Longing for His Appearing?

December 31: 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
As we come to the end of another year and look back over the past months we must ask; Have we grown any in our walk with our Savior? Are we any better off this year than last in our fight against sin and evil? Perhaps some have made progress that they can see, but there are many others who look back over the past year and see nothing but more of the same; many frail attempts at remaining stedfast in the faith, few opportunities taken to further the gospel of Christ, many times of weakness and frailty.
Do not allow these times of failure to drag you down, even these times will be used by our God to grow in us a desire to depart this life and be with Christ. Paul says that he finished the race and kept the faith. Just what did this mean to him as he approached the end of his life? Did it mean that he never faltered from the course, he never wavered from his appointed task, he never sinned against his Lord after his conversion? Certainly this cannot be what Paul means for he writes in the same letter that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom he was the chief.
If it does not mean these things then what can it mean for us? Notice the phrase, “to all who long for his appearing.” Who is it that longs for his appearing? It is only those who face the constant struggle against sin and evil and find that they grow weary of such battles, they really long to be free from such struggles but God has deemed it necessary for them to endure hardships and pain and difficulty so that they will love his appearing when it comes.
So as you look back over this year take careful stock of all the sin that you have been guilty of and let it mount up. Then take all of this and turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face and you will find that the things of this world will no longer hold the power over you. You will find yourself longing for heaven so you can be done with sin and be in your Saviors presence for the rest of forever.
Go ahead and drink deeply of his grace this last day of 2009 and then turn your eyes toward the future with the great expectancy that it may be this year when we will all be gathered around the throne in worship without any sin to hinder our love for God ever again. O what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. Until then we walk with God through the pain and through the struggle. Let us be faithful as was Paul to always long for his return.
Looking Upward Until He comes,

Pastor phil