Does the Bible predict Jesus's Second Coming?

Last week I showed you a few of the many prophecies that predicted the first coming of Jesus. The first time Jesus came to earth, He came as a baby, born of a human mother, fully man and fully God. He had to come this way so He could bear all our sins, all our shortcomings and weaknesses and sacrifice Himself in our stead. He came as a sacrificial lamb

http://www.eborg2.com/Jesus/Jesus-Second%20Coming.htm

The second time He comes, it will be as a Lion!  There are more prophecies about Jesus's Second Coming in the Bible then there are of His first. I believe this is because His first visit paved the way for his second visit because His second visit is the culmination of God's perfect plan for mankind.  It is the time when all things will become new, when all of our questions will be answered, when history is explained, when wrongs are set right, when justice and righteousness prevails and the enemy of our souls is locked within the earth for a thousand years. Jesus's second coming will be the single GREATEST event in the history of mankind. And the cool thing is, we'll all be there to witness it!

Here's a few prophecies from the Old Testament

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth...Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because He cometh to judge the earth." (1 Chron. 16:31,33)

"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the last day upon the earth; and after I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my body, shall I see God." (Job 19:25)  

He shall appear in glory to build up Zion, and then to gather the people at large, and the kingdoms to serve Him. "When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in glory...When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord." (Psalm 102:16, 22) 

“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)  

“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.”
(Jer 3:17 ) 

New Testament
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory! “ Matthew 24:30 
reat glory.  

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matt 16:27

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

 “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11


So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.  Hebrews 9:28

http://www.eborg2.com/Jesus/Jesus-Second%20Coming.htm

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work." Rev 22:12

These are just a FEW of the hundreds of prophecies that relate to Jesus's second coming and the end of the age. Why should we believe them? Maybe because OVER 300 prophecies of His First coming were completely and accurately fulfilled!! (  Prophecies Fulfilled ) And my guess is God's not going to drop the ball now.   

So, how close are we to this big event?  That's a topic for another day!!  But let this encourage you. Jesus IS coming again. He's coming to gather His children and make all things new. It could be tomorrow, next year, ten years from now or after we die. It doesn't matter!  If you are a follower of Jesus, you are already living in Eternity! What a great way to start the new year!

Preview of Forsaken Dreams!

I FINALLY got the new Video trailer for my next release, Forsaken Dreams!!  I'm always so excited to see these trailers because they bring my characters and my story to life! Actually, what they do is make me long to see my books made into movies!  But that's in God's hands. For now, I'll settle for these tiny glimpses. This is a different sort of trailer than all my others.. mainly because this new series is a different sort of series than all my others. Not only in the location and the time period, but in the content. I'm wandering off into a little bit more of a supernatural feel with more spiritual warfare than I've ever had. But of course, there will still be all the adventure and romance of my other books.

So, tell me, what do you think?? Does it intrigue you? Does it give you the mysterious, adventurous mood I'm looking for?

Wordless Wednesday!

Love the colors in the cannon fire!! Incredible painting!

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Tomorrow is the day that believers all over the world celebrate the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth on a rescue mission.   I say rescue mission because mankind was in dire need of a Savoir. They were cut off completely from God in the middle of enemy territory and hence were doomed to be captured and imprisoned for all eternity.  But God loved us SO MUCH that He sent His only Son to come and die and rise again so that those who believed on Him would have communication restored with Father God and through His mercy, forgiveness, and grace would, upon death, be taken home to Heaven.

When you think about it, it is truly the greatest story ever told!  How God reached down and rescued mankind. The thing is, He told us He was going to do exactly this years before it happened.

He told us approximately when Jesus would be born in Daniel 9:26 
   And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself .  I don't have time to go into the 62 weeks and the time frame of Daniel here, but it's really fascinating if you want to do research yourself.  Anyway, this puts Jesus's death in in Nisan 14, A.D. 33, which was the day he was crucified.

God told us where Jesus would be born in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2  
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.

Fulfillment

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod . . ." (NIV) Matt. 2:1

God told us Jesus would be born of a virgin in Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Fulfillment

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins . . . His name [is] Immanuel." (NKJV) Matt. 1:20-23.

God told us Jesus would have a forerunner who would go before Him to announce His arrival.  Isaiah 40:3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God

Fulfillment
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD . . ." (NKJV) Matt. 3:1-3 

God told us that related to Jesus's birth, many children would be killed.  Jeremiah 31:15
This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."

Fulfillment

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under . . Matt. 2:16-4:1   God told us that at some point Jesus would be in Egypt in Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son Fullfillment Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; Matt 2:13 These are just a few of the many prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus and His life. These prophecies were written hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of years before Jesus ever lived.  So why do I tell you all this?  Because I want you to know that God knows what He's doing! He is on the throne. He is in control and He has a plan!!  Some days you may not feel that way. You might feel as though God has abandoned you. You might feel alone amidst a mountain of problems and surrounded by enemies. People often ask for a sign from God. But God has already given us a sign.  He sent His Son.  The first time Jesus came, He gave us a Cell-phone so we can talk with God and an instruction manual so we could find our way around enemy territory and live lives of victory, not defeat.   The second time He's coming, He's coming to get us and bring us home!   And I think that time is soon!  If you think these prophecies are cool, come back next week when I list some of the hundreds that predict Jesus's second coming.  I hope that thought brings you hope this Christmas.  Read your instruction manual (Bible), give God a call, and enjoy your day tomorrow with family and friends as you celebrate the birth of our Savior!

 

Winner of Pick a Hero Picture Contest!!

I guess if you're reading this, the end of the world didn't happen!!  That's good, because I'm really looking foward to Christmas!

Thank you all so much for helping me choose a picture who best represents the hero in the book I'm currently writing!! I don't know where you all come up with so many gorgeous men, but it's been fun. And it really helps me out!

Here's the character description you had to work with:
James Callaway
James is 28 with light brown hair streaked by the sun. He is over 6 feet tall and muscular. Some might call him brawny. His eyes are the color of bronze.  James grew up with a perfectionist preacher father who never seemed to do anything wrong. Driven to follow in his father's footsteps at a young age, James's brief time as a pastor ended in ruin due to an indiscretion with a lady. You see, James has a weakness for beautiful women. So, he became a doctor and served honorably as a war surgeon in the Civil War until one day he could no longer take the blood and gore and abandoned his post. Now, he is terrified at the sight of blood!  James is patient, smart, loyal, and cares deeply for people, but he feels like he has failed at everything he has ever done. Including now being the new colony's only preacher.

And the Runners up are!

Liam McIntyre and Ryan Reynolds had 4 votes each

Liam McIntyre

Ryan Reynolds

And with 5 Votes, Josh Duhamel

   With 10 votes, Chris Hemsworth!

Chris Hemsworth

  But the WINNER with 12 votes was

Alex O'Loughlin!

Congratulations to Susan Snodgrass for nominating, Alex. She has won a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!!

And Thank you all so much for your help!!! 

Just a quick note on this.  I realize that many, if not most of these actors, do not live a godly lifestyle. The selection of a picture to represent my character in NO WAY means he represents the hero in my story in any other way except physical appearance.

Writing news.  
I'm working on the first draft of a book called Abandoned Memories. It is the third book in my new series, Escape to Paradise. The first book, Forsaken Dreams, will be released in March. The second book, Elusive Hope is turned in and releases in August.

If you're interested in preordering Forsaken Dreams, click HERE. It's being offered at a great preorder price of only  $7.61 instead of the usual $12.99.  

Tis the weekend before Christmas!!  I'll be wrapping gifts and baking cookies.  What are your plans??

Wordless Wednesday!

Permission to Come Aboard!

Where is God in the face of pure evil?

I'm sure we are all tired of talking about, and even hearing about, the tragedy that happened in NewTown. It is such a horrific event that it has left most of us stunned and feeling sick. I know it has me.  At the risk of adding yet more thoughts to the mix, I feel compelled to speak my mind.

If there was any doubt as to the existence of Satan before this tragedy, certainly now those doubts have been obliterated.  The Bible speaks much of our enemy. His entire purpose is to lie, kill, and destroy. He hates mankind because we are made in the image of God. He hates us because God loved us so much He sent His Son to provide a way to be reconciled back to Him. No such opportunity has been give to Satan. He and his angels are doomed to an eternity of horror. He knows this and he knows his time is short.

Yes, this young man who killed those kids had mental problems. But I don't believe that is what caused him to do what he did. I believe Satan and a horde of his demons invaded this poor man's soul and took him over. There is no other explanation for such unabashed evil.

But why did God allow Satan to do this? Surely He could have stopped it?  Yes. He could have. But in this country, we have asked God to step away. We have pushed Him out the door of our government, our schools, our homes, even most of our churches and we have shut the door tight. We have told God that we don't need Him anymore. We don't like His commandments. We want to worship our own idols of Money and Beauty and Power and Fame and Success and Sex.  We think God is obsolete, old-fashioned and His ways are prudish and restricting. We don't teach our kids His law or right and wrong. We don't teach them that there is good and evil and that they will be held accountable for their actions in this world. We don't tell them that there is another world beyond this one where everything is set right. We don't tell them that they have value and purpose and meaning and are loved beyond measure.

Instead, we tell them they are the product of an accident, of years of evolving from apes. We tell them this world is all there is and there is no such thing as right and wrong. We tell them the goal in life is to make yourself happy and get as much stuff as you can.  

And they are empty inside. They have no hope and no reason to go on, because as they grow up they realize life isn't fair and they won't find the happiness they seek.  Life without God is meaningless.

How dare we get mad at God when something like this happens? God is a gentleman and He won't come back unless invited.  Was He there? Yes.. He was there, weeping and holding the bodies of those precious children. He was there in the courage and selflessness of the teachers and police. But He was told to keep His hands off. So He did.

This isn't a problem of gun control or mental-illness or government or police. This is a problem of the soul. A soul without God opens itself up to be filled with evil. Pure evil. Our culture is in deep trouble. If we continue to push God away, I fear we will see many more of these tragic incidents as Satan begins to invade the souls and spirits of our people.  But we are getting exactly what we asked for. A country without God. As our current president said,  America is not a Christian nation.    For once, I agree with him.

Christianity is not a Religion!

What is Religion? Here are a few definitions from the dictionary

A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. 

 

a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects:

 

the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith 

 

That sure sounds like Christianity, doesn't it? I mean we all generally believe the same thing (the main thing being that Jesus is God and He died for our sins and then rose again on the third day),  we all typically follow the same moral code, most of us attend church, take communion, practice charity and tithing, celebrate Christian holidays, read our Bibles, do our "devotions" and pray, right? Doesn't that fit the above descriptions of beliefs, practices, moral code and rituals?  

 

leocervas.deviantart.com

But I contend with you that it is man who had made Christianity into a religion, not God. That was never His intention. In fact, I don't think God cares much for religion.  Religion has always been man's attempt to reach God on his own terms. His attempt to somehow make himself more acceptable to God and perhaps win God's favor. Religion has always been man's attempt to manipulate God into doing what he wants.  

 

Jesus didn't much care for the religious people of his day. A quick browse through the Gospels will reveal that the only times Jesus got really angry were when he confronted the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religions leaders of the day. He even had some colorful names for them:  Vipers, serpents and Whitewashed tombs! 

 

Abraham, the father of our faith, well understood what religion was. Before God called him, he lived in the land of Ur where they had a god for everything. A god for crops, a god for cattle, a god for business deals, a god for healing, a god for a new baby...  and on it went. All the people had to do to get the particular blessing they wanted was to do something that would please the god of that blessing.  In effect, they could work to recieve a blessing. They could manipulate their gods. 

But don't we do that today? Don't we behave like good little Christians, reading our Bibles, saying our prayers, going to church whenever the doors open, volunteering, tithing, etc..  in order for God to bless us? We may not admit it right out, but deep down, don't we sometimes think that God will surely take note of what good followers we are!  I remember one time I was at a very prominent Christian conference and the speaker told everyone to put all the money they had in the wallet into an envelope and write their prayer request on the outside and turn it in.  She said God would surely grant our request because of our act of faith.  I wonder how many of you have encountered something similar?  So many preachers have twisted Scripture out of context by telling you that if you do X, Y, and Z, God will answer your prayer.  We've become little religious robots,  performing tricks to get God's attention.

But God isn't like that. When God called Abraham out of Ur, it wasn't so Abraham could preform a bunch of rituals or sacrifice a bunch of cows. He wasn't interested in Abraham's performance. He didn't choose him because he had special talents or skills. God was interested in Abraham. He chose him because he loved him and wanted to have a relationship with him.  Later on after Abraham had walked with God many years, he was called "the friend of God" .  Friends don't manipulate one another. Friends hang out and enjoy each others' company. Friends trust each other because friends know each other.

God can not be manipulated. Not by ritual or tithing or even devotion.  God is not impressed with your efforts. He does not care how often you appear in church or how many verses you've memorized or how much money you give to charity. Yes, he takes note of it if you do it with the right intentions, but He isn't adding up points so He can bless you. If you are His child, He wants to bless you anyway. Why? Because He loves you. 

He wants a relationship with you. That's why He sent His son, Jesus, to pay the price to get rid of the one thing that was keeping us from knowing Him. Our failings, our mistakes, our sin. Once Jesus paid that price and rose again, all who receive Him can now have a one-on-one relationship with God, the Father.  That's it! That's all Christianity is!  It's not a set of rules, not church attendance, not rituals, not performance. It's just walking with God. It's getting to know Him.

Abraham spent years walking with God and during that time, he learned to trust God so much that he was willing to kill his own son at God's command because he knew God either wouldn't let it happen or He would raise Issac back from the dead. Why did he know this? Because he knew God's character. His goodness, kindness, faithfulness, trustworthiness. And you can only know those things by becoming a friend of God. 

So, shrug off that cloak of religion, grab a cup of coffee (or tea)  and just hang out with God. He's waiting. !

 

 

Winner of A Suitable Wife by Louise M. Gouge is!

 Dana Wilkerson Spille!!!  Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who entered!!  

If you didn't win, I highly encourage you to go out and get a copy of this fabulous book!

Vote for the Picture of my next Hero!

Well, almost my next hero. He will be in my next release, Forsaken Dreams, but he's not the actual hero until book 3 (which I'm writing now) called Abandoned Memories. Anyway, I digress.

A couple weeks ago, I gave you a description of my hero and some of his personality traits and asked you for pictures of actors or models who you thought matched what he should look like.  This week, we are going to vote on your favorite.  The person who nominated the winning actor will receive a $20 Amazon Gift certificate!  (Really useful to buy Christmas gifts!)
I'll announce the winner next Friday!

WOW, YOU ALL ARE GREAT! YOU CHOSE A TON OF PERFECT PICTURES!  Thank you !

Here's his description again.
James Callaway
James is 28 with light brown hair streaked by the sun. He is over 6 feet tall and muscular. Some might call him brawny. His eyes are the color of bronze.  James grew up with a perfectionist preacher father who never seemed to do anything wrong. Driven to follow in his father's footsteps at a young age, James's brief time as a pastor ended in ruin due to an indiscretion with a lady. You see, James has a weakness for beautiful women. So, he became a doctor and served honorably as a war surgeon in the Civil War until one day he could no longer take the blood and gore and abandoned his post. Now, he is terrified at the sight of blood!  James is patient, smart, loyal, and cares deeply for people, but he feels like he has failed at everything he has ever done. Including now being the new colony's only preacher.

And here are the entrants!  Rules: You can choose the actor you nominated and one additional actor, but not any more than that. If you didn't nominate anyone, please only choose one actor.  And don't forget to leave your email address in the comment!
Also, If you sent me an actor and you don't see his picture, let me know and I'll try and add him right away!

Okay, here we go!

Chris Hernsworth

Liam Hensworth

 

Josh Groban

Alex O'loughlin

Cam Gigandet

Daniel Goddard

David Garrett

Eion Bailey

Elliot Cowen

Eric Szmanda

Errol Flynn

Jay Ryan

Jonathan Togo

Jon Foster

Joseph Morgan

Josh Duhamel

Josh Hutcherson

Josh Lucas

Liam McIntyre

Luke Bracey

Matt Bomer

Patrick Swayze

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Gosling

Sam Claflin

Simon Baker

Taylor Kitsch

Unknown Actor

Wentworth Miller

     

Wes Aderhold

George Stutts