GOD'S LOVE AND THE RAPTURE
 
 
     Hoping you are doing well this morning, afternoon, or night time wherever you are in the World.  I am more convinced than ever that God's love for us is incomprehensible. It is greater than my little mind can imagine and yet God still desires to not only show me but express it within me. I can do all the mental gymnastics in my mind that I want but God is not impressed with that because God's love to man is the only thing that really makes any sense.  Think about this, my Father in Heaven loves me.  Romans 8:15 says " for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father."  Wow, if we are struggling with something just stop and meditate on God's amazing love for us.I wonder if we would still have the same intensity to that problem that has been burdening us down.  God loves us to the "nth" degree.  We cannot convince God to love us anymore than He already does regardless as to what we do.  To put this in mathematical terms we cannot go from ten to ten.We cannot impress God in anyway because we were Saved by His unconditional love and grace.  He loves us and that is very hard for us to accept sometimes.
 
When Christians get Raptured and I am going to give you a couple of insights as to why I believe this wonderful, magnificent event could take place, I believe at any moment.Upon arrival in Heaven we are going to be enamored with the permeating love of Jesus Christ.  I believe at points we will just simply be speechless.  We are genuinely going to experience and express God's love to an even greater degree when the Lord takes us home but I don't want to be misunderstood as to what the Rapture is all about.
 
The Rapture is when Jesus Christ Himself comes down from the Third Heaven to the First Heaven to airlift ( Rapture) His children to Paradise I believe before the Seven Year Tribulation period that the Bible talks about.  This is why it is an issue to some Believers in Jesus Christ to reach out in love and give Unbelievers the Gospel, so don't get angry with us.  If a Christian or group of Christians are trying to explain to you the benefits of accepting Jesus Christ into your heart ( Salvation, Rapture, missing the Seven Year Tribulation, and Heaven) as opposed to going through the Day of the Lord you should listen to them. You see when it comes to the Rapture there is no second shuttle.  The opportunity of accepting God's love into your spirit should sound more appealing than strife and conflict.  God is calling people to His Son, Jesus Christ who died for you on the Cross and rose from the dead on the third day ( victory over sin and death ).  You should consider reading this article because I am going to bring up some points as to why we could be pretty close to this event.
 
I believe we are in the general time frame of the Rapture but I also suspect it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a set of dates if they are really close together.  There are many legitimate reasons as to why we Believers that understand end time Bible prophecy believe the Rapture is just about to happen.  Exactly when is a whole different thing but the Body of Christ is close to being taken up in this event.  It is very prophetically significant that Israel may very well be in the middle of a Sabbatical cycle.  I remember personally talking to Miriam Howard in March of 2003 and she said even back then that she was seeing something in Scripture regarding the middle of a Sabbatical cycle for Israel and Tribulation timing.  She felt the Church based on this was not going to be Raptured in 2003.  She thought it could be 2004 but recalculated and came to the conclusion it was for 2005.  Now think about this, what she was saying was spoken of in 2003.  Let me just say some things.  Some good theologians believe this could be for the Spring and some just as good believe it could be for the Fall. I'm going to touch on that.
 
In the seven candlestick Menorah Jesus Christ is always represented by the fourth candlestick.  He is not bound by time.  This is why the first or seventh candlestick does not represent Jesus Christ.  He is the Alpha and Omega.  He had no beginning and He will have no end.  Also in Matthew 24:32 " now learn a parable of the fig tree; when its' branch is yet tender, and putted forth leaves, ye know that Summer is near."  Notice Jesus mentioned a season ( Summer).  I don't want to be accused of reading into things but for the longest while when I would read this verse I could never get by the fact that Jesus mentioned the word "Summer."  Let's just say perhaps Jesus was trying to insinuate something on top of His main point.  It is obvious that most trees come to fullness in the Summer.  Let's just go with something.  Was Jesus talking about the start of the Seven Year Tribulation period ( perhaps the Summer) or the end of the Seven Year Tribulation ( perhaps the Summer) ?  If He was it does not really matter as far as seasonal timing is concerned because the Seven Year Tribulation period is a period of seven years.  If it starts with the Summer then it obviously ends with the Summer ( seven years).  If the Seven Year Tribulation starts in the Fall then it ends in the Fall ( seven years).  Since we are at the time of the Spring-Summer let me make some points.  At the time I am writing this we are in the Spring and very close to the Summer. If the Rapture is going to happen in this season I believe it will have to take place before the Summer because the Scripture implies there is a little time between the Rapture and the Seven Year Tribulation.  This much I do know Spring time represents Resurrection and Rapture according to the first four Jewish Feasts which includes Firstfruits.  This particular feast day and Resurrection are inextricably tied together.  I would like to make another point.  In Matthew 24:20 " but pray ye that your flight be not in the Winter, neither on the Sabbath day."  If many people that follow Bible prophecy believe that Spring time is for Rapture and Resurrection, Summer being the start of the Tribulation period based on the possibilities of what Jesus said..." ye know that Summer is near" and this verse that I just quoted " but pray ye that your flight be not in the Winter," which by the way is instruction for the Jewish people in Israel at the middle of the Seven Year Tribulation then my only conclusion is the Rapture and the start of the Seven Year Tribulation would have to be close if I am looking at this correctly.  I am certainly not on the level where I am dogmatic on this, but let's take a look at one part of this scenario. Jesus is saying ( in the context of the middle of the Seven Year Tribulation) " but pray ye that your flight be not in the Winter."  Back in Matthew 24:18 " neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes."  Jesus is saying just go and don't even turn around to get your coat.  If God is giving these Jewish people the opportunity to pray this prayer ( not in Winter) then God is going to provide not only the timing but also the seasons.  Count three and one half years ( the middle of the Seven Year Tribulation) from the Spring-Summer and you will almost reach the Winter but not quite.  I believe we serve a good God that will provide an opportunity for these Jewish people to have their prayer answered, otherwise Jesus Christ would not have spoken about seasons in the explicit ways that He did.  There are so many other reasons why I believe there are strong possibilities for the Rapture and Tribulation to start this year in the year 2005.  One more thing I would like to say, not everybody believes that Spring time will start this whole prophetic scenario off.  Some people believe it will be in the Fall, but that still leaves a mystery unsolved..." ye know that Summer is near."  Matthew 24:32.
 
One thing that I know for sure by placing your faith in Jesus Christ you will have that blessed assurance of Salvation.When that trumpet from Heaven sounds your ears will be tuned to it and the Lord, Jesus Christ will Rapture you into His Kingdom for all eternity.  Hoping and praying you make that all important decision.  Jesus Christ will welcome you with open arms because He loves you with incomprehensible and eternal love.I love to encourage Believers to be edified and Unbelievers to enter into the greatest love relationship with Almighty God through Jesus Christ, His Only Son. When a person makes this decision they can be assured they will spend eternity with an infinite God in an eternal relationship with the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ.  Words cannot accurately describe this future reality in Heaven.  Accept God's love into your heart today through His Son, Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.If you look deep down there will never be any regret in making this decision.  Hoping to see you soon on the other side after the Lord Raptures His children.  It will be a delight to get to know one another.
 
Love, In Christ,
Bob D.