Know this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefor, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...(2 Peter 2:1-12)
How than shall we live?
Is it true that every generation of Christians have believed that they are the generation that the Lord is returning?
That I am not sure about, but what if they have, when I read the New Testimony there is an emphasise on the coming of the Lord. (Matt 13, 24, Mark 13, Luke 17, 21, 1Cor 15, 2 Cor 5, 1 Thes 1, 2 Thes 2, 2 Tim 3-4, 2 Peter 3 and the Revelation of Jesus Christ) the early church lived as if Jesus was coming soon.
Is not the early church our example that we are to live by and imitate do we not have the same commission as they did. 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,' (Mark 16:15). And yet over 2,000 years latter and we are not done. It would be a good thing for the Church to wake up and believe that Jesus is coming soon, maybe then they will be motivated to GO! God is not slow but wants all to be saved.
We must be prepared for Jesus coming and preach the gospel to those who are perishing.
There are many movements and voice that are saying we need to be prepared for disaster or crisis, but what is their motivation.
Some are motivated by fear, but we know that has Christians we do not have a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Others are motivated from a survivalist mentality (this to is fear) wanting to collect supplies, weapons and bullets, wanting to save themselves. Yet I would like to know what they will do when there neighbor or a stranger is in need, For Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Another group is motivated by denial, thinking that they need not do anything but just trust God, this view is not good.
Jesus exhorted us to be ready, for the coming of the Son of Man and that we are to be faithful and wise servants. We need to be wise and faithful with the talents the Lord has given us. We need to have a tension, as Christian's we must cultivate readiness that is rooted in victory and trust in the Lord. We need to cultivate intimacy and understanding of biblical prophesy so that we are ready practically and spiritually.
We need to live from a standpoint of Victory, the Church will be a Church with out spot of wrinkle when the Lord comes (Eph 5:27). We will be the Church in unity; (Eph 4:13). We will live as Jesus lived and the world will see His glory John 17:21-26, the Church will do greater works than Jesus did, John 14:12.
