August 8: COME LORD JESUS!

[In] the day of the Lord… both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God… 2 Peter 3:10-12a

One of the greatest privileges of the Christian is to be about the business of hastening the coming of Christ. If we are looking for His return with joyous anticipation, then the natural reflex is to share the knowledge of Him with others. Faithful preaching and teaching of the Word produces a deep conviction of hearts, which is the blessing of repentance through the Holy Spirit’s power (John 16:8).

Many Christians encourage their friends and family to ask themselves “what would Jesus do?” Pointing people toward the Bible will help to answer that question through the documentation of what Jesus did. He is equated with His written Word (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13), therefore one need not limit themselves to the New Testament (as some misled denominations teach). When the apostle John was writing, the only written word available was what we now call the Old Testament. In actuality, the Word of God is a seamless presentation of the loving character of our heavenly Father. The division between the Old and New Testaments is an artificial division. He has been in the soul-saving business from the start! Every passage contains an example to follow, a warning to heed, a bad decision to avoid, a distinction to be made, or a revelation of God’s character, as well as conditional prophecies and promises – all of which facilitate discernment.

Jesus made a point of distinguishing between knowledge only and a personal relationship with Himself. These things must go together, otherwise spiritual ears are deafened and spiritual eyes are blinded. He said to the religious leaders of His day: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

The nearness of the day of the Lord should be very evident to each of us, beloved. The conditions of the world continue in their downward spiral, and the Lord longs to bring this scene of misery to an end. He is patiently waiting for the manifestation of Himself—in His bride—to be visible to the world. We must grasp that, only in full cooperation with Him, have we the honor and privilege of hastening His coming! When Christ’s holy character is perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. Your own pure witness of the Lord is meant to be a great attraction for those sincerely longing for purity in their own lives. Make sure that you are not mixing impurity into your personal witness for the Lord Jesus. To cultivate a lifestyle that deliberately sends a mixed message into the world also cultivates the danger of being cut off from spiritual growth (see Matthew 13:12; 25:29; Mark 4:24-25; Luke 8:18; 19:26). And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:39-40

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17