Paul slips a wild card into his exhortation on prayer and peace: The Lord is at hand.

This means two things: First, the Lord is near. No matter what happens to us, He is always with us and for us.

And second, the Lord will come soon to finish what He started. How soon? Maybe not tomorrow.

Eschatology is tricky. For some it’s a rapture itinerary and a castle in the sky. In pre-war Germany, for example, the Nazi narrative was that while Jesus builds for heaven, Hitler builds for Germany.

This is an extreme caricature of Christianity. But a valid critique of pie-in-the-sky eschatology that makes some of us so heavenly-minded that we’re of no earthly good.

Our citizenship is in heaven. But what good are we doing for Singapore?

For others, Eschatology is Paradise now. Every prayer answered, every sickness healed, every bill paid, and Covid-immunity. Both of these errors (pie-in-the-sky and Paradise-now) are illusions that end up in despair.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle. The trick is knowing what to expect today – the “Already”. And knowing what is deferred to the Future – the “Not Yet”.

When the Allied Forces landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944, the military analysts knew who would win World War II. That was D-Day.

But the end was “Not Yet”. The fiercest and bloodiest fighting persisted until the Nazis surrendered, nearly a year later. That was V-Day.

The First Coming of Christ is D-Day – “the Already”. The Second Coming is V-Day – the “Not Yet”.

On that day, every sickness will go. Every corpse will arise. Every wrong will be made right. God will crush Satan under our feet. And the glory of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

But “Not Yet”.

So what is expected of us now, between this day and that day? The answer is before us. To live is Christ. Walk worthy of the Gospel.

Be of one mind. Put others first. Count all things loss. Imitate Christ. Share in His suffering. Be conformed to His death.

Be of one mind in the Lord. Practise the virtues individually and together. Model them before our pre-believing community.

And to look beyond Philippians, preach the Gospel throughout the world and make disciples in every people group. Only then will the end come (Matthew 24:14).

What then can we expect here and now? More than most of us will ever attain. If we abide in Christ and keep His commandments, He will produce in us the Beatitudes and the fruit of the Spirit, including heaven’s peace and joy.

And much more.

If we share in the sufferings of Christ and conform our life to His death, He will manifest His resurrection power in and through us in astonishing ways, as in the Gospel and Acts.

That will be a foretaste of heaven on earth. The Lord is at hand.

Pray Now

Even if we don’t like big words, ESCHATOLOGY is too big to ignore. Let’s face it. We are living in the last days. As in World War II, the closer we get to the End, the fiercer the struggle becomes. Arm yourself for the end-time battle.

1 Between this day and that day, watch and pray: Lord, we see the signs of Your Coming (Matthew 24:3-14). More disasters. More wars. More persecutions. More martyrdoms. Amid this deepening darkness and deception, strengthen our resolve to expose and resist false teaching and false prophecies. Deliver us from every form of pie-in-the-sky theology and Paradise-now triumphalism. Keep the Singapore Church awake, aligned, and alive to You with this one aim: “To live is Christ!” 

2 Between this day and that day, lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. Many will fall away and betray one another (Matthew 24:10-12). Will the Singapore Church be spared such a catastrophe? Pray.

Dear Father, have mercy on us. Step in and stem the tide before it’s too late. Our ways are right in our own eyes (Proverbs 21:2). But You see our hearts as they really are: divided and distracted, deceived and disbelieving, depraved and disgruntled. We repent.

3 Between this day and that day, amid all the chaos and confusion, pray that the Singapore Church will experience mighty revival, defy all odds, walk worthy of the Gospel, and be a tangible expression of Christ in our city. A Church that:

• Fears God unreservedly
• Loves God wholeheartedly
• Loves one another sincerely
• Loves our neighbours practically
• Walks in unity humbly
• Seeks first the kingdom resolutely
• Proclaims the Gospel unashamedly
• Obeys God’s Word faithfully
• Defends the Truth fearlessly
• Watches and prays vigilantly
• Models godliness passionately
• Disciples believers intentionally
• Raises up leaders responsibly
• Trains our children purposefully
• Practises justice consistently
• Cares for the poor compassionately
• Welcomes foreigners joyfully
• Moves in the Spirit powerfully
• Serves the nations strategically
• Treats our enemies mercifully
• Fights the right fight wisely
• Faces persecution courageously.

4 Between this day and that day, Antioch of Asia desperately needs to get going: And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). Pray for closed doors to swing wide open. For strategic blueprints targeting Unreached Peoples. For generous budgets. For a new wave of Goers from among our Millennials. For a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:17, 21).

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