Prayer – Lord, I’m waiting patiently for Your return. I am listening to Your wise words and trusting You to take away any fear that I may experience during this stressful time. I know that just like everyone else, I will die someday…unless I’m still alive when You come to rapture Your believers. I’m ready…snatch me up!
Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! High and low, rich and poor—listen! For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp. Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates. But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day. People who boast of their wealth don't understand; they will die, just like animals. Psalm 49:1-20 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Meditate. Consider that everyone will die one day—and they leave their wealth or poverty behind.
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| Wheat gleaned after the main harvest. |
Everyone will die, just like animals. No one can buy their way to Heaven…not with money or with good deeds Only God can “redeem” us. I love this verse that I underlined above: But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Snatch. What a good word! It is sort of like being plucked, picked, or “harvested” and I can imagine each of those words associated with how God will redeem us when the time comes. That is how we will be raptured. One of my favorite Bible study teachers, Brenda Weltner, teaches that there will be three raptures. The first group harvested will be “the first born” who are the believers who are faithfully following Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is not necessarily the church, just the believers. This is like that first fruits that is offered at the Temple. There are likely some who go to church, but they are not true believers devoted to faithfully following Jesus.
The second group will be the
144,000 Jews who become believers in Jesus as their Messiah after the first
rapture occurs. They are the main harvest. The final group to be raptured, like the gleaning of the
harvested fields, will be those who come to believe in Jesus as their Savior
during the Millennium. Each group will be plucked away…picked by God in the
final harvest of souls. There are all kinds of theories out there about when
the rapture will occur and who will be raptured, but although timelines can be
established, only God the Father knows for sure when this will happen. He has a
plan and He doesn’t want anyone to perish, so He is in no hurry. We cannot even
say who will be raptured and what each person will do once they get to
Heaven.
So don't make
judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring
our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will
give to each one whatever praise is due. ... You think you already have
everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in
God's kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we
would be reigning with you. ... For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of
talk; it is living by God's power. Which do you choose? Should I come with a
rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit? 1
Corinthians 4:5, 8, 20-21
As always—choose today whom you will serve. Will it be the
one true living God, or will it be a false god or just money? Who will redeem
your life?
Verse of Salvation ~ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
Happy Birthday Blessings Sweet Liberty!
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