The "Tribulation" Has Already Begun

We need to be ready for the rapture, which could occur at any moment.  The rapture is when the followers of Jesus will be caught up to meet Him in the air.

Some people claim that the Lord has been showing them the "tribulation" has already begun.  One of those people is Choo Thomas.  I will simply repost her message below, so that you can evaluate it yourself and judge it. I've underlined the key portions.  Your comments are welcome. Keep in mind that your definition of the tribulation may vary from the way that word is being used here, and that there is a difference between time of tribulation, or distress, and "The Great Tribulation."

February 17, 2009 (A Message from Choo Thomas)

Hallelujah, the Tribulation has Already Begun; MARANATHA!!!

During 2006, 2007 and 2008 God showed so many Christians the rapture as well as some unbelievers. These visions made so many people excited about the rapture and at the same time some of us were very disappointed because it had not happen yet. I believe God wanted to stir our hearts up for the rapture so we can be prepared for it at anytime.

The Lord told me a few months ago that the tribulation has already begun. He is warning and preparing people for the rapture but realized not many are paying attention to the signs of the rapture and they will be very surprised because He is going to only bring those who are ready and waiting for Him. God also said He has given enough chances for everybody to be ready for His coming. Now the tribulation has begun and this means the rapture could happen at any time for those who are ready and waiting. After He raptures His chosen ones, then the antichrist will take over the world and great disasters will come to those left behind especially those Christians who refuse to receive the Mark of the Beast (#666). God said not too many Christians will be raptured, and whoever does get raptured will have to stand before the judgment seat (2 Corinthians 5:10) and our work will be tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Even after we are raptured not too many Christians will enter His Kingdom because their hearts are not pure enough. When God says these words they really scare me and whoever has read the book should already know these things.

When the Lord took me to Heaven the first couple of times, He showed me crystal clear water and said one’s heart has to be as clear as this in order to enter His Kingdom. When the Lord told me this, I was very scared and I wondered how anyone’s heart could be this pure. I always live in fear of God ever since He showed me the water. This is the reason why I still spend a lot of time with the Lord by praying and having a relationship with Him daily. I know it is hard for people who work to spend long hours with the Lord but please do your best to spend as much time as you can and let Him be the center of your life not just sometimes but always. Without a relationship with the Lord and not living in fear of God, one cannot please Him. We have to make sure the Holy Spirit is pleased with us continually. He is the one who raised Jesus from the dead to Heaven (Romans 8:11). My heart’s desire is that all my brothers and sisters in the Lord will be raptured.

Some Christians believe by doing great work for God they will enter the Kingdom (Matthew 7:22-23). The most important part of our salvation is total obedience and love (Matthew 5:19; Mark 12:30-31; John 14:23-24). We must love others enough to witness to them to also be saved. Jesus died for our soul, if we truly love the Lord and want to please Him, we have to die from the world because we cannot love both (1 John 2:15-16). God is love and He wants us to love all not just believers and if we have unforgivness in our hearts that is a great sin. We have to forgive and not hate others no matter what they have done to us. His word says the people who are living in darkness are the ones who do not forgive (1 John 2:11). If one does not forgive then they also cannot be forgiven by God and that will prevent that person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 6:14-15). As much as the Lord suffered for our eternity, whatever we sacrifice for Him is really insignificant because no suffering that we will ever endure can ever be compared to what He went through.

Some Christians think when they receive the Lord into their hearts by faith that is all they have to do in their Christian life but this actually is a deception from the Devil. According to Philippians 2:12, we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must never forget that without a pure heart no one can see the Lord (Matthew 5:8, Ephesians 5:27, Hebrews 12:14). God is so holy that any defiled thing cannot enter His Kingdom. I believe this is why God showed me so many people outside His Kingdom and that is called the valley. Some people tell me that being in the valley is better than Hell. Yes, of course it is better than Hell, but we still have a chance to receive the wonderful promises of God if we enter His Kingdom. All He requires from us is a small sacrifice and that is to be obedient and to love Him above all. Jesus suffered and died for our eternity so why shouldn’t we receive all that He prepared for us?

We should be looking forward to being the most beautiful Bride of Christ. Why shouldn’t we give up all worldly habits and try to please the Lord? We are only on this earth for such a short period of time but with the Lord it will be forever and the happiest time we could ever imagine. Whatever we sacrifice while we are here on earth is all worth it. In Linda’s message she commented on how Christians are watching too much television. Truly reborn Christians do not watch worldly things on television or listen to worldly music. Like God says, we cannot enjoy both the world and Him.

We must understand that the tribulation has begun but none of us will know the day or hour when the rapture will actually occur. We have to patiently wait and never give up, just be ready and waiting for the Lord because no one can understand God’s will (Isaiah 55:8-9). I believe those who are not ready and waiting are going to be very surprised how soon the rapture could happen.

The Lord is concerned about some pastors and He is very dissatisfied with them because they are not teaching about the End times, Rapture and Mark of the Beast (# 666). God says these pastors are going to be left behind with members of their congregation and most of those church bodies will receive the Mark of the Beast because they have never been taught what will happen to them if they receive this number. This is why the Lord says most Christians left behind will become Satan’s. The Lord also said most churches that have business on His holy day (buying and selling things) and are not teaching His church bodies not to spend money on the Lord’s day. According to the Lord, Christians should only use money on the Lord’s day for tithes and offerings (Nehemiah 10:31 and 13:15, 1 Corinthians 16:2).

I am humble and thankful to God for allowing me to write this for my brothers and sisters in the Lord. I pray this message from our Lord will be a blessing and an eye opener to every reader so His Bride will be ready and waiting for the rapture of the Body of Christ, Amen.
Peace and all spiritual blessing to every reader.
To God be all the glory and honor.
MARANATHA!!!
Choo Thomas

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Whether or not you believe this prophetic word from this sister,  that doesn't change the fact that Jesus is coming right away.  This has been made clear by the Lord to many, many people that He has spoken to directly or through impressing it upon their spirits.

If you are wondering how God's holy people can be on earth during the tribulation, let me explain.  According to Oden Hetrick's outline of the end time events, we must not change 'tribulation of those days' to GREAT tribulation of three and a half years. He indicated that GREAT tribulation will follow Jesus' appearing in the clouds and the rapture.  This is the three and a half year 'day of the Lord' or 'time of wrath' -- the things that raptured saints escape (see Luke 21:36).  You can find more at his daughter's website.

Some believe that the "tribulation period" lasts for seven years, and that the second half of it, or the last three and a half years, are the Great Tribulation. This final period is one of much greater intensity than the world has ever seen since the Creation. The Great Tribulation is the time of God's great wrath on the earth.  And the Lord will rapture His people before this period begins, since we are not destined for wrath.  But only the holy ones will go up in the rapture, not the ones who are half-hearted, lukewarm, sleeping, or who have spots or wrinkles.

I hope you will take these words seriously and get ready! 

Author's note:  You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, this data is merely a study and in no way am I date setting, this is for information only.  You may also want to read my other post called, "The End Has Come," as wellas "Are You Rapture Ready?"  You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.