Pre-Trib Rapture

My understanding of the rapture is that the Lord could come at any time to take those who are looking for him up to heaven. We will be changed into his image, we will be like him. Following this we will accompany him back to earth for a thousand years as he is king, the devil is bound and placed in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness now and given things to do. Many will be kings and priests in the Thousand year reign. Following this satan is loosed again, many of the children of Adam with his sinful nature will follow him as he comes against the king in Jerusalem. Fire will fall from heaven and satan will be thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and false prophet. Then comes the final judgment, the resurrection of the dead that are not in Christ. We in the first resurrection will not receive the wrath of God. The rapture removes us before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

Perhaps the greatest proof that the rapture does not occur after the tribulation and after the wrath of God is that there will be people alive on earth during the thousand year reign of Christ. If all the bad are removed and the good raptured, then there would be no humans left living in flesh on the earth. The only way the post tribulation rapture would work is if it would be selective, taking some :"super Christians" and leaving some others on earth. One more concern is that too many are expecting the Lord to come to take them out of their problems. This is an American trait. The Christians who are being mutilated and murdered in many terrible antichrist places are leaving as martyrs. Many Christians felt betrayed because of  persecution and killing of them in past wars. The Bible says that the godly shall be persecuted. We need to toughen up, trusting the Lord, even if things get bad and we are martyred.Will we stay the course? The promise is that the wrath of God will not be on us, whether by death or rapture we will be in Christ. This is our hope and promise. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Eaglewings Ministries

The Righteous

Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

1 Tim 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Being faithful is important, and being called, we are enabled to do His work by his grace. God called the twelve disciples, and equipped them for ministry.

Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Paul was the last of the apostles to be called.

1 Cor 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Tim 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Thinking he was serving God by being zealous for his law keeping, he destroyed God's children, in ignorance.

1 Tim 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Our righteousness is by faith in Jesus.

1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

If Saul can be saved, so can we. We should not write people off, but rather pray for them, that they might hear and receive the word of faith and be accounted as righteous in Christ Jesus. Paul was given a ministry to the Gentile nations and with the calling was the promise of suffering with God's grace. The faithful will also suffer and be persecuted and more so in days to come, for Jesus is coming back for his righteous and  faithful Church.

Three things that are needed

2Ti 2:1  Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I started the day playing trombone duets with Bob. He brought some music with extremely high notes to be  played in harmony. He said in order to play this music it requires three things: practice, practice and practice. I quipped to him, "what about chance"? He laughed. But, how many of us lack the discipline to do what is required of us? Instead of study and practice, we leave it to chance and call it spiritual.  Now I am in dangerous territory. The truth is  if we are in Christ we can do nothing apart from God's spirit. We receive a lot of grace, yes and even grace when we fail. In an earlier testimony I mentioned wasting a lot of time seeking the wrong goals. When we are on the right path, then it is a joy. We should not be slack and lazy in our walk with the LORD. The apostle Paul put all of his effort into bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. He had much success but also much pain and persecution. Can we stand the pain? the persecution? We must, if we are to stand for Jesus. Our pastor has related a message from Billy Graham on being successful as a Christian; pray, pray and pray. Then we can put to practice what we learn from God's word.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

That fox

Luk 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Certain Pharisees warned Jesus to depart because "Herod will kill you." Was that a warning or a threat? Many of the Scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus to be killed. It was nearing the time that Jesus would finish his reason for coming, he would soon be crucified, shedding his blood for our sins. When the end of this age draws near, the Herod's of the world will seek to kill those who serve the Living God. Persecution is a promise for the godly.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Jesus would continue his work. Go tell that fox, behold I cast out demons. He had the power to deliver people from satan's captivity. "I do cures to day and tomorrow". Cures, iasis: the act of healing and curing the sick. Jesus cured the entire body and he would bring salvation "on the third day", referring to his resurrection from the grave. On the cross Jesus would say "It is finished". Our salvation was paid for and his work at that time was done. His resurrection showed us the proof that he had power to give eternal life to those who believe on his name. Jesus is the way of salvation.

The Herod's today are controlled by that fox, the devil. He is sly and subtle, sneaking around to terrorize the hens in the chicken coop. Get out of the chicken coup and soar like an eagle.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We are to use our Spiritual power from on high and remain faithful until Jesus returns for us.