7/1/17

M. R. DeHaan On The Rapture Of True Believers Only: "God's Magnet"

M. R. DeHaan was a widely respected bible teacher and pastor. He founded the Radio Bible Class in 1938, conducting a weekly program for 27 years. From that ministry came also the well-known "Our Daily Bread" daily devotional:
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God's Magnet

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord...the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" 1Thes. 4:15-18

The most certain thing in all the world is the return of Jesus Christ. He said to His disciples, I will come again and receive you unto myself” (John 14:3). Death is not the “surest” thing in the world for “we shall not all sleep” (1Cor. 15:51). When the Lord Jesus comes (and each day brings us one day nearer), He will shout from the air and two things will immediately happen. First, all the dead who have died in faith shall be resurrected (1Thes. 4:16). Then, all living believers shall be instantaneously changed (1Cor. 15:52; 1John 3:2), and be joined with the resurrected ones and together be caught up to meet the Lord (1Thes. 4:17). But all the rest of the wicked dead shall remain in their graves and the wicked living ones will be left behind to [enter into] the Tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Matt 24:21)

The coming of Christ will be like a magnet. If I place on my desk a mixture of dust, paper scraps, pieces of glass and wood and steel shavings it may be impossible to see all the bits of steel among the scraps. But now I take a magnet and hold it above the pile of material and immediately something happens. The magnet lifts out every bit of steel to itself and separates it from the refuse, leaving everything else behind. It is the nature of steel to be attracted to the magnet. There may be bits of metal which look like steel but when the magnet is applied they fail to respond. The magnet makes no mistakes It reveals the true nature of the metal and distinguishes the true from the false.

It may be impossible now to tell the difference between the true and the false, but when the Saviour Jesus shouts from the air all deception will be revealed. Only the dead in Christ (Col. 3:1-3) shall respond to the "pull" of His blessed voice. Have you received the new nature (2Peter 1:4), the nature of Him whose voice will soon be heard? Make your calling and election sure, by receiving Christ Jesus the Lord as your personal Saviour. Yield now to the pull of His Spirit. The magnet makes no mistakes!

M.R.D. (1891-1964) - Our Daily Bread 1959 (?)

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also: The Return Of The Lord Jesus Christ For His Bride Is "Imminent" - MRD
and: Not Wrath But Rapture For The Regenerate

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'By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him...'  (Hebrews 11:5)

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Tom, thank you for this wonderful reminder and encouragement in the midst of all the evil that is swarming around us now.