Matthew 25 – Rapture :) !!

Can Thine Heart Endure, or can thine hands be strong…

Jesus High Priest

The last message is really Good – Talks about Society at The End of The World. (Marks of Society/People At The End) – Life on Planet Earth in The Last Days:

2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days Perilous Times shall come (Troubled Society, Grievous Times, Painful Times, Irritating Times) – {Toleration of Evil, Obsession of Personal Pleasure, Breakdown of The Family}
2 For men shall be:
- lovers of their own selves, (Selfishness) People only caring about self and not others.
- covetous, (Lovers of Money)
- boasters, (Braggers, Self Superiority, Inflated Ego’s)
- proud, (Look Down on Others, Arrogance)
- blasphemers, (Taking God and Jesus name in Vain)
- disobedient to parents, (prevelant mark of the last days)
- unthankful, (Happens with Evolution Teaching)
- unholy, (no Reverence for that which is Sacred)
3 Without natural affection, (no family loyalty – Parents With Children/Children with Parents – Abortion, Divorce) trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Thessalonians 2:3
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (Armageddon) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, (Apostasy of The Church’s, Society? — The Rapture possibly too – The Taking of The Mark instead of Choosing Jesus) and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (The Anti-Christ)

Dr. Charles Stanley:

• Treasures In Heaven
• Our Eternal Rewards

Here’s a quote from The Book:  The Believer’s Payday – Why Standing Before Christ Should Be Our Greatest Moment

http://www.schoettlepublishing.com/bookpreviews/benware/preview.htm

The believer’s reigning as king with the King of kings is conditioned upon faithfully enduring for Him in this life. Something of the meaning and significance of this will be explored later.Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
 To order prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site.
www.revelationillustrated.com

What if a believer chooses not to “endure” but, like many believers at Corinth prefers to blend in with the world system and not be clearly identified with Christ? …….denial of Christ will bring denial from Christ. ……. Our “denial” is the opposite of our “enduring,” ……. In other words, Christ’s “denial” is not the banishment of a person to hell but rather the denial of reigning with Him in His kingdom. Those who deny Him here and now will be denied the right to rule later on in His kingdom. Paul has already exhorted believers to endure….

Denial does not refer to momentary lapses and failures that are realities in the lives of all believers. Every believer has “denied” the Lord Jesus many times and in many ways. Peter’s denial of Christ is well documented in the gospel record…….. “Denial,” rather, is looking at a settled , characteristic way of living life. Most believers will not deny Christ as blatanly as Peter did, but that is not the only form denial takes. When we do not live obediently according to the dicates of Scripture, we are in essence not identifying with Christ, but are in fact denying Him…….

…….. He will fulfill His word and bring believers into His kingdom in spite of their unfaithfulness. He will remain faithful to His own words and nature, which means the believer’s unfaithfulness will not be rewarded by Him. There will be differences in His dealings with those who belong to Him.

These truths were well known and well accepted in Paul’s day even if they may not be so in our own day. These verses teach the conditional nature of reigning as kings with the King of kings. The privilege of ruling is conditioned on faithfully enduring for Christ in this life. The old song of the church is certainly correct when it says “it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”

——-

Benware, Paul. The Believer’s Payday. Chattanooga, Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 2002 , pp. 32-33.

http://www.schoettlepublishing.com/bookpreviews/benware/preview.htm

The Rapture, The Bema Seat and The Five Crowns

God’s Blessings

Revelation 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of trial which shall try all those who dwell on the earth.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The Crowns

The Crown of Life – Reward for faithfulness, even unto death

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Incorruptible Crown – Reward for living set apart for the Lord and from the world

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 … Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

The Crown of Rejoicing – Reward for bringing others to Christ

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.

Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

The Crown of Glory – Reward for leading and ministering to other believers

1 Peter 5:2-4 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

The Crown of Righteousness – Reward for loving and anticipating the return of Jesus

2 Timothy 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

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