The Second Coming of Christ

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Psalm 50:3, 4.
Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man.
When it first appeared in the distance, this cloud looked very small. The angel said that it was the sign of the Son of man. As it drew nearer the earth, we could behold the excellent glory and majesty of Jesus as He rode forth to conquer.
His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon his head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, “Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?” Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.” At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth.
The earth trembled before Him, the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.”
Maranatha p. 289
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—–update— Enoch is alert! He had his breathing tube removed about 4:00 this afternoon. Now he is not opening his eyes very much. The one eye he isn’t opening at all. But he is trying to pull all of his tubes and cables off. And he is trying to talk. He is just whispering because of the breathing tube that was in his mouth for so long, but he has said over and over “let go” to us so he can pull on his cables. This is a good sign. Praise God! He has also shaken his head yes and no when we asked him questions. These are great signs! Keep up the prayers. God is answering! April
—– Praises!! Thank you Heavenly Father for answered prayers for my family member. Her Doctor called today with good news on the tests they ran Monday and all is well. Thanks to all our Prayer Warriors who responded to my call for prayers. Linda J
—–Please pray for my father-in-law, Larry. He has not been feeling well lately and had some tests done yesterday. This morning around 7:00 AM he got a call from the doctor saying that he wants to see him today. That sounds serious. Please pray that it is not as serious as we think it is. Eileen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“`
Dear Friends
When I was seven, my mother and I went to the Kalamazoo County fair. While looking wide-eyed at all the sights and sounds, I happened to notice a man whose chest and shoulders were covered with green anole lizards. Each little green lizard was attached to the man’s shirt by a string which was secured by a safetypin. Immediately, I began begging for one. My mother relented. Really, it was a perfect pet for me since I’m allergic to anything with fur or feathers. My mother paid the man and he attached the safetypin to my blouse. How I enjoyed having him scurry all over me and try to hide under my hair.
When we got home, my mother cleaned out an old aquarium and fixed it up with sand in the bottom, a branch for him to climb on, a little water, and some live plants. Since my mother is an artist, it was done to perfection. That little lizard had everything he needed except freedom, yet it was so much like his habitat that he seemed quite content. Over the next few days, I spent hours just watching the tiny creature.
One day not too long after I got this pet, I decided to play with him. I lifted the screen lid, and reached inside. Immediately he hid under a piece of curved bark that was his home. I lifted it and kept trying to get him. Round and round he scurried trying to get away. Finally, I was able to grasp his tail and quickly lifted him out of the aquarium.
At once, that tail broke off and he scurried away and his amongst my toys. I was horrified! I dropped the twitching tail and screamed. It continued its jerking in such a way that it came right at me. I was terrified! I backed up against the wall and screamed and screamed in fright. I screamed so loud and long that even the neighbors came running to see what was the matter. They all thought it was very funny. Once I knew that this was a defense mechanism, I was thoroughly embarrassed.
From that moment, I wanted nothing to do with that little now-tailless lizard. In my mind I did not know what would break off next. For the rest of the summer he dwelt in the old hollow apple tree that was beside the barn between my grandparents’ house and the neighbor’s. Surprisingly, he somehow survived the frigid Michigan winter because I saw him again the next summer.
Our Great Creator has made all things perfectly adapted to its environment. Just as He created the lizard to lose its tail if an enemy grabs it. That moving, thrashing motion frightens the predator away. He has created each creature to live in its own sphere. It is only when man interferes that problems arise. God watches over all His creation with more tender care than does a mother watch over her newborn babe. “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Ps 145:9
At the end of each creation day, “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Gen 1:31 David tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. 19:1-4 “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Ps 33:6-9
Our Loving Creator says, “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou…My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isa 40:25-29 “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” 45:12 “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee…and he that formed thee…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” 43:1-3
What a precious thought! The One Who created the universe and everything therein is the One Who has saved us. The All-powerful God is our Redeemer! “All power in Heaven and in earth is given” unto Him. Matt 28:8 Yet, he loves each of us as if there were no other person in the world. We can trust Him with every aspect of our life. We can allow Him to take control of our life and give us not only forgiveness but victory over our evil habits. “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9
Let us come to Him now for the cleansing we so much need. Let us trust our Great Creator to tenderly care for us for His Great Heart of Love is yearning to do so. Let us allow His Holy Spirit to change us into His image is my prayer.
Rose