February 8, 2014: Rapture Ready!

Matthew 24:29-51

Amplified Bible (AMP)

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliancy and splendor].

31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (His chosen ones) from the four winds, [even] from one end of the universe to the other.

32 From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its young shoots become soft and tender and it puts out its leaves, you know of a surety that summer is near.

33 So also when you see these signs, all taken together, coming to pass, you may know of a surety that He is near, at the very doors.

34 Truly I tell you, this generation (the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period) will not pass away till all these things taken together take place.

35 Sky and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36 But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

38 For just as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, [men] marrying and [women] being given in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah went into the ark,

39 And they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away—so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

42 Watch therefore [give strict attention, be cautious and active], for you do not know in what kind of a day [whether a near or remote one] your Lord is coming.

43 But understand this: had the householder known in what [part of the night, whether in a night or a morning] watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be undermined and broken into.

44 You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

45 Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time?

46 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing.

47 I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

48 But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is delayed and is going to be gone a long time,

49 And begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken,

50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware,

51 And will punish him [cut him up by scourging] and put him with the pretenders (hypocrites); there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

So yeah, I was raised to believe I would go straight to hell if I was caught sinning when the rapture happened. And actually, the Word says it. Right here in Matthew 24. There's nothing unclear about it. BAM!

My family never had a television. I would sneak over to my friends house after school and a couple of times I watched Dark Shadows. It scared me to death! But then I started having nightmares. My mom figured it out and didn't allow me to go there anymore. 

When I was sixteen I watched TV some while babysitting. Happy Days was my favorite show. But it glorified pretty much everything I was taught against. I remember being so afraid the rapture would happen. I seriously believed I wouldn't make it to heaven if I was caught unawares watching Happy Days. So I quit! It seems kind of silly now in light of what's available on TV and online today, but was it silly? I don't think so.

Jesus is coming when we least expect Him! I want to be ready!

"Dear Jesus, I don't want to be left behind. I don't want to be a slacker, planning to clean up my act at some undetermined point in the future. I want to live each day as if You could come at any second. I want to see Your face! I want to hear the trumpet blast! I want to praise Your name and worship at Your feet for ever and ever! Cleanse my heart and life from anything that doesn't please You! You are my everything, Jesus! AMEN."