Tag: caught up
Day 3–The Final Call–the Upper-taker!
Scripture reading for June 24: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “For this we declare to you by a Word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
Believers in the early church at Thessalonica were struggling to understand the return of Jesus Christ. Some teachers in the church were saying that Jesus had already come and others were not clear on how and when He would return as He promised in the clouds of heavenly glory. (Acts 1:11) Paul wrote this letter to bring understanding to all believers. Paul declared that this written Word was from the Lord, Himself. This was not Paul’s imagination or interpretation of some mystical message.
When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven, there will be a cry of an archangel and the sound of God’s trumpet announcing His appearance. Those believers who have already died and their bodies are in graves will rise up first in glorified new bodies. Next, those believers who are alive and left on earth will be caught up together with those resurrected from graves. As a great company we will meet the Lord Jesus in the air to join Him for eternal life in His glorious presence. This event is described as the ‘rapture’ or ‘catching up’ of the Church, Christ’s Bride.
Whether you are a first responder or not, God Himself wanted us all to understand the certainty of this final call from the archangel and the sounding of God’s trumpet. This can happen at any time so now is the time to make sure you are prepared by abiding in Christ as Lord and eagerly awaiting to respond to His call. We are to encourage one another with these words!
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are a God of order and planning,, knowing all that will come. You give each person instruction and warning of coming events. We await with anticipation the fulfilment of Your promise to come for us. Amen.
The over-comers open door!
Scripture reading for December 5th: Revelation 4
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Revelation 4:1-3, 8 “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. . . . Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.””
John received the letters to the seven churches and wrote them down as instructed. Immediately after this, John saw an open door in heaven and Jesus invited him to come up and see what was going to take place on earth in the future. At the word of Jesus, John was immediately transported (caught up) into heaven and saw a glorious throne there with a brilliant person shining like jewels. Around this throne were angelic creatures crying “Holy, Holy, Holy. .”
Observations for over-comers: Our Lord has revealed what will take place at the time of the end. A “trumpet” will sound and we will be caught up to heaven to meet the Lord! “A glorious Throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary!” (Jeremiah 17:12)
Delighting in weaknesses!
Scripture reading for September 11th: 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10
Paul continued his boasting by talking in the third person about a man who was caught up to heaven. “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows. And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows–was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.” (2nd Corinthians 12:2-4) The false apostles had stories, but Paul had a personal experience that he could only relay as if it happened to someone else. He had a vision or maybe an experience in his body that only God knew how it occurred. This person was caught up to paradise and heard some things that he was not allowed to express or tell.
Paul told them that he refrained from any more boasting so that people would not put him on a different level and cause him to have pride. God also was concerned about Paul’s pride as well! “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2nd Corinthians 12:7-10)
Much has been written about Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Some say it was a physical ailment related to Paul’s eyesight. Others believe it was the false apostles that continued to attack the church. Paul did seek the Lord about the removal of this thorn and God told him simply to abide in His grace. For Christ’s sake, Paul chose to delight in his weaknesses and trials for the Gospel. He learned that Christ’s power rested on him and worked through him in these trials. We can all learn from this truth!