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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue # 859 July 14, 2003 Thunder In The Distance The nearest railroad track is more than five miles from my home but when all is still at night you can hear the trains coming and going for a long ways. Late last night, I heard one of the many cross Canada freight trains that run on that nearby line. Off in the distance, I heard a rumble like that of thunder. At first it seemed to be coming from the east, then I thought it was from the west. Finally I realized it was two big trains headed in opposite distance. I knew they were big because I not only heard the thunder of their wheels on the rails, but I could feel ever so slightly the vibration as well. I knew there was no chance of a collision because they travel on parallel tracks or make use of the abundant sets of sidings along the way. As they drew closer the pounding, driving wheels became louder and louder. The raw screams of their whistles as they passed road crossings tore open the night air like a wailing madman. The thundering wheels and the screaming whistles combined to make an oddly beautiful, but mournful symphony in the night air. As they drew closer, then passed each other, the symphony reached a crescendo then slowly began to fade as they carried on their respective ways, each heading for someplace else someone in the night or perhaps even days down the line. I drifted off the sleep marveling at the music they had made. As I drifted, some verses of Scripture came to mind. "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:30-31 NIV "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64 NIV Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7 NIV We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 NIV There will come a day when the thunder in the clouds, the vibrations on the earth and the trumpet blast will make my symphony seem like the smallest of whispers. It will come without warning and quite unexpectedly. Perhaps today, maybe next week, or next year, maybe not for another thousand or more years for only God knows its time. People can argue the exact timing of the return. They can debate where it will be in relation to the time of the tribulation, but in the end all that really matter is that when the clouds open and the trumpet blares, we go to be with Him and all the theological debating in the world will become merely the memory of so much noise. He will come because He promised He would and He is faithful. For those who believe it will be the most wonderful sound and feeling we have ever known as we go to eternal glory with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For those who don't believe, they simply won't understand. Until that moment, may you live your life in such a way that you'll be filled with joy at the sound of thunder in the distance. The shed blood of Jesus is the ticket. The only baggage you'll get to take is the work you've done in His name. I pray that you will find you've arrived with a moving van for your work done in love, rather than standing there with nothing. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are heaven bound, guaranteed! Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING Deep in your heart, whether you admit it or not, there is a part of you that knows you must ultimately face God, either through death or His return. You know that you're not worthy of being in heaven with Him because you've lived a sin filled life. None of us is worthy to be with Him, that's what is so marvelous about Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, He made it possible for all who would believe on Him and accept His offer to spend eternity in glory instead of hell. All you have to do to get your gate pass and one way ticket is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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