This post is way too long, read it in shifts perhaps :-)
Luke 21:25“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
The bible tells us that the heavenly bodies will be shaken, and men will faint from terror because of what is happening to the world. Look around today, what do you see? Record earthquakes, record floods, record tornadoes, and volcanoes popping all over the world. What you are seeing here on earth are symptoms of what is going on "up there" in the heavens.
There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. We are already seeing the early groundwork being laid for the signs that are coming. The sun is anything but normal today, the moon is another story longer than what I want to write about here and the stars? Well a brown dwarf star might be on its way into our solar system. People may be able to debate what is causing the devastation on earth today, but it is a fact that something is causing it. Since people have closed their minds to anything but the flesh and its senses today they cannot see much more than what is right in front of their face.
Glenn Beck just aired a show last night where he told people to watch out for this fall, the signs are stacking up everywhere.
With this said, is it possible that nothing out of the ordinary happens this fall? Sure its possible, but if nothing else happens but the continuation of what we are already seeing on earth then people are in big trouble. How much more flooding can Americas farmland take? How many more F5 mile wide tornadoes can our cities take? How much more money printing can our economy take? How much more unemployment can the homeless and hungry take? These things are not future, they are here now.
Ok, so what's the point of all this you ask? There is an escape from all coming. This fall the feast of trumpets starts on Sept 29. Could the Lord come back for us this year during that feast? Sure He could. The feast of trumpets or Rosh Hashanah is known as the "unknown day and hour" since nobody knows when exactly the new moon will be spotted. It also signals the beginning of a new year.
And if the Lord does not come back for us this year? We patiently wait for as long as it takes for Him to come back for us. We pre-tribulation rapture believers are watching for our Lord's return today, unlike all the "other tribbers." We will continue to watch in readiness for our Bridegroom to return for us each and every day until we die out or He takes us out.
Watching end times events unfold has been a lesson to this writer that the Lord can string out these days as long as He wants to, maintaining the status quo right up until the day He is ready to come back for us and begin judging this world. The Restrainer continues to restrain and as long as He does, these days can continue just like today indefinitely. It seems improbable, but its a fact. The Lord determines when the end time calendar moves forward, no one else.
This fall appears as a very interesting time to this writer. The combination of events shaping up right around the Feast of Trumpets makes this year special. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea if the Lord will come back for us this year or not. It is not for this writer or any other writer to predict a date, but we are not in the dark like those who are of the world. We should not be surprised at the Lord's coming. Each and every day should be loaded with expectation, hope and rejoicing that this day might be the one in which our Lord comes back for us.
This writer believes the Lord has circled this fall for some reason in this writers mind. Why exactly I do not know. Because this fall has been circled on the calendar of my mind, I think it will be special. Again, I'm not predicting anything. I have no idea what exactly will happen. I know somethings, like 3 comets are incoming and Israel is being confronted by the world this fall, and the economy has more unpleasant surprises in store for this fall, and the Feast of Trumpets is this fall, and wickedness and apostasy are skyrocketing in this world by the day and will be worse this fall than it is today etc etc.
The Lord might come back for us today so we must be ready today. We cannot wait until this fall or 2012 or 2013 to get our house in order. We are the Bride of Christ and that is the end time perspective that we should maintain as we live out each day in these last days. We are the Bride of Christ and that fact makes it certain that the return of the Bridegroom will be pre-tribulation. We should be full of hope and rejoicing. We should be comforted by the fact that our Lord is coming back for us before the tribulation starts.
The post-tribulation doctrine is a lie and an impossibility because believers at the end of the tribulation cannot be both a. raptured and b. enter the millennium in a human body at the same time. The pre-wrath doctrine is a lie and blasphemes the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (opening the seals=wrath of satan?).
During these days, while we wait for the Lord's return we should do whatever it is each of us as individuals have been called to do by the Lord. I have no idea what the Lord's task for you is, but I bet you have an idea what that is. Likewise, you do not know the Lord's will and plan for me. We all must "work out our salvation" as we wait for the Lord:
Phil 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Yes, I know. Churchianity hates this ^^ scripture. They wish it had never been written but it was. Jesus said "work out your salvation," not me. And He said to do it with "fear and trembling." How much more anti-churchianity could the Lord be? Instead of "politically correct" todays so called christianity uses "churchianity correct" to keep people 'in line' with their false doctrines. Lord forbid anyone tells someone else today to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. That might start a 10 day debate on "once saved always saved" the most satanic of all doctrines...If you are "in Christ" when you die, then you will be saved. If you are not "in Christ" then you will not be saved. "in Christ" are the two most important words in the Bible. "In Christ" all your sins are forgiven and everything Christ did on the cross applies to you. If you are not "in Christ" then you get credit for all your sins. How can one be "in Christ" then not "in Christ?" That person can be taken away from the vine which is Christ as John 15 clearly explains:
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branchthat beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is also why this blog does not allow comments. A writer who desires to speak the truth should not become a slave to 50 pages of hate comments each time the truth is spoken. Many people who claim to have christian websites fear to speak the truth because of what people on their forum or comments might say. They live in fear so they do not speak the whole truth. The fact that we are told to work out our salvation would invite about 5 pages of hate comments and telling people to do it with "fear and trembling" would add about 3 more pages of hate. Why spend time debating what we already know to be the truth? If the Lord said it, its true, period. If the Lord said we need to work out our salvation, then we better figure out what that means and do it now instead of debating who will or will not be saved.
Today's so called Christianity wants to hear pleasant things. They want to hear that they can do anything and still get into heaven. They do not want to hear that they have anything to do with their salvation. Being told to "work out your salvation" means you do have a part to play in your salvation. Todays so called church also does not like to be told to do anything with fear and trembling. Why should they fear and tremble when their doctrine tells them they can do whatever they want and still get into heaven? What's to fear? But Jesus said to fear and tremble so who do you believe? Your "pastor" or Jesus? Your hired hand spiritual CEO or Jesus?
Why fear and tremble as you work out your salvation? Because only a few make it into heaven. Who said that? Jesus said that....
Matt 7:13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, andonly a few find it.
Apparently our Lord wants us to approach Him and the issue of salvation with a certain mindset. He wants us to understand that this is serious business and not to be taken lightly. He wants us to understand that many many people will not make it into the small and narrow gate that leads to life. Understanding these things puts us on a firm foundation, that is the rock of His Word. The false promises of todays "pastors" are sand and not rock, they will not stand during the time of testing when fire will expose every man's work.
Are we better off hearing the truth spoken by Jesus, however harsh, or lies spoken by men that drip like honey to your ears? Why are we told to be "sober minded" so many times in the Word? It's because people would rather be drunk on satanic fantasies than be sober minded with the truth of the Word. People would rather hear pleasant lies than harsh truths. Being sober minded has a much bigger meaning than whether you have a glass of wine (or 3) with dinner...
We are told to endure hardness like good soldiers. That means that our Christian walk is not going to be a gravy train. We will encounter stiff opposition when we speak the truth. This world is perfectly fine with lies of any kind, they just do not want to hear the truth. The prophets were killed for telling the truth. Our Lord was nailed to a cross for telling the truth. This writer is pushed to the outer margins of the internet for speaking the truth (and he rejoices).
We must have the truth. However much is costs we must have it.
Remember who you are "in Christ." You are, we are, the BRIDE. Get that deep down inside of you. Understand completely what it means to the the Bride in an ancient Jewish wedding ceremony. Our Bridegroom is at the Father's house getting things ready for us right now. Soon, He will come back for us with a shout to take us where He is. We will be hidden away for 7 years in the wedding chamber then we will emerge for the wedding feast. The guests at the feast will be all those souls under the alter in Rev 5 who will be part of the first resurrection in Rev 20. We are the Bride, they are the guests. Remember, one size fits all paintbrush does not fit all believers. The Church is not Israel, they are not us. The redeemed and rewarded elders (did not die in the tribulation) are not the souls under the alter (believers who did die in the tribulation). The Bride and the guests are not the same as those who survive the entire tribulation as believers and enter the millennium either. Different groups of believers=different parts to play.
Be encouraged and full of hope. REJOICE that you have the opportunity to enter heaven as THE BRIDE of Christ. What more special place could we ask for? Do you remember the 'royal wedding' with will and kate? Remember how the worlds eyes were on Kate? They have nothing on what we have waiting for us in heaven. We are the Bride of Christ...oh GLORY TO GOD, we are the BRIDE!
our future is very very exciting. Be comforted, be at peace. The Lord's grace be with you.
