posted Jul 22, 2008 4:38 AM by Unknown user
Rapture is just a theological word use to decribe:
1 Corinthians 15:1-58
The Resurrection of Christ 1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead 12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he "has put everything under his feet."[c] Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die."[d] 33Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 34Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body 35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"[e]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[g]
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"[h] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
Living to Please God 1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
The Coming of the Lord 13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After 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. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Matthew 24:36-51
The Day and Hour Unknown 36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, [f] but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 22:7-21
Jesus Is Coming 7"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
10Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
I don't really know which one is real, either pre-Rapture, mid-Rapture, or post-Rapture...but according to Bible, the judgements pour onto the earth from 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 Plaques and 7 bowls. But maybe last minute GOD will rapture his people before the Judgements implemented!!!
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posted Jun 25, 2008 3:15 AM by Unknown user
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updated Jun 25, 2008 3:21 AM
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Hosea 5 Judgment Against Israel 1 "Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, O royal house!
This judgment is against you:
You have been a snare at Mizpah,
a net spread out on Tabor. 2 The rebels are deep in slaughter.
I will discipline all of them. 3 I know all about Ephraim;
Israel is not hidden from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
Israel is corrupt. 4 "Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart;
they do not acknowledge the LORD. 5 Israel's arrogance testifies against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them. 6 When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the LORD,
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself from them. 7 They are unfaithful to the LORD;
they give birth to illegitimate children.
Now their New Moon festivals
will devour them and their fields. 8 "Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven [a] ;
lead on, O Benjamin. 9 Ephraim will be laid waste
on the day of reckoning.
Among the tribes of Israel
I proclaim what is certain. 10 Judah's leaders are like those
who move boundary stones.
I will pour out my wrath on them
like a flood of water. 11 Ephraim is oppressed,
trampled in judgment,
intent on pursuing idols. [b] 12 I am like a moth to Ephraim,
like rot to the people of Judah. 13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,
and sent to the great king for help.
But he is not able to cure you,
not able to heal your sores. 14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. 15 Then I will go back to my place
until they admit their guilt.
And they will seek my face;
in their misery they will earnestly seek me." Hosea 9 Punishment for Israel 1 Do not rejoice, O Israel;
do not be jubilant like the other nations.
For you have been unfaithful to your God;
you love the wages of a prostitute
at every threshing floor. 2 Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people;
the new wine will fail them. 3 They will not remain in the LORD's land;
Ephraim will return to Egypt
and eat unclean [a] food in Assyria. 4 They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD,
nor will their sacrifices please him.
Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;
all who eat them will be unclean.
This food will be for themselves;
it will not come into the temple of the LORD. 5 What will you do on the day of your appointed feasts,
on the festival days of the LORD ? 6 Even if they escape from destruction,
Egypt will gather them,
and Memphis will bury them.
Their treasures of silver will be taken over by briers,
and thorns will overrun their tents. 7 The days of punishment are coming,
the days of reckoning are at hand.
Let Israel know this.
Because your sins are so many
and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,
the inspired man a maniac. 8 The prophet, along with my God,
is the watchman over Ephraim, [b]
yet snares await him on all his paths,
and hostility in the house of his God. 9 They have sunk deep into corruption,
as in the days of Gibeah.
God will remember their wickedness
and punish them for their sins. 10 "When I found Israel,
it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your fathers,
it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,
they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol
and became as vile as the thing they loved. 11 Ephraim's glory will fly away like a bird—
no birth, no pregnancy, no conception. 12 Even if they rear children,
I will bereave them of every one.
Woe to them
when I turn away from them! 13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre,
planted in a pleasant place.
But Ephraim will bring out
their children to the slayer." 14 Give them, O LORD—
what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
and breasts that are dry. 15 "Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,
I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,
I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;
all their leaders are rebellious. 16 Ephraim is blighted,
their root is withered,
they yield no fruit.
Even if they bear children,
I will slay their cherished offspring." 17 My God will reject them
because they have not obeyed him;
they will be wanderers among the nations.
Hosea 6 Israel Unrepentant 1 "Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth." Joel 2:12-17 Rend Your Heart 12 "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning." 13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly. 16 Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber. 17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' " Lamentations 5 1 Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace. 2 Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens,
our homes to foreigners. 3 We have become orphans and fatherless,
our mothers like widows. 4 We must buy the water we drink;
our wood can be had only at a price. 5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are weary and find no rest. 6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
to get enough bread. 7 Our fathers sinned and are no more,
and we bear their punishment. 8 Slaves rule over us,
and there is none to free us from their hands. 9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the desert. 10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
feverish from hunger. 11 Women have been ravished in Zion,
and virgins in the towns of Judah. 12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;
elders are shown no respect. 13 Young men toil at the millstones;
boys stagger under loads of wood. 14 The elders are gone from the city gate;
the young men have stopped their music. 15 Joy is gone from our hearts;
our dancing has turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 Because of this our hearts are faint,
because of these things our eyes grow dim 18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
with jackals prowling over it. 19 You, O LORD, reign forever;
your throne endures from generation to generation. 20 Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us so long? 21 Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return;
renew our days as of old 22 unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure. Ezekiel 38 A Prophecy Against Gog 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of [a] Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of [b] Meshech and Tubal. 4
I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with
your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great
horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their
swords. 5 Persia, Cush [c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. 7 " 'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8
After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will
invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered
from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been
desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of
them live in safety. 9 You
and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing
like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. 10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11
You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack
a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and
without gates and bars. 12
I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins
and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods,
living at the center of the land." 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages [d]
will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your
hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock
and goods and to seize much plunder?" ' 14
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the
Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in
safety, will you not take notice of it? 15
You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations
with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16
You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the
land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that
the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before
their eyes. 17 "
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of
in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they
prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18
This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of
Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20
The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field,
every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the
face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be
overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the
ground. 21 I will summon a
sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22
I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour
down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his
troops and on the many nations with him. 23
And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself
known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the
LORD.' Joel 2:28-32
The Day of the LORD
28 "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls. Joel 3 The Nations Judged 1 "In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. [a]
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,
for they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land. 3 They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink. 4
"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of
Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are
paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads
what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. 7
"See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold
them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8
I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they
will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken.
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!" 11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD! 12 "Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side. 13 Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!" 14 Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine. 16 The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the sky will tremble.
But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel. Blessings for God's People 17 "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her. 18 "In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house
and will water the valley of acacias. [b] 19 But Egypt will be desolate,
Edom a desert waste,
because of violence done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever
and Jerusalem through all generations. 21 Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
I will pardon."
The LORD dwells in Zion! Zechariah 12:2-7
2 "I am going to make
Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah
will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3
On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against
her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All
who try to move it will injure themselves. 4
On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with
madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house
of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5
Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of
Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.'
6
"On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a
woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right
and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact
in her place.
7
"The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of
the house of David and of Jerusalem's inhabitants may not be greater
than that of Judah.
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posted Jun 25, 2008 2:41 AM by Unknown user
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updated Jul 22, 2008 3:31 AM
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Psalms 119:157,161
86
All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.
157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.
161 Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.
Matthew 5:10-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 20:22-21
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered. 23Jesus
said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my
right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for
whom they have been prepared by my Father."
Matthew 24:9
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Mark 10:38-39
38"You don't know what
you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be
baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" 39"We
can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I
drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
Luke 21:12
"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute
you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be
brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
John 12:20
Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
John 14Jesus Comforts His Disciples 1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."Jesus the Way to the Father 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9Jesus
answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you
such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can
you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't
you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The
words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father,
living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe
me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at
least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I
tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been
doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to
the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit 15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the
Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees
him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever
has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show
myself to him." 22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" 23Jesus
replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will
love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But
the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said
to you. 27Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28"You
heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you
loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the
Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
"Come now; let us leave. Acts 7:52
Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
1 Corinthians 4:12
We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
2 Timothy 2:12
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Hebrew 11:37
They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by
the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—
Revelation 14:12-13
12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
13Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
"Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." Christians are being persecuted worldwide
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posted Jun 25, 2008 1:19 AM by Unknown user
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updated Jun 25, 2008 3:19 AM
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Ezekiel 33 Ezekiel a Watchman 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring
the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of
their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4
then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the
sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. 5
Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his
blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have
saved himself. 6 But if the
watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn
the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that
man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman
accountable for his blood.' 7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8
When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you
do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will
die for [a] his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 9
But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not
do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. 10
"Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying:
"Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because
of [b] them. How then can we live?" ' 11
Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from
their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die,
O house of Israel?' 12
"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of
the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the
wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns
from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live
because of his former righteousness.' 13
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he
trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things
he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. 14 And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right- 15
if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has
stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will
surely live; he will not die. 16 None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. 17 "Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. 19 And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. 20 Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." Matthew 24:1-35Signs of the End of the Age 1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do
you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one
stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3As
Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,'[b] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For
false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs
and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time. 26"So
if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out;
or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'[c] 30"At
that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all
the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And
he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather
his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the
other. 32"Now learn
this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its
leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[d]is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation[e] will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. The Day and Hour Unknown 36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For
in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and
they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took
them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of
night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have
let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45"Who
then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in
charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the
proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Luke 12:1-59Warnings and Encouragements 1Meanwhile,
when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were
trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples,
saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy. 2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3What
you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you
have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from
the roofs. 4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing
of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear
him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies[a]? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10And
everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but
anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11"When
you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry
about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." The Parable of the Rich Fool 13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then
he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of
greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions." 16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18"Then
he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build
bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20"But
God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded
from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Do Not Worry 22Then
Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider
the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;
yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27"Consider
how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not
even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today,
and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you,
O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell
your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves
that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be
exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Watchfulness 35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like
men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that
when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It
will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when
he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will
have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the
thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" 42The
Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the
master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance
at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But
suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time
in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants
and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The
master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him
and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign
him a place with the unbelievers. 47"That
servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not
do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But
the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be
beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will
be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much
more will be asked. Not Peace but Division 49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They
will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother
against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."Interpreting the Times 54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How
is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? 57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As
you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be
reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and
the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into
prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[c]" 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While
people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them
suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But
since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith
and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Final Instructions 12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil. 23May
God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May
your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
2 Peter 3:10
10But the day of the Lord
will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it
will be laid bare.[a]
Revelation 3:3
If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief,
and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee
Revelation 3:3
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 16:15
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
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