Truth About the Second Coming

Well how will the world end? How is the second coming of Christ going to happen?

We went through Matthew 24:36-39 to start. "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be with the coming of the Son of man."

Here are the comparisons between 2nd Coming and Days of Noah

1. People will be going about life as usual
2. Things will be a little too normal – when life gets too normal that we forget God then it’s dangerous…
3. Their were signs – Noah was building, Noah was preaching, animals were going in the ark…

Today most of us are living life as usual and almost crowding out God. And the signs of the times mentioned in Matthew 24 are happening with greater frequency and intensity.

We also discovered that based on Acts 2 and Joel 2 that there are positive signs of the second coming...God's spirit is being poured out on all flesh.

We learned that signs don’t make you ready for the Second coming…Jesus makes us ready for the Second Coming…

Some scriptures we checked out:

Romans 13:11-14

1 Peter 2:2

The fruit that people bear is a strong indicator of the relationship in which they are rooted.

Revelation 14:6-12 - final warning...fear God, worship Him...

God has given an urgent message during a lax time..

This was some good stuff. We don't have to run after signs but run after Christ. He saves!

Your thoughts?

Truth About Salvation

So we kicked off our week last night with a good discussion on Salvation. I guess that's a topic that concerns all of us...if there's more than this life after death then how do I end up saved rather than lost.

We went through John 3:16-19, where Jesus tells Nicodemus in a night conversation (P Rolle called it Nic at Nite) that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must be born again.

There were three steps given in the process of salvation

1. Repentance - which involves confession but is more than confession. It involves turning around.
2. Relationship - walking with God daily and growing closer to Him. Sin first started as a broken relationship. So God wants to restore and continue to rebuild His relationship with us.
3. Results - walking with God will show results in us becoming more like Christ.
   

We are saved by grace through faith. Nothing we do will earn us salvation but our lives testify to our salvation.

We saw that salvation is a present reality - we are saved from the power of sin over us and our experience of eternal life begins now...

It is also a future hope that Christ will come and deliver us from the presence of sin.

Here are some texts to check out some of what P Rolle shared with us. - 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:28, 6:23, Isaiah 59:1,2; Revelation 2:1 and 1 John 1:9.

Your thoughts?

Am I What I Believe?

Who am I? There are so many ways that people can be described based on physical appearances, roles in the family or on the job, nationality or other ways. No matter how we define ourselves it is not a complete answer.

One of the ways that we are also defined is by our beliefs or supposed lack of them - Christian, Muslim, atheist, deist... A question I have is does that description trump everything else. Like am I a Christian first then my race, ethnicity, nationality next?

How important is what we believe? Is it that important that it defines us and places us into boxes with one group and against other groups? Is belief important...or is belief really an unimportant thing?

Finally are we saved by correct beliefs or lost by incorrect beliefs? I understand that as a Christian we recognize that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. It's because of Him alone we are saved. So what place does my belief play in my salvation? Can I stay static in my beliefs with the comfort that Jesus saves?

By the way I know I am asking a lost of questions...but questions cause us all to think, examine and grow deeper. Don't be afraid of the challenge. What do you think? How important is belief? Your thoughts?

What is Truth?

Truth....Can it be known? Is there something such as absolute truth.

It's interesting that our view of truth can be so divisive. Because of what some people view as truth it has caused them to look at others as less than themselves or even less than human. Because of what people have believed truth to be, wars have started to defend the "truth."

In our age, many have decided that instead of being divided over truth why even make definitive statements about it. Can truth be known? Really if we have different opinions on issues does my truth make your perspective false (or worse yet a lie)?

Well one thing is sure, your view of what is truth (even saying there is no truth is a truth you believe in) affects how you live. I would love to hear your feedback. Is there such a thing as absolute truth and if so, can it be known?

Post your responses here....

Fighting Truth Decay Promo Video - June 6-10, 2011