TEN WAYS PROPHECY WILL AFFECT YOU

I often find people who seem to have little interest in Bible prophecy. I am talking about Christians who are active in their church. Laymen say that they can't understand it. Pastors claim it is divisive. Others are just satisfied to let this important part of the Bible pass them by. They are fans of the popular song sung by Doris Day: "Que, sera, sera; whatever will be will be. The future's not ours to see, Que, sera, sera."

But the Apostle Paul said that he did not want his readers to be ignorant of the prophecies of Scripture. He shared the truth of the return of Jesus to claim His Bride in what we usually call the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Using this basic text, I want to tell you 10 ways that Bible Prophecy will personally affect you.

1. There will be a Resurrection. 1 Thess. 4:16 says that the dead in Christ will rise first. Believers in Jesus who have died in faithful service to Him will be the first to rise.
2. There will be a Rapture. 1 Thess. 4:17 tells that believers who are alive when Jesus comes will be snatched away to go with Him to heaven.
3. There will be Reunion. 1 Thess. 4:17 says that those who are alive and those who are resurrected from the dead will meet together and join the Lord in the air.
4. Believers will be clothed in their Redeemed Bodies. 2 Cor. 15 tells that those who have died will exchange their perishable bodies for imperishable ones and those living will exchange their mortal bodies for immortal ones.
5. You will be shown to a new Residence. In John 14:3, Jesus told his Bride that He was going to prepare a place and He would come again to take her to that place He had made ready in the Father's house.
6. Believers will receive their Rewards. 2 Cor. 5:10 tells that all believers must appear before the Judgment seat of Christ to give account to Jesus for what we have accomplished for Him since our salvation.
7. You will ber appointedd to Responsibility in Christ's coming earthly kingdom. In Luke 12 Jesus told a parable of how those who are faithful now will be put in charge of the Master's possessions.
8. You will live in continuing Relationship with Jesus. 1 Thess. 4:17 says, "and so we will be with the Lord forever."
9. You will Return with Jesus to the earth at the end of the Tribulation period when He comes in power and great glory. Rev. 19 says, "The armies of heaven were following Him dressed in fine linen white and clean" which was identified those clothed in garments of righteousness.
10. You will Reign with Jesus when He occupies the throne in Jerusalem. Rev. 20, "I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge (rule)."

Paul gives us instruction about what we are to do with these truths. He said to encourage each other with these words of prophecy. I have sent these words to encourage you. Send them along to someone else. Talk about them. Discuss them. Your heart will be encouraged as you think about the wonderful promises which the Bible reveals to us about the last days.

What's Sure About Prophecy?

We just completed the 12 weeks of Bible Study here at Avon Park Holiness Camp in FL. I have taught this winter on the theme, "A More Sure Word of Prophecy." This is taken from the words of Simon Peter when he wrote, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed" (2 Peter 1:19).

Why did he say that the word of the Biblical prophets was at that time more certain? Truly, it must have been because as he and the other disciples had been with Jesus and had seen the Old Testament prophecies about Him be literally and completely fulfilled, they were more certain than ever that the prophecies given in the Bible were true. And as they saw the prophecies about the first coming of Jesus take place with pin-point accuracy, they were all the more convinced that the prophecies concerning the end of the age and the return of Jesus had to be true as well.

Therefore, those who wrote the New Testament letters filled their writings with either direct teaching on end-times prophetic events or allusions to them. When we think of Bible prophecy, we find our minds turning first of all to the Old Testament books of Daniel, Ezekiel and the other books called the Major and Minor prophets. And some people seem to think that Revelation is the only prophetic book in the Bible. But the entire Bible is a prophetic book. Twenty-seven per-cent of all Bible verses contain some prophetic material. That convinces me that God wants us to know the future. The best way to discover these wonderful truths is to begin to read and study God's Word. As you do, you will arrive at the same conclusion of truth that Peter did. The word's of the prophets are becoming more and more certain.