“WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO IN LIGHT OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST?”

While in Michigan I heard Dave Wisen teach a lesson to the youth group at Harvest Bible Chapel. Dave is Kristen’s husband and also an elder in their church, and an excellent Bible teacher.

Dave has also been teaching an end times class in the Wisen’s home to people in their church. The natural question at the end of the class has been, “What do we need to do in light of the return of Christ?” Dave tells them that watching for the abomination of desolation and stockpiling food is fine, but to stop there would be to stop short of our calling. (Watching for the AofD is part of the instruction the Lord has given us in Matthew 24.)

After discussing the Day of the Lord, Peter says in 2 Peter 3:11, 22, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”

Because of this, Dave stresses our holy conduct and godliness. Spiritual preparation is going to be the most important.

In the lesson that Dave taught at youth group, he used three lessons learned from the book of Daniel which help us understand what our call is regarding this holy conduct and godliness. The following three points are based on an old sermon series by James MacDonald. You will see how they fit well with end times.

From Daniel 1 where Daniel wouldn’t eat from the king’s table, we learn that we are to purpose in our heart not to defile ourselves. Secondly, from Daniel 3 where the three men are tested with the fiery furnace, the lesson learned is that we have to have “either-way faith” like these three men. They boldly declared to the king that God could save them if He pleased but even if He chose not to, either way they would not bow down to the king. “Either-way faith” says that though God is able, the choice is His. Either way we will trust in Him. Finally, from Daniel 6 and the lion’s den account, we learn that Daniel already had spiritual disciplines in place when he was tested, so when the test came, he simply continued what was already a habit for him.

Dave’s point is that we should establish strong spiritual disciplines now that will sustain us through the coming days. He put it this way, “You’ll never have success in the crisis until you have success in the process.”

We need to ask ourselves these three questions:

1. Have I purposed in my heart not to defile myself?
2. Do I have “either-way faith”?
3. Have I established strong spiritual disciplines which will continue in the coming crisis?

I would like to add that I think the strongest spiritual discipline is being a student of the Word. When we are in the Word on a consistent, daily basis, our view of God is continually expanded. We see that He is sovereign, working out His plan for His glory and our benefit, and He trustworthy no matter what the circumstance.

Hebrews 10:23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."