Our hope as believers is the personal return of the Lord to fetch us to
Himself, as He said, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself"
(John 14:3)

Our hope as believers is the
personal return of the Lord to fetch us to Himself, as He said, "I will
come again, and receive you unto Myself" (John 14:3). Ah, that is it.
Himself coming is our "blessed hope," and Himself in the Father’s
house and we like Him, as He is morally (1 John 3:2), and bodily (Phil. 3:21),
our richest blessings.

 

Death cannot touch the
"blessed hope." Some are waiting with the Lord in His own immediate
presence; others are waiting on the earth for Him. Whether, therefore, we
"wake or sleep," we wait for the Lord to come. Death may change the
"waiting room," but not the waiting position itself. The sleepers
will accompany Jesus on His road to glory and the kingdom equally with the
living (1 Thess. 4:14). Jesus is "expecting" (Heb. 10:13), and if I
am called into His presence, I will wait with Him, for we are called to share
in His kingdom and in His patience (Rev. 1:9).

 

The hope of the Church is the
personal return of the Lord to claim "His own." He will come from
heaven into the "air," and with "shout," "voice,"
and "trump" gather His people from every land and every clime, from
tomb and sea. Not one redeemed through the precious blood of Christ shall be
left behind, whether alive on the earth or resting in the grave. All will be
caught "up" in clouds to meet the Lord in the air—our trysting-place
with our adorable Lord and Master  (I Thess. 4:17). Thus will the Christ
present to Himself His Church all glorious and spotless, without sign of age or
decay, holy, too, and blameless (Eph. 5:25-27; Col. 3:4). What is the hope of
the Bride but the coming of the Bridegroom? (Rev. 22:17) Now espoused to
Christ, what is her hope but to have the relationship of wife established? (2
Cor. 11:2, with Rev. 19:7) What a hope! Christ, will come personally to take us
to Himself, displaying His Church in the coming ages in joint-heirship over
creation (Eph. 1:10, 11), and forming in us everlasting bridal affections and
establishing eternal relationship (Rev. 21:2).

 

The hope of the servant is to
find the fruit of his labor in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His
coming (1 Thess. 2:19). "And now, little children, abide in him; that when
he shall appear, we (the servants) may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming" (I John 2:28). The crown of glory will, on the
appearing of the Chief Shepherd, be set on the brow of the faithful laborer,
now toiling among the flock of God (1 Pet. 5:1-4). The crown of
righteousness will be bestowed as reward of service, and to all who love His
appearing (2 Tim. 4:7,8).

 

There are four crowns held out
as reward and encouragement. Every Christian will receive a crown of gold (Rev.
4:4). The faithful witness gains the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). The devoted
servant earns the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8). The crown of glory (1
Pet. 5:4) will be a rich recompense to the faithful pastor.

 

Heralds
of the grace and glory of the risen Jesus, may ye be ready when thy Lord cometh
and knocketh, to open unto Him "immediately" (Luke 12:36).