Christ’s Second Coming

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 6, 2018

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.   Matthew 16:27

Jesus came the first time in a modest manger to save the people from their sin. He was not the King, but He threatened the King. Jesus is coming soon a second time with a grand entrance as King of Kings to judge the people for their sin and dead works. He rode the first time on a humble donkey, but He will ride this second time on a brazen horse.

Christ’s second coming must matter most to the church because we are His bride, the Body of Christ. How can the church be ready to greet its Godly groom Jesus? Like any faithful wife whose husband is away traveling for work, or waging war overseas, we want to greet Him with a holy kiss. A faithful church is not conformed by the culture, rather it conforms the culture. The faithful Bride of Christ is ready to rejoice at His glorious sight!

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).

When Christ comes back He wants to catch the church evangelizing the lost and making disciples. He hungers for her disputes to be with the devil and not with each other. A humble church does not use finances to build man’s kingdom, but instead deploys resources to advance the Kingdom of God. The church is ready for Christ’s return when she serves the poor, ministers to the Body, prays for the sick and preaches the gospel!

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Christ’s coming is also compelling for individual Christians. We want to be about our Lord’s business and not preoccupied with activities and assets that will burn up one day. The Judgment Seat of Christ is for Christians to not be judged for salvation, but to be judged for the quality of their works. You are wise when you invest in eternal matters with your time and money. Christ-like character, missions, prayer, Bible teaching, corporate and individual worship and service in the community all make Jesus smile. When Christ comes make sure He catches you about your Father’s business:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

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