Imminent Return?

Daily Bread

Daily Devotions with Pastor Chuck

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Oh blessed God, You who has created all things, created them so very good in the beginning. Oh Father how wonderful it will be when things are restored and exist as You intended and You are glorified and honored as is should be . . . when those mighty clouds of joy come rolling in!

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17 – NASB)

To the believers in Thessalonica the apostle Paul calms their concerns (4:13-15), and then he tells them of a great event, one we in the church refer to as the Rapture. He tells them and he tells us that there is coming a most magnificent event, a divine transfer of sorts, a mighty act of the Lord Jesus Christ when He “will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” I am of the mind this “shout,” this “voice,” this “trumpet” will shatter the sound barrier . . . heard from one end of the earth to the other! And when it does “the dead” and the living who are in “Christ” will “rise,” and they will “be caught up” to “be with” Him forever!

Jesus will come “in the clouds” and He will “shout” out for His redeemed and “the dead in Christ,” they “shall rise first. And “then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” I’m telling you, I believe this event is not far off . . . this wonderful Rapture of believers “to meet the Lord in the air.” I am a believer in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ!

What does imminent mean? The word simply means, “likely to occur at any moment.” That’s right, the Rapture of “Christ” is “likely to occur at any moment.” And when it does “we shall always be with the Lord,” and brethren, that is where we should want to be (II Corinthians 5:8-9).

I know there are “views” on this Rapture, on the timing of end things. Let people squabble if they wish, but as for me, I believe in the imminent return of my Lord! Some in the church are looking for the anti-christ, I’m not . . . I’m,

“looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13 – NASB)

That’s right! I’m “looking for the Blessed Hope,” my “great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” who is my “Blessed Hope.” I’m looking for Him to “descend from heaven with a shout.” And with our text I do what the Spirit of God would have me do,

“Therefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:18 – NASB)

Oh come quickly Lord Jesus! Interrupt my day with Your mighty “shout” and catch me up to be with You that I might be with You forever! We live in great expectation of Your imminent return!