Posts filed under ‘christianity’
Rapture, Increasing Lawlessness, and the Tribulation, Part 3
The Rapture is PreTrib in nature. It will happen prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. It needs to do so in order that lawlessness might become truly lawless. This will help pave the way in global society to receive the “man of sin” who will be the embodiment of lawlessness himself. It is not so much that the world itself will become more evil through malicious crimes and lack of concern for other humans. That will certainly be part of it. The lawlessness that Paul speaks of is the result of global society doing everything they can to rid themselves of the belief in God and His absolute truth.
As long as the true Church is in society, the Holy Spirit holds things in check, not allowing this world to become as lawless as it will be once the true Church is gone. Once the true Church is gone, so too, is a major avenue of influence that the Holy Spirit uses to literally keep Satan at bay. Lawlessness in the form of a society being thoroughly “anti-God” will become so emboldened leading up to the Tribulation (after the Rapture) that as Jesus said, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will,” (Matthew 24:21).
Rapture, Increasing Lawlessness, and the Tribulation, Part 1
Besides the constant push toward evil that currently exists in global society, certain events highlighted in the Bible will play their part in allowing and advocating a greater advance of evil than would have occurred had those events not happened at all. Certainly one large, unmistakable event is the Rapture. Yet, too many people tend to think of the Rapture as merely an event in which millions of authentic Christians “escape” from this planet. That is certainly part of it; one side of the coin. However, the other part of the coin – as the result of the Rapture occurring – is represented by the things that occur in society because the Rapture has taken place. This cannot be stressed enough.
Technocracy and the New Tower of Babel
What Satan was unable to accomplish the first time (essentially because of God’s timing and purposes), he has worked to achieve now and it appears as though God is going to allow Satan to build what he failed to build in Genesis 11. Of course, Satan has learned from his mistakes. He’s not interested gathering everyone together to build a physical structure that attempts to reach to the heavens. Today’s individual couldn’t care less about that. Unlike those who lived during the days of Noah after the Flood and believed in some sort of very powerful deity, today’s average person is lost, without God in the world. They more than likely see themselves as some sort of deity, if they have any religious beliefs and affirmations at all. This person would not benefit from a physical structure that directs their attention to the heavens, when in point of fact, Satan has been directing people to see themselves as gods.
Supporting Islam While Throwing Israel Under the Bus
But on a day when being Muslim is actually celebrated in an Oklahoma State house, Muslims came, knelt, and prayed to Allah (Satan, by another name). I don’t recall ever seeing a situation where Christians were actually invited into a government building, allowed to kneel, and pray to the God of the Bible. In fact, there have been numerous cases where DC police have stopped Christian groups from praying on the steps of the Supreme Court building. They were told if they continued, they would face arrest. I have no doubt that this would not be the case if Muslims threw down their prayer rugs and knelt in prayer. In fact, they have not been interrupted when groups of Muslims have gotten together to pray on or near the White House property. Christians are not given the same courtesy and respect.
How Should Christians Live in the World?
For now, what I’m saying is that in the world – which is again, Satan’s kingdom – I’m not sure we have a biblical leg to stand on when it comes to trying to change people without considering that they must be changed from within (through receiving salvation) before any real changes can occur. But when it comes to the life of the church, leaders should do everything possible to take care of problems and issues in the most loving way possible. This means never by accepting the sin of the person and simply allowing them to participate in activities that are for only those who have salvation and through commitment and surrender, endeavor to live (through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit) to please God.
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