According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, “Procrastination” is to intentionally put off the doing of something that should be done now. When the Bible tells us in three places that everyone, or all, who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, and Romans 10:13), why would there be hesitation? One belief is that when the Trumpet of God sounds and the shout comes from an archangel, then people will be able to call out in time to be Raptured up to meet Jesus in the air. (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
That would be well and good if the Rapture was to take a day or so to be completed. One real testimony to dispute this belief is 1 Corinthians 15:52; “…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
There are a couple more stipulations that complete the “ABCs of Salvation.”
“A” = Admit we are all sinners in need of a Savior to ensure our Salvation. The only one that has provided that Salvation is Jesus the Christ, as given in John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.
The “B” = Believe that Jesus is the only true Son of the Living God and that He shed His pure, sinless blood for all who would receive and accept His gift, and that no amount of works or anything else can save us, as given in Ephesians 2:8-9.
Of course, the “C” = Call to be saved.
The hardest part of this for many people is to believe it’s not difficult to become a member of Our Savior’s precious flock. When our Savior declared, “It Is Finished,” in John 19:30, He was declaring that our sin debt had been paid in full and that all who would truly accept His gift would be saved and have a reservation to be with Him forever.
Considering all the pain and agony My Jesus went through so that we could be forgiven and have a Home with Him forever, we should be more than willing to ask His forgiveness and for Him to come into our hearts.
Jesus promised that all who do receive and accept His awesome gift will have the Holy Spirit within us from then to the end of our days on this earth. There are numerous verses in the Old and New Testaments referring to the Holy Spirit. Just a few are John 14:16-17, John 14:26, Luke 11:13, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and 12 Corinthians 6:19.
Jesus knew that more people would desire the ways of this earth and the so-called “pleasures” offered through the deceptive temptations from Satan.
Matthew 7:13-14 states, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Again, the hard part is believing the world is wrong and Jesus is right.
We’re told in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life; is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
John goes on in 1 John 2:20-23, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, John, and others spoke about teachings from false prophets and the influence of antichrists. All this was posted in the first Century A.D. Looking at the nearly two millennia that has passed, we have witnessed just about every kind of evil imaginable. Our Savior told us there would be obvious signs toward the end of this age that would begin to take place that would signal our redemption was near (Luke 21:28). It would be safe to say that these signs started in earnest in the last decade, and each passing day shows an acceleration.
For anyone to set a specific day or hour that we will hear the Trumpet and shout would be foolish. When Jesus was on this earth, He stated in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour, no one knows; not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
Some may say this proves Jesus was not a part of the Godhead; however, in Hebrews 2, we’re told Jesus was made lower than the angels for a little while.
Philippians 2:8 states, “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death; even death on a cross.” We can rest assured that when Jesus’ Spirit left His body on that cross, He was again fully God and in the presence of the Father.
The thief on the cross had enough time to confess that he believed Jesus was the Savior and called out for his Salvation. Jesus told Him in Luke 23:43 that the thief would be with Him that day in Paradise.
We have the true word of our Heavenly Father written by about forty Holy Spirit-inspired authors. Sadly, false prophets have taken it upon themselves today to “tweak” God’s word to fit their own selfish desires. This was a problem even Jesus had with the religious leaders of His day. The time will come at the White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20:11-15, where all blasphemy against God’s true word will be enforced. There will be no pardons or forgiveness at this judgment.
For all who truly believe the actual Word of the Lord, there will be an event called the “Harpazo” taking up, or Rapture. The verses about this are 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. As given earlier, it will happen in “the twinkling of an eye.”
Anyone who does not have a reservation before this event will be left behind to face the most awful circumstances this earth has ever witnessed to date. They will enter a seven-year period of wrath or tribulation, and world events taking place now will pale in comparison to what’s coming.
There will be people saved during that time but most likely at the cost of martyrdom. Even though today, the Messianic Jewish believers only make up about 2% of their total worldwide population, by the end of the tribulation, all survivors will be 100% believers.
To delay in calling out to our Shepherd to forgive and save us could very well be a ticket to the wrath. To call out now would be a sure reservation to missing it altogether.
Satan will try every tactic to get souls to delay. He knows his future and hopes to pull many into the Lake of Fire with him. Our Heavenly Father will force no one to accept His Son but will honor the request of all who truly do.
It’s a choice each person must make for themselves. Heaven with Jesus, or hell with Satan. I encourage everyone to make their reservation with Jesus today.
Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!
Also raptureforums.com
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