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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Preparedness
- Thread starter Oats
- Start date
T
Theofilus
Guest
The Bible talks about watchfullness in a number of contexts. Could you elaborate furthur about exactly what it is you're referring to?
Oats
Member
Being ready for the end times...
T
Theofilus
Guest
That's what I thought you meant. I just wanted to be sure I was answering the right question. It's nearly 1 AM here in Iceland right now, so I think I'll get a little sleep before answering. I'll tell you what I think tomorrow.
jasoncran
Member
your not saved? i thought you repented? or are you doubting your faith.
Oats
Member
i am saved
i was referring to the end times
they could occur and i would be at a lost for resources
is not there a rapture?
A
Alabaster
Guest
We are already in the end times. If you know Jesus as your Saviour, and are walking in the Spirit, in obedience to Him, you are ready. Put on your spiritual armour and stand.
Ephesians 6:13 NLT
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
jasoncran
Member
there is a rapture of course, what is at debate when that occurs. we can only do so much, sooner or later you will run out of food and water if that is what you mean. i cant store yrs and i mean yrs supplies of food at or in my house. in florida having a cellar isnt easy,its very expensive as one must drain the water from the soil at levels from 3 ft and lower. and once built water often seaps in anway, thus you have to have some way for good dry storage here.
i dont think god wants us to go into hiding and build tunnels and caves etc so that we can be ready.
T
Theofilus
Guest
There are two ways you can prepare for what is to come - spiritually and physically.
Spiritually
The time may soon come when we will be asked to choose between our faith and our livelyhood and even our lives. This is closer than you may think. Highly trained professionals with PhD's are already being denied tenure, refused possitions or being fired because they express a belief in intelligent design. If you haven't seen it, watch the film "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed". It's a documentary about this situation in America. In many places in the world, it can cost people their lives to admit they are Christians.
Beign spiritually prepared for this kind of situation means being willing to make sacrifices. Will we be willing to sacrifice our jobs, our homes and even our lives when the time comes? If we are honest, we must admit that none of us know the answer to that question until the time comes. What we can know is what sacrifices we are willing to make now. All of us sometimes have to make decisions between our faith and our secular lives. Most of the time, the sacrifices we would make would be small - things like not going to some event with our friends, because it would mean missing church or Bible study. Occasionally, it will be something bigger. How we react to such choices now will give us an idea of how we will react to bigger choices later.
Physically
You don't have to worry about this yet. When we see the great tribulation actually starting, and the Antichrist coming to power, then we might want to start thinking about having enough food to last for a while. But for now, we don't have to worry about stockpiling necesseties. What you can do now is to start to familiarize yourself with what types of food have long shelf lives. Rice, pasta, noodles and canned foods are good to have around if you forsee a long period when you won't be able to buy anything. But I will repeat this one more time, just so that there is no misunderstanding. You do not have to prepare in this way yet. The great tribulation hasn't started. Life will go on normally for some time to come. If you start stockpiling now, the food is likely to go bad before you actually need it. Only when the Antichrist is actually coming to power should we start thinking about this.
Spiritually
The time may soon come when we will be asked to choose between our faith and our livelyhood and even our lives. This is closer than you may think. Highly trained professionals with PhD's are already being denied tenure, refused possitions or being fired because they express a belief in intelligent design. If you haven't seen it, watch the film "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed". It's a documentary about this situation in America. In many places in the world, it can cost people their lives to admit they are Christians.
Beign spiritually prepared for this kind of situation means being willing to make sacrifices. Will we be willing to sacrifice our jobs, our homes and even our lives when the time comes? If we are honest, we must admit that none of us know the answer to that question until the time comes. What we can know is what sacrifices we are willing to make now. All of us sometimes have to make decisions between our faith and our secular lives. Most of the time, the sacrifices we would make would be small - things like not going to some event with our friends, because it would mean missing church or Bible study. Occasionally, it will be something bigger. How we react to such choices now will give us an idea of how we will react to bigger choices later.
Physically
You don't have to worry about this yet. When we see the great tribulation actually starting, and the Antichrist coming to power, then we might want to start thinking about having enough food to last for a while. But for now, we don't have to worry about stockpiling necesseties. What you can do now is to start to familiarize yourself with what types of food have long shelf lives. Rice, pasta, noodles and canned foods are good to have around if you forsee a long period when you won't be able to buy anything. But I will repeat this one more time, just so that there is no misunderstanding. You do not have to prepare in this way yet. The great tribulation hasn't started. Life will go on normally for some time to come. If you start stockpiling now, the food is likely to go bad before you actually need it. Only when the Antichrist is actually coming to power should we start thinking about this.
Oats
Member
A
Alabaster
Guest
God doesn't require us to be prepared in any way physically. We, the Church will not be required to undergo the dire sufferings of Tribulation.
jasoncran
Member
while i dont want to shift this into a pre-trib.mid trib/post trib debate. i strongly disagree. historically there has been no large scale removal of the saints in the past from the wrath of satan and man.
A
Alabaster
Guest
Why would there be? Has Jesus ever had another Bride?
jasoncran
Member
if you look at the history, the prophets and saints then were spared from Gods wrath, not men or satans.
isiah was slain
daniel, and co were taken captive their parents probably died.
and uh God said he was perputually married to a backsliding nation called isreal.
abel slain, and some others.
A
Alabaster
Guest
We are discussing the future that is promised to the Bride. She is promised to be taken up and away by the Bridegroom, safe and unmolested---spotless. The only preparation we need to have is plenty of oil in our lamps.
jasoncran
Member
We are discussing the future that is promised to the Bride. She is promised to be taken up and away by the Bridegroom, safe and unmolested---spotless. The only preparation we need to have is plenty of oil in our lamps.
god isnt a respecter of person, what the deaths of the saints all of sudden prevents that marriage feast? I think not.
A
Alabaster
Guest
What are you talking about? The living and dead members of the Bride will feast together.
The Great Tribulation era is meant for the world. The Bride is not part of the world. Scripture is addressing this issue for those who are alive to understand it when they see it coming.
jasoncran
Member
uh, so no saint dies in the trib.
and the dragon made war with the saints and OVERCAME them.
these are they that had not the mark of the beast and were washed with the blood.
hmm when is that trump played?
its stated the last trump, the shout of the archangel. when is that? the seven trumpets are in the trib time frame.
A
Alabaster
Guest
It was "God's holy people", which is Israel.
Many will refuse the mark and be martyred for it. New believers---not the Bride.
There is the trump and then there are the trumpets. Two distinct events. The trumpet judgments are for the 'inhabitants of the earth'. Nowhere is the Church mentioned.