The Rapture

As I stated in my first post, I believe God has always been dealing with his chosen people, the Jews.   God's original plan was to send Jesus Christ as the Messiah to the Jews and then those Jews would become preachers to the Gentiles.  But when Jesus Christ lived on earth, the Jews did not recognize Him as the Messiah who had come to save them.  Even today, the Jews are still waiting and watching for the first coming of the Messiah.


When Jesus was crucified, God paused His program with the Jews and sent the apostle Paul to preach to the Gentiles and explain to them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.  IF YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS, WAS BURIED, AND THEN ROSE AGAIN THREE DAYS LATER BEFORE RETURNING TO HEAVEN, YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN.  PRAY TO GOD AND TELL HIM YOU BELIEVE THAT AND YOU WILL BE SAVED.  BEING SAVED MEANS GOING TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE OR BEING RAPTURED WITH THE REST OF THE CHURCH IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS.


So for the last 2000 plus years, God has been adding people who believe in Him and His son Jesus as the Messiah to what is called "the Church" or the "Body of Christ" if you are a Gentile (someone who is not Jewish).  That doesn't mean He's forgotten the Jews, not by any means.  He has always protected them and has already brought many of them back to the Holy Land of Israel, despite the fact that at one time, they were scattered into every nation on earth.  In His own timing, He will again focus intense attention on the Jews.  I believe the Bible says that is going to happen and to do that, God will remove "the Church" from earth.  This is called by many "the Rapture."


The book Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins is the first in a series of books that addresses the end times of earth (or eschatology as its called by scholars).  It is a fictional account, of course, but is Biblically based and a great read if you can find a copy.  More importantly, the Bible itself has many verses that support what is called a pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church.  I will list a few at the bottom of this post. (There are many which you can easily find by doing an internet search for "Bible verses


When the Church is raptured, it will be in what the Bible calls "the twinkling of an eye."  People of all ages and all over the world will simply disappear, leaving behind their clothes, contact lenses, and jewelry.  All children will disappear.  Those driving cars will be gone, causing automobile accidents.  The media will immediately begin to spin all the many reasons this could have happened.  Some possibilities may be a nuclear reaction due to the storage of nuclear weapons around the world, or an alien attack; theories will abound.  Some "religious" people will even discount that it was the Rapture, saying that many really nice people were left behind.  While nice people will be left behind, it will be because while they may have gone to church, done work for the poor or homeless, given money, or practiced the Golden Rule, they won't have ever prayed to God and told Him that they believe the paragraph above in BOLD.


Don't wait, do it today.  God loves you and does not want you to be left behind. 


"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 5:9


"Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth." Revelation 3:10


"And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Matthew 24:31

Post Number 1

I believe in God.  I believe He created the universe out of nothing.  I believe He knows the ultimate plan of the world from beginning to end.  I also believe that though God is sovereign, He allows men and nations to exercise free will.  That means we can choose to accept Him or reject Him.  He does not force obedience, though He could.


Everything was prophesied about Jesus's FIRST coming to Earth has all been fulfilled.  Therefore, you can believe in faith that everything that has been prophesied about Jesus's SECOND coming to Earth will also be fulfilled.  Many of the signs have already fallen into place.


God gave us the Bible as a guidebook for our time here on Earth.  When you read it, remember that God is dealing with two groups of people through it - the Jews (also called Israel) and the non-Jews (also called Gentiles).  Remember the Old Testament and the first part of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts) were written TO THE JEWS.  If you are a Gentile, you can learn from these passages, but it is very difficult to put into your life today because that was written to and given to the nation of Israel, the Jews.


As a Gentile, reading Romans through Hebrews, you can read that as if God has written it to you with your name and address on it.  Now this doesn't mean you don't pay attention to Jesus' life as portrayed through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).  You can use it for your learning, but not for your doctrine.  Gentiles should rely on Pauline doctrine (books written by Paul, the only apostle who never met Jesus).  And then the last few books of the Bible are prophetic and for everyone to pay close attention to.  God gives us many glimpses of the end of the Earth throughout the Bible and especially in the last book called Revelation.