Tommy Mann

Q. Where is Christ now? A. Christ sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for the saints. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead He ascended back into heaven. His absence from earth made way for the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, so Jesus told His disciples it was good that He left (John 16:7). When Jesus left He didn’t retire to South Florida, nor did He go to heaven to twiddle His thumbs and wait for the rapture. He is busy today sitting at the right hand of the Father, serving as our advocate. Romans 8:34 says Jesus, “indeed is interceding for us (also see Hebrews 7:25).” This work of intercession means Jesus speaks to God on our behalf. This is comparable to the role of a defense attorney. Why do we need an attorney? Because there is a prosecutor bringing horrible charges against us, and unfortunately, the charges are all true. Revelation 12:10 says Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” who has been accusing us “day and night....

Q. Will believers be judged when they die? A. Believers will stand in the Bema Seat, a place of rewards and loss of rewards. When believers die they will stand before the Lord in judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment.” Before we enter heaven we will face the Lord in judgment. Those who refused God’s free gift of salvation will be cast into hell (Matthew 7:21-23), while those saved by God will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21, 23).” There is, however, more to the believer’s judgment than just admittance into heaven. The Bible speaks of rewards that will be bestowed upon believers for their work on earth. There are five crowns recorded in the New Testament that will be given out for different reasons, and these crowns will eventually be cast at the feet of Jesus in worship (Revelation 4:10). The Greek work used for judgment is bema , which referred to the place where the judge stood t...

Q. Will Jesus ever come back to earth? A. Jesus will not come back to earth during the rapture, but He will at the Second Coming .   There is a common misconception that Jesus’ second coming and the rapture are the same event. People make comments about when “Jesus comes back to earth at the rapture,” but that will not actually happen. When describing the rapture Paul said we will “meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).” Jesus’ feet will not touch down on this planet; instead, we will be “caught up” (which is what rapture means) with Him in the clouds and taken to heaven. Different people have different views about when the rapture will occur in relation to the Great Tribulation described in Revelation. Some believe the rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins (pre-tribulation), some believe it will occur at the midpoint (mid-tribulation), and others believe it will be after the tribulation has ended (post-tribulation). Despite the differences, i...

Q. What is the church? A.   All those who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ make up the church .   The Bible never says to go to church. While that statement might seem shocking, the reality is church is not a place we can go. We are the church. By definition, church refers to the “called out ones.” All who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ make up the church. We have local church buildings and assemblies, but all true believers are a part of the church. In heaven there isn’t a First Baptist congregation and a Calvary Baptist congregation; there will not be a UMC section or a Pentecostal section; we will all just be the church. The Bible doesn’t say to go to church, but it does say to not forsake assembling together. Whenever we meet together—whether a Sunday morning service, children’s church, or a small group meeting for coffee and Bible study—we are having a church service. The church provides accountability, discipleship, educati...