Jesus’ Imminent Return

            The early church lived in constant expectation that Jesus would return at any moment.  Indeed, every generation of Christians has understood that His return was imminent.  All of the New Testament writers reminded their readers of Jesus’ warnings of this fact.  Yet, it’s been some 2000 years of waiting now and He hasn’t returned.  Did He forget?  Did we miss it?  Or was He speaking figuratively and not literally?  Should we reassess our thinking and interpretations about the second coming?

            No, just reconsider what Jesus said about His return.  First of all, He promised to come back and take us to heaven (John 14).  And since He has never failed on a promise, He is to be trusted to do just that.  Secondly, He said that we wouldn’t be able to figure out the timing of His return (Matthew 24, Acts 1, 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5 and other places).  He doesn’t want us to be distracted with late preparations that should have already been taken care of (Luke 12).  And third, let us never forget that, since we have no idea when we’re going to die, we must be busy living in readiness for His return every moment of every day.

            Too many, however, get impatient with the long wait and begin to get caught up with the cares of the world and with their own selfish pursuits.  Peter warned his readers of this dangerous attitude (2 Peter 3).  It appears that some disciples he had experience with had become complacent and reckless with their souls because of Jesus’ delay.  He urged the faithful not to lose sight of the need to live holy lives right now, because growing in holiness is the only way of preparing for Christ’s return.

            I wonder how many worries and stresses would disappear if we were to live each moment with the realization that Jesus might return at any second.  How many possessions and activities would vie for my time if I knew that I wouldn’t live long enough to use and enjoy them?  How big of a house is needed, or how nice of a car is required, or how many investments are recommended for those who know that each day could be their last?  Is it possible that we Americans have lost sight of Jesus’ imminent return?  Just think about how swamped we’ve become trying to obtain and maintain things that in the end will burn up with the rest of this creation.  And this is just among us Christians.

            It’s high time for each of us to learn again the necessity of preparing for Jesus’ imminent return.  There is no reason for a Christian to be caught off guard on the last day (1 Thess. 5:4). Get into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26-27), and work at staying in Him (1 John 1:7). And let’s get busy maturing our faith and encouraging one another daily (Hebrews 10:25) to be practicing holiness so that we will be found working steadily at it when He does come again.

Doug

Prepared & Ready

            The Scriptures end with a factual statement that most would rather not think about.  But then God never does tell us just what we want to hear does He?  No, He makes sure to tell us what we NEED to hear.  And Revelation 22:20 expresses the reality of our situation here: “He who testifies to these things [that’s Jesus Himself] says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.”  Now is this good, comforting news or terrifying, bad news?  Does the phrase, “Prepare to meet your God” frighten or relieve you?  The answer will depend on the kind of relationship you’ve been building (or neglecting to build) with God. 

            To be perfect before God (functioning the way you were created to) it is imperative to know this information from Revelation 22 and prepare for Jesus’ return.  He has promised to come back for His faithful ones (Matt. 24:30; Jn 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11) and He has never failed on a promise – nor will He ever fail on a promise.  The frightening thing about this promise for too many is that God has never told us when He will return (Matt. 24:36, 42; 1 Thess. 5:1-6); Jesus goes so far to tell His disciples to not even try to figure it out (Acts 1:7).  All He says is to prepare for the event as soon as possible (notice the word “soon” in Rev. 22) and ensure that we are ready should it happen in our life time.

            There’s a perfectly good reason why God isn’t revealing the timing of Jesus’ return.  It’s obvious that He wants us to be busy growing our faith and helping Him to bring others into His kingdom when He finally arrives to take us Home (Matt. 24:13, 45-46).  He knows that if we have a definite date, we’re likely to take our time getting ready until the last minute and we’ll end up wasting time, and not growing or giving attention to those in need (see the parable of the 10 Virgins – Matt. 25:1-13).

            Jesus doesn’t need an escort when He comes back.  He already knows precisely what needs to be done and how to do it.  He won’t need any human assistance in the matter.  No one needs to be worried about anything – unless of course their souls are not prepared and ready.

            Why is He taking so long?  There are others He knows who desire to come along.  He’s waiting for them to get on board (2 Pet. 3:8-9; Rev. 6:9-11).  That could be your parent, sibling, spouse, child, friend, co-worker; aren’t you glad that He’s giving them time to respond?

            So, then, how does one prepare for Jesus’ return?  Peter says the first step is to repent of your sins (turn from them and commit to not return to them) and be baptized (immersed) into the full God-head (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) (Acts 3:38).  Paul says the same (in Romans 6:1-5; Galatians 3:26-27) as does a host of other writers.  Then Peter urges us to strive for holiness in all that we do (2 Pet. 3:10-14) so that we can maintain our readiness because Jesus could come back at any moment.

            Let’s all work together to make Revelation 22:20 the primary aspiration of our lives.  Let’s get into Jesus and grow to the point that we look forward to His return and our arrival in our new Home in God’s presence.  His return is a divine promise – it’s sure to happen.  So, let’s prepare to meet our God with joy and delight.

Doug

A Gift of Love

     This truly is a special time of year.  Most of the world will stop and reflect on the joys of giving.  The example they will be focused on is the gift God gave to the people of the world some 2,000 years ago.  The apostle John stated it so well when he said that, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  This season is a reminder for every person to imitate this attitude of generosity which God demonstrated by sending Jesus into the world.

     For most people, they will recall the biblical story of Jesus’ birth.  They will be thinking about baby Jesus lying in a manger.  They will remember angels singing, shepherds and wise men visiting and giving special gifts.  They will sing songs which tell of this great event and call on everyone to rejoice for the gift of Jesus.  

     I think it’s great that for a short while almost everyone pauses to think about God and Jesus, others less fortunate, and spending time with family.  It’s good for the world to slow down a bit so that we can reflect on the blessings of giving and sharing with one another.  But it would be a shame for us to forget that the birth of Jesus was only the beginning of what He came to earth to accomplish.

     Because, as miraculous as the virgin birth was, it must be understood that the gift God so lovingly gave us was not a baby, but an event that would take place some 33 years later.  Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth was to surrender His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 9:15). And the greatest part of all happened three days after His victorious sacrifice.  The empty tomb proved His power, majesty and love for every one of us (1 John 4:9-10). And that was the amazing gift of God’s love: atonement, redemption, justification, salvation from sin!

     So how do you feel about this incredible gift of love?  Your life will show your gratitude to God for this gift by how you give through your daily life.  Live to reflect Jesus to those around you every day.  This will ensure that God’s gift keeps on giving. Then you can enjoy a giving attitude all year round.  It’s an amazing life when one gets to know this gift that surpasses all understanding (Ephesians 3:19).

Doug

Return to Me

The main message of the Bible is simply, “God solving man’s sin problem.”  From Genesis to Revelation, God is working in the lives of His created beings to restore the loving, harmonious relationship sin has destroyed.  The Scriptures are more than reminders of how we humans have “messed up.”  Every book, every command, every incident, every plea on the part of God has been inspired in order to urge sinners to give up their selfishness and return to Him. 

Many of the biblical stories center on God’s desire to restore fellowship: men with other men exemplifying the possibility of men returning to fellowship with God Himself.  The most famous accounts are Jacob and Esau (Genesis 33), Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 45), the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), among many others.  God sums up this basic desire of His beautifully in the last Old Testament book: “‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 3:7).

Then the New Testament tells about man’s ability to return to God’s fellowship through the atoning work of Christ on the cross.  This was, in fact, Jesus’ main mission (Luke 19:10).  The truly amazing thing about this restoration of fellowship with God lies in the fact that the One offended by our sin has done all of the work to make returning to Him in loving fellowship a possibility for everyone!  He Himself came to live as one of us, faced life the way we are expected to, overcame all sin and paid the price for sin that we owed.  That’s why all of God’s promises (to save, love, forgive, restore, etc.) find their “Yes” in Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20).

Paul makes reconciliation the central theme of his gospel message (Romans 5:9-11) and urges all disciples to do the same (2 Cor. 5:18-21).  It’s the New Testament version of God’s constant plea to “Return to me.”  It’s a perfect example of how much He wants each one of us near Him so that He can bless all of us in unimaginable ways (2 Cor. 9:15).

What will you do in order to make this desire of God’s a reality?  Can anything of this life compare to what He is offering?

Free yourself of the selfish restraints that are keeping you from enjoying the relationship you most need – and the one your Creator originally designed for you.

Doug

Setting The Stage

            I doubt that many will disagree that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was the most dramatic scene in all of history (with the lone exception of God creating everything out of nothing, of course).  It is impossible for any human to comprehend the love, mercy, grace, kindness, etc. of God when reflecting on Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of Himself on Calvary.  Paul, who was still trying to fathom the awesomeness of that event, admitted that all else a human can master in this life in worthless in comparison to the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:4-11).

            To fully appreciate and have the faith necessary to be saved, one must come to grips with this act of God.  Jesus’ death (which paid the penalty you owed for sin), burial (which removed the sin He bore for you) and resurrection (which proved His mastery over Satan and sin and death) is the foundation of the Christian’s faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-23).  Only when these facts are firmly understood, can there be the faith needed to respond to God and be saved.

            The Bible is the history of God “setting the stage” for this divine production.  He stated His intention for bringing it to pass at the moment man and woman first sinned (Genesis 3:15).  The lineage of Seth (those who called upon the LORD) began a succession of faithful seekers.  Noah and his family were spared in the great flood, to visualize God’s disdain for sin (rebellion).  The selection of Abraham and his descendants exemplified the kind of faith essential for Jesus’ sacrifice to be effective.  Through Moses, God detailed in writing what He expected all of us to act like.  And with the worship and daily activities of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) He taught what Jesus would do to rid us from the oppression of our sin.  I could go on and on.  Just listen to God speak through His Word, and know that He did all of this for you.

            Is that enough to show you how God really feels about you?  Does it give you a greater appreciation for all of His hard work on your behalf?  How much more do you need to know in order to trust Him completely with your life?  If He was willing to go through all of this so that Jesus’ work on earth would save you from your sin, can you not give up your simple, selfish ways and live with Him – as He wants you to?

Doug

Covering Sin

Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year.  The name of this festival is translated “Day of Atonement” in our English Bibles.  The name literally means “Day of Covering”.  The rules and regulations God decreed for this holy day are recorded in Leviticus 16 & 23.  It was a special day meant to be a teaching device explaining how, one day, God would provide a way for man’s sin to be permanently covered and removed.

Among the many ritualistic acts that were required to be performed on this day, two stand out as being the most significant: the first was the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  This was the only time during the year that anyone entered the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle / temple.  After flooding the inner room with the smoke from the burning incense (to dim the glory of God’s presence), the high priest sprinkled the blood of the main sacrifice on the mercy seat seven times. 

The other significant act was the selection of twin goats.  Lots were cast to select one for the burnt offering and the other one became azazel (the goat of removal or the scapegoat).  The one chosen for slaughter provided the blood that was taken into the Holy of Holies.  The other was to be chased out into the wilderness – far away from the people, never to return – after the high priest had symbolically “transferred” the people’s sins to it.

It is in the New Testament book of Hebrews (chapters 9 & 10) where we learn that Jesus’ atonement on the cross was the fulfillment of this symbolic festival.  For it was by His blood shed on Calvary that our sins are removed; remitted; cleansed.  It was the one-time, perfect sacrifice of the sinless Son of God that (1) was freely given to pay the price for sin (death), and (2) that completely removed sin from the people (never to return), and (3) that was presented to God in heaven (the real Holy of Holies) which justifies completely those who return to Him through faith in His blood (His atoning sacrifice).  For it is by our being baptized into Christ that clothes us with Him (Gal. 3:25-26), puts our sin to death (Rom. 6:3-5) and thereby provides remission of sin (Acts 2:38) and the hope of new life in God’s presence forever.

Whew!  That’s a lot of work.  And isn’t it awesome that God did all of this for you – before you knew you needed Him to?  Before you even asked for Him to help you?  And isn’t it amazing that all He asks of you to take advantage of His special offer of atonement / covering is to surrender to Him completely, be cleansed in the prescribed way and live the rest of your life for Him?

The decision to do so becomes much clearer the more you come to know His Son Jesus.  It is also much easier to accept when one realizes how much time and energy He went through (way ahead of time) in order to make your choice so simple.  So, isn’t it time you return to Him for cleansing; for life?

Doug

Jesus’ Sacrifice

Have you ever witnessed an animal sacrifice?  Not many of us in this country have.  This is the major reason why most of us have a difficult time comprehending what it means to sacrifice.

The common interpretation is that you give up something you enjoy doing for a certain period of time in order to show someone (or God) that you are serious about a commitment you have made.  Athletes sacrifice rest and leisure in order to train to compete.  Parents sacrifice time, energy or money in order to see to the needs of their children.  Many people sacrifice by volunteering to help those in need.

Old Testament sacrifices certainly gave the Israelites the impression of how terrible their sin was, and that it was no easy matter to get rid of it.  Yet there was also the fellowship offering, and the Passover, and the Day of Atonement. Each of these sacrifices were followed by a time of feasting and celebration with others.  Could it be that we have somehow overlooked an important element in God’s definition of sacrifice?

Jesus didn’t enjoy being crucified.  It was a huge sacrifice for him to surrender his life and will and to go through all of that shame and torture.  Yet he spoke often about it as being a victory.  What it was going to do for us brought a joyous feeling to our God and Savior.  He was able to see you and me back into fellowship with him because of it.  And that was worth all of the pain and suffering he was to endure.

So what are we to make of Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:1 when he calls upon us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices?  Can he really mean that I have to give up what I want to do - more than just once or twice a week?  Does God really expect me to be so involved in “boring” religious stuff that I won’t have any time, money or energy for the things that bring me joy? 

No, but do think clearly for just a moment.  The wisest man that ever lived chased and filled himself up with everything that this life has to offer and discovered it all to be totally meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14).  After “testing” all of the things people pursue in order to find happiness, he concluded that the only thing that makes sense in life is to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  Even Jesus was unable to understand how anyone could chase after worldly things and end up forfeiting their soul (Matthew 16:26).

We are called on to sacrifice so that we can be free to possess and enjoy the things in life that really do matter.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, etc are blessings that enable us to fulfill the purpose we were created for.  But the cares of this world and our selfish desires make it impossible to really take advantage of these favors from God.  That is why we must sacrifice them.  Not because God sees our happiness as being evil.  But because the cares of this world are just an allusion of the true happiness that can only be enjoyed in Christ.

Doug