(photo by Samantha Campbell)
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” – John 14:1
We live in a constantly changing world. Just about anything you can think of is apt to change at a moment’s notice. The weather, world governments, current fads… you name it! This continual change often generates fear. In our mind’s eye, we look forward in time and wonder, “What’s next?” Will the stock market crash? Will a certain disease bring about global ruin? Will a particular country go to war with another? Will a new Ice Age come? Will we ever have peace in our land?
Wouldn’t it be great if we could answer with certainty the question “What’s next?” Well, we can. While many people speculate as to what will happen in the future, there is one way, and frankly, only one way, to know with certainty what will occur. The answer is found within the pages of the Bible.
While the Bible is considered by many to be solely a book of history or literature, to many others, it is the true Word of God. Within its pages are many prophecies that have come to pass. It is in the fulfillment of these prophecies that lead to the ability to answer the question, “What’s next?”
Historically, Biblical prophecies have been authenticated by the actual events transpiring as predicted. The rise and fall of empires, the destruction of Jerusalem, the coming of Jesus… these have all validated the accuracy of Biblical prophecy. So, what really is next?
Without a doubt, the next event on God’s calendar is the return of Christ for the Church. This refers to the time when Jesus, God’s Son, will “…descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
How do I really know this will happen? I know because every prophecy in the Bible that has to occur before Jesus comes back has been fulfilled.
The unfortunate thing about this is that only a few will actually hear the shout and the trump of God. Only a few will return with Jesus to heaven. The rest will remain, probably unable to explain the disappearance of the Christians, or the reason for the disappearance will be fabricated, and this deception will be completely accepted by those that continue their lives on earth. Again, this is the next prophetic event to be fulfilled. Every single prophecy that needs to be fulfilled prior to the return of Jesus has already happened.
Is there a way to guarantee you will be one of those who hears the shout and the trump of God? Yes, there is! Here is part of a message that my pastor, Rev. Tim Campbell, shared with us, and it clearly explains why Jesus is the only way to secure your place in heaven with God for all eternity.
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“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1:20-22)
About this time over 2000 years ago, our Saviour’s body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. Joseph and Nicodemus had performed the funeral of Jesus privately preparing him for internment. His body was beaten, bruised, shredded by the scourge, pierced by nails, bloody and almost unrecognizable. What cruelty had taken place on the day of crucifixion at the hands of the Roman executioners. Yet, in that awful scene, God the Son begged His Heavenly Father to forgive them for they did not know what they were doing – but He did! All this seemed tragic to the human heart, but Jesus Christ had come for this hour and this event. Isaiah had written this down in the eternal Word! “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
The Blood of the cross was precious – that means there was none other like it. Its chemistry was perfect, for it could wash away sins forever! Its compass is powerful – it can wash away sins of the whole world. It is compassion – this Blood could wash away the sins because of the Grace of God for the worst of sinners, and its cause – the Blood of Christ could make peace between God and man forever on the singular merits of the Saviour who shed that blood for us.
This world is looking for peace in all the wrong places. People need to come to the cross and see that the blood of Christ is the remedy for sin and the key to peace. When we stand before God, now and in eternity, it will be that peace from that blood that will present us unblameable and unreprovable before God. Oh, what a Saviour!
This is salvation! What a wonderful gift from God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Hallelujah, what a Saviour! Jesus, our risen Saviour loves us so much that He offers, with open arms, forgiveness and everlasting life, but anyone who knows anything about the Bible must acknowledge that this gift came at an incredible price. God gave us His only begotten Son as the Lamb of God to die on the cross for our sins. Nothing that men can ever do will merit that gift nor purchase peace with God and eternal life.
As we read Romans 10:9, consider the word, “if.” It is a very important conditional conjunction used in the Bible. I call it the hinge word upon which the door of opportunity swings open. This little word is vital to us obtaining salvation. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” If, and only if, we call on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior will we be saved. When a person meets that condition of calling on the Lord for salvation, the door swings wide to the blessed life of the redeemed.”
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
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How does one be “born again”? How does a person call on the Lord for salvation? It is as easy as A-B-C.
A – Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” You must ADMIT or ACKNOWLEDGE that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness.
B – Acts 16:31 states, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” You must BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God, whom the Father sent to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14), died on the cross, shedding His precious blood, to take the punishment for your sins, and that He rose on the 3rd day victorious over death and sin forever, proving that He is the Son of God, and He alone has the power to forgive your sins.
C – Romans 10:9 states, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Lastly, you must CHOOSE Jesus to be your Saviour. This is a personal time of prayer between you and Jesus when you simply share what is on your heart, telling Him exactly what you believe, asking Him to forgive you and become the Lord of your life.
That’s it! Once you accept the forgiveness that Christ offers, you become part of God’s eternal family, and you are promised eternal life in heaven with Him.
I was guilty with nothing to say
And they were coming to take me away
When a voice from Heaven was heard that said
“Let him go and take Me instead”
Oh I should have been crucified
And I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace
But Jesus, God’s Son, took my place
(from “I Should Have Been Crucified” by Gordon Jensen)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
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One day, that trumpet will sound. Perhaps, today?