The Bell: I Know Who I Am

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom.8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant ( Phil.3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God( Rom.8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God’s workmanship(Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14). I have been adopted as God’s child(Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are!?

(:Keep this bell ringing…pass it on:)

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine up on you
And be gracious to you;
The LORD turn His face toward you
And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

Thanks to Bro Walt for the e-mail! God bless you brother!

Do We Really Want to Go There?

In watching many of the more famous TV preachers they say that we are “the head and not the tail” and that we are “blessed going in and blessed going out.” Do they really understand what these verses speak of? Do they understand the implications and consequences of the context of these verses? These statements are found in Deuteronomy chapter 28, a massive chapter of 68 verses. What is God speaking of in these statements some so glibly claim as their own?

“And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. Deuteronomy 28:11 (NASB77)

Here is point one that is most commonly missed by the prosperity preachers. This promise is specifically spoken to Israel who will be in the land God promised to them. While I agree keeping the law is good and proper for a Christian to do as a child of God, we cannot lay claim to promises not given to us but reserved for Israel.

“And the LORD shall make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. Deuteronomy 28:13-14 (NASB77)

The second thing that is not mentioned is that this is a conditional promise. The principles given in the Bible do work but we must meet the conditions of the promise. If we want to claim this promise we must keep the law of God perfectly. We can go down this road if we really want to but there is no grace there, no mercy. There has only been one who lived on earth who was able to accomplish this and His name is Jesus. If we could have done this for ourselves Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for our sins.

“But it shall come about, if you will not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.” Deuteronomy 28:15-16 (NASB77)

“He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.” Deuteronomy 28:44 (NASB77)

“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.” Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (NASB77)

Wow, do we really want to go there? This is something we almost never hear anybody talk about. There are many more cursings spoken of here, poverty and slavery, as well as sickness. We can have this if we want or we can choose life, life through salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift given in love, by grace through faith in the One sent to save us.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB77)

Once we are saved then comes the works, out of a heart full of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, we serve. We need to give people the true Gospel and not tickle their ears for a season so they miss the eternal rest promised in Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

A Biblical Case for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

A Brief History of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Some people teach that the pre-tribulation rapture is a relatively modern phenomenon that first occurred around 1830 and was an invention of a man named John Nelson Darby. While he may have made the idea popular again, it is no wise a new idea. In fact Justin Martyr (110-165 AD) went so far as to suggest that anyone with a different viewpoint (from the pre-tribulation rapture) was heretical. [1]

“Peter Jurieu in his book, Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to Heaven before the battle of Armageddon… Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear these men believed that this coming will precede Christ’s descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over.” [2]

Paul N. Benware, in his book, Understanding End Times Prophecy, notes that many writers in the 17th and 18th Centuries began to speak of a Rapture separate and apart from the Second Coming: [3]

“Peter Jurieu in his book, Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to Heaven before the battle of Armageddon… Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear these men believed that this coming will precede Christ’s descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over.”

One of the early Church Fathers, The Shepherd of Hermas, writing in the early 2nd Century, makes an interesting observation about “the great tribulation that is coming.” He says, “If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly.” [4]

I could go on ad nauseam with more examples but you get the point. This is not a new idea. But what does the Bible have to say about this? Does the Bible speak of a separate rapture from the second coming?

Biblical Proofs of Rapture & the Second Coming as Separate Events.

There are many biblical proofs that there will be a second coming that is separate from the rapture. I give eight of them here for your consideration.

1. In the rapture Christ comes for His own (John 14:3; 1Th. 5:28; 2Th. 2:1). In the second coming Christ comes with His own (1Th. 3:13; Jude 1:14; Rev. 19:14)
2. In the rapture Christ comes in the air (1Th. 4:17). In the second coming Christ comes to the earth ( Zec. 14:4; Acts 1:11)
3. In the rapture Christ claims His bride (1Th. 4:16-17). During the second coming, Christ comes with His bride (Rev. 19:6-14).
4. In the rapture there is removal of believers (1Th. 4:17).During the second coming there is the manifestation of Christ (Mal. 4:2).
5. During the rapture only His own see Him (1Th. 4:13-18). During the second coming every eye shall see Him (Rev. 1:7).
6. No signs precede rapture (1Th. 5:1-3). Signs precede Second Coming (Luke 21:11, Luke 21:15)
7. In the rapture the focus is Lord and Church (1Th. 4:13-18). In the second coming the focus is Israel and kingdom (Mat. 24:14).
8. The rapture is imminent (could happen at any moment). The second coming cannot occur for at least 7 years until the tribulation period ends.

When is the Rapture coming?

There are three main schools of thoughts here: pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib. simply stated the three thoughts go like this:

• The pre-tribulation rapture says that the church will be taken out before the beginning of the tribulation.
• The mid-tribulation rapture says that the church will be taken out after three and a half years, half way through the tribulation. The church will not suffer the brunt or worse part of the tribulation.
• Then the post-tribulation rapture says that the church will have to be purified before going to heaven so they must go through the entire tribulation.

I personally subscribe to the pre-trib theory. I give two reasons why:

1. The church is the bride of Christ. He died on the cross to make her an acceptable bride for him (see Ephesians chapter 5 for a discussion on this). So gentlemen, ask yourselves a question: what did your bride have to do to make herself acceptable for you? What trials did she have to endure to prove her worth? Hopefully none, as you loved your bride to be.
2. While we can tell the seasons, no man knows the day and the hour the Lord will come for His own. If we subscribe to the mid or post trib views, the peace treaty is being signed and the work on building the new temple has begun and we know when Jesus is coming.

I welcome your comments Below.

Endnotes

 

1. “Early Church Fathers” http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture6.php accessed 20 August 2014
   
2. Regan, Dr. David, “The Origin of the Concept of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture from Man or the Bible?” Lamb & Lion Ministries, http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture6.php accessed 20 August 2014
   
3. Paul N. Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), pages 197-198. http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture6.php accessed 20 August 2014
   
4. The Shepherd of Hermas, 2[23]:5 http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture6.php accessed 20 August 2014
   

Where is America in End Time Bible Prophecy?

It is hard for people to believe that a nation that can be as great and powerful as America has been over the last 200 plus years will be absent during the end times. I even read one article that said America is the beast with two horns as a lamb but spoke as a dragon in Revelation 13 as if the prophecy in that chapter was filled in 1798 when America was an up and coming superpower so that is America. As Col. Potter once said so eloquently on an episode of MASH, “horse hockey!” 

I see no reason to disagree with what the majority of the commentators on this. One beast is the revived Roman Empire (the temporal rein) while the other who works in cooperation with the first is the Papacy of the Roman Catholic church (the spiritual). There is no reason to drag America in there.

 

The question is then, where is America?

While America may still exist in the end times, she will clearly not be a major player influencing the world, at best she will be a second rate power.I would like to propose three reasons for this:

America has abandoned God.

The Bible say “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12) and “woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).
We have fell as from a nation whose Supreme Court declared that we are a Christian nation (Trinity Church v. United States 1892) to a nation whose president boldly declared that “we are no longer a Christian nation..” (President Barack Obama in a speech in June 2007). As a nation he has some strong points in his corner. We have some woes to answer for:

• The blood of over 56 million babies butchered and it has been called “freedom of choice.”
• The woe of taking an abomination in the eyes of God and calling it a lifestyle choice.
• The woe of abandoning Israel when the Bible says I will bless those who bless thee and curse those who curse thee.
  

 

America has turned her back on God and lost her moral compass. There was no nation on earth that was powerful enough to defeat Rome but she became morally decayed and weakened from the inside out long before she fell. That is just one of the issues, the second one is…

America will have lost her Christian influence.
The second thing is that once the rapture happens and Christians are removed from this earth what restraint that will was there will be gone.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

Just as God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked in Sodom but waited for Lot and his family to leave, God will hold back his Great Tribulation until He removes His own, the church and the righteous will be gone from America. .

Once this event has occurred the brakes will be off, there will be no restraints, no meaningful objections or resistance God’s people and (what is left) of their positive influence on America will be gone.

America has a crushing national debt.
Lastly we have a crushing national debt.is currently over 17 trillion dollars. It is an unpayable debt. We could tax income at 100% and not pay it off, there is not enough money to do it and the sad thing is that not only are we not paying the debt down, we cannot control our deficit spending. We cannot even agree to discontinue programs that are luxuries like PBS and NPR. They are nice to have when we can afford it but they are not needed.

Before we can even start paying down our debt we must stop spending more than we make, but we have reached a critical point in our country where almost 50% of the people receive government assistance. As
Elmer T. Peterson (9 December 1951) said: “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy.”

Even though we are a not a democracy but a republic, we are heading down this road. With so many people on public assistance (food stamps , welfare, etc.) we need to find a way to cut spending to survive and the politicians in Washington will not do it, they want to keep their cushy jobs.

That leaves us here: Bible says “the borrower is the servant of the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7) and with our great debt to China this may be the straw that breaks America’s back when that note comes due and it will be because of our fiscal irresponsibility. The collapse will most likely ruin America and we will be under a yoke of bondage to China..

Three thoughts on why America will not be a factor in the end times besides the fact she is not mentioned in the Bible at all. That is my opinion, what about yours?