The Lord's Coming

THE LORD WILL COME FROM HEAVEN WITH A COMMAND, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. 1 Thes 4. 16

Many of us go to church regularly. We listen to sermons and read the Bible. We get to know many things about this life and the life to come. However, there is much ignorance among the Christians, church-goers, about the many important things that the Bible teaches.

For instance, how much do you know about the ‘Second Coming of Christ?” What do you know about your life after death? What do you know about the future of those dear ones who are dead and gone? The knowledge of many, maybe even yours, at best is patchy and vague. Many in the Corinthian church were ignorant about these things. So are today's believers! We ought to thank God for the apostle Paul for giving us instructions about these and many other matters pertaining to our present Christian life and our future.

One of the major events in our Christian calendar which is anticipated, and it may not be in the not too distant future, is the SECOND COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! It may be ‘before or after’ THE GREAT TRIBULATION (yet another future event to be fulfilled), depending on what teaching one follows. There are enough verses in the Bible to support both sides! But that is no reason for you to forget the PROMISED RETURN OF THE LORD. It is mentioned several hundred times in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Sad to say, because many are rooted in this world, they have long lost their anticipation of the return of the Lord! Is it so with you?

About His coming, Jesus told His disciples long ago, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Act 1.7). But it is most imperative that you should know that Jesus is certainly coming back and what happens when He comes! Hear the apostle Paul: “The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life. Then, together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord” (vs 16,17).

Life has been more than busy for me as a doctor, surgeon and Christian worker. It has been good too! I want to enjoy it as long as I can. Yet, it has always thrilled me to read about the Lord's return. It will be exciting to hear “the shout of the Lord from heaven, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God” and to see “the Lord descend from heaven!” That will be enough to make the earth tremble, the graves of the saints to be opened, the dead to be raised to life and the believing saints to be transformed and all to fly up to meet the Lord in the heavens!! What a day it will be! Dear believer, don’t let the Day of the Lord catch you like a thief because you are too busy here on earth!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I may be busy in this life and seldom think of Your return but let me never lose sight of it and the hope of meeting You and the glory that awaits me. Amen.