Finished Work - The Great Escape!
Upon approaching the Pearly Gates, the man was greeted by a big angel with a list of questions. You have to make a certain score to be granted access, he said. The man was confident that he had done enough. “Ask away,” he keenly responded. The first question was about his church attendance. He thought he did pretty good. I attended church every time the doors opened. I was the Pastor after all. Half a point, the angel replied. The man was shocked. The angel continued wanting to know if the man was faithful to his wife. He got a smile on his face, knowing he got this. I was totally faithful to my wife in thoughts and actions for as long as she lived, he replied. Another half point, the angel replied. The horrified look on the man’s face said it all to which he responded “if this continues, I will not make it into Heaven - I need grace. God have mercy on me!” Right answer, the angel replied. Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven.
This might not be a true reflection of what it will look like on that day, but it is always good to evaluate your life and what it is based on. Christ died so we can live, it is all because of Him - His grace and His sacrificing love for us. No matter the question, the answer is always Jesus. He is the only way to the Father and Heaven.
John 14:6 NKJV - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Many good people will be shocked to find themselves locked out of Heaven when that great day comes. No amount of hard work, self effort or diligence can make you good enough to earn salvation. It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus and the finished work of the cross that we can ever be worthy to receive salvation. Today, some people frantically try to keep the Old Testament law. They try not to fail in any of the many laws. But, if you are going to live by the law to earn righteousness and salvation, then you will be judged by the law - all of it. If you miss in one commandment, you have missed it on all and Jesus will judge you by that same law. The law was not given for Christians, but for the Jews only. The law was also not given to make people righteous or sinless, but because it was impossible to keep, had its purpose in showing how no man in his own righteousness will ever be good enough to keep it - hence the need for a Saviour. It is only by the grace of God and the finished work of the cross of Jesus that we can be saved.
With that out of the way, I want to get to what I believe the Lord is highlighting at this time. This is not something I thought I would ever have anything to say about and so I write this because I feel the Lord is leading me to do so. This might be controversial or something you don’t think about or know much about, so hold onto your hat.
Matt 25:10-13 AMP - 10 But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked. 11 Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’ 12 But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].’ 13 Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].
If you have never heard of such a thing as the rapture of the Church, here are scriptural proof:
1 Thes 4:14-18 AMPC - 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep [in death]. 15 For this we declare to you by the Lord’s [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! 18 Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. (See also 1 Cor 15:50-54, John 14:2-3)
The Word of God clearly says that we don’t know the day or the hour, not even Jesus knows. This is in line with Jewish wedding traditions where the bridegroom goes home with his father to build a room for his bride. He doesn’t know when he will return to bring her back, only his father knows - his bride has to be ready, no matter how long it takes.
Matt 24:36 NKJV - But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (See also verses 37-44).
We do have a sense of the season we are in and also where we are on the prophetic calendar. If you listen to the reliable prophetic voices of the day, they say that there are no more prophecies left to be fulfilled and the time of Jesus returning for His Bride is near. It can happen this year or the next, but we know the time is closer now than ever before, especially as we see the world grow darker as evil increases. Who knew that we would be here to witness the day when evil would be called good and good, evil.. (Rom 1:18-32 and others)
A pre-tribulation rapture?
This raises the question that seems to be the elephant in the room. Will the rapture of the Church happen at the beginning, the middle or the end of the seven year period the book of Revelation calls the tribulation? There are heavy numbers in all camps. The Lord opened my eyes to specific truths relating to the finished work of the cross that makes me believe it will be before. I will share scripture to support what I believe, but you need to ask the Lord for yourself to reveal these truths to you.
Why the tribulation?
Towards the closing of the Church age, there will be a time when God will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth. During this time, His wrath will be poured out on the earth. Fortunately we know the end and so the outcome is no surprise.
Rev 19:11 NKJV - Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
If we continue reading in Rev 19, we see that both the beast and the false prophet are captured, and Jesus comes out victorious. It is reassuring to know that because of the finished work of the cross - if we receive Jesus and salvation - we are no longer destined for God’s wrath to come. For God to allow His wrath to come on His children, He would have to ignore or tiptoe around the cross and disregard Jesus’ suffering. Jesus took care of all our sins - past, present and even future. We are free from the coming wrath of God as will be displayed during the tribulation.
1 Thes 1:9-10 NKJV - 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
John 3:36 NKJV - 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.”
More scriptures on the wrath of God and who will endure it, see Rom 2:5, Eph 5:6 and Rev 19:15.
The Holy Spirit and the Church
When you are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. The Bible says that if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, then you are not a child of God.
Rom 8:9 AMPC - 9 But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God].
It is believed that the antichrist is present on the earth already. The only thing that is keeping darkness from overwhelming the world is the Holy Spirit and the light that is present in the Church - that is, those who are not scared to preach the Truth.
2 Thes 2:7 NKJV - For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
From the verse above we see that He who now keeps darkness away will be taken out of the way. The “He” is the Holy Spirit. If He is taken out, the Church will go with Him or else we will no longer be Christians.
As in the days of Noah..
The story of Noah and his family being rescued from the evil in the world before the flood came is a type of the Church being taken out before the evil comes - so as to not be a part of it.
Matt 24 NKJV - 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
From what the scriptures say, right before the flood came the people were eating, drinking and marrying. The flood started unexpectedly and Noah and his family who were the only righteous people left on the planet at that time, were spared. If the rapture doesn't happen before the tribulation but in the middle or even at the end when half the population of the earth is dead and darkness is all over the earth, then opportunities for casual eating and drinking and marrying will be the furthest thing from people’s minds. This is a good indication that the rapture will be before the start of the outpouring of God's wrath, when it is still life and business as usual - a day just like today!
How will we know?
Those familiar with end time Bible prophecy know that the beginning of the tribulation will start with the signing of some sort of peace treaty to protect Israel. This will be very specific and those in the know will be able to identify if this is the treaty as mentioned in the book of Daniel. The words “one week” in the following scripture indicates a seven year period and the word “covenant” is a treaty or an agreement. The “he” that confirms the covenant is the antichrist.
Dan 9:27 NKJV - Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Peace agreements only come in a time of war in order to stop a war. This means it is going to take a war of some kind that will need something strong like a treaty to make and keep the peace. We look for this to be signed as the sign that the rapture of the Church is here.
Why the warning?
God gives Bible prophecy and sends prophets with prophetic words so we can know the things to come - to prepare us, not to scare us. If we know what is going to happen, we can have peace - His peace (John 14:27).
As old prophecies from the Bible literally come to pass before our very eyes, it should strengthen our faith in God’s faithfulness towards us. Words that come through prophecies should not be taken lightly. They are a call to action and deserve special attention.
What will the world look like a day after the rapture? What will life be like for those who will remain? When the light that was in the world is removed, darkness will take over. It is said that the greatest revival will break out and people will want to be saved by the thousands, realizing that what was preached through the ages, was in fact truth. That is certainly possible, but if those who were raptured were the true Christians then who will be left to preach the Truth of God’s Word?
Better be saved now. There will be time during the tribulation, but all gloves will be off. The antichrist hates Christianity and Satan will let him to come for those refusing to take the mark and who won't choose to serve him. He will not allow them to escape alive.
Rev 13:7 NLT - And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.
The only answer
Living in a third world country in Africa, it is reality for most to live from hand to mouth. The struggle for daily survival is real for the majority of people with the result that they don’t have the luxury of time to think about things to come, including eternity and where they will be spending theirs. But, because we don’t know when these things will happen, it is time to get serious about having a relationship with God. God wants all people to be saved. He doesn’t want even one to be lost.
2 Pet 3:9 NKJV - 9 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.
(See also 2 Tim 2:3-4)
You often hear the world ask how a loving God can send people to Hell. Truth be told, God isn’t sending them, in fact Hell wasn’t made for man but for Satan and his fallen angels. God gives people a choice and He keeps creating invitations and supernatural encounters for them to come face to face with the opportunity to receive Jesus (John 6:44). He does this over and over but if they keep denying and rejecting Him, only then will He give them over. That is not His choice for them - He wants them to freely choose Him (Deut 30:19).
Salvation is not only about being saved from going to Hell yet still living a life of difficulty and suffering. No, the real purpose of salvation is so you can have a personal relationship with Jesus - to get to know Him and the Father, to walk and talk with them daily so He can lead you into the abundant life (John 10:10). I remember hearing a joke when the pandemic lockdown started in 2020. A man was forced to spend time with his wife. After a day or so he commented that it turns out that she is quite a lovely woman once you get to know her - who knew?? Having an intimate relationship with God can be very rewarding and turn your mundane routine into days of Heaven upon the earth - there is no joy that compares to knowing God.
Most of those reading this blog probably already know Jesus. But, if you have family who don’t, feel free to share this - God doesn’t want anyone left behind. We need to love people enough to tell them the truth, even if it costs us.
To conclude
As I am writing this, there are serious threats and rumors of war against the nation of Israel. Anti-semitism is illogical and those who hate the Jews can in most cases not tell you why. It is demonically inspired hatred against the people who God calls the apple of His eye (Zech 2:8). If war does break out, it might be the war that leads to the need for the peace treaty spoken of by Daniel in Chapter 9. If so, you will hear about it in the news. If this is not the war that brings the need for it, then there is sure to be another coming. But know this that a peace treaty will be signed, and it will usher in the seven years of the tribulation. Once this happens, we will know that the rapture of the Church is here.
I started with the story about the man at the Pearly Gates and fortunately for him he got the chance to get his answers straight. For those who are saved and will leave this earth through death before Jesus comes to rapture the Church, the Word says that it is like stepping out of your body and being present with the Lord - it happens in a moment (2 Cor 5:8). The same with the rapture of the Church. We will be here one moment, and when the trumpet sounds, gone in a twinkling of an eye - so thankful to God for making for us such a great escape. Moral of the story - don’t wait to make the choice for Jesus. Once the trumpet sounds, there will be no time to change your mind.
So, if all this is true, what do we do in the meantime, I hear you ask. Do we just sit in a corner and wait for this great escape to happen? No, we do as Jesus said in Luke 19:13 - We occupy until He comes. We keep witnessing, serving, supporting, loving - we do as He says and keep being His hands and feet - giving glory to God for as long as we are here.
If what I have written here is not what you believe, then that is quite alright. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the truth in scripture. He will - He is faithful like that...
Salvation prayer
Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you’ll ever make!
Rom 10:9-10, 13 - If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
By His grace, God has already done everything to provide salvation. Your part is simply to believe and receive.
Pray out loud:
Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, I receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me!
The very moment you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to pass in your spirit. If you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, there’s a brand-new you!
Find a church that believes and preaches the Word of God where signs and miracles follow the preaching and where the sermons leave you with hope and not despair. Get to know God - not just knowing about Him but knowing Him. It is bound to become the greatest joy of your life.
Resources
Salvation
If you want to know more or need someone to pray with you to receive salvation, you can contact Andrew Wommack Ministries. They have offices worldwide and would love to pray with you. They also have lots of free materials that can help you grow in your walk with God.
https://www.awmi.net/contact-us/
End Time Prophecy Information
www.tipofthespearministry.com/
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**I added bold format to text in some scripture references.
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