The Day of Jesus Christ

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good

work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6

In this verse Paul was very confident of a few things. First he was confident that it was God who began the good work in the saints which were located at Philippi. Second, he was confident that God would perform that good work or perfect that good work until the day of Jesus Christ.

To me it’s as plain as day. The good work spoken of by Paul is our faith in Jesus Christ. He began it according to Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” and He will perform it, or mature it, complete it, finish it.

From the day He saves us, He develops, strengthens, grows and matures our faith until the day we stand in His presence at which point we will have no more need of faith for we will see Him face to face.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Once we have seen Him, we will have no need of faith because He whom we have hoped for, yet have not seen will be right there in front of us. When will this take place? It will take place on the day of Jesus Christ. When will that day be?

I believe the day of Jesus Christ is the day we stand in His presence either through the death’s door or through the rapture.

The question that comes to mind is this… “Are we as Christians looking for the day of Jesus Christ?” Obviously the lost world has no concern for eternity or Christ or anything of spiritual value. Those things are foolishness to them.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14

What about Christians? Do we give much thought to the coming day of Jesus Christ? Do we realize we are only one heartbeat away from standing before the Lord Jesus Christ?

In the past few years I have experienced having many people I know enter into eternity through death’s door. Most of them were believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some were not. In losing loved ones who I’ve no doubt were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, I feel as though I have been brought closer to the Lord myself. As I think about my Mother-in-law who has been in Christ’s presence for over two years I think about what all she has seen. Then there is my great aunt who went to be with the Lord a few days ago. People that I have known personally and have spoken with on several occasions have seen Jesus Christ face to face.

The Bible tells us that while living on this earth, we see through a glass, darkly…

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12 

                            

I didn’t research to see who wrote the song, but there is a song in the hymnal that speaks of that event. Face to face with Christ my savior, face to face what will it be? When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me! Do Christians today ever think along those lines? ..or are we too busy living the Christian life?

I think if we really believed the Lord was coming at any minute, it would change the way we lived. We believe He could come at any minute. We believe it is in His power to come at any minute, but somehow we think it won’t be for a long time.

That’s how I used to think. I thought I would be 96 years old in a nursing home having just celebrated my 70^th year of marriage to my beloved bride when the Lord came. Sure, He could come at any minute, but not today. If we really thought the Lord was coming today we would be more sober minded. We would have a spirit of repentance before God.

A few months ago, the Lord put in on my heart to study the Feasts of the Lord as seen in Leviticus 23. That study changed the way I think. The Lord has seven feasts…or divine appointments which He told Israel to observe. Four of them were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ during His first coming to this earth. Jesus Christ was the Passover Lamb and was crucified on the 14^th of Nisan. He was the bread from heaven…the unleavened, sinless bread from heaven and was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was the first fruits of the resurrection and was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. Jesus Christ ascended to God the Father 40 days after His resurrection and 10 days later, He sent the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost.

Is that all some strange coincidence? I think not. God gave those feasts years before Christ came to point the eyes of Israel to His only begotten Son.  If Christ perfectly fulfilled the first 4 feasts or appointments during His first coming, why would He not perfectly fulfill the last three feasts or appointments with His second coming?

Every time those feasts were observed prior to Christ coming, they were rehearsals for when Christ would come and fulfill them. Even today, as the remaining 3 feasts are observed, they are rehearsals for when Christ will come and fulfill them.

I don’t know when Christ will fulfill them, but I do believe He will fulfill them on the days they are observed. The next feast in line is the Feast of Trumpets, otherwise known as Rosh Hashanah. This year (2012) the observance of that feast will take place on Tishri 1 and 2 of the Jewish calendar, which would be September 16 and 17 on our calendar. That’s just five days away.

In studying the Feast of Trumpets in the Scriptures and seeing how the Jews observe it and looking into all the meanings of it, I am convinced that the Lord will come on some Feast of Trumpets. If 2012 is the year He comes, what an exciting time! It is also a sobering time. If you thought the Lord was coming in 5 days how would it change your thinking and your living?

During the Feast of Trumpets the priests blow the shofar (ram’s horn) 100 times. The 100^th blast of the shofar is known as the Teki’ah Gedolah or the Last Trump.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  1 Corinthians 15:51-52

When faced with the thought that I could soon see my Lord face to face, I am sobered. Maybe that’s why we are encouraged in the Scriptures to be sober minded. I may be one who sees Him face to face after passing through death’s door, or I may be one who is caught up to be with Him having never tasted death. Whether this year or 200 years from now, no matter how it happens, the truth is I will one day see the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, face to face. Am I ready? Are you ready?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

...be thus minded

                There is no greater way for me to start a day than to take time to pray and meditate on the word of God while I walk or run. The other morning was the best time I had yet. Mixed with many prayers was a time of meditation in the word of God.  I asked the Lord to give me something from His word to meditate on. This is what He brought to my mind…

James 3:2  For in many things we offend all.

                I had heard this verse spoken on once before and it was brought back to my mind. The word “offend” is translated from the Greek word “ptaio” which is pronounced (ptah –yo).  It means to err; to sin; to fail; to fall; to offend; to stumble.

                In many things or in many ways we all err, sin, fail, fall, offend and stumble. It was worded to me this way, “we all stumble in many ways.” How true that is! As long as we live in these sinful, fleshly bodies we will stumble. There is no getting around it. When we do stumble and sin the Holy Spirit will convict us. Upon Holy Spirit conviction, we must confess our sin to Him and seek His forgiveness so we maintain good fellowship with Him. Then we need to get up and move on. Too often we stay there sad because we failed.

Proverbs 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:

                Due to our sin nature we will stumble, yet we are to get up again. We don’t need to stay there feeling sorry for ourselves, wishing we had not sinned.  We will fall…we will get up again. When we do we are to think like Paul.

Philippians 3:13-15

13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are left behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

                We always need to be moving forward in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can learn from the past…we should learn from the past, but we don’t need to stay there. When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we need to press forward toward the mark for the prize which is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.