Thoughts from the Past - What About the Rapture?

Here is an article on the rapture of the church that I posted in March 2013.

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Some time back our [former] pastor preached a message on the subject of why we believe in the rapture of the church.  In scripture it is referred to specifically as our gathering unto him (Jesus Christ).  Having run across some odd claims in that regard, I had already been thinking about writing an article on the subject.  It’s taken too long, but I hope that it will be a blessing and/or a help to someone.

Why We Believe In Our Gathering unto Christ, also Called the Rapture

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not 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.

There has been a good deal of discussion about the doctrine of the rapture of the Lord's church in recent times.  Many mockers have been encouraged by the foolish predictions of Harold Camping.  The Emergent Church movement has pushed the idea that we should not be divisive and that we should just not talk about things we don't agree on.  They imply by this that many things in scripture are really not important.  Some people have gone so far as to conclude that belief in our gathering unto Christ is heresy, even "doctrines of devils".  These last are strong accusations!

First of all, it is important to establish the fact that having a perfect understanding of end time events is nowhere said in scripture to be essential for salvation… 

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