He is Coming Quickly

From the very earliest days of the Church, the return of Jesus was expected to happen imminently and suddenly. Jesus said, "Behold I am coming quickly", the Greek word for 'quickly" is tacheos. We get our word "tachometer" from this word. It means more than just speed, but also means "suddenly, without delay. There are over 22 verses in the New Testament that clearly speak of the immanency of Jesus' return. When his disciples asked about His return, Jesus said, "But of that dey or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Be alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. (Mark 13:32-33) "You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." (Luke 12:40) We are instructed repeatedly throughout the New Testament to be watchful and ready for Jesus's return, not knowing the exact time. We are to be aware of the signs of the times, remaining ready for Jesus' return, when it does happen.

Most Evangelical churches believe in the 'imminence' of Jesus' return. "Imminence" refers to the concept that the return of Jesus (the Rapture) could happen at any moment, without any specific sign or event needing to occur first. Why is the imminence of Jesus' return important? It is important because it's timing aligns with the Pretribulation Rapture, the three concepts being "Pre-tribulation Rapture" "Mid-Tribulation Rapture and "Post-Tribulation" Rapture. All views, other than "Pretribulation Rapture" require a number of prophetic occurrences to take place before the Rapture can be declared imminent.

If the return of Jesus for His Church is Imminent, then obviously it must take place before the coming Tribulation the seven years when God's wrath is poured out on an unbelieving and unrepentant (Revelation 9: 2021) If the Church were world. required to go through the seven-year tribulation, you would expect the New Testament writers to have warmed us to be prepared for trying times. But they repeatedly tell the Church to be comforted by the "coming of the Lord" (1 Thes 4:18). The word "comfort" alone strongly implies the rapture will take place before the tribulation. The early church used the word "Maranatha" frequently. Maranatha consists of three Aramaic words: "Mar" ("Lord), "ana" ("our"), and "tha" ("come"). "Our Lord Come: The Interesting thing about Maranatha is that it comes in the form of a petition. When a Christian in the early Church would make this statement, he was actually petitioning the Lord to come. Someone has observed that Revelation 22:9 is the last prayer of the Bible, (Even so come, Lord Jesus.) Someone else has pointed out that Revelation 19:20 also includes the last "promise" of the Bible "Surely, I come quickly." What the Church must remember in that not only is the coming of Jesus imminent, but it is also certain!

The Fragrance of Christ

Some years ago, a Philadelphia newspaper published an article with the following caption: "Couple Sells Candles That Pastor Smell Like Jesus." "Now there's a candle that lets you experience the scent of Jesus, and they have been selling out by the case. Light up a candle called "His Essence" and its makers say you will experience the fragrance of Jesus. The formula for the candle is spelled out in Psalm 45:8. It's a Messianic Psalm referring to the return of Jesus and that His garments will have the scent of myrrh, aloe and cassia." This is the aroma that the candle gives off.

The concept of the "fragrance of Christ" is found in 2 Corinthians.

2:14-15 conveying the idea of the spiritual influence that Jesus and His followers have in the world. The true fragrance of Christ is not emitted from a candle, but from the presence of Jesus in the life of the believer. This is what Paul is referring to in these verses. He is saying that a believer's life will give off a pleasing aroma as a result of the presence of Jesus in his/her life. While Paul uses the term 'fragrance' and 'aroma' metaphorically, it is clear that he is referring to the influence you and I have as we intermingle with spiritually dead people. Yes, a life filled with the 'beauty of Christ does affect others! I referred to a chorus of a bygone era in last Sunday's message. Here it is again in the context of 2 Corinthians 2:14-15. It is certainly a sentiment that we should include in our praying.

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me All His wonderful passion and purity Oh, thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

A sculptor was working with his hammer and chisel on a large block of marble. A young boy who was watching him saw nothing more than pieces of stone being chipped away left and right. But when the boy returned to the studio a few weeks later, he saw to his great surprise a large, powerful lion sitting in the place where the block of marble had stood. With great excitement the boy said to the sculptor, "Sir, how did you know there was a lion in that block of marble?" Like the sculptor, God is at work in our lives creating something beautiful; something that is often beyond our expectations. He is working with who we are.....but. He is transforming us into people who will be 'conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:29) Do you ever wonder what He is creating in you? Ephesians 2:10 gives us a hint, "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS which God has ordained that we should walk in them." While God chips away our old nature, there is nothing more exciting than to be a part of what God is creating in us! 

Let's submit to His work! 

- Pastor Bruce