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Archive for the ‘Rapture’ Category

Feast Of Trumpets This Week

23 Sep

I was going to post something somewhat similar to lasts years post, but after reading it, I’m just going to repost it.

Rosh Hashanah is coming up again for the year at the end of the week. It is the Feast of Trumpets. So why do I get excited at this time?

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 – 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Revelation 4:1- 1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

In the last one the voice that was first speaking to John was Jesus.

One thing I have learned over time is God doesn’t do anything that’s not calculated, especially on things as big as this. The Lord rode into Jerusalem the first time on the very day it was prophesied.

Don’t get me wrong, we don’t know the day or hour. No idea of the year. No date setting here. I wouldn’t ever attempt it. He can come at anytime. Immanency is heavily taught in the Word so we are not to let our guard down and to always be living as Jesus is coming back today.

One thing about Rosh Hashanah is that it covers two days. There are trumpets that are blown and it is one of God’s seven Jewish feasts. I repeat God’s…..feast that He appointed to the people which He has ran the Messiah line down through. And He is coming back (Jesus) to rule and reign on His throne over them. God doesn’t break promises.

Some of those promises are to meet His own (church) in the air like the verses above. Come down and judge the nations who have rejected Him at the end of the Tribulation. Then rule and reign for the millennium over the Jews who remain as their Messiah.

So when the Feast of Trumpets come around every year, it’s hard for me not to get excited and hope that the Blessed Hope could happen. If not, it’s safe to say were closer than before. Do you long for His appearing? There is a Crown of Righteousness for those who do.

2 Timothy 4:8 – 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, Encouragement, End Time Prophecies, Motivation, Rapture

 

Feast Of Trumpets This Week

04 Sep

Rosh Hashanah is coming up again for the year at the end of the week.  It is the Feast of Trumpets.  So why do I get excited at this time?

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 – 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Revelation 4:1- 1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

In the last one the voice that was first speaking to John was Jesus.

One thing I have learned over time is God doesn’t do anything that’s not calculated, especially on things as big as this.  The Lord rode into Jerusalem the first time on the very day it was prophesied.

Don’t get me wrong, we don’t know the day or hour.  No idea of the year.  No date setting here.  I wouldn’t ever attempt it.  He can come at anytime.  Immanency is heavily taught in the Word so we are not to let our guard down and to always be living as Jesus is coming back today.

One thing about Rosh Hashanah is that it covers two days.  There are trumpets that are blown and it is one of God’s seven Jewish feasts.  I repeat God’s…..feast that He appointed to the people which He has ran the Messiah line down through.  And He is coming back (Jesus) to rule and reign on His throne over them.  God doesn’t break promises.

Some of those promises are to meet His own (church) in the air like the verses above.  Come down and judge the nations who have rejected Him at the end of the Tribulation.  Then rule and reign for the millennium over the Jews who remain as their Messiah.

So when the Feast of Trumpets come around every year, it’s hard for me not to get excited and hope that the Blessed Hope could happen.  If not, it’s safe to say were closer than before.  Do you long for His appearing?  There is a Crown of Righteousness for those who do.

2 Timothy 4:8 – 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, End Time Prophecies, Inspiration, Rapture, Reflections

 

If Someone Is Looking For Christ And Not In The Air……Then

13 Apr

Many people in the church believe they have to prepare the earth before Jesus comes back.  Is that biblical?  Isn’t that saying that they are bringing the millennium for Christ, instead of Christ taking control and doing so?

Here’s what I read:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 –  16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I have a date with the Lord in the air.

As a pre-trib rapture Christian, I believe the Lord comes for His bride and it’s off to the honeymoon.  So if there is a group trying to lay the foundation for the Lord so he can lead them on this utopian earth they are trying to make, who are they going to see?  The antichrist.

Don’t get me wrong, we are to be witnesses for our Lord.  We are to be spreading the Good News.  However, our citizenship is in Heaven and not being a dweller on this earth.

Our Savior is coming to call us in the air.  It’s a blessed hope.  The antichrist is coming to try and run his kingdom on the earth through the most troubling and horrific time.  Christ comes back at the end of that time with His bride, which is at Armageddon.  Then rules and reigns in the millennium and allows His own to help rule with Him.

Don’t love this earth, love Heaven.  Don’t be looking for antichrist, but Jesus Christ.

 
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Rapture Timing

05 Mar

It’s been awhile since I wrote on this topic.  I have a lot of posts on support for the pre-trib rapture.  There is a lot that I ended up writing on, because there is so much in God’s Word.  If you are curious to know what those are, just go over to the categories and select on Rapture.  You will need to go quite a ways back as I wrote on them in the first six months of my blog.  Also if you put a search for pre-trib most of them will come up that way too.

Today I want to talk on some of Paul’s verses to the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 –  1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

If the Thessalonians were worried they missed the rapture and it was supposed to be at the end when Christ comes back during the second coming, does that make sense?  These guys studied and believed Jesus was the Messiah and that he is coming back to rule and reign like it says in Daniel, Zechariah and Isaiah as well as other prophets.  If they missed it, they were still over in the vicinity of where Jesus is coming to rule and reign, not on the other side of the earth.

So why were they worried that they missed it if none of the other signs of the second coming had happened yet.  Those are the things that Paul was reminding them about.

It appears to me that they had the idea that the Lord’s return was imminent.  They believed nothing had to proceed before the Lord could come back and take his own to be with Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18-16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

One of the most important parts of these verses that get overlooked is the last verse.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.

I supposed lots of people can get encouraged about many different things.  If you told me I had to try to endure to the very end of the Tribulation before the rapture, I don’t know how encouraging that would be.

I find it more encouraging to hear these words.

1Thessalonians 5:9 – 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m encouraged by those words.

I’m not encouraged by these words though.

Revelations 13:5-8 –5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

9 He who has an ear, let him hear.

10 If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Now I believe the Tribulation saints are the ones who accept Jesus after the rapture, not the church.

I would not be encouraged if the Beast was given power to make war with the saints and conquer them (us).  I don’t know how 1 Thessalonians 5:9 works into this either.  Also we’re told the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church.

Matthew 16:  –  16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

If the Beast is allowed to prevail over the church, does this not cause some problems with words of Jesus above.  However, if the Church is gone and these are the saints after the rapture, that’s not the case.

There’s a lot of other things that support the pre-trib rapture as stated before. I just was motivated to write on this today.

 
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One Foot On A Banana Peel And Another In The Grave

05 Dec

Are you excited for the return of Jesus for the Church?

If you came home to meet your family after being away for a long period of time and they didn’t want to see you, how would you feel?

Matthew 22:1-14 – 1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Now this parable was speaking of the Jews of the day.  However, when I read it, it still applies for the so called Lord’s people that are too busy for Him.

Be honest.  If you’re not wanting Jesus to appear because things are too good for you on this earth,
would you call that loving the world?

I don’t know how you can call it anything but that.

There is a crown for those that love His appearing.  That means that people that died 1900 years ago that loved His appearing will get that crown.  Those who don’t will not.

2 Timothy 4:8 – 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing.

If you’re not excited about seeing Jesus, how well is your relationship with Him going?

Put yourself in the shoes of Jesus when it comes to bringing home His own during the rapture.  How do
you feel about those who didn’t really like the idea of you coming back?

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation, Rapture

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

21 Nov

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18
Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Always looking to get a rapture verse on the screen.

It’s neat to know that we will be meeting our loved ones in  the air and other believers at the time of the rapture.

Here are a couple of neat thoughts.  We will hear that call on earth right before we are taken up?  The dead are going to rise first.  It’s the time all believers dead and just raptured from earth get their resurrected bodies.  Will we be face to face right next to those we have lost and longed to see?

Obviously my biggest joy will be to see the Lord.  These are interesting questions and only time will tell.  I happen to believe it won’t be all that long into the future.  We definitely need to keep our guard up and hearts receptive so He doesn’t come like a thief in the night to us.

 
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Just Felt Like A Rapture Verse

28 Sep

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – 51 Listen, I tell you amystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

I look forward to it with excitement.  To be taken in an instant to be with the Lord in the Air and forever be with Him.  Exciting indeed!

 
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The Lord Will Reign And His Temple Established

22 Aug

Micah 1:1-5 – 1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

This will happen after Armageddon.  Justice will take place for those who still remain on this earth.  Our Lord will sit on the throne.  The Jews will have their Messiah and King just as promised and they will accept Him this time.

What about the Church?  I believe the church gets raptured before the tribulation, has the Wedding
Supper of the Lamb and comes back with Him at Armageddon.  As heirs we get a chance to help our Lord
when He rules and reigns during the millennium.  Our citizenship will be in heaven and I believe we will be able to help on this earth.  We’ll have a new body that will allow us to do this, that will be like His glorious body.

Philippians 3:20-21 – 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Romans 8:17 –17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

2Timothy 2:11-12 –11 Here is a trustworthy saying:  If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we disown him, he will also disown us;

I can’t think of anything much more exciting than being able to help our King in His glory in those days.
Notice it says “also reign” with him, not “and reign.”  We need to do our best to serve our Lord.  It appears that participation in helping the Lord reign may be part of the rewards, which goes beyond saved by grace.

We need to serve our Lord always.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, End Time Prophecies, Inspiration, Motivation, Rapture

 

No One Will Know The Day Or Hour

20 May

Matthew 24:36 – 36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

I thought it was only fitting to remind folks of this since the big hoopla was coming up tomorrow.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 – 1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Luke 12:40 – 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Anyone who sets a date is going against scripture.  When a lot people are expecting him to come it goes against Luke 12:40.

I will tell you what happens when someone tries to date set the rapture however.  It strengthens this scripture more and more.

2 Peter 3:4 – 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

The more this date setting happens the more people are strengthening their belief that he isn’t coming in their lifetime or at all.  The bad thing about all of this is….. we are in the last days.

He will be coming sometime soon, but it won’t be on a day that everyone is expecting him or the scripture is incorrect.  The scriptures are fine and man would bode well to pay close attention to them.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Rapture, Reflections

 

Post-Tribulation Rapture Question?

25 Oct

As many know I believe in a pre-tribulation theory rapture based on my studies of great teachers and the scriptures.  To see all the pre-tribulation posts I have done you can click on the rapture category.

Isaiah 65:20-25 – 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

 20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

 21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat.  For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

 23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.

 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Here is a question I have concerning the Post-Trib position of the rapture.

Who are these guys Isaiah is referring to?  What is this going on here?  Who is in charge of them?

Answer:  its Jesus ruling as the Messiah over His people that finally recognize Him and it is the Millennium. 

Still don’t see a post-trib rapture problem?  These guys are mortals.  If one of them dies at a hundred he will be considered accursed.  Dying in mere youth so to speak.

You see if the rapture was at the end of the tribulation, you would have believers and unbelievers.  The believers would go through the rapture and the unbelievers destroyed.  But these are Jews and other humans which are not enemies of God that are entering into the promised millennium.

This is a problem for the post-trib position, however, not the only one.

 
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