Wish I could claim the thought within this commentary as my own, but I can’t. The realization comes from the Holy Spirit, as do all thoughts that truly glorify our God. But, humanly speaking, I must give credit for sparking my thinking to Dr. David Jeremiah, whose program Turning Point I try to catch at 5:00 or 5:30 (Central Time) on either A&E or The History Channel each week day morning.
So it was the other day that Dr. Jeremiah began talking about the compilation of evils we are now witnessing. How, if attuned to things going on in our nation and around the world, those who aren’t believers could easily be in a constant state of depression, or worse.
Those not paying attention to things going on—the majority of people going down that broad way along with all of humanity—have little awareness of the signals of catastrophe just ahead. They are busy going through the routines of life and don’t even want to understand why we are now supposed to believe, according to godless cultural corruptors, that man created God, rather than God created man.
We are told that we, not God, must determine which gender we think we should be (or parents think we ought to be). Biblical order is now supplanted by political correctness and woke directives derived from social media acolytes who now more and more demonically govern from their basements and other dark, safe places.
Kindergartners should be taught the perversions of sexual activity by transvestites and outright pedophiles. Men, under the guise of transsexual metamorphosis can interact with teenage girls in locker rooms and restrooms, and anyone who says otherwise is persecuted and even prosecuted as being phobic and haters.
Boys’ restrooms now must, by public school administrative rules, have tampon dispensers. Men must be acknowledged as being capable of being pregnant; else those objecting can be hounded, harassed, and even legally charged with hate speech.
Our top leaders within the US government try at every legislative and judicial level to turn the greatest nation in history–in terms of liberty under our Constitution—into a third-world dystopia. The sellout to the New World Order minions, such as those of the World Economic Forum, continues to be a never-ending assault on this once God-blessed republic.
So it was that Dr. Jeremiah was painting the picture and pointing out that it’s no wonder that Christians who see and understand these things are praying that Jesus will call us home.
I, and many I know who have prophetic ministries, hear from those who want more than anything for the Rapture of the Church to occur. I get many such thoughts through email each week, and the numbers are increasing.
Prayers are going up incessantly to the throne, imploring that Christ step out on the clouds of glory and call believers to Himself. Yes. I frequently pray the same.
There are those who see, in every event reported, intensive hope of the Rapture taking place within days or weeks at most. These begin postulating on whether this or that event will be the proverbial straw that breaks the back of the camel. Will this event or that bring into God’s holy nostrils a stench from the corrupt world that will make His cup of filling wrath finally overflow?
Yes. I’ve had some of those thoughts as well…
Or will this or that happening with regard to Israel cause the Lord to call the Church out so He can again begin dealing with the Jews, where things left off with Christ’s crucifixion—thus bringing in Daniel’s seventieth week–the Tribulation?
Like, for example, do the five red heifers that are in the news at present indicate the Rapture can happen at any moment? Or the train that is being constructed to deliver Jews swiftly and en masse to Jerusalem–is this precursor to the building of the Third Temple, thereby showing how very near we are to the Rapture?
These things, I took it, were cocooned within David Jeremiah getting to the point of the many prayers going up to the throne imploring that the Rapture take place.
But it was when he brought into the message the words of the Lord Jesus that really caught my attention. Dr. Jeremiah said something like: “Even as much as we want the Rapture, did you know that Jesus wants that time of bringing us home even more than we want it?”
He then gave an eloquent dissection of perhaps my favorite portion of all Scripture. It is the section that most touches me. He went through Jesus’ Words in the Gospel of John, chapter 17.
This, of course, is Jesus’ prayer to His Father for each and every believer who will ever live. And, I agree with David. He said that this section of the Bible, of all portions, is truly holy ground, and we must take off our shoes here (symbolically equating this time of Christ’s prayer to Moses’ time before God when receiving the Commandments.)
The pastor pointed, then, to Jesus’ most profound expression of desire to God the Father, and urged us to consider how much Jesus loves those who are His own–all believers. David spoke of how intensely Jesus desires to have us with Him—not to Indwell us, as He already does, but to have us in the place He spoke of as recorded in another part of John’s Gospel.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1–3)
Jesus implored His Father:
“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:22–24)
Jesus’ capacity for love, for intense desire, is far above any human love or intensity of desire. Jesus wants us with Himself even more than we are capable of wanting it. This is the message in this portion of His magnificent prayer directly to His Father. Is there any doubt that God the Father will honor the request of His Son in this regard? There is no doubt whatsoever from this quarter.
Like so many of you, I believe the moment of Christ’s call is very close. To go to the Savior, our Brother, our Bridegroom, our Lord and God when He calls, you must be willing to do the following.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9–10)
I, too, love Dr. David Jeremiah’s sermons/Bible teachings.
This is a totally new look at the situation, one I never considered. This website is a real blessing and I never fail to learn new things from it all the time. As I read the commentary, this passage came to my mind right away (Jesus is the speaker):
Luke {12:49} I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? {12:50} But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
This certainly backs up the premise that Jesus wants everything fulfilled even more than we do.
Thanks for the word of encouragement. I tend to think that the Rapture is not as close as we all would like it to be. I pray that I am wrong. I think there is much more persecution of the Church ahead, especially in countries that haven’t experienced it. I have always loved Bible prophecy from the time I was born again years ago. I have watched hundreds of prophecy updates that relate current events. But lately I have all but stopped watching those because we all know the latest evil thing the enemy is employing. I no longer want to hear the next thing that is even more evil than what I’ve heard already. I will still read about Bible prophecy and study what the Bible says, but I am much too weary of hearing the latest grotestque move of the powers that be and their minions. I wish the Bible prophecy teachers would stop talking about current events so much and concentrate on what the Bible says will happen (trying to understand it). I don’t think we have it all figured out.
I agree. I don’t think we have it all figured out but I keep trying to understand what the Bible says is going to happen. I have new understanding from this reading of John 17. Thank you, Terry James, for bringing this up for us to read and learn from. I pray for our World and for the USA and for our leaders but I also pray for God’s will to be done and if it is time for Christ to return for His Bride, I pray for Him to come quickly. The problems are too huge for man to solve them. They are definitely God-sized. I wonder that our Father is not totally finished with mankind’s sinful ways and ready to come to Judgment.
Could be that he’s waiting for that last person to accept Jesus.
Good message Brother Terry.
Amen.
As do I, so Maranatha, Lord Jesus! From the Aramaic, word appears once in the New Testament(i.e.1 Corinthians 16:22). After more news since your post Terry, I remembered I thought about this a few yrs back(post Trump election) What if the active players on World Stage need to be removed from their respective positions before the Rapture? I felt Trump, Netanyahoo, Putin and possibly Xi Jin- Ping must go before the “I’ll Fly Away”(my aunt always loved this hymn)moment happens. After reading more speculation about Putin’s tenure in power depending on this or that to happen, there are more doubters in the power elite in Russia saying his time is short and needs to be removed! And the prospects, even Navalny as a possible candidate, however remote, given he’s in jail are circulating. Should Medvedev come to power, he’s younger and more hawkish than even Putin is. Whoever replaces Putin, if that happens, may be far worse, and want to re-establish Russia’s dominance on the world stage which its lost since it invaded Ukraine. That’s been Putin’s goal and he’s failed at it miserably! My point here Jesus told us things will be speeding up (Tachos-greek) when I return. That’s what were seeing now-and if it seems everything is nearing out of control, maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said, “you will know when it’s near-even at the door”. So was Trump-Pence( Trumpet) time in office a warning sign-looks like it to me given he warned Noah’s generation, Lot’s family of nearing calamity!
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Excellent. Amenl.
Thanks for this blog. I am blind like you. I want Christ to come
quickly. Christ came into my life when I was nine years of age. I am
now 72 years young as they say and I bet you are also. I am glad Christ
has promised to come and get us and take us to the place He has prepared
for us. I never thought that being morally right would be called evil
and hateful. Just think, Terry the wicked hide when no one pursues them.
Thank you so much Terry.
Oh, yes! Fill my heart with longing for you, dear Lord. Every thought of you is my joy!