(Please note: This is intended for those who do not yet know Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior. If you know of any one among your loved ones that does not, you are welcome to forward this, or print it out and share! Time is short, let's invite as many as we can to the LAMB's WEDDING FEAST)
I am writing this letter to you today because the days being what they are, I feel it’s necessary to do so; time is very short and I wanted to give you the opportunity to consider the things I will discuss.
What I will address here are topics and subjects that you may or may not, or perhaps don’t believe; your inclination may be to delete this letter altogether and disregard this gesture of mine.
I would earnestly ask that you not do so. In fact, if you are able to, please print this letter out and after reading it (whether you believe it or not), please file it away some where (file cabinet, in a seldom used book on a shelf, taped to the bottom of a table or chair, etc) so that when the time comes, you can easily retrieve it and re-read it.
If in fact the things I will write about come to pass, you will understand that what I’m saying here is the truth, and it’s probably a foregone conclusion that you will want to have this information on hand.
Some of you have known me all of your lives, and those who’ve known me more recently have known me to be nothing but a Christian. I am one who not only believes the Bible, but one who endeavors to live out its truth daily and has devoted my very life to the LORD.
There are Christians around the world who at this very moment, as you read these words, are being murdered for their beliefs, and they are willing to be so, rather than to deny the LORD that has saved them from their sins, from eternal death and hell.
While I have not had any such experiences as these, I believe that by God’s grace I myself am willing to die for my faith, should that opportunity arise here in America (which it very well may). I personally believe that persecution in America is coming for the church. However, if such a thing happens here or not, one thing I believe is certain: Jesus Christ is coming back, just as He promised that He would -
JOHN 14:2-3
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
This is confirmed later in the book of Acts:
ACTS 1:11
Which also said, You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.
Now I know what you may be thinking: “People have been predicting the coming of Jesus now for thousands of years! Every generation believed that THEY were the generation when the end of the world would come!”
Those who criticize in such a fashion don’t understand the difference between the Second Coming of Christ and another event that occurs prior to that glorious appearing, because the Scriptures themselves state that certain things MUST happen first before the Second Coming (or Advent) of Christ Jesus; Paul the Apostle states:
2 THESSALONIANS 2:2-3
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(read the whole of chapter two here to get the context of what Paul is addressing)
The “Day of Christ” is what the Bible refers to as that event that starts off the time period known by various titles: the 70th week of Daniel, the time of Jacob’s Trouble; the day or time of sorrows and great Tribulation, etc. Paul is here saying that this Day CANNOT come EXCEPT there is a “falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”
Two things: the falling away is what’s called the apostasy (for a detailed explanation of what this word means, go to this C.A.R.M. article) – it’s a time when those who believed the Bible and were Christians (supposedly so) fall away from this faith, and reject the Christ of the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth in exchange for a false (world-wide) religious system.
Another take on this passage (which I'm finding has some measure of credibility) is that this "falling away" or literally "a departure" which is what apostasia can also mean, refers not to a religious abandonment of the truth of Scripture - which it does in fact refer to contextually in (1 TIM 4:1) as the apostasy of the faith, but of the departure of the church in the rapture!
As many of you know, I do a lot of research in writing for the blogs I have created or participate in, and I can tell you that this "falling away from the faith" is happening with increased and alarming volume.
Scores of so-called believers are forsaking the Bible – but not their church membership (!), because the Bible is no longer taught in their pulpits, or if it is, it’s in accord with New Age/Emergent Church/Progressive Christianity teachings (time and space don’t allow explaining these movements, but sufficing it here to say, they are not at all biblical; if you would like to know about these go to www.thetruthunderfire.com and type "Emergent" in the search engine and this will produce articles for your review). Or for your convenience, here are links for a comprehensive two-part summary article on:
The Emergent Church: Its Roots, Its Reality, Its Resolve - Part One and Part Two.
The “man of sin, the son of perdition” is what the Bible calls the Beast or “anti-Christ” – he is the one world leader prophesied in the Bible who will appear on the global scene and assume command of all governmental, political, economic and military forces. He will demand total allegiance, even worship at some point (when he stands in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which is nearly ready today to be built!), of everyone living on this planet. He is diametrically opposed to Jesus Christ and represents all the power of Satan visibly on Earth. I believe the time of his unveiling is near.
Paul is stating that before the “Day of Christ” can come, these things must precede them, so the Second Coming of Christ could not have happened at any time in history because these things have not happened – the apostasy is of course a current event, and the world is looking for a strong, global leader to guide a one world government which, if you watch the news, is beginning to develop, as is a one world currency and a one world religion.
So what’s all this talk about Jesus coming again “soon and very soon”?
There is an event prophesied that, unlike the Second Coming requires NO previous events to occur; there are NO prophecies that MUST be fulfilled prior to this incredible, shocking, world-wide event to take place.
This is something called “the rapture of the church”. The word rapture doesn’t appear in the English Bible: the words “caught up” are used instead; in the Greek the word is harpazo and in the Latin it's rapiere (this is what the word ‘rapture’ is based on). Essentially it’s an event when Christ Jesus returns “in the air” and calls His church – those who are born again, born of God’s Spirit and are members of the universal (world wide) body of Christ – to be with Him in heaven.
As astounding as it sounds, there will be millions the whole world over who will, without warning or preamble, suddenly disappear, leaving not a trace of their existence or any indication as to where they have gone. Again, the apostle Paul speaks of this matter in a couple of different places:
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [“asleep” here means those believers in Christ who have died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.
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.
In 1 THESSALONIANS 5 Paul explains that this event, while the exact day is not known, will not take those Christians looking for their LORD by surprise (1 THESS 5:1-11). The other passage where Paul addresses this can be found here:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-54
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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Here is a video for you to watch regarding the rapture of the church, and what you can expect to happen next, as well as what you can do to ensure your eternal fate:
Jesus Came! What Next?
I have discussed these matters in greater detail in an article I wrote on The TRUTH Under FIRE (please feel free to print this and all other web articles listed below as well):
The “man of sin, the son of perdition” is what the Bible calls the Beast or “anti-Christ” – he is the one world leader prophesied in the Bible who will appear on the global scene and assume command of all governmental, political, economic and military forces. He will demand total allegiance, even worship at some point (when he stands in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which is nearly ready today to be built!), of everyone living on this planet. He is diametrically opposed to Jesus Christ and represents all the power of Satan visibly on Earth. I believe the time of his unveiling is near.
Paul is stating that before the “Day of Christ” can come, these things must precede them, so the Second Coming of Christ could not have happened at any time in history because these things have not happened – the apostasy is of course a current event, and the world is looking for a strong, global leader to guide a one world government which, if you watch the news, is beginning to develop, as is a one world currency and a one world religion.
So what’s all this talk about Jesus coming again “soon and very soon”?
There is an event prophesied that, unlike the Second Coming requires NO previous events to occur; there are NO prophecies that MUST be fulfilled prior to this incredible, shocking, world-wide event to take place.
This is something called “the rapture of the church”. The word rapture doesn’t appear in the English Bible: the words “caught up” are used instead; in the Greek the word is harpazo and in the Latin it's rapiere (this is what the word ‘rapture’ is based on). Essentially it’s an event when Christ Jesus returns “in the air” and calls His church – those who are born again, born of God’s Spirit and are members of the universal (world wide) body of Christ – to be with Him in heaven.
As astounding as it sounds, there will be millions the whole world over who will, without warning or preamble, suddenly disappear, leaving not a trace of their existence or any indication as to where they have gone. Again, the apostle Paul speaks of this matter in a couple of different places:
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [“asleep” here means those believers in Christ who have died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.
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.
In 1 THESSALONIANS 5 Paul explains that this event, while the exact day is not known, will not take those Christians looking for their LORD by surprise (1 THESS 5:1-11). The other passage where Paul addresses this can be found here:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-54
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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Here is a video for you to watch regarding the rapture of the church, and what you can expect to happen next, as well as what you can do to ensure your eternal fate:
Jesus Came! What Next?
I have discussed these matters in greater detail in an article I wrote on The TRUTH Under FIRE (please feel free to print this and all other web articles listed below as well):
24 Signs of the LORD's Return in Matthew Chapter 24
In that article I address a point that skeptics often bring up: “Signs of the last days are all about earthquakes, famines, pestilences (diseases) and wars? These things have been going on since the beginning of time! How are these signs of the end??”
It’s not so much the events themselves, but the manner of their appearing that indicates the last days era: the LORD Jesus stated that “All these things are the beginning of sorrows” in MATT 24:8, meaning “birth pangs”. Of course when a woman goes into labor it’s a series of contractions: they start out slow and with a somewhat lesser degree of pain, and then increase in frequency and intensity until finally, the child is born.
The LORD is saying that these events would increase in frequency and intensity and this is exactly what we are seeing in today’s world on a global scale regarding wars, earthquakes, disease and famine.
Something very prominent in the news today is this contention between the nation of Israel and the Palestinian people; it seems all the world desires to give the Palestinians a homeland of their own (on land currently occupied by Israel!), with the exception of one nation – Israel herself. She refuses to give land unless there is a concession and an abiding by edicts and practices of peace, which the Muslims have not and never will agree to, until the time when "false peace" is evident in the world (1 THESS 5:3). Israel is becoming “a burdensome stone to all nations” just as prophesied in Scripture:
ZECHARIAH 12:1-3
The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, says the LORD, which stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
And as we can see, all the people of the Earth are beginning to gather against Israel, some more so than others, but eventually this opposition to Israel and specifically the city of Jerusalem (ironically called “the city of peace”) will be a unified, global movement.
This is why I am writing to you today; I believe that the rapture of the church may well occur within months, or weeks, or even just days away. Of course it might not happen for another year or even five or ten years, but as I said, there are NO prophetic events that MUST transpire in order for the Rapture to happen; all of these signs that we have looked at here involve the Second Coming of Christ and the Tribulation period (seven years long) that happens prior to His Return, and since we see these things beginning to happen, we know that the church (which I believe will not be on this Earth during those seven years) will soon depart from this world – both the living and the dead (those “asleep”) in Christ Jesus.
For more about the rapture, you can read about this here (Note: This is A LOT of material in six parts):
The Rapture of the Church Explained
So if you should wake up some morning, or are about to call it a night and go to bed, and you see a News flash on television about an incredible event where people have suddenly, mysteriously disappeared – and later find out that this was no localized event, but something that happened world wide, in every nation: millions of people vanishing, and graves being emptied of many of their occupants, then know that the rapture of the church has in fact and in deed taken place; that you have entered into this horrific time period known as the 70th week of Daniel or the time of Jacob’s Trouble or the Tribulation of seven years.
You will have to pledge allegiance to the Beast, this one world leader who will appear to be awesome, incredibly intelligent, compassionate, and wise and look as virtuous and noble as Jesus Himself – but is an imposter and indeed the very son of Satan! If you do not swear allegiance to him, and his new world order, by taking his number, 666 on your right hand or on your head, then you will be killed. It seems the choice of execution at that time will be by beheading (REV 20:4).
Yet even in this upcoming time of darkness, there is STILL HOPE! Any who will receive Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior will be saved; but this will cost you your life because the Beast will allow NO OTHER allegiances, but to himself, especially not to Jesus Christ of Nazareth and soon coming King of Israel and of the world!
The Bible states that an innumerable multitude will stand one day in heaven, martyrs who refused the mark of the Beast (666) but died for their faith in Jesus Christ:
REVELATION 7:9, 13-14
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Jesus Christ is God made flesh; God became a man for the express purpose of delivering the Gospel message, to demonstrate the kind of life God would have us live, empowered by His Spirit, and to provide Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
2 CORINTHIANS 5:21
For He [God the Father] hath made Him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
ROMANS 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
TITUS 3:5-7
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
EPHESIANS 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
JOHN 14:6
Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.
By accepting by faith the finished work of Jesus Christ which He accomplished on the cross on your behalf and mine, placing your trust, your heart, your very life into His nail pierced hands, and committing your life to Him by repenting of your sins and freely receiving eternal life through He who is the LAMB of GOD, you will be born of God’s Spirit and become born again (anew) and become a child of God.
The choice is yours but again remember that time is running out. The rapture as far as we are concerned is a moving target: it could be today, it could be ten or twenty years from now. However, from God the Father’s perspective, the date is fixed and once it occurs there is no going back for those on Earth. There is no second chance to escape the time ahead. The time of escape is now if you would avoid this period of great tribulation, and even more importantly, escape the consequences of our sins – death and hell.
The LORD loves you! If He didn’t He would not have come, He would not have offered His life WILLINGLY on your behalf! He is still making this offer of salvation to you, and I pray that you will accept this offer.
If any of you would like to know exactly how it was that I came to be a Christian, please visit this site:
My Personal Testimony: Can I Get A Witness?
With all my love and earnest desire in prayer on your behalf,
James Fire
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