Every Day Is a Day of Mercy

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 PETER 3:9

 

PONDER THIS

Why did Methuselah live so long? (See Genesis 5:27.) Methuselah represented the mercy of God. God knew that after Methuselah’s death, the flood would come. The flood was due, and the judgment of God was smoldering. People deserved to be judged, but God kept pushing the judgment day back. God gave them another year. He gave them another month. He gave them another week. He gave them another day. He gave them another hour. But one day, Methuselah died, and one of these days our figurative Methuselah will die. And mercy will give way to judgment.

In Peter’s time, there were people saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). But Peter made it clear, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

How does it change your perspective on the state of the world to remember that God is showing mercy by delaying the Second Coming of Jesus?

How should this truth give us a sense of urgency?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time today to share with someone about the mercy of God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ready For Jesus to Come Again

“I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” LUKE 17:34-36

 

PONDER THIS

In Luke 17:34-36, Jesus said, “I tell you, in that night there will be two [people] in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” Now that’s interesting. Some are sleeping and some are working. In part of the world, it will be day, and part of the world will be dark when Jesus comes. One will be taken and the other left. What a marvelous thing it’s going to be. And if Jesus were to come on a Sunday morning, many of us would look so sanctified. But not everybody is saved. One will be taken and the other left. Some are going to be swept up to glory and others would be left. Are you ready for that reality today?

How can a person be ready for Jesus’ return?

How does regularly thinking about the return of Jesus give us the urgency to be ready?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time in prayer today to ask God if you are ready for the return of Christ. Respond as He calls you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Looking for the Uppertaker

“Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.’” JUDE 1:14

 

PONDER THIS

The new birth is mentioned nine times in the Bible. Baptism is mentioned 20 times in the Bible. Repentance is mentioned about 70 times in the Bible. But more than 380 verses in the Bible speak clearly about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. One verse out of every 25 points with an eager finger to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Early Church was taken up in thinking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Alexander McClaren said those in the Early Church did not think primarily about death or about Heaven, but about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He said they were not looking for a cleft in the ground called a grave, they were looking for a cleft in the sky called glory. They were not looking for the undertaker, they were looking for the “uppertaker.” And we ought to be looking for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the same way.

How often do you think about the Second Coming of Christ?

What might help you to think about Christ’s return more?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend some time researching various passages that refer to the Second Coming of Christ. Meditate on these truths throughout the day today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When Christ’s Church Is Complete

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” MATTHEW 24:14

 

PONDER THIS

What will determine the time Jesus is going to come and take the Church? It will be when His bride is complete. That will be when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Perhaps there's a service tonight in the mountains of North Carolina. Perhaps there’s a little country church there with a fill-in preacher who’s stepped in for the pastor who is ill. He's doing what a lot of preachers would do on short notice—he's just trying to explain how to be saved, and he’s using John 3:16. Maybe there are not more than forty people there in that little church building, and this layman is trying to share what Christ has done for him using John 3:16. And as he does, tears fall out of his eyes, with a trembling voice and no homiletical beauty at all, he simply tells how God loved the world and gave His Son. He says that if people would repent of their sins and trust Jesus, they’ll be saved. And a little girl steps out and comes forward to give her hand to that preacher and her heart to Jesus. And that may be the last soul that’ll ever get saved before Jesus comes. It could be today. And God says, “Gabriel, that’s it! Marshal the troops. Jesus, it’s time! My Son, go and claim your bride. She is complete.”

According to today’s verse, what must happen before Jesus will return?

Considering this truth, how is the Church directly involved in bringing about the return of Christ?

PRACTICE THIS

Consider who God has put on your heart to share the truth of the kingdom with. Make time to have that conversation today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

His Return May Seem Slow, But He Is Never Late

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” 1 THESSALONIANS 5:2

 

PONDER THIS

We don’t know when Jesus is coming again. We may have a feeling that we are living on the edge of eternity, and we can be sure that Jesus’s return is two thousand years nearer than it’s ever been before. While we may consider the time between His ascension and return to be slow, He will never be late. God is not in a hurry. Second Peter 3:8 says, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Peter goes on to say, “But the day of the Lord will come” (2 Peter 3:10). We have also been given the reason for the delay. God in mercy is holding back this day. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We can be sure that Jesus is coming. The question is, will we be ready?

What would you do differently if you knew Jesus was coming back today?

How can you prepare now for the return of Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of ways living in light of Jesus’s return should change your day-to-day habits. Take action regarding some of these things this week.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Every Promise Leads to Christ

“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” DANIEL 9:24

Ponder This

In this text, Daniel said that God was going “to finish the transgression,” not a transgression, but the transgression. To whom was Daniel speaking? Israel. What is the transgression of Israel? It was the rejection of Israel’s Messiah. But one day, thank God, that rejection will be over. Israel’s transgression will be in the past.

Further, God's going to make an end of sins, because there can be no end of sins without Messiah. There is no forgiveness of sin apart from the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There’s coming a time when the Jews shall turn in faith to Jesus Christ and trust Him. Romans 11:26 says, “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.’”

How are you comforted by the promises of God throughout Scripture?

How can you see today’s text pointing to the coming of Christ?

Practice This

Find a time today to talk with another person about the promises of God that have been fulfilled in the Bible and throughout history.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ready When the Bridegroom Comes

Pray Over This

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:17

Ponder This

In ancient weddings, the groom would take the initiative. He would go to the father of the bride’s house, negotiate for the bride, and pay a price for the bride. This was called the betrothal. The young man and woman would have a cup of wine over which a betrothal blessing had been given, and they would drink from that cup together. And then he would go back to his father’s house to prepare a place for her, and she would stay back and begin to prepare for the wedding. The groom would set the date for the wedding in conjunction with his father. Eventually, he would come with a torchlight parade, and there would be one who would go before him, shouting, “Behold, the bridegroom comes!” And the bride would gather her things and be ready.

And that’s what’s going to happen with Christ’s Church. We’re the bride of Christ, and we’re going to be in a secluded place with our Lord. Suddenly, perhaps before we even finish this day, there will be the shout and Jesus will return. Are you ready?

How do passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 help us be ready for Jesus’ return?

What does it look like to prepare yourself daily for Jesus’ return?

 

Practice This

Look over your schedule for the week. What would you do differently if you knew Jesus was coming back this week? Take action to align your life with this promised coming reality.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

The Day Is at Hand

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. (Romans 13:12)

This is a word of hope to suffering Christians. It’s a word of hope to Christians who hate their own sin and long to be done with sinning. It’s a word of hope to Christians who long for the last enemy Death to be overcome and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

How is it a word of hope for all these?

“The night” stands for this age of darkness and all its sin and misery and death. And what does Paul say about it? “The night is far gone.” The age of sin and misery and death is almost spent. The day of righteousness and peace and total joy is dawning.

You might say, “2,000 years seems like a long dawn.” From one standpoint it is. And we cry, How long, O Lord, how long will you let it go on? But the biblical way to think goes beyond this lament of “How long!” It looks at world history differently.

The key difference is that the “day” — the new age of the Messiah — has really dawned in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the end of this fallen age. That is, the end of this fallen age has, as it were, broken in to this world. Jesus defeated sin and pain and death and Satan when he died and rose again. The decisive battle of the ages is over. The kingdom has come. Eternal life has come.

And when dawn happens — as it did in the coming of Jesus — no one should doubt the coming of day. Not even if the dawn draws out 2,000 years. As Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8, “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.” The dawn has come. The day has arrived. Nothing can stop the rising of the sun to full day.

John Piper 

Why God Is Still Waiting

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 PETER 3:9

 

PONDER THIS

Why has Jesus not come in our day and our age? God’s waiting for more people to be saved. Peter wrote that many would say, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Peter continued on, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

It could be that the reason Jesus didn’t come yesterday is because God wants you saved today. It could be that God is keeping the door open one more time. But remember, in Noah’s time the flood did come. And even now the raging waters of God’s wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. He has promised that one day Jesus Christ will come, and it will be too late for many as it was too late in Noah’s day.

Have you made sure you have valued God’s grace and not dismissed His patience?

How should this reality motivate us to tell others about Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Have a conversation with someone this week about God’s patience evidenced by the delayed coming of Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Authentic Faith Is Eager for Christ to Come

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

What must you do so that you may know that your sins are taken away by the blood of Christ, and that, when he comes, he will shield you from the wrath of God and bring you into eternal life? The answer is this: Trust Christ in a way that makes you eager for him to come.

The text says he is coming to save those who are “eagerly waiting for him.” So how do you get ready? How do you experience the forgiveness of God in Christ and prepare to meet him? By trusting him in a way that makes you eager for him to come.

This eager expectation for Christ is simply a sign that we love him and believe in him — really believe in him, authentically.

There is a phony faith that wants only escape from hell, but has no desire for Christ. That kind of faith does not save. It does not produce an eager expectation for Christ to come. In fact, it would rather that Christ not come for as long as possible, so that it can have as much of this world as possible.

But the faith that really holds on to Christ as Savior and Lord and Treasure and hope and joy is the faith that makes us long for Christ to come. And that is the faith that saves.

So I urge you, turn from the world, and from sin. Turn to Christ. Receive him, welcome him, embrace Christ not just as your fire insurance policy, but as your eagerly awaited Treasure and Friend and Lord.

John Piper 

The Door of Mercy Is Still Open

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

2 PETER 3:8-9

 

PONDER THIS

Some people ask, “Why hasn’t Jesus come?” But God hasn’t forgotten. The other question people ask is, “When exactly is Jesus coming?” Jesus has not yet come because God has kept the door of mercy open. Jesus is going to come suddenly like a thief in the night.

Only God knows the perfect timing. We know it will happen, and we hold onto the certainty that Jesus is coming again. Since the Day of the Lord will come, how should we live now? We know how to live from Scripture. We are to be transformed to be like Him and we are to share the Gospel until He returns.

What are some ways God called His people to live according to Scripture? Why is living out God’s Word important in preparing for the Second Coming?

What keeps you from rightly preparing for Jesus’ Second Coming?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God for boldness and hope as you faithfully wait for His Second Coming.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Jesus Will Trample All Our Enemies

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)

How far does the reign of Christ extend?

The next verse, 1 Corinthians 15:25 says, “He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” The word all tells us the extent.

So does the word every in verse 24: “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.”

There is no disease, no addiction, no demon, no bad habit, no fault, no vice, no weakness, no temper, no moodiness, no pride, no self-pity, no strife, no jealousy, no perversion, no greed, no laziness that Christ will not overcome as the enemy of his honor.

And the encouragement in that promise is that when you set yourself to do battle with the enemies of your faith and your holiness, you will not fight alone.

Jesus Christ is now, in this age, putting all his enemies under his feet. Every rule and every authority and every power will be conquered.

So, remember that the extent of Christ’s reign reaches to the smallest and biggest enemy of his glory in your life, and in this universe. It will be defeated.

John Piper 

Are You Looking for Jesus?

PRAY OVER THIS

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:19-21

 

PONDER THIS

Some teenagers were out, and one of them suggested they do something they ought not to do, but a godly girl in that crowd said, “No, I don’t want to do that.” And one of them began to tease her and said, “Oh, you’re afraid of what your dad will do, aren’t you?” She said, “No, I’m afraid of what I’d do to my dad.” See, that’s the difference between law and love! Every person who says, “I am a blood brother of the Lord Jesus Christ,” wants to be pure when the Lord Jesus comes. We are to be looking for His coming; we’re to be living for His coming; and we ought to be longing for His coming.

You know, when I was a kid, I used to hear preachers preach about the Second Coming of Jesus and I thought, “Oh, what rotten luck. I won’t even get to get married. I won’t get to do all those things I want to do. My life’s going to be cut short.” The longer I live and the more I see, the more I understand that the best thing that could happen to any of us is for Jesus Christ to come right now. Don’t you worry—you’re not going to miss out on life if Jesus comes right now. It is all gain.

How are you living life today with Heaven in mind?

Where do you feel unprepared for Jesus’ return? Why? How might we prepare?

PRACTICE THIS

Do at least one thing today that has eternal value such as praying for someone, getting to know a non-believer, or investing in your church community.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Ready for Jesus’ Return?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

1 John 2:18-19

 

PONDER THIS

When I was a little boy, my dad was in the Coast Guard, and we lived in West Palm Beach. He was stationed in Hobe Sound, Florida. He drove a Ford Model A, and he could come home about forty miles from Hobe Sound. Before he went to duty, he told my brother and me that we had chores to do. And then we knew that when Dad came home, we had to report. I must confess, I was not always very diligent in doing everything my father told me to do.

But if you know anything about a Ford Model A, it has a peculiar sound. You can hear it about a block away. I could hear my dad’s car coming when he would turn in our neighborhood. We’d be out playing baseball, and if I saw that black Ford Model A coming, I would give a couple of different reactions. If I had done what my dad told me to do, I’d just take off and run to him, reach in the window, hug his neck, and kiss him—it would be such a joy to see him. Other times when I heard that Ford Model A coming, I went the other way. Why? Because I’d not been doing what he told me to do. Now, he was my father either way. I’m going to meet Jesus, but when He comes, I want to meet Him with boldness. I want to meet Him with joy. I want to abide in Him.

When have you struggled with obeying God’s instruction?

What are some things you can do to prepare for when you meet Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of ways you want to prepare to meet Jesus. Ask God to equip you in those ways.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Believe the Absolute Truth that Jesus Is Coming?

PRAY OVER THIS

“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10

 

PONDER THIS

We are on a collision course with destiny, and we cannot afford to be ignorant. The signs of Jesus’ coming are everywhere. I’ve stopped looking for the signs; I’m listening for the shout. I believe Jesus is at the door. One of the most wonderful, blessed, and biblical truths is this: His coming is imminent. That means He may come at any moment. We’re not looking for some event in history; we’re looking for Jesus Christ Himself. Do you know what the last prayer in the Bible is? “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). And that ought to be our prayer today and every waking day: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” For that’s exactly what Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

How often do you think about Jesus’ promised return?

How does remembering Jesus’ return is imminent lead us to live differently?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend time this week reading Bible passages that refer to Jesus’ return (for example, Matthew 24:27-31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Certainty of Jesus’ Return

PRAY OVER THIS

“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:10-11

 

PONDER THIS

If I did not know the Bible, if I did not know Bible prophecy, if I did not understand who Jesus is and what God has planned, I would be a world-class pessimist. This world is like a Shakespearean tragedy. When you read a Shakespearean tragedy, you know it’s coming to an untimely end, and nothing can stop it. The same is true for this world apart from Jesus. Without the Lord Jesus Christ, I would be an industrial-strength pessimist, but I’m a glowing optimist. We need not be disturbed! We must not be deceived, because, friend, we will not be disappointed. You can be sure that Jesus Christ, who came the first time, is coming again. “This same Jesus,” that angel said, “who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

How does remembering Jesus’ promised return give you hope even in the most difficult times?

Who do you know that needs to hear of this hope today?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of world events or personal events that trouble your heart. Make a corresponding list of how Jesus gives you hope in those matters.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Day Is at Hand

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. (Romans 13:12)

This is a word of hope to suffering Christians. It’s a word of hope to Christians who hate their own sin and long to be done with sinning. It’s a word of hope to Christians who long for the last enemy Death to be overcome and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

How is it a word of hope for all these?

“The night” stands for this age of darkness and all its sin and misery and death. And what does Paul say about it? “The night is far gone.” The age of sin and misery and death is almost spent. The day of righteousness and peace and total joy is dawning.

You might say, “2,000 years seems like a long dawn.” From one standpoint it is. And we cry, How long, O Lord, how long will you let it go on? But the biblical way to think goes beyond this lament of “How long!” It looks at world history differently.

The key difference is that the “day” — the new age of the Messiah — has really dawned in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the end of this fallen age. That is, the end of this fallen age has, as it were, broken in to this world. Jesus defeated sin and pain and death and Satan when he died and rose again. The decisive battle of the ages is over. The kingdom has come. Eternal life has come.

And when dawn happens — as it did in the coming of Jesus — no one should doubt the coming of day. Not even if the dawn draws out 2,000 years. As Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8, “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.” The dawn has come. The day has arrived. Nothing can stop the rising of the sun to full day.

John Piper 

Remain Steadfast While You Wait on Christ’s Return

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

PONDER THIS

There is a reason Paul wrote about the mysteries of what is to come and the hope we have because death has lost its sting. He had an application in mind, not just information. He said, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast.” You can have stability. Don’t get blown around. Stay in there. Seek stability in Christ, be unmovable in the hope you have in Him, and you will have fervency—“always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

If you believe Jesus Christ is coming again, what should you do? Go live for Jesus. Occupy your time by loving others like He does until He comes. Get your head out of the clouds of prophecy and get your feet on the pavement of soul-winning. The great proof that you believe the prophecies of the Bible to be true is you follow God’s instruction. There needs to be stability. There needs to be fervency. The labor you are doing for the Lord is not in vain.

Have you ever lived as if your service to Jesus didn’t really matter?

Who have you shared your faith with? What was that experience like?

PRACTICE THIS

Take some time to pray and consider who you can express Jesus’ love to today. Take action to share the hope of Jesus with that person.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Prepare the Way

“He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16–17)

What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unprepared. Its joy and impact will be so much greater if you are ready!

So, that you might be prepared . . .

First, meditate on the fact that we need a Savior. Christmas is an indictment before it becomes a delight. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). If you don’t need a Savior, you don’t need Christmas. Christmas will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately the need for a Savior. Let these short Advent meditations help awaken in you a bittersweet sense of need for the Savior.

Second, engage in sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24). Let every heart prepare him room . . . by cleaning house.

Third, build God-centered anticipation and expectancy and excitement into your home — especially for the children. If you are excited about Christ, they will be too. If you can only make Christmas exciting with material things, how will the children get a thirst for God? Bend the efforts of your imagination to make the wonder of the King’s arrival visible for the children.

Fourth, be much in the Scriptures, and memorize the great passages! “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29)! Gather ’round that fire this Advent season. It is warm. It is sparkling with colors of grace. It is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights.

John Piper 

How Do We Know Jesus Will Return?

PRAY OVER THIS

“And saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” 2 Peter 3:4

 

PONDER THIS

How do I know Jesus is coming again? Because I believe the Bible. The Bible has shown itself to be the Word of God, and repeatedly the Bible mentions the Second Coming of Jesus. Now the new birth is important, but a new birth is mentioned only nine times in the Bible. Baptism is important, but it’s only mentioned 20 times in the Bible. Repentance is wonderfully important—it is only mentioned 70 times in the New Testament. But the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 380 times in the New Testament alone. In our passage, Peter said that some will ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” It’s all over the Bible. He has promised, and He cannot lie. If you take the whole Bible, one out of every twenty-five verses speak of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus has said He will return, and He won’t break that promise.

How often would you say you think about the return of Jesus compared with the amount of space the Bible gives to this truth?

What could you do to remember this truth more frequently?

PRACTICE THIS

Look up some of the passages that refer to Jesus’ return. Work to memorize one or two of these as a way of regularly reminding yourself.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers