GraceLife Thoughts – Train to Reign (Part 51)

Our ‘everlasting’ hope is always Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit made that abundantly clear in the Scriptures He inspired the apostles to write. What we are NOT doing is l’iving our best life now’ – no matter what some preachers may tell you. We struggle and suffer in this life, just like Jesus did – just like the apostles did – just like Christians have done for the last two thousand years. For anyone to think differently is ignoring the plain language of Scripture.

The Holy Spirit will not lie to us. He guides us into the truth – all of it – the good, the bad, and the hard to face. When Jesus said His followers would be hated for His sake, that was the truth. When the Lord said His disciples would be persecuted, that was the truth. The ‘seeker friendly’ preaching of today is an abomination to the truth. The ‘prosperity preaching’ of today is an abomination to the truth. Don’t believe it because all of it is a BIG LIE.

Look to God’s Word, inspired by God, to find truth. Don’t listen to the liars who call themselves ‘gospel preachers.’ They don’t know the true Gospel of Christ. They are deceivers and liars. They do not preach or teach the same message that Jesus and His apostles taught. As Jesus said –

‘Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:43-45

Many of today’s preachers and teachers are children of their father the devil. Don’t fall for their lies. Learn the truth and stand on it. You may think you are alone in the battle, but you are never alone because God’s Spirit is always with you. The Holy Spirit lives in the real children of God. He does not live in the children of the devil – no matter what they call themselves.

We are currently in a mode of ‘subduing.’ We are fighting the good fight. We are engaged in spiritual warfare. However, that’s just the first part of our lives as God’s people. We are also ‘kings and priests’ to God and Father because Jesus Christ ‘loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.’ It is to Him that we can say – ‘to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (Revelation 1:5-6)

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Here is part of a prayer Jesus taught His disciples –

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10

The ‘Kingdom’ of God is coming to the earth because the King of Heaven is returning to rule and reign. God’s ‘will’ will be done on earth in the same way it is in Heaven. That’s Christ’s promise to us.

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’ Revelation 1:7-8

Jesus Christ is coming back to earth, but not as a baby. He will return as the Conquering King. That’s why all the tribes of the earth will ‘mourn’ because of Him. The Lord will return to earth to ‘strike the nations.’ Jesus will ‘rule them with a rod of iron.’ He will tread ‘the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God’ (Revelation 19:15). That is the truth that the Holy Spirit teaches us in His Word. Jesus will return in a blaze of GLORY that will shine across the earth so that everyone will see Him and those who come with Him.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16

Question – what will Christians do while Jesus is striking the nations and treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God? We find the answer in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, a letter inspired by the Holy Spirit –

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Many people speak of this as the ‘rapture’ of the saints. The Greek word for ‘caught up together’ is ἁρπάζω (harpázō – seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively; catch up; caught away). Notice that once we are raised (if already passed away) or snatched up if still alive, we will ‘always be with the Lord.’ Based on other Scriptures in the New Testament, I believe we will go where Jesus goes. When He’s in Heaven, we’re in Heaven with Him. When He’s on earth, we’re on earth with Him. Christians will serve Jesus and rule and reign with Him.

Luke wrote that Jesus will ‘reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end’ (Luke 1:33). Angels told the Lord’s disciples that – ‘This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’ (Acts 1:11). Jesus ascended into the sky from Mount Olivet and He will return to the same place before making His way into Jerusalem to take His rightful place on the Throne of David – and we will be with Him. Why? Because we will ‘reign’ with Him.

Our Reign with Christ

Paul wrote the Corinthian Christians that they would one day ‘judge the world’ and would ‘judge angels’ (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). What right will Christians have to judge anyone? We will have that right because the Lord gives us that right. Part of reigning with Christ is participating in His judgment and rule of this world.

Before our heads begin to swell, let’s remember that our ‘righteousness’ comes from Christ – not from ourselves (see the Book of Romans). Whatever ‘right’ we have to reign with Christ is because of God’s grace and goodness toward us. We are saved by grace ‘through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Should you get the urge to boast a bit, don’t. As Paul wrote the Galatians – ‘But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world’ (Galatians 6:14). No boasting allowed, unless we are boasting in what Jesus Christ did for us. Remember – you received what you didn’t deserve and didn’t receive what you did deserve. So, no boasting except in Christ and His accomplishments.

Based on the knowledge that Christians will accompany the Lord Jesus wherever He goes, and that we will judge nations and angels with Him, look at these Scriptures and see your future self there –

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:31-32

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:4-15

Once the Lord’s work (and ours) is done on the earth, God will do away with the first heaven and first earth. He will create ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Revelation 21:1). God will reveal a new city, the New Jerusalem, ‘coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband’ (Revelation 21:2). The ‘tabernacle of God’ will be with men, and ‘He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people’ (Revelation 21:3). God will ‘wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4). What will become of us? ‘And they shall reign forever and ever’ (Revelation 22:5).

The benefit of all our training to reign with Christ is to serve Him in this life and the next life. We will judge nations. We will judge angels. We will serve Him based on our training throughout the Millennium. We will reign with Him forever and ever. That is why we train – to serve and glorify.

As Jesus said before He went to the Cross – ‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’ (John 17:4). May that be our desire as well.

Free eBooks

You can download the first 13 chapters of this series here.

You can download chapters 14 – 24 of this series here.

You can download chapters 25 – 30 of this series here.

You can download chapters 31 – 39 of this series here.

You can download chapters 40 – 48 of this series here.

Next Time

We will conclude this year-long study in the next part of our special series, ‘Train to Reign.’ Join us as we look back and ahead to the great things God has done.

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