The
Rapture &
End times -
Questions
& Answers
When
will Christ
return in the
Rapture?
Quoting
"Friesen,
Mel" (mel@hertzler.com>
Throughout
history there
have been
people whose
religious
focus has been
on the End
times. They
all have had
one thing in
common, that
they predict
the end to
happen within
their natural
life
time. So
far their
batting
average
.000
If I were
manager of a
team I would
not want one
of these on my
team.
-
Mel
PASTOR
MAX Answers:
Hello
Mel:
Since
you are more
taken up with
baseball and
commercial
enterprises
than with Holy
Scripture, let
me enlighten
you with
spiritual
things and the
historical
record of the
Church, the
end times and
the rapture.
ST.
PAUL WAS GIVEN
THE REVELATION
OF THE RAPTURE
- THE SECOND
COMING RETURN
OF JESUS
CHRIST
St. Paul -
unto whom was
given the
revelation of
the parousia,
gr. (return)
of Christ with
the taking up
(harpazo, gr.)
of the Church
(body of
Christ) - made
this powerful
statement
under the
direction of
the Blessed
Holy Spirit:
"For the
grace of God
that bringeth
salvation hath
appeared to
all men,
teaching us
that, denying
ungodliness
and worldly
lusts, we
should live
soberly,
righteously,
and godly, in
this present
world;
GOD
PROMISES HE
WILL RETURN IN
THE SECOND
COMING TO
RAPTURE THE
CHURCH - ALSO
CALLED
"THE
RAPTURE"
"LOOKING
FOR THAT
BLESSED HOPE,
and the
glorious
appearing of
the great God
and our
Saviour Jesus
Christ, Who
gave Himself
for us, that
He might
redeem us from
from all
iniquity, and
PURIFY unto
Himself a
peculiar
people,
zealous of
good
works."
(Titus 2: 11 -
14)
God's purpose
in laying in
our hearts the
hope of the
soon return of
our precious
Lord Jesus
Christ is a
strong
incentive to
live holy and
RIGHTEOUS
LIVES
before Him and
to win LOST
SOULS for His
Kingdom!
When the
Church loses
that
incentive, it
dies
spiritually!
No
"looking
for Jesus to
return"
nearly always
brings a
COLDNESS into
the heart,
WORLDLINESS
and SIN into
the church and
removes the
burden from
the individual
Christian to
be a firebrand
for Jesus and
a SOUL WINNER!
Mel, please
look at the
facts:
What happened
to the
Early
Church
when they got
more
interested in
politics and
games than in
looking for
the return of
Jesus? The
Roman Catholic
CHURCH
and THE DARK
AGES OF
APOSTASY !!!!
Martin Luther
said: "I
live as though
Jesus died
yesterday,
arose today
and is COMING
AGAIN
tomorrow!"
St. John
stated:
"Beloved,
now are we the
sons of God,
and it doth
not yet appear
what we shall
be: but we
know that,
WHEN HE SHALL
APPEAR, we
shall be like
Him; for we
shall see Him
as He is. And
every man that
hath this hope
in him
PURIFIETH
HIMSELF, even
as He (Christ)
is pure."
(1 John 3: 2,
3)
The Bible
admonishes:
"If ye be
risen with
Christ, seek
those things
which are
above (not
just sports,
Mel), where
Christ sitteth
on the right
hand of God.
"Set your
affection on
things above,
not on things
on the earth.
For ye are
dead, and your
life is hid
with Christ in
God.
PREPARE
FOR THE SECOND
RETURN OF
JESUS CHRIST
IN THE RAPTURE
WITH JOY &
ANTICIPATION
the
Rapture
"WHEN
CHRIST WHO IS
OUR LIFE SHALL
APPEAR, then
shall ye also
appear with
Him in
glory.
(Colossians
3:1-4)
Are you
looking for
Jesus to
return, Mel?
The Holy
Scripture
says:
"And as
it is
appointed unto
men once to
die, but after
this the
judgment. So
Christ was
once offered
to bear the
sins of many;
and UNTO THEM
THAT LOOK FOR
HIM SHALL HE
APPEAR the
second time
without sin
unto
salvation."
(Hebrews 9:
27, 28)
"For our
conversation
is in Heaven,
from whence
also WE LOOK
FOR THE
SAVIOUR, THE
LORD JESUS
CHRIST: Who
shall change
our vile body,
that it may be
fashioned like
unto His
glorious body,
according to
the working
whereby He is
able to subdue
all things
unto
Himself."
(Philippians
3: 20, 21)
Like yourself,
Mel, there
were doubters
and SKEPTICS
during the
time of the
Early
Church,
who said:
" Where
is the promise
of HIS SECOND
COMING? for
since the
fathers fell
asleep, all
things
continue as
they were from
the beginning
of the
creation."
(2 Peter 3:4)
Here is St.
Peter's answer
to them and
the same holds
true today, so
it is also my
answer to you,
Mel. There are
two reasons
why Jesus has
not yet
returned to
earth to
rapture his
church: No.
1
- He does not
reckon time
like we do and
No.
2
- He is
longsuffering,
waiting for
more people to
be saved!
"But,
beloved, BE
NOT IGNORANT
of this one
thing, that
ONE DAY is
with the Lord
as a thousand
years, and A
THOUSAND YEARS
as one day.
The Lord is
not slack
concerning His
promise, as
some men count
slackness; but
is long
suffering to
us ward not
willing that
any should
perish, but
that all men
count
slackness."
(2
Peter 3: 8, 9)
From reading
the admonition
of St. Peter,
it is evident
that he was
preaching the
Old Testament
prophets'
conception of
the Coming of
our Lord in
judgment
(verse 10),
but he refers
to St. Paul's
letters which
deals the
Rapture -
THE RAPTURE OF
THE CHURCH:
"Wherefore,
beloved,
seeing that ye
look for such
things, be
diligent that
ye may be
found of Him
in peace,
without spot,
and blameless.
Account that
the
longsuffering
of our Lord is
salvation;
even as our
BELOVED
BROTHER PAUL
also according
to the wisdom
given unto him
hath written
to you;
"As also
in all his
epistles,
speaking in
them OF THESE
THINGS; in
which are SOME
THINGS HARD TO
BE UNDERSTOOD,
which they
that are
UNLEARNED and
UNSTABLE,
wrest (twist),
as they do
also the other
Scriptures (be
careful, Mel),
unto their own
destruction.
"Ye
therefore,
beloved,
seeing that ye
know these
things before,
BEWARE lest ye
also, being
led away with
the ERROR OF
THE WICKED,
fall from your
own
steadfastness."
(2 Peter
3: 15
-17)
the
Rapture
- the Second
Coming of
Christ
ONE
DAY TO GOD IS
LIKE 1000
YEARS WITH US
- JESUS SAID,
"Behold I
come
quickly...."
Now,
that you know
how the Lord
reckons time
(one day with
Him is like
one thousand
years with
us), then you
realize Jesus
could promise:
"Behold,
I come
quickly..."
(Revelation
20: 7,12, 20)
A better
translation is
"SOON".
Two other
translations
render it
"without
delay; at
once".
Since Jesus
has been gone
for not quite
two days, we
know that His
Word is
perfect and
that he will
fulfill His
promise to
return in HIS
OWN GOOD TIME!
Mel, I close
with these
Scriptures
from the pen
of St. Paul:
"But I
would not have
you to be
ignorant,
brethren
concerning
them which are
asleep (had
died in the
faith), that
ye sorrow not,
even as others
which have no
hope. For if
we believe
that Jesus
died and rose
again, even so
them also
which sleep in
Jesus WILL GOD
BRING WITH
HIM.
"For this
we say unto
you by the
Word of the
Lord, that WE
WHICH ARE
ALIVE and
remain UNTO
THE COMING OF
THE LORD shall
not prevent
(hold back,
precede) them
which are
asleep. 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 in
the clouds,
to meet the
Lord in the
air : and so
shall we ever
be with the
Lord.
Wherefore,
comfort one
another with
these
words."
(1
Thessalonians
4: 13-
18) -
the
Rapture
"Behold,
I show you a
mystery; WE
SHALL NOT ALL
SLEEP, BUT WE
SHALL ALL BE
CHANGED, In a
moment, in the
twinkling of
an eye, at the
last trump:
for the
trumpet shall
sound, and the
dead shall be
raised
incorruptible,
and WE SHALL
BE
CHANGED."
(1
Corinthians
15: 50-52)
May
the Lord
richly bless
you, Mel.
Your servant
for Jesus'
sake,
Pastor Max
Solbrekken
2 Corinthians
4: 5