Queens' Monthly Mentoring
Preparing for the Return of Christ
Greetings!
This month we will look at a study dealing with the return of our Lord and King to the earth. There are so many things taking place in the world today that line up with what God's Word says would take place when Jesus returns that I wanted to make sure everyone is aware and prepared. We have never been closer to the return of Jesus than we are now. I don't want you to rationalize what you see taking place and end up ignoring the signs sent to warn us.
You have to believe that He is coming back soon.
James 5:7-8 NLT “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
Romans 13:11-12 NLT “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.”
Hebrews 10:25 NLT “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Luke 18:8 CEV “He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?”
Revelation 22:6-7, 12, 20 CSB “Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
“Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work.
He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”
You need to have at least a basic level of understanding of eschatology.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:52 NLT “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”
Revelation 1:3 AMP “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfillment] is near.”
Revelation 22:7 NLT ““Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.””
2 Timothy 3:1-5 AMP “But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.”
Signs that Jesus is soon to return.
- Deception will be everywhere.
Mark 13:5,6 CSB,22 AMP “Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will provide signs and wonders in order to deceive, if [such a thing were] possible, even the elect [those God has chosen for Himself]
Luke 21:8 BSB “Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”
- There will be many false prophets.
Matthew 7:15 NLT ““Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.””
Mark 13:22 NLT “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”
- People will hate truth.
Jude 1:18 NLT “They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.”
Isaiah 30:10 NASB “Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy the truth to us. Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions.”
1 Timothy 1:10 CEV “The Law was written for people who are sexual perverts or who live as homosexuals or are kidnappers or liars or won't tell the truth in court. It is for anything else that opposes the correct teaching”
- There will be wars and rumors of wars.
Mark 13:7 AMP “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed (frightened, troubled); these things must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Revelation 6:4 NLT “Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.”
- Racism will be everywhere. (Strong’s Conc. Nation-ethnos or race)
- The earth will be filled with earthquakes, diseases, famines, floods, crazy weather.
Luke 21:11 BSB “There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”
Revelation 6:5-6 NLT “When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
- There will be signs in the heavens.
- There will be persecution of Jews and Christians.
Proverbs 29:27 NKJV “An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.”
Matthew 10:17, 21, 22 BLB, 35, 36 BSB “But beware of men; for they will deliver you into the courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise up against parents and will put them to death. And you will be hated by all on account of My name; but the one having endured to the end, he will be saved. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”
John 15:19, 21 NIV “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”
- There will be a great falling away from the faith.
Matthew 11:6 BSB “Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”
Matthew 13:21, 57 NLT “But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.
And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”
1 Timothy 4:1 NLT “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”
- People’s love will grow cold.
- People will be able to hear the gospel from all over the world.
Mark 13:10 NKJV “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”
Jesus warns us not to be fearful or alarmed.
Psalm 27:1-3 BSB “Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread? When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.”
Psalm 46:1-3 NLT “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude”
Psalm 112:7 BST “He shall not be afraid of any evil report: his heart is ready to trust in the Lord.”
You need to be prepared and you need to prepare those around you.
Matthew 24:42 NIV ““Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
Matthew 24:25 AMP “Listen carefully, I have told you in advance.”
Matthew 24:32-34 BSB “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.”
Mark 13:35 BSB “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.”
Luke 12:37 BSB “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.”
There will be people who are not prepared.
Matthew 24:38-44 NLT “In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Matthew 25:1-13 NLT” “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”
Make sure you are fulfilling your assignment until Jesus does return .
Luke 19:13b BLB “'Do business until that I come back.'”
1 Corinthians 12:7 NET “To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.”