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S Volume 1 . Issue 9

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE

Dr. Richard Averbeck WHEN CHRIST

Dr. Bill Bright

Dr. Paul Cedar

Mr. Dave Coleman

COMES
Dr. Larry Crabb

Mr. Roger Cross

Rev. Samuel Farina
Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel
Rev. Lud Golz
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks
Mr. Olan Hendrix
Dr. David Jeremiah
Rev. Knute Larson
Dr. John C. Maxwell
Dr. Bruce McNicol
Mr. Dean Merrill
Mrs. Elisa Morgan
Dr. Ray Ortlund
Dr. Luis Palau
Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson
A Quick Focus
The Book's Purpose
Guide readers to see Christ's
return as "the beginning of
the very best" for His
followers
Urge believers to anticipate
Christ's return with a posture by Max Lucado
Published by Word Publishing
of preparedness and peace Nashville
Sift through Scriptures to get
a glimpse of God's plan for Incredible wonders will mark that
Christ's return glorious day. God's grace will be revealed.
Rewards for His servants will be unveiled.
Help Christians to find peace When Christ comes, believers will dwell
and rest in God, even while in the light of God. CB
S
pondering unsettling and
frightening prophecies about
the Last Days Nine Main Points

9
Rev. Wes Roberts

Mr. Jim Warren

Trusting God ...................................... 2
The Book's Message Waiting Forwardly ............................. 3
Dr. Rick Warren
For believers, Christ's return The Cradle of Hope ............................. 3
to earth is not a riddle to be solved, The Brand New You ............................ 3
nor a code to be broken. Christians In The Winner's Circle ....................... 4
Publishers should not dread or fear it. In fact, The Last Day of Evil ............................ 4
David A. Martin it is possible~even biblical~to study
John S. Martin, III
the Second Coming and know God's Itemized Grace .................................. 5
Editor peace and comfort. Love's Caution ................................... 6
Michael J. Chiapperino
Seeing Jesus ..................................... 7
 2

GOD
All of Jesus’
words can be reduced to two:
"Trust me." For many Christ-
ians, considering Christ's re-
turn triggers overwhelming
anxiety, perhaps even fear. But He does not want us
to be frightened about the events surrounding His
Second Coming that we do not fully comprehend;
He wants us to trust Him. In John 14:2-3, He reassures
us with three truths:
“I have ample space for you.”
There are many rooms in the Father's house~
accommodations for all of us. Space is unlimited.
And regardless of our race, creed, or color, as long
as we make room in our hearts for the Lord, He will
make room in His house for us.
“I have prepared a place for you.”
"I am going to prepare a place for you," Jesus
promises. He knows what we need and want; He does
not want us to worry about getting bored or unhappy.
He is preparing the perfect place.
Luke compares this posture of
waiting expectantly with the way
servants await their master's return
from a party:
"Be dressed, ready for service, and
have your lamps shining. Be like
servants who are waiting for their
master to come home from a wedding
party. When he comes and knocks,
the servants immediately open the
door for him. They will be blessed
when their master comes home, be-
cause he sees that they were watching
for him. I tell you the truth, the master
will dress himself to serve and tell the
servants to sit at the table, and he will
serve them."
Luke 12:35-37
The servants described here
are both ready and waiting~and the
master is so delighted to find people
anticipating his return, that he
serves them!

"Heaven is the perfect place for people made perfect."

“The master
John McArthur loves to find
people looking
“I am not kidding.” for His return.
"I will come back and take you to be with me
so that you may be where I am going," Jesus affirms. The master rewards
We don't know when He will return, and we're not absolutely sure about those who
the details, but we have His Word. He is coming to get us~so that we can ‘wait forwardly.’”
be where He is. CB
S

WAITING FORWARDLY
The posture with
which we should await the Second
Coming of Christ is modeled for us
by Simeon in Luke 2. Eight days
after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and
Mary take their son to a temple.
"Prompted by the Spirit," Simeon
goes into the same temple at the
same time. He has been waiting
to meet his Messiah, promised that
before he dies, he will indeed meet
"God's appointed king." Simeon
lives in expectancy from then on.
He watches and waits until the
delightful day when he meets the
newborn king at the temple.
The term used to describe
Simeon's actions in the Bible is
prosdechomai, translated "waiting
forward." Simeon has been "waiting
forwardly" for Christ. He has not
been demanding or impatient. In-
stead, with eyes open and arms ex-
tended, he has been calmly expectant.
"Haven't we, like Simeon, been
told of the coming Christ? Aren't
we, like Simeon, heirs of a pro-
mise? Are we not prompted by
the same Spirit? Are we not long-
ing to see the same face?"
Like Simeon, we can live with
expectancy and excitement about
our coming king!
Other biblical authors refer to
waiting patiently for the Lord. Paul
urges hope for something we don't
yet have, but for which we need to
wait patiently. And, while Peter tells
about the need to live holy lives and
serve the Lord, he also stresses
waiting patiently for Christ's return.
So we must wait and we must
"look forwardly" to Christ's return.
For nobody knows, not even the
angels in heaven, when Christ will
return. Since only God knows,
we need to always be ready.
Like Simeon, when he took the
baby Jesus in his arms, we also will
look into the Lord's face. And just
as Simeon knew he could finally go
home, we also will know it's time
to go home. CB
S

An Armenian
earthquake took only four minutes
to kill 30,000 people in 1989. How-
ever, in the midst of this tragedy, a
story of hope emerged. Moments after
the tremor, a man rushed to his son's
elementary school and found it lev-
eled. But he was driven to action by
a promise he'd made earlier to his
son, "No matter what happens, I'll
always be there for you." For hours
and hours he dug through the debris,
refusing to give up. Other parents,
even police, told him it was hopeless.
Thirty-six hours later, his hands raw,
this man would not give up.
Finally, after 38 hours he heard
his son's voice. After they called out
to each other, the young boy said,
"I told the other kids not to worry.
I told them if you were alive, you'd
save me, and when you saved me,
they would be saved, too. Because
you promised, 'No matter what, I'll
always be there for you.'"
Similarly, God has given us His
Word: He will come back for us! We
can believe Him. Romans 6 tells us
that Jesus died, taking sin with Him,
ending "death-as-the-end." Then He
rose from the dead and went to His
heavenly Father.
Paul reminds us that God "will
bring back to life those who die in
Jesus" (I Thessalonians 4:14). He
even offers some details, stating Christ
will rise first, then come back and
claim His people (I Corinthians 15).
3
THE
CRADLE
OF HOPE
For believers, Christ's resurrection
is a promise, a glimpse at our own
future!
Some do not believe this bedrock
truth of the Christian faith. Skeptics
offer three alternatives to the belief
that Christ did indeed rise from the
dead:
Jesus never actually died, He simply
fainted on the cross.
Some speculate that Jesus awoke in
the grave, got up, and walked away.
But could anyone survive such tor-
turous treatment? Even if he did,
who could roll back a huge rock
with no help? And what about the
guards outside the tomb?
Jesus' disciples stole His body
from the tomb.
It hardly seems plausible that tax
collectors and fisherman could
overtake strong, well-armed Roman
soldiers, move the boulder away,
grab Jesus' body, and run. And be-
sides, many of these disciples died
for their beliefs in the resurrection.
They were martyrs.
"Hypocrites and martyrs are
not made of the same stuff."
~John R.W. Stott
The Jews stole Jesus' body
from the tomb.
Why would they steal it? Their
religion would benefit only if the
body was in the tomb. Even if they
stole it, wouldn't they have stomped
the idea of Jesus' resurrection into
the ground by displaying the corpse
somewhere? But they didn't, because
they did not have His body.
Believers have hope. The angel
told Mary Magdalene the truth: "He
is not here. He has risen from the
dead as He said He would." Because
of the resurrection, death has changed.
Instead of being the end, it is the
beginning. People can now go to the
cemetery~not to only bid farewell
to loved ones, but to say, "We look
forward to being together soon."
Now caskets are like cocoons, places
where bodies are kept until Christ's
return.
And all of us, like the Armenian
boy, can believe the words of our
Father: "I will come back and take
you to be with me so that you may
be where I am." CB
S

Dishonor to glory ~

THE BRAND-NEW YOU

After we die, our bodies will be buried.
"It is sown in dishonor, it is raised
in glory" (verse 43).
Bodies dishonored by disease will
be transformed into glorious, new
However when Christ returns, He will resurrect believers. We know that bodies.
Christ was raised first and that when Christ comes back, all his people Weakness to power ~
will be raised. Those who belong to Him will be raised to life. Then the "It is sown in weakness, it is raised
end will come. And our bodies will be changed. in power" (verse 43).
In I Corinthians 15 Paul delineates three ways God will transform our Weakened bodies will be changed
bodies: into vital, strong ones.
None of us need fear the resur-
Corruption to incorruption~"The body is sown in corruption, rection of tired, physically afflicted
it is raised in incorruption" (verse 42). bodies. We can find incredible en-
Bodies corrupted by pollution, poor diets, and lack of exercise will become continued on page 4
perfectly healthy bodies.

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 4
"Somewhere in my broken, para-
THE BRAND-NEW YOU continued from page 3 You’d Do It
lyzed body is the seed of what I
couragement and hope as we wait shall become. The paralysis makes All Again
for Christ's return! "He will take what I am to become all the more A member of the German Nazi
these dying bodies of ours and grand when you contrast atrophied, Party, Oskar Schindler was a memor-
change them into glorious bodies useless legs against splendorous able man. Though he was plagued
like his own" (Phil. 3:21). resurrected legs. I'm convinced with several character flaws, he had
that if there are mirrors in heaven a deep compassion for the Jews. In
God has used Joni Eareckson (and why not?), the image I'll fact, he risked his life to help them.
Tada, paralyzed as a teenager in a see will be unmistakably "Joni," And after the war ended, Schindler
diving accident, to encourage and although a much better, brighter became the hunted.
inspire believers. She has first-hand Joni. So much so, that it's not
knowledge about living in a lowly worth comparing...I will bear the His influence upon his fellow

Whe
body and looks forward to the new likeness of Jesus, the man from man is found by reading the inscrip-
one Christ will give her in heaven. heaven." ~Joni Eareckson Tada tion on a ring given him by the Jews
he'd saved: "He who saves a single
CB life saves the entire world."
S
Once we are in heaven, the truth
about our influence on others will

IN THE surface, and two things will happen:

1. The grandeur and glory of the

moment will defy description.

WINNER’S CIRCLE 2. We will have no regrets for any

sacrifices we have made.

" 'You are our hope, our joy, and

Ch
Some will receive Jesus urged the Christians in Smyrna the crown we will take pride in
immediate rewards in heaven: the to be faithful to receive the crown when our Lord Jesus Christ comes'
martyrs, missionaries, and heroes. of life (Revelation 21:4), James (1 Thessalonian 2:19). This verse
But what about the ordinary, run- shares God's same promise with conjures up an image akin to the
of-the-mill folks~those who don't those who persevere under trial. one of Schindler and the survivors.
earn a Pulitzer, a Nobel Peace prize, An encounter between those freed
or an Oscar? Will they receive The crown of righteousness ~ and the one who led them to free-
awards in Heaven? Righteousness means a right rela- dom. A moment in which those
tionship with God, one with no sin. saved can meet the one who led
Heavenly rewards are given "to In Romans, Paul anticipates being them to salvation."
all those who have waited with love crowned in righteousness in his
CB
for Him to come again" (2 Tim.4:8). adoption analogy. He tells how God S
The winner's circle in the Lord's considers us His own. We belong
kingdom isn't reserved for only a to God, and are just waiting for His
few. The beatitudes promise that all return, waiting for God's claim. We

THE LAST

Com
of God's children will receive await a "right" relationship with our
rewards. Lord that contains no more sin.
Our reward will be three crowns:

DAY OF EVIL
The crown of glory ~ Even
The crown of life ~ This life is though many have never won much
crowned in death. A man can work more than trophies or ribbons, all
hard and save money to retire, only are promised a crown when the Lord
to have his retirement cut short by returns. "And when the Chief Shep- Some people fear
early death. An athlete, training herd appears, you will receive the the return of Christ because of Satan.
diligently for years, can have his crown of glory that will never fade The words Armageddon, Lake of
career cut short by an injury. How- away" (1 Peter 5:4). Everyone gets Fire, and Scarlet Beast elicit fear~
ever God promises the crown of crowned in glory; no more defeat! maybe even mental pictures of de-
life to those who love Him. Just as struction and panic. But Scriptures
tell us that Satan will be thrown into
Published by Christian Book Summaries, Inc., 4654 Winery Way, Gahanna, Ohio a lake of burning sulfur; he will be
43230-4231, February 2000. Published monthly. Subscription $59.95 in the punished for eternity (Revelation
United States; $64.95 in Canada; and, by airmail, $79.95 in all other countries. 20:10). continued
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Christian Book Summaries,
1550 Lewis Center Rd., Suite G, Lewis Center, OH 43035-9925

LAST DAY OF EVIL continued
There is no need to worry. No matter
what happens, God will save us. He
will win. Evil will not prevail. In
Luke 22:31, Satan asks for permis-
sion to test Simon Peter and the
others. Note that the devil didn't
demand or choose; he asked. God
is clearly in command.
We can be encouraged amid all
the evil surrounding us because:
5
Those who do not know God will "Men will be judged on the basis
pay a severe price. of the light they had, not on the
The day Christ returns will be a day basis of a light they never saw."
of judgment~similar in many respects
to the day the human race was anni- Jesus explained this as He re-
hilated by a flood. buked the cities of Chorazin and
Bethsaida, where He had done many
"In those days before the flood, people miracles. These people had seen a
were eating and drinking, marrying great deal and the gospel was clearly
and giving their children to be married, presented to them, yet they rejected it.
until the day Noah entered the boat.
They knew nothing about what was But the neighboring cities of Tyre
and Sidon saw much less, so Christ
happening until the flood came and

en
Jesus is praying for us.
When Satan asked to test the disci-
ples, Jesus said He would pray for
them. Christians will not be forsaken.
In the book of Hebrews we find
Jesus, who never stops serving as
priest, asking God to help His follow-
ers. And Paul tells us that the Holy
Spirit speaks for us while He is in
God's presence (Romans 8:26). How
comforting to have such a powerful
One speaking out on our behalf!
We will prevail.
Christ tells us through Scriptures
destroyed them. It will be the same
when the Son of Man comes."
Matthew 24:38-39 based upon humanity's response
Then And Now
There are several parallels be-
tween the judgment the people faced
during the flood and the judgment
unbelievers will face when Christ
returns:
Messages of judgment were
proclaimed then and now.
People did not listen then;
they do not listen now.
expected less of them.
"The principle? God's judgment is
to the message received. He will
never hold us accountable for what
He doesn't tell us."
Nevertheless, He will tell each of
us something. "The heavens declare
the glory of God; the skies proclaim
the work of His hands," Psalm 19 re-
minds us. There is no culture where
His voice is not heard. Even in the
absence of a Bible or minister, God
tells His Good News through nature.

hrist
what will happen when He comes
back, not if he comes back. Satan's
final destination is disclosed, and
Christ describes His triumphant
glory when He will return for us.
We need not be anxious. Jesus
is secure in His knowledge, and
we can rest in it. We will journey
safely home with Him.
CB
S tered in the ark; those who be- differences and our opportunities
Noah was sent to save the faithful
then; Christ was sent to save us. "Where there is no Bible, there are
sparkling stars. Where there are
A flood of water came then; no preachers, there are spring-
a flood of fire will come next.
times...If a person has nothing but
Noah constructed a safe place nature, then nature is enough to
out of wood; Christ provided reveal something about God."
a safe place with a cross.
We can rest in the knowledge
Those who believed were shel- that God will take into account our
lieve now are "hidden in Christ." to know Him on Judgment Day. We
For those who are unprepared, can trust in His holiness, his honesty,

ITEMIZED the prospect of Judgment Day stirs and his fairness.

up panic and dread. But the follower
What Will Be

mes
of Christ who understands it can
look forward to it~and even encour- Judged?

GRACEThe day of Christ’s Who Will Be

Judged?
return will be marked by three
accomplishments:
God's grace will be revealed.
Each act of forgiveness will demon-
strate God's grace; He will receive
all the attention and all the credit!
God's servants will be rewarded.
Those who accepted Christ's invita-
ion will be honored.
age fellow believers by explaining
to them the truth about it.
Everything we have done here
on earth~even in secret~will be ex-
posed and judged.
Even the dead will be judged
for what they have done (as found
The Bible tells us that everyone~ in Revelation 20:12).
all people who have ever lived~will
be judged. This brings to mind some
All deeds, good and evil, will be
knotty questions: What about nations judged. (Ecclesiastes12:14).
who never heard the gospel? And
how about those who lived before We will be held accountable for
Jesus? "every careless word.” (Matthew12:36).
These people will be judged, continued on page 6
but by a different standard.

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ITEMIZED GRACE continued from page 5
Why Will Christians What is the
Be Judged?
It is true that we are clothed in
Christ, our sins have been cast far
away from us, and there is now no
condemnation for us. So it is natural
to wonder why believers need to be
judged.
There are two good reasons: so
God can unveil our rewards and so
God's grace can be revealed.
“We are accepted
into heaven on the
basis of faith alone,
but we are adorned
in heaven on the
basis of the fruits
of our faith.”
~Donald Bloesch~
Our service for God does not
earn our salvation; grace does. But
service does impact the rewards we
receive in heaven. Paul told about
two builders whose buildings were
destroyed by a fire. He explained
that the one whose foundation re-
mained intact would get a reward,
while the one who lost everything
would be saved by grace~but he
would not get a reward
(I Corinthians 3:13-15).
All deeds, good and bad, will
be exposed on Judgment Day. Con-
sider all the sins revealed before
Christ! Everything will be exposed.
However, as each sin is declared, it
will be removed and cleansed.
The glory of Christ will triumph,
and our sins will all be forgiven and
removed. What a wonderful way to
encounter God's grace! He wins.
Some believers fear shame at
facing the Lord with their sins. But
Scriptures tell us, "The one who
trusts in Him will never be put to
shame" I Peter 2:6. We will no longer
be "self-centered," but rather "Christ-
centered" in heaven, in a sinless
state. For those who accepted Christ's
free gift, shame will not even exist.
6
Destiny of Those They will face the shame of being
Who Don’t Know told by Christ, "Get away from me,
you who do evil. I never knew you."
Christ?
But those who have rejected For those who never accepted
Christ will pay a horrific price. God's mercy, the day of judgment
Those whose sin has not been cov- will be a day of wrath and shame.
ered by Christ's blood will not enjoy CB
eternal life in the presence of God. S
LOVE’S CAUTION:
A Day of Ultimate Justice
No one enjoys talking or thinking about hell. We agree with the
words of C.S. Lewis:
"There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from
Christianity than [hell], if it lay in my power....I would pay any price
to be able to say truthfully: 'All will be saved.'"
Does Hell Serve A Purpose?
If hell did not exist, evil would be rewarded. If God didn't care about
those He loves, His word would be false. But Scriptures repeatedly tell
us that the good will be saved, and evil will be punished. Paul confirms
that those who obey the Truth will receive eternal life, but those who sow
evil will reap "wrath and fury" (Romans 2:7-8).
Many believe that hell is an Old Testament concept; however the
primary source for information on hell is in the New Testament. And
Jesus is the primary teacher. Consider the following:
Thirteen percent of Christ's teachings are about judgment and hell.
More than half of Jesus' parables discuss God's eternal judgment of
sinners.
Of the 12 times the word gehenna (the strongest biblical word for hell)
appears in the Bible; it is spoken 11 times by Jesus.
No one speaks of hell more than Jesus in the Bible.
These facts cannot be tossed aside.
What is Hell Like?
"Jesus is the only eyewitness of hell who has walked on earth."
Consider the story of Lazarus, covered in sores, scrounging for scraps
of food tossed aside by a rich man. Dogs came and licked his sores (Luke
16:19-21). Jesus says the rich man lived in luxury every day, wore expen-
sive clothes, ate meat frequently, enjoyed gardens full of fruit, and used
fancy china. Two very different people~one materially wealthy, the other
desperately starving~existed on opposite sides of a gate. But death came.
A just God rendered His verdict. And destinies were reversed.
continued on page 7

LOVING CAUTION continued from page 6
Jesus offers a chilling depiction
of the torture this rich man faced
in hell. There are four references
to the pain he suffered in hell’s fires.
In the end, the rich man begged to at Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Our focus will be on the Lord
be given water by Lazarus to quench Jesus Christ, not on angels, material rewards, or our new bodies.
his thirst.
Hell definitely exists~for eternity.
Revelation draws a disturbing pic-
ture of eternal damnation. Smoke
from "burning pain" will be seen.
There will be no rest, day or night.
The citizens of hell will be very
much awake and aware of hell's
horrors. They will speak; they will
plead; they will realize that the
suffering will never cease.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if
sinners were given a second chance?
Even though it would be nice for
everyone to ultimately be saved,
Scriptures teach that a "great chasm"
cannot be crossed by those on the
other side.
How Could A
Loving God Send
People to Hell?
A God of love does not send
people to hell. He honors the
choices of sinner.
“There are
only two kinds
of people
in the end: those
who say to God,
‘Thy will be done’
and those to
whom God says,
in the end,
‘Thy will be done.’
All that are in hell
choose it.”
~C.S. Lewis~
If we grasp the depth of God's
fairness, we understand that God
does not send innocent people to
hell. Those who will be in hell for
eternity are the sinners, the rebellious,
and the self-centered~not the inno-
cent. CB
S
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7
SEEING JESUS
On the day Christ returns, all who believe will be amazed
We will see Him with our eyes, not envision Him in our minds.
And we will be amazed.
Why such amazement? "We
know that when Christ comes again,
we will be like Him, because we will
see Him as He really is" (1 John 3:2).
John had been with Jesus for three
years, and saw His hands that fed
thousands. He saw the calloused
palms, dirty feet, weeping eyes. But
later when he saw Christ resurrected,
he fell in a dead faint.
In the book of Revelation, John
describes Jesus with seven golden
lampstands, dressed in a long robe.
He had white hair, wore a gold band
around His chest, and had eyes of
flaming fire. His bronzed feet and
sharp voice were apparent; there
were seven stars in His right hand
and a sword in His mouth.
John uses the word like many
times in this description. That's be-
cause the human tongue is unable
to describe Christ. But John uses meta-
phors to give us glimpses of Him.
A Perfect Priest
Jesus wears a long robe with a
gold band, the clothing of a priest.
He is a perfect priest, the One who
presents us to God. He is sinless;
He is in a position to plead our case
to a holy God.
Pure and Purifying
Purity and perfection are evident
in the description of Jesus' hair,
which is as white as virgin sheep's
wool and untouched winter snow.
Jesus is the spotless lamb, untar-
nished by sin.
Fiery Eyes
Fiery eyes depict a blaze burning
away our sin.
"In those eyes he saw a purging
blaze which would burn the bac-
teria of sin and purify the soul."
Bronze Feet
And His glowing, bronze feet are
evidence of unfathomable strength.
"Bronze is a combination of iron
and copper. Iron is strong but it
rusts. Copper won't rust but it's
pliable. Combine the two in bronze
and the best quality of each is pre-
served, the strength of the iron
and the endurance of the copper.
The rule of Christ is set on this
base: the foundation of his power
is tested by fire."
~Eugene Peterson
The Sound of Rushing Water
John compares the sound of
Christ's voice to a waterfall and the
powerful sound of a river. It is a
constant sound, always audible in
the background. In heaven, the voice
of Jesus will always be heard...
"...a steady, soothing, commanding
presence."
Seven Stars in His Hands
The seven stars He holds repre-
sent the angels of the seven churches.
Jesus has them ready to protect His
people.
A Sword in His Mouth
The truth of God's Word judges
our thoughts and feelings (Hebrews
4:12-13). It cuts to the core of who
we are~minus the charades and the
half-truths.
"The sound of His voice soothes
the soul, but the truth of His voice
pierces the soul."
Face Like the Sun
John compares the face of Christ
to the sun shining brilliantly. Images
of the light Christ brings to our dark
world abound in Scripture. He is the
everlasting light.
When Christ comes, we will see
Him in all of His glory and splendor.
We will see Him as He really is!
CB
S
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Crossing the Threshold

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"As a man rejoices over his wife, so your God will rejoice over you"
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(Isaiah 62:5).
God has chosen each of us and is preparing a place for us in
ummaries
S
heaven. Just as an engaged couple dreams about preparations for their
wedding day and their future together, so also we need to prepare for
Volume 1, Number 9
the time when Christ comes to claim us.
Publishers
In a sense, we are "engaged" to the maker of the universe, our David A. Martin
maker. When we accept Christ as Savior, we are set apart as a pure John S. Martin, III
bride; we are betrothed to one husband! But at times we fail to act as
if we are engaged. We act as if we have forgotten that our Prince is Editor
coming for us. Michael J. Chiapperino
We must be mindful that we have captured God's heart. God has Christian Book Summaries is published
invited us to spend eternity with Him, and we have accepted his gra- by Christian Book Summaries, Inc., 947
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price God paid for us~the blood of His beloved son! is to enhance the ministry of thinking
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He is building a magnificent house for us, and He's preparing to readable summaries of noteworthy books
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We need to maintain clarity of purpose as we await His return.
We dare not "settle for one-night stands in the arms of a stranger." For The Author: Max Lucado, senior
we are engaged to royalty, and our Prince will soon come to take us home! pastor of The Oak Hills Church of
Christ in San Antonio, Texas, is the
author of many best-selling and
award-winning books. He and his
wife Denalyn have three daughters.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CHRISTIANSUMMARIES.COM
When Christ Comes by Max Lucado,
Coming Next Month: copyright C 1999 by Max Lucado.
Summarized by permission of the
publisher, Word Publishing, Nashville,
ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES? Tennessee. ISBN 0-84991298-9.
$21.99. This book is available at most
by LaHaye/Jenkins bookstores, at any online bookseller
(Tyndale) (such as Amazon.com or Parable.com)
or by calling Word Publishing at
ORTHODOXY 1-800-251-4000.
You may also visit the Word website
by G.K. Chesterton at www.wordpublishing.com