4 Jul 2022

Donation Drive July to Sept

As a student of Bible prophecy, my general expectation is that the world will go from bad to worse with each quarterly update. Since we are clearly in the last of the last days, I’m amazed at the sudden abundance of good news.

I never thought that Roe v. Wade would be struck down. The six justices had the wisdom to rule that the constitution doesn’t grant women the right to kill their unborn children. The Supreme Court also ruled positively on prayer in schools. In the political realm, millions of voters are turning to the Republican Party. AOC may soon be back bartending, and Nancy Pelosi may have to hop on her broomstick and fly back to San Francisco.

Things are still getting worse in many areas. Crime is out of control in most major cities, we are drowning in a sea of debt, and the left’s definition of sexuality has become so twisted that they can no longer tell what is a man and what is a woman.

I am very amused by the liberal media’s attempt to maintain the belief that all is well. Rattled by the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and the strong showing in the Los Angeles mayoral primary by billionaire Rick Caruso, who ran on a public safety platform, Democrats are searching for a new way to talk about crime ahead of the 2022 congressional midterms, with many convinced that a sound message on criminal justice reform has been poorly delivered but is still more potent than Republicans’ tough-on-crime rhetoric.

“Let’s not muddy the waters here,” Center for American Progress president Patrick Gaspard said on a call with reporters earlier this month. “When it comes to what is happening versus the perception of what is happening based on MAGA fearmongering, it’s clear one party has solutions and the other is only making things worse.”

The left was trying to “‘Defund the police’ in 2020 and has left a deeply damaging perception that Democrats are on the side of the criminal. They got several cop shows canceled because of hatred of law enforcement. Now that the midterms are a few months away, their party is the king of crime-fighting.

The site has done quite well in the past quarter for traffic. We had 174,000 visitors according to one Google stat. Since I don’t 100% trust any figures from this giant, I just use it as a general indicator. Our real traffic is likely to be around 225,000. When we were forced to upgrade to Word Press, I lost a system that provided wonderful stats on Rapture Ready.

I recently had to fire one of our article posters who had been with the site for 37 years. It was me. Normally, our targets for posting general articles is Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Because I take several drugs to combat my chronic insomnia, I’ve noticed that I’ve lost contact time. I was posting some articles on a Sunday and realized they had been sent to me on Tuesday. Weekly articles will now be posted by Admin10.

We’ve also had some trouble with the RR News department. There are four people who add news articles to that page. I start the ball rolling at midnight each day by making the first post. Three things can go wrong that will prevent you folks from seeing the news: I put in the wrong date, I fail to select the RR news category option, or I fail to push the publish bottom.

I normally stay up till around 3 AM. Terry goes to bed around 7 pm and gets up around 5 AM. Since I often unplug my phone, a foul-up in the News page can last for several hours. I recently purchased a system that will send me an alarm if something is wrong with the site. Terry has a button that he can press to send me the alarm. If any of you wake and click on RR News around 9:00 AM and the page is still showing the previous day’s date, email Terry and tell him to press “the panic button.”

Terry and I are committed to preaching the end-time message to the very end. Please regularly pray that we are able to carry the torch high until the Lord Jesus calls us home.

There are three ways you can contribute to RR: You can send a financial gift via our P.O. Box address, you can make a one-time donation, or there is a frequent option that allows you to make monthly donations. If you’re interested in signing up, find the input links on the Donation page. Donations can be sent to our P.O. Box at:

Rapture Ready
P.O. Box 969
Benton, AR 72018

–Todd


Who Goes in the Rapture?

Listening to a man who was obviously a pastor this morning, I was thinking how clearly he was laying out the pre-Trib view of the Age of Grace and the Rapture.

I’ve never heard it presented more clearly than he was teaching it. I can’t see the screen and they didn’t announce his name. (And I probably wouldn’t mention it if I did know his name and program, because this commentary gives only partial kudos to the gentleman.)

As I was saying, the sermon was about as clearly delivered as I’ve heard. It was very simple, and right on the money, from my understanding of what God’s Word has to say about the Rapture.

The man said that, at an unknown time, Christ will call the Church into the air, where believers will forever be with our Lord. Antichrist will arise, and all will be turned into the worst times in human history back on earth, according to Jesus as recorded in the Olivet Discourse.

He then launched into thoughts based upon three questions. I don’t remember the other two because the third was the one he dwelt on—and his take on things from that point definitely piqued my discernment radar system. The question was something like: “Who goes in the Rapture?” –Meaning who will leave this planet when Jesus calls, “come up here?”

He started by saying some disagree with him—including his wife. She believes, he said, that all Christians will go to be with the Lord when the Rapture occurs. The man then said that he believes Christians who don’t believe in the pre-Trib Rapture are likely to stay while those who do believe in the pre-Trib Rapture will go when Christ calls.

To restate, he said those who believe in the pre-Trib view are the ones who go to Christ at that great event, and Christians who don’t believe will be left behind. He muddled it all by saying only believers will go, and indicated that he believes all others who are Christians will be left behind with the lost of the world to go through the Tribulation.

This, of course, is all part of what is called the “partial Rapture”  theory. He was not preaching the pre-Trib position, although he evidently thought he was.

I was taken aback that, after laying out such a clear position on the pre-Trib Rapture, he veered so dramatically by saying something the Bible doesn’t teach.

The Rapture is a powerful and absolute doctrine taught in God’s Holy Word. But belief in the Rapture is not, I repeat not, the prerequisite for what it takes to be part of the millions of Christians who will be lifted in a millisecond of time when Christ says: “Come up here!”

I can’t remember the preacher’s Scripture to back up that some Christians will be left behind because of not believing in the pre-Trib Rapture, because I wasn’t taking notes. But the Scripture, I do remember, was taken out of context and used in his mistaken view.

The way he explained his view, it’s what a Christian believes that matters. That is, the person must believe in the pre-Trib Rapture. He never mentioned, that I heard, that it’s whom they believe in that matters. It is in whom the person believes—period—that makes the person part of those who will instantaneously evacuate this doomed planet at the Lord’s call.

Didn’t Jesus tell us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me”?  I hear nothing in that statement other than “Jesus is the only way.”

Belief in anything other is a false concept—even a deadly one. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that covers our sin—past, present, and future.

So, to believe in anyone or anything besides Jesus for salvation misses the mark and dooms one to Hell, apart from God forever.

Paul the apostle makes it very clear about in whom people must believe to be saved. We use this passage, as you know, quite frequently. I don’t want people to miss what is required to go to the Father, rather than to the other place.

That 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. (Romans 10:9–10)

The same Paul tells about the Rapture of the Church. He lays out very clearly exactly who will go to Christ when He calls us.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)

Paul further says the following:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18)

Paul did not write that “some” will go when Christ calls. He said “all” (believerswill go in that glorious moment to be with their Lord. And we are to “comfort” ourselves with that assurance.

If you truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved. Nothing and nobody can ever take you out of God’s mighty hand (read Romans 8:38-39 for proof from God’s Word).

The greatest question for you, personally, is: Will you be one who goes to Jesus when He calls all Christians into the air? Only you can answer. We prayerfully hope you can answer a resounding “yes!” Believe me, everything happening points to the reality that his call will happen at any moment!

And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your head; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)

—Terry

Quenching The Spirit :: By Nathele Graham

 

Have you ever been very thirsty? Then you went to the refrigerator, pulled out an ice-cold glass of water, and quenched your thirst? Maybe when you were a child, you played with matches, and one dropped in dry grass. Hopefully, you acted quickly and quenched the fire before it spread. Those are two examples of when quenching something is a good thing, but Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The Holy Spirit should be the driving force in our Christian walk, but we have the ability to quench His power in our life. That’s not good at all, but many Christians do just that.

We sometimes think that the Holy Spirit was a new concept that began with the birth of the church. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and we first see Him mentioned in Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2).

The Holy Spirit doesn’t draw attention to Himself but works in perfect harmony with God the Father and God the Son. He works in a very different way today than He did prior to the cross, but He was very active during the Old Testament times. There was much evil during the time of the Judges, but when God called a man to be a judge over Israel, that man was guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. For instance, Othniel was called by God. “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim” (Judges 3:10).

Other judges also had the Spirit of the Lord come upon them. They were all able to accomplish great things because of the Holy Spirit. Even King Saul had the Holy Spirit come upon him. Before the cross, the Holy Spirit would come upon people but didn’t indwell anybody. Unlike today, the Holy Spirit could be taken away. Christians today need to stop quenching the Holy Spirit and not accept sin. Because we ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit, evil is allowed to be legalized, and God’s truth is seen as hatred. Brothers and sisters, stop quenching the Spirit and go to battle with the powers of darkness and sin. First, remove the mote from your own eye.

When we read the story of King David, we read about a man who loved the Lord, and his desire was to serve Him. Nevertheless, David committed a very grave sin, and as usually happens, one sin led to another. First, he lusted after Bathsheba, who was married to a very faithful soldier. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant, he eventually had her husband placed in a position in which it was certain he would be killed.

When David was confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding this sin, David was deeply convicted and knew he was in danger of losing his anointing and faced the very real possibility that the Holy Spirit would be taken away from him. So, David did all he could do. He repented and was deeply sorry for his sin. He humbly cried out to God for mercy and asked to be cleansed of his iniquity. He didn’t blame anybody but himself for this great sin against God. We can hear his anguish as he poured out his heart to God. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not they holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).

David knew he was nothing without God, and the Holy Spirit was his strength. If only Christians today weren’t so swift to live in the flesh rather than living in the Spirit, we would be much better off.

Jesus told His disciples that He had to die in order for the Holy Spirit to come to them, and to us. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8).

After the resurrection, Jesus paid a visit to the locked room where the disciples were hiding in fear. He made sure they understood it was Him, even though they had seen the crucifixion and knew the tomb was sealed. He showed them the scars of the nails and His wounded side. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:21-22).

He breathed on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. As born-again Christians, we have received the Holy Spirit. He is sealed inside of us. “In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). If you’ve truly placed your faith in Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit until death or the Rapture takes you Home.

The disciples were the first to experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but they had to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They waited in Jerusalem until the Jewish feast of Pentecost came. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2-3).

I have never experienced such a marvelous thing, but I would like to. Study Peter’s life and how he reacted to Jesus being arrested and crucified. Jesus forgave him, and it was Peter who fearlessly stood before a Jewish crowd on that Pentecost morning and spoke words that accused the listeners of their sin but also spoke of forgiveness. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41).

Too many preachers today are very afraid of offending sinners, so they water down God’s truth to the point that the congregation is starving. Jesus had instructed Peter to feed the flock, and Peter was obedient. Although Peter did the talking that day, the other disciples were also filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Because they all obeyed Christ and shared the Gospel, Christianity grew, and many people have given their lives to Christ since then.

Christians today are so afraid of offending someone who is lost in sin that we put stumbling blocks in our own way. Fear keeps us from speaking boldly of the Gospel and God’s forgiveness.

The Apostle Paul was a man who had been forgiven of his sin. It was a very great sin, done in the name of God, but was also opposed to everything God taught. When Paul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Paul was totally changed. He wasn’t afraid to share the Gospel of Christ with everyone he met. His letters are instructions as to how a Christian should act. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:28-30).

How do you grieve the Holy Spirit? Do you put any activity ahead of Jesus? Do you have time to read secular novels but can’t find time to study God’s word? Do you have plenty of time for sports, television, and building your bank account but are too tired to pray for the needs of others? Maybe you fly off the handle in anger if someone upsets you, but you can’t find forgiveness in your heart even though your own sins have been forgiven. Maybe you participate in activities that are contrary to God’s truth, forgetting that as you sin, you take the Holy Spirit with you down the path of wickedness. You are quenching the Holy Spirit and hampering His activity in your life.

There is a glorious life ahead of every Christian. Eternity with Christ will outshine anything of this earth. Don’t quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Paul had visited Thessalonica and was there for three weeks. In that short time, he established a congregation and schooled them in the Gospel. He also taught them about the Rapture. Has your pastor taught the Gospel or touched on prophecy and the Rapture? Many don’t see the need to equip Christians to be in the world but not of the world. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is filled with some very deep teaching, as is his second letter. He reminded them that the Rapture was coming and that they should be alert. They weren’t in darkness but were children of light. He encouraged them, and us, to be watchful and have no fear because we aren’t appointed to wrath. Paul encouraged them, and us, in their walk with Christ.

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-23).

Live to please Christ, not the world. React to situations in a Christian manner, no matter how you’ve been treated. You can let the Holy Spirit revitalize you, or you can quench His power. Remember the change in Peter and in Paul when they allowed the Holy Spirit to guide them. Thanks to these men, and many like them, you’ve come to salvation through Christ. Let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through you.

Stop quenching the Spirit by holding tightly to sin and living for worldly things. Let Him live through you.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.