I’ve flown commercial airlines many times. On a few occasions, I flew with missionary bush pilots. Bush pilots take flying to another level. These guys fly in the remotest regions of the world and land on the crudest airstrips. I once flew with a bush pilot in a single-engine Cessna in rural Africa.

The flight was uneventful until we came to a mountain range. The cloud cover was low, and the pilot had difficulty finding the pass through. Once we finally found our way across the mountains, we descended to a grass airstrip in a remote village. I was relieved that we were about to land.

As we glided in for a near-perfect approach, I braced for landing. Just before we touched ground, however, the pilot suddenly pulled back into a steep climb. I looked around to see if he had almost hit something. Without any explanation, the pilot climbed, circled, and came back in for another landing. What was that all about? I thought.

He never said, but I learned the first approach was to visually inspect the conditions of the airstrip and to warn nearby people and livestock to stay off the runway. Thankfully, no cattle wandered out in front of us when we finally landed. The cows and I both appreciated the “heads-up.” A little prior notice never hurts.

Before God sent a Messiah, he gave His people prior notice. “I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:1) Four hundred years later, John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy by warning of the Messiah’s arrival. It all occurred just as he said.

The Bible now gives us a clear “heads-up” regarding the Lord’s return. It doesn’t say when, it simply says, “…be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40) Considering the signs He said would precede His return, many believe He is already buzzing the airstrip. “So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” (Matthew 24:34)