The King is Coming!

1Th. 4:13-5:6
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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 will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. (NASB VERSION)

As you read the message of St. Paul, it is clear that believers are soon to experience an amazing event called "The Rapture." It is a transformation of all Christians into their new glorified and eternal bodies that will last forever. The rapture or coming of Jesus for the Church, for every believer who has trusted in Jesus as God, will be for the purpose of removing every Christian from this planet just before God pours out his wrath on the earth. As a result of God's wrath being poured out on those left behind, the Book of Revelation reveals that huge numbers of people, both Jew and Gentile, will come to trust in Jesus Christ as God and hence receive eternal life, but not without immense tribulation and persecution - 7 years of tribulation unlike the world has never seen before or will see again!

Today is a great day to rejoice in the promise God has made to Christians that Jesus will remove believers from the earth to save them from God's wrath to come. 1Th. 1:9-10 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, [that is] Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Today is a great day to watch for God's divine appointments where He puts a non-believer in your path that needs the hope that you and I have. I had one of those appointments today with an eye technician at Wal-Mart. It was way too cool to give her one of our San Diego Bible Church business cards and invite her to join any Sunday for church or visit us online. Please keep her in prayer, as she is a single mom working two jobs with three kids. She warmly received the card, which led to some spiritual conversation.

Today is a great day to practice "Walking Worthy." doing your best to imitate Jesus. The more you practice the more you will look, act and sound like Jesus and the more others will want to know why you are SO different! The more you "Walk Worthy" the more you will be ready for Jesus to come and rescue you from this world.

Every day it's looking more and more like we may be the generation that sees the return of Jesus!

1Th. 2:10-13 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

Don't forget, we are in a NEW SERIES, "PREPARING FOR THE RAPTURE!" BE SURE TO GO ONLINE AND CATCH LAST WEEK'S SERMON IF YOU WERE AWAY. AND BE SURE TO JOIN US THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT 7PM OR SUNDAY MORNING AT EITHER SERVICE, 8:45AM OR 10:30AM IN OUR NEW HOME OVERLOOKING LA JOLLA AT 8320 LA JOLLA SCENIC DR!

God bless each of you and have a blessed day in Jesus ☺

Pastor Steve

p.s. And keep looking up -- the KING is coming!