Bible Study #12 - The Second Coming of Jesus

A few months ago, over a late night snack at Mcdonalds a friend expressed to me his desire for Christ to return, he asked to pray with him for it, and pray fervently, because he was sick of wordly desires. This got me thinking about the second coming of our savior, and, as a new christian I was incredibly overwhelmed, i's hard enough for me to recognise my wordly influences and temptations and not give in to them, let alone thinking about a time when there won't *be* any worldy desires.

How will we recognise our Messiah? What if I make the wrong choice...

For many will come in my name claiming "I am the messiah" and will decieve many(Matthew 24:5)

False Prophets

• Sun Myung Moon - leader of the Korean Unification Church, prophesied that the "kingdom of heaven would materialise in 1967"
• Jim Jones - Predicting doomsday, persuaded 900 plus followers to drink poisoned Kool-Aid in 1978
• Moses David - Children of God Evangelist predicted that the battle of armageddon would take place in 1986, with Russia defeating the U.S and seeting up a global communist doctatorship
• David Koresh - gun-toting, ex-rock singer forecated that the battle of armageddon would begin in his self-styled Ranch Apocalypse in Waco, Texas. It did, in a blaze of gunfire in 1993 between his Branch Davidians and government agents.
• Marshall Herff Applewhite - Heaven's Gate leaderm convinced his techno-religious cult in march 1997 that the end was near and the only way they could curvive was by commitinh suicide and hitching a ride on an alien spaceship.

How can we avoid such deceptive cults are the end days come to a close and we get more and more desperate for our Saviour to return?

It will be visible

Look he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him (Revelation 1;7)

It will be audible

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (Matthew 24:31)

It will be public

See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you "There he is, out in the desert," do not go to out; or "here he is, in the inner rooms," do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24: 25-27)

It will be glorious

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. (Matthew 25:31)

With all the signs that have been described, how will people fooled? Will I be one of those people? Will I be fooled by a false Messiah?

Jesus is coming to take his followers to heaven and to deliver us from evil and suffering.

...He will seperate the people one from another as the shepard sepeartes the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32)

When people truly accept what Jesus has done for them in paying for their sins and crediting them with His perfect life, then they are ready for heaven. We become citizens of heaven the moment we accept what Jesus has done for us. If we are citizens then we have all the rights of citizens. This uncludes the right to go to heaven when He comes .

"It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine" (R.E.M - new adventures in Hi-Fi)

I'm unsure as to what R.E.M meant by this song but for those who trust in Jesus the second coming is the end of the world as wel know it... and we feel fine.

Are you ready to accept the end of your worldy temptations...

I know I am...