Psalm 27:14-19, 25-27 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
The term “not until the cows come home” means “not for a long time”. Presumably the time referred to is when cows return to the barn for milking. The common term has been around since the late sixteenth century. We are living in what is called the Church Age because it covers the period in which the Church is on earth. It is the period of time from Pentecost (Acts 2) to the rapture (foretold in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The Church is composed of those individuals who have by faith accepted Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Church age corresponds with the dispensation of Grace; also known as “The Age of Grace”. Until then, the Church carries on in firm hope daily, exhorted to stand firm until the cows come home with the eternal perspective.
But, it isn’t just a knowledge of guaranteed eternal life in Heaven. In John 14:23 Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:15-19, 25-27 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The born-again Believer follows Christ daily with the Holy Spirit leading their walk through life.
Jesus [the Savior of the world] came to seek and save the lost and passed the Gospel message of salvation from sin by the grace of God through faith on to His disciples to go tell others. In Mark 5:19, Jesus said to the spiritually healed man and by extension to us who have been saved also, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” The Great Commission of Jesus Christ to His worldwide Church in Matthew 28:18-20 was: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” There was no timeframe for this commandment from the Lord, so all of God’s children are to be spreading the Gospel and ministering to this fallen World until the cows come home [Christ’s return]. The Christian has duel-citizenship (both here on earth where we abide and in the kingdom of Heaven).
2 Corinthians 5:1 tells us, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” So with blessed assurance, we can confidently wait with patience as we diligently work about our Father’s business in His Plan of Redemption, Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Salvation until the cows come home.
In Christ, Brian
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