December 31, 2010

The Best Is yet to Come!

Revelation 21:1-5

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Revelation 21:5

— 

Someday, perhaps sooner than we think, the Lord Jesus whose birth we just celebrated will come again. And when he does, he will not be laid in a manger; he will come on the clouds of heaven in unimaginable glory. When he returns, it will not go unnoticed; it will be announced with trumpet sounds. When he comes again, he will not come as a servant but as King of kings and Lord of lords. In the words of Philippians 2:10-11: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

When he comes, he will make all things new! The kingdom of heaven will come in all its fullness. When Jesus returns, the words of Isaiah 65:17-25 will become a living reality. The grand finale will not be as Nevil Chute portrayed it years ago in his book On the Beach, with one solitary person walking on a deserted shore. When Jesus comes again, God will usher in a new heaven and a new earth for all his children to enjoy with him forever.

When Jesus comes again, he will “move into our neighborhood” to stay. On that day a voice will say, “God’s dwelling place is now among the people,” and God himself “will be with [us].” When he returns, he will indeed “wipe every tear from [our] eyes.”

Pray for that day to come soon!

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Please come with your new heaven and new earth. And, until you come, help us to serve you while we wait. Amen.

About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld

Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.

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