Christ's second coming...seems to be more like an incoming tide...and it seems to start on the inside.
Those who are "in Christ" have a rather different take on current events. For one, while they may be annoyed, irritated, or angry about the lunacy of the world, they aren't worried about it. They know God is in control of everything, and that there is nothing to worry about. They also have no ...particular interest in saving it, because they know the world is doomed simply for being the world, and God's will is what matters.
Those who are "in Christ" also have a different take on His coming. He is already here for them, so where the rapture is concerned, they don't worry about it--about when it will happen or who will be taken or how. They have complete peace and know that they would be willing to stay if He had work for them here, and they have complete peace about going with Him, and they have complete peace about dying in the destructions. There is no separation, no distance, no "away" from Him for them. Come now, come later, I love you, I'll be waiting and watching, but mostly I'll just be praising you and enjoying the blessings you literally shower upon us every day.
Those who are in Christ, assuming any remain through the destructions, will be the ones heading groups that share any and all of what they have. Being in Christ, is being in plenty, so there is no question of sharing, even with those who might wish to forcibly take it. We will look like happy fools. While everyone else might be complaining about only having prickly pear cactus to eat, the one in Christ says, "Wow, look at this feast!" AND "Oh look, there are some more people who need to eat, invite them to share this feast with us!"
Let's go a little further into the end time scenario for the in-Christ person. Lets say that hungry group of outsiders is just a bunch of thugs desiring to take the food and rape the women and children. The happy fool, if they become aware of the threat, will laugh in the face of it, and the thugs will not prevail. Either the Lord will hide His group, or the Lord will simply prevent harm from coming to His own. The thugs might not even know why they spared one group and not another. This is what Psalm 91 means. Miracles will abound in the vicinity of believers in those days. God REALLY IS in control.
Being "in Christ" means not having a fear of death, in whatever form. Truly, we can't die. Death is a transition for us, into a realm where we can hug Jesus in real time. We certainly value the gift of life in the flesh, but we aren't going to be trying to hang onto it when the Lord calls us home. So should one of the thugs get off a shot and kill the believer, we'll be saying, "Hooray, I'm home!" and dancing and singing with the Lord. This is always in the fore front of the believer's mind when they are in Christ. See why we look like happy fools?
Being "in Christ" gives loss a different flavor as well. We will all lose loved ones in the destructions. A believer will be sad and miss his/her loved ones, but they will overcome it quickly and return to functioning through the comfort provided by the savior and the assurance of His love for them AND their loved ones. And loss of loved ones is the only thing that will be mourned. Material wealth, things, stuff, possessions, don't mean enough to the believer in the first place to bring about mourning for their loss. Happy fools, remember?
The more the tide advances, the longer these spells of happiness and joy last. Presumably there will be a day when the tide is all the way in and the believer simply shifts into the Kingdom. That might be how we disappear from here, or it might be something else, with us meeting Him in the sky. Maybe for some it isn't like a tide but will be like a tsunami instead, and they will make their transition all at once. The Bible says there is some twinkling-of-an-eye step to it, but we are all individuals to Him. Perhaps our transitions into Him are as unique as a fingerprint even while following His scripture.
Use this as a test to determine how deep into Christ you are. If you are worried: not in Christ. If you are not watching for His return: not in Christ. If you are busy trying to save the world: not in Christ. If you are worried about what you will eat or wear: not in Christ. If you are dreading and fearing your death: not in Christ. If you are inconsolable about any loss: not in Christ. If you find yourself inexplicably happy and wanting to shout to the heavens that you love God: in Christ. If you are not worried about a thing and are able to look for the good in everything: in Christ. If you are assured that you will not die when you die: in Christ. If you quickly overcome challenges, losses, or sins, and indeed if overcoming is your favorite thing: in Christ. If you love everyone, regardless of what they have done or might do or want to do, enough to forgive them even should you be unable to avoid being tortured and murdered at their hands: in Christ.
The good news is that you can be in Christ, and you can be more and more in Christ as your faith grows. So, are you ready to be His happy fool?
Acts 6: 8
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts 7: 55-56
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Acts 7:59-60
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Those who are "in Christ" have a rather different take on current events. For one, while they may be annoyed, irritated, or angry about the lunacy of the world, they aren't worried about it. They know God is in control of everything, and that there is nothing to worry about. They also have no ...particular interest in saving it, because they know the world is doomed simply for being the world, and God's will is what matters.
Those who are "in Christ" also have a different take on His coming. He is already here for them, so where the rapture is concerned, they don't worry about it--about when it will happen or who will be taken or how. They have complete peace and know that they would be willing to stay if He had work for them here, and they have complete peace about going with Him, and they have complete peace about dying in the destructions. There is no separation, no distance, no "away" from Him for them. Come now, come later, I love you, I'll be waiting and watching, but mostly I'll just be praising you and enjoying the blessings you literally shower upon us every day.
Those who are in Christ, assuming any remain through the destructions, will be the ones heading groups that share any and all of what they have. Being in Christ, is being in plenty, so there is no question of sharing, even with those who might wish to forcibly take it. We will look like happy fools. While everyone else might be complaining about only having prickly pear cactus to eat, the one in Christ says, "Wow, look at this feast!" AND "Oh look, there are some more people who need to eat, invite them to share this feast with us!"
Let's go a little further into the end time scenario for the in-Christ person. Lets say that hungry group of outsiders is just a bunch of thugs desiring to take the food and rape the women and children. The happy fool, if they become aware of the threat, will laugh in the face of it, and the thugs will not prevail. Either the Lord will hide His group, or the Lord will simply prevent harm from coming to His own. The thugs might not even know why they spared one group and not another. This is what Psalm 91 means. Miracles will abound in the vicinity of believers in those days. God REALLY IS in control.
Being "in Christ" means not having a fear of death, in whatever form. Truly, we can't die. Death is a transition for us, into a realm where we can hug Jesus in real time. We certainly value the gift of life in the flesh, but we aren't going to be trying to hang onto it when the Lord calls us home. So should one of the thugs get off a shot and kill the believer, we'll be saying, "Hooray, I'm home!" and dancing and singing with the Lord. This is always in the fore front of the believer's mind when they are in Christ. See why we look like happy fools?
Being "in Christ" gives loss a different flavor as well. We will all lose loved ones in the destructions. A believer will be sad and miss his/her loved ones, but they will overcome it quickly and return to functioning through the comfort provided by the savior and the assurance of His love for them AND their loved ones. And loss of loved ones is the only thing that will be mourned. Material wealth, things, stuff, possessions, don't mean enough to the believer in the first place to bring about mourning for their loss. Happy fools, remember?
The more the tide advances, the longer these spells of happiness and joy last. Presumably there will be a day when the tide is all the way in and the believer simply shifts into the Kingdom. That might be how we disappear from here, or it might be something else, with us meeting Him in the sky. Maybe for some it isn't like a tide but will be like a tsunami instead, and they will make their transition all at once. The Bible says there is some twinkling-of-an-eye step to it, but we are all individuals to Him. Perhaps our transitions into Him are as unique as a fingerprint even while following His scripture.
Use this as a test to determine how deep into Christ you are. If you are worried: not in Christ. If you are not watching for His return: not in Christ. If you are busy trying to save the world: not in Christ. If you are worried about what you will eat or wear: not in Christ. If you are dreading and fearing your death: not in Christ. If you are inconsolable about any loss: not in Christ. If you find yourself inexplicably happy and wanting to shout to the heavens that you love God: in Christ. If you are not worried about a thing and are able to look for the good in everything: in Christ. If you are assured that you will not die when you die: in Christ. If you quickly overcome challenges, losses, or sins, and indeed if overcoming is your favorite thing: in Christ. If you love everyone, regardless of what they have done or might do or want to do, enough to forgive them even should you be unable to avoid being tortured and murdered at their hands: in Christ.
The good news is that you can be in Christ, and you can be more and more in Christ as your faith grows. So, are you ready to be His happy fool?
Acts 6: 8
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts 7: 55-56
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Acts 7:59-60
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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