As We Long For The Rapture...

[Meg]

As we long for the Rapture, as our hurts, fears and hopes cry out "Get us outta here", let us pray, let us reach out, let us build one another up. Let us seek to take as many people up There as we possibly can. As much as we worry about and pray for our own family and friends, let us not forget the strangers out there. Let us remember that many of us came to the Lord through a friend or stranger who was not a member of our own family. Let us keep in mind that whoever reached out to us when we were a stranger already had family and friends of their own who they prayed for and worried about endlessly.

O Holy Lord, I pray, pour out Your Holy Spirit in such vast measure that when the Rapture does come as it surely will, that the Earth be stripped of its people and the antichrist is left with very few indeed upon whom to inflict his deceit.

In Christ I Pray. Amen and Amen

[The.sheepdog]

I would echo that prayer also. Let me not be the kind of Christian that says one thing and does another. Let me not be the one who causes others to pull away in hate and disgust instead of love. I see all too much of that.

In The US, the gospel has been heard by all now. They will have no escape and no excuse for not making a choice which is itself is a choice for damnation.

[ShilohRose]

O Holy Lord, I pray, pour out Your Holy Spirit in such vast measure that when the Rapture does come as it surely will, that the Earth be stripped of its people and the antichrist is left with very few indeed upon whom to inflict his deceit.

In Christ I Pray. Amen and Amen

[livin_in_the_Son]

In Jesus' name, who loved us first,

AMEN AND AMEN.

[micah719]

Thank you for your kind feelings. Where is your evidence?

[acceptedinthebeloved]

[This post was in response to RaptureResistant's posts, which have since been removed... it makes little sense, as the thread stands, apart from those - just so the reader understands this]



I find it interesting that the one thing that "Life Insurance" cannot ensure is LIFE.


Since we have the LIFE of Christ [through faith in Christ and His finished work, alone] which is eternal, I'm not sure what there is to "feel sorry" for. (1 Thessalonians 5:10)


"... because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." - Acts 17:31NASB


(John 5:24; 1 John 5:13NASB - "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." We even get "assurance" as well.)


Do you read the Bible, RaptureResistant? If so, do you believe it?
.

[anath]

What's more important is how we will spend eternity. The Bible teaches Assurance in that all who place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will never die. The Lord has promised us an eternity with Him. Whether we go in the rapture or whether we die, we are assured to live with the Lord forever. Do you have this assurance, friend?

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

[micah719]

That's your evidence?

Have you read the whole of the chapter for the context of that poor orphaned verse?

2 Peter 3
1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

While I personally believe the return of the people Israel to the Promised Land is a key sign of the end times, and that according to the words of The Lord Jesus Christ the generation that saw this would witness the harpazo and parousia (a Biblical generation being anywhere from 40 to 120 years with many variants), that we are specifically told that we will not know the Romans 11:25 day He snatches us up, we are to live in joyous expectation that He will indeed come back unannounced and in an atomos of time catch us up in clouds and proceed with His revealed timetable for Daniel's last 7 years. This means we expect the best case anytime (the glorious hope, the death without a sting where mortality puts on immortality), but plan for the worst case (living out our lives on earth as Christians in a Christ hating world) which on average means a short 70 or 80 years.

Keeping in mind that it is not impossible that the world could continue to grow more evil and insane until 2068, at which point I will modify my hypothesis that perhaps a generation is a little longer, and conclude The Lord is even more extraordinarily patient than I have learned. In short, if He comes today, glory, if He comes in 50 years, glory, I'll still be watching. In the meantime I might buy insurance when forced to by government, but my personal belief is that most insurance is a mixture of gambling, usury and fraud.

As for actuarial tables, they are an approximation of present conditions in that they attempt to predict future events on past results. As the harpazo is not quite your everyday happening, it is not the purview of the actuaries...in fact, it is described by the Author as being a complete surprise. Your proof needs to be more substantial and with much Scriptural support.

But more important than these things is....where are you going to spend eternity? Have you grasped that you have sinned against the all-Holy Almighty God and are in imminent danger of being called to account? He promised that the one who comes to Him, He will in no way cast out. He gave His life on the cross to pay for your sin, and that completely. Believe and trust in The Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Then you get to receive the mocking and hate of this doomed world and its scoffing fools, but can endure it in peace because your hope is founded and sent from heaven.

[Hannah]

I feel really sorry for you people, throwing away the only life you'll ever have on this rapture fantasy.... (rest of quote removed. I think we all get the idea. Don't need to read the rest of the nonsense. —Matt)

We all live our lives for the Lord and His gospel first. Our End Time Hope does not take the place of being God's servants.

Because you cannot see the scriptures that teach the "catching away to be with the Lord in the air" that doesn't make it a fantasy.

The only thing required to be Raptured away is to be a Saved Believer. So wether you believe in a Rapture or NOT doesn't matter. If you are part of the Church, the Body of Christ you will be caught up with all the others who are in Christ.

None of us here live frivilous lives expecting to go home to be with the Lord. None of us know the day or hour so we live as if we will be here for some time to come but we do not cling to this world either.

Our belief in the Rapture doesn't mean we are not Saved by Grace through Christ and so brothers and sisters in Christ with all who also have Repented and Believe.

There is an old saying "a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still". You cannot change my mine and it seems your mind is pretty well made up also.

[Benefactor]

As we long for the Rapture, as our hurts, fears and hopes cry out "Get us outta here", let us pray, let us reach out, let us build one another up. Let us seek to take as many people up There as we possibly can. As much as we worry about and pray for our own family and friends, let us not forget the strangers out there. Let us remember that many of us came to the Lord through a friend or stranger who was not a member of our own family. Let us keep in mind that whoever reached out to us when we were a stranger already had family and friends of their own who they prayed for and worried about endlessly.

O Holy Lord, I pray, pour out Your Holy Spirit in such vast measure that when the Rapture does come as it surely will, that the Earth be stripped of its people and the antichrist is left with very few indeed upon whom to inflict his deceit.

In Christ I Pray. Amen and Amen

With so many professing Christ as savior, where is the passion to win the lost? May we be alert to take advantage of the opportunities that come our way to witness for Him and hopefully see others come to Christ as the result of our witness and God's work to save their repenting / believing souls, as only God can do.

[Robert]

[Elijah's Mantle]

the greatest and next big event could in fact be the rapture
we already see the M.E. shaping up and all these events will lead
ultimately to what we read study and know the word of God states
the powers of this dark world are failing so miserably
we have a much higher hope
we must live and walk in faith not by sight

[myinnuendo999]

That's an extremely important truth you brought up meg.

I know this was not much in terms of saving someone, but I went to deliver a pizza to a nurse in a nursing home. Well, God's love just wants me to just touch these precious people and say hello. So as I was walking down the hall to make my way I would say hello and just touch someone on the shoulders as I went by. I cannot tell you how much that truly blesses my heart and the smiles and life that began to enter their faces.

Anyways, I know that's a bit off of what you were saying meg but I just couldn't help but think of how Jesus must of just loved people everywhere he went and we can be Jesus to someone even if we don't get to share the Gospel,,, who knows that maybe that will soften their hearts enough to someone else sharing with them or even maybe that they would go to church or know that yes God exists.

Thanks

[Hannah]

That's an extremely important truth you brought up meg.

I know this was not much in terms of saving someone, but I went to deliver a pizza to a nurse in a nursing home. Well, God's love just wants me to just touch these precious people and say hello. So as I was walking down the hall to make my way I would say hello and just touch someone on the shoulders as I went by. I cannot tell you how much that truly blesses my heart and the smiles and life that began to enter their faces.

Anyways, I know that's a bit off of what you were saying meg but I just couldn't help but think of how Jesus must of just loved people everywhere he went and we can be Jesus to someone even if we don't get to share the Gospel,,, who knows that maybe that will soften their hearts enough to someone else sharing with them or even maybe that they would go to church or know that yes God exists.

Thanks

WHY bother when you believe man has no free choice to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour? Hence people cannot be affect by anything you do or say for Jesus. If people have pre-selected by God what are you trying to achieve by being nice to others? People are are destined for Salvation or Eternal Hell no matter how you treat them or whatever you say.

The bolded bit above goes directly against what you actually have stated below in another thread.

{Your own words below from this thread on Predestination.... see this link and post #4} Predestination, providence, and free will..

Predestination is taught in the Bible and I'm sorry I don't agree with it being the definition is that God knew who would choose Him because the word of God clearly teaches that He chose us. And I'm sorry I step on toes on this forum but that's what the Bible teaches. Jesus made it very clear that we did not choose him but he chose us-John 15:16. And that no one can come to Jesus unless the father draws him-John 6:44.
No one seeks God--Romans 3:11. Tell me how could God look through the corridors of time and base predestination on the basis of man's decision for Christ if we cannot because we do not seek God? I call it PRIDE and ARROGANCE for anyone who thinks that man had anything to do with Choosing Jesus Christ!

Not wanting to make this a discussion. However I am disgusted and very tired of the straw-men arguments against me that we are puppets etc, etc---please I'm disgusted and solely want to be on this forum to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. But this is a divider. when I believe in what the word of God teaches and not anything outside of the word of God
Have at it forum--------this will be an unending discussion until we go home to be with Jesus

I'm angry because it takes away from God electing whom HE chooses

and NO it's not false teachings this is straight from the word of GOD---have at it

Makes no sense to share the gospel when you think people have been pre-elected by God for either salvation or damnation.

[Robert]

WHY bother when you believe man has no free choice to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour? Hence people cannot be affect by anything you do or say for Jesus. If people have pre-selected by God what are you trying to achieve by being nice to others? People are are destined for Salvation or Eternal Hell no matter how you treat them or whatever you say.

The bolded bit above goes directly against what you actually have stated below in another thread.

{Your own words below from this thread on Predestination.... see this link and post #4} Predestination, providence, and free will..



Makes no sense to share the gospel when you think people have been pre-elected by God for either salvation or damnation.

Hannah,


With all due respect: while I don't agree with Calvinism, that is not the topic of discussion in this thread. As for myinnuendo999 sharing the gospel, scripture clearly tells us to do so regardless of whatever stance we take. We can disagree on issues as Christians, but that doesn't mean we are any less committed to the Kingdom of God than a fellow Christian who holds a different view on a topic than we do.

And I do apologize if I have upset you sis, but I humbly ask you please bring this before the Lord and ask His counsel. As Meg stated in her OP:

"As we long for the Rapture, as our hurts, fears and hopes cry out "Get us outta here", let us pray, let us reach out, let us build one another up."