The Son of Man will come…

“The Son of Man will come… ” (!) this is the Gospel statement which is repeated again and again through the writing of the New Testament. These are the words of blessed assurance that gave strength to early Christians to get through the years of severe persecutions. This is the blessed assurance that even today brings hope into the hearts of sincere believers when the world crumbles around them. The promise of His return gives meaning to everything else Christians believe in. It serves as the solid foundation to the Christian dogma. Without the assurance of His Coming, our faith is futile. This is the reason I am a Seventh-day Adventist.

There is nothing new in the attempts to pin point the date of Christ’s return. Even the disciples of Jesus were pressing Jesus for an answer to their question: “Tell us… when will this happen” (Matt. 24:3). It may seem that finding an answer to WHEN will make all the difference in determining our eternal fate. Like lazy students we may want to postpone our assignment to the last night before the test. We procrastinate in our spiritual feebleness and become anxious and nervous because we do not know the exact day of the “test”. God’s Kingdom is not about the facts that need to be memorized on the last night before Judgment Day. It is the “vine and the branch” relationships where we are daily being transformed into the image and the likeness of our Creator. The day of His appearing will not then be a sensational billboard or a screaming TV ad. It will be a natural and a desirable step into the new realm of the Heavenly Kingdom. This is the reason Jesus continues His promise “the Son of Man will come” and says, “at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt. 24:44). Our eyes and ears are glued to  ”HOUR” instead of “HIM”.

I have no grounds to see May 21 as the Judgment Day for the simple reason that the proponents of this sensational message expect the secret rapture. There is nothing in the Bible about the secret return of the Lord or the disappearance of the faithful ones. My Lord will come with the “with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God”. My main concern is that once again the most beautiful gospel message of the second coming of the Lord will be ridiculed, discredited, belittled and brushed off as a one-day sensational absurdity.

“The Son of Man will come…!” This will be my message for the Sabbath morning worship service at Lakeview on May 21. I do not want anyone to be deceived and lose hope in the soon return of the Lord. Jesus gave us 3 important warnings regarding His coming back. He said, “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am He,’ and, “The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not follow them.” On May 21 we’ll study together what the 3 warnings are.

Message of Mercy Concert

Message of Mercy group is coming to Lakeview this Saturday night at 7 PM.

Believing that Heaven appreciates both mellow and joyful forms of praise, ‘Message of Mercy’ selects a wide variety of Spirit-filled songs for a mostly Contemporary Christian repertoire. A warm, tight blend of harmony vocals, heartfelt solos and personal testimonies make ‘Message of Mercy’ performances a blessing to audiences- young & old alike.

Despite complicated personal schedules, these dedicated young ladies stay busy traveling to perform for a wide variety of engagements including: women’s retreats, public concerts, benefits, revivals, youth conferences, prayer conferences, and camp-meetings, etc.

With a focus on the simple elegance of the Gospel, ‘Message of Mercy’ enjoys performing for ALL denominations in hopes that listeners will be drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Click here to learn more about the group http://www.wix.com/messageofmercy/messageofmercy

Lakeview Pathfinders

For the last several years, Lakeview Pathfinders’ Club has been know for its consistent dynamic growth. More and more teenagers want to be a part of the club that inspires them to seek adventure, to grow stronger physically and spiritually. Many camporees have taught them to survive through the storms, to sleep in the flooded tents, to endure humidity and to enjoy southern heat. However this Sabbath morning we’ll see them being well fit for the ministry to the Lord and to His church. Our Sabbath morning service will be fully in the hands of the teenagers. They will lead us in singing the songs, in our prayers and in the study of the Word of God. I have no doubts that their love to the Lord will serve as a wonderful example to everyone who will join the Lakeview church for the Sabbath morning service.

Get into the Ark!

This Sabbath morning Lakeview church offers you a unique experience of Noah’s Ark. The Children’s  Ministry of our neighbor church, in Marietta, is transforming our church into the Ark!   The program takes the full Sabbath morning service and will feature beautiful music, drama, skits and the biblical message of salvation all performed by the little children. I am sure you will not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Invite your neighborhood kids.

Please, remember that this is our fellowship meal Sabbath and we will have many visitors. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Blessed Sabbath day to you! Don’t forget to get into the Ark before 11AM