Don't Lose Sight Of His Return

According to the signs of the times, we are in the last days!

Paul said brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. For this we say unto you, for those of us who remain alive in the Lord will not prevent those who are asleep to stop them from coming up from those graves."  1 Thessalonians 4:13.

For the Lord himself will descend with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel with a trumpet sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Those who remain alive shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord.

The word rapture is not in the bible but the word caught-up is.  We are going to be caught up, so don't lose sight of his return.  Oh let us have the light of the word in our churches. I hope that in bringing some scripture in this teaching that it will give you comfort and joy, and a heart as a Christian.

When you lose your vision of the Lord's coming you lose your way through the wilderness of life.  When you lose your vision of the Lord's coming, you begin to live on a carnal, flesh level.  You begin to get caught up in the things that are going on around you in society.

If we knew that Jesus could come at any time or moment and we knew we must come face to face then every Christian would say, I must be a better Christian. They would admit that they need to live a better life because I can sense that the coming of the Lord is at hand.

We live in a troubled world and in troubled times.  Look at the problems we're having today right here in America.  We've got an oil spill that our government has not been able to stop and will be unlikely to have a recourse on the damage done to the earth.  We have economic problems, set backs, cut backs, and bailouts.  We are in perilous times like the Apostle Paul preached.  We're in the last days and the world system is being set up at this very moment for the Anti-Christ.  The world doesn't have any idea what's going on.  But I'm telling you, there is no man that can fix it.

The signs of the times show that we are in the prophetic days of the end.  So we had better make our calling and election sure.  Jesus said, I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  Don't lose sight of his return!

The Apostle Paul labeled this hour that we're living in as perilous times.  But there is a day that he is coming to deliver his church from it all.  He's coming for a glorious, triumphant, victorious church; a church without blemish, spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.  It's going to be a holy church. It's not going to be a prosperity church.  What's going to bring in the end time harvest is the gospel of Jesus Christ and ministers that will stand up and proclaim, Thus saith the Lord.

That same Jesus that died on the cross is coming. The same Jesus that rose from the dead is coming.  That same Jesus is coming back for his bride, the church.  Those who have been washed in the blood of the lamb is who he is coming for, and those who are looking for his glorious return.  Look at Hebrews 9:28.

Some people think that the true church will have to go through the tribulation but the bible says, God has not appointed us unto wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  The true church's appointment is to glory. Our destination is heaven.  When Christ appears, guess what, we're going to disappear.  When he comes we're going to leave this place, to a city that has no night.  It will be a city which has a foundation and whose builder and maker is God.

This is the blessed hope for the church.  This is why we're looking for him.  Because we know this world is not our home.  We're just pilgrims and strangers  passing through, sojourning here.  One fellow said to my Pastor, do you believe in aliens? I liked his answer.  He said, I sure do, cause I'm one of them.  I am an ambassador from the glory world and I'm on a mission for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to preach his word. Titus 2:13.

Think about it, right now Christ is in heaven and the Holy Ghost is at work here on earth.  There are two groups of people in this world.  You are either saved or you're lost.  It's just that simple.  Jesus is either your Lord or he's not.  You are either righteous or you're not.  You are either holy or you are unholy.  You are either ready to meet him or you're not.

You're either a servant of God or you belong to the devil.  There is no in between.  Bob Dylan sang a song once called 'You got to serve somebody."  When the Lord snatched me out of darkness and transferred me into light I know who I was going to serve from then on. It was like the song, "It was a great thing that he did for me."

I'm telling you how Christ did it, how he took all of that mess out of me; how he transformed my life after he flushed the filth out of my system.  I don't know, but I fell in love with him at that moment and I've been in love with him ever since.

The bible says, to set your affections on things above, not on things of this world.  For when he appears then shall we appear with him in glory. Don't lose sight of his return.

The next prophetic thing to occur on God's calendar is the coming of the Lord for his church.  First of all, when he comes there's going to be three great sounds. There's going to be a shout first, and it's going to be a mighty shout of victory and power.

Jesus stood at Lazarus' tomb one day and he cried, "Come forth."   Lazarus was dead but guess what, he heard the voice of the Master, and he came forth out of that tomb.  When Jesus descends with a shout, it will pierce the graves and penetrate the depths of the sea. It will be heard by every saint on this earth.

The bible says our body will be fashioned like unto his glorious body.  The body with it's aches and pains will be gone and we'll have a brand new body.  Secondly, there's going to be the voice of the arch angel. Think about this, Jesus will be leading a heavenly host of angels.  Then thousand upon ten thousand upon ten thousands of angelic beings.

You know, nothing can be around our Lord in heaven that does not reverence him and I believe the angels that surround him worship him day and night.  I believe they gather around him on the Sabbath and say, lets go to the earthly church and have a great camp meeting down there.  They've got some people over there at that church that likes to worship, sing and praise to me!

You know there's some churches that if Jesus was to show up the people wouldn't even know that he had even come.  I got something for my Lord, a Holy Spirit filled, fire packed gospel, and I'm going to hold on to it no matter who don't like it. I'm going to keep my sight on the things of God and on the coming of the Lord.

Thirdly, there's going to be the trumpet sound. Then we will see the appearing of our Lord.  The bible says the Lord himself will descend from heaven.  It's a promise, John 14:3.

Jesus loves his church!  He gave himself for it.  He looks upon the intent of the heart and he knows our lying down and when we rise.  The eyes of the Lord is running to and fro across the earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect on him.

Jesus is coming back just like he left, with his disciples at the Mt. of Olives.  This same Jesus that was taken up before you will come again in a like manner as you saw him go into heaven.  He left on a cloud and he's coming back on a cloud.  He left with the arch angel and he's coming back with an arch angel.  He left in power and he's coming back in power.  He left in glory and he's coming back in glory. Those that are looking for him shall see him appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.

Aren't you glad you are saved!  If you are not fall on your knees with a contrite heart and ask his forgiveness and he will cover you in his blood.  Throw your anchor out for Christ and he will pull you into his marvelous light.

The heavens are going to burst open and Jesus will appear in mid air, suspended between heaven and earth.  Jesus was once before suspended between heaven and earth.  Cruel men hung him upon an old rugged cross yet Jesus loved them and he cried out from that cross, father forgive them for they know not what they do. Matthew 11:28.

He loved us so much he said, "all you who are heavy ladened, come unto me and I will give you rest."  For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross because he knew we would come.  He tells us, now go out and bring them in so that my house will be full. He's going to fill up that glory world.  He is enlarging it all the time but God is going to have a people in glory land and it's going to be the saints that loved him and overcame. That joy fills him, and his heart is filled with anticipation to be with his bride as he hovers between heaven and earth.  He can't wait to see the joy that fills us at his presence.

It's going to be a reunion the world will never forget! So don't lose sight of his return!

Let me tell you what's going to happen on this earth when he comes.  I'll give it to you straight from the word. The dead that were not saved, their grave will not open.  They will sleep on in their graves.  Those who have done good will come forth.  Those who have done evil will go to a damnation.  The bible says, blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection but those who die without Christ are not blessed and holy.

The lost in their graves will sleep in the grave for another 1,000 years. Then the great tribulation period comes.  They will be raised and brought before the great white throne judgment.  Their fate is a lake of fire and hell damnation.  It's a time when all lost sinners will be judged and those who rejected Jesus Christ.  Those in the church who didn't obey the gospel and Christ will not make it either.  Wealth nor good works alone will not save you from this judgment.

The fearful, the liars, thieves, abominable sexual deviants, sorcerers, adulterers will all have flames of fire upon them in the judgment. Those whose names are not written in the book of life will be at the great white throne judgment.

This will be a final judgment, from its verdict there will be absolutely no appeal.  The bible tells us plainly that those whose name is not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity.  This is the sword of death.  Your body is dead and your soul and your spirit has no life to ever experience joy.  You will pray to die but can't. The sounds and the smells will torture your mind and senses forever.

This is the second death. This is what the devil has in store for you that listen to him and follow after sin of the flesh and mind and evil hidden in your hearts. The devil is a tempter because he knows we are weak in the flesh, but Christ's blood gives us power to give that up so we can overcome.

Hell is a place of darkness, a place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Suffering night and day forever, and ever and ever.  This is a biblical truth, that all men without Christ are appointed unto death and that afterward unto judgment.  Sinners don't have to leave this world without Christ.  Backsliders in the church don't have to leave this world in that condition.

Never lose sight of what Christ has done for you or forget his promise of return.  It is those that are expecting him and looking for him that will see him.  Today is the day of salvation.  You better work out  your salvation with fear and trembling.  John said, blessed are the dead who die in Christ.  John 3:2, Col. 3:4.

This is why I sing and shout because I know he is soon to come and I rejoice in his sanctuary.  Are you living in his light and living holy for him night and day? Resist the devil! Draw night to Christ and righteousness will come and the devil will flee, for he will fear you with the anointing of Christ on you.