Part 48 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

What would you do if your family happens to be the richest if not one of the richest families in this world? Let us step into the shoes of one such person who is currently in the banking industry — member of the Rothschild Family. The CEO of Edmund recognizes that our world has low household consumption although growth has been accelerating. Because of that “low household consumption”, the economic forecast was a slow down or weakening of economic activities in 2018 and 2019.

In the latest report prepared by that Rothschild’s CEO, we should be guided by the forecast that USA will rally with significant improvements in economic growth under Pres. Donald J. Trump. USA is expected to perform better than China during the leadership years of PDJT.

We should also be guided by the importance of Central Banks mentioned by this same report. Obviously, CBs are known to be producers of cash money following fundamentals of central banking. Keeping interest rates low is one of those fundamentals so as to encourage legitimate borrowings for investments that can generate higher productivity.

Now let us work with the above information in order to be more fruitful and prepared for the 2nd Coming of The Messiah.

Knowing that the cause of a gradual slow down of world economy is “low household consumption”, would it not be logically correct to say there is a need to ENABLE households to improve household consumption at least for the “have-nots”? Those who already have completed their basic needs, including upgrading of quality in their households, can only save and invest, whereas the “have-nots” (poor people as well as lower middle class and even middle class) have yet to be provided with BASIC needs for a more humane life.

The question is how to successfully deliver both opportunities and graces for all the “have-nots” when those in control of power and resources are known to be engaged in massive graft and corruption, deception, and cheating activities which result in the maintenance of poverty as well as status quo for the great majority ? Furthermore, the stolen graces and sabotaged economic system build up evil activities from those having excessive cash to satisfy their avarice rather than help improve the dignity of their fellowmen through Righteous Opportunities and Activities.

In the first place, this requires some extent of auditing to discover who are the faithful stewards and who have ignored the plight of the masses and simply enriched themselves instead. Who influenced or taught or caused society to be filled with dishonest citizens and public servants ? Who promoted graft and corruption for many consecutive years? Who received substantial bribes to overlook one evil after another until more and more people have learned to keep bribing for the purpose of having an invisible license to steal or plunder ? And who are in the habit of bribing as well as plundering ? We have to ask these questions because these culprits of society are the people who serve as the root causes of the economy’s low household consumption. Many families are living below standard quality of lives because the benefits due them got stolen over the years. Many members of the population were deprived of employment or livelihood projects because there were “ghost employees”, “ghost projects”, and fictitious developments funded and pocketed by crooks.

Luke 12: 1-3 NKJV
Beware of Hypocrisy
“12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.”

Luke 12: 42-48 NKJV
“42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

Part 47 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

God created the Sun for many purposes. One of them would be to teach Man very basic parts of life — to rise up in the morning and to settle down for the night. Notice what our Sun does. It shines so bright to give life for plants to perform photosynthesis (food production with the help of light). So should Righteous Man learn to be bright during the day at least.

Let us not imitate those who cover minds with darkness during each working day, by quarreling here and there and everywhere (via Facebook).

Matthew 5:14-16 English Standard Version (ESV)
“14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

And then mother nature also sends storms to test whatever has been built by Man. Do not build your hopes on sand because when the waves arrive, nothing will be left out of all those hopes. Instead, let your hopes be founded on Truth which is the solid ground. This reminds us about so many people hoping to get rich out of deception or thievery, or graft and corruption and plunder in government. Sure, the public might not know about evil deeds done in hiding. But who can hide deeds from God, The Ultimate Judge ? Knowing deeds will be judged by Jesus, that is like building hopes on sand whenever an evil man pretends to love fellowmen using his stolen wealth or whenever he or she feels glorified by fame and popularity.

Remember what Jesus had forewarned Man about.

Matthew 7:21-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
I Never Knew You
“21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ “

Storms in life will not only test one’s faith but also the deeds of faith.

Matthew 7:24-27 English Standard Version (ESV)
Build Your House on the Rock
“24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Part 29 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

Grievous sinners and redundant sinners should not lose hope in the quest to reform themselves regardless of age, circumstances, race, country, and environment. If you happen to live in an atheistic society, the Holy Spirit is also there. However, God’s Will for atheistic societies will certainly be more on directing the conscience towards encountering Words of God somewhere else if the bible is not allowed. In the long run, the Holy Bible becomes readily available.

Chinese were informed that the bible is purely a Western book. It was said to be irrelevant to China and does not even mention China in any part of the bible. Instead, they have their own culture and religion far too different from the biblical teachings, Yet today Christianity is growing in China because those enlightened by the Holy Spirit have come to realize that even Confucius believed in God. The term God is written in Ancient Chinese writings as “Shangdi” which means Supreme God or Lord on High or Highest Lord. If translated, the term “Shagdi” means “Above Emperor”. The ancient Chinese considered “Shangdi” as owner of all of the universe.

China has a Temple of Heaven which was created in ancient times, containing no idol, not even Buddha or Confucius, to prove that Ancient Chinese believed in a Spiritual One God they called “Shangdi”.

Luke 5:32 New American Standard Bible
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

If such a difficult condition in life can be resolved. what more of microscopic personal problems affecting one’s Faith in God. There are only 10 million to 12 million Catholics in China. But other Christian denominations included, the estimated population of Chinese Christians have exceeded 100,000,000.

And so, the Holy Spirit has been infinitely as well as tirelessly working to prepare Man for the 2nd Coming of the Messiah in each individual and also in every country. It is not true that the Holy Spirit is absent in unholy sinners because the very LIFE of a human being belongs to God. The “spirit of life” or “breath of life” came from The Almighty Creator. However, in the course of time, life of a sinner can become severely corrupted with evil spirit. St. Paul disclosed that the Word of God is capable of separating a Man’s Righteous spirit from his Evil spirit. (Hebrews 4:12) But disciples of Jesus Christ will need the skill to wield it like a powerful weapon which can save souls.

We believe Jesus Christ is The Word of God made flesh. He is God. (John 1:1) It should be no wonder then why infinite power comes from Jesus through Words of God and His Holy Spirit which is also God’s Spirit.

For the reference to Chinese understanding mentioned in this part, watch the YouTube Lecture at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaCUa2Hhlhc&fbclid=IwAR0lLaj_g8E8mA-Tgtl_UJtJhmo0P4acAnmvgn8jgq-MwzTmqOXhd2X7lok

Part 26 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

Latest media about the Exodus of Venezuelans do not report any Christian Church initiative to properly show mercy for migrants to Brazil. Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, USA, and Mexico. Instead, according to online news reports, the governments of different countries are attending to migrants. Where is Christianity in the present Exodus out there ? Don’t we have sufficient logistics to have newspapers or online reporters tell all other believers of God what the Churches are doing for depressed migrants ?

Nevertheless, I thank God for the governments that were not rude or hostile to believers of God. Some local residents of Brazil burned down temporary camps of Venezuelan migrants. But this was not an initiative of the government of Brazil. So far, I have not yet read of which people violently opposed the entry of refugees.

Matthew 25:35 ESV
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,”

This moment in time would be the exact situation when Churches of the different countries affected by Venezuelan migrants MUST remind the faithful about God’s teachings concerning how strangers should be treated. It is also a time when Church Leaders should be in the forefront of showing believers how best to at least show mercy for displaced people.

As for believers not directly affected, let us remember Venezuelans in our prayers regardless of whether or not they are sinners. Our reflections can include going back thousands of years ago when Moses had a similar Exodus for the chosen people of God — remembering Almighty God’s great miracles just to save Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. Unlike in the distant past, today’s world has many countries where believers in God can take refuge. The Lord has indeed provided for the present. During the time of Moses, guess what ? The migrants had to travel in the desert for 40 YEARS !

Part 3 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

The phrase used by Jesus “become like little children” does NOT suggest that educated adults should pretend to be naive in order to free themselves from responsibilities and accountability. As Man grows up to know God by listening to Words of God or reading the Holy Bible, he discovers teachings which are meant for applications in real life. The entire bible teaches who God is, what His Wisdom says, why Man should obey His commandments, how to understand circumstances, other people, the self, the Kingdom of God, and the rest of His creation.

It suggests Man should be willing to learn and obey the precepts of God in order to attain a Spirit of Righteousness. For God first created Man in His own image, male and female (Genesis 1:27). And His plan is to inscribe His Laws into hearts and minds of those who believe in Him through Jesus Christ who is identified also as The Word of God in the old testament.

Jeremiah 31:33 English Standard Version (ESV)
“33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Hebrews 8:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
“10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”

Ezekiel 36:26 English Standard Version (ESV)
“26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

This leads to listeners questioning the applicability of such passages from the bible, because verses clearly mention these are for the house of Israel. It applies to Israelites for sure. The knowledge about people of God expanding beyond Israel is found in the Holy Bible. But it needs another time for clarifications.

But if Man behaves like children believing even before seeing that non-Israelites eventually became included as children of God to whom those Words of God also apply, as the teachings from the bible are inculcated in hearts and minds, they can be applied long before the lesson for proving children of God include Gentiles or non-Israelites who have been baptized into the family of Christians. The Holy Spirit will guide the Godly person. In the first place, “innocent or young” Christians would have to understand God as Blessed Trinity.This, in itself, has been the battleground for arguments about having One God yet having Three Persons in One God.

Jews in Israel who believe in Judaism rather than Christianity do not believe in The Blessed Trinity. INC or Iglesia Ni Cristo believe Jesus Christ was just a Prophet and not God. Many religions are stuck in disputes about Who God really is. Muslims also believe Jesus Christ was just a Prophet like Muhammad. And so, preparing for the 2nd Coming of The Lord also depends on Who is your Lord and Savior.

Humility of a child striving to learn Christianity will therefore simplify the learning process. Even if already an adult, a person can gather the Truth from the point of view of Christians, while resolving differences from other religions, little by little. What will matter most will be the GRACE of living with Faith in God, greatly because it means actual survival while living a Righteous Way in the eyes of God. At a certain point of Christian maturity, life goes beyond mere survival but also saving fellowmen from damnation, and more.

Ephesians 2:8-9 International Standard Version (ISV)
“8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God 9 and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.”

Noah prepared for 120 years by obeying God’s Will.

Biblical scholars wrote that when Noah was asked to build an Ark that was nearly a hectare in square meters (9,363 sq.m. or 8,900 sq.m.) in area, he was about 480 years old. Sources of estimated size differ maybe because measurements back then were in “cubits”. The fulfillment of God’s Plan to end human lives except for the family of Noah took place when he reached 600 years old. Therefore, it took Noah 120 years of preparations believing God’s instructions and Will to end all evil back then.

We ought to be astonished about the great achievement of Noah relative to his time which was over 5,000 years ago. There were no modern day saws and hammers; no nails; no sander. His Ark fit in so many animals and so much food supplies to last for 40 days and 40 nights to feed all of them.

If modern time Man is to match the feat of Noah, just imagine how gigantic a Spaceship would be if it is to have nearly a hectare of floor area. How can it possibly launch to outer space with thousands of animals not to mention family members of the Body of Christ on Earth. Maybe, the scenario will look very different. Man might ship out every specie of animals and plants on installment basis towards a New Earth (which might be Mars where there is no sea). We can’t even ship out one human being to Mars at this time. Thus, we ought to wonder how long all the preparations would have to be.

Our only clue is that the first Earth will be no more. (Revelations 21:1)

Most people will probably argue they won’t be around by then. So why prepare ? “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.” Sounds familiar ? That was quoted from Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT. Those who live according to such Old Testament understanding of God’s Will can expect NO resurrection, Or if God grants them mercy, they can have life. But they will NOT inherit the God’s Kingdom on the New Earth. For it is written:

Matthew 7:21 ISV
International Standard Version
“Not everyone who keeps saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom from heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the Will of my Father in heaven.”

This passage tells us to first know God’s Will for a God-given Life. Then prepare for the 2nd Coming of Jesus by consistently doing God’s Will to the best of your abilities, with Faith, Hope, and Love.

Let Us Be Ready for The Second Coming.

Undoubtedly, Revelations spoke of apostasy before the time of the 2nd coming of Our Savior. This reminds me of so many people practicing evil in various ways nowadays, perhaps the most popular being “dirty politics” and “dirty businesses”, graft and corruption, and/or plunder. These have been identified to be causes of a growing gap between the rich and the poor, maintenance and/or growth of poverty-stricken fellowmen and women.

I am also reminded of the time of Noah when he was favored for his being righteous in God’s view while the rest of the population had forgotten or simply rejected God’s Righteousness. Genesis 5 to Genesis 10.

God had a plan to extinguish so much evil. Noah followed the plan. It is written in 2 Peter 3 that Earth will be burned by fire. While Noah was doing God’s Righteousness, people were busy with their self-righteousness rather than God’s Will. Faithful disciples are told to focus on preparing for the 2nd Coming by actually doing God’s Righteousness.

Luke 12:35-48 English Standard Version (ESV)
You Must Be Ready
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”