FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

Philippines celebrated liberation. He departed in defeat but kept his promise and returned in victory. A few weeks after the resurrection, a small band of be- lievers met with Jesus in Jerusalem. After a going away meal, the Lord reminded them of the promised arrival of the Holy Spirit and then ascended to Heaven. As the disciples watched His departure, two angels appeared and said, “Why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). As a basic belief in the Christian faith, the Second Com- ing is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament alone.And while many are obsessed with when this event will occur,I’d like to come at it from the angle of how and why. Observe first that Jesus will return personally . For over 2000 years, the invisible Holy Spirit has been the Trinity’s rep- resentative on earth, with Jesus at God’s right hand in heaven. That will change one day soon, however, when the resurrected and glorified Lord comes back a second time. A young lad, frightened and covered up in bed, called out for his mother. She assured him that he had no reason to be frightened, saying “God is there with you.” “Yes, I know,” responded the boy, “but I want someone with a face!” On that anticipated day, once God gives the signal, Jesus, Someone with a face, will return. Next, see that Christ will return suddenly. He said to His disciples during PassionWeek, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). Later, He told John in the Patmos vision, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame”

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