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Friday, May 20, 2011

I Hope He Is Right, But I Don't Think He Is...

I write this on the eve of the wide-spread prediction of the return of our Lord on May 21st, 2011 propagated by Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio. I am thankful in part that at least people are talking about the Lord returning and there are reports of many who are seeking answers and contemplating their fate, if it should be true. On the other hand, I am saddened that many will stereotype all believers together and a mockery will be made of our faith.

As I thought of all the attention that has been given to this, I felt compelled as a minister and student of the Word of God to make a few statements of Biblical clarity for anyone seeking truth:
First, the Bible tells us, Jesus is coming back! He said He would. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3

The Bible tells us… How He is coming. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." I Thessalonians 4:16-17 This event is called the rapture of the believers or rapture of the church, though the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. “Rapture” has a dual meaning. It is a reference of Jesus returning to the earth’s atmosphere and calling His people up to Himself, meaning to “seize us up.” “Rapture” is also the emotion of both Jesus and His true followers at that moment, “pure joy and intense pleasure.”

The Bible tells us… He is not coming for everyone, but those who know and love Him. Jesus in Matthew 24:40-41 describes in part to His disciples what that event will be like. “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” The idea is that one is a true follower and the other is not. Therefore, one is taken the other is left behind. There will not be time for a non-believer to change his mind when the Lord returns. Matthew 24:27 “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

The Bible tells us… What kind of day He will return on. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37-39 In other words, it will be an ordinary day, a day that people are doing the things they always do, eating, drinking and going through their normal routines. People will be going to weddings, and other social engagements, life will just be going on. Just like in the day when it started to rain and God’s judgment came as Noah warned it would.

As Christians, we are to watch and be ready for His return.
The Bible tells us… No man can know for sure or set a date when He is coming. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” Matthew 24:42 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:13. Jesus also said when asked moments before His ascension back to Heaven about when He would set up His Kingdom (return to earth) He answers them, Acts 1:7 “…It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” I think that the Bible makes it very clear it is not for us know the date of His return, Jesus Himself does not know it, only God the Father knows it. I think it rather arrogant of anyone to set a date when they believe Jesus is coming again and proclaim it for certain.

The Bible tells us… what the world will be like when the time of His return is near. His disciples asked Him in Matthew 24:3, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" That is the question of the ages, “what is the sign of His coming and when will the end of the world come? Jesus does not set a date because He does not know the date, He only gives them the signs of what the world will be like just before He does come. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (different and various locations) places.” Certainly all of that sounds like our news headlines on any given day. What do you think? Are you ready whenever Jesus comes is the greatest question? I don’t think it will be May 21, 2011 but it is well with me, and all that are mine, if He is.

This I know; The Bible is true, God’s promises are certain and all things are under His control. This is His universe and all that it contains is His. It was created for His good pleasure and it consists by His Word. Peter tell us about those who will in the last days mock the promise of Jesus coming again. Listen to his response; II Peter 4:3-10a “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (God created everything by His Word) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (Days of Noah) But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;”

Are you ready if it were to be today? Do you know Him as Saviour? If you have doubts and questions click on our website www.pinecrestbaptist.com click the tab “Directions to Heaven” on the homepage. Then your heart does not have to be troubled at the thought of His coming. I would love to hear about your decision, should you accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord.

I am watching and praying! How about you?

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Monday, May 2, 2011

It is Personal

Today the headlines read “Osama Bin Laden is Dead.” The news of his death set off celebrations in the streets of Washington D.C., Times Square and Ground Zero. I am thankful for the work of our military men and women, the Navy Seals, our intelligence agencies and everyone else who had a part in accomplishing this great task. Hopefully the world will be a little safer today as a result of this man’s death. The irony is that within 24 hours of the time Bin Laden was killed, 66 years ago in 1945 the headlines read, “Adolf Hitler is Dead.” This news spawned the same kind of celebratory reaction that Bin Laden’s death did here in America. Hitler was responsible directly and indirectly for millions of lives lost in his short reign as leader of the Nazi party in Germany.

I have a simple point to make today. It is hard for me to say it but it needs to be said. My God loved Osama Bin Laden. He loved him so much that He sent His Son to die for him and pay for his sins in His own body. Mr. Bin Laden, as well as Adolf Hitler is in hell today and not because they were terrorists, murderers, a Muslim or a Nazi. They are in hell today because they did not receive what would have been a gift of salvation for them. “The wages of sin is death (eternal death separated from God in hell) but the gift of God is salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:10. The thing that many people miss in this simple truth is that many morally good people are heading to the same hell that Osama Bin Laden and Hitler are suffering in today because they also have not received the gift of salvation. It is personal; if it is not a personal salvation we have received then we have not truly received His (Jesus) salvation. Salvation is not a birthright, it is a second birthright. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Ye must be born again.” John 3:3,7

We have to come to the place where we understand that in our flesh is no good thing and in our hearts we are capable of conceiving unbelievable wicked things. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “For as he (a man) thinketh in his heart so is he.” Jesus tells us in His Sermon On the Mount, that when we are angry without cause, or desire to murder someone in our hearts or when we consider adultery in our hearts we have done the acts. With that being the case; how many murderers, thieves, rapists, terrorists, and racists have you passed by today? They by appearance may be what we would call good and moral people but we all have a sin problem.

This week thousands of people died around the world; several hundred here in the Southeast where we live, as a result of the tornadoes that tore through our area. The question was not whether or not they were sinners, they/we all are. The question is not how bad was their sin? All sin is an offence to a Holy God. The question is not, was God getting even with the people who died this week, however they died? God got even with all of us on the cross, when He put our sin on Jesus and allowed Him to suffer and die in our place. The question to consider personally and individually is, have you repented of your sins and received His gift of salvation by putting saving faith and trust in Him? If not, you stand in danger of the same judgment of hell that Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler are suffering in today. Ask Jesus to save you (personally) before it is eternally too late. Think On These Things.

Pastor Roy