Behold, I am coming soon!

“Behold, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:12)

Nederland Zingt, "Jesus, He's Coming" and more

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

It has been interesting these days because we already have had snow twice this week even before November - I was still enjoying this autumn (?) season though. It made me ponder what message this early snow has for me. So, for a while, I carefully watched those countless feathery ice crystals endlessly coming down from above. I asked them, “where are you coming from and where are you going?” But none of them responded me. 

Of course, I figured that they are very shy, but they are also very humble and forgiving - softly and tenderly covering the earth, like Jesus’ calling. Even though they did not say anything to me, it was clear that where they were coming from and where they were going - from above to down below. Wherever wind blows, they just trust them and let it be. However, suddenly, one of them asked me, “Where are you coming from? And where are you going, Kyochul?” I responded them, “tell me where if you know?”

Now how about you? Do you know from where you were coming and to where you are going?

Some years ago, Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, Where are you going?” (John 13:36). It was before he was crucified. Actually, it was right before he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”  It sounds like Jesus was talking about his death on the cross first. Then, Jesus continued that he went to prepare a place for them, for his disciples, and he promised them to come back to take them to himself. But Thomas, the doubter, asked Jesus again, “Jesus, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Then Jesus answered,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a, ESV).

"The Call" from Five Mystical Songs by Vaughan Williams

In other words simply, “just trust me if you accepted me as your Lord and Savior.” Anyway, we are going to the place where Jesus has already prepared as we follow his way, his truth and his life. Wherever we are coming from, we are all going to the same place through his way, his truth and his life if we decide to follow Christ trusting in him. We are truly going to see the King without the fear of final judgement.

“When the son of Man comes in his glory… he will sit upon his glorious throne. 

All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people 

as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his 

right hand and the goats at his left.” (Matthew 25:31-33, NLT)

I remember last December when we began our new Christian year preparing and celebrating Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago through Advent and Christmas. Now our yearlong liturgical journey is almost over as we prepare Christ the King who will come back, judge and then reign over us forever. It is the Kingdom of God, eternal, and truly it is the place where we are going!

As a church, the body of Christ and his disciples in the world are growing fruitfully and truthfully each year following the life cycle of Jesus from his birth in Bethlehem to his coming back as a king, until he comes back to us someday to judge the living and the dead. However, if Christ dwells in us fully as our King, even now, God’s kingdom is already here on earth with us. So we must be full of joy and thanksgiving experiencing Christ’s love from each other’s life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, have you fully received Jesus in your life as your King and trusted his way, his truth and his life? If so, thanks be to God in heaven! You need to come and share your divine wisdom and experience with us more often. But if not, we are not done yet and still we have one month before we celebrate his coming back to judge and reign over us as our King. So now, what can we do if we have only one month left before Jesus’ coming?  

Nederland Zingt, "Soon and Very Soon"

We will continually worship our God in spirit and truth as we put Him first in our life! 

Please join me, our last month of the opportunity to grow before the end of our Christian year!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kyochul