YOUR BODY-SOUL AND SPIRIT

 

                       YOUR BODY-SOUL AND SPIRIT

 

In Genesis 1:1 the word says “in the beginning”. The word genesis means beginning or origin, and unfolds the record of the beginning of the world of the human history and of civilization, and salvation.

 

Genesis sets the stage for the entire bible. It reveals the person and nature of God, who is Creator, sustainer, judge and redeemer. The value and dignity of human beings, made in Gods image, saved by grace and used by God in the world.

 

That is where Genesis begins, when we read Genesis we should be encouraged. There is hope, no matter how dark the world situation seems, God has a plan.

 

No matter how weak you may feel in God’s word, he loves you and want to use you in his plan. You do have a purpose in His plan.

 

We will always be facing great choices, but with God we will win, disobedience occurs when people choose not to follow God’s plan of living. Genesis teaches us that the earth is well made and good.

 

People are special to God, especially the believers. They are unique when they obey God. They find peace with Him, with others and with themselves.

 

Genesis 1:26-27   ²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

Let us make man and ‘wo-man’ in our image, after our likeness.

 

Why did God use the plural form, ‘let us’ make people in our image? It was a reference to God the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. All of whom are God called the trinity.

 

The first human, Adam was formed from the earthly elements, and became a living being by receiving the breath of God, not pro-creation as of today through other human beings.

 

The body is made up of flesh and bones, the body that you see in the mirror and dress each day is actually not the real you, the real you is your soul and your spirit. Your body is the vehicle that carries and houses your spirit man.

 

 

People try to believe what they read or hear, unfortunately many ideas printed and taught are not true.

 

So, your flesh and bone body are only a vehicle to transfer your soul and spirit from one place to another. For instance, like your car.

 

If you have been redeemed by Christ Jesus, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20    ¹⁹ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Your body is not only to move you from point A to point B but also that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. this actually refers to the human body of the born-again believer, it is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.

 

Ephesians 4:30   ³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

 

Once you make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit. With the acceptance of Jesus, the Holy Spirit sanctifies and purifies your heart so the Holy Spirit will have a sin free temple to abide in.

 

Your soul is quite different than your body. It is made up of three parts: your mind, your will, and your emotions.

Your mind is what you think with, either good or bad, the thoughts are transferred down to your will.

Your will is what you want or do, or your desires. However, you must be careful in this area this is a place Satan will battle you and deceive you if he can.

This can be passed on to your thinking, and to your emotions, which is mostly what we act on.

 

Ephesians 6:12   ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

Paul is not only giving this counsel just to the church, but to all individuals within the church. As you do battle with the powers of darkness, light is the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit, it will protect your mind, known also as the helmet of salvation.

 

John 10:10   ¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

Satan comes to kill steal and destroy the word, our joy, and our righteous thoughts. The battle ground is in our minds.

The way you think will change your spiritual life.

 

Ephesians 4:23    ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

As we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, we must not be driven by impulse, we must put on the new nature, head in the new direction and have the new way of thinking that comes from the Holy Spirit. Renewing our minds with the word.

 

John 1: 12-13   ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

Your mind is how you think; your will is what you do; and how you do it, as your mind dictates it. If you don’t renew your mind daily with the word, and protect it, Satan will steal the word and your ‘will’ won’t know the right way to respond.

We are made up of our body, our soul and our spirit, whether or not you have made Jesus the Lord of your life. Your mind, will and emotions still operate on carnal knowledge, or if you are saved it will operate on wisdom through and by the Holy Spirit.

 

Your will only responds to how you think. If you are filled with the spirit and the things of God, your ‘will’, can operate on that spiritual knowledge.

 

If you are not born again and focus on worldly things, then your ‘will’, operates on natural knowledge, which Satan can control at any time.

 

John 6:38-40   ³⁸ For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

³⁹ And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 

⁴⁰ And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

Again, we see where our “will” is something that we do; Jesus came down from Heaven, not to do his own “will” but to do his Fathers, ‘Gods’ “will”. God decided to send Jesus. If we believe on Him, ‘Jesus’, we would have everlasting life.

 

So, your will is something you do by the choices you make. Same as it was Gods will to send Christ Jesus to be our Savior.

 

Your emotions!

 

Your emotions are a strange part of the human soul. Sometimes they can be very calm, and other times in a rage.

 

We often label different emotions into a common group. Like, happy or sad. We forget to experience that emotion for what it is.

 

Negative emotions can literally control our lives in a bad way, but positive emotions are always the same, happy, full of love, confident, and leads us into a relaxed life.

 

Positive emotions create positive thinking, self-motivation, self-esteem, and personal development. It all is according to how you think. Your mind, your will and your emotions are the three parts that make up your soul.

 

Emotions play a very big part of how your spirit man operates. However, even though your body, your soul and your spirit are three different controlling units, you must not allow your body and soul control your Spirit.

 

Your spirit is your inner man that abides in God’s word, it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

 

When the Holy Spirit comes and lives in a believer, they will have the world, the flesh and the devil coming against them at the same time, Because you have woken up an evil spirit called Satan who wants to destroy the word of God in you.

 

If you keep your soul and spirit in line you will be strong. If you let your soul, which is made up of your mind will and emotion, team up with your body, which is your flesh, your spirit man won’t have a chance.

 

The way to stop Satan from working in your life is by the renewing of your mind, daily by the word of God. Satan is still walking the Earth seeking who he may devour. Stay alert, serve God, seek the word daily.

THE INNER IMAGE OF GOD IN YOU

 

THE INNER IMAGE OF GOD IN YOU

 Read 2^nd cor 5:7   For we walk by faith and not by sight.

 God has given you the principle, and the power to make permanent changes in your life, and in your circumstances. (Principle means: the basic way in which something works). But first you have to understand an important principal… it is the principle of Inner image

 Genesis 1:26   ²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

 When God created the earth, he had to first have an inner image or idea of what he wanted to create. He took the principle of the inner image and added faith and the power of His words, and created.

 For your inner image to work, you need to use words for your base… the word of God. The word has supernatural power. If you fill that word with faith and speak it out it will work for you.

 You have to use words to get that image from the inside of you to the outside. Words are powerful; they are containers that can carry faith and love.

Words are so important they can determine our eternal destiny.

 Proverbs 18: 21   Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

 We are the only creature on the planet that has the power to speak words.Satan chose his own words and was doomed forever: words can destroy or they can create. Words can take an inner image and project it to the outside world.

 Once you understand that… you can put the principle of the inner image to work in your life. Words not only release the creative force of faith; they also produce images.

 When you hear the word dog, you form a picture in your mind of a dog. that is an inner image; words paint pictures in our minds. We have to get that inner image to line up with the word of God. God’s words are packed with faith.

 That faith is the energy that is in the word that gives it power to bring itself to pass.

In other words, transfers it from inner image to a physical reality.

 Isaiah 55: 11     So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 God’s word is a living thing. It is alive with Gods own faith. Just as Gods faith energized the words he spoke, the faith he has given you, mixed with his words can create new realities in your life.

 By the power of the Holy Spirit you have faith inside of you. When your inner image matches Gods word, then your faith can produce the end result that God desires for it to produce.

 You need to realize that when you start putting these principles and this power to work. You are going to run into some heavy resistance from Satan. He is going to do everything he can to stop you because you have just become one of his greatest enemies.

 And because he understands the power of the inner image, he will work hard to distort that image. He will try to up root the word of God that has been planted inside you.

 Sometimes we decide, I am going to turn over a new leaf in my life, I am going to make some changes. You get geared up, excited, ready to shake those old habits that have been haunting you. then something happens, your determination weakens your new leaf begins to look similar to your old leaf, suddenly you find yourself back where you started.

Nothing has changed, you begin to doubt if things will ever change.

This has happened to all of us more times than we would like to admit.

God has given us the power to make permanent changes in our lives. First you need to understand the principal of inner image.

 Ephesians 5:1-2   ² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

 When God created the earth, he took the principal of His inner image, added faith and power of His words.

If we are going to imitate our Heavenly Father, we must put the principal of His inner image to work.

 Don’t waste your time trying to dream up an inner image of your own.

 What you need is to use as a basis for your inner image and for the words you speak is the word of God. The word of God has supernatural power.

 If you fill that word with faith and speak it out, it will work to change your circumstances as surely as it did for God himself.

 When god wanted light he said, “let there be light”. The words he spoke were directly related to his inner image. He used His words to get that image from the inside to the outside.

 Words are powerful, they are containers that carry faith and Love. words can also carry fear and hate. Words are so important that they can determine our eternal destiny.

 Romans 10:9-10   ⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Proverbs 18:21   ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

 Power of life and death are in the power of the tongue. We are the ones who will choose which of those, life or death, we will speak into existence.

 We have the power to speak words, no other creature on earth has that power. Words can destroy or they can create.

 They take an inner image and project it to the outside world. Once you understand that you can your inner image to work in your life.

 You may be working to be a winner while seeing yourself as a loser. How do you change that? With the word of God.

 Words not only release the creative forces of faith; they also produce images. When you hear the word cat, your mind forms a picture. Words paint pictures in your mind.

 I am talking about getting your image lined up with the word of God.

 John 1:1-4   1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Hebrews 11:3   ³ Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 Everything that is or has been, or will ever be was brought about either directly or indirectly by the word of God. Words are packed with faith and power.

In fact, that faith is the energy that is in the word that gives it the power to bring itself to pass.

Isaiah 55:11   ¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Gods word is a living thing, it is alive with Gods own faith. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you have faith inside you as a born-again believer.

When your inner image matches Gods word then your faith can produce the end result that God desires for it to produce. Our desires and faith must match up to the plan God has for our lives.

Putting these principals to work in your life will run into some resistance from Satan. He is going to do everything he can to stop you because as a co-worker with God you become Satan’s greatest enemy. Satan wants to stop the word of God from taking root in your heart.

Satan is working to stop you from cultivating an inner image of the Word in yourself. He knows once you have that inner image of God in you that nothing can stop you from receiving power, knowledge, and wisdom from God.

Once you get in agreement with the word, Satan can’t stop it from coming to pass. It is the word in you that he is after, not just you.

He will use these five things to get your mind off Gods word and onto natural things: 1. Persecution, 2. Affliction, 3. Cares of this world. 4. Deceitfulness with riches. And 5. Lust of the flesh and things.

Paul says, walk by faith, not by sight. When your body says I am sick, remind your body that you believe it is healed.

When you have the same image inside of you that is the same as Gods inner image of you then you can be confident that your body is going to change, it has no choice, it has to line up with the word of God.

Your mind is like a camera, the picture it takes is just an image of what it sees. Likeness is an image of the real thing. You can’t give an image that is not from God dominion over you.

Once you have a clear image on the inside of you and you release your faith, that which is inside of you becomes reality on the outside.

Get into the word and let it begin to shape images within you, then speak it out in power and faith in the name of Jesus.

THE POWER OF GODS WORD

  

THE POWER OF GODS WORD

 John 1:14   ¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The word made flesh is referring to the incarnation of God becoming man. He dwelt among us is referring to Jesus, being perfect, but not holding himself higher than all others, rather lived as all men, even as a peasant.

   ⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

¹⁰ Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

A chosen generation is a new creation that never existed before, made up of all who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. A royal priesthood is referring to Christ who is king and high priest.

Because we are “in Him” we as well are kings and priest.

John 14:20   ²⁰ At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

   ⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

All of this was made possible by what Christ Jesus did at the Cross and only by the cross.

A holy nation, a peculiar people, a multitude of people of the same nature. Each saint is Gods unique possession. It is just as if that saint were the only human in existence.

In times past we were not a people of God: focus here is on people without God in their life. Without God there is no heavenly standing in any capacity. After accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior we become the people of God, all of this is made possible by what Jesus did at the cross.

Which had not obtained mercy refers to, mercy and grace was obtained at the finished work at the cross; we now have obtained mercy. Mercy is a product of grace which was obtained at the cross.

Gods word is full of life and power, making it active, energizing and effective in our lives, the very entrance of God’s word gives light and our ability to conquer.

In the name of Jesus, you can walk out of the realm of failure into the realm of success.

2 Timothy 1:7   ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is an evil spirit that Satan uses to control people of weak faith. This strategy of his has worked from the time in the garden of Eden throughout history up to today. The word says this too is a disposition of the mind. However, God’s word says He has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind,

God has delivered and drawn us out of the control and dominion of the devil and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus.

Now we can rejoice in Jesus, who has come, that we might have life and have life more abundantly. Today we are a new creation, the old us has passed away and the new us lives on in Christ Jesus.

   ⁵ And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

⁶ The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

⁷ Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

We walk by faith and not by our five senses, it is faith that controls, not our sight. Start looking forward to the word of God and forget those things that are behind you.

Keep Gods word in the midst of your heart, for His words are life, healing and health to all your flesh. Let God write them in the tablet of your heart.

We must strive to be like a tree planted by the water, not being moved by every little whim that the devil tries to throw at us. Tell the devil, I am the righteousness of God and I refuse to give you any place in me.

Sometimes when the world seems to be turned upside-down, we start to lose faith. God is still God even in these dark times, His word is full of power.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:13   ¹³ Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Wisdom on spiritual knowledge does not come from natural reasoning, that is why we cannot lean on the natural way of thinking. The natural way of thinking will not produce spiritual understanding.

Wisdom of the word, knowledge, understanding and discerning of the word only comes through the Holy Spirit. That is why God said my ways and thoughts are higher than your ways and your thoughts.

   

Jesus holds all power in Heaven and in the Earth. If you are a believer and made Jesus the Lord of your life, then you have access not to this power but to the authority of it in the name of Jesus. When the word, power, is used in the scripture concerning the people it means authority or dominion.

   ² I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

³ How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

We have Dominion over our adversaries who have been put under the feet of Jesus. His power to live a holy life has been settled in heaven for the believer in Christ through what Jesus did at the cross.

In the exceeding greatness of His power and his power toward us who believe, it works for us according to our faith in the finished work of Christ at the cross and by no other means.

Far above all principality and power and might and dominion of every demonic spirit: Christ Jesus was given this exalted position and will retain it forever.

PROSPERITY

  

PROSPERITY

 

Why you should prosper.

Financial prosperity is a subject that never fails to light a fire in people. In some that fire is one of faith, in others it is a fire of a less favorable kind.

What makes it such a volatile subject is the simple fact that in the minds of many people, money is a dirty business. They have seen it tied up so often with carnality and corruption that they can’t believe that God would ever give us any more money than we absolutely need.

The question is why would he give us more money? We will never fully understand Gods will about prosperity until we know the why behind it. We all need to know the why.

Think for a moment, what is God reason for prospering his people? Is it so we can get bigger TVS or finer houses or maybe a more luxurious car?

If you are like most people it may be difficult to even imagine any other reasons for prosperity. The reason is, your view about money has been shaped by a world view that pursues it strictly for selfish purposes, greed. In the word of God, the Lord provides us with two entirely different purposes for prosperity.

Deuteronomy 8:18   ¹⁸ But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

They were watchful lest prosperity caused them to forget the redeemer who delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. They were to guard against thinking that their prosperity was due to their own intelligence and their own power.

God intends for us to use the wealth he give us to help establish His covenant on Earth.

Ephesians 4:28   ²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Establishing Gods covenant on earth and giving to those in need. Those are Gods purposes for prosperity.

It is tragic how foreign that concept is to most peoples thinking. I have actually heard people say: I don’t need much prosperity. I am a simple person with simple needs. I just ask God for enough to meet my needs.

They are mistaken if they think that is humility. It is not, it is selfishness. They could have asked God for more money than they need, take what they need out and use the rest to help others. They have been brainwashed by a world that says if you have money you have to keep it.

Without realizing it these people are saying, all I care about is meeting my own needs.

Jesus never built a worldly empire for himself, that does not mean he was poor. It simply means he was the greatest giver who ever walked the face of the earth.

It is time to stop pretending that money is not important, you know it, and God knows it. Why do you think he said where your money is there will your heart also be.

   ¹⁹ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Psalms 73:12   ¹² Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Most of us do not realize that there are two different types of prosperity, one from the word and one from the world. Ps.73:12 speaks of the latter.

Let your faith stir withing you and reach out and receive what you as a redeemed child of the living God have a divine right to. Don’t accept the curse of poverty, rather accept the blessing of hope and prosperity.

3 John 2   ² Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This is referring to financial prosperity and should be the case for every believer. Be in health, speaks of the physical prosperity; as your soul prospers is speaking of spiritual prosperity. Here is the whole gospel for the whole man.

One reason people don’t prosper, believers, is not from lack of faith, it is from doubt when they pray. The tiniest amount of doubt will cancel your faith and keep you from receiving what God has for you. He is waiting for you to ask and believe you will receive.

Don’t think he will prosper others and not you. That is a lie from Satan. Do not be deceived God loves you whether or not your prosperous. Your lack of prosperity has nothing to do with his love for you.

There is much love of money in the world and not enough love for the one who created the world. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil, not the money.

   ²⁹ And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

³⁰ But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

The bible presents no data to support the idea that being wealthy is wrong. We find evidence to the contrary. The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and no sorrow is added with it.

Scripture also offers many notable examples of godly wealthy people, Job, Abraham, Barnabas and Philemon.

God does not disapprove of people with money, however, he does speak out against those who rely on riches as this young man did in the following verse.

Mark 10:23-24  ¹⁷ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

¹⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

¹⁹ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

²⁰ And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

²¹ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

²² And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

Jesus also said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Proverbs 11:28   ²⁸ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Now we begin to see why Jesus says it is hard to be rich. It is because rich people stop trusting God and trust in their money. This gives money the glory, not God.

People, even Christians, don’t seem to understand the importance of money. Everything, even money belongs to God. we as human being own nothing. Everything we have belongs to God. it is only on loan to sustain you and to help others.

Don’t be afraid to ask God for finances, enough to help others and enough to further the kingdom.

AS A MATTER OF FACT

 

AS A MATTER OF FACT

 

There has been so much controversy about the rapture and the mark of the beast until I have decided to address this matter with biblical facts instead of manmade theological rhetoric.

First of all no one not even Jesus and the angels of heaven knows when the heavenly Father will tell his Son, Jesus that this is the hour to bring home the true believers.

Matthew 24:36    ³⁶ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

When most people read this verse of scripture, they think this is speaking of the rapture. This is speaking of the second coming of Christ after the rapture of the church. Back up to the verses below.

Matthew 24:29-30   ²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

The rapture of the church happens prior to the tribulation. Nothing else has to happen for God to send Jesus to bring us home in the rapture. Some people still think the next two verses has to do with the Rapture, which it does not.

Matthew 24:14   ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Mark 13:10   ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

This is after the rapture and prior to the second coming. All things in Matthew 24 will happen during the seven-year tribulation. Nothing has to happen for the rapture to take place.

The reason for the rapture is so God can use the last seven years to fulfill Daniels prophecy.

This is the time that God will send a strong delusion upon the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12   ¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This takes place during the seven-year tribulation period after the rapture.

Revelation 3:13   ¹³ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

15.   ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16.   ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

21-22     ²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

First Jesus is saying, if you have ears, listen to what I am saying to you, hear what the spirit is saying to the churches. He is talking to the people not to the buildings, you are the church.

God knows your works or your thoughts and actions. He knows whether you are of the light or the darkness. If you live in a grey area it makes Him want to spew you out of His mouth. He looks into our hearts. He knows what we are really thinking.

To those who overcome the darkness will He grant or choose to sit with him in his throne. Again, He says let him who has an ear hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches, we are the churches.

Revelation 4:1-2   4 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

² And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

“After this”, represents the time after the church has been taken out in the rapture. Sometime after the rapture the seven-year tribulation will begin.

Remember, God is real, His word is real, Heaven is real, and hell is real. You will spend eternity in one of these places; you must choose; will it be in heaven or hell?