From the time our Savior walked this earth all the way to today, certain people have been ready to leave this sin-filled world and be with Him forever. We are the ones who have received and accepted Jesus as our Eternal Savior and are waiting for either the Rapture or our death to take place. (ESV – all emphasis is mine.)

Paul stated in Philippians 1:21-23, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better.”

For all who are saying they cannot possibly be saved because of all the evil they have done in their lifetimes, the Apostle Paul’s example speaks volumes. He spoke of his life before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 8).

In Acts 7, we’re told of the martyrdom of Stephen. When he was stoned, Saul (Paul) was there, and we’re told in Acts 8:1, “And Saul approved of his execution.” In Acts 8:3, “But Saul was ravaging the Church, and entering house to house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Many of those early Christians suffered horrible deaths because of Saul.

Going to Philippians 3:5-7, Paul testified, “Circumcised on the 8th day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” All his past was changed for him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).

Prior to Calvary, people had to put their faith and trust in our Holy Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth. His covenant was that all who were in His will, even though the pure, sinless blood sacrifice had not yet been made, would spend eternity with Him in Heaven. When Jesus shed His sin-free blood on the cross at Calvary, His gift reached back to those who were faithful and in God’s will.

When Jesus rose from the dead, our covenant was sealed. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. That’s found in Joel 2:32, which was about 400 years prior to the arrival of Jesus; Acts 2:21, where Peter affirms the scripture in Joel; and Romans 10:13 as part of the “A-B-Cs” of Salvation given by Paul.

There have been false prophets and antichrists from the beginning of Earth’s existence. Satan led the way with his deception of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). God could have destroyed Satan and the humans at that time, but His plans for us are reserved for the final judgments at the end of the millennial reign of our Savior on this earth. There will be two distinct final judgments and only two outcomes. One is Eternal Salvation and to be with Jesus forever; the other is eternal condemnation and to be in torment with Satan and his demons.

By the way, the “demons” are fallen angels who decided to follow Lucifer or Satan rather than worship the Heavenly Father who created them all. They have no pathway to forgiveness ever as they had already been in the presence of our Mighty God.

No matter what false prophets and antichrists try to have you believe, there are not “many” ways to Heaven without Jesus. The official faithful translations of the Bible are God’s instructions to us written by about 40 Holy Spirit-inspired authors (2 Samuel 23:2, 2 Timothy 3:1617, and 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Satan leads those who prefer the ways of this world rather than those who long for eternity with Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:3-4 we read, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.'”

Believers prefer 2 Peter 3:13; “But according to His promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

We can be assured that “There’s A Great Day Coming” for all who are in Christ. Will L. Thompson (1849-1901) wrote a song with that title. It’s a very basic easy to understand hymn that encourages us to get ready for our journey Home.

1.) There’s a great day coming, a great day coming; there’s a great day coming by and by. When the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left; are you ready for that day to come?

Ref) Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready for the Judgment Day? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready for the Judgment Day?

2. There’s a bright day coming, a bright day coming; there’s a bright day coming by and by. But its brightness shall only come to those who love the Lord; are you ready for that day to come? (ref)

3.) There’s a sad day coming, a sad day coming; there’s a sad day coming by and by. When the sinner shall hear his doom; “Depart, I know ye not”; are you ready for that day to come? (ref)

Two verses are absolute declarations that dispel all references made by false prophets. My chosen “life verse” is John 14:6; “And Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Second, and just as important, Peter told the religious counsel of Pharisees and Sadducees in Acts 4:12, “And there is Salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

For those of us who have been around for a while, it is obvious that this world is changing rapidly into what Jesus, Luke, Peter, John, Paul, and others described as nearing the end of this age. No one can positively state that this will take place on a certain date or at a certain time. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Right here, doubters will say that Jesus could not be God, or He would have known that information. We must remember that for our Savior’s sacrifice to be accepted by Our Heavenly Father, He would have had to become “fully human” for a time. Hebrews 2:9 is one verse that states Jesus was made lower than the angels for a little while. His obedience to the Father was complete all the way to His death on a cruel Roman cross. John 10:18 tells us Jesus did this willingly for our sakes.

Is it any wonder that all who truly receive and accept Jesus as their Savior will be given eternal life by our Heavenly Father? (Romans 10:9-13)

Likewise, all who refuse to ask Jesus for forgiveness and for Him to be their Savior will end up in the lake of fire as described in Revelation 20:11-15.

False prophet and antichrist activity is increasing in preparation for the arrival of the ultimate evil one who will be the leader of the seven-year tribulation. Rather than be totally dismayed because of the persecutions of our Great Shephard’s precious flock, we should be hopeful in anticipation of our rising up to meet Jesus in the air at any moment (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53) This has to happen before the antichrist can appear (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10).

We’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 that Our Father is patient towards us and wants no one to fail. He provides more chances than we can count, but He will not force anyone to accept His Son.

Man-made religions that will all end up in the lake of fire have many deeds that must be done, contributions made, and blindly following the humans in command. There is nothing divine about any of this.

No matter what we believe we can do on our own to gain God’s approval, Isaiah 64:6 tells us our “works are as filthy rags.” We must follow Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.”

We will have an eternity to serve and worship our Lord in whatever capacity we will be given. We will never feel insignificant or unloved in any manner, shape, or form.

The hardest part is believing it’s true. To many, it’s easier to fall for Satan’s lie that we must not believe it’s that easy as we must work for our salvation.

Our Heavenly Father will not lie or play games with us in reference to our eternity. He is our Creator, and He loves us beyond any understanding we could possibly have. All He asks is that we call out to His Son, admit we’re sinners and cannot be saved without Him (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23), and ask His forgiveness and be our Savior forever (Romans 10:13).

Once the Trumpet of God sounds and the shout comes from an archangel and all believers are taken up to meet Jesus in the air, it will be too late to call out to be in the Rapture. Paul tells us the process will be made in the “twinkling of an eye,” or less than one second.

Right now would be a good time to ask Jesus to save you forever. Read God’s letter to us (Bible), starting with John and then Romans if you’ve never read it before.

Believe and Receive; it’s about as simple as that. Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

John 14:3

“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.”

Titus 2:11-14

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”^[1] emphasis mine

The actions of those who long for the Lord’s appearing are similar to a soldier who knows the commanding officer is about to arrive. To the outsider, the soldier may seem to be fidgeting; however, the adjustments made to the uniform and demeanor are all part of the process of preparation for the arrival of someone who has authority over the soldier. Here, we will examine how we are to live while we attentively watch for the arrival of our Savior Jesus Christ, and why Paul calls His coming “Our Blessed Hope.”^[2]

Before we delve into this marvelous topic, let us deal with the elephant in the room. Some of you may be saying this is the first Sunday of Advent; are we not supposed to be sharing a message of hope and/or promise about the first coming of Jesus? Why is he preaching another end time’s message? Is he really going to talk about this again? The short answer is yes; here is why.

In His first Advent, Jesus came to earth nearly two thousand years ago as a babe whom they wrapped in swaddling clothes. He grew in wisdom and stature and ministered for the last three and a half years of His sinless life, which He willingly laid down for our salvation. After rising from the dead, He ascended to the Father in heaven, where He now makes intercession for you and me until His Second Advent. Therefore, we are to celebrate all He has done thus far while longing for “Our Blessed Hope,” the rapture, when the Father sends Jesus to retrieve His bride, the faithful “Ready Remnant^.”[3] By the way, what better way is there to focus on hope than to discuss the promise Jesus made in the upper room, “Our Blessed Hope,” which brings about the greatest change in us we will ever experience?

Being a former Drill Sergeant, I truly understand the need for reinforcement training, especially when a soldier has just learned new information. Take the topic at hand, “Our Blessed Hope.” Understanding this subject is fundamental to the success of every Christian, especially now. However, many are just learning of the rapture and Tribulation and that we receive a crown of righteousness because we long for the appearing of Jesus (2 Tim 4:8). Therefore, those who do understand that we are soon to depart must continue to teach others until they too become proficient in sharing this information with the unlearned.

Additionally, Spirit-led teachers are not interested in tickling the ears of their students, as this implies that the teacher is teaching what the student desires instead of what the Holy Spirit directs. Unfortunately, we see the results of the many voices teaching what the hearers want to hear: the church has become ineffectual because its teachings are man-centric and no longer grounded in Scripture, which is God-centric. Sadly, this is happening just when the lost need the church more than ever.

You might also ask why is this topic considered fundamental, and why are you making such a big deal out of our understanding of what time it is? The answer is simple. We must understand that the Bible affirms “Our Blessed Hope” and the fact that it is imminent. Because of this truth, we must live as though we know that we are experiencing our last moments as a church on earth. We must have our minds stayed on the Lord. Only from this position of faith can we walk with God in a world that has gone off the rails.

Now, let us more fully consider “Our Blessed Hope.”

The appearing that Paul is speaking of here in the second chapter of Titus refers to the catching away seen in Paul’s discourse to the church in Thessalonica:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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.”

“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Notice the fact that Paul is encouraging those who have lost loved ones to the ravages of time to trust in the fact that the Lord will resurrect them when He comes in the event we just referred to as the catching away. This event, more commonly referred to as the rapture, truly is “Our Blessed Hope”; for in this event, the dead in Christ rise incorruptible and we simultaneously change from corruptible to incorruptible, mortal to immortal. This means that the moment the rapture takes place, we along with the risen, formerly dead in Christ, are forever free from sin, sickness, death, and/or pain, or anything else that beleaguers us now. Wow, with this knowledge, we can clearly see this event as “Our Blessed Hope.” Here is the passage that teaches us of this glorious change:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Paul again ties our need for right living and working for the Lord, which stems from our expectation of His soon return, to the verses that cite our ultimate glorification. Here, he calls for the believer’s steadfastness coupled with unwavering faith that manifests in bountiful good works done unto the Lord. Simply put, we must continually be about the Father’s business once we come to know Jesus. Some might think this too demanding. However, the Lord encourages us to do all things as unto Him (Col 3:23). This means whatever we do, we are to be mindful of the Lord when doing it. In other words, we should do everything in a manner that pleases God. By the way, we must keep this attitude until our last breath so that we may be overcomers. ^[4]

Before concluding, let us briefly examine one final point. Isaiah speaks of the future coming of the Lord in Isaiah chapter 40. After magnifying the Lord and describing the insufficiency of man, Isaiah gives us the key to our success as last-days servants of the most High God:

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Clearly, waiting upon the Lord is the only way to live, especially in these dark days. This is because the Lord keeps those who trust in Him, those who are continually mindful of Him… in perfect peace:

Isaiah 26:3

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

We will discuss this peace in detail next week as we celebrate our second week of Advent.

Thank God for sending His Only Begotten Son, also referred to as the Prince of Peace, whose willing sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension provided the faithful a tremendous hope that Scripture calls “Our Blessed Hope.”

Conclusion

Understanding that “Our Blessed Hope” is real brings great peace to those of us who embrace the fact that even though what happens next is out of our control, God is able to perform that which He has promised us. Further, God has provided direction for us “While We Wait.”^[5] He has told us to “Watch – Warn – and Win Souls”^[6] until He calls us home. Additionally, great joy comes from knowing that our precious loved ones who died in Christ will rise incorruptible to meet us in the air in our changed bodies as we all meet Jesus face to face for the first time.

***Special Message***

It is vital that we persevere in our mission to share the gospel of Christ to anyone the Lord places in front of us. Above all, remember, we must not engage the enemy or attempt to engage in evangelism in our own power, for it is only in the Lord that we can succeed in these endeavors. After all, Scripture tells us that we can do all things through Christ, which strengthens us (Phil 4:13). With this knowledge, after dawning the full armor of God, go forth and “Be – Salt and Light,” ^[7] as good “Soldiers of the Way.” ^[8]

Website: In His Commission

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[1]”Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”

[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “Only the Ready are Raptured.”

[3] For greater understanding, see the web page, “Ready Remnant.”

[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “Help Us Lord – To Overcome.”

[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “While We Wait.”

[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “Watch – Warn – and Win Souls.”

[7] For greater understanding, see the article, “Be – Salt and Light.”

[8] For greater understanding, see the article, “Soldiers of the Way.”