In order to quiet controversy and debates, lets not attach other labels to what the Word of God clearly says. People like to argue about the rapture so let us not talk about the rapture. Let's talk about exactly what the Word of God (not the words of men) says:
Rev 3:10Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Regardless of what people want to call this ^^, there is an event coming upon all the world that we will be kept from. That event is going to try all the people of the earth. What could that event possible be? I'm sorry, there is one and only one answer, the tribulation. And what of us? We will be kept from it by our Lord Jesus Christ (I also will keep you from the hour of temptation).
So what? "Got it, knew that brother D." Right, but as we see this world circling tighter around the drain of destruction and we wonder what the future holds, it is important to remind ourselves of what the promises are. What has the Lord God said? We need to know because the promises are what we stand on and one of the things this brother has testified to (and will continue to testify to Lord willing) is how faithful our God is to His promises.
There are people who argue about what being "kept" from the hour of temptation means. Do we really need to go there? I don't think so. If the Lord tells us the world is about to get a knockout punch to the jaw and He tells us we will be kept from it, that promise alone is enough for me without adding anything to it and removing all opportunity for debate. Men did not tell us we will be kept from this trial/temptation, the Lord God did.
We are about to cross the time threshold into the year 2015. 2015 holds the last two blood moons and promises to be the beginning of the end of many things. The end of one thing is the world economy as we know it today. Have you noticed the economic distress in Europe, Russia, Japan, the rest of the world? The world economic system as we know it is about to die and something else is going to take its place. Timeframe? The near term/short term future.
Combine the economic distress with the geo-political distress we see over issues like Ukraine. Mr. Putin has already gone on record saying world war is now almost certainly unavoidable.
Again, so what? So massive change is on the horizon. When will the tribulation start? Who knows? I certainly do not. Do we need to predict it? No. Do we need to be ready for what is coming? We most certainly do. How can we be ready? We must be in right standing with our Lord. That's it. That is how we become and remain ready. The scope and scale of the change that is almost upon is can stagger the imagination. Men's hearts will fail them as they see what is coming upon the world.
Our Lord God is a real fortress, a real refuge, a real high tower against what we face in this world. If there is any protection for us it is in Him and through Him. If there is any provision for us it is in Him and through Him. If there is any escape for us it is in Him and through Him. We all want to know the details, how? What? Where? When? And the Lord tells us to rely on Him for our daily instruction "give us this day our daily bread."
When all hell breaks loose and it makes our knees buckle right out from under us, we need to be holding our Father's hand so He can lift us up. Our strength and provision and protection are in Him, with Him, through Him. This requires us to walk and talk with Him throughout the day, every day.
Since none of us knows when these things will happen we have to be ready all the time. What is the Spirit saying to you personally right now today? We have to be able to answer that as individuals. This requires an ongoing one on one personal relationship with our God. That relationship cannot be fakes and no hired spiritual hand (pastor or priest) can take your place or substitute for you. Does a husband hire a middleman to talk to his wife? Not in a normal healthy relationship...think about it.
As I read Rev 3:10 today the Lord re-sparked some hope in me which I now pass along to you. The entire world is in travail right now today. We do not have to wait for it, its already here. That travail will most certainly get worse. How do we know this? Read the book of Revelation. Revelation 3:10 clearly tells us that some will be kept from this trial/temptation that is coming upon the entire world. Whatever "kept" means I don't care I want it, don't you? We stand on His promises which are worth more than gold. Am I an escapist? You better believe I am. Why? Again, no need to label what the Lord clearly tells us. We are told to pray for escape:
Luke 21:36Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Pray to escape all. That's what the Lord God clearly says. Lets take away the labels and with them the arguments that men make over the clear statements in the Word. What does the Word say? We do not need to go beyond the clear, precise statements in the Word to make our point.
Some people will be kept from the hour of trial that is coming upon the entire world. That is a promise from our Lord to us. Some people will escape all that is about to happen, that too is a promise from our Lord to us. We do not need the words of man, we need the Word of God. What does the Word say? The Word is sent to encourage us:
1 Cor 4:13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Encourage each other with these words....AMEN
grace and peace
Be Anxious For Nothing
6 years ago
