Hi Marilyn,

 

Blessings to you in Jesus' name!  I so much love to read your posts, as they are very insightful.  Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers regarding all that you've been through, even as you have shared.  You are truly a blessing!!!  Know you're loved very much, because you are!

 

Please take the following I write to you in the spirit of gentleness and in meekness of Christ, as my only desire is to edify, in His holiness.

 

I was reading your response to Mike W's posting regarding the rapture. You say there may be two raptures; referencing the Noah and Lot accounts, both alluding to a rapture, a first and a second.  Couldn't the Noah account be alluding to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the whole earth, the water alluding to Him, therefore not a rapture, but a pouring out upon all flesh, even as the water was poured out over all the earth, cleansing the wickedness? I say that, only because of this:  

 

In my church-life (47 yrs.) I have been conditioned to believe that Matt. 24: 37-39 is about the second coming of Christ.  We see from verse 36 onward that He shifts from the endtime scenario to speak of something else. I am seeing with new eyes that verses 37-39 speak more of Christ's first coming; that as the days of Noe were (a cleansing), so also Jesus came to us, cleansing through the word He spoke (Jn. 15: 3), the blood He shed, and the water (H.S.), even as He flooded the earth, cleansing the wickedness, as also 1 Jn. 5 confirms; that Matt 24: 40-42 alludes to the serious consequence of not watching, to remain holy through doing the true doctrine of Christ, and verses 43-44 speaks of our need to always be abiding in Him (Jn. 15: 4-5) until He comes again.  I used to, but no longer, believe the Noah account alludes to a Rapture, but as a cleansing.

As we get deeper into scripture it actually proves this to be true. And when this truth is realized, then we will know just how serious it is for the church to be found without spot or blemish, for us to cease from doing the sins of the flesh, and that only them that have ceased from "these" sins (1 Cor. 6: 9-10; Gal. 5: 19-21) will be His Bride!

 

The Lot account I do believe alludes to the Rapture of the Bride, which comes on the same day as sudden destruction, even as Ron Reese speaks of. Again, only as He reveals, the deeper things in scripture show their to be one Rapture, and that, for His Bride to escape all these things coming upon the earth. I personally do not see another rapture, even in the tribulation, as I see the tribulation saints to be of the Jews only, and not of any of the Gentile church, since the apostate church has already "come to the full", since BHO is here now (Dan. 8: 23), therefore, the assumption their will be more of the Gentile church coming to Christ during great tribulation, I just cannot see as true, because the apostate church come to the full already!  Therefore, between now and the start of the great tribulation (Nov.?), it now becomes a matter of the Gentile church recognizing their need to truly repent of their sins, and cease from them, to be a part of the Bride, or they, with the unbelievers, will be cast into great tribulation, where God Himself will send upon them strong delusion that they (unbelievers and apostate church) should believe a lie (2 Thess. 2: 11-12).  And why will this come upon them? Because they were unwilling to believe that with God's help from the Holy Spirit, that they could cease from sin, as Jesus says, "If you can believe all things are possible to Him that believes" (Mark 9: 23). 

 

I also personally believe that God has ended new seed to be harvested (new converts), even has Jesus said in Jn. 9: 4, and Paul said in 2 Tim. 4: 3, and that Gen. 45: 6 alludes to Daniel's last week, this being two years after the revealing of that man of sin, the son of perdition, who later will become Satan incarnate, whose revealing was on Rosh Hashanah 10/29/08, and two years later being Rosh Hashanah 9/10/10.

 

As scripture definitely comforts the true believer in these last days, telling them "Let not your hearts be troubled..." (Jn. 14: 1), knowing the Bride will not have to endure the wrath of God, for they are holy, should surely bring a righteous fear to the church to cease from doing the sins of the flesh, so they may graduate to be apart of the Bride, rather than assume they are.

 

"And holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14).

"...Presumptuous are they, selfwilled...." (2 Pet. 2: 10).

 

Blessings in Christ,

Greg