Friday, November 16, 2018

EXHORTATION: Ready or Not, The King is Coming - David R. Barnhart


Yes, Jesus Christ is coming back again, and whether you believe it or not, you will someday have to face Him as your Savior or your Judge.
My heart breaks when I think about how soon the Lord’s return may be, and how little His Church is being prepared or encouraged to watch and wait for His coming as the Bible instructs us to do.
For most Christians, the major strategy in dealing with the doctrine of Christ’s return is to ignore it. For those in liberal churches, the solution is to opt for some kind of socialistic utopia here on earth and call it the kingdom of God
But according to the teachings of the New Testament, other than proclaiming the gospel of salvation, there is no more important doctrine than the coming again of Jesus Christ.  By His coming, Jesus will bring God’s promise of redemption into complete and total fulfillment. We’ll no longer just talk about the streets of gold, we’ll walk on them. We will no longer simply talk about Jesus, we’ll talk with Him face to face, and His own hand will gently wipe every tear from every eye. We’ll not only talk about seeing our loved ones who have gone on before, we’ll be together with them for eternity without ever again experiencing a single moment of separation.
God’s prophetic clock is counting down to the appointed hour. If you don’t believe it, listen to the latest news reports or read the morning papers. The signs of His coming are everywhere, yet the silence of the churches is deafening when it comes to proclaiming this vital truth of Scripture.  How it must grieve the heart of God to look at a sleeping church in a hell-bound world.
We are witnesses today to the fulfillment of manifold signs and prophecies of the Lord’s return. In fact, no generation since Pentecost has ever witnessed more fulfilled prophecies regarding Christ’s coming again than has this present generation. But being a witness to these things carries with it great responsibilities.
Today we are witnesses to the return of the Jews to their land and the reestablishment of the nation of Israel. We are witnesses to a resurgence of the gospel among the Jewish people, who are embracing Christ as their Messiah in numbers not seen since the time of Pentecost. We are witnesses to a revived hatred for the Jews, along with a global effort to destroy the Jewish state. We are witnesses of a hatred throughout our culture for the name of Christ and His Word, as well as a hatred for those who proclaim it.
We are witnesses to the martyrdom of thousands of Christians who are laying down their lives for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, under the grotesque hand of militant Islam. We are all witnesses today of attempts to create a one-world government and a one-world economy.
We are witnesses today of “the great falling away,” as so many churches embrace apostasy, false teachings and unbiblical practices. If Paul told the churches of his day to “WAKE UP,” what do you think he would say to the churches in the twenty-first century who have joined the ranks of the enemies of God?
The doctrine of Jesus’ imminent return must be reclaimed today in its pristine richness, as taught by the New Testament Church. Without this compelling doctrine, it is unlikely the fires of revival will ever burn again in our churches. If the events of the past decade, as well as the events that are presently unfolding in the world, are unable to motivate the church to rise up and proclaim the truth of God’s Word, the world will remain without a shred of hope!
“Rise up, O men of God, have done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of kings.”
David R. Barnhart

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