Tag: wait

build each other up

Jerry Wirtley

But you, dear friends, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the end time scoffers will come living according to their own ungodly desires.” These people create divisions. Since they don’t have the Spirit, they are worldly. But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep each other in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt. Save some by snatching them from the fire. Fearing God, have mercy on some, hating even the clothing contaminated by their sinful urges. To the one who is able to protect you from falling, and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, belong glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now and forever. Amen. (Jude 17-25, CEB)

We need to build each other up on the basis of our most holy faith.

We need to pray for each other in the Spirit.

We need to keep each other in the love of God.

We need to wait for mercy from Jesus.

We need to uphold those who question or doubt.

We need to help all understand the love God has for them.

Love Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

Hastening

Jerry Wirtley

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. But according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found by him in peace—pure and faultless. Consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just as our dear friend and brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him, speaking of these things in all his letters. Some of his remarks are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and whose faith is weak twist them to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been warned in advance, be on guard so that you aren’t led off course into the error of sinful people, and lose your own safe position. Instead, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him belongs glory now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:11-18, CEB)

We must live holy and godly lives, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. What does that mean, and how do we do that?

We must live holy and godly lives. Our lives should be lived in such a way we can always be in the presence of God, free from sin and evil. That should be easy, right? I mean I only sin once every half second or so.

But we also need to be waiting for the coming of Christ. How are we waiting? Not very patiently most of us. But are we also doing that second part, hastening the coming of Christ? Well to be hastening the coming of Christ we need to know what hastening means. I have a general understanding that it implies moving quickly. I looked it up. M-W.com says:

intransitive verb
: to move or act quickly
She hastened up the stairs.
transitive verb
1: to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on
hastened her to the door A. J. Cronin
2: to cause to happen more quickly : ACCELERATE
His death was hastened by alcoholism.
hasten the coming of a new order D. W. Brogan

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hastening

So the best definition for us is the second under transitive verb, to cause to happen more quickly. So as we wait we are supposed to also make Christ’s coming to happen more quickly. How are you doing that?

We can do that by actually loving God and loving our neighbors. By sharing grace and mercy in everything we do. We can hasten the coming of Christ by Loving Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.