There are all sorts of things being written these days: one booklet that came in the mail recently was entitled “On the Edge of Time”. Various entites are proclaiming the Mayan mysteries of December, 2012; others also including stuff related to the Vatican; some even linking the US “independence” as having been designed around December,2012 as having been planned way back by those who ‘gave birth’ to this nation in 1776. Others (many of them with charismatic connections) are proclaiming that the “mark” of the beast is to be implemented in Janary,2013 with an implanted RFID chip…some even saying it is connected to Obama Care, even though others say that nothing is to be implemented for that program until 2014.
In all this mix is getting lost the “-BLESSED HOPE-” the Christian looks for, of the “glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit2:13) What is spoken of as the -RAPTURE-!
Many of these proclaiming all these things DON’T BELIEVE in a RAPTURE.
They don’t believe what Jesus promised: to come and “receive” the Believe to Himself. (Jn14:3) And because they refused to believe, God is going to send them a “strong delusion” during the intervening years of judgment so that it will be impossible for them to believe. (2Th2:11) And in the context of those who crucified Jesus, and those today who also deliberately continue to reject, it says…
“Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the Book of Life, and not be written with the righteous.” (Ps69:27-28)
When it comes to the end of time it concludes…
“Do not seal the Words of the Prophecy of this Book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to what his work shall be.” (Re22:10-12)
There comes a point in time where God adjudges: Thus far, and no further. Everybody likes to imagine a ‘loving’ God who wouldn’t condemn anybody. But even God’s holy angels agree:
“And I heard the angel of the waters saying: You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things, for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, for they are deserving. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” (Re16:5-7)
There is something even greater than “love”. This booklet that came in my mailbox concludes, after all the over a hundred pages they write, that “God is love”. But even more awesome is God’s HOLINESS. When Isaiah was shown God’s glory the seraphim were not chanting about God’s ‘love’, but rather…
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is Jehovah of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Is6:3)
Wherein is God’s love? For what purpose? That the world “should NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE” (Jn3:16) To make us holy, sinless. It is not that He is a God of vengeance who -wants- to punish man, and takes delight in man’s suffering; but it is His love that does not wish for us to perish, but to repent. (2Pt3:9) But if man stubornly refuses, God’s Holiness and Jealousy (Ex20:5) is greater than His love and will not tolerate sin in His presence. God “WILL NOT” hear our prayers. (Is59:2)
But there are those who have not been ‘stuborn’ about their unbelief. Just…they’ve never gotten around to making preparations to meet God. When they think of things the Christians talk about, they sort of pass it off. If a Christian speaks of the Rapture, they might roll their eyes up into their eyelids and taunt: Is that where everybody disappears and the world gets destroyed? But they don’t really believe it will happen. If a christian invites them to “follow”, they smirk and reject.
I was having a conversation with such a person the other day, and he finally got the idea that ‘all this writing’ that I do is more than merely a “hobby”. It had been: if he came to my back door he would be apologetic that he was “interrupting” me if I was making signs; but if I was working on ‘writing’ for this ministry, he wasn’t as concerned about ‘disturbing’ me from that…that’s not “important”. So, as we were sharing our existence, as it had been awhile since I had seen him (since he works in the tax business and this is their ‘off’ season), and he was asking ‘how’ I was doing, and I shared my feelings of lack of focus, as I shared with you-all awhile back, that my “work is done”…and so…what do I do now? He asked, “Is this (writing) a -calling- to you?” After all these years, he finally GOT IT! But he still wasn’t accepting that a “Rapture” was a real event. He didn’t want to make preparations to “follow me” there.
So I suggested to him that WHEN IT HAPPENS, that he should read at the website and learn “how”…and “follow me”. No, not in the sense that we Follow Jesus. But in the sense that as we witness and others “receive the message” through our word (Jn17:20); where we went In Faith, they, too, follow in faith AS WE DID. And he agreed, jokingly/mockingly, if the Rapture happens, he -will- start reading at the website.
This might be somewhat like that cute little Cheerios commercial running these days: Mamma and Baby (in the hi-chair) learning to eat Cheerios. Mamma says, “This is how mommie learned to eat Cheerios”; she slides a single Cheerio between two fingers and pops it into her mouth. Then Baby reaches and with a slobber-coated finger, a piece of Cheerios attaches itself to the slobber, and meanders it over into his mouth… “and now, you”. And baby is smiling real big at his accomplishment. With background music singing, “The one and only Cheerios”
For the Believing Christian it is the “One and Only Faith in Jesus Christ”
As Paul would write about, “BE IMITATORS OF ME/US” (1Co4:16, 11:1, 1Th1:6, etc) (kjv says “followers”)
After the Rapture -HOW- will people be saved? On what basis? What will the message be?
“And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the eternal gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth; to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; also, do homage to Him who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and springs of water.” (Re14:6-7)
What is likely one of the biggest rebellions against God; after the fact of His ‘existence’? (Heb11:6) The creation. Even before God’s existence, the “FAITH CHAPTER” lists -CREATION-. (Heb11:3) That -GOD- CREATED the universe. The very opening words of the Bible proclaim, “In the beginning GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth” (Ge1:1)
God is not of the “love” we feel in our hearts. It is not the feeling we conjure up by meditating where we -are- our own little gods. It is not creatures that many presume that Karma reincarnates based on whether they had lived a good life or not. Paul says that the world worships the creation rather than the Creator. (Ro1:25) And so as the ETERNAL GOSPEL is proclaimed for the last time, there is to be no mistaking -WHO- God is. He is the One who “made the heavens and the earth, the sea and springs of water”. What we see around us -is- NOT God. If it was, then God would be destroyed when all of this burns up. (2Pt3:7) But God is the one Who -made- it all. The fact that there is a creation means there is somebody who made it. The one who “built the house has more honor than the house” (Heb3:3) That ‘somebody’ is -GOD-, Most High. As Nebuchadnezzar learned in his altered state as a wild beast that, “the Most High God is Ruler in the kingdom of men” (Da4:25,32, 5:21)
There probably won’t be detailed study in doctrines like eternal security, justification, sanctification, atonement, or the OT doctrines of animal sacrifices, sprinkling of blood, and all those things. If world events take their expected course, the powers that be will most likely scour the countryside in missions to ‘search-and-destroy’ all Bibles. Years ago Babylon (Vatican) outlawed Bible reading, infractions punishable by death. The coming rulers are going to be even more driven in their anti-God pursuits. So, you will likely not be able to go find a Bible and start reading in order to know ‘how’ to be saved. The Gospel will be simple:
“Fear God, give glory to Him”
As it says…
“And it shall be, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel2:32, Ac2:21)
As Jesus gave the account about the one who prayed…
“God be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk18:13)
And Jesus proclaimed, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (vs14)
In other words:
- Call out to God, and
- Repent.
God will take care of the details ‘how’ to get you to Heaven. As the man implored Jesus “I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mk9:24) You don’t need to be a theologian. Once you have called out to God, it probably won’t be very much time between then and when you are beheaded for not paying homage to the anti-christ, nor receiving his “mark” (that without which you won’t be able to engage in commerce). God asked Job, “Have the gates of death been disclosed to you?” (Job38:17) You may have a very little faith, but with God it will be enough. Just trust
“Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God COMMIT THEIR SOULS TO HIM in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.” (1Pt4:19)
The time is short.
“Do you not say, There are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” (Jn4:35)
Thus I urge you to not dilly-dally around with your soul.
“It is necessary for Me to work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one is able to work.” (Jn9:4)
That’s why I write as I do. If the Rapture comes and takes me and my fellow-Christians to be with the Lord, if you have not hardened your heart to where it is too late, and God is not blocking your spirit, come along and FOLLOW US. Call out to God. Do not continue to be blind. Follow along and become part of this following group as recorded here…
“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and because of the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And a white robe was given to each one of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they were, was filled up.” (Re6:9-11)
Amen!
