Someone once said, ‘the waaaaiiiiittttting is the hardest part.’ So it is for a watcher whose heart is set on heavenly things and matters. While we don’t want to be so heavenly minded that we do no earthly good, we do want to represent the Master well while we wait for His soon return. I have found in my own life that a certain measure of spiritual warfare is afforded me at times that I have to contend with. I am sure it’s no different for you as well. As long as we live in this life, with our flesh and lower nature warring against our spirit, we must continually rely on God’s power, grace, and shed blood to overcome in the way He has called us to overcome. Remember, ‘greater is He that is within you than he who is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4b)
Jesus reminded the church of Philadelphia in Asia Minor, they were the faithful church, because ‘they had kept His command to persevere, that He will keep them from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’ (Revelation 3:10)
Philadelphia type believers are marked with certain characteristics like good works, but little strength. They never deny the name of Jesus and they stay away from ‘religious’ gatherings that feign the Christ, but in reality, are governed by the devil. We try not to judge other churches or the way they worship, but if the Master is not centered in our worship, than you’re better off looking for a place to fellowship where Jesus really is Lord.
Jesus tells these Philadelphia Christians that one day, He will cause those so-called believers ‘to come and worship before their feet, (Revelation 3:9) then they will know that Jesus has loved them.’ While many a commentary has been written about what Christ meant in this passage, suffice it to say that one group of people has been honored by Christ and the other has been rebuked by Him. I see this as more of a post-Rapture scenario where people who have identified as Christian, but who were really non-believers, subsequently missed the Rapture and are now flocking to those churches where the true Christians were, but who are now gone. The very place where they worshiped is now the place where these left-behinders have gathered; no doubt repentant and remorseful for their lack of faith in Christ and their disobedience to His Word.
Indeed, the Lord also warned these faithful Philadelphian saints that He was coming to them ‘quickly.’ While it may be difficult to understand what Christ meant by quickly, especially after two millennia, however, the premise of the passage has more to do with Christ coming quickly, when He actually does return for us. Jesus says to them that they are to ‘hold fast what they have, that no one may take your crown.’ This has puzzled many a scholar over the years, but a simple assessment of the text reveals that as faithful believers of Jesus, we are to not only hold fast to our faith, but to stand fast as we endure, persevere, and intentionally advance in our walk with, and witness for Jesus; even in the midst of some dark and sinister times.
The idea of someone ‘taking our crown’ has more to do with someone influencing us off the righteous path and onto a path of confusion, consequence, or unrighteous thinking and doing. Our crown is our reward, not our salvation, that was decided at the cross. Our rewards are those things that are stored up for us in heaven and are based on our acts of obedience to the Lord in this life. The enemy would love to take from you that which doesn’t belong to him; he usurps himself on believers and non-believers alike, but as Spirit-filled Christians, we have a greater power working within us. We have both discernment and strength through the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to overcome the devil’s schemes and to secure and develop our crown (s) instead of losing it (them) to a bad choice or tainted influence.
Our conduct in the waiting for the Lord’s return will define our faith in Him and our desire to please Him on this side of the veil. The Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid of come what may; and there is a lot of that going around. He wants us to live faith-fill lives with joy and strength that convey a victorious disposition because we know that we’re saved by His grace and are called to serve Him according to His will and good pleasure.
Now right now it may seem that the ‘bad guys’ are winning. The wrong people are at the helm, trying to pick a fight with a nuclear superpower who can decimate the west with a few pushes of buttons and pulls of levers.
However, we need be reminded that God has us and He will secure His own, no matter what happens in the future. The bad guys can be saved, like we were, if they want to be saved; but they have to choose for themselves. The devil has blinded many of them and thus, by their own free will, their eternal fate is set; as was ours, before the Lord showed Himself strong to us and we received Him as Lord and Savior.
For the believer in Jesus on this side of the veil and this close to the Rapture, our conduct must ‘be worthy of the kingdom of God, for which we suffer.’ It may seem like we’re losing, but in reality, if we are in Christ, we are all winners; but it’s only by His grace. We don’t have the strength, power, or ability to overcome these enemies in the flesh. They are too powerful for us and have positioned themselves in places where they seem to be impenetrable to defeat; but the night is young.
Paul reminds us that… it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation (affliction) those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
We know that the left has a plan up their proverbial sleave, as it were, to disrupt the transition of the presidency; and we pray that God will protect the process in the process. However, we also know that God is in total control and His plan is the best plan, even when it seems like we’re losing. Our goal is not for a greater life, in this life, so much as it is to be with Jesus in His kingdom. Bible prophecy has a shelf life and it has already been written; we need to pray accordingly and trust the Lord for the outcome as we witness while we wait; this is the proper conduct for a healthy watcher.
Paul goes on to say, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
– 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12
- God has counted us ‘worthy for His kingdom’ because we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus and have answered the call of God to fulfill His good pleasure. We want all of our works to express the goodness of God with both faith and power in Jesus’ name.
Today is our time to witness and glorify the Lord with our lives so that others will see Jesus working in and through us, which brings glory to Jesus. We’re saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus. If you’re not saved and you’re reading this, you can be saved. A simple confession that Jesus is Lord and the repentance of your sin, asking Jesus for forgiveness, gets the new life in Christ started; even at the proverbial end.
It can be difficult to conduct ourselves properly in these last of the last moments of the Church age, but we are all called to live right and excel in our obedience to the Lord and His Word. This is how our conduct is to be as we wait and watch for the Master. If it was good enough for the Philadelphia church, which I believe represents all true Spirit-filled believers today, than it’s good enough for us who love Jesus and sincerely follow after Him. I encourage you to be faithful to the end, live right, pray regularly, and love those entrusted to your care; Jesus is coming soon!
Maranatha!
Encouragemen is a blog written by Pastor Rob Lee, recently relocated to Northern Missouri. He lives with his wife of 35-years, near their three adult children, their spouses, and children (their grandchildren). Pastor Rob is an Ordained Assemblies of God minister, a Lead Pastor (25+ years), police chaplain, and community advocate. He continues to serve, consult, and disciple men of God, including those who are in the ministry.
Encourage Men 