To you, with love

My Princess,

I see you when you are in the garden of grief, My princess. I hear your cry for help in the dark hours of the night. I Myself cried out in the garden the night I was betrayed. In My suffering, I asked My Father for another way—a less painful way. Yet I trusted His will and purpose for My life and knew the ultimate victory was at the cross.

Just as olives must be crushed to make oil, I poured out My life as a love offering for you. Don’t ever doubt that I am with you and that I long to take you to a place of comfort, peace, and victory. Even when you cannot see Me from where you are, I am working on your behalf. Give to Me the crushing weight of your circumstances, and come to Me in prayer.

When it is time to leave the garden, I will walk with you across the valley and straight to the cross—where your trials will be transformed into triumph.

Love,
Your Savior and your Victor

“For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when our endurance is fully developed, you will be strong
in character and ready for anything.”
~JAMES 1:3-4~

Sheri Rose Shepherd ~~Jennifer

Jesus Will Rapture Only Faithful Believers... Is That Biblical?

What will be the next big event on God's Calendar?

The short answer to this question is The Rapture Of The Church. 

This is a moment in time when the Church (The Body of Christ) will be instantly removed or transported  from  the earth to heaven before the Great Tribulation(1 Thessalonians. 4:16,17). 

The rapture will include all living Christians regardless of their spiritual temperament.  The test on whether a believer will be raptured is not in the believers present behavior... it is solely in the finished work of the Savior at the cross.  it is not one'sspiritual condition... but their spiritual position in Christ that assures their inclusion in the rapture of the Church.   

When will this Happen?  Possibly Today!  It is imminent. 

Who will the participants be?
a. Jesus Christ - 1 Thess. 4:16a
b. The Archangel - 1 Thess. 4:16b
c. The Dead In Christ - 1 Thess. 4:16c
d. The Living In Christ - 1 Thess. 4:17

Who will be left behind?   All who rejected Jesus Christ.

What are we to do now before the Rapture?     Note 1 Thessalonians 5
a. Learn The Word of God - 1 Thess. 5:1,2
b. Discern The Times - 1 Thess. 5:3,5
c. Concern For Sinners - 1 Thess. 5:6,9

The rapture of the Church is imminent. Pure consciousness of this reality is essential in bringing the gospel to the world in which we live with a greater sense of urgency.

Where in the Bible do we find the word rapture?

The word rapture is an old English word which means to be caught away. The word itself is not in our King James Bible, but the definition of the word is there. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 we read. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain SHALL BE CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.   Notice: Caught Up... is the meaning of the word rapture.

Jesus Christ IS coming! The rapture of the Church is imminent. Pure consciousness of this reality is essential in bringing the gospel to the world in which we live with a greater sense of urgency. As Believers, we are not here for our own ambitions, we are here for God's ambition, and the two are not compatible.

Apathy becomes the strain of our spirituality for those of us who are not impressed with the imminent return of Jesus Christ. This is very dangerous!  Why?   Disillusionment sets in as we parade ourselves under the banner of self-sufficiency. The Doctrine of the Rapture inclines the Believer to reflect fervently on eternal values at heart. 

Do you want to be characterized by the deeds of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit? The rapture of the church is not just a doctrine we pet.   It is the believer's anticipation in every area of life (1 Thess. 4;16,18). All other anticipations leave us un-settled and unpredictable. Jesus Is Coming and that's a fact. Amen! 

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger