11 May 2025

PREPARE TO BE TAKEN UP (part 2)

(Biblical & Spiritual Exhortations: BSE 11)

The Lord Jesus warns that His Coming to take up the Church at the Rapture will be sudden. He describes this “as in the days of Noah” when people are entertaining themselves – “eating drinking and be merry” when the Flood came and swept them all away (Matt.24:37-40). The Apostle Paul tells us that “the day will come like the thief in the night” (1 Thess.5:2) and that it will be like “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor.15:2). Jesus also said that this will happen unexpectedly: “two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left; two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Matt.24:40-41). The Rapture will happen suddenly, unexpectedly, and swiftly.

The happening of this Great Event will also be miraculous, as our sinful bodies will “be changed – in moment, in the twinkling of an eye” by the Lord’s creative power. Our bodies will be miraculously transformed to be like Christ’s Resurrection Body that passed through the heavens at His Ascension: “Our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly (sinful) bodies so that they will be like His Glorious Body” (Phil.3:20-21). This will happen in the split-second that we are taken up. Hallelujah!

What an exciting moment that will be when the trumpet sounds and we will be caught up “to meet the Lord in the air and then we will be with Him forever” in Heaven (1 Thess.4:16-17). But we must be ready for that great moment or we may be left out. The five virgins missed that moment because they were not ready (Matt.25:1-13). Jesus warned us to be ready always lest we be left behind. Are you ready?

How can we be ready? The Apostle John instructs us how: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure”. (1 John 3:2-3 – NKJV)

Notice the exhortation: “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure”. If we have the hope of seeing Jesus and be transformed to be like Him, we must purify ourselves “just as He is Pure” (Holy). The reason is that “Without holiness no one shall see the Lord” (Heb.12:14). That is because God is Holy and Heaven is a holy place. Rev.21:27 tells us that “Nothing impure will ever enter it” (NKJV).

The Bible tells us time and again that only a “remnant” - a very small number - will be saved. That is because not many Christians are totally committed to Christ. Christ warns us that in the last days “many will turn away from the faith…and the love of many will grow cold” (Matt.24:10,12). They love the world and not Jesus. In the world the devil deceives them and they turn away from the faith. So let us be careful and stay faithful to Jesus.

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