Morning by Morning, June 24 - The Great Exit to Come
Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord and Savior, God and King, Best Friend Forever, I want to begin my day speaking out Your name and listening for Your voice. ... "As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.... And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now retrains it is removed. And then the lawless on e will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of His mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of His coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Everyone is talking about the "Brexit" -- the vote by the citizens of Britain yesterday to exit the European Union. There's great concern about the collapse of the currencies and the economies of the nations of the European Union now that Britain is removed through this exit. Those concerns are, of course, very valid. Certainly to be taken seriously. No doubt, there will be tremendous global impact and upheaval in light of this event that's been anticipated for some time -- an event longed for by many and also feared by many. But there is an exit that should give all the world so much more concern. There will be tremendous global impact and universal upheaval on the day of the great exit to come -- on "the day of the Lord" and the great exit of the Church of Jesus Christ from the face of this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:2). "For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.... Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:21-31). The Holy Spirit of the living God who lives in the heart of every believer of Jesus Christ is a powerful restraining Force in our world. Since the day of Pentecost, the Church has increased to reach into the nations of the world. That great move of God in earth will continue right until the end, for God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). But one day, "the end will come." And on that day, there will be a great exit. "For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). We can be encouraged with these words -- with the Word of God. Though those will be dark days, at the same time, the light of the glory of God will arise and shine upon the people of God as never before, as the Lord continues to seek to draw every last soul to Himself through His people who call on His name and trust in His grace (Isaiah 60:1-2; Hebrews 12:27). "People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.... Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Luke 21:26-33). Many long for that day to come. And many fear it. When the Holy Spirit of God abiding in the people of God is removed in the day of the great exit to come, nobody's going to be thinking about the "Brexit" or even the economy. On that day, everyone will be thinking about Jesus. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27). Me, I'm looking forward to that great exit to come. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' (Revelation 22:17).Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you will be secure and confident in the peace and Presence of the Holy Spirit living in you, looking forward to the day of the coming of Christ, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
