Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Regeneration
Editor's Column
This month we celebrate the unique work of the Holy Spirit in the Church age, which began at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers us for service, and seals us unto the day of redemption (Rom. 8:9-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13).
Prefigured in the literal Old Testament Feast of Weeks, the first-fruits of Pentecost picture regenerate believers, filled with the Holy Spirit. Essentially, the Lord has moved from a temple for His people, to favoring a people for His temple. And like skipping a flat rock across a pond, the touch-points of biblical feast days are all at once literal, figurative, and prophetic, especially when it comes to Pentecost.
That said, before unpacking these individual facets, our features this month include a video montage on the wondrous attributes of Christ, entitled “That’s My King.” Then, leveraging the literal giving of the Law, we provide context on the original Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). We follow this with figurative insight on the regenerative aspect of Pentecost, where the Spirit of Christ rained down on the early Church in the upper room. We then amplify our need of regeneration with an article entitled, “Knowing God” and a rap-video that affirms this truth. Last, we close with the third dimension of Pentecost by examining the prophetic, with the “2010 Rapture Codes” and multi-media content that speaks to the tragic results of being left behind.
In all these things, we stand in awe of the Almighty, as He brings the redemptive plan of salvation to fruition. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the privilege of our ministry though, we also pray our readers will consider the axiom, “born once, die twice; born twice, live forever,” which speaks of the choice offered to us all, through the power of regeneration at Pentecost.
Roy J. Tanner
From a literal perspective
The Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22; Numbers 28:26-31; Leviticus 23:15-21) is the second of the three major Jewish festivals (the other two are Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles). All adult males were required to travel to the sanctuary to take part. This festival was observed 7 weeks from the second day of Passover, on which was the offering of barley sheaf, hence the name of the festival. It is also known as Pentecost (Pentecost is Greek for 50 days), because it falls on the 50th day (7 weeks is 49 days so the day after is the 50th).
The Feast of Weeks was observed after the Israel people settled in the Promised Land. On this day, no work was permitted. The people would gather at the Tabernacle to thank God for the harvest. It marked the time when the first fruits of the wheat harvest were gathered and offered to the Lord, and was also known as the Feast of the Ingathering. It also commemorated the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
Offerings
This was one of the seven high days, which were to be treated like Sabbaths. Therefore two additional lambs were to be offered as burnt offering after the morning service. In addition, the offerings on this day also consisted of:
• Wave offering: Two loaves of leavened bread made from fine flour from the wheat
• Burnt offering: 7-male lambs, 2-bulls, and 1-ram, with a grain and drink offerings
• Sin offering: a male goat
• Peace offering: 2 male lambs
Figuratively: The First Pentecost after Christ's Resurrection
Acts 2 also recorded the descent of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. The custom required all the males to travel to Jerusalem and gather at the temple. While gathering in the temple, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Peter stood up to address the crowd. On that day, 3,000 accepted his message and became believers. That was probably the largest group of people accepting Christ in one meeting in the history of mankind.
Pentecost was the only festival that leavened bread was used. It was very unusual because leaven represents something that is false, impure, sinful. Here it signifies the offering of sinners, that is, bringing them to Christ. The 3,000 new believers were the first fruits of the harvest and were presented to God on the first Pentecost after Christ was resurrected.
Regeneration: Pentecost Figuratively...
Knowing God
What If I Miss The Rapture?
Missed the rapture, what's next?
What We Believe...
Regarding End Times
The Rapture of the Church
We affirm the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation Period
We affirm that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
1. After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:17-27; Rev. 20:1-6).
2. The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Is. 65:17-25; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 1-26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).
3. This time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the Lost
We affirm that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth andgather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9).
1. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.
2. This resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15).
Eternity
We affirm that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
Thursday, April 1, 2010
On the Third Day...
Now in the midst of Passover, we're just three days away from celebrating the Lord’s resurrection. That “He is risen”, victorious over sin and the grave, suggests we too can lay claim to this promise, by grace through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. And with two millennia having transpired since Jesus walked among us, the prophetic significance of the (above) passage in Hosea is hard to miss. Taken figuratively, the OT Psalms and the NT epistles suggest a day is as a thousand years with the Lord, which is why many biblical scholars now look for Christ’s second coming in our generation (see Dan Matson's compelling study on this topic).
If so, this world’s need of renewal and outreach has never been greater. With these two imperatives in mind, A.D. 2010 begins this month’s column by revisiting a preview of Mel Gibson’s blockbuster presentation, The Passion of the Christ. As one of the most faithful depictions of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, we follow this video with an affirmation of God’s end game, as noted in Restoring Paradise Lost. And to add further context to God’s plan of salvation, we also draw parallels between Passover’s historic and prophetic fulfillments in an excerpted study by Jack Kelley.
Then we fast-forward to today with Seeing is Believing, where we revisit the famed Shroud of Turin, an artifact many scientists now believe to be the burial cloth of Christ. And with advances being made in imaging, the Shroud may also allow researchers to reconstruct glimpses of the very face of God. All of which helps us stay mindful of Christianity’s main event, resurrection unto eternal life. Hopefully, these topics provide a framework for your assurance, which is also addressed at the end of the column.
May the power of Christ’s resurrection be yours this year, as we approach the third day…
Maranatha,
Roy J. Tanner
Restoring Paradise Lost
Passover’s Fulfillment
Excerpts of a Bible Study by Jack Kelley
The feasts of Israel have both historical and prophetic fulfillments. Today being Passover we’ll take a look at the world’s oldest continuously celebrated Holy Day from these two perspectives.
When the time came, God called Moses to be the deliverer of the Jewish people and appointed his brother Aaron to help him. After nine judgments had nearly destroyed Egypt, God gave Moses and Aaron instructions to protect them from the 10th and final judgment, the death of the firstborn.
The Historical Fulfillment
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." (Exod. 12:12-13)
After their hasty meal, around midnight, the destroying angel passed through Egypt and the firstborn of man and animal perished. The angel passed over homes where the doorposts had been painted with lamb’s blood, sparing the people huddled trembling within. They weren’t spared because they were Jewish, nor because they had eaten lamb for dinner. They were spared because they had the faith to paint their doorposts with blood. They were saved by faith through the blood of the lamb.
From that day till this, the Lord’s Passover has been celebrated, one of the most dramatic displays of His power. During the meal they drink four special cups of wine, one each for the four promises God made to Moses from the burning bush. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD , and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.(1. Sanctification) I will free you from being slaves to them (2. Deliverance), and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment (3. Redemption). I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.”(4. Acceptance) (Exod. 6:6-7)
He freed His people from the bonds of slavery, defeating the world’s most powerful country without an army, without a single casualty among His own, by the power of His outstretched arm. Over a million former slaves walked out of Egypt that morning carrying the immense wealth of their former captives, back wages for their hard labor. The sick were healed, the lame walked, and the weak were made strong. Not a single one was left behind.
The Prophetic Fulfillment
In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus was introduced as the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Throughout His ministry people proclaimed Him as Israel’s Messiah, but only on one day did He encourage it. On the Jewish calendar, it was the 10th day of the first month. We know it as Palm Sunday. Throughout Jerusalem Passover lambs were being selected, but on the Mount of Olives the Passover Lamb was being welcomed into the city with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 21:9)
From then until the end of the 13th He was minutely scrutinized for some defect in His teaching until finally “no one dared ask Him any more questions.” (Matt 23:46)
After sundown brought the Passover, called Preparation Day in His time, he ate an abbreviated Passover meal with His disciples, stopping at the 3rd cup, the Cup of Redemption. It was a Thursday, the 14th of the month, and before it was over He had been arrested, tried, convicted and put to death by crucifixion. The Passover Lamb had been put to death on Passover. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed, Paul would later say (1 Cor. 5:7).
Just before He died, knowing that all had been completed and so the Scriptures would be fulfilled, He asked for a drink. (John 19:28-29) In taking the wine they offered, He drank the 4th Cup of the Passover, the Cup of Acceptance. “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” From that day forward, anyone who accepted His death as payment for their sins would in turn be accepted into the family of God and receive eternal life. They are saved by faith through the Blood of the Lamb.
The next day would be Friday the 15th, the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a special Sabbath where no work could be done (John 19:31). The chief priests asked Pilate to hasten the deaths of the condemned men so they could get them off their crosses before sundown. But Jesus was already dead. He had died at three o’clock and though His body was still on the cross, His spirit was already in Sheol, the abode of the dead. Day one.
At sundown came Friday the 15th, and with it Night One, followed in the morning by Day Two. Saturday the 16th was the regular weekly Sabbath and again no work could be done. It brought Night Two and then Day Three. Another sundown and it was Night three, Sunday the 17th. Three days and three nights, just as He had prophesied. (Matt, 12:40)
At sunrise Sunday morning the 17th, the Feast of First Fruits was being observed at the Temple when the women came to the tomb where He’d been laid to rest. It was their first chance to anoint the body for burial since both Friday and Saturday had been Sabbaths. But the tomb was empty. He had risen, the First Fruits of the First Resurrection.
(The two disciples who met the Lord on the road to Emmaus that Sunday (the day the Lord’s resurrection was discovered) help us to confirm this (Luke 24:13-35). At first they thought the Lord must have been a very recent visitor to the area when He asked them to explain why they were so sad. In the course of the discussion they indicated it was the third day since the crucifixion. “Since” is roughly equivalent to “after”. It being Sunday, the previous day (Saturday) would have been the 2nd day since it happened, and Friday would have been the first day since, making Thursday the day it happened.)
By His death, He freed His people from their slavery to sin, defeating Heaven’s most powerful adversary without an army, without a single casualty among His own, by the power of His sacrificial life. Billions of former slaves will walk out of this world one day soon, receiving wealth beyond measure. The sick will be healed, the lame will walk, and the weak will be made strong. Not a single one will be left behind. The Passover Prophecy was fulfilled.
Shabbat Shalom. May the peace of the Sabbath rest upon you, and may the Grace of our Lord Jesus abide within you, both now and forever more.
http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/holidays-and-holy-days/the-passover-history-and-prophecy/
The Shroud of Turin, a 14-foot cloth in which many believe Jesus Christ was buried, may be the most studied artifact in history—and the most controversial. For centuries, scientists and historians have pored over this bloodstained piece of linen that bears the faint outline of a crucified man, hoping to uncover what the image represents and how it was created.
The first documented reference to the shroud dates back to the 14th century. Historical records suggest it changed hands many times until 1578, when it wound up in its current home—the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. The Catholic Church has never taken an official position on the cloth’s authenticity, but the Vatican has made statements attesting to its value and arranged for public viewings.
The advent of photography in the late 19th century forever altered the course of the shroud’s history. In 1898, a lawyer named Secondo Pia took the first known photograph of the cloth, and his negative revealed new details—including strikingly clear facial features—that could not be observed with the naked eye. Scientific interest in the relic immediately picked up. In 1902, the French anatomist Yves Delage, an agnostic, inspected the photographs and pronounced that the figure on the shroud was indeed Jesus Christ.
The first direct examinations of the cloth were conducted in the 1970s, most famously by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), a team of scientists led by physicist John P. Jackson of the University of Colorado. The group found that the markings on the cloth were consistent with a crucified body and that the stains were real human blood; they also suggested that the image’s shading patterns contained three-dimensional information. They could not explain how the imprint ended up on the fabric in the first place.
In 1988, scientists removed a swatch of the shroud for radiocarbon testing. Three independent laboratories concluded that the material originated between 1260 and 1390, leading some to deem it inauthentic. Since then, however, further studies have cast doubt on those results, suggesting that the shroud may indeed date back to the time of Jesus Christ’s life and death.
In March 2010, researchers unveiled a revolutionary radiocarbon dating method that could allow scientists to safely establish accurate ages for precious artifacts like the Shroud of Turin. Unlike traditional carbon dating, the new process does not require samples; instead, the entire object is exposed to an electrically charged gas that gently oxidizes its surface without causing damage. This means that, someday soon, the world may have a more precise estimate of the Shroud of Turin’s real age.
In the spring of 2010, the Shroud of Turin will be available for its first public viewing in 10 years, scheduled from April 10 to May 23.
SHROUD OF TURIN 2010
SON OF GOD – What did Jesus look like? This question has been hotly debated for hundreds of years. During the years 2009 and 2010 the photographer and artist Hans Weishäupl has created a photorealistic image of Jesus. His work is based on the scientific analysis and the original proportions of the shroud of turin, so that the image reflects the results of forensic investigations. In collaboration with Janet Riedel, Weishäupl took photographs of more than 190 individuals from different parts of the world. Taking individual body and facial parts, Weishäupl created the image of an entirely new person, Jesus Christ the way he must have looked like. In order to depict realistc wounds, forensic images of real injuries were used. The famous Shroud of Turin will be shown in an exhibition in the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista from April 2010 to May 2010.
Don’t Forget The Resurrection
Dr. John MacArthur
What if the resurrection of Jesus Christ were just a first-century myth to be ignored or marginalized as a secondary issue? The implications of that approach are devastating to Christianity.
I want to draw your attention to what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 so that you can see what happens when you forget the resurrection.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
Without question, if Jesus is still in the grave, if He is perpetually the sufferer and never the Victor, then you and I are hopelessly lost. And though that is not the case, I want to focus on the hypothetical "what if" that Paul assumes temporarily in 1 Corinthians 15. "What if the resurrection were a myth? What if Jesus Christ were still dead and in the grave?"
First of all, you would still be in your sins, under the tyranny of death along with the most vile and unbelieving pagan. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then sin won the victory over Him and continues to be victorious over you too. If Jesus remained in the grave, then, when you die you would also stay dead. Furthermore, since "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), were you to remain dead, death and eternal punishment would be your future.
The purpose of trusting in Christ is for forgiveness of sins, because it is from sin that we need to be saved. "Christ died for our sins" and "was buried, and ... raised on the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of spiritual life.
Second, if there is no resurrection, then "those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." That means every Old Testament saint, every New Testament saint, and every saint since Paul wrote would be suffering in torment at this very moment. That would include Paul himself, the rest of the apostles, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Moody, and the faithful and prayerful saints you've known--every other believer in every age also would be in hell. Their faith would have been in vain, their sins would not have been forgiven, and their destiny would be damnation.
In light of the other consequences, the last is rather obvious. "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." Without Christ's resurrection, and the salvation and blessings it brings, Christianity would be pointless and pitiable. Without the resurrection we would have no Savior, no forgiveness, no gospel, no meaningful faith, no life, and we could never have hope for any of those things.
To have hoped in Christ alone in this life would be to teach, preach, suffer, sacrifice, and work entirely for nothing. If Christ is still dead, then He not only has no ability to save you in the future, but He can't help you now either. If He were not alive, where would be your source of peace, joy, or satisfaction now? The Christian life would be a mockery, a charade, a tragic and cruel joke. Christians who suffer and even die for the faith would be just as blind and pathetic as those "believers" who followed Jim Jones and the People's Temple, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and Marshall Applewhite and the Heaven's Gate cult.
Since a Christian has no Savior but Christ, no Redeemer but Christ, and no Lord but Christ, if Christ is not raised, He is not alive, and our Christian life is lifeless. We would have nothing to justify our faith, our Bible study, our preaching or witnessing, our service for Him or our worship of Him, and nothing to justify our hope in this life or the next. We would deserve nothing but the compassion reserved for fools.
But, God did raise "Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:24-25). Because Christ lives, we too shall live (John 14:19). "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:30-31).
We are NOT to be pitied, for Paul immediately ends the dreadful "what if" section by saying, "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Paul said at the end of his life, "I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him [i.e. his life] until that day" (2 Timothy 1:12).
Those who do not hope in Christ alone for salvation are the real fools; they are the ones who need to hear your compassionate testimony about the triumph of Christ's resurrection. So don't forget the resurrection; rejoice in it and glory in it, for He is risen indeed.
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/A144
Eternal Security
What We Believe...
Regarding Last Things (Eschatology)
The Rapture of the Church
We affirm the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation Period
We affirm that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
1. After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:17-27; Rev. 20:1-6).
2. The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Is. 65:17-25; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 1-26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).
3. This time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the Lost
We affirm that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth andgather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9).
1. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.
2. This resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15).
Eternity
We affirm that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
Monday, March 1, 2010
Soul Train
All Aboard!
Life can be pictured as a journey. Think of it as a soul train, if you prefer. And although we exercised no control over how or when we came into this present life, the good news is that we can determine where our sojourn is destined to take us next.
With this in mind, our March column attempts to prepare us for the Easter season. We start by revisiting the compelling vision of Pastor David Wilkerson in "Be Ye Ready." We then follow this up with a presentation entitled “Listen to Your Better Angels,” contextual data providing a basis for why scholars believe we may be the rapture generation. An appeal by Franklin Graham on Christ's 2nd coming then follows.
And if our estimates are correct, you may wonder what’s the best use of our remaining time? In other words, what can we do individually, right now, that will make a difference in the lives of others for time and eternity? Given the ubiquity of digital media, we suggest you consider use of your social networks to expand your reach with a presentation entitled "Social Media Outreach,"
And if the idea of evangelism is unnerving, we also introduce you to a relational method for sharing your faith, with a downloadable presentation entitled “Soul Training.” Last but not least, we button-up this month’s column by taking time to address frequently asked questions, sent to the editor.
We look forward to Spring's renewal, and we welcome your questions and comments.
Roy J. Tanner
"Be Ye Ready" Is No Joking Matter
David Wilkerson - from a dream in 1998...
The following is part of a transcript of a sermon David Wilkerson (Times Square Church) gave following a dream he had in 1998. I recall quite vividly it was in 1998 that I myself became acutely aware of the coming separation of the church by resurrection. (The Bride Theft) It was also around that time that I became convinced of the Lord that resurrection would be such as David shared from his dream, that we would be taken in a heavenly vehicle with angelic escort. (Heaven's Vehicles) If this testimony speaks to you, you may want to listen to his anointed preaching, found here. Be Ye Ready Is No Joking Matter - audio mp3 download...
Matthew 24:42-44: "Watch ye therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
(Praying) Lord you spoke so clearly to me this past week in a dream. You told me to preach this this afternoon, and I obey you...
I don't get many dreams, and I don't preach on my dreams because I'm a Bible preacher, and anything that does not conform to the Word of God is to be rejected outright. I'm just telling you how God awakened my soul, how I should preach this more often...I want you to know this is not doctrine, it's not some new revelation, it's simply the Holy Spirit prompting me, and speaking to me about His coming, I don't want to build any doctrine about it, remember that. I don't have much confidence in dreams, any dream vision or revelation has to absolutely be framed in Scripture.
Now having said that, let me share with you without trying to talk to you about doctrine or anything else, just the Holy Ghost talking to me. In my dream I was suddenly awakened by the knowledge that I had been snatched, I had been caught up, and I was in some kind of conveyance, I don't know if it was a chariot, I didn't see the conveyance, but I knew that there were others in it and that there was an angel of the Lord... there was a sense of just racing swiftly thru streets and into houses, this conveyance knew no barriers and I had a sense that I was on my way home, I'm saved, the Lord has come.
I am being gathered by the angel of the Lord, the chariots of the Lord, there are thousands upon thousands, the coming of the Lord is as lightining is from the east to the west...there was a sense of swiftness, but it was almost as I was seeing it in slow motion, this lightning coming, I was seeing it in slow motion, I didn't see a driver, I didn't see an angel, I didn't see the conveyance, I just had a sense, I knew I was being carried and taken and it was moving swiftly, and people were being snatched from homes and from the streets.
And I remember specifically going into a particular home and there were 3 people that I recognized, 2 were friends and 1 was a family member, and we went right by, and there was as sense, a sudden sense, "oh God, they were being left behind", and the Lord allowed me to, for a few fleeting moments, to sense the terror of what it would be like to be left behind when the angels of the Lord come and gather His elect from the 4 winds.
I was made to know at that time that even those who call themselves Christians, were not really Christians, who despised the grace of God, went out and sinned and said I can easily confess, never forsaking their sin, there was a sense that even though they were sleeping they were aware, there was an awareness that the Lord is coming, and there is a sudden moment because I saw hands being raised, people reaching out and waving.
In fact as we kept moving on there were people that were moving and trying to get the attention of this driver, this conveyance, and I was screaming and yelling get out in the open, as if I thought if they were out in the open they could be seen and get caught up but it went swiftly on, but there was a sense that I have never experienced in my life, even though all my life my father taught on the coming of the Lord, my grandfather taught on the coming of the lord, taught about it.
The Bible says we shall all be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, suddenly we're going to be changed, the bible says, this corrupt body shall put on an incorrupt body just like His. And the Bible says that we are to be prepared and ready, expecting, the Bible says He is coming for those who look for His appearing. And those who are expecting, even though sleep they are going to be caught, if it's in the middle of the night.
Now I'm not going to be get into the doctrine of the rapture, when this happens, before the tribulation, middle of the tribulation or after the tribulation, I am just telling you I had a sense of the horror it's going to be for those who knew the Gospel, who had one appeal after another, who knew the grace and the mercy of God and they were not ready. They were not taken, they were not gathered in this, and I remember the swiftness of moving, and seeing the people left behind, the conveyance just passing by, and this terrible sense. Lord I know I'm saved, I know I'm redeemed, I'm going home, but those 2 friends and that member of my family... and there was a terror. Two shall be sleeping in a bed, one shall be taken the other left...watch therefore He's coming as a thief in the night. He's coming folks.
There was no sense of speed , there was no sense of traveling, but suddenly I was stepping with everyone around me, we were stepping as out of a cloud,out of a fog, out of time, into eternity, suddenly. There was no sense of being carried out into a cosmos or anywhere else, suddenly we were...Home. We were in eternity and I remember this sense of absolute serenity, as we stepped out into eternity thru this cloud, there was a sense of peace, and all I could see around me people were feeling their bodies, they were feeling their hands, they were caressing their faces, there was no shouting. I didn't see Jesus anywhere, it was just a sense, it happened so quickly, it seemed to be a gathering place, the Bible say He's going to gather His elect from the the 4-winds, and suddenly I looked and there were my 2 friends, and my loved one coming through the cloud and into eternity.
Nobody was looking at each other, nobody, there was no embracing, there was just a peace, an incredible peace, and I experienced it for a moment, I am home, that earth that I was on is gone, I am beyond the reach of Satan, there is no sin, there is no possibility of ever being lost, I am eternally His, He did what He said He would do, He said He would come with His angels, He came with His angels, he did everything I preached, everything I said, it's true! He's all sufficient, He's everything that we need!
There was a peace and a a serenity beyond anything I could imagine... and people were just awed, in silence, there was an awe, there was a peace that was absoultely indescribable, and the sense... it was a sense, it's all over, it's all over, it was all... it was all true. That sense of reality and truth - that was not the real world, this is the real world, this is eternity, that's all passed away, it was just a dream, it was just grass, that's what the Bible says, the flesh is just grass, it comes up, it withers and it's gone. Time is just a little piece, eternity is a great big realm, God cut a little piece and He gave it to man, with His grace and mercy, saying, here is My grace, My mercy, My glory. He gives you space and time to repent and trust in Him...
But God wait a minute, all of these who didn't come, all of those who were left behind, who thought they were prepared and thought they were ready, they are not here, what about them Lord... they're lost, there was a sense in me, now folks that will not be there but I believe God was letting me feel the sense of this lostness of those who were gone, and suddenly as I was thinking about all those who had not been gathered, I woke up, I sat right up, and these words were like silent thunder in my head- "David, be ye ready is no joking matter." And I lay back in my pillow and God said, "My people are not taking it seriously, they talk about it but they are not taking it seriously, and many, many are going to be left behind- they are not ready... the age of grace is about to end."
Listen to Your Better Angels
Social Media Outreach
Soul Training
Q: What’s the objective of your ministry?
We’re a non-denominational outreach ministry that simply wants to reach the world for Christ. More often than not we serve as facilitators for larger ministries, offering our time, talent and treasure for the advancement of the Kingdom. For more information about this ministry see the "about us" statement at the end of each column.
Q: Why do end-time ministries focus on doom and gloom?
While A.D. 2018 prefers to focus on what’s uplifting, we’re also committed to preaching the full council of God, which includes both Scripture's blessings and curses. In addition to an emphasis on the coming millennial kingdom though, we also feature topics that foster spiritual formation and maturity.
The “big lie” that Satan has successfully inculcated into today’s thinking though, is that his perverted, counterfeit lifestyle is all there is, and that world-ending cataclysm is all that awaits us. It’s a message of deception however. After over 50-years of life experience (both on the mountain and in the valley), I can testify that doing things “by the Book” yields the greatest joy now, and it promises to give way to eternal “mind-blowing” joy in the final state of a renewed world to come.
Unfortunately, with all of this world’s subterfuge, we must strive to renew our mind daily if we’re to overcome Satan’s lies. But rest assured, we can be confident that “Garden of Eden” living will be restored. In short, you and I are offered the best of this life now in Christ, and life without end in a perfect world, surrounded by our family and friends, after the Lord returns.
Q: Who supposedly goes in the rapture, and who is left behind?
The short answer is that everyone who is “regenerate” is considered part of the Bride of Christ, and will be ushered into the Lord’s presence at the rapture. The rapture event essentially sets the table for the wedding supper of the Lamb. That said, the parables of Christ (e.g. 10-Virgins, Wedding Feast, Wedding Garment, etc.) are replete with examples of certain people being excluded.
Fortunately, the Bible has several tests for genuine faith. In addition to love for God, repentance, humility, devotion, prayer, worldly separation, spiritual growth, and obedience, you might also want to see this commentary on assurance: http://www.scribd.com/doc/23743627/Assurance
Last month’s column at A.D. 2018 also provided a study of the 7-Churches of Revelation. Prophetically representing various times in church history, the types presented here also point to a variety of churches and believers today. For more information on what to look for in genuine faith see: http://ad2018.blogspot.com/2010/02/know-greater-love.html
Last, I would also recommend some fascinating new research on the Jewish feasts that seems to indicate three types of harvest (barley, wheat, and grapes) representing the spiritual condition of three types of people (rapture saints, tribulation saints, and the ungodly). Review the 13-clues found there, which explore every facet of the rapture, especially who goes, who’s martyred and who suffers God’s wrath (specifically clues 6 & 13). For more information, visit The Bride of Christ site at: http://loafofbarley.webs.com/
Q: What’s the assumed length of a generation and the basis year that should be used to approximate end-time events?
While an average generation's lifespan is listed as 70-years in Psalm 90:10, it’s also is associated with the 40-year exodus, a 50-year Jubilee, and so on, up to 100-years. In fact, if the 42-generations listed in Matthew are divided into their historical length, it averages about 52-years. That said, depending on the basis year selected (e.g. 1917, 1948, 1967, etc.), many of these generational epochs culminate on or before A.D. 2018. More often than not though, scholars reckon on the year 1948 (Israel’s founding), accompanied by a 70-year generation, to estimate a not-to-exceed year of 2018. They then make adjustments based on a 7-year tribulation, the Torah calendar’s feast days, and new moons, before calling for a rapture watch.
Q: How do you validate the notion that we're the rapture generation?
Extrapolating our relative proximity to Christ’s return can be validated much like using GPS to determine your car’s position relative to your destination. GPS units determine their location by cross referencing multiple satellite positions and geo-coded map information. In this example the car would represent our generation, satellite positions would be geo-political events, and the geo-coded map information would be the predictive prophecy found in Scripture.
So by triangulating our place in history, with what’s called for throughout Scripture regarding end-times, we might expect news headlines to be trumpeting global economic decline, or war and rumors of war in the Middle East, or a rise in seismic activity, or perhaps reports on global pandemics. Does any of this sound familiar? The ancient Book of Daniel alone specifically cited the rise and fall of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (hundreds of years in advance) as they intersected with Jewish history.
This same prophetic book correlates with other Scripture to also describe the restoration of Israel, the reunification of Europe and a false Middle East peace treaty that will be negotiated during the last days. OK, tell me something I don’t know. Well how about if I suggest that unfulfilled prophecy also calls for the destruction of Damascus, another war between Israel and the neighboring states, as well as a Russian confederation marching on Israel, all prior to the war of Armageddon.
In future columns, we’ll devote more focus on the multitude of signs that confirm we’re the generation that will see the Lord’s return.
Q: What are the windows this year that are significant?
Now that it's been determined 2010 may be prophetically significant (using the 70-year generation theory), ideally, the spring and fall feast days would be the most likely windows (since Christ's death, burial and resurrection coincided with feast days). That said, compounded errors in calendar dating make it virtually impossible to know exactly when the feast days occur. As such, adding 30-days of margin to each festival is both prudent and consistent with notion that the exact day of the rapture cannot be known.
Q: With so many others wrong on dates, why will you be right?
Our confidence is based on promises made in Scripture related to Christ’s 2nd coming and the generation alive at the rebirth of ancient Israel as a nation. So we have a high degree of confidence that Christ will be ruling by 2018. Interim theories though, related to new moons, feast days, or geo-political events are helpful in determining our relative proximity, but they’re really nothing more than educated guesses.
What We Believe...
Regarding Last Things (Eschatology)
The Rapture of the Church
We affirm the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation Period
We affirm that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
1. After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:17-27; Rev. 20:1-6).
2. The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Is. 65:17-25; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 1-26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).
3. This time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the Lost
We affirm that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth andgather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9).
1. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.
2. This resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15).
Eternity
We affirm that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
Monday, February 1, 2010
Know Greater Love
This month we explore the most powerful force in the universe, the pure essence of love.
After all, it was the Almighty’s desire for a love relationship with you and I that led to creation. Likewise, God so loved the world that He became flesh to redeem us from our fallen nature. And as we approach the consummation of history, true love will again rule and reign upon the earth at the King’s return. From eternity past to future, we invite you to know greater love like never before.
For example, while the romantic notions celebrated on Valentine's Day clamor for our attention, there are other attachments of the heart, which are an order of magnitude more powerful. Aside from just physical attraction, sentimentality or a kindred spirit, there's a graceful form of love the ancients labeled "agape"…a love (from God) that gives without measure, unconditionally.
Next, because love is the only gift designed to be returned, we help the Church reciprocate by preparing for the Spirit’s harvest of souls, in what many expect to be a prophetically significant year. As such, A.D. 2018 provides recommended reading to help equip you for outreach, including:
- Behold the Man – an essay that fosters discovery of Jesus, the eternal God-Man…
- Becoming a Contagious Christian – a relational approach to sharing your faith…
- Answering Objections – providing seekers with reasons for the beliefs we share…
- The Solution – a simple outreach Valentine that can transform a loved-one’s heart…
Last, we end with the Book of Revelation, where Christ is pictured as moving among seven lamp-stands, or seven churches. This month, Dr. John MacArthur provides insight on the Church in a prophetic perspective – as their meaning in time, history, and prophecy is unfolded for us. And given our commission, the implications for Christians today have never been more compelling.
Share the Love,
Share the Love,
Roy J. Tanner
No Greater Love
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave." (Song of Songs 8:6)
"May I help you find what you're looking for?" asked the retailer, gesturing toward the gifts? "No, thanks" I responded, "I'll know it when I see it." When you think about it, many of our needs are validated in like manner--when we "see it." And paradoxically, when it comes to our deepest need (for love), it's often recognized...only after it's been given away.
While the romantic notions celebrated on Valentine's Day clamor for our attention, there are other attachments of the heart, which are an order of magnitude more powerful. Aside from just sentimentality, physical attraction or a kindred spirit, there's a graceful form of love the ancients labeled "agape"…a love that gives without measure, unconditionally.
More than a presence of mind, agape spurs action from a deep and abiding commitment that's characterized by a willingness to meet someone's needs in a manner that can't otherwise be satisfied. Wide and deep, "you know it when you see it." It's a greater love that's willing to sacrifice by way of:
Provision...
Seen in eyes weary yet warm, the broad affection, like that of parent for child, provides "life equipping" sacrifice in…unflagging encouragement, patient instruction, tireless supervision, logistical demands, 2nd jobs and the prayer "without ceasing" necessary to secure "better" lives for our children. When one of my daughters was a toddler, I remember the delight we shared by repeating a question and answer, time and again..."How much does Daddy love Jackie?" With arms spread apart, we would assure each other..."this much!" The width of two hands extended across the horizon imparted...my love for you will always know no bounds.Protection...
Seen with bayonet affixed and driven to ground, the vertical image of an upright M-16 rises from empty boots to meet a solitary helmet, poised in mid-air...to display a depth of devotion that only a soldier's "life defending" sacrifice could make. Too often this symbolic configuration includes the "band of brothers" that mourn their fallen comrade's defense of liberty. It was the Lord who said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And while our words of remorse may fail to console the military and law enforcement families, each day that dawns on freedom, heralds tribute anew to liberty's brave sentries…in that they loved their country "this much."Propitiation...
Could there be any love greater than these? Before you answer, consider what was pictured on that hill just outside of Jerusalem. Jutting from rock, a rough-hewn timber beam acted as the "lighting rod" of God's perfect justice. With "I love you" written in red, the penalty that was to be our own, instead was born by the One who called us into existence. So great was His love for humanity that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The vertical reach of "Jacob's ladder" now reconnects heaven and earth with a sacrificial love that only God could offer. And with hands extended across the horizon, you and I are invited to know a peace that passes all understanding.In the face of such a deep and "redeeming love"-- if God be for us, who can stand against us? And in the Spirit of such a broad and "reconciling love," what offense can we hold that shouldn't be forgiven? Because "God is love" though, the best that we can muster is a mere reflection of this power. Yet in Him, barriers between God and man are removed (Eph 2:14). Released from the debt of our own sin, then gone too is the need to elevate self. For in Him, reconciliation with God lays the foundation of reconciliation with man...And in Him, this present "valley of tears" will one day give way to an eternity that knows no want, and holds no fear, for all who would be saved...by grace through faith in Christ.
The Greatest Love...
Juxtaposed at the cross of Calvary are the breadth and depth of the greatest love, put on display for all the ages...For at that cross, we find protection from the penalty of certain judgment that our sinfulness demands...At that cross, we gain access to the power that overcomes a waywardness that would otherwise infect our souls and damage our relationships...And at that cross, we're humbled by the promise that we too can experience immortality, in redemptive harmony with the One who suffered death to grant us life. Patterned now in the risen Christ, we're extended His seal on our hearts, securing the redeemed perfection of the world to come.May I help you find what you're looking for? Surely you've seen it...in the wide and welcoming arms of mothers and fathers. Certainly it hasn't been missed...in our nation's salute to the flag-draped coffin. And definitely it's in store...for any who attempt to fathom the boundless dimensions of our Savior's sacrificial love at Calvary. Especially during the Easter season, I cordially invite you to discover a love that's wider and deeper than anything you can imagine.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38,39)
"How much do you love me?" we ask. With arms open wide the Father says "this much." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [as] the propitiation for our sins." (1Jn 4:10)
Know greater love,
Roy J. Tanner
In keeping with the Great Commission, may I suggest we simply tell somebody about the Savior? Over 40-times Scripture associates love for God with our obedience (1Jn. 5:3). And by sharing the transformational message of the Gospel, we can demonstrate both our love for God and the people within our sphere of influence. With this in mind, to help the Church prepare for the harvest of souls, in what many expect to be a prophetically significant year, A.D. 2018 recommends the following articles to equip you for outreach:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6
Pontius Pilot posed his challenge to the belligerent mob with the words “Ecce homo!” Demanding they take notice of the high-cost already exacted upon Jesus during his brutal scourging, this trial set in motion Christ’s torturous assent to eventual crucifixion, where Jesus fulfilled the vicarious role prophesied, as God’s suffering Servant.
Although two millennia have since transpired, the Christ event was so significant that virtually the entire world restarted its calendar because of it. But just who is Jesus of Nazareth, and why is his life, death and resurrection still so vital to you and me now in the 21st century? Stay with me, as we highlight three dimensions of the most notable person in history.
Read or download PDF...
“If we are not teaching people how to be saved, it is perhaps because we have forgotten the tragedy of being lost! If we’re not teaching the message of forgiveness, it may be because we don’t remember what it was like to be guilty. And if we’re not preaching the cross, it could be that we’ve subconsciously decided that—God forbid—somehow we don’t need it.”(Max Lucado, Six Hours One Friday)
Do we sincerely believe that knowing Christ is the best way to live and the only way to die? Are we convinced that everyone we know, without exception, needs to find the forgiveness, friendship, life, and leadership Jesus offers? Do we truly believe in hell, and that our friends and family members will end up there if they don’t trust in Christ before they die? If so, are we willing to invest our time and energy in becoming people that will attract, challenge, and teach them to step across the line of faith?
Christianity is an evidential faith. In other words, God doesn't expect us to detach our rational minds from our hearts when sharing our faith.
More than circular arguments that can be dismissed as too subjective, seekers expect Christians to be genuine, and to appeal to the intellect of their listener with a reasoned defense of the hope that we share.
As such, this presentation will help to equip you in addressing seven of the most common questions posed when sharing your faith:
1) Don’t all religions basically teach the same things, and use different names for the same God?
2) As long as each person is genuinely sincere, whatdifference does it make what they believe?
3) Isn’t it narrow-minded for Christians to think that they’re right and everyone else is wrong?
4) What credentials back-up the claims of Christianity, and is there any good evidence to support it?
5) What makes you so confident the Bible is true? It has so many authors, so many translations, and waswritten over so many years – there must be mistakes!
6) How do you know that God even exists?
7) If God is all-powerful and loving, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?
Read or download PDF...
Last but not least, we'd like to recommend a simple outreach Valentine that can be used to transform a loved-one’s heart.
Designed to allow the supernatural power of God's Word to change lives, this brief tract introduces the ultimate solution to our deepest need. Because the heart of the matter, is a matter of the heart, don't miss this opportunity to for outreach with the gift of God's love...
Read or download PDF...
The Book of Revelation
THE PROPHECY OF THE CHURCHES
How do these churches fit into a prophetic book? John is writing to the ministers of those churches with instructions. (The term "Angels" in the text literally means "messengers.") What does that have to do with prophecy? He is not foretelling the future. But that instruction does have prophetic importance in three ways. First, those churches have prophetic importance because they can be seen as ...
A. Representing All Churches
You say, "What do you mean by that?" Seven is God's sacred number. It symbolizes completion, perfection, totality. By choosing seven churches, He is saying in effect, "This is My message to the total church." Although the churches were actual churches existing in Asia Minor, they represent the complete picture of the total church. So when Christ speaks to those churches, He is speaking to all the churches of all time.
Although the messages in Revelation 2--3 are often overlooked by Christians, they have a tremendous meaning for the church today. That is why John concludes every one of the seven letters with the same words: "He that hath an ear, let him hear ..." (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). In other words, whatever age you are alive, these messages are for you. There is tremendous prophetic importance in those churches because their messages represent the total message to the total church.
Second, the churches have prophetic importance because they can be seen as ...
B. Representing Different Churches
Throughout the history of the church, there have been different types of churches. The Ephesian church is one type of church and so is the Smyrnaean church, the Laodicean church, and the Pergamene church. They represent the seven different types of churches. Basically, all churches fall into one of seven different categories, with some combination of characteristics. Each of those seven types existed in John's day.
1. DETERMINING THE DIFFERENCES
You say, "Why did He select those seven when there were other churches in that world that he could have selected?" Those seven churches exactly represent the seven different types. The same seven types exist today. Although every individual in a church is different, churches still fall into categories that make them different from other churches. You can go to one church that is totally different than another church. It is the mixture of people who make them different, but they still seem to fit into one of those seven categories. For example, if a majority of the members running the church are Ephesian-type people, then the church will be an Ephesian-type church. If most of the people are Laodicean-type people, then the church will be a Laodicean-type church. Whoever rules the church will determine what type it will be.
2. DESCRIBING THE DIFFERENCES
John portrays the different types of churches in Revelation 2-- 3. He begins with ...
a. The Church at Ephesus
Revelation 2:4 says, "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The church at Ephesus had fallen out of love with Jesus. The warmth was gone. The fire and flame had waned. Here was a church that was doctrinally correct, but was cold. You can be right theologically, but if you have lost your first love for Jesus Christ, then your theology is nothing but cold academics. It is the beautiful combination of sound doctrine and love for Christ that makes a church what it should be. The Ephesian church represents the church that is doctrinally pure, yet cold. It had lost its first love because the people willingly walked away from it.
b. The Church at Smyrna
The church at Smyrna represents the suffering, persecuted church. Revelation 2:10 says, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Christ says that the church at Smyrna will suffer.
You say, "I don't know of any suffering churches." What about the church in China? They are suffering. No one knows how many tens of thousands of Christians have been martyred in Communist China. Even closer to home, missionaries suffer abuse in South America. Some of the Christians who really love Jesus Christ even suffer abuse in the United States.
Christ can't even find anything wrong with the church at Smyrna because the dross is burned up when a church suffers for Jesus Christ.
c. The Church at Pergamum
This is the church that married the world. Revelation 2:13 says, "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is ...." Where is Satan's throne? He is the prince of the world. The church that marries the world is characterized by a country club atmosphere with no standards. It is socially oriented--doing anything for the sake of social preservation. It is compromising--never taking a true stand. It lowers its standards to cater to compromising people. It is more concerned with the fashions of the world than with the things of God. There are many of those kind of churches existing today.
d. The Church at Thyatira
Revelation 2:20 says, "Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou allowest that woman, Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." That is the sinful church that teaches false doctrine.
1) Tolerating False Doctrine
Sin and false doctrine always appear together. Whenever false doctrine enters into a church, sin follows. For example, the church at Corinth was subject to false teachers. As a result, sin became widespread throughout the church. The church at Thyatira represents the church characterized by sin and false doctrine. Where there is a tolerance for false doctrine, theological liberalism begins to creep in and the gospel is watered down. That is how Satan brings about sin.
2) Teaching the Social Gospel
When the social gospel replaces the true gospel, sin becomes widespread. It happens because false doctrine removes the doctrine of Christ as taught in the Word of God. It teaches different doctrine about the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Jesus Christ, His blood atonement, and His second coming. When the true gospel is watered down by false doctrine and the social gospel, sin is the natural result. The dances at a Methodist church in Glendale had to be patrolled by the police department after the sponsors at a previous dance participated in nude dancing! What a mockery! The name of Jesus Christ was blasphemed by a church that displays a cross on the outside. False doctrine opens the door to sin. There is nothing to hold it back.
e. The Church at Sardis
Revelation 3:1 says, "... I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and [but] art dead." The word kai in the Greek text can be translated "and" or "but." I think the better translation in this verse is "but." At a Sardian-type church, someone cuts the grass, paints the walls, prints the bulletin, and stands in the pulpit. But that church isn't alive; it's dead. The church at Sardis is the dead church.
I remember a particular church that was experiencing much growth, and the pastor was excited about it. But one day the board came to him and said, "We have had enough of this growth. Those of us who have been here for a long time are getting pushed out. We liked it when it was our own little church." The church had just purchased some property on a very busy corner where it could have had a tremendous testimony. However, the pastor packed his bags and left that church. Today it still exists on that corner. People walk in and out of it, but it's not alive; it's dead. A dead church is worthless to God.
f. The Church at Philadelphia
This is a beautiful church. Revelation 3:8 says, "I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name." God has opened a door to the world in this church. People can go through it to reach the world with the gospel. This is also a church where Jesus Christ is not denied. Its strength is in God, who said, "... My strength is made perfect in weakness...." (2 Cor. 12:9). This is a faithful, Christ- honoring, zealous, missionary-minded church that is alive with the flame of evangelism and in love with Jesus Christ. This is the kind of church that brings glory to God.
You say, "Is it the perfect church?" No. According to verse 9, they had their problems, too. But if ever there was a church that close to perfection, it was the church at Philadelphia. It shunned sin, false doctrine, and compromise, and it kept its love alive.
g. The Church at Laodicea
This is the apostate church where Satan dwells. It isn't a church; it's a counterfeit. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth." This is the church that sickens God. It is on its way to hell. It is a liberal church run by a cult that denies the true gospel. It is accursed and damned, but will thrive during the Tribulation.
With the exception of Smyrna and Philadelphia, the churches progressed from bad to worse. Ephesus was cold, but the last two were dead and apostate.
C. Representing Different Church Members
Not only are there seven types of churches, but there are seven types of church members.
1. THE MAKEUP OF THE MEMBERS
a. In Ephesus
I know that there are some Ephesian-type members in this church. Just as there is an Ephesian church, there is an Ephesian-type church member. If the second generation Christian church could grow cold, imagine what could happen to us? They were much closer to the enthusiasm of the first generation than we are. I know there are Ephesian members whose love is cooling. They used to burn with love for Christ, but not any more. They have left their first love.
b. In Smyrna
There are also Smyrna-type members in the church. They pay for their boldness for Christ by suffering. They give testimony to Jesus Christ and suffer abuse from people for doing that. I know of people who are willing to open their mouth to share Jesus Christ no matter how people criticize them or what it might cost them. I thank God for Smyrna-type members!
c. In Pergamum
The church at Pergamum was married to the world. There are members in the church today who are married to the world. They are preoccupied with their money, car, job, fashion, and themselves. They are concerned about how they relate to the world, but they are making compromises to Satan. They are unwilling to pay the price of a true disciple, so they lower their standards to court the world and discredit the name of Jesus Christ. They weaken the church and are useless to God.
d. In Thyatira
The church at Thyatira was full of false doctrine and sin. I know there are church members who are living in sin. You say, "How do you know that?" Because the Bible says that no church will be without it. Wherever God sows good seed, Satan is going to sow bad seed. The people who are living in sin usually justify it with false doctrine. Some are courting secret sin--it's hidden from the church, but visible to God. You say, "If I'm courting secret sin, and nobody knows it, then it doesn't hurt anyone." But it does. The Bible says, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Gal. 5:9). We have got to keep sin out of the church.
e. In Sardis
I think there are Sardis members in the church. They are spiritually dead. They couldn't get excited about Jesus Christ no matter what happened. They are in a spiritual stupor--nothing happens in their lives.
f. In Philadelphia
Praise the Lord that there are Philadelphia-type members in the church! The church at Philadelphia had an open door to the world--it was missionary-minded. It kept sound doctrine and never denied Christ's name. I believe that there is a majority of fruitful and faithful members in the church. They are in love with Christ and eager to share Him with others. They are missionary-minded and zealous.
g. In Laodicea
God forbid, but I imagine that there are Laodiceans in the church. They don't even know Jesus Christ; yet they come to church. They go through spiritual motions. But they are false believers. In the end they will say, "Lord, Lord. It's us." But He is going to say, "... I never knew you; depart from Me ..." (Mt. 7:23).
2. THE MOTIVATION FOR THE MEMBERS
What kind of member are you? You say, "Can I change what I am?" Sure you can. Would you like some motivation to change what you are?
a. For the Ephesian
You say, "I'm an Ephesian-type church member because my love has grown cold." Revelation 2:7 says, "... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
b. For the Smyrnaean
You say, "I'm suffering and I might not be able to handle the pressure anymore." Revelation 2:11 says, "... He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." If you are in Christ, the second death has no power over you.
c. For the Pergamene
Revelation 2:17 says, "... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth except he that receiveth it."
d. For the Thyatiran
Revelation 2:26 says, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations."
e. For the Sardian
Revelation 3:5 says, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
f. For the Philadelphian
Revelation 3:12 says, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name."
g. For the Laodicean
Revelation 3:21 says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."
Christ says again and again, "If you will be what I want you to be, I will reward you." That is tremendous motivation!
The messages to the seven churches were prophetic because they describe seven types of churches and seven types of believers who make up those churches. Those members determine what their church will be. If the control of the church is in the hands of a particular type of member, then it will be that type of church. Thus the messages are not merely historical; they are prophetic. They are living messages from the living Lord as He walks among the lampstands--trimming the lamps and ministering to the churches.
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What We Believe...
Regarding Last Things (Eschatology)
The Rapture of the Church
We affirm the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation Period
We affirm that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
1. After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:17-27; Rev. 20:1-6).
2. The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Is. 65:17-25; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 1-26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).
3. This time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the Lost
We affirm that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth andgather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9).
1. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.
2. This resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15).
Eternity
We affirm that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
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