SALVATION THROUGH FAITH
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk saw the deteriorating spiritual condition of his nation, which frustrated Habakkuk so he let God know.

“God, things are horrible and getting worse. You can’t trust the leadership. They’re lying to the people. Things are really bad, Lord, and You’re not lifting a hand to stop any of it.”
God responded, “Habakkuk, if I told you what I was doing, your ears would tingle.” Then the Lord began to tell the prophet how He intended to bring the Babylonians as His instrument of judgment against the nation of Judah.
Habakkuk never expected to hear that and cried, “Lord, wait a minute—that’s not fair! We’re bad, yes; but they are much worse than we are. Why would You use a nation more wicked than Judah to punish Your own people?” Habakkuk concluded, “I don’t understand this at all. I’ll just go into my tower and wait to see what You do.” As he sat in the tower, watching to see how God would act, the word of the Lord came to Habakkuk: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

“Habakkuk, just trust Me. You’re not going to understand. You’re going to see things that will shake you—but the just shall live by faith.”

This great declaration of God—“The just shall live by faith”—is the very statement that set Martin Luther free when he read Romans 1:17. As a monk, he had been trying his best to mortify the flesh. He struggled to rid his life of sin, yet the more he struggled, the more guilt-ridden he felt. He tried to observe all of the works that the church had said would enable him to be perfected in the flesh. And he felt miserable. “The just shall live by faith” set him free.
As the apostle Paul put it: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Grace is unearned, undeserved favor. It is the blessing of God poured out upon people who could never earn it. You cannot possibly work hard enough or try hard enough or keep enough rules to earn yourself a spot in heaven. Salvation is a gift—pure and simple. It’s a gift that none of us deserves. And since it is a gift given by God, it is a gift we can receive only through faith.
The rich young ruler who came to Jesus seeking the way to eternal life went away sorrowful because he valued his earthly riches more than the riches of heaven. Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It’s easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The disciples looked at one another in astonishment and asked, “If it’s so difficult, Lord, who then can be saved?”
“With men, it’s impossible,” Jesus replied. “But with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:24-26).

Aren’t you glad God has provided eternal life for you by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ? You can’t earn it. You can’t work for it. You can only accept it by faith.

Author: Erica Reynolds
Week of: November 14-20, 2021

As a child, I remember sitting in on a few church services in the main sanctuary with my parents, or as my brother and I would call it, “big church.” To this day, there is one “big church” service that I remember very clearly. The pastor was telling a story about a woman who came to him, completely broken and crying, worried that she had committed the “unforgivable sin.” The phrase, “unforgivable sin,” caught my attention immediately. I was so curious to hear what this woman had done that would cause so much pain and guilt. I began to make a mental list of what my 10 year-old self deemed were the worst sins. Murder? Adultery? Stealing? Lying? The pastor continued his story, saying that he asked her, “Did you repent your sin to God and do you want to be forgiven?” She replied, “Yes!” He said, “If you want so badly to be forgiven, I’m sure that’s not the “unforgivable sin.'" All she had to do was to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness, and she would be forgiven. The pastor never asked the woman what she did, yet he had confidence that God’s grace was enough to cover her sin: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight” (Ephesians 1:7-8, ESV).

Where does this notion of “unforgivable sin” stem from? The books of Matthew and Mark both mention a sin that cannot be forgiven, which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (NIV). In an article from the Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA), the author explains the background of this passage: “Jesus had been performing miracles, including driving demons out of people by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead of recognizing the source of Jesus’ power and accepting Him as God’s Son, the religious leaders accused Him of being possessed by the devil and driving demons out in the power of the devil” (BGEA Staff).  

These verses in Matthew caused a little worry to spring up in my heart. I thought to myself, “What exactly is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Could I have possibly committed the unforgivable sin and not even have known it?”

In order to define blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, we first need to explore God’s intended role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In a study through the book of Matthew, Pastor Chuck Smith explains that the “work of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin, by revealing to man the answer for his sin, even Jesus.” The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and reveals our need for Jesus. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27, ESV). 1 John 5:6 also speaks of the Spirit’s role to bear witness to the Gospel, saying, “...the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth” (ESV). To blaspheme the Holy Spirit would mean willfully opposing the Holy Spirit’s testimony and rejecting the truth of Jesus Christ. “Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is regarded by some as a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel, and hence is an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he voluntarily excludes himself from pardon” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary).

Could a believer potentially commit the unforgivable sin? In short, no. A true believer could not commit the unpardonable sin because they have accepted the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and choose to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Although we may find comfort that as believers, we don't have to worry about committing the ‘unforgivable sin’, this does not make us impervious to sin. We are flawed and sinful in nature, and as followers of Christ, we acknowledge that we would never measure up to God’s perfect standards based on our own works: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6, NKJV). Sin will not be completely eradicated from our lives until we are made new in heaven, but that should not deter us from continually working towards following God’s will and instructions for our lives, and fleeing from sin. When we inevitably transgress against the Lord, we are still called to repent and turn away from our sins. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13, NKJV). God sees the state of our hearts, and He truly wants to cover us in the abundance of His forgiveness when we come to Him with a contrite heart: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us;  you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19, NIV).

You have probably heard the phrase, “It's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.” This concept really sets the stage for how the world views obedience; being able to get what we want is so important, that we decide our freedom of choice is worth whatever the consequence. 1 Samuel 15:22 shows a very different perspective: “And Samuel said, ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams’” (ESV).

Can this worldly perspective be a result of being deceived by Satan’s lie that obedience to God’s will is burdensome? Or that relinquishing our will goes against our best interest? Often people associate Christianity, and religion in general, with fulfilling endless expectations and demands. A devout Christian’s life should be boring and exhausting, because how could life on earth be anything but a weighty burden when you must submit your will daily to some impersonal, far away being? What a contrast this is to what the Lord promises to those who obey! “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23 NKJV).

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” These verses remind us to examine our own perspectives on obedience; do we feel that being obedient is just a list of chores and limitations, or do we view it as the key to perfect rest and peace that only God can provide? “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands” (Psalm 119:165-166 NIV). The Bible shows obedience to God’s will as a blessing, which results in our freedom and restoration, whereas sin, the true burden, leads to sorrow and destruction: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8: 31-32 NKJV).
We are often deceived that the most advantageous way to live is by only looking out for ourselves and making decisions solely to protect our best interest. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “nice guys finish last.” Those who follow the rules are called “goodie two-shoes” and are associated with weakness—people who are too fearful of doing what they actually want to do.

Obedience has such a negative connotation in the world, but in God’s Word, we see that obedience comes from a place of strength. Obedience requires discipline and trusting in God’s sovereignty: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

The good news is that we are not in this alone! God provided for us the perfect model of obedience through His Son. Jesus lived a life of complete obedience and submission to God the Father, becoming human and suffering as one of us: “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:7-8 ESV). When we struggle to submit our will, Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that “...we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (ESV). Studying and emulating the life of Jesus instructs us and encourages us to seek the freedom promised in obedience to God’s Word.

The first word that comes to my mind when I think about faith is belief. As I think about what I believe, I think I can fairly say that I’ve always agreed that God exists, and I believe that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins.  But does believing all the “facts” of the gospel mean that I have faith, and furthermore, that I am walking in faith daily? As I think about this, I see faith as not solely knowledge or approval of the facts; faith requires a personal trust in Jesus.

I’ve never been skydiving, but I can wrap my mind around the concept of the existence of parachutes and how they function. I would agree that when you jump out of a plane, the parachute opens and then slows your fall down to the ground. I guess I can say I believe in parachutes. But do I have faith in parachutes? Until I go skydiving myself, where I jump out of that plane, and fully rely on and put my trust in that parachute to open and rescue me from death, I couldn’t say I have faith in parachutes. The phrase “leap of faith” seems so much clearer now!

I don’t want to belittle belief, because belief is definitely a part of faith. In 1 John 5:4-5, the “victory that has overcome the world--our faith” is described as “one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” We should celebrate having knowledge of the Lord and believing His promises since these are intangible things. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 agrees, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight” (ESV). 

How can we take belief a step further and live by faith?

James 2:18-19 (ESV) talks about faith in action: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” It’s a good reminder to hear that ‘even the demons believe’ and fear God. But what differentiates simply believing in God’s existence from having true faith is a personal relationship with Jesus and a commitment to trust in who God declares He is. 

David displays this faith in Psalm 52:8-9: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly” (ESV). David was under distress at the time he wrote this psalm. He was exiled, fleeing from Saul, and had learned that Saul killed a priest who had come to his aid. I could understand if David would be hesitant to stay committed to God’s plan at this point, yet in David’s prayer, he communicates his present confidence in God’s character and his trust in the continuance of God’s steadfast love in the future. Much like 2 Corinthians 5, David showed his faith “by his works,” which meant waiting on the Lord and placing his hope in God’s promise of deliverance. David’s faith was “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV).

Prayer: 
Lord, thank You for the knowledge of Your existence and of the truth found in Your Word. Help me to continually take the “leap” from belief to faith by committing to You and placing all my trust in You and Your promises.

Food for Thought: 
As we read God's Word, God reveals many promises for our lives as believers.  Are there any biblical promises that I believe, but am hesitant to fully accept and put into action in my own life?

More Reading: 
Ephesians 2, Psalm 86, Psalm 147

Personal Note: 
One of the promises that I struggle to put into action is acceptance of God's grace. For those of you who, like me, have what is sometimes called an "achiever" personality, you can probably relate in this struggle. I believe that God is gracious and merciful, and that His grace is an unmerited favor that is of no consequence to my actions or whether I am "deserving" of this gift. I believe that God's grace is solely based on His goodness and selfless love for us, yet I keep catching myself trying to earn His favor as if there is some checklist I can accomplish to make Him proud of me.

When I sin and make mistakes, I see these as detractors on my record, even after repenting and asking for His forgiveness. I then try to rely on my own strength and willpower to please God--maybe if I just work harder, study the Bible more, pray more, focus on my faith more--then maybe I can feel less guilty about receiving this gift. It is so good to immerse myself in the Word and to continuously pray, but these actions will never get me to a point where I deserve God's grace. God's grace is based on who God is and what Jesus has done, not on what I have done or will ever accomplish. 

So for me personally, if I want to put my faith in God’s grace into action, I must stop trying to build my own righteousness and viewing my life as some checklist of achievements and failures. The first failure in my life, even the “smallest” sin, meant I would never be worthy of God’s grace. So instead of constantly feeling guilty and wanting to “repay” God, I can choose to have confidence and comfort in God’s promise. He knows I will never measure up, and somehow He still loves me enough to offer me this gift. I still have trouble wrapping my head around why He would do this for me, but the beauty of this struggle is that we will never fully comprehend the extent of God’s love and grace because it is so great: “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” Psalm 147:5 (ESV).

When I was growing up, my dad was a salesman who worked on commission. That was great when he had a huge real estate deal in the works worth thousands of dollars in commission, such as the time he was involved in the sale of the Anaheim property to Disneyland. That was a “feast” time for our family. But we had our share of “famines” too.

I remember as a kid how quickly a change in circumstance could alter my mood. My father would have some big deal percolating and I’d get pretty excited. I’d think, Oh, boy. Dad’s deal is in escrow, and when it goes through we can buy this and that, and we can go here and there ... and then the deal would fall through, and so would my hopes.

My dad’s faith was always stronger than his circumstances. He had this little motto—just two words—framed and positioned on his desk. “All things,” it said. And whenever disappointments came along, my dad would look at those two words and he’d remember the rest of the verse, and the promise God gave within it: All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

A motto like that takes real faith to believe because it’s not our natural reaction to difficulty. When we go through a crisis, we don’t just automatically say, “Hey, it’s no big deal. Everything will work out in the end.” We’re more likely to cry, “Oh no! There goes our future!” But my dad’s faith was real. He truly believed in the promise of “All things,” and his life showed it.

Faith is the key to a successful Christian life. It enables you to reach out and accept the gift of salvation. And it is faith that takes you by the hand and walks you from one level of spiritual maturity to another. That is why the Word of God says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

But what is faith? Where does it come from and how does it work? What does it accomplish? Why does it please God?

Those are a few of the questions I want to explore in this book. If faith is so crucial to a joyful walk with God—and it is—then we had better learn how to begin exercising the faith we’ve been given. Without a vibrant faith, the Christian life soon becomes tedious, burdensome and discouraging instead of being marked by joy, peace, hope and power as God means it to be (Romans 15:13).

Faith means believing in God’s sovereignty. It means trusting He is on the throne, in command of all things, and working through every circumstance that comes our way. When we have that kind of faith, we have peace in the midst of trials. But when we forget God’s sovereignty, troubling circumstances cause us to despair. We survey the landscape with our eyes instead of with our faith.

Smith, Chuck. Faith, edited by Steve Halliday and Shannon Woodward, 1st ed., The Word For Today, Costa Mesa, CA, 2010, pp. 3–6.

As Christians there are many reasons to find joy in our lives. Near the top of the list of “joy producers” is the fact that we are never lost.  Being lost is a fearful thing but we should never fear as God is with us always and He knows the best path.  If we trust Him, we will know where to go:

Psalm 143:8 (KJV)
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

God’s Word lights our path so we won’t stumble in the darkness of our limited understanding of the events and circumstances of our life:

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Being lost has two aspects, knowing where we are, our location and knowing what direction to go. God answers both questions, we know our position in Christ is secure and that He has us exactly where He wants us.  He also gives us the direction in which to move out providing not just a direction but a light which illuminates our pathway.  If we are trusting the Lord and reading our Bibles, we should never stumble in the dark fearful of where we are or feel a lack of direction in life. One of the most rewarding aspects of life is to have a roadmap where we know the path down which to travel, and stridently with confidence pass down that path.  As a guy, I always prefer to view the map on where I’m going to go before, I start the car. There’s something about the accomplishing the travel according to the map’s plan, knowing where you are going before you proceed.  God has lays out the plan for each one of us as we seek the Holy Spirit to show us the map and guide us for each step. What freedom and joy there is in knowing that God has a specific plan for our life, and He knows how to bless us better than we do!

If you look back on your life, fulfillment and peace come from those times when you set a goal and attained it. Whether it be a better relationship with your spouse, develop a discipline to read your Bible every day or even a career objective. By setting a goal and “running” toward it we establish purpose in our travel through life.  Some call this a purpose driven life, this is one of the steps to a fulfilled life but only one out of four.  We need to also know where we came from, our purpose and how to find meaning in its pursuit and ultimately where we are going.  

If we align our goals with God’s purposes and direction for our life we will never be lost or without direction or purpose. This discovery of God’s purpose for our life is one important aspect of our worldview which provides stability and unwavering principles to anchor our life.

Not only does God provide the specific path for our life, but He has also given us a glimpse into His plan for all the future and eternity and how we fit. What a joy to know that the map for your life is already laid out for all of eternity, we need not fear.  Indeed, God knows the best pathway for you to follow. Our only requirement is to trust Him, learn from His Word, and be obedient to His plan and purpose for our life.

The Bible tells us that God is thinking of us constantly. King David once wrote,
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand” (Psalm 139:17-18).

The next time you get discouraged, take an hour or so and go sit on the beach. Pick up a handful of sand and let it trickle through your fingers. Try to count the grains as they come down. Look along the shoreline and try to guess how many grains of sand it contains.

If you could number God’s thoughts toward you, you would find they exceed the sands of the sea—and not just the sand on that one beach, but every grain of sand on every beach in the world, and every grain of sand lining the floor of every ocean. That’s a lot of sand, which should give you an idea of the number of God’s thoughts toward you. God is thinking about you constantly.

And what kind of thoughts are they? God has said, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God isn’t thinking, Well now, how can I teach him a lesson that he’ll never forget? What kind of miserable thing can I put him through? No. God is thinking of ways to demonstrate to you that He really cares, that He is in control, and that He loves you. And He thinks those thoughts about you continually, every second of every day. Oh, how glorious to be a child of God, to be under the Father’s care and concern.

But in order for such a truth to impact your soul, you must take it in and believe it. You have to trust that God speaks the truth when He describes in His Word all the magnificent things He wants to do for you. The temptation always before us is to trust in our own abilities instead of trusting in the Lord. The flesh says, “I can handle it. I can do it.”

In my own life, I have found that when the Lord wants to give me victory over some area that my flesh dominates, I tend to say, “Well, Lord, I understand that’s got to go. That thing is not like Your character at all. I haven’t realized that before now, but thank You for revealing it to me. I’ll take care of it, Lord. I’ll have it whipped by next Saturday.”

I wrestle and I struggle, and I try my hardest to bring that area of the flesh under control. But eventually, after a long battle and an utter defeat, then at last I cry, “Lord, help me! I can’t do it. I need Your help.” Finally through faith I access His divine power … and the Lord takes over.

At this point, however, I sometimes make another mistake. As the Lord begins to take over and starts to free me, I often say, “I knew I could do it!” So He lets me wrestle and struggle again for a while until I return to the place where I say, “Lord, I just can’t do it. It’s not in me. Lord, please help me.” And once more, I tap into His power by exercising my faith in Him.

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Author: Rick Rainey
Date: April 7, 2021

Excerpted from Paul Smith’s book “New Evangelicalism: The New World Order” pages 28-29
Published in 2011 by Calvary Publishing (TWFT), Costa Mesa, CA.

“The children of Abraham were the first to recognize the real grandeur of history. They viewed it as a divine epic stretching back before the creation of man. The central figure was the personal infinite Creator God who has spoken to man through the Holy Scriptures and who will ultimately bring the conflict between light and darkness to a cataclysmic and final end. So it was not unusual for someone to write a history of the world from a biblical viewpoint, and integrate it with classical Greek and Roman history.

“The Bible is historical in a deeper sense. It teaches us that the destiny of mankind is located between the fall of man and the coming judgement. Biblical history tells us that life is a long adventure and every life is an individual pilgrimage. It is in time and history that the great drama of sin and redemption unfolds as the central axis of all biblical thought. (emphasis mine).

“...God acts in history starting with the supernatural. The secular mind thinks only in terms of the natural, and thus excludes God from the historical process. When the supernatural is omitted, then events like the virgin birth, the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His second coming are discarded as historical non-events or labeled as religious superstition.

“The biblical view of history begins with the presupposition that God is sovereign over all history, be it called sacred or secular. In the secular sense, history can be probed and written about. But behind so-called secular history, God is at work and in control of the levers of history.”

Author: Dave Hunt
Date: March 4, 2021

The following is excerpted from Dave Hunt’s book “An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith,” on pages 98-99; and published in 2006 by The Berean Call, located in Bend, Oregon.

“God has an eternal purpose for our lives now and in the life we enter after death. Our passion should be to know and to fulfill that purpose, beginning here on this earth. One day very soon we will each stand before Him. What a tragedy to miss the very purpose for which we were created and redeemed!

You may say, “Yes, I want to be used of God, but I don’t know what He wants me to do.” Or, “I try to serve Him, try to witness for Him, and it all seems to come to nothing.”

Learn this: Before God can do much through you, He must do a great work in you. What counts most is not quantity but quality, not so much your outward effort but your motive within - the purity of your heart rather than your visible accomplishments or prominence with men.

Moreover, it seems much in time may be very little in eternity. It is not one’s talents or energy but the empowering of the Holy Spirit that produces genuine and lasting results: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Trust God for the filling and empowering of His Spirit.

Millions have laid down their lives for the faith. Their commitment to Christ meant so much that they would not compromise when threatened with the most excruciating torture and death. Can we fathom and follow their choice?

The martyrs could have chosen the ecumenical path of compromise, of avoiding controversy and affirming the “common beliefs of all religions,” and thus have escaped the flame, drowning or sword. They chose instead to stand firm for the truth, to contend earnestly for the faith. Christ calls us to do the same. Will we answer the call?

Paul said he had been “put in trust with the gospel” (I Thessalonians 2:4). So have each of us if we are truly Christ’s own. Let us be certain that we keep that trust for the sake of the lost and in honor of our Lord, who paid such a price for our redemption!

There is no escaping the eternal choice the confronts us. Will we follow from afar, or will we seek to follow in our Lord’s very footsteps? One day we will give an account before God for the path we chose. What joy there is now and will be eternally being true to Him.”

In Romans 7, the apostle Paul spoke of a perverse law at work within him that caused him to do the very opposite of what he really wanted to do. He wrote that whenever he wanted to do what was good, he found evil present inside him. So the good he wanted to do, he did not do; and the evil that he wanted to avoid, he kept doing. He went through this frustrating struggle until he finally cried, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). In his cry for deliverance he found the answer. Through faith, the Lord delivered him by the power of the Spirit.

You might think that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The very first time you struggled to do the work that only God can do, and then saw His victory when you handed that struggle over to Him, you’d say, “I’ve learned my lesson. I can’t do it, but the Lord is able. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” But that’s not the case. Once we relinquish control of one area of our life to God and watch Him conquer it for us, He then reveals another area of the flesh. And what do we say?

“Oh, Lord, I really learned the last time. I can handle this one now.” And again we struggle and suffer defeat and face our own weakness.

You and I need to come to the same realization that hit Paul: “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God has one edict for the flesh, and that’s the cross. We have been crucified with Christ. Through faith and by the power of the Spirit, we are to crucify the deeds of the flesh so we might live. When I see that God did it and I had no ability to do it, I don’t go around bragging about what I accomplished. All I can do is give glory to God for what He has done through faith. That eliminates all boasting.

Also, I cannot judge someone else who has the same problem I do. I can’t turn up my nose and say, “I don’t know how he can continue doing that!” I do know how he can continue doing that because I continued to do the same thing until the Lord delivered me. I tried, I cried, I struggled, I vowed, I promised—but all to no avail until, through faith, the Spirit of God moved in me and gave me His strength and His victory. Faith keeps me from getting judgmental about the weaknesses of others, because I know that apart from God’s help, I’m just as helpless as they are. Only through faith in God can I make any progress in my Christian walk.

You know, sometimes people come up to me and say, “Chuck, I have the hardest time trusting God.” Do you know what they are really saying? “Chuck, I don’t know God very well.”
Those who know God well have no problem trusting Him. That’s why the Bible tells us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word of God reveals the faithfulness of God. It declares the fact that the Lord will always keep His Word. When we learn to know God through the Scriptures and experience the faithfulness of the Lord to keep His Word, then faith is easy. We have no trouble at all believing in God’s goodness and His sovereignty.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Smith, Chuck. Faith. The Word for Today, 2010.

Author:  Jeff Russell

Mark 15:43-46 -Matthew 27:57-60 - John 19:38-42 - Luke 23:50-53

For the past week I have been writing and reading many different devotions having to do with Good Friday and the Resurrection. Interestingly enough I found many things regarding Good Friday and the Resurrection but when it came to Saturday, that day in between, not so much! Some celebrate it as a day of silence. Some call it a time to reflect. I’m not so sure that’s what happened in the first century! As a matter fact, Saul was breathing threats as he traveled around getting the proper paperwork together so he could arrest any who were “Of The Way” and put them to death. The disciples had all fled!. The only ones who celebrated, we're the ones who put him to death.

On the surface the story of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea seem like two very normal guys. But as we look further we see they are far from normal. These two men were going through so much. The last thing that Nikodemus and Joseph wanted to do was draw attention to themselves, let me explain.
 Jesus himself referred to Nikodemus as the teacher of all of Israel, and scripture tells us that Joseph of Arimathea is an honorable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marveled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.  And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher. Mark 15:43-46 (KJV)
 
I admit, I am intrigued with Joseph And Nikodemus. Actually, if you don't read all the accounts you will not get the real picture. One thing I love is that all four writers of the Gospels spent time discussing this two and their part in the burial of the body of Jesus in the tomb. What can we learn from their example in the Gospels? First of all, all four Gospels show that although Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, he was a believer in Christ. Mark and Luke mentioned with subtlety that Joseph was looking forward to the kingdom, but Matthew put it even more bluntly, that Joseph “had become a disciple of Jesus” (Matt. 27:57). It was John that added a little more detail, telling his readers that while Joseph was a disciple, he was one secretly for fear of the Jews. In the original language the word fear in the text means, TERROR, TREMBLING, ALARM, FRIGHT, and PANIC.

Yet when the time came, Joseph and his friend acted in a way that made his faith public. Luke wrote in his Gospel that Joseph disagreed with the Sanhedrin on their attempt to do away with Jesus, but that opposition alone might not have fully exposed him as a disciple of Jesus.

However, there was no doubting his allegiance when he and Nikodemus boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. The request was astonishing because they stood to lose everything, wealth (Matt.27:57), influence as members of the Sanhedrin, their reputations, and even their very lives. Yet regardless of the cost, Joseph (along with Nikodemus) took Jesus off the cross, wrapped him in spices, and buried him in a freshly cut tomb. their secret was out. There was no turning back. They were now known as followers of Christ. (If I perish I perish)

What can we learn from the example of Joseph And his friend?

1. Don’t follow the crowd. Joseph had a faith in Jesus and was considered a disciple. This happened despite his being a member of the Sanhedrin, who were, as a group, bitterly opposed to Christ. However, Joseph held to his belief in Jesus and had a faith in Him despite his surroundings. And what can I say, Nikodemus wasn't along for the ride! He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred-pound weight. He too will be known as a follower of Christ.
2. Follow Jesus. We don’t know how vocal Joseph was in his opposition to the Sanhedrin regarding their actions toward Jesus, but he was against their plan. However, we do know for sure that Joseph risked everything in asking Pilate for the body of Jesus. Jesus said in Luke 9:24 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.
3. ”Trust in His timing. Neither Nikodemus or Joseph had any idea the days or weeks before the crucifixion that they would be able to honor Jesus’ body by burying Him according to custom. Yet when the time came, they stepped out in faith. While Jesus’ twelve disciples were scattered, Joseph and Nikodemus were in the right position, the right place, and acted at just the right time.

You might be in the right place at the right time to act for the cause of Christ. It might come today or even next week, but the main point is, take courage, and be ready. For Joseph, and Nicodemus the opportunity arrived, and together they stepped out. What opportunities await you?

It’s an epidemic that spans the globe, all generations and likely has invaded your home and your heart as well. Call it “worry” or “anxiety,” most of us suffer at times through sleepless nights, anxious days and of course something on our minds that just won’t go away. Sound familiar?

Anxiety is a painful uneasiness that feeds our private fears. In its mildest form we simply churn. In its most severe form, we panic. The word “worry” actually means “to strangle,” and that’s what it does to our godly perspective. Eventually we lose focus on what truly matters.

But anxiety does do one good thing: It shines a spotlight for us on how much we need the Lord. That’s what we are reminded of as we explore God’s Word and discover His solution to the things that keep us up. We need to be willing to do this one thing and be ready to receive God’s unexplainable peace.
The letter to the Philippians may be one of the most practical and most necessary letters we have in the New Testament. Paul the apostle didn’t write it to correct any doctrine or conduct. As a fact, many have penned it “Joy” because within its pages is the recipe on “How to have joy”. Equally important is the great truth concerning believers “secret power”—Prayer.

So here we have it, and it’s simple! “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

In other words: Worry about nothing; Pray about everything! This is a direct commandment, not a suggestion. Most of us will admit that we do worry.
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  John 14:13

We know the Scriptures say it’s wrong, even sinful, but we still do it. Let’s be encouraged now to change our ways. Instead of worrying let’s, “Pray about everything”.

It’s been said, “May we recalculate our route if need be, and look forward with great hope and faith. May we “Stand up inside!” by being valiant and “All in.”
Look again at Philippians 4:6. Two little indefinite pronouns have tremendous significance. The first one, “nothing,” is probably the most exclusive word there is in the English language—it excludes everything. We are not to worry about a single thing.

The reason we are to worry about nothing is because we are to pray about everything. Just as “nothing” excludes all, “everything” includes all. That means we are to talk to the Lord about everything in our lives.
Years ago, a widow asked her church leader, “Do you think we ought to pray about the little things in our lives?” And he replied, “Can you mention anything at all in your life that is big to God?”

You see, when we divide things in our lives as big or little, we make false divisions. All areas of our lives are very small as far as God is concerned. But even what we call little, He wants us to bring to Him. As believers, we need to get in the habit of bringing everything to Him in prayer—excluding nothing. So, these two little pronouns are exact opposites. Nothing means nothing, and everything means everything.

When the apostle Paul says that a believer is not to worry, he is not advancing a foolish philosophy of shutting our eyes to reality or burying our heads in the sand as it were, and denying that disease, sickness, death and trouble are realities.
Paul doesn’t say we are to pretend those things don’t exist. No, instead we need to move the things we want to worry about into the realm of prayer.

Let me illustrate that.  A man couldn’t sleep one night. He rolled and tossed, until his wife finally asked him, “What is the matter? Why can’t you sleep?”
He said, “I owe the tax man $6,000 and the bill is due.” He wept on… “and I can’t pay it.”

“Well,” his wife said, “Get up, get dressed, go over and tell the tax man you can’t pay him, then come back and go to sleep and let him stay awake.”
I would like to offer to you my friends, that is exactly what Paul the apostle is saying here. When we tell God everything, it becomes His problem.

We have the right as His children to go to Him in prayer and say, “This is something only You can handle” then, turn everything over to Him. Worry about nothing; pray about everything.

I believe everything in our lives should be made a matter of prayer to God, no matter what it is. He is our heavenly Father, and we can talk to Him honestly. We can unburden our hearts to Him as we can to no one else.
Paul continues his exhortation to us with, “…by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6.

When you make your request, you are to thank Him right then for hearing and answering you. We thank Him right then as a result of our faith “nothing wavering” James 1:5.

But what about unanswered prayers,

You might ask, what if He doesn’t answer?  May I be bold enough to say that there is no such thing as un-answered prayer to those who have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

God does answer prayer, and when you take your petitions to Him you are to thank Him because He is going to hear and answer. No one likes to believe God is not listening to their prayers. Yet we read in 1st Peter “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” 1Peter 3:12

Once again, we read “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”  Psalm 34:15

Friends, when we call out to God in time of trouble, we want Him to say yes, but of course, He's not always going to say yes. He’ll always hear and answer a request that is brought to Him in faith, but sometimes the answer is no. And sometimes the answer is wait! And this can be the most challenging answer of all.
The story is told that when the Panama Canal was under construction the families of some of the workers came down to visit. One young engineer lived on a houseboat with his wife and boy. Every afternoon this young engineer would get into a rowboat and row out to the houseboat. He would take a hand full of blueprints of the Panama Canal with him to work on at home with his family near him.

One evening he had all of his blueprints spread out, and his little boy was playing at his feet with a toy wagon. A wheel came off the wagon, and the little fellow sat there and worked with it, but he just couldn’t get the wheel back on. Finally, he did what little boys do and began to cry.Do you think the father ignored his son? He could have said, “Son go on and find your mother. I’m working on the great Panama Canal, and I can’t have you bothering me.” But he didn’t do that. He put aside the blueprints, sat down on the floor, picked up his son, and asked him what the matter was. He held up the wagon in one hand and a wheel in the other.

To the little boy, this was a major project. To the father, it was practically nothing. With just a twist of the wrist, he put the wheel on. Then he kissed his son’s tears away, put him down on the floor, and he began playing again.
Now, do you think our heavenly Father is any less kind than a human father? When a wheel comes off your wagon—and believe me, it will come off—take it to Him and ask Him to put it back on. It may look like an impossible problem to you, but He will hear and answer your cry. If He says no, it is because that is the best answer you could have.

At different times in my life I’ve asked Heavenly Father for something, and I am embarrassed now that I didn’t thank Him at the time, right then.
 My advice to you is this: Instead of saying that God has not answered your prayers, say, “My Father heard my prayer, but He told me no, or wait, which was the right answer for me at that time.”

We are to let our requests be made known to God with thanksgiving—knowing that, regardless of how He answers, it will always be the best thing for us.

What will happen when we don’t worry but instead, we pray? Read on. “And the Peace of God, which passeth (surpasses) all understanding, will keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Indescribable peace

We can have the kind of Peace the world offers, but It will never ever be the kind of peace that is offered to us through Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace.  You and I have the assurance that someday peace will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea Habakkuk 2:14.  We can have the peace that comes with forgiveness of sins Romans 5:1. We can also know the peace that feels like tranquility John 14:27. That is a marvelous peace.

But none of the peace offered to us by this world is the piece that is mentioned here in Philippians. This peace can’t be described. It “passeth all understanding.” This is a peace that sweeps over our souls while we are in the troubles and trials of life. This peace gives us confidence, irrespective of the circumstances. We have confidence that things are going to work out for our good and His glory.

Our nation is faced with a great pandemic. Yet, this same peace enables us to face life full on, as we stand on the wide deck of life and know it makes no difference how hard the winds blow or how high the waves roll. Because once again, this peace “will guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This peace “guards” our hearts and minds. This peace of God is like a sentinel on duty around our hearts and minds, protecting and keeping us in life’s most worrisome trials. Have you noticed what’s happened? We entered this passage with anxiety and worry. We come out now in peace. Between the two is prayer.

Have things changed? No, the problem is still there. The storm still rages, the waves still roll high, the thunder still resounds—nothing has changed outside, but the one who is praying has changed.

Something has happened to our soul, moving us from a place of worry to a place where God’s peace now controls our heart and life.

I’m convinced that the primary purpose of prayer is not just to change things, but to change us. We sometimes think prayer is a faucet we can turn on to get out of it anything we want. Perhaps a magical, or mystical way to make our problems disappear. An appealing thought, but that is not prayer. It is so much more! Prayer is when we go to our Father in Heaven, tell Him everything, and then let Him take over. Once we take our hands off, He begins to move—not just on the things outside, but inside our private hearts and lives. Sometimes He puts the wheel back on the wagon and makes it better, but some-times He doesn’t.

Getting from anxiety to peace

The thing He’s concerned about is changing our hearts.

Oh, this is the treasure of real prayer. Real prayer changes your heart. It brings your thinking, your will, your plan, and your purposes into alignment with the will of God. Prayer does that! And further, it secures for us and others, blessings that God is so willing to grant and just waiting for us to ask for them.

Most of us stand on the fringe of prayer. We never really enter in. We never come as a child with absolute simplicity and absolute faith to a Father, knowing He will hear and answer us in the best way possible.

We need to say to Him, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Help me to enjoy that wonderful closeness with You in prayer. Help me to take advantage of the wonderful privilege of talking to You, an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present Father who does what is best for me.”

When you pray like that, not only will He hear you, He will rush to help you, to guard you with perfect peace that no one understands.

The story of Peter walking on the water is in three of the gospels. You remember, Peter is on the boat, thought he saw a ghost. He called out… “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt…? Matthew 14:28-33

Has a wheel come off, are you drowning? Sometimes you have to walk through a difficulty before you can witness the miracle. Instead of trying to get out of it, invite God into the storm. He wants to walk alongside you and give you peace in the midst of it. With God on your side, you're going to come out better than you were before! Worry about nothing. Pray about everything.

Author: Jeff Russell
Date: March 18, 2020
 
 Part 2 - The Day of the Lord

INTRODUCTION
Paul now expands God's prophetic plan as he moves from the Rapture to the time after the Rapture - The Day of the Lord. The term is used 25 times in the Bible, of which only 5 times are in the NT.

The term “Day of God” is used in 2 Peter 3:12- Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? And in the context matches the term “Day of the Lord” which appears in 3:10.

The term “Day of God Almighty” appears once in Revelation 16:14, a clear reference to Armageddon.   Each usage is concerning darkness, not light.
Isaiah 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

1 Thessalonians 5:1
"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you"

Chapter 4 gave us the blessed hope of the believer, the rapture of the church to Heaven. This chapter gravely warns us of the coming Day of the Lord that deals with Israel and Gentiles (5:1-11).

The first three verses warn of the coming Day of the Lord.

But concerning

The words "but concerning" is a signpost showing that Paul now shifts to a new topic. These words are his usual formula for moving to a new line of thought (4:9, 13; 1 Corinthians 7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1).

In chapter 4, Paul discusses the Rapture but in this chapter, he turns to the Day of the Lord, which comes immediately after the Rapture. Apparently, Timothy, in his report from his visit to Thessalonica, indicated to Paul that the new church needed further clarification about the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the next prophetic event after the Lord Jesus comes to rapture the church to Heaven.

The Day of the Lord is a period of 1007 years. The first part of this era is judgment on the world for a seven-year period. In the Tribulation, God will judge proud Gentiles and apostate Jews. However, He will deliver a faithful Jewish remnant and Gentiles who put their trust in Him. Following these seven years, Jesus will reign on the earth for one thousand years, fulfilling the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants (Genesis 15-18; 2 Samuel 7).

the times and the seasons, brethren,

Paul now expands God's prophetic plan. He moves from the Rapture to the time after the Rapture – the Day of the Lord.

We get the English word "chronology" from the Greek word for "times." "Times" refers to the succession of events, the chronology of events. This word as well as "seasons" refer to dispensations. The word "seasons" refers to the "events" of the Tribulation and Millennium. The word "times" denotes quantity whereas "seasons" carries the idea of quality – kinds of time. Thus, Paul deals with end time events following the Rapture.

There are two kinds of "seasons" following the Rapture – the Tribulation and the Millennium. These are different and unique features of the Day of the Lord.
All of this is just the opposite of the Rapture, which is a signless timeless event. The Rapture could happen at any moment, in a twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The "times and seasons" are related to earth (Daniel 2:21; 7:12; Ecclesiastes 3:1). The Rapture, however, will snatch the church entirely away from the earth to glorious scenes in Heaven.

A "dispensation" is not primarily a period of time but a way of life. It is an economy of God. God dealt with Israel by a system of laws because she was a national entity. God deals with the church in an entirely different way because she is an organism, not an organization like Israel.
Every believer in the church has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. In the old economy, only certain special people had the privilege of the indwelling Spirit such as David and only for periods in his life. That is why he prayed, "Take not your Holy Spirit from me (Psalm 51:11)."

The distinction between Israel and the church is very important because there is a massive difference in mode of living the godly life. In the church, every believer is a priest, therefore, he or she does not need a priest. We have the right to offer our own sacrifices to the Lord. We do not need to go through a mediator. The church has the prerogative of a right standing before God, earned by Christ. We have an eternal relationship with the Son of God.
you have no need that I should write to you

Paul previously taught the Thessalonians about the Day of the Lord when he established the church a year prior to writing this epistle so they did not need instruction on that doctrine. They did need instruction, however, on the Rapture.
Principle

God wants us to change the character of our lives by knowing prophetic truth.
Application

God does not give us a date to circle on our calendar (Acts 1:6-8) as to when the Rapture will occur. He wants us to live with anticipation that He might come back any day.

No sign needs to be fulfilled before He comes. He could come at any moment.

Living in the light of His imminent coming sharpens our spirituality.

The purpose of prophecy is to comfort (4:18), edify, encourage holiness and give hope. Christians who do not understand prophecy are unstable. They do not understand the counterfeiting schema of Satan. Thus, they cannot distinguish the Devil's plan from God's plan. These Christians will buy into globalism and one-world government.

Prophecy distinguishes Christians from non-Christians. We live for a different
purpose and with a different hope. The character of the sons of light stands in complete contrast to the coming dark Day of the Lord (5:1-11).

1 Thessalonians 5:2
"For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night"

Someone told the Thessalonians that they were in the Tribulation because they suffered such persecution. Paul writes chapter 5 to clarify this point.

For you yourselves know perfectly

The Thessalonians knew "perfectly" that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night. The word "perfectly" indicates that they gained knowledge of the Day of the Lord from the accurate teaching of the Old Testament by Paul.
Paul was careful in his interpretation of the Old Testament. The root for "perfectly" means pointed. Paul accurately, exactly, pointedly and precisely expounded the Bible. He paid close attention to details when he read the Bible. He conformed strictly to norms and standards of detail when it came to the Word. Since Paul taught the Bible accurately, the Thessalonians understood it "perfectly," or better yet, precisely.

that the day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord refers to both the Tribulation period of seven years and the Millennium [1000 years], thus; the Day of the Lord covers 1007 years. This is the time when the Lord will sovereignly and directly intervene into the affairs of man. Old Testament prophets expounded this day (Isaiah 13:9-11; Joel 2:28-32; Zephaniah 1:14-18; 3:14-15). This time will commence after the Rapture.

The Day of the Lord does not necessarily come immediately after the Rapture but it follows as the next event in God's prophetic plan. We know the Day of the Lord occurs after the Rapture because, sequentially, chapter 5 follows chapter 4.

so comes as a thief

Every time the New Testament refers to the Lord's coming as a thief, it refers to the Day of the Lord or the Second Coming, not the Rapture. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief who does not send an engraved invitation that he is coming. We do not say, "I understand that a thief is coming tomorrow morning at 2:00 am. We better prepare ourselves." A thief is different from a robber. A robber openly takes what he wants by brute force. A thief steals in secret or by fraud.
The thief does not openly announce his designs. He comes unexpectedly when his victim is totally unprepared. Paul adds shock to the unforeseen.

in the night

A thief comes when people are asleep. This day will be both a surprise and sudden to those living at that time. The New Testament describes both the Rapture and the Day of the Lord as sudden comings.

Paul does not concern himself with what happens in the Day of the Lord as such over this period of 1007 years. His sole interest is how it begins. That is why he refers to this period as beginning in the same manner as a thief in the night. The way it will come is very important for its manner of coming determines what sort of day it is. The way it comes also tells what it has to do with the church, if anything!

Principle
The church will not enter the Tribulation period.

Application
The arrival of the Day of the Lord is quite different from the Rapture. In the Day of the Lord, a hostile, unknown thief comes to destroy. In the Rapture, the Lord Himself comes to deliver the church.

No one ever gains by the call of a thief. There is only loss and grief. The Bible flatly contradicts any notion that the Lord Jesus will come to the true believer as a pillaging thief (5:4). The Rapture will be eternal gain, not loss. However, when the Day of the Lord comes, unbelievers stand to lose everything they hold dear. All their material gains will be lost (Revelation 17, 18).

1 Thessalonians 5:3
"For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape"

Paul now explains in what sense unbelievers left on earth after the Rapture will resemble unsuspecting victims of a thief. Just at the moment they least expect it, judgment will fall upon them.

For when they say, "Peace and safety!"

Paul does not include himself among those in this verse. He views them as "they." This third-person pronoun refers to those left in the Tribulation after the Rapture.

The church will not experience this "sudden destruction." Paul contrasts believers with un-believers in the next verse (4:4).

Elsewhere, the Bible tells us what brings this delusion of peace. In the Tribulation, a world ruler signs a seven-year contract (Daniel 9:27) wherein the world expects world peace. This is a peace of outward social and political conditions such as will exist at the first part of Daniel's 70th week. It will seem that mankind achieved inward peace of mind and outward one-world stability.

In the beginning of the Day of the Lord, that is, in the beginning of the Tribulation period, people will say, "Peace and safety!" This slogan spreads around the world.
Peace refers to inward tranquility of mind. The word "safety" means not liable to fall, to be firm. They are under the delusion that man has come to a place of world peace so they are safe from any form of danger.

The word "when" indicates that non-Christians will say this right up to the moment of disaster. While they repeat their slogan "Peace and safety!" destruction comes on them.

Principle
World peace is a delusion without Christ.

Application
Political and religious organizations that pawn off the idea of world peace will delude the world at the beginning of the Day of the Lord. They will attempt to disarm the world. Man left to human nature in the raw will reap the pain of that fantasy.

World peace has always been the pipe dream of man without God. There is no true peace without peace with God. Legislation cannot change the heart of man. The only way to change the world is to change the heart of man. Any other approach is an illusion.

The delusion of world-peace is the great apostasy throughout the world at the beginning of the Tribulation period. There will be an attempt not only to disarm people by state and nationally but there will be an attempt to disarm people worldwide. People will utter maudlin platitudes about peace. There is no peace apart from the person of Christ.

"For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace" (Jeremiah 8:11).

then sudden destruction comes upon them,

"Destruction" means come to ruin. This is a state of utter ruin but not annihilation, a loss of all that humans think makes life worthwhile. It is not destruction of being but of well-being.

Destruction ruins peace and safety. In our verse and in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul uses "destruction" for ushering in the Day of the Lord. Destruction will come suddenly. God's wrath will come to the world when they least expect it.

Operating under the myth that they have come to a place of "peace and safety," humans will suddenly face "destruction." This destruction "comes upon" them. The words "come upon" mean to stand over, to set upon. The idea may be that this destruction is at hand but has not fully arrived. Destruction is near, imminent, approaching and impending.

as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.
Destruction will come upon the world like pangs of a pregnant woman giving birth. The idea is that this is great pain. Calamities will come upon men in Day of the Lord. When the Day of the Lord comes, the world will be pregnant with pain.

And they shall not escape
No one will be able to escape judgment in the Day of the Lord. The word "escape" means to flee out of a place. No one will escape the judgment of God. They will find no safety in flight. There is no place to go. There is no refuge from God.
The word "not" is strong in the Greek so to flee will be futile. There is no way to avoid God's judgment. They can no more escape destruction any more than a pregnant woman can escape the pain of delivering her child.
Jesus warned us that people would not listen to warnings of the Day of the Lord

(Matthew 24:34). We have a warning of prophetic pain in this passage. The coming Day of the Lord will be terrible for those without Christ.
Principle

Non-Christians live under the delusion that man by man's means will give them peace and safety.

Application
In the Tribulation, the world will be shocked at the instability of human answers. Humanism, not humanitarianism, is the idea that man can get along without God. Man can find answers in himself. He does not need God. "The idea of God is for the feeble-minded and for those who need a crutch to lean upon. We know how to control our destiny. We know how to solve the world's problems without God. We do not need Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. All we need to do is believe in ourselves." Man lulls himself to sleep with these delusions.

About the time that man comes to a place of complete confidence in himself, a fancied fool's paradise, then all his ideas for peace and safety come crashing down in complete destruction. They will face judgment of God and that without escape.

All of this stands in diametrically opposed to the Rapture. Christ will catch Christians up and away from this destruction (4:13-18).

1 Thessalonians 5:4
"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief"

But you, brethren,

Christians stand in stark contrast to those without Christ [the "they" of verse 3]. The coming Day of the Lord will not surprise them.
are not in darkness,

Paul previously told the Thessalonians about the coming Day of the Lord so they were not in the dark about that day. God takes Christians into His confidence about future things. Unbelievers live in deluded darkness about that day.

“Not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” - clearly a promise relating to the coming “day of the Lord”
The word “darkness” is used 168 times, 51 of which are in the New Testament - from Isaiah to Malachi, the prophets dealing with the coming “day of the Lord,” the word appears 35 times.  It is used in the New Testament in the following ways:
 
  It refers to “outer darkness”

Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
   
 It refers to “chains of darkness”

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
   
 It is used of the “power of darkness”
Luke 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
 
It refers to “works of darkness”
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
     
It refers to those who “sit in darkness” -         
Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Isaiah 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
     
It speaks of those who “walk in darkness”
(obviously unbelievers)
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
                                       
It refers to the coming “day of the Lord”
Amos 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Those who “walk in the light” are believers, and those who “walk in the darkness” are unbelievers;  but, believers are also challenged to not “walk in darkness.”
so that this Day

Christians will not participate in the beginning of the Day of the Lord, the Tribulation (5:9-10).

should overtake you as a thief
The word "overtake" properly signifies to lay hold of; then, to lay hold of so as to possess as one's own, to appropriate, apprehend, overtake. Jesus will have already raptured the church by the Day of the Lord (4:13-18). That is why this day will not overtake them.

"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial [the seven year Tribulation] which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10).

Principle
God discriminates between what He does with believers and non-believers.

Application
God always makes a distinction between His people and the unbelievers. We cannot emphasize this distinction too strongly. God will translate true Believers to heaven at the Rapture. God will leave unbelievers on earth to go into the Day of the Lord.

The children of the Light have knowledge about the coming dark day. They are in the light about God's purpose.

The Day of the Lord is when the Lord returns to earth in great glory to judge the world. He will make things right in that day.

First, He will bring great judgment on the earth during the Tribulation.
Then, in His Second Coming, He will come back with the saints to establish His Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. The Day of the Lord includes both the

Tribulation and Kingdom.
"…and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

1 Thessalonians 5:5
"You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness"

You are all sons of light and sons of the day.
Notice that Paul does not say, "You are all sons in light and sons in the day “but” of the light" and "of the day." The issue is not where they are but who they are. It is not a matter of environment but of origin and source.

The Christian lives in the orb of light and day. Status as sons of light and of the day carries privilege.

"Sons of light" denotes that a person partakes of and possesses the character of his origin or derivation just as a child takes after his parent. God characterizes sons of light as to their nature. Christians are inevitably light. Sons of light are also sons of day when light rules supreme.

God deems "all" Christians as light, not just some.

We are not of the night nor of darkness
The coming Day of the Lord is a day of darkness, a day of wrath. Christians will not participate in that day.
Paul changes from "you" to "we." We were sons of the night and darkness.

Principle
Christians are inevitably light.

Application
Regardless of the state of the Christian, he is the personal responsibility of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian is a personal representative of the Lord Jesus on earth. We are here for the purpose of glorifying Him through the witness of our life and lips. Every believer is in full-time service, a priest of the Lord Jesus. We are here to represent the Lord Jesus.

We might say, "I have failed Him and do not deserve to serve Him." However, we represent Him for good or bad. We remain His ambassadors here. We are lights in the world (Matthew 5:14) because He is the "light of the world" (John 1:1-9; 8:12; 9:5). Jesus was the light as long as He was on the earth.
"…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…" (Philippians 2:15).

Many Christians do not give out very much light. That is why the world is so dark.
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…" (Ephesians 5:8).

God illumines Christians. Some of us give out more light than others. Christians are lighthouses that war against of the shoals of hell and shine light on eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
"Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober"
Paul now turns to the practical implications of the day of the Lord.

Therefore
Now we come to the punch line for prophecy. The word "therefore" draws an emphatic, inescapable conclusion to the doctrine of the teaching on the coming Day of the Lord. Paul draws the upshot of this truth to our personal lives. It is out of character for the believer to live in the night (5:5) because darkness is foreign to his character.

Paul now gives a number of directives to the believers in Thessalonica that the Holy Spirit intends for us today.

let us not sleep,
The first exhortation of how a believer should carry himself is to stay awake spiritually. "Sleep" here refers to carnal indifference to spiritual things by believers (Ephesians 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). This is a condition of insensibility to God's values.

as others do,
The "others" are those who do not know the Lord (4:13). They do not have a single ray of light from the Lord to beckon them on. They live their lives in hopeless despair and indulgence. They live as if Christ will never return and that they will never experience the awful day of wrath. Like the foolish virgins of Jesus' parable they sleep in spiritual unpreparedness (Matthew 25:5). They are indifferent due to stupor and sloth of sin.

Principle
Staying alert to prophecy enables Christians to stay spiritually alert.

Application
Carnal Christians are usually dull to prophetic things. They show little interest in things to come. However, the Bible has much to say about the correlation between prophecy and godly living. We cannot help but be sensitive to God's values when we anticipate what God is going to do in the future.

but let us watch
Paul sets "watch" in contrast to "sleep." "Watch" signifies not simply absence of spiritual sleep but a determination to keep awake spiritually. Instead of indifference to spiritual things, the believer should vigilantly stay alert to God's plan. Those who fail to watch will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:15; 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Like a sentinel, Christians are to be on alert. Determined wakefulness alerts us to the dangers and urgency of God's plan.
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).
"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving…" (Colossians 4:2).

Principle
Determination to stay on top of prophecy will impact our spiritual lives.

Application
The antithesis to spiritual stupor is a spiritual determination to stay in tune with God's plan for the future. Christians should be fully awake to the dulling effects of immorality, indulgence, carnality, corruption and covetousness of a dying, God-defying age. They refuse to succumb to the opiate of materialism.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

and be sober
Spiritual apathy to God's program for the future will bring spiritual instability. The idea of "sober" is to be free from excess and imprudence. This well-balanced and self-controlled person is circumspect about God's viewpoint on life. A sober person refrains from carnality. When it comes to spiritual things, a believer must be in control of his thought processes and freedom from irrational thinking. Self-control is at the core of spiritual strength. Christians need to know how to
restrain and moderate themselves.

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5).

Christians should never lose sight of God's prophetic program but should live in the light of the reality of what God is doing in the world. Satanic movements and influences do not seduce a sober-oriented believer.

Spiritual poise refuses to be rattled by an unsteady age fast getting out of control. This is the sane perspective of those not clouded by scholarly rationalism, theological compromise or worldly orthodoxy. Many Christians today buy into the world system. They believe they can fulfil themselves by self-indulgence.

Principle
Spiritual-minded believers maintain a sane viewpoint on life.

Application
Pseudo security of spiritual sloth will put us in danger. Be on guard against spiritual indifference. A believer who has the viewpoint of God on prophecy has a sane outlook on the future. He knows that God has a plan. He knows everything is in control.

God expects believers to behave in keeping with their prerogatives and status as Christians. God gives to us special revelation about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord in the Bible. Prophecy is not for the carnal or curious. All prophecy has a practical, spiritual lesson to teach.

1 Thessalonians 5:7
"For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night"
Watching God's prophetic program is no mysterious or obscure truth (5:6). It is profound because it is so simple. As a universal principle, it is evident in the everyday life of men as we seen in this verse.

For those who sleep, sleep at night,
The sleepers here are those without Christ. Sleeping by day was a sign of great laziness in the first century. Non-Christians are night people. They live in the dark.
and those who get drunk are drunk at night

Both sleepers and drunkards operate in the night because of shame. They are people of the dark.

Christians are people of the day, not night people. Our behaviour bears the light of day. Therefore, the Christian must stay alert to God's program. The Christian anticipates what God will do in the Rapture and the Day of the Lord.

Principle
Believers must orient to God's prophetic program.

Application
Non-Christians have a commonality. They are night people. Operating in the night is a natural analogy to parallel spiritual truth. Only with the exception of those who throw away all decency to the winds choose to carouse by daylight (2 Peter 2:13). Those without Christ are nightlife people. They may not actually go to all the parties but their hearts do.

Night people will enter the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness. The church will not go into that day. The believer must orient to his own dispensation, a day of light. He expects the Rapture and the coming Day of the Lord. The very fact that the Christian is of the day, in the nature of the case, compels him to be sober, to maintain a cool and collected attitude so that he stands on guard in a wicked world.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation"

Paul now introduces the metaphor of the armor of a soldier to establish the believer's spiritual armor (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; 4:7).

But let us who are of the day be sober,

Paul appeals to the Thessalonians on the basis that they are "of the day.” Christians live according to the norms of the Christian day, not the Devil's night.
The idea of "sober" here refers spiritual stability. Paul repeats this idea for emphasis (5:6), not for padding. Being of the day is not enough for Christians to withstand darkness. They must understand the importance of having a cool and collected attitude toward temptation. Being "sober" has nothing to do with being gloomy and sad. There is nothing in the Bible against humor.
putting on

Christians must don their spiritual armor. The words "putting on" are the normal words for attiring oneself with clothes. If we are going to institute stability into our lives, we must put on our spiritual armor. God will not do this for us. This is
our responsibility.

the breastplate of faith and love,

Paul argues for putting on two pieces of armor in particular: the breastplate and helmet. The "breastplate" consists of two parts in front and back, that protect the body on both sides, from the neck to the middle of the body. This piece of armor protects the chest against blows and arrows. In ancient times the breastplate covered a soldier's vital organs.

The modern-day equivalent is the bulletproof vest.

Paul's breastplate has two features: faith and love. "Faith" and "love" may allude to the two parts of the breastplate. The first piece of armor is the faith that protects the affections or heart. Unbelief strikes hardest at the heart, so Paul mentions it first. The downfall of those without Christ is that they "believed not the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:12). If we live by faith, this will keep us "sober" -- spiritually stable in spiritual war. Faith will enable us to stand against those who would undermine what we believe.

The other side of the breastplate is love. God pronounces a curse on those without Christ, because they love not the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:22). Believers, on the other hand, have a very special reward because they love Christ's appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). A heart full of love will arm us against broken relationships. It will stabilize relationships and promote accountability, thus reducing the chances that people will steer into apostasy.

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12).

Principle
God provides two pieces of spiritual armor to protect us vertically and horizontally.

Application
Faith and love protect believers against vertical problems and horizontal problems. Faith protects our ability to trust God when we're in difficulty. Love protects our relationships. If we trust God, we will love people. These two graces will enable us to fortify ourselves in the Christian life. Faith and love are our armor against satanic influences.

and as a helmet the hope of salvation
The protective armor for the head is the "helmet." This helmet is the hope of salvation. The lost have no such covering. Our hope is in the coming of the Lord Jesus at the Rapture for the church.

Those without Christ have no hope, but believers look forward with anticipation to the blessed hope, the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). This is the hope directed to ultimate salvation.
"
Hope" does not mean that Christians simply yearn for eternal life. The Greek word "hope" does not carry the same meaning as the English. In English the word has the idea of a wish as in, "I hope it does not rain tomorrow for our picnic."
The Greek word incorporates the idea of confidence in God's promise.
"…in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…" (Titus 1:2).

"…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…" (Titus 2:13).

"…that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:7).

"Salvation" here is that future deliverance for which believers hope at the coming of the Lord Jesus in the Rapture. Negatively, it means they will be rescued from the wrath of the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9). Positively, it means the perfect redemption of their physical body (Romans 8:23) and their sanctification and glorification (1 John 3:2).

The hope of salvation in the future is the best safeguard for the here and now. No team ever gave up, no matter how bad the reverses, if they were confident of victory in the end. The hope of salvation is an indication of our eternal security in Christ.

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…" (Ephesians 6:17).

God links these three pre-eminent graces of faith, hope and love in a number of places in the New Testament. They are a blessed trilogy (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Principle
Christians must give strict attention to donning themselves with the armor of faith, hope and love if they're going to have spiritual stability.

Application
Both the breastplate and the helmet are defensive equipment. A Christian needs defensive equipment as well as offensive. To go to spiritual war without defense is to incur deep spiritual trouble. God designed a specific armor for spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:11). This is God's equipment but it is our responsibility to put on the gear.

The breastplate and helmet protect against harm to vital areas of the human body. Both the head and heart need protection against the assault of the enemy. That is why Christians must give strict attention to faith, love and hope.
Believers are not ignorant of prophetic issues. They understand their hope in Christ. They are confident about their marvelous future with the Lord. Nothing or no one can destroy that. If believers arm themselves in anticipation of spiritual war, they will prepare themselves for any eventuality.

1 Thessalonians 5:9
"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…"

For
Paul gives both a negative and a positive reason as a basis for the hope of salvation (5:8).

God did not appoint us to wrath,
First, the negative reason. Paul here alludes to God's sovereign placing of the church in a situation whereby she will not go through the Tribulation [the Day of the Lord].

"…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

"Because you have kept “My” command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10).

God constructed the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, chronologically. We can decipher the plain strokes of prophecy by studying the argument of the entire book. First, Revelation deals with the church, then the Tribulation, the Second Advent, the Millennium and finally the eternal state. Almost two-thirds of the book expounds the tribulation period.
but to obtain salvation

Secondly and positively, God appoints believers to "obtain salvation." The word "obtain" literally means to make around. The idea is the obtaining of something in its completeness. God obtained salvation in its completeness for us. It is our possession because God did everything to acquired it (Ephesians 1:14; 1 Peter 2:9). Because God acquired it, it is a complete and full salvation. He keeps it safe. Note that the word is "obtain" and not "attain" salvation. We can do nothing to attain salvation. We rest on the finished work of Christ for that. Salvation is a gift with no strings attached. We cannot work for our salvation in order to merit brownie points with God.

through our Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus merited our salvation, not us. We owe our salvation to Him. We cannot acquire salvation for ourselves. Jesus died on our behalf. His work on the cross is the means of our salvation. Jesus is the only way of salvation. No one can do business with God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'" (John 14:6).

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…" (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

Satan invents religious works to appeal to the pride of people. People can do nothing to work for salvation. Religious works are a satanic imitation of salvation. This is difficult for most people to swallow, because they think that people must pay the price for eternal life. All of this is to blind people to the true way to Heaven -- believing in the death of Christ on the cross for our sins. Salvation is free, but not cheap. It cost the Lord Jesus His life on the cross.

Principle
God makes appointments for us in His eternal calendar.

Application
There are certain divine appointments that God ordains for every believer. There are appointments God does not want us to keep. One of them is the Tribulation. Christians in the church not will go through the Tribulation. God will rapture them first.

God does appoint trial for the believer's life. Sometimes He does this for remedial reasons. He does this to build our faith, but not for punishment. At other times, He does this for many other reasons such as glorifying Himself, building our character, witnessing to those without Christ and many other reasons.

"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…" (Philippians 1:29).

1 Thessalonians 5:10
"…who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him"

The foundation of our assurance before God is the person and work of Christ.
who died for us,

The phrase "who died for us" modifies "through our Lord Jesus Christ" of the previous verse. Paul points to the sweeping scope of salvation we have in Christ.
The word "for" in the phrase "for us" means in our behalf. Jesus died in our behalf on the cross. He suffered all that needs to be suffered for our sins.
that whether we wake or sleep,

The idea of "wake or sleep" in this context refers to spiritual vigilance versus spiritual softness (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 7) rather than to life and death.
we should live together with Him
I
t makes no difference whether we are spiritual or carnal, the Lord will rapture us into His presence. This argues against the partial rapture theory that claims that God will translate only the spiritual at the Rapture. The Rapture will shock some carnal Christians living in sin, as God translates them to Heaven right in the act of
their sin.

Principle
We owe our salvation exclusively to the death of Christ on the cross.

Application
God will not judge us, because He has already judged Christ for our sins. We owe our salvation exclusively to the work of Christ on the cross. Christians will never face the judgment of God.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live" (John 5:24-25).

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing"
Therefore

Paul appeals to the Thessalonians to comfort and edify one another because of the truths in verses one through eleven.

Comfort each other
Christians are to care for the pain of other Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:18). God comforts us so that we might comfort others. This is a clear responsibility for every Christian.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

As Christians see the rapture coming, they are to exhort one another even more.
"…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

 “Wherefore” - Greek: dio
           
Two things should characterize our relationships as believers with one another in the light of the rapture and the promise of our rescue from the coming wrath of God:

We should constantly encourage one another Greek: parakaleite:
Hebrews 10:24-25
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good                            works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the                       manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the                            more, as ye see the day approaching”.
We should constantly edify one another
The opposite of being critical and tearing a person down - Greek: oikodomeite
This Greek word means to build.

Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Principle
A responsibility of every Christian is to encourage other Christians.
Application

Many Christians come to church discouraged and defeated. Some come disenchanted about life. Our warm encouragement might be just what they need that day. When the pastor closes in prayer, do you charge for the nearest door or do you head for people who need encouragement?

The blessing of the Rapture is for every believer. This is a common blessing that all can share. This is a basis for our mutual edification. Because of this hope, we Believers develop a strong sense of comfort.
F
uture Prophetic Events in Order of their happening.
The Rapture of the Body of Christ
The Revelation of the Anti-Christ
The Great Tribulation
The Battle of Armageddon
The Second Coming of Christ
The Binding of Satan, judging of nations.
The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
The Final Rebellion against God
The Great White Throne Judgment
The New Heavens and Earth

When will the Rapture occur in time?
1. Scripture presents it as the next prophetic event and as being imminent.
2. There is no teaching or prophecy in the Bible of any intervening event before the Rapture.
   
 John 14:3. Christ in the Upper Room just before His death, told His disciples that He would  

Leave and "go prepare a place for you."
He then promised to return for He said "I come again, to receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also."
Three events are mentioned.
(1) He would leave
(2) He will prepare a place
(3) He will return

Contrast the Rapture with the Second Coming as recorded in Matthew
24:15-22 and note the differences.
Titus 2:13. The eminency of the Rapture is seen in that even in Paul's day, he instructed Titus to be "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:1-3. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." Believers who have the "hope" (sure hope) of the promise of the return of Christ keeps himself pure, waiting for the event, being ready to go at all times.

Philippians 3:20-21. Paul states our "conversation," which means "citizenship" is in heaven, and we are looking forward to the time when we will being going home. Our "vile body," or "body of humiliation will be changed like unto His (Jesus's) glorious body.

Phil. 4:5. "Let your moderation be know unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Moderation doesn't mean we only sin a little and is not a reference to drinking. It literally means "Let your forbearance or gentleness be evident at times", in readiness for Christ's coming for His Bride.
James 5:8. "Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

I John 2:28. "And now, little children abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
Note: In each of the above Scriptures the writer presents the coming of Christ for the church as being at any time or imminent! Also note that the imminent return of Christ is a strong reason to keep oneself from sin and unspotted before the world. In no Scripture in the New Testament, which is addressed to the Christians of the church age, are they told to look for signs which will indicate the Rapture is near. In 2018 we gave a face lift to the movie Future Survival with Chuck Smith. From Adam to 1976 the population on earth was 4 billion people. 40 years later we discovered the population was now nearly 8 billion with a dwindling food supply. So how close are we to the second coming? And the Rapture is first!

Part 1 - The Rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In First Thessalonians 4:13-18 the Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians in part due to a misunderstanding regarding those Believers who had died and the Rapture of the Body of Christ. It was a tough time to be a Christian.

Regarding the teaching of the Rapture of the Body of Christ we would like to point out that often it is incorrectly referred to as the Rapture of the Church. However the Greek word “ekklesia” translated in our English Bibles “Church” refers to a local congregation, meeting in a particular geographical area and is not used in a universal sense in the Bible.

Therefore, it is “The Body of Christ” who will be raptured which is made up of all Believers past, present and future, not a universal church which is an unbiblical concept. Therefore as you hear or read the term “Rapture of the Church” it is being used only in the sense of the Body of Christ and not a reference to a particular denomination, group or congregation.

From First Thessalonians 4:13 through First Thessalonians 5:11 the following teaching will be verse by verse and word by word to more properly discern what was revealed to those first century believers and therefore how it should affect our lives. We want to apologize in advance for the constant references we will have to make to different languages and the use of words therein. It is the purpose of this blog therefore to bring to the surface the things we need to know concerning the coming of our Lord in the Rapture and the subsequent Dark days that follow called The Day of the Lord. At the beginning of this blog we intend to show you an easy way to Rightly Divide the Word of Truth. For years we have taught bible students 5 basic rules to follow.

“Where ever you look within the scriptures five things observe with care, of whom it speaks, of how it speaks, of why, of when, and where.”
Here is a basic outline to follow no matter what passage you study.

In First Thessalonians 4:17-18

A REUNION OF BELIEVERS, BOTH LIVING AND DEAD – verse 17

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”

1. WHERE?
“in the clouds” + “in the air” Greek has no article in front of “clouds”

Not referring to rain clouds, but clouds of glory –

KJV Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
KJV 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
KJV Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

2. WHEN?
“we which are alive and remain” Paul included himself - he did not say “they which are alive and remain” or “you which are alive and remain”
He was expecting the Lord’s return at any time - imminent! The reason for the delay?  2 Peter 3:9
KJV 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

3. WHO?
“together with them” - those who are alive at the time and those who have died in Christ - only believers!
The Greek word for “together” - hama - is a word involving time; the word for “with” - sun - involves space - we will arrive at the same time and be together in the same space! “dead in Christ rise first” - but arrive together!

4, HOW?
“caught up” - Greek: harpagesometha from harpazo meaning “to seize or snatch away” -  
John 6:15 - “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make Him a king…”
Acts 8:39  “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip…”
Rev. 12:5  “her child was caught up unto God”
1 Cor. 15:52 “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…”
                         
5. WHY?
“to meet the Lord in the air” – the Greek text says “unto a meeting of the Lord” He has planned it for our blessing!
           
IT IS A REMINDER THAT THE FUTURE IS MORE BLESSED THAN THE PRESENT -17

“and so shall we ever be with the Lord” - Phil. 1:21-23

KJV Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

IT IS A REMEDY FOR ALL OUR WORRIES AND FEARS - 18
           
It eliminates mental DIFFICULTIES - 13a
It eliminates emotional DEPRESSION - 13b
It eliminates personal DEFEAT - 1 Thess. 5:6
1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
                                               
INTRODUCTION
The term “Rapture” is simply a Latinized form of the Greek term “caught up.” It is the Greek πρόφθασε - prófthase, “gathering,” with Him.  The Greek word is "Harpazo" is used seven times in the New Testament. (Matt. 13:19, John 10:12, Acts 8:39, II Cor. 12:2, 4, I Thess.4:17, and Rev. 12:5) In each case it means something was quickly grabbed, snared, snatched up or seized.

The Greek word literally can be translated, "shall be seized." It is in this form that word “Harpazo (har-pad’-zo) is used in the New Testament as “caught up”.  Otherwise in the bible there would seem to be seven harpazo "raptures" : Enoch,1 Elijah,2 Philip, 3 Paul,4 John5 and Jesus,6 and, of course, the Body of Christ, 7 the Church. (In fact, the very Greek term, harpazo, is employed in four of these references.

For example; the Apostle Paul uses this word when he describes himself as being “caught up” to the third heaven in II Corinthians. He said, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows ;) such an one caught up [Greek, harpazo] to the Third Heaven.” (II Corinthians 12:2)

This term conveys the idea that those who are members of the Body of Christ will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord Jesus when He returns. It describes Jesus’ faithful followers being gathered around Him in the air with Him at the centre.

1 Corinthians 15:52. The event is described as taking place "In a moment, in the twinkling of the eye." In other words "instantly." One moment Believers are on earth going about their normal life, and in next moment, in the presence of the Lord. Where are we "caught up" to?

Paul used the Greek word "aer" (not misspelled!), which means the area which is the lower denser atmosphere below the tops of the mountains.

There are two Greek words for the English word "air", and both refer to different places. The other word is "aither", and means the upper rarified atmosphere above the mountains. Using the word "aer," Paul is saying Christ at the Rapture will return to a point below the mountain tops of Earth.

The "therefore" shows that a purpose of the Rapture is "Comfort." Believers will reunite with their bodies. God will both raise the physical bodies of believers and Rapture them. He will Rapture those living when He comes. This is comfort for all Christians.

In order to lay a foundation for the doctrine of the “Rapture” or “The Day of The Lord” we offer proof texts. A proof text is a passage of scripture presented as proof for a theological doctrine, belief, or principle. In a secular sense a proof text is usually derogatory not so when used of scripture.

Case in point, I believe many today have misunderstandings concerning the Apostle Paul’s teaching in his letter to the Thessalonians. So let’s begin by studying the passages and the words found in them by “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth”. 2 Timothy 2:15

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 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.  16 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: 17 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

From verse 13 to the end of the chapter, the Apostle Paul talks about the Rapture of the church to meet the Lord in the air. This is the blessed hope of the Believer.

But
The word "but” both introduces a new subject but also connects to the previous paragraph. The restlessness of disorderly Believers (1st Thessalonians 4:11-12) was, in part, caused by an incomplete understanding of the Rapture of Believers from the earth. They rightly understood that the coming of Christ was imminent, that is, no sign needed fulfillment before He came again. However, they had not considered the possibility that some of their friends would die before it occurred. They, therefore, plunged into deep grief. Doubts filled their minds as to the status of these prematurely deceased believers.

I do not want you to be ignorant,
This phrase, expressing that Paul does not want them to be ignorant is a formula customarily used to discuss difficult problems and correct false ideas (Romans 1:13; 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 12:1). Usually, whenever the Bible warns us that we are ignorant about something, it is warranted. The topic of Believers dying is so important to the Thessalonians that it requires an explanation from the apostle Paul.

The only way we can know about the afterlife is through the revelation found in the Bible. If we have adequate knowledge of what the Bible teaches about this subject, then it will dispel excessive grief in our souls. We can only resolve our ignorance by reading the Bible. We will rid ourselves of excessive grief by eliminating our ignorance about the future.
                                                                                                                                
The Thessalonians were clearly looking for the Lord's return at the Rapture, but they did not know the state of their dead loved ones until that point. They thought that those who died would miss the Rapture.

brethren,
The word "brethren" occurs in verses one, six and nine of this chapter. Paul appeals to the relationship the Thessalonians have with Paul in Christ. The truth that Paul is about to reveal is strictly for those who know Christ.

Principle
Knowing biblical truth is the foundation of stability, especially when it comes to eternal things.

Application
The Rapture of the church is an important doctrine, because it affects our future and present hope.
It is important that unbelievers know about the first coming of Christ and its purpose also important is Jesus' imminent return to planet earth to translate Believers to heaven is a glorious truth that comforts all Believers in Christ.

Concerning those who have fallen asleep,
"Fallen asleep" is the literal meaning of the Greek word. Metaphorically, this word means death, the sleep of death. Some believers in Thessalonica died because of persecution. They wanted to know what happened to their fellow Christians who died.

Some cults teach that the soul sleeps in death. They claim that after a long period, God will wake up the soul. Does the Bible teach this?

The Bible never uses the term "asleep" when referring to unbelievers, but always uses the term for Believers. Physical death for Believers is nothing more than sleep. God will wake them one day to physical resurrection from the dead.

As well, the Bible never uses "sleep" for the soul. Soul-sleep is a false doctrine. The soul of the dead is unconscious in reference to this world (Job 7:9-10; Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; Isaiah 63:16) but wide awake and fully conscious of the glories of the world to come (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-23; Revelation 7:15-17). Stephen's spirit went to be with the Lord, but his body fell asleep (Acts 7:60).

The Thessalonians did not concern themselves with the souls of their departed loved ones, but about the resurrection of their bodies. The sleep of the body is only temporary; it will rise from the dead one day. God does not annihilate the soul and spirit at the physical death of the body. There was no need for the Thessalonians to worry about the fate of their loved ones.

In John 11:12-13, the disciples thought of the normal physical sense of sleep but the Lord used it in the figurative sense, referring to physical death (1 Thessalonians 11:11, 13). The pagan culture of the Thessalonians offered no hope about a future physical life. Many people viewed the body as evil in any case. They wanted to get rid of the body.

"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 'because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.'" And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter'" (Acts 17:30-32).

Paul speaks of those Christians who had died since he left them. What happened to them at death? Did their body and soul just go to sleep at death? No, their souls went immediately and instantaneously into the presence of God.

"For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart [to die] and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh [continue to live physically] is more needful for you" (Philippians 1:23-24).

lest you sorrow as others who have no hope
"Sorrow" means to cause pain or grief, to distress, vex, and be sad. Believers do not have the same pain as unbelievers when it comes to the death of the physical body. Christians know the soul goes immediately into the presence of God. Therefore, Christians grieve, but not in the same way. Christians do not grieve as those who have no hope.

For example, Jesus grieved over the death of a friend (John 11:35). This does not mean that He despaired over ever seeing His friend again. Normal human beings grieve over the physical death of their loved ones (Philippians 2:27). God does not dehumanize Christians by removing grief from the realm of experience.

Many non-Christians believe that, when they die, they will go into a dark, dank hole and decay until their body is no more. They have no hope beyond the grave. Others have no idea what is on the other side. They have no guarantee about eternity. They hope only in the present, not in the future.

"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:11-12).

Principle
Death does not end all for believers, so there is no need for unnecessary sorrow.
Application
Some Believers grieve over their dead loved ones like pagans do, as if they have no hope of ever seeing them again. They sorrow, but they do not sorrow like the lost. God does not keep them from human sorrow. But their sorrow is not a final sorrow. There is as much difference between a Christian funeral and a pagan funeral as there is between black and white.

Many non-Believers are afraid to die, because they do not have a hope beyond the grave. They have no Heaven. They know nothing of sins forgiven.
Christians have a glorious hope. Because Christ rose from the death eternally, so we will also rise.

There is no hope apart from Christ. If we put our hope in an organization, we will be disappointed. If we put our hope in a political system, that will fail us. Only Christ offers permanent, eternal hope. It is one thing for Believers to grieve over their loved ones but it is another to grieve inordinately. The resurrection of Christ persuades against surplus sorrow.

1 Thessalonians 4:14
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus"

For
Paul now sets forth two great features in the work of Christ that banish unfounded grief. Removal of ignorance about these will remove worries about what happens to the physical body of the Christians who die.
if we believe

The word "if" in the Greek (here) means that this supposition is assumed true. Paul assumes that the Thessalonians believe in the death and resurrection of Christ (Acts 17:3). The following truths only carry currency if we believe them. Hope rests on our faith in the resurrection of Christ. The certainty of our hope is inseparable from Christ's resurrection.

that Jesus died and rose again,
Paul here uses Jesus' human name on earth, emphasizing his historical nature. In His humanity, Jesus launched two foundations of the Christian faith – His death to pay for our sins and His resurrection to initiate us into eternal life. Therefore, in one statement we have the two foundations of the Christian faith.

Paul does not use the word "slept" for the death of Christ; instead, he uses the harsher word – "died." Christians can enjoy peaceful sleep because Jesus endured death as a penalty for sin. Jesus' death took away the sting of death.

The second great fact is the truth that Jesus rose again. Because of His victory over death, the body of the Believer sleeping in Christ will rise to participate in the Rapture and be caught away from earth.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the irreducible minimum of the gospel. A person cannot claim to be a Christian without believing these two great truths.

"Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:23-24).

"But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, "and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses" (Acts 3:14-15).

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree" (Acts 5:30).

"…who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:25).

"Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).

"For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living" (Romans 14:9).

"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…" (1 Peter 3:18).

"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death" (Revelation 1:8).

Principle
Ask yourself, what is the Gospel? Many reply “It’s the Good News” and so on. The Corinthians had come to a place where they denied the Lord that bought them and brought them. Writing to the Corinthians in the 15th chapter of First Corinthians the Apostle Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Application
As Believers we believe that Jesus substituted His death on the cross for our eternal death and that He bodily rose from the dead to give us eternal life.

even so
The words "even so" show the parallel between the resurrection of the bodies of Believers and the resurrection of Christ. Paul now draws his first conclusion. There is complete concord there. The resurrection of the body of the Believer is as sure as the resurrection of Christ. Our physical bodies will rise from the dead since Christ rose from the dead.

God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus
God will personally bring Believers with Him in the resurrection of the physical body from the dead. The soul and spirit will reunite with the physical body at that time. God will give us a resurrection body that is like the resurrection body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself" (Philippians 3:20-21).

The Father thus fully acknowledges the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and acts on it by resurrecting our bodies when Jesus comes back. The guarantee of our bodily resurrection is the resurrection of Christ. This is not a general resurrection for He will bring back only those who fell asleep in Christ and no others.

The comparison would be more exact if Paul had said, "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so also will God raise us up." However, departed Christians are spiritually with Christ in heaven and God will not raise their bodies until He brings back their souls and spirits to earth. This is why they come back "with Him," accompanying Christ in the closest kind of association and fellowship. Paul will show how God will bring Christians back with Him in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18.

Principle
One day the Father will undo the work of the undertaker.
Application
For those who have placed their trust in Christ, the grave no longer has any victory, death no longer has a sting, and Believers do not fear death because they know that their resurrection is as sure as the resurrection of Christ. Even more, He will rapture us into His presence (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). (the rapture not the second coming)
"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4).

God will resurrect our physical body and transform it into a resurrection body first. Then we will meet the Lord in the air with a new resurrected body.

1 Thessalonians 4:15
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep"

For
Verse fifteen explains verse fourteen. "Since Jesus died and rose, it follows that God will…." Paul, building on the two great facts of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, does not present some novel analysis of his own about the Rapture. Rather, he makes these statements on the authority of Christ.

this we say to you by the word of the Lord,
Paul's authority for making statements came personally from the Lord Jesus by direct revelation. Jesus made no such statements when He was on earth. The Lord gave to Paul special revelation about the church (Ephesians 3:1ff) and the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Nowhere in all the history of Israel or the teachings of Jesus was there any information on the Rapture until this special revelation to Paul.

Paul's special revelation included two things: 1) there will be a special resurrection of departed saints in the church prior to the Tribulation period, and

2) Jesus will rapture the church to Heaven.
This is the first time the New Testament explains the Rapture of the church in writing. This is brand new truth. The Lord alluded to the Rapture in John 14:1-3, but this is the first formal presentation of the Rapture in writing [John wrote long after 1 Thessalonians].

that we who are alive
First, Paul deals with the special resurrection of all church saints prior to the Tribulation period. Those who "are alive" here are believers still alive when Jesus comes again. They never experienced death.

The idea of resurrection was not new. The Old Testament taught about resurrection and so did Jesus. The Old Testament consistently associates the resurrection of Israel with the Tribulation, particularly at the end in connection with the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 26:19 with 16-18, 20-21; 27:1; also 26:1-15 for Millennium; Daniel 12:1-2).

Martha knew that there would be a resurrection of Israel when the Messiah returned to set up His earthly kingdom (John 11:24). This is a resurrection of Israel at the Second Coming [in distinction from the Rapture] at the end of the Tribulation.

Paul includes himself in those he named as living and remaining at Christ's return, because he was not at all certain whether he might die first. He believed the Lord's return could occur at any moment in his lifetime. He was disappointed, but not mistaken.

The Rapture is a signless, timeless event that is always imminent. Jesus can come at any time. Each generation of Christians have justification to expect the Lord to come in their generation.

and remain
The word "remain" means be left behind, survive. These are those who survive bodily until Christ comes back. No Christian will leave until God wants them to leave. None of us can stay here if God wants us to go and none of us can go if God wants us to stay.

until the coming of the Lord
The second component God uniquely revealed to Paul was the Rapture. The idea that the Messiah would come to earth and raise the dead saints of Israel in the Old Testament was not unique to New Testament Christians. However, the idea of a Rapture was unique because there is no hint of this concept from Genesis to Malachi.

The word "coming" means a presence. It comes from two words: with and being. The coming of the Lord will be the time He will be with us. He will arrive and we will stand in His presence. Paul uses this term for His presence in contrast to His bodily absence.

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…" (Philippians 2:12).

When the New Testament uses "presence" for the Rapture of the church, it signifies not merely the momentary coming of Christ, but His presence until He manifests Himself to the world. It is a reference to His advent, arrival. Jesus at that time will be at hand in person.

There are three Greek words for Christ's coming. The New Testament uses 2 terms for the Rapture and for the Second Coming (when He comes to earth on the Mount of Olives). Only the context can determine whether it is the Rapture or Second Coming.

There is an important distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming. The Rapture is a private coming for the church, whereas the Second Coming is a public coming where every eye will see Him.

The Rapture is for the Body of Christ only. In the Rapture, Jesus will come in the clouds to catch away the church (Body of Christ). The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is no longer in the church. At the Rapture, God changes the believer's body into a body like the resurrected body of Christ. In the Second Coming, Jesus will come to earth to establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14:1-4).
Satan no longer is loose on earth. At the Second Coming, the desert will blossom like the rose.

Principle
The Rapture is a New Testament revelation.

Application
The blessed future of the church is the Rapture. The church will not enter the Tribulation.

"…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…" (Titus 2:13).

will by no means precede those who are asleep
The word "precede" means to come before. Those still living when Christ comes back will not precede in the Rapture all those who died before the Rapture. Jesus will raise all dead bodies of all Christians of all ages before He raptures the church.

There seems to be some silence in the Bible regarding the state of those who die now in Christ. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". On the other hand, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 we read, "the dead in Christ will rise first."
 
Two truths are affirmed in these biblical statements, both concerning the status of those who die as believers. First, death is a bodiless state in which we are present with the Lord. That means in the spirit. Second, "the dead in Christ will rise first" applies to the sequence of events at the return of Christ; namely, that the resurrection of our bodies -- those who have died -- will immediately precede the Rapture of those who belong to Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The union of glorified bodies and spirits will be forever!

Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

If our spirit returns to God, then why does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 say "the dead in Christ shall rise first"? Are we in the grave until Christ returns or do we go to heaven as soon as we die?

The grammar of the text suggests, that at death, believers go directly in the spirit to heaven. As we travel back toward the first century, we can see that the word precede has within itself a chronology.

When Christ returns, there will be the union of the resurrected body and the glorified spirit. Since the human spirit is eternal, it goes immediately at death into the presence of the Lord. The topic of life after death will be discussed in more articles. The reason is because there are some passages that being considered as controversial require particular attention and examination. If we are to believe that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord means our human spirit and which is eternal and our body of flesh are joined at death then what is our passage in 1 Thessalonians referring to?

Pastor Chuck Smith writes, “Peter, writing about the same things said (1 Peter 1:8), whom, having not seen, you love.  And though you do not yet see Him now, yet you rejoice with the joy that is unspeakable and full of glory!  I don’t see Him yet, but yet by faith, I rejoice.  I have a joy that is indescribable!  It is full of glory in the anticipation of the completed work of God in my life when I stand before the throne, complete in Jesus Christ, redeemed by His blood, with the whole family of God, to spend eternity in the glories of His kingdom.  In the anticipation, there is that joy.  There is that hope and the rejoicing with joy unspeakable, full of glory.
 
“We are confident, (verse eight) I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.  I would rather be absent from this body.  Now I know as long as I’m in this body, I’m absent from the Lord.

 “But oh, I would rather be absent from this body, that I might be present with the Lord.” In First Corinthians, chapter thirteen, Paul, speaking of Jesus Christ, says, now we see through the glass darkly, but then face to face.  And how we long for that time when we see our Lord face to face.  Now through faith, through the glass darkly, but then one day, face to face.  So willing rather, I’d rather be with the Lord, and I’m confident that I’m going to be.  And I’m willing rather to be absent from this body and to be present with the Lord.”
 
Next,
The words "no means" are very emphatic. The reality of deceased Christians joining live Christians at the Rapture is without doubt. God has a plan, not only for the resurrection of Israel but also for us as individuals.

The body sleeps, not the soul. The New Testament guarantees that those forming the class of living believers at Christ's return shall in no wise precede Christians who died before the Rapture. This shows that those who died did not die by accident. The Lord deliberately chose a specific number to die, whereas the living were deliberately left over. It is absolutely impossible for living saints to get the advantage or start over departed saints.

The reason is obvious. Deceased believers whose souls are in Heaven have a part in the coming of Christ from the very start. They are like those in the first division of a parade that are associated with the dignitaries, marshals and escorts. Living believers are like a division that joins the parade along the line of march not as spectators but as participants.

Principle
Souls in heaven will joins living people on earth in the resurrection of their bodies from death.

Application
Christians should not get the idea that when believers go to heaven they are somewhere in outer space sleeping in nylon nighties!

That is a fairy tale that is more like a nightmare! When we go to Heaven, we will be more awake than we are now. Our souls and spirits will be in heaven fully conscious, but our bodies will remain on earth until just before the Rapture when God will resurrect our bodies and transform them so they will be just like the resurrection body of Christ (Philippians 3:21).

Christians in heaven will join living people on earth in the resurrection and rapture of their bodies to Heaven. Their souls and spirits will join their bodies in the Rapture of the church.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first"
Paul now shows why the living will not precede the dead by elaborating on the prophetic order of events at the Rapture.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
“The Lord Himself” - use of the intensive pronoun means “Himself…and no other!”

  Greek “Lord” kurios is used for the word Yahveh in the OT
The word "descend" literally means to go down. The Lord Himself will descend personally from heaven to the sky.

The word "shout" carries the idea of a call, summons, shout of command.
“with a shout” - Greek: keleusmati from keleuo which means “to command” or “to order something to be done” - cf. John 5:24-29

Jesus will summon all believers to be with Him in the clouds just as a general would summon his soldiers or an admiral, his sailors. Such a shout both demands and expects instant compliance even in the heat of battle. The call knows no defeat in the conflict and conquest.

with the voice of an archangel,
An "archangel" is an angel of exalted rank, the highest rank of any angel. “with the voice of the archangel” - Jude 9 tells us his name – “Michael the archangel” - the leader of all the holy angels - cf. 2 Thess. 1:7
The rapture is one of the greatest interventions into the affairs of men in the history of the universe. It is backed by all the authority, power and majesty of heaven.

The Rapture not only marks the culmination of the progressive sanctification of the saint but also the completion and glorification of the church. No wonder Jesus shouts with the voice of an archangel. This is an announcement of the victory of the redeemed over sin and the world.

and with the trumpet of God.
“with the trump of God” - representing the voice and approval of God Himself  cf. Rev. 9:13; 10:7; 11:15-17; - cf. Psalm 29:3-4

A trumpet is a wind instrument usually made of bronze or iron broadening out to a megaphone. Ancients blew the trumpet on solemn occasions to stir up others to get their attention. This was true of the seven angels of Revelation. They used the trumpet in war for various signals of military actions. Trumpets in the Old Testament were a signal to God's people (not to the lost).

This signified the approach of God to His people and their assembly before Him (Exodus 19:13, 16-17, 19), the ongoing march (Numbers 10:2), movements in battle, divine deliverance and great festival occasions. God's trumpet sound is an indication of something momentous. This is the divine summons that the church has awaited for centuries.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.
This phrase is an explicit statement about the resurrection of the believer from physical death. The word "rise" literally means to stand up or to make to stand up. Jesus will cause believers to live physically again.

Dead believers will rise before living believers (1 Corinthians 15:52). Not just any person will rise from the dead but only those who are "in Christ." This phrase refers to the spiritual position into which God places Christians when they believe in the death of Christ to forgive their sin. The Bible never claims that the Old Testament saint is "in Christ." Christ makes positional truth possible by virtue of His work on earth. Death does not disturb our spiritual union with Christ.

Principle
God is able to rebuild a decaying body into a resurrected body.
Application
God will restore our present physical bodies in the resurrection into a likeness of the resurrected body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself" (Philippians 3:20-21).

This resurrection of physical bodies into the likeness of Christ's resurrected body is only for those who have a right relationship with God. We enter this relationship when we place our trust solely in the death of Christ to obtain forgiveness for our sins.

1 Thessalonians 4:17
"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord"

      This passage gives us a chronological sequence of events related to the Rapture.

Then
The word "then" means afterward, thereupon, thereafter. This word denotes succession in numbering and shows chronological sequence. The word "then" strongly opposes the former state of resurrecting the dead.
This is an entirely different event. The previous verse explained the place of the dead bodies at the Rapture. This verse explains what happens to those living when Jesus comes again.

We who are alive and remain
By the word "we," Paul includes himself in those who might be living at the Rapture. He was disappointed but not mistaken. Paul's expectation of the Rapture kept him on the tiptoe of anticipation of meeting the Lord face to face.

Principle
Spiritually Healthy Believers live in anticipation of the Lord's return.
Application
A healthy Christian lives on the tiptoe of expecting Jesus' return. Jesus may come today, glad day! Are you living in anticipation of the Lord's return?

shall be caught up
The words "caught up" mean “to seize”, “snatch away” “carry off by force”.  Jesus will take the church away from earth suddenly and by force in the Rapture.
This is a signless and timeless event. Note the use of the Greek word for "caught up" in the following verses: Matthew 11:12; 12:29; 13:19; John 6:15; 10:12, 28,29; Acts 8:39-40,40; 23:10; 2 Corinthians 12:2,4; Jude 23; Revelation 12:5.

together
The word "together" marks a link in place and time. Living Christians associate with the resurrected bodies of past saints in the Rapture. The Rapture of the church into Heaven is the next event on God's prophetic timetable.
Christians will accompany Christ back to Heaven. He will take us by force. He will suddenly seize us and carry us off in order to claim us for Himself.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 'In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also'" (John 14:1-3).

Principle
Once again we see the Rapture is a signless, timeless event whereby we will accompany Christ to heaven, body and soul.
Application
No prophetic event needs to occur before the Rapture. The church does not need to enter the final apostasy. Israel does not have to possess fully the land of Palestine from the Euphrates to the River of Egypt.

The church does not have to evangelize the world before the Lord comes for her. None of these things need happen before the Rapture. However, all these things must occur before the Second Coming. It is crucial to distinguish between the Rapture and the Second Coming to keep a proper prophetic perspective.

The Rapture is a signless, timeless event. No one knows the time. Therefore, we must live in the light of His unannounced coming.

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).

with them
The "them" here are those physically raised from the dead in verse 16. We will reunite with our loved ones who died as Christians.

in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
The New Testament used the word "meet" for the arrival of a magistrate. This word carries the idea of an official welcome of a newly arrived dignitary. Our meeting of the Sovereign Lord of the universe will be the most auspicious and awe-inspiring occasion of the ages. This is when He takes us, His bride, the church, to Heaven. The church will meet the Lord in the "air." This is the earth's atmosphere, the space immediately above the surface of the earth.

And thus we shall always be with the Lord
The principal purpose of the Rapture is to "be with the Lord." We will live in fellowship with Him eternally. We will never be separate from Him. As well, nothing will separate us from fellow believers either. We will never say "goodbye" again.

Principle
Jesus will bring the church into endless, blissful fellowship at the Rapture of the church into Heaven.
Application
At the Rapture, bodies of Christians who died and went to Heaven will rise first (4:16). These are those who died before the Rapture. Immediately after Jesus comes, they will rise from their burial place. Immediately following that, God will rapture both those whom He resurrected bodily and those then living into the air. From this point, all Christians will be with the Lord forever. What a blessed reunion! First and foremost, we will reunite with the Lord and then secondly, we will reunite with those we love. The Rapture completes the church. From this point on, there will be no more division or separation. And yes, if departed saints were in the Sea, blown up, or burned at the stake they will have a new body.

1 Thessalonians 4:18
"Therefore comfort one another with these words"

Therefore
The "therefore" shows that a purpose of the Rapture is "comfort." Christians will reunite with their bodies. God will both raise the physical bodies of believers and Rapture them. He will Rapture those living when He comes. This is comfort for Christians. “Comfort one another with these words.”

God puts His promises on paper. He challenges believers to comfort one another with the promise of the Rapture. Paul asks the Thessalonians to comfort one another in the loss of their loved ones with this truth. They can rest on God's truth. There is a difference in the Christian's grief verses the non-Christian. His grief is not permanent. We will meet our loved ones again. We anticipate that day. This changes our view of life and death.

Principle
The Rapture comforts those who lose loved ones in death.
Application
The idea of the Rapture frightens some people. Those who live in unconfessed sin probably do not anticipate Christ's coming. Sin blunts one's desire to meet the Lord. Death is a certainty. Christians may meet physical death [if the Rapture does not occur] but they will never face eternal death.

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…" (Hebrews 9:27).

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…" (Romans 8:1).

Christians pass into eternal life the moment they accept Christ. This is our great hope. The bleak, barren pit where we put our loved ones will come alive at the Rapture.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).

"You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:8).

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20).

Author: Jeff Russell
Week of: January 10-16, 2020

Are You A True Believer?

For many years now Pastor Terry Reynolds and I have been writing on living in the last days. You see, many people view God as a sort of cosmic bellhop sitting on a damp cloud passing out cheap forgiveness with no need of repentance. Not too long ago I asked my students a question, “What is the Gospel?”  to my surprise not one person gave me a proper biblical answer. A few quoted John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”

A few years ago, I asked someone if they were a Christian? Looking rather bewildered the reply came, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME, IVE BEEN GOING TO THE BAPTIST CHURCH SINCE I WAS 4 DAYS OLD!”

Without hesitating I smiled and said, “Wow! My cars is more saved then you are because it’s been driving me to church every day for years.” I added, “if your salvation is predicated on how often you go to church, then by virtue of that, if I stand in my garage often enough and long enough, I could become a car.” Folks let me tell you before we go any further, the apostle Paul addressed this issue in the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians verses 1 through 4 when he wrote to them to correct many doctrinal errors.

We read: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”
1 Cor. 15:1-4

There are many people who with no lack of sincerity, a considerable amount of zeal, earnestness and dedication, try to live the Christian life and fail miserably.

Over the years, we have discovered two main reasons why this is a reality for so many professing believers. The first reason is that they are trying to live a life they haven't got!

One man who was certainly not lacking in zeal, charisma, or dedication, for Jesus was at a dead loss because his soul hadn't awakened to the fact that he was born dead. Colossians 3:3

He was a man who tried to live a life he didn't have, made a fool of himself by making a vow to God that he couldn't keep, simply because he didn't know the condition of his own heart. Though he promised the Lord Jesus that if needs be, he would die for him, he ended up, within a matter of an hour cursing, swearing and denying that he ever knew Him.

Don't be shocked, the Lord Jesus wasn't because he knew about Peter what Peter didn't know about himself, that he was born dead. You see, his soul hadn't awakened to that fact, and so he had never repented in true repentance in admitting that he was a sinner and needed exactly what God had in mind when he sent his Son who said when he arrived, I'm here to give dead men just exactly what they need, "life." Jn 8:12

In other words, resurrection life, which of course is the beginning of the Christian life. If you haven't been raised from the dead, then you haven't begun to live the Christian life because, as yet, you haven't become one.

Peter didn't know that and that's why he made promises that he couldn't keep. He was trying to live a life he didn’t have. So, let's turn to John's gospel in chapter 20, and we will talk about two other people, just briefly, who made the same mistake that Peter made.

You see most people assume that because in the gospels these men and women are called disciples that they were Believers. But the disciples, as they are described in the gospels, were not Believers. They were trying to live the Christian life, but without the Christian life to live. There were no Christians until Pentecost, because a Christian is someone who being born dead has been raised from the dead and now shares a life for which man was created, The life that was lost in Adam in the day that he believed the devil's lie thinking he could be functional without God. Humanism!

That is the spirit of the age, that some of you with children are allowing them to be taught day in and day out, week in and week out, that man is nothing more than the end product of an evolutionary process, a big bang.

That is humanism, when man is his own god. Well the disciples were still in that condition. That's why they thought they could live a life they didn’t have. They didn't see the need of what Christ had done on the cross or was then still to do, any more than the vast majority of people today and a large majority of those who will be in church buildings tonight don't realize why the Lord Jesus had to do what he did because they don't know why he did it!

In the 20th chapter of John's gospel, Mary stood at the sepulcher weeping. What was she doing there? What day was this? (Never read the Bible in a hurry.) This was that third resurrection morning when the Lord Jesus was to be alive again. Well, why was Mary at the tomb? Well, she was looking for a dead Jesus. Because, although the Lord Jesus for three solid years had warned them of that purpose for which God the Father had sent him into the world, that he would die and rise again from the dead.
In effect He was reassuringly saying, “Don't panic when you see me hanging on a cross because that's not the end, that's the beginning.”

Mary didn't believe this at the time any more than Peter did or the others. That's why when the Lord Jesus in Matthew 16 said, I am going to the city of Jerusalem and there I will be delivered into the hands of wicked men and be done to death, but the third day I will rise again. Do you remember Peters response?

Peter said, “oh no, say not so Lord”. That's not on our agenda. And the Lord Jesus turned to Peter in his misguided dedication, because he was trying as he thought to defend the Lord Jesus and protect Him from His own stupidity. He wasn't going to allow the Lord Jesus to die. And, because he didn’t know why He needed to die on that cross, he tried to prevent it!

He, in his ignorance, stood between Christ and the cross. And the Lord Jesus turned, remember, in Matthew 16, to Peter and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan. You are an offence, that savor not the things of God.” Your theology is of the earth.

Again, Mary no more believed in the resurrection than Peter did. That's why in the upper room, the apostles after the death of our Lord Jesus suddenly heard noises on the stairs, thought it was those who crucified the Lord, and you can just imagine that Peter probably turned to the others and said, “Here they come. I knew they would. You can't tell me that I didn't try to prevent this. Now we are going to die. Goodbye John, die bravely.”

What a bunch they were. These were disciples, named to be apostles, trying to live a life they didn't yet have. So, Mary was there at the tomb because she didn't believe that Jesus would rise again from the dead, survive the death that she, with Peter and others, tried to prevent. She stood at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down to investigate the sepulcher. Who was she looking for? Well Jesus of course!

She saw two angels in white, sitting. The one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said, "Why weepest thou?” In other words, what's your problem?" And said she to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him."

Now, just keep the place there in John 20 and see a parallel record there in the last chapter, the 28th, of the gospel of Matthew. And you need to make a slight amendment to that last verse because the translators have here written what could be misleading.

In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. The end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.

Well, in the original of course the word Sabbath isn't a singular word it's a plural word. Sabbaths. Because you see there were two Sabbaths in a row. Most people imagine because of Christian tradition that Jesus was crucified on Friday, but of course he wasn't. The Lord Jesus said, "as Jonah was three days three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the tomb."

If the Lord Jesus had been crucified on a Friday, Friday night, Saturday night, risen Sunday morning, first day of the week, how many nights would he have been in the tomb? His body, well two. And neither the Lord Jesus nor the Bible makes that kind of a mistake because God wrote it, authored by the Holy Spirit. The revealed truth that found its consummation in the person of the living word, who implemented the written word.

In the 19th chapter of John, the Jews sent messages to the Roman authorities saying, "please send soldiers to smash the legs of the men who are hanging on a cross." And it tells you in parenthesis, they did this that they might not desecrate the Sabbath. But just in case you and I should think that that was Saturday the Jewish Sabbath, it tells you loud and clear that Sabbath was a high day.
Please don't confuse it with Saturday, the normal Jewish Sabbath. It was a high day. What kind of a Sabbath was it that Friday? The Passover Sabbath.

It just happens to be that the Passover Shabbat then occurred on a Friday and not on a Saturday, so there were two Sabbaths in a row. That's why its only translators who make mistakes, not the one who authored the book.
Friday was a Shabbat; Saturday was a Shabbat. They couldn't work on Friday; they couldn't work on Saturday. That's why they didn't come ‘til the early morning on Sunday with spices and ointment to embalm the dead body of their risen Lord. Crucified on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night. Three nights His body lay in the tomb. Jesus didn't, because He wasn't there. Christ was never put in the grave, only His body.

When the malefactor, one of those two who was crucified with Him said, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Said the Lord Jesus, "verily, verily I say unto you," not tomorrow, not in two days, not in three days, "verily, verily I say unto you, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

So where did the Lord Jesus go when he died physically? Not to the grave, but to paradise. I mean it wouldn't have been very good news for the Lord Jesus to say to that malefactor, "I've got good news for you. I'm going to take you today to the grave. Are you excited? You are going to be buried with me! Aren't you just excited?" You see, tradition dies much harder than truth. We are brainwashed into so-called Christian tradition, which is divorced from the reality that God gives us in His incredible book.

In the end of the Shabbat, the two Shabbats, plural, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake." A little disturbing on a Sunday morning. "For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men." That was the scenario when the women came on that resurrection morning to embalm the dead body of their living Lord. Were they believers? No. Although the Lord Jesus had told them, don't panic, the third day I will be risen from the dead. Meet me in Galilee. That's the appointment I am making with you right now.

The angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not, don't be frightened. I know that you seek Jesus. I know why you are here; you are looking for Jesus. But you haven't found him because you are making two big mistakes. And the second mistake you are making is as a result of the first mistake. I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. What tense is that? That's the past tense. He said, the first mistake you are making is looking for him in the wrong tense. You are absolutely right, he was crucified.

That's exactly why he came into this world. That's why he declared, "to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, to lay down my life a ransom for many." You are right, he was crucified. But because you are still looking for him in the past tense you are looking for a dead Jesus.

And because you are looking for him in the past tense, you're looking for him in the wrong place. You see if you look for Jesus in the wrong tense you will be looking for him in the wrong place.

Has the Lord Jesus been relegated to the past? Countless so-called Believers who are ostensibly Christians, are living in the past tense or the future tense, the Jesus who was and the Jesus who will be. The one who died upon the cross, and they give mental assent to the fact that he rose again from the dead, here imagining that all he did that for was to go to heaven and welcome us when we got there. So, they are waiting for the Jesus who will be.

But between the Jesus who was, and the Jesus who will be, they live in a spiritual vacuum. Instead of living in the power of the resurrected Lord, clothing Himself with the redeemed humanity of forgiven sinners. Those, who by virtue of their availability to Him as living individual members of that new body corporate, are letting God loose in the world in which they live.

So between the Jesus who was and the Jesus who will be, they limp through time until finally they imagine they will crawl into heaven on their hands and knees, covered with dust and blisters waiting for Jesus to thump them on the back and say, "Well done my good and faithful servant. You made it." What a miserable concept of the Christian life. Sweating it out for Jesus. Doing your best for God, as though he was in that kind of trouble.

So, because they were looking for Jesus in the wrong tense, they looked for him in the wrong place. Maybe you are doing the same. Maybe your Jesus is still, in your mind, hanging on a cross or buried in the tomb.

At best, you're going to wait for Him until one day he comes again, as indeed he will. And far, far sooner than most of us would dare to believe. We are right on the threshold of that momentous event. He's knocking on the door. Everything around you is saying Christ is on his way. How marvelous is that. I don't anticipate, even at my age, of dying before Jesus comes. I'm not going to go to heaven by underground, I'm going first class, by air.

Said the angel in verse 6 of that 28th chapter of Matthew, "He is (present tense) not here." You're looking for him in the past tense. That's why you are looking for him in the wrong place. But he is not here. He's risen. He's alive. As he said, “come see the place where the Lord lay.” Come with me, said the angel and I will show you where he isn't. And then you go and tell his disciples where he is. In precisely the place where he said he would be waiting for you, in Galilee, after his resurrection. Did Mary believe that? No. That's why she was still hanging around the tomb looking for a dead Jesus after he was risen from the dead.

Now back in the 20th chapter of John's gospel, and the 11th verse, Mary stood at the sepulcher weeping. As she wept, she stooped down, looked into the sepulcher, and saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain (past tense).

“Woman why weepest thou?” What's your problem? “Because they've taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him.” And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, saw Jesus standing, but knew not that it was Jesus because she was looking for a Jesus of the past. Not the Jesus of the present: the eternal, timeless, unchangeable I AM. Jesus said, Woman, verse 15, why weepest thou?

Whom seekest thou? And she, supposing him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir if thou had bid him thence tell me wither thou hast laid Him and I will take him away.” If you are the one who has removed the body, please tell me where you have put it and I will arrange for it to be removed.

This is Mary. Did she not love Jesus? Oh yes. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. But she clearly did not grasp what it was all about. You see, Peter thought it was a matter of the will. “Though all men forsake you, I won't. If there is one man you can count on, Peter's the name.” Mary thought it was a matter of the emotions. So long as you had a deep, affectionate emotional love for Jesus so that you wept every now and again that was enough.
That's the Christian life. Well, the Lord Jesus might have said to Mary, "if this is your concept of what it means to be a Christian, just be emotionally stirred, go high on Jesus every now and again and have a good cry, then you go your way and I'll go mine. You establish your own Christianity, but please don't call it Christianity. Goodbye Mary." But he didn't. Any more than he said to Peter, "If you think Christianity Peter is a question of your willpower, your go go, your enthusiasm, your dedication, your do it for Jesus, uh, you go your way, I'll go mine.” But he didn't. Any more than he said to Mary, you go your way, I'll go my way. He didn't, because he is the good shepherd. And the good shepherd calls his sheep by name.

The Lord Jesus told the women to go and tell his disciples that he would meet them, as he had said and promised in Galilee, because he is a promise keeper, not a promise breaker. And he added, by the way, when you have told my disciples don't forget to tell Peter.

He's the only one who Jesus named of the disciples when he sent the women to tell them to meet him where he was waiting for them. Because you see, he is indeed the good shepherd. Peter had failed miserably, cursed and swore, even though he promised to die for Jesus. He knew that he was broken hearted. When he heard the cock crow a second time, he wept bitterly.

It's a marvelous thing in your life when the cock crows, because the cock crows at the dawn of a new day. And until He's broken your heart, He'll never find it. But He'll only break your heart of course when you wake up to the fact that you were born dead and you've been trying to live a life you haven't got.

The best news I can tell you right now, is that you have never ever been a bigger failure than Christ expects you to be. Isn't that encouraging? Do you know why? Because He knows all there is to know about you. He knows the worst about you and loves you just the same. There is only one who loves like that.
So, said He to the women, "tell Peter, don't forget to tell Peter." Because he probably is in such distress of mind at his failure that he will never imagine that I'll look at him again, let alone talk to him. Tell Peter.

And Peter was there on the day of Pentecost. Said Jesus, “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” Supposing him to be the gardener she said, “Sir, if thou have born him away, if you've hidden the body, tell me where it is and I will remove it." And Jesus said to her, vs. 16, "Mary."

And she swung around. He called her by name. You see He is the good shepherd and He calls His sheep by name. She turns herself and said, "Master," and recognized that Jesus was alive. She rediscovered Jesus. No longer to be found in the tomb, no longer to be hanging on a cross. But again. This is the heart of the gospel. Not that Jesus died, that isn't the heart of the gospel, although essential, imperative to man's reconciliation to a Holy God. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. But the heart of the gospel is that this Jesus who laid down his life for you and for me to reconcile us to a Holy God, rose again from the dead that he, having suffered a death like ours, paying the price for our sins, made it possible for you and for me to now share his resurrection. That's the gospel.

That's why Paul in the 17th chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, says “if Christ be not risen from the dead my preaching is vain.”

No matter what I tell you about the cross and no matter what I tell you about the blood he shed, no matter you shed your tears as they trickle down your cheeks at the sight of God's dear son hanging on a Roman gallows, if that's all I can tell you, if Christ be not risen again from the dead my preaching is vain, your faith is vain and you are still in your sins.

But now is Christ risen. That's the heart of the gospel. Not that Jesus died, but that Jesus is alive! He’s alive and I’m forgiven… If you are still clinging to an old rugged cross, one of the most pagan hymns in the book, then you've missed it. I love that old cross. Oh, beautiful sentimental song you know you are deeply emotionally moved.

In the 24th chapter of Luke when the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room they shrieked in terror and thought they had seen a ghost. At that stage they were always seeing ghosts. When the Lord Jesus walked on water they thought they had seen a ghost. And when the Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, appeared to them in the upper room they thought they had seen a ghost and shrieked in terror. And the Lord Jesus said, "Why do such thoughts arise in your heart? Behold my hands and my feet. Handle me and see.”

We are told here, verse 24, Thomas, one of the 12, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. And the other disciples, of course, couldn't wait for Thomas to arrive. They had finally settled with the fact that Jesus was alive, an event that totally revolutionized their lives. For the first time they discovered why Jesus died: not to get them out of hell and into heaven, but to get him out of heaven back into them!

Something took place on the day of Pentecost when they were born again, raised from the dead, restored to life. They were re-inhabited as creatures by the Creator to become the human vehicles of His divine activity so that He could continue to do and continue to teach the things that He had begun to do and begun to teach in His own body. That's what it means to be a Christian: a member of His body. And you can only be a member of His body by sharing His life. These fingers on my hand are not members of your body; they are members of mine because they possess my life. They don't possess yours. My hands don't do what you tell them, any more than your hands do what I tell them. A Christian is somebody who is a member of the body of Christ, because they have been born again, born from above, they've been regenerated, the renewing of God the Holy Ghost. God on his terms, redemption, putting that life back into man for which man was created, lost in the day that Adam believed the devil's lie that he could be functional without God: Humanism.

With an artificial limb, would it be a member of my body? No, no more a member of my body than that boy, girl, man or woman who has simply been christened, confirmed or baptized, man or woman, is a member of the body of Christ simply because they've been through a ritualistic process which is purely external to that miracle that takes place in spiritual new birth.

That fabricated part, that imitation finger, could only become a member of my body by a miracle whereby it suddenly becomes inhabited by my life, and is related to my head, as every other member of the body, and does as it is told. If I just had an artificial half of that finger stuck on the end, then you could tread on it all day and I wouldn't complain. But if you were to tread on my little finger, I would say, "Pardon me, you are treading on me."

And you might say, "No, I'm not. I am only treading on your little finger." And I would say to you, "I really could not care less whether you are treading on my finger or my face. Get off!" And if you didn't get off, I would mobilize the other members of my body and give you some assistance.

Well, these rubber dummies that I have been talking about, that was the disciples before Pentecost. Before they enjoyed that resurrection, whereby a man passes from death to life by the once crucified but risen Lord, come to reinvade their humanity in the miracle of spiritual regeneration. Listen, not by any works of righteousness which we have done. According to God's mercy He saves us by the washing of regeneration. The renewing of God the Holy Ghost. The coming back of somebody to live in somebody.

That's what happened at Pentecost when the church was born. That was the baptism of the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ that Paul talks of in the 12th chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians. You can't be baptized by the Holy Ghost after you have been born again because new birth is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you haven't been baptized into the body of Christ by becoming the recipient of His resurrection and life, you're not a Christian; you are still dead. Little wonder then that when Thomas finally, one of the 12, called Didymus, verse 24, who was not with them when Jesus came and the other disciples all excited waited for him to arrive. They were going to tell him the fantastic news Jesus is alive! They said, "we have seen the Lord." But Thomas said to them, "except that I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Was he a Christian?

Peter didn't want the cross and didn't believe in the resurrection.
He said, Not so, Lord. That's not gonna happen to you! Mary didn't want the cross and didn't believe in the resurrection. That's why she was still hanging around an empty tomb looking for the dead body of our risen Lord. Were they Christians? Can you be a Christian and deny the need for the cross and repudiate the suggestion that God raised Him from the dead? If you can become a Christian on that basis then we're wasting our time.

You need to get that new Bible, published by the Oxford University Press. But you won't have Christianity; you will have another religion called Christianity. Thomas, he thought that seeing was believing. Where God in His Word constantly tells us that believing is to see. You see, he thought it was a matter of the will. Mary thought it was a matter of the emotions. Thomas was now convinced it was a matter of the mind, that he had been led astray into the idea that Jesus, who was the Messiah, died for his sins and rose again from the dead.

He said, forget it! I pitted my life on that idea, but it all came to an untimely end on Roman gallows when the one in whom I put my trust died ignominiously like a common criminal. I will believe nothing, not now! Not unless my mind can grasp it. Unless it's compatible with my intelligence.

Thomas, trying to live a life he hadn't got. He wasn't lacking in dedication. When the Lord Jesus insisted that he was going to the city of Jerusalem where He said, I'm going to suffer, it was Thomas who said, "If you must go, I'm coming with you." That was sheer dedication. To somebody who now he repudiated, I will believe nothing unless I can see it; unless I can put my fingers into the print of the nails, thrust my hand into his side. Unless it's reasonably intelligent to my mind. Nothing, I will believe nothing!

After 8 days, again verse 26, Thomas was with them. This time when the Lord Jesus came he was there. A bit of a shock for a man who will believe nothing that can't satisfy his intelligence because the Lord Jesus came through a door that had been shut. That must have been quite a surprise. Then came Jesus, middle of verse 26, the doors being shut. He walked straight through it, a closed door, and He stood in the midst and said, "Peace be unto you." And then there was a sort of icy hush as the Lord Jesus quietly moved across the room with eyes for nobody but Thomas. He stopped in front of him. Said He to him, "Reach hither thy finger.

Behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand. Thrust it into my side.” You said you would believe nothing now that would be a challenge to your intelligence. Okay, satisfy your intelligence. Stick your finger into the print of the nails; put your hand into my side. And be not faithless but believing. Thomas, you've got your feet on the ground now. You believe that Christianity rests upon academic excellence.

That only what satisfies the intelligence and the mind of man can possibly be true. Okay, we'll say goodbye. You go your way and I'll go my way. You establish your own religion that doesn't need a God who created the universes and put them into space or upholds them by the word of His power. You don't need somebody beyond human intelligence to be the foundation for your new religion, but please don't call it Christianity. We'll say goodbye. But He didn't say goodbye, because He is the good shepherd, and He calls His own sheep by name. Knows the worst about them and loves them just the same. Only one who loves like that.

Jesus, verse 29, said to him, "Thomas," He called him by name, “because thou hast seen me thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." They don't demand to be smarter than God, the Creator, to practice their religion. And Thomas answered and said to Him, verse 28, "My Lord, and my God." And on the day of Pentecost Peter was there and Mary was there, and Thomas was there.

What happened on the day of Pentecost? That's when they were risen from the dead. That's when they became the recipients of that life that the Lord Jesus laid down, the Father restored to Him so that He might restore by His presence, that life to them. He tells us about it, Peter, in the first of his two epistles. Let's just have a glance at that. 1 Peter, chapter 1.

First, Peter had to discover the absolute necessity of that that he tried to prevent. The 18th verse. This is Peter's testimony, because something has happened to Peter. It happened at Pentecost, according to the promise of the Father. The gift of life to those who were born dead. Regeneration, the renewing of God the Holy Ghost. God reinvading a man's humanity on the grounds of redemption based on a repentance, that recognizes the fact that he was born dead and needs that which Jesus came to give life.

For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God, that He alone has the right to restore, is everlasting life. It's all through Jesus Christ, Our Savior. For as much then, he says, 18th verse 1st chapter of Peter's 1st epistle, For as much then as you know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from our vain behavior according to the traditions of the Father, a dead religion, a religion that was apostate, the theologians of whose day crucified Jesus.

Who claimed the right to reinterpret the scriptures so that they would say what they thought ought to have been said? Said the Lord Jesus; "You search the scriptures. In them you think you have eternal life. They are they that testify of me, but you will not come to me that you might have what my Father sent me to give: life." Said the Lord Jesus to these the theologians of his day, who constantly boasted of their academic excellence and biblical knowledge of all that Moses had to say He said, had you believed in Moses you would have believed me.
He wrote of me. But He said, how can you believe in me if you don't believe in Moses? All you do is spend your time thumping each other on the back and congratulating each other on your academic excellence until the day when you nailed God's incarnate son to a Roman gallows and incited the crowd to say, "Away with him. Crucify him." Heal our aches and pains? Yes. Fill our stomachs any day. But reign over us, never!

Well Peter has learned something since then. For as much as you know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold or anything that money can buy, for in your vain behavior received only by tradition from your fathers. We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish. Verily foreordained before the foundation of the world. I thought He was drifting to disaster.

I stood between Him and the cross and said, Not so, Lord. But now I realize that He was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. That He didn't drift to disaster, He was born conceived of the Holy Ghost, dead on schedule. Lived that sinless life to the Father's total satisfaction. The one alone of all mankind since Adam fell of whom He, God, could say, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

Good, very good. My beloved son. Not bisexual, son. Verily foreordained before the foundation of the world. Manifest in these last times for you who now do believe in God who raised Him from the dead. Something's happened to Peter. He's proclaiming the shed blood of Jesus, a death he tried to prevent. And now he's declaring Him to be raised from the dead by God himself that He might be manifest for our salvation. Something's happened to Peter. Who by Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead, verse 21, and gave Him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. Being, verse 23, born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the living word of God. The word which lives and abides forever. The everlasting, ever living word.

A divine. Something that God had to say then wants you and me to know now, that was brought to its glorious consummation as the written word of God in the person of the living word of God. The lamb. Said John the Baptist, "behold, the lamb that taketh away the sin of the world.”

The word of the Lord', verse 25, last verse of that 1st chapter, 'endures forever." And this is the word. Redemption for the blood He shed new birth by the gospel which is preached unto you." When was Peter born again? When was he raised from the dead? When did he receive that newness of life? Well he tells us in the 1st chapter, verse 3. The same chapter, the same epistle.

"Being born again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." I love the way it's written in the Amplified New Testament, very accurately translated. "By God's boundless love we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Born anew into an inheritance which is “beyond the reach of change and decay." New birth. When was Peter born again? Well he tells us, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It took His death upon the cross to redeem me, but it took His resurrection to regenerate me. Don't confuse being redeemed with being born again. To say I'm redeemed is not to say I am born again.

To say I'm born again is not to say that I am redeemed. You cannot be redeemed without being born again and you cannot be born again without being redeemed because they are simultaneous in time. But one demands the death of Christ for us; the other demands the life of Christ in us. How can they be the same thing? His life in us was the result of His death for us.
Because it is only His death for us that cleanses us from sin that qualifies us to become the recipients of His life in us. Regeneration is that purpose for which

Christ died. Born again by His resurrection from the dead. He explains that in the 2nd of his 2 epistles. Look at it.

Verses 3 and 4 of the 2nd of Peter's 2 epistles. According as God's divine power has given us. You can't earn it, you can't deserve it, you can't be educated into it, it is something which God by His divine power gives. According as God's divine power has given to us all that pertains to being alive. What would you say pertains to a man being alive who is born dead? Well the gift of life.

That which pertains to being alive, being a Christian. Not becoming one, being one. It's the gift of life to those who were born dead. Resurrection. And that which pertains to being alive – the gift from God to us of that life man lost in Adam is that he continues in the same verse is that which pertains to godliness.
According as God's divine power has given to us all that pertains to being alive, and that life that pertains to being alive is that which pertains to being god-like. Because the fruits of righteousness are by Jesus Christ for the simple reason that in that moment of redemption something wonderful happens whereby is given unto us verse 4 exceeding great and precious promises that by these, we might be partakers of the divine nature.

Doesn't that baffle you? Doesn't that blow your mind? That in the moment you came as a guilty sinner self-confessed as one born dead of a fallen heir of a fallen Adam and said Thank you Lord Jesus, that as my Creator God you are prepared to be born a human being, emptying yourself, humbling yourself, making yourself of no reputation.

The New English Bible says, "making yourself nothing" so that as man you could do what, as God, you could have never done, you died. Took my place on the cross so that risen from the dead on that day of Pentecost I might become a partaker of the divine nature in the gift to me of the one through whom the Father then lived in you and through whom now the Holy Spirit, you Jesus live in me. What an incredible salvation.

A Christian is somebody living in somebody. Christ living in your heart. Colossians 1:27, your only hope of being restored to glory. Image, likeness. Because that gift of life, Christ living in your hear,t is your only hope of god-likeness. Righteousness not to be achieved, that's beyond our reach. But He has made us unto Himself wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption.

A forgiven sinner, little boy, little girl, man or woman out of any nation, kindred, tribe or tongue, race, creed, class or color, re-inhabited by the Creator who by His presence put back into man what it takes to be functional. Christ was functional because He allowed only the Father as God to clothe His deity with His sinless humanity. And as my Father said, He has sent me, and I am going to send you. You and I are functional only in the measure in which others can see us today and reflect the glory of Jesus, as others looking at Him then, saw the Father. That's what it means to be a Christian.

The measure in which you are functioning as a Christian isn't how much you are engaged in some Christian activity, how many Bible verses you've memorized. The measure of your spiritual maturity, how much you have grown up, is the measure in which others, your mom, your dad, your children, your work mates, your fellow drivers on the road, know who's behind the steering wheel. That's Christ in action. The coming partakers of the divine nature.

So, what's the potential clothed in the redeemed humanity of any little boy, girl, man or woman who has become on the grounds of redemption by a spiritual new birth a partaker of the divine nature, God in a man. What's the potential? It's as big as God. In other words, every time a little boy, girl, man or woman receives Christ as Redeemer, God places a divine seed within the soul. It's a story waiting to be told.

That's why Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 to 10, the two verses 8 and 9 are well known. The third, the most important, is hopelessly neglected. By grace you are saved. God's riches at Christ's expense. Grace. By grace you are saved through faith. In response in God's faithfulness to your faith that says, I know I need exactly what you came to do.

By grace you are saved through faith. That salvation that is God's gift is not of works lest any man should boast. Nobody will be able to flex his muscles and say, "God I made it. You've accepted me because of my performance on earth." “There is none righteous, no not one. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But by grace we are saved, through faith. The salvation that we receive through faith is not of ourselves. It is God's gift. Recreated in Christ, verse 10, unto future good works, a program which God has before ordained that we should walk in.

In other words, the moment by faith claiming the grace of God His loving kindness expressed to guilty sinners there is placed within you a divine seed, a divine nature. God places a story within your heart, waiting to be told.
When that divine seed was clothed with His sinless humanity, when that little baby boy was born at Bethlehem, there was a story waiting to be told. There was brought to its glorious consummation in the day that on the cross the Lord Jesus cried, "finished", "Tetelestai", "paid in full”, Father, mission accomplished. I'm coming home. A story that was perfectly told.

On the cover to this little blog there's an oak tree. Before it was a tree it was an acorn. An acorn is essentially an oak tree nut.

Like other nut trees, each species of oak produces its own unique acorn, and individual acorn characteristics differ depending on species of oak. And don't forget the basic principle, that in planting anything you must have fertile soil. I've got in my pocket a story that's never been told. You may or may not be able to see it. But that's a story that has never been told. It's an acorn and wrapped up in an acorn is a mighty oak. Every leaf and twig and root is wrapped up in the seed that God by creation planted within this acorn, creating each after their kind to reproduce after their kind. Genesis in chapter 1. But although God planted that seed in this acorn it's a story that's never been told. You may, as I have done, gone to California and you've looked at those giant redwoods, one in particular 3,000 years old. Where did it all begin? In a seed, smaller than an acorn. But it's a story that's being told for 3,000 years, and still being told.

When you were born again you became a partaker of the divine nature; so that indwelt by the Lord Jesus, added to the Lord as an individual member of his new body corporate, He might continue to tell the story of man's redemption. For you and I represent that humanity through which the Lord Jesus continues to reach out to a lost world. It could well be that you have a life that you've never lived. Here is potential that's never been released. A story that's never been told. Wrapped up in that tiny acorn, the massive oak. It's a miracle and a mystery. But it's a miracle and a mystery that was never made manifest. I can hold it in my hand and hide it because the story has never been told.

When were you born again? When claiming redemption did Jesus Christ God creating come to live within your humanity so that He could implement the plan for which He first made you and has now redeemed you and indwelt you? Are you a story that's never been told?

Growing up I was totally untaught, reared in a religious home where Christianity was Christ less; religion was without the Holy Spirit. I was totally unaware at that time of all the implications. I didn't realize that when Jesus came to occupy my humanity, He came to tell a story that has reached now to the uttermost ends of the earth.

Jesus said to a young man named Andrew in the 12 chapter of John’s gospel "except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone." It lives on, but never becomes more.

We have it hear for our inspection.
20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would to see Jesus.22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again, Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.23 And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

You see Jesus remembered in the feeding of the 5000 the theses young men had forgotten the miracles they had witnessed earlier and in effect wanted Jesus to stop preaching, go into town and buy food.

In effect Jesus was saying to them that the whole world would (wants) to see Jesus and unless you die to your self-seeking, self-serving ways no one would ever see Jesus through their lives.

How is it with you? Can you look back to the day when Christ, the divine nature, came to occupy your humanity, to tell that story that He began? Or in the end will you be nothing more than an acorn? Potential never realized. A life received, but never manifest. Potential that was never released. A story never told. I am talking about being a Believer, not becoming one.

Being one, that's a story being told. This acorn is a story that has never been told simply because it was never willing to die to what it is. So that in God's timeless purpose it might become what it was intended to be. So, as you picture an acorn in your mind, you are not looking at an oak, you're looking at life encapsulated from which it could never escape because this seed was never willing to die.
Once again I ask you, when claiming redemption did Jesus Christ, God creating come to live within your humanity so that he could implement the plan for which He first made you and has now redeemed you and indwelt you?  We are living in the very last days and our Lord will soon return to take us up with Him. Are you Ready?

On behalf of Pastor Terry Reynolds and the whole family at Agape Chapel, remember He Has Risen!
Jeff Russell

Are We Living in the Last Days?

We receive continual questions about the phrase “the last days” and people want to know if we are now in the last days or at least getting close to it.

We have commented on this matter several times and because of the interest in the subject we return to some basics about this matter.

While on the Mount of Olives, Jesus’ disciples asked, “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
The disciples too were intensely interested in what world conditions would be like at the time of the end—yes, the end of this world! Jesus goes on to describe, not the permanent end of Earth’s existence, but rather the end of this age—the world as we know it to be, ruled by Satan
(2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 4:4). “For then shall be great tribulation,” Jesus said, “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

YES – we are NOW in the “last days.”

We Read in Joel 2:28-3
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (KJV)

This prophecy in Joel is quoted in Acts 2 and the Bible makes it clear that the term “last days” began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts when the Church was born.  We read in Acts 2:17-21:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And it will continue until the end of the tribulation period (“the Day of the LORD”) when the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the Nation of Israel (Ezekiel 39:29; Zechariah 12:10).

All during the “last days” the work of God in pouring out His Spirit refers to the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles. It has gone on now for over 1900 years.

Are we living in the last days? Well, the Bible tells us that as the coming of Jesus draws closer, increased lawlessness will cause hearts to become callous.

Near the end of these “last days” a period of time will come which the Apostle Paul calls “perilous times” (II Timothy 3:1-7). Reading over the
18 characteristics of these “perilous times” would lead one to suspect that we are now in that dangerous time of deception and sinful behavior.

Yes, deception is all around us and there has never been a time in history where we need to cast off the cares of this life and press on toward the prize that awaits us.

The completion of the “last days” will happen when “the Day of the LORD”
takes place.

The term is used 25 times in the Bible and refers to Daniel’s 70th week of his prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 and refers to the coming “Great Tribulation” which our Lord and the writers of the New Testament have referred to often.

It appears to be seven years in length and will begin with a false sense of peace and security and a resolution of the conflict between Israel and her hostile enemies.

The attempt to bring that resolution or peace agreement about is, of course, going on now.

What the final result will be and when – is known only to God.

The “Day of the LORD” refers to the time when God’s revenge takes place upon a world that has rejected Him and His authority.

It is the subject of most of the Book of Revelation. It is the “day of God’s wrath” upon planet earth.

The Bible uses terms such as “deception” “darkness” “distress”
“destruction” and “death” etc., to describe this period of time. sounds familiar doesn’t it!

The world will be plunged into the greatest period of desolation and disaster that humanity has ever seen!

Over one half of the world’s population will be killed before this coming trouble is half over!

Bible scholars and teachers disagree about many details concerning the future. There are some who think that there will be no future tribulation, and that all the prophecies of the Book of Revelation were fulfilled in 70 AD with the Roman invasion and destruction of Jerusalem.

I believe that the events of the tribulation are yet future.
The important thing in all of this discussion is to make sure of your own relationship with the LORD through His Messiah, our Savior from sin, death, and hell.

Bible truth has the power to change lives. Ephesians 4:22-24 But some of the most ungodly acts take place under the veil of religion.

People will simply adjust to sin as the new normal. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? How else can we explain New York law-makers passing a bill that allows a full-term baby to be killed? Later I read, that the lights on the 9/11 memorial tower shone pink in celebration. If that’s not evidence of cold and callous hearts, then I don’t know what is.

In Luke 17 Jesus tells us, “as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” He repeats the reference, citing the days of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. So, what characterized the days of Noah and Lot that’s also evident today?

Ezekiel wrote, The sin of Sodom was great, for it was pride full list of bread and abundance of idleness. People are busy doing life without any thought to the kind of life they’re living. They are wrapped up in seeking pleasure and profit without any concern for God. Secondly, ignoring the warning of God’s judgment. As a matter of fact, Noah’s neighbor’s laughed at the suggestion. Again, sounds familiar.

We see the warnings of 2 Timothy 3 already taking shape. Most religious expression in the last days will be powerless. Preachers craft culturally appealing messages that lack the authority of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to carefully consider the consequences of ignoring this warning. Spiritually cold hearts are home to spiritually dull minds. Truth is discerned through the lens of Scripture, not by feeling emotionally right even if it’s biblically wrong.

Sadly, there’s plenty of measurable evidence that the Church hasn’t heeded these warnings. For years, the unaddressed issue in evangelicalism has been pornography. Pure Desire Ministry now has clinical research revealing widespread sex addiction in local churches, even among pastors. If that wasn’t bad enough, The Houston Chronicle just reported over 700 alleged victims of sexual abuse by 380 Church leaders and volunteers since 1998. Even the good news is bad. The reason fewer marriages are ending in divorce is that more people are living together out of wedlock. The Church has adjusted to sin as the new normal.

I don’t know how close we are to the rapture and to the second coming of Jesus. I do know, however, that we are closer today than yesterday.
There is nothing left on the prophetic “to do list” to prevent the rapture from taking place today. Scripture doesn’t tell us these things to make us afraid, but to alert us, build our faith and so we could encourage one another with the truth of God’s Word.

As believers watching prophesy unfold, we need to actively guard against wanting God’s judgment to consume our lost world.

Noah and his family took no pleasure in the sounds of those perishing outside the safety of the ark. The Lord still desires to save. Today, you will cross paths with people who will die and spend eternity separated from Jesus Christ. The question is, are we too self-absorbed and spiritually calloused to care?

If we truly believe that Jesus is coming soon, then we need to be busy telling those folks that It’s high time we awoke out of our sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

There is NO OTHER WAY (John 14:6; Acts 4:12-13)!

It was His death on the cross over 1900 years ago that paid the price of our sin, and He is NOT dead – He’s alive, and He’s coming back again!

He is the only sufficient payment of sin before a Holy God, and it is our prayer that you will receive Him, trusting your life and future to Him alone – And be saved!

“BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED!” Acts 16:31
Merry Christmas Friends
Terry Reynolds
Jeff Russell

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, ...not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof (Romans 13:11-14).

Jesus Christ never intended for His people to be taken by surprise at His coming. He intends for you to be totally aware of the time of His return, so that you would be watching, waiting, and ready when He comes again. Scriptures that refer to His coming again as "a thief in the night" do not refer to the way the Church will experience His return, but to the way the world will see it. The coming of Christ will take the world totally by surprise - but not the Christian. Paul said, "You are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. You are the children of the light" (I Thessalonians 5:4,5).

"Knowing the time." The children of the light know that the coming of the Lord is very near. We know we live near the end, because God has placed so much evidence and proof in the world events around us - signs that are intended to alert us to the hour and the day in which we are living.
If the Jews of Jesus' day had only known the time of His coming, they would never have rejected Him. They would have received Him.

Actually, the Jews should have been looking for their Messiah to come the very year Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. If they had been reading their Scriptures and had been properly taught the Word, they would have known exactly when the Messiah was due to appear.

Daniel had revealed that it would be 483 years from the time the commandment went forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah the Prince. Since the commandment went forth in 445 B.C., the Jews should have been looking for their Messiah precisely when He arrived 483 years later. Daniel received this prophecy when he had been studying the Word of God. He knew that a dramatic year was arriving. Daniel knew through studying the Scriptures that the 70 years of the Jews' captivity in Babylon were about over, according to the prophecies of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 25:11 said, "They shall serve the king of Babylon for 70 years." After some basic mathematics, Daniel knew the time of Israel's repatriation had come. He started praying and seeking the Lord concerning any special part He had for Daniel in the return of the people to the land.

Because Daniel was familiar with the Scriptures, he was aware of the world events around him. If you're in the Scriptures and studying the Word of God, then you should also be aware of the events that are happening in the world around you. You'll be privileged to know what they really mean!

The problem with the Jews in Christ's day was their lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. When Christ came they weren't expecting Him. They were expecting their King to come with regalia on a white charger or in a great chariot. But the Scriptures had said, "Behold, your King comes to you. But He's lowly, He's riding upon a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9) So, when Christ came riding on a donkey, they turned up their noses .

Today, we see people who are versed in so many areas of understanding, but they're totally oblivious to the fact that we're coming to the end of the line!
There is no reason why any believer should be taken by surprise when Jesus returns. Even as the Word of God gave so many signs and indications concerning His first coming, it also gives us many signs and indications of events that will be a forewarning of His second coming.

When I looked at the paper the other day, six of the seven articles on the front page were of prophetic significance! They were prophesied in the Scriptures as events at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. All around us are signs and indications that the coming of the Lord is at the door.
It's amazing to me that so many Christians are planning their lives as if they'll be here for at least another 20 years. Do I believe the Lord will return within 20 years? You bet your life I do! I don't want to be around 20 years from now, anyway. If what the ecologists say is true, it's going to be a very unpleasant world 20 years from now!

Alerted

A young girl came up to me the other day and showed me her arm. There was a rash all over it. She said, "This is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy! I went to my doctor, and he said that this rash is a result of ultraviolet radiation. He said there are many cases of skin irritation due to ultraviolet radiation, because of the depletion of the ozone in the atmosphere."

If those who have been warning us about the dangers of aerosol propellants are correct and we continue to deplete the ozone blanket, 20 years from now you won't dare walk outside in the sun. If you decide to go to the store, you'll have to travel in a little mobile cubicle with protective shields. (See Revelation 16:8-9)
But you're going to have a hard time propelling that little vehicle because, according to estimates, we'll be out of fossil fuels by then. And the experts haven't developed anything else which is even close to replacing fossil fuels as our major energy source.

According to an interesting book about these crises, scientists fed various factors and data regarding the world, its population, the food supply, the ability to grow food, etc. into a computer. Each time this information was fed into the computer to find out what the world would be like 20 years from now, the computer said, "The world can't last that long... there's not enough fuel to take you there... the ozone will be depleted to the point where life will be totally endangered... the population will be so large that you'll be unable to feed it."

Actually, 15 million people are dying of starvation this year. Two out of three people being born will suffer permanent brain damage from lack of protein in their diets during the developmental years.
There are the exotic super-weapons that are being developed. How much longer can we go until one of these is released by accident or on purpose? The terrorists in Europe are now talking about stealing a nuclear device and using it as their next threat of blackmail.

There are devices that might even be worse than the nuclear weapons. Our forces in Europe have been trained concerning a new nerve gas that has been developed by Russia. We have already received a kit with an anti-toxin for this gas. It contains a spring loaded needle. Hit yourself in any part of your body and the needle will go right through your boots or your clothing and inject this serum into your body. You have fifteen seconds from the time of exposure to the gas to inject the anti-toxin, or you'll be too late. You have ten seconds to analyze and determine whether or not you've been exposed to the gas. If you use the anti-toxin when you haven't actually been exposed to the gas, the anti-toxin will kill you.

What kind of a world are we living in when we have only ten seconds to judge, and if we make a mistake we lose our life? What kind of world will it be 20 years from now? And who wants to try to exist in that kind of world!
When you talk about the coming of the Lord, the world says, "You're a prophet of doom!" If you ask me, a gloomy message is what the ecologists are saying about our future. As I look around the world, I take great comfort in knowing that it won't be long until the Lord comes!

I look around and see the turmoil. I see, as the Scripture says, "the distress of nations with perplexity." The word "perplexity" translated from the Greek actually means "no way out." We don't know what to do! The economic experts are as confused as the public. They don't want to admit it, because they're afraid we'll panic.

The Bible says that the night is far spent and the day is at hand. The night of evil, the night of misery, the night of darkness of man's history is about over!
When I woke up just before dawn this morning, I looked outside. I could see vague outlines. I could make out the nearby trees. It was getting a little light in the eastern sky, just enough to see my way around. I knew that it wouldn't be very long before the sky would be getting brighter and brighter. And then the day would dawn. Now there was a sign and evidence. The faint light in the eastern sky told me that the day was at hand.

When my wife and I were awaiting our first child, we came to the day the doctor said would be the probable date of birth. But our child wasn't born. We waited another day. Still, she wasn't born. We waited a third day, and she wasn't born. I didn't throw down my hat and yell at my wife, "You deceived me! I don't think you're going to have a baby!" No. I still believed that our baby was coming. There were positive signs and evidences. I couldn't tell you the day or the hour. I didn't become an unbeliever just because it didn't happen the day we thought it was going to happen. In fact, with every day that went by we knew that the baby's arrival was more and more imminent.

The Lord must be coming any time now. We know that we're getting closer with each passing day. That's what Paul meant when he said, "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Romans 13:11).

Prepared
Realizing that the Lord's coming is due at any moment, how should we live in these final days of grace? First of all, Paul says that we should cast off the works of darkness. These works are described as rioting, drunkenness, chambering (sexual immorality) and wantonness (sexual immorality with no shame), strife and envying.

Christians living in this polluted world are under tremendous pressure. My mother used to say, "Son, any dead fish can float downstream with the current. It takes a live fish to swim upstream against the current." She said, "You'll be faced with a tide of evil, and the easy thing is to flow with it. But that only proves that you're spiritually dead." She said, "Be alive unto God. Be alive unto Jesus Christ. Dare to go against the tide!" Thank God for mothers who give that kind of advice to their sons.

Every once in a while, I hear my wife quietly sobbing. I go into the room to see what's wrong, and her hands will be over her face. She's a very beautiful and sensitive person. The newspaper will be in front of her. She's so sensitive to people and to suffering that, when she reads some of the things that are happening today, it just tears her up inside. My wife has too much empathy for the tragic victims of this crazy world in which we live. She cries for that little child who's been beaten or cruelly tortured and who doesn't even know why. Sometimes, I have to get up and turn off the television because her reaction is just too great. The stuff that people are doing is just so shocking that a sensitive person is completely torn up by it. It's sad to me that our children, being exposed to it for so long, have somehow built up an immunity to the violence of these days.

In light of these things, how should a Christian then live? "Let us put on the armor of light." The literal phrase in the Greek is "weapons of light."
Did you know that there are weapons of light? Truth is a powerful weapon of light. What a power the man has who uses the weapon of light in a dark and evil world, the man who will not bow his knee to Molech, the god of the flesh, but who stands strong in the face of the corrupt society around him. Another powerful weapon of light is love. We're to put on love and let God's love fill our hearts and our lives.

What is destroying our whole system? Greed. We want someone else to make the sacrifices. Let someone else quit their driving. I'm not willing to sacrifice. Look at the whole economic upward spiral. Why? Because the laborers are demanding higher wages in order to buy the higher priced goods. The manufacturers are saying, "We've got to put higher prices on the merchandise so we can pay the higher wages." Greed drives inflation even higher.
Where's it going to end? It's almost over! The night is far spent. The glorious day of the Lord is at hand!

Paul next exhorts, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." He is the Light. Oh, that we will walk in His strength, His ability, and His power! It's only through Him that we have any chance at all in this world in which we're living. If you don't appropriate the power and strength of Jesus Christ, you're a goner!

If you believe you're only a product of accidental circumstances, a series of evolutionary changes, then life for you is meaningless. But life is real. Life is earnest. The grave is not the Christian's goal. Dust thou art, to dust returneth was not spoken of your soul!

God has a plan and a purpose for you. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and discover the glorious life that God has for you. Life with meaning, a life of beauty, a life of joy, a life of love, as we walk in the Spirit, and as we, through Him, become a light in this black, darkened world.

Make no provision to fulfill your flesh's desires. Don't give it an opportunity. If you do, it can take over and bring you under its power and control. Knowing the time, it's high time that we wake up. It's almost over. The cry goes forth. "Behold, the bridegroom cometh!" Jesus said, "Be ready!" - for they that were ready went in to the marriage supper! (Matthew 25:6).

Our Glorious Gospel
By Pastor Chuck Smith

When Jesus began His public ministry, He went into the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He was handed the Scriptures. He turned to the Book of Isaiah and read this portion to them:

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-2a).

After reading it, Jesus closed the book and said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:16-21).

Jesus closed the book after the reading, but Isaiah's prophecy doesn't stop there. Let's read on.

And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, that garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified (v. 2b-3).

The glorious "good tidings" that we proclaim to you today is God's glorious message to man. In a world filled with so much misery, strife, and trouble, it's good to hear some good news for a change.

Message for the Meek
Reading the newspapers or watching the news on TV gives a sad commentary upon man's existence. Oh, how ready we are for some good news! The Gospel is good news, but who is it for?

In reading from Isaiah, Jesus declared, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings," the Gospel "unto the meek." The Gospel is for the meek, those who are conscious of their inadequacies and needs and are reaching out for help. The best way to understand the word "meek" is to separate it: me...ek. When I realize how "eeky" I am, I know what meek is all about. The Gospel is for those who recognize their need for something more, who are dissatisfied with their current status, who desire a better life.

Many people today are very satisfied with their lives. They're satisfied with their possessions and situations. The Gospel isn't for them. Other people today are extremely proud of themselves. The Gospel isn't for them, either.

The Gospel Message
What does the Gospel do? First, it is meant "to bind up the brokenhearted." We've seen Valentine's Day cards that show broken hearts. Sometimes the heart is broken through the middle and sometimes it is totally fractured. Our hearts often break because of unreciprocated love. We have a deep love for another, but it's not received and accepted. This causes our hearts to break. I wonder how many times God's heart is broken over us.

Our hearts often break over our own failures and weaknesses. We promise ourselves that we'll do certain things, but we don't seem to be capable of achieving them. So, we experience heartbreak over our inadequacies. Our desire to be what we apparently can't be and to achieve what apparently is beyond our capacity causes personal heartbreak.

The Gospel has come to bind up the brokenhearted, to let us know that we can be what God would have us to be. The good news is that we can achieve, attain, and experience a love that flows and flows and doesn't quit. The second thing that the Gospel does is "to proclaim liberty to the captives." Paul spoke of those who had fallen in the snares of the devil and had been taken captive by the devil against their will (II Timothy 2:26). Many people today have fallen into the snare of the devil and have been taken captive by the devil against their own will. In another passage Paul referred to those "who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).

We often use the term "free moral agent," but it's almost a misnomer. To say that a man is a free moral agent when he cannot help but do the things he does is a contradiction. If some compelling force is driving you to do things even when you don't want to do them, you're not free. You're a captive.

Sin often comes to you with a sugar-coated covering. You taste it and "Wow!" you plunge right into it. After the sugar is gone, you taste the bitter portion and try to spit it out. But now it's lodged in your throat and you can't get rid of it. If you're controlled by a cigarette habit or if you've got to have a drink, don't tell me you're a free moral agent. You're a captive - and the bitterness is just pouring into your system.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ has come to set free those who are captive. He can break every snare and deliver men from all the bondage of corruption that has held them in its power.

The third thing the Gospel does is "the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Today the Gospel will open the prison that you find yourself in.

When we were in Ecuador, the missionaries told us that if we get involved in a car accident, even if it's not our fault, the best thing to do is to go immediately to the airport and catch the next plane out of the country. When you're involved in an accident down there, guilty or innocent, you'll land in jail. You have to stay in jail until you can prove you're innocent, but you may not get a court date for five years. And in Ecuador they don't feed the prisoners. Someone on the outside has to feed you or you'll starve to death. And that's one of the nicer things about the jails.

I've also heard about the Mexican jails. If you get thrown in, your influence in the United States doesn't mean anything to the judge. They say the best thing is to stay out, because once you're in, you're really in. I don't know how true that is, but

I don't want to experiment to find out.

Let's say that you're in jail in Mexico. You've tried every way to get out. You've written to the Mexican government, the American consulate, the UN. You've done everything, and you've finally concluded that you're not going to get out. So now you want to escape. Someone comes along and says, "I have a friend who can get you out."

"How can your friend get me out? Man, I've tried everything."
"He can."
"What makes you so sure?"
"He's freed thousands of others." Really! What do I have to do?"
"Just trust him." "But how's he going to do it?"
"I don't know. He has his own ways. But I know he can."
"But if I don't know how he does it, I'm not sure I want to trust him."
"It's your choice, friend. Either rot in jail or take a chance."

We find ourselves in the prison of our own lust and sin. The good news comes that there's One who can deliver us, set us free, open the doors of the prison and liberate us. But we've got to put our trust in Him completely. We've got to commit ourselves totally into His hands, trusting that He can do what He has promised. We can be assured that He's already delivered thousands out of that same jail. He has set multitudes free from the bondage of sin. He can set you free today from your prison, if you'll give Him a chance.

There is an urgency in this Gospel of Jesus Christ. "...To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Though the Lord is offering you this freedom today, His offer is subject to withdrawal at any time. You see, Jesus Christ is under no obligation to save you at all. He doesn't owe you anything. His offer comes to you strictly because He is so good and loving that He hates to see you in a mess. So He offers to set you free.

However, this offer will be withdrawn - just when, we don't know. God told Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Genesis 6:3). If you reject His offer today, you can't be sure whether the offer will be good tomorrow. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

We proclaim to you "the acceptable year of the Lord." "Now is the accepted time." Now is the time for you to receive this glorious Gospel. Now is the time for you to be set free.

There is coming a "day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2). His offer will then be withdrawn and men shall experience nothing but what they justly deserve for their sins: the "day of vengeance of our God."

The Gospel Power
What will the Gospel do for you? Verse 3 reads: "to give unto them beauty for ashes..." I love the power of the Gospel! I've seen the effects of the Gospel, and I've seen it bring beauty for ashes. Some people are burned out, wasted, and destroyed. I've seen the Spirit of God take those burned-out lives and remake, remold, and reshape them into new and beautiful men and women.

I think of Mike MacIntosh, the pastor of our church in San Diego. When Mike first came to church, he was totally burned-out. He had taken so much acid and speed that he thought a bag was over his head and a .45 pistol was going off inside his brain. He would hear the explosion over and over. As I watched this handsome but totally burned-out young man, I wondered if he would ever recover from the damage done to his brain cells. I saw God take these ashes and begin to work with them - mold, shape, and change. I saw God restore Mike's wife and children. I saw God restore all that he had lost through his own folly.

Today, I see that beautiful young man standing before a glorious congregation in San Diego, with the glow of Jesus on his face and the love of Christ radiating from his life. I realize the power of the Gospel gives "beauty for ashes."

"The oil of joy for mourning" (Isaiah 61:3). Many people today find themselves in deep depression and sorrow of heart, grieved not only over themselves and their inadequacies, failures, and inabilities to cope, but with all of society. Our glorious Gospel gives "the oil of joy for mourning." It will lift your life from depression, sorrow, despair, and despondency to joy and hope.

The Gospel will also give you "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3). Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy leaden..." (Matthew 11:28). If the burden you're carrying is heavier than you can bear, if you feel pressed down by life and by your circumstances, our glorious Gospel will fill your heart and life with praises unto God. How glorious to see people who once wallowed in the dejection and hopelessness of this world now walk with a spring in their steps, a smile on their faces, and the garment of praise covering their lives. That's the elect of this glorious Gospel.

The Gospel Glory
What is the purpose of the Gospel? That we "might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). God has done His work so that we might glorify Him. "To God be the glory, great things He hath done." As we see lives change - men and women set free and remade through the power of Jesus Christ, born again by the Spirit of God - we give glory to God for His work. These hopeless lives are now "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord." The changes are God's work wrought in them, and there is no other explanation for it.

So often a man who has fought against alcoholism has been defeated by it. His life is burned out, and he's now an outcast. You see him in the street in his pitiful condition. He has cried out for help. His family has tried to help him. But finally everyone has given up, and we call him a bum. As the power of the Gospel touches the ashes of his life and begins to turn him around, it changes and sets him free. The Gospel liberates him from that prison and makes of him a glorious person, beautiful to behold, a tower of strength within the community.
Only the Gospel can do that, and only God can be glorified for it. That's the purpose of the Gospel.

The Gospel Truth
You ask, "Just what is the Gospel, the good news?" Just this: Though you have failed and sinned, God loves you. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to set you free from your prison. If you'll put your trust completely in Him, He'll free you today, change your life, and make you what God wants you to be.
We have a glorious Gospel, but there's only one difficulty. To be effective it has to be applied. A fellow once asked a minister, "If your Gospel is so great, why isn't everyone a Christian?" The pastor responded, "If soap is so good, why isn't everyone clean?" Does the fact of dirty people testify against the value of soap? No. It works, but you have to apply it.

Have you?

The Rapture!
By Chuck Smith

Death to the Christian is so different than to the non-Christian that it's incorrect even to use the same term. For the Christian death is really a transition.

Paul said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better" (Philippians 1:21-23). Paul said that we who are in this body do groan, earnestly desiring to be delivered; not that we would be unclothed but that we might be clothed with that body which is from heaven (II Corinthians 5:2).

Speaking to the Thessalonians concerning their loved ones who had already died in Christ, Paul said,

I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as those who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. 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 [precede] 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, emphasis added).

Some people would ridicule the idea or concept of the Rapture of the Church. They declare that the word "rapture" isn't even found in the Bible. It all depends on which Bible you're reading. The phrase "caught up" in I Thessalonians 4:17 is the Greek word harpazo, which actually means "to be snatched away violently." The Latin equivalent of harpazo is the verb rapio, "to take away by force." In the Latin Vulgate, one of the oldest Bibles in existence, the appropriate tense of rapio appears in verse 17. Raptus is the past participle of rapio. Our English words "rapt" and "rapture" stem from this past participle. Although "rapture" isn't in the King James Bible, the basic word does appear in the Latin Vulgate.

What is meant by the Rapture?
The Rapture refers to that event where Jesus Christ snatches His Church out of this world. It shall happen suddenly without any notice. The Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are completely different. At the Rapture Jesus is coming for His saints.

In I Corinthians 15:51-52 Paul said, "Behold, I show you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will be changed [metamorphosis, a change of body] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." You won't even realize it's happened until it's all over. Suddenly, you're in the presence of the Lord with all the church!
We the Church will be changed. Paul wrote to the Philippians,

For our [citizenship] is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ: Who will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious [image] (Philippians 3:20-21).

Describing the metamorphosis Paul wrote to Corinth, "For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:53). At the Second Coming we will return with Jesus Christ. Jude 14 tells us, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints."
When Will the Rapture take place?

Jesus said, "No man knows the day or hour..." For us to presume to declare some date or some hour would be an unscriptural presumption. If we say we know the hour, we're boasting of knowledge superior to Christ's when He was upon the earth.

Although we do not know the exact time of the Rapture, in I Thessalonians 5 Paul said,

But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night. For when they will say, Peace and safety; then comes sudden destruction... But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief (emphasis added).

The Bible is saying that the Rapture shouldn't come to you as a surprise.

Why Should "That Day" Not Overtake Us as a Thief?
God has given to us the warnings that would precede the coming of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest signs to the world today is the re-establishment of the nation Israel. For years Bible scholars had looked forward to the regathering of the nation Israel based on many Scriptures (including Matthew 24:32), and applying expositional constancy (fig tree or figs in parables symbolize the nation Israel). Skeptics ridiculed this prophecy. Never in history had a nation been born out of the past, but a miracle has taken place and a nation has been reborn. God has reestablished Israel among the family of nations on the earth. God has fulfilled His promise even as He said He would.

Psalm 102:16 declares, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory." Because the Lord is building up Zion, the orthodox Jew today is looking for his Messiah. We are too! We're looking forward to this fulfillment of God's promise the coming again of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when its branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh even know that it [My coming] is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matthew 24:32-35).

What "Generation"?
Not the generation Christ was talking to, because they've passed - but the generation that saw the fig tree budding forth. The coming of Jesus Christ is "even at the doors." The rebirth of Israel should be a sign to every child of God!
Jesus said throughout the rest of Matthew 24, "Watch... be ye also ready." That was the constant warning to the Church: watch and be ready. In Luke 21:28 when Jesus was speaking of these same things, using again the parable of the fig tree, He said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Will the Rapture precede the Great Tribulation?
There are arguments and Scriptures that people can present for pre-, mid-, and post-Tribulation theories. My personal opinion is that Jesus will come before the Great Tribulation to rapture His Church. I don't believe that the Church will go through the Great Tribulation period.

In I Thessalonians 5:9 Paul wrote, "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul said the same in Romans 5:9 - we've not been appointed to wrath. Jesus, in the whole context of the Tribulation, said, "Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). My prayer is that I will be accounted worthy to escape all of these things that are going to come to pass upon the earth.

The Lord divided the Book of Revelation into three sections: "[1] Write the things which thou hast seen, [2] and the things which are, [3] and the things which shall be after these things [meta tauta]" (Revelation 1:19). John, in obedience to the commandment, wrote in chapter I the vision of Christ that he saw on the island of Patmos. In chapters 2 and 3 he wrote of the Church and the message of Jesus to the seven churches. Let's look at two of these messages where Jesus made reference to His coming again.

1. The church of Thyatira had introduced the worship of idols within the church. Jesus said,

I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel... to seduce my servants to commit fornication... I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds (Revelation 2:20-22, emphasis added).
The unrepentant church of Thyatira. which had gone into spiritual "fornication" (idolatry and saint-worship), was to be cast into the Great Tribulation unless, the Lord said, she repented.

2. To the church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10 Jesus said, "Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which is coming to try them who dwell upon the earth." The Rapture can happen at any moment - and it's exciting to realize that as a Christian you may never finish reading this article! After the close of the messages to the churches, Revelation 4:1 begins and ends with the Greek phrase meta tauta. "After these things," John said, "behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was a trumpet saying unto me, Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be after these things [meta tauta]" (emphasis added).

After What "Things"?
Jesus spoke of Church things in chapters 2 and 3. These must be the things that will take place after the Church is taken out of the earth. I believe that 4:1 of the Book of Revelation, is the place of the Rapture of the Church. That "voice" in heaven and "trumpet" are the same as in I Thessalonians 4:16. With the trump of God and the archangel saying, "Come up hither", we the Church will be gathered together with the Lord in the heavens.

What Happens After Revelation 4:1?
John describes the heavenly scene in chapter 4. In chapter 5 he saw the scroll with seven seals in the right hand of Him Who is sitting upon the throne. An angel proclaimed with a loud voice. "Who is worthy to open the scroll, and to loose its seals?" John began to sob convulsively, because no one in heaven or earth nor under the earth was found worthy to even look upon the scroll (Revelation 5:2-4).
Then one of the elders said, "Weep not, behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." John turned and saw Jesus as a Lamb that had been slain, "and He came forth and He took the scroll out of the right hand of Him Who sat upon the throne." Immediately, they brought forth the "vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and people, and tongue, and nation; and made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign with Him upon the earth" (Revelation 5:5-10). Notice the song that is being sung.

Who Can Sing That Song?
It's not the song of Israel and the covenant relationship with God. People from all the families of the earth, not just one family of Abraham, are singing. It's a people who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Only the Church can sing that song.

In Revelation 5:11 after Jesus takes the scroll, John said that innumerable multitudes, "ten thousand times ten thousands" worship the Lamb, declaring His worthiness to receive the honor, and the authority, and the glory. In Revelation 6 Jesus proceeds to loose the seals of the scrolls. With the very first seal there comes forth the white horse rider, "going forth conquering, and to conquer." This, I believe, is the entrance of the Antichrist, because he's followed by wars, death, famine, and desolation. Certainly, the Second Coming of Christ isn't going to be followed by such events, but by the glorious establishment of the Kingdom.

Now, Where's The Church?
Before the Tribulation ever begins the Church is in heaven singing and praising the Lord for His worthiness to take the scroll and loose the seals. The Tribulation doesn't start until the seven seals begin to be broken.

Then Why All The Confusion Concerning Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, And Post-Trib Rapture?
In Revelation 13:7, reference is made to the beast, "...making war with the saints," and he is given power to overcome them during the middle of the Tribulation period. Jesus in Matthew 24:29-31 said about His Second Coming,

Immediately after the tribulation of those days... they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

By defining "the saints" and "His elect" as being the Church you would have the Church in the Tribulation period. I believe "His elect" is a reference to the nation Israel, if you read it in context.

Christ said, "Pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the Sabbath day" when fleeing out of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:16-20). How many in the Church expect to be in Jerusalem fleeing when the Antichrist sets up his image within the temple? How many of you would be praying, "O God, don't let it be on the Sabbath day"? The Church doesn't keep the Sabbath day; that's God's covenant relationship with Israel. The fact is that Israel is "His elect." He's going to gather them back into their land for the Kingdom Age at His return.

As Paul said in Romans 11:25-26,
...that blindness in part [has] happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

"The saints" of Revelation 13:7 are also the same. They are God's nation Israel which He has now established again in a priority basis upon the earth during this last seven-year Tribulation period.

The mistake and the confusion regarding the Church's place in the last times arise out of a misunderstanding of God's full prophecies concerning the nation Israel. Israel will be going through the Great Tribulation. This will be the time of Jacob's troubles spoken of in Scripture (Jeremiah 30:7). This will be the time when, as even Jesus said, "You will not see Me henceforth, until you shall say, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:29). After the Great Tribulation period Israel will be saying, "O, blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus shall return again with His Church at the Second Coming of Christ.
Zechariah the prophet said, "And one shall say unto him; What are these wounds in your hands? Then He shall answer; Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zechariah 13:6). Thus, the glorious first recognition of Jesus as Israel's Messiah when He comes the second time with the Church to establish His reign upon the earth.

What Should I Do As A Christian?
In light of the fact that the Lord might come even today, there are certain things we should do. But first, let me tell you what you shouldn't do. Don't quit your job, sell your house, or see how much money you can borrow figuring you won't have to pay it back. Jesus said, "Occupy until I come" (Luke 19:13). He intends for us to go right on in our work.

Jesus said, "Watch" (Matthew 24:42). You should be watching. In Hebrews it says. "And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time" (Hebrews 9:28). You should be ready. Jesus said, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). Amos cried out, "Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12). You need to prepare. That preparation is in giving your heart and life to Jesus Christ, receiving His forgiveness and the blotting out of your sins and transgressions. And then wait. James said, "Be patient therefore, brethren, to the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman is waiting be also patient, establish your hearts" (James 5:7-8). II Peter 3:3-4 tells us that in the last days there would be scoffers that would come and say, "Where's the promise of His coming?" But "God is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness; but He is faithful to us" (v. 9).

The Question At This Point Is, "Are You Ready?
Consider the Lord proclaiming today, "This is the end for the church! You have finished your witness. Come home!" Would you be gathered with the church to meet the Lord in the air, or would you be down here scratching your head wondering what's going on?

How much better to go with the Church than to be left behind to face the Tribulation and all the horror coming upon the earth. Why make it tough for yourself when the Lord wants to make it easy on you? Why not just open your heart and life to Jesus Christ now? Why not just receive Him as your Lord and Saviour and, as He said, be ready. What do you need to be ready? Jesus Christ dwelling in your heart and in your life.

What About Those Who Miss?
At times there may be a hesitancy in our hearts concerning the coming of Jesus Christ because of what will happen to our unsaved family members when He returns.

Once we've been caught up, many of our loved ones, who have been hassled by our witness and upset with our testimony, will realize that they've actually missed the opportunity of being raptured with the Church. As a result, they'll become dead serious with God and will choose to be martyred during the Great Tribulation period by refusing to take the mark of the beast. They will choose death in preference to the mark and, thus, will be saved (Revelation 20:4).
In Revelation 7:9-14, John saw in heaven "a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds clothed with white robes" singing of salvation. The elder said to John, "These are they which came up out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (emphasis added). In Revelation 6:9-11 under the fifth seal, these souls martyred during the Tribulation period are waiting for their opportunity to enter the heavenly scene. They are told to wait a little longer until the total number be slain as they were slain.

Being a Tribulation saint is a hard way to come. As Jesus said, "For there will be
great tribulation..." such as the world never has seen before or ever will see again (Matthew 24:21). Why wait? Why slough off your chances of being in the glorious excitement of being with the Lord when he catches up the Church?

HAVE JESUS’ END TIME PROPHECIES ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED?
A Look at the Preterist Controversy.
By Jeff Russell
 
TO THE PRETERIST WITH LOVE
“That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the
Commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will
come in the last days, saying where is the promise of His coming?" (II Peter 3:2-4).
The word “preterist” is heard a lot on Christian radio talk shows, in academic circles, and on several web sites on the Internet these days. Preterist simply means “past” and the preterist view of Bible prophecy teaches that most, if not all end-time prophecy, has already been fulfilled (including the events of Revelation). According to Preterists, these prophecies were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. In fact they refer to Jerusalem’s destruction as the “fall of Israel.” Generally, preterists tend to regard those who support Israel and the Jewish people, and who are looking for our Lord’s personal return and the Rapture of the Church, as “escapists” - archaic in our thinking.

WHAT PRETERISTS BELIEVE
Some Preterists hold that these prophecies were fulfilled during the Bar Kochba war (135-150 AD), including the tribulation period and that we are “currently living in an inaugurated new heaven and new earth, since the  Book of Revelation had to have a first century fulfillment” (see Thomas Ice, Has Bible Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled - the Internet). Other Preterists believe that the events of Revelation were fulfilled during the first three centuries as God waged war on the two early enemies of the church: Israel and Rome, resulting in the “Christianization” of Rome under Constantine. They teach that our Lord returned “spiritually” at that time.

Preterism is an old and long-ago discredited view which, strangely, is becoming popular in evangelical circles. It stands on very weak ground, is grammatically deficient, is not supported by adequate scholarship, is historically unsubstantiated, does not hold to the personal return of our Lord, and violates sound principles of biblical interpretation. But, because it is being espoused by a very well known and respected Bible teacher who holds that the Church has replaced Israel and is the recipient of all the promises of God given to Israel, the Preterist view is gaining attention and growing momentum especially among young, elitist, evangelical clergy. At its root, it is an effort to compromise with liberal theological scholarship.

In this brief article we are offering you some of the views of the Preterists with a brief refutation. Space limits us from an exhaustive approach at this time. But this subject will be revisited from time to time in the pages of our newsletter.
Most Preterists argue that major prophetic portions of Scripture such as the Olivet Discourse and the Book of the Revelation were fulfilled in events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem. They suggest that the events had to take place before the end of the first century AD - within 40 years of our Lord’s crucifixion - to conform to their understanding of the word “generation” (Matthew 24:32-34).  They therefore also teach that all of these second coming prophecies were local, referring only to Jerusalem. We’ll discuss this in a later paragraph.
Another segment of preterists believe that there is yet a future “second coming” (Acts 1:9-11, I Corinthians 15:51-53;

 I Thessalonians 4:16-17) and the resurrection of believers at Christ’s return. The more extreme, however, hold that ALL future Bible prophecy has been fulfilled and that there is no future physical coming of Christ. Thomas Ice quotes R.C. Sproul in his book The Last Days According to Jesus, suggesting that “Jesus returned in the first century. He returned spiritually through the acts of the Roman army who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70” (Thomas Ice on the Internet).

It is clear that the Preterists’ views arise from a failure to “distinguish between the rapture which the Scriptures teach could take place without warning at any moment, and the second coming which will be preceded by the signs of Matthew 24. The New Testament teaches that Christ’s coming in the clouds to rapture His church is imminent (I Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 1:10; Titus 2:12, 13; Hebrews 9:28; I Peter 1:13; Jude 2; cf. Matthew 24:45-47; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:35-40) and is an event that could have taken place at any time during the last 2,000 years.

THE MATTHEW PASSAGES
Preterists rely heavily on three major “timing passages” in Matthew  which they believe demand a first century fulfillment.

The first passage is Matthew 10:23, “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another. For verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come.”

To be consistent with Matthew’s use of the term “coming,” this cannot be a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem as some Preterists teach, or a reference to the triumphal entry as other Preterists teach. It is a reference to a coming “in the glory of His Father,” and “with His angels,” the purpose of which is “to render to every man according to his deeds” (Matthew 26:27,28), a coming in which Christ shall “sit on the throne of His glory” (Matthew 19:28); a coming that will be visible (Matthew 24:27), sudden and unexpected (Matthew 24:37, 39, 44), a coming “on clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30; cf. 25:31, 26:64).

The second passage is Matthew 16:27,28  “For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”

Preterists call this another “time-text” indicator, supporting their contention that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 by the Romans fulfilled this prophecy. Since the text clearly refers to dying, its meaning is plain - some who were hearing Christ’s words would not die before witnessing some kind of “coming” of Jesus in His glory. This statement is true of several - namely Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1), who were shortly thereafter participants with our Lord at the Transfiguration. It is interesting that both Peter and John reference this in their epistles. In John’s case notably, he wrote his epistles nearly a quarter of a century after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The third and most widely used “time-text” employed by Preterists in their attempts to establish their thesis about Bible prophecy, is Matthew 24:34: “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” Preterists believe that the events of the Olivet Discourse and the book of Revelation had to occur within the next 40 years (which they interpret to be a “generation”), including the Great Tribulation. This violates both the facts of the discourse and the basic laws of biblical interpretation. It is part of Jesus’ discourse on the fig tree which most scholars believe is a reference to Israel, and it promises rescue for the Jews. There was no rescue for the Jews remaining in Jerusalem during its destruction in AD 70. Nearly a million perished. Here, Matthew speaks of a divine rescue which will occur at the return of our Lord (vv. 29 & 31). The fig tree is clearly meant to be an additional sign of our Lord’s return.

Furthermore, the weight of scholarship strongly supports that the Greek word genera used in this passage means race, posterity or nation, and is clearly a reference to the nation of Israel (see Zodiates, New Testament Word Studies, Lexical Aids, page 897). Israel, as the Bible clearly teaches, will survive, and will experience all of the promised blessings which God has promised them. It is surprising that Preterist spokesperson Gary DeMar dogmatically declares, “The integrity of the Bible (i.e. the Preterist view) is at stake in the discussion of the biblical meaning of 'this generation.'”  It is and clearly he is mistaken.

Furthermore, there is no interpretive principle to support the preterist teaching that “all these things” refer to a non-bodily, non-personal, coming of Christ through the Roman army in the first century. Interestingly, Matthew 24:33 notes that “it is near, even at the doors.” In fact, Christ’s Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24; Mark 13: Luke 21) does not contain a single sentence, phrase, or other term that requires a first century fulfillment, except for Luke 21:20-24 which speaks of Jerusalem’s destruction itself.
 
THE REVELATION PASSAGES
A fatal error of the Preterists is that they also rely very strongly on the meaning of 10 “time-text” passages in Revelation in which the term “quickly” is used - which they define without regard to anything else in each passages’ text or context to support their views.

A form of the Greek word for “quickly” (tachos) is used 8 times in Revelation (1:1; 2:5; 3:11; 11:14; 22:6; 7; 12,  & 20.  The tachos family of words may mean “soon,” or it may refer to the manner in which the action occurs, i.e., quickly or suddenly.

Dr. John Walvoord, former President of Dallas Seminary, points out that events which Daniel declared would take place “in the latter days” are in the book of Revelation described as shortly (tachei) - that is “quickly or suddenly coming to pass, indicating rapidity of execution after the beginning takes place.” The idea is that the event may occur soon, but that when it does, it will be sudden as to duration (cf. Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7, 18, 22; 25:4; Romans 16:20). A similar word tachys, is translated “quickly” seven times in Revelation as meaning “without delay, quickly, or at once" (2:5, 16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7, 12, 20).

One of the leading Greek lexicons in our day is Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich (BAG). The two times that the word tachos appears as a noun in Revelation, it is also coupled with the Greek proposition en, causing the phrase to function grammatically as an adverb, and revealing to us the “sudden” manner in which events will take place. BAG gives as its meaning “quick, swift, speedy” (p. 814 ), and specifically classifies all six uses in Revelation as meaning “without delay, quickly, or at once" (p. 815).

Other lexicons also agree, and recommend a translation descriptive of the manner in which things will happen (see Revelation 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7, 12, 20). Further, the most authoritative Greek grammar is Blass, Debrunner, and Funk, which also fully supports this position.  Thomas Ice points out, “all the occurrences of the tachos word family in Revelation are adverbs of manner.”

There are many serious problems with the Preterist view. But, perhaps the most serious is how it impacts on the character and nature of God. Preterism relegates our God to one who doesn’t keep His promise for Israel’s present and future, and thus cannot be trusted. Our God is a covenant-keeping God. He will keep His promises of future glory to Israel (see Isaiah chapters 28-66). He will also keep His promises to you and me.
“For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail nor destroy you, 
nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them" (Deuteronomy 4:31).
  _____________________
GLOSSARY OF PRETERIST REDEFINITIONS OF PROPHETIC TERMS
The Great Tribulation - “took place at the fall of Israel. It will not be repeated, and thus, is not a future event.”

The Great Apostasy – “happened in the first century. We, therefore, have no Biblical warrant to expect increasing apostasy as history progresses; instead, we should expect the increasing Christianization of the world.”

The Last Days – “is a Biblical expression for the period between Christ’s advent and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70: the “last days” of Israel.”                                                                                                        
The Antichrist - “is a term used by John to describe the widespread apostasy of the Christian Church prior to the fall of Jerusalem. In general, any apostate teacher or system can be called ‘antichrist’ but the word does not refer to some ‘future Fuhrer.’”

The Rapture - is “the catching up of the living saints ‘to meet the Lord in the air.’ The Bible does not teach any difference between the Second Coming and the Rapture; they are simply different aspects of the Last Day.”

The Second Coming - “coinciding with the Rapture and the Resurrection, will take place at the end of the millennium, when history is sealed at the judgment.”
The Beast – “in Revelation - was a symbol of both Nero in particular, and the Roman Empire in general.”

The False Prophet - “in Revelation - was none other than the leadership of apostate Israel, who rejected Christ and worshipped the Beast."

The Great Harlot - “in Revelation - was Jerusalem, which had always been…falling into apostasy and persecuting the prophets, and which had ceased to be the 'City of God.' ”

The Millennium - "is the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which He established at His first advent…the period between the first and second advents of Christ; the Millennium is going on now, with Christians reigning as kings on earth.”  “Other postmillennialists interpret the millennium as a future stage of history. Though the kingdom is already inaugurated, there will someday be a greater outpouring of the Spirit than the Church has yet experienced.”

The First Resurrection - of Revelation 20:5 is a “spiritual resurrection: our justification and regeneration in Christ.”

The Thousand Years - of Revelation 20:2-7 is “a large, rounded-off number. The number 10 contains the idea of a fullness of quantity; in other words, it stands for manyness. A thousand multiplies and intensifies this (i.e. 10 x 10 x10), in order to express great vastness, an undefined period of time. Perhaps requiring a million years.”

The New Creation - "has already begun: The Bible describes our salvation in Christ, both now and in eternity, as ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’”

Israel – In contrast to the eventual faithfulness and empowerment by the Holy Spirit of the Church, “ethnic Israel was excommunicated for its apostasy and will never again be God’s Kingdom.” Thus, “the Bible does not tell of any future plan for Israel as a special nation.  The Church is now that new nation (Matthew 21:43) which is why Christ destroyed the Jewish state.  In destroying Israel, Christ transferred the blessings of the kingdom from Israel to His new people, the Church.”

The New Jerusalem - “the city of God, is the Church, now and forever.”

The Final Apostasy - refers to Satan’s last gasp in history (Revelation 20:7-10). “The Dragon will be released for a short time, to deceive the nations in his last-ditch effort to overthrow the kingdom. This will be in the far future, at the close of the Messianic age, shortly before the Second Coming."

Armageddon - “was for John a symbol of defeat and desolation, a ‘waterloo,’ signifying the defeat of those who set themselves against God, who obey false prophets instead of the true. There never was, nor will be, a literal ‘Battle of Armageddon,' for there is no such place.”  Editor’s comment: strange, I was just there, and have been many times.  It is a literal place now, throughout history, and in the future.(Ed Steele)                      

(The foregoing is a list of direct quotes assembled from the statements by Preterist teachers and found on The Internet)
The Author: Ed Steele is a former pastor and serious student of the Bible. He has written many published articles and books. He serves on the Jerusalem College of Technology American Board, and the California Israel Exchange which promotes business and commerce between California and the state of Israel. In 1990 he was awarded the Faith and Freedom Award from the Religious Heritage in America Foundation for his interfaith work. Before Ed’s passing he worked tirelessly for Israel, regarding subjects like God’s plan for the Nation of Israel and their rightful place in the land. In addition, Ed served in the Ministry of David Hocking at Hope for Today and published many wonderful books through his company, Promise Publishing.
Edited by,
Agapechapeloc.org
Pastor Terry Reynolds
Pastor Jeff Russell