Rapture for the Overcomers

The Bible speaks of perilous times in the Last Days. Two of the main things that make them perilous is that men become lovers of themselves and lovers of money. We can see this in every area of the world and in every aspect of society. Self love, which is another word for selfishness, is what makes the days dangerous. Instead of loving God and loving His people – people love themselves. Everyone of us only possess a certain amount of love, and God tells us what to love. All of your life decisions flow either from your love of God or your love of Self.
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All of human history is divided into two parts: before He came and after He came. The first time Jesus came it was as the Lamb of God to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world and offer Grace to any who would have it. In the 2nd coming He comes as a Lion to punish the enemies of God, which are simply those who did not believe Him and those who do not keep His Word. The gospel must be preached in the Light of His 2nd coming. For almost 2000 years, it has been preached in light of the first time He came. The second will not be like the first.
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The thing that will separate those who leave with Jesus for the Marriage Supper of The Lamb and those who stay for the Tribulation and a second chance to get it right is the strength of their faith. Which must be the true faith of obedience not the fake faith of religion. Going to church does not give any one faith, nor does it build true faith. Which refers to how much they really followed Christ with their faith, and could be seen in how closely they walked with Him daily, with the help of the Holy Spirit of course.
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Many have become believers with the exact same intention of some wayward young men choosing between jail time or the military – that of avoiding prison. Well Hell is a spiritual prison. God does not consider it some great act of love to choose Him over going to prison. Yet for millions of Christians, that’s as far as their intention on being Christian went. Many will make it to Heaven, but they will not be the Bride of Christ. The true ecclesia is the Bride, and only the Bride makes it out before the tribulation. We must get rid of this false notion of sameness in heaven, which has crept into the church of the modern age. There are different levels in Heaven with varying degrees of intimacy with God.
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Parables are allegorical, which simply means there is a hidden meaning within them. None of the Disciples spoke in parables, only Jesus did. Which is completely acceptable as He is His Father’s Son, and in them He is speaking of His Father’s Kingdom. Which is so much bigger and brighter than anything we can understand in our current state with all of its limitations. Thank God it is said in such a way that we can get it – if we want to. If you don’t want to get Him, well then what He is saying is hidden from you. Much of God’s Truth is hidden like this all throughout Scripture. But it is not hidden from us who Believe, it is hidden for us.
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In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins who were waiting for the groom to show up, 5 went with the groom to the marriage supper and 5 were left behind. In this one, the virgins of course represented believers who were keeping themselves pure. A virgin is someone who is sexually pure, and anyone who is waiting is expecting. It did not say the 5 who were left were not virgins, or that they were not waiting. It said they were not ready.
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Believers who are not expecting Jesus to appear will not be ready when He does. The difference between those who went and those who stayed was that the ones who went were ready when the Master showed up. They were prepared to wait by having their vessels filled with the oil needed to keep their Light shining. Well the Bible says that the world and all its ways are darkness, that all Christians are called to be a Light and that we need the oil of the Holy Spirit to be a light. On a daily basis.
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To know what the Lord is looking for when He returns you have to go back to what He preached. Jesus preached two things during His entire ministry on earth. He preached Repentance and Kingdom. Repentance means to turn completely around, to change the way you think and act. Well most who call themselves Christians have not done that, but they want to get in The Kingdom anyway. Well a kingdom is not some enchanted mystical idea where you can come and go in what and how you please. It’s not a democracy, nor is it socialism or communism. It is the dominion of the king. Kingdom is the realm in which the King’s will is being done.
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The coming Rapture is not for believers – it is for the Overcomers. Those who believed God enough, and proved it by obeying Him enough, to overcome the obstacles in their own fallen nature that were blocking them from entering in to this highest level of promise and reward. Those who are ready for Him to come. These are the ones who meant it. Those for whom Faith was not some vague idea, but a lifestyle of learning to trust Him while keeping the expectancy of His return alive. It has always been wide open to anybody and every believer who wants to get in on it, but you have to obey. Believing is not enough, even the demons believe. Faith is not believing, faith is acting on what you believe.
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Don’t believe me, Jesus himself says it again and again in Revelation chapters 2 thru 4, at the end of the letter to each of the 7 Ecclesia. He who overcomes, to him who overcomes, to him who overcomes. In chapter 3 verse 10, He speaks of keeping those people who stuck to keeping His Word – from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole earth to Test everyone who lives on the earth.
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Which verse simply echoes and is a reference to what He said in Luke 21:36. While warning all believers to stay alert and be ready for His return He speaks of the trial that is coming to the whole world, and tells how to get out of it. In doing so He foretells of the rapture. Avoiding this coming trial is only possible for those who judge themselves and keep free of the anxieties pressures and carnality of the world and of this life. He tells anyone who wants to know how they can escape. It is the only one offered.
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Brother Greg
Full Grown Ministry