If they depart, I depart!

I have a friend who seems to have gone a wee bit off the deep end with his concern with the worsening world economy and the leadership of Obama and his loyalists. He is buying a year’s supply of food, gasoline, and supplies, and he has ordered a bunker; he is buying guns and ammo and is convinced that soon we will be under martial law and armed thugs will be roaming the countryside robbing, raping and pillaging. He is preparing to make a stand and I suppose might rename his plantation home the Alamo.

I recently asked him if he knew a good dentist in the Tallahassee area and he told me, (“half” kiddingly), to be sure and save any old gold crowns or fillings that might need to be removed and that I might need them in the days to come. I responded that perhaps I could use them to barter with him to buy some of his year’s supply of Costco food and provisions when the war begins. I also informed him that I had a good supply of water in the spring fed 80 acre Honey Lake on my property available for trade as well.

Although I am good naturedly kidding him about it, the Bible is clear that the last days will indeed be terrible. The good news is that the Christians will be removed from the earth prior to the worst of it in what is commonly known as the “Rapture”. This word is taken from the Greek and simply means, “taken away”, or “being caught up”.

The Bible states the following, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For 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 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1517).

Also, “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:4955)

Some friends told me the other day that the denomination to which they belong does not believe in the Rapture. Hmmm Do they believe that the Bible is filled with lies and some of it can be believed and some of it not? I would hope not. As we just read, the Bible is pretty plain in saying that we will be “caught up” or raptured with the Lord. My friend stated that the word “Rapture” is not in the Bible. I would think that is a strange reason for not believing in it as “Rapture” is merely a modern day descriptor of the event, but every denomination seems to have its own interpretations and resulting belief systems.

My point is that we should not just blindly accept what “anyone” says about a subject, rather read it for ourselves. We should test what is said with the Scriptures! We can all read the Bible and determine what it means without having some preacher, who may or may not understand it themselves, interpret it for us and tell us what to believe.

I am not hung up on denominations. I attend the churches that I attend because they interpret the Bible similar to the way that I understand it. I have read it and re-read it numerous times and I study it every day. If my preacher departs from teaching the Bible as it is written and adds their own flavor, I depart. If they depart, I depart. It is a big advantage to have read the Bible yourself. I highly recommend that you do so once and for all. It is God’s gift to the world. Start today by reading Romans, and then the New Testament, and then the Old.

Once finished ask yourself if the church that you are currently attending is preaching the word of God as it is written and the way you understand it and the answer will tell you whether or not you should continue attending that particular church or find a new one that preaches the word of God as written in the Bible.

If you will study the Bible, you will not be as troubled by the end times and in fact will urge them on and ask the Lord to come quickly. No doubt the world will continue to get more evil and thugs will roam the countryside robbing, raping, and pillaging just as they did after Hurricane Katrina and the antichrist will rule the world, but so what? We will be safely in paradise digging the scene with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is not to be feared Do not worry and rest in the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way