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IS 2012 THE YEAR OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST?
Tue January 10, 2012 in by Debbie Rester
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From the Desk of Debbie Rester read more.. IS THIS THE YEAR OF OUR LORD’S RETURN?
The year of 2012 brings a lot of curiosity and speculation with it. We hear about the Jewish calendar, the Mayan calendar, the economic and political forecast, and wonder what is in store for the new year. Many have prophesied, given opinions, written books, but it is time to declare simply what the Word of God says. First of all, we do not know what day the coming of The Lord will be. We don’t know the end of this age. The Bible tells us in Matt. 24:36, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”. Acts 1:7 says, “It is not for you to know the times off the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”. So, if anyone tells you that he knows the day, he is a liar.
The Bible does tell us, however, that we can recognize the season we are in. I Thes. 5:1 - “But of the times and the season, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you”. Ecc. 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to ever purpose under the heaven. We can observe seasons beginning and ending even in the natural realm. We are not to be ignorant concerning the times, we live in. It is obvious that we are in the season when all things are coming to culmination.
Matthew 24 gives us insight into these days upon us.
Matt. 24:3-14 - 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a] these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. I have never seen such a time of wide-spread deception. (v.4-5 ) Just because someone says they are of The Lord, we are expected to believe them and not try the spirits. Their lives are not required to match up. No fruit is required. If we ask for any of that, we are told not to judge. (My husband deals with that is his blog on judging.)
Have we ever seen such a time when so many are at war or threatening war? (v6-8) People have said that it was worse with the world wars, but a least those wars were defined with perimeters. Now, with small radical nations having nuclear power, everyone is threatening everyone. We even have civil wars going on within cultures in the same countries. We see up-risings and over-throws, almost on a daily basis.
We are hearing of earth-quakes of monumental proportions in nations and states that have never seen them before. Just when we get over the shock of one, we hear of another one taking countless lives. Then there are the tsunamies, the unusual weather patterns, tornados, and floods. We were just in the mid-west over the holidays. I grew up there, in the northeast corner of Nebraska. I am used to Christmas having sub-zero temperatures. Before we left, the thermometer registered 60 degrees. That is unheard of. At the same time, Florida was being threatened with freezing temperatures. Something is wrong with that picture. My relatives also showed me the residue of the flooding of the Missouri River in the area. That has not flooded in over 50 years, and we were told it would never flood again, due to the engineered dams. This year was an exception.
Verse nine speaks of being hated by the nations for His namesake. We are living in an hour where the least politically correct belief you can name, is Christianity. Buddhism is popular, especially among the movie stars and the intellectual elite. We know the gaining popularity and acceptance of the muslim beliefs. They are given preferential treatment above Christianity in our courts, governments, and our laws. Even witches, warlocks, and shamans have gained acceptance in our nation New-age is celebrated as the open-minded religion. The nations hate us not because of our prosperity, freedom, and ingenuity, as much as because of our God and therefore, our stand on issues.
This is a time when people who were friends are becoming offended with one another. Relationships have become toxic, even, and especially, in the church. People are turning on one another and betraying one another. The reason for most of it is because of verse twelve. The love of many is waxing cold. I see people who were on fire for Christ, totally back-slidden. People in general are being lulled to sleep and their beliefs becoming waterd-down to match the world. Then, there is a definite demarkation line between the on-fire Christian and the back-slidden one. The lukewarm person is then convicted in the presence of the fired-up Christian, and begins to loathe him or her. I can easily now see family embers even turning their backs on one another and betraying one another as The Bible says they will in the last days.
We must remember verses 13 & 14. We must determine this year that we will endure to the end. We won’t just endure when it’s fun & easy. We will be over comers. We have one reason only for remaining on this earth, and it is to preach the Gospel to every person. When that has happened, it will all be over and we’ll go home. Getting the Gospel out must remain paramount. It’s not about our social clubs, our comfort zones, or our pocket-books. It’s about reaping the harvest.
The Word of God tells us in 1 Thes. 4:13-18. 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 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, by no means, precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Wow! What powerful words. We’re not to be distraught when we see these things coming to pass. We are supposed to comfort one another with these words. We’re going home with a shout, in total victory, not defeat! Those of us who are watching, waiting, expectant, alert, living for Him, are about to be with Him forever & ever.
1 Thes. 5: 1-11 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Once again, we see the words, comfort yourselves together. These scriptures are about comfort and victory, not defeat and cowardice. We were never meant to bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich and do nothing but quake and shake while waiting to be raptured out of here. We are to be watching, persevering, fighting, standing, overcoming, winning the lost, and winning the battle.
This is a time to encourage one another. This is our finest hour! This is the time to triumph in victory, and reap the harvest of the nations quickly. Rev. 3:21 says, “To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me, on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne”.
I want to remind you that we have His hame, which is higher than economic depression, unemployment, disease, strife, sickness, or impossibility. It is higher than the president, judicial system, or legislative branches of this country. We have His blood that nothing can withstand. We have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living on the inside of us and quickening us. We have His promises, which are true, yes, and amen. We have His faith and The Greater One living on the inside of us. We have the same power of The Holy Ghost that the disciples and apostles had, living under tyranny and persecution and yet they penned these wonderful words of life. We have His Word, His truth, His love, and His comfort. Rom. 8:35-39 says, (NKJV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, this should be our finest hour. Be encouraged this ear and let’s reap the harvest of the nations together. Ps. 2:8 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”
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