He Is Coming Again
Throughout the world, those who call themselves Christians are suffering for their faith. In our own country there is a growing animosity toward those who profess to be followers of Christ. If you were writing a letter to Christians who were suffering for their faith, what is the one things above all else that you would like to be able to say to them? Being faced with life-threatening trials of every sort, the message of God to them is that faithfulness in these situations would be fully rewarded. In Peters letter to the early Christians, he concludes his message, "Be faithful! Hold On! The Lord Is Coming!"
The first Christians did not fear the return of Christ - they looked forward to it and even prayed for its arrival. They used common a Aramaic greeting whenever they met or parted. "Maranatha" (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22) - "Come, O Lord!" Do we, today, long for that day to come? Is our confidence in Christ so firm that we see Jesus' promise of His return as something to hold on to?