Witnesses to Christ’s ascension were promised:
“This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will
come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11
Harry Anderson’s perception of Jesus Christ’s Return to Planet Earth
“Men of Galilee…why stand you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11
“But mark this: there will be terrible trouble in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness
but denying its power.”
II Timothy 3:1-5
“At that time Michael, the great prince that protects you people,
will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened
from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time you people
—every one whose name is found written in the book—
will be delivered.”
Daniel 12:1
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words,
and seal the book, even to the time of the end:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Daniel 12:14
“Nations will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various
places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
Luke 21:10, 11
“At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Luke 21:27
Composer, Jessie E. Strout, 1872; Producer, 3ABN
Christ is Coming Soon
The Apostle Paul’s “End Time” prediction reflects today’s crushing reality. After several thousand years of evil running its course on Planet Earth, the result is displayed prominently for all the universe to see in living color.
When evil strangled the earth, a flood of water swept it away in waves of cleansing water. Today, water is the power relied on upon to cleanse human hands and bodies. Jesus introduced water baptism as an external symbol to the world that sin has been washed away from body and soul. The believing Christian has been “born again” and the Holy Spirit has been invited into the life to guide its future in righteousness.
Faced with hostile government and religious environment, first-century Christian believers endured persecution, torture, and death.
Undeterred, their numbers increased for three hundred years, topped with zealous onslaught from 303-313 AD at the hands of Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Constantine’s 313 “Edict of Toleration” brought relief from physical suffering but opened hurting hearts to spiritual compromise. Many of the Bishops present at the Council of Nicea in 325 showed up with eyes or ears missing from the Diocletian persecution. But these churchmen faced compromise in 321 when Constantine enacted a Sunday law seeking to unite his Mythraists subject who worshipped the sun and Christians who celebrated Christ’s resurrection on the first day of the week.
This 300-year landmark since Christ’s ministry reflected a gradual drift from Christians celebrating the seventh day honoring the weekly Sabbath celebrating Almighty God’s creation of Planet Earth and all its forms of plant and animal life.
During the next 200 years, not only had Sabbath celebration fallen into decline, Sunday worship dominated Christian practice and the Papacy had acquired the political power of a declining Roman Empire on the verge of collapse.
The Roman Catholic Church no longer equated the simple, pure beauty of the spiritually, “born again” believers drawn to the love emanating from Christ’s example, but had fallen prey to a political force that had assumed the power of life and death over “heretical” dissenters who dared disagree with the ruling whims of the Bishop of Rome, their human leader.
First-century Christians had been drawn to the Church by Christ’s living example of: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22, 23 “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12,13
Every person who ever lived on Planet Earth has been invited
to inherit a forever life with a home in God’s Everlasting Kingdom.
This gift awaits all who remain faithful to Jesus and reflect
His character in lives guided by the Holy Spirit.
Christ promised: “In my Father’s house are many rooms…I am going
there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you
to be with me that you also may be where I am…”
John 14:2
Forms of godliness that focus on rituals, brand names, and pious-
sounding platitudes can’t deliver the gift of salvation from sin.
When Christ returns to Earth, only two categories of humans will be
found: the “righteous” whose names are written in the “Book of
Life” and “evildoers” who have rejected salvation through Christ.
“Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
© 2023 Warren L. Johns. All Rights Reserved.
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