“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:1).
Even the return of the Lord will be sudden.
In Mark 13:35-37, Jesus tells us the signs of His coming: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all. Watch.”
Suddenly he shall find you sleeping. You may say, “But you preachers have been talking about Jesus coming back all my lifetime.” That’s right. We are that much closer to his return, and when he comes it’s going to be unexpectedly.
He will come and snatch up the believers with the rapture of the church. One day people will be driving down the expressway and believers will be caught up out of their cars. Some of them will be pilots of airplanes flying 35,000 feet above ground and they will be caught up out of the cockpit.
They’ll be at work and they’ll be caught up immediately, instantly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, Jesus shall return – glory to God – and catch up the believers.
The point here is that it will happen so fast that people won’t have a chance to repent. Then if you are left, you have to deal with what the Bible says is the worst seven years ever in the history of the planet. It’s called the tribulation period.
God said if He did not cut these days short, no flesh would be saved. Everything on earth would be destroyed. Don’t you know at the rapture of the church that people who never went to church are going to be there?
Don’t you know every church will be full, they’ll have ten Sunday morning services a day, but then they’re going to have to pay a price while on earth because they didn’t listen when the spirit of God ministered to them?
Now is the time to listen. Now is the time to follow the Spirit of God. Now is the time to receive from God. Now is the time to accept the Word of God unto you this day.
Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).