Christ's Return
by Rick Wynn
Hello friends,
I often think about the magnitude of God—as much as I can understand according to the Word of God and of course my imagination. I think to myself that trillions of billions of years ago (from our linear perspective of time) before the earth and even the galaxies were formed, there was God who has no beginning and no end. Then I think about the fact that He created this world, the heavens, and us where our life span from His point of view has been but a flicker of a moment. Within that period, Satan has done everything in his power to destroy all that God created and loved causing God even to destroy man and beast by flood where He commanded Noah, his family, and the preserved animals, beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air to replenish the earth. Due to Adam’s sin, all who came into this world through his loins would be born into sin. Thus, God would send His only begotten Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice in order to redeem His people by His precious blood. After which, we would be given the opportunity to receive the righteousness of Christ and thus eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven.
After Jesus completed His mission at the cross and the Holy Spirit raised Him up from death, He promised us that He would go to His Father’s house and make a place for us there whereas He would return to receive us unto Himself. He gave us everything we needed to understand the time, which He would return. Today, those of us who love His appearing, discern the times, which Jesus described. We can see before our own eyes the events transpiring all around the world signaling our departure and the beginning tribulation. Even this moment as you read this letter, the world is in turmoil from the happenings in the Middle East to the horrific earthquakes pounding the land and sea around the world, to the abnormalities of weather, which combined has killed and reeked havoc on thousands of lives across the globe. In addition, are the happenings regarding the persecutions of the Godly innocent, blasphemous society, and outright rebellion against God and His kingdom.
I think to myself of the fact that Jesus has not yet come and often find myself wondering if there is anything at all that we could be missing? The Middle East peace treaty is all but signed. The only thing holding it back I believe is our being here. When the restrainer removes the true church of Christ, only then will the man of perdition step up whereas that prophecy will be fulfilled. The rebirth of the Roman Empire has also been established. The European Union is that Roman Empire reborn and in the year 2009, a new elected leader will head this empire. Perhaps that new leader will be Silvio Berlusconi, or Tony Blair. In addition, there are so many other undeniable clues that were given in prophecy that are coming to fulfillment right before our eyes today. Jesus said that when all these things converge at the same time, look up and know that your redemption is near.
I personally have never been so full of wonder and excitement as I anticipate each and everyday the return of Christ to take us home. Yet, I have also felt sadness in my heart for each day the Lord has not come. My initial thoughts about the possible return of Christ, happened several years ago, but I was not actually “tuned in” to this event, nor did I have much revelation about it though I knew about it. It has only been recently that it has weighed upon my heart like a heavy block of iron. Today, I can hardly think of anything else. Like many of you, I too am consumed by the discernment I have in my heart concerning Jesus’ return.
In another letter I wrote, I mentioned that the Lord had put the year 2008, even more specifically, June of 2008 in my heart concerning the rapture. The actual date that I initially thought upon was June 21. Why this particular date, I don’t know. I had not studied any scripture leading me to this date, nor did I utilize any form of calculations to arrive at this date. June 21, 2008 is simply a day that dropped in my heart for whatever reason. Perhaps God wanted me to know this date or perhaps this day had everything to do with my own thinking. At any rate, shortly afterwards I came across Peggy McIlveene’s website and from her site I learned about Five Doves. Imagine my excitement when I found out that so many others had also the same thoughts in mind concerning the timeframe of the return of Christ. What was even more exciting was that I had come across so many letters, articles, and even calculations backed by scripture that pointed to a June rapture. What was still even more exciting was the fact that mostly everyone believed that Jesus would come even before the date I had in mind, which was the 21st of June.
I must say that I was on cloud nine, and folks I still am. Regardless of the fact that Jesus has not yet come, it is such a blessing to be in the midst of so many who nevertheless know that our redemption is at the door. Instead of giving up and assuming that all is wrong with our beliefs and discernment we are still evermore convinced today more so than yesterday even that Christ is coming! Yet, despite our ideas of prophetic understandings, biblical calculations, scripture, and even prayer, Jesus has not yet come. Why?
Perhaps we can fall back on what Jesus said to the Jews that no man knows the day or hour that only the Father knows. But this doesn’t actually solve the problem because we know that Jesus was talking to an unbelieving people when He said this. We know that according to the book of Proverbs, God finds it honorable when a man searches a thing out. We know that Jesus spoke of His return being as a thief in the night, but only for those who are not anticipating His return. Paul even said that for those who are cognizant of Christ’s return, they would not be in darkness. In fact, he said that such people would not be surprised at all when Jesus returns. Thus, I believe that we will know the day and hour just as Enoch did, just as Noah did, and just as Elijah did. Maybe, the Lord has already placed such a day and time in our hearts, but our nature has gotten in the way and has prevented us from hearing the specifics. Thus, we can only discern that the “time” is near.
At the beginning of this letter, I mentioned that our stay here on earth has been within a flicker of a moment in the eyes of God, yet God always was. Why should we assume that God abides in the things we understand, especially considering the fact that He told us that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours? Yes, we have His Word to live by and follow, but in all honesty, if we truly understood God’s Word to the extent that He would like us to understand would there be such turmoil over Christ’s return? Would there be such differences of opinion among Christians? Would there even be room for our opinions? The point that I am making is that regardless of what we know concerning scripture, we are after all talking about God here whom has no beginning and no end. All of us combined could live countless lifetimes, yet not even scratch the surface of the heart and mind of our Lord and Savior. For His purpose and for our benefit, the Lord has handed down certain commandments relative to the Jewish festivals, and Holy days, for instance, yet these again were given for His purpose and reasons. Where does it say in the Word of God that His sole function is to abide only in what He has given us—meaning to the degree for which we can understand that which He has given us? Where does it say in the Word of God that He moves and performs His Word according to eclipses of the sun or moon? Remember, our time has been but a flicker of a moment in His eyes, yet His ways and thoughts have always been. What have we actually learned in such a short span of time? Who has walked with God in our era to the likes of Enoch whom God actually took because of his closeness and devotion to God? What have we learned or how have we been willing to open ourselves that God may put in us what He put in Enoch or His prophets? Folks, what is our understanding to Him? Yet we assume or tend to expect to see movements of God based upon our knowledge pertaining to scripture, some of which even being recently revealed. Some things God actually told the apostle John to shut up in the book until this time. Jesus told His disciples on occasions that there was much He wanted to convey but that they were not ready to hear it. How many times have you perhaps read the same scripture, yet each time you read it, you went deeper into revelation? God is far greater than our ideas pertaining to how He operates and by what laws we assume He operates.
If you haven’t noticed, God has always had the tendency to do things according to His own time and His time alone. I have not found one man on earth whose timing is as impeccable as God’s. He has never moved one iota based upon our thoughts and feelings concerning timeframes and possible deadlines. God does everything with purpose, but He never promised us that we would immediately know let alone understand His every purpose. People, the reason I am speaking all this has everything to do with something Jesus said. He gave us a warning. In Matthew 24:48-51, Jesus said,
“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This servant is a person who served Jesus but became evil by way of his thoughts pertaining to his idea that the Lord would delay His coming. This servant would be cut off and banished with the rest of the hypocrites where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Who are the hypocrites? Are they the sinners or professed Christians? Furthermore, why would Jesus give this warning?
People please understand that this letter is not to come against anyone’s personal idea or view of the coming rapture. Even I at the top of this letter spoke about a specific date that I believed the Lord placed in my heart. I too get beside myself whenever I read a letter from a fellow dove or any Christian who speaks directly from his heart where the Holy Spirit within me rejoices in the truth that such people speak. The point that I am making here is that I believe there is so much more to it and that God wants us to identify this and understand it. Not one person will come into God’s house that has not been proven worthy. God already knows every individual’s worth so this proving isn’t for His benefit; it’s for our benefit. Jesus said that in that day, many would try to enter (believing they are worthy), but would not be able. To whom do you think He was referring? An easy answer would be all sinners of course, but truth is never easy to bear.
Perhaps you’d consider me to be out of line to say that if the rapture came this instant, there would be some who are totally convinced that they are going who in fact would be left behind. Even if there was one who truly desired to believe having the desire to go, yet was not quite ready via his heart, I believe that Jesus loves His people so much that He would delay just for that one individual just as God saved only Noah and his family out of the entire earth. He could have very easily wiped them all out with the rest and just started over. But you know, this really should not be construed as a delay for the Lord knew what He would do even from the beginning. Just as Abraham prayed to God that if there’d be a few savable souls in Sodom and Gomorrah God would hold back his hand, thus God saved Lot and his people. He is not willing that any should perish. Yes, Jesus is coming. Yes, He will stand by what He said, but God sees differently than you and I and understands fully what He says; you and I do not. His love surpasses our understanding.
I believe that Jesus warned us about that slothful servant because He knew that there would come a time when the stage would be set. All the prophetic events He spoke about to His disciples and those Paul Spoke about in addition to Daniel, and so many other prophets of God would one day converge on the scene of life all at the same time and moment. Jesus knew that in obedience we would even look up with all expectation that our redemption is at the door, which it is . . . yet . . . with all our faith, understanding, and calculations, no rapture . . . yet. We must be proven people, not according to our standards, but Gods.
Even now, search your hearts. Because Jesus has not yet come, has anyone back peddled in the slightest concerning his belief that Jesus is coming any instant? Has anyone had a change of heart? Has anyone become depressed or angry because something someone said pertaining to His arrival didn’t necessarily pan out? Has anyone gone back to his routine of life? Has anyone already forgotten about the rapture, or is the lamp still burning brilliantly regardless of the fact that Jesus has yet to come? Well, how about it people? Where do you stand in Christ? The Bible says that the heart is a wicked thing, who can know it? So one cannot ascertain truth from his own heart, he must go to God to find out what’s actually there.
Folks, make no mistake about it, Jesus IS coming. Jesus has not delayed His return. He will show up right on time—His time. I believe that collectively what we feel in our hearts pertaining to His return is right on the money. I believe that it is God Himself speaking to our hearts and as the days or moments progress, the stronger we will even come to know that our Prince of Peace is at the door. We must give the Lord His room to do His glorious thing in us and for us. Don’t let your hearts be troubled because time has passed and you are still here. God doesn’t make mistakes. What He has placed upon your heart is what He has placed upon your heart. You don’t have to apologize for it just because temporally you couldn’t in the end perhaps make sense of it. We must simply remember that His picture is much greater than ours. We see only that which He has given, but His picture is whole, connecting all things, times, and events. People, don’t look away for even a moment. Pray to Jesus like never before, commune with Him all the time. Be excited and even allow yourself to dance before Him because we’re going home folks. We’re at the last hump and it’s all glory from there on! We must also endure until our end, which is Christ’s return to rapture us off this earth!
Glorious peace to you all and God bless! I look forward to seeing you in the clouds!
Your brother in Christ forever,
Rick Wynn