"For the grace of GOD that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and GODLY, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13). Here we can see that an integral part of the gospel message in the days of the Apostle Paul was that Christians should be continually looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the "Great GOD and our Savior, Jesus Christ". Very clearly is the Bible teaching that Jesus Christ was GOD in the flesh and is the Great GOD of our salvation. Any who deny His deity, deny His ability to save and are therefore lost and have no blessed hope. Those of us who do call Him the Great GOD of our salvation are taught to look for Christ's coming. In his day Titus was being instructed by St. Paul to teach people to look for Christ's coming. The Holy Spirit of GOD preserved these sacred writings down through the ages for us today. This is a message of hope for us as well. The most blessed hope that people could have to sustain them in times of trial and sorrow was not just for that day and those Christians. From Pentecost, Christians have been admonished to look for His coming for the church, the bride of Christ. His coming has been imminent from the very day of Pentecost. I am not telling you, "He is coming soon". He may come soon or He may not come for another fifty years, I don't know and neither does anyone else. But His coming is "possible" at any moment and as Christians, we are to expect it. We are to live like we expect it.

Also, I am not telling you that we should look at the signs around us and know that He could be coming soon. I am not looking for a "sign", I'm listing for a "sound". We have been given the only sign that will be given. His resurrection from the grave after three days. From the time when He sent the Holy Spirit back to "comfort" us, till this day, we are to simply believe His statements in the Bible and watch for His coming. I am not teaching that there is any special evidence or event that tells us to look for His coming. We are to watch, look for and expect His coming because He said that is what we should do. If Christ Jesus could not come back until these special events took place, then the church was teaching a lie right from the start. Those first believers were being told to look for His coming and all along there was nothing to look for, because He could not come until some special "sign" or event took place. No, we are to expect Him because He told us that He would come back for us at any time. Christians are to expect His coming not by sight, but by faith, not by what we read in the newspapers, but what we read in the Bible. At any moment, day or night, Jesus may come to call all those He has chosen to meet with Him in the air. (The Rapture) Those who sleep in Christ will be raised from the dead and those of us who are alive will all be changed in a moment and be caught up to meet the LORD in the air. The main reason to look for Him at any moment is because of what Jesus said in scripture.

Another time He said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am , there ye may be also. John 14:2 & 3. The first time He came was to pay the price to appease a Holy GOD Who had been disrespected by His own creation. In this respect, Jesus shed His innocent blood to pay for the sins of all mankind. Effectually, only those who are cleansed by the blood of Christ from His first coming will be in that great moment of His coming to "receive us unto Himself" in the air. It is a dark age we live in and Jesus is that bright and morning star of hope. This is our blessed hope, the return of our Great GOD and Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ. We look for this blessed hope because of the unrestricted authority of the scriptures in our lives.

There are those who cannot look for the return of Jesus as a blessed event. It is because they restrict the authority of the second phrase in this verse. "... teaching us that, denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and GODLY, in this present world;" The Episcopal church, among others, cannot look for the return of Christ with hope, they are hoping in the shrewd reasonings of the homosexual movement to justify their perversion in the face of overwhelming scriptural condemnation. They have rejected the authority of scripture over their lives. These sodomites make the same mistake their sexual antecedents made in the book of Genesis. They mistakenly believe they can proudly strut their unnatural acts before a Holy GOD Who will be forced to accept them because of their perceived piety and religious trappings. This hysterical demand for acceptance of their filthy, depraved behavior, by society in general and the church in particular, is proof of their knowledge of the wrath to come. What a shame they can't look for the appearing of our great GOD and savior Jesus Christ. Whatever you use to supplant the authority of GOD'S Word is what your hope for all eternity is resting upon. Look up for your salvation drawth nigh. Do you look for that blessed hope, or do you look for the wrath of GOD?

Ed Anthony