Jesus, where are you?

The End Times.

Are we in the end times? The answer to this question is yes and we have been since the resurrection and ascension of Christ. If we look at scripture we should look at the Old Testament as the time in which God made statements and promises of the future Messiah. These promises were made by God and the prophets who relayed the word of God to the people of God.

A Time of Promises.

The New Testament was the time of the fulfillment of promises. This was the appearance of Christ on Earth. The time of Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus walked the earth and preached the Gospel. The good news of the day is that the kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus began gathering his flock and continued the message given to John the Baptist to spread, to repent of sins and believe in Christ as he was the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus was the resurrection. Christ sacrificed Himself for all those who we called by God to repent and receive eternal life through faith in Christ. It is important to remember that even Jesus stated He did not know the time of His return. In Matthew 24:36-39 ESV, Matthew wrote, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” When Jesus arose, He appeared to many witnesses in bodily form. He then ascended into heaven.

The Beginning of the End.

At the time of the ascension then began the last days. We are in the last days and have been since that time. So many people have labeled the return of Christ as a fairytale. The idea is that if He was coming, with all the bad things that have happened in this world He would have been here. Well, our God is a God of patience. We know this through scripture. Paul wrote in Romans 15:5 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,” endurance being translated as patience in the NKJV (New King James Version). Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:18 ESV, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.” God himself told us in Exodus 34:6 ESV, The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” highlighting His patience with His people.

What time is it?

One thing we should keep in mind as God’s people is God is not like us. As such, time does not pass the same for God as it does for us. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:18 ESV, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” So, if we think about this it has only been about 2.3 days since Jesus ascended. That is a mind-blower. For God, essentially this just happened. So, what we should not do is what the church in Thessalonica did, worry that we have missed Jesus’ return. Paul encouraged the faith of the church in Thessalonica, yet also told them to continue living while they eagerly wait for Christ's return. We should follow Paul’s instructions as well. We should continue to walk in the way of Christ, encourage others in faith, evangelize, and bring more believers into the church, living and working a normal life while we also eagerly wait for the Lord’s return.

Rejoice in the patience of the Lord!

So, rejoice in the Lord. Be thankful for his patience and continue his work. The time will come when we can say, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Blessed be the Lord our God.