What we should be doing in concern to the Rapture.

[Acebopata]

Well, many of us either beleive in a pre-tribulation or a post-tribulation rapture. Now I've tried to understand all the sides of the issue, and all the arguing is persononally giving me a migrane. (And I've been studying this subject for at least four months in detail, about two years in total.)

There is both scriptual, scientific, and oppertunistic evidence for both events. A Pre tribulation rapture will serve as an enormis wake up call, but the tribulation is the perfict time frame to seperate the sheep from the goats, (Though tecnechnly a Pre tribulation rapture would probably do the same thing.)

Now as to what we should be doing concerning the rapture? It's actually quite simple. Here is a list of things that you should be doing.

1. Live as if the rapture could happen any nanosecound.
It is important to live our lives as holy and pure as we can. No, I'm not refering to living as a perfict human, but you should be doing everything you can to please the lord.

2. Avoid unclean things. The list contains a few things to avoid.

• All video-games/movies/books/songs with cussing, witchcraft, sexuall imorallaty, excess violence, mocking the name of the lord, and the like. As a general rule, you should avoid anything more violent then games where you chase speeders as a cop.
• Avoid the beleif that you can be tolorant of a tiny amount of witchcraft. Trust me, I beleaved that about Pok'emon, Warriors, Digimon, and that small amount of witchcraft will ALWAYS turn into a frout fest of unclean ideas and prayers.
• Avoid assumming you know the true interpitation of the holy scriptures. You are human. you do not decide the interpitation of the scriptures. God and God alones does, and unless you know the true interptitation of the scripture as if God told it to you, be aware that your interpitation has a possability of being wrong.
• Avoid Greed, hatred, and any other unclean thing.

3. Do not miss the rapture because you beleaved it is susposed to happen at the end of the tribulations and it happened at the beginning of the tribulation, and do not fool yourself into dispair because the rature was susposed to happen at the end of the tribulation. You are to always be on the lookout for the lords return, and to live as if he could come any secound, as he is to come as a theif in the night, and no one can know the day or the hour of his comming.

4. Do not give into tempations at the last moments. This could kill your chances of partaking in the rapture, no matter what time during the tribulation it occurs.

5. And one more thing, try not to purposly offend a brother or a sister in Christ.

The five things in the list above are all things you should be doing, regardless of your beleif on the timing of the rapture.

 

[n2thelight]

as he is to come as a theif in the night, and no one can know the day or the hour of his comming.

Only to those in darkness will He come as a thief!

1 Thessalonians 5:4
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

We are to know the season

 

[TruthSeeker2012]

We should be doing NOTHING concering the "Rapture" because there will BE NO RAPTURE!

The massive deception which has misled millions of Christians. Obviously, there will be nothing secret about the rapture of the saints, and the so-called "secret rapture or left behind" is only a figment of the imagination!

There is absolutely no scriptural indication that the return of Christ takes place in two phases. The popular concept that Jesus comes secretly seven years before the end of the world to snatch away the saved Christians has no Bible support whatsoever. The wicked do not continue living in the earth for seven years after the mythical rapture of the righteous. They are slain, Paul says, "When he (Jesus) shall come to be glorified in his saints."

Matthew 24:42-44: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

There it is! So simple that a child can understand it. It will be unexpected. The advent will take the world by surprise. His coming will burst upon this earth when people least expect it. They will be just as unprepared for it as they would for a midnight thief. These words do not convey the least idea that our Lord will come sneaking around like some common criminal. He was just using a striking illustration of the unexpectedness of His return.

Jesus reinforced the point He was making in verse 50, "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of."

These "end time cults" and "doom day cults" and FALSE CHRISTIAN TEACHERS have done a lot of damage to God's work with the "RAPTURE" doctrine.

The "Secret Rapture or left behind" teaching is a down right and dangerous doctrinal distortion, because it could delude the majority of professed Christians into being lost. The "left behind" theory is a major deception that many Christians believe to be true!

There is not the slightest hint that this final separation of the saved and lost will be done in any secretive manner. Yet, this connotation has been applied by those who are desperately trying to find inspired support for an empty tradition. The unscriptural two-phase coming has been repeated so often and so persistently that millions believe it must be true.

The amazing thing is how people have taken such obvious verses and twisted them out of context to support a doctrine which does not even appear in the Bible.

His second coming will be visible to both the righteous and the wicked (1 Corinthians 1:7; Hebrews 9:28; Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27). It will be audible (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Matthew 24:31; Psalms 50:3). It will be personal (Acts 1:11); bodily (John 14:1-3). It will be glorious (Matthew 24:30; 25:31; Luke 21:27; Mark 13:26). It will occur before the thousand-year millennium, and it is imminent (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Revelation 29:6; Matthew 24:36-39, 44).

The Bible plainly says that Christ's return will be anything but quiet or secret: "Our God shall come and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him" (Psalms 50:3).

No wonder Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you."

 

[reba]

Acebopata

I enjoyed your post! God will do as He pleases Amen!

 

[n2thelight]

TruthSeeker2012

No wonder Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you."

Amen!,that's what the endtime is all about,deception,and the rapture is one of them!!!

 

[Sinthesis]

Well, many of us either beleive in a pre-tribulation or a post-tribulation rapture. Now I've tried to understand all the sides of the issue, and all the arguing is persononally giving me a migrane. (And I've been studying this subject for at least four months in detail, about two years in total.)

There is both scriptual, scientific, and oppertunistic evidence for both events. A Pre tribulation rapture will serve as an enormis wake up call, but the tribulation is the perfict time frame to seperate the sheep from the goats, (Though tecnechnly a Pre tribulation rapture would probably do the same thing.)

Now as to what we should be doing concerning the rapture? It's actually quite simple. Here is a list of things that you should be doing.

1. Live as if the rapture could happen any nanosecound.
It is important to live our lives as holy and pure as we can. No, I'm not refering to living as a perfict human, but you should be doing everything you can to please the lord.

2. Avoid unclean things. The list contains a few things to avoid.

• All video-games/movies/books/songs with cussing, witchcraft, sexuall imorallaty, excess violence, mocking the name of the lord, and the like. As a general rule, you should avoid anything more violent then games where you chase speeders as a cop.
• Avoid the beleif that you can be tolorant of a tiny amount of witchcraft. Trust me, I beleaved that about Pok'emon, Warriors, Digimon, and that small amount of witchcraft will ALWAYS turn into a frout fest of unclean ideas and prayers.
• Avoid assumming you know the true interpitation of the holy scriptures. You are human. you do not decide the interpitation of the scriptures. God and God alones does, and unless you know the true interptitation of the scripture as if God told it to you, be aware that your interpitation has a possability of being wrong.
• Avoid Greed, hatred, and any other unclean thing.

3. Do not miss the rapture because you beleaved it is susposed to happen at the end of the tribulations and it happened at the beginning of the tribulation, and do not fool yourself into dispair because the rature was susposed to happen at the end of the tribulation. You are to always be on the lookout for the lords return, and to live as if he could come any secound, as he is to come as a theif in the night, and no one can know the day or the hour of his comming.

4. Do not give into tempations at the last moments. This could kill your chances of partaking in the rapture, no matter what time during the tribulation it occurs.

5. And one more thing, try not to purposly offend a brother or a sister in Christ.

The five things in the list above are all things you should be doing, regardless of your beleif on the timing of the rapture.

So live your life in anticipation of the rapture just as you should live your life in anticipation of your sudden, unexpected death. In either case, Jesus will be coming for you. Right?

 

[Acebopata]

So live your life in anticipation of the rapture just as you should live your life in anticipation of your sudden, unexpected death. In either case, Jesus will be coming for you. Right?

Exactly.

 

[Hitch]

Avoid pre-millennialism as an unclean thing.

 

[Hitch]

4. Do not give into tempations at the last moments. This could kill your chances of partaking in the rapture, no matter what time during the tribulation it occurs.

5. And one more thing, try not to purposly offend a brother or a sister in Christ.

Number 4 is the cherry on top of this gigantic mound of offensive nonsense.And these people can vote....

 

[Stormcrow]

Do not give into tempations at the last moments. This could kill your chances of partaking in the rapture, no matter what time during the tribulation it occurs.

I had resisted long and hard the temptation of responding to this thread.

Ooops. Looks like I just missed the "rapture train."

Seriously, I have no doubt people are sincere in their beliefs about the rapture - as I once was - but all this talk of imminent returns and imminent raptures (which have been predicted for most of the last 2,000 years) is - at best - a dangerous distraction.

At worst, such views are used to impose a set of external controls upon those for whom Christ died to free from such controls.

The Law of Moses has been replaced with "The Fear of Missing the Rapture" as a means to control the minds and behavior of people who should be taught rather how to be directed and led internally by the Holy Spirit!

All such views have done - as noted in the quote above - is to replace one set of external controls for another at the expense of the joy, peace, righteousness, and abundant life Christ promised those who would simply trust and believe in Him.

In my opinion, such tactics are not Godly and cannot help but produce bitter fruit.

Ask me how I know sometime.

 

[Gazelle]

I take your question with sincerity.. (((hug))) I believe in a pre trib rapture and can show you why the other doesn't work...using scripture only but that isn't what I care to do. When it occurs, it won't matter than I'm right. ;)

I for one have increased my giving to evanglism exponentially. Since I look for Christ daily, and have hopes that since everything Christ did was in line with the Hebrew calendar (which God Himself decreed)... and the last trump just could be the last trump of Rosh Hashanah... well that's really soon if it were to be this year

I've ordered and sent my distant relatives end times/be ready/ accept Christ materials asking them to review and be sure. I've sent my Jewish friends in depth study of Daniel for I believe if they study it they will see that Christ is Yeshua.

I've tried to not take life so seriously, that having the lawn mower, string weeder, ice maker, closet shelves, light switch, hose holder all fail in the same week is not really that important! ROFL That the chronic pain I suffer with will be gone before long... and if something isn't done today it doesn't really matter as long as I bless and worship God and try to direct others to do likewise.

Christ gave us the signs of the last days, He was quite specific and then after telling of all those things He said, " Comfort one another with these words." Comfort because in spite of all the horrible things that will occur, He promises to take us out so we will not see the wrath of God upon the earth, for we are His Bride. :heart

 

[Lehigh3]

I had resisted long and hard the temptation of responding to this thread.

Ooops. Looks like I just missed the "rapture train."

Seriously, I have no doubt people are sincere in their beliefs about the rapture - as I once was - but all this talk of imminent returns and imminent raptures (which have been predicted for most of the last 2,000 years) is - at best - a dangerous distraction.

At worst, such views are used to impose a set of external controls upon those for whom Christ died to free from such controls.

The Law of Moses has been replaced with "The Fear of Missing the Rapture" as a means to control the minds and behavior of people who should be taught rather how to be directed and led internally by the Holy Spirit!

All such views have done - as noted in the quote above - is to replace one set of external controls for another at the expense of the joy, peace, righteousness, and abundant life Christ promised those who would simply trust and believe in Him.

In my opinion, such tactics are not Godly and cannot help but produce bitter fruit.

Ask me how I know sometime.

I think the thickness is just too thick, Storm!

I have to just chuckle bc God came many times "in the fire." This was God the Father.
These O.T. books are for our learning, yet I don't see any understanding from the futurists camp in knowledge of the O.T!

"If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.~ 2Kings 1:12.

The "fire" that Jesus brought was kindled 2,000 years ago. That "fire" has come for many who believe. They don't need to wait for completion or fulfillment.

 

[alvink18]

I don't think the question should even be, What should we be doing in concern to the Rapture. If anything the question should be how can I in my daily walk be closer to Christ? The Gospels talk about being ready because he will come like a thief in the night. So hence if we are living our lives circumsized to Christ then we shouldn't be worried about the rapture. with out ceasing daily living a life pleasing to God. 2 Timothy 2:16- "Have nothing to do with godless chatter" Is this a life we are living? Or are we letting even the little things of this world in our lives? I have been convicted and removed idols and things in my life I know longer feel the need to watch my favorite TV show or movie. The lord is calling us to live set apart from the world and irrelevant to the world. This all starts with ourselves being devoted to him not only in our prayer walk but our daily actions. I have missed the boat for years on this and now I am prying the things that have held me back from walking closer with the Lord. Am I willing to stand on the seat for judgement right now no way, but I do want to live a life more pleasing to the Lord daily, that is what I believe we should be concerned about, because when he comes he comes.

 

[Christian Love]

I am a new convert to Christianatity and i belive with my whole heart..i was 'spoken' to recently.. and it was profound and beautiful..and I think that the the way of the lord will guide me into light and happines,,but i think i am stuppid and many of my friends, who are scientists think i am alluding myself by believing in god! i want to believe but they tell me things i think are more truthful than the bible, such as dinsaurs..the big bang theory and that an intelligenant designer doesnt exist..but i think they are wrong...i met god a few times and he was so beautiful and right that i want to know he is there...should i believe the people that are cleverer than me or should i believe what i saw one night when i was sad and need of the lord? i am really sad, confused and upset..please help me xxx i dont know where else to go xx

 

[Acebopata]

I am a new convert to Christianatity and i belive with my whole heart..i was 'spoken' to recently.. and it was profound and beautiful..and I think that the the way of the lord will guide me into light and happines,,but i think i am stuppid and many of my friends, who are scientists think i am alluding myself by believing in god! i want to believe but they tell me things i think are more truthful than the bible, such as dinsaurs..the big bang theory and that an intelligenant designer doesnt exist..but i think they are wrong...i met god a few times and he was so beautiful and right that i want to know he is there...should i believe the people that are cleverer than me or should i believe what i saw one night when i was sad and need of the lord? i am really sad, confused and upset..please help me xxx i dont know where else to go xx

I understand how you feel. Believe it or not, many of the same evidence scientist use to prove evolution actually prove that the word of god is true. It's complicated, but if you look closely enough, you'll begin to see things that prove that nothing else but the words of the Bible are the truth.

 

[alvink18]

I am a new convert to Christianatity and i belive with my whole heart..i was 'spoken' to recently.. and it was profound and beautiful..and I think that the the way of the lord will guide me into light and happines,,but i think i am stuppid and many of my friends, who are scientists think i am alluding myself by believing in god! i want to believe but they tell me things i think are more truthful than the bible, such as dinsaurs..the big bang theory and that an intelligenant designer doesnt exist..but i think they are wrong...i met god a few times and he was so beautiful and right that i want to know he is there...should i believe the people that are cleverer than me or should i believe what i saw one night when i was sad and need of the lord? i am really sad, confused and upset..please help me xxx i dont know where else to go xx

why don't you ask God, our thoughts are not his thoughts and his ways are not our ways. You don't go to science class with a bible nor do you go to a theology class with a science textbook.

Billy Graham
I don't think that there's any conflict at all between science today and the Scriptures. I think that we have misinterpreted the Scriptures many times and we've tried to make the Scriptures say things they weren't meant to say. I think tat we have made a mistake by thinking the Bible is a scientific book. The Bible is not a book of science. The Bible is a book of redemption, and of course I accept the Creation story. I believe that God did create the universe. I believe that God created man, and whether it came by an evolutionary process and at a certain point He took this person or being and made him a living soul or not does not change the fact that God did create man. whichever way God did it makes no difference as to what man is and man's relationship to God.

It is important for both sides to realize that science and theology have their own purposes and limits with respect to each other. Stiver

There is many questions as to science and Religion i believe billy graham hit the nail on the head but the lord is real and he moves today in power.

 

[Stormcrow]

I am a new convert to Christianatity and i belive with my whole heart..i was 'spoken' to recently.. and it was profound and beautiful..and I think that the the way of the lord will guide me into light and happines,,but i think i am stuppid and many of my friends, who are scientists think i am alluding myself by believing in god! i want to believe but they tell me things i think are more truthful than the bible, such as dinsaurs..the big bang theory and that an intelligenant designer doesnt exist..but i think they are wrong...i met god a few times and he was so beautiful and right that i want to know he is there...should i believe the people that are cleverer than me or should i believe what i saw one night when i was sad and need of the lord? i am really sad, confused and upset..please help me xxx i dont know where else to go xx

First of all, don't let anyone take the joy you've found in the Lord away from you. Guard your faith carefully, as there are those who would love nothing more than to destroy it.

As to the question of whether there are things "more truthful than the Bible", remember that science addresses one subset of truth, history and archaeology address another while the Bible addresses yet another.

All truth is God's truth, and when your friends suggest that science is "more truthful than the Bible" what they're really saying is that they've never studied the Bible enough to know what the Bible teaches or what it even means. They only "know" the truth they've been told and have rejected any other means or methods of appraising it. To make such a claim reveals how utterly immature in their thinking they really are. Some of the finest scholarly and scientific minds in the world - both past and present - have belonged to devout Christians.

Scholarship and faith are not mutually exclusive disciplines.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lloyd]

First of all, don't let anyone take the joy you've found in the Lord away from you. Guard your faith carefully, as there are those who would love nothing more than to destroy it.

As to the question of whether there are things "more truthful than the Bible", remember that science addresses one subset of truth, history and archaeology address another while the Bible addresses yet another.

All truth is God's truth, and when your friends suggest that science is "more truthful than the Bible" what they're really saying is that they've never studied the Bible enough to know what the Bible teaches or what it even means. They only "know" the truth they've been told and have rejected any other means or methods of appraising it. To make such a claim reveals how utterly immature in their thinking they really are. Some of the finest scholarly and scientific minds in the world - both past and present - have belonged to devout Christians.

Scholarship and faith are not mutually exclusive disciplines.

Hope this helps.

Great post man