The end is near. I feel it, long for it and pray for it. I can’t wait for His return, call me selfish but I can’t help it. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is closer than most people like to admit…
“Do you think it’s gonna happen in your life time?” asks a fellow church member. “Yes I do” I answered.
“What makes you think that?” he replies.
“Look around you! If this is not the time of the rapture, I don’t want to be around when all hell breaks loose!”
Reflecting on my conversation with Don, I can’t help but be reminded of the obvious decadence that surrounds us today. Granted I’m only forty years young, I vividly remember better days. Days when chewing gum in school was a terrible offense while today, teachers are asked to deal with kids bringing guns to school, widespread taxing as school yard bullies went from tough to plain abusive. This world is coming to an end!
But don’t just take my word for it, look to the word of God. The Bible gives us numerous descriptions of the people at the time of the end which fit the people of today perfectly, but did not fit the people of fifty years ago. Here are some:
Some will depart from the faith and go into devil worship: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1)
People will mock the last days and not believe: “Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4)
People will become lovers of themselves: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-6)
Another frightening prophecy found in the bible states that the Lord will destroy those who wage war against His people in troubling ways: “And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will smite all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they are still on their feet, their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot in their mouths.” (Zechariah 14:12)
But what exactly IS going to happen next? First, the Rapture, then the Tribulation.
The Rapture will be the instant removal from the earth of all living people that have been born-again as evidenced by their fruits. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
All the unbelievers, the lukewarm Christians, and those that did not obey the Gospel will be left to face the dreadful Tribulation, a 7 year period where hate, murder, thefts, rape, and every imaginable form of evil will abound.
One-third of trees are burned up. All green grass is burned up. One-third of the sea will become blood. One-third of the creatures in the sea will die. One-third of the ships are destroyed. One-third of the waters become wormwood (or poisoned, or radioactive). Massive famines, increased earthquakes, and more diseases will face those who did not ascend to Heaven during the Rapture.
The good news is those left alive will have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their savior through the preaching of God’s chosen 144,000 faithfuls; however, death by decapitation lies ahead for most that put their trust in Jesus, unless they renounce their faith.
Those who do not receive Christ and repent their sins will burn eternally in hell after suffering through the earth’s destruction during the Tribulation.
With this in mind, the smart thing to do is make sure you have a relationship with Jesus Christ! If you are born again, I invite you to walk the walk and be all that God intended you to be. If you have not already accepted Christ as your Lord and savior, follow this link and find out how a simple prayer can make a difference in your life… Let’s pray!
Father God;
We thank you for your blessings in our lives
And for the promises you have made in your word the bible,
We ask you to strengthen our faith in you
And drive us to seek eternal life with you in heaven.
Lord father we ask that you continue to look over us
To shine your light bright on our friends and our families,
And pray you will provide answers to all those
Who question you, your son Jesus Christ and our own origin.
We pray you will inspire unbelievers
To accept you as their Lord and savior,
So that their souls are lifted up to you in Heaven
Rather than burn in hell for all eternity.
God we love you and thank you for all that surrounds us!
Praise God,
Amen!
This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
Email: DanielStPierre@ThriveThroughChrist.com
