Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church
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Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church
Ready for the Rapture | 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
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Chapter 2. And we're going to read a few verses here. And as we think about being ready for the rapture, and you know it's the word rapture, I just tell you, it's not mentioned in the church. It's called the cat catching up or the gathering up. And we get the word rapture from that. Heard it our entire lives, that uh the rapture could be at any moment. And uh being ready for it. So we're gonna look at what Paul says to the church at Thessalonica in chapter chapter 2, verses 1 through 5, what we're gonna read. It says, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you may not be soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Then he says in verse 3, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there should come a falling away first, and that the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God and is worship, so that he as as God cites in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And he says in verse 5. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 5 says, Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things. Let's go, Lord, word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we just hump the Bible before you. Again, Lord, just thank you so much for the day and for your Holy Spirit and for your word. Uh Lord, that we can have your spirits teach us your word and understand that your word is always true and will forever be true. And the promises that you've made, you will always keep, that we can trust in it, and just always look to you. That we not be troubled with everything going on in our world, that we just have a peace that only you can give us. And Lord, I just pray for your preaching grace this morning. You just have me behind the cross and I remain there and that we realize and understand as we read your word. And I pray that we read your word and hear your word, Lord, that and understand, realize that you're speaking to each and every one of us uh individually, uh, for the lost, first and foremost, to be saved, and for the saved, to be growing and becoming disciples and leading others to you. And again, Lord, we just thank you again for the peace that you've given us uh through all these uh troubling times, Lord, that you give us a peace that we can uh do the things you'd have us to do. We pray, Lord, that everything's done and said this brings you honor and glory. And I pray, Lord, we just always work and look and watch and we wait for the day that you will return and rapture us out of here. Uh Lord, we again with love and we praise you. We ask forgiveness of sins and we ask it's all in Jesus' name. Amen. So there's a lot of talk uh on the news and YouTube and all the different internet things you can go to and look to. And uh there's a lot of talk about the seven-year tribulation. There's a lot of talk about the rapture, there's a lot of talk about the second coming of Christ, uh, because everything that's going on in the world. Well, what's going on in the world? We're war at war. There's a war going on with Iran. Uh, Israel and America are fighting Iran. And it could become a more than just a regional war, it could become a global war. So there's a lot of people thinking about a lot of different things, and we should be, because what'd Jesus say? To watch and be ready. Ready for what? Well, the church needs to be watching and ready for the rapture, because that's the next thing on the prophetic calendar. And so we're gonna be ready and to know that what are we to be doing? I'm gonna start at the end of my message, that we'd be working and watching, living for the Lord, doing the things he would have us to do. Uh, because you think about the tribulation period, it's a time that's gonna happen at the end of what? At the end of a war. There's gonna be a peace. A peace is gonna happen between Israel and another nation. And so we see, well, Israel's in a war. And so we think, well, when this is over, is it gonna be? Could this be the beginning of the seven-year tribulation? I don't know. You don't know. All we do is watch and be ready. But it could be. I mean, it really and truly could be. I'm not saying it is, but I'm just saying it's possible. Because you see, what's everything that's going on? You just don't, we just don't know because you know, what does uh what does uh the Bible call Iran? It calls it Persia. We call it Iran. It's one and the same. It's a city, it's been a country it's been for like 2,700 years. That's all in the Bible. Esther was over there, all these different things. It's it's incredible how the Bible is so very true and so relevant to today. So relevant to today. And, you know, where's Israel? Right next to Iran. It's all in that same region. I mean, it's amazing to see these things going on. And we are we're here. We're here for what? Like Esther, for such a time as this. To be the light, to tell people the truth, and not be worried and panicked about things. Don't lose sleep over what's going on. You trust in the Lord, he gives you peace. But if you're lost, guess what? You should have some sleepless nights. You really should, because you need to be saved. Jesus Christ died for you to be saved, for all of us to be saved, to repent of your sins and confess the Lord and be saved, and he'll give you peace. But he doesn't want us just to be saved. What he wants to do, he wants us to be growing, to become a part of a church, to tell people what? That the rapture could happen at any moment. To live for the Lord, that God loves you and he has a plan for your life, but he wants you to seek his will for our lives. So if you look at this today, we're gonna look at this, we're gonna look at what Daniel says. Daniel's 70 weeks, and I'm not gonna do it any justice, we're gonna look at a few verses. And uh you just went down taking notes. The 70 weeks of Daniel, the sounding of the trumpet, and the third point, this chapter we're gonna realize that our biggest concern should be what, as a church? The rapture of the church. The rapture of the church, living for the Lord. So being ready for the rapture. So look at Daniel's 70 weeks. Real quickly, turn to Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9. Daniel had an amazing, God gave an amazing uh interpretation of these dreams that Nebuchadnezzar had and all the different things he was able to see. And then he had a a message from God saying that there will be 70 weeks determined against the nation of Israel. And to help us understand those 70 weeks, it's periods of seven years and segments. It's like 490 years. So we took in Daniel chapter 9, look in verse 24. Daniel was a prophet, and God again had given him amazing vision of the end times, of what's going to happen at the end. So it's verse 24. It says, Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people. And who are Daniel's people? The nation of Israel. Let's understand that. And he says, and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to fill up the vision of prophecy and anoint the most holy. And he says in verse 25, know therefore and understand that the going forth of the commandment to restore and build rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah of the prince shall be seven weeks. So those seven weeks, we put it in years, is 49 years. It's seven weeks. Seven times seven is 49 years. Okay. And he said, and three score and two weeks, which three scores are sixty years. So it's 62 years. So you got 62 years and seven years. What's 62 plus 7? Math majors, 69. Man, how's that smart now? 62 plus 7 is 69. So we know from the beginning when uh Nehemiah was sent back to rebuild the wall and rebuild Jerusalem. That those that prophecy has been fulfilled all the way until the time of when? Palm Sunday, when Jesus Christ came in, the triumphal entry, that day, that period, those 69 weeks are done. 69 weeks of the 70 weeks are fulfilled. Historically, prophetically, no one can deny it. Because guess what? Jerusalem is rebuilt, and Jesus Christ died on the cross. We'll celebrate Easter here in just a few weeks. So those 69 weeks are fulfilled of Daniel's 70 weeks. So what's going on? Let's keep reading. He said, after three score and two weeks, shall the Messiah be cut off. It's talking about Jesus Christ going to the cross, but not for himself. What did Jesus die for? He died for us. And that the people, the prince of the that should come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined. And he shall confirm. He's talking about a war. What's going on today? There's a war going on. There's going to be an Antichrist that's going to step forward. The perfect, they're going to have a perfect plan of what? Peace. That's what he's saying. And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. So what's the Antichrist going to do? He's going to make a deal with Israel. So you know what? Let's just stop this war. Let's just all get along. Let's all get along. Let's it's you. That's why I'm just kind of paraphrasing, thinking in my mind. Let's get along. Let's tell you what. Israel, you want a temple. Let's just start building you a temple. Just think about that. If that was to happen, in the next few weeks, you know what? The war settles down, and all of a sudden Israel starts building a new temple. Wow. Wow. Wouldn't that be something? Because that's what's going to happen. During that seven-year tribulation, it's not all tribulation. The first three and a half years will be what? Peace. Be peace. Until when? When he says, and he shall confirm the covenant with one week, which is so seven years. And then he says, in the midst of the week. So what's the middle or half of seven years? 3.5. So three and a half years, everything's going to be going along good. Everything's going to be great. Then he says, what? Because when the Jews, what they want to do, the Orthodox Jews, they can't wait. They want to build that temple so they can go back to the sacrificial system, sacrificing animals, worshiping God, because they have sacrificed Christ and they have missed the boat on Christ, so they want to go back to the law. And so he's going to say, okay, the Antichrist says, okay, build your temple. Go back to worshiping. Go back to your sacrificial system. And he says, what? In the middle of that week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. The Antichrist is going to say, Stop it. No more sacrifices. No more. What's he going to say? And for the overspread of abomination, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. He said it's going to end. And that's going to be the three and a half years of real tribulation. Jesus calls great tribulation. Great tribulation. So it's amazing as we look at this to understand it that there's only one week or seven years left in the prophecy of Daniel. And I'm not saying, I'm not predicting that that will happen at the end of this war with Iran. I'm not in any way saying it will happen. But I'm just here to tell you that it could happen. Because we know, it tells us right here, there'll be a covenant with Israel, a peace agreement from after a war, so they can establish what? Peace and build the temple, which is an amazing thing to think about. So it helps us understand that. So I want you to think about the 70 weeks of Daniel, only one week left, seven years left, and that will happen. Because it's not consecutive, it's broken up for that last seven-year tribulation that Jesus talked about. That's in God's word. So I want us to think about the sounding of the trumpet. When is the rapture going to happen? Well, we don't know. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
SPEAKER_001 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
SPEAKER_01We hear this, and I preach this a lot at funerals. It's not just a funeral message. It's a message for us daily, really. Because what does the apostle Paul say of the church in Corinthians? He says in 1 Corinthians 15, look in verse 50. He says, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Who inherits the kingdom of God? Those that are born again spiritually. We're born again spiritually. Neither doth corruption inherit in corruption. He says, But behold, I show you a mystery. That is the great mystery today. When will the rapture happen? Nobody knows it. Nobody knows. But he says, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, he's sorry or die, but we shall all be changed. When? He says, in a moment. How quickly? In the twinkling of an eye, not in the blink of an eye. But the way your eye moves that quick. That quick. Quicker than a blink. He says, What? In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. At the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead and shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Like that. Quicker than that. Quicker than that. At the last trumpet. So turn to Revelation chapter 11.
SPEAKER_00Revelation chapter 11. You know what the book of Revelation reveals?
SPEAKER_01It reveals Christ. It's the revealing, the pulling away the curtain of Christ, who Christ is and what he's going to do. It's the past, the present, and the future that John sees. And he see, we get all the way to chapter 11. He wrote these letters to those seven churches that were real, actual churches in John's day. And so we get all the way to chapter 11. Look in verse 15. He says, And the seventh angel did what? Sounded. What did he sound? A trumpet. And he says, And they were the great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world or world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And we look in verse 16. And it says, And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and they worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and was and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned. And he says in verse 18, And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and they say shouldn't shouldst give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth. So the seventh trumpet is sounded. The church age is over. Where's the church at? The church is in heaven. What has happened? There's been a rapture. And after the seventh trumpet, or the yeah, the last trumpet, it's like those that are in the tribulation period. Maybe those that have refused the mark of the beast have been killed. Those will be brought into heaven at the last trumpet. All the different things. I wish I was more of a Bible scholar and understanding these things, but we know when it's all this, this is these the trumpets happen, the bowls are poured out, all these different things, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. It's written in God's Word. So we understand that the 420 elders, I believe it is the church. Why do I believe that? Because when we get past chapter 3, first chapter 1, 2, and 3 is all about what? All about who? All about the church. And from chapter 3 on, it does not mention the church again. Why? I believe it's gone. So everything from chapter 3 on is about the tribulation for those that are lost, that will not receive the mark of the beast, that will be persecuted because they wouldn't receive the mark. And for those that are lost and would receive the mark, all this is what we see here: the judgment. But here's here I want us to understand and why there's a pre-tribulation that people believe that the church we raptured before the tribulation begins. And there's those that believe in a mid-tribulation that we could possibly see the temple being built and the things, the peace plant, everything going great, and then say, okay, at the end of that three and a half year, before the Antichrist actually reveals himself or starts demanding the mark of the beast, that God will rapture us out then. But the more people I've grew up listening to and listen and respect several are concerning me, thinking really the church may go through the tribulation period. Because here's the key. There's a huge difference. There's a huge difference about these things I'm fixing to tell you. There's a huge difference between the tribulation of this world and the wrath of God. We are promised. If we belong to God, we will not feel his wrath. But what did Jesus Christ promise the disciples? That they will suffer tribulation. The people that are dying in Africa today, there's Christians dying in Africa today because of their faith in the Christ, and because of their faith in Christ and believing in him and standing for the truth. And guess what? They're being beheaded. They're being persecuted. They're being killed. So to tell them today, well, you're not in the tribulation, they'll say, Yes, we are. We're in it. Well, guess what? It's what this church, Thessalonica, was going through as well. And so we see these things. I want us to understand. Understand this. Nobody knows when the rapture is going to happen. Jesus plainly tells us, turn to Matthew 24, because I want you to see this for yourself. Well, Brother Ronnie's making predictions, I'm not making any predictions at all. Because nobody knows. But we are to watch. Look, I want you to see what Jesus says. Matthew 24. Just like I mentioned, there's a difference between the tribulation and wrath. Look what Jesus says in verse 42. He's talking to the church. He's talking to his disciples. On the Mount of Olives. And you can read all that from 24 all the way through verse 1 all the way through. We're going to jump down to verse 42. And he says, What does Jesus say to his disciples? Say to the church. He says, Watch therefore. For you know not what hour the Lord doth come. To watch. For you know not our hour when the Lord doth come. We don't, they didn't know, and Jesus didn't know at that time. But he says, But know this that if the good man of the house had known what watch the thief would come, what time the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. What Jesus is saying is, if you know somebody's gonna come break into your house, you got a dinner party with you and your wife, saying you know, I'm gonna go go eat at 7 o'clock tonight. Then somebody says, Hey, somebody's gonna break into your house at 7 o'clock tonight. Guess what? I'm not, you're not gonna go eat. You're gonna stay home and wait for that guy to get there and call the cops and say, okay, rest this guy. And so we see what he's saying. Watch. And he says, I've not suffered the house to be broken in. He says, Therefore, be ye also ready. For in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man is come. Think about that. What are we to do? To be ready. He says, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, and to give them meat in due season? He said, Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find him doing, so doing. He said, Verily I say unto you, that he shall not, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But in if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, what shall, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, to eat and to drink with the drunkard, the drunken, the Lord of that servant, shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him portion with hypocrites, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So all we see here, Jesus is talking to the church, but he's talking about two things. He's talking about when he comes back. He says in verse 42, he says, For you know not what hour your Lord doth come. The second coming. There is going to be a rapture before the second coming. I believe. I believe that. A lot of people don't. They think it's one event. I think it's two events. I think he's gonna rapture the church out, then we're gonna come back with Christ at his second coming. So we see here though, and he said, you know, to be to be ready, to watch and to be ready. And it's so important we understand that. And again, what's going on to the church here at Thessalonica? Well, let's look at the last part. Ready for the rapture. Uh turn 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. That's what's going on. It's on their mind. He says in verse 1, he says, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. He said, I'm gonna talk to you about the second coming of Christ. I'm gonna talk to you about to you about the rapture, the gathering together, being drawn out of here. And he says, What's he say in verse 2? That you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by a letter as from us. So it seems like someone had come into their church and said, Hey, you know, the rapture's already happened. Or someone has spread a letter saying, We got a letter from Paul. Saying the rapture has already happened. And Paul's setting a record straight saying, That has not happened. It has not happened. But he says this in verse 3, he says, Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first. Now, this is just Ronnie Fortson's opinion, thoughts. Like Brother Philip used to always say, you can take those and just wad them up and throw them in trash if you want to. But I believe we're in the middle of the falling away. That's what I think. There's a great falling away for people that say they believe in God. Even members of churches have been baptized, but they don't really care about the Lord. They don't really care about the church today. I mean, it's true. There is a there's a there's such a blasigness. They just don't really care. I mean, think about 9 11, which has been 25 years ago, how packed churches were when 9 11 happened and all the different things that happened. Then things calm back down. Everybody goes right back to how they were living. There's a great falling away first. Then he says this. And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. He's talking about the Antichrist. So, why do I think it's very possible things could happen to everything that's happening today, 2026, March 15th? There's a war of war. Israel's at war with Iran. We're right there in the middle of it. We think it could be a, when it all ends, there could be a peace plan, perfect peace for three and a half years, the Antichrist be revealed. So I believe we're running the great falling away.
SPEAKER_00Then what happens? And that man of sin be revealed. Like, wow. So that's, I mean, it could happen.
SPEAKER_01It could happen. And he says, what about that man of sin? Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped. So that he is as God, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember what we talked about in Daniel? Israel is going to build that third temple. It's going to be built. And that Antichrist is going to let them have their sacrificial system until three and a half years, and he's going to say, I'm God. You come to the temple and worship me. And that's what he's saying here. He said, He will siteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now love what he says in verse 5. He said, Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things. What had happened? Paul had taught this in the past. But someone came in, the devil, of course, had got into the church and started spreading these lies. And he got them all concerned, got them all worked up. And so Paul was coming to set the record straight again. So you think about what's going on in our world today. What's the devil going to use when he says, Let no man deceive you in verse 3? Let no man deceive you by any means. I think the great deception today that the devil's going to use is something he's never had at his fingertips before. And that's a thing called AI. And it is growing and getting better and better by the second. I mean, there's so many things I see, videos and stuff that looks like somebody's singing a Christian song, and it's so fake. I mean, it is so, I'm like, golly. I mean, it is, it's unreal. People think, man, this guy's saved. He's singing about Jesus. It's not real. It's fake. You're like, goodness gracious. And he's like, man, and you just see these things, and it's ramping up so quickly. And so we are to pray for discernment, to pray for discernment and understand God's word and trust in it because he will use everything in his power to deceive us. It says he would uh to deceive the very elect if it was possible. Well, I believe why it's not possible because elect won't be here. We're gonna be raptured out. Can you imagine when when the truth ain't being preached, how easily it will be for people to be lied to. When you don't know the truth. What'd it say? You'll believe, you'll fall for anything. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. But he goes on to say this. He says, and now you know that what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. He's talking about the Holy Spirit, I believe. The Holy Spirit is revealed, holding the devil back. Yes, the devil is the God of this world, and he would love to just consume all of us. But who's protects us? Who's protecting the church today? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is. He's our protector, he's our comforter, he's our guide. And he says, withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. And he says, in verse 7, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only who he who now leteth will let until he be taken out of the way. God's going to tell the Holy Spirit, all right, withdraw your protective hand. I'm going to rapture the church out, and the Holy Spirit began a new work. Just like in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit began a different work. Where was the Spirit of Man in the Old Testament? It was upon men. Where's the Holy Spirit of God today? Inside of us. So when he withdraws the Holy Spirit, guess what? How's he going to withdraw? He's going to withdraw his church. And here's the caution. And here is the seriousness of this message to anyone that may be lost. Setting here at this very moment. But he says this. When it's taken out of the way, he says, Then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. That's people that's ever heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ, that God loves you, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, and you are to repent of your sins and call upon him and be saved. You're like, I don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear that. The world says that constantly. So there's going to come a time when the Holy Spirit's going to be withdrawn. And look what's happened. The Antichrist is going to be able to deceive so many people because they have received not the love of the truth, the great gospel message that they might be saved. And he says in verse 11, For this cause shall God send them a strong delusion that they shall believe a lie. What's the strong delusion? Well, whatever Satan uses to deceive people. I believe it's going to be AI and false teachers and false prophets and all the different things he always uses. But today it's going to be technology because it's everywhere. And here's the seriousness of not believing today. Because I remember David, uh, David Jeremiah preached a message saying that almost years and years ago, they said people would tell him, you know, yeah, Brother David, I'll be saved after the rapture. After the church is out of here, I'll understand, realize this is all real, and then I'll be saved. He said, You will not be saved. Because it plainly tells us you will be deceived. You will believe the lie because you would not believe the truth. And what happens in verse 12? It says that they all might be damned who believed not the truth. But this is our world here at the end, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Our world is so full of itself and so full of sin, and they're not repenting of their sin, even, they're not even remorseful of their sin. What are they doing of their sin? They're rejoicing in their sin. They're rejoicing in their sin. And what does it say? They may all be down who believed not to truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. And that's the sad, bad news. But here's the great news for us. What does it say? But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and a belief of the truth. Never forget that. You believe God's truth. You believe God's truth. What it does. We're born again. We belong to Him. And He will watch over us, He will guide us, He will protect us. We have His truth. It's the greatest thing. He says, Whereunto you are called by our gospel to obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He says, Therefore, brethren, what? What are we to do? Same thing Paul's telling his church doesn't come. What? First thing, stand fast. Upon what? Upon his truth. Stand upon his truth. And he says, Hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. What do we stand upon? The truth of God's word. We have his word. It's the truth of it. Understand it. Cling to it. Love it. Read it. Share it. He says, now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God, even our Father, which has loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good, good hope through grace. I don't stand up here presenting this message with someone as someone that has no hope. My hope is not in this world. My hope is not in our government. Our hope is not in our military. Our hope is not in any of that stuff. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his truth. And his Holy Spirit will protect us and guide us and guard us. Will we have to give our life? We don't know. We don't know. I'm here to tell you, though, we're no better than anybody else when it comes to the martyrs. We live in a time that we are standing upon his truth. And guess what? The world hates the truth. And we'll always hate the truth. But what's he say? He has given us good hope through grace. We have God's grace. We have God's grace. To do what? Well, look in verse 17. To comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work, uh good word and work. So how are we ready for the rapture? Simply live for the Lord. Simply live for the Lord. All your heart, mind, and soul. Please stand. Brother Matt, Mr. Michelle will come forward. I pray you really think about your life. Think about your spiritual life. It's the most important thing. If you've never been saved, be saved. Be the greatest decision you ever made. And after your salvation, guess what? God has a plan for your life. Has a plan for your life to be used through a New Testament church while the church is still here. While the church is still here. The Bible says that today is a day of salvation. So I encourage you, if you've never been saved, repent of your sins. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. It's a prayer way, a life-changing prayer. It's a conversation between you and God. And however you word it, the Lord, you know, I'm a sinner. I believe in you. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in you. I know I need to be saved. Lord, save me. However you say that, in sincerity, with all your heart, talking to God, guess what? You will be saved. But after salvation, he doesn't want you to just be satisfied with being saved. You know what he wants you to do? He wants to put you to work. He wants you to put you to work for him to receive the honor, the glory, and the praise.