It’s a beautiful time of the year. We celebrate the Coming of Jesus. God Incarnate. The Child borne of the flesh, yet never losing His God-ness. A Kinsman Redeemer...to rescue fallen mankind from sin, death and Satan. There is no God like Jehovah. And there is no Man like Jesus Christ. They are One and the Same...yesterday, today and forever. Matthew, quoting the prophet Isaiah, succinctly stated the infinite magnitude of Jesus’ Coming...
“ ‘Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’ ”
If there be a scale of magnitude, this Title is perhaps the pinnacle: “Immanuel.” God Himself dwelling in our very midst...in a fallen world, filled with sinful mankind. It is good for us to remember the birth of Christ. Jesus came the first time to Save us. It is God’s desire that each of us accept His gift of Salvation...and what better time than now?
“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”
Our prayer is that this Christmas will not pass you by, without being reconciled to the One Who already Came...to save every one of us. It is not through complicated rituals, rites and ceremonies. It is wrought of a brokenness, repentance, belief and uncompromised commitment unto Him...
“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the Word of Faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ...For ‘whoever calls on the Name of the LORD shall be saved.’”
And so, we rightly celebrate the Lord Jesus and His Coming to Earth, bringing His indescribable Gift of Salvation. But that is not the End of the Story. Indeed, it is but the Introduction. For there is to be another Coming, confirmed as He departed from the earth 2,000 years ago...
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’ ”
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. We have the opportunity to know Christ for the First time Here and Now. Some will receive Him; many will decline. But rest assured, everyone will meet Him a Second Time: either at our moment of Death and immediate Judgment; or, for those alive on the Earth at His Second Coming, when He arrives as King and Judge...
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the Judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear the Second Time, without sin, unto salvation.”
The doctrine of the First Coming is understood by vast numbers of people. Yet the Second Coming of Jesus is perhaps the most neglected, avoided and/or misunderstood doctrine of the Christian faith. Ask the average “Christian” to explain the Second Coming, and you’ll likely get a hastily assembled mishmash of suppositions and colorful images, wrapped up in Oz-like brilliance and Armageddon-like horror. Which begs the question: we may have seen the movies, but have we read the Book?!
To celebrate the First Coming of Jesus without equal reverence, awe and hope regarding the Second Coming is simply inconceivable. It would be like a throwing a drowning man a lifesaver, but never pulling him out of the sea! All hope would be dashed in quite cruel fashion!
The story of Redemption in Christ does NOT end with the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There remains the vital Aim and End in God’s sight: Jesus returning to this very earth a Second Time. The prophesy is not hidden. The meaning is not veiled. A child can rightly understand the Book of Revelation. Indeed, its very title says it all: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” He will be Revealed Again. He will Appear Again. We readily recall He taught us to pray for “His Kingdom to Come” to this earth. And He will come...and establish His literal, visible Kingdom on this earth!
Which begs the question, “While we are remembering Christmas and His First Coming, why would we not be readying ourselves for His Return?” He is coming again not to Seek and Save, as much as to Judge, Rule and Reign. This is not some fabulous tale, some mumbo-jumbo of secret symbolism for conspiracy theorists to decipher. This is essential teaching of Jesus Christ Himself...to be understood, embraced and taught by every Christian.
At the Bible Schools, every student must pass a full semester class on the Book of Revelation before graduating. Every word, every verse, every chapter is read, studied and applied to our life today. This is not a Book to be dismissed, nor to be relegated to theologians and scholars. By all accounts, most Pastors and Ministry Leaders are initially intimidated by the Book. But that fear does not come from the Lord. There is one that would have us neglect Revelation...the Enemy himself. He would like to keep it hidden, obscured and even closed from the brethren. He would like our understanding of the End Times to be confused, fear-filled and uncertain. Yet, Revelation is the only book in the Bible in which Christ promises comfort and a blessing for simply reading it!
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him (Jesus) to show His servants-things which must shortly take place. And He (Jesus) sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
Christmastime is near. We would do well to celebrate the First Coming of Jesus, by embracing His Second Coming with as much diligence, fervency and sobriety.
Resolve to read, study and understand the basic End Times prophesies: the Rapture of the Church, the Great Apostasy, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ on the Earth. After all, the Child Jesus has already come. What remains ahead is meeting our King and Judge...and serving Him when He returns to establish His Kingdom on this earth...
The Final and Complete fulfillment of “Immanuel” lies directly ahead: Jesus dwelling with us...again! Our Pastors and Ministry Leaders are prepared and ready to serve Him. Let us all rise to the occasion!
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He (Jesus) who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
