COVID-19, THE RAPTURE AND YOU

What is the commonality? Covid-19 and the Rapture are certainly related, but how about you and the Rapture? And, what the heck is the Rapture? 

Let me just run on over to the Word. We find this in the Book of Matthew:

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:6-8)

The above bible passage outlines things that will happen on the earth as the time of the earth as we know it is about to come to an end. These signs will precede the Rapture.

The Rapture will be evidence by the disappearance of all Christians (both dead and alive) from the earth. The Lord, Jesus Christ, will Rapture (harpaso) or “snatch” them (us) into Heaven to abide with Him. This action will signal the beginning of the tribulation and great tribulation in the earth. These events will last three and a half years each. It begins with the introduction of the Antichrist into the world. All hell literally breaks loose at that time.

The Rapture may or may not apply to you. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then I stop short of saying what Mr T would say. Google it though!

Long story short, we are currently experiencing the end-time signs. The Rapture of the Church could happen at any moment. Say the sinner’s prayer and you are in. If not said, then not. After the Rapture, then seven years of Tribulation. After that, King Jesus and the Saints rule and reign on earth for one thousand years.  After that, a final disposition for all sin and sinners in the lake of fire. 

After these things shall the Earth be rid of corruption and all things are become new.

 

 

 

  

Dealing With and Being Dealt With by God

I know that the subject line piqued your interest and possibly occurs to you as being sacrilegious. Please indulge me in this though and see the Light in it.

Practically the best context for the given subject is within the vein of prayer. After all I believe that it is that many of us only consider God when we need something; when finances are low or someone is sick. We need something and we know that He has it and ours is to petition that He gives it to us.

Here is what I am going to do. I am going to show you a couple of stories from the bible in which the characters were trying to accomplish something–something that required movement or the approval of God. This should be interesting! I will talk a little bit about positioning oneself for establishing a dialogue with the Omnipotent, Omnibenevolent, Omnipresent and Omniscient Sovereign Potentate?

I will give brief summaries of these stories because I want you to go and read them for yourselves. Story number one has to do with Abraham. It is found in chapters 18 and 19 of Genesis. What happens here is Abraham is visited by three men (the Lord and two angels).

The Lord was handling two very important matters. Matter number one was to advise Abraham that he and Sarah were about to have a child. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. And even as God was prophesying the birth of Isaac (and the Jewish Nation) they both found this amusing.

More to the point of this post though, as they departed from Abraham the Lord wondered out loud as to whether they should make him privy to their next order of business which was to investigate for judgement goings on down in Sodom. For the cry of the folks of Sodom had come before His Throne and a grievous cry it was.

Knowing the pending destruction of Sodom, Abraham requested of the Lord if He would spare Sodom if there were righteous folks there– fifty perhaps. The Lord agreed to his proposition. The dealing or negotiating had started. Abraham apparently thinking this thing through suggested that perhaps forty-five righteous people was a more likely number. The Lord agreed to that number.

To make a long story short and to emphasize the humility and reverence in which Abraham petitioned the Lord his case they finally agreed that if the Lord found ten righteous persons in Sodom that He would spare her. We see here dealings between the Lord and his servant.

Sodom did not fare well though!

Gideon a character in the book of Judges probably pushed all of God’s buttons, if that were possible. In an initial meeting with God in chapter six he acknowledged His miraculous works in previous generation of the Jews and required of Him as to why He had apparently forsaken them.

The Lord advised Gideon that He was about to deliver the Jews through him. He assured Gideon that He would be with him. The dealing began in earnest. God set the tone for the coming  events by supernaturally consuming a meal that Gideon had prepared for Him by fire out of a rock.

Gideon who was later in the story referred to as Jerubbaal because he had thrown down an altar of Baal (an idol) still was not convinced that the Lord surely had his back. He required more evidence from the Lord that He would be with him as he completed his task of defeating the Midianites and the Amalekites. He wanted a sign.

Gideon proposed to the Lord that he would place a fleece of wool on the earthen floor over night and if the next morning the fleece alone was wet and not the floor that he would know that the Lord was with him. And so it was that the next morning the fleece was wet to the point of yielding a full bowl of water and the floor was dry.

Just to be doubly sure, Gideon requested  the Lord that if he left the fleece of wool once again on the floor if God would indulge him by having the floor be wet with the fleece being dry the following morning. The Lord obliged him.

There are a few stories in the bible where we see dialogue (dealings) between the Lord and a servant (believer). God, not being a respecter of person, will also deal with you and me.

Here are a few pointers to consider when approaching the Lord to deal:

  1. What do I have to deal with? Am I clear that He has everything and I have nothing?
  2. Do I Know Him or what do I know about Him?
  3. How am I qualified to even be in His presence?
  4. Will God be merciful to hear my case?
  5. Will I have to petition the Lord in stages or are transactions cut and dried?
  6. How long will it take to make a deal?
  7. What does it mean to be “dealt with by God”?

Many years ago, I requested of the Lord that He would bring me into a more dynamic life and relationship with Him. Shortly thereafter the Lord responded to me by way of a dream in which He showed me some steps that I was to take and that much study was involved. He said “I will teach you.”

I have just finished my first print book and this results from that which the Holy Spirit has taught and is teaching me. The is ongoing and dialogue/dealings and sanctification/breaking in my life at the Right Hand of the Lord.

Here is what I have found. God is a person. He is in fact High and Mighty but He is not arrogant. I believe that God greatly desires to be in fellowship with His friends–us. He is however Holy and so the unclean and sinful are unable to enter into His presence. He has made a way for those whom He loves to supersede sin. Here is how.