Waiting for the LORD

https://odb.org/MY/2022/03/07/willing-to-wait

I guess for believers who came into the faith after seeing Jesus in person or after witnessing the signs and wonders that manifested after Pentecost or interacting with people who saw Jesus in the flesh, the wait for the second coming of Christ was more difficult and agonising. The belief and hope then must be that Jesus will come again in their lifetime to right the wrongs they were suffering then especially the intense persecution they had to endure, many to the point of death. The reality of Christ means that the reality of Him coming again then was more real and intense and yet they were waiting patiently for the Lord to return.

Nevertheless, the faith spread on from Jerusalem, out of Judea to the Gentiles and across the world as many stood firm in the faith while waiting for the Lord to come again despite the long-suffering, despite that evil being abound. They made the difference that made it possible for us to know Christ thousands of miles away, more than two thousand years later. Generations have passed and yet the faith was not extinguished one bit.

For us believers in the present age who had never met Jesus in the flesh or interacted with the Apostles or believers who had seen Him face to face, we are somewhat in some ways stronger in faith because our belief is entirely founded on faith, believing in things unseen as faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Meaning to say that despite not seeing and we can still believe and follow Jesus means that it can only be true and real. We ourselves became and are the evidence of things unseen.

We like the believers of the first century are also waiting patiently for the Lord to return.

No one know when He will return, only the Father. The Father wants to give everyone a chance to repent of their sins, He wants to give every tribe a chance to hear the Gospel before Christ returns to usher in the end of the world. The events revealed to John in Revelations will come to pass one by one. Perhaps if the present war in Ukraine is not contained and managed properly, there is a chance that it will escalate beyond its borders and spark a new world war?

Many have been teaching recently and are predicting that Christ will come again this generation, this age in time. When we look back 2,000 years and how humanity has progressed and grown, it’s hard to believe all will come to an end soon. Yet the signs of times are there for all to see and deduce. The global pandemic and the speed it spread across the globe is a first in human history, and yet ironically that for once after many years that green was given a chance to catch a breadth and rejuvenate when human activity paused and emissions ceased momentarily for a few months with factories shut and vehicles forced to stay home. The pause caused human misery in lost GDPs, economic activities, jobs and businesses but the jungles and oceans were given a reprieve from human ambition and greed. Thus it is clear that the coming of the Lord is near.

The message today I believe is please wait on patiently and stand firm against the temptations of the evil one, against the misery brought about by the pandemic with rising prices and less job and business opportunities. Do not lose the faith so freely given us at a high price of our Lord’s life on the cross. Let us all wait and prepare for the coming again of Christ as the next few weeks and months are crucial for the future direction of the human race. Christ may come again sooner than we expect, rather than later as experienced by generations before us. We may well experience and witness the rapture and the great tribulation that were spoken to John and written out in Revelations. Repent from our sin and follow Jesus with all our heart, mind and soul! He is indeed coming again! Please be prepared my beloved brethren and wait patiently!