At the ready

How eager are you for the warm weather of summer? How much do you look forward to a special event like vacation or seeing friends you haven't visited with in a long while? What level of excitement does a promotion at work create within your heart? Does the birth of a newborn thrill your heart and make your day special? I wonder if we have the same 'eagerness' and 'excitement' about Christ's return to this earth a second time? We all know there were mixed emotions over his first coming, ranging from curiosity to unbelief. Will his second return be met with mixed emotions on our part, or anticipation of better things to come?

Christ also died only once as a sacrifice. In this way, he took God's punishment for the sins of many people. Christ will return to earth a second time, but that will not be as a sacrifice for sins. That time, he will come to save those people who are waiting patiently for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

The purpose of his first coming - to offer himself for the sins of mankind. The purpose of his second coming - to take those waiting patiently for his return home to rule and reign with him through all of eternity. What we may not realize is how comfortable we have become in this world. Chances are we likely have very 'settled' lives, complete with a place to live, perhaps a job to go to each day, and 'things' that bring us some level of ease and comfort. The warning to us today is to not become 'too comfortable' in this world and with what it has to offer us. We aren't bound to stay here forever!

The thing I would like us to consider this morning is how close our heart is to Jesus' heart. It could be that we 'say' our heart is close to his, but how we choose to use our time, what we tolerate as 'acceptable' in our lives, and even the company we keep will reveal if we are genuinely seeking Christ first in all areas of our lives. Get too comfortable here on this earth and it is easy to get too comfortable with the pull of sin's compromises. Get our focus on Jesus first in all things and we are less likely to be looking for 'fulfillment' or 'joy' in the things of this world. Christ is coming for those who are patiently waiting for his return. Don't let the distractions of this world come between you and Jesus, my friend. His return isn't far off and we ALL want to be 'at the ready' when he says, "Let's go!" Just sayin!

When will that day come?

In days gone by we probably heard a whole lot more "preaching" about the Second Coming of Christ.  The reminders to "be ready" for his Second Coming were pretty much common place.  Now, we seldom hear those words echoed from the pulpits.  Do you ever stop to wonder why?  I think it is because we are trying to create "seeker friendly" places where people can come into church assemblies and not be frightened by the "churchy" things we might say and do as Christians.  Don't get me wrong on this matter, though, for I totally support creating an environment that is welcoming to the sinner and open to the seeker. I also strongly support an environment which preaches the entirety of the gospel message and the truth of the Word.  Put both of those together and you have the "best" combination!  If we are to consider the entirety of scripture, we must keep in mind there is this promise of Christ's return - the Second Coming as some might refer to it.  The issue is not "when" this return might occur, but simply that we live well in anticipation of our deliverance from the limitations of this earthly body!

But don’t forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning. (2 Peter 3:8-9 ERV)

This is the message we shall consider this morning - not so much getting it settled in our minds that there is a Second Coming of Christ, but that if his "first coming" has been effective in our lives we will be ready regardless of when his Second Coming occurs!  You see, it doesn't matter when Christ comes to establish the New Heavens and the New Earth - it matters that we are found ready to live on for eternity giving God the glory he rightfully deserves!  When grace has had time to change our hearts, minds, and ultimately our soul, we begin to live for the glory of God - we live "ready" lives.  So, why the delay in his Second Coming?  If we look at what scripture provides, it is clearly that his grace may have the chance to touch the lives of many who obviously take their "dear sweet time" allowing that grace to impact their lives! 

Don't get me wrong - I am not complaining about the delay.  God's timing is perfect and I will not become frustrated in the waiting.  In fact, I am ever so grateful he waited for me!  I want us to see this delay as an actual means by which his grace may touch the lives of those we have been praying for over the years.  The wait may seem long in our eyes, but in his timing it is like a split second has passed.  To us the years of praying and agonizing over the loved ones who haven't experienced this grace yet seems almost unbearably long.  To God, it is undeniably short!  To him, that delay is the opportunity many require in order to experience this grace.  

One other important aspect we see in God's delay in the Second Coming of Christ is this idea of us getting to the place of real "change" in our lives.  At the moment we accept his grace, we are forever changed, but in our daily lives this change may not be totally evident.  In fact, this delay actually grows our faith and the opportunity to "work out" change is what makes us lean into him a little more each day.  I know I am powerless to change on my own - because change is hard work and I tire under the burden of change.  The last time we went through a reorganization of duties at work, I almost wanted to throw in the towel and find something else to do.  Why?  Change is hard work!  It takes a toll on us mentally, physically, and especially emotionally.  God's delays in our lives may just be so we will realize the need for mental clarity, physical renewal, and emotional balance - something only his grace fully operationalized in our lives can produce.

You have probably heard the little acronym for GRACE:  God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  I can honestly say we don't understand the riches of God's grace until we experience the change grace brings into our mental, physical and emotional lives.  We immediately experience the spiritual aspects of grace.  We need the time to fully experience how his grace will transform, or re-create the way we think and process information, the stamina and fortitude to perform our daily work, and the life-altering freedom of being controlled by the unreasonableness of our wayward emotions.  To this end, he gives us time with him - learning of him, learning from him, and learning to live in him.  When this has been fully accomplished, grace has done its work!  To this end, we experience a delay in our deliverance from this world.  To this end, we enjoy the freedom to grow in Christ.  To this end, we live out grace in the hopes another will see and experience the grace of God in theirs.  Just sayin!

Craig's List on Doomsday

 ³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows."

(Matthew 24:36)

Last night, I caught a short clip on the TV about all the stuff that is the works for this Saturday - the supposed date of the Lord's Second Coming!  According to the report, the propagator of this sensationalism (a California church leader) is touting that he knows that the "end of days" is happening this Saturday!  Hmmm....I wonder how he does that when even the angels and Christ himself don't know when they will receive their "marching orders" for his return!!!  And what is absolutely amazing is the up-tick in "business" around this supposed second coming of Christ!

Search the infamous "Craig's List" website and you will find hundreds advertising a "safe house" for the rapture, emergency water and food caches, etc.  But...I had to share this most priceless one that I searched out this morning.  It is from a man or woman in Glendale, AZ and it is awesome!

Actual posting on Phoenix Craig's List website:  

Are you attending the rapture on May 21st, 2011 ? - $1 (Valleywide-Glendale/N Phx)

I expect to be left behind when it happens, so if you aren't going to need your worldly possessions; be they money, cars, canned food, durable goods, etc; I would gladly take them off of your hands. Serious responses only, please.

And remember, time is short! You can contact me by replying to this ad. I live in Glendale, But I'm willing to travel for said goods. 

Here's another one:

Rapture May 21st? I would like your stuff (All of AZ)

Are you attending the rapture on May 21st, 2011? I expect to be left behind when it happens, so if you aren't going to need your worldly possessions; be they money, cars, canned food, durable goods, etc; I would gladly take them off of your hands. Serious responses only, please. And remember, time is short! You can contact me by replying to this ad. I live in Chandler, But I'm willing to travel for said goods. 

Now...if you did not get a belly laugh on that one, just read 'em again!  These add posters are obviously believers in Christ and know that the predictions of the exact day of Christ's returning is NOT reliable.  They might be simply posting this because they are showing the absurdity of this type of hoax and emotionalism created by these doomsday prophets.  OR...they might be unbelievers, simply mocking the belief that Christians hold about the Second Coming of Christ.

Either way, here's the straight truth:

• Scripture records the words of Jesus himself - the only Son of God - that clearly state he doesn't even know the exact day or hour.  That is a tightly held fact that only his Father possesses.  And he is not sharing it!
• Believers need to "live ready" everyday!  That is the entire truth!  No sensationalism is necessary if we are living as close to the heart of Jesus as we possibly can!  The day or the hour won't matter when we know that we are close to his heart!

So, I don't know what you will be doing this Saturday, but I plan on gutting my walk-in closet, painting it afresh, hanging new shelving and rods, and generally completing one more home-improvement project that I have been itching to get at!  All the while, enjoying being close to the heart of the one I know loves me beyond measure!