escape all these things

The Rapture of the Church – Our Blessed Hope

/ Stephanie Dawn / 5 Comments

I believe the next major prophetic event is going to be the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the transformation of living saints into resurrection bodies. This will be followed by a literal “catching away” of those who believe in Jesus, taking them to heaven.  This is commonly known as the rapture, from the Latin translation of “caught up” – rapiemur (from rapio).  The Greek word is harpazo.  Both mean “we are caught up” or “we are taken away”.

First, passages that promise to spare the saints from wrath:

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10 ESV

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  Luke 21:36 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Romans 5:9 ESV

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.  1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV

We are not destined for wrath!  God has never poured out His wrath upon His righteous ones in the past, and He won’t do so in the future either.  How is God going to spare us from wrath?  It’s all a part of the gift of resurrection and transformation.

Second, examining the passages talking about our transformation from temporal to eternal:

Listen! I am telling you a mystery:  We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed [allasso], in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.  For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.  When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:

Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 ESV

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.  Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.  John 5:28-29 ESV
This transformation, or changing, occurs in the twinkling of an eye – instantaneously.  The dead in Christ will be transformed – rise from the grave and be united with a resurrection body.  Then, we who are alive and remain, will be transformed into our eternal bodies.  Together we will all be caught up to be with the Lord.

Third, the passages predicting the “harpazo” of the saints:

Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.  Hebrews 9:28 ESV

“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne”  Revelation 12:5 ESV (see HERE for a thorough discussion of the “birth” and rapture connection. )

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.”  John 14:1-3 ESV  (Note how Jesus will receive us unto Himself as you read the next passage)

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [received] and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken [received] and the other left.  Matthew 24:40-41; Mark 13:34-35 ESV  (Interestingly, the word used, paralambanetai, is used elsewhere to represent “received” – as in, the ones taken will be received unto the Lamb)

Fourth, passages containing the transformation, catching up, and sparing from wrath:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. [their souls] For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [their souls will rejoin with an eternal resurrection body]  Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ESV)  (The trumpet in the Old Testament (shofar) was used to summon for worship or to summon to battle.  To believers, this trumpet blast will mean – Come Up Here!  To angels, this trumpet blast will mean prepare for battle!  This is well described in Revelation 12)

As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so we were before You, Lord. We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.  Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.  Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you.  Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed. For look, the Lord is coming from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal the blood shed on it and will no longer conceal her slain.   Isaiah 26:17-21 ESV

Fifth, Other Passages Where People are Harpazo’d:

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried [harpazo] Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.  Acts 8:39 ESV

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up [harpazo] to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.  And I know that this man was caught up [harpazo] into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—  and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.  2 Cor 12:2-4 ESV

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force [harpazo] and bring him into the barracks.  Acts 23:10 ESV

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch [harpazo] them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch [harpazo – pluck, seize] them out of the Father’s hand.  John 10:28-29 ESV

Sixth, Salvation Before the Day of the Lord:

Note that God’s WRATH begins at the Day of the Lord.  The Day of the Lord is not defined by “tribulation” or “great tribulation” or “greatest tribulation”, but by God’s wrath encompassed in the Trumpets and Bowls.  It begins once the Yom Kippur ceremony has been performed in heaven (at the end of Seal 7).  The “greatest tribulation” that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24 comes from the antichrist, who will be seated in the Temple proclaiming to be “god”.  We will also be spared from this “greatest tribulation”, but that’s not why we are spared.  We are spared from God’s wrath.  This is shown in Acts 2, when Peter quotes Joel 2:

And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Note that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved – when?  BEFORE the day of the Lord comes.  Seal 6 marks this event:

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,  and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.  Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”  (Revelation 6 ESV)

Who can stand?  Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord can stand.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  (Revelation 7 ESV)

Church age believers will be snatched up into the Day of Christ, while those left behind on earth will continue on into the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

Summary:

I truly believe the scriptures above speak for themselves.  God has not destined us for wrath, but for salvation.  We are supposed to encourage one another with the words of our blessed hope – that we will be changed and received (snatched, seized by force, suddenly and without our consent) unto Jesus, to be with Him forever.  We will be worthy to escape all these things that are coming upon the earth, through the blood of the Lamb.  Yes, the church age is one of trials and tribulations.  But God clearly is not going to pour his time of intense wrath and judgment upon His children.

As far as WHEN?  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  2 Peter 3:9 ESV

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

Recommended Rapture Resources:

From Gotquestions:

  • What is the Rapture of the Church? https://www.gotquestions.org/rapture-of-the-church.html
  • What is the Blessed Hope? https://www.gotquestions.org/amp/blessed-hope.html
  • What is the Difference Between the Rapture and the Second Coming?  https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-Rapture-Second-Coming.html

From Jack Kelley, GraceThruFaith:

 

From Unsealed:

From John MacArthur:

From Scottie Clarke:

Dispensations:
1. Dispensationalism (GraceThruFaith) – https://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/dispensationalism-2/
2. 7 Dispensations (Gotquestions) – https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-dispensations.html
Jewish Wedding / Rapture Parallel:
Feasts of God:
Biblical Holidays (Hebrew4Christians) – http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/holidays.html
Day/Hour Unknown Discussions:
2. Responses to the Day/Hour – Https://rev12daily.blogspot.ca/2017/06/day-nor-hour-responses.html?m=1
4. Day/Hour is About Intent – http://watchfortheday.org/know.html
That Day Will Not Come Until:
10 Virgins Parable:
NO partial rapture, all true believers will go:
Scoffers and Mockers will come from WITHIN the church:
Will Children Be Raptured?
(we are not specifically told, but many scholars believe they will be)
In the Beginning, God Gave a Glimpse of the End:
BOOKS – When God Intervenes (Douglas Berner); God’s Challenge (Douglas Berner); Free Online free eBook Red Moon Rising (Peter Goodgame) – http://www.redmoonrising.com/RMRbook/contents.htm

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details, some of which I think might need to be adjusted slightly.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

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What Must I Do To Be Saved?

/ Stephanie Dawn / 2 Comments

God calls us.

We experience that call as an inkling in our heart that maybe there really is a God… Maybe I should find out about Him…

You may be on this page because you have felt that need, that calling.  If you aren’t sure of your faith, if you don’t know what to believe or are confused about how to believe, please message me.

Many people who study Bible prophecy believe that certain events *may* be fulfilled very soon, which *suggests* that Jesus Christ will call all true believers in Him up into heaven in order to protect them from what is going to happen on earth.  Some of you may know you will be called, and are eagerly watching and waiting for this event.

What about you? Do you KNOW you will be called?

There is a once-in-human-history chance to get a bypass-death card. It also is the ONLY opportunity to ESCAPE what is going to come upon this earth. Global earthquakes. Famine. Infectious disease. Asteroids. Toxic water. Volcanic eruptions. Starvation. Wars. Economic collapse and controls.

Who will have the strength to escape the coming wrath of God on earth?  The short answer is that everyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead – these will be saved.  The true Church – the invisible body of Christ, all who are born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit – will escape all these things!

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only the one who believers that Jesus is the Son of God.  1 John 5:4-5 ESV

I have been challenged that if I believe in God and in His signs, that I should warn others. I cannot live with the thought that others may suffer if I remain silent.

The God who made you, the God who loves you more than you can comprehend, is reaching out to YOU today, to rescue YOU.

 

The purpose of this life is knowing God.

God made humanity for his pleasure, and it was always supposed to be a mutual relationship.  We messed it up, on our end.  So now the whole point of our lives is finding God – and being reconciled to him in relationship.  If we miss this, we miss the entire point of our existence.  Nothing else we accomplish matters if we don’t get this right.

If you do not know Him personally, then right now, God is calling you.  He has chosen you for this time, and for this purpose.  You, and many of those around you, are spiritual orphans.  God wants to adopt you into His family.  Viewed another way – you, and those around you, are drowning in a sea of deception.  God is offering you a lifeboat.  Will you get on board?  Will you be His witness?

Satan will soon be handed the reins of the earth and will be permitted to unleash his ultimate deception upon it.  Make no mistake, he’s been planning this for thousands of years and it’s going to be quite the show.  But satan is evil to the core – he is the father of lies.  He hates you, and he particularly hates any interest you show in Jesus Christ.  He wants nothing more than to see your eternal torment.

Your soul is never going to die.  While your body lives, you have the free will to choose your eternal destiny.   God is offering you salvation by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.  The price has already been paid; the gift has been purchased.  God is offering it to you – will you take it?

Salvation Summary

You have done things that have broken God’s laws – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Even one wrong thing carries the death penalty in God’s eyes – “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Seeing yourself as lost and wanting to do something about it, is called “repenting”.

The only way to do anything about it is through Jesus Christ – Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)

The Bible makes it clear that every sin has to be punished by death and paid by the penalty of innocent blood. Jesus lived a perfect life on Earth – though He lived as a man under God’s Law, He never broke the Law. This qualified Him to take our sins upon Himself to become a perfect sacrifice. Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for us. His blood paid the price required by God for our sins.

“But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

It doesn’t end there, though. On the third day, Jesus was raised to life, to a new eternal body. When we join God’s spiritual family, we, too, will get a new eternal body someday.

“the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord” (Romans 3:23)

We chose to sin and Jesus chose to be a “sin-bearer” and take God’s wrath for us. God offers an all-inclusive “forgiveness slip” to every human on earth. If we believe what God has said about us (we are totally lost and have no hope of saving ourselves), and what He has done to fix it (Jesus is the only way as a Savior), we can obtain this “forgiveness slip”. We can ask God for Jesus’ payment to be applied to our account. This allows us to be declared innocent and sin-free in God’s Eyes – the debt we owed for our crimes is paid. Salvation is a change in legal standing before God – from “guilty” to “not guilty”. Jesus didn’t just pay PART of our debt, or even MOST of it, leaving some on the tab for us. He paid our ENTIRE debt.

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

When you say Jesus is Lord, this means you believe He is God and as your Creator, He deserves to be Lord of your life. When you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you accept that what the Bible teaches about Jesus is true and that His death paid the price for your wrongdoings.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Say something like this to God (called prayer):

“Heavenly Father, I have broken your rules and I’m so sorry. It is against You that I have sinned. Please forgive me through the blood of Jesus Christ and wash away my sins. Come into my heart and seal me with Your Holy Spirit. Change me and make me alive in Christ. Help me now to walk with You until my very last breath.  Amen”

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 ESV)
If you asked God to forgive you, and have chosen to follow Him, you are now part of His family.   Your adoption has been finalized and you are “born again”!  God has given you a clean slate.  It’s now time to learn more about Him, grow your relationship with Him, and choose to obey Him.   It’s like any relationship – it takes time and dedication!

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Romans 10:13 ESV

 

Detailed Salvation Plan

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV)

1. Know How God Sees You

God loves you, and has known you from before the creation of the world.  He knew there would be a “you”.  You were created specifically to be in His family, in relationship with Him.  So, what’s wrong?  Why does it feel like God doesn’t care – that He is absent?
The answer is sin.  Sin separates us from God.  Sin is anything we think, say, or do that goes against God’s laws.  This world is broken because people are trapped in sin.  Our sinful choices affect ourselves, each other, and even entire generations and societies.  God has given us free will to choose to do as we please, and many times, people choose sin.
What is the Law of God? In the Bible, God has given many instructions for living right before Him. These include the 10 Commandments among others. But apart from the Bible, God has written His commands on human hearts, which we refer to as “conscience”.  Our conscience is what tells us that murder is wrong.  It is what makes us angry at injustices, abuses, and crime.  We know we violate our consciences.  The telltale signs are lying about it, hiding it (doing it in secret), or covering it up.  This is how God can hold us as being without excuse.  
Above all, God tells us to love Him with all our soul, heart, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  If you love anything in your life more than you love God (or a fellow human being), you have broken this command.  Whenever you do anything you know you shouldn’t (lying, gossiping, pornography, stealing, cheating, sleeping around, saying “Oh my God”, disobeying your parents, etc), it is “sin”.  We hold ourselves up to God’s standards and see that we fall hopelessly short.  We’ve blown it, many times, and we know it.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV)
You may ask – What if people choose to be good?  Our human condition can be compared to a drop of poison in a glass of water.  Whether there is one drop or many drops, the water is still poisoned.   There are many non-religious and religious people who are good and kind.  But no matter how “good” we are, we aren’t perfect.  God’s law requires us to be perfect. Here is a wonderful article discussing how Jesus explains our inability to save ourselves.
God’s laws are a mirror, to reflect back to us where we have failed.  Ask God to show you how lost you are.

  2.  Know Where You’re Headed

 You know you’ve sinned, you’ve broken God’s laws.  So what does that mean?
Our physical bodies die someday.  However, God created humans to be eternal.  That means the part of you that’s “you” – your spirit/soul – is going to live on forever.  God says that He has “placed eternity in the hearts of men” – deep down, we know that physical death is not the end.  When you die, you will stand before God and give an account of EVERYTHING you have done while alive.  Everything done in the darkness and secret will be brought to light before Him (and perhaps before the angels and the rest of humanity as well).  Everything you do is recorded in a book.

According to God, breaking even one of His laws, once, results in the death penalty.

“For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV)
Death?? Isn’t that extreme?  God, as a supreme holy and righteous being, cannot tolerate any sin (breaking of the law) in His presence. God sees one sin as the same as being guilty of all sins.  That’s how high His standard is.  Unless we repair our relationship with God we will “die” for eternity.  Eternal “death” is actually eternal separation from God and others, in the “lake of fire” – a place of torment and suffering.
While your physical body is alive, you can determine the eternal destiny of your spirit.  Once your physical body dies, there are no second chances.
Yes, there are indications that there are different levels of suffering in hell, and that those who do worse things may suffer more.  However, everyone will suffer there, and God doesn’t want you to have to suffer AT ALL.

3.  Want to Change

We pursue, pursue, pursue, and when we accomplish it is exciting but also empty – now what?    The rich never have enough money, the mighty never have enough power, the beautiful always have some flaw.  We move from one thing to the next, never satisfied.  Why?  
There *is* something missing.  
God.  
We are like lost sheep – wandering around aimlessly.  Sure there are some “good things” and distractions in this world.  But when it really counts, if we lost it all, if we face a car crash or a terminal illness – what is this life about?  We were meant to live in harmony with God, our Father.  His Spirit is meant to comfort us, to guide us, to bring us love, joy, peace, and hope.  Apart from Him, everything is meaningless.
We are born into this world as spiritual orphans.  We remain that way unless we listen to God’s call and find our way home.

Once God shows you how lost you are, and what that means, you now have a choice.  You can choose to ignore Him, or you can choose to do something about it.  God wants to restore the relationship.  But you have to want to restore the relationship too.  Relationships go both ways.

A change of heart, seeing ourselves as utterly lost and wanting to do something about it, is called repentance.  Just recognizing that we do bad things (as defined by God), but not having a desire to stop, is not true repentance.  We must truly want to be changed, to be restored to right relationship with God.

 4. There’s Only One Way Out

There is nothing *we* can do to fix our “wrongness” – no good work, no sacrament, no penance.  But because God our Father loves us, He has given us a way to restore the relationship.

Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)

God does not want you to be separated from Him for eternity.  He created hell and the eternal Lake of Fire for satan and the fallen angels, NOT for humans.  But you will go there if you reject God’s rescue plan. He wants you to come back to His family.  So He sent a part of Himself, Jesus Christ, to die for you. The Bible makes it clear that every sin has to be punished by death and paid by the penalty of innocent blood.  Jesus lived a perfect life on Earth – though He lived as a man under God’s Law, He never broke the Law.  This qualified Him to take our sins upon Himself to become a perfect sacrifice.  Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for us.  His blood paid the price required by God for our sins.

“But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV)

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)

It doesn’t end there, though.  On the third day, Jesus was raised to life, to a new eternal body.  When we join God’s spiritual family, we, too, will get a new eternal body someday.

“the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord” (Romans 3:23 ESV)

5.  Turn From Yourself Towards God and Believe

We chose to sin and Jesus chose to be a “sin-bearer” and take God’s wrath for us.  God offers an all-inclusive “forgiveness slip” to every human on earth.  If we believe what God has said about us (we are totally lost and have no hope of saving ourselves), and what He has done to fix it (Jesus is the only way as a Savior), we can obtain this “forgiveness slip”.  We can ask God for Jesus’ payment to be applied to our account.  This allows us to be declared innocent and sin-free in God’s Eyes – the debt we owed for our crimes is paid.  Salvation is a change in legal standing before God – from “guilty” to “not guilty”.  Jesus didn’t just pay PART of our debt, or even MOST of it, leaving some on the tab for us.  He paid our ENTIRE debt.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10  ESV

When you say Jesus is Lord, this means you believe He is God and He deserves to be Lord of your life.  When you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you accept that what the Bible teaches about Jesus is true and that His death paid the price for your wrongdoings.

For many years I didn’t “get” the simplicity of salvation and tried to “earn” it or “prove it to myself” (by repeating the sinner’s prayer many times, trying to live morally, etc).  However, salvation is not about anything we DO, but about what Jesus has already DONE.

We can’t earn it or maintain it in any way – we are not and will not ever be worthy of salvation.  The critical element is faith.  Faith in Jesus’ provision.  Faith in His completed work for us on the cross.  That’s the beauty of God’s grace.  “It is finished”.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;  it is not from works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

Asking for Jesus’ sacrifice in our stead results in immediate salvation and sealing of the Holy Spirit.  That’s what being “Born Again” means.  We are forgiven.  We can’t accidentally lose our salvation, and God will never remove it from us.  We cannot be kicked out of the sheep fold. 

[I don’t wish to be dogmatic about it, but there is some Biblical evidence that suggests we may retain free will to reject our salvation and leave the faith by our own choice.  It’s entirely possible that those who appear to do so were never TRULY in the faith.  However, some most certainly believed and acted like they were “Christians” at one point.  It is possible that they were deceived by their hearts and lulled into a false assurance of faith.  Regardless, it is very important to examine your own heart to see if YOU are in the faith.  It doesn’t matter about the past – what about today?  Are you trusting Jesus for salvation today?]

 

Say something like this to God (called prayer):

“Heavenly Father, I have broken your rules and I’m so sorry. It is against You that I have sinned. Please forgive me through the blood of Jesus Christ and wash away my sins. Come into my heart and seal me with Your Holy Spirit. Change me and make me alive in Christ. Help me now to walk with You until my very last breath.  Amen”

6.  What Next?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 ESV)
If you asked God to forgive you, and have chosen to follow Him, you are now part of His family.   He has forgiven you, and you have a clean slate.  It’s time to learn more about Him, grow your relationship with Him, and choose to obey Him.   It’s like any relationship – it takes time and dedication!
First, talk to God.  This can seem awkward at first, but talk to Him as you would to a best friend.  Nothing fancy, no complicated words or phrases, just talk to Him.  Tell Him how you feel, what you’re doing, what questions you have, what you need.  God’s not a magic genie – he doesn’t give us things for our selfish purposes.  He wants you to see yourself in His bigger picture.  He wants you to grow in holiness, to become more like Him.  If you ask God to help you know Him better, to help you understand His word and how He wants you to live, he always answers those prayers!
Second, read the Bible.  The Bible is more precious than food or gold – find one and keep it very safe. Read it every day.  Start in the book of John, then Romans, and then read the rest of the New Testament.  Each time, ask God to help you understand what you read.
Third, try to obey God.  Ask Him to help you.  As you read the Bible, He will teach you what He wants you to do. Deliberately choose to stop doing things He doesn’t like and commands against.  Deliberately choose to allow Him to help you be more like Him – patient, kind, forgiving, joyful, serving, gentle, self-controlled, honest.  You will still struggle with doing what you don’t want to do, and not doing what you want to do.  When you sin, ask God to forgive you.
Fourth, be baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  This can be done in any body of water and can be performed by any true believer in Jesus Christ.  It should be done by full immersion (under the water) if possible.  Baptism isn’t necessary for salvation, but it is important to God as an act of obedience.  Through baptism, you symbolize your spiritual death and resurrection.  If you have an opportunity to do so, you should take it.
Fifth, try to find other Christians to spend your time with.  Our friends can influence where we are headed.  There are many Christian facebook groups where online friends can be found.  Trying to find a local church is also a good idea.  (There are so many and it’s difficult to know where to start.  Not all churches have true beliefs about the Bible and salvation.  I would recommend trying Baptist, Alliance, Gospel Churches, or Mennonite).

Sixth, teach others what you know.  As a follower of Christ, you now know the key to eternal life.  Tell others of the spiritual battle that is currently going on and help deliver them from the deception.  In this way you will literally pull them out of the flames of eternal fire!  Encourage others in the faith!  All we can do is plant seeds of the gospel and water sprouts of growth in other believers – God gives all the increase.  Never stop planting, watering, and praying!

Seventh, pray for miracles.   God’s Spirit works where the gospel of Jesus is being preached and where people are desperately seeking Him.  He WANTS to help you.  Pray for divine healing, protection, and deliverance.  That said, trials of faith are our destination.  Trust God in both the little things and the big things in life.  Put your faith in Him.

Eighth, read up!  Apart from the Bible, there are books and articles and sermons online you can learn from.  Books about growing in Christ I highly recommend are Jerry Bridges’ Pursuit of Holiness and Practice of Godliness.  This church has such wonderful articles.

7.  What if I still struggle with sin?

Even the godliest people struggle with sin – doing what we don’t want to do, or not doing what we want to do.   However, our hearts and minds are freed from being enslaved to it – if we call for help – God will provide a way out so we don’t HAVE to sin.  The trick is identifying temptation early, and halting it before we are sucked into full blown sin.

You will still sin, but you will have a desire to get back on track and restore your relationship with God (although individual sins won’t take away your salvation, it will put you out of relationship with God).  Sinning “grieves” and “quenches” the Holy Spirit who lives in your heart.  Thus, He will start to convict you of sins.  It is your job to listen to Him and follow His lead, to progress in holiness (sanctification).

8.  What if I Don’t “Feel” Saved?

If you do not feel secure in your salvation, IT IS RIGHT TO EXAMINE YOURSELF, to see if you are in the faith.

If you can continue in habitual sin without feeling remorse and guilt (even common sins like sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, gossip, lying, cheating…) then you should question whether you are saved.  The Holy Spirit will convict you of sin.

The “heart” is comprised of our mind/intellect, our emotions/feelings, and our will/actions.  We have feelings about God, we think through the facts about Jesus and the Bible, and our actions will demonstrate what we believe.  In each of these areas, we must rely on GOD to provide the faith.  We can’t make ourselves believe – we can’t force feelings, we can’t understand if our spiritual eyes are closed, and actions done on our own effort will consistently fizzle over time.  Examine if all 3 aspects of your heart are in alignment.  If not, confess that to God and pray for HIM to provide you with saving faith.  God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

 

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

Do not give up!  Do not despair!  Cling to God with all your might, no matter how things look, no matter what others are believing, no matter how you feel.  Hold on firmly in the faith until death.  Refuse to allow doubt or thoughts of giving up to creep into your mind.

 

Please, God is calling you.  He LOVES you.  He CARES what you choose.

You Are Loved  

Here are some additional resources explaining how to join God’s family:

The Redeemer (free eBook)

The Delusion of Athiesm Movie

23 Minutes in Hell (vision) – Bill Weise Testimony

Examine Yourself, to See if You are in the Faith

Are We Nearing the Time of the End?  The End of Days 

 

Read God’s Word, the Bible.  Suggested order:

  • The Gospel of John

    The Gospel of Mark

    I John

    II John

    III John

    Genesis

    Ephesians

    Galatians

    The Gospel of Luke

    The Gospel of Matthew

    I Corinthians

    II Corinthians

    Romans

    Psalms

    Proverbs

Only God’s word is infallible. Please read it for yourself to find Truth!

This isn’t a wait-and-see thing. TODAY is the day of salvation. We never know if we will be given another chance tomorrow.  Jesus is coming SOON, and will suddenly take all true believers to be with Him.  Those left on earth will face devastation and horrors never before seen by humanity.  Choose to follow Jesus TODAY.

 

WARNINGS IF THE “APOCALYPSE” HAS BEGUN:

You will be responsible for remaining faithful in the face of severe deprivation and persecution.  Plead with God not to take His Holy Spirit from you.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.  Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” (Rev. 14:12-13)

Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.  (Revelation 13:10)

You are required to act on your faith.  Anything you do for other believers is done for Jesus Himself.  Anything you don’t do for other believers you are withholding from Jesus Himself.  You will be held accountable for what you do, or what you do not do (Matthew 25).

At some point you will be required to take a certain mark on your right hand or forehead to be able to buy or sell.  It may be something that affects DNA.  If you do this, you will be eternally lost to God (Revelation 14:9-11).  You must surrender your life if necessary rather than take the mark.

It’s going to be extremely difficult, but you need to admit to your faith in Jesus before others, even if it means physical death.  “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  (Matthew 10:28).  God may have called you exactly for this purpose, and the witness of your death may plant the seeds of salvation in others.  “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”  (Mark 8:35)  Remember that God’s viewpoint is one of eternity.  Our viewpoint is often limited to the here & now.  Be encouraged:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.  Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)

What to Do if You Missed the Rapture

Commentaries on things to come:

  1. God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come
  2. God’s Mosaic – Possible Sequence of End Time Events
  3. Revelation Outline and Summary
  4. The End of the Age According to Jesus
  5. The Daniel Story
  6. The Revelation Story
  7. Revelation  (or free ebook)
  8. Daniel
  9. Olivet Discourse Overview
  10. The End of the Age According to Jesus – Matthew, Mark, Luke
  11. The Day of the Lord
  12. Daniel’s 70 Weeks
  13. The End Times According to Ezekiel
  14. The End Times According to… (all the rest)
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