Rapture InSight

What It Takes to Become a Christian

Becoming a Christian is so simple it does not seem real. There is no continuing punishment or penance; there is no seemingly endless training or apprenticeship; there is no requirement to attend higher learning; all it takes is a simple, but sincere prayer.

The reason there is no punishment is that Jesus Christ completed any sacrifice, punishment, or penance when He died on the cross. The idea of punishment to become a Christian is disbelief in His own sacrifice. It disrespects His ordeal. When He said ,”It is finished!” He meant that the Jews sin debt was paid in full and no further sacrifice was necessary. It is when the Pentecost occurred that the Pauline doctrine of God’s grace is sufficient became reality. The Church age began.

The reason that there is no ongoing training is that belief in Christ’s blood is all that is necessary. He did the work so we do not have to do it. We still should study the Word to arm ourselves against Satan and daily reading reinforces our faith, but Christ did it.

The reason that no special or, indeed, any training is required is that God’s grace is meant for EVERYONE no matter who you are. This way no one can boast in Heaven that they were in some way more special than someone else. It is only in God’s eyes that true equality exists. That equality being that we all sinned and it is Christ’s blood that purifies us and makes us acceptable to God.

Here is the part that is easy to do and yet almost impossible to do: we confess we are sinners; we accept Christ’s sacrifice and believe in Him, and we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Easy peasy. Now turn over control of your life to God. That means you control nothing but your ongoing decision to obey God. That is the hard part.

Be in agreement with God.

God Does Move in Our Lives

My father lived in terror of dementia. He knew he had it and he did notice its progress in his life. He told me. I believe he prayed about it and I know he did not want to burden us with it.
I also believe he made the conscious choice to die and to die at home with his family beside him.

When his brother Gerry came to visit he visibly brightened and carried on good conversations with him.

After that he declined at a steady pace. When he heard his last child was arriving on Wednesday he declined at a shocking rate that startled everyone that saw him daily. That child arrived and he was in serious condition. A phone call to arrange the in home care prompted a 911 call. He was adamant that he was NOT going anywhere ever in any context. We went in to talk with him and he repeatedly said, “I’m staying!” His speech was slurred and barely understood. We assured him Mom was here and OK. Then he saw that the third child had arrived. He immediately smiled and said clearly, “What are you doing here?” “Visiting you!”

Those were the last clear words he said.

Two hours later he died in the home he loved, with the wife he loved, with all three kids he loved, and the yard he loved. And before dementia stole him away from us.

He was a good Christian who loved his family and who loved God. He was known for his honesty. He asked God to spare his family and for his family to be there.

God granted him everything then he went to Heaven.

I got an undeserved blessing. I arrived to receive one last smile from him. He was truly happy to see before he went.

Yeah. God looks after people.

I am sorry to announce Gordon Dennis McMann has just passed away at 11 PM 09 September 2026.

Confronting death as a Christian on a personal level.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment -Hebrews 9:27.

First, death is easy to accomplish. People do it everyday; there are only amateurs; no one makes professional status. Second, the death or impending death of a loved one is unpleasant for most people. Grief can be a powerful thing and for those without Christ it is devastating and an instant transport to Hell aka Hades aka Sheol. For those with Christ in their lives death, while a sad thing, is understood as an instant transport to Heaven. Those in healthcare see the difference in behaviour every day. Christians have a quiet dignity about them even in their grief. Everyone else run the gamut from uncaring hardness to terror to abhorrent behaviour. What promises from God give Christians such a calm demeanor even when confronted with death up close and personal?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3:16.

Everlasting life? In Paradise? Downside? What downside? Sign me up!

In Revelation chapters 21 and 22 Christ shows John the new Heaven and the new Earth where believers will live in eternity.

That is why Christians facing death are (mostly) calm. They know they will be living with Christ forever after death. Or the Rapture.

Last, there is a promise for the believers left behind. They know the Christian preceding them is in Heaven. They also know that God is beside them giving comfort.

In short, Christianity gives a comfort that is not available in any other religious belief.

Be in comfort. Be sure of your eternal living space. Be a Christian. Be in agreement with God.

The Restrainer

There appears to be incompatibility between descriptions of The Restrainer. On one hand it appears he steps aside at the beginning of the tribulation with the Rapture; on the other he appears to step aside at the midpoint. This means a deeper look is required. Of course, the Bible provides the answer using both Testaments; and, as usual, it is contextual.

There are actually three restrainers: The Holy Spirit, the archangel Michael, and governing authorities on earth.

The government is a wash as whether or not it is restraining evil or promoting evil is dependent upon who is in power.

The Holy Spirit is the on most talked about in accompaniment with the church and Christian Believers. The church age begins when The Holy Spirit enters early believers at the Pentecost; the age ends when the Church of Philadelphia is taken in the Rapture. In a real sense the Christian Church has held back evil and fought against evil acts. Satan has used members of the church to commit evil and bring discredit to God, but overall the Christian Church has been a positive to mankind by bringing comfort to the downtrodden, building hospitals and schools, and spreading the Gospel among many other good works.

After the Rapture and the breaking of the first seal in Revelation 6, the church is not mentioned until much later in Revelation 22 after Christ’s final victory. Christians move from the in role as a restraining force to the role of hunted prey. The Holy Spirit is still present on Earth, but He has stepped aside to allow mankind to commit whatever evil comes to their depraved minds. This is on the earthly level.

The seven years of tribulation is divided into two three and one half year parts. The first half is bad, but God is still acting to redeem as many as possible to Faith in Him. Satan is still working to destroy faith, people, and the earth, but only as far as God permits. It is Michael the Archangel who has divine power from God to contest with Lucifer as revealed in Daniel 10 and Jude 9.

The second half is known as the Great Tribulation. Here Satan is unrestrained and God’s wrath is poured out on man and Earth simultaneously. The midpoint sees several events happen at the same time. Man is given the warnings by three Angels about receiving the Mark of the Beast, the Two Witnesses are overcome after three and one half years of divine protection, the work of the 144 000 Jewish Witnessed ends, God’s patience has run out and Michael the restrainer steps aside from holding back Satan. This restrained is at the spiritual level.

Thus, the apparent contradiction is resolved by examining the context of whom the restrained is acting upon. The human government is restraining or promoting evil sometimes at the same time, The Holy Spirit uses the human church to hold back man’s evil on Earth, and the Archangel Michael holds back Satan at the spiritual level.

We are witnessing the fulfillment of prophecy at an ever increasing pace and the Rapture and the tribulation are happening much sooner than people understand.

Read your Bible and be in agreement with God.

End Times Babylon

There has been much written about, much speculation about, and much supporting about various candidates for the identity of end times Babylon. While this missive will not attempt to identify a specific Babylon, it will shed light upon the mystery of Babylon.

A list of candidates includes Rome, New York, the European Union, Babylon in Iraq, and others. One Bible scholar brings their favourite Bible verses to support one choice while another scholar brings out their favourite Bible verses to support a different choice. The last Bible scholar heard seems right, until the next scholar seems right.

One scenario has Ancient Babylon revived as an all-encompassing religious, economic, political power located in modern physical Babylon. There are projects reviving a temple, gates, and other structures happening today; however, the conflict involving the Strait of Hormuz limits the value of the newly built seaport several miles away from Babylon.

The Bible may display a sense of humour here and there, but it does not contradict itself. If it seems to do so, that just means be like the Bereans and search the Bible more carefully. Suppose each of the above is correct all at once. In that case, there would be a physical Babylon in Iraq, an economic Babylon in New York, a government Babylon in Europe in the form of the revived Roman Empire in combination with Islam, and a religious Babylon involving the largest denomination in the world, the Roman Catholic Church, or the second largest denomination in the world, Islam, or a mix of the two.

Seen this way the prophecies become much clearer.

1. Religious Babylon: Revelation 17:1-17 is clear that there is a religious Babylon. There are enough clues to speculate that this is the Roman Catholic Church, Vatican City, in the city of Rome. This religious Babylon needs to be a worldwide church with enough power to at least partially rule the revived Roman Empire. There is a connection to Babylon as the Pope received the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, and members of the Synod of the Chaldean Catholic Church. That it exists in the tribulation coupled with the Biblical description proves that by now it has lost its Christian roots. Dave Hunt goes into great detail about the Church in his book: The Woman that Rides the Beast. (ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1565071999 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1565071995) “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” –Revelation 17:5. Islam is another possibility as Babylon is located in Muslim territory and is taking over Europe.
2. Economic Babylon: Revelation 18:9-24 is clear that there is an economic Babylon, most likely the USA and New York City. It is certain that Islam considers this to be true as the destruction of the Twin Towers prove. “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:” –Revelation 18:11.
3. Political Babylon: Daniel 2:38-42 and Revelation 17:9-13 both speak of a ten nation confederacy (as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay” and “ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings”). Daniel is clear that this is the Roman Empire that split into two parts (two legs) ending with a mix of Eastern Rome and other nations albeit not in a homogeneous mix which is iron mixed with miry clay. The ten toes are a dual fulfillment prophecy as there is a latter day revived Roman Empire with a mixture of nations and cultures including Islam. Remember that Islam never assimilates; it just grows with the goal of taking over. The ten horns in Revelation are the revived Roman Empire known as the EU. The EU is currently 27 nations, but it is important to note that the union consists of a series of treaties and not every member signed every treaty; thus, the EU is difficult to define. Which nations make up the nations in Daniel and Revelation are not clear, but examining maps of the Roman Empire before it split into East and West provides good clues.
4. Physical Babylon: This is the city of Babylon, Iraq that existed in Daniel’s time and has been partially rebuilt today. It has been the site of International Day of Babylonian Civilization 10 April 2025. Speculation has the UN relocating to the city which would fit with the view that history is reverting back to its former state of affairs when Babylon ruled the known world.

None of the above is meant to define Babylon in a specific sense, but it is meant to provide a reasonable scenario where rather than one Babylon encompassing the entire fulfillment of prophecy involving Babylon, four types of Babylon provides a simpler and easier explanation. Remember that Babylon and Israel have had a long relationship going all the way back to Abram and his family leaving Ur, Babylon to settle the Promised Land now known as Israel. It makes sense that the end times have Israel and Babylon, in its various forms, contesting with each other once more.

God’s got it. Be in the Rapture.

The Rapture: The Vision Given to Me

This is a repeat of my personal vision of the Rapture as it happened to me in the near future.

I seldom dream and it is rare that I remember any dream. The vividness of this occurrence and especially the overwhelming emotions that accompanied the events will never leave me while I exist on this mortal coil.

This all occurred in a few seconds.

In my vision I awoke with the sense something momentous was happening. Two people important to me were with me and we were smiling as if a gift was about to arrive.

A powerful voice commanded, “Come up!”

I looked up to see me looking down from a cloud surrounded by an ornate frame. I began to reach down and I was now looking down from the cloud. I realized I was reaching towards my two beloved ones. They were reaching towards my hand with expectant looks as if they expected me to bring them up. As hard as we tried, we were always just out of reach, just beyond our fingertips. We knew they were not coming up.
The sense of horror and the all-consuming despair cannot be described, only felt.

Behind them the world appeared as dark silhouettes in shades of grey. There were tumults, rioting, and all kinds of violence both explicit and implicit. The depravity of unrestrained mankind was unmistakable and horrifying. Every kind of evil ever known was happening.

As we looked at each other the knowledge that there was no do over, no second chance, and no rescue hit with the impact of being in the presence of someone’s death or the finality of watching the concrete cover slam down on a coffin. We all knew they were there for the duration and they were now subject to the malicious malevolence Satan’s world possessed.

I said, “That’s horrible!”

Then I heard the voice.

It was low, guttural, and gravelly. It was the sound of evil. No one who ever heard the sound could mistake it or forget it.

“That’s right! Especially when you know what’s going to happen to them!”

It was 3AM. I woke people up and made them tell me they were right with God.

God is using Trump to create wealth.
Satan is using Carney to destroy wealth.

Seven Spirits of the LORD

In Revelation 4 John is in the spirit and transported to Heaven. He is watching prophetic events unfold. He begins with the description of the throne room of God.

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. –Revelation 4:5.

Who are the seven Spirits of God? As always, the Bible gives us the answer.

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; -Isaiah 11:2.
When the verse is parsed into its components this is seen:
1. The Spirit of the LORD
2. The Spirit of Wisdom
3. The Spirit of Understanding
4. The Spirit of Counsel
5. The Spirit of Might
6. The Spirit of Knowledge
7. The Spirit of Fear of the LORD

The Spirit of the LORD (All caps means this refers to Christ) is The Holy Spirit. The rest are self-explanatory until the last one: The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord used only in this verse.

This translation, while correct, is somewhat unfortunate. As with all things, there is good fear and bad fear. Bad fear causes panic, bad choices, cowardice, paralysis, and a host of useless responses. Good fear preserves life. A good example of good fear is to be afraid of jumping into a drained swimming pool filled with dirty, rusty, sharp metal guaranteed to give your tetanus and other nasty infection. Another example of good fear is being afraid of jumping in front of a speeding train armed only with worn underwear.
Believing that Christ spoke the universe into existence and that He will destroy the world’s armies with a breath means that believers understand that they are speaking and dealing with a being that can s***f them out with a thought. This is a healthy fear and shows brains enough to be respectful.

In this case fear is from the Hebrew yir’a (yir-aw’) and its meaning includes: fear (of God), respect, and reverence, piety, revered.
Thus, Fear of the LORD means showing a healthy respect for the power of Christ while revering Him and trusting Him to use His power for the good of all.

Looking at the list of spirits with greater understanding can anyone wish to deny having the Spirits of God living inside them?

Be in agreement with God.

God’s got it.

Forest Fire and Loss

Any loss has its own set of grief and personal challenge, not to forget the question, “Why me?” Ant\other question is, “Why do bad things happen to good people while others who are not so good pass through life seemingly unscathed?”

The last part of the question has a straightforward answer: no one gets through life without some form of trial(s). Those who appear to never have trouble are just skilled at concealing it behind a facade of a “good” life.

The other questions have good explanations in the Book of Job. Job was a good man who walked in agreement with God and God was most pleased with him. Yet, God allowed Satan to destroy every part of Job’s life except his life. Wealth, power, family, servants, even his health were taken. All he had left was a shrew for a wife—a mean, nasty, straight razor toting woman (Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White) and three friends who were not supportive in the least and who accused Job of committing an unknown sin. A fourth young man, Elihu who may be Christ in disguise, argues that Job’s suffering may not be the result of sin; rather, it may instead be a test or discipline.

The above will not be a help while a person is suffering and grieving, nothing will help except faith, friends, family, and time.
Nevertheless, understanding that God creates; Satan destroys; and God comforts allows a person to make at least a little sense of what has happened.

So grieve for a time, but do not grieve forever. Life’s other challenges can wait for a time, but those challenges will still need to be dealt with…later.

Do not lose your faith, in fact, gain faith in God. The only prayer that God will always answer is, “God, I hurt. I need comforting.”

Now, go deal with your grief then get to work.