Beyond the Broadcast: Believers’ Greatest Hope
Living without hope is like sailing on the open ocean with no wind. It’s hard to get going with nothing driving us toward our destination.
Living without hope is like sailing on the open ocean with no wind. It’s hard to get going with nothing driving us toward our destination.
When the rapture occurs, 1 Thessalonians 4 tells us that Christ is to bring the souls of those who have died from heaven to earth. He’s going to resurrect their bodies, and their souls will re-enter their bodies permanently in resurrection.
Building up others means to edify, encourage, and uplift them so they will be strengthened inwardly to persevere despite difficulty. Encouragement seeks to infuse difficulty with meaning. Without that sense of meaning, hope and the will to go on fades.
Far too many Christians have bought into the “pursue pleasure at all costs” philosophy. Marriages are breaking up at almost the same rate inside the Church as outside. Christian leaders often create just as much scandal as any movie star. And many churches no longer place holy living at the top of their priority list. But purity, as Paul explained in Romans 6, is a powerful alternative to our culture’s formula for living.
Sexual promiscuity is neither new nor novel. It is as old as humanity, always promising more than it can deliver. More palatable words have replaced the obsolete and ugly ones. Inviting terms cause the ugliness of illicit sex to be veiled in mystery, fascination, and excitement.
Few things are clearer in Scripture than Christ’s return. Once He revealed the news of His death and departure from this earth, He wasted no time in reassuring His followers that He would indeed be coming back. Again and again, God’s Word includes statements, hints, symbols, implications, and undeniable predictions of the promise of Christ’s return. Cynics may sneer and doubters may laugh, but our Lord keeps His promises.
Being left behind is a bad feeling. No one likes being out in the cold. But there will come a day when many people will know that awful feeling. It’s the day of the Second Coming when those without Christ will be left behind. This is a lighthearted look at Christ's return.
Far too many Christians have bought into the “pursue pleasure at all costs” philosophy. Marriages are breaking up at almost the same rate inside the church as outside. Christian leaders often create just as much scandal as any movie star. And many churches no longer place holy living at the top of their priority list. But purity, as Paul explained in Romans 6, is a powerful alternative to our culture’s formula for living.
He is coming back. What a difference it will make!
Most people would say death is the end but Christians have a hope that goes beyond the grave. In this message, Chuck Swindoll offers a glimpse into the future for those who trust in God.