Verse Of The Week (04/28/17)

John 3:18, 36

Read John 3:18, 36.

Condemned how?  To what?  The answer is in verse 36:  "The wrath of God remains on him."  Here is another evidence for pre-Tribulation Rapture.  God's wrath is reserved for unbelievers, not believers.  To believe is to become exempt from deserved wrath.

A Glorious Church (Eph. 5:27)

Read Ephesians 5:27.

This is the only passage in the New Testament that describes what kind of Church that Jesus is coming for.  The glorious church is a holy church.  How do you prepare yourself for Jesus' coming? Be holy (1 Pet. 1:14-15).  Pursue holiness (Heb. 12:14).

Getting Ready For Jesus' Return (Lu. 12:47)

Read Luke 12:47.

There are two things you can do to ready yourself for Jesus' return.

1. Prepare yourself.  First things first.  Pay attention to your own vineyard (Song of Sol. 1:6). Feed your own soul.  Become more enamored with Jesus.  Keep your eyes on Him, not His gifts or His assignment for You.
2. Do His will.  Active anticipation leads to active participation.  When He comes, time will run out.  The time to serve Him is right now.

Lu. 3:4-6 (Part 2)

JESUS, THE LORD, IS COMING.  When is He coming?

He is coming eventually in the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:16-18).  In these desperate times of the last days, we must keep the Rapture, a.k.a. the Blessed Hope, before us.  Jesus is coming soon, suddenly and spectacularly for His bride, who has made herself ready under the Holy Spirit's tutelage (Rev. 19:7).

He is coming presently during our approach (Jam. 4:8).  During worship, we draw near to God, yes?  Then our expectation should be that He responds by drawing near to us.  Is it the cry of our hearts right now, "Come, Lord Jesus"?

Just as the forerunner announced the coming of the king, and just as John the Baptist announced the ministry of Jesus, so we boldly announce the Rapture by Jesus.

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 2)

1. FIRST SEAL > rise of the antichrist > Mt. 24:4-5

^“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures

saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it

had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:1-2)

The rider on this white horse is not the same as the rider on the white horse in Rev. 19:11. The rider on the white horse in Rev. 19:11 is Jesus Christ, while the rider on the white horse in Rev. 6:2 is the Antichrist. This Antichrist will be a demon-controlled political figure who will rule the world once the Rapture of the Church has happened. He will control politics, commerce, religion and the military.

Concerning a person whose ambition is that great, you would expect an upsurge in opposition. Rev. 6:2 says there won't be. Notice that he has a bow but there is no mention of arrows. He won't need them because the world will gladly welcome and accept him – at least at first.

Think of the turmoil that will be in the world the moment after the Rapture occurs. The world will be looking for a leader, someone with answers and solutions.

Verse of The Week (03/18/16)

Weekly Inspiration (02/06/16)

Taken circa 09.08.14

"Some golden daybreak Jesus will come;

Some golden daybreak, battles all won,

He'll shout the vic'ry, break thro' the blue,

Some golden daybreak, for me, for you."

-- C. Blackmore, 20th Century

Waiting for Something Extraordinary

"The truth is that we are waiting, all
of us, against insurmountable odds,
for something extraordinary to happen
to us." * (Khaled Hosseini)

When I read "something extraordinary", I can't help but think of the Rapture of the Church. What an event that will be!

I have some reservations about taking the quotation as a whole.

• The reality is that we are not all waiting for this event.  Some choose not to believe there is such a thing as the Rapture.  Some don't have to worry about the Rapture at all.  They need to get saved first!
• Since the Rapture is a supernatural event, we don't have to concern ourselves with the "insurmountable odds."  That's a category in which God specializes.

You choose what you want about the Rapture.  As for me, I'm "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Tit. 2:13, NASB).

* www.Twitter.com/BruceVH.  November 28, 2013.  10:15 P.M.

We're Getting Closer!

Those with spiritual discernment recognize that natural disasters are warning us.  Jesus is about to return!  Here is a sampling of headlines from today.

• Major 6.9-Magnitude Quake Strikes Peru: USGS
• Giant Crack in Earth in Mexico Sparks Fears, Stuns Scientists
• Northern California Wildfire Forces Evacuations
• Seismologists Concerned Earthquake Could Trigger Bigger Quake

Oh, yes, there was also concern about a volcano in Iceland.  Whether or not the volcano suffered a "subglacial eruption" doesn't matter.  Obviously there is concern that this volcano could go at any time.

The problem isn't that there are insufficient signs and warnings.  No, the problem is that we've become so accustomed to hearing about disasters that we're in danger of dismissing them as "nature taking its course."

Just Wait And Stay Ready (Mt. 24:44)

Blue Jay, Apollo, PA   7.11.13

Sometimes you just have to wait and stay ready.

Frequently I had seen the blue jay dart from tree to tree, but had never seen him land.  "One day," I thought, "I'll get a picture."  Yesterday was the day.  At most, I had a minute before the jay would thrust into the sky.  I'm so glad I was ready to capture the moment.

Speaking of readiness, are you ready for the return of Jesus?

"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will" (Mt. 24:44).
　
　

To Whom Will Jesus Appear? (Ac. 10:39-41; Tit. 2:13)

At His coming, known as the Rapture, Jesus will only be seen by a select group.  Who are they?

• They are those who have been His witnesses.  As Jesus' followers, we should be His witnesses (Ac. 1:8).
• They are those who ate and drank with Him.  That's a picture of friendship and hospitality.  Jesus will come for those who, by their faith and repentance, have demonstrated they are His friends.  Such hospitality is mentioned in Revelation 3:20.
• They are those who expect Him to come (Titus 2:13).  How come we don't hear much about the Rapture anymore?

If you are not interested in being Jesus' follower, if you are not interested in the demands of friendship with Him (Jam. 4:4; Jn. 15:14), then you shouldn't expect to participate in the earth-altering, soon-coming, life-changing event known as the Rapture.

Five Truths about Jesus' Coming

1. Jesus' coming will be soon.  The signs of the times (Mt. 24:5-14), content of recent prophecy (6/3/12 - He is coming sooner than we might think -- Mt. 24:44) and testimony of God's Word (Rev. 3:3, 11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20; Jn. 14:3) point to His coming.
2. Jesus' coming will be sudden.  It will happen in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:51-52) and as a thief in the night (Rev. 3:3; 16:15; 1 Thess. 5:2).  Both analogies share one thing -- suddenness.
3. Jesus' coming will be spectacular.  Think of what we will see (colors previously unknown, creatures previously unseen -- Isa. 6:2-3; Gen. 3:24; Rev. 4:6-8).  Think of what we will hear (sound of the trumpet, shattering of gravestones, shouts of great rejoicing).  Think of who we will see (Old Testament saints such as Abraham, Moses, Elijah and Daniel; New Testament saints such as Peter, James, John and Paul; church leaders such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon and John Wesley; family members who've gone before).  We will see King Jesus!
4. Jesus' coming will be supernatural.  What happened to Enoch (Gen. 5:23-24) and Elijah (2 Kin. 2:11) will happen to all living saints -- we will not die physically but be taken directly into God's presence. 
5. Jesus' coming will be selective.  He is not coming for those who merely use His name, attend His house, fund His church or even do His work (Mt. 7:22-23).  He is coming for those who anticipate His return (Tit. 2:13) and are busy preparing their hearts for it (Mt. 25:1-12).  Jesus is coming for His Bride.  The religious could be severely disappointed.

Let there be repentance (Lu. 21:34), readiness (Mt. 24:42-43) and rejoicing.  Jesus is coming!

Seized by the Hand of Compassion (Gen. 19:16)

Three Pleas of Last Days Saints

• Help me understand the severity of the judgment that's coming.
• Help me maintain a sense of urgency.
• Help me prepare myself and my family.

Prayer:  Lord, seize me with Your hand of compassion and lead me to where You want.  Move me when I don't want to be moved.  Help me be an effective witness.

Party Week

June 19-25 will be a party week for the Korzeniowski's. 

• Father's Day
• Josh's Birthday
• End of the school year
• Ashley's Graduation

Each event will include laughs, thanks, memories and celebration.  Oh yes, food and family.  The more I write about it, the better it sounds!

Did you know no one throws a party like God?  He makes all the angels let loose every time a sinner repents. 

Then there are Israel's seasonal gatherings.  They aren't called the Feasts of Israel for nothing!  Food was abundant.  Questions were asked.  Answers were given.  People enjoyed being together.  It was not uncommon for Jerusalem to be overcrowded with guests.

Of course, the biggest party is still to come.  It involves a shout, a trumpet and a large family gathering.  The event is known as the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

He Miscalculated (Again)

Harold Camping, who predicted God's judgment would begin May 21, 2011 at 6:00 P.M., now says he miscalculated.  On May 21, 2011 God sent a spiritual judgment.  The actual judgment day will be October 21, 2011.  For the full story, see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_apocalypse_saturday. 

Sadly, many will continue to follow him.  People are being set up to become more and more skeptical, mocking and hostile toward the fact of Christ's return.  Many Christians are being set up.

Now is the time, more than ever, to preach the Rapture. Jesus is coming again!  We just don't know the day or the hour.  Be a herald, not a Harold.  (Speaking of Harold, pray for him.)

Why I DON'T Think the World Will End on Saturday, May 21 at 6:00 PM

If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, good!  All you need to know is that Jesus Christ will return one day.  Make sure you're ready!  If you're not sure how to do that, e-mail Ronedski@yahoo.com.  I'll walk you through it.

Since your curiosity is now stirred, there's no sense in hiding what I'm talking about in the title.  You can get a better perspective at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-preacher-warns-end-of-the-world-is-nigh-21-may-around-6pm-to-be-precise-2254139.html. 

The nonsense isn't in suggesting Jesus is returning.  That's part of orthodox Christian belief.  Oh, and it's also in the Bible!  What's nonsense is that any man can predict the exact day, let alone time of day.  Read Matthew 25:13.  Okay, test time.  Is the Bible right or is Harold Camping right?   Umm, I'm taking Bible on that one!

Keep Going . . . The Trumpet Hasn't Sounded

Perhaps you saw the strange play in Saturday's Ravens vs. Steelers game? The play happened within the Steelers' 20-yard line. Twenty-one players thought a certain play was over. There was one problem, though. The referee hadn't blown the whistle! In the NFL it is drilled into you to "play until the whistle." What began as a Steelers' offensive play ended in a Ravens' defensive touchdown. Congratulations to the Ravens player who kept alert.

What a reminder to believers: Be fully engaged in evangelism, missions and discipleship until the trumpet sounds. Don't checkout prematurely. The game is on. Too much is at stake. Yes, I know Jesus is coming. The good news is that He hasn't come yet! Make every minute count. This is no time to take it easy.

1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:52

Preparing the Way for the Lord (Lu 3:4-6)

Today is a catch up day, but yesterday's reading was Luke 3 and John 1.

Context: The king was coming to His people. The expectant people showed honor to the king by constructing a highway that was as direct, straight and obstacle-free as possible. They expected His arrival and made necessary preparations.

1. The Lord is King. The King wants to come to His people. Why does He delay His coming? Preparations aren't complete. Patiently He withholds His coming so people can be prepared and ready (2 Pet 3:9).
2. The Lord is greater than the obstacles, but He tells us to remove them. Removal will be by His power and our obedience. Don't look for God to fill the hole. You must exert yourself and fill it one shovel-full at a time. Don't sit around expecting God to blast your mountain. Do what He tells you. Exercise faith (Mt 17:20-21). There are rough edges to be smoothed. Submit to the Word as His Spirit stimulates Fruit in you (Gal 5:22-23). There are things only the King can do and there are things only you can do. Once the Lord has told you what to do, He will not override your will and do it for you.
3. At some point, the King will come. He will come whether you're expecting Him or not. He will come whether you're ready or not (Mt 24:44).

Are you living in such a way that you're sure the King will come for you? Make today a further time of preparation. What do you need to start? Continue? Stop? How can you be a "voice" (Lu 3:4) to help prepare others?