THE RAPTURE

Thess. 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.

The next timeless and an unpredictable event on God’s plan of events is the rapture.  Although it has become a theological argument among other religions and even some Christians, the “catching away” of Christ’s Church that He paid for with His blood is a must!  Some believe that the Church must go through the first half of the Great Tribulation.  This is called Mid-Tribulationalism.  However, the rapture will bring about a need for the man of sin.  The mass departure of millions, along with all the rest of the ills our world will be suffering from, will bring the whole world to a state of chaos which could lead to anarchy.  This will open the curtain for the antichrist to come forward and promise peace, provision, and protection.  Thus we have the 3½ years of peace brought about by the “son of perdition” in the first half of the Great Tribulation.  

The Bible gives us proof of God saving his own.  Noah and his family were saved before the flood; lot and his family were spared from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; the exodus from Egypt delivered God’s people from slavery; and the promising of a remnant to return, rebuild, and occupy Israel after its total destruction shows God’s grace and mercy towards His people (Isa. 10:20-22).  God always sends deliverance to the faithful before His just judgment against the world for sin.  The whole Great Tribulation will be a time of trouble as the world has never seen before (Matt. 24:21).  Why would Jesus allow His “Body” (the church: I Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12) to go through His wrath (I Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10)?  Let’s prepare for this monumental event of biblical proportions!     


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RISE ABOVE IT


Matt. 26:31- Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

It is interesting to note that the word “offended” in our verse for the day is the Greek “skandalizo.”  This word is our English word “scandalize.”  It means to obstruct one’s way with the intent to make them fall.  When one scandalizes another with the simple use of their words, or an evil deed, could severely impair the progress of another.  Some never recover from a scandal, others may be deeply scarred by it, and the rest will push full steam ahead despite what has been said or done.  But even those who move forward may suffer side effects, or could become temporally paralyzed at one point or another.

The enemy knew that taking away our Lord from those who loved Him would have a great negative impact.  As soon as Jesus was smitten, the sheep scattered.  His followers were offended by what appeared to be the tragic end of something that was destine for greatness.  The women were crying and the disciples were hiding.

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”  Offences are definitely going to come (Matt. 18:7).  Yet the question is not whether they will come, but rather how will you or I handle them?  Yes the intent was for them to cause the maximum damage possible.  But if we think about how our Lord overcame being offended, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see right through satan’s intention and counter his Move with God’s Word!  Jesus forgave those who offended Him, and went on to die so that He would rise on the third day, and He wants you and me to do the same!




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WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DEPLETED


Luke 22:43- And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

The twists and turns and ups and downs of life have a way at times of making us feel helpless, hopeless.  Especially when the prices on everything are going up, but our income is the only thing that seems to remain the same.  Or maybe your job is weighing you down because the company refuses to hire the manpower needed to get the work done.  And out of fear of becoming a victim to cutbacks, you grin and bear the load.  The Minds of many in our country are snapping!  They are feeling trapped by life’s seemingly unbeatable circumstances.  Not just unbelieving sinners, but the spiritual lives of many Christians are suffering because of mental exhaustion. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was mentally exhausted.  Our Lord was so mentally spent that God sent an angel to strengthen Him.  The mental anguish of facing the reality of death taxed His soul into bankruptcy; but the Spirit of the Living God in His Spirit reinvigorated His soul!  Now I understand why David said, “He (God) restoreth my soul” (Ps. 23:3)…!  Perhaps you need strength, or know someone in need of encouragement.  Our human capacity can hit its wits end; but there is no such limitation to those who desire seek God through prayer, who have faith and believe God’s Word, and who trust and have confidence in Him in spite of what their natural reality says.  Let God strength you with His unfailing strength!  As it was with our Lord Jesus Christ, you and I can fulfill our purpose if we stay in the presence of God.        



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