By Matt Haste

What do we believe?

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His glorious kingdom.

Why do we believe this?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Why does it matter?

One of the most amazing aspects of Christianity is that the story is not yet finished. As Christians today, we live in an era that many have labeled as being “between the times.” We are between the time when Jesus first came to the earth to bring salvation and the time when He will return to establish His glorious kingdom. These two incredible events ought to shape our existence.

Because Jesus has come, we can know God. We have access to the Father through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. All of our lives ought to reflect the reality that Jesus has indeed come.

However, that is not the end of the story. We worship a Savior who has not simply come but is also coming again. Jesus has promised that He will return and, when He does, He will establish His kingdom forever. 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us some of the details of what this moment will be like. While it can be tempting to speculate on all of the various questions surrounding the return of Jesus, it is wise to take note that this passage has only one command in it: “Encourage one another with these words” (v18).

Be encouraged today! Your Savior is coming soon!