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-----------------------CAUGHT UP TO BE WITH THE LORD-- "Ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light children of the day, we are not of the night nor of darkness"....(1Thess.5:4-5) He will only come as a thief in the night to those who are in darkness, sudden destruction will come upon them..this will happen when they think peace has finally come.( 5:2-3) "Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober."(5:6)___ "God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another..."(5:9-10)___ " "...while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then being now justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (Rom.5:8-9)____ "Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and stand before the Son of man".(Lk 21:36)____ In this chapter Jesus mentions many things that will come to pass before He comes in power and great glory. He says when you see these thinks BEGIN to happen (not afterwards) LOOK UP LIFT UP YOUR HEAD YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH ( v. 28). This is refered to as the BEGINNING OF SORROW in Matthew 24:8. He tells us to not be caught up in the things of this world or that day will come upon you unaware". (Lk 21:34). We are "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).____ "...we know when He shall appear we shall be like Him for we shall see him as he is. and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is pure." (1Jn.3:2-3)____ "For the LORD HIMSELF will descend from heaven WITH A SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead inChrist 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." (1Thess. 4:16:17)___ Notice he did NOT come back down to the earth - we go UP to meet Him. The words 'CAUGHT UP' comes from the Greek word 'HARPAZO' meaning 'TO SEIZE', caught away as by force. His second coming, is when He comes down and His feet touch the earth is at the end of the great tribulation. "For there shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shal be. And except those days be shortened there no flesh be saved....." "For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even to the west so shall the coming of the Son of man be." (Matt.24:21-22,27) "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." (1Cor.15:52)--------------In Thessalonians it said the Lord HIMSELF will SHOUT: We will hear His voice that will sound like a trumpet as John heard when he said "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a GREAT VOICE AS OF A TRUMPET ,saying I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA the FIRST and the LAST..." (Rev 1:10). This is the Voice of the LORD giving the LAST CALL to the church at the end of the church age, the end of the age of grace. In 1 Cor. the last trump is also refering to the LAST CALL by the VOICE of God. The CHURCH which comes from the Greek word 'EKKLESIA' meaning "A CALLING OUT" will be with the Lord forever. After this period is a different age: when He will deal with the Jews.___ Then Israel will have their last chance to receive Him also; the Gentiles who receive Him at this time are NOT the Church- those who give their lives to the Lord then are called the tribulation saints (Rev.7:13-14). The church has gone to be with the Lord and will return to earth WITH the Lord at the end of the tribulation (Jude13-15; Rev. 19:14). You do NOT have to wait and go through that and be a martyr to go to be with the Lord. These two passages in Thessalonians and Corinthians do NOT refer to the 7 trumpets in Rev.8 through 11, which is pouring out JUDGEMENT upon those who do not believe;" at the end of the great tribulation, and immediately following, the seventh is the ANGEL blowing the trumpet {not the Lord's voice as before} making the announcement that "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev.11:15).___ Israel used trumpets all the time to annouce what was happening. There were different blasts for different occasions. The angels will contiue to sound the trumpet in future ages- the shofar--a rams horn --which is a different sound than we think of with trumpets of this day and age. Learn to recognize the sound of the shofar. He is coming in the clouds to call His own unto Himself: If you have completely given your heart to Him and He is the Lord of every part of your life be looking for Him and listeing for His voice. Put your trust in the His grace and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY sacrifice that cleanses us from our sins ,not trusting in our good works for salvation.---------------------------"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in your heart that God 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 the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed." (Rom. 10:9-11)____ Jesus said "Marvel not that I said unto thee ye must be born again."(John3:7)____"Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3)___ He said "I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou art cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold not hot I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Rev.3:15-16)___- "I have somewhat against thee, because you hast left thy first love. Remeber therefore from whence thou are fallen and repent and do the first works. (Rev 2:4-5)________ Are you ready for this great event? He is coming for those without spot or wrinkle, and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27), This is a priviledge and reward for those who follow Him in spirit and in truth, not those who are carnal and seeking their own way. Altho His love is unconditional His promises are conditional. If we do our part He will do His. We are to become mature (Ephesians 4:14), continually being filled with the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:18-19; Acts 2:3). We have been sanctified, separated unto Him ,and are to be separate from the world; that is, we are not like the unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). We think act, and see things completely different and have the character of our Father, imitating His actions, reactions, thoughts and words. Jesus said if you love Him then obey Him (John14:15-17). "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galations 5:16) Keep your heart pure and look for His blessed appearing.

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