Post by DrGadget on Oct 26, 2009 23:31:54 GMT -5
We are currently in the "Church Age". It is quickly coming to an end. Jesus said to look for certain signs, and all of these signs are here. If Matthew 24:34 means a literal Jewish generation of 70 years, then the latest that could be is 2018. Subtract 7 years for the Great Tribulation, and we're talking about the Rapture in 2011 or sooner. It could happen tonight.
The exact hour and date of the Rapture is the biggest secret in the universe. Jesus doesn't even know it (Matthew 24:36). Only the Father Jehovah knows it.
We know it will catch the world by surprise like a thief in the night. It will come when nobody is expecting it. Then BAM! Rapture.
Jesus Christ will appear in the air and call for His Church. His entire flock will disappear from the Earth instantly. We will be with Him in the air. Then we go straight to Heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It is a huge celebration.
Meanwhile on Earth, all the Christians have gone. At least all the real ones are gone. If you've been pretending to be a Christian, you will be left behind. Christians have the Holy Spirit inside of them. With the Christians gone, so goes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. There is nobody left to restrain Satan.
Satan takes over the world for 7 years and this is the Great Tribulation. At the end of the 7 years is the Battle of Armageddon, where all of humanity is wiped out, except for a handful of survivors. Probably less than 50.
If you had heard the Gospel before the Rapture, God will send you strong delusion so you can't believe it during the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:11). You had your chance and wasted it.
In the Rapture, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those of us who are alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). We will never have died. We just walk right into Heaven with superhuman bodies.
We will recognize everyone in Heaven. Also, we will know even as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12). I take this to mean that we receive knowledge equal to God's own knowledge.
To me, this only makes sense. If a man has a son, that son grows to be a man. If a hose has a son, that son grows to be a horse. If God has a son, that grows to be a god.
As Christians, God has declared us adopted sons. We are the sons of God (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, 19, Philippians 3:15, 1 John 3:1-2). God is our Father. It is very important for us to realize just how much of an honor it is to be a Christian. As a "Christian" we bear the family name of Christ. But we also become sons and heirs of God's infinite wealth (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, Titus 3:7, Hebrews 1:14, 6:17, James 2:5, 1 Peter 3:7).
As God is our Father, that makes all the Christians brothers and sisters in Christ.
Getting back to the Rapture and knowing even as we are known, our "natural state" as Christians is to be like unto God. If God is my Father, then I should grow to become more like Him. I will never attain His level of Holiness, and I most certainly am not Jesus Christ the only BEGOTTEN Son of God. But I am an ADOPTED son of God.
We will be given a body that is wholly incorruptible and perfect (Philippians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53, 1 Peter 1:23).
We will be given the Mind of God, so that we know even as we are known (1 Corinthians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 13:12).
We are already given the Holy Spirit of God, and will most likely have our own spirits enlarged to become similar to the Holy Spirit.
In this, we will be like God in mind, body and spirit. We will be like gods ourselves. But this is where we were supposed to be all along, fitting company for the eternal God. We will be completely without sin. There will be nobody pridefully boasting that they are gods. Pride has no place in Heaven. Instead, we will be joyfully worshipping God our Father.
It is at the same time awe-inspiring and humbling to realize that God has chosen to promote us to the position of sons (and daughters) of God. As the Bible says in Peter 3:7, the women are heirs along with the men. The term "sons of God" was never meant to exclude women. The daughters of God will be there in Heaven as well, perfected in mind, body, and spirit, and worshipping their Father God.
It is therefore of vital importance to save as many of the unbelievers as we can today. This is our Great Commission (Mark 16:15). This is the day of Salvation, and we need to work to gather people for Jesus. But the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4).
I have heard unbelievers scoff at the Rapture. They said that if and when they see it really happen, they will believe. But there are two problems with this reasoning.
a. God will send them strong delusion so they can't be saved but will believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).
b. If you can't follow Christ now when it's easy to do, how will you follow Christ when it's hard to do and they will kill you for it?
The Rapture is coming very soon. I'm surprised it has not already happened. We are closer now to Jesus' return than we have ever been. Jesus is near, even at the door, and every Christian can feel the world hurtling headlong into the Book of Revelation.
If you are not already saved, you need to get saved and I mean right now. Today is the day of salvation. We are not promised tomorrow. You could die in the next 5 minutes and go into eternity not knowing Christ. There is nothing to gain by putting it off any longer. There is only the risk of missing your chance entirely.
How to get saved:
deepthink.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=drgadget&thread=698
The exact hour and date of the Rapture is the biggest secret in the universe. Jesus doesn't even know it (Matthew 24:36). Only the Father Jehovah knows it.
We know it will catch the world by surprise like a thief in the night. It will come when nobody is expecting it. Then BAM! Rapture.
Jesus Christ will appear in the air and call for His Church. His entire flock will disappear from the Earth instantly. We will be with Him in the air. Then we go straight to Heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It is a huge celebration.
Meanwhile on Earth, all the Christians have gone. At least all the real ones are gone. If you've been pretending to be a Christian, you will be left behind. Christians have the Holy Spirit inside of them. With the Christians gone, so goes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. There is nobody left to restrain Satan.
Satan takes over the world for 7 years and this is the Great Tribulation. At the end of the 7 years is the Battle of Armageddon, where all of humanity is wiped out, except for a handful of survivors. Probably less than 50.
If you had heard the Gospel before the Rapture, God will send you strong delusion so you can't believe it during the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:11). You had your chance and wasted it.
In the Rapture, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those of us who are alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). We will never have died. We just walk right into Heaven with superhuman bodies.
We will recognize everyone in Heaven. Also, we will know even as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12). I take this to mean that we receive knowledge equal to God's own knowledge.
To me, this only makes sense. If a man has a son, that son grows to be a man. If a hose has a son, that son grows to be a horse. If God has a son, that grows to be a god.
As Christians, God has declared us adopted sons. We are the sons of God (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, 19, Philippians 3:15, 1 John 3:1-2). God is our Father. It is very important for us to realize just how much of an honor it is to be a Christian. As a "Christian" we bear the family name of Christ. But we also become sons and heirs of God's infinite wealth (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, Titus 3:7, Hebrews 1:14, 6:17, James 2:5, 1 Peter 3:7).
As God is our Father, that makes all the Christians brothers and sisters in Christ.
Getting back to the Rapture and knowing even as we are known, our "natural state" as Christians is to be like unto God. If God is my Father, then I should grow to become more like Him. I will never attain His level of Holiness, and I most certainly am not Jesus Christ the only BEGOTTEN Son of God. But I am an ADOPTED son of God.
We will be given a body that is wholly incorruptible and perfect (Philippians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53, 1 Peter 1:23).
We will be given the Mind of God, so that we know even as we are known (1 Corinthians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 13:12).
We are already given the Holy Spirit of God, and will most likely have our own spirits enlarged to become similar to the Holy Spirit.
In this, we will be like God in mind, body and spirit. We will be like gods ourselves. But this is where we were supposed to be all along, fitting company for the eternal God. We will be completely without sin. There will be nobody pridefully boasting that they are gods. Pride has no place in Heaven. Instead, we will be joyfully worshipping God our Father.
It is at the same time awe-inspiring and humbling to realize that God has chosen to promote us to the position of sons (and daughters) of God. As the Bible says in Peter 3:7, the women are heirs along with the men. The term "sons of God" was never meant to exclude women. The daughters of God will be there in Heaven as well, perfected in mind, body, and spirit, and worshipping their Father God.
It is therefore of vital importance to save as many of the unbelievers as we can today. This is our Great Commission (Mark 16:15). This is the day of Salvation, and we need to work to gather people for Jesus. But the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4).
I have heard unbelievers scoff at the Rapture. They said that if and when they see it really happen, they will believe. But there are two problems with this reasoning.
a. God will send them strong delusion so they can't be saved but will believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).
b. If you can't follow Christ now when it's easy to do, how will you follow Christ when it's hard to do and they will kill you for it?
The Rapture is coming very soon. I'm surprised it has not already happened. We are closer now to Jesus' return than we have ever been. Jesus is near, even at the door, and every Christian can feel the world hurtling headlong into the Book of Revelation.
If you are not already saved, you need to get saved and I mean right now. Today is the day of salvation. We are not promised tomorrow. You could die in the next 5 minutes and go into eternity not knowing Christ. There is nothing to gain by putting it off any longer. There is only the risk of missing your chance entirely.
How to get saved:
deepthink.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=drgadget&thread=698
