Promises

         Some observed “not gathering” on Sunday while some others ignored the advice. To each his own, as the saying goes. For me, it was a time to listen to one of my favorite preachers in our area and during the sermon there was an occasion for the listeners to participate and the preacher walked off the platform. The space was empty for several minutes as us listeners were to think for a moment about the promises of God. It was an exercise when we were exhorted to put our minds in gear and focus on the promises that we recalled. One of the first that I typed in was from Hebrews 13:5 that God would never leave us nor forsake us. That has long been one of my favorite promises but not perhaps the “best” one that I can think of. For me, the best one is in the Gospel of John. John 14:2 says, “ and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be.  and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be.”

         In our modern day era, we may think of the famous General Douglas MacArthur who made the statement, “I shall return” as he left the Philippines in 1942. It was a comfort for the people to hear such a statement and eventually became one of his more famous quotes. There is however, a much greater statement that basically the same thing but it was made not by a man but the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ was teaching the disciples many lessons during that final week, He made the statement that we see in John 14:3. He said it a tad differently using the words, “I am coming again” as written in the King James Bible. All the translations that I have from Greek to Spanish to English all say the same thing. He said that He will come again. Now of all the promises given in the Scripture and there are many, this, to me is one of the greatest. No matter how severe the trials during this age or in any age, the comfort is there that someday, somehow, The Lord Jesus Christ will break through the clouds and receive the His Bride. There is also that part of that coming where His feet will again touch the Mount of Olives as mentioned in Zechariah 14:4 where it says, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” What a day that will be when His glory I shall see. We can put our trust in the promises of God because He is the Standard for guarantees. He is the Example for each and every one of us. He is the Comforter in all situations based upon His promises in His Word. It was a good moment for me to reflect on His promises among which was this one. Praise God today for His promises that give us hope in a crazy mixed up world.