GETTING READY FOR THE SECOND ADVENT
GRACE AND MERCY: Deconstructive postmodernism has led to the regard of absolutes as irrelevant,
truth as unnecessary, and God’s sure Word as open to personal interpretation and bias, or, ‘anything goes.’ The result of this contemporary
emergent church is a religious and spiritual famine and hunger that is poorly satisfied by the increasing fragmentation of theologies
and the proliferation of diverse groups and churches.
# Genesis 3:15 - FIRST PROMISE
# Genesis
22:18 - SECOND PROMISE
# 2 Chronicles 7:14 - We have to get ready for His Coming
# Isaiah
40:1-5 - The message of a voice crying in the wilderness
# Daniel 2:44; 12:4 - Signs of the end of time
# Matthew
18:1-3 - A child is genuine, open, trusting and sincere
# Matthew 24:27 - GLORIOUS/PAROUSIA/COMING/ADVENT
# Matthew 24:30-36 - PUBLIC AND VISIBLE COMING
# John 14:1-3 - Jesus is
preparing place for you
# Acts 1:9-11 - Jesus is coming again
# 1 Thessalonians
4:16-18 - Visible, real, joyful and audible
# 2 Thessalonians 2:8 - No secret rapture
# 2
Timothy 3:1-5 - Signs of the end of time
# Hebrews 9:28 - The Second Coming
# James
5:7-8 - We need patience and clean hearts (lives)
# 2 Peter 3:8-12 - We can pray and help hasten the
Coming of Jesus
# 1 John 2:18 - Warning of the antichrist
# 2 John vs 7
- Warning of deceivers and the antichrist
# Revelation 1:7 - Every eye will see him
# Revelation
22:16-21 - COME LORD JESUS!
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS - The words ‘secret rapture’ are nowhere found in the Bible. The Word
of God proclaims that the Second Advent of our Savior Jesus Christ will be real, visible, audible, and glorious! No one knows the
exact day or hour of Jesus’ return, but we are told to watch for it and pray that we will be ready for that day. ©spoedpos@fastmail.fm
and loud let it ring
Jesus is coming again
Cheer up, ye pilgrims!
Be joyful and sing!
Jesus is coming again
Coming again, coming again
Jesus is coming again!
In the New Testament Gospels we read that Jesus visited the Temple on Sabbath; He did good deeds on Sabbath; He healed people on Sabbath; and that He never taught, modeled or intimated any other day of rest and worship.
On the question of the Sabbath, Jesus clearly and openly opposed existing rabbinic restrictions as contrary to the spirit of the original law of Sabbath. This also indicates the importance Jesus placed on the Sabbath and its distinctive and special purpose. "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:14-16
# When the creation week came to its end, God's final act was to rest on the seventh day, Sabbath, the FIRST SABBATH OF CREATION. God sanctified, blessed and made this a very special day.
# Thousands of years later, after our Lord died on the Cross late afternoon on that awesome ‘Good’ Friday, He rested in the grave on what we call Saturday and rose on Resurrection Sunday. After He died and was buried in a borrowed grave the seventh day became
the FIRST SABBATH OF RE-CREATION.
# After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Sabbath of rest is still valid as we find in all of His teachings and examples.
DEEP IN JESUS: The Word of God teaches a Gospel imperative in Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." This Bible verse highlights the core of the Gospel message to the early church and to all Christians. Jesus is the center of everything, all our beliefs, all of our faith, and our very lives. Jesus is our creed and source of truth. This is why Colossians 2:16 says "So let no one judge you." Jesus is the only Judge! He is the Beginning and the End! Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior!
encourage a friend, Ellen White wrote:
"I have evidence - the very best - that God loves you. He will not thrust you from Him in your weakness, for He loves you. Do not worry yourself out of the arms of Jesus, but just repose in restful quietude in His love. His grace will be all-sufficient for you when heart and flesh shall fail. He will give you His peace and His grace. Gather to your soul God's promises, for Jesus is your constant, unfailing friend."
Four important words are used - and each one is filled with tremendous meaning and power!
1] 'GRACE' = God's Grace = The Godhead's character, graciousness, pleasure, mercy, love,
fullness, bounty, loving kindness, and complete power to save.
2] 'SAVED' = Salvation is the free gift that God graciously gives to all who claim forgiveness,
freedom and deliverance because of the Blood of the Lamb Jesus. To be saved means to be
enjoying God's Kingdom of Grace now and His Kingdom of Glory in future.
3] 'FAITH' = Each individual's personal decision to believe, accept, pray, ask for forgiveness,
new life, cleansing and healing. Bible faith includes conviction, confidence and trust.
4] 'WORKS' = Works do not save us. We are saved only by God's grace through our faith.
Works includes all the teachings of our roadmap, the Bible. The Lord gives us the strength to follow our personal walk with Him. Included is our daily spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus, our behavior, acts and undertakings. Following God's way in love, honesty, humility and integrity is never legalism. Legalism is using human or wrong motives or following the teachings and traditions of mankind.
A.W. Tozer writes, "The Cross is the most revolutionary thing ever to appear among men. The Cross will cut into our lives where it hurts the worst, sparing neither us, nor our carefully cultivated reputations. It will defeat us and bring our selfish lives to an end. Only then can we rise in fullness of life to establish a pattern of living wholly new and free and full of good works. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world. It intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane. We leave it at a cross. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die. That is the beginning of the gospel." A.W. Tozer "The Radical Cross", Baker Book House, 1978. pp 132-133.