11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Jesus says six times in Revelation that He is coming soon. The word for soon does not mean immediately, but means with no unnecessary delay. Peter wrote (2 Pt 3:9) that “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is not being slow with regards to this prophesy of His coming again. He is intentional about offering everyone the opportunity to know Him. If we, His followers, are close to Him in our daily walk then we do not want for Him to come again. This is a controversial statement as most commentaries and preachers tell us to long for it. Jesus has already assured us that “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Mt 28:20)” If He is already with us and if He loves man and wants for man to have every opportunity possible to know Him, then we should also want the same. If we long for His return because we are tired and have become weak more than we want for others to still have time to come to know Him, that is not following Jesus.
In Genesis 18, Abraham bargains with the Lord to save the city just in case there were righteous in the city that would be destroyed along with the evil. This should be our thoughts as well. Lord, we are ready for your return, but don’t come if there is the possibility that one more can know you. We need to make sure that we are ready, but we also must be willing to stand up in our faith so that the one seeking Him will see or hear Him from us as we witness or testify to His Words.
Jesus had this conversation and described it in Luke 12 to His disciples. This is a partial excerpt of that conversation:
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”
It is important for all to stay ready and be doing that which He has given us to do. The church is told to “hold on to what you have”, that is His Word and not denying His Name. Be careful to not become as the world is but to be standing in faith, knowing Jesus is truth.
12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God; and I will also write on them My new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the one who endures patiently and holds on to their faith, they will stand in the presence of God. They will never be out of His presence. They will be identified with the name of God and His holy city, further He will also write His name on them. Every access that is required they will have by their identification and that identification is the Lord and Jesus. Jesus holds the key and He will give access to those who are victorious in their faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment