The Alex McFarland Show-96-The Return of the King

The spiritual condition of America, politics, culture, and current events analyzed through the lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. In 2 Peter, the New Testament says that in the last days, before the end of time, there will be scoffers who sarcastically ask the question, where is the promise of Christ's coming? People have said for centuries that Jesus would come back, and yet the world seems to go on as it always has.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. I want to ask you, are you living in expectation of Christ's return? Now recently I was talking with a friend who remarked that he really didn't like Bible prophecy teaching, because people have always said Christ is coming back, they've always preached about the end of time, and yet time still goes on. And the implication was that really prophecy and teaching about the end times was just not relevant to people because the end hasn't come. Well I want to encourage you, I'm going to share a couple of Scriptures from 1 Thessalonians 3 and 5 that we really are to live our lives hopeful, confident, assured that Christ is with us if you're a believer, but I really do think that from the New Testament and from church history itself, we see the value of being mindful of the return of Christ. In fact, 1 John 2.28 says that we are to abide in Christ, and the verb tense there means continual, uninterrupted action, and live so that we may have confidence before him at his appearing, and when we stand before Jesus one day, not be ashamed at his coming.

I remember in the 90s and early 2000s, the Left Behind series of books had sold millions of copies, and there was really kind of a reaction against the Left Behind series for a couple of reasons. One, the eschatological position was premillennial. I have no problem with premillennialism, I would consider myself premillennial. I believe there is the Rapture, the Tribulation, Armageddon, Christ's return and victory over the minions of the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon, then a thousand year millennium, and then eternity proper is ushered in. And I realize that the point of orthodoxy is that Christ is going to return. In fact, in my book, Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith, I list as one of the foundational non-negotiables of the biblical worldview is the belief that Christ is going to return. And that is something true Christians have believed for centuries.

In fact, in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, there are two dozen examples when Jesus speaks of his return to planet Earth. And when I wrote the book Stand, now almost 20 years ago, Tyndale Publishers said, you point out that Jesus is going to come back and true believers affirm this, and I said yes. And they said, but you don't specifically lay out premillennialism as your preferred model of eschatology.

And I said, no I don't, although that is what I believe, but there are equally sincere, born-again, well-intentioned Christians that are not premillennial. They believe Jesus is coming back, but maybe they don't really affirm the rapture, which I think 1 Thessalonians does set out. But I said, look, the point of orthodoxy is that Christ is going to return. In Matthew, very famously, Jesus speaks of his return in Matthew 7, Matthew 13, 16, 19, 24, and 25 and 26. In four chapters of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus speaks about his return. In five places in Luke, Jesus speaks about his return, and he's going to come at a certain watch in the night, and so we should watch. And then in John 14 and John 21, the return of Christ is implied. So in really two dozen scriptures in the first four books of the New Testament, Jesus himself attests to the reality of his return. And very often you'll hear scholars use the word imminent, that Christ could come at any moment. And indeed, he will, and Jesus himself said, at a time you think not, the Son of Man will return, so watch and stay ready. Nevertheless, though, there are Christians and some ministers that really don't talk about it, and I think some preachers don't preach about prophecy because they maybe aren't comfortable being on record as taking a position.

So I will take a position. The point of orthodoxy is that Christ is coming back, and the evil world systems run by fallen men that are increasingly aligned against not only the Gospel, but truth and reality itself, they will be vanquished, and Christ will subdue this world. It's like Psalm 110 verse 1 says that God the Father will give the Son this world, and all of Christ's enemies will ultimately be put under his feet like a footstool. Christ is coming back.

I do believe in the rapture, the catching away of the bride, seven years of tribulation to follow, the battle of Armageddon, Christ returns, and the Bible says with the breath of his nostrils, merely a sigh, the enemies of God will be vanquished. There will be a thousand year millennial reign, peace on earth, and then eternity proper will be ushered in. Now, 1 Thessalonians 3 and 5, let me allude to these scriptures, and then I want to share some thoughts about living in expectation of Christ's return. 1 Thessalonians 3.13 says that God will make our hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Amen. That was the prayer. May he make our hearts blameless. And Paul was writing to the Christians in Thessalonica. And then, again, he restates this in 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 and 24 after talking about things that we ought to do and to not speak ill of each other and despise not prophesying. And then in 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 and 24, kind of a closing salutation to this wonderful book, Paul writes, May your spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless, sound blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. He also will do it.

Now, let's talk about what this is saying, and then I want to unpack these words. Christ's return is a reality. Christ's return is a comfort. Christ's return is a motivation.

And really, it's an incentive. There are promises about Christ's return, and really, warnings. So what do we do as we anticipate our meeting with Jesus?

That's what we're going to talk about when we come back. And we're going to talk about living in expectation of Christ's return. And I want to share with you four things to which we aspire. Four things to aim for, to pray for, aspire to, as we anticipate our meeting with Jesus. These four things and more we'll present after this break. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert.

Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly, and we seem to be on a rapid moral decline. We've rejected God, morality, and we've almost completely lost our sense of patriotism. It's no wonder that many are asking the question, is this the end of America? Hi, Alex McFarland here, and I want to make you aware of my book, The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late. You know, our nation has seen politicians that are corrupted by greed, and they've got a vested interest in power.

And many of our elected officials seem to care little about the country that they've been appointed to serve. Read my book, The Assault on America. We can stand up for our great nation and defend America before it's too late.

It's available everywhere. You can learn more on my own website, which is alexmcfarland.com. Read the book, The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program.

We're talking about living in expectation of Christ's return. Alex McFarland here. And let me encourage you, please go to my website, which is alexmcfarland.com.

A lot of great speaking engagements coming up. And what we're trying to do through our events, publishing, and broadcasting is woke-proof America's youth. And you know what's interesting?

I've got in my phone pictures of hundreds of questions from young people. What's so interesting is these kids, maybe they've not had any deep theological training, but they've got a sense and a discernment about them. And as one young man said to me recently in Colorado, he was talking about all the things in public school that they are asked to believe about socialism, about gender.

And he said, you know, my teacher says a lot of things, and I think deep down even she doesn't believe what she's forced to teach us. Well, we're in a crisis of truth, and that is all the more reason for Christians to live in expectation of Christ's return. And I do want to say a big thank you to all of the people who pray for me, our growing staff. We're committed to Christ's great commission to make disciples of every nation, and that it includes America. And I want to thank you for your prayers and your support of our ministry. We are committed.

You have my word that we will preach the Bible and God's truth, and we will do our utmost to equip this generation to stand for what is right and true and godly. Well, in light of Christ's return, First Thessalonians 523 says, may your spirit, soul and body be kept sound. Now, what's interesting is the word sound, S-O-U-N-D.

It's not like an audible sound, but it means preserved, as in preserved from external corruption. The First Thessalonians 523, your body, soul and spirit be kept sound and blameless. Now, let me unpack these just a minute, but before I do, let me mention, and here's a word for you, the word trichotomy. T-R-I-C-O-T-O-M-Y. Man, I believe, is trichotomous.

Now, what does that mean? Well, spirit, soul and body. Just like we are made in God's image and God is triune, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one God, three persons, human beings have a tripartite nature. In other words, three parts, body, soul and spirit. We know what our body is, our flesh, the tissue that makes up our body, but then our spirit, the part of us that lives everlastingly somewhere, either heaven or hell.

And then your soul, which is really the Greek word psyche, from which we get psychology. Do you know Christ redeems all three? Praise the Lord. When you get born again and you trust Christ as your savior, you think, well, God saved my soul.

And that is true. We say that, but what really happens is that our spirit is regenerated. The Bible says we were dead in trespasses and sin. That is true, separated from God. You know, sin brings conflict between you and God. Sin even brings conflict between us and other people. But sin brings conflict within ourselves.

I've counseled many people, and we all know what this is like. At one time or another we feel bad, we're frustrated with ourselves. Well, God redeems every part of who you are.

He even redeems and makes sense and purpose of things outside of ourselves, our circumstances. Praise God if you have stress about life and they're just things that seem out of your control and really painful things you just as soon forget. And you might, like so many people, ask yourself, how do I move on? My past haunts me.

How do I move on? Well, in Psalm 16 verse 6, it says, and this we could apply to any of our lives, the boundary lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a godly heritage. Now in Acts 17, Paul at Mars Hill says that of all the people groups of the earth and of individuals, God ordains the boundaries of our habitation. Now what does that mean? Do you know what? I believe God in His mercy and in His sovereign wisdom. Where we're born, you and I had no control over where we were born. We have no say in when we were born. Our physical stature, a lot of the attributes of our life we really don't have any control over.

But do you know what? I think God, and I believe this not only based on the realities of His word, but in talking to so many people and hearing the stories of how people come to Christ, God does everything possible to construe the details of your life so that you would hear the gospel and respond to Jesus. The one thing He doesn't do, the one thing that God won't do, is override your free will or your ability to make free choice.

Because God wants a relationship with you. And when you open your heart to Christ and you say, Yes Lord, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you died on the cross for me. And Lord, I'm accepting you. Dear Jesus, I accept you as my forgiver and leader.

Please wash my sins away and save me. However you phrase it, but you put your trust in Jesus. He does regenerate your spirit. According to Romans 12, too, for the rest of your life, He will renew your mind.

And one day, you'll get a glorified body. So salvation touches the whole person. Now the minute you put your trust in Christ, positionally, you are in Christ. That's why 1 John 5.13 says, These things are written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know you have eternal life.

But you know what? In 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 and 24, may your spirit, soul and body be kept or preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we've got to take a brief break. We're going to come back, and we're going to talk about the four things to which we aspire as we anticipate our meeting with Jesus, which may come sooner than any of us realize. Let's be ready. Stay tuned.

We're back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. By collaborating with like-minded organizations like the Family Research Council, the Family Policy Alliance, and My Faith Votes, we mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community. As Christians, we are called to make disciples of nations. Together, we can change the course of our country for good. Join Truth and Liberty to connect with believers and organizations who not only want to see a change in our nation, but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast, and subscribe for relevant updates on our website, truthandliberty.net.

He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. We're wrapping up our discussion on living in light of Christ's return. And the book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible that famously has much to say about end times, in Revelation 1, verse 7, it says of Jesus' return, Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail, or cry and mourn, because of him. You know, we've talked about the fact that for many, the return of Christ will be joy, will be celebration, but for many it will be actually terror, because they know of their condemnation. In Zechariah 12, verse 10, which was instantly written about 500 years before the birth of Christ, Zechariah 12 talks about the mourning, M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G, mourning, grieving at the end of history, sadness over the crucified, rejected Lord, and this is foretold, and it says, and again, 500 years, half a millennia before the birth of Christ, they will look on me whom they have pierced and shall mourn. And Revelation 1-7 really alludes to this, that people will wail or mourn, mourning, says Zechariah, as over the death of an only son.

Isn't that something? Because the one and only Savior was, as songwriters, poets, authors have pointed out, rejected, despised, Isaiah prophesied this in Isaiah 53, and people will one day lament the fact that they had the opportunity, they could have turned to Christ, but not only procrastinated and didn't, many actively have rejected Jesus. But what about the believer? Well, as we said, we are to stay ready, to stay faithful, to live pure and blameless. Now it doesn't say sinless, because even born-again believers can stumble in sin. That's why 1 John 1 verse 9 says that we are to confess our sins, and He is faithful and just and will forgive us.

But we are to live lives of righteousness and sanctification, doing our utmost to follow God and live as those who are the children of the King, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Now, Matthew 24-30, one of those verses in the Gospels that references Christ's return, it says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. They will see Jesus, the Son of Man, coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. I mean, keep your eyes on that eastern sky, because one day it will split open and Christ will return.

And the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12-14 that God will bring every work into judgment, every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil, and we are to live mindful that Christ is coming back. And the world situation, as we have said so many times, it looks like we are nearing the end of history. Philosophers are asking this question, are we nearing the end of time? Does earth have an expiration date?

I ask in one of my books. Well, we don't know when the end will come ultimately, but we do know how to be ready. And so, in Revelation 22, 8-16 and following, Jesus told John to spread the message of this to Christians. John is told to proclaim the prophecy of that book. And then, I'm going to give three R's, really, as Revelation wraps up, and it has so much to say about Christ's return.

Three important R's, reward, retribution and restitution. Jesus says, He is coming and my reward is with me, Revelation 22, 12. And then really, 12-16 talks about the recompense or restitution and retribution on God's enemies.

Now, think about this. There is reward for the faithful believer. One second into eternity, all that you've done for Christ, all that you've sacrificed, you've endured struggle and stress, and you've obeyed God in your finances, and you've given and tithed and invested in the gospel, and you didn't squander it on yourself, and you've shown self-restraint. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, you've mortified the flesh, as Paul said to do, put down carnality and sin and pursue righteousness. Well, look, when you see Jesus, you will know it was so worth it. There's reward for the faithful believer. Everything you've done, post-salvation, you'll be rewarded. But then there will be retribution against the enemies of God. Psalm 110, verse 1, The Father promised the Son that one day, I will put your enemies under your feet.

They will be your footstool. And so the LGBTQ trans alphabet mafia, they have made corporations get woke. They've infiltrated school boards and classroom curriculum. They've legislated unrighteousness into law in places like Canada and in ordinances locally, although, praise God, at least our Constitution here in America is still based on a Judeo-Christian moral code, even though court decisions and lower ordinances have really circumvented the natural law morality presupposed by the U.S. Constitution. One day, for all of the purveyors of darkness, turn to Christ, people, because there is retribution for the enemies of God. And let me say, all of the pressures of Hollywood, the lobbying of activists, and the innumerable voices on social media, there is not one sin in God's Word that has been declassified. And God, nowhere in the Bible, after all these warnings about sin and punishment, nowhere does God say, Oh, never mind.

No. Right is still right, even if nobody believes it. Wrong is still wrong, even if everybody believes it. There is coming a day when the enemies of God and truth will face retribution. And, of course, when Christ returns, there will be the restoration of all things. Are you living for the Lord?

Have you turned to Christ while you have opportunity? You know, Ruth Graham, she grew up in China, on the mission field in China. And in one of her books, she writes a poem about all of the millions of people in China. It's been said that China is a veritable country of graves.

Ruth Graham wrote this. Look o'er the fields about you, riveted, hilled with graves. No one can count the number of those who perished as slaves. Slaves to the sin they were born in, knowing not God or His light.

Died without God's great salvation, died in the darkness of night. But what about us? Listen to this verse. Look o'er the people about you, faces so furrowed with care, lined and hardened by sorrow, sin has placed on them there. Think of the evil they live in, hopes none, and joys so few. Love them, pray for them, win them, lest they should perish too.

Well, this is not morbid and this is not something that is morose that we shouldn't think about. We should be ready. The wisest thing you'll ever do is to think about the state of your soul and to think about Christ's return. And you can be ready.

We often say this. Jesus is as close by as a prayer. Turn to Him today. If you need spiritual help, you can go to my website, which is alexmcfarland.com.

There's a tab there under Resources. What does God say about my relationship with Him? We've given this little booklet to thousands and thousands of people. And if you need to know Christ, just reach out to us. We would love to help you in your coming to Christ, your growth in the Lord. In the meantime, keep us in prayer. Turn to Jesus and help people find the Savior who gave His life that we all, whosoever will, could be saved. May God bless you. Stand strong for truth.

Do you have a desire to deepen your faith, better understand Christian apologetics, or to get a biblical perspective on current events? Well, I've tried to make it simple for you to do just that. On my website, alexmcfarland.com, there's a new section called Ask Alex Online. It's simple, it's clean, and you can read my answers to common questions about God, faith, and the Bible. So visit the website alexmcfarland.com and look for the section that says Ask Alex Online.