2 Timothy 3:1 – 5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Can you see yourself in this prophesy? Every since Jesus left this world, Christians have been longing for His return. The Old Testament teaches us God’s law in general detail with many examples of how we should and should not live our lives. But it has significant importance for a Christian due to prophesy foretelling, “Salvation is coming! Jesus is coming! The King is coming!” The Old Testament serves as a warning to God’s people for their need to “Repent for the Kingdom of God is coming!”
The New Testament displays the power of God’s salvation through the story of His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s teaches us to proclaim His message to all men. Furthermore, it states that we Christians will be persecuted and that we should remain steadfast in our faith until His return. We are never to judge – “for none of us are righteous and all of us have sinned and fall short.”
Even today, the Old Testament message for the lost is still the same “Repent! The Kingdom of God is coming!” But for those of us who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord the message is different. “Rejoice! The King is returning!”
Jesus may not be physically present, but His Kingdom is here. He set up the foundation of His Kingdom when He accepted us as His disciples, His friends, His children, His brothers and sisters, as living members in the family of God. On this side of Glory, the Kingdom of God is not so much a place or location as it is a faith-based citizenship. I think we Christians need to be more concerned about how to maintain our citizenship in “good standing” than where the Kingdom is physically located.
God created all things. Man and beast, land and water, the planets, the stars, the universe. How can our tiny minds possibly limit His Kingdom to a specific location? His kingdom is wherever He is – and He is everywhere! He is omniscient! He is omnipresent! He transcends time and space. If you are a citizen of His Kingdom, you are a saint redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are a recipient of His amazing grace. His Holy Spirit guides and councils you. You are His Kingdom’s ambassador. You represent His Kingdom to every person He brings before you. Does your actions and behavior honor the Kingdom?
He has sent us warnings in His Word. They tell us to be ready for His return — to be alert and spiritually prepared. For when He returns He will bring judgment upon the world. Every action and deed, every thought; spoken and unspoken will be exposed and judged by our King of Kings. The Apostle Paul warns us here in Timothy of how close we are to His return.
Repent, the Kingdom of Christ is here! Receive it! Lay down yourself, your pride, the source of your trouble and enter into His peace. Jesus wants you to be a citizen and ambassador to the greatest Kingdom man will ever know. He wants you to be in His family and He will take you just as you are.
“…Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come Lord Jesus! Revelations 20
There’s a grand wedding party coming! And we all are invited. It’s open to everyone. We only need to accept the invitation and go. Things will happen there too wonderful to explain with words. Too marvelous for our eyes to perceive. Too amazing for our minds to conceive.