Spiritual Edge

03 Sunday Sep 2017

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Poetry

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edifying, empowering, filling, Fire, Holy Spirit baptism, inner strength, outpouring, overflowing, refreshing, renewing, restoring, showers of blessings, Spiritual, spiritual edge, supernatural, the anointing, water, wind

These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. ~ 1 John 2:26-27, NASB

Life came at me hard—

Doors closed

Friends left

Foes pounced

Time chased me,

Backed me in corner

Made me a mourner

‘Til His Shalom restored—

Green pastures

Still waters

Packed tables

Stuffed from end to end,

Abounding with refreshment

Gushing with enjoyment

‘Til my cup overflowed—

Oil spilt

Fire flared

Wind blew

Amazing Grace showered me

During spirit’s drinking spree

‘Til anointing dumbfounded the enemy;

Spiritual edge omitted from life’s serenity.

– composed September 3, 2017

Another August 13th

11 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Spiritual

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as one, dissolution of marriage, dissolve, divide, divine, divorce, God joins, God's Institution of Marriage, legal divorce, legal separation, marriage certificate, marriage license, married in spirit and soul, overstep bounds, permanent, pull apart, put asunder, REAL Marriages, sanctifies, sanctions, seals, separate, Spiritual, state government, supernatural, totally committed, unites

Some Pharisees came to test Him. ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ they inquired. ‘What did Moses command you?’ He replied. They answered, ‘Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.’ But Jesus told them, ‘Moses wrote this commandment for you because your hearts were hard. However, from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.’ ~ Mark 10:2-9, Berean Study Bible

My husband divorced me in 1998. Our divorce was final in July of that same year—just 28 days shy of our 27^th Wedding Anniversary.

In 1971, we got married on August 13^th. This year, on August 13^th, it would have been our 45^th Wedding Anniversary.

While I realize that what is done is done, which simply means that my divorce is in the past, and while I have not put my hands to the plow and looked back but have continued to reach upward and go forward, as the Holy Spirit leads me, empowers me, teaches me, and helps me to be about my Father’s Business, being divorced STILL troubles me. Without fail, every year for the last 18 years in a row, about 5 days leading up to and at least 2 or 3 days after August 13^th I invariably feel a deep sense of loss.

For the record, I would rather be singing “because I’m happy,” from the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams—or doing backflips (which I never could do, even when I was way younger). What I am trying to say is that feeling anything other than this profound sorrow would be an improvement. Let me make this perfectly clear. I do continually praise and thank God for His Love and the ministry He has given to me, yet, even though I know that I am His Child and that He has my best interest at heart, the fact still remains that what God has joined together has been altered by the state of Virginia. This man-made alteration is what brings me down every year around this time.

Now, according to America’s divorce laws, I am a single woman. I have been, according to the state of Virginia, single now for 18 years—divorced on the grounds that we “had lived separate and apart without any cohabitation and without any interruption since October 15, 1996!” Well, that is a lie, because my husband moved back in with me several times before he made his last exit. However, I could not contest this false living ‘separate and apart without any cohabitation and without any interruption’ claim, because I was denied all divorce proceedings’ notifications—but that’s another story that I may blog about one day. The point here is that according to God’s marriage LAW—the One who joined us—I am still married to my husband in my spirit and soul.

Contrary to popular opinions, just because a married couple signed legal separation papers, this husband and wife’s agreement only means they have gotten into bed with their state government. In other words, signing and returning a marriage certificate (a legal state document that proves a couple is married to each other) to a county clerk of court gives that state’s man-made court system the right to issue legal separation papers that literally allow a living separate and apart couple to have an open marriage—their state has the LEGAL secular power to give every couple the okay to break God’s Commandments!

Put differently, since both civil and religious marriages involve a husband, wife, and their state, this fact means that each state—once it receives and records a marriage certificate—now has the right to issue legal separation papers, which give legally married couples the okay to commit adultery, fornication, covetousness, marital genocide (married couples are now helping their state systematically “kill” God’s Institution of Marriage), and familial genocide (married couples are now helping their state systematically “kill” God’s Institution of Family), and so on and so forth. Furthermore, because each state receives and records marriage certificates, this fact also means that when a divorce happens each state government not only has the right to issue legal divorce papers but also has the right to take control of a married couple’s marriage, home, children, material assets, financial assets, social security benefits, and retirement benefits.

The uncomfortable truth is that, as far as God and His Institution of Marriage are concerned, legal separation papers in no way speak for God. The Divine Truth is that God never issues legal separation papers—HE NEVER gives a couple He has joined together the right to move on with someone else while he or she is still legally married!

The deeper uncomfortable truth is that a marriage license, though considered to be a legal man-made document, does not give a couple the right to marry. Additionally, a marriage certificate, which also is a legal man-made document, does not mean any couple who gets legally married is married in God’s eyes. For the record, REAL MARRIAGES—the God-kind of Marriages—take place in each couple’s spirits (hearts) and souls. As such, this kind of union is supernatural, permanent, and divine—the kind of union God forbids anyone to try to pull apart or divide.

God is the One who sanctions, sanctifies, and seals every couple who has entered into His kind of spirit, soul, mind and body marriage—a totally committed marriage. This Divine Truth is why a signed and recorded marriage certificate doesn’t prove any couple who has NOT entered into a totally committed marriage is married—is joined in marriage in God’s sight. Indeed, a marriage certificate doesn’t make anyone married! Only a spiritual and faithful—a permanent and divine—commitment in each other’s spirit and soul is what makes a man and a woman a married couple.

The bottom line is that each state government only can separate and dissolve or divorce couples that each state has joined together—every state government, in God’s eyes, only can separate and dissolve or divorce couples who are not genuinely married in their spirits and souls—couples who spiritually (supernaturally) are NOT ONE as God has sanctioned, sanctified, and sealed them to be. When any state government legalizes a separation and then legalizes the dissolution of marriage (legalizes a divorce) of a couple who is married the way God intends for that couple to be married—permanently, divinely, and supernaturally in their spirits and souls—then that state government has overstepped its bounds. This last statement is uncomfortably true because from the moment we Americans gave our state governments the power to put asunder (pull apart; divide) what God has joined together we all began to play a part in our state governments’ systematic destruction of God’s Institution of Family and God’s Institution of Marriage.

I said all that to say this: Regardless of whether or not my former spouse meant to be joined to me permanently, divinely, and supernaturally by his spirit and his soul, this is exactly how God joined me to my husband. No doubt this unbreakable connection to him is why God has not allowed me to move on and be joined to someone else. As a result, every August 13^th—as well as at least 5 days leading up to it and 2 or 3 days after it—I suffer from a deep sense of loss that cannot be avoided no matter how hard I try. It is what it is. I feel like I lost my soulmate, and, until God changes me, I believe I will feel this way, every year around this time, for the rest of my life on Earth.

On Time by Design

05 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Short Story

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1971, answered prayers, belief, by design, content, contentment, divine planning, divine timing, Fairchild AFB, faith, fictional, God's best-laid plans, intimate relationship, Japanese Garden, Manito Park, meandering path, on time God, revealed truth, Short Story, Spiritual, strolling, supernatural, together for good, trust, work all things, zigzagging river

I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE in an on-time God who achieves what He plans. Life has proven to me that the chief ways God works all things together for my good are through His best-laid plans and divine timing. This revealed truth has made all the difference. Intimately knowing and trusting in the One who works all things together for my good has helped me to become physically, emotionally, and spiritually content with everything.

My contentment’s development began as far back as 1971, when God’s divine timing and planning supernaturally revealed themselves to me while I was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base.

My second day on the base, right after Damon Anderson and I entered the Base’s mess hall, we casually approached the closest table to our right. One of the six men sitting around that table leisurely looked up at me. Seconds later my co-worker, Damon, made introductions.

“My brothers. Meet our newest sister, Chellette—uh”

He paused then apologetically whispered, “What’s your last name, again?”

“Wood.”

“That’s right.”

“Fellows, this is Chellette Wood.”

“What’s happening?” They chimed in.

“Just checking out the Base before going back to my crib to chill?” In the same breath, I quickly added a cordial inquiry:

“What’s poppin’?”

They all agreed that there wasn’t much happening. Because Damon was rushing me, I was forced to end the conversation.

“Well, it was nice to meet you. Check you later,” I said as I gave the fellows a friendly smile.

“Right on, sister.”

Damon’s hand was in the small of my back, nudging me, so I waved goodbye and moved without delay toward the next table.

My initial visit to the mess hall happened in mid-April. A few weeks later, I had my first dated with Titus Lansing—a high yellow, well-mannered, good-natured, handsome young man of medium build, with alluring brown eyes and tightly curled black hair. This delicious eye candy, as it turns out, was one of the six Airmen Damon first introduced me to—the guy who leisurely looked up at me from their table.

Though so good looking, what actually pleased me most about Titus was his persistent pursuit of me and the fact that—unlike other men, who only cared about my outer beauty—Titus was drawn to my humble confidence and gentle spirit, as he frequently mentioned. As it turns out, his brown sugar was me—a reddish brown, well-mannered, warm-hearted, attractive young woman of slender build, with drowning brown eyes and a shapely black afro.

Once we started dating steadily, for the next three months and twenty days Titus drove his white 1959 convertible Thunderbird to my barracks every morning, afternoon, and evening. No exceptions!

Our Base was twelve miles west of Dawson and adjacent to a two-lane highway that stretched across acres of farmland. Since Titus and I enjoyed life’s simpler side, on weekends we amused ourselves by taking scenic drives on the faded, white-lined Route 2 into Dawson, where we cruised Division Street, Riverside Avenue, or North River Drive.

A few times we ate a picnic in the rustic Riverside State Park—located northwest of Dawson. Zigzagging along this park, which also included a portion of a 37-mile-long all-natural trail, was the Dawson River.

When we had the money, we frequented Zip’s on Division Street in Dawson and pigged-out on a Papa Joe meal—a shake, some French fries or fried onions, and a Papa Joe hamburger with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, grilled sliced ham, bacon, and special sauce. Sometimes, we went to Longhorn Barbecue, which was near the Base, and feasted on this restaurant’s very pricy but tasty beef or pork rib platters. However, after one meal from Longhorn, we had to curb our eating out habit until our next payday.

On Sundays, we worshipped with some of our married or engaged military friends at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dawson. When the service was over, we either fellowshipped with our friends or we treated ourselves to a Coeur d’Alene day trip.

On the fiftieth consecutive day of our whirlwind courtship, Titus changed his weekday routine. When we were in our mess hall eating lunch, he softly whispered into my ear:

“We are eating at a fine-dining restaurant tonight. Our reservation is for 7:30, so be ready by 5:45. Dress for the occasion.”

My curiosity piqued. I must have asked a hundred questions, but he dodged every one. He refused to give me any details.

For the rest of that afternoon, I was bouncing off the walls. I sprinted to my job’s pick-up/drop-off parking area and fidgetily waited. Spotting Titus’ Thunderbird from a distance, my heart raced faster. That was my body’s way of confirming my life would change drastically this very night.

By the time Titus pulled into my barracks’ parking lot, I was pacing back and forth in our favorite curbside spot. He stopped his car in front of me, left the engine running, chivalrously walked me to the passenger door, opened it and helped me into his car, then returned to his seat. Apprehensive, excessive energy was bouncing everywhere inside that Thunderbird.

The sun was setting. There was a warm, faint breeze. Though it was early evening, the masses had not begun to run helter-skelter.

The atmosphere was perfect for an intimate conversation, but there was dead silence in the car. We only exchanged smiles, as we watched the farmland’s spring green, wheat gold, cattle black, and foliage pastels gradually turn to Dawson’s leafy green west end of South Hill with its Gothic and English Baroque architectural styles.

Our brief chats during our meal were a bit strained at times, primarily because nervous energy plagued us—him, because he wanted everything to be perfect; me, because I sensed Titus was going to propose. The question was in his flirtatious brown eyes, in his enticing smiles, in his kind hand gestures, and in his rapid breathing. The question was in the Sunday come-to-meeting navy blue three-piece suit he was wearing the heck out of, as well as hidden in between every one of his politely articulated remarks.

Much to my chagrin, I received no proposal during dinner. As soon as I thought that I read him wrong, I became even more disappointed. Then, as I wondered why he let so many wonderful moments go to waste, I became annoyed.

As we walked to the car, my displeasure and irritation suddenly dissipated the moment I sensed he was taking me to some other romantic spot to pop the question. Titus confirmed my intuition seconds later when he whispered,

“There’s a special place I want you to see.”

“For real? Where is it?”

“In Manito Park. I found it a month before you came to Fairchild. I am certain that the reason why I’m just now taking you there is because of timing.”

“What do you mean?”

“In my life, God’s divine timing and planning have been responsible for every wonderful and good thing that has happened to me, so I believe He had me save my special place for tonight.”

We sat in silence, once again. By the time I asked if he would play some music, we were nearing Manito Park’s entrance.

We must have walked for fifteen minutes before we reached the heart of the park—the Japanese Garden. From the moment I saw this place, I not only knew this was Titus’ special place but also I knew it was Manito Park’s showpiece.

There was something spiritual about our stroll on the Japanese Garden’s meandering gravel path, which actually looped around the garden. The path was lit by granite lanterns, and it was surrounded by exotic, aromatic, breathtakingly manicured plants, shrubs, and trees.

Inside the Japanese Garden were an oriental gazebo, a teahouse, and assorted statues. Framed by colorful foliage that hid a small waterfall was an arched Asian stone bridge. This Japanese footbridge was situated over a stunningly serene Koi pond.

After we stopped in the middle of the bridge and watched the koi below us, Titus finally proposed to me. There was more silence, while my wet with tears eyes danced a love waltz. After about ten seconds, I finally mustered my audible loving acceptance.

Titus wept through a gleeful grin. I swooned with teary-eyed joy. After he held me in a minute-or-so embrace, he stepped back, reached into his right pant pocket, and pulled out a royal purple ring box. Flipping it open, he showed me the symbol of his love—a solitaire engagement ring in white gold—which Titus tenderly slipped on my ring finger.

Suddenly we were transfigured. Stock-still, as if paralyzed by a supernatural spell, we lingered in this state of consciousness, while all about us onlookers passed by in slow motion.

When the spell broke, we were still oblivious to others, even though we resumed our stroll. Before long we were back in our car heading home.

From that second on, time flew. My last rousing memory of this night’s activities was our passionate goodnight kiss.

Before drifting off to sleep that night, I took one last peep at my ring and then thank God for His best-laid plans and His divine timing. I had prayed many times to God, asking Him to show me the man He wanted me to marry, and He finally answered my prayers that night. After thanking God, I slept briefly but peacefully.

The next few days, in almost every waking hour, my thoughts were held captive by wedding visions. Before the year was out, my visions came true.

~ from my Contemplation manuscript, which I composed in 2004. This entire manuscript is based loosely on my life, and that is why the names of some places, people, and events in this opening chapter are fictitious. This is the first time I have edited or revised any portion of my manuscript since 2004, and I have done so this week just so I could turn the opening chapter into a very short story.

Nine Different Raptures in Holy Bible

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Spiritual

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biblical 9, bodily removal, disappearances, Elijah, Enoch, epairo, future Raptures, harpazo, laqach, literal, Metathesis, Metatithemi, One Body, One Bride, past Raptures, seize, snatch, solid precedent, supernatural, take away, transfers, Translation, transpose, two witnesses principle, types, `alah

Definition: Rapture

1. The state of being transported by a lofty emotion; ecstasy.

2. often raptures An expression of ecstatic feeling: raptures of joy.

a. The transporting of a person from one place to another, especially to heaven, by supernatural means.

b. Rapture An event in the eschatology of certain Christian groups in which believers in Christ will be taken up to heaven either prior to or at the Second Coming.

Definition: Harpazo

1. to seize, carry off by force

2. to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly

3. to snatch out or away

~ from Thayer’s (New Testament Greek-English Lexicon)

In biblical numerology, 9 is the number of Divine Completion, Finality, and Judgment. Biblically speaking, there are 9 generations from Adam to Noah (cf. Genesis 5). Since the Flood judgment happened in Noah’s time, then the 9 generations from Adam to Noah indicate a cycle of finality. Similarly, there are 9 generations from Shem (Noah’s son) to Abraham (cf. Genesis 11:10-32). In the Word of God, there are 9 recorded special widows, 9 recorded stonings (stoning was standard biblical method of judicial execution), 9 recorded people afflicted with blindness, and 9 recorded people afflicted with leprosy. In Haggai 1:11, there are 9 recorded drought judgments on: the land, hills, grain, new wine, oil, what the ground brings forth, men and cattle, and all their labors. In Matthew 5:3-11, there are 9 beatitudes. The Lord died on the Cross at the 9^th hour, which is 3:00 in the afternoon (cf. Matthew 27:46-50). In Galatians 5:22-23, there are 9 manifestations of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (humility), and self-control (self-discipline). Lastly, in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 there are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

Based on the above information about the biblical number 9, it is important to note here that major biblical events and chief biblical prophecies often have patterns that repeat themselves again and again until the original pattern ultimately is divinely fulfilled or divinely completed. Once again, the number 9 in biblical numerology symbolizes Divine Completion, Finality, and Judgment. This truth is why, no doubt, there also are 9 recorded Translations/Raptures that are in the Word of God, some of which have yet to take place. These 9 exclude Ezekiel, because he was not bodily transported from one place to another, but rather he was carried within the visions God gave to him, like when he still sat among Judah’s elders (cf. Ezekiel 8:1-3).

The 9 recorded biblical Translations/Raptures are as follows:

1. Enoch (Pre-Flood Translation/Rapture)

Hanokh walked with God, and then he wasn’t there, because God took him. ~ Genesis 5:24, CJB; Hanokh is Enoch.

By trusting, Hanokh was taken away from this life without seeing death — ‘He was not to be found, because God took him away’ — for he has been attested as having been, prior to being taken away, well pleasing to God. ~ Hebrews 11:5, CJB; Hanokh is Enoch.

2. Elijah (Translation/Rapture)

Suddenly, as they were walking on and talking, there appeared a fiery chariot with horses of fire; and as it separated the two of them from each other, Eliyahu went up into heaven in a whirlwind. ~ 2 Kings 2:11, CJB; Eliyahu is Elijah.

3. Jesus (Pre-Outpouring of Holy Spirit Rapture/Ascension)

‘But you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!’ After saying this, he was taken up before their eyes; and a cloud hid him from their sight. ~ Acts 1:8-9, CJB; epairo is the Greek word for “was taken up,” which is the passive voice, and passive voice means Someone other than Christ Himself is causing the Ascension—Someone else is doing the lifting/raising/pulling, which in this case the Someone else is Father God’s Spirit.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, the one who will rule all the nations with a staff of iron. But her child was snatched up to God and his throne; ~ Revelation 12:5, CJB; harpazo is the Greek word for “snatched up,” which indicates the Lord suddenly and supernaturally is “taken up” or “taken up” or “carried up” to Heaven.

4. Philip (Translation/Rapture)

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw no more of him, because he continued on his way — full of joy.But Philip showed up at Ashdod and continued proclaiming the Good News as he went through all the towns until he came to Caesarea. ~ Acts 8:39-40, CJB; the underlining is this blogger’s emphasis.

5. Paul (Translation/Rapture)

I know a man in union with the Messiah who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the third heaven; whether he was in the body or outside the body I don’t know, God knows. And I know that such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I don’t know, God knows — was snatched into Gan-‘Eden and heard things that cannot be put into words, things unlawful for a human being to utter. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, CJB; reference here is to apostle Paul’s Rapture event.

6. John (Translation/Rapture)

After these things, I looked; and there before me was a door standing open in heaven; and the voice like a trumpet which I had heard speaking with me before said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.’ Instantly I was in the Spirit, and there before me in heaven stood a throne, and on the throne Someone was sitting. ~ Revelation 4:1-2, CJB; underlined passage is this blogger’s emphasis.

7. Body/Bride of Christ (alive believers) (Pre-Tribulation Rapture)

then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:17, CJB

8. Two witnesses of Revelation 11 (Mid-Tribulation Rapture)

‘Also I will give power to my two witnesses; and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.’ …When they finish their witnessing, the beast coming up out of the Abyss will fight against them, overcome them and kill them;and their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the g’eat city whose name, to reflect its spiritual condition, is ‘S’dom’ and ‘Egypt’ — the city where their Lord was executed on a stake …But after the three-and-a-half days a breath of life from God entered them, they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then the two heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up into heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. ~ Revelation 11:3, Revelation 11:7-8, and Revelation 11:11-12, CJB; also see Zechariah 4:12-14.

9. 144,000 of Revelation 14 (Pre-Wrath Rapture)

Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Tziyon; and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. …They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been ransomed from the world. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been ransomed from among humanity as firstfruits for God and the Lamb;on their lips no lie was found — they are without defect. ~ Revelation 14:1, Revelation 14:3-5, CJB; see also Revelation 7:1-8; the underlined passage is this blogger’s emphasis.

There can be no denying that the Word of God describes different Raptures, meaning different times when someone supernaturally is suddenly and forcibly removed or raptured or translated off the Earth and taken to Heaven. Furthermore, even though many believe-in-Christ people argue that the Old Testament’s Translations/Raptures weren’t “types” of the New Testament’s Raptures, because only ONE person is translated or raptured at a time, Enoch and Elijah’s Translations/Raptures are indeed “types” that definitely point to the Bride of Christ’s Rapture. Here’s why. Although the Bride of Christ is made up of many members, as a whole She is just ONE Bride or ONE Body. Therefore, what God has done before, translating or rapturing one person at different times, He definitely is going to do it again!

In the Old Testament, a supernaturally removed off of the Earth and no longer seen anymore person is someone who has been translated, which again is what happened to Enoch and Elijah. The Old Testament’s Hebrew words used to describe Enoch and Elijah’s translations (removals, transfers, disappearances) are laqach (to take, to get, to lay hold of, to seize, to snatch, to take away) and `alah (to go up, to ascend, to depart, to come before God, taken away, taken up).

Now, how believers know that both Enoch and Elijah were translated is because the Hebrew word laqach, which is used to described what happened to Enoch, also is used in 2 Kings 2:3 and 5 to describe Elijah’s prophesied supernatural yet literal bodily removal from Earth, which is exactly what happened to him. Then too, the writer of Hebrews 11:5 says that a “translation,” or the literal bodily removal of a person who is taken supernaturally from Earth and placed in Heaven, is exactly what happened to Enoch. For sure, the Greek word in Hebrews 11:5 that is rendered in the AKJV English as “translation” is Metathesis (transfer, as from one place to another), and the Greek word for the AKJV “translated” or the CJB “took…away” and “taken away” is Metatithemi (to transpose, to transfer, to change, to go or pass over). Bottom line then is that God’s “taking” of Enoch, who wasn’t seen anymore, and making Elijah “go up” to Heaven by a whirlwind both are equivalent to what the Greek New Testament word harpazo means.

Furthermore, there can be no denying that both Enoch and Elijah fulfill the ‘two witnesses’ principle, in this sense: Enoch is the first “type” who points to the Bride of Christ’s Rapture, and God supports Enoch’s witness with the second “type”—Elijah. In essence, both Enoch and Elijah give witness to the biblical Divine Truth that with God it is absolutely possible for alive men and women to be taken into Heaven! Put differently, God always provides corroborating evidence in His Word, which proves whether someone is indeed promoting a falsehood about what is or is not in His Word.

Proof positive, Jesus the Christ Himself uses the ‘two witnesses’ principle, for example, when He instructs His disciples on how to settle disputes among believing brothers and sisters. The Lord tells His disciples that when dealing with an unrepentant sinning fellow believer it might be necessary to confront him with two or more witnesses “…so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:16, CJB). Another example of the ‘two witnesses’ principle is when John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He is the prophesied Messiah. Jesus the Christ tells John the Baptist’s disciples, who had just watched the Lord perform miracles, to go “…tell Yochanan what you have been seeing and hearing: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara‘at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, the Good News is being told to the poor” (Luke 7:22, CJB).

The point here is that, as earlier stated, the Body of Christ/Bride of Christ as a whole equals just ONE Body/ONE Bride who will be raptured. Thus, what God has done before He will do again. The same ONE person at a time supernatural yet literal bodily removals of Enoch and Elijah, and the same ONE person at a time supernatural yet literal bodily removals of Jesus the Christ, Philip, Paul, and John will be the same supernatural yet literal bodily removal of the ONE Body of Christ/ONE Bride of Christ, and this removal will happen before the Tribulation Period begins!

For the record, even the Lord and His first-century apostles teach in the Word of God that disciples (followers or believers) of Christ Jesus are supposed to be ONE, just like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are ONE! That is to say, every one of Christ Jesus’ disciples (followers or believers) to this date either has been made ONE or is in the process of being made ONE, which is what the Lord prays to God they would become. Jesus the Christ asks the Father to make all of the Lord’s disciples/followers/believers ONE (cf. John 17:20-21). Thus, by the power and mighty workings of Father God’s Holy Spirit who baptizes EVERY new proselyte into the Body of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13), Father God will have made every Bride of Christ member ONE whole Bride or ONE whole Body by the time the Lord comes on a cloud to RAPTURE Her!

For this last reason, even though the last 2 of the 9 mentioned Raptures happen at different times during the Tribulation Period, the separate Raptures of the two resurrected witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists who are sealed on their foreheads with the mark of God (see Revelation 11:2-5; Revelation 7:2-8 and Revelation 14:1-5) also only equal two separate but equal ONE-Body Raptures, because they are the Tribulation Period’s Elect.

As it has been established, there really is no biblical evidence that can support anyone who denies that the Holy Bible is replete with Raptures. Undeniably, is the fact that where the six abovementioned already have taken place Raptures are concerned, six are described as literal and bodily, three are described as visible, and five either directly or indirectly are described as instant! Of the six already happened Translations/Raptures, there is no one who is identified as an onlooker at Enoch, Paul, and John’s, but based on all of the information provided for Elijah, Jesus Christ, and Philip’s it would stand to reason that there probably were onlookers at least for Enoch’s Translation/Rapture. Moreover, of the six already happened Translations/Raptures, only Enoch’s isn’t described directly or indirectly as happening suddenly. Once again, based on all of the information provided for the other five already happened Translations/Raptures, it would stand to reason that his Translation/Rapture happened without warning, as well.

Be that as it may; what is obviously clear in the Scriptures about the six abovementioned already has happened Translations/Raptures is that Enoch’s was a literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man; Elijah’s was a sudden literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man that Elisha witnessed; Christ Jesus’ was a sudden literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man that His original disciples witnessed; Philip’s was a sudden literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man that the newly saved Ethiopian eunuch witnessed; Paul’s was a sudden literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man; and apostle John’s was a sudden literal bodily (physical) removal of a righteous man. Furthermore, right before apostle John’s Rapture took place, he heard a voice from Heaven, and this voice seemed to sound like a trumpet to him!

The main thing is this: Where all biblical Raptures are concerned, whether they already have happened or will happen in the future, the first two of the following three elements absolutely are necessary in order for any Rapture to occur, and the third element is necessary to prove the similarities between the first entire world judgment (the Flood) and the prophesied second entire world judgment (the Tribulation Period). For an event to be a Rapture, there must be:

1. A literal bodily removal (an act of the Holy Spirit)

2. A sudden disappearance of a faithfully righteous/saved person

3. An impending godly judgment/wrath

Of the total nine abovementioned Translations/Raptures, where Elijah, Christ Jesus, Philip, Paul, and John’s Raptures are concerned, there was NO impending godly judgment/wrath. Therefore, Enoch’s Translation/Rapture is the one that provides a strong, solid precedent for every future Rapture event. Without doubt, Enoch’s Translation/Rapture proves that since God in the past has removed off of the Earth Enoch, a faithfully righteous individual, long before the Flood’s devastation happened, and since God even kept the faithfully righteous Noah (Enoch’s great grandson) safe in the Ark during the Flood so that he and his family could not be harmed, it stands to reason that if God did it before, He will do it again. Enoch’s Translation/Rapture is the pattern that God will follow to Rapture the Bride of Christ, which is ONE Body. To a certain degree, Enoch’s Translation/Rapture also is the pattern that God will use for the Raptures of Revelation’s two witnesses AND the 144,000.

That the Word of God has Rapture events in it means that no human is responsible for inventing a Rapture lie! Moreover, because Rapture events are in the Word of God, the majority of those believers who maintain that the Rapture of the Bride of Christ is a lie don’t really have any biblical way of disproving what the Word of God Itself proclaims about this or any Rapture. These indisputable truths mean that if the Rapture scoffers only are believing what they “like” in the Word of God, then that means they are not believing in an unadulterated Word but rather they are believing in themselves—mainly their own intelligence, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge!

A word to the wise should be sufficient. Amen!

HARPAZO (Rapture, Take, Snatch, Force, Pull, Pluck, Catch, Catch Up, Catch Away) Scriptures

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Spiritual

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carried off, catching away, force, glorification, grabbed, harpagēsometha, harpazo, Latin Vulgate Bible, pluck, pull, rapiemur, rapio, raptured, seize, snatching away, St. Jerome, sudden, supernatural, The Vulgate, translated, unimaginably fast speed, violently physical

Definition: Harpazo

1. to seize, carry off by force

2. to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly

3. to snatch out or away

~ from Thayer’s (New Testament Greek-English Lexicon)

In the Greek New Testament, the word harpazo is found a total of 17 times in 13 different verses. Each time harpazo is used this verb refers to a quick or sudden often violently physical “snatching away” or “catching away” of a person, a thing, or an idea. More important is the fact that in 5 of these 17 times harpazo is used in the New Testament harpazo ALWAYS refers to the literal physical (bodily) removal of a faithfully righteous human being from one place to another, or from one sphere of existence to another. The 5 times harpazo is used involving faithfully righteous people are when:

1. Philip is harpazo’d from the presence of the Ethiopian eunuch to a different location miles away (see Acts 8:39, AKJV)

2. Paul is harpazo’d from the Earth to the Third Heaven (see 2 Corinthians 12:2, AKJV)

3. Paul is harpazo’d from the Earth to the Third Heaven; second reference (see 2 Corinthians 12:4, AKJV)

4. Bride of Christ is harpazo’d from the Earth to the clouds to meet Her Groom (Christ Jesus) in the air (see 1 Thessalonians 4:17, AKJV); the understanding here is that the Bride will be taken to Heaven to be with Her Groom

5. Christ Jesus is harpazo’d from Bethany near the Mount of Olives to His Throne in Heaven (see Revelation 12:5; cf. Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9; AKJV)

Each one of the above five supernaturally powerful acts of the Holy Spirit by which literal bodily removals of humans either from one place to another on Earth or from off of this Earth to Heaven proves that the Rapture is a biblically sound doctrine. In fact, the English words Rapture and Raptured actually are derived from the Latin verb rapio (catch up or take away), and rapio is used in the Latin Vulgate Bible (also referred to as The Vulgate).

The point here is that many of America’s English words, like Rapture and Raptured, and etc., are derived from words found in the Latin Vulgate Bible—the most commonly used translation of the Holy Bible. St Jerome’s late 4^th-century A.D. revised Latin translation of the old Latin Biblical Texts became The Vulgate, and The Vulgate was used over 1,000 years before the Protestant Reformation started! In essence, no other Holy Bible translation has been used longer than the Latin Vulgate Bible, and that includes the highly promoted Authorized King James Version (AKJV)!

So then, believers who doubt that the idea of a Rapture is in their English translations of the Holy Bible need to understand that it is from the Greek New Testament manuscripts that St. Jerome, scholar/translator, originally renders the Latin rapiemur (the first person plural future passive indicative tense of rapio) from the Greek harpagesometha (the first person plural future passive indicative tense of harpazo). Furthermore, in the English versions of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, rapiemur has been translated from Latin into English as either “we shall be snatched,” or “we shall be grabbed,” or “we shall be carried off,” and so forth. Similarly, harpagesometha has been translated from Greek into English as “we shall be caught up” or “we shall be taken away,” and etc. Moreover, as already mentioned, with every Latin and English translation of harpagesometha the meaning of this Greek verb always connotes a catching or taking that will be a violent, sudden event!

The point to this brief grammar lesson is that, as far as the meaning and tense of the Latin word rapiemur are concerned, this word is in agreement with the Greek word harpagesometha, since rapiemur and harpagesometha are the same tense and they both mean the same thing—a sudden and physical withdrawal; a seizing; a snatching, and so forth. So then, there can be no denying that English words like rapt, raptly, raptness, rapture, raptured, rapturous, rapturously, rapturousness, raptor, and so on, undisputedly are derived from rapio’s verb forms such as rapere, rapui, raptus, rapiemur, rapturo, and etc. Moreover, since rapio’s verb forms are accurate translations of the Greek harpazo’s verb forms, then it doesn’t matter if someone uses the AKJV’s “caught away” or “caught up” or if he/she uses the word “raptured,” or “snatched away,” or “taken up,” or “plucked,” or “taken by force,” and so forth, because they all mean the same thing—a very sudden nonconsensual seizure.

Thus, language in this case shouldn’t be used as a barrier to understanding a concept that most definitely is found in the Word of God—that concept being the Rapture. Put differently, the Greek, Latin, and English words used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 all describe exactly how quickly the living Bride of Christ’s fleshly Body will be removed from this Earth and how fast that fleshly Body will be changed into a spirit Body, so it doesn’t matter if one particular English word is or isn’t in the English version of the Holy Bible someone is using. What should matter most is whether the concept of a Rapture is in the Word of God. Based on the words used in the ORIGINAL language of the New Testament, which is Greek, the concept of a Rapture most definitely is in the Word of God.

Below are all of the New Testament verses in which the Greek verb harpazo is used. The blue text is this blogger’s emphasis. These blue words are the AKJV English translations of the Greek harpazo.

and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. ~ John 10:28-29, AKJV

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. ~ Acts 8:39, AKJV

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. ~ Revelation 12:5, AKJV

These verses are interesting in that, first off, Jesus Christ is saying that He is the ONE who will “pluck” (pull, take by force, or snatch/catch up) His Body of Believers or Bride out of harm’s way (the Tribulation Period) so that His Bride will be with Him in Heaven. The Power (force) He will use to “pluck” (pull, take, snatch, or catch up) His Body of Believers or Bride is the Power of Almighty God, which means the Power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Thus, the word “pluck”, which in John 10:28-29 has been translated from the Greek word harpazo, should remind believers in Christ Jesus that, while Jesus Christ eventually will “pluck” them out of this world, He also has promised to keep them secure while they are in this world. The Lord has said that while His disciples/believers/followers are on this Earth NO ONE would be able to “pluck” them out of His hands nor out of the Father’s hands.

Secondly, the phrase “caught away,” in Acts 8:39, also has been translated from the Greek word harpazo. In this case, “caught away” refers to what happened to Philip, an evangelist. He is raptured from the southern desert surrounding Samaria to Azotus (Ashdod), after salvation had come to the Ethiopian eunuch. This Philip is one of the seven men who, because they were of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit, and wisdom, initially were selected to serve tables and superintend the distribution of food (see Acts 6:3). Therefore, the interesting thing here is that Jesus Christ has said ONLY He would do the plucking (harpazo’ing or rapturing), so it is ONLY the Lord via the Holy Spirit who has harpazo’d Philip from one place in Israel to another location.

Then too, in Revelation 12:5, the phrase “caught up” also has been translated from the Greek word harpazo. Here “caught up” refers to Christ Jesus’ Ascension, which takes place 40 days after His resurrection and 10 days before the Day of Pentecost, when for the very first time in Christ-followers’ history the Holy Spirit is poured out on the 120 Upper Room Jewish disciples. This verse is a symbolic presentation of what actually happened in Acts 1:9, when while the Lord is blessing His disciples He suddenly is taken up or carried up (cf. Luke 24:50-51). So then, the interesting thing here is that since NO ONE can “pluck” any of the Lord’s followers out of His hand or out of the Father’s hand, then the ONLY ONE who is catching up (harpazo’ing or rapturing) the Lord is the Father via the Holy Spirit.

Other Harpazo verses:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. ~ Matthew 11:12, AKJV

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. ~ Matthew 13:19, AKJV

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. ~ John 6:15, AKJV

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ~ John 10:12, AKJV

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. ~ Acts 23:10, AKJV

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:2, AKJV

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:4, AKJV

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:17, AKJV

and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. ~ Jude v. 23, AKJV

Each one of these above verses proves that being harpazo’d is indeed a quick or sudden often violently physical “plucking,” “pulling,” “taking,” “snatching away,” “catching away,” or rapturing of a person, a thing, or an idea. It should be evident now how the connotation (meaning) of harpazo remains consistently the same!

Lastly:

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:52, AKJV

Although there is no form of harpazo in 1 Corinthians 15:52, based on the meaning of harpazo the apostle Paul no doubt is telling the Corinthians, and all members in the Body of Christ, that just as supernaturally, suddenly, and forcibly the individual bodies of the dead in Christ will be “raised” from their graves this too will be exactly how supernaturally, suddenly, and forcibly the alive Bride of Christ, at the time the Lord comes on a cloud to meet Her in the air, will be Raptured. Everyone will be harpazo’d in “a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” speed. In other words, the apostle Paul is NOT saying that the we “shall not all sleep” Rapture reference in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and the we “shall be caught up” together Rapture reference in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will happen at the same time as the Bride’s miraculous glorification or the “changing” of Her Body as a whole from mortal to immortal, but he definitely is saying that both events (the Bride’s Rapture and Her Body’s glorification) supernaturally will happen unimaginably fast!

In summary, harpazo is in 13 New Testament verses for a total of 17 times, and this verb’s connotation always is understood to mean a catching up/catching away or taking up/taking away or snatching up/snatching away, and so forth, that ALWAYS is violent, sudden, nonconsensual yet supernatural! In other words, the Divine Truth is that God has more than established the concept of being suddenly, forcibly, and supernaturally “caught up” or “taken away” (Raptured), and this concept pertains to people, things, and other related ideas. Thus, just because the English word Rapture is not in any particular English translation of the Holy Bible that doesn’t mean that the concept of a Rapture is not in the Holy Bible, because it most definitely is there, and this concept begins with Enoch’s Translation.

Therefore, those people who argue that neither the word Rapture nor the concept of a Rapture is in the Word of God have to remember that the ORIGINAL texts of the New Testament, in which the Rapture concept is found, are Greek NOT English. These same people also have to remember that the Latin Vulgate Bible, which is St. Jerome’s Latin translation of both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Greek New Testament manuscripts, has been around and read way longer than any American English versions of the New Testament Scriptures. Additionally, these same people need to remember that in The Vulgate is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word harpagesometha, which is a form of the Greek verb harpazo. That Latin equivalent is rapiemur, which is a form of the Latin verb rapio, from which Americans get the word Rapture!

A word to the wise should be sufficient. Amen.

Casting Out Unbelief

12 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Devotional

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faith, greater quantity, miracles, mustard seed, possible, signs, size, supernatural, unbelief, wonders

Today, it is not unusual for believers to have unbelief. That’s right! It is possible to believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and still have unbelief! Christians’ unbelief, however, has nothing to do with how much faith they have, for Christ says that they will be able to move mountains from one location to another, even if they only have faith (trust in God) that is the size of a mustard seed. What then is believers’ source of unbelief, if it isn’t their faith? On almost all of today’s spiritual matters that seem too farfetched to believe, especially as they compare with our rational, natural senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting), we will display unbelief because we do not agree with God that we also have Christ’s supernatural power and authority.

This same unbelief in today’s Christians will make them as ineffective as Christ’s disciples once were. Even though Christ gave His 12 disciples His power and authority to handle ALL manner of sicknesses and diseases, and gave them the command to “…cast out devils…” (Matthew 10:1 and 8, KJV), they still couldn’t deal with the epileptic demon (that “him” the disciples refer to in the below Scriptures). They didn’t believe that the supernatural power and authority Christ had given them would cast out this kind of demon!

Thus, their unbelief, which was caused by their reliance on their natural senses, kept them from healing the boy. Likewise, when today’s Christians are confronted with unseen or unheard of before supernatural miracles, gifts, signs and wonders taking place, their first reaction is unbelief, even when they know that the WORD says believers can possess the power and authority of Christ to do great works—even greater works (a larger quantity of great works) than Christ did (cf. John 14:12). Christ, thus, confirms that fasting and praying are not for casting out demons; fasting and praying are the ways we cast out our unbelief about our supernatural abilities! AMEN.

“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:19-21, KJV).

Doubt NOT…Fear NOT…Don’t Look Back

11 Sunday Jan 2009

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Devotional

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authority, doubt, faith, fear, fiasco, possible, power, sink, supernatural, swim, unbelief, walk

For those of you who may not know, it is possible to have faith in Jesus the Christ and still have unbelief. No one demonstrates this truth better than the very strong willed and vociferous Simon Peter. Like this Peter, who believes in God and Christ, yet shows unbelief during his walking on water fiasco, too many of us who confidently profess our belief in God and Christ will speak or show unbelief when we are in situations that stretch our minds beyond our intellectual capacities.

Therefore, it is never enough for us to say that we believe, if we cannot display that belief by stepping out of our boats (comfort zones), without looking back at the blustering wind and roaring waves, and acting afraid. Simon Peter steps out of his boat, but then with fear, he looks back at his natural world instead of looking ahead with faith in his supernatural Creator. Even though Christ who just fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fish is the One walking on the water toward His disciples’ boat, Peter still demonstrates unbelief.

Although Peter begins to walk on the water toward his Lord and Savior, he still lets his natural senses override the supernatural occurrence taking place–he begins to fear the wind and the waves more than he reveres the Creator of them. Thus, because of his unbelief, Peter loses his spiritual insight about Christ, and then he sinks! When we are convicted in our spirits that the Lord will see us through our storms, and are certain, without ever fearing that we surely will drown, then we really believe. Although Christ will reach out his hand to us and save us, as He does for Peter, He wants us to believe that, if we never doubt the supernatural that is working through Him, He will keep us safe from ever having to sink!

Sink, swim, or walk on water. It’s our choice, true, but the point of this walking on water fiasco is that it didn’t have to be a fiasco. If Peter had an unreserved trust that was void of any doubt (unbelief), he could have continued doing the supernatural! We, too, can do the supernatural, as long as we do not doubt the power and authority that we have in us, nor doubt the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of the Sovereign One who gives us His power and authority! AMEN.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?“ (Matthew 14:31, KJV).

For the Potential Graduate: Why Not Experience New Life After Death In 2009?

10 Saturday Jan 2009

Posted by Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen in Faith and Wisdom

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cycles, death, enslaved, eternal, grace, judgment, Lake of Fire, nature, phases, rebirth, resurrection, saved, supernatural, unregenerate, unsaved, wrath

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?“ (John 11:25-26, NLT; cf. John 3:16)

Nature and mankind have much in common, and God planned it that way. Indeed, nature not only depicts how this old Earth renews itself but also nature reflects how humans renew themselves through their natural nightly sleep and restoration, and daily waking patterns. Nature also mirrors the supernatural (spiritual life). For sure, humanity’s spiritual and physical deaths, new birth/second birth or resurrection, salvation, sanctification, and eternal life phases also can be seen through nature’s four seasons.

Although we don’t like to think about death, death is a fact of nature, which is why Hebrews 9:27 reminds us that we all are born to die at least once. Because of the first Adam’s disobedience, we all are born spiritually dead, which is why we all not only must face a physical death but also must experience a second death (i.e., an eternity in the Lake of Fire)!

But hold on; there is GOOD NEWS. The GOOD NEWS is that God promises us that He will give us new life after death. Once again, this resurrection promise is seen best in nature. Just as the Earth dies each Fall, sleeps throughout Winter, awakens in Spring, and ripens during Summer, we who have been born again and saved from the wrath of God yet to come upon this old Earth not only must die daily, but also we must face many dying, resting, blossoming, and maturing seasons in our own lives.

Let there be no doubt about it, the true Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ puts the cross of Christ before us and then commands us to undergo our own death, burial and resurrection—to die to our mortal flesh in order to be resurrected unto eternal life in Christ. God’s Holy Spirit also teaches us that unless we experience an abrupt end to everything we are by nature, unless we have the shackles of sin completely broken off of us, God cannot raise us up into our new life in Christ (cannot justify, sanctify, or glorify us).

Now, for those of us living today who have experienced the new birth/second birth and become those saved and sold out for Christ believers who die daily, God’s GOOD NEWS also is that we neither will face a physical death nor the second death! We instead will be caught up (raptured) to meet Christ in the air, and forever we will be with Him. This last GOOD NEWS is why our earnest prayer in 2009 is for the unregenerate, unsaved people to not risk falling asleep one more night without having experienced God’s new life after death (being born again, saved, justified, and sanctified).

We do not want anybody to die a physical death (don’t want anyone to never awake again to a brand new morning), if he or she hasn’t been born again and accepted Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior, because Hebrews 9:27 not only tells us that humans are born to die at least once but also that humans will face God’s judgment that will come after their deaths! God’s final irrevocable judgment for the ones who died with their sinful natures still intact is a resurrection unto damnation—an eternity in the Lake of fire!

Time is running out for this old Earth, and for the people who live on it. God’s soon to come wrath (judgment) will usher in a dying season unlike none that mankind has ever seen before. For the unregenerate, unsaved people there very well could be no more chances to awaken, bloom, and ripen in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, now is the time to take God up on His new life after death promise and graduate from being a sinner enslaved by sin to a sinner saved by Grace!!!

Can you dig it!