When He Comes…

“…But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36 (KJV)

“…Soon and very soon, our Lord comes…” What does soon mean? When will Christ return? How long will it take? Expectancy. To wait with anticipation. What is it like to be eager? Did you ever wake up early on Christmas morning excited for the day and what it would hold? Gifts to open, family and friends to spend time with, a feast to eat and an abundance of laughter?

You had a hope for something good to happen. Now maybe your hopes were not met, maybe things were quite the disappointment. Disappointment and failed hopes can certainly cause people to stop looking forward to things to come. Rather, it is replaced with anxiety and uncertainty.

For many people, this is day to day life. Depression in rampant in the world today. We wonder why? What do we hope for? When people have nothing to hope for, despair begins to set in.

When He comes….What will our response be? If we met Jesus face to face in the next moment, would we be found in shameful circumstances? Or maybe be caught with words we would rather him not hear us saying? What if we as Christians began to eagerly expect and live in such a way that we were hoping for the return of Christ? Would we be found like the faithful servant, going about God’s work?

” {I}…Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life…” ~*~ Jonathan Edwards

Perhaps it is time to consider, “Do I believe Jesus’ coming back? Do I believe that I am not guaranteed tomorrow?”

James 4:14 says “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Jesus warned the disciples about procrastinating and becoming indifferent to how short our lives are. Now, hoping for the future is still a good thing. But the question is, what are you hoping for? And what actions does it lead you to take? If you are hoping for years and years of peace and simply living, you will take caution and protect against any threats to such a hope.

Do you hope for Jesus’ return? Are you eagerly expectant to be with Him?

Or would you rather have fun, games, and distract yourself with all the possible experiences that mankind has to offer? Carelessly live life, with no vision or expectancy for something more than average?

When Jesus rose from the dead, Mary and the other women who went to visit the grave—they found him alive. Then, after being told to go tell the disciples, they hurried away. Did the disciples dawdle and drag their feet? No. They ran! What excitement they must have felt!

What is Christ worth to you? Do you believe His promises? We have been offered a gift of eternal worth. The God, who is Alpha and Omega, Eternal, Unchanging, Jesus, Prince of Peace, He is Infinitely Loving, and The Just King. God wants a relationship with us, and not just a casual, shallow one. Rather, a relationship that is deep, passionate, and full of life and love. Remember He is El Q’anna. The LORD God is a Jealous God.

Let us not be mixed with our own self seeking and indifference toward our Saviour. Let us consider, this day, whom we will serve….

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and Righteousness. Jesus is coming soon! He is Alive!

Oh that our hearts may burn like the flaming tongues of fire at pentecost! Just as Elijah calleddown fire from Heaven to consume the offering made for God, that was a testimony to the false prophets of Baal, their god was not powerful nor real.

May we be set ablaze to demonstrate the glory of God and defy the norms and sinful complacency around us! Praise Jesus that He is alive, praise Jesus that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness! Praise Jesus that He is the Victor!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (KJV)

“ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

 

Fragrant Offering

Ephesians 5:1-2
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”
It seems so simple and straight-forward… Follow God, as a child–walk in love. What does it mean to follow as a child? One immediate thing that comes to mind is that children, while often asking questions, they also can take the simplest answers to questions–trusting them as fact. Doesn’t it sound like we should follow God, simply–without questions, doubts or “what if’s”.

“…And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us…” 

Did you notice that this is a statement of two things that are supposed to go together? “walk in love… as Christ … has loved (us)…”  It is somewhat akin to the mathematical equation of “if-then” statements. If you do this, then logically, this must also be completed.

The next part says that Christ has loved us. It is a statement of fact. He did it. It actually has more meaning though. The word grammatical structure of the word in Greek, is that the actual verb didn’t have a specific start and end time, nor is it something necessarily still on-going, the action just is… Honestly, it is an amazing reflection of God. Jehovah God, is the “I AM”, He Is without beginning or end. All His character is without beginning or end, which, because God is unchanging, his actions are also constant. Never beginning or ending. He loved us before the foundations of the world, in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:4 mentions that we were chosen before the beginning of the world).

A few more thoughts to share… “Christ gave himself for us” . So, here notice that Christ was a stand in. In our stead, He gave Himself. Which is important to remember. Later in Ephesians 2 you see this reiterated in verses 8 and 9. We didn’t earn salvation, but rather, it was a gift, from God.

Notice the last part of this verse, it is probably the most important part of the whole verse. We left off with “Christ gave himself for us”. But the next part says that Christ was given to God for a sweet smelling aroma and sacrifice. While the action may have been on our behalf, we are not the direct recipients of the sacrifice. Rather, it is given to God. The one who, in verse one, Paul tells us to follow. It circled back to God.

 
Reflect/Study: How did God love? See John 3:16, and Romans 5:8. How are Christ’s love and God’s love pieces of the same puzzle? If God loved, and Christ loved, was does that mean for us if we are to be followers of God?

His Blood

The Blood of Jesus is:
For the purpose of enabling us to make our daily, hourly, minute-by-minute home in Christ Jesus

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (John 6:56)

Proverbs 14:26
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

John 15:4,6-7,10
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

1 John 2:27-28
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe”
The one who trusts in the Lord God, will find a place of rest. It is a place as Psalm 23 says, [to] “…dwell in the house of the Lord forever…” God has provided a place of rest, a shelter that will not be overcome. He himself is our home. John 15 explains that we don’t have any hope to produce any fruit—results of labor—without resting, and living, in Jesus. Not only are we told that our home is in Jesus Christ, which is a place of peace, rest, and to be in the very presence of God, but, it also is the only way to do the tasks God commands must be done. “Love one another, serve one another…” ect..
~~“ As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” ~~

 

Refuge: A place of shelter and rest, in times of trouble. The place you go when there is nowhere left to go.

Abide: To remain, dwell, or to live in a particular location. Otherwise to not remove oneself from a place—to stay-fixed.

For boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19)

Zepheniah 1:7
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, dwhen the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

Jude 1:24
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

{See Ephesians 1:18-23}

If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross, there are many problems that prevent everyone from receiving the gifts we have now as a result of His shed blood. This one in particular is amazing because of the contrast of what Jews went through before Jesus’ death, the sacrificing of lambs and bulls, it was done through a priest, and the very location of greatest communion with God, was reserved only for the High Priests. It would be only a select few that would have the honor of entering the Holy of Holies, and even then, there were those that did not return from the Presence of the Lord alive… Jesus’ shed blood has provided the Believer the honor and right to come before God in His presence, and know that we stand blameless before our Father because of the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. It is only by the ‘blotting out of our sins’ by the shed blood of Jesus, “ when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19)

For overcoming the Devil
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)

{See Isaiah 28:15-18}

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 John 2:13- 14
I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Without the blood of Jesus we were hopelessly in bondage under sin and Satan. Now, those who are New Creations in Christ, that our Father is the one who has over come the wicked one, and as 1John 2 says, “and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one”. We abide in Christ, knowing that He is our Savior, Rest, and Peace, and we have The Word in us. God is the one who overcomes the Wicked One, He is greater than the One that is in the world. If greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world, we also overcome the Enemy—through His power and life.

The Lord is There

“…And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.” ~ Ezekial 48:35

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” ~ Matthew 1:23