Jesus let us know when the end would come, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree (the Nation of Israel): When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So, you also, when YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS, know that it is near—AT THE DOORS! Assuredly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION (Moses said in the 90th Psalm, a generation is 80 years if by reason of strength) will by no means PASS AWAY till ALL THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE.” (Matthew 24:32-34) Wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. lawlessness abounding, the love of many will growing cold. The key to the conclusion of “all these things” happened on May 14th, 1948, 75 YEARS AGO, when Israel, for the second time in history, became a nation again. Jesus told us to, “LOOK UP and LIFT UP your heads, because YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR.“ (Luke 21:28)
So many are like this today, Paul said to those who SHOULD BE MATURE but are “spiritually weak”, “I, brethren, could not speak to you as to SPIRITUAL PEOPLE but as TO CARNAL (sarkikos: behavior, which is typical of human nature, but with special focus upon more base physical desires), AS TO BABES IN CHRIST. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE IT, and even now YOU ARE STILL NOT ABLE; for you are still (on the bottle) carnal. For where there are ENVY, STRIFE, and DIVISIONS among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
What will happen as this intensifies, “…THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. Then we who are alive and remain SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER (harpazō: catch up, snatch away, in Latin rapturo) with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD. Therefore COMFORT ONE ANOTHER (because we are NOT going through the tribulation that’s why we can be comforted) with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) Many people get all up in arms saying, “the word rapture is not in the Bible”, well, the Catholic Church affirmed the LATIN VULGATE as its official Latin Bible at the Council of Trent (1545–1563), it remained so until 1979. That is where the seemingly controversial word “RAPTURE” comes from.
LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS…AFTER YOU BOW ON YOUR KNEES AND ACCEPT CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham