Prepare to Endure to the END not to be Raptured
As disciples of Jesus we really
have to set it in our heart that no matter what we are going to go with Jesus,
whether we live or die, that we are going to endure with Him to the VERY
END. One doctrine that is deceptive that
is in the church is the “rapture” doctrine, because the rapture teaches people
that they won’t have to endure to the end and they won’t have to face the big
tribulation, but they will be “snatched out” of tribulation. Wouldn’t you figure that all of these people,
every single one of these teachers that are teaching on the rapture believes
that they THEMSELVES are going to be raptured?
I can’t imagine that ANYONE preaching the rapture doctrine believes that
they themselves are going to die just a normal physical death, but that a
future generation, say in 10 years or 100 years, that they are going to be
raptured. The reason why you start to
hold onto the rapture doctrine and preach it is you believe that you and YOUR
generation are going to be raptured if you are faithful. But the truth is, every single group of
people that believed in the rapture doctrine and taught the rapture doctrine
(in the past), they have all died of natural causes, they have all die without
seeing a rapture.
Jesus did not promise His children,
His disciples that they would be raptured out of the tribulation, but I want to
read to you what He did say in Matthew chapter 24:4-14; “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 sorrows. 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 arise up and
deceive many, and because lawlessness will abound, the love of may will grow
cold. BUT HE WHO ENDURES TO THE END SHALL
BE SAVED. 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.”
So, verse
9 where Jesus says; “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill
you…”, where were these guys rapture?
I’m sure that these Christians also could have expected a rapture, if
they listened to the teachings of the church that is. But the words of JESUS are the words of LIFE
and whether we live or die we have to endure with Jesus to the very end and
live on HIS words. We have to prepare to
live and die for Jesus Christ, to live for HIM no matter what, and to die
(being in HIM) when the time comes.
I
encourage you to prepare to endure to the VERY END, that nothing will
discourage you and that if 5 more years go by and there is no rapture that you
are not discouraged thinking; “Where is the return of the LORD?” Jesus is coming for each of us, but that end
will come at a different time, you will die at a different time then I
will. But when we come to our end, that
is the moment we will meet Jesus, when we stand before Him when we die and come
before the LORD. Will we be
prepared? Jesus didn’t promise that we
are going to escape our own death or that a certain generation wasn’t going to
have to physically die. But it is
appointed for every single man and woman to die, and after that the
judgment. (Hebrews 9:27-28) Will we be
prepared to stand before the LORD, will He say; “Good and well done My faithful
servant…”?
I want to read to you in Revelation also about
the Christians who endured to the end who put it in their hearts and minds to
endure through trials and tribulations, even the great tribulation. This is revelation chapter 6:9-11; “When He
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of those who had been
slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
“How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those
who dwell on the earth?” Then a white
robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a
little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
These guys were giving GOD GLORY,
they endured with Jesus to the END, and when they asked the LORD how long until
our blood is avenged, the Lord did NOT say; “Until I rapture the rest of your
fellow brethren, those fellow brothers and sisters on the earth.” He said UNTIL THE ARE KILLED AS YOU ARE! What we are told by the words of Jesus is
that we will very likely die for our faith, we will either die or we will have
to endure to the very end and die of some physical (nature) ailment, that could
be old age, or maybe imprisonment, we don’t know how the end of our own life
will occur, but we do know that we will suffer through trials and
tribulations. And will we be willing to
follow Jesus even knowing that? Knowing
that if Jesus suffered on the cross and died, that we are not greater than our
master Jesus Christ, if they hated Him and killed Him, they will also hate us
and kill us? Will we continue to follow
Jesus knowing that we don’t have a rapture, that we will not escape trials and
tribulations, but that we will have to endure with Jesus no matter what?
If you set it in your heart and
mind now that no matter what you will endure even to your own death, then
nothing will disappoint you, because you will receive your reward in JESUS and
nothing will take that away from you, when hard times come you will know that
you already set it in your heart and mind to endure no matter what. Nothing will be able to stop you because
Jesus is with you and you know the end goal.
But if you set your end goal as the rapture, that you will escape trials
and escape the tribulation, then when tribulation comes you will feel let down,
you will feel cheated, you will feel; “Where is my rapture? Where is my Lord?” You will keep looking up hoping that He will
rapture you and then you will feel disappointed when it comes to the end of
your life and there was NO RAPTURE!
Will we be the ones prepared, who
are ready to endure to the VERY END?
Remember there are people coming out of the tribulation, there are even
more who will come out of the tribulation but they have to come out as all of
those who are killed for their faith.
Will we endure to the very end with Jesus? Will we be truly prepared ready to live for
Him and die for Him no matter what? May
the grace of Jesus be with you.
