The Great Trib Trap

March 17, 2014

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

    I pray that you are standing steadfast and immovable in your faith and when push comes to shove, you shall not be moved.

  Today I want to talk to you about “The Great Trib Trap”.  I was sitting with a group of women in our church coffee shop before

service one Wed. night listening to a woman who was involved in a frenzied Facebook debate over when the rapture of the church would occur.  She read aloud the other’s responses with shock that they could believe such things, commented about their lack of knowledge of the scriptures and was eager to respond again and set the record straight.  As I watched this unfolding, the Lord reminded me of II Corinthians 12:20, “For I fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I would…lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes”, etc.

    Since the day Jesus was taken up in the clouds, a debate has raged about when He would return and take His church to be with Him.  One group believes this will occur before the Great

Tribulation.  They use I Thessalonians 5:9 and I Corinthians 10:13 (God has not appointed us unto wrath, and with every temptation will also make a way of escape) and the fact that God saved Noah and his family before the flood as some of their arguments for their pre-tribulation stance.  Mid-tribbers cite Matthew 24:21,22 “then shall be great tribulation…but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”  These believe that part way through the Great Tribulation, Christ will come to claim His own.  The post-tribulation gang stand on I Corinthians 15:52 which says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet Christ will return.  We read in Revelation 8 that there are 7 trumpet judgments which are part of the Great Tribulation and if Christ comes at the last trumpet, then the rapture must occur post-trib.  There certainly seems to be scripture to back each position, and therein lies the trap.

    Satan knows scripture- he quoted it to Jesus when He was being tempted in the wilderness.  I believe it is a plan of Satan to get Christians debating and arguing scripture so that when Christ does come, they are not ready to go.  They will be puffed up with pride, believing they know more than their brother, filled with debate, envying, and strife.  Jesus said in His word that none of these things shall be found in Heaven.

    Don’t get caught in the Great Trib trap beloved ones.  The Bible is very clear about when Jesus will return.  Matthew 24:36 says, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no , not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only.”  Instead of wasting time debating something no one knows the answer to, let’s rather spend our time preparing ourselves and others for the Lord’s return, whenever it may be.

Avoiding the traps,  your sister, Raelynn