Longing

[agedman]

When I was a child, I longed to be old enough to "make my own decisions."

When I came to Christ, I longed to learn and discover more about His life and teachings.

When I met the one whom God had chosen for me as my bride, I longed to be with her and hear her voice.

When I first heard my children's heartbeat, I longed that the Lord would give me wisdom, endurance and He create in them upright hearts.

When my children left the home, I longed for their return and for their safety.

When I retired, I longed for youth and the strength I once had.

When I am now sitting here, sleepy, yet sleepless, I so very much long that my Savior would grant me one last request.

I long to be with Him.

What do you long for, today?

 

[Christos doulos]

When I was a child, I longed to be old enough to "make my own decisions."

When I came to Christ, I longed to learn and discover more about His life and teachings.

When I met the one whom God had chosen for me as my bride, I longed to be with her and hear her voice.

When I first heard my children's heartbeat, I longed that the Lord would give me wisdom, endurance and He create in them upright hearts.

When my children left the home, I longed for their return and for their safety.

When I retired, I longed for youth and the strength I once had.

When I am now sitting here, sleepy, yet sleepless, I so very much long that my Savior would grant me one last request.

I long to be with Him.

What do you long for, today?

My friend. I am terrified to say, what I long for for fear He just might give it to me.:tonofbricks:

 

[Jon-Marc]

I long to see Jesus and to finally and forever be rid of this sin nature that plagues me.

 

[Thousand Hills]

I long to see Jesus and to finally and forever be rid of this sin nature that plagues me.

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Me too brother!

We are living in the age which lies between the two blazing beacons of the Divine appearings and we are called to hasten from one to the other. The sacramental host of God’s elect is marching on from the one appearing to the other with hasty feet. We have everything to hope for in the last appearing, as we have everything to trust to in the first appearing—and we have now to wait with patient hope throughout that weary interval which intervenes! Paul calls it, “this present world.” This marks its fleeting nature. It is present, but it is scarcely future, for the Lord may come so soon and thus end it all. It is present, now, but it will not be present long. It is but a little time and He who will come shall come and will not tarry. Now it is this “present world.” Oh, how present it is! How sadly it surrounds us!

Yet, by faith, we count these present things to be unsubstantial as a dream and we look to the things which are not seen and not present, as being real and eternal! We pass through this world as men on pilgrimage. We traverse an enemy’s country. Going from one manifestation to another, we are as birds migrating on the wing from one region to another— there is no rest for us by the way. We are to keep ourselves as loose as we can from this country through which we make our pilgrimage, for we are strangers and foreigners and here we have no continuing city. We hurry through this Vanity Fair—before us lies the Celestial City and the coming of the Lord who is the King thereof! As voyagers cross the Atlantic and so pass from shore to shore, so do we speed over the waves of this ever-changing world to the Glory Land of the bright appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

…Oh that all of us were ardent, fervent, vigorous, zealous! Come, Holy Spirit, and quicken us! We may not go about to get this by our own efforts and energies, but God will work it by His Grace. Grace given us in Christ is the fountainhead of all holy impulse. O heavenly Grace, come like a flood at this time and bear us right away! Oh that those of you who have never felt the Grace of God may be enabled to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as to His first appearing! Then, trusting in His death upon the Cross, you will learn to look for His second coming upon the Throne of God and you will rejoice in it! Unto His great name be Glory forever and ever! Amen.

from C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon, “The Two Appearings and The Discipline of Grace,” 1886.

 

[OldRegular]

When I was a child, I longed to be old enough to "make my own decisions."

When I came to Christ, I longed to learn and discover more about His life and teachings.

When I met the one whom God had chosen for me as my bride, I longed to be with her and hear her voice.

When I first heard my children's heartbeat, I longed that the Lord would give me wisdom, endurance and He create in them upright hearts.

When my children left the home, I longed for their return and for their safety.

When I retired, I longed for youth and the strength I once had.

When I am now sitting here, sleepy, yet sleepless, I so very much long that my Savior would grant me one last request.

I long to be with Him.

What do you long for, today?

Thanks agedman for that brief but eloquent and poignant picture of the life of the “true believer” and for the response it brought forth.

I am like Jon-Mark:

I long to see Jesus and to finally and forever be rid of this sin nature that plagues me.

And I am like Christos doulos:

My friend. I am terrified to say, what I long for for fear He just might give it to me.

I am reminded by Spurgeon through "Thousand Hills" how blessed we the redeemed are, able to look back and rejoice at that first Advent and yet long for that second Advent.

Surely in the twilight of our lives we are like the old Patriarchs But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. and can say with the Apostle Paul I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

[convicted1]

I long to see Jesus and to finally and forever be rid of this sin nature that plagues me.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

 

[Oldtimer]

What do you long for, today?

For today, I long to be the person in thought and deed that He wants me to be. If today is like yesterday(s), some where along the path, I'll stumble and disappoint Him. :tear:

On the tomorrow of His choosing, I long to hear:

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matt 25:21 KJV)

 

[Martin Marprelate]

When I was a child, I longed to be old enough to "make my own decisions."

When I came to Christ, I longed to learn and discover more about His life and teachings.

When I met the one whom God had chosen for me as my bride, I longed to be with her and hear her voice.

When I first heard my children's heartbeat, I longed that the Lord would give me wisdom, endurance and He create in them upright hearts.

When my children left the home, I longed for their return and for their safety.

When I retired, I longed for youth and the strength I once had.

When I am now sitting here, sleepy, yet sleepless, I so very much long that my Savior would grant me one last request.

I long to be with Him.

What do you long for, today?

The great longing of the 1st Century churches was for the Return of Christ.
Read about it here: http://marprelate.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/the-forgotten-doctrine-loving-the-return-of-christ-1/

'Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus!'


Steve