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Pam, I also know Him because of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I find myself so excited for Christ to come I can't wait then other times I grieve for the unbelievers and ask more time for the sake of unbelievers.

Before I was ever saved I can look back and see how the Holy Spirit worked to guide me and keep me safe even from my own actions to the steps of salvation. I am forever grateful and there my hope lives.

Be loved you are

Mrs. Zeke,

You have such a sweet spirit. I recognized the Holy Spirit in your posts and like you, I grieve for those who have yet to come to faith in Christ. I am comforted to know that God loves them even more than I do and He is working all things in their lives to bring them to Him. God wants nothing more than for His children to turn to Him and remain focused upon Him. All that we suffer is to bring this about. My horizons in time are very short but God sits beyone time and knows the end of things that are not only beyond my sight but beyond my imagining. I trust in the final outcome for all of us because His Mercy endures forever!:0)

Pam

Hi Pam,

As I was reading your post, I remarked to myself how full of hope and anticipation you are about that day. I was actually thinking to myself, 'Here is someone for whom the rapture is not just a term, but a style and a preparation'.

In some ways your post was daring in its claim that the rapture will be glory for you ... a lot of my friends claim -almost as a mantra- that the glory belongs to God alone, and it truly does ... but there is also that sense of property -as in marriage- where what is the husband's is the wife's and what is the wife's is the husband's ... and if He did not spare His own Son, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?

Thanks for the post. It is invigorating for me to hear people proclaim their regard for their Savior without apology.

A blessing, Pam. Wonderful post, ... and I share your heartfelt-longing for that glorious day "of the appearing of THAT GREAT GOD and OUR SAVIOUR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who gave Himself for us that He might PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF a bride, being holy, and zealous of every good work" - all to the praise of HIS glory.

Amen.

To The Lamb be ALL of the glory, ... forever and ever.
Amen.

There is that wonderful line from Isaac Watt's classic hymn that comes to mind: "Were the whole realm of nature mine: THAT [would be] a present far to small. ... Love so amazing, so Divine, - demands my life, my soul, my all."

BB,

Your comment is a blessing to me and inspired also. I'll be looking for a new post on your blog.:0)

Pam

Morning Len,

Thank you.:0)

Pam

(what I just found on the web)

THE RAPTURE INDEX (MAD THEOLOGY)

The "precursors" in the Rapture Index such as the "Antichrist" are all fulfilled AFTER the point in time for a pretrib rapture and point to only the final second coming. In fact, a "pretrib rapture" is never found in any official Christian theology book prior to 1830! For more info Google "Pretrib Rapture Diehards" and "Famous Rapture Watchers" - both penned by the author of the bestselling book "The Rapture Plot" (Armageddon Books online). Interesting, eh? Bruce

Bruce,

That is true but it is also true that there is a traceable belief in the imminent return of Jesus Christ and the catching away of the saints in the air (as spoken of in 1Thessalonians chapter 4)from the very beginning of the church. You won't find it in theology books but if you study what is known of the Paulicans and the Montanists, you will find a pre-rapture point of view that was present before the theological term "Rapture" was ever used. This same line of belief carried through to the Anabatptists and to what are referred to today as Baptistic churches. It is not madness but simply what the Bible teaches. Much of what the Bible teaches isn't found in theology books; there is a great deal of accepted theology that refutes scripture.

Having said all that. I don't consider myself to be pretrib, simply because I don't think any of us are to know when Jesus is to come and take us who believe in His Name from the earth. Not even Jesus knows but God only. Jesus could have come any time after His resurrection or it may be another two thousand years but His return has been imminent since His resurrection and it will occur at the time appointed by God.

There are many other scriptures that point toward the absense of the true church during the the Tribulation. The first that comes to my mind is the promise of Jesus to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelations. Also, the Church Age will end at the Tribulation period and no longer will new believers be indwelt by the Holy Spirit as that special annointing is for the church only and it is indeed what makes us the church. A new work of the Holy Spirit will begin at that time; though I do believe there will remain institutions that people call church. There is no work for the true church of Jesus Christ to be done during the Tribulation but we will return with Jesus at the fulfillment of His earthly rule and also fulfill our earthly purpose in ruling and reigning with Christ.

Of course, if you adhere to Covenant Theology (the creation of the Catholic Church) and believe that the church has supplanted the Jews as God's chosen people and the church is the rule of Christ upon the earth, none of this will make sense to you. The Bible teaches that we have been grafted in to the household of faith through Christ but we are the called out company of Christ Jesus, we are not the chosen people of God. We have been added to the children of Abraham but we do not supplant. We are two distinct peoples of God, one chosen and another called out to fulfill the Will of God in the redemption of His Creation. In the future, we will be fully united in Jesus Christ during the thousand year rule of Christ.

Bruce, there are many such books these days and also many that want to remove the writings of Paul from the scripture. I have never had much trust in theologians and religious holy men but I do love the Bible and I accept it as the authority of my faith instead of church fathers and theologians. I never look to any of them for answers but only to the Bible and filter all that is taught or preached to me by others through the Bible as I depend upon the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Jesus to me through those words.

Pam

Bruce,

A p.s. to my above response: This is why I consider my self to be a Biblical Universalist and not just a Christian Universalist or Unitarian Universalist or New Age Universalist. I don't follow what feels good to me in my heart, I check all that is in my heart against the Bible and measure it according to the Living Word, Jesus. I believe 'what' I believe because that is what I have learned by studying the Bible and not what I have been taught or what I've read in others books. I have unity with those who trust in Jesus and seek God's Will rather than theological unity. Truly, Jesus is my faith and the Bible is my theology.

Pam