-By Marie Jon
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” — Matthew 24:42
While trying to make sense of our world’s current political and social disarray, many are led to believe that something extraordinary is about to happen. We could use some good news for a change.
The Second Coming of our Savior is imminent. The signs are all around us. America’s life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are quickly eroding. It makes people tremble in righteous indignation. Our country is being transformed by those who wish her ill.
Read the headlines. Take note of the times we live in. We’ve become a weakened nation and have forsaken many of our allies such as Israel, Poland, and the Czech Republic. All we hear are discouraging, distorted words about the land that we love. There is no way to express the needless stress that this president and his administration have heaped upon America and its people. He is negligent when it comes to his reckless foreign and domestic polices.
For the very first time in history, man has the capability to wipe the inhabitants of the earth out of existence in a matter of minutes with nuclear weapons. However, there is an Almighty Father in heaven who will not allow this to happen. He alone will destroy the earth. When the wicked arrogance of man finally oversteps its bounds, Christ will return:
“When the nations got angry, you became angry too! Now the time has come for the dead to be judged. It is time for you to reward your servants the prophets and all of your people who honor your name, no matter who they are. It is time to destroy everyone who has destroyed the earth” (Revelation 11:18).
Words of prophecy
God does not want us to be confused concerning the last days. He points to the ancient prophecies with great urgency. Too often, uncomfortable disagreements arise that lead to verbal contention regarding the Second Coming. According to the Bible, Christ’s return is the “blessed hope.” That hope should bring all Christians together in unity. Unfortunately, through the many centuries, theologians have developed conflicting ideas about Christ’s return. At times, we ourselves have defended our differences to the extreme.
One believer will say it’s supposed to happen one way, and yet another person will say says it’s supposed to happen another way. The discussion can get a bit argumentative.
Recently, I was corresponding with a person who reads my articles. He knew I was both a religious and a political writer. He went on to exclaim that he and his son had been talking about the Second Coming. He wrote to tell me of their disagreement. His son said it’s going to happen this one way, while the father said it’s going to happen another way. Their discussion was not surprising. He was writing to ask me if I could help them out.
As the world situation becomes tenser, a lot of people are beginning to sense that it’s no longer business as usual. It is time to turn to the truth and draw strength from it. Our world is in a very tenuous position that is no longer sustainable without God’s intervention. Get down on your knees and humbly pray, America.
No matter our differences, we can all understand beyond a shadow of a doubt that His return draws closer with each and every passing day. Christians are sensing it with intensity.
God’s final analysis
Jesus will literally come back as He has promised. For He alone provides us a way of escape. The Lord has commanded us to occupy until he comes. As good citizens, we continue to fight back the beginning of our sorrows — tyranny. However, there comes a time when God will say “enough,” and will no longer wink at a nation’s excessive, intolerable sins.
Every day, arrange your life with God’s will in mind. Pray for your family so that they too are ready to meet the Lord in the air. This world has not been our home since the fall, when sin set in motion a constant battle between good and evil.
When discussing the many theories about the Savior’s return, our heavenly Father gives us His final analysis. You’ll find it written in the Bible.
I’ve heard some say that the Second Coming is nothing more than a frame of mind, sort of symbolic and allegorical. Rather than embrace God’s Word, man wants to paint a picture of a benevolent golden age that comes when the human race solves all of its fifty million problems. Then maybe mankind will finally live in a man-made utopia. Sorry, it may sound comforting to some, but it is not what the Bible teaches.
There are those who say that the Second Coming is an awakening within the heart. It is a religious, spiritual, experience. And again, that sounds sort of OK, but it’s not written in God’s Word.
Others believe that when you die defines the Second Coming. In a way, that is kind of true, because when you die, you’re out of time. The very next thing you’ll know is that you will be standing before the Savior. But that is not what Jesus was talking about when He promised to return.
The manner of Jesus’ return
Christ said when He returns, “every eye” shall see him. In the Book of Acts, before Jesus is about to return to heaven, He had some very important parting words for His disciples. He said, “Go tell the world what I’ve done, and then I’ll come back for you.” At that point, Jesus rose up into heaven. The disciples watched Him disappear into a cloud.
Here is where Christians need to pay careful attention to what happens next. In Acts, chapter one, it says: “While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.”
The angels said, “Listen, that very same Jesus you saw go up into heaven is going to come back the same way you saw Him go” (Acts 1:10-11).
There is a particular account found in the New Testament Book of Luke that pertains. After Jesus had risen from the dead, Christ appears to the disciples. Even though He told them that He would come back from the dead, some of the disciples were still afraid:
“And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:38-39).
When Jesus came out of the grave, He appeared as a human being. He was not some sort of a spirit or ghost. The Bible says when Jesus came out of the grave, He had a real, physical, human body. The Lord had a glorified body.
And He said to the disciples, “Look, why don’t you come and touch me? I’m real.” He asked for something to eat. Our Lord ate food, just like any other real person. We need to take stock and think about what this represents for us.
The same Jesus who ate fish and sweet honey with His friends is the same One who will definitely keep His Word. When you think about it carefully, that is awesome. It means that Christ has taken on a human form for all eternity. Jesus went back to heaven as a human being, and the Bible says that this same Jesus is coming back to reward His family and abide with us forever.
All will see and hear
Study God’s Word and prove your readiness. The groom is coming to take His bride. And like any wedding celebration, those tin cans will be tied behind the newlyweds’ car. There will be plenty of honking of horns. Yes, weddings are always noticed. Those who have turned down the gracious invitation will not miss the groom’s appearance.
In Revelation one, verse seven, it reads: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.” Many Christians have looked at this passage and said: “I know the Word says that every eye is going to see Jesus, but that actually means only Christians who see Jesus when He comes.”
Yet the verse has no qualifiers. It simply says that “every eye will see Him.” When you compare what the scriptures say in Matthew 24, verse 30, it is very clear that it doesn’t only mean Christians:
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
God says that all the tribes of the earth will see Him. In the Book of Matthew, it says: “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27).
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31).
When Jesus comes, there will be a great sound of a trumpet, not some little quiet bugle call. In First Thessalonians, chapter four, you’ll read that the noise is actually loud enough to wake the dead. His return will be no secret:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
The truth is that everyone will see and hear the pageantry of this astounding event. Yes, with a shout, and a loud trumpet blast. Christ’s coming will be stunningly glorious. When I read Psalm 50, joy fills my heart, and it is well with my soul:
“Our God shall come and shall not keep silent. A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him” (Psalm 50:3). This earth-shaking, life-changing event is expressed in these words: “And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Revelation 6:14).
The most splendid sight in history
No one will miss the Second Coming when it happens. Not even the wicked. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father, with His angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). The Bible says that the Son of Man will come with “the glory of His Father.” That’s something so brilliant, so glorious, that human eyes will scarcely be able to take it in. The Bible also tells us that the angels will be with Him.
In fact, the Bible says in Matthew 25:31: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, . . . all the holy angels [will be] with Him.“ When Jesus comes, He comes with all the Holy angels. In the Book of Revelation, chapter five, John has a vision of heaven while lingering in prison on the isle of Patmos:
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11).
God says billions of angels will appear with our Savior. This event is going to be the most splendid sight ever seen in the history of our universe. However, here is the “last warning” mankind will receive from the everlasting most Holy Father God and Creator:
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Revelation 22:11-12)
The die is cast
When Jesus comes, the die is already cast. Those who are wicked will remain that way forever, and those who are righteous are going to be righteous forever.
According to the scriptures, there will be no more chances to change one’s mind. Your destiny is settled. If you have rejected God’s love at that point, you will not be able to accept it. If you have ignored that still small voice that is telling you to get things right with God, you won’t have another opportunity. Those who are unjust, says Jesus, will remain unjust forever.
But those who are wise, and have accepted Christ, and are washed in the blood of the lamb are secure forever, and that will never change. Those who accepted God’s free gift of salvation will never again face pain and suffering, or have to deal with the consequences of living in a sinful world.
When Jesus comes, there will only be two kinds of people on this planet to contend with. Today, we are divided into all kinds of different groups. Big government, with its Census Bureau, tends to divide human beings by nationality, by ethnicity, by language, by political beliefs. But when the end comes, there will only be two groups that matter.
One group sees Jesus coming, and they don’t want it and they will reject Him. The Bible says in Revelation 6:14: “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place, and the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”’
For me and many others, that is one of the most tragic passages in the Bible. People have heard all their lives that Jesus would come, and yet they choose to put off their repentance, or they turn away and ignore Him.
Choose you this day . . .
Imagine this scene if you will. That moment finally arrives. The throngs of people hear a sound, and they look up, and they see Jesus coming. It’s then that they realize what was squandered away. Because God is love, they were given every opportunity possible. Aware of the power of the Holy Spirit and the witness of others, still these individuals chose destruction when they could have had eternal life.
The good news is you don’t have to be separated from the One who loves you. There is better way. Those who love God and keep His Commandments written on their hearts will not cry in fear, rather they cry out with joy and excitement:
“It will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).
Just think about it, there are more than 2,500 scriptures that make reference to Christ’s return. Prophecy after prophecy has already been fulfilled. That’s amazing! When Jesus comes in the clouds of glory, I hope you’re planning to be ready.
Without a doubt, there will be a celebration of the fact that the blood of Jesus has bought us an eternity with Him. Then the biggest and happiest reunion in history begins.
Please don’t be fooled or deceived any longer. Take God at His Word. He is giving us plenty of warning signs. Christ is coming again.
Song: We are all Children of our Father in Heaven. Christ is the way back
What America needs — if it is to survive in liberty — is a surge in citizen activism unlike anything our nation has ever before seen.
The success of such a grassroots movement will depend on how much individual citizens are willing to do their part to return our country to divinely-inspired principles of self-governance — those principles outlined by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and those validated by common sense and biblical teaching as self-evidently true.
If you feel you need to “wait for instructions,” or otherwise depend on others — especially those in positions of leadership — to guide and assist you, our country will not survive these perilous times. You must act as though the future of our country depends on you alone, for in a very real sense it does. It depends on the creative, responsible, exemplary initiative of yourself and those you inspire to similar patriotism.
Here are suggestions for helping to make a difference in the future of our country.
- Live right.
The single most important thing you can do for your country is to set an example of outward and inward commitment to godly living. Be the kind of person God can work through to save our nation.
If you have yet to do so, determine with all your heart to yield your will completely to God “as a little child” (Matt. 18:3-4) and allow Him to change you according to His will and design for you — so that thereby you might truly fulfill your divine “mission” in life; so that you might be fully open to His guidance and influence; and so that you might be submissive to whatever challenges or tasks He desires of you. After yielding your will in this manner, and thus becoming truly born again according to the scriptural pattern (see John 3:1-8; Acts 1:1-9, 2:1-47; and Heb. 8:6-13), then work continuously on developing the godly self-discipline needed to please Him in all you do, and strive to overcome anything in your character that contradicts His precepts for godly, self-sacrificing, compassionate living.Be a true Christian in both word and deed, and continually strive to become a better one — one who inspires others to live by a higher standard than they may be accustomed.
Never underestimate the power of righteous example — and be that kind of example!
One thing is reasonably certain: If enough Americans live worthy of God’s intervention and miracles in their lives, and inspire enough people around them to strive with all their hearts to do likewise — then according to biblical principles and teachings, God will spare our country, no matter what evils confront it. (See 2 Chron. 7:14 and Isaiah 60:12.)
On such a scripture-based promise, we can all wisely depend.
- Take bold, appropriate action.
If — in a very real sense — our nation’s future depends on you alone (and on similar patriots you inspire), don’t simply be a spectator who watches others do courageous, remarkable things. Do them yourself! Lead out!
The evils confronting America have never been more threatening, insidious, or powerful — and your country therefore needs your activism more than ever before. Stand up and make a difference!
What should you do? If you’re living in harmony with God’s will, you’ll know. You won’t need “that any man teach you” (see 1 John 2:20-29), but will know in your heart by His Spirit what He wants you to do — and you will have His power and authority to sustain and multiply your efforts. (See Acts 10:34-38 and Matt. 7:29.) You won’t need to rely on others to guide or direct you, but will be reliant on God alone to know and do His will.
By your leadership, you will inspire others to do likewise in their own sphere and in their own way, as God directs them.
- Consider the possibility that God might want you to:
- Submit frequent letters to editors.
Testify at public hearings.
- Hold regular gatherings in your home or community to discuss and promote the cause of liberty.
- Volunteer to work in a political campaign, at any level, for any worthy purpose.
- Widely distribute signs for a cause or a candidate.
- Lead — or get involved in — a worthy petition drive.
- Organize a rally, large or small, to publicize an urgent issue or cause.
- Contact your local paper and offer to be interviewed regarding a public question or concern you have vital knowledge of.
- Pick up the phone and share your views on talk radio — or if you have the skills and opportunity, create your own radio or internet talk show.
- Create a blog.
- Found a website.
- Write and publish a regular column — or even a book.
- Get actively involved in a major (or possibly a “third”) political party in your state or the nation.
- Run for local — or higher — public office.
- Sign the Pledge for America’s Revival — and invite others to do the same.
- Participate in the Discussion Board at AmericasRevival.com, and support similar discussion forums on the web.
- Help organize your state or local area in the cause of taking back our country. (Consider getting involved in the State Activism section at AmericasRevival.com.)
- Inform yourself. “Zeal without knowledge” (see Rom. 10:2-3) will not save our country. Become acquainted with reliable, principled websites, blogs, publications, books, speakers, organizations, and other praiseworthy sources for information regarding the needs of our country and the solutions to those needs. Sign up to receive helpful newsletters and alerts.
A good place to start informing yourself would be to study essential documents that describe our nation’s founding principles.
- Work on your “people skills.” By this, we mean your ability to strengthen and influence others for good — so they might be persuaded to take independent action — not your ability to “use” others for your own ends, as some might think. Respect the worth, dignity, and free will of each individual as you seek to assist them in fulfilling their duty as citizens.
- Work on your communicative skills. “Politics is communication,” to a large extent. Become the kind of communicator God can use for His purposes. Meaningful communication requires practice, experience, wisdom, and the operation of God’s Spirit in effectively informing real people in real situations. This applies equally to both spoken and written communication.
- Turn your skills and resources mainly to saving our country — above any other purpose beyond your own salvation and the well-being of your family — and rely on God to give you the practical means to do so.
- Expect adversity.
Just as our Founders — or other great figures in history — suffered considerable adversity and personal hardship for their principled allegiance to the will of God, you too can expect adversity as you stand forth in the cause of reclaiming America. “No good deed ever goes unpunished,” as the saying goes.
This will likely prove true the more you become a significant player in our country’s future, as the Adversary will predictably seek to destroy your efforts — and as God Himself may undertake to try you, to test the depth of your commitment to His will.
Of course, not all adversity comes from outside sources — since we often bring it upon ourselves by our imperfect nature. But it helps to bear in mind that, no matter the source of our difficulties and challenges, a wise Father can help us deal successfully and productively with all our struggles, provided we rely on Him, and not upon our own wisdom or strength.
- Don’t give up.
If you persist in well-doing, relying on God to bless and sustain you against all odds and the hardships you can expect to encounter, you will emerge victorious over the forces of evil that confront our country, and you will be a beacon of reason and righteousness, and thus a tangible inspiration, to those around you.That’s all anyone can expect of another in the cause of reclaiming our republic. If enough of us catch the vision of such selfless grassroots activism, and spread it infectiously to others, we will succeed in preserving the “blessings of liberty [not only] to ourselves [but to] our posterity.” (See Preamble, U.S. Constitution.)
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Marie Jon is a political/religious-based writer. She is the founder of www.DrawingClose.org/ — a sister website to RenewAmerica. Marie extends her hand of welcome. Come visit her website and receive your free gift of salvation by taking an on line Bible study. She personally invites you to join Christians from all over the world by becoming a free member of GOD Fellowship http://www.gofellowship.com/. The site is a nondenominational gathering of believers.
Marie’s writings have appeared on many sites, including The New Media Journal, ChronWatch, and Commonconservative, to name a few. She is a regular columnist for Capitolhillcoffeehouse, The Daley Times Post, RenewAmerica, The Conservative Voice, Newsbull, GreatAmericanJournal.com, Radiofreewesthartford.com, Greatmindsthinkright.com and Conservativecrusader.com.
Marie brings a refreshing and spirited point of view that is reflected in her writings, as well as a genuine and spiritual opinion regarding God and his teachings. Marie is a practicing Christian, a nurse, a student of the Bible, and a patriot. Many of Marie’s articles are a reflection of her great admiration for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is an advocate for the troops, as well as the Blue and Gold Star Mothers of America, and their families. Marie has appeared as a guest with political talk show host Bruce Elliott on WBAL-1090 AM. Saturdays 5AM-9AM EST http://www.wbal.com/shows/elliott/
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