"CAUGHT UP": Why I Believe in a Pre-Trib RAPTURE of the Church

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 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. 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. 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

The “RAPTURE!” No…it is not a word we actually find in Scripture. Instead, it is a word which we use to describe the event mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4 above. The word “rapture” comes from the Latin Vulgate (the Latin Bible) which translated the words “caught up together” using the word “raptus.” That term literally means “to be snatched away”. With that, it denotes that the “snatching away” is “to be taken away by another force.” The actual Greek word from which the Latin Vulgate derives its translation of “raptus” is the word “harpazo.” Harpazo also means “to snatch up; to seize” and the Latin Vulgate use of “raptus” is clearly an acceptable version of translation into what was a modern language of the time.

Thus…we learn in God’s Word that there will be a “RAPTURE” of the Church which will occur. But what is the difference…if there is INDEED a difference…in the “RAPTURE” and the SECOND COMING of Jesus Christ as mentioned in Revelation 19? I am sure that God’s Word provides for us insight into these TWO SEPARATE events. Yes…they are TWO DISTINCT occurrences. First, examine a few passages of Scripture regarding the SECOND COMING:

Revelation 19:11-19 NKJV “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”

Zechariah 14:1-9 NKJV “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You. 6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the Lord-- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light. 8 And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. 9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be-- "The Lord is one," And His name one.”

Now…let’s examine the differences between the “RAPTURE” and the SECOND COMING in detail. (Other passages of Scripture which provide the insight and information will be noted…if not quoted…to provide the Scriptural basis for the points given.)


THE “RAPTURE”
 
1. The Lord…Jesus…will descend from Heaven with a shout. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

2. The “dead in Christ”…believers who have died…will be resurrected. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:52)

3. There will be a “shout”…either BY the Archangel or ACCOMPANIED by the Voice of the Archangel…as an announcement (“trumpet”) of the Lord’s coming. ( (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:52) (Note: the word “trumpet” can be an actual “reverberating sound” as in the blast of a trumpet OR it can mean “to sound or proclaim as if on a trumpet”… i.e. “He began to trumpet the accomplishments of his company.”)

4. The “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and changed FIRST…before the LIVING believers. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

5. The BELIEVERS who are alive on earth will be “changed” and “caught up” to meet the Lord in the “clouds.” (I Thessalonians 4:17, I Corinthians 15:52-53)

6. Jesus will gather BELIEVERS together…the “dead in Christ” and those “who are alive and remain”…both groups having been “changed”…receiving us to Himself. (I Thessalonians 4:17, John 14:2-3)

7. BELIEVERS…ALL CHRISTIANS…will dwell FOREVER with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:18, John 14:2-3)

8. Following the “RAPTURE“, those “caught up” will experience the “judgment seat of Christ” which EVERYONE must face upon death. For a believer, the term “judgment“ is not one of punishment: it refers to the “distinguishing between two positions“, noting that those “RAPTURED” are determined to be “washed in the blood of the Lamb“ and are to be REWARDED. (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10) (Note: when the “armies of Heaven” return with Christ in Revelation 19, they have ALREADY been clothed in “fine linen, white and clean.” Therefore, they have ALREADY appeared before the “judgment seat of Christ”, receiving their eternal reward.)

9. Following the “RAPTURE” and the “judgment seat of Christ”, those “caught up” will be united with Christ, as the “Bride of Christ” and the “Bridegroom” join together for the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Although being mentioned in Revelation 19, it is important to note: what is shown to be occurring on earth during what is most commonly known as the TRIBULATION period is happening AS other things are occurring in Heaven. Further, note that the reference to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” is BEFORE Christ returns in His SECOND COMING. Then, notice that those INVITED are called “ready”, and they are “granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” The significance in all of this is the fact that the CHURCH is called the “Bride of Christ” in God’s Word. We see here that the CHURCH…the true believers who have been raptured, are the ones present at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”…AND, they are seen RETURNING to earth with Christ at the SECOND COMING. Thus, we can conclude that the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” occurs BEFORE the SECOND COMING. During the 7 year period known as the TRIBULATION, the “bride of Christ” has been present with the Lord, experiencing the “judgment seat of Christ”, followed by rejoicing and worship as the “Bride of Christ” has been united with the “Bridegroom”, which culminates in the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” which immediately precedes the SECOND COMING. (Revelation 19:6-10)
　

THE SECOND COMING
 
1. Christ descends from Heaven with the “armies of Heaven”, which is the Church, noted by the clothing of “fine linen, white and clean”. The “Bride of Christ”…NOT angels…are noted in Scripture as “clothed in white”, as the words “white and clean” denote the fact that the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST has “washed them white as snow”, with the scarlet stains of sin being removed. (Note: refer above to the “marriage supper of the Lamb“) (Revelation 19:11-16, Zechariah 14:3-5)

2. An angel calls the birds to gather…noting that the enemies of God will be slain, their bodies to be eaten by vultures. (Revelation 19:17-18)

3. The “beast” (the Antichrist), the leaders of the world who followed him, and all the armies of those who oppose Christ will be gathered together in the Valley of Megiddo to make war on Christ. And…in return…the Lord makes war on the inhabitants of the earth gathered against Him. (Revelation 19:15-19, 21; Zechariah 14:1-3)

4. Christ will step foot on the Mount of Olives, at which time the Mount of Olives will split in two…”east to west”…as a “valley” is created, with one half of the Mount moving north and the other half moving south. (Zechariah 14:4-8)

5. The “beast” and the “false prophet” (note: it was the false prophet who worked many “lying” signs and wonders) are captured and “cast alive” into the “lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelations 19:20)

6. Christ destroys the armies who have amassed against Him by “the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.” (Revelation 19:21)

7. Satan is bound for 1000 years, being imprisoned in the “bottomless pit”…not yet being cast into the “lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:1-3)

8. Those who were martyred (“beheaded“) during the TRIBULATION period come forth before the “thrones“, and these people will live and reign with Christ in Jerusalem for a thousand years (the time known as the MILLENNIUM or the MILLENNIAL REIGN. (Revelation 20:4-6) (Note: there remains the 1000 year reign of Christ here on earth, the release of Satan for a “season”, the ultimate defeat of Satan as he is cast for eternity into the “lake of fire”, the destruction of Heaven and earth, the creation of a New Heaven and a new earth, and the eternal reign of Jesus Christ as Lord of all.)

These are the basic tenets of TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT events as noted in the Word of God. As such, I am firmly established in the belief in a PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE. Let me further explain that position by examining a few other aspects of the Word of God…all of which gives Biblical support to what will be noted as the Pre-Trib view from this point forward.

1. The Bible says we are delivered from “the wrath to come.” (I Thessalonians 1:10)

The Bible clearly tells us…as believers…that we are NOT immune from trials and tribulations. We all go through various struggles, which may include: loss of a loved one, loss of a job, persecution, sickness, rejection, abuse…and many other things. But, as the Bible begins to describe a SPECIFIC time which will come on the earth…a time of “tribulation” which has never been seen BEFORE and which will never be seen AGAIN…there is a consistent reference to the truth that the Church (noted as true believers who have accepted Jesus as Savior AND Lord) is not AND will not go through that great time of WRATH. Notice first Matthew 24:21-22 NKJV as it says, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.”

This time of TRIBULATION is beyond ANY and ALL trials and troubles and discomfort that we may presently experience here on earth. Further, the Bible clearly denotes that the reason for such a time of TRIBULATION is for the purpose of “testing those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). In this passage, we learn that this is an “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.” Regardless of our own personal trials and tribulations, there has never been a time of “testing” directed by God which encompasses the “whole world.” Even with the flood, it was NOT a time of “testing”…it was a time of WRATH and JUDGMENT. In other words, once the doors to the Ark were closed, there was no hope for those left on earth. Thus...as we further study the Word of God, we see that God’s purpose for the TRIBULATION is to turn the hearts of the people to Him. This method MUST be used due to the fact that those who remain on earth rejected GRACE. God’s love is SO GREAT that He uses WRATH and JUDGMENT in one last effort to save those who will recognize that He is God and that Jesus Christ was the Messiah…being the Son of God Who came in human flesh. God…IN HIS LOVE…begins to pour out His WRATH on the earth in specific acts of JUDGMENT.

In all of this…and I URGE you to read these Biblical accounts…we see that God virtually REPEATS what we saw when Israel was in captivity, as the Jews were slaves in Egypt. Moses goes to Pharaoh as directed by God, telling Pharaoh that God is declaring, “Let My people go!” As Pharaoh refuses, God must use WRATH and JUDGMENT to not only try to turn the heart of Pharaoh to Him (noting that God LOVED Moses and Pharaoh equally!), but to bring about the FREEDOM of the Israelites. As with this account, the Biblical account of the Tribulation period is very similar. In both cases, it is God’s LOVE which causes Him to SHOW that HE IS GOD! God uses MIGHTY ACTS to SHOW that there is no other power on earth equal to HIS power!

So…how does this show that the Church will not be present during the Tribulation period?

1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 NKJV 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (emphasis added)

1 Thessalonians 5: 4-10 NKJV 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 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. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. (emphasis added)

Paul is clear: God did NOT appoint us…call us…as BELIEVERS…to experience His WRATH. We find this THROUGHOUT Scripture. Noah was saved FROM the WRATH and JUDGMENT of God. Lot was saved FROM the WRATH and JUDGMENT of God. God’s WRATH is ALWAYS directed and reserved for UNBELIEVERS…for those who have REJECTED Him and His Word! And there is simply NO POSSIBILITY that we can separate the Tribulation period from this truth:

The 7 year period commonly called the Tribulation is a time in which God’s WRATH and JUDGMENT is poured out on all the earth!

Although Scripture shows us that the FIRST 3 ½ years of the TRIBULATION period are not as severe as the LAST 3 ½ years, we find that the FIRST 3 ½ years are unlike any time of trouble ever experienced on earth. Many discount the severity of the FIRST half of the TRIBULATION period. Here are just a FEW of the events mentioned in Scripture as occurring in the FIRST 3 ½ years: 1. The Antichrist is revealed as he signs a peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27)…2. The 7 Seals are opened: The Antichrist appears, World War, Extreme world-wide famine and inflation, one-fourth of the earth dies, a world-wide earthquake occurs, and the 7 Trumpet Judgments are introduced…3. The 7 Trumpet Judgments occur: Hail, fire, and blood are “cast down” on the earth, resulting in the destruction of one-third of all trees and grass being destroyed; a “mountain of sulfur” arises and falls into the sea, destroying a third of all sea creatures and shipping vessels; the “great star” (meteor) “Wormwood” strikes the earth, resulting in rivers turning “bitter” and causing the deaths of millions of the earth’s inhabitants; darkness increases as the sun gives off only a third of its present light, which also darkens the other stars and moon; horrible, demon-like creatures are released on the earth, as the pain from their stings are so painful that men will “seek death and will not find it”; 200 million “horsemen” are released to kill one-third of the inhabitants of the earth which remain; the 7th and last TRUMPET JUDGMENT introduces the VIAL JUDGMENTS, which will begin the SECOND HALF of the TRIBULATION period.

As you can see…even the FIRST 3 ½ years of the TRIBULATION are unlike any other time on earth. And, even though the LAST 3 ½ years are even WORSE, this in no way DIMINISHES the SEVERITY of that period of time. Thus, we can see that the FULL 7 YEAR PERIOD is a time of SEVERE TRIBULATION. The SEVERITY increases as each preceding “judgment” has not resulted in the people turning to Christ. Again, this clearly shows that those “left behind” after the “RAPTURE“…those going THROUGH this 7 year TRIBULATION…are those who are UNSAVED. Thus, I FULLY BELIEVE that the Church…TRUE BELIEVERS…will be gone, having been “RAPTURED” immediately preceding this time of TRIBULATION which comes upon the whole earth.

Examine this passage of Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 NKJV 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 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. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 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.

Regardless of the timing of this passage…as many scholars differ regarding the reference here (whether it refers to the “Rapture” or to the Second Coming at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period)…we can learn 2 things from this passage…also noting the other Biblical passages which confirm these findings (many of which are noted above):

1. Christians WILL endure persecutions and tribulations by the hands of men.
2. Non-believers who persecute Christians and who live in rebellion to God will experience “tribulation” by the hand of God.

If we examine Scripture thoroughly, we see that this is the distinct pattern seen throughout the Word of God. Those who live in obedience to God as BELIEVERS encounter persecutions and tribulations…but these are ALWAYS perpetrated by their ENEMIES who are UNBELIEVERS. NEVER do we find God pouring out His WRATH and JUDGMENT on those who are following Him OBEDIENTLY! In contrast, we see that it is GOD who “repays” those who “trouble” BELIEVERS (using the wording of the passage quoted above)…as He pours out His WRATH and JUDGMENT on those UNBELIEVERS! God only judged ISRAEL when it was DISOBEDIENT…NOT when it was OBEDIENT and FAITHFUL! As in the passage above, we see Paul telling the BELIEVERS that they may be experiencing “persecutions” and “tribulations” at the hands of the UNBELIEVERS…but that God will give them “rest” at the appointed time...a time at which God takes “vengeance on those who do not know God.”

Thus, I also MUST believe that those who are FAITHFUL and OBEDIENT in these last days…a “remnant” of people noted as the TRUE “Church”…those who have not bowed to false teaching and compromise…will NOT be the target of God’s WRATH and JUDGMENT and “vengeance” during the 7 year period known as the TRIBULATION. (Note: the term “Great Tribulation” is used within Scripture, which appears to denote the SECOND 3 ½ year period when the persecution of BELIEVERS---those who reject the Antichrist and turned to God during this time, as they recognize that Jesus Christ is Lord---at the hands of the Antichrist and his followers reaches EPIC and NEVER-BEFORE-EXPERIENCED proportions!)

As noted earlier, during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period, Revelation 6 gives us details of activities in Heaven…as “the Lamb” opens the “seals” one by one, and these words are spoken:

Revelation 6:15-17 NKJV 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

Then, in Revelation 9:20-21…as God’s WRATH and JUDGMENT has led to death and destruction on the earth (and what are known as the “Trumpet Judgments“ have been poured out)…we read these words: 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (NKJV)

Repeatedly, we see references to UNBELIEVERS refusing to turn to God in repentance during this time. Yet, we see in several passages from Revelation that SOME turn to God…and they are noted in Revelation 8 as “the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” These would appear to be the CONVERTS who come to Christ during this period…resulting from the EVANGELISM of the 144,000 who come from the 12 Tribes of Israel noted in the same chapter.

Considering all of this information above, I believe that the 7 year Tribulation period is a time of WRATH and JUDGMENT from God on the earth…as He “pulls out all the stops” in His last attempts to reach humanity with a proclamation that “I ALONE AM GOD!” Those who did not accept Jesus under GRACE must now accept Him under WRATH and JUDGMENT. And…even then…if they turn to Jesus, God is MERCIFUL and He will welcome them into His Presence! But…they will have to go through TREMENDOUS persecution and tribulation due to the fact that they waited so long to accept Him. The Church will be present in Heaven during this time, as the BRIDE OF CHRIST is experiencing the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB…the reward for those who accepted Christ under GRACE!


2. The Biblical example of the BRIDE and the BRIDEGROOM

 I will not dwell on this issue long, but there is GREAT significance to the BRIDE/BRIDEGROOM correlation given in Scripture as it refers to the “Rapture.”

Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV 1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

This would have been GREATLY understood at the time Jesus used this parable in His teaching. The Jewish wedding and wedding feast is a very elaborate and revealing picture. And…amazingly…it foreshadows the CHURCH (the Bride of Christ) as it unites with JESUS (the Bridegroom)!

The significant aspect which relates to the “Rapture” is this:

There are VERY SPECIFIC things which the Bride must do to be READY for her Bridegroom. It is interesting to note that the Bride is the one who presents a DOWRY at the time of marriage…just as the Bride of Christ must be READY to unite with Christ, as we will “cast our crowns” at His feet…and as we offer our bodies as “a living sacrifice” to God as we follow Jesus. In Jewish tradition…which was the custom of that time (and it is still practiced by devout Jews today)…when that specific time of marriage comes, the Bride is to be READY for the coming of her Bridegroom. Yet…the Bride is to be ready WITHOUT KNOWING when the Bridegroom is coming! If the Bride is NOT ready when the Bridegroom comes, then the marriage does not take place! It is considered a REJECTION and the Bridegroom leaves without the Bride! As the Bride waits for her Bridegroom in readiness…there will suddenly come a call from a distance, as someone cries, “Behold! The Bridegroom cometh!” At that time, the Bride is to GO OUT to MEET her Bridegroom! Then…all of those in the Bridal party are UNITED with the Bridegroom and they are taken to the MARRIAGE SUPPER! After a time of feasting and celebration, the Bride and the Bridegroom go ALONE to CONSUMMATE the MARRIAGE!

It is NOT just happenstance that God referred to the CHURCH as the “Bride of Christ”…and that Jesus is noted in Scripture as the “Bridegroom.” The Jewish tradition is a PATTERN and FORESHADOWING of the Church…as it is “RAPTURED” from this earth…as it “goes out” to “meet” the Bridegroom in the air…and it takes its place at the table of God, feasting at the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB!

With that….we also see the passage quoted above. There, Jesus is saying that some will not be ready to meet Him. Thus…when the cry goes out, “Behold! The Bridegroom cometh!”…many will be LEFT BEHIND! It will be TOO LATE to gain entrance to the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB…which is a feast and celebration reserved for the CHURCH…the BRIDE OF CHRIST!

3. The PURPOSE of the 3rd TEMPLE and the reinstitution of the offering of SACRIFICES

We learn in the Word of God that the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and that the offering of SACRIFICES will commence around the time of the TRIBULATION period. (Daniel 9, 2Thessalonians 2:4) Why is this necessary?? Why would God Himself (in His Word) seem to not only support this reinstitution of SACRIFICES, but the Bible seems to declare its necessity??

From the time of Jesus Christ here on earth, we have lived in a period of GRACE. Jesus came to earth TO DIE…to die on the cross. But why? God had declared that the price to be paid for sin was THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD. Up until Jesus came as the Messiah, mankind had to offer animals as a SACRIFICE for their sins. But…the blood of lambs and goats was not SUFFICIENT to pay the price of sin. Thus, there had to be REPEATED OFFERINGS of SACRIFICE to bring atonement for sin. Jesus Christ (Read Hebrews…the entire book…as it is a BEAUTIFUL account of all of this.) became our SACRIFICE, as He became “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." (John 1:29 KJV)

We learn in Daniel 9 that the Antichrist will expose himself after 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period. We see in this passage that he will no longer allow the Jewish people to continue their sacrifices.

Daniel 9:27 NKJV “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

It is in 2 Thessalonians 2 that we see that the offering of sacrifices is being done in a newly rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Why? Notice the reference, as it says and confirms that the Antichrist will declare himself to be God IN THE TEMPLE.

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (NKJV)

Now…with all of these passages being evaluated and their truths put into context, I ask again: Why would God bring about the reinstitution of SACRIFICES?? What is the purpose?? There is only ONE possible answer as we examine the totality of the Word of God. What is it??

The world is no longer living under GRACE as we now understand and experience it!


If the Church was still present on the earth, then there would be no need for any other sacrifice offered for sins. So, notice what we see the Bible showing us regarding the Tribulation period. There are two things which point to a Pre-Trib “Rapture”: the necessity of SACRIFICES…and…the necessity of MARTYRDOM.

The Bible tells us that there will be MARTYRS during the Tribulation period. Revelation 13 tells us that the Antichrist will demand everyone to bow before the “image of the beast”, and that those who refuse to do so will be killed.

Revelation 13:11-18 NKJV 11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (emphasis added)

The refusal to bow before the “image of the beast” will be a person’s stance for Christ. We cannot know for sure what someone who refuses to bow will go through, but we can assume there may be attempts made to get them to bow. The possibilities are numerous…and horrible. But we know this from the passage above: those who refuse to bow will be killed. But…if these people had REJECTED Christ before the Tribulation period…why would they now refuse to bow…even to the point of death??

I believe this is due to the 144,000 Jews…and the 2 Prophets…who God uses to spread the truth to the world!

The 144,000 are foretold in Revelation 7:1-8.…and the 2 Witnesses are seen in Revelation 11:3.

1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

I MUST believe that people will accept Christ due to the work and words of those proclaiming the truth throughout the world! There would simply be no reason for ANYONE to spread the Gospel unless there was the possibility that people would BELIEVE their message and choose to REJECT the Antichrist. Thus, those who accept the TRUTH that Jesus Christ WAS the Messiah and that He IS God will be making a declaration FOR Jesus…and their FAITH will be honored! BUT…they will be declaring their allegiance to Christ by offering their OWN LIVES to be martyred! Those of us who now live as BELIEVERS do so with VERY LITTLE persecution involved…in comparison to what these Tribulation “saints” will face. Even as those in other countries today KNOW they MAY face persecution and death for their profession of faith…those who turn to Jesus during the Tribulation period will be facing IMMINENT persecution and death! If you think it is hard to live for Jesus NOW…you have NO IDEA how hard it will be to even PROFESS Jesus during the Tribulation period! Sadly…it is a WONDERFUL reality that SOME will accept Jesus during that period of time…but their previous refusal to serve Jesus Christ now means they will face indescribable hardship, persecution, and pain! This is NOT something we would EVER desire to face!!

Does it APPEAR that a few may ESCAPE death before the SECOND COMING? Yes…it does. After the 7 year Tribulation period, we see the Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). Jesus then sets up His Millennial Kingdom here on earth. Taking into account the totality of Scripture, it would appear that those who inhabit the earth at this time will be those who have SURVIVED the Tribulation period, having refused the “mark” of the “beast” as they declared their allegiance to Jesus Christ…not the Antichrist. Whether those who “rule and reign” with Jesus are the MARTYRS of that Tribulation period OR they are ALL BELIEVERS is debated…and I will not delve into that aspect here.
　

4. The One Who “restrains” being “taken out of the way”…allowing the “coming of the lawless one”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 NKJV 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

There are a several things to note regarding this passage which seems to point to a Pre-Trib “Rapture.”

1. We see that Jesus will not come until there is a “great falling away.”

2. Paul previously spoke to the Thessalonians that there was something “restraining” the coming of the “lawless one.”

3. The Antichrist will appear when the One Who is “restraining” is taken out of the way.

4. The Holy Spirit (God) is the One Who is “restraining.”

5. The Antichrist will come with “deception.”

6. Those left to be deceived are “those who perish”…those who “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Some of those points are clear in the passage and they need no explanation. But…why do I say that the “retraining” force in all of this…the reason that the Antichrist is held in abeyance…is the Holy Spirit? It is actually very simple: From the Greek, the translators bring forth the words “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” The significance? The word “He” is used twice. Note that the word is CAPITALIZED. The reason is the wording from the Greek text…as it denoted GOD. The only time the word “He” is capitalized in Scripture is when it refers to God…whether God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. And…since the time of Jesus on earth, the Holy Spirit has been the PRESENCE OF GOD here on earth. Further, we know that the Holy Spirit resides within BELIEVERS. Thus, if the Holy Spirit is to be “taken out of the way”…which will allow the Antichrist to then step forward…then the CHURCH…BELIEVERS…must be “taken out of the way.” This…I believe…is a reference to the “Rapture!”

This would make the entire passage fully understandable, as Paul noted that those left to be deceived are “those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” This is a reference to SALVATION by GRACE! Thus, we see that those left behind refused the grace of God which led to salvation. And…with the “Rapture” of the Church, the period of GRACE has come to an end…and God is soon to pour out His WRATH and JUDGMENT on the earth! Yet…again…God only does this to try ONE LAST TIME to turn the hearts of the UNREPENTANT to Him! Even as the people cry out in recognition that God is the One now JUDGING the earth…most will STILL refuse to turn to Him. At some point…God will simply allow them to believe a “strong delusion”, and their fate will be sealed forever!
5. The “Seventy ‘sevens’” as noted in Daniel 9:24, culminating in the 70th Week

This one last major reason for believing in a Pre-Trib “Rapture” of the Church is due to the “70 weeks” prophecy in the Book of Daniel. It is a heavily debated portion of Scripture. Thus…I would not hinge my belief in the “Rapture” on this one passage alone. But…with all the other things I have mentioned above, I do believe that the 70th week refers to the 7 year Tribulation period.

I do not want to delve into that deeply here for many reasons (length being the main issue…as this is lengthy enough already). But….from studying the passages in light of other portions of Scripture and combining it all with what I have stated in the above points, I believe that the 7 year Tribulation period ushers in the end of the Church era (for the reasons stated above) and God again places His focus on His “chosen people”…ISRAEL. As seen in the Bible, it is during these 7 years that the Jews will realize that they missed the Messiah when He came…as they have rejected Jesus as Christ and as the Son of God from the time of His crucifixion.

The Jews will have their eyes opened during the Tribulation period…and they will come to know Jesus…accepting Him as Messiah and Lord! With the totality of Scripture taken into account, I believe this is the most Biblical explanation of the 70th Week as mentioned in Daniel. Thus…I believe that it points to the Church being “Raptured” immediately before that 7 year period (the “70th Week)…leaving God to pour out His WRATH and JUDGMENT on the earth as He once again draws ISRAEL back to Him…just as He had to do several times in the Old Testament.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons above, I believe in a Pre-Trib “Rapture” of the Church…which is the LAST DAYS “remnant” who is presently alive on earth (Yes…I believe the “Rapture” is THAT imminent!)! I believe that Christians tend to forget that other Christians throughout history have lived and died for Christ…and that many only think in terms of this present generation. In so doing, we think it is ALL ABOUT US…but it ISN’T! People have served God down the through the ages…FAITHFULLY! We are NOT the only ones who served Jesus!

Actually…as the Bible describes the “last days”, we see that the generation which sees the “Rapture” and “Second Coming” of Jesus Christ will be an EVIL and PERVERSE generation! Oh…the Bible is FULL of passages which show that the last generation will be CORRUPT in every way! God’s Word says that the people will have “itching ears”…or…the “Tell us only what we want to hear!” syndrome. The last generation will “not endure sound doctrine”…and the “false teachers” and the “false prophets” will come in as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and as “angels of light.” Yet…these “seducers” will not care for the flock at all! Jesus called them “hirelings” in John 10...as He warned us that these men would come seeking their OWN GAIN…yet they will ABANDON the flock when the REAL WOLF comes in to “devour” them.

We see the Bible telling us “the love of many will wax cold”…as we see that many will “turn away from the faith”, heeding “doctrines of demons” and “fables” as they are brought into the Church “secretly”…and the “destructive heresies” lure the people AWAY from God. The “hirelings” will take everything they can from the flock…and “through covetousness” they will “make merchandise” of the Church!

Tell me:

Isn’t it amazing how God spoke so many words to be written approximately 2000 years ago…and those words PERFECTLY DESCRIBE the time in which we now live!

YES! I believe the Bible was pointing to this present generation…the generation of 2013! And…I believe the Bridegroom is about ready to call to His Bride…to receive Her unto Himself!

Can you hear it?!? Listen…I can almost hear the “trump of God”…and I hear the words of the messenger as he proclaims:

“BEHOLD! THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH!”

Are you ready to meet Him???

HIRELINGS: The Thief of John 10:10

How often have you heard this statement: “The Bible says that Satan has come to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” ?? I have something to admit: I too once believed that such a statement was true. Thus, I must also admit this: I was wrong. In failing to fully evaluate Scripture within its proper context, the Church often finds itself presenting things as “gospel”, as if the Bible proclaims EXACTLY what we have ERRONEOUSLY pulled from Scripture. In time, misrepresentations of passages lead to doctrine which is simply NOT based in the Word of God.

One such doctrine is a fairly longstanding teaching within the Church which gives rise to a belief that Satan has “stolen” things from Christians and we should go “take back” what was “stolen.” Many years ago, a song became popular in many churches as the people sang, “I went to the enemy’s camp and I took back what he stole from me.” It epitomizes the teaching that Satan “steals” things from us.

But…the reality of it all is this:

The passage of Scripture which is used to proclaim such a teaching…John 10:10...is not only used to support the erroneous teachings above…but it is a passage which is CLEARLY not being studied within the context of the Biblical passage in which it is presented. In the case of John 10:10, the context must actually be gained in examining not just ONE chapter, but SEVERAL chapters. You see…this passage is not referring to Satan at all! The passage is referring to a “hireling”…or a FALSE SHEPHERD. (Note: this is NOT an examination of the tactics and workings of Satan…it is dealing with making Scriptural application without proper examination and study, which leads to an improper exegesis of passages of Scripture.)

Satan simply CANNOT possess anything which we do not actually HAND OVER to him willingly!

What is John truly teaching in these passages, and what is the TRUE teaching of the Word of God on the subject? Here is the rendering of John10:10 in context (presenting portions of Scripture in a recounting of the Biblical story…and presenting John 10:10 within its surrounding passages and quoted here…all of which can be evaluated as stated here by referencing your Bible):

John 10:5-15(NKJV) 1 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

In John 9, we see the account of Jesus healing the blind man. Jesus spat in the dirt, made a “mud pie”, as we would call it, placed it on the man’s eyes, and told the man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. After doing so, the man was healed! The man is then called before the Pharisees. There, they “investigate” the healing of this man, even bringing in the man’s parents to confirm the healing.

(Note: The townspeople and the parents all KNEW of this man’s blindness. Therefore, the healing was truly confirmed. This is in contrast to almost every method and claim of “faith healers” today. Not only is the “sickness” or “infirmity” not confirmed or established as true, but the healing itself is not able to be confirmed or substantiated with proof.)

In John 9:24, the Pharisees again seek to refute the healing, as they then denote Jesus as “a sinner” because He broke their teachings and traditions. But, in wisdom, the man answers in verse 25, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” After again attempting to disavow the man’s healing, in frustration, the Pharisees send the man away. Jesus seeks him out, and during this discourse, reveals Himself as the Son of God. The man proclaims, “Lord, I believe!”, to which Jesus responds, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

(Note: Again we see Jesus saying something which is NOT POPULAR in the Church today. The Greek wording shows clearly that Jesus is telling this man…and others who are standing near…that His purpose in coming is “judgment.” In context, the Greek denotes that Jesus was declaring that He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). But, in saving those who desire to BE saved, the original text ALSO denotes that Jesus was making it clear that the opposite is also true: those UNWILLING to BE saved are, therefore, CONDEMNED to JUDGMENT. Thus, Jesus not only says He came to open BLINDED eyes, but to BLIND the eyes of those who CLAIM that they can see WITHOUT His help.)

It is then that the Pharisees, who overhear the conversation and words of Jesus, approach Jesus. And…it is those Pharisees to whom Jesus is speaking when He speaks the words of John 10:1-15...as noted above.

Within the context of the passage, we find that Jesus never mentions Satan at all. Instead, the Church has most often taken the word “thief” and simply ASSUMED that it referred to Satan. Yet, to do so, the entire context of the passage…before AND after…has to be ignored. In reality…as I stated earlier…Jesus is speaking about FALSE TEACHERS…or “hirelings”, as He calls them. So…what is a “hireling?”

The word for “hireling” in John 10:12 is the Greek word Misthotó s (with the accent ¯ placed over the first o), meaning “One who is not showing real interest in his duty and who is unfaithful.” So, within the context of the passage, Jesus is referring to what I have termed FALSE SHEPHERDS. Here we see men who hold the POSITION of SHEPHERD…being a PASTOR in today’s language…yet these men take no care in their feeding and protection of the flock. In the case of a HIRELING, there is very little (if any) consideration given to the flock. They stand in contrast to the example of Jesus, as He was willing to “lay down His life for the flock.” Of course, we have the words of Jesus Himself to describe these FALSE SHEPHERDS, as He said, “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” (John 10:12-13) A HIRELING has come for nothing more than personal gain. How do we know this?

The words of John 10:10 tell us this truth, as Jesus begins with these words: “ 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” The Greek word translated “thief” is the word Klé ptes (with the accent ¯ placed over the second e). You may notice it is a root word for our word KLEPTOMANIAC, which is someone who has a proclivity to steal others possessions. But Klé ptes has a different connotation from the Greek word for “robber” or “thief”…which is noted as “one who deprives another of his property, doing so openly and by violence.” Klé ptes actually denotes “one who steals by fraud and in secret.”


In its full context, we can easily see that Jesus is contrasting a TRUE SHEPHERD and a FALSE SHEPHERD. Jesus is using himself as an example of the TRUE SHEPHERD…even foreshadowing His Own death on the cross, as He WILLINGLY lays down His life for His sheep. Further, the word “thief” is referring to those SHEPHERDS who hold the POSITION without the PASSION and CARE which is necessary...CARE which would lead them to LOVE and PROTECT the flock. Lacking that necessary love, they simply PROFESS their care for the flock…all the while having no REAL concern for their well-being.

The bottom line in all of this? The HIRELINGS will say and do ANYTHING which will motivate the crowd in GIVING! The motivation is found in two common words: FAME and FORTUNE.

So…now…with all of that in mind…what are these FALSE SHEPHERDS doing which equates to John 10:10...as we see they come “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy?”

Let’s examine these quickly…one by one.
1. To steal - This was examined above in the examination of the words “steal” and “thief.”

2. To kill - The Greek word used gives AMAZING insight here! The Greek word for “kill” is the word Thú o (with the accent ¯ over the o). This word means “to offer sacrifice; to smoke or burn incense in a ritualistic sense; to offer sacrifice in a derived sense.” Can you see the reason God used this word and its implications?!? This wording shows us the power of FALSE SHEPHERDS and their FALSE TEACHING!

Since the “word” being brought forth by the HIRELING is actually FALSE TEACHING, the result is a FALSE WORSHIP. BAD DOCTRINE is presented by the PULPIT as TRUTH…yet, the result of BAD DOCTRINE is causing the flock to actually be SACRIFICED to fulfill the GREED and LUST of the FALSE SHEPHERD! This HIRELING will SACRIFICE the FLOCK for his own self-serving purposes!

Look at verse 12 again: “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.” There is a “wolf coming”…and he comes to KILL the sheep. And the HIRELING will run when he realizes death is near! Instead of PROTECTING the FLOCK…the FALSE SHEPHERD turns and runs!

FALSE TEACHING causes the flock to build their beliefs on erroneous doctrines. So…even if the flock TRULY believes a LIE…that LIE will not "work" (nor is it TRUTH)…as only TRUTH is able to repel an attack of the wolf! Look at it in this light: It is akin to selling attractive and polished...yet FAULTY...armor to a WARRIOR. Even though that WARRIOR believes his new armor will repel the arrows and spears of the enemy…the truth is clear when that first arrow PIERCES that faulty armor…wielding a DEATH BLOW to the unsuspecting WARRIOR!

Suffice it to say: the FALSE SHEPHERD is not only WILLING to SACRIFICE the flock if necessary…He WILL DO SO when the time seems right!

3. To destroy - The word for “destroy” is the Greek word Apó llumi. In the context of John 10:10, there is good news! The meaning of the word is a “temporal destruction”…NOT an ETERNAL destruction! This understanding is CRUCIAL for those who have once sat under such FALSE TEACHING…and…for those PRESENTLY sitting under such false teaching. The truth is this: if this HIRELING has been able to STEAL and to KILL you…He can STILL not GUARANTEE and PERPETRATE your ETERNAL DESTRUCTION! But…do NOT be fooled: if this point has been reached...with the HIRELING having been successful in "stealing" and "killing"...then your house on the sand is only one storm away from DESTRUCTION!

You see…the question is: Once the HIRELING has fled, revealing to the flock that he was NOT a TRUE SHEPHERD…what will the SHEEP do?!? Be sure…the wolf has come for one express purpose: to KILL and DEVOUR the SHEEP. There WILL BE pain and bloodshed! There WILL BE wounds! There WILL BE consequences for FAILING to DISCERN…which COULD HAVE BEEN DONE by INVESTIGATING everything that was being taught from the PULPIT!

You see…the POWER to EXPOSE the FALSE SHEPHERD before tragedy strikes is actually in the hands of the SHEEP! Oh…I do not say that without recognizing that the Holy Spirit is the POWER behind that REVELATION. But the Spirit of God is the One Who will “guide you into all truth.”

John 16:13 (NKJV) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…”

But the Holy Spirit cannot lead us into all TRUTH if we ignore His guidance…and He will guide us into the REVELATION of the TRUE MEANING of Scripture! But...the Holy Spirit cannot reveal the TRUE meaning of Scripture if we are not immersing ourselves in the Word! The simple truth? We DO NOT have to be at the MERCY of FALSE SHEPHERDS!

So…let’s bring this to a close.

Many are proclaiming that we, as Christians, must head over to the “camp” of the “enemy” to valiantly “recover” those things which Satan “stole” from us. Being aware that Satan is the impetus behind ALL evil and deception in this world, we could “sermonize” John 10:10 to denote it as applying to SATAN. But…Jesus was trying to give us warning (through His words to the Pharisees) that we MUST watch out for FALSE SHEPHERDS.

Remember 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 (NKJV): "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

Paul has just written that he never came as a “burden” to the church (2 Corinthians 12:9). The context of that statement is in reference to those who come/will come asking for every possible perk and monetary blessing. In so doing, Paul says that they will “transform themselves”, denoting that they will have to CHANGE themselves. They exist as a FAKE…but they must APPEAR to be REAL! They are actually ministers of DECEPTION…not “ministers of righteousness.” In the same way, their god…Satan…”transforms himself into an angel of light.”

All in all…we can see through the Word of God that FALSE TEACHERS who serve as PASTORS are actually FALSE SHEPHERDS…or HIRELINGS. Their motives are NOT Godly…no matter HOW they package their DECEPTIONS. They are simply SELF-SEEKING fakes who USE the flock for their own PROFIT! So…be sure: when the message from the PULPIT is heavily focused on FINANCIAL GAIN and EARTHLY PROSPERITY…with heavy doses of “Seed faith!” and “Plant a seed, sow a need!” and “God will give it TO you if He can get it THROUGH you.!” and “The hundredfold blessing!” and “The 3-fold blessing of the cross includes a PROMISE of TOTAL HEALING and EARTHLY RICHES.” and anything similar…

…your PASTOR is a HIRELING…and he is only there to promote doctrines which will gain for him the most FAME and FORTUNE as possible!

Not ONE Scripture being used by these PROSPERITY PIMPS is taken IN CONTEXT when being USED in their attempt to support GREED!

You can PACKAGE it in various and diverse ways! You can buy the most BEAUTIFUL gift-wrapping available! You can present that gift-wrapped teaching with a gorgeous bow wrapped around it! And…you can put the most LOVING card with it! But…no matter how PRETTY the PACKAGE…

…what is being presented as a GIFT is NOTHING more than a FALSE DOCTRINE which promotes GREED! Nothing MORE…nothing LESS!

It is NOT Satan who “stole” your “stuff”…it was that FALSE TEACHER or FALSE SHEPHERD who SWINDLED you when he stood in your church’s pulpit with no other motive than GREED!

Even in Job, we see that Satan has to SPECIFICALLY get PERMISSION to even REMOTELY attack someone as he did Job! And Job is NOT to be made the NORM! Remember: God was the one Who said, “Have you considered my servant Job?” God was placing an AMAZING amount of CONFIDENCE in Job…because He knew Job’s heart!

Satan has VERY LITTLE POWER in the life of a TRUE BELIEVER. And…as I stated at the beginning: Satan simply CANNOT possess anything which we do not actually HAND OVER to him willingly! Satan works AROUND a believer in most cases. He DEFINITELY has no power to work WITHIN us or THROUGH us unless WE give him that access! It is a simple truth: being called to follow Jesus (Jesus approached the 12 with the words "Follow Me."...and that is the same call that we receive.), we simply CANNOT go down SATAN'S PATH OF DECEPTION unless we take our eyes off of Jesus...allowing the DECEPTION to pull us off the proper path, which is in the footsteps of Jesus.

So…here is an ESSENTIAL: the Church must NOT forsake the Word of God to properly evaluate ministers and ministries. Do NOT accept what you hear from the PULPIT without going to the Word of God to CONFIRM what is being preached! TRUTH can withstand SCRUTINY! If what is being PREACHED cannot withstand EXAMINATION…then be sure that a HIRELING just filled that PULPIT! (Note the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11...as they were EAGER for the Word of God--not just an appealing sermon--yet they received NO PREACHING as "gospel" without searching the Scriptures DAILY to see if what was being taught and preached was TRUTH.)

If you find yourself going to the “enemy’s camp” to “take back what he stole” from you…make sure you actually invade the CORRECT campsite! You may only be starting a war with the wrong enemy!

In Christ,

Ron Smith

Can Sin get Saved? The Deception of Misdirection

Should the new motto of the Church now be “Hate the sin…but never confront the sinner!”?

As the Church has embarked down a road which rallies around a “Scripture” which is nonexistent…”Hate the sin, but love the Sinner.”…the TRUTH of that motto has become so skewed and distorted that its basis in Scripture is only noted BEFORE it is viewed in its present application within ministry. Let me be clear: there is DEFINITE Scriptural truth in saying “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” Jesus died for SINNERS…of which we are ALL included! Jesus loves EVERYONE…whether good or bad, obedient or disobedient, holy or hateful, saint or sinner. The same Jesus Who gave His life as a sacrifice for YOUR sins also gave His life as a sacrifice for HITLER’S sins. God’s love for us is never in question!

The problem with the motto “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” is not one of TRUTH…it is a problem of APPLICATION. So…with that said…let me begin here with a simple truth:

You can only confront the SIN if you are willing to confront the SINNER. SIN does not exist absent of a SINNER!

In most cases...the Church claims it is confronting sin while never confronting sinners. But that is impossible! SIN does not REPENT...SINNERS do! Can we EVANGELIZE sin?! Can sin become a "new creation?!" Can sin "get saved?!" Can LUST repent, being miraculously transformed into LOVE?! Can MURDER change its ways?!

Sinners can repent. The lost can be evangelized. Sinners can become “new creations” in Christ Jesus. Sinners can get saved. Those who lust can cease to lust. Murderers can cease to be murderers.

John 1:9 (KJV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In my blog “The Sound of Silence: The Church of Laryngitis”, I asked the question: Why has the actual spiritual application of the motto “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” led to SILENCE in the Church? Here was my answer: “Because many people are only COMFORTABLE dealing with the SIN…but they do not actually want to deal with SINNERS!” In the motto “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.”, the Church has found the words to express and excuse the very thing it has been doing so well for so long, as Christians have long made excuses for why they never tell anyone about Jesus. “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” allowed many Christians to breath a BIG SIGH OF RELIEF as they sink down into their Lazy Boy Recliner, turn on the television, pop the top on a “cold one”, and relax to the soothing scenes of DAYS OF OUR LIVES and DANCING WITH THE STARS and AMERICAN IDOL and GREY’S ANATOMY and THE BIGGEST LOSER.

SIN is easy to “deal with”…just let the pastor preach a sermon on it. But…“Don’t you dare make someone feel bad about their sin! We don’t want anyone uncomfortable in church, you know! They might get mad and never come back to church! How could you drive someone away like that!?! Do you not know that the Bible says we are not to judge!?!”

“Whew! I do not want to make the people who give me my paycheck mad! I had better find a BETTER WAY to deal with this ‘sin’ issue!”

And…boy oh boy…how the leaders have listened to the demands of the people! Maybe those ears were itching BEFORE, but the leadership has so catered to the masses that every ear from Hollywood to Hanoi should be ITCH FREE by now!

2 Timothy 4:1-4 KJV “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove , rebuke , exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

So how can we “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” and do it in a BIBLICAL way? What happens when we are SO worried about offending PEOPLE that we actually begin to offend GOD?

If ANYTHING causes us to be SILENT about sin, then it CANNOT be God behind it! As I said on my blog yesterday: “You cannot preach a SAVIOR if you do not preach a SINNER! The truth of the Gospel is the existence of BOTH!” In truth, any thought which says that we can preach a POSITIVE MESSAGE ONLY (while still remaining Biblical) is simply a LIE! We are just never commanded in Scripture to preach POSITIVE: but we are told to preach TRUTH! Just like with a battery, power is only available if both the positive AND the negative are properly connected!

The misapplications of the overwhelmingly popular “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” are being played out in church after church across America and around the world. One such popular "spiritual principle" in the Church today...a false one, I may add...is the practice of "rebuking" sin in someone as "anointed prayer warriors" lay hands on the people. This is a practice born out of an erroneous twist of truth which says we can somehow SEPARATE the sin from the sinner…and this is just not possible.

Let's use wisdom here...instead of mangling Scripture to give credence to a doctrine which HYPES what is HOLY. The realization that we CANNOT "rebuke" sin in someone's life SHOULD BE...as they say...ELEMENTARY. So...let me prove it to you. Tell me...who can repent of YOUR sins?? Who is responsible for YOU accepting Jesus...or, for that matter, REJECTING Jesus?? Who will go to Heaven or Hell for YOUR sins?? Who will live YOUR life...whether in OBEDIENCE to Christ or in DISOBEDIENCE to Christ??

You see...we are all responsible for our OWN sin! No...we cannot SAVE ourselves: that only comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But...if we are going to RECEIVE that "free gift"...the Bible says we must CONFESS our sins...and REPENT of our sins. Any thought that I can rebuke YOUR sins…or that YOU can rebuke MY sins…is simply ABSURD! In Jude, we see that any declaration saying WE can rebuke sin…or Satan…is nothing more than FALSE DOCTRINE.

Jude 1:9 KJV “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said , The Lord rebuke thee.”

What was Jude discussing here? Go read it for yourself. You will see…IN CONTEXT…that Jude is discussing the FALSE TEACHERS who had “crept in unawares” (verse 4)…or, as the NKJV words it, they had “crept in unnoticed.” Jude calls these false teachers “ungodly men” (verse 4) as they speak “great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.” (verse 16 - NKJV) Here (and in MANY other verses of Scripture!), we find that it is NOT those who dare to speak AGAINST the false teachers to whom Jude is referring, but it is those who are speaking the POSITIVE, “flattering” message to the people which Jude is inspired by God to REVEAL and REBUKE.

But…it is in verse 9 that we can come to fully understand that Jude is describing the false teachers of today…specifically the doctrine of “rebuking” in its erroneous application. In careful study, you will find that what is occurring is this: these men are attempting to enter a realm…and proclaiming it as possible…that is reserved only for the Lord! Oh…be sure…the Bible says that we have the OBLIGATION to rebuke individuals for such things as: Sin (1 Timothy 5:20); false teaching (Titus 1:13); personal wrong (Luke 17:3). And Jesus rebuked the cities in which He had performed most of His miracles, as they refused to repent (which defies EVERY claim that it only refers to those who are SAVED in speaking or “rebuke“ or “correction“ and the life!)! (Matthew 11:20)

The focus of Jude 1:9, we then discover, is this: false teachers who attribute to THEMSELVES, and to those they are TEACHING, the attributes and powers which are ONLY held by God Himself! And…what do we find that these false teachers were trying to rebuke? SATAN and SIN!

Now…FOLLOW ME VERY CLOSELY HERE! What I am about to say is what I am SURE the Holy Spirit has REVEALED and CONFIRMED to me THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD!

Why are false teachers entering into false teaching which purports that we can rebuke sin?? What is REALLY behind these types of teachings?? You see…the Word of God says that false teachers will infiltrate the Church with “secretly” introduced “heresies.” (2 Peter 2:1) When their false teaching is introduced in the Church, we see that there is a HIDDEN AGENDA which is “destructive. (2 Peter 2:1) Applying this (and many other passages) in context, we find that there is a GRADUAL shift in doctrine…a shift that is so gradual that it might not even be discovered. Yet, over time, it is akin to moving the continents just one inch a day from the time of Adam and Eve. What seems to be such a small SHIFTING would one day be CATACLYSMIC!

With that shift in DOCTRINE…many of these false teachings lead to a shift in SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY!

Look again at Jude 1:9: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said , The Lord rebuke thee.”

Jude makes it clear: when it comes to Satan and sin, we are to leave the REBUKING up to the Lord! Who is the ONLY One Who has the power to DEFEAT and CONQUER sin?? Who is the ONLY One Who can simply SPEAK things into creation (to the renouncing of false teachers who claim otherwise!)?? Who is the ONLY One Who is “worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals??" (Revelation 5:1-5)

Some power is reserved for GOD and GOD ALONE!!

(If you have never read God’s responses to Job in the Book of Job in the Bible, I would URGE you to do so. It is so powerful in its presentation of GOD as GOD…and that WE are NOT God!)

So let us now apply this one example of false teaching to the subject at hand: Why would false teachers begin to teach that it is SIN that we are to focus on…that we are to REBUKE?? Maybe you haven’t caught on yet…so let me help you. Notice the subtle shift over the last few decades within the Church. The false teachings and the false manifestations have become more bizarre day by day. But they all actually connect together as in an intricate puzzle…a puzzle into which the one, final remaining piece must be inserted so the picture becomes clear.

How could Satan stop the PRIMARY PURPOSE of the Church from being carried out?? You ask…well, what IS that primary purpose?? Now THAT is simple: to spread the Gospel to everyone possible. But as I said before…“You cannot preach a SAVIOR if you do not preach a SINNER! The truth of the Gospel is the existence of BOTH!” So…false teachers have ACTUALLY followed the proverbial “path of least resistance.” The doctrines of the false teachers are NECESSITATED by the fact that they are bowing to “itching ears.” Thus, if a leader does not want to “offend” anyone…or “hurt” anyone…or “judge” anyone…then that leader must search for that “path of least resistance.”

Where does that “path of least resistance” lie? Simply put…in a NON-CONFRONTATIONAL Gospel. Do they cease to USE words like “confronting” and other similar expressions? No. But the FOCUS of the “rebuke” and “confronting” has to be changed! Thus…the gradual shift from SINNER to SIN! Hey…if you want to keep the crowds happy, you had BETTER find a way to NOT call them SINNERS…and you had BETTER find a way to tell them ABOUT their SIN while never DENOTING them as SINNERS! Now…as this subtle shift has come into FULL BLOOM…we see the ULTIMATE shift of all…as false teachers proclaim to the masses that their sins are not their fault! You see…”You didn’t have a CHOICE to sin or not! It was the demon of COCAINE that made you do it! It was that demon of SMOKING that made you do it! It was that demon of POVERTY that led to your financial situation! It was that demon of GLUTTONY that made you obese and unhealthy! It was that demon of HOMOSEXUALITY that made you gay! So you must REBUKE that foul demon! And make sure you do it IN THE NAME OF JESUS!”

Alas…not only have we removed the RESPONSIBILITY for sin from the SINNER…we have given them all “authority” to “rebuke” sin out of someone’s life…CONFESSION and REPENTANCE be damned!!

Amazingly…the HUGE FLAW in this DELUSIONAL teaching is somehow BYPASSING the minds and discernment of the vast majority of the Church today. Without confronting SINNERS, most of these “saints” are actually still SINNERS! So, what we see occurring is a mass of SINNERS being REASSURED in their sin…and these SINNERS are being told they not only have power…but they have power that is EQUAL to GOD! The scenario becomes: “Do you want to be free from your sin? Then you need to REBUKE that demon of PICK-YOUR-FAVORITE-SIN and command him to GO…in Jesus Name!” And not ONE PERSON in what we call the “Pentecostal/Charismatic” branch of the Church can HONESTLY deny that those words are INDEED being spoken by every prominent “minister” who presently finds his “home” on “Christian Television Networks.” In all of this, the wide variations in styles, and the fluctuations between the mix of false teachings, may give each ministry a different flair and “flavor”, but…in the end…they are all simply following the “path of least resistance.”

The key in all of this is something I have spoken often: Satan wants TRUTH silenced…and he wants SINNERS to stop being CONFRONTED.

I say today what I spoke yesterday: Jesus did not confront VERBS in most cases…Jesus most often confronted NOUNS. When we see Scripture dealing with people who lie, we seldom see examples of where the focus is on the ACTION. (There ARE some examples…but those are during general teachings, as God the Father or Jesus or even the Disciples/Apostles were establishing the “ground rules”, so to speak.) You see…the Church LOVES to tout the fact that “Jesus ate with sinners.” as some MANTRA by which we are to assume that that fact means Jesus stayed among the sinners, yet He never even confronted them about their sin. No…that Biblical analysis simply doesn’t “wash!” The examples in Scripture are simply OVERWHELMING in number where we find God/Jesus (and you CANNOT even BEGIN to try to separate the two!) confronting SINNERS. God does not speak to adultery…He speaks to the “adulterer.” God does not speak to lying…He speaks to the “liar.” God does not speak to murder…He speaks to the murderer.

And…Jesus did not spend time with INDIVIDUALS and speak to SIN…He spoke to INDIVIDUALS. And if that individual was a sinner…Jesus “labeled” them by their sin. Did that mean it was…or that it has to be…in some angry, sinister address which wreaks of cruelty? No. But…in today’s Church, you can be WEEPING over what you are having to say…yet the “itching ears” will STILL cry, “Bigot!” and “You are judging!” and “Stop condemning!”…and so on and so on and so on.

Church…SIN is NOT going to change. Sin will be sin until the fullness of time has come…and until all creation sits at that moment in time which the Bible calls “the end of the age.” You can speak to it…you can rebuke it…you can “claim” it as “gone”…you can dance in the Holy Ghost and roll on the floor until you are blue in the face…but SIN is going NOWHERE. You will have to live a life which FIGHTS and RESISTS sin. As we live this walk of FAITH, we will one day be noted as “Overcomers!” On that day…what will we have OVERCOME?? Sin!

So…what are we to do with all of this? Where do we go from here?

We have to begin to address SINNERS. In doing so…we must tell them the REASON that THEY (NOT humanity…but THEM…the person who sits or stands before us!) need a SAVIOR. We MUST NOT be afraid to TELL them of their sin. We ALL are told to “search our hearts”…and that is NOT just at the moment of decision regarding SALVATION! We must be HONEST…and tell them the TRUTH! This Christian walk is NOT the life of “favor” and “financial blessings” and all of the OTHER mumbo jumbo, out-of-context, Scripture-twisting claims by the false teachers of the day! I like what I heard by a minister recently, as he said, “If THIS is Your Best Life Now…” as he made reference to the ear-tickling, error-filled, positive-only message of Joel Osteen’s best-selling book..."...then you are going to HELL!” Our "best life" is promised in HEAVEN...not here on earth!

The promises of what we ARE to receive are not some universal promise by God to the believer of WEALTH and RICHES here on earth! And ANY decent study of God’s Word WILL reveal that the basis for ANY and ALL teachings by the false teachers which make such claims are based ONLY on Scripture REMOVED from its PROPER CONTEXT! There truly is NOT ONE Scripture which is used in their erroneous teachings which is TRULY found to declare what these charlatans claim...when FULLY studied and FULLY evaluated IN CONTEXT!

And…those are the EXACT SAME methods being used to espouse the POSITIVE-ONLY, seeker-sensitive, non-offensive “gospel” which is so prevalent today within the Church. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an OFFENSE to those who are perishing: THAT is the truth of the Word of God. If you can make the Gospel inoffensive, then you have NOT preached the TRUE Gospel. The Word of God DOES NOT LIE! So…if the Bible says it will OFFEND…and the “gospel” you preach is cheered and applauded and easily accepted by the masses…be sure: YOU HAVE CEASED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

The Church MUST confront SINNERS…because SIN isn’t going to change! Go confront SIN all you want…but SINNERS will never flinch! I have often said: You will not change the ACTIONS of man until you can change the HEART of man.

Now…who wants or NEEDS proof of all that I have said?? Well…here you go!

2 Corinthians 7:1-2 (NKJV)

1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. 5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

Can you see what Paul was saying? Paul is telling the Corinthian church that he has never spoken the truth for the express purpose of hurting ANYONE. In verse 2, he begins to tell them that all that has been said to them was out of LOVE…even if the truth HURT a bit. Did Paul LEAVE them with rebuke? No. But did he FAIL or REFUSE to rebuke? No! (Go read 1 Corinthians. WOW! I bet there were some in that congregation who were FURIOUS with Paul after that letter!) But then Paul reveals how confronting SINNERS works for good! (Do not be fooled if you think the letter was “general”, and that it did NOT confront INDIVIDUALS. Paul didn’t write to EVERY Christian EVERYWHERE. He wrote to ONE CHURCH. And that church knew EXACTLY who was GUILTY of the sins which Paul had mentioned! Some may have DENIED it, but Paul specifically TOLD THEM that they were to handle the situations and deal with those who were guilty. In other words: deal with the SINNERS so the SIN will cease!) The RESULTS from confronting SINNERS led to “godly sorrow” which brought about “repentance”…which led to “salvation!” Now THAT is the way it is supposed to happen!!!

Everyone wants to win the masses…but few want to win the individual. Why? That FEAR of CONFRONTATION. But…simply ask yourself this question:

If it would mean Heaven or Hell for my own child…would it make a difference? I have NEVER witnessed ANYONE getting SAVED when nothing or nobody ever told them that they were a SINNER.

The Sound of Silence: The Church of Laryngitis

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian famous for his stand against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. His beliefs and convictions ultimately cost him his life in a Nazi concentration camp. It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said: "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak IS to speak. Not to act IS to act."

With that in mind, I have sensed the Lord asking this question:

Just how far will EVIL progress within the Church before those who claim the term “Christian” will WAKE UP and RISE UP…ending the silence which has been deemed “loving”…when, in truth, that silence ITSELF is EVIL??

And here is what I feel the Lord leading me to write:

With an out-of-context use of “Judge not!”, the Church has traveled the path of SILENCE. Increasingly, with every passing day, any statement which takes a Biblical stance against sin is being deemed “intolerant” and “judgmental.” The GRIEVING truth in all of this? It is the CHURCH which now CHAMPIONS the use of Scripture as it attempts to SILENCE the TRUTH of Scripture itself!

When will we remember “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

The Church HAS been infiltrated…and DENIAL is the equivalent of the proverbial “head buried in the sand.” And, slowly but surely, Satan sold the Church on SILENCE! Christians everywhere are now asked about SIN…and their answer is “Who am I to judge?” Under the “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” mantra, the Church marches on…never realizing the “weapons of our warfare” have been forsaken, and they now lay in a pile on the spiritual SIDELINES of the CONTEST. So…now weaponless…the Church marches forward in hopes that they will not “offend” anyone. And no wonder! Who wants to OFFEND an OPPOSING ARMY when the Church is marching forward WEAPONLESS!?!

(Note: Let me be clear: there is DEFINITE Scriptural truth in saying “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” Jesus died for SINNERS…of which we are ALL included! Jesus loves EVERYONE…whether good or bad, obedient or disobedient, holy or hateful, saint or sinner. The same Jesus Who gave His life as a sacrifice for YOUR sins also gave His life as a sacrifice for HITLER’S sins. God’s love for us is never in question! The problem with the motto “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” is not one of TRUTH…it is a problem of APPLICATION.) (I wrote the words noted here in another blog...but want any thoughts that I do not believe the PRINCIPLE of "Hate the sin, but love the sinner." to be nullified from the outset here.)

I recently read these words from a Christian: “When did God call us to determine what is sin?” That was accompanied by “Who are we to judge?” in a more wordy form.

You see…in those words we see the present mentality of many today. Yet, it seems people are OBLIVIOUS to the fact that we have the Word of God by which we are ABLE to “determine what is sin.” I was raised in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN)…and there was a time when that denomination…as well as others…declared things as SIN which were NOT established in Scripture. Now…I will not ARGUE the specifics here…for that is not the issue. The point here is this: We do not have to QUESTION what things are sin when they are FIRMLY ESTABLISHED within the Word of God! Yet…much of the Church today is actually REBUKING those who DARE to call sin SIN! When a prominent “minister of the Gospel” steps onto a very prominent stage and…with the world watching…is asked if homosexuality is a sin…and his answer is a simplistic variation of “Who am I to judge?”…then something is SERIOUSLY WRONG in the CHURCH! And sadly…many in the Church DEFENDED that prominent minister’s answer!!

Church…I say this KNOWING God is speaking it: That is NOT how God EVER intended for things to be in His Church!

Here is a saying I saw recently which sums up the modern “theology” which NEGATES any mention of SIN: “The message of the Church seems to be all about sin…but it is supposed to be about the Savior.”

Now many will NEVER see the problem with that statement!

What is a SAVIOR? In simplistic terms, a SAVIOR is “One who saves or delivers.” So…imagine you knew NOTHING of Jesus and the Bible. I approach you and ask you something like “Are you saved?” Most likely, you would at least WONDER…if not ask…”Saved from WHAT?” Do you get it?! There is NO POSSIBILITY to separate the SAVIOR from our SIN! It is our SINFULNESS which necessitates a SAVIOR!

Imagine a beautiful yacht on the ocean. As its wealthy owner and his guests enjoy a beautiful day on the water, a Coast Guard vessel suddenly appears. As it nears, those on the yacht hear the voice of the Captain of the Coast Guard vessel as he speaks through a bull horn. Alas…they realize that the Captain is telling them that he has come to rescue them! The Coast Guard vessel pulls along side the yacht, and the Captain says, “Climb aboard! We are here to save you!” The owner of the yacht, having not a CLUE as to what the Captain is there for, simply asks…perplexed, “Save us from WHAT?! There is NOTHING wrong here! We are FINE! So what on earth are you talking about?!”

The Bible tells us that God is NOT “the author of confusion.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) And yet, in its SINless presentation, the Church is CAUSING confusion! Any search of YouTube will EASILY reveal a “gospel” presentation TOTALLY ABSENT of ANY mention of sin. And telling someone that they are a SINNER…or that they are living in SIN…or that their lifestyle is SINFUL…has become the big “NO-NO” of the modern Church! The Church is actually beginning to tell people that they need a SAVIOR…but it no longer wants to ADMIT that there are SINS that people need to be saved FROM! It is actually helping sinners DENY their SIN…instead of offering the BIBLICAL position which CLEARLY establishes that sins must be ADMITTED in order for there to be ANY POSSIBILITY of a CONFESSION of those sins…which then allows REPENTANCE (the “turning away from” sin…ceasing to continue on in sin).

So…what does SCRIPTURE reveal to us on this issue?

1. We must confess our SINS. With the doctrines of “positive confession” running rampant, we are to confess our SINS before we can confess a SAVIOR.

- 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

- James 5:16 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

2. We must feel SORROW for our sinfulness. It is a simple “I am so sorry for what I have done!”…which is even evidenced as the Word of God tells us to do the same when we hurt OTHERS.

- 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

- Ecclesiastes 1:18 “For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

- Ecclesiastes 7:3 “Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.”

- 2 Corinthians 7:9 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.”

3. We must KNOW we are SINNERS before we can be set FREE from SIN.

- John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

4. We cannot KNOW we are SINNERS unless we are TOLD we are sinners (whether directly by the Word or by a person).

- Romans 10:13-17 “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Here is how I hear God speaking these truths in summation:

You cannot preach a SAVIOR if you do not preach a SINNER! The truth of the Gospel is the existence of BOTH!

Ask yourself this question: If the CHURCH ceases to point out (and preach on) SIN…do you TRULY think that the WORLD will pick up that MANTLE and carry it faithfully?!?

It is NOT God who seeks the voice of His Prophets and Pastors to go SILENT on the subject of SIN. But…more importantly…the “bill of goods” we have been sold regarding “Hate the sin…love the sinner.” has brought the spreading of TRUTH to a virtual standstill! Many Christians will readily ADMIT that HOMOSEXUALITY is a SIN…UNTIL…they put a FACE and a NAME to that HOMOSEXUAL. Why? Because many people are only COMFORTABLE dealing with the SIN…but they do not actually want to deal with SINNERS!

Go study JESUS. I was AMAZED when I realized this truth: Jesus dealt with NOUNS…and He seldom dealt with VERBS. We find in Scripture that Jesus DIRECTLY ADDRESSED the SINNER…whether in LOVE or REBUKE. But NEVER did Jesus ignore the mention of a SINNER being a SINNER. Jesus would most often directly CONFRONT a person…and most often Jesus would not say “You are lying.” or “You are being hypocritical.” (which both place the emphasis on the action). Jesus would, instead, say “Liar.” and “Hypocrite.” And…we find the same pattern being followed THROUGHOUT Scripture…and the Apostles continued with that practice.

How clear does it have to be…as we witness professing “Christians” readily ADMIT that HOMOSEXUALITY is a SIN…yet, those same “Christians” never even DARE discuss the issue with their homosexual friends! Further…they hurl charges of “Bigot!” and “You are being judgmental!” at any Christian who DARES speak out with CLARITY and TRUTH on the issue! To the HORROR of those who bother to even notice, many in the Church today are actually CHAMPIONING the cause of homosexuals throughout America and around the world: GAY MARRIAGE!

SATAN has SO DARKENED the path before the Church that it CANNOT SEE that it is quickly hurtling down the RAGING RIVER of DECEPTION only MINUTES from the NIAGARA FALLS of JUDGMENT!!

So…the Church now faces a CRISIS!

Satan’s lies have SILENCED the Church on the issue of SIN! Satan seems to have known Scripture better than the Church…as he realized the TRUTH in this verse: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)

So…Satan’s plan was simple: SILENCE TRUTH!

I always KNEW that the attack on TRUTH would one day come in a HUGE wave of HATRED for all that is HOLY and GOOD and DECENT…and that the WORLD was already too prone to REJECT the TRUTH as the Word of God tells us. I must admit, though…I had NO REAL UNDERSTANDING of just how APOSTATE the Church would become as many (actually MOST) within the Church join forces with the army of SATAN as it seeks to ERADICATE any mention of SIN and SINFULNESS to ANYONE in ANY FORM OR FASHION. And Satan has done this under an AMAZING banner: the banner of “LOVE!”

As I have ALREADY written on this deception and “Love perversion”, as I call it…I will only include here a LINK to that particular writing.
http://journeyinsightandlife-truths.blogspot.com/2012/06/love-perversion-satans-secret-heresy.html

Church…it is NOT God Who is shouting “Shhhhhh!” when it comes to those seeking to keep the Church QUIET on the issues of SIN! It is nothing more than a DECEPTION of SATAN as he realizes that the ONLY way that people can be FREE FROM SIN is for them to KNOW OF THEIR SIN AND SINFULNESS! I…nor YOU…can honestly say we have EVER witnessed ANYONE come to Christ without CONFESSION and REPENTANCE…and neither of those are possible without the recognition that their SIN is WRONG…that it is SIN!

Nobody REPENTS of what they did NOT do WRONG! And do not be so naïve as to say “Well, people ALREADY know their sin!” Really?!?

If you would like, I can take you to websites and WebPages of DENOMINATIONS and MINISTRIES and CHURCHES which are DENYING that sin is SIN…and these sites and pages are RENOUNCING truth in ways that would bring you to tears!

At every turn, SINNERS who DENY their SIN are proclaiming themselves “Christians!” And they seem to TRULY believe that they ARE Christians! I have witnessed “Christians” as they proclaimed that the Bible is “not the Word of God”…that “The Bible is NOT inerrant! It is FULL of ERRORS!”…that “Homosexuality is NOT a sin!”…that “There is no hell! That is made up theology by those who want to SCARE people!”: the list could go on and on.

So, Church…tell me: Where do we go from here?

Will we sink deeper into SILENCE as we simply CEDE the battle to SATAN? Will we let PERSECUTION cause us to grow weary in our Biblical stance? Will we let “Christians” who label us as “Judgmental!“ shame us into submission?

OR…WILL WE REGAIN OUR VOICE AGAIN?

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak IS to speak. Not to act IS to act."