For some reason, the Rapture is a very controversial subject. Scripture gives many signs of it happening, but many people seem to discount it or argue about the timing. Although it’s a blessing from God, the Rapture isn’t for everybody. The only people who will be taken away from the final seven years of earth as we know it are Christians. That doesn’t mean we won’t face persecution or turmoil. In fact, Jesus promised we would have troubles in this life.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Jesus had just had a very serious talk with His disciples. He told them some unnerving things they could expect but also some very comforting words. He talked of His death, and that upset His disciples. He told them of His resurrection, which they had no way to fully understand. He told of the Comforter and how He would guide them (and us). There is a big difference between the tribulation that Jesus had described to His disciples and the Tribulation talked about by Daniel, Jesus, and described in Revelation.

God is love, and that love makes sure people have every chance to avoid trouble. Unfortunately, we tend to go against God’s will. We need to understand that the rules God has given us are for our own good. We bring our own troubles about by not following His directions. That’s what happened in the Garden of Eden. God gave Adam only one rule.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

That’s pretty clear. Then Eve chatted with the evil being, ate the fruit, and in total disobedience, Adam also joined in the sin. God’s words were true, and the couple was expelled from the Garden and lost Paradise.

Life outside the Garden was filled with turmoil. Children were born, and those children had children. Soon, the population on Earth had grown. The forces of evil had their own plans; they wanted to corrupt the human genome so God’s creation could no longer have hope of salvation. Rebellious angels mated with human women, and the result of this ungodly union was hybrids called Nephilim. Unredeemable evil corrupted humanity, and the entire creation was corrupted.

The only way God could bring life back to the way He created it was to send judgment. This judgment was to flood the entire world. All of creation would drown except for those few who were obedient to God and protected in the Ark: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives, as well as some animals. Prior to God’s judgment being poured out upon a corrupt and disobedient world, there was a Rapture. Noah’s great-grandfather came to a right place with God and was removed prior to God’s judgment.

“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

It’s so important for all of us to obey God. Are you walking with God? Or are you living in disobedience and rebellion? There are many signs given in Scripture that we need to pay attention to. These signs tell us that the time of God’s wrath will soon be poured out again.

The disciples asked Jesus about the end times. It’s interesting that the signs Jesus told them to look for are very Jewish in nature. He told them, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16).

The Olivet Discourse is not about Christians or the Rapture but about the time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble. The Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, so by mentioning the “abomination of desolation” standing in the Temple, we know the Temple will be rebuilt. In fact, Jesus says that Daniel had spoken about this, but when Daniel gave that prophecy, the first Temple had been destroyed. Today the Temple Institute has been working diligently and faithfully to create the items needed for Temple worship as well as training priests to perform the rituals. The fact that they have red heifers that are required for cleansing just adds to the excitement of prophecy being fulfilled.

This is all amazing and a very huge sign of the fact that we are nearing the Rapture. It’s not only one or two signs, but so many are happening. In the same passage in Matthew, Jesus gives some “signs” that are just things that always happen and aren’t really indications of the end, but they are becoming more frequent and stronger.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).

There are wars between nations and civil unrest within nations. If you follow earthquake reports, the number of earthquakes is growing as well as the magnitude. Pestilences? Remember the trouble in 2019? Famines? Food is getting expensive and hard to afford, and it’s being genetically tampered with, so it isn’t food like God intended humans to ingest. There are many food allergies and behavior problems in children, and I think food tampering plays a part in the trouble. These signs are all just the beginning.

Jesus didn’t stop there. He spoke of false prophets who will deceive many. He wasn’t just talking about woke pastors but government organizations like the UN, WEF, WHO, and others that are deceiving the world. Jesus began this discourse by warning against deception.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).

If you’ve listened to any reports out of Israel, periodically, someone claims to be the Messiah. The other day, I heard an interview with a woman who claimed to be an Arcturian hybrid. Don’t be deceived, brothers and sisters; study Scripture so you know the truth.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).

It’s the agape love that grows cold. People just don’t care about others. Mothers can kill their children in the womb without a second thought; husbands have no problem sitting on the couch doing nothing while their wife works a couple of jobs in addition to cooking, cleaning, and running the kids to activities. Then there are the people who walk into a school or a parade and start shooting people. There are any number of other cold-hearted actions that happen daily.

The word “iniquity” means wickedness, contempt, and violation of law. We see it every day. People violate the law of the land, but more than that, God’s law is violated. Jesus talked of the signs leading to the final seven years of life in this fallen world. All the events that will be so terrifying are falling into place today.

The Gospel of Luke also records this discourse by Jesus. Luke records two major signs of the end times.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27).

Matthew also recorded this. It’s important to study all of Scripture in order to understand. Very few pastors preach about the iniquity happening during the days of Noah. They try to say that Seth’s sons married Cain’s daughters, so God destroyed the world. That’s a false statement against God. He doesn’t just wipe out everything because humans married each other. The truth is that the fallen angels were mating with human women, and hybrids called Nephilim were created. There was genetic tampering happening, and humans were no longer fully human. All of creation was corrupted, and God couldn’t allow this to happen.

Noah was directed to build an ark to save 8 people and some animals with pure, non-genetically tampered with blood. As stated above, Enoch was taken away from the judgment of the flood because he “walked with God.” The other evil that Luke records is perverse sexual activity.

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:28-29).

Ungodly things were happening in the Days of Noah and in the Days of Lot, but people weren’t paying attention. They were “woke” and accepted all manner of sin. Enoch was taken prior to the judgment in Noah’s day, and judgment couldn’t happen until Lot was safely away from Sodom. Are we paying attention today? How many pastors stand firm upon God’s word and reject the homosexual agenda that is trying to corrupt God’s truth? How many Christians keep silent about how it is an abomination to God?

We can’t force truth upon an unbelieving world, but within God’s congregations, we can’t allow sin to rule. Our world is like the days of Lot, and Christians are going about normal life, fully accepting or ignoring these ungodly lifestyles, not caring what God’s word says but twisting His truth to condone sin. Likewise, genetic manipulation is destroying normal life. Not only are doctors mutilating people to change male to female and female to male, but the food we eat isn’t pure. Pesticides are genetically put into crops, cattle are injected with hormones, and synthetic meat is being sold. Genetic tampering happened in the Days of Noah, and we are much the same today.

The good news is that God always takes those who are righteous away prior to judgment. As Christians, we are righteous only through our faith in Jesus. We can see that the days are becoming more and more wicked. All nations are turning against Israel, which is prophetic. The same happenings of the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot are thriving in our day. Christians need to stand firm on God’s truth and not take part in any of the evil we see in our world today. Christians are promised that we will be taken to Heaven prior to the final seven years of history. Not because we are righteous but that Christ is.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We need to honor Christ by truly repenting of our sin. We can never be righteous by our own efforts, but we are righteous through Christ. We need to be like Enoch and walk with God.

Christians will be taken away from the soon-coming judgment. We can’t let fear of being ridiculed by others stop us from living for Christ. In fact, we need to use our voices to witness to people around us.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:18-19).

Christ will call us Home soon, and the works we have done for Him will be judged at the Bema Seat. That’s where I want to be while those who have rejected Christ are facing the evil reign of the Anti-Christ and living with demons. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will allow you to be taken from the horrors of the Tribulation.

Will the Rapture happen today? It could, but we can’t set dates. We can read the signs of the times, and it’s getting close. Brothers and sisters, be vigilant and stand firm on God’s word.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

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

All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

 

I’ve never built a house, but I do have a good idea of what’s involved. The process of building begins with a proper foundation. If the ground is uneven, that can cause problems. The foundation of the house is what determines the sturdiness of the entire building. If you cut corners on the foundation, it won’t be long until you begin to see cracks in the walls and weakness in the floor. Then, when a storm comes, chances are good that the building will fall.

Life has that same principle. A person can seem to have everything to build a happy life, but if the foundation upon which their life is built is worldly, the foundation is weak and will collapse. Jesus gave us a firm foundation that will last eternally, but it seems that even Christians tend to ignore His words. The Sermon on the Mount is a good place to start building. The lessons taught in that sermon will help to make the foundation solid and firm. He began that sermon by describing how our attitude should be.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:3-12).

These are the Beatitudes. What a lovely world we would live in if everyone followed these attitudes of meekness and holiness.

The sermon goes on to encourage us to be firm in our faith. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets but didn’t come to destroy them. That means we need to be sure we understand the entire Old Testament to know what Jesus fulfilled. Today, we are not under Jewish Law, but the way of life that Jesus lived and described in the Sermon on the Mount is very relevant to life today. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that the commandments are very important.

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

We all need to be aware of what is being taught from the pulpit and stop the false idea that if a preacher or a pope says something, it must be right. Embracing worldly ideas is not the way to honor God.

A pastor where I once lived was a very personable man with a family. One day, he decided to divorce his wife because he and the church secretary were having an affair, and he decided he loved his secretary more than he loved his wife. Of course, the secretary had a husband and children, so two families were destroyed. What was he teaching from the pulpit? What example of a Christian life was he showing to the whole town? Certainly, he didn’t stand firm on God’s word. Sadly, many preachers are embracing sin and even inviting homosexual cross-dressers to teach in front of the congregation. The Holy Spirit is not allowed into those congregations, and Jesus is mocked.

Jesus says that we need to control our thoughts and be sure we represent Him well. The Ten Commandments are a good start to building a firm foundation, but we need to be sure we keep building.

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosover shall kill shall be in danger of judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).

Have you ever been angry with someone? I have. I can justify my anger, but Jesus tells us that we need to control our angry thoughts. He didn’t stop with anger but went on to talk about committing adultery. It isn’t just an action but a thought.

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

God does not take sin lightly, and we need to try to be more like Him. Grace is a wonderful blessing to those of us who are born-again believers in Christ, but that grace isn’t a license to live sinfully.

Jesus goes on to give more attitudes we need to nurture, such as speaking honestly and directly, not taking revenge upon people who have done you wrong, not divorcing over trivial matters, and loving our enemies. These are all tough words to live up to, but when we determine to follow Christ, we need to live accordingly.

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

I know I fall far short of the perfection of God. I am so thankful for Jesus shedding His blood on the cross as the final sacrifice for sin.

It’s so easy to be led astray and get tangled up in this sinful world. You may start your day in prayer and reading Scripture. This is a very good habit. Then you turn on the television and get upset by watching the morning news. Then you get into your car to drive to work. Do you turn on Christian music to listen to as you head out on your commute, or do you listen to heavy metal music, rap, or any number of other songs that promote drugs, violence, and sexual promiscuity? If you do, the prayer and Bible reading will have been set aside, and you’ve stepped into a worldly attitude. The anger inside you gets triggered the first time someone cuts you off in traffic, and by the time you get to the office, the attitudes that Jesus taught have been replaced by the attitudes of the ruler of this world.

Satan will jump at any chance to draw you away from being meek or being a peacemaker. Gossip in the workplace replaces prayer and supplication for others. Jesus taught us how to pray. He said not to just repeat a prayer over and over but start by acknowledging God. Don’t just keep praying for blessings on yourself, more money, and more possessions. Remember, God is holy, and He is to be worshipped.

“After this manner therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9).

Notice, there’s no praise or veneration of Mary or any saint. Only God.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

When God sets up His kingdom on earth, He will require obedience to His will, so you should start practicing His will now.

“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

We should trust God to provide for our daily needs. Just like the Israelites gathered manna to fill their needs daily, so we should pray for our daily needs for food, shelter, and clothing.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

It’s oh so easy to accept God’s forgiveness for the wrongs we do to Him but hard to forgive the people who wrong us.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

God won’t lead us into temptation, neither should we follow our own lusts into temptation. The foundation upon which we need to build our life is God and His truth. Keep your thoughts on eternal life in Heaven.

We must all be careful to turn our attention away from the things that distract us from our walk with Christ.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).

Jesus is the Light of the World, but Satan is darkness. What light do you let into your thoughts? Most entertainment promotes the things of darkness, so when you switch on the television or radio, be sure you’re not letting Satan’s darkness into your mind. Even the commercials work on your mind. They are designed to encourage you to buy things you don’t really need. Fancy clothes, a shiny new car, unhealthy food. God provides for our needs, and it is His kingdom we need to seek after.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

As we seek after things of God, we are building our life on a firm and solid foundation.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Life will always have storms. Our health is very fragile, but if the foundation of your life is firmly set on God’s truth, the storm of a health crisis won’t overwhelm you. Financial problems can also be hard to deal with. If you are seeking the kingdom of God, then you can relax and let Him carry you through the storm. The storms you face in life are quite often a result of choices you’ve made. Do you spend your money on frivolous wants rather than being a good steward and buying things you need? Do you help support your church or other ministries, or do you buy things on a whim that you regret later? God provides for our needs and is a firm foundation.

Jesus is our Rock.

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:26-27).

Be sure your choices in life are based on Scripture. God honors a one-man/one-woman marriage, so don’t listen to the whisperings of Satan; don’t cheat on your spouse, and don’t embrace “one-night stands” or same-sex relationships. If you do, when the storms come and you’ve built your life on the wiles of the devil, your house will fall. You will have built on the sand instead of on the Rock.

The people listening to Jesus speak were very blessed by His words, and we can be blessed, too, if we take His words seriously.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29).

Jesus does have authority. He created this world and all that’s in it. The Creator knows His creation better than anybody. We need to trust Him and be sure that we choose the firm foundation built on the Rock of Jesus Christ rather than following satanic lies and building on the sand. The foundation is important.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.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.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).