Eternal life resides in Jesus and in Him alone. No one else! This is true now and will also be the case after Jesus removes His true church from the earth.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
What do people need the most? The answer remains the same as it’s always been: A clear understanding of the Gospel. By this I mean that people need Jesus, not the one that so many today create in their mind but but the One revealed on the pages of Scripture.
It happened almost overnight. The world’s perception of Abu Mohammad al-Julani changed from that of a wanted terrorist to the respected president of Syria. A year ago, the United States had a ten million dollar bounty on his head; it regarded him as one of most dangerous terrorists in the world. Now it recognizes him as the president of a legitimate Syrian government.
Do you realize that as New Testament saints, we will take part in the most astonishing and magnificent event that the world will ever see?
Revelation 19 begins with thunderous praise for our Savior followed by our celebration with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Then, “arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,” we will follow Jesus back to earth riding on white horses (Revelation 19:11-16) .
Though it’s been debunked countless times, a great many saints remain convinced that the doctrine of the pre-Tribulation Rapture originated with John Darby. Although they insist that no one believed in such a thing before him, it’s simply not true.
Let me be clear: If anyone tells you that this teaching originated with John Darby, they are either purposely misleading you or have themselves been the victim of someone deceiving them about its origin.
The complacency of those outside of Christ is what I might expect given the vast deception and gaslighting that floods the airwaves. Sadly, most believers also live in a similar state of unawareness concerning the perils that threaten their future wellbeing.
What will it take for people to wake up? What will it take for the church to wake up?
As I wondered about how to respond to the normality bias so evident in churches today, I thought about the title of the Francis A. Schaeffer book that I read in college, He Is There and He is Not Silent. I believe that name might be adjusted for today as, “He Sees, He Is Not Silent, and He Is Coming Soon.”
Many today live in what I call a “bubble of normalcy” where they feel secure because of exaggerated and unrealistic expectations of either a return to normalcy or of it continuing indefinitely into the future.
Even a great number of believers reside in a world of inflated expectations regarding what lies ahead for them.
I understand why so many question Jesus’ soon return given the fact that it’s been two thousand years since He promised to return.
In spite of the long wait, I’m convinced that Jesus’ appearing is imminent because of the myriad of signs telling us that the Tribulation period is right on our doorstep.
It’s the particulars of our glorious future that provide us with a hopeful and biblical context into which we can place the storms and tragic circumstances that come our way and persevere when during the dark times in which we live.
It’s a glorious adventure that starts with the Rapture of the church.
We use the word “glory” to refer to many aspects of our walk with the Lord. In a real sense, glorify His name when praise Him and sing worship songs. We see a foretaste of God’s glory in beautiful sunsets, the grandeur of snowcapped mountain tops, and in many ways through the beauty and wonder of nature.
We will not see the full display of Jesus’ glory, however, until He appears to take us up to heaven!
In recent years, however, the Greek Word apostasia, translated “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, has received heightened scrutiny with many regarding this as a reference to the Rapture.
Can we justify interpreting the word as a physical departure such as would point to Jesus’ appearing to take us back to heaven? I believe we can.
Revelation begins with these words: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book is all about Jesus’ magnificence and power. From beginning to end, Revelation glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation is more relevant than ever before as we watch a great many of its prophecies came into sharper focus.
The church is the body of Christ with Jesus as its Head; it does not operate as a kingdom in this present world. And it’s most certainly not the restored kingdom of Israel.
The Lord never intended for His church to behave like a kingdom with an aristocracy that rules over it. We function on earth as Jesus’ body with each member possessing spiritual gifts that support the whole.
