Good morning,
It’s true, He is coming again!
God loves to make promises that he will always keep. God also knows that because we are all sinners we long for God to keep these promises on our schedules and for our benefit. It is all too easy for us to see what is going on around us and to hope that his good promises will work for our benefit and his frightening promises will be for someone other than us. The Old Testament is full of promises from God that we now know were filled perfectly when he came as a baby about 2,000 years ago. While Jesus was here on the earth, at that time he gave us a lot more promises of what would happen when he came back again after his death and resurrection. Once the people of that day began to meet together in worship and praise, they also were very excited about the fact that the Lord Jesus promised that he would come back again and take control of this sin driven earth. In fact, the Apostles themselves were looking forward to that day in their lifetime. It hasn’t happened yet in the 2,000 years we have been waiting for God to keep his promises. So has God lied to us or is He just lazy? Oh, by the way, if Jesus came back then, would any of us alive now be candidates for heaven?
Jesus did tell us that his return would be like it was in Noah’s day when people didn’t listen to Noah. Jesus said, People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.(Mat.24:39) They didn’t know because they wouldn’t listen. Jesus told his followers, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.(v.22) and again, You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.(v.44) Many years later Paul reminded the Christians of his day, -the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.(1Thes.5:2) The world around us ignores all of these promises, but we know differently. Paul also pointed out to us that, Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.(v.10) So what God wants us to do is, So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.(v.11) All through these 2,000 years the Lord has seen his children facing all kinds of pain and confusion , but that is a part of our role in living out our genuine faith in the Savior we love but can’t see. He also reminds us, Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.(Rom.8:18) It is important that we remember that we came into this sin stained world as selfish and sin loving persons who long to live our lives based on our idea of what is right and wrong for us. The sin in us and the sin around us keep us self focused. What our Savior longs for us to do is to live every day with his loving guidelines as the standard that Today May Be That Day. John also reminds us And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.(1Jn.2:28) Dear Lord, will you help us to keep our focus on you and your promises with the words in our hearts and minds, EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS!
Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Roy Wisner
