Come Lord Jesus — when the time is right

There are times when I can relate to John the Revelator. ��Oh, I can���t relate to being��an eyewitness to Jesus feeding��5,000��hungry men��with a boy���s lunch or seeing��Jesus��on the cross. ��Neither can I put myself in his shoes when all his fellow disciples had been martyred and he was exiled to Patmos��(my Kansas friends think being in Flint is like being ���exiled��� to Patmos, but they are wrong. ��I like it here). And I surely have never seen the visions of heaven and glory that he describes in the Revelation. ��So how��are John and I alike?

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Well, we both have a brother��(like John and James my brother and I would��fight a little when we��were younger). ��I can��appreciate��John���s��convenient placement in God���s Holy Word how he outran��Peter to the��empty��tomb (see John 21:4). ��I���ve been known to trash talk on occasion��too. ��But I can really��relate to��John���s��heart���s longing and cry��in the next to last verse��in��the Bible when��he��simply writes, ���Come, Lord Jesus.��� ��There are times this week when I have said that too.

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As you know I deal with some��chronic��pain issues (Shameless plug alert: ��If you haven���t read my book,��Chronic Pain, or given it��to��someone who��also battles��chronic��pain��type of��junk, what are you waiting for?��But I digress���). ��Lately,��I���ve been a little more headachy than normal��and a little more aware of my frailties. ��I don���t know why. ��I think our lovely Michigan weather has something to do with it. ��Adding to my prayer list as you know��there��have been a��boatload��of��troubles��(more like a ���fleet of cargo ships load of troubles���)��in the news this week:��riots in Baltimore;��the��Supreme Court���s hearing arguments in the same sex marriage debate;��Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz; ISIS murderous assault on Christians��and others;��and an earthquake in Nepal.��Like you,��I have friends��who��are facing surgeries and doctors��have used��the word ���cancer��� to describe��some��of��their��ailments. Others have troubles in their homes. ��Sin has��wreaked��havoc in the lives of so many people.������All of these things have left��me saying��like John the Revelator, ���Come Lord Jesus!�������In fact, the sooner the better, please come.

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I���m so ready for��Jesus��to make all things new. ��With John I look forward to the vision that he saw and described in Revelation 21:��

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I saw the Holy City, the��new��Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.����And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ���Look! God���s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.�������He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death��� or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.��� ��(Revelation 21:2-4)

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Doesn���t that sound good? ��Please, please come! ��Even as��I write these words there is a big part of me that is glad that Jesus hasn���t answered John���s��or my prayer to come��just yet.��While I long to be in the place with no ���mourning, crying or pain,�����I have loved ones that don���t know Jesus. ��I have friends that if Jesus were to come right now��would��not��be��ready for��His return. ��So I���m torn,��but not so��torn. ��I want Him to return for my sake. ��I want��Him to delay for their sake.����So if it means that��our��loved ones��will find Jesus��as he delays His return, then my prayer is ���take your time Lord Jesus, take your time.���

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It seems that Jesus takes serious what He inspired Peter to write:�����not wanting anyone to��perish, but everyone to come to repentance�����(2 Peter 3:9). ��So I should take it serious too. As we wait His return,��I have determined to do everything��I can to see ���everyone come to repentance.��� ��As long as I have breath��in spite of headaches and riots and earthquakes and living in a post-Christian America,��I want to work,��pray,��invite��and share a cool cup of water with all who are thirsty. ��I want to make a difference for Jesus until He comes! ��So like John I say, ���Come Lord Jesus whenever the time is right.��� ��