THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH... WHEN? WHO IS LEFT BEHIND? For The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout... - 1 Thessalonians 4:16. WHAT WILL BE THE NEXT BIG EVENT ON GODS CALENDAR? The short answer to this question is: The Rapture of the Church. This is a moment in time when the Church (The Body of Christ) will be instantly removed or transported from the earth to heaven before The Great Tribulation. The Rapture will include all living Christians regardless of their spiritual temperament. The test on whether a believer will be Raptured is not in the believers’ present behavior... it is solely in the finished work of the Savior at the cross. It is not ones spiritual condition... but their spiritual position in Christ that assures their inclusion in the Rapture of the Church. WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN? Possibly Today! It is imminent. WHO WILL THE PARTICIPANTS BE? a. Jesus Christ - 1 Thess. 4:16a b. The Archangel - 1 Thess. 4:16b c. The Dead In Christ - 1 Thess. 4:16c d. The Living In Christ - 1 Thess. 4:17 WHO WILL BE LEFT BEHIND? All who rejected Jesus Christ. WHAT ARE WE TO DO NOW BEFORE THE RAPTURE? Note: 1 Thessalonians 5 a. Learn The Word of God - 1 Thess. 5:1,2 b. Discern The Times - 1 Thess. 5:3,5 c. Concern For Sinners - 1 Thess. 5:6,9 The Rapture of the Church is imminent. Pure consciousness of this reality is essential in bringing the gospel to the world in which we live with a greater sense of urgency. WHERE IN THE BIBLE DO WE FIND THE WORD RAPTURE? The word Rapture is an old English word which means to be caught away. The word itself is not in our King James Bible, but the definition of the word is there. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 we read: “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: 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”. Notice: “Caught Up”... is the meaning of the word “Rapture”. Jesus Christ IS coming! The Rapture of the Church is imminent. Pure consciousness of this reality is essential in bringing the gospel to the world in which we live with a greater sense of urgency. As Believers, we are not here for our own ambitions, we are here for Gods ambition, and the two are not compatible. Apathy becomes the strain of our spirituality for those of us who are not impressed with the imminent return of Jesus Christ. This is very dangerous! Why? Disillusionment sets in as we parade ourselves under the banner of self-sufficiency. The Doctrine of the Rapture inclines the Believer to reflect fervently on eternal values at heart. Do you want to be characterized by the deeds of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit? The Rapture of the Church is not just a doctrine we pet. It is the believers anticipation in every area of life (1 Thess. 4: 16,18). All other anticipations leave us un-settled and unpredictable. Jesus Is Coming and thats a fact. Amen! Thanks to: Dr. Arthur Belanger
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 02:27:14 +0000
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