Until He Comes

Not long ago we participated in Communion and read the passage of scripture from I Corinthians 11:26, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”  So often we hear Communion referenced as something we should do, “In Remembrance of Me.”  Often times a Communion table will even have those words inscribed on its side.  While it is important to partake of Communion to remember what Jesus has done, we are also instructed to “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”  Christ’s return is also important to our faith and hope!  How valuable it is to keep that hope in perspective. 

Jesus never promised us a life without problems.  Though none of us should complain when life is going perfect, we know that life rarely does.  In fact, Jesus said in John 16:33 that, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  There certainly is a balance that needs to be held between living God-fulfilled lives in the here and now, and looking ahead towards eternity.  However, if we are not careful we can often find ourselves wrapped up in the present without giving much forethought to the future.

Jesus is returning!  And that’s a good word for His followers.  Paul writes in I Thessalonians 4:16-18 that we are to encourage each other with this truth.

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

May we always keep it on the forefront of our minds that our King is returning!  May we live in such a way that He will be pleased with how He finds us!