Parousia @ MindSay 
Here is a hat tip to supportingourtroops at Yahoo 360°.
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
I hate to admit this was part of a chain email, but it was so good I had to post it.
The rest of the chain:
For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us....go ahead and delete this For the rest of us.....pass this on.
I include the rest of the chain because it gives pause for thought. Those that do not believe in God or are God-haters would say, “If God is good, why would he allow the disasters to occur or take human lives?”
Those of us who are Believers would say, “God is good. Do not slide into Faith rejection and reap what you sow.”
Another point which is not something I choose to argue or prove, however I take it on Faith for God is a Faith God (without Faith you cannot please God – Hebrews 11:6). It is a bad rap on God to accuse him as the author natural disasters or the evil that happens to people. I mean that is what insurance companies do – “Act of God.” Disasters occur because Adam broke his covenant with God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This twisted the Image of God in Adam and his ancestors. What most people do not realize it twisted everything to do with that which Adam was to tend – God’s creation on Earth.
Adam gave the authority that was given to him by God to Satan. Thus Satan became the god of this world. The nature of Satan is evil.
Humanity has become delivered from Satan’s grip by the Blood and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The human spirit by Faith has had God’s image straightened and has become a new Creation in Christ Jesus. Only by Faith, it is not by objective reasoning.
The Full Redemption of God’s Creation is at the SECOND COMING of Christ (theologians call it the Parousia). The when and the how of the Parousia is a matter of controversy in the Body of Christ on Earth, however know this: It will happen.
As I shared in an earlier blog, at the church I go to, they love to worship. Worship usually lasts an hour or more. We don’t sing many set songs. It is mostly spontaneous, with people singing out as they feel led by the Spirit. We don’t sing so much about God as we sing to God. And often, as we hear His Spirit, He sings back to us. One morning, this is what came forth:
(This, of course, was sung -- with much exuberance, musicians playing, people dancing. And with more repetition than I’ve included here, as we wait upon the Spirit to move.)
How much further now?
How much further now?
How much further now . . .
Until we see the power and the glory?
Until I put my hand upon the tree?
Until we see your glory like never before?
How much further now?
How much further now?
How much further now . . .
Until my dreams come into fruition?
Until we see your miraculous power rise up
in the earth like no other time before?
Until my life is totally hid in you?
Until we see your glory in earth as it is in heaven?
Until we see what’s been prophesied?
(Reply?)
I can hear the spirit say, “It’s in your presence right now.
It’s in your breath today.
It’s in your words. It’s in your praise. It’s in your heart. It’s in your faith.”
I’m expecting you, I’m expecting you, I’m expecting you . . .
I’m expecting you, in your glory.
I’m expecting you, in your power.
I’m expecting you, in your love.
He’s expecting me to expect Him.
I can hear the Spirit say –
“I’m expecting you.
I’ve been expecting you to draw nearer, nearer than you’ve ever been.”
He’s expecting me! He’s expecting me! He’s expecting me!
“I am here now! I am here now! I am here now in your praise..
I am here now in your faith. I am here now in your love.
Here I am! Here I am! Here I am!”
Here we come! Here we come! Here we come!
Jumpin in to your Spirit! Jumpin in to your love!
Jumpin in to your Word! Jumpin in to your glory!
Jumpin in to your miracles today!
"Look at me now! Look at me now! Look at me now!"
There is a Count Down. I am not talking about Armageddon (although that is involved), rather the Parousia of Jesus Christ as King, Lord and God on planet earth. Christ has risen and has risen indeed! The tomb is empty for the sake of mankind and because of the Love of the Father. Below is the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox version of the Parousia. I cannot say I agree with all of it, however I do agree with most of the spiritual monograph. Although the origin is Eastern Orthodox, the view is fairly mainline on the Return of Christ for the Full Redemption of humanity and the planet.
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All matters of religion appear difficult to most people because they are of a spiritual nature; but even more difficult is the topic of the "last things," for they have to do with future realities "that are not seen" (Heb. 11:1; Jn. 3:10-12), that only faith can "see," examine, and make real.
The Jewish people were the beloved people of God and yet they were not satisfied with their present life in this world. All the great personalities of the Old Testament lived with hope for the future, for the fulfillment of the promises made by God to Abraham. Their main hope was the hope of the coming of the Messiah Savior, who would bring days of divine blessings for the Jewish people and for the whole world (cf. Lk. 2:25; 24:21). And they expected this to happen at some future date, in the last days of history "in the last days," "in that day," "in the day of the Lord" as this time was often referred to.
For Christian faith these ultimate and final events have a dual character. When we look upon them from the perspective of the Old Testament, the "last things" are realized in the person of Jesus Christ who is the expected Messiah. The entire history of Israel and of the other nations had as its goal the coming of Christ and the establishment of the Church. All things in the history of Israel were types (typos or signs) that became realities in the person of Christ and in the life of the Church (Jn. 3:14-16; 1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 10:1; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). Indeed, all the hopes of Israel were realized in the person of Christ and in the life of the Church. With the movement of St. John the Baptist, and especially with the life, Cross and Resurrection of Christ, the eschata, the new age began; the kingdom of God was inaugurated. But from the perspective of the Church, the "last things" in themselves are expected to take place mainly in the future, at the glorious Parousia, that is, at the Second Coming, the future appearance of the Lord in glory (Mt. 24:30; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:16-18; 1 Tim. 6:14-15). It is then and there that we will have the fullness of the eternal kingdom of God; when we will experience a perfect koinonia communion with God in Christ, as our soul yearns it. This is the height and the depth of our faith and the wealth of glory that awaits us (Eph. 1:17-18).
There is one world and its history is unified: from creation to the Incarnation, and through the Church to the Parousia, to the fullness of the kingdom of God. The Church lives between the first and the second coming of our Lord.
The Parousia and the End of the Age
The Parousia will take place in the final days, at the last stage of present history. With the Parousia we will also have the end of the present world and the beginning of the new one, the "new creation" (Rev. 21:5). From the old will come the new. This is the goal of the world, its perfection, its renewal and recapitulation in Christ. Thus the Parousia, the end and the goal of the world coincide.
The Parousia and the end of the world were a main concern in the days of the earthly life of Christ. Christ often pointed to the future for the consummation of all. He especially pointed to His future coming as the Son of Man, as the judge of the world (Mt. 16:27; 25:31; 26:64 Mk. 16:62; Jn. 5:28). The early Church lived with the expectation of His Parousia. A few days before His death, the disciples asked Christ:
"When will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" (Mt. 24:3). The first Christians lived with the hope of the Parousia, especially in view of the difficult persecutions in the early centuries, and they expected it to occur soon (Mt. 24:3-6, 34; Rom. 13:11; 1 Cor. 7:25-31; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; 2 Thess. 3:3-16; Phil. 4:5).
The Parousia and the Mystery of Christ
Belief in the Parousia of Christ completes the faith in the person of Christ and the mystery of the divine plan of salvation. With the ultimate event of the Parousia we have the complete truth about Christ and His work. The work of salvation is the work of God in Christ. It began with the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Resurrection, and is in motion towards its ultimate goal. The crucified and resurrected Christ is already the Lord. He has received every authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18-20), and invisibly, in the Holy Spirit, He reigns through the Church and guides the world toward the end the perfection of the kingdom of God. The Parousia of Christ and our being gathered together with Him will be the final act of the divine plan for our salvation. With the Parousia the works of Satan, namely sin and death, will be completely destroyed. With the resurrection of the dead the kingdom of God will be perfected and the life of eternal blessedness will begin. This is the purpose of God's divine plan for our salvation. This is what the faithful anticipate.
The Time of the Parousia
We know well that the Lord will come again in glory (2 Thess. 2:2; 1 Thess. 4:11-17). The Church confesses: "He will come again in glory whose kingdom will have no end." Christ gave us certain signs which will precede the Parousia (cf. Mt. 24 and 25). But these were given mainly to keep us vigilant in life. No one knows the precise day and hour of the coming of the Lord (Mk. 13:32; Acts 1:7).
At that time many curious people were making academic inquiries, as some do now, about the precise day of the Parousia. Some lost their patience and began to have doubts about the Parousia and the resurrection of the dead. Others believed that the Parousia had already come (cf. 1 Cor. 15:12; 1 Thess. 2:1-2). The Apostles, however, made it their purpose to assure us that the Second Coming of Christ as well as the resurrection of all the dead will take place, but in their own time (1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Pet. 3:8-13; Jn. 5:28f).
Holy Scripture is not a scientific cosmogony, that is, a detailed account of the creation of the universe, nor a complete development of human history. The Holy Bible speaks mainly of the faith we must have in God and about our relationship with Him. We cannot enter into the details of the eternal will and plan of God. We know God and His plans only to the extent that they are revealed to us, and as they are realized in history. And God has revealed to us what is needed for our salvation. But we shall see everything face to face when they actually come to pass before us. Christians must know now that Christ will come as king and judge (Mt. 14:62). He will come at a time when we do not expect Him. This is why we must always be on guard, awake, and vigilant as sons and daughters of the light and of the day (Mt. 24:42; 25:13; Mk. 13:33-37; 1 Thess. 5:4-11; 2 Thess. 2:2; 3:11).
A Christian life is required of us, not curiosity about years and times "which the Father has placed under his own authority" (Acts 1:7). We do not live our lives as Christians out of fear that the coming of Christ is near, nor because we hope to gain rewards. We are Christians because we believe in the love of God, and we live a life in Christ out of love, being always ready to receive Him with great anticipation. We are challenged to live with the hope of the Parousia as did the early Christians who prayed: "Maranatha Come, Lord" (1 Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:20; 1 Pet. 1:3-12). This is the way the early Christians lived their faith in the Church. But do we today have this faith and do we live with this hope? We never have enough; we always need more faith, more love, more prayer of hope: "Come, O Lord"
Copyright: 1997 Holy Cross Press, Brookline, MA
Source: At the End of Time: The Eschatological Expectations of the Church
I received this interesting email from a friend a couple of days ago.
"When I first became a Christian, everyone was reading 'The Late Great Planet Earth,' and, as I new Christian, I took that to be the straight scoop. But as I got into the Word, I never could find any scriptural basis for a pre-trib rapture. In fact, I think the scriptures pretty clearly show the church being here thru the Tribulation. It's a complex issue, of course, but there are a couple of points that seem weighty to me in the long section in Matthew 24 and 25, where Jesus is responding to the disciple's question, 'When will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?' He begins that section by talking about the signs and tells them, 'There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be.' He paints a bleak picture, but tells them 'he who endures to the end will be saved.' 'Enduring' sounds different to me than 'escaping.' He also says that those days will be shortened--for the elect's sake. If the elect weren’t there, that wouldn't be necessary. (Of course, one might say that that's how they will be shortened--by removing them from that time. But that's not really what it says.)
But then I think there is an interesting shift in Jesus' answer to their question. Around verse 23 of chapter 24 He starts to shift to warning them about being deceived, and then from vs. 37 to the end of chapter 25 He talks about 'being ready.' There are several parables there and then the section about separating the sheep from the goats "When the Son of Man comes in His glory.' All of this is still part of His response to there question about 'When.' We don't know when, but it doesn't matter, if we are ready. That's what it looks like Jesus is saying that we should be concerned about. Not the "when".
One point about this passage, which I've never seen mentioned, is that Jesus never tells them, 'But don't worry, you won't have to go thru any of this. You'll be removed beforehand.' Surely, if that were so, He would have told them. Actually, the whole tenor of His reply points the other direction. Also, to me, this is one of those issues where context is important. And, in this case especially, the whole Bible is the context to be kept in mind. The whole salvation message is never just escapism as the solution. Except escaping into faith. There's so much to mention here, I better quit! I'll just mention that Jesus did talk about a baptism by fire, which we usually ignore. To me the pre-trib rapture picture is so typically American (though it originated in England, I guess). It's a painless, no suffering escape. Just what the flesh wants. As you've mentioned, we never talk about the "fellowship of His sufferings"--let alone desire them, as Paul did! But it's part of the walk. Think it not strange.
I was struck by your mention of hearing the phrase 'All creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.' That's a matter I have thought about quite a bit the last few years. I've seen quite a few teachings on it--some pretty goofy, but some pretty intriguing. It's another matter in scripture that is sort of 'on the fringes'--it's not talked about much in the standard, traditional teachings. But it certainly is there. And it seems to me to have to do with His Parousia -- that this is the way He will return. Paul said that 'though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.' But we keep looking for a flesh Christ. This could lead to missing Him again when He does return! Anyway, I've kept this 'vision', this hope, in mind, but it has seemed pretty much out of reach at this time. However, as I've been sharing, God does seem to be doing something new in this hour. I can at least begin to see how He might bring this about. He is, after all, capable of making big changes within us, in our hearts. In spite of all the mountains of flesh there, He is able to remove mountains, and quickly. Actually, with enough faith, Jesus said we can remove mountains. This manifestation of His glory, His power, His love, in us is what I hear Him calling us to. This is what I have been getting excited about.
There was an interesting word in worship last Sunday. It was that we should quit praying about what we need, and start praying about what we have. ??? Praying that what we have in us would be released. What, after all, have we been given? Wow! Has God withheld anything? No. It's all there in Christ. Somehow, we have to learn how to have (release) Christ in us, and to be in Christ. Not just have those theological concepts, but to possess the reality. 'Oh that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection.' (But preferably without any suffering.) (What was that about a narrow way?)
It does seem like we have to start taking His word much more seriously, which we can do as He opens it up to us."
Laurie and I had dinner last night with four other Christians. It wasn't long before talk turned to the days in which we live and the reality of the re-appearance of Jesus. Everyone at the table was convinced that the world, including Christians, were in for some very rough times. I asked them if they thought the Lord would come before, during or after the Tribulation, and the consensus was that He would come before the wrath was poured out. If I understand all this, that sounds something like late into what is called the Tribulation.
Ok, so now you know that I hang out with cranks, misfits and yayhoos.
Interestingly enough, a Christian emailed me this morning and wanted to know what I'd been hearing or sensing from the Lord about His soon coming. What I wrote to him is what I have already noted in these pages.
So, the question is, how do we live in the light of the reality of His soon-coming?
And the other question is, do you think you're ready?