reunion with Him as they busily prepare our reception banquet! Right now, Jesus is ready to take flight at a moment's notice! He is patiently biding time, waiting for the hour when the Father will say "Go and get your Bride!"
The return of Jesus Christ should be the most prominent subject of Christian aspiration and desire. We should be praying and interceding daily, welcoming Him with joyful and exuberant praise.
Some people believe that Jesus isn't coming back for us. Others believe we will meet Him only when we die. I believe in the rapture of the Church. I also believe I am going out on the first load! I am going to the marriage supper of the Lamb!
Now, if you want to stay here, enjoy yourself, I'll make sure your food is kept warm. If you want to eat yours years later you can, but I'm getting mine hot off the grill! I personally believe He will return during my lifetime.
You may ask What will happen if He doesn't? "Well if He doesn't come in my life time I do know He will come. In John 14:1-3 Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Verse one says, let not your heart be troubled. The church world has left out the word "not" for years enforcing it with "If" you endure until the end, you will make it, bless God." Many have criticized use because of our joy. But we can't help but be joyful; it's a fruit of the Spirit and & sadness is not good.
Some people may say, "Well, you haven't had any tragedy." Of course we have had more tragedy then we probably wont to remember, and we didn't enjoy it, but we did not allow it to steal our joy. You see, many people think joy and happiness are the same thing. They are definitely are not. Happiness is an emotional feeling which trouble can temporarily rob. But joy is a spiritual force that cannot be moved by the devil's attacks.
In John 14:3 the scripture says, "And if I go and prepare a place for you." This is written in red. Jesus said it and He cannot lie. He continues, "I will come again...." therefore He will return to the earth for us. "...And I will receive you unto myself," Jesus reveals the reception of Himself and His Church. "...That where I am, there you may be also." He further illustrates that He will be reunited with His Bride. That one verse has three attributes that are very powerful: the return, reception and reunion of Christ.
1.Return: Why hasn't He come yet? The return of Christ is connected with the Spirit's presence and power in the Church. The reason Christ hasn't come is because we aren't ready. He's coming for a clean church: "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:27).
There are many of us that need bleaching and ironing. The Church has stains on it. There has been such an upheaval, especially in the last few years, of great sin being exposed, because God is cleaning house. He's got us in the washer and the dirt is coming to the top. Wait until He starts to spin-dry. More dirt will surface. Just let the Lord do His business. When it's all said and done, the Church will be clean and free of any blemish. We will be ready for the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
None of us know the exact time of His return. The Father hasn't even told Jesus which day He's going to come. The Father knows that if He told Jesus the exact time, Jesus would tell us! He wants to see us more than we want to see Him! He can't keep a secret from us, because He loves us too much. I'm pretty sure He's at the throne today asking His Dad, Jehovah, "Can I go get them? Are we ready?" Our salvation depends on something more stable than ourselves. It depends on the uncompromising Word of God and His Word will never pass away. We'll still be reading from the Word of God even when we get to heaven because it will take eternity to understand the depth of the Lord God Jehovah.
If someone asks you, "Do you believe Jesus Christ is physically coming?" You can answer quite confidently, Yes I do and I can prove it to you. His return will be just like His departure. It will be visible, personal, literal and local.
There were two angels standing on the side of Jesus when He ascended into heaven. They said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
His return will be just as His ascension. Jesus is coming back and I am ready. I want Him to come NOW! If I lift one leg, that's Hallelujah! If I lift the other one, that's Praise the Lord. BUT If I lift both, that's the rapture! First Thessalonians 4:17-18 says, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. & so shall we always be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
Another reason I believe and preach on the rapture is because it is comforting both to myself and others. Scripture says that we should comfort one another with the knowledge that Jesus is coming back for us. So don't live in stress, be comforted! Jesus is coming soon! Some may say to you, "Even if He is coming, you may have to go through the tribulation." Don't argue, be comforted. The tribulation is the wrath of God and we are not appointed to wrath.
2. Reception! When we do arrive, we will have the greatest reception ever. The Body of Christ, the Church, will finally stand with Jesus as Bridegroom and Bride, as one. When we get to Heaven, angels will be flapping their wings together, shouting for joy of our arrival! The Bride of Christ will march in and Jesus will say, "There they are, the redeemed of the Lord." All of Heaven will shout and glorify the Son of the Living God when His Bride comes home to be with Him forever.
When you get married the groom is at the front of the church & everyone has their eyes on him. The the music starts & the bride appears, now there attention is focused on her she looks so beautiful her her long white gown.
At the reception, when Jesus receives us to Himself, all of Heaven will be looking at us as we walk down the aisle. They will say, "Wow, that's the prettiest bride we've ever seen." Jesus will be saying, "There she is, there's My Body." The Father will be guiding us by the arm down the aisle. As we reach the front, Jehovah will take the veil off of us and present us to His Son, Jesus. Jesus will say, "How are you doing? Are you ready for eternity?" We will take His arm and Jehovah, who is presiding, will walk up to the throne. He will turn around and say, "the King of Kings and His Bride, the Body, will forever rule and reign over all things of my creation."
3. Reunion During our reunion we will have uninterrupted communion and complete consecration to Jesus forever. We will be able to talk to Him all at once and it will still be personal. The communion we have now is veiled. We only see in part what we will experience in fullness in heaven.
Jesus wants uninterrupted communion with us. John 14:3 says, "Where I am, there you may be also" Our reunion in heaven will mean constant communion with the Father. We will be totally consecrated to Him. When I stand before the judgement seat under the divine appointment, I want God to say, "Rabqa, hey come here. I want you to meet some people. You did well. Let me give you a hug. Come on, I want to show you your house." I want Him to know me as a friend. Our meeting will be a true reunion.
There is more to be found in God than you could possibly think of. If you think it has been glorious to live for Jesus on earth, wait to see what you're going to do there! Your highest anointed moment will be nothing compared to being with Him in a physical body. It will be glorious, but you won't make it just going to church. To understand His return, reception and reunion, you have to understand Jesus and His tremendous love for us.
At the end of the world, the great white throne of judgement will be fierce. Some people believe God will enjoy that. But I believe that judgement day it will be - "That great and final judgement day will be the hardest day of God's existence. Tears will be flowing from His eyes, for He will have to pronounce judgement on His own creation, for He is bound by His Word. At that great throne there will be no smiling and laughing. Tears will flow from the Father's eyes. He won't be able to do anything if you have tied His hands with your will to reject Him.
Receive Him into your heart today and be ready for His return, reception and reunion with you! Remember before taking communion, the Lords Supper is not to be simply a ritual remembrance but an active confession, by which you actively call to memory & appropriate all that Jesus has provided & promised through His cross.
Acknowledgements Jesse Duplantis.
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