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With all of my life.

Did you have a Jack-in-the-box when you were a kid? When Jack jumps out of the box, you never know what reaction you are going to get. Some kids just laugh, others cry, and a lot of kids do a mixture of both. Horror and joy at the same time.

Have you heard of the rapture? What are the things you remember being taught about the rapture?

Not all Christians agree on exactly how Christ will return to earth or what the timeline will be - especially in relationship to the tribulation.

Thing is, the rapture is not in the bible. All of these verses we just talked about can be viewed through a different prism.

If you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture where Jesus returns before all the persecution and birth pains for Jesus return happens and you are right — great! I mean I am all for missing the tribulation. I am all for getting out of here.

But what if you are wrong? See the problem for the Thessalonians was that Jesus had not come back like they thought. And times were hard. And it was making some of them question what Paul had taught them. Matter of fact, some had even fallen away. Christ return, the one certain thing they had in a tumultuous life, the one thing to be certain about in an uncertain world, had not happened the way they anticipated, some gave up. Some were thinking of giving up.

Everyone missed Jesus first coming despite all the prophecies. They were so focused on how they thought it would happen, they didn't recognize him and missed him. Could you do the same?

Jesus seems to be saying that we should prepare to suffer before He comes. Are you ready for that? Are you prepared for that? If there is no rapture — if Jesus just returns, we’re caught up in the air along with the dead in Christ and we immediately escort him back to earth — and we go through what Jesus says here in Matthew 24, are you ready? Because if we’re here in the thick of it, this will have huge implications.

First implication will be that followers of Jesus will betray and hate one another.

Second, as the world gets more wicked, the passion and love of Jesus followers will grow dimmer and colder.

How does this help us deal with UNCERTAIN TIMES?

1. You can be READY!

2. You can STAND FIRM.

3. Jesus is COMING BACK no matter what!

We win in the end!

Questions to ask yourself in response to God:

1. Are you ready if the second coming happens differently than you think? What if you have to endure persecution? What if you had to go through difficult days? Could your faith in God handle it if God does something you don’t expect?

2. Is your love for God growing cold? Or is it growing deeper, stronger? What is the depth of your love for Him?

3. Maybe you don’t know Jesus as your savior. Today, you can ask Him to forgive you, to let what Jesus did on the cross count for you and redeem you from your sins.

You can be ready. Are you?