Monthly Archives: November 2017

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

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FAR NORTH LINK:  We are stopping in Awanui for Coffee.

AWANUI: The place to buy coffee.

THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

That I was not really waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as I should as a child of God, came to me yesterday, when I was waiting for the bus to Mangonui.

But how eagerly I looked into the direction from where the bus would come, while I was standing at the bus stop here in Kaitaia (Beachcomber Restaurant) before 8:21. I surprised myself doing that.

The Bible does not tell us the time of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Bible tells us to watch, to give strict attention, be cautious and active and to be ready. (Matthew 24:42, 44, The Amplified Bible)

The Bible says also, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, …” (Hebrews 12:2)

MANGONUI: Catch a snapper.

MANGONUI: The Harbour.

FAR NORTH LINK: “Keep our children safe.”

“Will YOU be there?”

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“Will you be there?” is written on the front of the envelope. I probably will never know what the content of the letter is all about, because the letter is not addressed to me. It goes back to the sender.

“Will you be there?”

But what a good question. I am reminded of my eternal destiny.

Not long ago I came across the Maori proverb, which says: “INA KEI TE MOHIO KOE KO WAI KOE, I ANGA MAI KOE I HEA, KEI TE MOHIO KOE. KEI TE ANGA ATU KI HEA.” “If you know who you are and where you are from, then you will know where you are going.”

I know that I am a child of God. I know also where I come from. “From the beginning of creation God made them male and female,” the Lord says in Mark 10:6, referring to Genesis 1:27. That is significant. As a child of God I know where I am going. And as a child of God I am also certain about my eternal destiny. I enjoy the certainty with confidence. I give also praise to God for the certainty.

Are you familiar with the hymn “When the roll is called up yonder,” by James Black, who lived from 1856-1938?

The hymn has three verses. The first verse begins with “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, …” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). I love that!. And all three verses end with “I’ll be there,” including the chorus.

I know that “I’ll be there.” Why? Because it says so in the Bible. In 1 John 5:13 we read, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have  eternal life.

But now the question is “Will you be there?” You can know!

THE WAY OF SALVATION

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Notes taken from – or rather inspired by – “Deine Zeugnisse – mein ewiges Erbe,” by Alfred Christlieb.

There is a wrong way and there is a right way.

THE WRONG WAY.

“WRONG WAY”

In Romans 4:5 we are reading about our “work”.

Martin Luther lived about 500 years ago and at that time it was all about our work. The people did what the Church told them to do.

There are people who do not think very much. They do what they are told and what everybody else does. But there are also people who are thinking and are earnestly searching for the truth. Following what the Church tells them to do does not give them the peace they are looking for.

And are we not all inclined to think that we can earn our salvation by doing good deeds?

THE RIGHT WAY.

But in Romans 4:5 we are also reading about our “faith in God who forgives sinners.”

Our good deeds cannot earn our salvation.

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8,9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (NLT)

And here is all of Romans 4:5 according to the NLT translation: “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”

A question:

Are you on the wrong way or are you on the right way?