Eschatology Discussion Board

[pastorhelen]

Writing in the first person, share what comes to your mind when you contemplate the soon return of our Lord in a discussion titled: “When I Think of the Coming of Christ”.

Paste the same submission from the previous step here by clicking on the REPLY link just above. Your submission should be made on or before 11:59 p.m. (WAT) on Wednesday, 18 December 2024.

Then scroll down to see your peer submission and click reply to comment on their submissions. You MUST comment on at least one post with a minimum of 200 words on or before 11:59 p.m. (WAT) on Friday, 20 December 2024.

[Ben]

When I Think of the Coming of Christ.

When I think of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I’m left in awe and full of anticipation. I will get to see my Lord and will have to deal with life from a new reality. I want to say unimaginable but thank God I have something to feed my mind with and a reality to be imagined as I live in full anticipation of that day. The word of God puts my heart and mind in the following spiritual realities:

1. The reality of seeing my Lord and Savior Jesus 1 John 3:2, and being changed bodily. My body will eventually catch up with my spirit. My body will be redeemed and I’ll forever be with my Lord.

2. The reality of being called forth and rewarded. Revelations 22:12, Philippians 3:14, Matthew 25:20-23. I recall the song, “when the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there”. What will it be like? I ask myself. Nothing really on earth can fully or best describe this moment. But I’ll be called upon and rewarded for my works in his name. Hence, I am guided to do what he calls me to do. I will see him smile and say to me, “I’ve always known you…I know you Ben” And he will say to me, “well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Lord. So, I’m off and running my race for the price. Not that I have attained like Paul said (Philippians 3:12-14). Emphatically no! But this I do every day, to let go of my past and of any weight or sin and run with patience my race. I’m therefore mindful of my works.

3. My joy of presenting the souls won. Romans 10:15. It will be like bringing in the sheaves during harvest. I know there will be joy and rejoicing to see souls I ministered to by his enablement. Everything I do, everything he leads me into, even at this phase of my life and ministry, is to draw all men unto him. That’s basically what I live for.

4. Urgency! Urgency! 2 Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 5:15-17. There’s a call to answer. A call to minister the gospel and to lead men in the way of truth. A call to walk not as a fool, but wise and understanding the will of God for the times I am in. Just like Jesus, I must be about the work of my Father. If he is coming again, then I will give account of my days. I want to give a worthy testimony. I want to say I did and finished what you sent me to do and not another business. This makes me sober and keeps me guided in my ways. I don’t live anyhow not because I earned my salvation by my performance but because I am set on a course that I must follow. It is my desire to follow through to that end when I see him.

[Paulpraze]

My Response to Ben.
I believe that there is no experience in human existence that comes close to the ones that have been described in this essay, absolutely none.
The reality of having a body that as you have put it “matches with our spirit” would be a most glorious experience. The thought of having no more limitations and struggles of the flesh, the possibility of pure worship to God, the absence of mortality, corruption and death, all because our bodies have been changed are very much to be longed for.
Apart from the actual finished work of Christ and God’s love for mankind, nothing inspires and motivates us to share our faith like the knowledge of Christ’s coming. 2 Corinthians 5:11. So, yes there is an urgency, a call to all who believe in Jesus Christ to share their faith and turn many to the way, the truth and the life.
What joy it will be indeed to hear the master to say to us, “well done, thou good and faithful servant”. This is what we live and long for as believers. This is what our lives on this earth are about. Hence, it will be a most joyous experience to know that we have done the will and pleasure of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

[Wechie]

Oh yes
Urgency Urgency Urgency.
The first thing that comes to mind is the scripture 1 Timothy 2:4 TPT
[4] He longs for everyone to embrace his life and return to the full knowledge of the truth.

The thought of His coming gets me pondering ; how involved have I been in seeing the lost saved;preaching the Gospel to the unsaved?

Have I been intentional about preaching the gospel to the lost ? For Christ desires that all men be saved .

Secondly, what has been the posture of my heart towards service in God’s vine yard and to work in general? Will my works pass through the fire or will they be burnt?

I think of what it would feel like to hear God say to me ” Well-done good and faithful servant”.

I ponder if I have been a faithful servant.

I also ponder, ; If Christ desires that all come to the knowledge of truth, how involved have I been in discipling new converts?

Thirdly,How has my character been a tool to draw people nearer to Christ. Is my everyday life glorifying God. Am I exhibiting the fruits of the spirit ; Am I yielding to God’s word day to day .

Am I a true disciple of Christ myself ; Am I an example of believers in words , in conversations, in charity ,in spirit,in faith,in purity ?

I am spurred to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God that is working in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure .

When I think of the coming of Christ, I am filled with so much joy/expectations and I’m also re-awakened to my consecration and responsibility as a Believer .

[femionas]

My response to Ben

“There’s a call to answer. A call to minister the gospel and to lead men in the way of truth. A call to walk not as a fool, but as wise and understanding of the will of God for the times I am in”. This is very true, but we must be guided by the words of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27, when he said” But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” The context is, Paul failing to obtain his goal of winning others, not somehow earning salvation. Paul recognizes that even he can be disqualified from his prize (The runner in a race is disqualified for running off the course, either intentionally or through ignorance) This simply means that we should strive not to be disqualified from receiving a reward at the judgment seat of Christ where our lives and work will be judged.
Every one of us must be on the watch for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must prepare for his coming by. Living a holy life, preparing our hearts, and living life as if today is the day.

[femionas]

Writing in the first person, share what comes to your mind when you contemplate the soon return of our Lord in a discussion titled: “When I Think of the Coming of Christ”.

Our Lord Jesus Christ promised that he would come again, and all the people would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). Every time I think about this, I see the day approaching when Jesus will come again. The question in my mind is how many will be ready.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is when Jesus returns to Earth to judge all people, both living and dead. It will be a time of great significance and will mark the climax of redemption. Jesus is coming again, He is coming back in power and glory, to consummate his redemptive mission and to establish his eternal kingdom.
The second coming of Jesus and the church rapture are separate events, which should not be confused with the other. The exact time of the second coming is unknown, but the Lord has revealed some signs and events that will precede it.
• The calling of the gentiles (Mathew 24 ;14)
• Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes (Mathew 24:6, 7)
• Great apostasy and Tribulation (Mathew 24:9 -13)
• Signs and wonders ( Mathew 24 29. 30)
• Conversion of Isreal (Romans 11:25,30)
Many bible scholars say the Rapture will happen before the rest of the tribulation, and Christ will remove his church to protect his people from the evil unleashed on the earth during the antichrist’s reign. Other Christians believe that the tribulation will take place before the rapture. These two events are expected to occur before the second coming of Christ, which will happen seven years after the tribulation period. The prophet Daniel in the Old Testament has a peek into the future when he saw a little of what will happen just before the 1,000-year reign of Christ (Daniel 12 :1 -3)
The coming of Jesus Christ will be to rule and to bind Satan, for 1,000 years and defeat the Antichrist by throwing him into the lake of fire. It will be a time when Jesus Christ will return with his saints, It will be a time when Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives as a prelude to his earthly reign, It will be a time when Jesus Christ will bring judgment to those who have rejected him.
When I think of the coming of Jesus Christ, I see
• a time when Satan will have no say whatsoever in anything about the activities in the world
• I see a time of new Heaven and earth
• I see a time when people will be living in peace and in harmony
• A time when the New Heaven and Earth will be known as New Jerusalem
• everyone in the New Jerusalem will live and reign with Christ (Revelation 20:4)
• the 1,000 years reign of Christ will be a joyous time for the saints
In conclusion, our Lord Jesus Christ is coming because he promised he would come (John 14: 1 -3) He is coming again to complete the plan of salvation, which includes our resurrection, our presence in the sight of God, and life with him eternally in the earth made new. (John 5:25 – 29).

[femionas]

My response to Ben

“There’s a call to answer. A call to minister the gospel and to lead men in the way of truth. A call to walk not as a fool, but as wise and understanding of the will of God for the times I am in”. This is very true, but we must be guided by the words of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27, when he said” But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” The context is, Paul failing to obtain his goal of winning others, not somehow earning salvation. Paul recognizes that even he can be disqualified from his prize (The runner in a race is disqualified for running off the course, either intentionally or through ignorance) This simply means that we should strive not to be disqualified from receiving a reward at the judgment seat of Christ where our lives and work will be judged.
Every one of us must be on the watch for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must prepare for his coming by. Living a holy life, preparing our hearts, and living life as if today is the day.

[femionas]

w

[Ben]

My response to Femi

Indeed, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, Satan and his cohorts will be taken out of the scene. His evil influence will be out of sight completely and we shall walk in the fullness of our redemption in Christ (Isaiah 11;8, Micah 4:1-4, 5:2-5). Fullness, not just as it is within our spirits but also in our changed bodies. Sin and its repercussions or effects will be dealt with pertaining all things.
When Jesus shall return again, the sons of God will be made manifest and the whole creation that have been in bondage due to the sin of the first Adam, will be set free (Romans 8:18-24).
There’s indeed so much to be grateful and joyful for as we hope for his second coming.
1. Satan and his influence put away completely.
2. Our bodies redeemed and found in glory.
3. The earth and all there is in creation that was left in bondage; completely restored.
4. We will reign on the earth with our Lord and king Jesus. A reign of truth and glory.
This joy goes hand in hand with our daily commitment to keep running our race, having our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus.

[Paulpraze]

When I think of the coming of Christ, there is a joy, an elation that words fail me to describe that engulfs my heart and animates my emotions to an overflowing. There is a transition from and beyond all that mundane unto the eternal, pure, holy, and praiseworthy. The very notion of being in the presence of Christ forever is simply most glorious.
When I think of the coming of Christ, a number of things immediately come to mind.
Firstly, there is a confidence that I become aware of. I often like to say that not everyone is afraid of death or of dying. This is because of the assurance of our eternal salvation that we have received in Christ Jesus by faith alone in Him. The knowledge that my salvation did not come as a result of my own works or goodness but by the finished works of Christ furnishes my heart with such a confidence that eradicates any fear of the day of judgment. Through His death, I have been delivered from the fear of death. I have peace with God by faith in Christ Jesus. Romans 5:1, John 3:16, Titus 3:3-7, Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 John 4:17.
Secondly, in Revelation 14:13, we see here that the dead in Christ should be envied. There is a longing and a desire that this just generates in my heart to experience that rest and a looking forward to the rewards that Christ will give. However, like the apostle Paul, I know that there is still plenty of work to do in the name of Christ on this side of eternity, therefore I choose to stay and be content with my present state of being a co-laborer with Christ in His vineyard. Philippians 1:21-26.
Furthermore, the undiluted joy, absolute absence of sorrow, and all that reeks of death, whether physical or spiritual, the absolute absence of any kind of corruption in the soul and body and being in the presence of Jesus for all eternity. There is no experience on this planet that even comes close to this experience. To know my Lord as I am known, to see His face, not darkly as in a glass but face to face. 1 Corinthians 13:12, Revelation 21:14.
Anyone who has truly engaged in worshipping God knows the limitations that the flesh causes in our fellowshipping with God. The idea of the possibility of worshipping God with absolutely no hindrances or limitations is an experience that I look forward to. What John describes of the worship of God that goes on in heaven according to his vision just lifts my heart and gives me a hope that is simply divine. One important thing about worship is that it is based on the revelation of God that I have. This means that, as long as there will be worship, there will have to be revelations of God. John 4:24, Revelation 4:8-13. I long for such discoveries and revelations of God that will produce such pure and unadulterated worship of Him.

[Wechie]

Oh yes
Urgency Urgency Urgency.
The first thing that comes to mind is the scripture 1 Timothy 2:4 TPT
[4] He longs for everyone to embrace his life and return to the full knowledge of the truth.

The thought of His coming gets me pondering ; how involved have I been in seeing the lost saved;preaching the Gospel to the unsaved?

Have I been intentional about preaching the gospel to the lost ? For Christ desires that all men be saved .

Secondly, what has been the posture of my heart towards service in God’s vine yard and to work in general? Will my works pass through the fire or will they be burnt?

I think of what it would feel like to hear God say to me ” Well-done good and faithful servant”.

I ponder if I have been a faithful servant.

I also ponder, ; If Christ desires that all come to the knowledge of truth, how involved have I been in discipling new converts?

Thirdly,How has my character been a tool to draw people nearer to Christ. Is my everyday life glorifying God. Am I exhibiting the fruits of the spirit ; Am I yielding to God’s word day to day .

Am I a true disciple of Christ myself ; Am I an example of believers in words , in conversations, in charity ,in spirit,in faith,in purity ?

I am spurred to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God that is working in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure .

When I think of the coming of Christ, I am filled with so much joy/expectations and I’m also re-awakened to my consecration and responsibility as a Believer .

[Author]

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