Why I Believe the Rapture Won't Happen Today

There's a pretty simple reason why I believe the rapture will not happen today.  It's because both Jesus and Paul said we would see something occur first.  Jesus pointed to the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Dan. 9:27) - we will see that, before He comes and gathers the elect.  (Matthew 24:15-31 - What Jesus told His disciples, He was telling us, as well - Mt. 28:19,20.)  And Paul said the man of lawlessness would be revealed, taking his seat in the temple, exalting himself as God, before Jesus comes and we are gathered to Him.  (2 Th. 2:1-4)  No man knows the day or the hour, just as Jesus said, (Mt. 24:36) but we also know that day or hour falls after a very important event - and we are also told that following the abomination of desolation the worst persecution ever against God's chosen will break out.  But thankfully Jesus' return cuts this persecution off before all of God's chosen are killed - Mt. 24:22.

If you are wondering why I understand the elect in this passage to include the church, it is because Jesus is giving instruction to the founders of the church.  In Mt. 23, He had just told His beloved Jerusalem that her house was being left desolate.  Israel will see the Messiah again, but only after they have repented and say, "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!"  When Jesus moves into Mt. 24, He is now focused on instruction to His soon to be formed church.  Also, in Mt. 24, Jesus is answering the disciple's question about the end of the age.  Jesus told us He will be with us, all of His followers, until the end of the age - Mt. 28:19,20.  His clear instruction in Mt. 24 is that the end of the age occurs when the great tribulation is cut short.

Beloved, be prepared to be the laughing stock of the world, and to be mocked at, when we speak of the Lord's return, and He is returning in judgment.  Paul addresses that in the first chapter of 2 Th.  He tells us that at the return of Christ, Jesus will repay with affliction, those who are being afflicted.  Paul is speaking of the elect who are undergoing the great tribulation prior the Lord's coming.  Jesus is coming with His angels in flaming fire, to deal out retribution to those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus - 2 Th. 1:6-10.  The mocking and scoffing will just get worse as we get nearer to the return of Christ.  Peter tells us that would happen.  (2 Peter 3:3,4)

We are seeing the wars and rumors of wars, aren't we?  And the earthquakes, and those who claim to be Christ.  Let's keep our eyes on Jerusalem.  We have the signs.  Watch for the signs, then look for His return.

And by the way, just so you know, I stand with Israel...

Charlie

How can I not be in love?!

Maximum Happiness Doesn't Just Happen

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart  - Psalm 119:2. 


Here's a truth about happiness.  Maximum happiness doesn't just happen.  Real joy doesn't just fall in our laps.  Maximum happiness occurs when we are living in God's revelation and walking in His ways.  Maximum happiness occurs when we are searching out the Lord with all-out effort and complete commitment. Notice the action and effort words that are in bold.  Then notice the result word in blue.  

I enjoyed these thoughts of Spurgeon on this verse:

"The further a soul advances in grace the more spiritual and divine are its longings: an outward walk does not content the gracious soul; it reaches out in due time after God Himself, and when it in a measure finds Him, still yearns for more of Him, and seeks Him still."

We will not advance in grace without being in His Word.  We seek the Lord by being in His Word.  As we grow in our knowledge of Him, the longings for Him gain in intensity as well as our desire to please Him.  Our obedience of faith, our observing God's testimonies and seeking Him with 100% commitment exalts Him and brings Him joy and He has designed us in such a way that it is also when we experience happiness and joy in fullest measure.  

Annie and Mai's Visit to California, with the Boys

I have been trying to post these pictures for the last three days but blogger wouldn't let me.  I finally outsmarted it!  

This is Mai, my mom, and Annie...

I just love this picture of Annie...

And I love this one of my mom...

  

Is this cute or what?  This was at the Seal Beach Pier...  I think they were watching the surfers...

Great-grandma with her three great-grandsons, Ethan, Charlie, and Daniel - youngest to oldest...

Love little boys in blue jeans and bare feet...

Thanks Karin for having them, they had a blast!

Psalm 103 - Proclaiming His Excellencies

This psalm of David calls for human praise and angelic praise, ending with a refrain of David's personal praise - it is one of my favorite psalms.


The Lord's benefits are our blessings which we return to Him with praise.  Take some time to dig through this treasure trove of His benefits.  They reveal to us His character - and then give Him praise.


¹Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
    ²Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget none of His benefits;
    ³Who pardons all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases;
    ⁴Who redeems your life from the pit,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
    ⁵Who satisfies your years with good things,
         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
    ⁶The LORD performs righteous deeds
         And judgments for all who are oppressed.
    ⁷He made known His ways to Moses,
         His acts to the sons of Israel.
    ⁸The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
         Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
    ⁹He will not always strive with us,
         Nor will He keep His anger forever.
    ¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
         Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
    ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
         So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
    ¹²As far as the east is from the west,
         So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
    ¹³Just as a father has compassion on his children,
         So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
    ¹⁴For He Himself knows our frame;
         He is mindful that we are but dust.
    ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;
         As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
    ¹⁶When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
         And its place acknowledges it no longer.
    ¹⁷But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on  
         those who fear Him,
         And His righteousness to children's children,
    ¹⁸To those who keep His covenant
         And remember His precepts to do them.
    ¹⁹The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
         And His sovereignty rules over all.
    ²⁰Bless the LORD, you His angels,
         Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
         Obeying the voice of His word!
    ²¹Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
         You who serve Him, doing His will.
    ²²Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
         In all places of His dominion;
         Bless the LORD, O my soul!

A Message for All of Us Girls, on Modesty

...with special emphasis on the younger girls.   Please watch this you tube video, gals, on what guys think about modesty...  Moms with teenage and college age daughters need their girls to hear this, all of it, in its entirety...  There is a message for the guys at the end, as well.  (If it freezes up, don't give up on listening to it.  Walk away from your computer while it loads, then come back and start it over and play the whole thing...)

Ladies, we and our daughters should not be a part of the minefield - All for the glory of our Savior...

Wives 2

"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  1 Peter 2:5


Wives, when we willingly line ourselves up under our husband's authority, when we put them first, placing their needs and wants above our own, when we love and respect and reverence them, we are a beautiful aroma to the Lord.

May our lives be lovely towards our husbands today, for Him.

Wives...

...why is Jesus worth our worship?

Because He loves our husbands in our place when we have failed, and He continues to love us as well.  If you have failed in this, confess your sin, and get back to submitting, loving, and respecting your husband as a humble response to the Lord's great gift of His salvation.  Husbands are changed by the wordless sermon of a gentle and quiet spirit.  Let's get busy and keep busy at making our husband's feel significant.  It is our calling as wives and often releases the floodgates of our husband's attention, love, and affection.  And if it doesn't, praise God that He is working out His sanctification in you...He is building His character and image into you.

"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.  Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."

1 Peter 3:1

Second Cousins Meet - Daniel and Charlie Visit California

"Hello California, I'm Charlie.  Nice to meet ya!"

Garry, Ethan's father, made me laugh.  He captioned this picture, "Exchanging Asian cooking recipes."  (Ethan is half Chinese and Charlie is half Vietnamese.)  In the course of the conversation, Tim is just sure Charlie is saying to Ethan, "Dude, have you ever tasted fish sauce?  It's good, man!"

Annie and Mai are in Southern California this week, introducing Daniel and Charlie to Ethan, Karin's grandson.  In this picture, Mai is holding Ethan and my niece Katie is holding Charlie.  Charlie is closer to the camera and looks bigger, but Ethan is actually three pounds heavier and four months younger!  As I get pictures, I will post them in this entry, so check back often.    

500th Post

It was just over 3 1/2 years ago that I posted my first blog.  If you are interested, you can read it by clicking here.  It is my rather long prewrath testimony and it is at my original blog.  At the time I wrote it, I had a passion to get the truth out regarding the Lord's return.  I had believed error for decades. While I still love the doctrine of the return of Christ and it is still my desire for believers to see the truth, my passion has moved to seeing believers love and long for the Lord and His Word, for there is where abundant life is found.  I came across this Piper nugget this morning which fits right in line with my heart, for you.  It is a prayer...

Ask God to touch the tongue of your soul and make His word "sweeter than honey and drippings from the honeycomb."


How is your desire for His Word?  Would you rather sit in your favorite comfy chair with your favorite dessert than with your Bible?  Do you even know where your Bible is at?  Psalm 1 tells us a happy believer is happy not because of their circumstances, but because of their thought life.  A man is happy when when he ponders on the Word of God, around the clock.  There is a time to ponder on God's Word, and there is also a time to act on it.  James tells us that we are blessed when we go from hearing the Word to acting on it.  Our day should go from reading God's Word, to pondering on it, to acting on it.  Without this process, no change into Christ-likeness will occur.  When you read Paul's writings, his great passion was to see believers grow in their faith in Christ and in their love for each other.  It is what he labored for and for what your church leadership labors.  Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify us in truth, but there is an obligation on our part for making this happen.  We have to be in the Word because His Word is the truth that effects our sanctification, our growth.  We can never be reminded enough or exhorted too much in this spiritual discipline because the flesh is weak.


Will there be another 500 posts here at Overcomer?  I don't know.  I'd sure like to see the Lord's return before then, but we haven't seen a covenant yet.  We haven't seen the abomination of desolation yet.  We haven't seen the great tribulation begin.  We've got a bit of a ways to go.  But in the meantime, if your soul does not long for the Word, ask the Lord to cause it to be sweeter than your most favorite dessert.  This is one prayer that the Lord will be greatly pleased to answer...