Christ In The Here and Now

Most of us are eagerly awaiting the return of Christ. This is good.

Matt. 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Greek "hope" - An absolute assurance in the future

There is a danger, however, in looking to His return only because we could miss his presence in the here and now.

American's live life from epiphany to epiphany. As a set of events, not as a flow of growth. This is the danger.

Life was meant to be lived in a steady and ever increasing flow of learning, discovering, loving, experiencing and increasing union with God. Not, as it were, from paycheck to paycheck. "The journey is the reward" It is arriving at Christ, but traveling in Christ increaseingly day by day that is the goal. The arrival will occur in some form. But we need the desire that says that "when he returns, it will be but a minor change"

This is the future in my view.

John 14: Mansion=abode

Phil. 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Phil. 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Phil. 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebr. 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Hebr. 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Then, everyone will know him, now only the few. It is a very special and priveleged day!

2Cor. 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

2Cor. 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

2Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Rev. 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Rev. 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Rom 1:17 Faith to Faith - His return should not be a light switch but merely the completion of a work begun in each vessel and worked through the years of life into a body that pleases him. It is as the clay, which doesn't change into a pot in one instant, but is molded over time and takes on more and more of the form that the potter desires.

There are extremes that we must avoid that say that Christ will not ever return in the flesh and those that go the other way. Such theologies, while sounding proper, miss fundamental points and border on extremism. We must go on in God and not get caught in any one theology while missing the progress in Christ that God has for us. Stopping at any one point will cause us to lose our journey and live for a doctrine or a moment of joy in our walk