Pearly Gates and Street of Gold

A man dies and goes to heaven.  After walking on the street of gold, he now stands in front of the Pearly Gates where St. Peter is waiting. 
St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it to heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I´ll give you a equivalent number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."  
"Okay, that sounds fair" the man says, "How about this, I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."   
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth 1 point!"   
"One point? Are you serious?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life, been part of home groups and I supported its ministry with my tithe and service."  
"Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth another point."  
"One point again? Oh my! How about this: I started a mission project in the mountains and also worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."  
"Fantastic, that's good for one more point," he says.  
"One more point?" the man cries, "I´m running out of good works.  At this rate, I won´t make it.  The only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" 
St.  Peter said "You got it, come on in!"

I´m sure you’ve heard of lots of stories about the Pearly Gates.  A person dies, he goes to heaven.  He meets St. Peter, so he either lets the person through the gates and into heaven, or he sends the person to hell.  I think we have covered several topics about eschatology and I am sure a lot of you now understand that the popular understanding about heaven is not exactly how the Bible describes it. 

After Final Battle, the next major event is the Great White Throne (GWT) Judgement.  All those in hell will be brought forth to face final judgement.  All the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected and stand before God.  The Bible tells us that the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Those whose name was not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire and they will be tormented there for eternity.

The Great White Throne judgement is something that we cannot even imagine or think of happening.  But this is a real event.  Since the history of man, we´ve seen how corrupt, how disobedient and how man has rejected God.  It´s just unimaginable to even think of any person we know who can be judged at the Great White Throne.   I thank God, the Revelation to the Apostle John did not end in a negative note.  He saw the final scene of God´s revelation which is something so beautiful for those who have surrendered their lives to Christ.   

The Bible is God´s Word. Isaiah 40:8 says “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."

After the completion of all these end-time events, the heavens and the earth as we know it, will pass away and will be changed by the Lord with something new.  How blessed we are that God is already showing us what´s going to happen in the future.  The Bible has mentioned so many times that this world is not our home. This body we live in is not a permanent body.  This world, this body is like a tent.  We are just using it on a temporary basis.   The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  God does not want us to feel at home in this world because he is going to change this world anyway.  If we become so attached in this world, we may not enjoy the new one that He is preparing for us.  We cannot put our trust on something that is temporary or something that will not last long, Amen? Psalm 20:7 tells us that “some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Who do you put your trust into?  Is it in your own abilities?  Your savings account?  Who do you put your trust into? Is it in your own strength?  

1. It is wiser to trust Jesus because everything else in this world is temporary.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35

This is the first point that I would like for everyone here in this room to understand.  Everything around us will disappear.  Everything around us will be destroyed.  Our mindset should be like that of a tourist or a stranger or a camper here on Earth. We´re not citizens here.  We´re not even permanent residents because our citizenship is somewhere else.  This is not our permanent home. We are here in the meantime.  We are here for the time being. We are here as ambassadors representing Christ, and we are supposed to tell people about who we are representing.  One day, God will call us home. He does not expect us to eventually change our citizenship and stay here forever.  

It read a story about a missionary named Henry Morrison.  After forty years of being a missionary to Africa, Henry and his wife returns to New York for retirement because of old age.  
As their ship neared the dock, Henry saw the crowd waving to them and he said to his wife, “Look at that crowd.  They haven't forgotten about us”.  Unknown to Henry, the ship also carried President Teddy Roosevelt, returning from a big hunting trip in Africa.  As the president stepped from the boat, with great fanfare, as people were cheering, flags were waving, bands were playing, and reporters waiting for his comment, Henry and his wife slowly walked away unnoticed.  They hailed a cab, which took them to the one-bedroom apartment which had been provided by the mission board. 

Over the next few weeks, Henry tried, to put the incident behind him.  One evening, Henry said to his wife, “This is all wrong.  The president comes back from a hunting trip and everybody throws a big party.  We give our lives in faithful service to God for all these many years, but no one seems to care.”  His wife cautioned him that he should not feel this way.  Henry replied “I know you're right, but I just can't help it.  It isn't right.”

His wife then said, “Henry, you know God doesn't mind if we honestly question Him.  You need to tell this to the Lord in prayer.   Henry then went to his bedroom, got down on his knees and, began pouring out his heart to the Lord.  “Lord, you know our situation and what's troubling me.  We gladly served you faithfully for years without complaining.  But now God, I just can't get this incident out of my mind...”   When he was about to finish prayer, he felt something like a hand on his shoulder and a still small voice from the Lord saying, 'But Henry, you are not home yet!'”
God knows that whatever we do here on Earth, we´ll never be completely happy or satisfied because we´re not supposed to, because we are not home yet. The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation gives us a clear and vivid picture of what this new home looks like.  

2.  This world is not our home.  God will do an “extreme make-over” and we must look forward to the new heavens and new earth. 
“… for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea”  Revelation 21:1
At this point, the recorded history of man as we know it is at its end.  Christ has gathered His saints during the Rapture. (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). The Tribulation has passed (Revelation 6—18).  The battle of Armageddon has been fought and won by our Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:17–21). 
Satan has been chained for the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth (Revelation 20:1–3). 
The Final Battle has happened and everyone who turned against God has been defeated, and Satan has received his just punishment, an eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7–10.) 
The Great White Throne Judgment has taken place, and mankind has been judged (Revelation 20:11–15).
In Revelation 21:1 God does a complete make-over of heaven and earth. 

3.  The New Earth will be heaven.  This is where God and His people will dwell for eternity.
“God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  Revelation 21:3

The new heaven and new earth are what some people call the “eternal state” which we will be discussing later.  So just to be a bit technical about it, the new heaven and the new earth refers to a new earth with heaven meaning the new atmosphere and most likely a new universe or space around it.  We also defined heaven as the abode of God Almighty and since God will reside on this New Earth with His people for eternity, the new Earth is therefore heaven in the sense that God will dwell on it.  There is a specific place or city in this New Earth where God and His people will live.  It´s called the New Jerusalem.  

God shows a glimpse of the New Jerusalem to John in his vision.  In verse two,  “The Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”   It´s funny because the Bible did not say God has just created the New Jerusalem.   It was described as just coming down which could mean that it has already been prepared even before that time.

Well, Jesus said something about this in John 14:3.  He said He will go and prepare a place for us.  Isn´t it a great comfort knowing that He could be preparing this place at this very moment? The New Jerusalem is a city located in this new earth. 
The New Jerusalem
This is where God will dwell with His people forever.

The New Jerusalem is also called the Tabernacle of God, the Holy City, the City of God, the Celestial City or the Foursquare.  This is where God will dwell with His people forever.  
It´s a place of TWELVES as we have read in Revelation 21. 
There will be twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. The twelve gates are actually twelve pearls and on these gates were written the twelve tribes of Israel. 
It has twelve foundations, bearing the names of the twelve apostles. 
The New Jerusalem will be huge. John records that the city is twelve thousand furlongs or stadia which is nearly 1,400 miles long, and it is as wide and as high as it is long—it is a perfect cube.
You know, I can probably imagine a city 1,400 miles long but it blows my mind to know that the New Jerusalem is also 1,400 miles high.

The city will be dazzling in every way. 
It has twelve pearly gates and a great street of gold as pure as transparent glass.  
It is lighted by the glory of God and the New Jerusalem will be a place of unimaginable blessing. 
There is one other thing that catches my attention about the New Jerusalem. We will get to see the Tree of Life again, for it stands in the middle of the New Jerusalem, where it bears “twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  Access to the tree of life will be reinstated, and darkness will be forever banished (verse 5). Eden will be restored. 

Before I conclude, let me discuss something very important with you. I would like to explain:

The “intermediate state” is a theological concept that speculates regarding the kind body that believers have in heaven, if any, while they await for their physical bodies to be resurrected. 

The Bible is clear that when a believer dies, his is with the Lord.  The Bible also makes it clear that the resurrection of believers has not yet occurred, meaning that the bodies of deceased believers are still in the grave.  The first batch of believers receiving their glorified bodies will be during the Rapture. So, the question of the intermediate state is whether believers in heaven are given temporary physical bodies while in heaven, or whether believers in heaven exist in a spiritual or non-corporeal form until the resurrection.

Well, the Bible does not give a great amount of detail regarding the intermediate state. The only Scripture that specifically, but indirectly, speaks about this issue is, you may want to take note or turn your Bibles to, Revelation 6:9 which says  “… I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.” 
The word “soul” in this verse comes from the Greek word “pseuche” (pronounced PSOOKHAY) which means “the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death.” 

In this specific verse, God gave the Apostle John a vision of those who will be killed because of their faith during the end times. In this vision those believers who had been killed are under God’s altar in heaven and are described as “souls.” So, from this one verse, the biblical answer for the intermediate state is that it would seem that believers in heaven NOW are in spiritual/non-corporeal form until the resurrection. 
But even if deceased believers are in spiritual form, I believe they can feel “comfort” from the Lord because of His presence and this was explained by Jesus´ story about the Rich Man and Lazarus. When a believer dies, we are not like Casper the Friendly Ghost who are just in limbo who looks like a marshmallow.  

Listen to this. This is very important.  Currently, heaven is a spiritual place. Therefore, it seems that there is no need for temporary physical body if we die today because we will go to a spiritual heaven. Whatever the intermediate state is, we can rest assured that believers in heaven are perfectly content, enjoying the glories of heaven and worshipping the majesty of the Lord. 
The new heaven that ultimately awaits believers is the New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 21, specifically the New Jerusalem.   This time, heaven will indeed be a physical place. Our physical bodies will be resurrected and glorified, God will make it perfectly fit for eternity on the New Earth. It is called our ETERNAL STATE.

The eternal dwelling place of believers will be the new earth. The new earth is the “heaven” on which we will spend eternity. It is on the new earth where the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, will be located. Heaven—which is the new earth—is a physical place where we will dwell with glorified physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). The heaven that believers will experience will be a new and perfect planet on which we will dwell. It will likely be similar to our current earth, or perhaps even a re-creation of our current earth, but without the curse of sin.

FINAL THOUGHTS

  
In the new earth, there will be no more sin, no more evil, no more sickness, no more suffering, and no more death. 
If we say the Heaven is the New Earth because this is where God will dwell along with His people, what about the New Heavens because the Bible says “new heaven and new earth.”  It is important to remember that in the ancient mind, “heavens” also referred to the skies and outer space.
So, when Revelation 21:1 refers to the new heavens, it is likely indicating that the entire universe will be recreated—a new earth, new skies, a new outer space.  

So the idea of  “pearly gates” in heaven is based on a reference in the book of Revelation describing the twelve gates of New Jerusalem. It is yet to come. In popular culture, the “pearly gates” are thought of as the entrance to heaven, but Revelation shows the gates as belonging to the New Jerusalem. This city is not exactly synonymous with what we know as “heaven” at this very moment. The Bible says the pearly gates will always be open: they “will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there” (Revelation 21:22–25). 

There is only one passage of Scripture that mentions a great street of gold and it is as pure as transparent glass, in Revelation 21:21. So does this verse tell us that there will literally be streets of gold in heaven? And, if so, what is the importance or significance of a literal street of gold? The Greek word translated “gold” is chrusion, which can mean “gold, gold jewelry, or overlay” so it´s literal. There will be a street of gold in the New Jerusalem.  But why does God want us to know something so detailed like a street of gold?

In eternity, we will not be focused on earthly treasures anymore. While man pursues treasures like gold on earth, one day it will simply be no more than a pavement for the believer in heaven. No matter how many precious jewels or materials make up the physical construction of heaven, nothing will ever be of greater value than the God who loves us and died to save us and we shall be with Him forevermore.
Christmas is coming.  If you have not yet fully trusted Christ as your Savior, then I urge you think about it and receive Him in your life.  The pearly gates will be entered by God´s people ONLY and “Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Prayer:

Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:  

Father God, I confess all my sins to you today.  Please forgive me.  Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ.  I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord.  May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, I pray.    Amen.

The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Maple Ridge during its Sunday service on  November 26, 2017

References:

1. Revelation of Jesus Christ by John F. Walvoord

2. Bible Study Tools.com 

3. Gotquestions.org

I apologise if there are grammatical and spelling errors. I also apologise if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any,  as it is purely unintentional.

If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:  www.wordchristiancommunity.com

The Millennial Reign of Christ

In the first chapter of the book of Acts just before Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, the disciples asked him “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).  The people of Israel who are waiting for the Messiah also longed through the ages for the kingdom that the Messiah will establish here on Earth.  This is one of the reasons why most Jews dismissed the reality that Jesus is the Messiah as He sorts of “fall below their expectations” when He did not set up the kingdom they were expecting, at least not yet.

The title of our message  is The Millennial Reign of Christ.  If you notice this picture I have on the slide, is there something odd?  Something is not quite right on this picture? Can you tell me what it is?  YES!  The lion is hanging out with the lamb.  In reality this lamb cannot hang out for a few seconds with the great lion, this poor lamb will be devoured by this lion.  But this picture is a picture of reality… a reality that is to come. 

Isaiah 11:6 to 8 tells us
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 
9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The prophet Isaiah was talking about a time on earth when these things will become a reality… that time is called The Millennial Reign of Christ. 

The song Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts in 1719 and it became the most popular Christmas Carol of all time. We´re not going to go through the song but what´s interesting is – this song was written in reference to the Second Coming and the Millennial Kingdom. 
This song and Bible verse talk about CHRISTMAS
and The Millennial Reign of Christ!

Scholars agree that the first part of Isaiah 9:6 talks about the birth of Christ, but actually the second part is talking about His Millennial reign.  

Let´s just quickly look at our Eschatological Timeline:

Church age starts from Pentecost until the Rapture.  Then it will be followed by the 7-Year Tribulation simultaneous with events happening in Heaven such as the Bema Judgement. The 2nd coming culminates the Tribulation Period with the Battle of Armageddon and we now move to one of the most interesting event in the end times.  

Let us read from REVELATION 20:1-7

I think the major debate in the study of the Millennial Kingdom is whether it has to be interpreted literally or figuratively.  A good approach to study the Book of Revelation is by applying good Hermeneutics -- which is the science of interpreting Scriptures.  One principle of good Hermeneutics is to interpret the Bible literally or take the plain meaning of the text at face value. When the literal meaning does not make sense, you probably have a figure of speech. For example, Isaiah 55:12 states the trees of the field will clap their hands. Since trees do not have hands to clap this must be a figure of speech. 

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT:

What kind of test is there in the Millennium? Who shall be tested? I thought the Millennium is a perfect world, imagine Christ is reigning as King and His adversary is chained in the Abyss.  What could possibly go wrong?  Hopefully we can answer these questions later on.

It is also of prime importance that we first understand the resurrections and how many are there.  

The first resurrection that we need to understand was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a very important doctrine in Christianity. All of the four Gospels collaborated on the fact that Christ raised from the dead.  It was cited several times in Acts and repeatedly mentioned in the letters to the churches especially by Peter and Paul.  Paul recorded that over five hundred people saw Him in His resurrection appearances. To convince any judge or jury even during our time today, usually you only need one or two witnesses. Christ´s  resurrection has more than five hundred witnesses. His resurrection is the "first fruit." A first fruit is a guarantee of something big that is to come.  Christ resurrection is the guarantee to every Christian that he will also be resurrected.  The Apostle Paul wrote that “if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile, those died in Christ are lost, and we, of all people, are most to be pitied.”  To me the most important evidence of resurrection was the changed lives of Jesus´ disciples.  After Jesus died on the cross, they were all hiding in fear, they were hunted like wild animals. But later on, you see them coming out in the open.   Peter boldly preached to a multitude where 3,000 people came to Christ.  The only single event that has happened after Christ died on the cross was His resurrection. I don’t think the early disciples of Christ will die for something that is a hoax or something that is not true.  Praise God for the resurrection of Christ! 

The first great resurrection of believers will occur at the time of the rapture. Those who placed their trust in Jesus during the Church Age, and have died will be resurrected at the Rapture.  The Church Age began on the Day of Pentecost and will end when Christ returns to take believers back to heaven with Him.  We learned during our sermon on the Rapture that not all Christians will die, but all will be changed. Christians who are alive when Rapture happens, and those who have already died, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him always!

Another great resurrection of believers will happen during Christ Second Coming after the Seven Year Tribulation culminated by the Battle of Armageddon.  Millions of people will be left behind after the Rapture and some of them will accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord although it will be very tragic as they will have to pay it with their lives. The believers who will die during Tribulation will be resurrected at Christ´s Second Coming.   Old Testament believers such as Job, Noah, King David and even John the Baptist (who was killed before the Church began) will be resurrected at this time also. 

There may be another resurrection of believers at the end of the Millennium, which is implied as it was not stated in Scripture. There will be believers entering the Millennium in their physical bodies and also there will be people born during the Millennium who will trust Jesus.  Although Isaiah tells us that natural people in the Millennium would last for more than a hundred years old, they are still mortal and may experience physical death.  This resurrection of believers is implied to happen before the Great White Throne judgement.

All these resurrection of believers are called in the Bible the first resurrection.  The second resurrection pertains to unbelievers.

The final resurrection will be for the unbelieving dead of all ages. Jesus Christ will raise them from the dead after the Millennium.  The Apostle John saw a "great white throne" where Jesus will judge all unbelievers.  They will be resurrected, yes, they will possess bodies that can feel pain but will never end,  they will be judged and will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.
The Millennial Kingdom is clearly discussed in Revelation 20.  The doctrine of the Millennium has generated significant controversy throughout Church history.   Basically 3 major views have been held by various scholars of Scripture.

Premillennialism is a belief on a literal 1,000 years that Christ will reign here on Earth.  I am a premillennialist and so are the rest of the  pastors of WCCC. Premillennialists are sometimes are referred to as chiliasts.  The word “chiliasm” comes from the Greek word “chilioi” meaning “a thousand.”   Premillennialism was the dominant view in the early church.  Among those who held this view are:  Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Chuck Swindoll, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, John Walvoord, Billy Graham and Charles Stanley.

A-millennialism means no millennium.  In fairness to a-millennialists, they believe in millennium but it´s not a literal millennium.  Instead, they believe that Christ is now sitting on the throne of David and that this present church age is the kingdom over which Christ reigns.  This view has been held by Origen, Augustine, Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin and a few modern era preachers like R.C. Sproul and Hendriksen.  The Roman Catholic Church also supports this view.  The problem with this view is that the Bible is very explicit on what to expect during the Millennium.  I read a verse to you in Isaiah which describes how the world will be changed, including how wild animals behave among each other.

Post-millennialism is a belief that the Church will usher God´s kingdom into a utopian, Christianized condition here on Earth through successful preaching of the gospel.  

But this is a bit difficult to accept because I don’t think this world is getting better… I think this world is getting worse.  With all these natural disasters and terrorist attacks,  senseless killing in Las Vegas and just a few days ago, that shooting in a church in Texas.  This Earth is not getting better in terms of morality or in terms maturity or peace and order.   The known post-millennialists were: Jonathan Edwards and Charles Wesley.

The next question would be:
WHO WILL POPULATE THE MILLENNIUM?

During the Second Coming at the Battle of Armageddon, all unbelievers will be annihilated.  Jesus will come down with His angels and those saints (us) who were raptured seven years earlier.  This will be the start of the Millennial reign of Christ. 
• Jesus Christ will reign as King
No doubt about this.  If during the first advent, Jesus came as a humble baby in a manger, during the second advent Jesus will return as a conquering King and remember Isaiah 9:6 “the government will be on His shoulders.”    
• The Church with glorified bodies who were raptured before Tribulation
The Church who was raptured, this is us, with glorified bodies will have positions of authority here on Earth during the Millennium.  
• Those martyred saints during the Tribulation and resurrected during 2nd Coming
These are people who received Jesus during the Tribulation but was martyred and died and will be resurrected during the 2nd coming.  
• Old Testament saints resurrected during 2nd Coming
This is an exciting part also.  Old Testament saints will be resurrected and given glorified bodies and they will also be here during the Millennium.  In fact, there are Bible verses that support King David will be the co-regent of Christ here on Earth during the Millennium.  He will be like the second in command but that will be a separate topic by itself.
• Believers who remained alive at the end of Tribulation (with physical bodies)
These are the first batch of natural people who will populate the Millennium. 
• Those who will be born during the Millennium
Since natural people came to the Millennium, they will still be capable of procreating so there will be people who will be born the natural way during the Millennium.
• Angels
Angels will also be here during the Millennium.  The apostle Paul tells us in that we will judge the world and angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). Pastor John MacArthur explains that to "judge" can also be translated to "govern." So we, the glorified saints, will be governing men on earth and angels from the heavenly realm during the Millennium. 

WHAT IS LIFE DURING THE MILLENNIUM?

• During the Millennium, the saints will reign under the regency of Christ and He shall rule with an iron rod.
If we go back to the analogy of the Good Shepherd, Jesus will reign here on Earth with His iron rod.  A rod is used not only for discipline but also for protecting His sheep. We shall be under the great care and protection of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 
• Throughout the earth, there will be great love for Jesus, for His wonderful compassion and benevolence.  
There will be swift implementation of justice.  You don’t need a judge and a jury during the Millennium.  Jesus can read the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.  He can declare instantly if a person is guilty or not. 
• God will not remove free will, those with physical bodies will still sin.
Since there will still be people in their natural physical bodies, they will still sin.  
• Those born during the Millennium will still have to come in faith to Jesus Christ 
This answers our earlier questions.  Those who will be born during the Millennium will still be in the flesh, God will not remove their freedom to choose whether they will follow Christ or not. 
• People from all nations will flock to Jerusalem to worship Jesus Christ and seek counsel.
The Millennium fulfills the numerous prophecy about Israel.  That one day, Israel will be vindicated by God Himself.  People from everywhere will flock to Israel and bow down to Jesus.    

• The form of government shall be THEOCRACY as all authority derives from Christ.
It is not a republic but a monarchy in the highest sense
• King David reigns as a prince under Christ.
• The twelve disciples will be Christ´s representative ruling over the twelve tribes.
• The glorified saints will rule over the Gentiles.
• The curse upon creation shall be removed.  Animals will lose their venom and ferocity.
• There will be fullness of the Spirit
• The kingdom will be characterized by truth since the prince of lies, Satan, is bound in the Abyss.
• People will live long, i.e. more than 100 years old.
Longevity will be restored like before the flood during Noah´s days.   There will be reproduction by living people.


FINAL THOUGHTS

• Imagine this world ruled by Jesus Christ, a world dominated by truth, righteousness and love.  There will be no injustice and administration of justice is swift and fair. 
• Imagine a world of truth because the prince of lies is bound. 
• Imagine a world of almost perfect health, an environment restored to the pristine purity of the Garden of Eden as the curse upon creation has been removed.  
• Imagine a world so peaceful that even the animals are in perfect harmony with each other. “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead.” (Isaiah 11:6)
• Imagine a world ruled by a perfect, glorious Ruler, who instantly and firmly deals with sin. Humanly speaking, that description may seem far-fetched, a utopian fantasy that could never be reality. Yet it accurately describes conditions during the future earthly kingdom of the Lord Jesus.

The Millennial Reign of Christ is a perfect world.  But since there will be natural people with physical bodies, in order for this world to be perfect for them, they must still have their free will. They are not robots. God will never force anyone to love Him back because “forced love” is not love at all, it is a contradiction, it is an oxymoron.   With this freedom, those who will be born during the Millennium still need to turn to Jesus for salvation. This is what we meant when we earlier said that the Millennium is God´s final test to a fallen humanity.  They shall be tested when Satan is released  for  short season after the Millennium.     

I will leave you with this prophecy from the prophet Isaiah:

Prayer:

Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:  

Father God, I confess all my sins to you today.  Please forgive me.  Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ.  I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord.  May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, I pray.    Amen.

The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Maple Ridge during its Sunday service on  November 12, 2017

References:

1. Revelation of Jesus Christ by John F. Walvoord

2. Bible Study Tools.com 

3. Gotquestions.org

I apologise if there are grammatical and spelling errors. I also apologise if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any,  as it is purely unintentional.

If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:  www.wordchristiancommunity.com

T.U.L.I.P.

This is a short blog about Calvinism and its key beliefs.  Calvinism was inspired by the teachings of John Calvin (1509–1564) who was a French theologian and a key figure in the Protestant Reformation.  Calvinism holds many beliefs that predates John Calvin himself, St. Augustine for example wrote something about "predestination of the saints" as early as fifth century.

The key teachings of Calvinism has been supported by famous preachers and theologians such as Spurgeon, Schaeffer, Whitefield, Newton, Edwards and a lot more.  Contemporary Calvinists include Piper, MacArthur, Sproul, and Packer.

In summary, the acronym T.U.L.I.P. is briefly explained as follows:

Total Depravity - Man is totally depraved.  We are sinful as a result of the fall.  The entire human race is dead in trespasses and sins therefore man is unable to save himself (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-18).

Unconditional Election - Because humanity is dead in sin, he has no ability to respond to God.  Dead man can not respond, right? Therefore God, in eternity past, elected certain people to salvation. Election and predestination are unconditional; they are not based on man’s response (Romans 8:29-30;9:11; Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12) because man is unable to respond, nor does he want to.

Limited Atonement - Because God determined that certain ones should be saved as a result of God’s unconditional election, He determined that Christ should die for the elect alone. All whom God has elected and for whom Christ died will be saved (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32; Ephesians 5:25).

Irresistible Grace - Those whom God elected He draws to Himself through irresistible grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God calls, man responds (John 6:37, 44; 10:16).

Perseverance of the Saints - The elect whom God has Chosen and drawn to Himself through the Holy Spirit will persevere in faith. None whom God has elected will be lost; they are eternally secure (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14)

There´s been so many debates for and against Calvinism.  A big percentage of Christian evangelicals have now introduced what they call "four point Calvinism" or Amyraldism.  Then we have the Arminians who opposed most of the Calvinist teachings.   Molinism offers some sort of a middle ground.  There are strong Biblical support for each school of thought.

The challenge in each of these beliefs is that man try to read the mind of God and just like in Science of Astronomy for example, the more we explore the universe, the bigger it becomes.  What more if we try to explore the mind of the Creator of the universe.

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that "the secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."  I believe enough truth has been shared by God in the Bible, a glimpse of His nature is written all over His word and these knowledge is enough for people to yearn for His love and for His children to share the same to others.

Am I a Calvinist?  Not 100% as  I agree to some of their points.  However, I believe that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is unlimited.  When Jesus said in John 3:16 that He "loves the world," He meant the whole world!  And when He said "whosoever believes," He meant every one.  Arminians have very good arguments and so are the Molinists.

Am I a Calvinist?  I´d rather be called a Christian who serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

 God bless you.


Sources:
- Calvinism, Gotquestions.org
- What´s wrong with Calvinism, Roger Olson, Patheos

Bema, Judgement Seat of Christ

Have you been to a mall, or hospital or a park and you´re trying to figure out how to go to a certain point because you are lost and you are ashamed to ask so you go to that huge map that shows you the lay-out of the entire floor and you try to pinpoint where you are.  It is obviously important to know first where you are in trying to find out where you´re going.  

Based on the eschatological timeline that we are following, we know the chronological arrangements of the end time events which start from the Rapture, followed by simultaneous events that will happen here on Earth and in Heaven. Then Christ will return to Earth the Second Time and of course, you see the rest of the events unfold as well.

The Bema or Judgement Seat of Christ is perhaps one of the most misunderstood end-time events especially by Christians.  The mere mention of Bema strikes fear among believers.  It seems to some of us, Bema is thought of as something unpleasant although necessary before we can experience Heaven and be with our Lord. Even after becoming Christians, we still sin.  Anyone here who stops sinning after receiving Jesus in their lives?  No one, right?  We are still in the flesh and we still sin.  The Apostle Paul said “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do."  

Realizing that one day, our deeds will be exposed and that we shall give an account of everything that we have done here on Earth – it gives us fear, and anxiety and dread!  We´re excited to receive our glorified bodies during the Rapture, we look forward to going to Heaven where there is no pain and suffering and we want to walk on that streets of gold but sometimes we ask the Lord, can we just skip Bema Judgement? If Jesus already paid for our sins and we have been redeemed, why do we have to be judged?   Can´t we just go straight to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, after all -- who doesn´t love a wedding feast?  Who doesn’t love to eat without worrying about cholesterol?

Our objective in this lesson is to understand what the Bible has to say about the Bema, the Judgement Seat of Christ.  
Is it something that should cast fear and worry to each one of us or is it an event that we should all look forward to and by understanding this event, we shall even be more encouraged to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord while we are here on Earth?

An important Biblical reference for this principle is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16.  We learned from this story that after these two men died, they already went to two different places:  a place of comfort for Lazarus, it´s called in the Bible as Abraham´s bosom, sometimes it´s called paradise, or heaven.  The Rich Man ended up in a place of torment and between those two places was a great divide or chasm.  
We learned two important truths in this story:  
First, one cannot cross from the place of comfort to the place of torment, and vice versa, and --
Second, once you die there is no more coming back to the land of the living. 
Isaiah 40:8 says that “the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Let us read first from the letter of Paul to the Romans, Chapter 14 verses 10 to 12:

There is a cross-reference here to Isaiah 45:23.  
Now let us read from 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 5, verses 9 to 11:

It´s very clear that the Apostle Paul was referring to the believers when he said we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.

The Apostle Paul was quite familiar with the Bema seat. This is where he was brought before Gallio, who was the proconsul of Achaia at the Bema seat in Acts 18:12, so it was used by a judge.

In the city of Corinth, a stone platform was constructed to support the Bema seat or the judgment seat for the local officials. The seat was used to give out awards to athletes of the ancient Isthmian or Olympic games. The contestants, usually runners, would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed and  also to determine the winners and the finishers-- and then to give out the appropriate rewards. 

The Bema or Judgement Seat of Christ is different from the Great White Throne (G.W.T.) judgement.  It is very important not to confuse the Bema judgement with the Great White Throne judgment as mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15. 

LESSON POINTS:

It makes sense that Bema Judgement happens after the believers have been raptured, after we have been translated and glorified.  Once we get to that point, there is no checking-in station like a USA border crossing where our passports are asked or how much we´re bringing in.  There is no waiting at the huge gate where St. Peter with his rooster looks at his logbook like a guest book in a fancy restaurant and if you are not listed there, he´ll point you to an elevator that only goes downward.  It doesn’t work that way.   When a believer dies, he is absent from the body and present with the Lord.  During Rapture, our souls reunite with our glorified bodies and then we face the Lord in His Bema Judgement.  

Our concept of Bema also supports pre-tribulation rapture in such a way that when Jesus comes back during the Second Coming as described in Revelation 19:18 with His bride, she is seen already rewarded and her reward is described as fine linen.   
It also makes sense that the believers who were raptured and were taken to heaven which tells us that Bema judgement happens “up there.”  
  
Unbelievers will never go near the gates of heaven.  Remember that unbelievers have not been resurrected at this point and they shall face their final judgement after the end of the Millennial reign of Christ and it´s called the Great White Throne judgement.

Our second lesson point –

A person who faces Jesus Christ during Bema judgement has already been saved.  If he is not, he has no place up there in heaven and in front of the Righteous Judge.

Now, there is a school of thought that during this Bema judgment, God is going to punish believers for all the sins they did after they were saved or after they have received Jesus in their lives. They say that when you got saved, your sins are forgiven up until that time.  But at the Bema, all the sins you committed since you've been saved are going to be displayed on a wide screen for everyone to see. It's going to be like in a movie house with reclining seats and giant digital screen with IMAX sound, real 3-D, THX, Dolby, or , and here comes our first believer.   Look at all the crazy things he did, let us show his lustful thoughts, let us replay the recorded lies he said after he got born again.  

If Bema judgement is like that, it´s a horrifying thought! If you think about it, we wouldn't want to go to heaven anymore.  If this is true, if Jesus´ blood does not cover our sins -- past, present, future -- then it only tells us that the cross is inadequate . 
Hebrews 8:12 he says, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE!" 
And of course, our favorite verse 1st John 1:9 – “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us ours sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

The Bema Judgement Seat of Christ is a time of rejoicing!  The Academy Awards will probably look peanuts compared to Bema Judgement on that day.   You know what I imagine – I imagine that in heaven there will be some sort of a super grand ballroom, much grander that the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  There´s this loud voice,  and somebody will announce the name of each believer.
For example, Ladies and Gentlemen, our next crown goes to Brother Cesar, he preached and taught the Word of God in WCCC Maple Ridge even if his nose was bleeding.  The Lord Jesus Christ presents to him the CROWN of GLORY!  Isn´t that something that we should eagerly look forward to?

Our third lesson point –

The Bible assures us in Romans 8:1 that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” This supports the idea that at the Bema Judgement we won't be condemned for our sins.   However, listen to this… our present lives do affect what will happen at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Our present lives will be miserable because of sin and disobedience and lot of Christians miss a lot of opportunities in life because of this.
  
The Heavenly Crowns

The Bible talks about future rewards in a form of certain crowns that God has in store for us in heaven.  There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. 
The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos which means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honour.”   

FINAL THOUGHTS

We can spend Sunday after Sunday talking about end times, and judgement and Rapture and the glorious appearing of Christ --- but if we don´t live a Spirit-filled life here on Earth… we´ll missed those rewards that God has prepared for us even before we were born. 

Jesus said that we must store treasures in heaven, things with eternal value, things that we can bring with us to heaven… which by the way, are not things but Godly virtues such as love, compassion, service, mercy, faithfulness and so many others.

Jesus is not only a Savior.  If we make Him a true Lord of our lives here on Earth, He will also be a Great Rewarder in the end.

Prayer:

Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:  

Father God, I confess all my sins to you today.  Please forgive me.  Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ.  I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord.  May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, I pray.    Amen.

The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Maple Ridge during its Sunday service on  October 22, 2017

I apologise if there are grammatical and spelling errors. 

I also apologise if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any,  as it is purely unintentional.

If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:

 www.wordchristiancommunity.com

Don´t Be Left Behind

There´s one experience that I would never forget when I was about 9 years old.  It was Christmas Day and my brother was too lazy to go to his godfather.  Our culture in those days, during Christmas day, you go to your godparents and they give you money.  So I told my brother, I’ll go to his godfather on his behalf and just tell him that he cannot go because he’s not feeling well.  So I went to the godfather´s house, which was in another town. I had two friends with me who will also visit their own godfathers.  So we took the jeepney, and when we reached the terminal, we had to separate ways and agreed to meet after visiting the godfathers.  So I walked towards the house of my brother’s godfather – one thing I realized, I didn’t have money for transportation to go back home.  I didn’t worry because I was thinking the godfather will give me money or I will just borrow from my friends. but when I arrived at the godfather’s place -- it was a big house and there was a party going on, lots of people were there, loud music playing so I was so ashamed to come in. I felt so insecure.  So, I didn’t the courage to come in.  Instead, I walked back to the jeepney terminal hoping that I would meet my friends but maybe because of the time I spent walking back and forth – they were no longer there.  They left me.  I was left behind.  At this point, I made a decision to just walk back home.  It was at least 10 kilometers and I was only nine years old.  It was night time.  It was raining.  There’s thunder and lightning.  No cell phones or payphones yet.  I was crying.  I was so afraid. And I knew my parents were worried.   It was too dark, there were no street lights because I decided to avoid the highway but instead took the parallel irrigation road.  I was running and walking and sweating and that was probably the longest 4 hours of my life.  It´s not fun to be left behind. I could have done something in order to avoid that situation.

The title of the message is “Don’t Be Left Behind” and our reference verse is 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18.  

We are going to talk about one reality that is not commonly discussed in the pulpit. This is just a "scratch" on the surface because it’s a very broad and controversial subject. I’m talking about the RAPTURE.  

The Bible is God´s Word. “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."  

During the time of Paul, the believers in Thessalonica were very much concerned about their loved ones who had died. What if the Lord returns? What will happen to their deceased loved ones? Will those who are alive at His coming have an advantage over the believers who have died?  Paul answered their questions through his 1st letter to the Thessalonians. 

We know what happens when a person dies. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men to die once, but after this the judgment”.  We know that if the person is a believer, he is “absent from the body and present with the Lord.”  If we remember the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus told by the Lord Jesus Christ, a believer who dies goes to Abraham’s bosom or paradise or heaven, just like that thief on the cross.  If an unbeliever dies, on the other hand, we know that the person goes directly to a place of torment.  So there is no in-between.  There is no waiting period but in fact there is immediate judgment.  

Here are some Important Points to Remember:

Eschatology is the study of the teachings of the Bible concerning end times.  

Rapture is one of these end-time events.  The word “rapture” does not occur in the Bible but the concept of the rapture is clearly taught in Scripture based on 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is not logical to say that simply because a word is not found in the Bible, it’s unbiblical.  Well, the word “Bible” is not in the Bible, but we keep on using the word Bible.   The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, but it doesn’t mean there’s no Trinity and we use the word to describe the triune nature of God.  The concept is clearly taught in the Scripture.  The words “omnipotence and omniscience” are not in the Bible but we use these words to describe the attributes of God. 

Rapture refers to the time when Jesus comes back without warning and takes His bride, the church.

When somebody asks you about the Rapture, usually this verse comes into mind.    “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”   Matthew 24:40 is not the correct reference of the rapture

Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events.

These two events are often confused and interchanged because they’re similar.  They both talk about the coming of Christ.   

The Rapture is when Christ returns to remove the church or believers from the face of the earth.  The correct Biblical support of the Rapture is basically what our reference verse is for today, i.e. 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and also you can read 1st Corinthians 15:50-54. 

So, believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the LORD in the air.  This will occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.

The Second Coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the AntiChrist, to completely destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom or the 1,000 year reign of Christ here on earth.  The 2nd coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

There are actually three popular views about the Rapture and it’s relation to the tribulation period.

Basically these views talk about the TIMING of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation Period. 

Pretribulation view or pretrib believes that the Rapture will happen before the seven year tribulation.

Post tribulation view or posttrib believes that the Rapture will happen after the seven year tribulation.

Mid tribulation view or midtrib believes that Rapture will happen in the middle of the Tribulation Period.  

I personally support the pre-tribulation view and I this is what WCCC Pastors believe as well.  I want you to reflect on these things for a moment.  Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct? If  the rapture and the second coming are the same event, believers will have to go through tribulation.  But what about the Lord’s promise to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10? “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”   Note that the promise is not preservation through the trial but deliverance from the hour of trial.

The word “church” appears  in the first three chapters of Revelation, but the word does not used again until chapter 22. In other words, in the entire lengthy description of the Tribulation in Revelation, the word church is noticeably absent. In fact, the Bible never uses the word "church" in a passage relating to the Tribulation. The only logical explanation is that the Church or the believers are no longer here on earth at that time.

Another thought to ponder – this world and its ways, as we know it, has always been described as “flesh” and Christians as the “salt and light.”  Salt is used to preserved meat.  I believe this world has been preserved because of Christians, we are helping to preserve this world because we are the salt of the Earth. What happens when you remove the salt from a pound of meat? It starts to rot, it starts to decay – that’s what is going to happen during the Tribulation Period. 

If you would like to be a post-tribulationist and you can support your view with Scriptural references, then that’s ok,  you can stay here on earth during the TRIBULATION PERIOD.   Sabi nga eh – “magapatuka ka na lang sa ahas during Tribulation.” 

There are important lessons that we need to learn about the Rapture.

So it is not important whether you are a pretrib, a midtrib, a postrib … what is important is that you have a personal relationship with Christ and that you know that the Rapture is a real event and Christ is coming back and you don’t want to be “left behind.” 

I believe that unbelievers will be LEFT BEHIND to suffer the wrath of God during the Tribulation period. 

But this is important - the Apostle Paul showed that the doctrine of the Rapture can provide comfort to the brokenhearted, to those whose loved ones passed away.   He said -- do not be uninformed about people who die.  Do not grieve like the rest of the world who have no hope!  

In my 8 years of experience being a pastor, I´ve done quite a number of funerals.  Sometimes, people ask me where is their loved one or what will happen to them or will they see them again.  Church, this is the ultimate comforting words that we should hear.  If our loved ones are believers, when they die, we don’t really lose them…because we know where they are.  You only lose someone when you don’t know where they are. It´s like when you were in the Philippines and decided to migrate to Canada.  Your loved ones in the Philippines didn’t say “they lose you” because they are certain as to where you´re going.  

Same thing when a Christian dies, we are certain where they´re going.  A lot of people lost their loved ones this year.  Sis. Nora´s mom died this year.  My own mother passed away last month and so as Bro. Mico´s dad.  A lot of people died in that senseless shooting in Las Vegas.  If we believe they have Christ in their lives, we didn’t lose them.  We know where they are.  They are in the Lord´s presence.

  

By the way, Paul used the word “sleep” to those believers who died.   But he did not say that the soul went to sleep at death. Let’s be careful here.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses and even the 7th Day Adventist believe in soul-sleep.  But Paul made it clear that the soul of a believer goes to the Lord: “them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thess. 4:14).  He cannot bring them when He returns unless they are with Him. When a person dies, it is not the soul that sleeps; it is the body.   The Bible´s definition of death is given in James 2:26—“For as the body without the spirit is dead.” At death, the spirit leaves the body, and the body goes to sleep and no longer functions. The soul-spirit goes to be with the Lord, if the person has trusted Jesus Christ, this person is “Absent from the body, and … present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).

 We should be like the wise virgins.  We should make sure our relationship with the Lord is true and genuine or we lose the opportunity to be with the Lord during the Rapture.

So what are the only warnings that we’ll get about the Rapture?  Three things:

1. A loud command

2. The voice of the archangel (this is Michael), and

3. Trumpet call of God

Imminent means that it can happen at any moment.  As Christians, we do not look for signs, nor must any special events transpire before the Lord raptures His saints. It can happen anytime.  It can happen tonight.  It can happen tomorrow.  But it doesn’t matter what the date is.  What matters is “are you prepared to meet Him?”  What are you doing with your life today?  If Jesus comes back today or if He comes back tomorrow, will He catch you in a bad timing? Will He catch you in a time that you’re doing something that does not glorify Him?  Maybe you’re in a bad relationship.  Maybe you’re committing a sin.  Would He be proud of what you’re doing at that moment He returns?

Believers in Christ should have this “eager anticipation” that soon we’ll meet Jesus and like what I said earlier, as comfort to those whose  loved ones died because if they are believers, we shall be with them during the Rapture.

About half a million 7th Day Adventists were led by William Miller – they waited for the end of the world in April 1843. Reporters were everywhere. Reportedly some disciples were on mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in union with their departed loved ones. Some high society ladies clustered together outside town. Obviously, it did not happen. They were very much disillusioned, a lot of them left their organization.

Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36). 

So here’s the warning: If somebody talks to you about the day when Christ would return, you know he’s a false preacher or a false prophet.

It happened again on September 23, 2017.  A numerologist named David Meade, who calls himself Christian spread information that the Rapture will happen on that day.  Well, we´re still here so we know it was a hoax.

I want you to take note of this 3rd point.

This is the reason why we are teaching these things to you.  It´s time for each one of us to revisit our priorities. Do we live our lives with eager anticipation that Christ can come any moment?  Learning about the Rapture encourages us and we should encourage one another as well.

And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1st Thessalonians 4:17b-18

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

Death is a fact of life. Everyone dies.  The only way we can escape death is to be alive when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.   For a believer, death is not a tragedy or an accident; it is an appointment:  The Bible says “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). 

Our doctrine of resurrection assures us that death is not the end. The grave is not the end. The body goes to sleep, but the soul and the spirit goes to be with the Lord (Phil. 1:20–24). 

When Jesus Christ returns in the air, He will call to Himself only those who are saved through faith in Him. This is called THE RAPTURE.  In the Jewish custom, the metaphor used here was like that of a wedding feast where the Groom initially left the bride to prepare a house in his father’s place where he and his future bride will live forever. After leaving for while, the Groom returns and claims His bride.

Then, for those who are still alive and are believers, He will changed them in an instant. 

Like what we have learned, three unique sounds will be involved in this event: the Lord’s shout, the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of the archangel. 

1.  Lord’s Shout:  Jesus Christ will give “a shout of command,” just as He did outside the tomb of Lazarus when He shouted “Lazarus Come Out!”  The Bible says those “in the graves shall hear His voice”  

2.  Sound of Trumpet:   The Jewish people were familiar with trumpets, because trumpets were used to declare war, to announce special times and seasons, and to gather the people for a journey (see Num. 10). In the Roman Empire, trumpets were used to announce the arrival of a great person.  

3.   Voice of the archangel ” The only archangel who is named in the Bible is Michael (Jude 9), who apparently has a special ministry to Israel.  One thing is for sure,  the angels will share in the victory shout when Jesus Christ comes.

Let's make sure we are ready for Him when He returns.  Let’s make sure we have shared the Gospel to our loved ones as well.   

There are certain things that can happen.  We can die before the rapture.   If you are a believer – your soul & spirit returns to the Lord as your body goes to sleep.    If you are an unbeliever, you go to a place of torment – just like that rich man in Jesus’ story.   

If rapture happens, if we are a believer then we’ll be “caught up” in the air and we will meet the Lord there.  Our bodies will be changed in an instant to a glorified body. And then the most awaited wedding ceremony in heaven will happen, where Christ presents His bride to the Father and reunites with her.

If rapture happens and you are not a believer, you will be “left behind.”  Being left behind means to suffer the full wrath of GOD during the TRIBULATION PERIOD.  You can decide before it´s too late.

Do not be "left behind," turn your life to Christ!

Prayer:

Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:  

Father God, I confess all my sins to you today.  Please forgive me.  Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ.  I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord.  May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, I pray.    Amen.

The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Maple Ridge during its Sunday service on  October 8, 2017

I apologise if there are grammatical and spelling errors. 

I also apologise if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any,  as it is purely unintentional.

If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:

 www.wordchristiancommunity.com