Christ: Second Coming
Christ: Second Coming
Welcome Back
A farmer had an old hound dog that he cherished. One day the dog disappeared, and several weeks passed without his return. In spite of this, the farmer continued to set out fresh food for the dog every day.
Finally, in curiosity, one of the farmer's neighbors asked why he continued to set out food for the dog when he obviously was not returning.
"He will be back," replied the farmer. "Because he knows I am here waiting for him. And when he gets here I want him to know he is welcome back."
Today we wait for Christ's return with great expectancy. We do not know the day nor the hour of His return, but we are confident that He is coming back.
As we wait for Christ's return, we prepare ourselves each day to meet Him. The Promise of the Second Coming
Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the second coming of Christ. Someone has reported that there are 1,845 references in the Old Testament alone and a total of 17 books that give it prominence.
Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to Christ's second coming. That averages one out of every 30 verses. Furthermore, 23 of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. That leaves only four books that do not refer directly to the Second Coming. Interestingly, three of these four books are single-chapter letters which were written to specific persons on a particular subject.
Longing for His Appearance
At one time the recording engineer of the author's radio broadcasts, a very dear saint of God, was almost completely blind. Whenever I visited him and prayed with him, he always wanted to hold my hand as I prayed. He told me that did something to him. Physical contact meant special inspiration and comfort to him. I thought he would not hold my hand when I prayed with him after the restoration of his eyesight, but he still continued to do so. I think this is a perfect illustration of the earnest desire of Christians for the physical appearance of the Lord Jesus. Be Prepared
A servant whose master and mistress were away was uncertain when they would return. A friend visited her and feeling rather tired went in to rest. When she got up she saw that the servant had gone to all kinds of trouble to lay the table for tea as if her master and mistress were coming home that hour. She questioned the servant whether the master and mistress were coming home that day, but her friend answered, "I have not heard, but as the time is uncertain, I always have everything ready each day." What a lesson this is for the Christian-to have everything ready every day and every hour of the day. The Patient Farmer
What good will it do the farmer to be angry at the plants because they are later in yielding fruit than he thinks they should be? It won't affect the plants. It is not in his power to ripen fruits at his pleasure. Therefore, as the farmer exercises patience and long-suffering waiting for the earth to yield her fruit, so should we in waiting for the presence of the Lord. Be Ready
The Lord wants us to live all the time as if today would be our last. I believe it was John Wesley who was asked at one time, "What would you do if you knew that tonight you would die?" That great preacher of years gone by said, "I would do exactly what I have scheduled to do." Could you say that?
Looking for Jesus
A little girl had been listening while her mother's friends were speaking about the imminent return of the Lord. After some time she was missed, so her mother went in search of her. She found her looking out a window at the top of the house. Asked what she was doing she said, "Oh, Mother, I heard you say Jesus might come today, and I wanted to be the first to see Him. See, I washed myself and put on a clean dress."
Await His Coming
As that great preacher of the Word, Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, said, "To me the second coming is the perpetual light on the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that maybe before morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned! I never begin my work without thinking that perhaps He may interrupt my work and begin His own. This is now His word to all believing souls, till He comes."