ARE YOU READY FOR THE IMMINENT GATHERING? (PART 4)
"... Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11 (KJV)
I don't want to go into the semantics of whether the rapture is a pre-tribulation or a post-tribulation event. This thorny argument has been with the Church for over a century now. Anyway, eschatological matters are known for being thorny. My current refusal to declare and profess my stance on this matter isn't to mean that I have no view on the issue. God helping me and at the appropriate time and forum, I will air my position on the matter.
Notwithstanding, let it be stated in the strongest of terms that the rapture will certainly occur as prophesied; even as it was with the prophecies about the birth, suffering, death and purposes of Christ sacrifice, which all came to fulfillment with amazing precision. The prophets of old spoke about the rapture; the Lord Jesus affirmed it; His Apostles echoed it with specific indications and here I am publishing it because I believe.
"The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." - Psalm 68:11 (KJV).
Again, let's get it right: I believe that the ongoing arguments relating to the time of the rapture shouldn't be the preoccupation of the Church as it were. What we ought to be concerned about rather, is our readiness for its occurrence, whence it comes. Whether the rapture will happen before the tribulation (pre-tribulation view) or whether it will happen after the tribulation (post-tribulation view), the crucial question you should ask yourself is whether you are prepared for it, albeit dead or alive (1Thess 4:15-17).
Some of the things that satan will be happy doing to us includes:
1) making us not to believe that the rapture is imminent or soon coming.
2) making us live our lives in such a way that we eventually miss the rapture.
It's abundantly clear that anyone that misses the rapture will not escape God's wrath (1Thess 5:3, 2 Thess 1:9-10).
That being so, let's examine what to do to keep us qualified for rapture. The general admonition is, "be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;" (2 Pet 3:14).
Firstly, ensure that you have received the Lord Jesus into your life. Confess Him and keep confessing Him as your Lord and Savior. Essentially, Jesus delivered us from two things: 1) From the kingdom of darkness - Col. 1:13 and 2) from God's wrath to come - 1 Thess 1:10. The rapture is the catching up of the saints from earth to be with the Lord (1Thess 4:16-17); while the rest remain on earth to face God's wrath, which shall begin with the wicked activities of the anticipated anti-Christ against the rest of humanity.
Sins and wrath are cause and effect, respectively. As God has delivered us from our sins (Rom 3:24-26, 1Jn 2:2, 4:10 ), our sinfulness being the cause of His anger and wrath toward us (Ps 7:11), it follows that our deliverance from His wrath has also been effected (Rom 5:18-19, 1 Thess 1:9-10).
Receiving God's Christ and Deliverer into your life therefore, is the safest guarantee that you'll escape God's wrath and judgment against humanity through the rapture. Jesus Christ is God's escape Route from His impending wrath (Jn 3:36, Rom 5:9, 1Thess 1:9-10, 5:9-10).
If you are reading this devotional and you want to receive God's Deliverer, Jesus Christ into your life, then pray the following prayer with me.
To be continued!
PRAYER:
Dear Father, thank You for the free gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe that He came to suffer and die for me. Today, I confess Him as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life dear Lord Jesus and keep me rapture able, amen