End Times - part 1, the rapture

This is going to sort of be a journal of my current study of the end times. I will be taking several topics and walking through them. I would like to say that I am in no way an expert in these topics and am learning about them all as I go. I do not claim to be a prophet, or to be able to see and interpret things any more so than any Christian can. What I do claim is that I am a man who wants to seek to know his Lord and savior better, and to better myself as a Christian Man. With that being said, if you have a thought on these topics, please post a comment to me or email me about it with as much information as possible with references if applicable.

Now that the legalities are out of the way, I'll proceed. Today I want to look at the Rapture of the church. The word rapture is found nowhere in scripture but is generally used to described Jesus Christ's return to gather his children from the earth. The rapture is not the time that Jesus returns to rule the earth, but rather an appointed time when He will call all of His elect to meet him in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is not yet the end, but rather the beginning of the tribulation period, the time of great suffering for all in the world. After this event, the rapture, there will be an even faster descent into sinfulness and evil. Think about it, all of the saints of the world will be gone and all that will be left are the unbelievers.

The time period of the tribulation will be a time of great suffering, disease, famine, natural disasters, pestilence, and most of all the removal of the Christians everywhere. Everywhere we look today we see natural disasters, famine, wars, and wars that could be called "rumors of wars" since there is not a defined war front (think war on terror, it's all around us, we hear about it daily, but most people never actually see it's face or really know it but rather only know what we hear by the ..... rumor mill ). Does this mean that we are living in the final days before Christ's return to conquer the world when he steps on the Mount of Olives as is described in  Zechariah 14:2-4? I do not think we are living in those times yet, but I feel it, it is close and that means the rapture is close, and that should excite everyone of us! I believe that Matthew 24:8 shows us that these problems that are happening are only the beginning, they are only the start of the great sorrow of the tribulation.I think things are getting ready to get much, much, much worse.

Some people beleive that the saints of Christ will be raptured before the 7 years of tribulation, some beleive we will be raptured in the middle of it, while some beleive we will have to endure the entire tribulation period. Obviously I beleive in a pre-tribulation rapture and have entertained all the other views but will cover them on another post. For the sake of time I will just sya that I do not beleive God will let us be here to suffer through the tribulation (aka God's Wrath) 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Rev 3:10, I think the rapture will be what sets off the time bomb of the middle east and the attacks on Israel that brings the antichrist to power during the tribulation. There are references to Christians and Christ's elect that appear to be after the rapture, but these people are ones who come to Christ after the rapture and are in a different category of sorts in God's Kingdom of Heaven.

One thing I know for sure is that the time for our Lord's return is near, and as  Christians this should excite us! LOOK UP! 
Luke 21:28 
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh. 





1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB)  
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord



Zechariah 14:2-4 (NASB ) 
2For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 



Matthew 24:1-9 (NASB) 
1Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."

3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

4And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. 6You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

9"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.


 1 Thesalonians 5:1-9
1But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: 5for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him


Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Trusting in God

So lately I've really been wondering why it is that time and time again God shows us his love for us but many times we are too blind to see it. We fall into the trap of thinking we get something because we deserve it but in actuality we deserve nothing but death and a sinners he'll and eternal separation from God! I've recently had this smack me in the face because I remember thinking depressing thoughts about how I was "stuck" in a job and would never be allowed to progress beyond the level I had reached, that I would never be able to provide more than a low standard of living for my family and that I would not be able to let my children play sports or do any activities. I thought if I wanted them to have opportunities then I would have to work 80 hours a week and never see them. 

I should have just trusted God, and let him work as He does, he wants to give us the desires of our heart as long as our desires are His. What I mean by that is my desire to advance my career has never been motivated by wanting to make myself of higher standing than my peers, but I want to provide for my family better. I don't want to live paycheck to 5 days before paycheck like we have, I don't want to have to decide between me eating and my family eating. Don't get me wrong, I thought I deserved a promotion, a raise, better schedule etc. but I now realize that I don't deserve any of that stuff.

I left the job where I was and went chasing my dream of bettering my career to better my film but what I found was that it was just more headache and began to regret not FULLY trusting God to give my family what they need or what I thought I deserved. I thought I'd go get it and things would be great, But God said NO and took me on an 8 month journey of hardships and trials until I finally realized that the problem was me all along, I felt entitled to something I wasn't entitled to. 

One day I was thinking, and God opened my heart and showed me he mistakes I had made. I begged him to forgive my unbelief, to change my heart and make it more like His. It began slowly, but sped up quickly. I'm not there yet but I know now that I have to trust Him completely, whether with my career, family, finances, future, relationships, anything. 

Once I had the realization that I needed to change, it happened. The doors began opening and in a matter of less than 2 weeks I was back at my old job and advancing beyond what I ever thought possible. We're not going to get rich from this position, but I have a chance to help people in there most helpless time, while making enough money to gives family what they need and a future to maybe give them what they want too. 

In numerous places the Bible tells us to do things like sell all that we own and follow Christ. I don't think we have to sell our homes, cars and possessions but the meaning behind it is that we should rely solely on our Lord in everything and that's a difficult thing to do if we are more concerned about things here than eternity. Part of being a husband, father, and man is providing the necessities that my family needs, that's my job, that's a true calling of EVERY father or husband. My work only provides a means to do so. We don't have to sell all our possessions but if we did I guess we would have no choice but to trust on him fully, that's why it's crucial that we never stop striving to keep our hearts on line with God and His will.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (Matthew 6:20 NASB)

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:21 NASB)

"Keep your eye on the prize and look up, your redemption draws nye"