25.50 The King is Coming - The Signs of His Coming (Part 4)

The Smith's teaching on the Second Coming of Christ becomes very personal as Craig and LaDonna share about the glad reunion to come when they will be reunited with loved ones who have gone on before but will be resurrected to a new eternal state and be joined with all those who will be part of that "first resurrection!"  The reality that when this happens, we all will be delivered from not only the power of sin and the penalty of sin, but once and for all we all will be free from the very presence of sin as well!  What a glorious day that will be!  With those blessed thoughts come some important admonitions as well, including the reminder that no man knows the hour or the day when this will happen.  There's been foolish people in church history that predicted the date and sometimes even the hour when the rapture would occur, but as we all know now, they all were wrong.  And we don't want to be in that crowd who've grown a bit too big for their spiritual boots.  An important part of the end times prophetic teaching of Scripture includes what is called the Bema Seat of Christ, or, the judgement seat of Christ.  But this is not a judgement time that results in punishment.  It will be a time when Christians will be rewarded for the things they have done for Christ in their lives.  The analogy of two kinds of things will be judged by Christ, and that is illustrated by 1.), gold, silver, and precious stones, and 2.), wood, hay and stubble.  The fire will test us all.  If we've built up an array of gold, silver, and precious stones, the fire will only refine and purify these precious metals resulting in an increased value.  If we've built actions that amount to wood, hay, and stubble, the same fire will consume it all and we'll be left standing in a heap of burning ashes.  The admonition is clear, while we are still here, let's serve the Lord faithfully and build up the precious things that will last an eternity!  All interesting realities of end time living.  Will we be found faithful?  We pray that be the case!