I have the privilege of preaching at Redemption Baptist Church in Enoree, SC, on Sunday, October 26th. Sunday School starts at 10 a.m., followed by the morning worship service at 11. The Sunday evening service begins at 6 p.m.
In His Day! Our Lord Jesus used those words when answering a demand of the Pharisees concerning the Kingdom of God: when should it come?
Jesus clarified first, that the kingdom of God was within us, in the heart of every believer in the only begotten Son of God. Christ’s Spirit dwells within all who have believed the gospel of our salvation. He seals us; indwells us; comforts us; instructs us. But when the Son of man shall come to his rightful throne, he will enter as lightening out of the one part under heaven shines unto the other part. No one will miss that this is his day!
But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected of his generation. And he came unto his own; and his own (Israel as a nation) received him not. But, as many as received him individually, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
The power to become the sons of God refers to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. He is also called the Spirit of adoption. By him, we cry, Abba, Father, to the Lord God Almighty. He is the Spirit of Christ that has been poured out upon all flesh. Old, young; rich, poor; Jew, Gentile; male, female — we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Though it does not appear what we shall be, we know that, when our Lord shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is.
Because we have the Spirit of adoption, on that day of adoption (the day of the adoption of children) when we will physically be in the presence of God our Father and our mortal will be immortal and our corruptible will become incorruptible, all in the twinkling of an eye — on that day, before “in his day”, the dead in Christ will rise, and we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be: with the Lord!
Like it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat and drink and marry wives and were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink and bought and sold and planted and built: but, the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luke records their question: Where, Lord? Where shall they be taken?
Jesus reaches back to Isaiah and said, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together (Luke 17:37).
Isaiah records: He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary; and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord (his coming) shall renew their strength (from mortal to immortal); they shall mount up with wings as eagles (caught up); they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint!