Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sunday Beacon - August 24, 2008
Behold, I come Quickly
The expression "Behold, I come quickly" is repeated four times in Revelation (3:11;22:7, 11, 20). It refers, first of all, to His coming in God's perspective. It must be interpreted by God's clock, not ours. See II Peter 3:8. Elsewhere in the New Testament Christ's coming is described as soon (Lk. 18:8; Rom. 16:20). To God a thousand years is as a day or even less than a day. In Isaiah 54:8 He told Israel, "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for A MOMENT; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD they Redeemer." Though He has forsaken Israel for at least 2,000 years, to God that is but a moment because He measures things by eternity. The quick coming of the Lord also refers to the imminency of His coming, meaning that it is not preceded by specific signs and could happen at any time (Matt. 24:42, 44; 25:13; Phil. 4:5; I Thes. 1:9-10; Tit. 2:12-13; Jam. 5:8-9). It will begin with the Rapture of church-age saints (I Thess. 4:3-18), and from then until they return of Christ to establish His kingdom as described in Revelation 19-20 only seven brief years elapse. If a father leaves his teenage son in charge of his younger siblings and the household affairs and tells him, "I have to go away on some business, but I will come quickly," what will the teenage son do if he is wise? He will be ready at every moment for the return of his father! The church-age believer is not looking for the Antichrist but for Christ. The events described in Revelation 6-18 are "the day of the Lord, " and it will come "as a thief in the night" as as "sudden destruction" (I Thess. 5:2-3). The New Testament believer is "not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (I Thess. 5:4). God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (I Tess. 5:5).
The expression "Behold, I come quickly" is repeated four times in Revelation (3:11;22:7, 11, 20). It refers, first of all, to His coming in God's perspective. It must be interpreted by God's clock, not ours. See II Peter 3:8. Elsewhere in the New Testament Christ's coming is described as soon (Lk. 18:8; Rom. 16:20). To God a thousand years is as a day or even less than a day. In Isaiah 54:8 He told Israel, "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for A MOMENT; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD they Redeemer." Though He has forsaken Israel for at least 2,000 years, to God that is but a moment because He measures things by eternity. The quick coming of the Lord also refers to the imminency of His coming, meaning that it is not preceded by specific signs and could happen at any time (Matt. 24:42, 44; 25:13; Phil. 4:5; I Thes. 1:9-10; Tit. 2:12-13; Jam. 5:8-9). It will begin with the Rapture of church-age saints (I Thess. 4:3-18), and from then until they return of Christ to establish His kingdom as described in Revelation 19-20 only seven brief years elapse. If a father leaves his teenage son in charge of his younger siblings and the household affairs and tells him, "I have to go away on some business, but I will come quickly," what will the teenage son do if he is wise? He will be ready at every moment for the return of his father! The church-age believer is not looking for the Antichrist but for Christ. The events described in Revelation 6-18 are "the day of the Lord, " and it will come "as a thief in the night" as as "sudden destruction" (I Thess. 5:2-3). The New Testament believer is "not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (I Thess. 5:4). God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (I Tess. 5:5).
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Not Willing to Take Contempt
But non of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.--Acts 20:24
We are 20th century Christians. Some of us are Christians only because it is convenient and pleasant and because it is not costing us anything. But here is the truth, whether we like it or not: the average evangelical Christian who claims to be born again and have eternal life is not doing as much to propagate his or her faith as the busy adherents of the cults handing out their papers on the street corners and visiting from house to house.
We are not willing to take the spit and the contempt and the abuses those cultists take as they knock on doors and try to persuade everyone to follow them in their mistaken beliefs. The cultists can teach us much about zeal and effort and sacrifice, but most of us do not want to get that serious about our faith--or our Savior.
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We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God.
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In 1912 William Borden, graduate of Yale University, left one of America's greatest family fortunes to be a missionary to China. He got as far as Egypt and died of cerebral meningitis. He died---and was only in his 20's--but there was "no reserve, no retreat, no regrets" in his consecration to God.
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John G. Paton, a missionary to the South Sea Islands, often lived in danger as he worked among the hostile aborigines who had never heard the gospel. At one time three witch doctors, claiming to have the power to cause death, publicly declared their intentions to kill Paton with their sorcery before the next Sunday. To carry out their threat, they said they needed some food he had partially eaten. Paton asked for three plums. He took a bite out of each and then gave them to the men who were plotting his death.
On Sunday, the missionary entered the village with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. The people looked at each other in amazement, thinking it couldn't possibly be Paton. their "sacred men" admitted that they had tried by all their incantations to kill him. When asked why they had failed, they replied that the missionary was a sacred man like themselves, but that his God was stronger than theirs. From then on Paton's influence grew, and soon he had the joy of leading some of the villagers to the Lord.
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The Law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.
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Alila stood on the beach holding her tiny infant son close to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she began slowly walking toward the river's edge. She stepped into the water, silently making her way out until she as waist deep, the water gently lapping at the sleeping baby's feet. She stood there for a long time holding the child tightly as she stared out across the river. Then all of a sudden in one quick movement she threw the six month old baby to his watery death.
Native missionary M.V. Varghese often witnesses among the crowds who gather at the Ganges. It was he who came upon Alila hat day kneeling in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. With compassion he knelt down next to her and asked her what was wrong.
Through her sobs she told him, "The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges, my first born son." Brother Varghese's heart ached for the desperate woman. As she wept he gently began to tell her about the love of Jesus and that through Him her sins could be forgiven. She looked at him strangely. "I have never heard that before," she replied through her tears. "Why couldn't you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die."
Each year millions of people come to the hold Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. These multitudes come believing this Hindu ritual will wash their sins away. For many people like Alila, missionaries are arriving too late, simply because here aren't enough of these faithful brothers and sisters on the mission field.
___________________________________________
When Hudson Taylor was director of the China Inland Mission, he often interviewed candidates for the mission field. On one occasion, he met with a group of applicants to determine their motivations for service. "And why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?" he asked one. "I want to go because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," was the reply. Another said, "I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ." Others gave different answers. Then Hudson Taylor said, "All of these motives, however hood, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing; namely, the love of Christ".
A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ, that a man would have to seek Him first to find her.
___________________________________________Not Willing to Take Contempt
But non of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.--Acts 20:24
We are 20th century Christians. Some of us are Christians only because it is convenient and pleasant and because it is not costing us anything. But here is the truth, whether we like it or not: the average evangelical Christian who claims to be born again and have eternal life is not doing as much to propagate his or her faith as the busy adherents of the cults handing out their papers on the street corners and visiting from house to house.
We are not willing to take the spit and the contempt and the abuses those cultists take as they knock on doors and try to persuade everyone to follow them in their mistaken beliefs. The cultists can teach us much about zeal and effort and sacrifice, but most of us do not want to get that serious about our faith--or our Savior.
___________________________________________
We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God.
___________________________________________
In 1912 William Borden, graduate of Yale University, left one of America's greatest family fortunes to be a missionary to China. He got as far as Egypt and died of cerebral meningitis. He died---and was only in his 20's--but there was "no reserve, no retreat, no regrets" in his consecration to God.
___________________________________________
John G. Paton, a missionary to the South Sea Islands, often lived in danger as he worked among the hostile aborigines who had never heard the gospel. At one time three witch doctors, claiming to have the power to cause death, publicly declared their intentions to kill Paton with their sorcery before the next Sunday. To carry out their threat, they said they needed some food he had partially eaten. Paton asked for three plums. He took a bite out of each and then gave them to the men who were plotting his death.
On Sunday, the missionary entered the village with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. The people looked at each other in amazement, thinking it couldn't possibly be Paton. their "sacred men" admitted that they had tried by all their incantations to kill him. When asked why they had failed, they replied that the missionary was a sacred man like themselves, but that his God was stronger than theirs. From then on Paton's influence grew, and soon he had the joy of leading some of the villagers to the Lord.
___________________________________________
The Law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.
___________________________________________
Alila stood on the beach holding her tiny infant son close to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she began slowly walking toward the river's edge. She stepped into the water, silently making her way out until she as waist deep, the water gently lapping at the sleeping baby's feet. She stood there for a long time holding the child tightly as she stared out across the river. Then all of a sudden in one quick movement she threw the six month old baby to his watery death.
Native missionary M.V. Varghese often witnesses among the crowds who gather at the Ganges. It was he who came upon Alila hat day kneeling in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. With compassion he knelt down next to her and asked her what was wrong.
Through her sobs she told him, "The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges, my first born son." Brother Varghese's heart ached for the desperate woman. As she wept he gently began to tell her about the love of Jesus and that through Him her sins could be forgiven. She looked at him strangely. "I have never heard that before," she replied through her tears. "Why couldn't you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die."
Each year millions of people come to the hold Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. These multitudes come believing this Hindu ritual will wash their sins away. For many people like Alila, missionaries are arriving too late, simply because here aren't enough of these faithful brothers and sisters on the mission field.
___________________________________________
When Hudson Taylor was director of the China Inland Mission, he often interviewed candidates for the mission field. On one occasion, he met with a group of applicants to determine their motivations for service. "And why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?" he asked one. "I want to go because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," was the reply. Another said, "I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ." Others gave different answers. Then Hudson Taylor said, "All of these motives, however hood, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing; namely, the love of Christ".
