Be Thankful To God Pt. 2

Guest (Male): And also, you turn on the television and see hundreds of millions of people have disappeared from the earth this morning. Imagine how people are going to feel once you know that your mom, your dad, your brother or sister, or wife or children are taken, but you’ve been left behind. Imagine the flashbacks in your mind while you were messing around instead of really committed to Jesus Christ. And when you really didn’t believe that the rapture was going to happen, but it did happen.
Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. We’re beginning a new week in our study of 1 Corinthians, and we’re glad to have you with us. We’ll consider Jesus’ promise to return one day for His people, and along the way, Raul will show us how important it is that we be ready because Jesus could appear at any time to rapture the church. Stay with us for assurance that God is faithful to His promises, so you can trust in the second coming of Jesus. Here’s Raul Ries in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 with part two of our study, Be Thankful To God.
Raul Ries: What we see here is that the church was waiting not only for Christ to come, but by God’s design for the church, He had them become patient. And what’s really cool here is the way Paul brings in about the second coming of Christ. That He’s going to be revealed, notice from what? He says we’re eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word revelation means the unveiling when He comes. And when He comes, He’s going to come first of all as a mystery for the rapture of the church. But at the second coming of Jesus Christ, every eye shall see Him. Every eye. They’re going to see Him, the whole world. It’s going to be the brightest coming you have ever seen in your life. And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And yet, when we go to the book of Revelation, what do we see? We see people not confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but cursing Him and damning Him instead of confessing Him. And yet look at the days we’re living in today. People that in high school are trying to preach the gospel or read the Bible, they’re being offended by other people and they’re trying to even take kids to court. But whatever happened to our First Amendment? We have a First Amendment that we can really say, "Hey, my First Amendment's freedom of speech." So it’s really important that we understand that if God is for me, then who can be against me? Never be afraid. Perfect love casts out all fear. And Paul never ever held back speaking about God and Jesus Christ. Look at what he says in verse 8. He says, "Who will also," Jesus, "confirm you to the end, that you may be," what? "Blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Isn't that heavy? When He comes back for us, how does He want to find me? Blameless. Blameless. That's not doing what the world does. He doesn't want to catch you drinking or taking drugs or being in bed with your girlfriend or as a wife or husband committing adultery or lying or cheating or just being negligent in everything that you do. We need to be ready for Jesus to come because when He comes, He’s going to come so rapidly, so fast that we need to not only be aware of it, but we need to be on top of it so that when He comes, He’s not going to catch you as a thief in the night. Go for a second to the book of Matthew chapter 25. Listen to what he says here in chapter 25 of Matthew verse 1. He says, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And now five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took their own oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delaying his coming, they all slumbered and slept." Now, you have to get a picture in your mind. This is a Jewish wedding. A Jewish wedding. In Jewish weddings, they’re not like American weddings. Number one, a Jewish wedding in that time lasted seven days. Seven days of feasting. So imagine what he’s doing here. You have the bridegroom. Let’s say the bride lives in Ontario and the bridegroom lives in La Verne, okay? And they’re engaged. And now they’re going to get married. The bridegroom would never ever say to the bride, "I’m coming tonight." Ever. He would have a runner before him, and whenever he was ready, he would say to the runner, "Start running and go and tell them." And when he would get to the city, it would be midnight. "Behold, the bridegroom is coming!" They would turn on their little lamps, they would get dressed and get ready for the bridegroom to come and start the ceremony. That would be nerve-wracking, right? Imagine that. That's how they did it. And then when the bridegroom would come, they would have this wedding and for seven days they would feast. They would feast with the bridegroom. And what’s incredible is that when you look at the church today, there’s going to be seven years of tribulation, seven years the church will be in heaven where? At the Bema Seat of Christ and the supper of the Lamb. And then after seven years, what happens? The bridegroom comes to do what? To bring judgment upon the world, but He brings His bride with Him, the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So we think about the coming of the Lord and here in the parable, look what he says. He goes on, verse 6. He says, "And at midnight the cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming! Go out and meet him." Then all those virgins got up, trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the wise, notice, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." Now, check this out. The oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. Five had the Holy Spirit and five didn't. Five were ready and five were not. Check this out. He goes on. And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the wise answered and said, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you. But you go out rather and to those who sell and you buy for yourselves." And while they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him into the wedding, and the door was shut. Shut. Isn’t that crazy? When the rapture takes place, the door is shut. Shut. Remember when Noah in Genesis chapter 6, when Noah came into the ark, his three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and Mrs. Noah? The Bible says what in chapter 8? "And the Lord shut them in." Shut the door. And then what happened? The flood came. The judgment of God. The last seven years of tribulation are the wrath of God upon a sinful world. Interesting how the parable here fits. And then he goes on to say this, verse 11: "And afterwards the other virgins came also saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us. But he answered and said unto them, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you do not know what day or what hour in which the Son of Man is coming." It’s a parable of being on the alert, which tells us there are going to be people in the church that are not going to be ready. They have no oil in their lamps. No oil. And then all of a sudden the Lord comes and takes His church home and the others are left behind. No oil. And then the door was shut. They couldn't get in. So it’s really important that we understand where Paul is coming from here as he’s speaking here concerning the coming of the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look again, verse 8. He says, "Who will also," notice the promise, "confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Guest (Male): You’re listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. We are committed to supporting you in your daily walk with the Lord. Visit somebodylovesyou.com to look through our full library of faith-enriching resources, including Raul’s practical 11-part series, Unity, Holiness, and Love. Now, back to more with Raul Ries.
Raul Ries: Go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13, he says, "But I do not want you Christians to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those people that have died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have died in Jesus." So he’s giving the promise of your loved ones, if they were Christians and they died in the Lord, they’re with the Lord already. And when Jesus comes for His church, He doesn't come all the way to the earth. He comes partway to the earth. They’re coming with Him, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to be with the Lord. Remember that? Watch this, he says it right here, verse 15. "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain into the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are dead. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ which already are there have risen with Him. Then we who are alive and remain, notice, shall be caught up." There's the word *harpazo*. To be caught up is *harpazo* in the Greek. To be snatched away. "To meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." Now, remember, in the original language they don't have chapters and verses, so let’s read chapter 5 verse 1. It continues. "But concerning the times and the seasons, my brothers, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." Now, two terms: the day of the Lord and the day of Christ. When he speaks of the day of Jehovah, he speaks in reference to the tribulation period. When he speaks of the day of Christ, it’s in reference to the rapture of the church. So look what he says here. He goes on. "For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape." So the rapture comes and then the warning comes of the tribulation period. It’s a horrible, horrible time of wrath. Look what he says. "But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that that day should overtake you as a thief." What day? The day of the rapture. What is Paul saying? He says if you really truly believe and you’re walking with God, then that day will never take you by surprise. But if you’re not looking for Him and you’re not ready for Him and you’re not living godly lives, then He’s going to catch you unaware when He comes. Verse 5: "You are all the sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the darkness or the night. Therefore, because of this, let us not go to sleep as other people are doing, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk in the night." Notice, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope and salvation. For God," and mark this, "for God did not appoint us the church to what? To wrath." Underline that. To wrath. And the word wrath there is to the tribulation period. Look what he says. He’s not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that whether we are awake or asleep, if we’re alive or dead, we should live together with Him. Wow. Imagine all of the scriptures given to us. Go to 1 John chapter 3 verse 2. Right before the book of Revelation. Here’s what John says in chapter 3 verse 1: "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. Therefore," notice, "the world does not know us because it did not know Jesus Christ." And here’s verse 2: "Beloved," speaking to Christians, "now we are the children of God, and it has not been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when Jesus Christ is revealed, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him," what does he do? "He purifies himself just as He is pure." Wow. He’s saying if you really believe that Jesus Christ is coming again, then what kind of a life are you living? In all ungodliness or all righteousness and holiness of life? That's what he’s talking about. And that's what Paul is talking about here. Paul is talking about confirming to the end that you may be blameless because the day of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming. And if He is truly coming, Paul the apostle—let me get a little bit ahead—go to chapter 15 of the book of 1 Corinthians. Chapter 15, verse 51. He’s talking about people that don't believe in the resurrection. It’s either a myth or it’s real. So then he says in chapter 15 verse 50, "Now, this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." Why? We have to die. Look what he says. "Nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all die, but we shall all be," notice, *metattota*, "changed." A metamorphosis is going to take place. He says again, "Behold, I tell you this mystery: we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass," notice the saying that is written, "death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory? For the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord." Notice that. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is never in vain in the Lord." Go to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3, right after Ephesians is Philippians, chapter 3 verse 20 and 21. He says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed into His glorious body." Did you hear what he said? That the Lord is going to come back and we’re going to be *metattota*, we’re going to be transformed. This body cannot enter heaven. So when the rapture comes and we’re taken to heaven, somehow our bodies are going to be dissolved. The only thing that will come out of this body is your spirit that will go to heaven and the body will be done away with. Look what Paul says again. This is incredible. "For our citizenship is in heaven, which we are eagerly waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed into the glorious body, according to the working by which He, Jesus, is able to subdue all things unto Himself." So the Lord Jesus Christ is the one that is going to do that. And when you think about that, think of how many people already have died. They’ve gone to hell or they’ve gone to heaven. So when the trumpet begins to sound for the church, all of a sudden one morning people are going to wake up in the morning and one shall be taken, one shall be left. You’re going to say, "Man, what happened to my wife? What happened to my husband?" And also, you turn on the television and see hundreds of millions of people have disappeared from the earth this morning. And it’s not going to be just in America, all over the world. And for those people that were not taken, it is going to be a nightmare for them. A nightmare. Because they’re going to know they missed the rapture of the church. They missed it. The only way to get into heaven, you have to be beheaded. And if you’re not beheaded—which there’ll be people that won't be beheaded—they will not take the mark of the beast because if you take the mark of the beast, you’re down forever. They will go into hiding. You can't buy, you can't sell, you can't work, you can't do anything unless you have the mark of the beast. And if you don't get the mark of the beast, he says he cuts your head off or else you have to go into hiding, fully, completely. And imagine how people are going to feel once you know that your mom, your dad, your brother or sister, or wife or children are taken, but you’ve been left behind. Imagine the flashbacks in your mind while you were messing around instead of really committed to Jesus Christ. And when you really didn’t believe that the rapture was going to happen, but it did happen now. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. He says, "Now, my brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be so soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as it is from us, as though the day of Christ had come." Remember I told you the day of the Lord, the day of Christ? The day of Christ is the rapture. So look what he says. "Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first." And then what happens? The rapture takes place and then the man of sin will be revealed, the son of perdition. Who’s that? The Antichrist. Watch this: "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits at God in the temple of God, showing himself that he’s God. Do you not remember," Paul says, "that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time." Now, what is the thing that is restraining the Antichrist from coming? Let’s read further. "For the mystery of lawlessness already is at work. Only He," your Bible’s capital H-E, notice, capital H and the little E, "He is the Holy Spirit in the church. Notice what he says. Only He who now restrains will continue to do so until He again," the church, "is taken out of the way. Notice that. Taken out of the way at the rapture. And then what? And then the lawless one, the Antichrist, will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of the devil, Satan, with all power, signs, lying wonders, and with all unrighteousness deceptions among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe the lie. Notice, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Wow. That's heavy. So this is why Paul writes to the Corinthian church too. That it’s a beautiful thing to be thankful to God for His grace and for the gifts that He’s given to us, all utterance, knowledge. And then he talks about being confirmed, the testimony of the confirmation of Jesus Christ in our lives. And then finally he says this again, "Who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." And check this out, verse 9: "God is faithful." I’m not faithful, you’re not faithful, but God is faithful. Notice what he says. "God is faithful by which Jesus Christ, you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God is faithful in calling me and calling you to become Christians, to be the church of Jesus Christ. I love that.
Guest (Male): It is so hard to fully grasp that one day Jesus will leave heaven for a second time and break through the clouds to claim His people for Himself. We hope today’s message has stirred excitement in your heart. You’re listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today’s study was titled Be Thankful To God. If you’d like to hear it in its unedited form, we’ll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of five dollars or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165. And to help you live in readiness for the rapture, we’d like to tell you about Raul’s 11-message series, Unity, Holiness, and Love. It’s available on CD and USB. Each lesson highlights the central truth that following Jesus affects every part of life, from your relationships to your finances. You’ll find that when you operate in humility and in obedience to the Lord, you’re a living testimony pointing others to Jesus. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order this 11-part Unity, Holiness, and Love series. We’ll send you the CD set for 23 dollars or the thumb drive for just 14. That’s 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California, 91765. Catch straight talk with Raul on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. West Coast time. This channel also features podcasts of all previously aired programs, or you can look for them on iTunes and Spotify. We’re grateful for your partnership. Every tax-deductible gift enables us to keep sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Join us next time for more insight from 1 Corinthians. You’ll get a challenge to maintain a humble attitude and a willing spirit, not letting pride get in the way as you partner with your fellow believers to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.