Solparvus
Puritan Board Senior
I bring here some thoughts on Christ's return, and a plea to everyone who reads this, found at the end.
"...He will crush your head..." - Genesis 3:15
"I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." - Genesis 49:18
"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him." - Luke 2:25
"And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:7-8 (compare to Gn 3:15)
"...unto all them also that love his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:8
"For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if an man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." - Hebrews 10:37-38
"He which testifieth these things saith, 'Surely I come quickly. Amen.' Even so, come, Lord Jesus." - Revelation 22:20
Last night we had a Friday night preparatory fellowship for the Lord's Table. Many wonderful truths worth sharing. The supreme question put to all of us was this: "Are you longing for the return of Christ?"
The teaching of Scripture is not only to expect the return of Jesus Christ, but to long for it as well. One sign that we are still too attached to this world is that we don't think about Christ coming back, of going and being with Him, and it's difficult for us to sincerely say with Paul that to depart and go and be with Christ is far better. We love our spouses, and if we were away for a long time we'd miss them but not think much about them if we kept busy. But if we stopped to think about them, the longing would return. Do we stop and think about Christ, seeing Him, the beatific vision, being with Him in the place He prepares for us?
We found that some of us have had a difficult time with the matter because it says that certain events are still yet to happen between now and the return of Christ. I, for one, am convinced that Romans 11 prophesies revival among the ethnic Jews. Yet when will this happen? It doesn't matter. We are still to say just as John does, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
How long was it since God spoke of the seed to come in Genesis 3:15? How many mothers wondered if perhaps their child was the one? How many longed and waited for the promises, like Abraham longing and waiting for the son that God would give him? Yet Abraham waited and believed Ever since Malachi prophesied there was silence for four hundred years. Yet Simeon was found waiting and believing.
Waiting... God could take another thousand years for Christ to come the first time, yet the godly were waiting, and hoping that any day would be the day. Christ may come in the week, He may take another thousand years. The Christian should both submit to God's appointed timing, yet be found waiting and longing.
There's more than longing for His appearing; we ought to pray for it. We are taught to pray by Jesus, "Thy kingdom come." The highest and greatest answer to this prayer is the absolute devastation of the kingdom of the devil, for him and his worms to be thrown into their place, and for Christ to come in His glory, with all His holy angels, with the voice of the archangel, to judge the world in righteousness.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The last prayer of a redeemed man recorded in Scripture. What is the persistent widow praying for but vengeance against her adversary? Where does Christ apply it? To His coming, when He will strike down the enemies of the church, destroy the kingdom of the devil, and at the same time establish His own. Here we pray with the martyrs in heaven that God would no longer delay in avenging their blood (Rev. 6:10).
Will God really hasten the Second Coming because His church is given to praying earnestly and fervently for it? It's in God's decree, but The fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much. The intercession of Moses stayed the fury of God. And also, when Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still:
"And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel." - Joshua 10:14
Elijah knew rain was coming, yet Elijah prayed for rain. We know Christ is coming, but we must pray for it.
Brothers and sisters, as a brother I bring something for you to consider... are there any prayer meetings going on where you and some others regularly gather to pray, "Thy kingdom come?" Are we hungry for conversions? Do we long for the overthrow of Satan? Are we zealous that Christ be manifested as king over all the created order, all things in heaven and earth? We are to pray for it. May I encourage you to seriously consider starting prayer meetings--whether organized by your elders, or by yourself and other brothers and sisters--to commit to regularly getting together, reading the Scriptures to enliven your faith, and then to pray with fervency, longing, tears, and expectation, "Thy kingdom come"? Many great missionary movements have begun because men and women prayed. And when they persisted in prayer, God heard them. Yet if we will not ask, we will not receive. Or if we do receive, what an embarrassment it will be to us that God was willing to do such great things that we didn't bother to ask for!
I really believe such prayer meetings are needed. America is in darkness, much of the world is in darkness. If ever there has been a need to pray, it is now.
Be sure, God will visit you!
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
"...He will crush your head..." - Genesis 3:15
"I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." - Genesis 49:18
"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him." - Luke 2:25
"And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:7-8 (compare to Gn 3:15)
"...unto all them also that love his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:8
"For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if an man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." - Hebrews 10:37-38
"He which testifieth these things saith, 'Surely I come quickly. Amen.' Even so, come, Lord Jesus." - Revelation 22:20
Last night we had a Friday night preparatory fellowship for the Lord's Table. Many wonderful truths worth sharing. The supreme question put to all of us was this: "Are you longing for the return of Christ?"
The teaching of Scripture is not only to expect the return of Jesus Christ, but to long for it as well. One sign that we are still too attached to this world is that we don't think about Christ coming back, of going and being with Him, and it's difficult for us to sincerely say with Paul that to depart and go and be with Christ is far better. We love our spouses, and if we were away for a long time we'd miss them but not think much about them if we kept busy. But if we stopped to think about them, the longing would return. Do we stop and think about Christ, seeing Him, the beatific vision, being with Him in the place He prepares for us?
We found that some of us have had a difficult time with the matter because it says that certain events are still yet to happen between now and the return of Christ. I, for one, am convinced that Romans 11 prophesies revival among the ethnic Jews. Yet when will this happen? It doesn't matter. We are still to say just as John does, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
How long was it since God spoke of the seed to come in Genesis 3:15? How many mothers wondered if perhaps their child was the one? How many longed and waited for the promises, like Abraham longing and waiting for the son that God would give him? Yet Abraham waited and believed Ever since Malachi prophesied there was silence for four hundred years. Yet Simeon was found waiting and believing.
Waiting... God could take another thousand years for Christ to come the first time, yet the godly were waiting, and hoping that any day would be the day. Christ may come in the week, He may take another thousand years. The Christian should both submit to God's appointed timing, yet be found waiting and longing.
There's more than longing for His appearing; we ought to pray for it. We are taught to pray by Jesus, "Thy kingdom come." The highest and greatest answer to this prayer is the absolute devastation of the kingdom of the devil, for him and his worms to be thrown into their place, and for Christ to come in His glory, with all His holy angels, with the voice of the archangel, to judge the world in righteousness.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The last prayer of a redeemed man recorded in Scripture. What is the persistent widow praying for but vengeance against her adversary? Where does Christ apply it? To His coming, when He will strike down the enemies of the church, destroy the kingdom of the devil, and at the same time establish His own. Here we pray with the martyrs in heaven that God would no longer delay in avenging their blood (Rev. 6:10).
Will God really hasten the Second Coming because His church is given to praying earnestly and fervently for it? It's in God's decree, but The fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much. The intercession of Moses stayed the fury of God. And also, when Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still:
"And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel." - Joshua 10:14
Elijah knew rain was coming, yet Elijah prayed for rain. We know Christ is coming, but we must pray for it.
Brothers and sisters, as a brother I bring something for you to consider... are there any prayer meetings going on where you and some others regularly gather to pray, "Thy kingdom come?" Are we hungry for conversions? Do we long for the overthrow of Satan? Are we zealous that Christ be manifested as king over all the created order, all things in heaven and earth? We are to pray for it. May I encourage you to seriously consider starting prayer meetings--whether organized by your elders, or by yourself and other brothers and sisters--to commit to regularly getting together, reading the Scriptures to enliven your faith, and then to pray with fervency, longing, tears, and expectation, "Thy kingdom come"? Many great missionary movements have begun because men and women prayed. And when they persisted in prayer, God heard them. Yet if we will not ask, we will not receive. Or if we do receive, what an embarrassment it will be to us that God was willing to do such great things that we didn't bother to ask for!
I really believe such prayer meetings are needed. America is in darkness, much of the world is in darkness. If ever there has been a need to pray, it is now.
Be sure, God will visit you!
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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