RAMBLING: Another Rapture

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36 “No
one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son
don't know. Only the Father knows. Matt
24:36 (GW)

15 We
are telling you what the Lord taught. We who are still alive when the Lord comes
will not go {into his kingdom} ahead of those who have already died. 16 The
Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trumpet {call} of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come
back to life. 17 Then,
together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So
then, comfort each other with these words! 1 Thess 4:15-18
(GW)

During a lull at work today I
casually glanced at my watch and noted the time which was around 7:00 pm and I
calmly informed my co-worker we had missed the 5:59 pm rapture and been left
behind. I have lost count how often I have been "left behind." We can joke about
it, laugh it off and some may even discreetly wipe a drop or two of sweat from
their brow...whew! close call. Seriously these predictions including the one
made by the 89 year old preacher for May 21, 2011, are a real threat to the
Lord's church here on earth. One YMCA Youth Director reports that many teens are
going all out on partying, no holds barred, because there will be no tomorrow.
Atheists are jubilant because once again "Christians have demonstrated the
uselessness (is that a word?) of our faith, they have made us a laughing stock
in the eyes of the world? Wait a minute what do I mean by saying "us?" A lot of
folks already have problems with "christianity" because they don't know whom to
believe. There are after all over 800 mainstream churches, churches within
churches, over 1200 cults to add to the confusion. Athiests, non-believers in
general are not going to see us as being truthful, trustworthy,
reliable, honest, sincere, etc. Once again those who profess to be believers in
Christ have thrown a monkey wrench into the Lord's Great Commission,
...wherever you go, make disciples of all
nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. 20 Teach
them to do everything I have commanded you.
Matt 28:19-20 (GW). Note Paul's
words, 3 Whoever
teaches false doctrine and doesn't agree with the accurate words of our Lord
Jesus Christ and godly teachings 4 is
a conceited person. He shows that he doesn't understand anything. Rather, he has
an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words. This produces jealousy,
rivalry, cursing, suspicion, 5 and
conflict between people whose corrupt minds have been robbed of the truth. They
think that a godly life is a way to make a profit. 6 A
godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.
7 We
didn't bring anything into the world, and we can't take anything out of it.
8 As
long as we have food and clothes, we should be satisfied.1 Tim 6:3-8 (GW)
and again 3 A
time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they
will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell
them what they want to hear. 4 People
will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths. 5 But
you must keep a clear head in everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of a
missionary. Devote yourself completely to your work. 2 Tim 4:3-5 (GW). Listen this preacher
who made this prediction may certainly be a very sincere person and honestly
believed his own teaching but that doesn't make it right. We must study
scripture prayerfully and diligently before we start making predictions.
Whatever has happened the faith, the simple yet poewerful teachings of our Lord
and His apostles in the first century? One thing for sure folks Christ is coming
back to claim His own and to send away those who reject Him into a lake of
unbelievable suffering, in the lake of fire are we ready to meet Christ when the
second comming really occurrs?Below
is a brief history of "rapture
predictions."

500 AD Church father Hippolytus predicted the
world would end based on his analysis of the dimensions of Noah's
Ark.

999 AD When the last change of millennium drew near, masses feared
of the 1000 years spoken of in Revelation.

1033 AD When Christ didn't
appear in 1000, they figured the years should be calculated from his ascension
and not from his birth, again another bust.

1501 AD Christopher Columbus
allowed 155 years for all mankind to be converted to Christianity, after which
the world would end.

1546 AD Before he died, Martin Luther stated the end
of the world is not far off and believed all the signs which are to precede the
last days had alread appeared.

1835 AD Joseph Smith, father of Mormonism
prophesied that the coming of the Lord was near and that 56 years should wind up
the scene.

1835 AD Our lot has fallen under the solemn period
emphatically designated in Daniel as the time of the end. Archdeacon Browne of
England in the "The Last Times" by Joseph A. Seiss, D.D.

1818 William
Miller, founder of the Millerite movement predicted the end between 1843 and
1844 but later revised it to late 1844.
Similiar dates were set for 1848,
1852, 1856, 1874, 1919, 1918 and 1925.

1917 Three dramatic visitations
of the Virgin Mary occurred in Fatima, Portugal. The visions warned of the WWII
and the end of the world.

1926 Oswald J. Smith wrote in his book "The
Antichrist At Hand?" and the Battle of Armageddon must take place before the
year 1933.

1970's Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth" cites 1948
as the prohetic sign and the world would end in 1988.

1978 Gary Wilburn
and Salem Kirbam predict end of world and coming of Anti-Christ.

1978
Chuch Smith writes in his book "Future Survival" the Lord is coming in
1981.

1988 Edgar C. Whisenant, a retired NASA rocket engineer and
prophecy teacher, sold 4.5 million copies of "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be
in 1988." Then wrote a book similar title by 89 reasons in 1989.

1990
Dallas Seminary President John F. Walvoored releases book, "Armageddon, Oil and
the Middle East." It paid off during the Iraq war but when the war was over so
were the sales.

1991 Charles dyer book "The Rise of Babylon Sign of The
End Times" states Iraq's Saddam Hussein was rebuilding the ancient city of
Babylon whose end-time destruction is prophesied in Revelation.

1993
Harold Camping predicted the end of the world In September 1994 and appeared on
Larry King Live.

As times for the end have come and gone, and predicted
events have failed to materialize, it is because we have completely missed the
biblical meaning of "the end."