Jesus’ Return

Do you know what lies ahead in your future or the future of your nation or world?  Can anyone know the future for sure?  We aren’t living in ordinary times.  The way the world is going one can be sure the end is nearing.  Are you ready to meet Jesus?

We’ve all heard that Jesus will be coming back whether we are Christians or not.  In fact Jesus Himself referred to His return many times.   About ½ of the Bible is prophecy and much of it is about the end times.  These prophecies are throughout the Bible so it must be important.  Therefore, it should be important to us.  Actually it should be the most important thing to us.

The first time Jesus came in somewhat of an obscurity, but the 2^nd time He comes every eye will see Him and the entire world will witness this event.  We don’t know how this will happen, but we know we have a mighty and powerful God and nothing is impossible for Him.  By His coming everything will be made right again.  

In Matthew 24 Jesus was asked by His disciples what were the signs of the end of the age.  He told them there would be birth pains and gave some examples.  There are many current events we could call birth pains:

Rise of false prophets and teachings

Wars and rumors of wars

Famines and earthquakes

Love of many believers growing cold

Morals becoming less accepted

People abandoning their Christian faith

People exchanging the truth for lies

Disunity of fellow believers

Political oppositions

Every kind of evil and wickedness

Suppression of truth

Worldwide anti-Semitism toward Jewish people

Shameful lust – women with women and men with men

More people full of envy, murder, deceit, hate

God haters, slanders, gossips

Disobedient children

People who know right from wrong but continue doing wrong

When will He return?  Jesus said no one knows the day and hour.  He said He Himself didn’t know - at least while he was here on earth.  He said not even the angels know.  Only the Father in Heaven knows.  “No one knows about that day or hour not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Matthew 24:36.  People keep trying to predict the time.  Think of it this way – Romans 13:11 says “… our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”   We aren’t supposed to try to determine the time, but we are supposed to be ready at all times.

Would you say you are ready by the hatred you have in your heart for those who oppose you?

How about the gossip and lies that come out of your mouth?

Are you using your tongue to build others up or tear them down?

What about all your selfish behaviors?

The Second Coming is predicted in all 4 gospels, Acts, Paul’s epistles, James, Peter and John.  If He is returning, shouldn’t you be ready?  You should know the signs that precede His return and not be ignorant.  “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” – Luke 21:36.

After we see all these types of signs, the Rapture will occur.  The Rapture is when Jesus calls all believers to Himself.  Jesus has gone to heaven and prepared a place for all believers (John 14:1-6).   So this could happen anytime without warning and as fast as the blink of an eye.  There will be no sign or announcement.  When the Rapture occurs, He will raise all dead and with the living believers He will call them up to Him in heaven.  He will bring them before the judgment seat of Christ and reward them on the works they have accomplished.  This is not a judgment of salvation, but a reward.

Many scholars say the timing of the Rapture will begin a seven-year period known as the Tribulation.  The Tribulation will be divided into 2 halves with each lasting 42 months (see Daniel 9; Revelation 13).  During the 1^st half the Antichrist will arise and deceive the world.  The 2^nd half is called the Great Tribulation when many will not survive.  “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.  If those days had no been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” – Matthew 24:21-22.  Revelation 4-16 describes visions of these end days.

After the Great Tribulation:

“Immediately after the Great Tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” – Matthew 24:29.

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” – Matthew 29-31.

What is Jesus waiting for?  Jesus is waiting patiently to return, because He is giving everyone as much time as possible to choose to follow Him.  “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9. 

When Jesus returns, it won’t be a secret.  He will come in glory with His angels.  Revelation 5:11 says there are thousands of angels and ten thousand times ten thousand angels.  “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16.  “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the people of the earth will mourn because of him.” – Revelation 1:7.  So there won’t be anyone missing it.

Then comes God’s wrath.  He will send seven angels with seven plagues of horrible destruction. (Revelation 15-16).  Then all people left on earth will understand just who God is.  There is only one real God in charge.  The disagreements of who should or should not be president will not matter.  He created everything and everyone.  He rules over all people and all nations.  He is in charge of governments, sets up outcome of elections, and the rise of kings and dictators throughout the earth.

Are you a believer?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Tomorrow may be too late.

Join me here next time -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Iraq in the Bible

 Israel is the nation most often mentioned in The Bible.  Do you know which nation is second?  It is Iraq!  However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.  The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia.  It is mostly referred to as Babylon throughout Scripture.  The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  The name Iraq means country with deep roots.  Iraq is indeed a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.  No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq.

Iraq is a country in Western Asia and is bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.  It is about the size of California.  Its capital is Baghdad.  Its population is close to 38.5 million.   Iraq is mostly rocky desert or mountains.  The north gets very cold in winter and the southern regions are very hot in the summer.  Most people live along the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.  Its language is mostly Arabic and its religion is mainly Muslim.  It started out a primarily Christian, but now Christianity is only 3%.

 

The Bible describes it as being the fountain of rebellion against God and God’s Word.  It represents the world system today that despises, rejects, and mocks God’s Word.  God warns of the coming judgment on Babylon.  The Bible says it will rise again as a global economic and religious center, but then will be utterly destroyed.

Prophecies against Iraq –

Iraq or Babylon will be invaded and conquered by many nations.

Iraq will rise to become a great economic and religious center of the world, filled with evil and wickedness.  (Revelation 17; Zechariah 5).  It will become a global political power under the leadership of the coming Antichrist.

Iraq will be utterly destroyed and uninhabitable forever.  “And the land trembles and withers, for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand – to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there.” – Jeremiah 51:29.

The Bible has a lot to say about Babylon and on world events in the last days, especially in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation Iraq will be under the rule of Antichrist, be filled with blasphemy, will hate Christians and will kill them when possible.  Bible prophecy is that Babylon is destroyed just before Christ’s return.

A few facts about Iraq (Babylon) from the Bible

Adam, Eve and the Garden of Eden were in Iraq.

Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq.

Mesopotamia is now Iraq.

Noah built the ark in Iraq.

The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.

Abraham’s home town was Ur, which is southern Iraq.

Isaac’s wife Rebekah is from Nabor, which is in Iraq.

Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq.

Jonah preached in Nineveh, which is in Iraq.

Assyria is in Iraq.

Daniel was in the lion’s den in Iraq.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in the fiery furnace in Iraq.

Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the writing on the wall in Iraq.

The wise men were from Iraq.

Peter preached in Iraq.

Babylon is in Iraq.

Revelation calls Babylon the great mother of prostitutes and the abomination of the earth.

Saddam Hussein took power of Iraq and became a ruthless dictator in 1979.  He invaded Iran and Kuwait.  The United States went to war against him.  Hussein should have read the Koran 9:11 – “for it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle.  The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the land of Allah; and there was peace.”  America is typically represented by an eagle.

Join me for I next study -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Flat Jesus

My Flat Jesus arrived today!  I’m so excited!  I plan to give Flat Jesus figures to my grandkids and friends.  I first found out about Flat Jesus from FB and thought it was a great idea.  So I ordered a package of bendable Flat Jesus figures from Amazon.  

You can use flat Jesus as a book mark, take him in the car, take him to the grocery store, take him on vacation, take him on a walk, take him on a bicycle ride – take him wherever you go.  Be sure to take pictures of Him and His adventures, and then share your pictures with friends.  Post your pictures on FB, twitter, etc. 

 

I plan to take him everywhere.  Seeing Flat Jesus will remind me that Jesus loves me and is always with me.  Right now he is propped up by my computer.  That way I see him often.  By taking Flat Jesus with me, I will be able to start a conversation about Jesus and share my testimony.  What better way to open the door to talking about your faith?

You can also make your own Flat Jesus with pen and crayons.  If you do, it’s a good idea to laminate him if possible.   There are many templates online.  Kids will love coloring their own Flat Jesus.  This is a great project for the kids stuck at home during this pandemic.

Flat Jesus was inspired by a national school project called Flat Stanley which was created from the children’s book called “Flat Stanley” by Jeff Brown.  A boy named Stanly was accidentally flattened when a bulletin board fell on him.  Then he was able to be mailed to different places and had all kinds of adventures.  Flat Jesus has become fun for all ages.

We know that Flat Jesus is only a toy or a paper cutout, but anything that gets people talking about Jesus is a good thing.  This is just one creative fun way to share the gospel.   It gets people’s attention on the Real Jesus.

Seeing Flat Jesus can remind us to keep Jesus Christ at the center of our life and that He is always with us.

“Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20b

“For the Lord your God goes with you; he will never will leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6b, Hebrews 13:5b.

Join me here next time. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Evaluating Acts of the Apostles Study

As you know post of my posts are relative to my Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) studies.  We have finished the study of the “Acts of the Apostles” for this BSF year.  As you look back on this wonderful study I hope you take inventory of your life.  We learned that the details of our world is different for each of us.  Paul taught us that Jesus is worth it whatever the cost and that our past doesn’t define us.  From Barnabas we learned we should be an encourager.  From Stephen we learned to keep our focus on God.  From James we learned about authentic faith.  

What did you learn about God this year?

What did you learn about yourself?

What difference has it made in your life?

Has your thoughts, attitude or desires changed?

Has your relationship with Jesus grown?

Have you drawn closer to God?

Has your faith been ignited?

I think the main lesson we learned it that God is truly an Unstoppable God!  Not even the coronavirus can stop God.  He is still working and He will use this pandemic for good. 

BSF will start up again in September with the book of Genesis.  I will be posting then on what God reveals to me through this study.  You are invited to follow me again this fall.  Also please follow my posts throughout the summer where I will post on a variety of topics.

This September we will begin the study of Genesis.  That’s where it all began.  We need to understand that God exists because of what we see in the created world.  We believe the Bible and that it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  In other words it is God speaking to us.  The Bible gives us history, events that actually happened, prophecy of events to come and instructions on how to life.  It reveals the nature, heart and mind of God – at least as much as we can comprehend.  We need to believe and accept the facts He tells us in Genesis.  This book sets the stage of the entire Bible.  It teaches Biblical doctrines of sin, the fall, redemption, justification, and the promise of the Messiah to come.  It shows us the origin of the universe, life, marriage, and of good and evil.

I encourage you will find a BSF class and register for the Genesis study.  I am sure there is one near you.  The BSF studies are all over the world and are studying the same lesson each week.   Classes in Kentucky are studying the same lesson as those in Australia.  Each class meets about 2 hours weekly.  It’s non denominational and is for everyone - those who are not familiar with the Bible to those who are very familiar.  There are women’s, men’s and children’s classes.  Go to https://www.bsfinternational.org/bsfindex to register.

This world is evil and people get caught up in all kinds of sin even when they don’t realize it.  We need to spread His Word as much as we can.  Satan is hard at work continuing to tempt us, because he knows his time is running out.  He is the ruler of this world and enslaves sinners to sin.  Everyone needs to hear the gospel before it’s too late.

We are all sinners and deserve eternal death.  God has a plan to save us from the judgment to come.  He loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus to pay the price for our sins (John 3:16).  He took on the punishment that we deserve.  The punishment for sin is death, but through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven.  We can become part of His family and spend eternity with Him.  

In case you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior or are not really sure of your salvation, I feel at this time I need to tell you how you can receive the salvation Jesus offers.

How do I get Salvation?

Admit to yourself and God that you are a sinner.  You have ignored God and wanted to do your own thing leaving God out completely.
Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death.” (You are a sinner and you are condemned to death – eternal separation from God in Hell)

Confess your sins

That means tell God what you’ve done wrong. (He already knows it, but He wants you to admit them to Him.)
Romans 10:9 – “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.

Repent of your sins

That means stop sinning and turn to God.
Luke 13:5 – Jesus said: “….. But unless you repent, you too will all perish”.

Believe in Jesus

John 6:47 – “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.” Believe that Christ went to the cross for you, taking your guilt upon Himself and enduring God’s judgment in your place. He took God’s judgment of our sins on Himself.  This means that God has pardoned and cleared you from any guilt.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Romans 10:13 – “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Once you have accepted Him as Savior, be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus as a public testimony of your salvation.  Then unite with a Bible-believing church.  Other Christians will be there for you with encouragement and will pray for you as you walk closer with God.  Remember - don’t judge other Christians, because they are not perfect.  If they were, they wouldn’t need to go to church.  Only God and Jesus are perfect.

Can it be that simple?
It’s hard to believe it’s that simple, but it is.  Don’t trust your feelings.  They change.  Stand on God’s promises.  They never change.

There are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth.
Pray – you talk with God, but don't forget to listen for Him to guide you.
Read your Bible – God will speak to you through His Word, if possible get in a Bible study group at your church or one like Bible Study Fellowship - they are all over the world.
Witness – you talk for God telling others about Him and what He’s done for you.

The word salvation means you are saved from Satan and the consequences of sin against God.  You are saved from the wrath of God’s judgment of sin.  If you reject Jesus, you will spend eternity in hell, separated from God and experience eternity judgment.  After you die you will have eternal life.  It’s either in heaven with God or in hell with Satan and his demons.

Join me here next time.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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