What Goes Up, Must Come Down!
I was excited that my aunt was bringing my mom to finally see our home. We went to Lowe's and bought all new seat cushions for our outdoor patio furniture and a matching umbrella. Praise God, our Arizona heat was late this spring, so we all spent a lot of time chatting and catching up on the patio.
A few weeks later, I was having lunch on the patio when a quick, strong wind came whirling down the side of our house. It headed straight for our backyard and both of our large outdoor umbrellas were open. I ran quickly to the farthest one, secured it and turned to tie up our new umbrella just as it took flight! It climbed probably 30 feet into the air, turned inside out, and flew over our brick wall to the parking lot next door.
I called my husband to go on a search and rescue mission, while I picked up and straightened errant pillows and items that had scattered all over the yard. Nearly, 15 minutes later my husband came down the road packing pieces of our new umbrella. Fortunately, it had not hit anyone or anything on it's Mary Poppin's journey.
As the saying goes, "What goes up, must come down," and apparently our umbrella came crashing down on the pavement, as the metal frame was broken in several pieces. Ironically, Julie Andrews, who played Mary Poppins in the Disney film, admitted years later that she too came crashing down while filming her umbrella flying scene, due to a faulty harness. According to news.com.au, she said in an interview, "I plummeted to the stage. I did. And there was an awful silence for a minute and I did let fly with a few Anglo-Saxon four-letter words, I have to admit."
Jesus is not an exception to the, "What goes up, must come down," rule. The Bible tells us in Acts 1:9-12, "Now when He [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"
Revelation 1:7 describes the return of Jesus Christ like this, "Behold, he is coming with the cloud, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." According to MoodyBible.org the Second Coming of Christ has the following purposes, "At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with the hosts of heaven as well as the Church [Christians who were caught up in the clouds to Christ during the previous Rapture] to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth. His Kingdom will last for a thousand years. At this Second Coming, the Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan will be bound for a thousand years. The nations and their representatives will be judged. Israel [God's chosen people] will be restored to her land, never more to be removed. Christ will reign with firmness and equity. His kingdom will be marked by material and spiritual blessing, since the curse upon the earth will be removed."
So if you have chosen Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you too will go up to heaven in the Rapture and come back down to Earth in the Second Coming. But it won't be an accident, you won't accidentally fly up to heaven and then come crashing back down to earth. When you believe in Jesus Christ, He will take you up to be with Him and then when He returns to bring justice to Earth, He'll bring you with Him to help Him rule and reign as the Most High God. Christ Jesus is the One who will finally bring peace to the nations. Instead of shattered pieces of lives, that today's world can bring, we'll live with peace-filled lives throughout eternity. Come Lord Jesus, come!
A few weeks later, I was having lunch on the patio when a quick, strong wind came whirling down the side of our house. It headed straight for our backyard and both of our large outdoor umbrellas were open. I ran quickly to the farthest one, secured it and turned to tie up our new umbrella just as it took flight! It climbed probably 30 feet into the air, turned inside out, and flew over our brick wall to the parking lot next door.
I called my husband to go on a search and rescue mission, while I picked up and straightened errant pillows and items that had scattered all over the yard. Nearly, 15 minutes later my husband came down the road packing pieces of our new umbrella. Fortunately, it had not hit anyone or anything on it's Mary Poppin's journey.
As the saying goes, "What goes up, must come down," and apparently our umbrella came crashing down on the pavement, as the metal frame was broken in several pieces. Ironically, Julie Andrews, who played Mary Poppins in the Disney film, admitted years later that she too came crashing down while filming her umbrella flying scene, due to a faulty harness. According to news.com.au, she said in an interview, "I plummeted to the stage. I did. And there was an awful silence for a minute and I did let fly with a few Anglo-Saxon four-letter words, I have to admit."
Jesus is not an exception to the, "What goes up, must come down," rule. The Bible tells us in Acts 1:9-12, "Now when He [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"
Revelation 1:7 describes the return of Jesus Christ like this, "Behold, he is coming with the cloud, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." According to MoodyBible.org the Second Coming of Christ has the following purposes, "At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with the hosts of heaven as well as the Church [Christians who were caught up in the clouds to Christ during the previous Rapture] to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth. His Kingdom will last for a thousand years. At this Second Coming, the Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan will be bound for a thousand years. The nations and their representatives will be judged. Israel [God's chosen people] will be restored to her land, never more to be removed. Christ will reign with firmness and equity. His kingdom will be marked by material and spiritual blessing, since the curse upon the earth will be removed."
So if you have chosen Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you too will go up to heaven in the Rapture and come back down to Earth in the Second Coming. But it won't be an accident, you won't accidentally fly up to heaven and then come crashing back down to earth. When you believe in Jesus Christ, He will take you up to be with Him and then when He returns to bring justice to Earth, He'll bring you with Him to help Him rule and reign as the Most High God. Christ Jesus is the One who will finally bring peace to the nations. Instead of shattered pieces of lives, that today's world can bring, we'll live with peace-filled lives throughout eternity. Come Lord Jesus, come!
Wow!! Absolutely loved this. So clear and easy to understand. I pray all who read will understand the joy we as His children have, in asking : Come quickly Lord Jesus. Come.
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