Our Blessed Hope In The Rapture - Part 1

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As you look around the landscape of society today.

You notice that a lot of people are going through life as if they are going through the motions going through life wondering what's next calls were in the time period in which a lot of people are suffering due to this covert, 19 pandemic. There are people who have lost loved ones. People have had to put away spouses, children, siblings, parents, I was just watching the news earlier today a young man who was only 17 years old. Both of his parents came down with the covert, 19 coronavirus within a matter of two weeks. They both perished. So now hear this young man is at 17 years old he's an orphan. He's probably asking himself the question what does the future hold, how to why continue on with life having lost both my parents. Many people are dealing with job losses as a result of the worldwide economic shutdowns there people who have invested decades of savings and an in lifetimes of savings into businesses, only to see them go under and then we have the rioting, the racial tension the unrest looting in the streets, the spirit of lawlessness that are causing people to do things in and go out and to destroy people's businesses totally innocent businesses and people's total life savings are gone within a matter of minutes. People are struggling, wondering which way to turn what does the future hold what is there to look forward to there some who are dealing with incapacitating accidents that have left him crippled and you get the sense that something major is on the verge of taking place. I talked to a lot of people and they say it just feels like something major is about to happen. That's not to say that major things are not already happened because certainly the covert, 19 pandemic and there people out there that will debate as to whether is really as bad as what people say it is just people die but some will say will is no worse than the common flu that is out for debate, but that has had a huge impact to something major has already happened. And then when you look at the racial unrest something major has already taken place and is taken place.

People are saying it feels like something great, something major is on the verge of happening. And so, in light of that, a lot of people are suffering. A lot of people are stress. A lot of people are not enjoying life right now people are committing suicide's people are getting addicted to drugs to cope with the pain that they're living with and you asked yourself the question, where is there hope, but I want to encourage you today that there is hope for the future. I want to encourage you today that the best time of your existence is yet to come, but that is only if you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ because of for those of us who have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. There is something that the Bible calls the blessed hope that is yet coming in the future and we find it in Titus chapter 2 verse 13 looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

There is a time coming.

That is going to be a blessed hope we have a lot to look forward to.

So I want to speak with you today on the topic.

Our blessed hope in the rapture we are coming from first Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13 through 18. Again, this first Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13 through 18 and it reads, but I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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.

Therefore comfort one another with these words. Heavenly father is Lord and honor and a privilege to stand here today Lord to bring a word from you concerning the future. It is my prayer, Lord, that all things are spoken, that it shall be nothing but sound doctrine, and may you be honored and glorified in all things in the name of Jesus. Amen we are living today and what is known as the church age in the church age began when Jesus Christ following his crucifixion when he was resurrected from the dead, and he appeared to his disciples in a talk with him and before he left to send back to heaven he said establish the church. He said he will establish my church and the gates of hail would not prevail against it. So we are living in this time period known as the church age is an age that was a mystery or is a mystery to the Old Testament saints and prophets.

We are living in this time period in which we as the believers of Jesus Christ the body of Christ we are the church, not a building, not some fancy edifice that so many put so much emphasis on but is us with flesh and blood, that have the Holy Spirit living within us.

We are the body of Jesus Christ and therefore we are the church and I want to stress today that in light of what we are facing with this pandemic we shutdowns in churches have had to make adjustments to try to comply with regulations and then you see pushback going on but I want to remind you that we as people human beings with the Holy Spirit indwelling us. We are the church. The true church, not a building but we are living in this time known as the church age and a significant event is going to bring this church age to an end.

The significant event is what's known as the rapture of the church. There are many who feel like something significant is about to happen there so many there are anticipating anticipating this event known as the rapture of the church. The definition of the rapture is the state of being transported by a lofty emotion or ecstasy and expression of an ecstatic feeling often used in the plural, and also the transporting of a person from one place to another, especially to heaven. Secular R&B artist Anita Baker made us all many years ago that was called caught up in the rapture of love in many if not all of us of been there at some point in our lives. You have this love interests in this love interests causes you to stay up all night on the phone you know you have to get up early the next day and go to school or get up early and go to work but you rather stay on the phone with this love interests you know that is a price to pay.

You want to be tired, you going to be sleepy, but you read the sacrifice rest calls you are called up in the rapture of love, you know, as I think back over time periods in my life misused Los Angeles Lakers basketball fan was a time in my life in which I was only going to Ms. Los Angeles Lakers game for two reasons, either from God. Anything that was for God. God comes first in all things. So I would miss it for anything that God called me to do or for the funeral of a loved one. Any other reason.

If the Lakers were playing I was watching it.

I was not given up Los Angeles Lakers one day, I met this woman the beautiful woman and we exchange information, phone numbers, contact information, email, and lo and behold, this woman calls me just as the Los Angeles Lakers are to be golf in a playoff game now again under ordinary circumstances, I would just look at the caller ID and say well I'll call the person back at half time or after the game of the next day, but because of the fact that here is this beautiful woman called me to pick up the phone not proceeded to talk with this woman for the next three hours miss the entire game and again under normal circumstances, I wasn't given of the Lakers, but because of this love interests.

I was called up in the rapture of love. There are many of us today they get caught up in the rapture of something that we love.

There is an even greater rapture that is coming as much is this good to be caught up in the love of a of a love interest for for me to be caught up in the logo of this beautiful woman who came eventually to be my wife and the mother of my children as great as that is an even greater rapture is coming in the future and their people out there that will debate this topic. It is true the word rapture is not found in the Bible in the English translations of the Bible but it is found in the Latin Vulgate and it is derived from the Latin term meaning robbing you the Latin term. Rockier, which means to seize quickly or subtly or to snatch away, when translated into English the word called up his use so that a lot of people that will argue about this, they'll say the word is not even in the Bible, but the concept is there because I point out to people that the word Bible is not in the Bible, but we know the Bible exists is right here in front of me. The word Trinity is not in the Bible the word demon does not exist in the King James version of the Bible, but the concept is there. So I tell people well. If you have such a problem with that word then just simply save the catching away the concepts there were people get caught up in splitting hairs over things that are really not important.

One thing we must remember when it comes the rapture that there are no signs for they can happen at any moment the size that the Bible speaks of of all for the return of Christ is second coming at the end of the tribulation and as we look around today.

We already see signs happening we already see things happening in the world people are asking the questions are the signs of the times Jesus Christ when in Matthew chapter 24 when the disciples came to him and they said what would be the sign of your coming in the end of the age. He gave a long list of things to look for one of the things that he pointed out was that there would be ethnic group against ethnic group said there will be pestilences. We see that happening right here before us. But there are no signs that point to the rapture. But there are signs that point to his second coming. So what that tells me is that we are already seeing the signs beginning to take place for his coming at the end of the tribulation.

We can know that the rapture is that much nearer. Just like around the holidays when you see the signs pointing to Christmas when you see the Christmas decorations and you hear the Christmas song. You know that Thanksgiving is near. Are you ready for the rapture of the church you're listening to Brian Thomas on God for more crying as if God is not a tour around the library. There you will find articles and messages available as MP3 downloads on various topics such as salvation, Bible, marriage, and the significance of lesson just to name a few.

Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store.now let's return many people get caught up. They get sidetracked they get sidelined by different viewpoints when it comes to this topic the rapture the church the most common views that you will find is that there is the post tribulation rapture view, meaning the rapture takes place at the in the December you tribulation. There is the mid-tribulation rapture view who believe that the rapture takes place in the middle of the tribulation.

Then there is the pre-tribulation rapture view, which is the view that I personally hold because I feel like the Bible makes the strongest case, the rapture will take place prior to saving you tribulation, because the Bible says that we are not appointed to God's wrath.

He says he will keep us from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world to test.

That is, those of us who have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He will keep us from that hour of trial and there are those out there who just dismiss it as lunacy. They dismiss the rapture as we are just quacks, but is not a new concept in that there have been previous raptures that Have Already Taken Pl. in Hebrews chapter 11 verse five we find that Enoch was rapture. It tells is there Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death because God had taken him then we find a second Kings chapter 2 verse 11 Elijah this is there a chariot of fire appeared with white horses of fire and separated the two of them and Eliza went up by a whirlwind in to heaven and then our Lord Jesus Christ. In acts chapter 1 verse nine now when he had spoken these things, while they watch. He was taken up in a cloud received him out of their sites to the rapture, Israel, the rapture has already happened, but the raptors have taken place in the past were on a smaller scale but what we want to see with the rapture of the church is going to be a large skillet, which we want to see millions of people that are going to be stashed away that are going to be taken to heaven to be with our Lord. One thing I want to caution you against when it comes to this topic that I will Lord says all of that day and hour no one knows, not even the Angels of heaven but my father only in Matthew 24, 36, you will never hear me set a date. You never hear me make a prediction for when I believe the rapture will take place if you ever start hear me do that.

I want you to come and sit me down until we do not preach the gospel anymore because our Lewises no one knows the day of the hour and great harm is been done to the faith. Great harm is been done to this topic. A black eyes been given to Bible prophecy in the sense that there are those out there who have made predictions on the return of Christ that have failed me and like Louis Farrakhan, the Jehovah's Witnesses have made numerous predictions that I feel Harold camping is made numerous predictions that I feel and I want to tell you today. Anyone that is making predictions reject the doctrine of that individual because it is a false doctrine. No one can know the return of our Lord this rapture that is going to take place. This pre-tribulation rapture look back at first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 16 says, and the dealer will rise first. There will be the sounding of the trumpet and then the Lord will descend from heaven, then the dead in Christ. That is, Christians will rise from the grave. First, those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ but have dive. The Bible says they will be resurrected as glorified bodies, and it will be reunited with their souls and spirits was coming down out of heaven with Jesus Christ.

Then we who are alive, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air shall be caught up with will be rapture into the clouds and that is when we will receive our glorified bodies we were going to heaven, and from that day forward, we will forever be with our Lord.

Notice that the dead will rise first. In this because God declares each one in his own order following the death of Christ first Corinthians 1523 but each one in his own order Christ, the firstfruits after with those who are Christ's at his coming. This is the message of great hope. This is a message of great comfort. Looking forward to that day because I had loved ones that have gone on that are now their soul and spirit is in heaven. The Lord, my grandmother passed away last year and 98 years old enough I miss her dearly by routine with my grandmother was to go and visit her own Sunday afternoons and we would just talk about the Bible and we would watch preachers on television. We would just have a good time talking about the goodness of the Lord and I miss her dearly when the rapture occurs going to be the greatest reunion of all time because I will see her again in the flesh, but it won't be that 98 your body that had ailments and infirmities that that that Hilda Becker slowed her down.

The calls are to be sick. The calls her to eventually die. But no, she will have a glorified body, a perfect body that will be made for eternity's message of hope to miss is the is the message of comfort.

Paul said in first Thessalonians 413, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope is that I do not want you to be ignorant brother. I've attended many funerals throughout my life and I witness people and seeing how they were so heartbroken over the death of their loved one before I became a mature Christian, Christ is the sit and watch and think to myself how difficult it must be for them knowing they would never ever see that little one again. How can they have hope. How can they go on with life.

The grieving must be overwhelming. That's what I thought as a little boy sitting at these funerals, but as I came to grow in Jesus Christ. I started to to study and to understand his word. I realize why he said in first Thessalonians 418 two comfort one another with these words because he says that that body and that grave is not the end.

That's not the end of the story because the day is going to come when the trumpet sounds and the shout will come from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. That body is going to get up out of the grave and that body is going to go and be reunited with soul and spirit that is coming down out of heaven's message of hope is a message of comfort and I did so frustrated that churches today often times not preach on this topic because people are looking for hope. People are looking for comfort. People are looking for for things to to help them carry on with life in the midst of the heartache in the midst of the pain and we would just turn to God's word.

We find that comfort but instead the church has neglected this area. The church does not want to talk about the return of Christ. The church does not want to let us know that we are eternal begins with an eternal destination that this life on earth where we are living right now that this is not the final thing this is not all there is to it that we are going to go into eternity. The Bible says that we are going to go away with Jesus Christ, the rapture and they will come back with him to this very earth a new and improved earth and this is where we was being eternity.

We have a lot to look forward to.

So church and challenging you give people the hope you people to come for the day looking for preach on this word is rapture of the church. First Thessalonians 414 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. If you believe Jesus died and rose again to truly believe in your heart that he did it and I know that he did because his word says that he rose from the dead. We as Christians will also be resurrected into eternal life. You believe that he rose with all power in his hands. You believe that he rose with power over sickness. Do you believe that he rose with power over death. You believe that he rose with power over sin. Trust Jesus Christ and you will have that hope and comfort knowing that better days are coming.

I was talking to a young lady just a few days ago. She sounded so dejected, she lost her mother to death.

She has very little to no family in our life. She was saying how she just feels like there's nothing else to look forward to. There's nothing else to go on is no reason to go on just wait until the Lord comes and calls her home, but I wanted and noted even in the midst of heartache even in the midst of the grief that you can look forward to that day when God is going to call you home.

You can look forward to the day when Jesus Christ want to rapture but you can also have joy and comfort even in the midst of it because he says he will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding, and would you put that word in your heart that Jesus Christ is come in again for those who put their faith and trust in him, you will have a joy to have a piece. The world will say this surpasses all understanding. The apostle Paul gave another account being taken from Earth to be with the Lord in first Corinthians 1551, 52 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. There people out there who say two things in life that are guaranteed and that are those two things are death and taxes for. But I want you to know that there is a generation that is not going to taste death is right there is a generation that is going to be called up to be with the Lord who would not have to face death. We would be called up to be with our Lord at this time of the rapture. Are you ready for that day. Are you ready for the trumpet sound, Jesus Christ says he's coming back again and if you cannot put your faith and trust in him you want to be left behind. You want to be left to have to face the worst time. The desert is overseen, which is known as the seven year tribulation. Give your heart to Jesus Christ today accept him as your Lord and Savior. You can have eternal life.

You don't have to worry.

You don't have to. Fritz you have to be concerned about the things that are coming upon the earth because were going to go away to be with our Lord that has a great day of judgment that is coming upon an unbelieving nurse. But if you trust Jesus Christ to give your life to him. You can go away with him to spend seven years at the marriage supper and then as calamities taken place on the earth, as it looks like the earth will destroy itself. Then we would been rafted up a runner return without Lord to claim his earthly kingdom.

He said by kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus Christ is come in again will you be ready as we close what you put this word into your heart know there's hope. There's joy. That's comfort in the words of our Lord as we depart remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, less God's great nation of Israel to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ. River a myth. You can blame God for Ryan and I first was a right protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great nation of Israel first