Posts filed under ‘salvation’
No, the Tribulation Has Not Yet Begun, Period
As he prayed and even before he had concluded his prayer, the angelic messenger Gabriel came to him to explain some things to Daniel (cf. Daniel 9:20-23). Gabriel essentially told Daniel that yes, the 70 year captivity was nearly over and the Jewish people would be released from that captivity and allowed to return to Jerusalem. However – and Gabriel made this clear – that another form of captivity would affect the Jewish people, the state of Israel, and the Temple Mount for not 70 years, but 70 “sevens,” (that is the English word of the original word that was used in the text, though most translators translated the word not to “sevens” but to “weeks.”)
What Gabriel was saying was that there would be 70 sevens (or 70 groupings of seven) in which the Temple Mount would be trod underfoot and controlled by Gentiles. This became known as the “times of the Gentiles” and began with the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar.
Rapture Will Impact the World as Will the Deluding Influence that Follows It
We think we have it bad now in the world? This pales in comparison to what life will be like in the future after the Church is Raptured and the deluding influence is sent by God so that people willfully embrace what is false. The aftermath of both events (Rapture and the delusion sent by God) will be so devastating and so pervasive throughout global society that people will actually wish for death because they believe that at least the horrors of this life will be over (cf. Revelation 9:6). Those who think that way of course have no understanding of who God is and the fact that He is everywhere at once. To go from this life to the next without Jesus means to lose every opportunity to see the truth regarding salvation.
Folks, is there any other reason you can think of that should cause us to increase our efforts to evangelize the lost? I can’t think of one. It is time for you to reach out to friends, neighbors, and even family to share with them the only information that can provide them with the possibility of receiving salvation.
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 2
We know that what is happening in society right now is due to the growing apostasy/falling away from any and every law that even smacks of being from the God of the Bible. It will only worsen once the Church is gone, taken by God in the Rapture. This is reminiscent of God “taking” Noah and his family in the protective shelter of the Ark, as they floated above the earth on top of the water (since there was no mountain God could have placed them as occurred with the situation with Lot. While some argue that God kept Noah and his family safe during the flood (but not out of the flood), it’s a bit of a moot point since there was actually no place on earth God could have placed them where they would have been safe, given that the entire earth was covered with water, extending 15 meters beyond the tallest mountain according to the Genesis account.
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.
Though They Claim to Support Israel, Netanyahu Speech Leaves Dems Angry
Israel will stand. The truth of the matter though is that Israel has never been alone. While Jews who reject Jesus as Messiah go into eternity without the salvation that Jesus provides, God stands with the nation of Israel. It is His land. The Jews – as a group and culture – are His people. Will all of them be saved? No. There is no special dispensation that allows Jews to bypass Jesus and His salvation (something that is falsely taught by numerous pastors today). All have sinned (Jew and Gentile) and have fallen short of God’s glory (cf. Romans 3:23). All need Jesus (both Jew and Gentile).
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.
Christians and the Old Testament, Part 4
Also note that our friend thoroughly believes alien life does exist in the galaxy though I’m quite certain he’s never been visited by any or had conversations with them. In short, he’s taking this on faith, based on hearsay and alleged anecdotal evidence from science. In essence though, there has been nothing that has proven beyond doubt that aliens exist, but our friend – though he is repulsed by the notion of any god existing – simply accepts without proof aliens existing. How this connects with the scientific mind or process is beyond me, but I’m quite sure he has rationalized it enough to believe it without issue.
StudyGrowKnow 