Hi Marilyn

First of all to answer your question about me wanting to be in the first rapture: the answer is I will be in the first and only rapture.

As far as the whole Bible being for the Church. Of course it is profitable. All of it is. BUT all of it is not written TO the church. I think you will agree we do not do a lot of things that the Jews did in the Old Testament.(sacrificing animals, going to the priest, etc) God had different spokesman for different times.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Without quoting many more verses we see that Jesus and the apostles were sent to the Jews to preach The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. As you can see from a reading of the Gospels they were expecting that Jesus was going to set up his earthly Kingdom at that time. I have all ideas that Jesus would have done this had Israel not "rejected" him.

And the next verses are clear also

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

What is the mystery Gospel

1Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And the apostles did not know this mystery

Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

Luke 18:32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

Luke 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luke 18:34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

Even when Jesus rose from the grave they did not believe it until they could see him and touch him. They were still expecting Christ to set his earthly Kingdom up and they still were the apostles to the Jews.

Anyway, Yes I do believe the whole Bible is good for us to learn and read but I believe there is a messenger for us whom we are to pay attention to. That is the Apostle Paul. He is the chosen vessel to get the Word of God and the Gospel of Grace to the Gentiles. Once this is complete at the rapture then the Lord will turn his attention back to Israel.The Gospel of the Kingdom will then be preached again during the last 7 years by the two witnesses and the 144,000 virgins.

There is only 1 rapture for the church which takes place before God turns his attention back to Israel. It will be for the church "the Body of Christ". All of Matthew 24 is for the nation Israel as well as the book of Hebrews, James up to and through the book of Revelation. Yes we can learn a lot from what is written to the Jews but we cannot make it doctrine if it conflicts with our Gospel which is what Paul preached.We all know that for the ones saved during the tribluation period there must be works invoved. That is why James says Faith without works is dead. If a person who is a believer during the tribulation takes the mark of the beast he will lose his salvation. Where a believer living before the rapture is SEALED with God's Holy Spirit and cannot lose his salvation.

Thanks and God Bless

Mike W