1-800-HEAVEN THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS

Do you ever wonder why the angels said to the disciples, “WHY DO YOU STARE INTO THE SKY? THIS SAME JESUS WILL COME AGAIN IN THE SAME MANNER AS WHEN HE LEFT.” I often thought about this because it seemed like the event was greater than it looked on paper. 

From that moment to the present, men have speculated about when Jesus would come back, and all have failed. Didn’t they read where Jesus said, “NO MAN KNOWS THE HOUR OR THE DAY, ONLY THE FATHER KNOWS?”  It tells me that these great theologians are as clueless as my next-door neighbor. It amazes me that brilliant minds shut down when they gain recognition and prominence. The sad thing is that the populace runs down the rabbit hole with them every time. The scripture warns against endless speculation, yet there we go, speculating. What good does that do? All that is transpiring is the terrible waste of time. 

Though all these things happen despite the warnings, the scriptures tell us to be aware of our surroundings and what is happening, so we are not caught unaware. I have always told my children to be vigilant and to know their surroundings. Did they ever listen to me? No! Now, as adults, they understand that what I said back then was for their safety. And so it is in the scriptures; God’s warnings are for our safety. Understanding our surroundings today is not for predicting Jesus’ second coming but to protect us from falling into Satan’s traps.

Another warning God gave us is found in the statement, “HE IS HERE, OR HE IS THERE, BE WARY BECAUSE THAT IS NOT TRUE.” The scripture is clear that when He comes, it will be announced with trumpets, and the clouds will part so everyone will see. There will be no doubt that the Son of Man is coming to gather His bride. No one will miss this event. At one exact moment, the dead in Christ, those who received His gift of salvation at the cross, will rise first, then the remainder of His children will meet Him in the air to be with Him for eternity. And then the judgment. Simple and exactly as the Word of God states.

We are encouraged to hasten his coming by praying. This simple directive caught my attention. What does it mean? On the surface, that question sounds foolish. Yes, I struggle with it because, as with all scripture, there is depth that can obscure the understanding of each passage. At times, I have reread portions of scripture and am shocked by the new revelation that jumps off the pages. The Holy Spirit knows when we are ready for greater understanding, not just for information, but for things He knows are about to come into our walk. He is preparing us through a greater understanding of scripture for new trials coming to us or others, or possibly to bless others with the resulting testimony of God's active grace. Depending on His presence in our lives is a skill only refined through seeing His working in our lives. He is our teacher and ever present in our decisions if we allow Him to be.

My deeper reflection on the second coming of Christ pointed me to the Old Testament and the Israelites. It seemed to me that they give us a clear understanding of how God works in times of trouble and what prompted God to act as an ever-present help, bringing a stubborn and obstinate people through centuries of rebellion. The pattern seems to give me a better understanding of what will bring the second coming to readiness. Israel often failed to follow God’s mandates, and it fell into a time of destruction, with other nations wreaking havoc on the Jewish nation, sometimes for hundreds of years. Then there came a time when God came into their lives and turned things around. But what prompted God to do that? The scripture uses the same line each time: “AND GOD HEARD THEIR CRIES.” Now that got my attention. Many assume that it was a scattered few who were calling out to God for deliverance. Not so; it was a nationwide call to God. At times, specific leaders told the people that they needed to return to the basic principles. Usually, it was a prophet who spoke to them, saying, “GOD SAID, now pay attention.” In Exodus, the scripture describes the blessings and curses. If you do this, I will do this; if you don’t do this, then this will happen, but if you do this, I will bless you, and this will be your salvation.

Over the last few decades, Christians have used the scripture, “IF MY PEOPLE WOULD PRAY, I WILL HEAR.” But things are the same, and seemingly there is no progress. I am not going to say that God didn’t hear those prayers, but I am going to say that they ask, and ask, but they ask according to what they have heard and what they have been told to pray. The question is: Did they seek out the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to pray and what to pray for? He alone knows what will bring about an answer to prayer. What we need to remember is that He alone is God, and He knows His purposes for a specific time. The main failure of the church is that it has forgotten its beginning. In everything that man wants to correct, he stops and says to himself, “Wait, now what went wrong? What was it supposed to be in the beginning?” If I go back and restore the original design, it will be productive and strong again. That is the exact key to a powerful and productive church. For centuries, the church has drifted away from God’s original design. It no longer resembles itself and is lost in man’s concept of what the church should be, shaped by his own thoughts to benefit him and fill his ego. It is fragmented and does not resemble a unified body. How can we say, “If my people will pray,” and how can it ever cause the God of heaven to respond?

Then what is the answer? I can confidently tell you that the church needs to return to where it all started, IN THE UPPER ROOM! Always look to the beginning to find the right foundation. There it is. The commandment of our Savior was to go and wait until the Father sends the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He will abide in you and be your Teacher, and he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I taught you. Then tongues of fire appeared over each head of those gathered, AND THEY SPOKE IN OTHER TONGUES. That one powerful movement of God came from complete unity in prayer, prayed like no other, and started the most powerful movement this world has ever seen. The unity of prayer, submission to a command, reception of the Comforter, and willingness to receive all the gifts of the Holy Spirit cause the church to be born. 

Let me ask a simple question. Why is it that when you receive Christ as your savior, knowing that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your spirit, you do not know who he is or how important his work is to the body of Christ? Do you not realize that God lives in you, which is why you are now a spiritual being? Since God now lives in you, why are you unprepared to fight off evil temptations and succumb to sin so easily? Yes, the most important question is, “Since the Holy Spirit is there to help you mature into an effective vessel in Christ, tell me why you have failed to believe that he is ever present to fill you with himself so that you can be useful to the Father and his plan for the church.” Can you not understand that when you are in need, he is there to help? HE is the HELPER. 

Now, let me be very clear. God has given us all things, and the Holy Spirit governs all things. There are gifts and fruit that He has for you. There is power and effectiveness beyond your wildest thoughts. How can I say that to you with confidence today? Remember that God said, "Why are you amazed at these things I do? You will do these things and greater things." Let's be clear. It is not you doing these things on your own. It is the Holy Spirit in you—his gifts, His power, His effectiveness, not yours. You are the vessel; He is God. Now, hear me on this. I am not pointing to me, but to Him who makes all things possible. Through me, as His hand, He has raised the dead, not once but twice. He has healed the sick numerous times. He has delivered the oppressed, not once but many, many times. He has removed the blindness to His love in times of need, many times. He has led one to Christ, many to Christ, thousands to Christ, several times around the world. And much more. Do I brag about myself? Never. But the Holy Spirit in me has done great things. Am I special? No, no, definitely not, but I want to be ever-submitted to the Holy Spirit of promise so that I may be effective. I am no different than you. I believe that the God in me is more powerful than any preacher, theologian, or spiritual leader who tells me that all the things of the Holy Spirit are not for everyone in the body of Christ.

Everything in Christ is ours. Nothing is lacking in our lives. If you think it does not apply to you as a Christian, then you are calling God a liar, and no, He is not a man that He should lie. We are liars if we deny Him and all that He has given us to be strong. If you are tired of being a bench warmer and ineffective, surrender to the Holy Spirit. If you are tired of seeing someone in need, it is because the Holy Spirit is revealing it to you. Why? Because He knows He can solve the problem, but He needs you. Yes, you! You are saved, praise God, we all rejoice. But all of us need to get acquainted with Him who wants to make you into a warrior effective in God’s kingdom.