He is coming again

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Transcript

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Welcome to the Be and Become Podcast, featuring Francois Carr, a hard form and connected life ministry. Francois's international ministry equips and encourages ministers, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be. Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.

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The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation, chapter 1, verses 7 through 8, behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him, even they who pierce him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. And so I want to encourage you today with these words behold, because Jesus Christ is coming again. After the resurrection of Jesus, he remained on the earth for forty days and ministered to his disciples before he ascended to heaven. He met with his disciples and several other people during those days. He appeared and disappeared from time to time, and they never knew when he would show up and where and what he will be teaching about and what he will be doing. And somehow we find ourselves today in a very similar position. We do not really know when Jesus will show up again or return. Although we have a promise where the Bible tells us in John chapter 14 that if we love him and obey him, he and his father will reveal themselves unto us. And then he gave us a promise that he will return back at the end of time that we read together the scripture. But how do they know that Jesus would return when they watch him ascend to heaven? How do we know that Jesus will be coming again? And so, first of all, I want you to see that the Bible tells us that Jesus said so. In John chapter 14, verses 1 through 3. You can read this in your own time also with Matthew chapter 24, verse 30. The fact that Jesus simply said so. The Bible tells us in the book of Titus, chapter 1, verse 4, 3 and 4 and onwards, that Jesus cannot lie to us. God is the truth and he cannot lie. When he said something, it will happen. So first of all, God said so. Jesus said, I'm coming again. Secondly, he paid a dear price and a ransom for us. In Matthew chapter 20, verses 28. He gave his life for many as a ransom. And who will not die and give his life for someone without coming back to fetch the price that he died for? And so we know because Jesus died on the cross is that he for surely that he will return because he said so. He gave us the Holy Spirit in John chapter 16, verses 5 through 15, but especially in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 22, that he's testifying in your heart and my heart, also with Romans chapter 8, that we that we are saved, that we know him, and that he will return eventually, because the Holy Spirit testifies about that, and he secures us in Christ. He gave us his word in 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. He gave us sermons, servants, and prophets to testify and to preach about that in Jeremiah chapter 35, verses 15, he gave us specific signs to look for towards the end of time, Matthew chapter 24. He gave us angels and companions in Acts chapter 1, verses 7 through 9. As they were standing there in Jerusalem, the angels spoke to them and said, The same Jesus will just appear again towards the end of time. Now, regardless of what your view might be, what people are saying in the world about the prophetic program and the timeline of all these things, but everyone agrees that Jesus is coming again and he can come at any time. This itself should be a great and tremendous motivation for us to be ready at all times when Jesus will be coming. The Bible tells us we don't know what time he will be coming, but we have he will come like a thief at the night, but we need to be faithful and make sure that we are found ready and found faithful in his service because we are looking for the Lord to return. Now, recently the world was in awe because of the beautiful and magnificent sight of the solar eclipse and the Norman, the northern lights, either by watching it in person or even in the media. It was visible all over the world for people to see on multimedia. John the apostle explains that when Jesus returns, it will be visible for all to see. He said, Behold, he will come on the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also will see him who has pierced him. So all of us will see that, even those who have rejected the Lord Jesus. But John continues to explain that all the tribes of this earth will mourn and wail because of Christ. It will be a wonderful day for some, and for other people it will be a very sad day. And so the Bible tells us in Revelation chapter 22, Behold, I'm coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book in verse 7. And behold, I'm coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give you to everyone according to his word, because I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last in verses 12. And then verse 20, surely I am coming quickly. And even so, come Lord Jesus. And so we know that Jesus will be coming again, because he said so. He paid a dear price as ransom with his life for many people. He gave us the Holy Spirit, he gave us the scriptures, he gave us friends and family members and companions to encourage one another. He gave us signs of his coming, he gave us prophets to preach the word and to encourage us with the one soul message that we need to be encouraged, but at the same time to make ourselves ready because he might be returning any moment. And so the question for you today is Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you expecting and longing for the return of the Lord Jesus? Revelation chapter one, verse three. 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. May God bless you in this week as you wait upon him, may he encourage you and strengthen your faith and help you to become an encouragement for other people as you wait upon the Lord and his return, because he said so. He gave us promises that he will do so. He gave us the Holy Spirit, he gave us one another, he gave us the scriptures that we can encourage people worldwide and tell them to be ready for when Jesus would return. May God bless you.

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Thank you for listening to this be and become episode with Francois Carr. For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com. We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.