Matthew (Program #68) – Prophecy of the Kingdom (7)

The parables in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 are the Lord’s clear word to us regarding His second coming and many of the things that happened at that time. Interestingly, all three categories of people on the earth are covered in these parables. The Jews in Israel, the believers in the Church, and the unsaved, the gentiles, the nations.  If we know these parables, we have a very good picture of what’s ahead.  And what’s ahead for the believers, the Christians, is something that every saved one should know.

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2 Peter (Program #10) – The Divine Government (3)

No doubt we have all heard and said that one day to the Lord is like a thousand years.   Actually, this is a rough quotation from 2 Peter 3, a chapter that speaks both of the Lord’s second coming and the righteous and just judgment that will occur at the time of His coming.  Of course, to us it seems as if the Lord has delayed His coming already for two thousand years, but to Him, it’s just a couple of days.  Actually Peter tells us that this delay is not motivated by the Lord’s indifference or because He is arbitrary about the timing, but rather because He is long-suffering  towards us.  That means He is mercifully granting us more time, more time to be mature and to be prepared for His coming so that none will unnecessarily perish.

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2 Peter (Program #8) – The Divine Government (1)

The apostle Peter had a strong reaction to the apostasy that were spreading into the church near the end of his life.   In fact he wrote his two epistles largely as an inoculation against the heretical teachings that were gradually corrupting the  faith of the saints.  Especially regarding the matter of the Lord’s second coming in glory.

In 2 Peter, he first gives an eye-witness account of seeing the Lord Jesus revealed in glory as a foreshadow of His promise return .   Then he points the believers to the word of God, specifically the Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ, as he says in chapter 1:19 “and we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;”   But after these two strong encouragements he goes on to speak of the coming judgment of the righteous God especially on those false teachers who were defiling the saints and leading them astray.

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2 Thessalonians (Program #7) -A Concluding Word

In both of his epistles to the new believers in the Church in Thessalonica, Paul the apostle speaks to them regarding the Lord’s second coming and the rapture of the Church. Then near the end of the second book, he warns these new believers to avoid associating with those who walk disorderly. What is this disorderly walk that Paul was talking about? And what does it has to do with his fellowship on the events associated with the Lord’s return?

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2 Thessalonians (Program #4) – A Further Word of Encouragement

According to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 there are three definite things that need to take place prior to the Lord’s second coming and the rapture of the church.

First, the apostasy of God’s people must occur. Then the son of perdition, the man of lawlessness, the one we call anti-Christ must raise up and be revealed. And finally, the temple in the Holy City, Jerusalem must be rebuild, because at the certain point before the visible return of Christ, this anti-Christ sits himself in the temple and exalt himself above all that is called God.

There is no single passage in the Bible gives us all the details and specific timing of the end time events. For those we need to go to many different passages in the Bible. One of the most important of which is found in Daniel chapter 9 in the Old Testament and what is known as the 70 weeks of Daniel.

Daniel 9:24 says:”Seventy weeks are apportioned for your people and for your holy city, to close the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make propitiation for iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.”  Well, the 70 weeks unfold in the next few verses and we will do our best to touch them today in a brief way.

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2 Thessalonians (Program #3) – A Word of Correction of the Misconception Concerning the Day of the Lord’s Coming (2)

Though the word “rapture” cannot be found in the Bible, the fact of the believers being caught up to the air to meet the Lord at the time of His coming again to the earth is definitely revealed in numerous portions.  According to Paul’s own word in 2 Thessalonians he must have mentioned this matter in a general way to the believers in Thessalonica when he first passed through the city and established the church there.  But by the time of these two letters to the church about a year later he had realized that there were many wrong concepts and rumors confusing the church on this matter. And so he gave them more instruction in first twelve verses of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.  Actually many of these same misconception plagued the church today. We all can benefit from the reexamination of this chapter concerning the Lord’s second coming and our being rapture to meet Him.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #17) – Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness (1)

In the final chapter of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul uses a few very short verses to point out fifteen different items that he was concerned about in the experience of the young believers in Thessalonica.   He gave them this list against the backdrop of his fellowship in chapter 4 concerning the Lord’s second coming, the rapture of the church and the judgment seat of Christ, which will impact every born again person at the Lord’s return.   No doubt this word sobered them and brought forth a watchful attitude as they contemplated meeting the Lord of Lords and King of kings face to face.  Then in verses 23 and 24 of chapter 5, he summarizes his burden on a marvelous and clear utterance that reveal both God’s operation and the need of man’s cooperation.  “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. “

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1 Thessalonians (Program #16) – Cooperation with the Divine Operation (2)

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is a chapter presenting the promise of the Lord’s return and the rapture of all the believers at the end of this age. And to the young believers in Thessalonica these word were encouraging and fill them with hope.

But in Chapter 5, Paul begins with the word “but”, implying that though it’s good to be encouraged by the hope of the Lord’s second coming, before He does come, we need to be watchful and sober, and most of all prepared and ready for His coming.  It’s in this light that we come to the last half of the final chapter of the short book to the new believers in the Church in Thessalonica.

Chapter 5:12 begins this way, “Furthermore we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who labor among you and take the lead among you in the Lord and admonish you, And to regard them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.“

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