I want to address two statements by the Apostle Paul that are commonly known by the phrase, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” The first of these is in 2 Corinthians 5:8 which states, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” The second of these is in Philippians 1:23 which states, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, … Continue reading →
Yesterday I turned 59 years old and I wasn’t feeling good about it. I took my 50th birthday hard, because I realized that 50 years of my life just filtered through my hands like grains of sand at the beach. Turning 59 was not as bad for me as when I turned 50, but I am wondering about my next birthday. I’m already thinking about my next birthday when I turn 60. I’m expecting that … Continue reading →
Last Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to the 25th chapter of Matthew and read two parables and an explanation of the separating of the saved from the unsaved at Jesus’ return. This chapter was a continuation of the same discourse found in Matthew 24 where Jesus was warning His disciples to be watch for the signs of the end and be ready for His return. In Matthew 25 Jesus uses two parables to show … Continue reading →
In our study through the Gospel of Matthew we have started to see a transition in Jesus’ conversation with His disciples to openly include His approaching expected death. Matthew makes this comment in the 16th chapter, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he … Continue reading →
Here is a 22-point sequence of events for an understanding of the post-tribulation rapture or the second coming of Christ… Jesus returns for His church as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. This is the first resurrection mentioned by Jesus in John 5:28-29. Then the saints who are alive will be translated from mortality to … Continue reading →
Recently I was doing some studying on a topic that led me to Psalm 37:1 which says, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” When we read Psalm 37:2 we see the reason why it admonishes us to “fret not” and it is because “they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” We could paraphrase these verses to read, Don’t … Continue reading →
The disciples had lost their confidence that their Master was going to rise to prominence in the land, and that meant their hope of being exulted with Him was fading. Jesus was talking about dying, and within a few days He would. The mood among the band of followers was turning grim. The opposition of the pharisees and the elite class seemed to have gained a following of their own against the One who claimed … Continue reading →
In Jesus’ discourse on the sign of the end times, He makes a statement that often raises a question about who is He talking about, that statement is Matthew 24:34. The verse says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Over the years of my ministry I have heard people ask, Did Jesus mean that the apostles were to see the second coming? or Were the … Continue reading →
In recent months voices have been raised in American Christendom criticizing the pre-trib position regarding our Lord’s return. (Perhaps church leaders are finally getting tired of arguing about Calvinism.) If you ask me if I am pre-trib or post-trib, I will answer “pre-trib” because I am looking for my Lord to return soon so I can meet Him in the air. If you think differently, this article is not about arguing my position or trying … Continue reading →
The definitions of “rapture” and “second coming” can be confusing so I want to present you some thoughts on this. First, you are going to be taken up before the tribulation, to heaven by your Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the rapture. Jesus is coming to rapture out His church. In the rapture, Jesus is coming for His church. Second, you are going to return with your Lord Jesus when He comes back for His millennial … Continue reading →