“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 4:16-17)
“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.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive (rapture) you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
“Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
The Lord is coming again, and He said of the times and the seasons we know but that of the day and the hour no one knows for the Lord comes as a thief in the night. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:36-39)
Testimonial of Contributor
I was about to take an afternoon rest on my bed one afternoon when I experienced an encounter (a direct momentary meeting) with the Lord. My body and spirit were caught up in the clouds with my right hand extending upwards into the clouds. The Lord said to me “no fear” and gave me a glimpse of His right side glowing up in the air. He showed me the bottom of His robe and it was white without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. The Lord said very softly “receiving” and immediately my body and spirit were sent back to my bed. The Lord raised me up from my head to my stomach and spoke through me saying “The Rapture is at the Door!!” And instantly a burst of joy came over my entire body. The experience is indescribable. Then the Lord revealed in my mind Matthew 24:36 and said, “no one knows the day or the hour” and He very quickly took me to 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and said, “I come as a thief.”
Then I heard a sound like a rushing wind leaving my room and ascending upward on that beautiful day.
My body became a glorified body to be able to go through the roof of my home. For my body and spirit were snatched up into the clouds by the Lord. We do well to pay careful attention to this testimonial of a servant of the Great High Priest. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42)
“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” (Matthew 24:43-44, 46)
Are You Ready?
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. After the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:1-13)
“Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:40-43)
My friends, what was Noah’s day like? The Son of God stated several things about Noah’s days. Wickedness was widespread. But it is written of Noah, “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).
In the evil days in which we now live the rapture is at the door. The gift of salvation is the only door leading to God. Jesus Christ said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). By dying on the cross, Christ became the open door for all who would believe in Him. The door of God was closed to us because of our sins. But Jesus Christ was judged in our place; however, if you do not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you will perish and face God’s judgment.
In Noah’s day there were people who may have helped him build the ark including his daughter-in-law’s family members but when the flood came, they were also destroyed. There were those who heard Noah preached about the flood but did not enter the ark of safety because they were afraid of what the others would say. Many people today have heard the
invitation to come to Christ and have decided not to take the next step. However, after the art
was completed, God delayed closing the door of the ark for another seven days. “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth” (Genesis 7:4). In other words, God told
Noah to give the people yet another seven days to repent and enter the ark of safety as the only means of salvation at that time. However, the people of Noah’s day did not heed God’s final call. And the people knew not until the flood came. After the seven days were all the
foundations of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:10-12). God’s period of grace had end.
My friends the Lord is coming again. He said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12-13) Receive the Lord Jesus Christ now as your own personal Savior. “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.” (Hebrews 10:37)
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming the Lord is at hand (near).” (James 5:8) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peters 3: 9)
Are We Living in the End Times?
The Disciples ask: ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, an of the end of the age?’ “And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrow.’” (Matthew 24:3-8)
Testimonial of Contributor
While at work in 2001, there was a brief announcement on my radio stating that America had drop the bomb in Afghanistan. Immediately, God the Holy Spirit said, “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 34:8) and tears came streaming down my eyes. This was the saddest day of my life beside the death of my beloved mother in 2011. From 2001 until 2007, I began to have dreams and visions of things to come such earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, demonic procession, wickedness in high places, and wars with many buildings and homes destroyed all around.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive any. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24: 9-12)
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24: 14, 21-22)
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24: 42, 44)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Matthew 8:18)
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed way.” (Revelation 21:1, 4)
Testimonial of Contributor
I received a telephone call from my mother in 1978 telling me to come home immediately and stating that my beloved grandmother was extremely ill. While I was on a bus in route to my mother’s home to see my grandmother I began weeping with much sorrow and the Lord spoke to me from heaven saying, ‘Weep no more for she is in paradise.’ Immediately my tears and sorrow were wiped away and the Lord let me hear thousands upon thousands of voices praising Him in paradise. Their words of praise I could understand in my own language and instantly all pain came forth from my spirit. And the Lord anointed my head, and I was overflowing with love, joy, peace, and happiness. Immediately, I remembered, Psalm 23: 5 “You anoint my head with oil; and my cup runs over.” When I arrived at my mother’s home, I shared the exact words the Lord God said to me.
How to be Ready
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’” (John 3: 3, 5, 16-17)
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ …” (Titus 2:11-13) To be ready for the rapture you must be born again and brought into the Lord’s household. If you are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, you can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will return for you at the time of the rapture.
Are you ready to meet the Lord, should He come today? You can be if you are willing to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“… and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7)
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)
“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:18-19)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
“And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So, they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (Acts 16:30-31)
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)
“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10, 23)
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3)
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
“Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24)
Sinner’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sins, and I ask You to forgive me. I open the door of my heart and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life and begin making me that person You want me to be. Thank You, Lord Jesus for saving me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
“You shall mediate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
Your daily walk with the Lord should include reading your Bible every day; talking to God in prayer daily and finding a church where the Bible is taught as the Word of God. Life is short but eternity is forever!! “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work. ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” Amen. (Revelation 22:12-14, 21).
Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
By
Constance A. Burns, NAAV Volunteer Contributor for Moments of Meditation, Scripture Readings, and Spiritual Wellness email: info@naavets.org.