The prospect of the Second Coming of Christ is foundational to us having great hope for the future and to living confidently in a world full of problems. If we want to be Biblical Christians and live with a faith-filled worldview, we cannot and must not lose our focus on God’s future plans for us and our world.

Both the Old and New Testaments are full of promises about the return of Jesus Christ. Over 1,800 references appear in the Old Testament, and seventeen Old Testament books give prominence to this theme. In the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the Lord’s return – one out of every thirty verses. For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are eight on Christ’s second coming.

The story of Easter and the events that followed show that just as the disciples became convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead, so they were also sure that Jesus would come back to earth. Acts 1:10-11 says of the moment Jesus ascended into heaven that the disciples ‘were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”'

The Bible teaches that Christ’s return will be:
• A dramatic event: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
• A global event: Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30
• A decisive event: This will be the moment that God winds up history and bring in the eternal and total reign of the Kingdom of God. Christ will return for his church. All humankind will be judged, and all creation will be transformed. Revelation 21:4.
• A sudden event: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Jesus spoke in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 of many different events that would signal that His return is near: disasters like wars, earthquakes, famines, diseases; persecution; cosmic changes in the sky and events concerning Jerusalem. But while Jesus showed us how to understand when we are nearing Christ’s return, He also said in Matthew 24:44 that ‘the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

People will be going about their everyday business, eating, drinking, marrying, just like they did in the time of Noah when suddenly the world, as they knew it, came to a cataclysmic end. They had been warned repeatedly that this day was coming but they did not prepare for it. And so, like Noah and his family and like the parable of the bridesmaids waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom, we need to be alert and ready for Christ’s return whether it comes sooner or later than we imagine.

As Christians we must not just focus on the past or even on the present but also have a very clear vision for the future, not just our own personal future but the future of the world that will affect us all. Real Christianity is not only a matter of looking back to the Cross and to the resurrection of Christ which we must always do, but of also looking forward to the final conquest of Christ and His kingdom when he returns to earth in power and glory.

Rather than consider all the signs leading up to Christ’s return, significant as they are, we focus today on how we can live when we truly understand that Jesus will certainly return.

1. Live with Hope (Titus 2:13)
2. Live with Holiness (1 John 3:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; Romans 13:11-14)
3. Live to bring in the Harvest (Matthew 9:36-38; Matthew 24:14)

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Are you living with the hope of Jesus' return? When you look at history with all its wars and injustices and all problems and violence of the world today you could easily conclude that there is no hope of any real change. But you will not think like that if you focus on how everything will work out when Christ comes back to earth. It may seem like night for the world now. But the most brilliant dawn ever is coming (Titus 2:13). Billy Graham said: "Bible teaching about the Second Coming of Christ was thought of as “doomsday” preaching. But not anymore. It is the only ray of hope that shines as an ever-brightening beam in a darkening world. The second coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet. Christ will reign in righteousness. He will bring beauty from the ashes of world chaos. Man will live as it was originally intended he should live.” You too can have such a great hope when you look beyond your own world and this present world to the bright new world that is coming. That hope will warm your heart, strengthen your faith, enlarge your vision and guide how you live each day.

Are you living a holy life of purity, love, faith and obedience to Jesus? Holiness means to live a pure life, where you act and think differently to the world around you. It means you are devoted or set apart to God. It's fine for you to eat and drink and marry etc but don’t be so absorbed with all the usual business of life that you lose sight of God and Christ’s return. Just as you prepare carefully if you know your final exams are coming, so you need to focus on your final day, either when you meet Jesus via death or when He returns. Be sure that you are living right because you might be meeting Jesus sooner than you think. The prospect of Christ’s second coming should lead you to clean up your act now, if it needs cleaning up (1 John 3:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8). Similarly, Paul writes of the need to live godly lives if you understand ‘the present time' (Romans 13:11-14 MSG). The best way to live is not to scramble about at the last minute like the foolish bridesmaids did in the parable, but to always live close to Jesus and be constantly ready to meet Him.

Are you fully involved in the great harvest of people that is still to be gathered into Christ’s eternal kingdom? Jesus had great compassion on the lost (Matthew 9:36-38). Before Jesus comes there will be a great harvest of people into the kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14). Jesus told His disciples to make disciples of all nations or ethnic groups. The End Times harvesting has been accelerating on an unprecedented scale especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Today, the Christian community in Latin America and Africa, alone, account for 1 billion people. Yet latest estimates suggest that there are still approximately 7,400 people or ethnic groups that are considered unreached. That means over 40% of the world’s people groups have no indigenous community of believing Christians able to evangelise the rest of their people group. Over 42% of the world’s population live in these over 7,400 people groups. Clearly there is much that is yet to be done but Scriptures tell us that God is the God of sudden acceleration. But we must each play our part in sharing the good news of Jesus. Every Christian and every church must always reach out to others in all ethnic groups. We must always have a local and global vision for extending the kingdom of God. Today we live in a moment of opportunity but also urgency to gather in a great harvest or company of people from ‘every tribe and language and people and nation.’ Make the most of every day. But be sure a new day is coming. Are you ready to meet Jesus if He were to return today? Would you love to see Him or fear to see Him? Today is a day to decide to live in the light of the final day whether it’s your final day or the world’s last day.

This weekend, King's Church International hosted its annual Women's Conference 2021: Living The Best Life, with women from all over the globe joining together online for inspiring teaching, special features and powerful times of worship.

As part of our special Women's Conference weekend KCI Online Sunday programme, we're delighted to have Pastor Manuela Harding as our guest speaker. Pastor Manuela is Pastor Cesar and Emma Claudia Castellanos’s third daughter and has over 1 million followers on her YouTube channel for mums, kids and families.

God wants every person to live the best life and to see great fruitfulness. In Matthew 13, Jesus taught His disciples using the example of the parable of the sower, showing them how they could bear abundant good fruit in their lives. As it says in verse 23, 'the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.' Pastor Manuela Harding shares a powerful word about how every person can see fruitfulness in their lives.

Last weekend we celebrated the greatest comeback in history; the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Everything was so dark on Good Friday but on Easter Sunday everything was totally turned around. The disciples however, like many of us, needed their own personal turnaround. For the disciples had failed and failed badly. Judas had betrayed Jesus and was never seen again, and the 11 other disciples had all run away. For a while they were fearful and confused, and they had gone back to what some of them had done before: fishing in Galilee. But Jesus wasn’t finished with them and He is not finished with you either.

You can experience restoration and new beginnings because your life is not over, and your ministry is not over even you think it is. In John 21 we read how Jesus restored His disciples, especially Peter who had denied the Lord three times. By the lake of Galilee, Jesus took them back to the basics of their calling as disciples and prepared them for the greater things that they would soon experience and achieve.

1. He took them back to the start of believing for a big catch (John 21:1-11; Luke 5:4-6)
2. He took them back to start with a personal encounter (John 21:9, 12-14)
a. They needed a fire encounter (v9)
b. They needed just to be with Jesus (v12)
c. They needed to receive from Him (v13; Acts 18:9-10)
3. He took them back to the start with a direct discipleship challenge (John 21:15-17; Matthew 22:36-38)
4. He took them back to the start by calling them to fulfil their mission (John 21:15-17; Matthew 9:36-37; Matthew 14:15-16)

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Do you need to have a new vision of the great things that God has for your life and ministry? If the story of John 21:1-11 sounds familiar, it's because this was the second time there was a big miracle catch of fish. The first was at the start of the ministry of Jesus (Luke 5:4-6). This was when the disciples understood that they were to not only to ‘become fishers of men and women’ but that there would be many who would come to Christ. Over the following three years the disciples witnessed very big crowds being ministered to by Jesus. But then the crucifixion happened, and they felt all alone, and their vision of the multitudes disappeared. So Jesus took them back to the start as He was concluding His earthly ministry and they were about to begin theirs. And once more Jesus shows them how to have a miracle catch. God wants us also as Christians and churches to have and keep a big vision. The vision of Jesus is not just a church growth vision; it’s a world changing vision of great numbers of people coming to Christ and being trained as disciples and disciple makers. The disciples needed to have their vision of multitudes restored because within a few weeks they would minister to a big international crowd in Jerusalem and 3,000 would be added to the church in one day. Maybe like the disciples you have faced tough times, discouragements, opposition and you maybe have felt like giving up…. even going back to your old profession like the disciples went back fishing. But today, look forward not backwards, for God wants to restore you and give you a big catch of blessings and disciples.

Do you just need to meet with the Lord in a new way and to come to a new place of fellowship with Him? The disciples had experienced many special times with Jesus, but now they needed to come closer to Him again (John 21:9,12-14). They needed a fire encounter (v9): Fire speaks of the burning purity and holiness of God. They needed just to be with Jesus (v12) and receive from Him (v13). It’s important to daily have a fresh encounter with the Lord. There are particular times, however, when even the greatest servants of God need a new encounter with the Lord. Elijah was burnt out and depressed after his powerful showdown with the prophets of Baal. He needed to sense the presence of God in a new way and to hear ‘the still small voice of God’ to give him new perspective and future direction. The apostle Paul had a dramatic encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus but years later in the midst of opposition and persecution he needed a fresh experience of the Lord (Acts 18:9-10).

Do you really love Jesus? The most basic issue of being a disciple is whether or not we really love Jesus. Three times the Lord asked Peter: ‘do you love me?' (John 21:15-17). But loving God is at the heart of being a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 22:36-38). When you really love God you will obey God, doing what He says and He wants not what we want. You will give to God: willingly, faithfully, sacrificially. You will work for God and be a faithful ambassador for God. Peter was hurt by Jesus asking this question three times, which was actually cancelling out the three times he denied the Lord. But Jesus was inquiring closely into the reality of Peter’s heart.

Are you willing to fulfil the mission God has for you? Each time Peter said he really loved the Lord, the Lord challenged him to love and care for people (John 21:15-17). Jesus, the great Shepherd, called and trained His disciples to also be shepherds of the flock of God (Matthew 9:36-37). It was at this point that Jesus called His team of 12. He had to train them to feed the hungry crowds, not send them away, which they had wanted to do before feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:15-16). Every Christian and Christian leader is called to care for others, starting with our own family, disciples in our groups and those God brings across our path. We do this by ministering to their needs; emotional, spiritual and physical if they are hungry. By protecting them from evil people and wrong teaching, by preaching and teaching them the word of God and by showing others how to know Jesus for themselves. Here in a relaxed way the disciples reconnect with Jesus. Peter is taken back to the start and restored in heart, vision and calling. No longer were they focused on their failure and pain. A new world of knowing Jesus and leading many people to experience Jesus was now opening up before them. You too can be restored in your relationship with God, with your family, in the church, and in your ministry. It happened with Peter and the disciples and it can happen to you, starting right now as you pray. If you need restoration in your life, then the best thing you can do is to ask the Lord to help you.

This Easter, even though we are meeting online or with limited gatherings, we can still rejoice in the unchanging truths that Christ really died and really was raised back to life again. Two thousand years on, despite countless attempts to eradicate Christianity, literally billions of people have not only been inspired by the Easter story, but they have also personally experienced the power and presence of the living Christ.

All people need a power beyond themselves to live the best lives. Maybe you need a power to overcome many challenges in your life: fear, addictions, depression, destructive behaviour, dysfunctional relationships or negative circumstances that are just pulling you down and down. Possibly you even identify with the lady who told Dr Cho, the pastor of the world’s largest church: ‘don’t talk to me about heaven and hell. I am already living in hell.’

The good news of Easter is that God can lift you out of whatever pit you are in and raise you up to a life of conquest and fulfilment. And the best way that we can learn how to be raised to new life is by following the example of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5-11 the apostle Paul, who himself dramatically experienced the power of the resurrected Christ, tells us very clearly how we can do this. Here we see some powerful lessons about how we should relate to one another and how we should live with the same mindset as Christ. Each of these lessons will help elevate our human relationships and will lift us up to new heights of blessing from God.

1. Humble yourself (Philippians 2:6-8; James 5:6; Proverbs 6:16-19; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 23:12; Matthew 11:29)
2. Obey God (Philippians 2:8; 1 Samuel 15:22-23; John 15:10; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 26:39)
3. Make Jesus the Lord of your life (Philippians 2:9-11)

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Have you followed the example of Jesus to live in total humility? Jesus was the King of all but he humbled Himself in so many ways on earth. He was God but He came to this world as a servant (Philippians 2:6-8). The Bible has many references to the awfulness of pride and the awesomeness of humility (James 5:6; Proverbs 6:16-19; 2 Chronicles 7:14). Pride is top of the list of the seven things that God hates. Humility, in contrast, is one of the great keys to spiritual revival and restoration. When people turn from their pride, ego and self-justification and humbly call on God, He will always bring great healing and salvation. Jesus was the perfect model of humility: born in the humblest of circumstances, He subjected Himself to the limitations of a human body and taught that the least valued would become the greatest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 23:12). In other words, ‘the way up in the kingdom of God is the way down.’ Humility was at the very core of the character of Jesus (Matthew 11:29). Jesus told His disciples not to be like proud religious leaders who were so preoccupied with their own position and image; instead they needed to be ready and willing to serve, and to prove the point He washed their feet. And finally, to save and serve all humanity, He renounced all His rights and endured the humiliation of crucifixion. Jesus gave up everything so that we can experience every blessing. But we too have to humble ourselves to know God.

Are you at heart an obedient or disobedient person? Do you obey and honour your parents, your church leaders, the governing authorities in our nations? Above all do you obey God? Obedience is one of the greatest keys to knowing the blessing of God. Disobedience to God and to God-given authorities brings trouble. From creation, the first man and woman didn’t not obey the simple commands of God which resulted in great pain and many curses. All through Old Testament history, prophets, priests and Kings called for God’s people to obediently walk in His ways. But time and again there came trouble and strife because of disobedience. When King Saul tried to cover up his disobedience with some religious sounding talk, the prophet Samuel famously exposed his hypocrisy (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Obedience really is a key issue for the world, for the church and for our lives and families. A world of rebellion is a world in trouble. Even Jesus did not do it His own way. From early years He was obedient to His parents. He always did His Heavenly Father’s will. He taught His disciples that they must also obey His teaching (John 15:10). Obedience was at the heart of the command of Jesus to make and multiply disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The ultimate example of the obedience of Jesus was seen at the end of His life on earth (Philippians 2:8). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went through a great struggle to be obedient. Three times Jesus prayed: ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ This moment when Jesus surrendered His will to do the Father’s will was the defining moment of breakthrough for the whole world for all generations. Because of the obedience of Jesus, we can be freed from our sins and be raised up to enjoy a new life of blessing with Christ. It’s one thing to say you have given your heart to Jesus but have you surrendered your own strong will? Have you passed the Gethsemane test? When you do, you and others will be raised up to new levels of blessing. God will always exalt you when you are humble and obedient.

Have you decided to make Jesus the Lord of your life? When you come to God in humility and obedience, God will work a miracle of resurrection in your life just as He did with Jesus. When Jesus obediently humbled himself (Philippians 2:9-11) God permitted His only Son to die but He didn’t permit Him to stay dead. For God raised Him from dead with great power and Has made Lord and ruler of all things. The day is coming, and sooner than we may imagine, when every knee shall bow to Christ (Philippians 2:10-11). Whatever situation you are in today have no doubt that Jesus is alive and wants to raise you up to a new life of blessing. The old can go; old sins, old habits, old problems, old rebellion; the new can come: new forgiveness, new hope, new start, new life.

For Christians the crucifixion of Jesus is the defining moment of history and the key to everyone's eternal destiny. The Cross of Christ is the greatest key for help, hope and healing for the world. The Bible teaches that, in contrast to human wisdom, you can discover great power in your life through the cross of Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:18). The suffering and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was necessary for us to know God’s great love and power in our lives through the cross.

Three crosses stood side by side outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago. On two crosses were very bad men who knew all about the dark side of life; on one of them was a very good man who brought light to the world. Yet all of them were brought together to experience the most terrible of Roman punishments. In Luke 23:32-43 we read the conversations between these three men in the closing moments of their lives which exposed who they really were as people and what was going on in their hearts. Each cross has a big message for us.

1. On one cross was a man who turned his back on God
a. He had no fear of God
b. He was cynical about God
c. He cursed God (Luke 23:39; 2 Timothy 3:1-4)
2. On another cross was a man who called out for mercy from God
a. He had respect for God (Luke 23:40)
b. He confessed his sin and wrongdoing (Luke 23:41)
c. He recognised there was something different about Jesus (Luke 23:41)
d. He believed it was not too late for Jesus to help him (Luke 23:42)
e. He received the forgiveness and hope he asked for (Luke 23:43)
3. On the central cross was a man who was God
a. He came to reveal God to us (Matthew 1:23; John 14:6)
b. He came to show us how to love and to forgive (Luke 6:35-36; Luke 23:34)
c. He came as a substitute & sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:7-8)
d. He came to bear our shame and pain (Isaiah 53:4)
e. He came to succeed in His mission of overcoming evil, death and hell (John 19:30; Colossians 2:15)

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Is your heart hardening to the point that one day you would face eternity hostile to God? If you died today would it be with a heart that is proud and resistant to God? On one cross was a man who turned his back on God. He had no fear of God, he was cynical about God, and he cursed God (Luke 23:39). This man was full of hate and anger. In these moments all the bitterness of his heart came out. He was hostile to God. He is like so many people who refuse to acknowledge God and do not want to humble themselves before Him (2 Timothy 3:1-4). Today many people have no time for God. They make up their own rules of morality and don’t believe in sin. They are ruled by a love of money and pleasure and are filled with pride and their own sense of self-importance. They have rebellion and defiance in their hearts against God. They are like the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, who would not let the Israelites go when he kept on seeing the miracles of God yet continually hardened his heart against God. The first story of the three crosses is a very serious story of a man who turned his back on God.

Do you need to be forgiven and know that through Jesus you can be sure of going to heaven? On the second cross was a man who called out for mercy from God. He had respect for God (v.40) and confessed his sin and wrongdoing (v.41). He recognised there was something different about Jesus (v.41). He believed it was not too late for Jesus to help him (v.42) and he received the forgiveness and hope he asked for (v.43). What a very different heart and attitude the robber on this cross had to the man on the other side of Jesus. Here was a man who had done a lot of wrong but in Jesus he saw a hope of having his sins cancelled. He believed that even at the end of his life he could be forgiven. He got right with God while he still had the chance, and this is your hope also. As long as you are alive, it is never too late to turn to God for Jesus came ‘to seek and save those who are lost.’ Jesus is willing to forgive you. You too can become a child of God even if most of your life has been spent far from God. You can still have a new beginning if you call out to him for mercy.

When faced with the Cross of Jesus - the man who was God - will you turn from Jesus and die in your sins or will you turn to him in humility and call out for forgiveness and the assurance of heaven? Although they meant it as a joke, the sign written above Jesus' head was correct: He was indeed King of the Jews. And he was and is the Saviour of the world. He came to reveal God to us: He was God in human form (Matthew 1:23; John 14:6). He came to show us how to live and love (Luke 6:35-36) even in times of extreme stress, and how to forgive those who have hurt you the most (Luke 23:34). He came as a substitute and sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:7-8). Everyone has sinned and broken God’s moral and spiritual laws - which means we became separated from a Holy God and all the blessings He has for us. But the good news is that at the Cross Jesus paid the price of your sin so that you can be set free to live a new life of friendship with God. He did this because of His great love for you. He came to bear our shame and pain. He was stripped naked so that we could be covered and He lost his dignity so that we could recover our dignity. He took up ‘our infirmities and carried our sorrows’ (Isaiah 53:4) so that we can know healing and help in time of our deepest grief. He came to succeed in his mission of overcoming evil, death and hell (John 19:30; Colossians 2:15). On the cross, Jesus revealed who He was and showed us how to live and how to die. He paid the price of our sin, bearing our sin and shame and conquering for all time every evil force that stands against us, including the final enemy death. When he died, the man on the middle cross became the centre point for all of human history. Today whether you are on the left or the right politically, whether you are a man or woman, young or old, you have to decide how you will react to Jesus.