Posts filed under ‘rapture’
Living in Light of the Times, Part 1
As we focus on the eventual return of Jesus (or the fact that we will see Him face-to-face upon our death, which as far as we are concerned, could occur at any moment), John tells us that focusing like this creates a purity within that we otherwise did not have. It is incumbent upon us to literally look for that future time when Jesus will rule physically over all Creation. Is that not something to be excited about?
Psalm 2: Puny Man Waging War Against God, Part 4
Truth is very difficult to come by in today’s society. It really is up for grabs and most adopt some perceived truth that is not truth at all. Psalm 2 speaks to this problem that unfolds the closer we get to the physical return of our Lord and Savior. But in spite of this, God speaks a warning that these rulers and judges should be wise. Clearly, God would not warn them to do this if actual truth was impossible to ascertain. In their heart of hearts, truth – absolute truth – is there, but the kings and judges (along with each and every individual person), must be willing to look for it and acknowledge it when they find it.
Continue Reading October 10, 2016 at 8:57 AM Leave a comment
What Does Work Out Your Salvation with Fear and Trembling Mean?
Can you imagine if someone bought you a house, gave you the key and said, “This is yours! All you have to do is make monthly payments on it!” What kind of a “gift” is that?! Sure, they put the down payment on it, but you are now left with coming up with the monthly mortgage! It wouldn’t be a gift at all, but a true burden. Now if someone gave you a house where you owed nothing on it (no monthly mortgage or taxes), that would actually be a free gift. Certainly, you might be expected to keep the home up so that it did not go into disrepair. However, even if you did allow that to happen, the house itself would still be yours. No one could take it away from you because it was completely paid for by someone else, leaving you with absolutely no debt on it.
Psalm 2: Puny Man Waging War Against God, Part 3
People might rightly wonder about this. How could the Millennial Kingdom rule of Jesus not be a time of unbroken peace? Oh, it will be peaceful, but it will not be without its problems (implied in the need for Jesus to rule with a rod of iron). The main reason for that is due to the fact that people who have survived the Tribulation and enter it as well as those human beings born during it will still have sin natures. This is not excised from individuals (who are saved) until after death (or the Rapture). As long as we are living here on earth as human beings who have yet to die (or be Raptured), the sin nature is, unfortunately, very much apart of our lives.
Psalm 2: Puny Man Waging War Against God, Part 2
By the time King David wrote the words of Psalm 2, much of what I’ve related was already behind him. Of course, the birth of the Messiah was yet in front of him, but the hard work of creating Israel from Abraham (and everything that included), was done! King David could understand Psalm 2 from his perspective knowing that God had already been faithful because of all the things He had promised and brought to the fore.
Synthetic Bacteria Causing Death
By the way, I’m not saying that something like “Cynthia” is what the Bible is talking about. It may well be that God simply pours out one plague after another supernaturally onto human society and the earth. I’m simply saying that at least some of the things created by science have unexpected effects that are similar to or even parallel the events described in Scripture. Because of that, it is not difficult to understand how these things referenced in the Bible could easily occur. Science may have been unwittingly providing the very things that God will use at the end of this age. It’s not far-fetched and those who have had a difficult time taking Scripture in its plain and obvious sense should see these things as quite possible.
Continue Reading September 23, 2016 at 8:01 AM Leave a comment
Focusing Too Much on Evil Creates Unhealthy Outlook
If we look at the gospels alone, it seems clear enough that Jesus did not go out of His way to take on Satan. He didn’t avoid him and certainly knew Satan was there. Jesus understood evil existed in society and Satan was the primary cause of it, coupling with fallen individuals who would allow him to gain access into their lives in whatever form. Jesus also seemed to understand that He was not going to be able to eradicate evil from society at that time because of God’s main purpose for allowing it to exist in the first place. As I’ve stated repeatedly in past articles, God allows Satan and evil to continue to exist because of the coming head-to-head battle that will occur (and end in the blink of an eye), between God and Satan. It never has been a contest and will not be a contest at the coming point in the future when Jesus physically returns to this planet and destroys Antichrist, who will be at that time, the physical embodiment and representation of all that is evil in one person (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2).
Continue Reading September 16, 2016 at 9:39 AM Leave a comment
Rolling Toward Reparations for Slavery
There is one huge difference between the persecution that God allowed in the past and the coming Tribulation/Great Tribulation of the future. The coming Tribulation is all about God pouring out His wrath on humanity for their continued rejection of Him and their constant rebellion and proliferation of evil. Just as it was in the days of Noah and just as it was in the days of Lot, God poured out His wrath then on a rebellious and disobedient society that refused to bow the knee to Almighty God. Those events foreshadowed the final pouring out of God’s wrath throughout the globe in what I believe is the near future and is called the Tribulation/Great Tribulation.
What Should Authentic Christians Look Forward to in the Future?
This is all-too important to ignore or treat with disdain. We Christians have tremendous reasons to “look up” and understand that our citizenship is not here on earth, but in heaven. John tells us that as we focus our hearts and minds on the eventual return of our Lord and the culmination of all things by Him and His eternal power, many cares and concerns in this life will fall away.
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