# 8 – The Plan, the Provision, and Works of Faith

2) Help others do the works of faith

photo credit: Dean Williams 2012

God decided to wipe out all corrupt flesh (Gen. 6:12, 13). Yet, God’s grace made provision for one righteous man, Noah. Once God did this, Noah became a participant in the plan, not a bystander. Thus, Noah had to work out his salvation with works of faith—called ark-building.

But what if Noah had decided to just “have faith” in God’s provision, and did nothing that the works of faith required?? Would his bystander-mentality still have saved him and his family? Or, would God have let him perish, along with his dead faith? Doesn’t Scripture say that faith without works is dead, being alone (James 2:17)?

The last days’ catastrophic events are to once again purge the earth of corrupt flesh. Have we bothered to do our own ark-building? For example, have we grown in grace*, cast off the works of darkness*, put on Christ*, and been diligent to be found of God in peace—without spot—and blameless*? These are works of faith. If we believe for the rapture, yet have done nothing of the works of faith to prepare ourselves for it, then our faith is dead.

Moreover, if we do nothing to work out our precious salvation, nor accompany our faith with works to inherit the promises, we are lazy believers (Heb. 6:1-12)! God has yet to retract or change his plan for lazy fools. Ready or not, even Jesus will not open the door for fools when the time comes (Matt. 25:1-12).

Like Father, like Son.

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*2 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 13:12; Rom. 13:14; 2 Pet. 3:14, respectively - Scriptures from The King James Version of the bible.

 

Life #31 - A Clear Sign that the Rapture is Imminent

Recent controversies in the news this year require us to bring clarity to the Rapture. First, the “Rapture” is not a biblical word. The apostle Paul referred to it as “the day of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2 NKJV). Second, this is an event that occurs at Christ’s return, when Christians are seized, caught away, taken (by force) to be with their Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Even the early church at Thessalonica had their difficulties over the timing of the Rapture. They expected “the day of Christ” to occur during their lifetime. It wouldn’t, the apostle Paul informed them. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, he corrected some false ideas about the Lord’s return. Paul also assured those who thought they had missed “the day of Christ” that they hadn’t—because all the signs had not manifested (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NKJV).

Note that Jesus said all occurrences surrounding his return would complete themselves within the span of one generation (Matt 24:27, 34).

So, although we cannot know the specific “day or hour” of Christ’s return (Matt 24:36), we can know when the Rapture-event will occur:

And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 NKJV).

When we see our dead friends and relatives stand up from their resting places, know that our Rapture is imminent because they join us in the event!

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: caught up #726 – harpazō, har-pad’-zo; to seize:—catch (away, up), pluck, take (by force) [like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4]; rise #450 – anistēmi, an-is’-tay-mee; to stand up:—raise up (again); rise (again); Connected with Blog #6; excerpts from our book to be released next year.  

Life #6 – Why Should We Choose His Promise of Life?

Morning Glory 2011

Christians today believe in the popular rapture teaching, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up…to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Ironically, our dust-kicking jubilation has blinded us from seeing its narrow but bold assertion—that in order to participate in the rapture, we must be “alive and remain”!

Many of us can count the number of Christian friends and family who believed in the rapture but are now waiting for their resurrection. Obviously, something has been overlooked in the rapture-teaching. If that’s true, then our rapture-conditioned mindset must be open to correction and instruction. Yet we all know how difficult it is to change fixed mindsets, don’t we! Even Jesus had a hard time convincing the leaders of his day to change theirs, especially when he claimed, “…if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51-59).

When rapture occurs is not a mystery. The Scripture clearly states rapture happens after the resurrection of those who are in Christ. So, when we see our Christian ancestors, grandparents, parents, children, cousins, uncles, friends, etc. begin to resurrect from their graves—or other places of rest—that’s when we know our rapture is imminent! First the dead in Christ will rise; then the rapture of those who “are alive and remain” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

To be “alive and remain” for the rapture is do-able by those who have entered into Jesus’ promise to “live and never die”; otherwise, it’s the resurrection.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.