*DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

*THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS*

*For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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.1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 (NKJV)*

As we come to the end of the age, one of the major events that we look forward to as believers, is the rapture of the church. This is a mark of the end of the end of time.

God is going to gather His harvest when the time comes. The great tribulation should not make christains afraid but rather hopeful because that is the sign that the coming of the Lord is near to gather His elect. *Matt 24:29-31: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.*

As believers, we should not allow ourselves to be deceived or lured by anyone. It is not expected that we should be taken unawares because of the series of event that should take place. God is so gracious that He has prepared us well with His Word. *2 Thessalonians 2:1-4: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.*

What this means is that, since we know that His return and the rapture of the saints are imminent; we should be expectant and prepare ourselves for His return. We must purge ourselves from every filth and everything that possibly act as a weight or a hindrance to our being caught up with the saints. We must maintain a life of holiness and purity, so that when Christ returns, we will meet Him in the air. *“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” ‭‭I John‬ ‭3:2-3‬ (‭NKJV)*‬‬

*PRAYER
Lord help me to live holy and to purify myself daily. Preserve and keep me that I may be rapturable in Jesus name. Amen