From: han@npg-sd.sandiegoca.NCR.COM (Chuck Han)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: There are two years left! [+ moderator's comment on apocalyptic]
Date: 16 Sep 92 03:55:56 GMT
Organization: NCR Corp., Network Products - San Diego

In <Sep.12.22.20.40.1992.11128@athos.rutgers.edu> masimo@netcom.com (Michael Maas) writes:

>But, the bottom line for me is that I'm afraid that all of this literalism and
>focus on rapture and stuff (the best term I can think of for it) only 
>serves to draw us away from God, a God who quite simply calls us to love
>God and neighbor as ourselves.  

I believe the 'rapture and stuff' is very important to God.  It's SO
important that He has set a side a crown(out of 5) just for those
who wait for it to happen.
        2 Timothy 4:8 states, "Now there is in store for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have
longed for his appearing."

GOD told you and I to LONG for HIS APPEARING.

>If I had to take a stand on this, I guess I would have to side with those who 
>maintain the best policy is to be always ready for we know not when the hour 
>will come.  

Do you think Noah and his family could have stayed in the Ark
indefinitely? 	Maybe Noah could have waited a long time, after all, he 
has just built the Ark for over hundred years.  However, his sons and 
daughter-in-laws may have changed their minds and started a riot?   
Good thing, the Lord told him exactly how many days to wait.  
 
Let's examine God's way of doing things.....

* "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plans
   to His servants the prophets."  Amos 3:7
* "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all
  truth.  He will not speak on His own authority; He will speak only
  what He hears, and He will tell you things to come."  John 16:13
* God told Abraham in advance that the Lord would destroy the city
  of Sodom and Gomorrah by raining down burning sulfur of His wrath.
  Genesis 19:23-29  "Then the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham
  what I am about to do?" Genesis 18:17
* Before the destruction of Nineveh, God informed Jonah of the time
  by proclaiming that in forty days, Neneveh would be overthrown 
  Jonah 3:4
* God commanded Noah to build an Ark(Gen. 6:14). 
  "Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and 
  forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living 
  creature I have made." Genesis 7:4.  God informed us beforehand
  that he would destroy all life by the Great Flood, but the people of
  that time paid no attention to Noah's warning about God's impending
  judgement.  Jesus said His coming would be exactly like the time of
  Noah.  This means that He will reveal the time of the Rapture to
  those who are walking in the light.  "But you, brothers, are not in
  darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.  You are
  all sons of the light and sons of the day." 1 Thess. 5:4-5
* When Jesus came to this world, the religious leaders(scribes,
  Pharisees, priests) did not recognize Him, however, the shepherds,
  the Magi from the east, Anna, Simeon, could know the birth of Jesus
  as Messiah. Luke 2:8-38 

Revelation 3:3. "....But if you do not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what itme I will come to you."

Don't ignore the advertisements of His second coming that God is putting 
out in the newspapers and on TV!  Know what to look for!

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says...."
  	Rev 3:13 - Philadelphia church which         gets raptured.
	Rev 3:22 - Laodicea     church which DOESN'T get  raptured.

Maranatha!