Maranatha

 This was copied from the bulletin of Calvary Baptist Church in Portsmouth NH. The bulletin is dated 01/14/2024. I believe it was written by the pastor; Donald Gum. 



MARANATHA; THE LORD COMETH

Maranatha is an untranslated Syriac word found in 1 Corinthians 16:22. It means "The Lord Cometh". It was a word of greeting in the early church. When believers met, they said "Maranatha". It was a constant reminder of the fact of the Lord's return.

The time has come to revive the use this word among believers. It should be our word of greeting when we meet and when we part. 

The use of the word Maranatha is an expression of faith in the promise of our Lord regarding His return; and in all the more than three hundred references to the second coming of the Christ found in the New Testament. All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. He is looking for our faith and rejoices when He finds faith in our hearts. Let us dare to believe the promises of God regarding the coming of all that we meet. 

The use of the word Maranatha is an expression of hope. Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ". 

We believers are not admonished to look for death. Death is not the blessed hope. Death is a foe even though it be a defeated foe, as far as the believer is concerned. We many die, it is true, but we are not looking forward to death. We are looking for the Lord. A whole generation of believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and consequently will not go through the process called death. Enoch is a type of the believer who are translated. When we use the word Maranatha, we are reminding ourselves and others that we have a hope that is indeed '...that blessed hope..". 

The use of the word Maranatha is an expression of love. The Lord desires not only faith, but our love. When Peter was restored to fellowship our Lord asked him three times, "..loves thou me?.." (John 21:15-17). He wanted Peter's love above everything else. If you love the Lord you will of necessity love His appearing. The bride longs for the coming of the bridegroom. In 2 Timothy 4:8, we read ":Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me all that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."

The use of the word Maranatha is the expression of joy. It is your privilege and your duty to rejoice. Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice". This is an apostolic command. You are looking to the day when you will see him as He is. What a day it will be when with rapture you behold Him! Then you will also have the joy of being like Him. Thee will be no more failures and no more disappointments, You will have the joy of receiving a new body of flesh and bone, "..like unto His glorious body..." (Philippians 3:21).

The use of the word Maranatha is an expression of your concern for others. It is an admonition to watch and pray, to win souls, and to live for eternity. To the unsaved, it is a message of warning. 

So let this word Maranatha be burned into your consciousness, and use it to the glory of God.








TomLeeM

2024 / 01 / 22










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