“Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn.” John Wesley
Month: March 2026
A Mother’s Heart Devotional Series
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Light in the Last Days – Day 35
What are you waking up for today? Imagine this: the Rapture of the Church could happen at any moment! It is the ultimate “blessed hope,” a joy that outdoes any daily routine!! Unlike other biblical events, there are no remaining signs or delays on God’s prophetic clock. While theories about a mid- or post-Tribulation Rapture circulate social media, we choose to stand on the final authority of Scripture rather than human opinion. Let’s look at what the Word actually says!
When we speak of the Rapture occurring at any time, we are describing the biblical doctrine of imminency. It’s the constant, exciting expectation that our Saviour is at the very door! How can we be so certain of this timing? The answer isn’t found in human speculation, but in the Word itself. Let’s look at the text together:
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
You may think one verse isn’t enough to build on, but I encourage you to be strengthened as you study the fullness of God’s truth. Don’t stop at the surface!! Learn of Him!
Mark 13:32-37 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (33) Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (34) For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. (35) Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: (36) Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. (37) And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
When examining the Rapture, we must weigh every theory out there against two biblical points: total unpredictability and suddenness. This is where other views fail. By linking the Rapture to the signing of the covenant in Daniel 9:27, they create a predictable calendar: 1,260 days for a mid-Tribulation event or 2,520 for a post-Tribulation one. This approach stands in direct opposition to Christ’s statement that the timing is unknown. We must choose: do we believe human calculations, or the final authority of Jesus’ words? If the Word isn’t true here, the foundation of our faith is at stake.
What is the “fruit” of these different beliefs? The hope of an ‘any-moment’ Rapture keeps our hands busy with the Lord’s work and our hearts focused on reaching the lost. If we were waiting for the midpoint or end of the Tribulation, our attention would be captured by the darkness of the world rather than the light of His coming. But we aren’t looking for a treaty or a tyrant; we are watching for Jesus. Let that truth be your comfort today!!
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ( 8 ) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
During his time with the Thessalonians, Paul was clear: the “Day of the Lord” comes like a thief in the night. If the timing were tied to a specific calendar, as mid- or post-Tribulation views suggest, we wouldn’t be watching for a thief; we’d simply be counting down to a scheduled arrival! Instead, we live with the constant, thrilling expectation that it could be any day. This hope drives us to live righteously, so we aren’t found ashamed at His coming. After all, if the Church were destined for the Tribulation, Paul’s words of comfort would be empty. But his message wasn’t in vain: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath” (verse 9). To understand the weight of that promise, look at how Noah Webster defines ‘wrath’:
WRATH, n. [L.] Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation;
The effects of anger. The just punishment of an offense or crime.
Consider this, friend: the Book of Revelation vividly details God’s wrath toward a disobedient world. But why would the Church be subjected to that same outpouring? We have the glorious promise that Christ already endured the full punishment for our sins. As His Bride, we stand under His grace, not His judgment—because God’s wrath is simply not directed at the Church.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Those who find themselves in the Tribulation are there because they did not accept the free gift of salvation before the Church-age door was closed. They willfully rejected the Gospel before the Tribulation and now must suffer the consequences of that decision. This time of wrath is directed at unbelieving Israel and a world that has turned its back on God. Although a great multitude will be saved during these seven years, their path to faith will be paved with hardship, suffering, and, for many, the sacrifice of their own lives.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
The coming judgment will fall on the whole earth like a snare, but the Church has a different calling. Jesus tells us in Luke 21:36 to watch and pray so that we might escape these trials and stand before Him. This isn’t a promise of ‘protection through’ the Tribulation, but a promise of ‘escape from’ it. Why would our Lord speak of an escape for the faithful if the Church were forced to experience the wrath to come? Jesus wasn’t speaking of escaping the things of that day because His Apostles surely did not escape the tribulation of their day. All but John died a martyr’s death! Therefore, Jesus was speaking of the future!
I hope these devotionals have opened your eyes to the reality of Christ’s soon return. It is no coincidence that you’ve found this message today. God has placed you here for this exact moment, offering you the opportunity to accept Him as Savior and be ready for what is to come. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote by George Whitefield
“I say salvation is the free gift of God. It is God’s free grace, I preach unto you, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” “I offer you salvation this day; the door of mercy is not yet shut… He will embrace you in the arms of His love.” George Whitefield
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Quote by Henry Ward Beecher
“Do not give, as many rich men do, like a hen that lays her eggs… and then cackles.” Henry Ward Beecher
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Light in the Last Days – Day 34
What if the day of the Rapture begins with a beautiful sunrise, with the clouds glowing in deep pink and red as we are changed in the twinkling of an eye? That will be a day of unmatched glory! As you think on this, I pray that you are counted among the faithful who will participate in the Rapture, entering into the joy of the Lord at the sounding of the trumpet!!!
We’ve looked at who is involved in the Rapture, but now it’s time to examine the “guest list” for the Second Coming. This event is fundamentally different from the Rapture in its scope and its participants. Is it for the Church, the nations, or Israel? Let’s look directly at what Scripture reveals about the armies, the survivors, and the King of Kings as He makes His physical return to the earth.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Notice the shift in preposition: it changes from “for” to “with.” In our last study, we saw the Rapture is a rescue mission where Jesus comes for the Church. However, descriptions of the Second Coming show a massive heavenly procession where the Church is already by His side. As Paul notes, He returns with His holy ones. This implies a period of time has passed where the Church was already in Heaven, being prepared to ride out with the King of kings to witness His victory on earth.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 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.
We know that angels have no need for “cleansing” from sin because they never fell. In 1 Peter 1:12, we are told that the wonders of salvation are things “angels desire to look into.” They are fascinated by the grace shown to humanity because they have never experienced it themselves. Therefore, the “white and clean” army isn’t just a celestial guard; it is the Church returning with her Groom.
1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: (11) Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (12) Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
By returning with Christ, the Church acts as a living testimony to His victory over sin and death. We aren’t just spectators; we are the trophies of His grace. As we follow Him on white horses, we manifest the fulfillment of His promise that “where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). This confirms that the Rapture must have already occurred, allowing the Church to be clothed, judged, and prepared in Heaven to ride out with King Jesus.
Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Church shares in Christ’s victory. The most remarkable part of this passage is that the “armies of heaven” (the Church) follow Him on their own white horses. This indicates several things for the Bride:
- Reign with Christ: We aren’t just spectators! We are participating with Him in His triumphal return.
- From Bride to Position of Authority: Just as the Church is given “fine linen” to wear, we are now given white horses and will share in the victory with Christ.
- Proof of the Rapture: For the Church to be riding with Christ, we must have already been “caught up” to be where He is.
Revelation 19:8 is the “smoking gun” for the identity of the army. It says of the Bride:
“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
When the heavens open in Revelation 19:11-14, the army following Jesus is dressed in this exact same fabric: “fine linen, white and clean.” Scripture is interpreting itself here. By using the same specific description, God is showing us that the “Bride” from Revelation 19:8 is the “Army” in Revelation 19:14. You cannot have the “righteous acts of the saints” without the saints themselves being there to wear them!
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. ( 8 ) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
When we descend to the Battle of Armageddon, it isn’t a conventional war where we struggle for victory; it is a demonstration of Christ’s absolute power. While the Antichrist and the kings of the earth gather their armies to fight, they are defeated by the mere “sword of His mouth,” the Word of God. As His Bride, we witness the total collapse of the enemy’s kingdom and the binding of the “counterfeit trinity” as we prepare to step into the Millennial Kingdom by His side. Praise the Lord, because this isn’t just about a battle; it’s about a new administration. The Bible promises that if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). The Second Coming is the moment the Church transitions from being “ambassadors” in a foreign land to “rulers” alongside the King of Kings over the whole earth.
If the concepts of the Rapture and the Second Coming were new to you, I truly hope these devotionals have opened your eyes to God’s incredible plan. It is no accident that you are reading this right now. God has brought you to this moment “for such a time as this” to offer you the gift of salvation. If you haven’t yet put your trust in Him, today is the perfect day to begin that journey. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote from Hudson Taylor
“When I cannot read, when I cannot think, when I cannot even pray, I can trust.” Hudson Taylor
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Light in the Last Days – Day 33
Reading the Bible allows God to reveal His heart and His plans to you. A good Father doesn’t keep His children in the dark, and God is no different—He has provided a prophetic roadmap in His Word so we are never caught off guard by world events.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-5 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Those who haven’t accepted Christ, often choosing to ignore His message, are described as walking in spiritual darkness. This isn’t just a lack of information; it’s a spiritual condition. According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, the “god of this age” (Satan) has actively blinded the minds of unbelievers. This veil keeps them from seeing the light of the Gospel and understanding the glorious truth of who Jesus is.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Now, let’s ask a critical question: Who exactly is the target of the Rapture? Jesus isn’t coming for the world at large in this moment; He is coming specifically for those who have put their faith in Him—the Church. As the Bride of Christ, we are the object of His affection and the reason for this “catching away.” He is coming to fulfill His promise to never leave us nor forsake us. Stay tuned, because in the next post, we’ll look at the very different “Who” associated with the Second Coming.
2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
To understand the Rapture, we must look at the ancient Jewish wedding customs. First, a price was paid—Jesus paid the ultimate bride-price with His life on the cross to establish His marriage contract with the Church. Following the custom, the Groom then left His Bride to return to His Father’s house. His mission there is to build a bridal chamber specifically for us. While we wait here on earth, we are “espoused” to Him, set apart and preparing ourselves for the moment He suddenly appears to carry us away to the home He has built. Jesus said:
John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Think about this: if the Church stays on Earth through the Tribulation only to meet Jesus as He lands at the Second Coming, when do we actually go to the “mansions” He’s been preparing? John 14 says He is coming to receive us so we can be where He is—which is in Heaven at the Father’s right hand. At the Second Coming, Christ is coming to be where we are (on Earth) to set up His 1,000-year reign. These are two different directions. For the believer, the Rapture is that first step toward the home He has personally prepared for us.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Think of the Church as a group of diplomats stationed in a foreign land. Just as a nation brings its ambassadors home before a conflict breaks out, God plans to “recall” us to our true home in Heaven before the Tribulation begins. This “calling home” is the Rapture, the moment we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. At some point following our departure, the global stage will be set for the Antichrist to sign a deceptive covenant with Israel. While the world may celebrate this “covenant,” it actually triggers the final years of judgment that only end when Christ returns with His Bride in glory to defeat the armies of darkness.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
My prayer is that these devotionals have deepened your understanding of the Lord’s return and sparked a new hope within you. Friend, you are living in a significant moment in history, and it is no coincidence that you’ve encountered these truths today. God’s desire is for you to be saved and secure in His promises before these events unfold. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote from Jonathan Edwards
“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” Jonathan Edwards
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Light in the Last Days – Day 32
Continuing our study on how the Rapture and the Second Coming differ, let’s examine where these two events actually happen. While some think they occur simultaneously, we’ll see what the Bible says.
First, let’s look at the location of the Rapture according to Scripture. The Bible says:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 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.
As previously discussed, the phrase “caught up” comes from the Greek word harpazo, which literally means to be snatched or seized away.
ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad’-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).STRONG’S CONCORDANCE
The English New Testament was translated from the Greek so we see exactly what was meant. I also find it interesting that Strong’s states that it is from a derivative of G138 which means:
αἱρέομαι
aihreomai
hahee-reh’-om-ahee
Probably akin to G142; to take for oneself, that is, to prefer.
Christ will receive His Bride by meeting the Church in the air. This event, the Rapture, gets its name from the Latin rapturo (the translation of the Greek harpazo). Although the specific word “rapture” doesn’t appear in the text, neither do “Trinity” or “Bible,” yet they accurately represent scriptural concepts. Only the Church participates in this catching away.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 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.
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 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.
Don’t forget, this happens so fast, in the blink of an eye, that the world won’t even see it. Some claim the Rapture is a visible global event, limiting the “twinkling of an eye” speed only to our mortal transformation. But looking at the text, we see that the trumpet’s sound triggers the immediate resurrection of the dead into incorruptibility. Therefore, the entire sequence—the sound and the raising of believers—is tied to that same instantaneous moment. It’s important to see that the Lord Himself descends without the entourage described in other verses about His return. He comes specifically with the “trump of God,” which shouldn’t be confused with the seven trumpets of Revelation 8. Those angelic trumpets signal judgment, but Christ’s own trumpet brings a shout of victory! This is yet another way the Rapture differs from the Second Coming.
Now, let’s talk about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and where it will occur. The Bible states:
Zechariah 14:1-5 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (5) And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
Zechariah’s prophecy confirms a physical return: the Lord will stand upon the Mount of Olives, marking an earthly entrance rather than a meeting in the air. This moment at the end of the Tribulation will not be a secret; Scripture guarantees that every eye will behold Him as He returns in glory.
The Scriptures say:
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
You might hear someone object, “But doesn’t this verse say He’s coming in the clouds?” There is a key distinction here: the text says He comes with clouds. These aren’t the fluffy white clouds in the sky. If we look at Hebrews 12:1, we see that “clouds” can actually refer to a massive group of witnesses. This suggests the “clouds” are actually the saints and angels accompanying His physical return:
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
The difference is unmistakable: the Rapture takes place in the air for the Church’s joy, while the Second Coming brings Christ to the earth to end seven years of judgment. This final return sees the defeat of the devil, the binding of the counterfeit trinity, and the start of the 1,000-year Millennium. It is a transition from atmospheric meeting to earthly victory.
Biblical prophecy, which accounts for almost one-third of the Bible, is centered entirely on Israel, a fact that many world leaders and misled Christians overlook. This misunderstanding leads people to wrongly label the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the start of the Tribulation. If you reread Matthew 24, you’ll see we are actually in the “birth pangs” stage. Use this war as a sign of the times, but do not be deceived into misplacing it on the prophetic timeline. Currently, the war in the Middle East has everyone’s spiritual eyes looking for the destruction of Damascus as Isaiah prophesized in Isaiah 17:1. Will this be the beginning of the Ezekiel 38 and 39 war? Keep an eye on the countries and areas that will come into play should the war continue. If we see the following, then yes!
- Gog, the individual who will lead the coalition, will unite Russia (Magog/Rosh) and its former “stan” nations (Kazakhstan, Uzebekistan, etc.),
- Turkey (Meshech & Tubal), (specifically the regions of Asia Minor/Anatolia),
- Iran (Persia),
- and Sudan (Cush), historically the land south of Egypt, and some include parts of Ethiopia.
I believe God has brought you here for a reason. In these significant times, He wants to offer you the gift of salvation if you haven’t yet received it. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
