How firm a foundation,

Ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent work.

The story is told about a wonderful problem a Christian home for children with special needs was having.

A chapel speaker told the children about how one day soon Jesus was coming in the clouds

and he would gather up his children to meet him in the air.

Ever since then, said the schoolmaster, we've had a terrible time keeping the windows clean.

The children are glued to the glass, watching the sky.

Well, welcome to Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

I'm your host, Steve Schwetz, and, you know, I love that story.

We can learn a lot from those kids, so full of faith and ready for the Lord to call us to be with him in the clouds.

Well, in this study, we're also fixing our hope on the soon

return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We're about halfway through the Old Testament book of Hosea in chapter

3, beginning in verse 4. You know, the last words that Jesus gave us, just as he was ascending into

heaven were words of instruction about what we should be doing while we

wait for his return. Acts 1-8 records them. He says, but you shall receive power when the Holy

Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me. And you know, we're doing that now as we take

the whole word of God out to the whole world and you're helping us. Followers of Jesus are being built up in their faith and those who don't yet know him as their Savior,

well, they hear of the hope and assurance of everlasting life with God.

So before we jump into our study, I want you to hear from a few of those whose lives are being changed by the whole word of God here on through the Bible.

First, we got a note from Jim in Illinois. I've really enjoyed going through the Bible for

several years, Jim says. And then he goes on, I'm recently divorced living in Illinois and unable to

attend church due to the fact that I gave up my only vehicle to my ex-wife and there is no public

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