Stay Alert For The Rapture Is Near

42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming…44 This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:42, 44 HCSB

If the rapture takes place right after the seven years of the Great Tribulation, then we would know the return of Jesus Christ. And we understand that the Scripture says no one can know. Why would a believer stay alert if we knew when He was coming? But, the passages make it clear that since we don’t know, all believers must be in constant readiness for the rapture. That means that Christians have to be busy doing His will and living a life of righteousness and not in sin.

But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man. -Luke 21:36

The word “alert” here suggests that the followers of Jesus Christ must be in a state of holiness, walking in the Holy Spirit—obeying the Word of God in a daily fashion. When Jesus returns, He wants to see us on our knees seeking, His face. And the way we seek the Lord is by putting our faith in action (Luke 18:1-8).

The phrase “praying that you may have strength to escape all these things” means to have the endurance to continue forward—being faithful and not give up on the Lord. 

The word “escape” means two things. The first one is to make sure that you have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:1-3). The second meaning of the word is to be ready for the rapture, as the Greek word for “escape” means “to flee away” so that you would avoid the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:3), which God will pour out in the second half of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6). And, when you meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air, you would have accomplished everything that He had assigned for you here on earth

Friend, do you intimately know Jesus? Does Jesus dwell in your heart? If not, don’t wait any longer because He can come at any moment, and you will be left behind.

The Originator Of All Deception

So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 12:9 HCSB

All deception originated from Satan, who is the father of lies (John 8:44). The word “dragon” in the Book of Revelation identifies it as Satan, the one who will give the antichrist and the false prophet their power (Revelation 13:4, 14). The phrase “the ancient serpent” points back to Genesis 3 when the serpent deceived Eve, but with Adam, he took from the forbidden fruit, knowing full well that it was wrong. Thus, Satan was the one who brought death to mankind.

All false religion worships Satan, who goes by many different names. The false teachers claim that all roads lead to the same mountain—referring to the true God. They are right, except for the last part, “the true God.” What they failed to realize is that there are two mountains not one.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. -Matthew 7:13-14

There is a mountain that contains multiple broad roads from every direction that leads to it. Those roads which come from the world religions connect or merge to the main road that leads to the mountain where Satan reigns. So yes, all roads lead to the same god, just not the right one.

The second mountain to the right has one road that is so narrow that if one does not pay close attention will miss it. That road leads to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. -John 14:6

Only through Faith in Jesus Christ can a person make it to heaven.

A Look Into The Spiritual realm And The Battles Christians Face

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

Daniel 10:13 HCSB

The phrase “the prince and kings of Persia” is in reference to fallen angels who have authority and great power. Their power is not in the sense of position but of physical power.

Daniel prayed to the Lord and even started to fast to get an answer. The moment Daniel got on his knees to ask the Lord for revelation, an angel was dispatched to go to Daniel. But while the angel was on his way, he was confronted by many demonic spirits to stop him from giving Daniel God’s message. This battle took place in the atmosphere.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. -Ephesians 6:12

Angels and demons are fighting to gain ground. For angels, it is getting God’s message to believers and aiding them from danger. And for the enemy, it is for stopping God’s angels from accomplishing God’s will.

Each Christian has an angel assigned to them (Matthew 18:10, Hebrews 1:14). A believer’s angel interaction with demons depends on your walk with the Lord. If you are living a life of obedience to God’s Word, then your angel is consistently in some type of battle with evil spirits, trying to stop them from getting to you. You see, demons are active in your life when you are doing God’s will. But, if you are walking in the flesh, they are less active.

When we pray, and it might seem to us like God is taking long to give us an answer—now you know why that might happen. God’s message might come by way of another brother, but he will come to be under demonic attack to prevent him from getting to you. He won’t understand why his life has taken a dive. Everything in his life is going wrong. Sometimes we get attacked by the enemy because of another brother’s prayer, and the Lord wants to use you to minister to him but, the enemy will try to prevent you from doing that.

Don’t give up in prayer and wait for the Lord. As believers, we are not alone in this spiritual battle. Angels who are God’s messengers are also in that battle. God’s work is so important that it makes the demonic hosts move into action to fight and try to keep us from fulfilling God’s will. God’s will should be our primary focus.