I thought I was strong enough to return to writing but I guess I’m not. My fever returned and the fatigue is unbelievable. I will take a break for about a week and hopefully the symptoms will subside. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Category: Devotionals Page 44 of 50
Isa 13:6-13 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (7) Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: (8) And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. (9) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (10) For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (11) And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Good morning, reader! Thank you for your patience and prayers while I was out sick with Covid. I’m convinced that I recovered as quickly as I did because of those prayers!
Today’s topic is frightening, to say the least. According to Isaiah, the Great Tribulation is referred to as the day of God’s wrath. Those who believe in the Rapture occurring in the middle of the Tribulation or after the Tribulation, believe that Christians will go through part or all of God’s wrath. But we have learned that this cannot be possible as we covered in previous posts. God did not appoint born again believers to wrath.
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus referred to both Noah and Lot when He spoke of the Tribulation. In both instances, Noah and Lot were removed from the coming judgment on the unbelieving world. This is not possible when one believes in the mid or post Tribulation Rapture, amen?
Luk 17:26-37 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (31) In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. (32) Remember Lot’s wife. (33) Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. (35) Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (36) Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (37) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
The last time the Book of Revelation refers to the church is in Revelation 3:22. The very next verse, Revelation 4:1, calls the church up: “Come up hither”! The word “church” does not appear again. Why is this? It is because we are not on earth but have been removed from the wrath that is to come on the whole earth.
Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me 🙂 But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
I’m sorry to have to pause for now. I have tested positive for Covid and it’s been awful. I would appreciate prayer. Thank you! I will return to writing as soon as I feel better. Thank you for understanding!
2Th 2:6-8 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Good morning! It is currently snowing really hard right now and the ground is covered in a beautiful white blanket. I stand amazed at how quiet it is when it snows. You don’t hear it fall to the ground but you see the evidence of it. It is no different than the topic we are discussing. We don’t see the Holy Spirit but we see the product of His work. He works through born again believers and is responsible for stirring the hearts of the unsaved. His holy presence is what is standing between the Rapture and the Tribulation.
As we ave learned, there is no timeline for the Rapture event. In the verses above, we see that “he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” The Holy Spirit resides within every born again believer. Without Him, evilness will dominate the world just as in Noah’s days. All the people at the time were evil and God destroyed them all, except for Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives. Eight people! Wow!
The Holy Spirit is restraining the Antichrist from his “coming out” to the world at this time. When the Rapture occurs, the Holy Spirit’s “job” will return to the way He worked in the Old Testament. The Tribulation time is the time of Jacob’s Trouble – what began in the Old Testament with the Jews will end in the Book of Revelation with the Jews. The church age will be finished once the Rapture occurs.
Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
This time period revolving around Israel and the Jews will be like no other for them. The Church will be removed in the Rapture, along with the restraining force of the Holy Spirit.
The revelation of the Antichrist can only come after the Rapture. We see in today’s verses that the “mystery of inquiry doth already work.” War and destruction just don’t happen overnight. It is an event that builds over time. The Antichrist’s “evilness and spirit” is already at work in this world and we are seeing the results of it daily on the news. The only reason he is not revealed is because the Holy Spirit is holding him back. Once the Holy Spirit is removed via the Rapture, the man of lawlessness will be revealed and he will have free rein.
Friend, born again Christians will not see the Antichrist in his role as Revelation describes. The epitome of the evilness of this world is hindered right now thanks to the Holy Spirit. But once He is removed through the Rapture of the church, the church age will end and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble will begin. The Antichrist will cut loose his evilness.
I am trying to describe these events as simply as I can so that it is easily understood by those who are not born again. It may sound strange to you but with even just a little faith, you can be saved. This event is not something believers have to worry about because we will be in Heaven with Christ! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Good morning, reader! Do today’s verses disturb you? If you’re born again, they should cause you to be praying for the salvation of your family, friends and those in your circle of acquaintances. If you’re not born again, I pray that you will be disturbed by what you read and that it stirs your heart to be saved.
So today’s verses talk about the wrath of the Lamb that is to come. What is this wrath? Who is going to suffer this wrath? The Lamb is Jesus Christ and when His judgment upon this earth begins, there will be no turning back. Each judgment will be worse than the one before. The Rapture of the church will have already happened and those who remain will be involved in a horrific time on this earth like no other, the Tribulation. This is called the time of God’s wrath upon the earth. It has been prophecized from the Old Testament all through way through to the last book in the New Testament in the Book of Revelation.
You may be saying that there has always been persecution throughout the ages so this is nothing new. But these seven years will be a time where the people who get saved will be persecuted like no other age and it will occur all over the world, not just a specific location and not for a specific people. It will be for all people, all over the world.
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Mid-Tribulation and Post Tribulation believers say that Christians will go through half or all of the Tribulation. However, this doesn’t jive with the Scriptures because the Tribulation saints won’t be delivered from the wrath but will be overcome by it.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
We are told in the Scriptures that, just as in Noah’s day when God shut the door to the ark, that God will shut the door after the Rapture and no one will be able to escape the Tribulation.
Rev 3:8,10 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Those who are alive at the time appointed by God to rapture His church, will be kept from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole earth. All other times of persecution during history did not occur upon the whole earth, but just parts of it. The antichrist will be in power in order to cause havoc upon the entire earth. The church has been taken up in the Rapture. The word “church” occurs 80 times in 79 verses in the King James Bible. It is found only seven times in the Book of Revelation and only in chapters 2 and 3. It is not mentioned once after that. Chapter 4 begins with:
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
The Apostle John was given the opportunity to see and hear what would happen during the Tribulation. God called him up through an opened door. This is indicative of the Rapture of the church. Why? We see that the church is not even found once in Chapters 4-22. These chapters now refer to the Jews. The Jews rejected Christ at His first coming and the Gospel of Christ was entrusted to the Church until Christ came to Rapture the church. After this event, the Jews will come back into the picture and will see their Messiah is: Jesus Christ!
But for today, we can see that He has yet to be revealed or come into power. Christians will be kept from these seven years of Tribulation and they will be removed beforehand. Praise the Lord!! \o/ Are you ready, Christian? If you’re not a Christian, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
1 Th 5:1-9 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Good morning, reader! What an exciting time to be alive! We are witnessing unprecedented events affecting the entire globe! Jesus spoke of what we are to expect in the end times in Matthew 24:3-51. To the average reader, these verses are frightening. But to the believer, they are exciting because we know that we will not be here to experience the horrific events that will occur on the entire earth!
As we discussed yesterday, the Rapture of the church has three very different groups of belief: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation (or Pre-Wrath) and Post-Tribulation. They all pertain to the Rapture’s timing – when the event will occur. Which one is correct? One must turn to God’s Word to determine the answer. God would not want His children to be afraid of what is to come. Think of your earthly father: would he want you to be afraid as you live under his roof? No father would want this weighing on his children. An earthly father wants to protect his children. How much more a Heavenly Father: the Perfect Father?
What does each one mean? Pre-Tribulation refers to the Rapture occurring sometime before the start of the Tribulation. The Bible says that His return will be as a thief coming in the night. If you knew the hour a thief would enter your house, you would be prepared. That is why we are told to always be prepared. Noah didn’t know when the flood was going to come. The Bible answers all of our questions so let’s get to it.
(1Th 5:2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
(2Pe 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
The Tribulation will begin once the antichrist is made known, not a minute before.
(2 Th 2:3-4) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
So we know that when the antichrist is revealed, the Tribulation begins. However, what about the Rapture? The Bible says:
Matt 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”
Matt 25:1-6 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him”
Mark 13:33-37 “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch”.
These verses indicate that Christ’s return for His church is imminent – it can happen at any time. No man knows the day or the hour. We are given a timeline of the Tribulation in the Book of Revelation. We know that it is a literal seven years from the time that the antichrist is revealed. This doesn’t fulfill the “imminent” return of Christ. There is a definite timeline here of Christ’s Second Coming. However, the above verses encourage believers to be waiting and watchful. This is the proof of His imminent return for the Rapture of the church.
Just as Noah was kept from the wrath on the entire earth, so will believers be kept from the Tribulation.
“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10).
“Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).
These verses would not make any sense if believers were to go through part or all of the Tribulation! There is no comfort or blessed hope if Christians have to experience the wrath which is to come to the world.
There is no timeline for the Rapture. The Thessalonians thought they missed the Rapture and that the Tribulation had begun. They were listening to heretics rather than remembering what Paul had taught them. Paul said:
2 Th 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Paul reminds them of the signs that will usher in the Tribulation: except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition! So there are definite signs and timelines for the Tribulation. We have been seeing a falling away from the faith for several decades and it is getting worse. So we know we are in those “end times.”
But there are no signs or timeline awaiting to happen for the Rapture. If a person believes in the Mid-Tribulation Rapture, then there is a definite timeline because that is half way through the seven years, which is three and a half years. If a person believes in the Post-Tribulation Rapture, then there is a definite timeline there as well: after the seven years of Tribulation.
So friend, be encouraged! Be watchful and pray that you are ready for Christ’s Rapture of His Church at any moment! We are not called to experience the wrath that is about to come to this earth! Praise Him!!! \o/
If you are like I me prior to salvation and are interested in the end times, I pray you find the Lord (as I did) before it’s too late! It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
1 Th 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Good morning! Today’s verses excite me! It is this very topic that led me to the Lord! I definitely did not want to be here when the Tribulation began! That would mean that I missed the Rapture and would have to suffer through the most horrible and difficult time to come upon the whole earth. This frightened me in a way I had never been frightened before. So grab your favor beverage, make yourself comfortable and let’s discuss these things! 🙂
Notice how verse 18 says to comfort one another with these words? Come on, Paul! How can one be comforted when there’s about to be seven years of horrible events coming to the earth? Why is Paul telling us to comfort one another? To what is this comfort referring to? The topic of these verses is the coming of the Lord. This is not referring to His coming to earth: Christ’s return to earth will be at the end of the Tribulation. This coming of the Lord refers to Christ meeting born-again believers in the air.
1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
If we are to go through the Tribulation, as proponents of Mid-Trib and Post-Trib believe, what comfort is there in that? How can we comfort one another as Paul tells us to do in 1 Thessalonians 4:18? I certainly would not be comforted knowing that with each judgment in the scroll, seal, and bowl as written in the Book of Revelation were ahead of me. There’s no comfort or solace in that – there is only fear and apprehension! So we can only comfort ourselves because we know that we will be kept from those coming judgments! The snatching of the church and taking them to the clouds to meet Christ “in the air” is going to be an event like no other. If you’re a Bible reader, you’ll remember that Enoch and Elijah never died. They were taken up by God. So this is no new occurrence.
Gen 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
2 Ki 2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Jesus spoke of this in:
Mat 24:36-42 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Will you be one of those taken or one of those left? If you are born again, be encouraged Christian! This series will lift you up and make you excited about what is happening in the world right now. We are not called to receive God’s wrath and judgment on this earth. But if you are not born again and are searching, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! The sun has yet to rise but Christ’s light shines brightly in my heart as I work on this Rapture study! It excites me and stirs my spirit! I hope it is a blessing to all who read it. God does not leave His children to despair during these times of what is happening in our Country today. The times are changing so rapidly and there’s fear in the hearts of mankind: fear of the unknown! What is this virus and where is it going to lead us? Are we going to remain hostages in our own homes? Are people going to be restricted from purchasing even the basic necessities of life if they are not vaccinated? Will citizens lose their freedoms in order to corral the virus? Americans, and the world for that matter, have no idea what is to come. But the born-again Christian isn’t looking to this world for his hope. We look to Christ! Why? Let’s look and see.
The Rapture is an event that will definitely happen. The timing of the Rapture is uncertain but the event itself is most surely going to happen. The Scriptures below tell us that it is as definite as Christ’s resurrection. Without Christ’s resurrection, one would have no hope!
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
It is the Word of the Lord! Jesus taught them about the Rapture and saw fit to include this topic in the Bible. Friend, Christ does not leave us hopeless! He left us with His Word to encourage us during these end times! If we are blessed enough to be alive at the time of the Rapture, we will not see death! How exciting is that!
1 Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning, reader! I pray that you are receiving some encouragement with this series on the Rapture! This topic is what led me to the Lord in the first place. A miracle occurred when God sent my best friend to visit me on her vacation. She had no idea that I was interested in the future of this world. I read after famous ancient authors looking for answers. She brought along a recording of a Bible scholar who was renown for end time prophecy. Everything he said was backed up by Scripture. He spoke of the Rapture: I had never heard of such a thing in my religion. It was then that I found the One True God and the salvation He provides! So I pray that you, too, are searching and that this study will lead you to Christ, our Saviour! Now on with our study.
Two things will happen at the Rapture: the dead in Christ will be resurrected and the born-again Christians who are alive will be transformed and caught up in the air to be joined with Jesus Christ. The transformation of those Christians who are alive at the time of the Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians 15 (below) as the corruptible and mortal body being instantly changed to an incorruptible and immortal one (verses 52-53).
1Th 4:14-17 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Co 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (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. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (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.
Isn’t this wonderful? Just as Noah and his family entered the ark and were protected against the flood that affected the entire earth, so shall born-again Christians be protected from the coming Tribulation. If you notice, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says that we meet Jesus in the air and that we will forever be with Him! How exciting this is to the believer! What an encouragement it is to know that nothing will separate us from Him for all eternity! This is our hope, dear reader! The unbeliever has no hope! I recall that prior to my salvation, I too had no hope! I “hoped” that I would go to heaven but I was never certain.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
As we continue this study, you will come to see how it all fits together for those who are saved. We await a wonderful event! This event will usher in the most terrible time this earth has ever experienced.
If you’ve read through this post today and you have doubts whether or not you are saved, born again, please leave a comment simply asking me to reach out to you. The Rapture is the next event on the calendar for born-again believers. Don’t be caught unawares and be left behind to suffer through the Tribulation. You may think you have time but the Rapture can happen at any moment. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
We are studying what the Bible says about the Rapture. Some believe that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins. While others believe the Rapture will occur in the middle of the Tribulation or at the end of the Tribulation. Please join me and be excited about the next step in God’s prophetic plan! Also, please leave a comment with your thoughts. To start from the beginning with Day 1, please go to our Table of Contents. It will be populated as each day is completed.