Meditation

08/28/2020

“To keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—-God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Genesis 5:24)

The timing of Christ’s return lies in thee sovereign decision of God. The promise is secure. The Lord will come. Sometimes it is described as an “appearing” (Greek – epiphaneia) as in this passage. This stressed the return of Christ as a manifestation. Elsewhere the return is called a revelation of unveiling (Greek- apokalupis), stressing God’s act. The most common term is coming (Greek – parousia), which emphasizes the presence or arrival of he one who returns.

Christ’s second coming encourages believes to maintain a high level of ethical behavior. We do not know when Christ will come, we just know He will. His coming will complete God’s purposes and plans.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, in the uncertain times we are living in, we know that we have and will continue to place our faith in You alone. Unlike His first coming, upon Christ’s return, it will be in His full glory and the whole hosts of the kingdom will accompany Him. Those of us who claim to be Christians will be ready for Him, while many who are unsure or outright don’t want to accept Him will find this a day of judgment. We serve our Lord, because He came to serve us first. He taught us how to treat others, how to live our lives, and to Whom we belong. Our Lord taught us to love others, and we strive to do this, but are not always successful. Help us to live out our lives in honor to You, for it is You whom we serve and look forward to the day of His return. This we pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“God loves us as if there were just one of us.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews9:27–28)

Just as life as we know it endures, physical death shall be a part of its basic experience. We need not fear death because Christ has been raised from the dead and will return to give us eternal salvation.

Several events and truths attach to the return of Christ. Judgment follows death. A time of evaluation for determining rewards awaits all believers. A time of eternal punishment awaits unbelievers. The completion of salvation awaits Christ’s return.

I AM:

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (James5:7–9)

The coming of the Lord will mean vindication for the faithful. Righteousness will be rewarded, and evil punished. The p[prospect of that coming offers motivation for patience, in the sense of steadfastness or endurance. On the other hand, the coming of the Lord will mean judgment for some. Those who oppress others are knows by the Lord Almighty. Not only these, but even the faithful who fail to remain strong can expect judgment.

Second Thought of the Day:

“For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures ill gather. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Matthew24:27–28, 30)

He will appear suddenly with diving glory, announced by angelic trumpeters. Jesus showed the limits He assumed as a human being by admitting His ignorance of the exact time. Actually the ignorance would be ours, for if we knew the exact time of His return, we would wait until the last moment!

The coming (parousia) of Christ will be unquestionably public, as visible as lightning out of ht east visible even unto the west. It will be as impossible to miss as it would be for he vultures to fail to see a carcass. All the nations of the earth will see Christ’s coming with power and great glory. The hatred of all nations for Jesus’ followers will turn to the mourning of despair when they see Jesus’ glorious return in all His power and glory. God know us better than we know ourselves. He desires for us to come to Him willingly, to serve Him without reservation and to enjoy our relationship with Him now, voluntarily and freely. When He comes, those who have held back or outright disdained God will receive what they have earned and those who chose to serve him in their lives will be rewarded for their service. Still waiting? Make the decision now, not some time later. You never know when Jesus is to return!