Revelation 22:12
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
II Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the sound of an arcangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
You don't hear much about the "2nd Coming Of Christ" anymore. Use to. Back in the 80's that seem to be the topic of a lot of teachers. Of course such teaching also brought out the predictor's. You know what I'm talking about. Those who want to place a date and time on when Jesus will return. I'm sure there are a lot of those books that were written during that time about His eminent return laying around collecting dust. Probably surrounded by a couple of copies of "The Prayer of Jabez".
Seems as though our focus, as believers, has drifted from a heavenward view toward more of an earthly view. You don't hear much teaching on heaven....the book of Revelation....or anything to do with Christ coming back.
Oh, I know that the "LEFT BEHIND" series of books were flying off the shelves, but even with this, there were several among the church who kind of "poo-pooed" the whole thing about a rapture. I think I've heard every argument possible about the rapture. Everything from pre-trib (Jesus takes the believers out before the great tribulation starts)....mid-trib (Jesus take believers out at the midway point of the great tribulation...to post-trib (Believers will have to endure the entire 7 year period in which the anti-Christ will rule). The views and opinions about what may or may not happen are endless. So what do I know? I simply know that He is coming back. I also believe that when we read about a so-called rapture of the church, that isn't the second coming of Christ. Why so? Because He doesn't return to earth...we rise up to meet and be with Him.
NO, when Jesus comes back for the second time (He was hear in human form..that was His first coming), He will be coming back in a different way than when He left. He will not be the gentle, risen glorified Son of God. He will be coming back as the Captain of the host of heaven. He will be the commander in chief who will be coming back to judge the world and to return to every person the reward or wages they have earned because of their belief's and deeds. There won't be much celebration in His second return. IN fact the Scripture speaks of a time when men will cry out for the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of Christ.
The one thing that I have been thinking about this week is I have a hope. I have a promise from God himself that Christ would return for me. I don't know if I'll be alive when it happens. Kind of think it would be real neat to be alive when the whole rapture thing happens, but I'm not assured of that. But whether alive or dead, I am smack dab in the middle of a win/win situation. Either state assures me that I am going to be with Christ. It's hard to wrap my brain around the whole "Caught up with Jesus" thing, but fortunately I don't have to rely on my brain for this one. It's all about the heart and my faith that God's promises are yes and amend.
This promise of receiving the final piece of my salvation is an incredible encouragement to me. It keeps me motivated to not quit or sit down....or even worse.....GIVE UP! It tells me that I need to keep one eye on heaven, and one here on earth as I move about in my daily routine. It also reminds me that there are many more out there who haven't heard the gospel. They are mired down under the judgment of sin and the accusations of our enemy the devil. I need to keep telling the story of what Christ has done, and continues to do to me.
It would be easy for me, at this point, to list all the things I see terribly wrong with this world. Isis....the whole sexual identity thing....the whole sexual thing of redefining what marriage is....or those who would even discard marriage as being antiquated and of no use or purpose for such a modern society as we live in today. Dang..if we ain't progressive in our thinking then I don't know who is. When I look at the lack of a moral compass not only in the world, but also in the church, I ask, "How long Lord...How long is this going to continue to slide down that slippery slope of darkness?" Then I am reminded that the Lord is longsuffering, slow to anger and rich in love. His perfect will is that none should perish. As long as that is His will, then I have a call to tell those I meet about this God who truly loves them and wants to save them from themselves.
You see, as the years have piled up on me, there is a part of me that cries out for Jesus TO return. But quickly countered to that thought is the picture in my mind of all those who will enter into eternity outside the will and love of God because they rejected the message of salvation. Truth be known, I can't do anything except tell the story. I can't change anyone. I can't save anyone. I can only be faithful and share with those I meet.
I know that today's posting wasn't about "addiction or recovery". But in one sense it was.
God's offer of real life here on earth, and of eternal life that takes us beyond death into His presence needs to be shared. IT needs to be proclaimed in our streets. It even needs to be shouted from the rooftops. That Jesus truly is LORD!
Like I said previously, I don't know the day or time of Jesus' return. But back in the 80's, George Creel use to describe the time we are living in this way. "IT's time we quit looking for signs....and started listening for sounds".
God on you...
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