Pre-Rapture Instructions from the Apostle Paul

In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Paul gives us the best descriptions of the rapture that we find in the New Testament, except for Jesus's in Matthew 24.  We find these great verses in 1 Thess 4-5 and then again in 2 Thessalonians 2. 

In 1 Thess 4, Paul describes this great event by first declaring that he heard it directly from the Lord Himself. He then talks about the dead rising first and then those of us who are alive... I encourage you to read it. It starts in 1 Thess 4:15- 5:11.  He ends this first description of the rapture by saying that "God has not appointed us to incur His wrath..." and that we should "encourage one another"  

In 2 Thess 2, Paul gives us clues as to the timing of the rapture, telling us that the rapture will not occur until there is a great turning away from the faith and then the antichrist will appear.

But smack dab in the middle of these two explanations of the rapture, we find some very useful instructions that really hit me while I was reading them. I believe Paul was hoping that in light of the soon return of Jesus, the Thessalonians would follow his advice. I love it when our walk with Jesus is put in such easy terms. I'm a list person. I keep a list for everything that I need to do and everything I need to buy at the store the next time I go out, so this list of things is something I can really wrap my heart around.

Here goes.   1 Thessalonians 5:13-22

• Live at peace with one another
• Admonish those believers who are out of line
• Encourage the timid
• Help the weak
• Be patient with everyone 
• Do not repay evil for evil
• Show kindness to all
• Seek to do good to everyone
• Be happy and rejoice always
• Be unceasing in prayer (not just once or twice a day, but all day long!)
• Thank God for everything, no matter the circumstances
• Do not subdue or suppress the Holy Spirit 
• Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of prophetic revelations
• Do not despise inspired instructions or warnings
• Test and prove all things
• Hold fast
• Abstain from Evil in whatever form it takes

Can you imagine our great witness to the world if we could follow this list every day?  Can you imagine how pleased our Father would be? I also believe that the more we follow these things, the closer we will be to Jesus.

Here's the actual Scripture in the Amplified

Live in peace with one another. We urge you, believers, admonish those who are out of line [the undisciplined, the unruly, the disorderly, encourage the timid who lack spiritual courage, help the spiritually weak, be very patient with everyone, always controlling your temper. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people.  Rejoice always and delight in your faith;  be unceasing and persistent in prayer;  in every situation no matter what the circumstances be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not quench, subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning.  But test all things carefully so you can recognize what is good. Hold firmly to that which is good.  Abstain from every form of evil withdraw and keep away from it.

May the Lord find us diligent to do these things when He returns for us!

FREE KINDLE - Charity's Cross!

To celebrate the approach of my next release in March, I'm giving away one of my books on kindle every 2 weeks!  This is a great time for you to pick up any of my books you don't have or haven't read. Also, you can "gift" this to a friend from Amazon! A good book makes a great Christmas gift for the reader in your life!  Spread the word to your reader friends too! 


This week, Charity's Cross will be free on Kindle starting today, December 13th - Saturday, December 14th. 
 

277 5 Star Reviews on Amazon!

Tyndall spins a riveting tale of betrayal, violence, trust, and honesty in this latest inspirational pirate romance. Cindy Vallar, Pirates and Privateers

Suspected of killing her husband, Charity Westcott flees on the first ship out of Portsmouth, England heading for the colonies. Loathing all men after her abusive marriage, she hopes to reunite with her family in Charles Towne, but the ship’s destination is Nassau. When she spots her husband’s brother, who is intent on seeing her hang, boarding her ship, she jumps overboard.

Elias Dutton, missionary and son of the famous pirate, Rowan Dutton, must get to Barbados as soon as possible. His sister is in danger, and his parents have charged him with her safety. He cannot let them down—again. But after rescuing a madcap woman from the bay, he now finds himself tricked into masquerading as her husband so they both can procure passage to Barbados.

Pirates, storms, shipwreck and betrayal threaten to delay the couple in their journey even as sparks fly between them. With her brother-in-law in fast pursuit, the last thing Charity wants is help from a man, especially a religious one, but she has no choice. After Elias’ heart was broken by a sordid woman who nearly ruined his life, he seeks a godly woman pure as the virgin sands of the Caribbean. He believes he has found such a woman in Charity. Until he discovers she is a murderer and is now faced with two choices: letting her go or turning her in to the authorities.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars. It has been a long time since I was gripped so totally by a novel. I read quite a few good books, this one was a true, couldn't put it down, good book. By midway through, I had to keep tissues at the ready. The Editor's Note

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Have a Great Weekend!

Love and Blessings, MaryLu

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:2 

MaryLu's Musings:Final words on Eternally Secure Salvation

I know I post often against the Once Saved Always Saved theology. The last video I posted on my Facebook author page was from a pastor who, strictly using the Bible, listed verse after verse that indicated that a person can fall away from the Lord after being initially saved. (I will provide a link below if you missed it)   I realize there are very good Christians and theologians who love the Lord but who are on opposite sides of this fence, and there are Scriptures they both use to prove their points.  But I wanted to share with you my heart on this issue.

It is NOT to prove I'm right and anyone else is wrong
It is NOT to offend anyone
It is NOT to cause fear in anyone or worry that they aren't saved
It is NOT to cause division or contention within the body of Christ

My purpose is purely out of love and concern for people. I don't want ANY to be lost, especially those who think they are saved but are not. Believe me I want to believe that once you get saved, say a prayer, and commit your life to Jesus that there's nothing you can do that would ever take that away. I have a grown son who once gave his life to Jesus but who now has rejected Christianity and claims to be an atheist. So, believe me, I WANT to believe that you can never lose your salvation! But I could not go against what I kept reading over and over in the Bible. I beg you not to listen to any pastor or read any study notes, but simply read the New Testament for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the truth. 

This is my final point on this: 

If I'm wrong and once you get saved, you cannot lose your salvation, no matter what you say or do, then great!  What harm have I done by preaching that someone can lose their salvation? In other words, by putting the idea out there that we can walk away from our faith and lose our salvation, perhaps it has helped some people get more serious about their faith and grow closer to Jesus!  Perhaps a little fear of the Lord is a good thing because it makes us cling to our Lord more tightly! 

But if the Once Saved Always Saved people are wrong, then they have done a world of hurt to many many Christians who have believed them and who have gone on to live their life anyway they chose, thinking they were good to go! 

Can you lose your Salvation video

Some people will say that those people who walk away from the Lord and live sinful lives were never truly saved in the first place. And that may very well be true! But I also believe that they BELIEVE they are saved. So it is to them that I am issuing my warnings.

I want to end this on a positive note!  How do you know you're truly saved?  

The Scripture says to Examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
2 Corinthians 13:5

So let's examine ourselves.  If Jesus truly lives IN us, then we should be different from the people who aren't saved and those living in the world and for the world, right? 

being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:11

Because Jesus lives within us...

We should want to do the things which please Him. We should want to obey Him and His Word.  
We should enjoy reading the Bible, praying, attending church, worshiping Him. It should not feel like a chore
We should look forward to and enjoy spending time in His presence
We should desire to help others, the poor, the needy 
We should hate sin
We should feel no desire to drink alcohol, party, go to clubs, or be immoral in any way. 
We should feel convicted when we sin or mess up and immediately repent
We should enjoy the friendship of like-minded believers
We should have a heart for the lost and want to help save souls from hell.
We should be watching for His return and be excited about eternity with Him
You should love Jesus and feel your love for Him growing as your walk with Him.

There are probably more, too. These are just the ones I've noticed in my own life. Of course every one of these things won't happen in great measure the moment you are saved, but you should see some of them right off the bat. Others will grow over time and all of them should increase as you walk with the Lord each day.  

Our God is merciful and filled with love and grace. He doesn't want anyone to perish, and I know He takes into account a person's particular circumstances. But if you are truly saved, your desire will be to know Jesus and to love Him and follow Him as best you can.


If, however, you've been "saved" awhile and you really have no desire to pray, read the Bible, or spend time with God. Instead , you find the pleasures of this world.. money, sex, alcohol, fame... beauty, more enticing than you do God, and you're reading this, PLEASE stop and make a decision who you want to serve, God or the Devil. There's only 2 choices. Going to church will not save you. Only a personal walk with Jesus will. And He's waiting to hear from you! Repent and turn to Him!.

A friend of mine told me the Lord recently said to her:

"I do chase my children. Why can't my children chase after me?"
 

Pray to be counted worthy to escape!

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:34-36

To me, this is one of the most important End-Times verses in the Bible!  There's so much truth in these few verses if we take the time to break them apart and analyze them.

In context:  Jesus has just finished telling his Disciples about the Signs of the Times and the End of the Age. (This Olivet Discourse is paralleled in Matthew 24). After listing all the signs to look out for, Jesus then tells His Disciples that the generation which sees the Fig Tree blossom is the final generation. 

Now, let's dig deeper into these few verses. 

"But Take Heed".  What does heed mean? It's not a word we see very often these days, so I looked it up. Here's the definition:  "Pay careful attention to"  Okay, so this seems pretty important then. The Greek word means "Beware"

Take Heed to yourselves.  Pay attention to ourselves? Yes. We see in the next verses what we are to beware of.  

Carousing - Greek Word kraipalē  which means a headache caused by drinking too much

Drunkenness - The meaning is obvious

Cares  - Greek word, merimna, which means anxieties, cares, distractions

You may say, well, I don't drink alcohol so I'm off the hook, right? But do you have anxieties? Do you have things that distract you from Jesus?  It could be anything that you put ahead of him, money, success, fame, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, children, goals, beauty, etc...  all of these things are not bad in themselves, but they are distracting if we allow them to be. 

Jesus is warning us to not allow the cares and pleasures and worries of life to consume our minds and get us distracted from His soon return!  He's also warning us not to indulge in the sinful pleasures of this world in whatever form they take. 

And that Day come upon you unexpectedly.  What Day?  And why is it capitalized? Because it's a certain day, the Day of the Lord, which is a phrase that pertains to both the Lord's coming and the Span of the final 7 years of the Tribulation.

Okay, So Jesus is warning us to stay out of sinful behavior and to not get too distracted by the things of the world because if we do so, He will come unexpectedly. In other words, we'll be so distracted by life that we won't know when He's coming. 

But why would that matter? So what if we are too distracted with life and cares and pleasures? If we are saved and believe in Jesus, we're good to go, right?  We'll go in the rapture, right?

Yet, these verses seem to contradict that thought, don't they? Why would Jesus give such a strong warning that we are to live a certain way and stay away from sinful indulgences and even away from distractions if it had no bearing on our getting raptured?  Let's continue. 

For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Snare = Greek word pagis - a trap, sudden, unexpected, deadly peril
On the whole earth?  So this Day of the Lord is going to come and trap the entire earth with unexpected deadly peril. 

Watch Therefore
Watch - Greek word agrypneō, which means. Stay awake! Be Attentive, Be ready!

So, I guess we are supposed to be watching the signs for His return

And pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things

To be counted worthy -  Greek word kataxioō which means worthy, or to deem entirely deserving

To Escape - Greek word ekpheugō which means to Flee, to seek safety in flight! 

(Seek safety in flight? That sounds like the rapture to me!)

Okay, let me get this straight.  It sounds like this means that we are to pray that we will be deserving or worthy to be raptured when Jesus comes. Which seems to imply that if we aren't found worthy, we won't be taken. 

Some people might say, "I am worthy because I believe in Jesus. I'm a Christian!" But then I would ask why does Jesus exhort us to PRAY that we may be found worthy? Hmm. 

Let's put this together.

• Jesus is returning to gather His saints in what we call the rapture. 
• It is obviously a pre-tribulation rapture since He clearly states that we can "escape all these things"  which He just described.   
• Jesus warns us to stay away from sinful indulgences and to not be distracted by the pleasures, worries and cares of this world. 
• Jesus warns us that if we aren't careful He will return when we don't expect Him and we won't be ready
• If we aren't ready when He comes, we will get trapped in the deadly peril that will come upon the entire earth at that time. 
• However, if we watch and pray and follow Him and not the world, then we will be able to escape the entire tribulation coming upon the earth. 

Hence, in summary. There is a pre-tribulation rapture of the saints, but not all Christians are going. The rapture of the bride of Christ is for those saints who truly love Him and are living for Him, watching for His return, putting Him first over the things of the world, keeping their wedding garments clean from sin, and praying to be found worthy.  

This is straight from the lips of Jesus. Got a problem with it, take it up with Him!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!


 


 

Free on Kindle The Reckoning!

To celebrate the approach of my next release in March, I'm giving away one of my books on kindle every 2 weeks!  This is a great time for you to pick up any of my books you don't have or haven't read. Also, you can "gift" this to a friend from Amazon!  Spread the word to your reader friends too!

The Reckoning is absolutely FREE on Amazon from today, November 29th - Sunday, December 1st. This book is the fifth in my best-selling and award-winning Legacy of the King's Pirates series, but can be read as a standalone too. It is my only time-travel story, full of twists and turns, and guaranteed to entertain!

FOUR STARS! Romantic Times
Christian readers will enjoy this fantastical time-travel tale filled with adventure and redemption ... Pirate battles, treasure hunts and acceptance of faith all work together to create a beautiful love story.   Hope Piro, Romantic Times

What an amazing, unpredictable read with more twists and turns than a treasure map! Initially I was not sure about the time travel aspect of the story, but MaryLu Tyndall wrote it so realistically that I stayed glued to the pages with emotions as tossed as a ship upon the waves. Diana Flowers, Book Reviews

When Morgan Shaw crept into the hold of an old pirate ship replica at San Diego’s Annual Tall Ship Festival, her only intention was to avoid the guy who had just dumped her and who was now boarding the ship with two women on his arm. What she didn’t expect was to wake up aboard a real pirate ship three-hundred years in the past. But of course, it wasn’t real. Her wealthy father had obviously staged it all in an effort to get her mind off her upcoming chemo. Or had he?

Pirate Rowan Dutton seeks enough treasure to repay a debt to his sister and reinstate the Dutton name among British Jamaican Society. He is but one major haul away from accomplishing his goal when a strange woman appears on his ship and causes him to lose his prey. Despite his anger, he is enthralled with the little minx, her strange clothing, odd speech, and her insistence that they are all actors playing a charade paid for by her father.

Yet when the brazen little lady divulges Rowan’s secret to a longtime nemesis, events are triggered that could cost them both their lives and change the course of history forever.

Time travel and the pirate age, MaryLu Tyndall makes it a rip-roaring, swashbuckling winner of it! Don't miss The Reckoning, mateys, or risk walking the plank! Tell Tale Book Reviews by Jasmine

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Have a GREAT Weekend!