The underlying purpose of your question wasn't because you care whether or not I'm saved or because you have any interest in my testimony. The below was how you phrased it originally.
You jump to the conclusion that I must not be saved specifically because I don't, in your mind, see the spiritual "truths" that you see. FYI. My father was a pastor and missionary and I came to the Lord at a very early age. I have been studying prophesy, Revelation in particular, since I was a late teen.
This is because your spirit has been lead astray following the traditions of man (Men who you love to quote) rather than listening to the Word of God.
I'm glad you acknowledge this.
Where in the above does Christ locate His return before the Tribulation? I've asked you this question 1,000 times and you have yet to cite one verse that tells us this. Instead you cite wedding ceremonies and the like, none of which prove a Pre-Trib return. You act as if to not know the day or how means it has to be pre-Trib. Or that we can't be anxiously awaiting the return of the savior unless it is before the Tribulation. I tell you that if you are living during Satan's Tribulation, you better believe those who are will be anxiously awaiting.
No it is NOT!! The world is going to be tempted by Satan, the likes we've never seen before. Yes we need to watch and be alert during the Tribulation. Is there any need to watch and be alert before the Tribulation starts? NO! According to you, the Rapture is an involuntary Pre-Trib Event meaning you can not be paying attention to anything then suddenly you are raptured.
We are told repeatedly to have patience and faith. Be patient because Satan is the first to come and he comes claiming to be God. So be patient and have the faith to wait for the real Lord.
Exactly, and what was it they didn't do??? You cite it right here:
[SUP]3 [/SUP] When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them.
If the rapture is pre-trib, how much oil do you need? Not much. If the rapture is post trib, you need a lot of oil because you have to wait as He isn't coming right away. Your false beliefs have you twisting everything that even common sense now escapes you. Peter tells us this happens to those who twist Paul's words and you are living proof. Sorry but I'm trying to snap you out of this lie that Satan will use to fool you.
You are posed to be deceived. The moment a spiritual powerful being comes claiming to be God come to take you to heaven you will jump at it. That's my fear for you and so many others who have fallen for this lie.
Again the key word is "ENDURE." Pre-tribbers are enduring NOTHING. They think they get a free pass with no suffering. Have you suffered for your faith dear brother? Did someone laugh at you when you tried to witness to them? Was that the worst of it? What enduring have you done to escape "the test?"
Do you even know what "the Test" is? It isn't the Tribulation. It is the same test given to Abraham and Jesus. How are you supposed to pass this test if you aren't here? How is the church to pass it if the test is never given? The truth is the church, by and large, will fail the test. They rush out when Christ told us to stay in and not go forth.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [SUP]25 [/SUP]See, I have told you beforehand. [SUP]26 [/SUP]“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
The above is the test. I fear you are going to fail this test because you rush out. My heart is heavy for you and all my other dear brothers and sisters who have lapped up this Pre-Trib lie. For Satan to deceive, he must convince people that Christ comes first so that when He comes first and does signs and wonders that Christians will believe that he Satan is Lord. These warnings are for you brother, not for some Tribulation Saint left behind. Christ is not giving warnings to those left behind, he's giving them to us.
Now I remember why I did put you on the ignore list last time. We were in a similar debate about a year or more ago, and you got mad when I asked you a similar question. Back then you showed nothing but contempt for those of us who believe the Calling Out of the Bride to go to the Wedding of the Lamb comes before the pouring out of HIS WRATH UPON THE WHOLE EARTH. Which to me is exhibiting bad fruit, and now that I remember and you are still exhibiting the same bad fruit, I have even more reason to doubt.
1 John 4:20 (ASV)
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20 [/SUP] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:
for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.
Please receive that with the love that I posted it. I am encouraging you not to show hate for those of us that are pre-trib BELIEVERS.
I am not seeing your FRUIT made manifest, because I would have to follow you around for a LONG TIME before it became obvious. So when I have doubts about one who is truly born again, I ask simple questions that one should be able to answer joyeously, if he or she is truly born again.
1 Corinthians 4:12-13 (ASV)
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12 [/SUP] and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted,
we endure {ignore persecution}
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13 [/SUP] being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ASV)
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13 [/SUP] There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to
endure it. {endure temptation}
2 Corinthians 1:6 (ASV)
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6 [/SUP] But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh
in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:
2 Thessalonians 1:4 (ASV)
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4 [/SUP] so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye
endure;
2 Timothy 2:10 (ASV)
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10 [/SUP] Therefore I
endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 4:5 (NASB)
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5 [/SUP] But you, be sober in all things,
endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Hebrews 12:7 (ASV)
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7 [/SUP] It is for chastening that ye
endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom
his father chasteneth not?
Hebrews 11:25 (NASB)
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25 [/SUP] choosing rather to
endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
James 5:11 (ASV)
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11 [/SUP] Behold,
we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
Revelation 3:10 (HCSB)
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10 [/SUP]
Because you have kept My command to endure [2]{Literally - My Word of Endurance}, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
It is talking about enduring the hardships and persecutions and scoffings of this life without losing our Faith or Trust in our LORD, until we die or Christ calls us out of this world to go to the Wedding of the Lamb. It is not a Reference to endure the pouring out of GOD's wrath later in the book of Revelation.