Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Salvation: How to Be Absolutely Sure
Some time ago, on a flight to Oregon, I sat next to a woman who asked where I was going. “Sisters, Oregon,” I answered. “Do you know where it is?”
Assuring me that she did, the woman asked, “What’s your business there?”
After I said I was writing a book about how we can be sure we are going to heaven, she marveled, “You mean you can know that you are going to heaven?”
Realizing God had opened a door for me to tell her about Christ, I reinforced that we can know for certain our eternal destiny, saying, “We can afford to be wrong about going to Sisters, Oregon, but not about going to heaven.”
How Can We Be Sure? The truth is, we can be sure about where we will spend eternity. We can know with certainty that when we die, we will go to heaven. But how can we be sure? Many people struggle with the certainty of their salvation, especially new believers.
How can we know where we stand with God? The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars:
Pillar #1 God Cannot Lie!
First, assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture. Throughout the New Testament, we read God’s promises to save all who will believe upon His Son. The Bible says, “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”(1) This is a promise! All who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ may have the firm confidence of salvation based upon the infallibility of God’s Word.
Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”(2) If you come to Jesus with genuine repentance and faith, He promises that He will save you. We can know Jesus has received us because, quite simply, He said so! When the Bible speaks, God speaks. And what God said, He will surely do. He will save all who call upon Jesus Christ. You have His word on it.
Pillar #2 Jesus Paid It All
Second, assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He bore our iniquities, enduring God’s wrath, and cried out, “It is finished!”(3) By this, He meant that the full atonement for all our sins-past, present and future-has been made. His work of redemption now completed, our entire sin debt is paid in full.
Just as salvation comes from believing in Christ alone, so does assurance. As we trust in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. No matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater still. The Bible says, “Come now, and let us reason together. … Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”(4)
Pillar #3 The Great Convincer
Third, assurance comes through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A divinely produced gift, assurance is bestowed by God’s Spirit to all true believers. It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. In actuality, no preacher, evangelist, parent or friend can give us assurance. Neither can we work it up within ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can give us the absolute certainty of our eternal salvation.
The Bible says, “We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.”(5) … “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”(6) … “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”(7) This means, the Holy Spirit who convicted, called and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ. It is the Spirit’s inward witness that persuades us of the genuineness of our salvation.
Pillar #4 New Life in Christ
Fourth, assurance comes through the evidence of a changed life. Ultimately, assurance is confirmed within us as we see God conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. All who have been born again will see clear evidences of a new life in Christ. While we will never become perfect in this life, we will, nevertheless, experience a changed life. It is this inward transformation that provides strong confirmation of our salvation.
The book of First John details what are the vital signs of our new life in Christ. The Apostle John writes, “We know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”(8) In other words, we may be certain that we know Christ as we see within us a desired and willing obedience to God’s Word. Likewise, John writes, other vital signs will follow: Love for other people,(9) love for God,(10) refusing the world,(11) understanding biblical truth,(12) righteous behavior,(13) opposition from the world(14) and answered prayer.(15) As we see this spiritual fruit produced in our lives, we may be confident that Christ lives within us.
Full Assurance of Salvation Here are the four sturdy pillars on which the assurance of our salvation rests. Giving “full assurance of hope”(16) regarding our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, these pillars provide unshakable confidence of eternal life.
As I told the woman on the plane, we can be wrong about earthly directions but not about our eternal destiny. In our salvation we must be sure. Assurance of salvation is God’s blessed gift for all who believe: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.”(17)
Be absolutely sure!
(1) Romans 10:13, NASB. (2) John 6:37, NASB. (3) John 19:30, NASB. (4) Isaiah 1:18, NASB. (5) 1 John 3:24, NASB. (6) 1 John 4:13, NASB. (7) Romans 8:16, NASB. (8) 1 John 2:3, NASB. (9) 1 John 2:9-11. (10) 1 John 2:12-14. (11) 1 John 2:15-17. (12) 1 John 2:20-27. (13) 1 John 3:4-6. (14) 1 John 3:13. (15) 1 John 3:22-24. (16) Hebrews 6:11, NASB. (17) 1 John 5:13, NASB. Bible verses marked NASB are taken by permission from the New American Standard Bible, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California
Article by Steven J. Lawson for Decision Magazine, January 2001
(HT: New Reformation Ministries)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Rick Warren and Roman Catholics
He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)
Why Are Evangelical Leaders Silent About Warren’s Sin?
Unfortunately Dr. John Piper made an ill-advised decision to bring in Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren for the Desiring God Conference 2010 as the keynote speaker. The online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries has been among those who’ve been reporting on Piper Warrengate, which is making some otherwise fragile associations a bit more fragile; especially when one sees who, and what, he’s promoting in Dr. LaVerne Adams And Rick Warren Driven By Destiny?
As another telling example, I have previously showed you Warren’s sinful double mindedness concerning apostate Roman Catholicism in Rick Warren And Purpose Driven Roman Catholics. As one who is myself a former Roman Catholic, whom the Lord graciously delivered from the religious bondage of the Roman Catholic Church into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, I’m going to continue taking issue with Dr. Piper telling us that Rick Warren is “doctrinal and sound.” [1]
Just the other day in Rick Warren Teaching The Law Of Attraction we see, not only has he done the foreward to a book by a positive confession Word Faith flake Dr. LaVerne Adams, who has direct ties to the New Apostolic Reformation, but his own teachings are starting to sound more and more like those of the New Spirituality. That said, in the case of Rick Warren and Roman Catholicism, we begin with an interview for Modern Reformation in 2004 where Warren states, “Theologically, I am a monergist and firmly hold to the five solas of the Reformation.” [2]
With this in mind then I bring to your attention again that Rick Warren has said: “I see absolutely zero reason in separating my fellowship from anybody.” [3] Now consider the following from a USA Today piece from July of 2003:
Warren is part of the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and all his senior staff sign on to the SBC’s doctrines, such as the literal and infallible Bible and exclusion of women as senior pastors. Yet Warren’s pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women. (Online source, emphasis mine)
There have been those who’ve attempted to refute the above statement saying the reporter erred; but Christian apologist Chris Rosebrough has documented that, the very week this USA article in question was released, it was even advertised on Warren’s Pastors.com website. [4] For the sake of argument though, let’s leave out “Warren’s pastor-training programs” with “Methodists, Mormons, Jews”; the problem doesn’t go away. For you see, we’re still told that he is/was training Roman Catholic churches, which according to Reformation theology—which Warren says he believes—are preaching another gospel. [5]
Here’s what Rick Warren believes about the Roman Catholic Church, which long ago placed its anathema upon the very Gospel of Jesus Christ:
“I am talking about the fact that about a hundred years ago, Christianity split into two wings… The small group structure is the structure of renewal in every facet of Christianity — including Catholicism.” (Online source, emphasis mine)
“Now I don’t agree with everything in everybody’s denomination, including my own. I don’t agree with everything that Catholics do or Pentecostals do, but what binds us together is so much stronger than what divides us,” he said. “I really do feel that these people are brothers and sisters in God’s family. I am looking to build bridges with the Orthodox Church, looking to build bridges with the Catholic Church,….” (Online source, emphasis mine)
“Most readers will be surprised to learn that the largest international network is…the Christian Church. The Church, in all its expressions—Catholic, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Protestant and many others—has 2.3 billion followers.” (Online source, emphasis mine)
How could an organization that doesn’t preach the Gospel even be considered a “church” in the first place; let alone a healthy one. And so, the question now before us is: Which Rick Warren do we believe?
_________________________________________________________________________
Endnotes:
1. As cited http://tinyurl.com/y3y3rxs, accessed 7/13/10.
2. http://tinyurl.com/y6ovrpd, accessed 7/13/10.
3. http://tinyurl.com/y5dfo7u, accessed 7/13/10.
4. http://www.alittleleaven.com/2007/05/rick_warren_wor.html, accessed 7/13/10.
5. Interesting to note here that in Galatians 1:6-9 the Apostle Paul advocates breaking fellowship with people such as this; and not training them how to potentially make more converts to their false gospel.
6. http://tinyurl.com/y3zfpr6, accessed 7/13/10.
(HT: AM)
Looking for Jesus
By Todd Strandberg
The British paper, the Telegraph,, recently featured a headline that read: "Jesus will return by 2050, say 40 percent of Americans." The poll was by the Pew Research Center for the People and The Press/Smithsonian Magazine.
Several polls were included in the article, but the author obviously chose to go with Christ’s return date as the lead because he found it incredibly odd that 40 percent of the American people believe such a thing.
I think this is a rather low number for a nation with 85 percent of its population claiming to be Christian. After all, the Pew poll also found that 46 percent of the population doubts the return of Christ will happen. Judging by the state of the world, I would think that 2020 would have been a more reasonable date to ponder.
One of the greatest problems in the church today is that believers are not looking for the return of their Savior. I find it extremely problematic for someone to claim to be a Christian and yet doubt the Second Advent of Christ. Jesus said He would return, so to claim otherwise is to call Him a liar.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet. 3:3-4).
The people who reject the return of Jesus Christ to earth are making a big mistake. The rapture of believers is a rescue mission. This world is doomed to destruction, and our greatest hope is to be part of the group that will be allowed to escape the horrors soon to come.
I see the timing of the return of Christ as very similar to how the U.S. Postal Service works. When I order something on eBay or Amazon, I don't know exactly when the item is going to arrive in my mailbox, but I have a general idea of when it's coming.
I once ordered an item from a seller in Texas, and it took nearly two weeks for the package to go from the Dallas area to here in Benton, Arkansas. I've also had the same type of item come to me unbelievably fast. I recently ordered an item from a seller in the Boston area. I ordered it on a Friday and it arrived at my home on Monday.
Thanks to modern technology, I can follow its general progression. I once ordered a kitchen utensil from a vendor in St. Charles, Ill. Over the course of four days, the package passed through Chicago, Ill; Champaign, Il; Memphis, TN; Little Rock, AR ; and then on to Benton.
By analogy, the Bible provides us with a general way of knowing how close we are to the end of the church age. For nearly 2000 years, prophecy has wandered from point to point, moving toward fulfillment in a general sense. In 1948, Israel was reborn and we knew prophecy had reached the regional hub.
When my packages arrived in the Little Rock area, I knew it would be a short period of time before the mail carrier delivered them to me. I don’t know how the logistical connection works between all the other cities in America, but I know there is a daily route between Little Rock and Benton.
Even though my packages are only thirty miles away from me, I might still face a delay. By analogy, prophecy's fulfillment might take a couple hundred more years. Someone might argue that since it took 1878 years to reach the point of Israel's rebirth, we could still be facing a long wait. Thankfully, we have been blessed with further indicators of the shortness of the end times.
Once a package arrives in your regional sorting facility, it goes out to the post office that supplies your area. When it gets into the hands of the mail carrier, the package is marked "out for delivery." I think we are at the point that prophecy should be labeled "out for delivery."
Every major prophecy that has a possibility of being fulfilled before the rapture is in some form of active development. One of our head news posters on our daily page made an observation that struck home. He said there were so many news stories related to prophecy that we had run out of space on the news page. Rapture Ready has had a daily news page for nearly ten years, and we've never had a problem with having too many news items.
I live in a little valley here. The two blocks that parallel my block receive mail before me, as is the course of the normal mail route. Some days, I can see the mailman snaking around the ridge. Again, by analogy, I think we are at the point that we are catching glimpses of that little white truck, and it's only a matter of time before it turns onto our block.
(HT: BPT)
Growth in Grace
When I speak of growth in grace, I do not for a moment mean that a believer’s interest in Christ can grow. I do not mean that he can grow in safety, acceptance with God, or security. I do not mean that he can ever be more justified, more pardoned, more forgiven, more at peace with God than he is the first moment that he believes. I hold firmly that the justification of a believer is a finished, perfect, and complete work and that the weakest saint (though he may not know and feel it) is as completely justified as the strongest. I hold firmly that our election, calling, and standing in Christ admit of no degrees, increase, or diminution. If any one dreams that by growth in grace I mean growth in justification, he is utterly mistaken about the whole point I am considering. I would go to the stake (God helping me) for the glorious truth that, in the matter of justification before God, every believer is complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10). Nothing can be added to his justification from the moment he believes and nothing taken away.
When I speak of growth in grace, I only mean increase in the degree, size, strength, vigour, and power of the graces which the Holy Spirit plants in a believer’s heart. I hold that every one of those graces admits of growth, progress and increase. I hold that repentance, faith, hope, love, humility, zeal, courage, and the like may be little or great, strong or weak, vigorous or feeble and may vary greatly in the same man at different periods of his life. When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this: that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual mindedness more marked. He feels more of the power of godliness in his own heart; he manifests more of it in his life; he is going on from strength to strength, from faith to faith, and from grace to grace. I leave it to others to describe such a man’s condition by any words they please. For myself, I think the truest and best account of him is this: he is growing in grace.
By J. C. Ryle
(HT: New Reformation Ministries)
Monday, July 12, 2010
The End of the American Experiment
By (Editor's note: This article is taken from the postscript in the third edition of Dr. Reagan's new book, America the Beautiful? The United States in Bible Prophecy.)
As I view the future of our nation today, I must admit that I have ambivalent feelings. I am extremely sad, and yet I am full of joyful expectation.
I feel a deep sense of sadness as I see the Great American Experiment in representative government come to an end. We have been abundantly blessed by God ever since our forefathers arrived on this continent, and we have served as a channel of His blessings to other nations, both as a proclaimer of the Gospel and as a champion of human rights.
Keys to Our Success
One of the secrets to our great success was our commitment to the Judeo-Christian principles revealed in God's Word. Those principles served as the basis of our systems of government, education, and economics.
An even greater reason for our phenomenal success was our commitment to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our forefathers came to this continent in search of freedom to proclaim the Gospel. Our nation was established as a Christian nation. Our relationships were governed by Christian principles. Our laws were based upon God's commandments. The Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, provided us with our reason for being.
Our Track Record
We were far from perfect. We struggled with difficult issues like race relations, women's rights, and the balance between labor and management. But our hearts were in the right place because of the Christian principles which propelled us in the right direction. We steadily made progress in all these difficult areas, and many others.
Throughout the centuries as we sought to evangelize the American continent, we also sent missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth.
In the first half of the 20th Century, we soared to great heights as we came to the world's rescue in two world wars. In both cases, we entered these international conflicts for selfless purposes — not to gain territory but to "make the world safe for democracy."
Our Stumbling Point
But at the height of our glory and power, following our took our eyes off the One who had blessed us so abundantly and began to focus on ourselves. We gave our hearts to materialism.
In the process, we began to divorce God from our lives — kicking Him out of our schools and separating Him from our government processes. The secularization of our society became our passion, and the result was increasing paganism in every aspect of life.
Our Persistent Rebellion
We have mocked God. We have given our hearts to idols. We have forgotten the source of our blessings. We have turned a deaf ear to the prophetic voices God has raised up to call us to repentance. We have ignored the remedial judgments He has placed upon us, writing them off to coincidence.
We must now face the consequences of our rebellion. God has stepped back and lowered our hedge of protection. He is allowing evil to multiply. Greed is destroying our economy. Incivility is ripping apart our social structure.
Money has become our god.
Belief in Man has become our religion.
The pursuit of pleasure has become our lifestyle.
And the payoff is nihilism. We are wallowing in despair.
We are destined for destruction. But even as I witness the disintegration of all that I hold dear, my heart is full of joyful expectation because the signs of the times are literally shouting that all of history is about to arrive at its consummation with the return of Jesus.
A Biblical Reminder
My mixed feelings remind me of Jeremiah after his beloved city and temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians and his nation had been taken into captivity. He wrote a funeral lament called Lamentations in which he vented the agony of his heart. But right in the middle of it, in a great act of faith, he suddenly paused and made one of the most hopeful declarations to be found in all of God's Word (Lamentations 3:21-24):
"This I recall to mind,
Therefore, I have hope.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul;
Therefore I will hope in Him." (RSV)
Just like Jeremiah, even as I witness all I love being destroyed around me, I can look to the future with great hope and joyful expectation because of the marvelous promises concerning the future that are contained in God's Prophetic Word.
Some Certainties
Based on those promises, I know with absolute certainty:
- That Jesus is returning soon;
- That He will defeat all the enemies of God;
- That He will establish a worldwide reign that will bring peace, righteousness, and justice to all the nations.
- And that all of us who are believers will be given the incredible blessing of ruling with Him.
I can hardly wait. All that is within me yearns for the glorious day very soon when Jesus will break from the heavens.
The New World on the Horizon
The corrupt world system that currently dominates this globe is destined to be destroyed. A new world is coming where there will be no homeless, no poor, and no hungry. Justice will prevail. Fairness and equity will abound.
The nations of that world will be committed to the Lord, and the blessings of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul wrote: "I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).
In the dark days that lie ahead, let us keep in mind that God is on His throne, He still hears prayers, He still answers prayers, and He has the wisdom and power to orchestrate all the evil of Satan and Man to the triumph of Jesus. Keep in mind also that:):
"No eye has seen,
"No ear has heard,
Nor has the mind of Man conceived
What God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
But God has revealed those things to us in His Word. Cling to those revelations in the days ahead. Cling to His glorious promises, and you will be sustained.
"Oh Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your Name in all the earth!"
(Psalm 8:1)
(HT: The Christ in Prophecy Journal)
Enduring to the End
By Jack Kinsella
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3-4)
For most of the past two thousand years, the scoffers had a point. In terms of Bible prophecy and the return of Christ, things remained pretty much the same from the close of the Apostolic Era until roughly the beginning of the 20th century.
When Jesus was asked by His disciples, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” He began with a warning against deception:
“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My Name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)
That was the first sign and for sixteen hundred years, that was the only sign prophecy-watchers had to work with – a succession of popes claiming to be the physical representatives of Christ on earth.
And all things 'continued as they were' down through the centuries. Until we got to the 20th.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6)Until eclipsed by its successor, the Great War (1914-1918) was called “The War to End All Wars”. It was the first world war pitting the Western Allies against the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
Jesus noted that “all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” What does that mean?
In 1917 the British government approved the Balfour Declaration which said in part;
“His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”A month later, Lord Allenby captured the city from the defending Turks following an intense battle in which Allenby’s forces incurred 18,000 casualties while the Turks lost more than 25,000.
But it took the events of another world war and its aftermath before the prophesied restoration of Israel as a Jewish homeland was realized in May, 1948.
“But the end is not yet.”
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:7-8)
A month after Israel's declaration of statehood, the Soviet Union imposed a blockade on West Berlin. The Western Allies responded to the blockade with the Berlin Airlift to carry supplies over the blockade directly into West Berlin.
The first overflight took place on June 24, 1948, an events historians credit as marking the start of the Cold War. That conflict lasted for a half century without either side ever directly firing a shot at the other – the ultimate rumor of war.
The Cold War was fought around the world in small ethnic internal conflicts like those in Africa the two Koreas and the (formerly) two Vietnams. (“nation against nation” = ethnos against ethnos). The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union following the First Gulf War.
The First Gulf War was a coalition of kingdoms that ultimately blossomed into what has become, from the perspective of al-Qaeda, a war between civilizations.
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My Name's sake.” (Matthew 24:9)
The 21st century has so far witnessed an unprecedented assault on all things Christian or Jew – the Christian for following Christ and the Jew for rejecting Him. At the same time, nobody dares to offer offense to Islam.
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” (Matthew 24:10)
Recall Comedy Central’s predicament of a few months back. There was a huge protest by both the Christian and Jewish communities over their proposed cartoon series “JC” that mocked both God and Jesus. The louder the protests, the better Comedy Central liked it.
At almost the very same time, Comedy Central’s “South Park” ran a cartoon featuring Mohammed. The network heavily censored it and even vacated their offices in response to death threats.
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:11-13)
The assault on the Gospel needs no comment. It is worth mentioning that the most lucrative business model on the internet is the porn business. Every other day it seems, there is a new report of a family murder-suicide.
“Enduring to the end” -- in context -- is a reference to staying true to the Gospel – an increasingly difficult proposition in the brave new 21st century.
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)Do you see the progression? It is an outline of history that begins with the Balfour Declaration and ends with the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached into all the world for a witness unto all nations – an impossibility before the Internet Age and virtually unavoidable since.
Anywhere that the internet is, the Gospel is there. And there are few places left on earth not wired to the world-wide web. But when the Gospel has been preached worldwide to all the nations, then comes “the end.”
But according to the Lord, “the end” isn’t the same event as His Second Coming.
Notice what happens after what the Lord describes as “the end.” His attention shifts to the abomination of desolation that occurs during the Tribulation and His focus narrows to those living in the region of Jerusalem whom He warns to flee.
Note the chronology carefully. First comes “the end.” After “the end” comes the abomination of desolation by the antichrist and after that, the Jews are told to flee from Jerusalem.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” [Matthew 24:29-31]
This 'gathering' is NOT the Rapture. This event takes place after the Tribulation. It is neither secret nor signless – all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This cannot be the same event described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
At the Rapture, Jesus doesn’t send His angels to gather the Church, He comes for them Personally. The Church isn’t gathered from the four winds or from one end of heaven to the other.
It is caught up, first from the grave, and then from the surface of the earth and into the air. In the Matthew 24:31 event, His elect are gathered from heaven, where they already are.
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints . . .”(Jude 1:14)
So where are we now? We’re somewhere between the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached into all the nations and the Rapture of the Church. That’s a very narrow corridor. The Lord is coming.
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
(HT: Omega Letter)
Loving Christ
"This precious value, then, is for you who believe" (1 Pet. 2:7).
First Peter 2:7 speaks of the believer's affection for Christ as contrasted to an unbeliever's rejection of Him. The first part of that verse could be translated, "To you who believe, He is precious." "Precious" means "valuable," "costly," "without equal," or "irreplaceable." Christ is all that, but only believers recognize His supreme value and regard Him with affection.Affection for Christ is the bottom-line characteristic of true believers. Believing in Him and loving Him are inseparable. In John 16:27 Jesus says, "The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed." In Matthew 10:37 He says, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Believers have a compelling and surpassing love for Christ.
To His antagonists Jesus declared, "If God were your Father, you would love Me" (John 8:42). Anyone who truly loves God will love Christ. Those antagonists claimed to be children of God, but their deception was revealed when they tried to kill Jesus for preaching God's truth. They were in fact children of the devil (v. 44).
In John 14 Jesus adds, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. . . . He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (vv. 15, 21, 23- 24).
Many people are confused about what it means to be a Christian. But you have the privilege of clarifying the issue as you esteem Christ highly, love Him deeply, and demonstrate your love by obeying His Word. May God bless you richly as you pursue that goal today.- John MacArthur
(HT: Drawing Near - gty)
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