Praying for the Second Coming

I am sure that you, like me, have been somewhat preoccupied with world events of late.  I am not certain if the number of disturbing events is due to the fact that there are more now than (let’s say) two and a half years ago or that we simply have greater access to immediate information and reporting.   Of course we have all been impacted by the covid pandemic.  Now there is the unjust war on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his henchmen that threatens to spill over into Europe.  Xi Jinping and China’s Communist Party have been intensifying their threats toward Taiwan.  Kim Jong-un keeps cranking out new ballistic nuclear missiles.  Then there is the cultural and social unrest here in our own country. Inflation is on the rise and so is horrific gun violence.  It seems that the very fabric of our nation is unraveling at breakneck speed.   All the political and cultural tension and stress has also made its way into the church.  Rather than stand as salt and light, the (evangelical) church (my tribe) seems to have imbibed the heady cocktail of blatant worldliness!   

I have come to three settled convictions regarding what I am to do in light of all these overwhelming and seemingly threatening circumstances.  

First, I have been asking God to help me embrace more fully his sovereignty.   In particular His sovereignty as it is now expressed and exercised through His exalted and glorified Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns over “all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named,” (Ephesians 1:21) for the sake of the church.   In one of his letters, John Newton conveyed how he sought to “possess an acquiescence” regarding the Lord’s will founded on him being fully persuaded of the Lord’s wisdom, holiness, sovereignty and goodness.  I have meditated on Newton’s words and have sought to incorporate these sentiments into my own prayer life.  

Second, I have been praying for the glorious Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, I must confess that this is new for me.   There was a time when I was not that excited about the prospect of our Lord’s Return. (What a lapsed Adventist I indeed was - one in theory but not in prayer).  You see I had my plans, my aspirations, my dreams.  His Coming would bring an end to these and I had a life to live.  Yet, on a more serious note, I now feel this way about my children and grandchildren.   If the Lord returns now my grandchildren would not reach maturity and my children would never realize their goals.   Now, I have been really pushing back against this default setting of my flesh.   I have been challenging myself with the truth that no matter how wonderful it would be to see my grandchildren grown and my children realizing their aspirations, the Second Coming of Christ would in scope and significance be far, far, far better!   It would be better for them, for me, for the church, for the world and for the cosmos.   

Now, I find Biblical warrant for praying for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the way he taught his disciples to pray.  We are to pray that our heavenly Father’s kingdom will come.  In one sense when I pray this I pray that God’s reign in Christ manifested in the Gospel would advance in this present evil age through the church fulfilling the Great Commission but it is also proper to pray that the kingdom’s presence, now at work in this age, would reach its consummation with the glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ. 

So, I pray first that Jesus Christ will return now.  That He would usher in the consummation of His kingdom and establish His sovereign, benign, benevolent and eternal rule now on an earth transformed.  Yet, if it is the Lord’s will that He tarry, I ask him to help us, his people, fulfill the Great Commission with greater zeal, energy, urgency, love and obedience.   I further pray as Paul teaches in 1 Timothy “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Tim. 2:2) This is not simply a prayer that we might avoid troubles so we can realize our personal dreams.  Rather, that we might be free from such strife and conflict that would interfere with the peace and quiet necessary for us to carry on kingdom work marked by godliness and dignity.  It is hard to lead a peaceful and quiet life when war and cultural strife are ragging all around us.  I think of the advances that the Gospel was making in Ukraine before this most recent war and the carnage it has brought.  Meaningful ministries in church and theological seminaries have ended.  Of course, the Lord’s work continues, I am sure, but it is now much harder than it was when life was peaceful and quiet in Ukraine. 

Then there are the cultural, social and political upheavals in our country at present.  Yes, we are not having to flee our country as refugees or seek shelter from missiles and in this sense there is a kind of peace and quiet.   Yet, the sad truth is that there seems to be very little difference between the ugly discourse happening in the broader society and what is the real state of affairs for the evangelical church.  As I (in a limited way) survey the broader evangelical church there seems to be a real lack of godliness and dignity.  This is indeed evidence of both a theological and an ethical downgrade.   So, I pray that God would intensify His kingdom’s rule in the bride of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ by granting us repentance where needed so as to rid us of our political and cultural idols and grant us godly and loving maturity so our mission and witness are renewed for His glory.  

Third, I have sensed that the Lord wants me to focus my thinking, energy and efforts locally.  This means that I want to be more engaged with my Advent Christian brothers and sisters.  I have the privilege to work closely with the Maranatha Advent Christian Conference of churches.  I am blessed to be part of a local Advent Christian Church.  I have made more concerted attempts to connect with our denominational leaders and I find the Strategic Plan put forth by  ACGC sound and one I am behind on a conference and church level.  I am thankful for the work that is occurring at BICS and Berkshire with the Ministers Training Institute.  I want to do more to promote leadership development in our ranks.  I also am thankful for our Missions director Jeff Walsh and his team and the overseas connections our denomination is cultivating for the Gospel.   I want to be a better steward of my time and resources for the sake of kingdom work within whatever spheres of influence the Lord opens to me within our fellowship.   

So, I would encourage you, my dear reader, to these three settled convictions along with me: embrace God’s sovereignty in Christ more fully,  pray for the advance of Christ’s kingdom in this age but also for its consummation now in His Second Coming and be committed to serve him in whatever spheres of influence he has opened for you in your local church and conference of churches.   Maranatha!