Can I pray for you in any way?
Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
Revelation 22:12-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
“I am coming soon!”
These words spoken by Jesus more than 2,000 years ago stand true today and still hold the same sense of urgency although Satan has planted and will continue to plant seeds of skepticism and disbelief in the hearts of anyone who would let him into their hearts and minds.
This doubting of Jesus’ words might be created by thoughts like this:
“He said this 2,000 years ago and He still hasn’t come back. That isn’t exactly what I call soon.”
or
“If He was really coming back, He would have done so by now.”
or
“This is one place in the Bible that leads me to not believe anything that’s in it. He should have been back by now.”
I’m sure there are other variations but you get the point. It’s the year 2025 and we are still waiting for Him to return, and yet, we must exercise patience, especially as Christian believers with four important things in mind:
1. Jesus’ concept of time is not ours.
We’re reminded of this in the second letter of Peter where he writes the following:
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8
Yes, it’s been 2,000 years for us in earthly time keeping but to the Lord, it’s just a couple of days. We need to keep this in mind.
2. We don’t dictate to Jesus when He should do anything.
Here’s the second thing we need to remember:
No one possesses the right or the authority to tell Jesus what he should and shouldn’t do nor when He should act in any way. It’s simply not our place or privilege to do so.
God placed Jesus, His Son, in full authority over all things in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). This means everyone is subordinate to Him and therefore submit to His will and way as well as whatever time He deems to move in every situation to include when He returns again.
3. Our future is set, no matter when He comes.
Here in number three, we’re reminded that as believers in Jesus, it really doesn’t matter when Jesus comes because we are assured the promise of salvation whenever it happens. At the Rapture, we will disappear from this earth as suddenly as Jesus comes, moved into safety from the judgment that follows until that time when we take up residence in the new Jerusalem forever.
So what do we do as we wait patiently for Jesus to come?
The answer is found in the final thing we need to keep in mind.
4. Since we’re still here, waiting for Him to come back, it means we have Great Commission time on our hands, time to fulfill our purpose here on this earth.
For every moment we remain on this earth, we have the opportunity to respond to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations and the stakes couldn’t be higher. For as we turn to our scripture passage for today from Revelation, chapter 22, we see that every single person who has ever lived is moving toward one of two final eternal outcomes and as Christians, we need to tirelessly be committed to help others have the same blessed assurance of salvation as we do.
Look again at these words for today:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Vv.12-15
Here, we find Jesus sending the reminder that He is coming soon and when He does, His “reward” will be with Him, the reward of salvation for those who placed their trust in Him and had their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will be the ones who are “blessed” (the seventh beatitude in Revelation) because of their everlasting life in the new holy city where they will “have right to the tree of life” and have open access to “go through the gates of the city”, the pearly gates that will never be closed (21:21,25).
As for everyone else, “the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (aka unbelievers), they will miss out on the glory and splendor of the new Jerusalem and instead be sent into the darkness and torment of Hell for all eternity.
In the end translation, Jesus will “give to each person according to what they have done” when He returns. So the question is simple”
Which will it be for you: eternal reward or punishment?
If your answer is eternal punishment because you have rejected Jesus, I urge you to make today the day of your salvation. Please your belief in Jesus and trade in Hell for Heaven. And do it now because indeed, He could return at any moment.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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