Jesus Is Coming Back

While We Await His Return Philippians 3: 1-21 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:20-21) As I have stated before many times, Philippians 3, os one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. Paul is one of the greatest examples of someone who followed Christ to the end, he never gave up, but fought the fight of the faith to the end. While in prison he wrote hthe prison Epistles, of which Philippians was one of them, the others were phesians, Colossians, and Philemon,(1:13). While there, he also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Pilemon. I often wonder how he was able to have the strength to do this, but I have realized oover the years that it wasn't him He made the statement, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain, (Philippians 1:21), His mind was on Christ, and thinking beyond the moment he was in. He had his hope set on the time in the future that he would see his Savior and he was concerned about the spiritual welfare of others. We see his heart for others from inside the prison walls. Paul had a heart for the Lord and because of that he also had a heart for people. He had a heart that was breaking for breaking for people who were living in opposition to Gods ways. He says,“As I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). When I hear of a grown mans tears, to me it demonstrates the softness of his heart, and his loving concern for others. Friends our hope needs to be in Jesus and Jesus alone and we also should have a concern for others as Jesus did that will lift us beyond our present circumstanced that will take us above and beyond, to lives that are filled with hope and purpose, giving us a desire to be willing to wait for Christs returns (vv. 14, 21). We are all waiting for something, we are all longing for this or for that. Longing. For me, I grew up around horses and have always had a longing to be working with them in one way or another. But the call to serve my Lord and to dedicate my life to missions was even stronger, and both of those yearnings are still within me, and still to this day, the call to serve is number 1 and the yearning to work with horses is number 2. You see, many times that thing we desire, is something we don’t actually need. But other times, our longings reflect the true desire of our heart, or the heart that changed because of our new life in Christ. In Philippians Paul reminds the church people to live their lives in light of their deepest longing, that longing being Christ’s return and the and the ssetting up of His kingdom to rule this earth forever (Philippians 3:20). Jesus’ coming will make everything complete where our transformation will be complete. Finnially we will be fully perfected in Christ (v. 21). At that time, we will no longer be desiring Christs return and what will make us perfect, it will be the reality we as believers have been eagerly waiting for. (v. 20) the day when we will experience many of the promises we have learned from the bible over the years. Do not give up, they will come to be.. Friends once we reach heaven there will be no more suffering, no more crying, no more pain, for we will see Jesus just as He is face-to-face. Yes, when we KNOW that our desires to be in presence of Jesus inb person will one day be fulfilled gives us a hope beyond all hopes, that is all we need to say with Paul, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 and 3:12-14). As over the last few years, I have been able to once again work with horses in trimming their feet for others, and as I think about it, it is a good reminder that another, #1 a much more important desire will one day be fulfilled. Therefore that is why I can wait, for the promise of the return of Christ to be fulfilled, also because I have many friends and family who are not following Christ, and the bible tells me, Christ is waith=ing for them to choose to follow Him. (2 Peter 3:9) in this sense it makes it easier to wait, we want to take as many with us to heaven when we go as we can, so friends our work is not done until Jesus returns. We work for the night is coming when man will work no more. (John 9:3-5) Yes my friends, Jesus has not returned for His own, so we still have work to do. Father God, thank you for the longing to see Jesus. I know one day that longinh will be fulfilled you are a promise keeper. I pray that I will, with your help keep busy about your buisness until you come. As I anticipate my future with Jesus in His Kingdom. Lord please fill me and all true believers with the hope of your return while we wait, and are continuing to serve you faithfully In your name I pray AMEN.