1 Cor 10:31 (11 July 2006)
"Re: "Ye are not in Darkness; The Timing of His Return""

This is in reply to Sue's post, titled, "Ye are not in darkness; the Timing of His Return":   http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2006/sue710.htm
 
 
BIG  STANDING  OVATION, Sue!!!   I heartily agree.
 
You stated very succinctly what I've been thinking on just within the past 24 hours or so.  I CONFESS outright that I, too, have looked at many "possible rapture dates" in the past few years, and along with all the other predicted ones out there, we have watched each & every one of them come & go. 
 
Thus, I finally decided to throw in the towel ~ NOT ON WATCHING -- but on date setting (or rather, "date guessing")
 
Here you state:
 

I guess my fear is that many of the body of Christ will buy into the concepts presented that say that the return will ABSOLUTELY be on a certain date. If that date is several months or even days away, then that Believer may become complacent or lackadaisical in the interim, and may be found wanting if the Lord arrives as a Thief in advance of the expected date. If the goodman of the house THINKS he knows when to expect the Master's return, might he not be gearing only toward being ready at that specific moment? He may believe he can get his "ducks in a row" the last few days before the anticipated arrival date. I really fear that those of us who post writings that say His arrival can only be during certain times of the year may be creating a pitfall for the body of Christ.

Does this mean we aren't to watch for the signs and seasons, and keep each other informed as to the hopes and potentials that are occurring in the news and the planets, etc.? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I very much value this input, and I too look at certain times with extra anticipation. My hope is, however, that in our passion to defend our findings, we will stop presenting them so emphatically that they pose a problem for the body in the event that we are not seeing the whole picture and it doesn't pan out as we think.  

 
Like you, some particular seasons I watch with extra interest, however, I have learned my lesson & I will not impose a particular date or feast date on the rapture any more.
 
Mainly b/c here of late ~ I've been thinking about the Scripture (Luke 12) ~ about the one who says (not even to others, but IN HIS OWN HEART) ~ that "my Lord DELAYS His coming.......   and it seems to me that even if that is a well-meaning Christian who talks about the SOON COMING of Jesus, but yet, sets a date out for the next spring or the next fall, or the following year, or whatever -- that yes, even that person is guilty of saying "my Lord DELAYS His coming".....  {because how would they/we be watching for Him to come *TODAY* ~ if we thought that He simply could not come before a certain date}
 
We know what happens to such a person who says the Lord will not come today -- and it is not a pretty sight:  (Luke 12, v 46:   the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
 
YIKES -- to appoint his his portion WITH THE UNBELIEVERS would certainly mean to be LEFT HERE!!!!!
 
I honestly do not know where I stand on a split rapture, but even so, I want to be going when the trumpet sounds PRE-TRIB!!!!
 
And I know that I know that I KNOW that that's going to be SOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!
 
It *may* (not claiming it has to) ~ but certainly with all the pressing signs we see all around us, it MAY even be this very week!   {Let not my heart say He may delay; but rather, I may see Him today!}
 
 
Let's be watching *NOW*!!
 
I know some think Jesus will not come in summer -- cuz they cannot get beyond the Scripture that tells the Jews to pray their (mid-trib) flight to not be IN WINTER.   So they reason that unless the trib is postponed (getting started) after the rapture -- that it seems ludicrous to tell them to PRAY their flight not be in winter -- when it most likely would be.
 
But I think just cuz that one verse is in there -- that ultimately they (Jews) are to hope & pray that it not be in really bad weather when they have to flee -- but I think it could still be cold.  Just like the Oklahoma winter we had this past year -- some cold days, but really we had just one day out of the whole winter that was not good for travel, when it was icy & snowy out.  Even that all melted away within 24 hours though.
 
But the very ones who think the rapture could not happen now.....
 
like the Scripture you point out, Sue ~ it is ALSO "when you think *NOT*"!!
 
If we want to be accounted as WISE virgins ~ we will be watching EVEN NOW!!
 
Even so, come Lord Jesus!!
~~~~~~~
 
 
 
Told ya' Jesus was coming *SOON*!!
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