She is an outstanding Christian lady. She loves our Lord and has done a lot of mission work with her husband. She came to hear me update the church she attends on recent events relating to Bible Prophecy, especially the Middle East, and she brought a list of questions. I didn’t write them down, but one question went something like this: “It seems like the Rapture is so close, what should we do?” After stumbling through an answer, I decided to try to compile a list of Bible teachings.

Beware of false prophets because they will lead you astray. (Matthew 7:15)

Be sure you are wearing a wedding garment. (Know you are saved and clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.) (Matthew 22:11-12)

Know Bible prophecy so you can watch the signs. (Mark 14:37).

Study the Bible, pray and fellowship with true believers so you can strengthen your faith and grow stronger not weaker. (Luke 18:8)

Don’t be overcome by the cares of this world and be caught unawares. (Luke 21:34)

Watch and pray that you will be accounted worthy to escape all the things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36)

Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Don’t live like the lost. Be ready to battle Satan.) (Romans 13:12)

Walk honestly not in rioting, drunkenness, chambering, wantonness, strife and envying. (Romans 13:13)

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts. (Accept the authority of Jesus.) (Romans 13:14)

Edify one another. (Strengthen and be strengthened by other believers.) (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Pray without ceasing (stay in touch with God). (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Abstain from every appearance of evil. (Avoid anything that hints of sin.) (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Be a Christian example for others (what you say, do, etc…) (1 Timothy 4:12)

Study the Bible and pay attention to sound preaching and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13).

Meet with other believers and exhort each other. (Believers should meet to support and encourage each other.) (Hebrews 10:25)

Rejoice, though, if need be, ye be in manifold temptations. (Rejoice even if God thinks a little chastisement is necessary.) (1 Peter 1:6)

Be sober (level-headed), watch and pray. (1 Peter 4:7)

Above all things have fervent charity (love) among you. (I Peter 4:8).

Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (Help other believers and don’t grumble about it.) (1 Peter 4:9)

Glorify God through Jesus in all things (1 Peter 4:11).

Guard against Satan’s temptations to sin (1 Peter 5:8).

Serve the Lord and don’t draw back. (Persevere, don’t give up.) (Revelation 2:3)

Be an overcomer. (Believer in Jesus.) (1 John. 5:4; Revelation. 2:7, 11)

Hold on to the name of Jesus and do not deny the faith (Revelation 2:13).

Be faithful to the end (Revelation 2:26).

Strengthen the areas where you are weak. (Examine yourself and overcome

your  weaknesses.) (Revelation 3:2)

Live by the words of Jesus. (Every knee will bow.) (Revelation 3:10)

Most of us are rightly concerned about the salvation of others, but we really need to make a special effort to bring our own ways into compliance with the will of God before we die or the Rapture takes place—whichever comes first.

FYI: God Has Spoken (And We Know It) by Daymond Duck is available (linked at raptureready.com to my publisher). Books and a Kindle version are available at amazon.com. A Nook version is available at bn.com. Check out what it says about Syria, Russia, Iran, Egypt, natural disasters, the Two-State Solution, etc. Please post a comment.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

Many Christians are not concerned about persecution in America. But our government is involved in unprecedented things; some are well aware of it, some are saying America has entered an anti-Christian era, and more than a few are beginning to get concerned. They are concerned about what they may face and even more concerned about what their children, grandchildren and others may face.

Jesus is definitely coming for His church, but no one, except God, including those who are unconcerned about persecution in America, knows when. They have no guarantee that the Rapture will be before there is persecution in America. I personally don’t think the true church will be here much longer, but based on Bible teachings, and the fact that Christians are rapidly losing their rights, it seems to me that the church in America could be entering dangerous territory. There is a declining respect in our government, and much of society, for Christians. It is more likely that things will get worse—not better from here on out.

The Old Testament believers weren’t Christians, but many of them were persecuted (Abel, Moses, Joseph, Samson, Jeremiah, Elijah, Daniel and others). It probably wouldn’t be wrong to say that almost all of the Old Testament believers faced persecution at one time or another.

In the New Testament, Jesus said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist,” but John was beheaded by Herod. Jesus was persecuted before He was crucified. Eleven of the original twelve disciples were persecuted. Paul was beaten, stoned, jailed and perhaps beheaded. The many heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 and the believers mentioned in Jesus’ letter to the church at Sardis suffered terrible things.

In many foreign countries today, especially some Muslim countries, Christian schools, homes, businesses and churches are being looted, shot at, car bombed and burned. Church services are being cancelled and church attendance is down. In some places, Christians are barred from holding political office, many are terrorized, brutalized, living in fear and afraid to leave their house just to walk down the street. Their government does nothing to stop it and in some cases has even been found to be complicit in it. Is God a respecter of persons? No!

In America today, just a few examples include the removal of the Ten Commandments from public property; the removal of the mention of God from the Democratic Party Platform with delegates booing when it was restored; the Obama Administration’s attack on religion by requiring church-related institutions to fund abortions and pay for morning after pills and sterilizations; the U.S. Dept. of Justice arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court that our federal government can tell churches and synagogues which pastors and rabbis they can hire and fire; efforts in Texas to regulate what religious seminaries can teach; the IRS targeting of Christian groups and religious institutions, and more. All of this boils down to a growing denial of God in America and, if our Lord doesn’t come for His church soon, it will ultimately lead to violence and severe persecution.

In the EU today, the adoption of a Constitution devoid of all references to God and Christianity, the severe decline of Christianity and the growing influence of Islam are already showing up in the form of protests and violence.

In the U.N. and world today, Globalist efforts to establish a one-world government run by un-elected elitists not influenced by religious values (atheists); environmentalist efforts to reject the Ten Commandments and accept the UN Earth Charter as the world’s governing moral code; and G-8 and UN efforts to take control of every school system and all the textbooks on earth are having a negative impact on Christianity in America. These anti-Christian groups are not going to let up.

Finally, and most importantly, Jesus said, “If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” The world has rejected the Scriptures, God’s Son and God’s people. Many citizens of the world believe Christians are narrow minded, mean spirited, bigoted and judgmental. Satan is behind it. It is disheartening and Christians will pay a price, but the best is yet to come.

FYI: God Has Spoken (And We Know It) by Daymond Duck is available, (linked at raptureready.com to my publisher). A Kindle version is available at amazon.com. A Nook version is available at bn.com. Check out what it says about Syria, Russia, Iran, Egypt, natural disasters, etc. Please post a comment.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck