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NO ZOMBIES!

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NO ZOMBIES!

By Ken Blue

There is no proof that there will be a 40 day waiting period between the resurrection of the saints and the rapture. The charge for you to disprove the argument is like challenging you to PROVE that Peter did not kill his mother-in-law. You may not believe it, but there is no way you can PROVE he did not. That is the spider-web the zombie doctrine is built on.

              Also, there are too many “ifs” and “maybes” in the argument. In addition, the use of Lot and Noah has no place or reference to the church of this dispensation. Those verses speak of the days of Israel. In that day, their coming Tribulation. In the day of the second coming, not the rapture (Lk. 17:34-37; Mt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21).

              The argument that zombies will spend 40 days witnessing may be appealing…The fact that the dead in Christ rise first, is not proof that there will be 40 days before the rapture. The only answer to that challenge, by the creator of this false doctrine, is, “I will be as critical of your answer as you are of mine.” What kind of proof it that?

              Lastly, the argument that these zombies will spend those 40 days witnessing to the lost may be appealing, but that is not what the Apostles spent their time doing. See, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6. One may conveniently overlook the fact that they were required to WAIT 40 days for the witnessing power of the Holy Spirit.

              Thus, belief in a zombie doctrine is a stretch of an imagination gone wild and an attempt to be novel and sensational. It may be novel, but it is not sensational. Neither is it validated by any Scripture, Nor should one give this novelty a serious thought.

THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

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THREE RAPTURE POSITIONS

the raptureBy Ken Blue   (Be sure and listen to the great gospel songs)

In a recent article we discussed the matter of whether or not the Bible teaches the event called the rapture. The two main passages on the rapture are found in I Thess. 4:13-18 and I Cor. 15:51-58. As stated, my goal is not to get you to believe in the rapture, but to admit that it is a doctrine taught in the Bible.

There are three main views about the time for the rapture. These are the Pre-Tribulation, the Mid-Tribulation, and the Post-Tribulation views. Of course these call for a period taught in the Bible as the Tribulation. The Bible has hundreds of references to that period and event. Jesus speaks of it in no uncertain terms. “15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:15-31.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…a time is coming upon the earth called The Tribulation.[/pullquote]

These Scriptures, and many like them, confirm that a time is coming upon the earth called The Tribulation. The Tribulation also has a specified number of years. We will deal with that in another article. Let me clarify, I am not implying that the above text concerns the rapture of the Church. The purpose is to call your attention to a time period of The Tribulation. My view is that the rapture of the Church takes place prior to those events.

The question is, if this view is correct, how soon after the rapture will the Tribulation take place? Also, what events will transpire at the moment of the rapture? First, there is nothing in Scripture stating what the time period between the rapture and the Tribulation will be. Many commentators assume it to be forty years. They give their reasons, which we cannot go into now. However, this would give the Jews ample time to build their new temple. The other question is, what events will take place at the rapture? Again, there is no answer to that question. Speculation is that great destruction will take place. The logic is that pilots, engineers, drivers, and millions of others will disappear, thus creating havoc throughout the world. This seems to be a rational conclusion.

If the rapture takes place prior to the Tribulation, and there is an unspecified period of time between the two.  What are the events leading up to the Tribulation? Lord willing, we will cover that question in our next article on this subject.

WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE HAPPEN AND THE WORLD END?

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A Rapture of the Saved

rapture

By Ken Blue.

Harold Camping has set multiple dates for the rapture, the return of Christ, and the end of the world. His false predictions have caused many to become atheist and emboldened those who believe in evolution and reject the existence of God. I will not set any date for the end of the world, but I will attempt to clarify what most Christians believe on this subject.

Bible believers accept the Bible teaching of a rapture of all believers. The texts for that even are I Thess 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  

 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-57.

Now, whether the honest atheist or evolutionist believes the above text or not is irrelevant. The above text is clear. My point here is to establish that the Bible does teach a rapture of the saved. The world will not end immediately after that event, regardless of Harold Campings teaching.

DEFERRED DOOMSDAY DUE FRIDAY — OR NOT

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DOOMSDAY DEFERRED OR NOT?

By Ian O’Neill

Published October 18, 2011 | Discovery News   Print  Email  Share AP

The Doomsday Clock is shown in 1998.

On Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, the Rapture will be upon us. That’s according to U.S. Christian broadcaster Harold Camping anyway.

Yes, that’s the same Mr.Camping who “predicted” doom on May 21. But, as far as I’m aware, we’re still here. So, Oct. 21 is the new Rapture. Right.

Postponing doomsday is not uncommon amongst doomsayers (religious or otherwise), especially when the original day of doom doesn’t happen. And for Camping, “Doomsday Deferral” seems to be a fun trick he likes to play. He did, after all, also predict doomsday in 1994.

Countless people have predicted countless end-of-the-world scenarios — and the planet’s still here, fortunately. We look back at some of the wackiest forecasts.

ANALYSIS: Doomsdays: Dubious and Deferred. So, how did the ailing 90-year old explain away May 21?

On May 22, an obviously shocked Camping emerged from his home to say he was “flabbergasted” that the Rapture stood him up. But then, a couple of days later, like all good doomsday prophets, he had an answer: May 21 was just the beginning; the Rapture would take a lot longer; the real Rapture will happen five months later on Oct. 21.

“What really happened this past May 21st?” Camping asks on his Family Radio website. “What really happened is that God accomplished exactly what He wanted to happen. That was to warn the whole world that on May 21 God’s salvation program would be finished on that day.”

Basically, “Applications for Salvation” closed on May 21. You see, even the Office of God has red tape.

ANALYSIS: Doomsdays That Never Happened

After saying something about earthquakes shaking mankind … and that the Bible refers to “earth … as people as well as ground,” (roughly translated as people, as well as the ground, were shaken) … somehow there was a lot of shaken people on May 21…?

Regardless, it’s unlikely we would have experienced anything because it was “an invisible judgment day.” Clever. A subtle Judgment Day.

Unfortunately, though Camping’s predictions are clearly based on an overhyped religious belief — that mainstream Christians think are bunk, by the way — he has a hardcore group of supporters that have sold their houses to pay for touring the U.S. in RVs, “spreading the word” of one delusional religious leader.

I have bent, pulled and prodded every single doomsday theory, and have yet to find a single thread of proof that we could ever predict one of them happening in 2012. In fact, many of the theories (like a marauding Planet X or spontaneous polar shift) are fundamentally flawed or completely fabricated.

At best, Camping is delusional and enjoys the attention, at worst — like many doomsayers that have a book to sell — it’s about money and fear.

WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE TO DEPART THIS EARTH

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Having a desire to depart

Depart

By Ken Blue

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Philippians 1:23

Paul made it clear that the whole creation groans under the curse. Our body becomes our greatest physical enemy while we are alive. No wonder he had a “desire to depart…” Death is far better for the Christian than life. In this life, we struggle every day with everything the curse has touched. “For in this, we groan…” So does the whole creation.

To depart and be with Christ is far better for many reasons. Each month I receive news that a family member or friend has been diagnosed with some terminal illness. We sorrow for them and miss them. But, thank God, once we are with Christ, we will never be separated.

To be with Christ means there will be no more death, pain, or tears. Can we question that to be with Him will be far better?

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…to be with Him will be far better.[/perfectpullquote]

Once we are with Christ, the personal battle over sin will be over. No matter how long we live on this earth, we will battle the sin nature within us. What a wonderful day that will be when we can’t sin, can’t say or think anything wrong!

Lastly, we will see and be with Christ! We love Him now because He first loved us. Faith will then become sight, and we shall see Him! Won’t that be a wonderful day? Tomorrow, on earth, will be like today and yesterday, but when we depart, we will be with Him, we will live in His eternal light.

I too have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is FAR better! Cheer up, Christian, only a few more days to go!