Tag: Romans 8:1

Any Day Now – Day 44

On June 12, 2024

This is the subject of controversy today in Christian circles. Just who is God’s wrath going to fall upon? Why is His wrath going to be dispensed? When is God’s wrath going to be unleashed?

1 Th 5:9-11 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1Th 5:1-8 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.

First, let’s take a look at who will receive the wrath of God. Mid-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Tribulation and Post-Tribulation believers claim that the church will go through part of the Tribulation. However, once we take a look at who is destined to receive God’s wrath, one can only conclude that the Church will not be present during that wrath.

Eph_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:

Eph_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.

Col_3:4-6 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; (6) fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

If there are “children of disobedience” then there must be “children of obedience”! What’s the difference between them? We see in Colossians 3:4-6 that the children of disobedience practice the sins mentioned in verse 6. But to the born-again believer, the child of obedience, has obeyed the Gospel and is forgiven!

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

So we see that only the children of the disobedience must suffer the wrath of God. It is an unrepentant heart that receives the wrath of God:

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

The Church has repented and received Christ as her Saviour. She is covered by Christ’s blood and is saved from God’s wrath upon the earth on that great and horrible day! The Apostle Paul outlined it beautifully in his epistles to the churches. The born-again believer receives the Holy Spirit of God and that believer is sealed unto the day of redemption!

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So now we have discovered through God’s Word that the Church is not the object of God’s wrath. So what exactly does “salvation” mean in today’s verse? (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10) The Greek word for salvation is:

σωτηρία
sōtēria
so-tay-ree’-ah
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): – deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.

Salvation does not necessarily refer only to being saved from sin and having eternal life through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) In the case of 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul is giving a message on the topic of the Rapture. We must keep it in context.

1Th 5:1-11 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, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Friend, the Church is not mentioned after chapter 3 of Revelation. From the moment John was told to “Come up hither,” and was shown what things “which must be hereafter,” the Church is not mentioned. That same door that mentioned in Revelation 3:8,10 was only shown to the Church at Philadelphia and then revealed in Revelation 4:1. That door is only mentioned three times in Revelation.

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. (9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (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.

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.

That door is shut after the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, comes for His bride, the Church to take her to the marriage. Christ gave us an example of it in Matthew 25.

Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

After that door is shut at the Rapture, no one else can enter in. They all have to go through the wrath of God. We see the beautiful depiction of what is to happen in Heaven in chapter 5 of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 6 reveals the Seven Seals of judgment. It is a clear depiction of who is suffering the wrath of the Lamb!

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?

Who shall be able to stand? If the Church was to go through part of the Tribulation, she would be able to stand. But not according to this verse! Friend, if you are not born again, 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. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) 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 42

By Kate Plourde

On June 7, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

Are you paying attention to today’s news? Even just a little bit, you have to come to the conclusion that our world has drastically changed. It appears to have lots its mind! If you have noticed, I’m in total agreement with your conclusion and it is absolutely spot on, reader! Today’s world is not the same world as back in the first decade of this millennium! So what do you think has changed? More importantly, what do you think has caused this change?

Let’s take a look at what the Apostle Paul warned Timothy would happen when this world would reach its near end:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Anyone who reads this passage can see that each and every one of the things Paul warns us about is occurring today. Yes, they’ve been going on for hundreds of year, but not all together at the same time! I challenge you to take each one of the underlined words and study what God has to say about it. Look up the definitions, and write down what you see in the world around you which defines it to a “T”! There are some words which were vague to me as I didn’t know exactly their definition. But after I researched them, my eyes were opened.

Living in these days is quite exciting, at least it can be if you look at it with anticipation that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Jews’ Yeshua Messiah, is about to Rapture His Church! The Rapture is a mystery that was not revealed in the Old Testament. However, just because it was not, we can clearly see that it is beautifully revealed in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul would have brought up the Old Testament prophecies if it had been prophesied.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 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. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Paul begins to teach on the Rapture by informing the Corinthian Church that not everyone will sleep when the Rapture occurs. What do you mean, Paul? Christians who have already died, are in Heaven with Jesus. Their souls are with Him but will unite with their incorruptible body at the Rapture.

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

So what actually is Paul referring to in 1 Corinthians 15:52? Paul is saying that at the time of the Rapture, those who are “asleep” (dead in Christ) will be changed just as those who are alive at the time of the Rapture. Paul says twice in today’s passage that we shall be changed. Changed into what? As you know, Scripture interprets Scripture and we see that interpretation in the verses following this change.

1 Corinthians 15:53-54 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.

The physical mortal bodies of every born-again believer cannot enter Heaven because our bodies are corruptible. Those who are in the grave at the time of the Rapture can attest to that. But what about those who are alive at that time? Our bodies are still as corrupt as the ones who are in the grave. Corrupt with what? The answer to that is sin. We were born into sin and have a sinful nature. Because of that sin, our bodies die. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, the sin nature would not have been passed on to every generation and death would not have followed. Therefore, our sinful bodies cannot enter into Heaven. Corruption cannot be in an eternal heavenly body so our body must be assigned an incorruptible body like Jesus had at His resurrection from the dead!

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Not only did physical death occur at the time of the first sin, but spiritual death as well. That is the whole purpose of Jesus’ ministry! When we are born, we are born with a sinful nature. The life of the unsaved person is already destined for Hell. We can only change that destination by believing on Jesus Christ!

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Once a person is born again, that person will live eternally whether he dies before the Rapture or is alive at the time of the Rapture. No corruptible body of sin can enter Heaven. The born-again believer has become part of the body of Christ, the Church/Bride, and at the Rapture, that body will join the Head of the Church, her Lord/Groom! Jesus Christ will not allow His own body, the Bride, to go through any part of the terrible Tribulation period. He calls her out of the world to join Him in the clouds so He can protect her from it.

That is the whole purpose of the Rapture! It is not to judge the church because Jesus took that judgment upon Himself.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If we are in Christ Jesus, then we are counted worthy because HE is worthy! Jesus Himself gave us a glimpse of this when He spoke of the end times in Luke 21:5-36. The key verse is:

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.

What is Jesus referring to when He says “all these things”? The response is all the things from verse Luke 21:5 through 35! He is speaking of the end times! Just as God gave Noah and his family protection, as well as Lot and his family, He is providing protection to His Church, His Bride; His own flesh and blood!

As we learned in the last post, the word Rapture doesn’t appear in the King James Bible. The New Testament was initially written in Greek. It was translated into Latin from which the English translation came.

The Greeks’ word for rapture was “harpazo”;
when it was translated into Latin, that word was translated to “rapturo” which is where today we get our English word rapture;
but when the word was translated into English, it was translated as “caught up.”

Paul tells us that this “Rapture” will occur in the twinkling of an eye. Our physical bodies will be changed into the same type of body that Jesus had at His resurrection. (Luke 24:36-39) When we receive this new body, we can then have what it takes to enter Heaven with Jesus. Be encouraged, reader!

Friend, 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!

Any Day Now – Day 3

By Kate Plourde

On March 6, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

Good morning! The topic of the Rapture 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! When is the next pandemic going to happen 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, or if they don’t convert to digital currency? Will citizens lose their freedoms in order to corral them? 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. This is why it is considered to be imminent. The Thessalonians thought it had already happened and Paul addresses that in 2 Thessalonians.

However, the Scriptures below tell us that it is as definite as Christ’s resurrection. Without Christ’s resurrection, one would have no hope!

1 Thess 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 God, reader! Paul taught them about the Rapture and God saw fit to include this topic in the Bible through His Holy Spirit. (John 14:26) 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.

Every single detail in God’s Word will be fulfilled.

Matt. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

It is said that 6,000 prophecies in the Bible, and nearly 80% of those prophecies have occurred without failure or error. The remaining nearly 20% will be fulfilled because God’s Word in Matthew and Luke above say so. The Church experienced God’s mercy and grace by providing a Saviour. But God’s judgment must still take place because it is part of His Word. He magnifies His Word above His name!

Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

This truly defines how important that every single thing in God’s Word must be fulfilled! The Rapture is no different. The Rapture is only for those who are truly born-again and live accordingly. To the one who claims he is a Christian but does not separate himself from sin, he is not a true believer. If he is disobedient to the Word, then he is considered a part of the children of disobedience.

Eph. 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:

Eph. 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.

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

Anyone can believe in God – in fact, the devils believe in Him, but that does not make them saved! In fact, they tremble!

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Check yourself, reader. If you have indeed been born again, you will strive to live the Christian life according to the Bible. If you are not, sure, make sure! If you know that you are not living according to the Bible, then you are considered as part of the children of disobedience. A born-again believer walks after the Holy Spirit’s influence. This is why the Church will not be experiencing the Tribulation’s wrath of God.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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!