Thank you for response. I have no doubts within me that you truly have a love for the Lord, and from reading some of your other posts, you are very well versed in the scriptures. Please do not take this personally in any way, this is not my intent. I am not here to question your faith or your walk before the Lord. I am only offering an opportunity for you and for others to question their own faith. Your reply was the perfect prototypical response, it's what we've been taught, and it's what we've come to believe. But it does demonstrates that you understand there is a point when when you no longer need an intercessor. There is only one problem I find with with your statement, and that is it lacks any sense of faith. When Christ returns sometime in the future as the Son of Man; there is no FAITH in that, you have become like Thomas, needing to see to believe; But a risen Jesus said blessed are they who have not seen, and yet believe. The response that you gave is one that only reveals itself through FAITH. You know the scriptures that say Christ dwells in our hearts, and that the kingdom of God is within us, that we are the temple of God, that we are Born Again after the spirit, and as Paul through the epistles declared to us the Mystery of God, which is Christ in Us. You know these scriptures, so why don't you believe them? Why do you await the return of the Son of Man, when the Spirit of Christ already dwells in you? Where is your Faith? The Spirit of Christ is being poured out into all the world, but you do not hear him because you are not listening, you are looking for the image of the Son of Man instead.
First it is not our faith as faith is that of Christ Jesus in whom we believe in that he is the true Messiah prophesied of by the OT Prophets, fulfilled in the NT and will return as he promised. Jesus is not an image, but that of flesh and bone. After Jesus ascended to Heaven and his body was glorified by the Father he once again came back to his disciples to give them final instruction. Was this just an image or a spirit that the disciples saw and heard, no, it was the son of God, of flesh and bone and as they saw him ascend into the clouds also will he come back the same way. No images here as they saw Jesus physically as we will when he returns. We of faith are subject to physical death, but not Spiritual death giving the meaning of 1Corinthians 15:55 death where is thy sting. We do not worship the image of the cross, nor the tomb or anything else, but hold on to the fact of what they mean as in what Jesus went through for us. Same with communion, Jesus said to do this in remembrance of him. We remember that of what Jesus taught and the sacrifice he made for the atonement of sin and reconciliation by the grace of God. We also watch for his coming so he will not be to us as a thief that comes in the night that we are not ready for. No images here.
Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luke 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luke 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luke 24:40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Luke 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luke 24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luke 24:43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Good point!