1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE OR WANT TO READ THIS:
DON'T TAKE THE:
MARK OF THE BEAST!
WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS
We must understand Jesus's warning: His disciples must always be ready and understand, referring to His return from heaven to take church saints out of the world, i.e., the Rapture.
The word "rapture" derives from the Latin raptu, which means "caught away or caught up." This Latin word is equivalent to the Greek word harpaze, translated as "caught up."
Jesus will come again. As Christ Jesus went to heaven, He will return from His Father's presence and take His believers to be with Him in Heaven, to a place prepared for them.
The rapture was the hope of NT Christians and is the "Blessed Hope" of all believers today! The ultimate purpose of the Lord's return is that believers may be with Him forever.
DO NOT FEAR, BUT BE PREPARED
Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 24:1-13 illustrated by a story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.
So, when the bridegroom tarried, they all lay down to rest until midnight, when a shout roused them, "The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!"
All the bridesmaids jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then, the five who hadn't any oil left begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out.
But the others replied, "We haven't enough. Go to the shops and buy some for yourselves."
However, while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut and locked.
Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, "Lord, please open the door for us!" But he called back, "Go away! It's too late! I do not know you!"
So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of Christ's return.
THE UNEXPECTED COMING OF CHRIST
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36 This verse speaks of only the Father knowing the time of Christ's return.
Jesus explicitly states that His coming for His children, living before the tribulation, will be unexpected without a specific warning. Christ's coming at an unknown time is as unpredictable as the coming of a thief who breaks into a house.
Thus, the devoted believer must be ready at any time for the Lord's appearance (See: Matthew 24:44)
WARNING SIGNS FOR THE LAST DAYS
Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days.
People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient, to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; they will be treacherous, reckless and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; they will hold to the outward form of religion, but reject its real power.
Keep away from such people. Some of them go into people's houses and gain control over weak women who are burdened by the guilt of their sins and driven by all kinds of desires, women who are always trying to learn but who can never come to know the truth.
SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?? (See: Romans 6:2) "God forbid" In Greek: me genoito. Which is a powerful phrase: "Let it not be" or "Don't let it happen." It corresponds to the Hebrew chalilah lanu, "May it be far from us" (i.e., to do something forbidden).
Paul challenges the erroneous idea that believers may continue in sin and yet remain secure in Christ because of the grace of God. Paul answers this hostile doctrine of grace by emphasizing one fundamental truth: True believers are identified as being "in Christ" because they are "baptized into Christ and his death" so that their "old life of sin is buried,"
(See: Romans 6:3-7).
Moreover, a believer has been translated from sin's realm into another realm, the realm of "life in Christ"(See: Romans 6:2-12).
Since "true believers have died to sin" and made a "definitive separation from their past life of sin, they will not continue to live in sin."
ILLICIT & IMMORAL BEHAVIORS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE "KINGDOM OF GOD"
Some in Corinth were deceived into believing that even if they broke fellowship with Christ, disowned him, and lived in immorality and injustice, their salvation and inheritance in the "Kingdom of God" were still secure.
However, Paul declares spiritual death is the inevitable consequence of habitual sinning, even for the Christian believer (See: Romans 8:13). This is happening in our churches and believers today as the nation continues condoning deviant behaviors such as homosexual marriages, also
as seen in 1st Corinthians below:
(9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the "Kingdom of God"? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the "Kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
THERE IS GOOD NEWS
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.
2 Peter 3:9
This verse means the Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but He is patient with you and I, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.
Many years ago, the Lord dealt with me about true, Godly repentance. Yes! I had prayed the sinner's prayer, but then, very heavily, I felt God telling me to ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and repent over every sin as honestly as possible.
As I began to pray, I started crying uncontrollably, asking God to forgive me as many things as I could remember. I also asked Him to bring to my mind any sins I didn't remember, and over time, He still reminds me of something I needed to ask forgiveness for.
He also taught me that I had to walk away from some of the sins I had repented to and not to continue acting on them.
So the good news is; If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE DON'T TAKE THE:
"MARK OF THE BEAST"!
SONG: THE KING IS COMING
SUNG BY: GAITHER VOCAL BAND