“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, the meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17″
Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” I Corinthians 15: 51-52″
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive (rapture) you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:2-3
“Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18
The Lord is coming again, and He said of the times and the seasons we know but that of the day and the hour no one knows for the Lord comes as a thief in the night. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all ways, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:36-39
Testimonial of Contributor
I was resting on my bed one afternoon when I experienced an out-of-body encounter (a direct momentary meeting) with the Lord. My spirit was caught up into the clouds with my right hand extending upwards into the clouds. The Lord said to me “no fear” and gave me a glimpse of his side up in the air. He showed me the bottom of his robe it was white without spot, blemish or wrinkle. The Lord said very softly “receiving” and immediately my spirit was sent back to my body on the bed. The Lord raised me up from my head to my stomach and spoke through me saying “The Rapture is at the Door!!” And instantly a burst of joy came over my entire body. The experience is indescribable. (Matthew 24:33) Then the Lord revealed in my mind Matthew 24:36 and said, “no one knows the day or the hour” and then he very quickly took me to 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and said to me “I come as a thief.” Then I heard a sound like a rushing wind leaving my room and ascending upward on that beautiful day.
We do well to pay careful attention to this testimonial of a servant of the Great High Priest. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24: 42)
“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.
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Matthew 24:43-44, 46)
Are You Ready?
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom (the Lord) came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matthew 25: 10). “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25: 11-13).
“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Matthew 24: 40-41).
My friends what was Noah’s day like? The Son of God stated several things about Noah’s days. Wickedness was widespread. But it is written of Noah, “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). In the evil days in which we now live the rapture is at the door. The gift of salvation is the only door leading to God. Jesus Christ said, “I am the door; by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). By dying on the cross Christ became the open door for all who would believe in him. The door of God was closed to us because of our sins. But Jesus was judged in our place; however, if you do not accept Jesus as your personal Savior, you will perish and face God’s judgment.
In Noah’s day there were people who may have helped him build the ark including his daughter-in-law’s family members but when the flood came, they were also destroyed. There were those who heard Noah preached about the flood but did not enter the ark of safety because they were afraid of what the others would say. Many people today have heard the invitation to come to Christ and have decided not to take the next step. However, after the ark was completed God delayed closing the door of the ark for another seven days. “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth” (Genesis 7:4). In other words, God told Noah to give the people yet another seven days to repent and enter the ark of safety the only means of salvation at that time. However, the people of Noah’s day did not heed God’s final call. “And knew not until the flood came.” The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7-10-12). God’s period of grace had come to an end.
My friends the Lord is coming again. He said “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Al’-pha and O-me’-ga, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Revelation 22:12-13 “Receive the Lord Jesus Christ now as your own personal Savior: “For “yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37).
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11 “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (near).” James 5:8 “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 ).
Are We Living in the End Times?
The Disciples ask: Tell us, when shall these things be: and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceives you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors 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 24:3-8)
Testimonial of Contributor
While at work in 2001, there was a brief announcement on my radio stating that America had drop the bomb in Afghanistan. Immediately, God the Holy Spirit said, “the beginning of sorrows” and tears came streaming down my eyes. This was the saddest day of my life beside the death of my beloved mother in 2011. From 2001 until 2007, I began to have dreams and visions of things to come such earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, demonic possession, a great falling away, and wickedness in high places.
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:9-12).
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:14, 21-22).
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…. Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24: 42, 44).
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:1, 4).
How to Be Ready
“Jesus said except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3: 3, 5, 16-17). “You must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:12, 13). To be ready for the rapture you must be born again and brought into the Lord’s household. If you are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, you can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will return for you at the time of the rapture.
Are you ready to meet the Lord should He come today? You can be if you are willing to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
- and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1: “If ye
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15: 7).
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).
“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry and will save them”
(Psalm 145: 18, 19).
“For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30, 31).
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For the Scripture saith, whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. Is there any difference between the Jew and the Gentile? For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13).
“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10, 23).
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of Salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
“Therefore, I say unto you, what things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24
Sinner’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sins, and I ask you to forgive me. I open the door of my heart and receive you as my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life and begin making me that person you want me to be. Thank you, Lord Jesus for saving me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Thou shalt mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for … then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Your daily walk with the Lord should include reading your Bible every day; talking to God in prayer daily and finding a church where the Bible is taught as the Word of God. Life is short but eternity is forever!! “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city. Surely, I am coming quickly. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:12-14, 20-21).
All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
By Constance A. Burns, NAAV Spiritual Wellness, Scriptural Readings, and Moments of Meditation Contributor; email: cburns@naavets.org.