Martin Sondermann - The Quickly Approaching Rapture: The Imminent Return of Jesus Christ

Contents

THE

Quickly

APPROACHING

RAPTURE

The Imminent Return of Jesus Christ

Martin W. Sondermann

Hisroad Publishing

Boise, Idaho

The Quickly Approaching Rapture: The Imminent Return of Jesus Christ

Copyright 2020 by Martin W Sondermann,

Hisroad Publishing, Boise, Idaho

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

ISBN: 9798631941458 (Print Version)

Printed in USA by Hisroad Publishing, Boise, Idaho

Dedication

This book is dedicated to those who hold to the Word of God and do not deny His Name!

Acknowledgments

Over the years I have been influenced by so many great men of God. I feel I would be remiss not to at least share with you some of the key people that God has placed in my life, in one way or another, to influence, teach, exhort, and correct me as I have grown in the Lord.

The first man of God that I want to recognize is my own father. He became a believer when I was a young boy, and without his influence and teaching I wouldn't be where I am today. I thank God for both my parents, and for giving me a dad that would share his passion for the Word of God with me.

I also want to thank God for men who have inspired me over the years with their encouragement and their faithful examples. I could never give you every name, but they know who they are, and they include some amazing pastors, teachers, and friends.

As far as those whove had the biggest influence and impact on my Christian life, outside of my own personal circle, the list is long. Most of them are nationally known pastors, teachers and apologists, but I feel its important to share with you some of those key individuals who have helped me learn about Gods Word and aided in my growth as a believer. At the end of this book I am going to include a fairly long list of resources, and all of the following will be included.

Chief among these men would have to Pastor Chuck Smith. It was through his teaching that I was motivated to study the Word of God like never before. He taught us all how to teach the Word simply, simply, simply (you know). It was by his systematic, line-by-line approach that my understanding of the Bible grew in profound ways. Although I was only able to meet Pastor Chuck a handful of times, every interaction with him influenced me greatly. He was always kind to me, and he encouraged me to seek after God with my whole heart. His influence is something that I cherish. That influence was mostly felt through his teachings that he made available through various outlets, but those teachings impacted me in the most life-changing and eternal ways. I will always be grateful to God for the work of Pastor Chuck, and I know if Pastor Chuck were still with us today, he would be the first to give God all the glory! Instead, I trust he is basking in the glory of Jesus at this very moment! After all, Pastor Chuck didn't die he just changed his address.

I also want to thank Pastor Greg Laurie. It was because of his teachings on the radio that I found out about Chuck Smith, and it was Pastor Greg's teachings that taught me, encouraged me, and helped me grow in Christ during a time in my life when it was desperately needed. I still listen to Pastor Greg, and I have, and still recommend his books, radio program, and online teachings to many people.

Other Pastors and teachers that have influenced me through their various ministries over the years include, but are not limited to; Jon Courson, Raul Ries, Charles Stanley, Dr. Ed Hindson, Adrian Rogers, Skip Heitzig, Mike Macintosh, Don Stewart, Ken Graves, J. Vernon McGee, Ravi Zacharias, Jack Hibbs, Ray Comfort, Pancho Juarez, Alistair Begg, and Dr. David Jeremiah, just to name a few.

I also want to note that Im am not blaming any of the above influences for my work! I don't expect them to agree with 100 percent of what I have written, but I do want to credit each one of them for the influence they have had in my life and thank them for being faithful to their calling. Their various books, television broadcasts, online videos, and radio programs have been a huge blessing! I have learned so much from them, and I felt it was important to include them so the reader can understand my biblical influences outside of my official education.

Preface

Before diving into the topic of this book I want to give the reader my standard word of caution. This is something I want to include with every book I write. First, do not blindly trust or accept the opinions, thoughts, and understanding of doctrine, theology, or eschatology presented within these pages, or within any pages outside of the Holy Scriptures. What I want to challenge each individual to do is to simply do what the Scripture states in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 21, Test all things; hold fast what is good. (NKJ) The Bible also instructs us in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. (KJV) This is the standard that all believers should follow, and I for one will not be offended if you think I have fallen off my proverbial rocker. I simply ask that you let me know where you believe I have erred according to the Scriptures. Also, please know this book is not being written to be different, take a contrary view for contrary's sake, argue, or try to prove to you I have some kind of superior intelligence or secret knowledge. This book comes from the heart of someone who loves to study God's Word, and very much enjoys sharing what he learns with believers and non-believers alike.

Introduction

Some Personal Motivation

I felt it was also important to include a personal motivation for writing books like this. To do so I must start with an event that might help you understand what motivates me to write and to share my faith. It begins at a Bible conference in the early 2000's in Meridian, Idaho. This is when I realized God was calling me to step out of my comfort zone, and to step up to teach His Word. And, although I failed the test that day, what happened during that conference changed my life forever.

Dr. Chuck Missler was speaking during an amazing conference back in the early 2000's. During his presentation my heart began to beat hard in my chest. I felt like my temperature was elevating, and God began to speak to me. It wasn't an audible voice, or even a voice that I could hear in my own mind. Instead it was like a lot of information just filled my mind. God instantly let me know that He was calling me to teach His Word. But my fear immediately took over. You see, one of my biggest fears in life was standing up in front of people to speak, or really to do anything personal in front of a large crowd. The crazy thing is that I could play sports in front of any size crowd, and it never bothered me. I could also sit with a small group and share and read, and that never bothered me. However, for some reason I was petrified of standing in front of an audience giving a speech or lecture. I would rather run away and hide than stand in front of people in naked humility. I later realized that this was oppression sent from the enemy, and it was also deeply rooted in my own pride, but that day at the conference I was far away from that understanding.

While Dr. Missler was teaching I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in a way I had never felt before. I knew God was calling me, and He was also telling me that He was about to prove His calling. He immediately showed me that He was going to have Dr. Missler stop his presentation just to acknowledge me. My reaction in my mind was, What!? No, please no! I dont know how I understood it, but it was as clear as any message I had ever received. I panicked and I almost left the crowded room. However, I was frozen in fear. My heart began to beat faster and faster, and I could feel it pounding in my chest. I was overwhelmed by something I had never experienced. I kept looking down at the ground because I didnt want to look at Dr. Missler. I knew what was coming. It was the only time in my life anything like this had ever happened, and I will never forget it.