1 Cor. 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.

Tag: Matthew 24:21

Any Day Now – Day 13

Photography by Bob Sabo

Matthew 25:13  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Good morning! What we have covered thus far on this subject of the Rapture has been exciting to me. I can remember the first time I ever heard about it and thought to myself what a wonderful gift the Lord is offering to His children!! He doesn’t offer anything but His wrath to the children of disobedience (the unsaved).

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Colossians 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

The prince of the power of the air is none other than Satan. Unbelievers follow his teachings whether they recognize that or not. We are seeing his influence in our world even more so than times past. Friend, the fact that Fairfax County Virginia is having Transgender day on Easter Sunday (2024) reveals the depravity of man due to Satan’s influence in the world. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virginia-county-declares-transgender-day-of-visibility-on-easter-this-year/ar-BB1kzhUW) Christians should be screaming from the housetops declaring their sinful ways. This is most definitely a sign of the times mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

So let’s get back on point on the topic of the Rapture. The most prevalent point to the Rapture is its timing. Mid and post tribulation believers have tried to discredit those who believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture for years. But they cannot dispute the timing.

Remember this, the Old Testament revolves around Israel and the judgment that is to come. The Old Testament doesn’t revolve around the church. The church isn’t spoken of in the rest of the Book of Revelation after Revelation 4:1:

Revelation 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.

When we search the Scriptures which talk about Christ’s return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time. But yet we read in Revelation 12:6, there is an exact number of days specifying how long Israelites will be nourished in a place that God prepared for them: God takes care of them in the wilderness for 1260 days. That’s pretty specific, if you ask me.

Revelation 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The 1,260 days begin when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God!

2 Thessalonians 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.

The 1260 days spoken of above are exactly three and a half years, which is in the middle of the Tribulation.

Daniel 9:27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The Rapture and the Tribulation are two separate events. Jesus protects His Bride, the Church, from the Tribulation period which is to come for the purpose of opening Israel’s eyes to their Messiah. That is why it is called Daniel’s 70th week. Israel is the central point of all of the Scriptures. A pause during this timeframe was given for the Church age due to Israel’s blindness of their Messiah. No hope or consolation can be given to people who are about to go through seven years of the worse time in history!

Matthew 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

How can the Church comfort one another when they have to go through the judgments and martyrdom? (1 Thessalonians 4:18) This period of God’s wrath is on the children of disobedience as we see in the opening verses. And to top it off, the Apostle Paul taught the most on the Rapture as a positive thing in 1 Thessalonians. Each chapter has at least one verse that encourages the believers of his day. Take the time and read – study!!!

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!

Any Day Now – Day 10

Luk 21:35-36  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Mat 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

How exciting are the times that we’re experiencing! There are wars and rumors of wars going on around us. Floods, hail stones the size of men’s hands, earthquakes, and signs in the skies. The various news sources are filled these headlines. But friend, I’m not anxious, nor am I afraid at all! 😃

The Bible teaches us that born again believers (those who possess the Holy Spirit in their lives) will not go through this horrible time that will affect the whole world. Re-read Luke 21:37 above! I understand that there are those who believe that Christians will go through the Tribulation but let’s look at the Scriptures. Today’s verse tells us that this tribulation will affect the entire world. The second verse tells us that it will be like no other time in history.

Rev 3:10  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.

But Jesus says in Revelation 3:10 that there is a time that will come that will affect the whole world, which is the Tribulation. He also states in that same verse that He will “keep the Christians alive at that time FROM the hour.” He doesn’t say He’ll keep us THROUGH it. How can the Lord keep us FROM this? This must be the time that He removes us from the earth.

This verse does not say that God will keep the church-age saints through the temptation but FROM it. There’s a big difference, amen? I’ve shared the following verses with you before but they are worth repeating. Paul taught us quite a bit about the Rapture. If it occurs in the middle of or at the end of the Tribulation, there would be nothing to encourage the hearts of the church-age Christians. Who would find encouragement in going through judgments and God’s wrath? These are the worst trials ever recorded! Let’s read together:

1 Thess 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.

This event cannot be the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation because Christ comes back to earth. Verse 17 says that we will meet Christ IN THE AIR. As well, Jesus left this earth to go to Heaven, His Father’s house, to prepare a place for us so that He can receive us to Himself so we can be where He is!!! (John 14:1-3) The post Tribulation believers cannot explain this, or they say the mansions are here on earth. How can that be? Where are those mansions or rooms in His Father’s house that He has been preparing for 2,000 years? Friend, if we are to go through any part of the Tribulation, how could we comfort one another???? There is no comfort going through the judgments of Revelation!

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!

Any Day Now – Day 2

Photography by Bob Sabo

Good morning, reader! I pray that you are receiving some encouragement with this series when the Rapture could happen! 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 devotional series will lead you to Christ, our Saviour!

Three things will happen at the Rapture: the dead in Christ will be resurrected and the born-again Christians who are alive will be transformed in an instant, and will be caught up in the air to be joined with Jesus Christ. This transformation will happen in an instant! The transformation of those Christians who are alive at the time of the Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (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.

Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

As we continue this series, you will come to see how it all fits together for those who are saved. We await a wonderful event! Paul encourages the believers in Thessalonica with the promise of the Rapture. In fact, he tells them to comfort themselves together as the end approaches! (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Why? Because this event will usher in the most terrible time this earth has ever experienced since the creation of man! We thought Noah’s flood was bad, well apparently the Tribulation will be worse!

Mat 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

If you are a born-again Christian and have never studied this out, I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged in your heart. If you are not born again, I urge you to settle the matter right now! 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!

Comfort During the End Times – Day 14

Good morning, Reader! What is pressing upon your heart this morning and frightening you? Is it the latest news on the war in the Ukraine? Is it the fact that America will suffer a food shortage in the next few months due to all the flooding in California? Or is it certain circumstances in your life? Whatever the reason may be, you must realize that God is well aware of it. Do you think God wants His child to be losing sleep over his financial problems or family issues? Friend, you are not alone. There are many who stay up worrying about what tomorrow will hold.

The key is to remember Who holds tomorrow!

These end times will bring turmoil on this earth that the world has never seen in the past. (Matthew 24:21) So what exactly does God’s Word say about worry and anxiety? Today’s verse says that the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. If you want to learn to do something, you read an instruction manual or watch a YouTube video. Afterwards, it just takes practice until you get it right. Reading God’s Word is one thing but it’s what you do with what you read that is important. If you walk away and do nothing with what you have read, then you haven’t really gained anything, have you?

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Don’t you think Satan wants you to be side tracked with worry? Oh YES, he does!

God says that His children need not be anxious about what’s going on in their lives. Whatever is making you anxious or worried can be discussed with God just as you would discuss a problem with your spouse or friend. God is not some impersonal being that lords over His creation. Not at all! In my mind’s eye, I picture God sitting in a chair next to me. I feel his presence and know that He hears me. Years of reading God’s Word has given me the foundation to stand on in my Christian faith and His Word leads and directs me in my life. It truly is a light unto my path.

Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The word careful in this verse is merimnaō in the Greek which means “anxious, take thought”! If a person doesn’t “take thought” or get anxious about what’s going on in his life, don’t you think that speaks volumes about how big his God is? Think about it for a moment and apply it to your life … right now … this very moment. What’s troubling you? Did you let God know about it during your prayer time? When you talk to God about it, you should know that the same God who parted the Red Sea is desiring you to talk to Him about it? He wants to handle that situation in your life! You may not see immediate answer to prayer but He is still working. He’s not asleep on the job! (Psalm 121:4)

I apply this to the goings on with the news revolving around the end times and the turmoil that our world is in. When I was first saved, I would have never thought that people would be confused about their gender! I would have never thought that babies would be murdered at the altar of convenience. Certain things were actually sacred back then!

Are you afraid that you will go through the Tribulation? If you answer yes, please go here to get the matter settled. The born-again believer will not go through the Tribulation period. A born-again believer is a member of the Church, the Bride of Christ, and will be raptured before that awful seven-year period occurs!

1 Corinthians 15:50-52  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  (51)  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.

1 Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Matthew 24:39-42  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.

Friend, please, I beg you, if you are not saved, you will have to go through a period that NO ONE has EVER seen before! Don’t ignore the fear in your heart and settle the matter now before it’s too late.

Matthew 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

If you are a believer, release your fears to the Lord and share those fears with Him. He does not want you to be fearful of these end times. In fact, we should be looking up and excited that our Groom will receive the go ahead from the Father to come get His Bride!!! \o/ He does not want you to be fearful of anything in your life. You are a part of His Bride so just as you share your intimate feelings with God. He will listen because you are praying in the Lord Jesus’ name! God desires to give you peace, my friend.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Times are getting worse and Christians may have to go through worse times before the Rapture. But rest assured that we won’t be here for the worst of what’s to come during the Tribulation period. Baby Christians are looking to you as an example of how they are to act during these horrible times. The unsaved world is watching you. If they see a fretting Christian, what does that tell them? They won’t want what you have if it doesn’t solve their problems. Only Christ can solve their problems. Be a light … be a testimony for the Lord … be the only Bible they may ever see!

As believers, we have so much at our fingertips to pull from for encouragement. We can read our Bibles, search out songs to encourage our hearts, and bow before the Lord of lords and Kings of kings in prayer! We can have intimate fellowship with the Creator of the universe!! But to the person who is not born-again, he has only himself to turn to and there’s no comfort in one’s own heart. The unbeliever doesn’t have the comfort that the believer does; they may be able to access the resources but that comfort just isn’t there. Friend, don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

The Rapture – Day 10

Photography by Chris Michaud

Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Mat 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Good morning, reader! How exciting are the times that we’re experiencing! There are wars and rumors of wars going on around us. The various news sources are filled these headlines. But friend, I’m not anxious or afraid at all 🙂

The Bible teaches us that born again believers (those who possess the Holy Spirit in their lives) will not go through this horrible time that will affect the whole world. I understand that there are those who believe that Christians will go through the Tribulation but let’s look at the Scriptures. Today’s verse tells us that this tribulation will affect the entire world. The second verse tells us that it will be like no other time in history.

Rev 3:10  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.

But Jesus says in Revelation 3:10 that there is a time that will come that will affect the whole world, which is the Tribulation. He also states in that same verse that He will “keep the Christians alive at that time FROM the hour.” He doesn’t say He’ll keep us THROUGH it. How can the Lord keep us FROM this? This must be the time that He removes us from the earth.

This verse does not say that God will keep the church-age saints through the temptation but FROM it. There’s a big difference, amen? I’ve shared the following verses with you before but they are worth repeating. Paul taught us quite a bit about the Rapture and if it occurs in the middle of or at the end of the Tribulation, there would be nothing to encourage the hearts of the church-age Christians. Who would find encouragement in going through trials that are the worst trials ever recorded? Let’s read together:

1Th 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.

This event cannot be the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation because Christ comes back to earth. Verse 17 says that we will meet Christ IN THE AIR. Also, if we are to go through any part of the Tribulation, how could we comfort one another???? There is no comfort going through the judgments of Revelation!

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!

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