By Faith

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All these people [Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah]

were still living by faith when they died.

They did not receive the things promised:

they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.

Hebrews 11:13

I was raised in a church that believed in the imminent return of Jesus Christ to this earth.  The “nearness of the Second Coming” was mentioned in practically every sermon and every prayer on a weekly basis.  Soon and Very Soon was a song we sang in our little children’s classes, and We Have This Hope was a frequent hymn choice for the worship service.

We have this hope that burns within our hearts,

Hope in the coming of the Lord.

We have this faith that Christ alone imparts:

Faith in the promise of His word.

We believe the time is near when the nations far and near

Shall awake and shout and sing:

Hallelujah!  Christ is King

We have this hope that burns within our hearts,

Hope in the coming of the Lord.

-Wayne Hooper

As I near my mid-60’s, I am beginning to wonder if I, too, will still be waiting for the promise when I die.  Generations before me have only seen the promise “from a distance.”  Do not misunderstand me:  my faith and belief are still as strong as they were when I was a little child.  I continue to pray that Christ might return during my lifetime.  However, this one thing I know:  when the “fullness of time has come,” Christ will return for His people. Hallelujah, Amen.