I heard the rapture is supposed to be really soon!

xdisciplex,
I thought you were sincere? I can tell you are seeking God because your questions here on the BB. If everyone was measured by how much they do to get to heaven then the 2 bible verses in Eph would need to be taken out. (We won't do that!)

Eph 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.


Now there might be those who are religous but not saved that might stay? But the word "saved" means saved. No matter where you are at in your christian walk with the Lord, you are saved by the blood and covered by the blood. So don't be scared. If you need to be scared be scared for those who don't know Jesus. Because wether its a pre-trib, post-trib, or mid-trib rapture I couldn't imagine how those people would manage.

 

you can always turn to God and "be saved". Read 2Peter 3. He waits to destroy the world "a second time by fire" because "HE is not willing for ANY to perish but for all to come to repentance".

TODAY "while it is called today" Heb 4 - "harden not your heart". The Spirit calls "today" saying "repent and be baptized" while it is still "today".

in Rev 3 Christ says "I stand at the door and knock IF anyone hears my voice AND OPENS the door I WILL come in".

The offer is there - but the day comes when it is all over. In 1Thess 4 we see the first resurrection and rapture of the church when Christ appears in heaven.

in Rev 19-20 wee see the appearing of Christ - desctruction of the world and in Rev 20:4-5 we again see the "First resurrection" that happens at Christ's appearing.

But you have to be ready now - those who wait until the end - for the sky to "split" apart before accepting Christ will be too late according to 2Thess2.

There we see that mankind is now dividing up between believers and those who will be "deceived because in this life they did not receive a LOVE of the truth".

Strong delusions await mankind at the end of time according to Matt 24 and 2Thess 2. Waiting until the very end to "clearly discern events" will be too late.

In John 14 Christ said "I AM the way THE TRUTH and the life". Love of the TRUTH today is Love of Christ today. REJECTION of TRUTH today is rejection of Christ "today".

Having said all that - we are in fact at the end of time. All prophetic timelines have now been fulfilled. The only prophecies left (aside from the 1000 year time between the first resurrection and the 2nd in Rev 20) have no timelines associated with them that can be predicted.

In Daniel 2 you have a very simple model - 4 world empires were to arise from the time of Babylon. Then a mixed-world where there is no world empire and then in the days of those kings - God destroys ALL kingdoms of earth and sets up His OWN.

That same sequence is "spelled out" in "increasing detail" throughout the rest of the book of Daniel.

In Dan 12 at the very end we are told that at the very end of time there will be knowledge explosion - rapid increases in science "knowledge shall be increased" and this will be marked by rapid and extreme modes of transportation as compared to the earlier ages of mankind "men shall travel to and fro".

In Dan 8 there is a 2300 year timeline pointing to the end of time. It has already completed.

The Message of Rev 14 to the world "Repent for the hour of HIS judgment HAS COME" has already gone out to the world. That hour has already come. That final judgment sequence has already begun.

But still it all just gets down to the idea of more sirens, louder sirens all sounding around the Heb 4 instruction "TODAY" while it is called TODAY - harden not your hearts - turn to God - be saved - because someday soon - it WILL be too late.

In Christ,

Bob

 

It is pretty fascinating that God predicted that the city of Babylon would never be rebuilt. Then Sadam decided to "rebuild it" then Sadam -- went the way of the Dodo bird.

He also predicted in Dan 2 that the kingdoms of Europe would never coordinate together under one empire again after the 4 empires ended. They would never align agina under one entity until the end. NOW they are trying to do just that.

Hmmm.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Parable of the Ten Virgins

Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

You mean these virgins who didn't have the oil to start with? (to me its like these floolish virgins were the ones not saved. The reason why I say that read down to verse 12 (He knew them not.)

Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 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.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 

The foolish virgins were ALL Christians, they all professed to know God, they ALL had their lamps (Bible) "The WORD is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"...

The foolish virgins did not have any oil with their lamps. The oil represents the Holy Spirit. You cannot understand the Bible without God's Spirit.

The foolish virgins did not know God, they didnt commune with God.

Therefore when Jesus comes foolish virgin Christians will not be ready. They wont be able to light the way for anybody before Jesus comes because they have no real light themselves. You cant give what you dont have.

But all the 10 virgins profess to be Christians, not all who profes to be Christians will be savd.

Claudia

 

xdisciplex:

I dont know what kind of Christians you have ben hanging around but it seems to me that they are not influencing you in a very good way.

You always seem to be acting out of FEAR... like always afraid of doing something thats going to land you in Hell, and now afraid you wont be in the rapture, etc...

it just seems like you are motivated by fear all of the time.

Claudia

 

Claudia, I beg to differ! The 5 foolish virgins were NOT Christians. Jesus said:

Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

If they were Christians, foolish or otherwise, He would know them!

They are people who think they are saved, but in reality they are not.

Just because you said the sinners prayer and then went on your way, does not mean you are saved. They had a lamp just like the wise virgins, they waited for the Bridegroom just like the wise ones. but didn't have a clue as to what they were doing.

Some who think they are going to be raptured just won't be, and it's that simple.

But not to worry, we will, everyone of us that don't die before the rapture, go through all or part of the trib, so everyone will have more time to fill their lamps.

xdisciplex:,

You need to know that if you have Jesus, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Peace,

Tam

 

The 5 foolish virgins wern't christians. God knows his own.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Question if those 5 foolish virgins were saved wouldn't they knew they needed to bring the oil to trim their lamps in the first place. If they read the manuel (bible) they would.

EXAMPLE:
I love my husband... but when we first met I knew very little about him except I loved him and wanted to marry him. So I talked to him (just as a new christian will begin to pray and talk to God when they get saved), then I began to find out about my husband and what pleased him (just like us christans will read the bible and find out what pleases God and we try to do those things). The good news is that at least with the Lord we got the bible to read and the Holy Spirit to help us and teach us... with my hubby I found out he didn't come with a manuel and instructions were not included!

 

I don't know how badly the "Imminent Rapture" message messed me up... or, not...

I wanted to go to Bible College...

But, with the Rapture so close I didn't think I had time to go... So, I didn't...

That was almost 30 years ago... I still haven't gone... Still want to... But, with a family it is a dream lost in the murk of real life...

Yes, jesus *could* come before I finish this post.

No question about that in my mind...

But, he has called us to "Occupy til He comes"...

That means lives prepared to "fly" today... But, plan for tomorrow...

It, means give regular offerings...

But, also plan ones retirement...
(Don't give everything away because He's coming so soon...)

Because while Jesus *could* come tonight...

There is also no prophecy that says the bridegroom can't delay His coming...

In fact the parable of the Ten Virgins states that the bridegroom **did** delay His coming!

And, if He delays another 5, 10 or 25 years we need to be prepared. And, actively involved... Occupying...

Mike Sr.

 

I don't want to go through the rapture to "fill my lamp". Why can't I fill my lamp now? I wanted the baptizm of the holy spirit so often and I've been to various christian pastors and leaders to be prayed for but nothing happened. I didn't feel anything and there also was no change. I didn't get the speaking of tongues and I also didn't become enthusiastic or courageous like the disciples, what's wrong with me?

You don't have to talk in tongues to be filled with the Spirit. All you have to do is realize you need Jesus because He is the only one who can save you. The preacher preachin can't save you, the water in the baptizmal can't do it, speaking in tongues won't prove a thing either. (Those on this board know that I am a Spirit Filled person and I do talk and pray in tongues. If they didn't they do now. )
The day you get saved you are filled with the Holy Spirit. (whether you speak in tongues or not, it has nothing to do with proof that your a Christian) Right now learn all you can about Jesus. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:

BTW, For some reason I feel you are being given some doctrine that is confusing you? Is there any Baptist churches in Germany? My sister is stationed over in Germany and is a Baptist, but not sure where they go to church. I just feel you need to get grounded in the Word first and get some strong roots in the bible basics (salvation, baptizim, christian living "and not religion", putting on the armor of God ect...) Then you tackle the other stuff.
I just hope that this makes since for you and that I'm not offending you in any way or confusing you? I know what its like because I was in your shoes 7 years ago. (Before that I wore out the carpet on the church isles to get saved.) Then one day I found Jesus in my house (not at church) flat on my back waiting for a cyst to swell big enough to have surgury (that I didn't want). I was on my lounger listening to Joyce Meyer on the T.V. (The year prior I would read along in my King James verson as she read out of the Amplified version of the bible). That day she preached on salvation and healing and at the end of the program she asked if there was anyone who needed to be healed. (I did) So I started to pray a prayer with her and in the middle of it I realized it was the sinners prayer...My brain said "Hey this is the sinners prayer"... my heart said "Yes I know but I need Jesus". Not only was I saved that morning , but and hour later I was up walking around and the cyst that before was the size of a baseball was gone! This may not happen to everyone who recieves Jesus as Lord of their life. But I no longer feared if I was saved or not, because from that day on I knew!

 

M4H,

I'm with you!

I'd rather he attend a Baptist church than get mixed up with some *really* weird doctrine...

There are far too many Spiritual Lone Rangers out there...

Too bad half of them can't tell the good guys from the bad guys!

Mike Sr.

 

You are correct that all "Christians" are not raptured - only the ones that are truly saved at the time of Christ or at the time they died.

However in parable of the foolish virgins ALL "at one time HAD" the oil of the Spirit of God. All were at one time saved - but 5 lost that salvation prior to the coming of the bridegroom.

See your thread on Matt 5 for more details.

-- Read Matt 24 to see a perfect end time sequence given to us by Christ that is exactly perfect! the "great tribulation" is shown to be BEFORE the rapture in that chapter.

The 1Thess 4 rapture event includes the "first resurrection" and begins the 1000 years according to Rev 20.

The tribulation spoken of in Matt 24 is the great tribulation and the coming of Christ in Matt 24 is the "real coming of Christ". Read it - it is all right there.

We can "trust Christ" to get it right!

In Christ,

Bob

 

The Bible does not say that.

However many have "supposed" that we will have 6000 years of earth history (sin and the fall of mankind) with the 7th 1000 year segment being in heaven. That is just a guess not an actual Bible prophecy.

1600 years before the flood. 2400 years from the flood to Christ. 2000 years from Christ to the end. (at least that is one way it is said to work out). In any case - I don't doubt that we are near the end even if an exact 6000 year count is not the exact timeline.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Especially if the "Age of Grace" is the "Parenthetical Clause" in Bible Prophecy some believe it is...

If so...

No man knows the day or the hour because the Age of Grace is indeterminate in length...

Lasting until the full number of Gentiles come in...

Only the Father knows this number or time frame...

And, apparently, He's keeping it very close to the vest, so to speak...

Mike Sr.

 

Tammy,

Ok I shouldve said they are PROFESSED Christians or claim to be Christians... but not real ones, otherwise they'd of known Jesus and He'd of known them.



Claudia