Copyright
2014 PJ Stassen
All
Rights Reserved
Speak
well of your enemies, sir, you made them.
- Oben Arnold, fl. 1963.
I’ve always believed that poverty ultimately cannot and will not triumph over wealth … it simply has not got the capital! In God’s eternal economy, evil will not triumph over good; sin will not triumph over unrighteousness and darkness will not triumph over light. The question is: What about the long-delayed Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Can we still trust His word for Him to return to planet Earth?
The most obvious reason for the long ‘delay’
is of course to allow people to come to repentance:
The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 KJV, www.e-sword.net).
I believe, however, that, apart from the fact
that the Second Coming will have to slot in with God’s overall cosmic agenda
for the Universe and His Universal Church (the Ecclesia), there is another reason why this (apparent) long delay
of the Second Coming was deemed necessary:
It was necessary to enable God to demonstrate to believers the integrity
of His Word and the veracity of His promises … over time, a very long time.
You see, it usually is easy to keep any promise
for a day, a week, a month, a season; but to keep a promise over millennia
takes some character, commitment and serious dedication to a very special and
precious cause. Now, won’t it be wonderful to enter Eternity one day with a
Saviour who had not only given His life for His Church and Bride, but also had
kept the promise of His Second Coming to His followers … through two incredible millennia, and perhaps longer?
That would prove a level of character,
commitment and dedication (by Jesus of Nazareth) to give one’s life for!
He’s the shelter in the time of storm, forever.
(Vernon
J. Charlesworth, 1838-?/Ira D. Sankey, 1840-1908)
The Lord’s our Rock,
in Him we hide ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm;
Secure whatever ill
betide ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm.
A shade by day,
defense by night ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes affright ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm.
The raging storms may
round us beat ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm;
We’ll never leave our
safe retreat ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm.
O Rock divine, o Refuge
dear ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm;
Be Thou our helper
ever near ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm.
CHORUS
O Jesus is a Rock in
a weary land,
A weary land, a weary
land;
O Jesus is a Rock in
a weary land ‒
A shelter in the time
of storm.
Bibliography
1.
Andrews,
Allen (1969) Quotations For Speakers And Writers. Newnes Books. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. London.
2.
Peterson,
John W. (1966) Great
Hymns Of The Faith. ‘A Shelter In The Time Of Storm’./ Singspiration.
Zondervan Publishing House. Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
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