As we enter into the New Year, 2015, many of us are concerned for our immediate future as Christian believers. Having a mix of desires, disappointments, dreams, and expectations, believers too are asking: What will happen for me, now? Will things get better, or stay pretty much the same? Will I finally fall in love, or meet someone to be my life companion? Will I finally have the miracle I’ve been praying for; or will I experience the coming of Jesus, and the end of the world as we now know it? Will I see in my lifetime the harvest, the Rapture, and other sacred events proclaimed, promised and prophesied in the Bible? Will I finally give up, and stop trying to hold on to things we know are impossible?
Because we are in a divinely ordered and structured process of growth and transformation, and believers are the focus of multiple sacred operations carried out by the Holy Spirit that are intended to establish permanent changes, everyone will continue to experience a broad range of the positive and negative feelings that anchor us in our humanity. There will be enduring the unexpected, and facing the unknown. There will be fear and uncertainty; anger and frustration. There will be defiance and resistance. There will be contentment, joy, and satisfaction. In the midst of many storms, there will be peace. In short there will be challenge after challenge with unfulfilled hope until the day of Christ’s appearing.
On the one hand, the life of a Christian is the same rollercoaster of experience that all upon the earth must endure. On the other hand, believers are marching to Zion supplied from the onset with guidance and instruction from Jesus, fellowship with other believers, a fresh endowment of sacred content from the makeup of divinity (e.g., faith, holiness, love), sacred knowledge through study of the holy writings, and new insights that emerge over time as they continue to pursue their journey.
For believers, diverse questions and thoughts are not so much a result of the changing times as the outcome of shifts in focus where believers lose sight of the eternal goals of divinity that have been revealed through Jesus Christ. What we are commanded to expect and be ready for (we say, our hope) is unchanging. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. At the Advent, the Second Coming of Jesus, mankind is to become immortal and incorruptible, to live upon the earth made new, and serve as an eternal companion to Deity. For now, Creation continues, and GOD is completing numberless sacred operations to fulfill the spirit potential of man to be more than a mere animal or carnal being. Thus, there are such features revealed as atonement, correction, forbearance, forgiveness, longsuffering, perfection, redemption, salvation, and sanctification.
As we begin the New Year, 2015, think it not strange that there will be affliction, hardship, or fiery trials. Let us continue our deliberate choice to experience salvation through Jesus Christ in spite of all opposition that arises by disease, covetousness, envy, ignorance, poverty, pride, selfishness, sin, temptation, or tribulation. Let us resolve again to hear our Sovereign say, Well done thou good, and faithful servant. Where you have done it for the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2nd Peter 3: 8-14, KJV)
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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