Faith Journeys Bible Study Part 3: Whenever the RAPTURE happens, it is Jesus—not aliens — who comes in the clouds to take us home.

 

Whenever the RAPTURE happens, it is Jesus—not aliens — who comes in the clouds to take us home.

As I understand the Bible passages, Jesus has been waiting about 2,000 years to return to take His Church. Why? He did this to both fulfill prophecy and not to leave any of His lost sheep behind.

2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)

You will not find the word "rapture" in the Bible. Instead, the Bible uses terms like the Greek word "harpazo." That word means "caught up" or "snatched away."

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore, encourage one another with these words.

In the Old Testament, God raptured two men. In other words, they did not have to experience death. The first one was Enoch, from the line of Seth, the 3rd son of Adam and Eve. This event is described in Genesis and the Book of Hebrews.

Genesis 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (NIV)

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)

The second man who was Raptured was the Prophet Elijah. The entire story is described in 2 Kings Chapter 2:1-18.

2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to Heaven in a whirlwind.

The fascinating thing about this story is that Elijah's follower and helper, Elisha, had to travel about 60 miles before this Rapture happened. They started in Gilgal. Next, they had to go to Bethel. Next, they had to go to Jericho. Then, they had to go to Jordan. It was not until they crossed the Jordan River and walked a little way that the Rapture finally happened.

Many people who jumped onto the bandwagon of the Rapture happening on September 23 and 24 of 2025 rationalized, when it did not happen, that it was perhaps a Process. They also suggested that possibly raising all the dead Christians and Saints of the Old Testament would take a period of time to accomplish.

So, they next pinned their hopes on October 6 and 7, 2025. I think the next expectation was Halloween. There might have been another set of days previous to that. They looked at our Gregorian calendar, the Julian calendar, the Enoch calendar, and a Lunar calendar. Now, they are pinning their hopes on some dates in November.

I must admit, I jumped on the bandwagon myself for a brief period. But as it states in my Church, we are to be ready for the Rapture to happen any day or night and not to pin our hopes on a particular calendar date.

I am of two minds. When I look at the News and read the Headlines, it would be lovely to be Raptured sooner rather than later. At the same time, I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with my two brothers and their families, as well as upcoming get-togethers with my best friend from Kingsport, Tennessee, and my friends at Church. I also love the people at my Church. I enjoy co-teaching and Youth Sunday School, the Women's Bible study I attend, co-facilitating the girls' Devotional Bible Study at our Wednesday night Youth Outreach program, etc.

We should not spend every moment gazing up at the clouds. Let's stay busy spreading the Good News about Jesus and why it is vital to be SAVED. We also need to be present and mindful about continuing to pay bills, taking care of our health needs, living our lives, focusing on our talents, skills, and hobbies, spending quality time with family and friends, doing what we can to help others in need, etc.

But what I do want to stress is that when the day or night finally comes, when the Rapture happens, every authentic Christian and Messianic Jew (those Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah) will suddenly disappear from this earth. 

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (NIV)

Revelation 3:10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. (NLT)

Luke 21:34 "Watch out! Don't let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man." (NLT)

When that happens, the leaders of governments around the world will be scrambling to find a logical explanation. Most, if not all, of them will not want to admit that it had anything to do with Jesus. They may even point to pastors of Prosperity Churches or members of other churches left behind because they did not honestly believe in Jesus.

The most likely explanation will probably be that we, the missing people, were abducted by aliens or some other odd explanation.

According to the Bible, a leader will step forth who will explain this 'alien abduction' or some other reason in such a way that desperate and grieving people will rationalize this as truth. This leader will likely be the man the Bible labels as the antichrist, the Son of Perdition, the man of sin, and the man of lawlessness.

This leader is likely going to be the man who brokers the 7-year treaty with Israel that will enable the Jews to rebuild the third Temple.

Thousands of people all around the world will eventually become convinced that this man is the true Messiah.

He will 'play nice' for 3 1/2 years. Read or watch videos about the prophecies from the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation for complete details.

At the 3 1/2 year point of the 7-year Tribulation, he will seemingly be assassinated. The Bible also describes a religious figure it calls the False Prophet. He will somehow seemingly bring him back to life. At that point, the devil will take over his body. At that point, the antichrist will insist that he is actually God and deserving of everybody's worship. 

He will have a giant statue built that looks like him and can speak, move, etc. Very likely, Artificial Intelligence will help animate this being. The Bible calls this the image of the beast and the abomination of desolation. Anybody who fails to worship this image will be fatally zapped.

The antichrist will broker a one-world government, a one-world religion, etc. He will also insist, on pain of death, that everyone must receive the 'mark of the beast' on either their forehead or right hand. The only way to buy or sell is to accept this mark.

Anybody who does not agree to get this mark will be 'unalived' in some manner, such as beheading, execution, torture, etc.

He will outlaw copies of the Bible as it clearly describes the truth about him. So, find a good hiding place for your Bible, or upload an audio version to an MP3 player, etc. 

I am not writing this to 'fearmonger.' I am writing this blog post to alert you to the vital fact that if you allow them to administer this 'mark of the beast' on either your forehead or right hand, you will spend an eternity in hell after you die.

Revelation 13:16 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[c] His number is 666. (NLT)

Also, those who receive the 'mark of the beast,' some variation of 666, will undergo some horrible plagues and tortures that will only impact those with that mark. For five months, giant scorpions will sting and torture them. No one will be allowed to die to escape them. They will also have a period of time or a painful, horrible rash covering their bodies. Toward the end of the 7 years, there will also be 100-point hailstones that will search out people with the mark to pound them into the ground. There will also be a period of heavy darkness, similar to what happened to Pharaoh and the Egyptians back in the days of Moses. There will additionally be a period of time where the sun will be so hot that those with the mark will not be able to escape the burning rays.

Revelation 14:9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, "Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of God's anger. It has been poured full strength into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name." (NLT)

There is a great way to avoid all of this. If you wisely accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior before the day the Rapture happens, you and, hopefully, your loved ones will be safely in Heaven instead of facing all this Tribulation on earth.

I will post one version of the SINNER's PRAYER below for your convenience.

But let's say that you did not get SAVED before the Rapture. There are three options.

THE WORST OPTION

1. Those who give in to the antichrist's demand to take the Mark of the Beast will at least be able to buy and sell food, shelter, and necessities. You will experience horrible torture as described above. But you will have food to eat, access to the internet, money credited to your account, etc. However, the moment you close your eyes for the very last time on this earth, you will be sent directly to hell. Why? Because you decided to worship the devil instead of God. It has even been suggested that the 'mark of the beast' will make you less than human, as you will be somehow wired into the antichrist's system.

A GREAT OPTION FOR ONE-THIRD OF THE SURVIVING JEWS WHO WISELY DO NOT TAKE THE 'MARK OF THE BEAST'

2. The Bible describes that only a third of the Jews will survive the Tribulation. The third, the Remnant, of the Jews who finally acknowledge that Jesus, also known by them as Yeshua, is truly the Messiah, will be hidden away to some safe location where God will house and feed them for the second half of the 7-year Tribulation. They will be invisible to the antichrist's surveillance systems. When Jesus appears at the end of the 7-year Tribulation, known as His Second Coming, they will receive Glorified Bodies and will spend an eternity in Heaven. They also get to experience the excellent experience of the Thousand Years Millennium. 

TWO OPTIONS FOR THOSE WHO BECOME CHRISTIANS WHO WISELY DO NOT TAKE THE 'MARK OF THE BEAST':

3A. For those people who decide to follow Jesus after the Rapture has taken place and wisely do NOT take the 'Mark of the Beast,' they can do their best to go into hiding and strive to survive the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation until Jesus returns in the Second Coming. 

If they do survive, they will be the ones who still marry and have children during the Thousand-Year Millennium. At the end of that time, God will give them their Glorified Bodies.

3B. For those people who decide to follow Jesus after the Rapture has taken place and wisely do NOT take the 'Mark of the Beast,' if they are caught and captured during the second half of the Tribulation, they will likely be put to death in some painful manner, such as beheadings, executions, torture, etc. But if they hold fast to their faith and die as a martyr, they will immediately receive a Glorified Body and spend an eternity in Heaven. 

Revelation 14:12 This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. (NLT)

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!" (NLT)

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward, he must be released for a little while.

Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. (NLT)

By the way, along with Jesus Christ, we Christians and Messianic Jews win in the end.

As for the antichrist and the false Prophet, this is what the Bible states happens to them.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast — miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false Prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (NLT)

So, I urge you to do one of two wise things:

WISEST DECISION OF ALL:

1. Become a Christian while you still have time before the Rapture happens.

IF THE RAPTURE HAPPENED BEFORE YOU DID THIS:

2. Become a Christian or, if you are a Jew, realize that Jesus (Yeshua) is the True Messiah. 

But no matter what, do NOT take the 'Mark of the Beast.'

There are only two options for all of us. We either go and spend an eternity in Heaven, or we go and spend an eternity in hell after we pass from this life. The 'Mark of the Beast' is an automatic 'ticket to hell.'

Jesus died on a Cross to save all His beloved children from that horrible fate. If you wisely accept Him as your Lord and Savior, repent of your sins, and ask God to forgive you, then that is your FREE ticket to Heaven.

Won't you accept this FREE GIFT of SALVATION?

 

Here is a well-made video that explains the details of the Rapture. It's called The Rapture of the Church (PREMIERE) The Revelation of God's Plan That Shook the World. The Power of the Word produces it.

By the way, you will need to watch it on YouTube rather than on this site. Simply click on the Video to be redirected.

Thanks for reading. Have a blessed day!

 

Faith Journey Bible Study – Part 2 - Why is it so vital to be SAVED by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

What a beautiful gift it is to be SAVED by the Blood of Jesus. It is such an amazing thing that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ willingly humbled Himself to come to earth to become our Sacrificial Lamb.

How was this the case? Christ Jesus did this by willfully shedding His Holy Blood on the Cross at Calvary in either 30 AD, 32 AD, or 33 AD, on the day of Passover.

Why did Jesus, also known as Yeshua by the Messianic Jews (i.e., the Jews who believe Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah), do this for us? He desired to, once and for all, SAVE us from Sin.

Who is this 'us' whom Jesus desired to SAVE? He desired to SAVE every single one of us, past, present, and future. Wow!

What do we have to do in return? We need to believe. We need to have sincere Faith that:

* Jesus was the one and only Messiah.

* Jesus is one part of the three-part Trinity. He is God the Son. The other two parts are God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. There are not three Gods. They comprise the one God made up of three distinct Persons.

* Jesus died to SAVE us from our Sins. In other words, because each of us is a sinner, as it states in the Bible, we each merit to be on death row, destined for an eternity in Hell. But if we sincerely repent, turn away from those sins, ask God to forgive us, and do our best not to repeat them, then an incredible exchange occurs.

* Jesus was fully God and fully Man.

* Jesus was Crucified, Resurrected on the third day, and Ascended into Heaven on the 40th day. About 500 of His Followers, including His 11 Disciples, witnessed Jesus' return to Life. Many of his Disciples and Followers also witnessed His ascent into the clouds, leading to Heaven.

* * * * * * *

Imagine this little thought experiment. We are eating our last meal in prison before our permanent exit from this human life.

We bow our heads and sincerely state, "Dear God, please forgive me for every Sin I have ever committed, knowingly and unknowingly. I believe that Jesus died for me on the Cross. I believe that I am SAVED. I believe that Jesus was Crucified, was Resurrected on the third day, and Ascended back to Heaven on the 40th day. Jesus, you are my Savior, my Lord, and my King. Even at this late date, I invite You, Jesus, into my Heart. Because I am SAVED, I plead the Blood of Jesus to protect me. I pray this in the Holy name of Jesus. Amen."

Romans 6:23 (NLT) For the wages of Sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

From our prison cell, we hear a door opening.

John 10:9 (AMP) Jesus states: "I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security)."

We hear two sets of footsteps down the hallway.

We look up to see a prison guard and our Lord Christ Jesus.

The guard opens the prison door. Lord Jesus steps in. The guard says to us, "You are free to go since He has volunteered to take your place."

You stutter, "What? But, Jesus. You have never sinned. And I am indeed a sinner. Why would you do this for me?"

Lord Jesus places His hand on your shoulder and states, "It is because I love you."

John 15:13 (NIV) There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

* * * * * * *

Here is one example of a SINNER'S PRAYER. You can pray this prayer to be SAVED as a Christian who will, thereby, be deemed worthy to spend an eternity in Heaven instead of Hell. We are not worthy because we did anything to merit this Reward. We are worthy simply because the Holy Spirit inspired us to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, Savior, and King.

* * * * * * *

What does it mean that Jesus Christ is one person of the 3-person Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?

These two examples show how some of us describe ourselves.

Example 1. Me, Myself, and I.

Example 2. Each of us has a body, a soul, and a spirit. The soul is the part of us that goes to either Heaven or Hell. The spirit is the breath that we breathe in and out, in and out.

Does that mean there are three of us? No. There are three parts to each of us, making up one unique whole.

A scene in the Bible helps us conceptualize the Trinity. In Matthew 3, we read that Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized. John, the Baptizer, was reluctant to have the Savior of the entire world, a man who had never sinned, submit to be baptized to repent of his sins. Jesus did this to fulfill Prophecy from the Old Testament.

Right after the conclusion of this Baptism, see what happened next.

Matthew 3:16 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, Heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from Heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (NIV)

Notice that God the Father spoke from Heaven. God, the Holy Spirit, chose to represent Himself as the image of a Dove. God the Son was baptized by His cousin John.

The Book of Matthew ends with these words that also highlight the Trinity. Before Ascending to Heaven, Jesus gave these directions to His Disciples and Followers.

Matthew 28:18 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

* * * * * * *

Pentecost, also called Shavuot or Feast of Weeks, took place 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus. On that day, a group of 120 people, comprising the 11 remaining Disciples and other Followers, received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

From that day forward, when a Christian accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us, offering comfort, help, friendship, and the wisest advice you could ever receive.

* * * * * * *

What does it mean to be a SINNER? The Greek word for SIN means 'missing the mark.' For example, if you missed making a bullseye when shooting an arrow at the target, the Greeks would say you had SINNED. You had missed the mark.

As a teenager, I was appalled at the idea of calling myself a SINNER. After all, I was a good person. Sure, I had sometimes gossiped. Sure, I had told a lie sometimes. Sure, I had sometimes disrespected my parents and teachers. Sure, I had sometimes held a grudge when someone had 'done me wrong.' Sure, I had blurted out an occasional curse word. But I had never done any of the enormous transgressions like murder, stealing, drugs, alcohol, etc.

It is not enough to just be a good person with a moral compass who does their best to live an ethical life.

The Bible states that if we have SINNED even once, we merit an eternity in Hell.

The Bible states that there is only one way to receive the Reward of spending an eternity in Heaven.

John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Accepting Jesus into your Heart is the ONLY way to be freely given that ticket to Heaven. There is no other way.

* * * * * * *

Upon taking your last breath on earth, you will open your eyes to find yourself standing before Jesus.

Step 1. Jesus, or perhaps the Recording Angels, who make a record of every thought we have ever thought, every word we have ever spoken, and every action we have ever done, will look to see if our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 

Let's cover the BAD NEWS first.

Step 2. If we never chose to accept the Free Gift of Salvation by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then Jesus will NOT find our name written in that Holy book.

In that case, Jesus will state the scariest words ever.

Matthew 7:23 (AMP) And then I will declare to them publicly, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME [you are banished from My presence], YOU WHO ACT WICKEDLY [disregarding My commands].' Revelation gives a complete description of what happens to those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Revelation 20:11-15 (NLT) The Final Judgment 11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. At the moment you close your eyes for good, if you never made the time to be SAVED, you will undergo the Great White Throne Judgment.

Won't you change your mind, before it is too late, to accept the Free Gift of Salvation by praying the SINNER's PRAYER? I am including the prayer again, for your convenience. 

You may protest, if God is so good, why would He decide to do such a horrible thing?

God is pure and good. He has given each of us FREE WILL. By our free will, we can choose to be SAVED. By our free will, we can decide not to be SAVED. There are only two destinations after we die: Heaven or Hell. If you don't accept Jesus, then Heaven, by your willful choice, would not be your destination. After all, God did not create us to be robots. He longs for our love and worship, but He is too much of a gentleman to force our choice.

God did not create Hell for humans. He made it for the Devil and the Fallen Angels, who became demons.

But if you don't choose to love and worship God, then it would likely be boring or abhorrent for you to spend an eternity in a place where everyone is dedicated to doing that very thing. Therefore, since you do not choose Heaven, there is only one other place for you to go.

I like to imagine there are different levels of Hell, depending on the kinds of sins you committed in your life.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Revelation 21:27 (NLT) Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

So that concludes the BAD NEWS.

* * * * * * *

Step 2. Now, for the excellent GOOD NEWS. If you used your FREE WILL to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then it is smooth sailing for you.

If you are SAVED, then Jesus will find your name in the Lamb's Book of Life.

In that case, you get to stand in front of the Bema Seat, and the main topics will be your Rewards, rather than all the ways you missed the mark while on earth.

If you are SAVED, every one of your sins will be blotted out by the Blessed Blood of Jesus. In that case, ...

Psalm 103:12 (NLT) He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

In that case, if you are SAVED, you get to stand in front of the Bema Seat Throne. It will not be a matter of listing and justifying every Sin we have ever committed. No. It will be a matter of determining what rewards we will get based on the work we were inspired to do by the Holy Spirit, because we were SAVED.

Picture this. After taking your last breath on earth, you open your eyes to see the smiling, welcoming face of Jesus. The Lamb's Book of Life is already open. There in bold letters, you see your name written. Phew! Thank goodness you made the wise decision to use your FREE WILL to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

You can PLEAD THE BLOOD of Jesus. In other words, every part of you is covered, sanctified by the Holy Blood of Jesus. God the Father will not be able to see me or you, who have sinned repeatedly throughout our lives. Instead, God the Father will see Jesus, who paid the price for the sins we committed, whether accidentally or purposely.

By the way, this does not mean we can get SAVED and then purposely and intentionally live a life full of Sin, Sin, Sin. It is not a free pass to Sin on purpose, time after time.

If we are truly SAVED, then the Holy Spirit indwells us, inspiring us to live a life in which we use our moral compass to do and be good. Naturally, we will mess up from time to time.

In that case, we should turn to Jesus, sincerely repent of those Sins, and do our very best to not 'rinse and repeat' those Sins, on purpose, again and again.

* * * * * * *

So, let's talk about the Rewards we can earn when we find ourselves in Heaven. The Bible actually describes five crowns we can earn. If interested, you can research that for yourself, as I don't wish this Blog post to be any longer than it already is. Lol!

So, you have lived your life. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, you likely will have performed some good deeds.

By the way, if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it does not matter how many good deeds you have done. You could do thousands of good deeds or donate thousands to charity. But if you do not accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will not merit a life in Heaven. Accepting Jesus is the one and only way to reach Heaven.

So, let's discuss how you should approach those good deeds the Holy Spirit inspires you to do.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NLT) 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

In other words, let's say you performed a good deed on earth, like helping the homeless, tithing, or making charitable donations. If you make a big display of those good deeds, then you will receive zero rewards in Heaven. Why? Because you already received your Reward by having people praise you for what you did.

Even if you never did a good deed, but you were SAVED, you would still get into Heaven. You would simply receive zero rewards.

So, how do we receive rewards in Heaven?

Matthew 6:1-4 (NLT) 1 "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the Reward from your Father in Heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the Reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

So, that is the good news. That is the one and only way to be SAVED. You are SAVED by your Faith. But out of the overflow of this Saving Grace, many of us are inspired by the Holy Spirit to "be the hands and feet of Christ" by helping others.

1 Peter 4:10 (NLT) 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day!

Faith Journey Bible Study – Part 1 – When the Rapture happens, will we be worthy of going?

The year of 2025, as of November 1st, has been a tremendous faith journey for me. This spiritual growth spurt includes church membership and attendance, two Bible studies a week, co-teaching a youth Sunday School class, co-leading the girls' devotions at our church's Wednesday evening Youth Outreach program for neighborhood kids, reading and studying the Holy Bible, and listening and watching videos and podcasts conducted by Biblical scholars and pastors online.

The Discipleship Pastor at my church, West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama, conducts a Sunday evening Eschatology study. That is the exploration of End Times.

Perhaps it is because I am 67, retired, a widow with no kids, with parents who passed in 2017 and 2018, or simply because I love learning more about our Lord Jesus Christ and the topic of Salvation. Still, I am particularly fascinated by the idea of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture happening, sooner rather than later. It is not that I dislike my life. I actually live a very comfortable life. I adore my two brothers and their families. I have lovely friends. I love my church. I enjoy crocheting, loom knitting, reading, watching videos, preparing the Bible lessons for the youth, doing the homework for my Ladies Bible Study class, lunch outings with buddies, etc.

But, part of me would love, love, love for my King Jesus to grant me the honor of seeing Him face-to-face without having to undergo a physical death. I think 2 Corinthians 5:4 describes it best.

2 Corinthians 5:4 (ESV) For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

I have often heard it said and quoted it to others when appropriate: "Old age ain't for sissies!" Naturally, my body is not as young as it once was. Lol! But I am so grateful to God that, all in all, my more challenging health-wise times appear to be behind me. All thanks and glory be to God, I have been in remission from breast cancer for 15 years. And the Mild COPD diagnosis of 2015 is easily managed by pacing myself and remembering to take deep breaths when necessary. Other than that, I do pretty well day to day.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV) 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

If you ask me when I got saved, I cannot pinpoint a particular day. It has been a process spanning about 20 years. But I will say that my biggest testimony is God getting me through my Breast Cancer Journey of 2010 and God lifting me and comforting me when I lost my husband, Mom, and Dad in a 3-year stretch from August 2015 to April 2018.

A month after my earthly dad died, I turned 60. I felt the Holy Spirit inspiring me to retire early from my job. I also felt His guidance in June of 2018 to move from East Tennessee to Northern Alabama so that I would be within 2 hours of my remaining family.

Of course, the whole world went through COVID. Before and after, I did quite a bit of cruising until I completely fulfilled my travel bucket list. When my apartment complex decided to raise my rent sky-high, I put myself on a 'cruise diet'. Lol! Then, I spent an entire year writing a 7-book series about the last week of Jesus' life. I call the series Bible Books for His Glory. You can find those books, written under my maiden name, Debbie Dunn, on Amazon, should you be interested.

Then, in January of 2025, I finally found the church that feels like home: West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama. We are small but mighty. If you ever choose to visit, you will likely have a similar reaction. The congregation is extremely loving and authentically welcoming to one and all.

I decided to start this blog topic because there is a 'needs-improvement' opportunity for me to avoid the temptation to become spiritually lazy. And since I learn best by writing, I approached this exploration in this manner.

So, back to my current fascination with the idea of being Raptured sooner rather than later. I spend quite a bit of time listening to YouTube and Facebook videos on that very topic. About two-thirds of them focus on date-setting. About a third of them do not. I am well aware that people have strong opinions about whether the Rapture will happen before the 7-year Tribulation, halfway through, Pre-Wrath, at the end, or not at all. As for me, a Pre-Tribulation Rapture makes the most sense Biblically.

This morning, I listened to a speaker pose the idea that the delay to the Rapture might be because so many Christians are either lukewarm or not devoting enough of themselves to 'dying to our flesh and living a more Holy Spirit-led existence. By the way, this is not a Salvation topic. It is a reward question for Christians who are truly Saved. Nevertheless, it got me wondering if I merited the reward of an early removal from this earth to live my Eternity with Jesus Christ.

After all, read what the following Bible verses state.

Matthew 10:38 (NLT) If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

1 Peter 2:21 (NLT) For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

Luke 9:23-24 (NLT) 23 Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

These very verses were what motivated me to start this blog. I wanted to explore how those verses apply to my current life.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know that I am Saved by the Blood that Jesus shed on the Cross at Calvary. I am confident where I will spend my eternity. That is not my concern.

I am also not proclaiming that you have to do a finite or infinite number of works to be Saved. We are only Saved by the Grace of what Jesus sacrificed on the Cross.

Titus 3:4-7 (ESV) 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I am simply exploring and challenging myself to ascertain whether I am worthy of being included in the group of Christians who will be taken up in the Rapture, whenever that particular event occurs.

By the way, I hope this blog might inspire a new, current, or past reader to accept the free gift of Salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That way, you will not be one of the ones left behind to face the horrible events of the 7-year Tribulation.

Here is one version of the Sinner's Prayer:

Luke 21:36 (AMP) But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming]."

If you Google what it means to take up your cross daily, you will find a list of questions to pose to yourself. The answers could differ for each person, depending on their current life companions, lifestyle, finances, obligations, jobs, etc. Even though this is my blog, I don't wish it to be all about me. Therefore, I prefer to pray about it, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit on how I can do a better job of 'dying to my flesh' and living a more Christ-centered life.

I will give you an example of one of my recent challenges. I might open YouTube or Facebook to look up a single topic. The next thing I knew, an hour or two had passed as I scrolled through video after video after video. It would have been wiser to spend my time reading the Bible, creating the next devotional role-play for the Youth Outreach program, or doing my homework for the next Ladies' Bible Study class. Therefore, to do a worthier job of 'dying to my flesh,' I could perhaps set a timer to scroll for no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Then, force myself to close the APP and open up my Bible to read and study it instead.

In other words, each day, am I doing what God wills me to do, or am I spending most of my time doing what I feel like doing? Some days, I do better at this than others. I am indeed a work in progress, as are we all.

Got Questions.org has a very illuminating answer to that question. Consider reading that article next.

Click What did Jesus mean when He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me"?

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day!