Communion. 

Chief Apostle Mutschler urged, “Let us watch and pray! Let us love God and our neighbour! And let us not be afraid!” For: “There will be a glorious future. We, as New Apostolic Christians, are a hopeful people. Come, Lord Jesus, come!”