DISAPPEARANCES – NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FOR 6/24/20

        In 1962, the U. S. Supreme Court banned school-sponsored prayer in public schools, saying it violated the First amendment.  Students are allowed to meet and pray on school grounds as long as they do so privately and do not try to force others to do the same.  In 1963, school-sponsored Bible reading was also declared unconstitutional.  The Ten Commandments are permitted to be displayed on public property so long as the goal of their  display is not to gain support for religion.  In recent years, statues and monuments have been toppled, vandalized or slated for removal by certain government officials.  Even certain movies and TV shows are under attack and are disappearing from public viewing.

        All of these “disappearances” have raised concerns among certain people in America and elsewhere, but there is one future disappearance that should cause a far greater concern in the world today.  One day a large part of the world’s population will disappear from the Earth on the day which is called in the Bible the Rapture.

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us that on the day called the Rapture, Jesus will suddenly appear with His holy angels to gather His true and faithful followers out of the Earth.  The angels will sound a trumpet, and the followers of Jesus will join Him in the clouds, and so shall they ever be with the Lord in heaven.

        Matthew 24:30 tells us that “all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  Verse 31 goes on to say that Jesus “shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  Verse 36 says “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only God the Father.”  Verse 40 says that “then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”  Verse 41 says, “Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”  Verse 42 concludes with Jesus saying, “Watch therefore: for you know what hour your Lord will come.”

        From the year 2000 until the year 2016, a series of five “Left Behind” movies have been made in contemporary settings.  Each story is one that could actually happen at any moment, and is based on what the Bible tells us about the Rapture.        The goal of each story is to convince people to be ready for the Rapture, in order to avoid being “left behind”