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· ▸ Phansi Stereo Set single purchase is available in:
ㅤㅤ• Phansi Stereo Set
ㅤㅤ• Music System + Audio Slicer
ㅤㅤ• Mini Dance HUD
· ▸ Phansi Stereo Set includes:
ㅤㅤ• Black version
ㅤㅤ• Silver version
ㅤㅤ• Decorative CDS + Tapes
ㅤㅤ• CD Tower
ㅤㅤ• PBR version
ㅤㅤ• Non PBR version
· ▸ Music System + Audio Slicer includes:
ㅤㅤ• Splices Music Into 10-30 Sec Clips
ㅤㅤ• Webtool And Script for Configuring your Own Playlist
ㅤㅤ• Loop option
ㅤㅤ• Shuffle
ㅤㅤ• Volume-Control
ㅤㅤ• Owner/Public Settings
· ▸ Mini Dance HUD includes:
ㅤㅤ• Compact and Sleek Dance HUD
ㅤㅤ• Invite option to 6 people to dance with you
ㅤㅤ• Play one Dance or Cycle through on a Timer
· ▸ Copy
· ▸ Modify
· ▸ No Transfer
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▸ Main Sim
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▸ Ｊｏｉｎ ｕｓ ｏｎ Ｐｒｉｍｆｅｅｄ
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▸ Ｊｏｉｎ ｕｓ ｏｎ ＭｙＳｎａｐ
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▸ Ｊｏｉｎ ｕｓ ｏｎ Ｆａｃｅｂｏｏｋ
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▸ Ｊｏｉｎ ｕｓ ｏｎ Ｉｎｓｔａｇｒａｍ
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▸ Ｊｏｉｎ ｕｓ ｏｎ Ｙｏｕｔｕｂｅ
I've been working on some tools for Second Life, one of them being an audio slicer website and music system. What better to go with it than a 2000s-inspired stereo set and a matching dance HUD?
The webtool automatically slices your audio into 30-second segments, exports them in the proper 44.1 kHz .wav format Second Life supports, and even generates the notecard text for your script so you don’t have to do any coding.
The stereo set, sold separately from the script, includes black and silver versions, individual CDs and cassettes, and a CD tower.
Also released alongside it is the mini dance HUD, designed to match the stereo. It’s small, sleek, and lets you invite up to six people to dance with you.
Grab yours at Equal10!
Happy Valentines Day. What would Patrick do today? #edcmooc Acknowledge photo from vimeo "Sight " by E May-raz and Dan Lazo . Would like feedback as its my first try at webtools.
A report page found on Plunk. Here's the a href=http://www.zurb.com/apps/878-bobbing-for-touch-targets-announcing-plunkproduct blog post/a describing Plunk.
Plunk lets you easily put together fun tests for touch screen targets on mobile devices. See where users are tapping on your mobile pages, then measure the success of your design or see if it's littered with bad apples. (Those can spoil the bunch, you know!)
ZURB is a close-knit team of product designers that help companies design better websites, services and online products (www.zurb.com).
via Public RSS-Feed of Beverly Downen. Created with the PIXELMECHANICS 'GPlusRSS-Webtool' at gplusrss.com ift.tt/1NIKLqS
Christ is Coming!
Bible Teaching About His Return
* New Testament Teaching
* Other New Testament Writings
* Old Testament Teaching
* The Kingdom of God
* Behold Your King!
* Dual Fulfillment
* The Times and Seasons
* Antichrist
* Tribulation
* The Nation of Sign
* The "Rapture"
* The Lord will Come!
* Take Heed to Yourselves
It was once fashionable in religious circles to say that Jesus Christ would never return to the earth. There are still plenty of professing Christians who believe that. But there are now many others who have come to believe that the Second Coming is a very important event.
Christadelphians have always taught that the Return of Jesus Christ to the earth is vital to the fulfillment of the purpose of God. This booklet reviews Bible teaching about the Second Coming, both the events that will lead up to that miracle and the reason for the Lord's Return.
New Testament Teaching
Someone has counted the New Testament references to this great event, and they number 318 occurrences! If you reflect that the number of times the word for Christian love occurs is only 115, you will begin to see the importance of this topic. Nor is it simply the case that only one or two New Testament writers refer to the matter in their writings. Treatment of the subject is widely spread.
Jesus spoke often about the Kingdom of God and his Second Coming. His parables, for example, were told to those who thought the Kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He was like a nobleman who had to go "into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:12). More than once he spoke of the Coming of the Son of Man (e.g. Matthew 24:27,30,37,39,48; 25:27; 26:64). And when he assured his disciples of his continuing spiritual, but invisible, presence "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20), he inferred that then he would be visibly present with them for ever.
The testimony of the Apostles was equally plain. They had been clearly taught by the Risen Lord who, during the forty days before his ascension into heaven, instructed them about the Kingdom of God, the restored kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:3,6). It was the opening theme of his post-resurrection appearances that all the Old Testament promises were coming to their fulfillment in him (Luke 24:27). At the time of his ascension, as he was being taken up from the Mount of Olives into the clouds, God sent His angels to explain.
"Ye men of Galilee", they said to the watching apostles, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
It is not therefore surprising that when the Apostles began to teach in the streets of Jerusalem, they said that their Lord Jesus Christ was to return to the earth as King. Peter gave the lead when he boldly announced that the grave could not keep Jesus imprisoned. He referred his hearers to a statement in Psalm 110:1, used also by his Lord, to show that he had gone to heaven only until his enemies have been subdued (2:34,35). Note the authoritative use of the Old Testament.
But also note a vital point. Bible teaching is never given just for the sake of informing us what happens next. It always has a deeper intention, for we are meant to use the knowledge it confers to prepare ourselves for those coming events:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ . . . Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:36,38).
It should follow that our consideration of Bible truth concerning the Return of the Lord should also cause us to search our hearts.
Other New Testament Writings
But what of the writings of other New Testament authors? Let us look at just one of the New Testament letters, the First written by Paul to the Thessalonians. Notice how he centers his entire message on the truth of the personal return to the earth of the Lord:
"wait for his Son from heaven . . . which delivereth us from the wrath to come" (1:10);
"what is our hope or joy? Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" (2:19);
"he may stablish your hearts unblameable . . . at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" (3:13);
"the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout" (4:16);
"the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (5:2);
"I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:23).
You could try extending this investigation, if you wish. The emphasis on the Lord's Coming continues in all the New Testament letters, but it is always related to practical Christian living. Because the Lord is coming again, there were matters in their lives that required attention! And it is so for us.
Old Testament Teaching
The same person who counted 318 references in the New Testament extended the search to the Old Testament, and discovered 1,527 such references to an event in God's purpose which can be no other than the Coming of Christ as King. Let it be clear that the exact number is unimportant; there is always room for some difference of opinion about the occasional passage. But it is perhaps startling to some readers to consider that there could be five times as many references to the Second Coming in a part of the Bible which has suffered widely from neglect over the years.
The fact of the matter is this: the New Testament can only be understood once the Old Testament has also been studied. The two Testaments belong together as interdependent parts of God's revealed truth. What the Old Testament foretells the New Testament fulfils, in part. But a very large amount of Old Testament prophecy remains unfulfilled.
Consider these promises of a King who will reign over God's Kingdom on earth, and ask yourself whether they have ever been fulfilled:
GENESIS: "Thy seed (a descendant of Abraham) shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (22:17,18; see Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:16).
2 SAMUEL: "And when thy days (David) be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed (descendant) after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house (a Temple) for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever" (7:12,13).
PSALMS: "The LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (2:7,8; see Acts 4:25,26);
"He (the promised king) . . . shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (72:6-8).
ISAIAH: "It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house (His Temple) shall be established in the top of the mountains (at Jerusalem) . . . and all nations shall flow unto it . . . for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations" (2:2-4);
"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever" (9:7);
JEREMIAH: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch (descendant), and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (23:5,6).
The Kingdom of God
Many times God has promised that He will rule the earth. What man has failed time and again to achieve, God will establish. The King will be a descendant of both Abraham and David (see Matthew 1:1). He will rule from Jerusalem, on David's throne (see Luke 1:31-33). His Kingdom will be one of justice and righteousness; it will involve Divine education, Temple worship, and the exercise of Kingly power to establish peace on earth (see Revelation 11:15-18).
The Kingdom of God was once before established on earth. King David and his descendants reigned upon the throne of the Kingdom of the Lord (1 Chronicles 28:5). There was nothing special about the throne itself. The Divine appointment was what mattered and when king after king had neglected God's law, He brought that arrangement to an end. But even when the prophet Ezekiel announced the end of the Kingdom to King Zedekiah (in 21:25-27), he promised that God would restore the Kingdom on earth when he should "come whose right it is".
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth has therefore to be understood against that powerful Old Testament background. When Jesus began his public ministry by announcing that the Kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1:15), he was saying to those who knew the Old Testament promises that he was the promised King. But Jesus had first come to achieve personal righteousness, and to make it possible for others to become right with God.
It is now possible for us to find peace with God through the forgiveness of our sins, by association with the saving work of the Lord Jesus. First we have to understand the Gospel, including Bible teaching about the work and person of the Lord Jesus, and the Kingdom over which he is now the King. Then we have to be baptized as believing adults into his saving Name (see Acts 8:1 2).
Behold Your King!
But what is the Second Coming of the Lord going to be like? For example, would it be possible to miss it altogether and not even be aware that it had occurred? Will it be visible or invisible? Will Jesus be there in person or merely a spiritual presence? And will he come to the earth or only towards the earth?
Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave. He was not an invisible spirit creature but One who could be seen, handled and held (1 John 1:1; Luke 24:39,40). His body was marked by the evidence of his suffering on the cross. Yet he was no longer subject to the limitations of human existence. He could come and go despite locked doors, and on Mount Olivet he ascended bodily to heaven, defying the law of gravity. The disciples had seen him go; he would return visibly. As the angel later said: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7). Or as Zechariah the Old Testament prophet had predicted, long before the crucifixion, "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him" (12:10).
So it will not do to say that only those who look with faith will see the Lord. Some will look, see, and mourn (Revelation 1:7). Nor will it do to say that Jesus will come invisibly, for the Lord himself warned:
"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets . . ." (Matthew 24:23,24).
Nor will it do to argue that the Bible talks of the presence of the Lord, meaning that it will be an invisible one. The New Testament also talks about the revelation of the Lord, using a word that means uncovering or manifesting. In fact, the presence (Greek: parousia) of the Lord turns out to be an especially suitable term. One of the most authoritative Greek Lexicons available says of the word:
"It became the official term for a visit of a person of high rank, especially of kings and emperors visiting a province" (Arndt and Gingrich).
It is such a visit by a King that the Scriptures foretell. The crowds who welcomed King Jesus into Jerusalem when he sat astride a donkey and they threw coats and' palm branches before him, shouted out greetings that referred right back to the Promises of God: "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Mark 11:10). Matthew comments that the rejoicing was a foretaste of what had been forecast by Zechariah the prophet, when he wrote "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee".
Now if the initial royal visit was attended by such joy and rejoicing, consider what the next one will be like! The prophet had declared:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation. . . and he shall speak peace unto the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:9,10).
Dual Fulfillment
This Scripture illustrates a widely used feature of Bible prophecy: its joint short and long-term character. Jerusalem rejoiced at the Kingly coming of Jesus -- "Lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" -- just as the prophet had said. But their joy was short-lived, for he did not then go on to establish worldwide peace, or commence to rule from Jerusalem over a Kingdom that was to last for ever. Jesus completed enough of the prophecy at that time to demonstrate that he was the Coming One, and to give us confidence that he will return to complete the promised transformation of the earth. Zechariah compressed the two comings in such a way that there appeared to be no interval between them. This has led some people to argue that the Kingdom will never come, because, they say, even Jesus expected it in the First Century, or at most shortly afterwards. It has thus been dismissed by some as an early Christian hope, which has now been superseded by a superior understanding. But when all the Scriptures are studied carefully, it becomes clear that the Coming of Jesus was not to occur immediately after his ascension to heaven. The Day and the Hour
Any attempt to show that Jesus was mistaken about the time of his Coming is doomed to failure. He clearly stated, more than once, that he did not know:
"Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36).
As he later said, this was something that the Father had reserved within His own authority (Acts 1:7). But Jesus did know that some long time would elapse before his Second Coming. He told parables to indicate that his coming would not "immediately appear" (Luke 1 9:11), that it would be "after a long time" (Matthew 25:19), and that there might be some delay for those who were waiting (25:3). Like their Lord, his followers were to appreciate that they could "not know what hour" he would come.
The apostles also acknowledged that they could not know the precise time of the great event for which they waited. Peter warned about people who would scoff, as so many have, at the "promise of his coming" (2 Peter 3:4). Indeed he poured scorn on their faithlessness, what he called "willful ignorance" -- people believing what they wanted to believe, regardless of the evidence. And Paul was in no doubt either, for he went on record as saying:
"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh . . ." (1 Thessalonians 5:1,2).
Can you complete that quotation? It holds the key to two vital matters concerning the early return of the King. Notice first what the verse above says. There would be general indications available -- what Paul calls "times and seasons" -- which would help keep the believers prepared. And the verse continues:
". . . the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
When it happens the Lord's Coming will be swift, sudden and unexpected. No-one expects thieves to strike. But they often succeed because people overlook the dangers. It is also the case that speed is vital to a successful robbery, which is why the figure is used by Jesus (Matthew 24:43), Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:2), and Peter (2 Peter
3:10), to emphasise the vital point. We must be on our guard, watchful, prepared, vigilant. The Lord could come at any time! He will come when we least expect him!
The Times and Seasons
That is why when Jesus explained what was to happen before his Return, he very carefully emphasised the need for watchfulness. Sitting with his disciples one day on the Mount of Olives, from where he would later ascend to heaven, he gave them some general indications of what was to happen prior to his "coming and the end of the world" (Matthew 24:3). This prophecy presents a fascinating challenge, for it combines a short-term prediction about the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, with a long-term forecast of world events.
A list of the predicted events in the three Gospel accounts (Matthew 24, Mark 1 3 and Luke 24), which does not claim to be a structured sequence of prophetic events, shows the following:
1. The rise of false Christianity and false Christs
2. The persecution of true Christians.
3. Wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation.
4. Earthquakes, famines and pestilences.
5. Jerusalem surrounded by armies.
6. The Jewish nation dispersed.
7. Jerusalem in non-Jewish occupation.
8. Tribulation and distress.
9. Signs in the sun, moon and stars.
10. The powers of heaven shaken.
Notice how believers are warned about the rise and growth of false Christianity. It is the Lord's first concern. His words were fulfilled by the rapid development of wrong teaching in New Testament times (e.g. Acts 20:29), and are being fulfilled again at the close of this age. Elsewhere the message is that the true believers will comprise a very small remnant, compared with those who hold a distorted form of Christianity.
Antichrist
The apostles also warn about this development. Paul was emphatic that there would be manifestations of false Christianity, for he prophesied that the Day of the Lord:
"shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped" (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4).
The apostle Paul describes the man of sin in language that refers back to the prophet Daniel, who accurately foretold the rise and fall of four empires that exercised power in the Middle East. He traced the development from them to a false religious system, involving the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy, that is opposed to Christ and his true followers. This is counterfeit Christianity, and the apostle Paul describes it as "the mystery of iniquity" which was already at work, and "a strong delusion".
The other thread of teaching in the Lord's catalogue of future events concerned trouble. There were to be wars and rumors of wars, both within and between nations; there would be natural disasters and widespread hardship, earthquakes, famines and epidemics; terrors and fearful sights would be in the heavens, causing much fear and distress. People would not know which way to turn for fear of what was about to happen on earth.
To some extent these problems are as old as man. The tendency to war against one another is evident even in the first book of the Bible, and famine features there too. But even within Bible history the atrocities of which man is capable become increasingly ugly, and since then even more widespread horrors have been seen. The powers now available to mankind are enough to make any sane person fear for the future. More than ever before, these words of Jesus are coming true:
"There shall be . . . upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27).
Tribulation
The reference to the sea and waves roaring, like others to signs in the sun, moon and stars, may be either symbolic or literal or some combination of both. The prophet Isaiah, for example, wrote about the wicked being "like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" (57:20). Jesus may have been drawing upon such imagery to describe a world that was full of trouble because it was full of wickedness. He may also have been teaching us to look out for some upheaval of the physical order, like tidal waves, which would also be an indication of the end of the age. Certainly there have been many earthquakes and natural disasters over the past few years, all over the world. The apostle Paul described the whole world order as groaning and travailing in pain (Romans 8:22), like a woman waiting to be delivered of a child. It is thus evident that our present troubles are the birthpangs of a new and better world, soon to begin.
In both Testaments we are told that the tribulation that will come at the end of human government is the final herald of the Second Coming. It will be:
"a time of trouble such as never was" (Daniel 12:1);
"the time of Jacob's (Israel's) trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7);
"great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21).
Will the believers waiting for their Lord have to suffer this trouble, or will they be spared? The likelihood is that present-day believers will live through this time of trouble, indeed that they have already begun to do so. Jesus promised that for the elect's sake that time would be shortened (Mark 13:20). But those who finally stand approved before the Judge are those "which came out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).
As that trouble increases, and God pours out His wrath upon the earth, there are indications that true believers will be sheltered from that outpouring. Isaiah describes the great shake-up of human society when God intervenes:
"Come, my people, enter into thy chambers. . . hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity" (24:18-23, 26:20,21).
We must therefore consider carefully what Jesus said:
"When these things (the signs of which he spoke) begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).
We should not wait until total disaster has struck, and there is no escape route left. It is better to learn the lesson now, that this is the time immediately before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Nation of Sign
There is one great sign which removes all doubt concerning his imminent return. The nation of Israel is back occupying the land promised by God. The history of the Jewish nation has been a guide throughout the ages to the outworking of God's purposes. They were called as a special people, because of the great promises that had been made to their Fathers. They were given the right to occupy the land we now know as Israel, conditional upon their faithful obedience to God. They were the people whose kings occupied the throne of God's Kingdom on earth.
They forfeited these rights when, after centuries of indifference, they not only refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, but were involved, with the Romans, in effecting his death by crucifixion. Because of that rejection, Jerusalem was overthrown. Throughout the intervening centuries Jews have wandered the earth as a stateless people, hated and persecuted almost everywhere they went, just as Scripture said they would be.
But Scripture also forecast a better future for this nation of sign, not because they would change their behavior and live to deserve better treatment, but because God would take pity on their plight and act to redeem them. He would remember the promises made of old to the Fathers and act to vindicate His great name. At the time of the end they would be brought back from the nations and once more be settled in their own land-the land of promise! So the prophets said:
ISAIAH: "The remnant shall return . . the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion" (10:21; 35:10).
JEREMIAH: "He that scattered Israel will gather him" (31:10).
EZEKIEL: "I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries . . . then shall they dwell in their land . . . yea, they shall dwell with confidence" (11:17; 28:25,26).
ZECHARIAH: "I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem" (8:8).
And so it came to pass. After nearly two thousand years of dispersion and down-treading, in 1948 the State of Israel was born by the decree of the United Nations, and in 1 967 the whole of Jerusalem was repossessed by Jews. It had taken all that time for the words of Jesus to be fulfilled:
"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).
Everything now indicates that the Times of the Gentiles are rapidly drawing to a close and the Time of the Kingdom of God is once more at hand. The bringing together of troublous times and the return of the Jews to the Land removes any doubt. Shortly King Jesus will return to Jerusalem as World Ruler, to reign over Israel and over all nations. Of all the available Signs of the Times given by Jesus and the prophets, the establishment of Israel-the Nation of Sign-is the clearest witness that the End is now at hand.
The "Rapture"
What then awaits the faithful follower of Jesus? Can he expect to go to heaven with the Lord at his Return? Hardly, for the Lord is coming to reign on earth, from Jerusalem. An elaborate scheme has been devised by some Bible readers which requires not one Coming but two. According to this, Christ's Coming would be first for the Church only and would be a secret "rapture". He would come again with the Church, for the world, and this would be visible and public. In some versions of this theory the interval between the two comings is very small; in others as much as seven years is thought to separate the two events.
There is very little Scripture that can be used to attempt to support these theories, for whilst there are some indications that a separation will occur between companions when Jesus comes (Luke 17:34-36), the main teaching about the circumstances of the Return is that given in Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians:
"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" (4:16,17).
The phrase caught up is that from which the whole idea of a rapture has evolved; and the links with a supposed seven year period of tribulation have been achieved by the unsatisfactory interpretation of other Scriptures, especially from the Revelation. Clearly there is to be a catching away of true believers, both of the living and the resurrected dead, "to meet the Lord in the air". They are to form a welcoming party who, with the angels who attend his coming, will make up his entourage. But they go to meet him, not he them. And their destination is made clear in the Scriptures already considered: the Lord and his followers are bound for Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4), "the city of the great king" (Matthew 5:35).
The Lord will come!
In these dying moments of human government, the powers of heaven will be shaken as men's hearts fail them for fear. The nations will be engaged in a battle around Jerusalem. Then the Lord will come! Unexpectedly, suddenly, in great power and glory, bringing salvation for those who have faithfully waited and prepared for this central event in their lives; but bringing judgement upon all those who have wilfully ignored the faithful promises and gracious invitation of God:
"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe" (2 Thessalonians 1:9,10).
It is vital therefore that we believe what the Bible so clearly promises. We cannot simply "wait and see", because Jesus is coming to save those who already believe, not to give reasons for faith to those who have had clear evidence, but no inclination for the things of God.
When the Lord spoke to his followers about his eventual return to earth, he focused their attention more on the consequences of his Coming than on the sequence of events itself. To this day we cannot know for sure when Jesus will come. But we know perfectly clearly that when he comes he will call us to account, and ask us how we spent our lives on the eve of his return:
"Take heed . . . be not led astray . . . be not troubled . . . take heed to yourselves . . . preach the gospel . . . be not anxious . . . endure to the end . . . flee . . . pray . . . believe not false prophets . . . take heed . . . look up and lift up your heads . . . take heed to yourselves . . . watch . . . BE READY" (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).
The apostles make the very same points as they reflect on the nearness of the Lord's Return.
"What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness . . . be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:11-14).
"Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12,13).
"When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man who has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2,3).
Take Heed to Yourselves
The Bible is our guidebook to the future, just as it is our handbook for the present. It alone will show us what God wants us to do. From it we can learn God's purpose and promises. The first thing is to understand and believe those things that are true. We shall then come to appreciate the need for obedience to God, starting with baptism. And thus we shall be doing what Jesus commanded.
The coming Kingdom of God on earth will transform human experience. We need to learn to live now in harmony with our Creator. The Lord is at hand! It is now an urgent matter for us all to examine our lives, so that we are properly prepared for the Coming of the King.
<http://ashcraftministry.blogspot.com/
ashcraftministry.blogspot.com/
The Bible verses used to prove the "Pre-Trib" Rapture,
instead_prove the_ "Post-Trib" Rapture, _at
this conference held at Country Church in Redding, California,
and was attended by 800 men. Common sense should tell us that
there can't be two Second Comings. Hebrews 9:28 (paraphrased)
"...He comes once as a suffering Messiah, then a second time...
unto salvation." No third time mentioned in God's word, nor is
there any mention of dividing the second coming into two events.
So, lets reason together, He has already been here once, which
would leave one more event, The Second Coming of Christ,
that the Bible clearly states occurs after the great tribulation.
.
Futhermore, there isn't a single scripture in the entire Bible that
states Christians are removed before the Tribulation. If anyone
can find one, would you please Email me? Then, I promise you, I
would remove this webpage from every search engine. Please, no
assumptions, analogys or verses taken out of context.
.
The three senior pastors that spoke at this "Endtime Conference"
used nine scriptures to prove the "Pre-Trib" Rapture. However,
out of the nine they used, seven were taken out of context, and
the other two were based on assumptions._ Below are the nine
scriptures they used to "try" to prove the "Pre-Trib" Rapture:
.
.
(All verses quoted are KJV, but for an instant reference in the
English Standard (ESV), place the cursor on chapter and verse).
.
.
#1. I Corinthians 15:51-52
51"Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
.
.
Read the last two lines in the above verse slowly, think about the
"order" (sequence) God inspired Paul to list these three events:
#1 The Last Trump,#2 The Resurrection,#3 The Rapture,
(we shall be changed). Paul would have listed the Rapture first,
instead of third, if this was to be a pre-tribulation Rapture. Also
Jesus says four times in John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, the resurrection
is on the Last day. So, if the Resurrection is on the Last Day,
as stated by Jesus, and in I Cor 15:52, Paul lists the Rapture
after the Resurrection. Paul has told us the "sequence" of
these (3) events and Jesus told us "when", (on the Last Day).
Is this such a difficult concept to comprehend??_Clearly, these
two verses teach a.....Post-Tribulation Rapture..... at the
Second Coming of Christ. How can the Last Trumpet sound,
the Resurrection, and then the rapture happen, seven years
before the "Last Day" ? ?
.
.
#2. I Thes.4:16
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
.
.
Again the word "trump" is used, but the Thessalonians were
unclear as to "when" this would happen. Paul apparently heard
that they were troubled about this, so he then wrote a _second
letter _to clear this up, and this reads as follows:
.
II Thes 2:1,2,3,4 (v-1) "Now we beseech you, brothern, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering
together (Rapture) unto him,___ (v-2) That ye be not soon
shaken in mind,_or be troubled,_neither by spirit,_or by word,
nor by letter from us, _as that the _day of Christ_ is at hand.
(v-3) Let no man_deceive you_by any means: for_that day
shall not come_except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition"(false Christ).
.
In this, second letter, Paul, this time_ makes it _very clear
that the false Christ_ comes first,__and (v-3) not to let anyone
deceive you. Then, refering back to the first letter he wrote, then
(after false Christ) the Lord descends, with a shout, with the voice
of the arch angel, with the"trump" of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first. This is the second coming of Christ, after the
tribulation_ So, with this_second letter_ Paul is making it
clear that this "trump"_ is not before the tribulation _its
after!! Its a post-tribulation rapture, on the Last Day!!
.
#3. Revelation 3:10
"Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will
keep thee from the hour of temptation, that shall come upon
all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth."
.
Notice that Jesus says, "....I will keep thee from...." , He does
not say, "...take thee out of..." . So, for a better understanding
of Rev. 3:10, Lets prove the Bible, with the Bible, and not assume
anything._ Lets let Jesus clearify this verse, which He does in
John 17:15, "I pray not that thou take them out of the world,
but that thou should keep them from the evil."
Jesus clearly says__"not" to take them out__in John 17:15.
So, how can the_I will Keep thee from_of Rev. 3:10_ mean_
I will take thee out of_? As pre-trib teachers would have you
believe. Jesus does "not" contradict Himself !!__For the
Greek meaning of "Keep thee from". See side column Note #2->
All of the early church fathers taught that the "Antichrist" comes
first (see link at the end of this post on "Early Church Fathers."
.
Gods wrath does not fall on us,"only those who had the mark
of the beast" (Rev 16:2). And those who "do not have the seal
of God" (Rev 9:4). Like the "144 thousand" of Rev. 7:3, we have
the seal of God._ See Eph.1:13 "....after you believed, you were
sealed......" And Eph.4:30 "......you are sealed unto the day of
redemption." There are several verses that clearly state, after we
accept Christ, we are sealed, (protected from Gods wrath).
.
#4. Matthew 24:27
"For as the lighting cometh out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the son of man be."
Go down two verses, Matt.24:29 tells you "when" this will be:
"Immediately__ after the tribulation__ of those days...."
Now Matt.24:30 "....then shall appear the sign of the son of man
(Jesus)..." Now Matt.24:31, "..with the great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together (rapture) his elect...." Again the
same trumpet as in other verses, now back to Matt.24:26, Jesus
tells them not to believe people that tell you that He (Jesus) is
in a secret place (like a secret pre-trib rapture). Matt.24:27
is another verse that was clearly taken out of context, Its a post
tribulation rapture, at the second coming of Christ.
.
#5. Matthew 25:1-13
The parable of the "ten virgins"___ Here Jesus does not
talk about the "time" of His return, because He had just told
them a few minutes before about the time, (see the paragraph
before this one_Matt.24:29_definitely after the tribulation).
The Wedding Feast can only take place after the tribulation,
because the Resurrection dosn't happen until the Last day.
Jesus said four times that the Resurrection is on the Last
Day (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54). _ Then the bridegroom (church)
goes into the wedding feast after the second coming of Christ,
and guess who else is at this Wedding Feast?___1 The Old
Testament saints__2 The tribulation saints__3 The prophets.
4 The 144,000 new Christian Jews. There would have to be two
wedding feasts_two resurrections, and_two last days_ for the
"pre-trib" rapture to work. And_one verse_would also be nice!!
.
#6. Mark 13:6-37
In this entire chapter Jesus is talking about the events that
happen durning the tribulation, and that they were _not_ to
look for Him until_after_ certain events happen first, then in
Mark 13:24, 25, 26, 27, (paraphased) "...after the tribulation
of those days, then they shall see Him..." So Jesus again told
them He's coming back after the tribulation, making this a post-
tribulation rapture at the Second Coming of Christ.
.
#7. Luke 21:6-38
Basically this chapter is the same as the above chapter, where
Jesus returns__after__the tribulation, at the second coming of
Christ, except in v-36, He says, "....pray that you be accounted
worthy to escape all these things.."And we will, because we have
the seal of God, (Eph. 1:13, Eph. 4:30, II Cor 1:22, John 6:27).
We are protected (sealed) from Gods wrath, like the 144 thousand
of Revelation 7:4.
.
#8. II Peter 3:10
"...The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."
Now lets let the Bible prove the Bible and go to I Thes. 5:2, where
the exact same words are used, "...the Day of the Lord so cometh
as a thief in the night." Then in I Thes.5:4, (paraphased) "But
[we] are not in darkness that this day should overtake [us] as a
thief." Why? Because I Thes.5:5 "... [we] are children of the light."
And Jesus says "Behold I come as a thief" right after the 6th
Vial is poured out at the end of the tribulation (Rev.16:12,15).
And this begins the Last Day. (I inserted "we" for "you" because
Peter and Pauls letters were to the Gentiles (non Jews_"us").
#9. Revelation 22:12
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me." So,
when does He give out rewards? See Rev. 11:15, 18, "And the
7th angel sounded...[its time]...that thou give rewards...unto
the saints..."_Its after the 7th trump!!__At the end!!
Rewards are given out after the post-resurrection rapture,
after the Second Coming of Christ.
[A]
Now, all of the (9) verse references listed above, was all
that was presented to prove the "Pre-Trib" rapture
by the three pastors at this conference. You can see
that they were all taken out of context, or based
on assumptions. God was very angry with the
ten spies, who made Israel fear the Giants that were in
the land that God promised them (Num.13:1-2), and_they
were afraid to go in (Num.13:31,32,33). We are doing the
same thing today, by fearing the "Giant" (anti-Christ) _we add
"pre-trib" to Gods word, without a single verse to prove it,
this is very dangerous, (see Rev. 22:18). It is not my intent to
belittle these three pastors, I am sure they are sincere Christians,
but if they can't come up with one single verse that specificy
places this event before the tribulation, who can?_can you?
[B]
Its really very simple, if its not in Gods word, its not going to
happen. Again, I want to repeat that these nine scriptures were
all that was used to prove the "pre-trib" rapture that day, I was
there! The senior pastor of this church has read this article, (the
nine verses) and made a comment to me via Email, and he did not
question that these verses were all that was used to support this.
[C]
Note: The "pre-trib" view is a new doctrine, you will not find
pre-trib writings or documents in any church history until about
the year 1830. Edward Irving, (Catholic Apostolic Church) and
soon after, John Darby, (Plymouth Brethren) both of England,
were teaching the pre-tribulation rapture. _However, the most
important reason for the acceptance of this "pre-trib" rapture
view in the United States was the Scofield Reference Bible. In the
footnotes he split the second coming of Christ into two events:
Coming for the saints, then (7yrs later) Coming with the saints (at
which time we enter into God's millennium kingdom on earth). My
question is where do we go for the seven years? The Bible clearly
states (KJV)"The righteous (saints) shall never be removed: but
the wicked shall not inhabit the earth." (Prov.10:30) see also
Ps.37:29 and Prov.2:21-22.
[D]
Some may ask:_"what difference does it make if Christ returns
before the tribulation, or after"?_ There are sincere Christians on
both sides. However, the Bible says in I Thes.5:21, to "prove all
things."_And in II Tim.4:4,"And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned into fables." (fiction) Like
the "Left Behind" book and movie, cars & planes crashing, etc.
Millions killed before the tribulation even starts, when all these
people still have/had a chance to be saved during this time. The
truth was Left Behind, in the making of this movie, yet it sells
well in the religious marketplaces. The "Pre-Trib" doctrine has
become amusement for the masses, a multi billion dollar business
[E]
If such a major event as the "pre-trib" Rapture is true, why
isn't it found in Old Testament prophecy?__or in Jesus's
own teachings?__ or His disciples?__or any of the New
Testament writers?__Jesus said in Mark 13:23,__ "I have
foretold you all things."__He would have told us!!
[F]
Others may say: "That the tribulation is only for the Jews,"
(the 144 thousand) and that they are the people that God uses in
this time to bring people to Christ. This may be true, in part, but
look at Rev. 7:1,2,3,4 where God puts a seal on this small group.
And because of this seal, they are protected!! The woman
(Israel) is protected in the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation
(Rev. 12:13-14). This, in turn, makes the sepent (Satan) angry,
so he goes after us in Rev.12:17, those who have "the testimony
of Jesus Christ." _Again, go back to Rev. 7:9, "After this (the
sealing of the 144000) I beheld, and look, a great multitude...
of all nations...". Now skip to Rev.7:13, who are these people,
and where did they come from?_Then Rev.7:14, "these are
they that came out of great tribulation...". And God just
stated in Rev 12:13-14, that the woman(Israel, the 144,000 Jews)
are protected. So, who do you think this great multitude is that
has the "testimony of Jesus Christ", if its not us??
[G]
So, there are untold millions, along with the Jews that are in
this period of time. To say this time is only for the Jews is another
assumption and not valid. They base this on Isaiah 45:4, where
Israel is called Gods "elect" (in the KJV) so then in Matt. 24:31,
when Jesus sends his angels to gather His "elect" after the
tribulation, that this event (the second coming of Christ) is only
for the Jews who have to go through the tribulation.__ After we
(non Jews) accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our saviour, we then
become Gods "elect."__ I will back up this statement with
Pauls letters to non Jews, the Galatians and the Colossians :
[H]
1. Gal.3:28-29 (paraphrased)"There is neither Jew or Greek,you
are all one in Christ...you also are Abrahams seed..."(elect)
.2. Col 3:11-12, "....there is neither Greek or Jew....but Christ
is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the __Elect of God...."
.3. I Peter 1:1-2, Peter writes a letter to different nationalitys
and calls them the _"elect of God"_ because they have been
"washed in the blood of the Lamb"__ like we have been.
So, Israel_"and"_the church_"are"_Gods elect!!
Jesus has one bride! He created the miracle of uniting Jew and
Gentile alike into one bride. Let's just "reason together", does it
make any sense that Jesus would rapture out a partial bride?
What parts would He take first? And then...what? Pick up the
other parts later - with whatever the results the 144K Jews are
able to accomplish during the 7 years? Why would Jesus remove
only some?
And... if He was going to do this, don't you think He would have
told us? At least one verse stating that He was going to take some
out first? Jesus said in Mark 13:23, "I have foretold you all
things." He would have told us!! And do you suppose Jesus
would have the wedding feast with His "raptured" church (bride),
without the tribulation saints, the Old Testament saints, the
prophets or the 144K?? Let's think about this, are we really
this special?_ Compared to them?_I think not!
I am going to add a few scriptures, (that were not mentioned at
this conference) that are also used to support the pre-tribulation
rapture, so that you will have a complete list of all the verses,
assumptions and analogys this "new" doctrine was based on:
[I]
1. I Thes.5:2 "...the Day of the Lord so cometh as a "thief
in the night." But is not valid to be used for "pre-trib" because
this happens after the "6th vial" is poured out at the end of
the tribulation, after Rev. 16:12, then Jesus says in Rev.16:15,
"Behold, I come as a thief."_Its after the tribulation, at the
Second Coming of Christ.
[J]
2. Matt. 24:40, is another one,_"...One shall be taken, and
the other left."_Jesus made this statement just minutes after
He had just told them "Immediately after the tribulation
of those days..." (Matt.24:29). Thats when "one will be taken and
and the other left." Not seven years before!
[K]
3. The 'Noah' analogy__Many analogys are used by the Pre-
Trib Rapture teachers, for lack of scripture proof (like, not one).
However, Noah is their main one, so I will deal only with this one.
Everyone is aware of the fact that Noah warned the people that
a flood is coming and to repent, but _they refused to listen.
The Pre-Trib Rapture teachers say "thats like the Rapture", so
as Noah was saved out of the flood, we are going to be "Raptured"
out of the Tribulation. Its an analogy!!_ It Proves nothing!
The Post-Trib 'Noah' analogy_We, the Post-Tribulation
Rapture teachers, are warning you that a flood is coming
(the Tribulation) , but you refuse to listen, just like in the
days of Noah.But Instead of a flood of water, it's a flood of Satanic
deception that started with a small wave in 1830 with the new
pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. Now this wave of deception has
covered the entire western world and has blinded us to the huge
wave that may soon be upon us. Because millions refuse to hear
the truth, many will fall in this dark time, and be deceived into
taking the "Mark of the Beast" and be forever lost. However,
post-trib rapture teachers don't have to use analogys to prove
their view. But even with two dozen solid scriptures, the people
still _refuse to listen!!
[L]
4. Mark 13:32, is also used_ "But of that day and that hour
knoweth no man..." _Jesus told them this a few minutes after
telling them in Mark 13:24 "...in those days after that tribulation,
the sun shall be darkned, and the moon shall not give her light..."
And goes on to say in Mark 13:28-29 that we will know this day is
close because next He says in Mark 13:30, that the generation
that sees these things (the tribulation events He just spoke of),
would, (back to Mark 13:26-27) "...see the Son of man coming in
the clouds...to gather His elect from the...uttermost parts of the
earth..." We still will not know the exact day, only that it is close.
This is the second coming of Christ after the tribulation.
[M]
Some people ask me, "why is it that the vast majority of
Christians believe in the "pre-trib"?_When Jesus came to the
earth the first time, the vast majority of the religious people
(the church) of that time, rejected him, even after many Old
Testament prophecys fortold of this event. But they did not want
a suffering Messiah, they wanted a conquering king. In this
case the vast majority was wrong!! Now, today, we want the
Messiah to take us out before a certain event, not after!! But,
guess what, we don't get to choose. He only comes to the earth
two times (Heb 9:28). Once as a suffering Messiah, and then as a
conquering KING at the Second Coming of Christ.
[N]
We soon may be entering the last seven years of this age, the 70th
week of Daniel. We will not be 'up in the bleachers' (as our
endtime preachers would have us believe) and we need not fear,
God is with us. Jesus said "...I will build my church; and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18)
[O]
No mater what view we hold, we still need to accept each other as
Christians. Those of us that hold to the post-tribulation rapture
view, should not be thought of as troublemakers, we are only
concerned that millions may fall during this time, a time when we
(the church) can be used by God. "..The people that do know their
God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand
among the people shall instruct many..." (Daniel 11:32-33)
And, then we can be overcomers as in Rev. 7:9,13,14 "...a great
mulitude, which no man could number, of all nations.."
v-13 ( paraphrased) "...who are these people and where did
they come from?" _ Then v-14, "...these are they which
came out of great tribulation, and washed their robes, and
made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
.
Print this article_think about it!_The nine scriptures used
by these three pastors was all they had to prove the "pre-trib"
rapture in a_ six hour_ conference.?? Something is wrong!!
Post Script...Important
to read brief quotes from the early
church fathers on what they believed and taught on the Second
Coming of Christ, and the Antichrist. Most of these apostles and
teachers lifespan overlaped each other from the year 30 to 1900.
"Early Church Fathers" earlychurchbelief.blogspot.com/
Very brief answers on the Eternal Security Doctrine (OSAS).
"Eternal Security ?" osas-question.blogspot.com/
The first four of God's 7-angels that execute the seal, trump,
and vial plagues are the, "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,"
The antichrist empire that will center in the middle east is the,
"Endtime Beast Empire," endtimebeast.blogspot.com/
Mystery Babylon (Rome) the mother of harlots,
"The Woman
On The Scarlet Beast" ancient-harlot.blogspot.com/
Questions?...
Roger Armstrong... lassenview@gmail.com
.
Read, "GLORY TRAIN"-A Play, by Dr. Gavin Finley. A drama
on a endtime theme, endtimepilgrim.org/glorytrain.htm
Dr. Finley has several links on the Post-Tribulation Rapture topic,
AKA-"The Second Coming of Christ."
ashcraftministry.blogspot.com/
Ways to Pray Prayer Guides
Most people agree that prayer is important, however, some people don’t pray because, with so much to pray about, they don’t know where to start. They are overwhelmed before they begin.
Prayers often are more effective when they have focus or direction. Jesus himself emphasized this when He taught His disciples to pray. In the Lord’s Prayer He listed specific things to pray about—honoring God, doing His will, daily provision, and deliverance from temptation.
“Ways to Pray” provides a number of prayer guides that will help you pray meaningfully for your pastor, church family, ministries in the church, and mission outreaches at home and abroad. Of course, you will think of other things that relate to your particular situation or that reflect a burden in your heart; “Ways to Pray” simply is available to give additional scope and focus to your prayers.
May God richly bless you as you minister through prayer!
All of the early church fathers taught that the "Antichrist" comes
first (see link at the end of this post on "Early Church Fathers."
.
Gods wrath does not fall on us,"only those who had the mark
of the beast" (Rev 16:2). And those who "do not have the seal
of God" (Rev 9:4). Like the "144 thousand" of Rev. 7:3, we have
the seal of God._ See Eph.1:13 "....after you believed, you were
sealed......" And Eph.4:30 "......you are sealed unto the day of
redemption." There are several verses that clearly state, after we
accept Christ, we are sealed, (protected from Gods wrath).
.
#4. Matthew 24:27
"For as the lighting cometh out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the son of man be."
Go down two verses, Matt.24:29 tells you "when" this will be:
"Immediately__ after the tribulation__ of those days...."
Now Matt.24:30 "....then shall appear the sign of the son of man
(Jesus)..." Now Matt.24:31, "..with the great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together (rapture) his elect...." Again the
same trumpet as in other verses, now back to Matt.24:26, Jesus
tells them not to believe people that tell you that He (Jesus) is
in a secret place (like a secret pre-trib rapture). Matt.24:27
is another verse that was clearly taken out of context, Its a post
tribulation rapture, at the second coming of Christ.
.
#5. Matthew 25:1-13
The parable of the "ten virgins"___ Here Jesus does not
talk about the "time" of His return, because He had just told
them a few minutes before about the time, (see the paragraph
before this one_Matt.24:29_definitely after the tribulation).
The Wedding Feast can only take place after the tribulation,
because the Resurrection dosn't happen until the Last day.
Jesus said four times that the Resurrection is on the Last
Day (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54). _ Then the bridegroom (church)
goes into the wedding feast after the second coming of Christ,
and guess who else is at this Wedding Feast?___1 The Old
Testament saints__2 The tribulation saints__3 The prophets.
4 The 144,000 new Christian Jews. There would have to be two
wedding feasts_two resurrections, and_two last days_ for the
"pre-trib" rapture to work. And_one verse_would also be nice!!
.
#6. Mark 13:6-37
In this entire chapter Jesus is talking about the events that
happen durning the tribulation, and that they were _not_ to
look for Him until_after_ certain events happen first, then in
Mark 13:24, 25, 26, 27, (paraphased) "...after the tribulation
of those days, then they shall see Him..." So Jesus again told
them He's coming back after the tribulation, making this a post-
tribulation rapture at the Second Coming of Christ.
.
#7. Luke 21:6-38
Basically this chapter is the same as the above chapter, where
Jesus returns__after__the tribulation, at the second coming of
Christ, except in v-36, He says, "....pray that you be accounted
worthy to escape all these things.."And we will, because we have
the seal of God, (Eph. 1:13, Eph. 4:30, II Cor 1:22, John 6:27).
We are protected (sealed) from Gods wrath, like the 144 thousand
of Revelation 7:4.
.
#8. II Peter 3:10
"...The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."
Now lets let the Bible prove the Bible and go to I Thes. 5:2, where
the exact same words are used, "...the Day of the Lord so cometh
as a thief in the night." Then in I Thes.5:4, (paraphased) "But
[we] are not in darkness that this day should overtake [us] as a
thief." Why? Because I Thes.5:5 "... [we] are children of the light."
And Jesus says "Behold I come as a thief" right after the 6th
Vial is poured out at the end of the tribulation (Rev.16:12,15).
And this begins the Last Day. (I inserted "we" for "you" because
Peter and Pauls letters were to the Gentiles (non Jews_"us").
#9. Revelation 22:12
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me." So,
when does He give out rewards? See Rev. 11:15, 18, "And the
7th angel sounded...[its time]...that thou give rewards...unto
the saints..."_Its after the 7th trump!!__At the end!!
Rewards are given out after the post-resurrection rapture,
after the Second Coming of Christ.
[A]
Now, all of the (9) verse references listed above, was all
that was presented to prove the "Pre-Trib" rapture
by the three pastors at this conference. You can see
that they were all taken out of context, or based
on assumptions. God was very angry with the
ten spies, who made Israel fear the Giants that were in
the land that God promised them (Num.13:1-2), and_they
were afraid to go in (Num.13:31,32,33). We are doing the
same thing today, by fearing the "Giant" (anti-Christ) _we add
"pre-trib" to Gods word, without a single verse to prove it,
this is very dangerous, (see Rev. 22:18). It is not my intent to
belittle these three pastors, I am sure they are sincere Christians,
but if they can't come up with one single verse that specificy
places this event before the tribulation, who can?_can you?
[B]
Its really very simple, if its not in Gods word, its not going to
happen. Again, I want to repeat that these nine scriptures were
all that was used to prove the "pre-trib" rapture that day, I was
there! The senior pastor of this church has read this article, (the
nine verses) and made a comment to me via Email, and he did not
question that these verses were all that was used to support this.
[C]
Note: The "pre-trib" view is a new doctrine, you will not find
pre-trib writings or documents in any church history until about
the year 1830. Edward Irving, (Catholic Apostolic Church) and
soon after, John Darby, (Plymouth Brethren) both of England,
were teaching the pre-tribulation rapture. _However, the most
important reason for the acceptance of this "pre-trib" rapture
view in the United States was the Scofield Reference Bible. In the
footnotes he split the second coming of Christ into two events:
Coming for the saints, then (7yrs later) Coming with the saints (at
which time we enter into God's millennium kingdom on earth). My
question is where do we go for the seven years? The Bible clearly
states (KJV)"The righteous (saints) shall never be removed: but
the wicked shall not inhabit the earth." (Prov.10:30) see also
Ps.37:29 and Prov.2:21-22.
[D]
Some may ask:_"what difference does it make if Christ returns
before the tribulation, or after"?_ There are sincere Christians on
both sides. However, the Bible says in I Thes.5:21, to "prove all
things."_And in II Tim.4:4,"And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned into fables." (fiction) Like
the "Left Behind" book and movie, cars & planes crashing, etc.
Millions killed before the tribulation even starts, when all these
people still have/had a chance to be saved during this time. The
truth was Left Behind, in the making of this movie, yet it sells
well in the religious marketplaces. The "Pre-Trib" doctrine has
become amusement for the masses, a multi billion dollar business
[E]
If such a major event as the "pre-trib" Rapture is true, why
isn't it found in Old Testament prophecy?__or in Jesus's
own teachings?__ or His disciples?__or any of the New
Testament writers?__Jesus said in Mark 13:23,__ "I have
foretold you all things."__He would have told us!!
[F]
Others may say: "That the tribulation is only for the Jews,"
(the 144 thousand) and that they are the people that God uses in
this time to bring people to Christ. This may be true, in part, but
look at Rev. 7:1,2,3,4 where God puts a seal on this small group.
And because of this seal, they are protected!! The woman
(Israel) is protected in the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation
(Rev. 12:13-14). This, in turn, makes the sepent (Satan) angry,
so he goes after us in Rev.12:17, those who have "the testimony
of Jesus Christ." _Again, go back to Rev. 7:9, "After this (the
sealing of the 144000) I beheld, and look, a great multitude...
of all nations...". Now skip to Rev.7:13, who are these people,
and where did they come from?_Then Rev.7:14, "these are
they that came out of great tribulation...". And God just
stated in Rev 12:13-14, that the woman(Israel, the 144,000 Jews)
are protected. So, who do you think this great multitude is that
has the "testimony of Jesus Christ", if its not us??
[G]
So, there are untold millions, along with the Jews that are in
this period of time. To say this time is only for the Jews is another
assumption and not valid. They base this on Isaiah 45:4, where
Israel is called Gods "elect" (in the KJV) so then in Matt. 24:31,
when Jesus sends his angels to gather His "elect" after the
tribulation, that this event (the second coming of Christ) is only
for the Jews who have to go through the tribulation.__ After we
(non Jews) accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our saviour, we then
become Gods "elect."__ I will back up this statement with
Pauls letters to non Jews, the Galatians and the Colossians :
[H]
1. Gal.3:28-29 (paraphrased)"There is neither Jew or Greek,you
are all one in Christ...you also are Abrahams seed..."(elect)
.2. Col 3:11-12, "....there is neither Greek or Jew....but Christ
is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the __Elect of God...."
.3. I Peter 1:1-2, Peter writes a letter to different nationalitys
and calls them the _"elect of God"_ because they have been
"washed in the blood of the Lamb"__ like we have been.
So, Israel_"and"_the church_"are"_Gods elect!!
Jesus has one bride! He created the miracle of uniting Jew and
Gentile alike into one bride. Let's just "reason together", does it
make any sense that Jesus would rapture out a partial bride?
What parts would He take first? And then...what? Pick up the
other parts later - with whatever the results the 144K Jews are
able to accomplish during the 7 years? Why would Jesus remove
only some?
And... if He was going to do this, don't you think He would have
told us? At least one verse stating that He was going to take some
out first? Jesus said in Mark 13:23, "I have foretold you all
things." He would have told us!! And do you suppose Jesus
would have the wedding feast with His "raptured" church (bride),
without the tribulation saints, the Old Testament saints, the
prophets or the 144K?? Let's think about this, are we really
this special?_ Compared to them?_I think not!
I am going to add a few scriptures, (that were not mentioned at
this conference) that are also used to support the pre-tribulation
rapture, so that you will have a complete list of all the verses,
assumptions and analogys this "new" doctrine was based on:
[I]
1. I Thes.5:2 "...the Day of the Lord so cometh as a "thief
in the night." But is not valid to be used for "pre-trib" because
this happens after the "6th vial" is poured out at the end of
the tribulation, after Rev. 16:12, then Jesus says in Rev.16:15,
"Behold, I come as a thief."_Its after the tribulation, at the
Second Coming of Christ.
[J]
2. Matt. 24:40, is another one,_"...One shall be taken, and
the other left."_Jesus made this statement just minutes after
He had just told them "Immediately after the tribulation
of those days..." (Matt.24:29). Thats when "one will be taken and
and the other left." Not seven years before!
[K]
3. The 'Noah' analogy__Many analogys are used by the Pre-
Trib Rapture teachers, for lack of scripture proof (like, not one).
However, Noah is their main one, so I will deal only with this one.
Everyone is aware of the fact that Noah warned the people that
a flood is coming and to repent, but _they refused to listen.
The Pre-Trib Rapture teachers say "thats like the Rapture", so
as Noah was saved out of the flood, we are going to be "Raptured"
out of the Tribulation. Its an analogy!!_ It Proves nothing!
The Post-Trib 'Noah' analogy_We, the Post-Tribulation
Rapture teachers, are warning you that a flood is coming
(the Tribulation) , but you refuse to listen, just like in the
days of Noah.But Instead of a flood of water, it's a flood of Satanic
deception that started with a small wave in 1830 with the new
pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. Now this wave of deception has
covered the entire western world and has blinded us to the huge
wave that may soon be upon us. Because millions refuse to hear
the truth, many will fall in this dark time, and be deceived into
taking the "Mark of the Beast" and be forever lost. However,
post-trib rapture teachers don't have to use analogys to prove
their view. But even with two dozen solid scriptures, the people
still _refuse to listen!!
[L]
4. Mark 13:32, is also used_ "But of that day and that hour
knoweth no man..." _Jesus told them this a few minutes after
telling them in Mark 13:24 "...in those days after that tribulation,
the sun shall be darkned, and the moon shall not give her light..."
And goes on to say in Mark 13:28-29 that we will know this day is
close because next He says in Mark 13:30, that the generation
that sees these things (the tribulation events He just spoke of),
would, (back to Mark 13:26-27) "...see the Son of man coming in
the clouds...to gather His elect from the...uttermost parts of the
earth..." We still will not know the exact day, only that it is close.
This is the second coming of Christ after the tribulation.
[M]
Some people ask me, "why is it that the vast majority of
Christians believe in the "pre-trib"?_When Jesus came to the
earth the first time, the vast majority of the religious people
(the church) of that time, rejected him, even after many Old
Testament prophecys fortold of this event. But they did not want
a suffering Messiah, they wanted a conquering king. In this
case the vast majority was wrong!! Now, today, we want the
Messiah to take us out before a certain event, not after!! But,
guess what, we don't get to choose. He only comes to the earth
two times (Heb 9:28). Once as a suffering Messiah, and then as a
conquering KING at the Second Coming of Christ.
[N]
We soon may be entering the last seven years of this age, the 70th
week of Daniel. We will not be 'up in the bleachers' (as our
endtime preachers would have us believe) and we need not fear,
God is with us. Jesus said "...I will build my church; and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18)
[O]
No mater what view we hold, we still need to accept each other as
Christians. Those of us that hold to the post-tribulation rapture
view, should not be thought of as troublemakers, we are only
concerned that millions may fall during this time, a time when we
(the church) can be used by God. "..The people that do know their
God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand
among the people shall instruct many..." (Daniel 11:32-33)
And, then we can be overcomers as in Rev. 7:9,13,14 "...a great
mulitude, which no man could number, of all nations.."
v-13 ( paraphrased) "...who are these people and where did
they come from?" _ Then v-14, "...these are they which
came out of great tribulation, and washed their robes, and
made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
.
Print this article_think about it!_The nine scriptures used
by these three pastors was all they had to prove the "pre-trib"
rapture in a_ six hour_ conference.?? Something is wrong!!
Post Script...Important
to read brief quotes from the early
church fathers on what they believed and taught on the Second
Coming of Christ, and the Antichrist. Most of these apostles and
teachers lifespan overlaped each other from the year 30 to 1900.
"Early Church Fathers" earlychurchbelief.blogspot.com/
Very brief answers on the Eternal Security Doctrine (OSAS).
"Eternal Security ?" osas-question.blogspot.com/
The first four of God's 7-angels that execute the seal, trump,
and vial plagues are the, "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,"
The antichrist empire that will center in the middle east is the,
"Endtime Beast Empire," endtimebeast.blogspot.com/
Mystery Babylon (Rome) the mother of harlots,
"The Woman
On The Scarlet Beast" ancient-harlot.blogspot.com/
Questions?...
Roger Armstrong... lassenview@gmail.com
.
Read, "GLORY TRAIN"-A Play, by Dr. Gavin Finley. A drama
on a endtime theme, endtimepilgrim.org/glorytrain.htm
Dr. Finley has several links on the Post-Tribulation Rapture topic,
AKA-"The Second Coming of Christ."
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Almost 2000 years ago, four writers recorded the life and teaching of Jesus. The first four books in the New Testament bear their names: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He offers a first-hand account of what Jesus said and did over a three-year period.
Luke was a physician who became a follower of Jesus after Jesus' life on earth. He spent time with many who were close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus' mother Mary gave Luke a mother's insight into the birth and early life of Jesus.
John wrote the last of the four histories. Of the twelve disciples, no one was closer to Jesus than John. He was the disciple who stood alone at the foot of the cross. Jesus demonstrated His great trust in John by committing to John the care of His mother Mary. At the time he wrote the last of the four histories, John was the only disciple of the original twelve who was still living.
Mark's record is the earliest of the four accounts. A young boy during the latter part of Jesus' life, Mark grew up to travel with Peter, one of Jesus' first followers and closest friends. Peter was a fisherman who followed Christ personally and traveled with Him for more than three years. We know from early church historians that Mark wrote what he learned from Peter as he preached about Jesus to all who would listen. Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 175, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing the things preached by Peter."
Of the four histories, Mark's Gospel is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of Jesus' life, written in the common language of the marketplace. None of the other Gospels devotes as great a portion of its content to Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Mark does not mention Christ's genealogy or birth. Instead, he begins his Gospel by describing John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, followed by the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Then he leads into Jesus' public ministry in Galilee, giving special attention to His miraculous works that prove Him to be the Son of God.
As in all Peter's sermons about Jesus recorded in the Book of Acts, the presentation about Christ in the Gospel of Mark answers two simple but critical questions. It is divided almost perfectly in two equal halves, the first presenting who Jesus is and the second presenting why He gave His life.
From the earliest part of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 8, Mark records Jesus' miraculous works and repeatedly draws attention to the significance of who Jesus is. That is why in the first half of Mark's gospel the word "who" occurs so often.
In the first chapter, Mark clearly declares that Jesus is the Son of God1 Even demons gave this testimony: "I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" But, Jesus did not permit the demons to speak, "because they knew who he was."2
In chapter 2, the scribes said, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"3 In chapter 4, after Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, "Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"4
The climax of Mark's presentation of who Jesus is in the first half of the book comes at the close of chapter 8: "And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.' And He continued by questioning them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'"5
The second half of Mark's 16 chapters describe the final week of Jesus' life on earth — His suffering, death and resurrection. In a series of statements Jesus reveals the purpose for which He was sent into the world: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."6 "He said to His disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.'"7 ''We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"8
Also contained in Mark are three dramatic "confessions." In the first verse, Mark himself confesses Jesus as the Son of God. 9 This is followed by Peter's confession in the middle of the book, "You are the Christ,"10 and builds to the Roman centurion's confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"11
As you read through Mark's record of the life and teachings of Jesus, you will discover that His life touches the very center of your life.
--------
Note: Clicking on any footnote number will take you to the reference.
1 Mark 1:24, NIV
2 1:34, NIV
3 2:7, NIV
4 4:41
5 8:27-29
6 8:31
7 9:31
8 10:33,34
9 1:1
10 8:29, NIV
11 15:39, NIV
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THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST - 2
What does the Bible teach about the second coming of Christ? Is He coming again? When is He coming? What will He do when He returns? These are all questions which will be answered from the Scriptures in our study today.
Today's lesson is part two of a study of the second coming of Christ. Last time we dealt with some false ideas about the second coming of Christ, particularly examining the premillennial theory which is so prevalent in the religious world today. However, we noticed that the idea of a literal thousand year reign of Christ, along with the concept of a Rapture, are simply not taught in the Bible. These theories have arisen through the misapplication of figurative passages of Scripture. Revelation 20 has been misused by many to teach the idea of a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth.
However, as we have pointed out, figures of speech are used in Revelation, signs and symbols through which the Holy Spirit revealed these truths to John the apostle. We cannot make a figurative passage of Scripture contradict a clear literal passage, can we? If the Scriptures contradict, they could not be from God. Of course, the Scriptures, properly interpreted, never contradict. And such is the case with the Bible's teaching concerning the second coming of Christ.
Now, today, let's examine some specific Scriptures about Christ's second coming which clearly show that Christ's coming again will not be to set up an earthly kingdom. Nor will His second coming be known in advance by any signs, as some have erroneously taught. The Bible's teaching on the second coming of Christ is very simple. First of all, the Bible tells us that Jesus IS coming again. The Lord promised his apostles He would return, just before He left them to ascend back to the throne of heaven. In John 14:1-3 we have the Lord's words: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Notice where the many mansions are located. They are in Heaven, where all the faithful will one day live. Jesus told His apostles He was coming back to receive them, and all the faithful, to Himself. Where will that be? It will be in Heaven.
There is no mention of an interim period on earth for 1,000 years before the saints are taken to Heaven. Nor is there any indication of a Rapture before this time. What Jesus taught His apostles in John 14 was to occur when He returned. Now when will that return take place? Over the years, there have been certain ones who have claimed to know when Christ was going to return. However, they have all been wrong in their predictions. Ever wonder why? It is simply because the Bible teaches that only the Father in Heaven knows when the Son will return. Listen to the Lord's words in Matthew 24:42, and 44: "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42)."Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44). Do not these verses clearly say that man cannot predict when Christ will come again? Earlier in the same 24th chapter of Matthew, at verse 36, Jesus, speaking of His second coming said: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." (Matthew 24:36). Well, there it is. No one but the Father knows when Christ will come again.
Why is it, then, that so many talk about the signs of His coming? It is because of a misunderstanding of some other matters Jesus talked about, as recorded in Matthew 24. Earlier in the chapter, the Lord 's words about the signs of a coming destruction refer to the city of Jerusalem, which was overthrown by the Romans in A.D. 70. The signs were mentioned by Jesus in reference to that destruction, not to the final destruction of the world. Jesus made a clear contrast between the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world in verse 36, which we have already noticed. However, many people today fail to make that distinction, and they believe the signs refer to the final coming of Christ. You see, Jesus came in judgment upon Jerusalem, figuratively of course, in A.D. 70, when the Roman armies destroyed the city. We must distinguish what Jesus was speaking about in Matthew 24 to avoid serious error about the second coming of Christ.
Now, what will happen when Christ returns? Last time we mentioned 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, where Paul is writing to Christians about the second coming of Christ. Some of these Christians were mistakenly thinking that their loved ones who died as faithful children of God were going to miss being with Christ when He returned. They had the mistaken idea that Christ was going to return immediately, in their lifetime, and when some of them died before this occurred, those still alive were sorrowful, thinking their deceased brethren in Christ had somehow lost their hope of heaven. Paul wrote to correct their error and to comfort them concerning the dead in Christ. Notice what He wrote: "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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For 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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words"(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). In this passage, we have some important teaching about the second coming of Christ which refutes the error of an earthly reign of Jesus. Notice Paul said that Christ would come from Heaven and the faithful would meet Him in the air. "And thus," that is, in this manner, "we shall always be with the Lord." Where shall we be with the Lord? In the air! The Lord is not going to set foot on this earth again! In fact, He cannot, because now He reigns as both king and priest. The Hebrews writer says if He were on earth, He could not be a priest. Therefore, He cannot set foot on earth again. He is a high priest now, forever, after the order of Melchizedek, the Bible says. But if were on earth, he could not be a priest, because Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not the priestly tribe of Levi. The inspired writer of Hebrews makes that very argument. Read Hebrews 7:14 along with Hebrews 8:4. The Bible itself makes the argument that Christ cannot be a priest on earth. But we are told He is priest forever. Therefore, He must be a priest forever in Heaven!
Some also try to see two resurrections in 1 Thessalonians 4, since Paul said the dead in Christ shall rise first. However, all Paul was teaching was that the faithful Christians who had died would be raised before all other Christians were caught up into heaven. That does not mean the unrighteous dead will be raised in another resurrection later. Paul was not discussing the unrighteous dead in these verses. There was no need to do so. However, elsewhere in Scripture, the general resurrection of all the dead at the same time is clearly established. Notice John 5:28,29: "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." You see, here Jesus is speaking of one resurrection of all the dead. In Paul's writings to the Thessalonians, he did not contradict Jesus. He was simply dealing with the problem at hand, which involved Christians, and Christians only. One cannot get two literal bodily resurrections from this passage, or any other passage. As was mentioned last time, the Bible speaks of figurative resurrections, such as the resurrection of the cause of Christ following great persecution. But nowhere in Scripture does one find two bodily resurrections taught.
One final thought on the second coming of Christ. The earth and everything in it will be destroyed when Christ comes again. Notice 2 Peter 3:10: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." At the time of Christ's coming, as we have noted from John 5:28,29, all the dead will be raised and a judgment of all men will take place, with Jesus Christ as judge. The righteous will then go away into everlasting life in Heaven, while the unrighteous will spend eternity in Hell. Now is the time to prepare for the second coming, for we know not the day nor the hour, and if we are unprepared, we will be among those who hear His words: "Depart from me...I never knew you."
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Prayer and Fasting - A Definition
Prayer and fasting is defined as voluntarily going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God. Prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, but this is not always the case. You can pray without fasting, and fast without prayer. It is when these two activities are combined and dedicated to God's glory that they reach their full effectiveness. Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what you desire. Rather, it is simply forcing yourself to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and wisdom you need.
Prayer and Fasting - What the Bible Says
The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement. This custom became known as "the day of fasting" (Jeremiah 36:6) or "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). Moses fasted during the 40 days and 40 nights he was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God (Exodus 34:28). King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in all Israel when they were about to be attacked by the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20:3). In response to Jonah's preaching, the men of Nineveh fasted and put on sackcloth (Jonah 3:5). Prayer and fasting was often done in times of distress or trouble. David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed (2 Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions (Daniel 6:18).
Prayer and fasting also occurs in the New Testament. Anna "worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" at the Temple (Luke 2:37). John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church of Antioch fasted (Acts 13:2) and sent Paul and Barnabas off on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches (Acts 14:23).
Prayer and Fasting - Required or Recommended?
The Word of God does not specifically command believers to spend time in prayer and fasting. At the same time, prayer and fasting is definitely something we should be doing. Far too often, though, the focus of prayer and fasting is on abstaining from food. Instead, the purpose of Christian fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God. Fasting should always be limited to a set time because not eating for extended periods can be damaging to the body. Fasting is not a method of punishing our bodies and it is not be used as a "dieting method" either. We are not to spend time in prayer and fasting in order to lose weight, but rather to gain a deeper fellowship with God.
By taking our eyes off the things of this world through prayer and biblical fasting, we can focus better on Christ. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Prayer and Fasting - What Does it Accomplish?
Spending time in prayer and fasting is not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." In the prophet Isaiah's time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).
How can you know if you are praying and fasting according to God's will? Are you praying and fasting for things that honor and glorify God? Does the Bible clearly reveal that it is God's will for you? If we are asking for something that is not honoring to God or not God's will for our lives, God will not give what we ask for, whether we fast or not. How can we know God's will? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Ways to Pray Prayer Guides
Most people agree that prayer is important, however, some people don’t pray because, with so much to pray about, they don’t know where to start. They are overwhelmed before they begin.
Prayers often are more effective when they have focus or direction. Jesus himself emphasized this when He taught His disciples to pray. In the Lord’s Prayer He listed specific things to pray about—honoring God, doing His will, daily provision, and deliverance from temptation.
“Ways to Pray” provides a number of prayer guides that will help you pray meaningfully for your pastor, church family, ministries in the church, and mission outreaches at home and abroad. Of course, you will think of other things that relate to your particular situation or that reflect a burden in your heart; “Ways to Pray” simply is available to give additional scope and focus to your prayers.
May God richly bless you as you minister through prayer!
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MVRDV presents vision for Greater Paris 2030
(Paris/Rotterdam, 12 March 2009): Today Winy Maas presented MVRDV’s vision for Greater Paris 2030 to the Economic and Social Council of France. The project “Paris Plus petit” by MVRDV in collaboration with ACS and AAF is one of ten proposals by international architecture and urbanism teams to envision the future of the French capital and its vast agglomeration. The urban challenge has been commissioned by Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France.
“Paris Plus” stands for more: more ambition, more optimism, more density, more efficiency, more ecology and more compactness. Greater Paris needs a strong combination of responsibility and ambition to continue its development, to ensure its consistency and to develop a cohesion that can build a base for a collective enterprise to solve its problems, to enlarge its presence and attractiveness, to create an even more remarkable, exemplary city.
MVRDV with ACS and AAF‘s response for President Sarkozy’s 2009 urban planning consultation for the great challenge of the Greater Paris area is represented in four parts: the ‘Synthesis’, the ‘City Calculator©’, the ‘Data’ and the ‘Observation’.
The Synthesis defines the spatial agenda for the city, based on ambitious and responsible strategies for the French capital. It is the core of the response and proposes a series of 17 large scale interventions that are based on an analysis of the city’s fabric, its future programmatic needs and spatial possibilities. The proposals are interventions based on available space and feasible. Among them the ambition to make Paris highly accessible: the creation of a grand central station at the location of Les Halles, underground densification of the Boulevard Périphérique by adding a metro line and two underground motorways ring-roads, the creation of new Grand Axe’s and a subterranean infrastructure band along the Seine. The space liberated by the buried infrastructure is used for a housing program that allows for urban living in pleasant and green environments. Further parts of the vision are investments into transport, nature, education, culture, social cohesion and vast amounts of renewable energy. The sum of all projects can avoid future sprawl and radically transform Paris into one of the densest, most compact and therefore sustainable high quality cities in the world: “Paris Plus petit”.
The City Calculator© is a proposed demo version of a potential software and possible webtool, which quantifies the ‘behaviour and performance’ of a city and makes it comparable to others. It connects qualitative to quantitative parameters. It can be used as a public and planning tool to support sustainable planning. The City Calculator© will be conceived in collaboration, by The Why Factory at Delft University of Technology.
The Data gives the overview of the detailed research on the functioning and performance of Greater Paris, which has been the background for the spatial proposals.
The Observations are a series of articles on the backgrounds, the history, the potentials and the problems of the French metropolis.
President Nicolas Sarkozy commissioned in June 2008 ten teams of architects and urban planners to imagine an exemplary "Grand Paris" a sustainable and boldly designed capital. The project was hailed being the most ambitious since Haussmann changed Paris in the 19th century. The challenge for the 10 teams was envisioning the European metropolis in 2030 being a "post-Kyoto" green urban centre which allows for growth beyond the current two million Parisians and provides them with attractive urban environments.
The ten plans will be presented in an exhibition at “Cité de l’Architecture” open to the public from the 29th of April 2009 until the 22nd of November 2009. www.citechaillot.fr
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I am so thankful to be an American Christian. You may have seen and heard things that are negative about this great land. But the greatest percentage of people in America are caring and supportive to the cause of freedom. We have labeled bad because a few wrong moves. I am certain the if we continue to pray that God will move s in a direction of peace with our fellow man.
Ways to Pray Prayer Guides
Most people agree that prayer is important, however, some people don’t pray because, with so much to pray about, they don’t know where to start. They are overwhelmed before they begin.
Prayers often are more effective when they have focus or direction. Jesus himself emphasized this when He taught His disciples to pray. In the Lord’s Prayer He listed specific things to pray about—honoring God, doing His will, daily provision, and deliverance from temptation.
“Ways to Pray” provides a number of prayer guides that will help you pray meaningfully for your pastor, church family, ministries in the church, and mission outreaches at home and abroad. Of course, you will think of other things that relate to your particular situation or that reflect a burden in your heart; “Ways to Pray” simply is available to give additional scope and focus to your prayers.
May God richly bless you as you minister through prayer!
A photo of Plunk in action. This is one of the touch tests.
Plunk lets you easily put together fun tests for touch screen targets on mobile devices. See where users are tapping on your mobile pages, then measure the success of your design or see if it's littered with bad apples. (Those can spoil the bunch, you know!)
ZURB is a close-knit team of product designers that help companies design better websites, services and online products (www.zurb.com).
In this image released by NASA, a dust ring, seen in red, surround the star Fomalhaut, that resides at the center of the image, and not visible to the human eye in this image. The Hubble Telescope discovered the fuzzy image of the planet, known as Fomalhaut b, which is no more that a white speck in the lower right portion of the dust ring that surrounds the star. (AP Photo/NASA
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Almost 2000 years ago, four writers recorded the life and teaching of Jesus. The first four books in the New Testament bear their names: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He offers a first-hand account of what Jesus said and did over a three-year period.
Luke was a physician who became a follower of Jesus after Jesus' life on earth. He spent time with many who were close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus' mother Mary gave Luke a mother's insight into the birth and early life of Jesus.
John wrote the last of the four histories. Of the twelve disciples, no one was closer to Jesus than John. He was the disciple who stood alone at the foot of the cross. Jesus demonstrated His great trust in John by committing to John the care of His mother Mary. At the time he wrote the last of the four histories, John was the only disciple of the original twelve who was still living.
Mark's record is the earliest of the four accounts. A young boy during the latter part of Jesus' life, Mark grew up to travel with Peter, one of Jesus' first followers and closest friends. Peter was a fisherman who followed Christ personally and traveled with Him for more than three years. We know from early church historians that Mark wrote what he learned from Peter as he preached about Jesus to all who would listen. Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 175, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing the things preached by Peter."
Of the four histories, Mark's Gospel is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of Jesus' life, written in the common language of the marketplace. None of the other Gospels devotes as great a portion of its content to Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Mark does not mention Christ's genealogy or birth. Instead, he begins his Gospel by describing John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, followed by the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Then he leads into Jesus' public ministry in Galilee, giving special attention to His miraculous works that prove Him to be the Son of God.
As in all Peter's sermons about Jesus recorded in the Book of Acts, the presentation about Christ in the Gospel of Mark answers two simple but critical questions. It is divided almost perfectly in two equal halves, the first presenting who Jesus is and the second presenting why He gave His life.
From the earliest part of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 8, Mark records Jesus' miraculous works and repeatedly draws attention to the significance of who Jesus is. That is why in the first half of Mark's gospel the word "who" occurs so often.
In the first chapter, Mark clearly declares that Jesus is the Son of God1 Even demons gave this testimony: "I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" But, Jesus did not permit the demons to speak, "because they knew who he was."2
In chapter 2, the scribes said, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"3 In chapter 4, after Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, "Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"4
The climax of Mark's presentation of who Jesus is in the first half of the book comes at the close of chapter 8: "And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.' And He continued by questioning them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'"5
The second half of Mark's 16 chapters describe the final week of Jesus' life on earth — His suffering, death and resurrection. In a series of statements Jesus reveals the purpose for which He was sent into the world: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."6 "He said to His disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.'"7 ''We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"8
Also contained in Mark are three dramatic "confessions." In the first verse, Mark himself confesses Jesus as the Son of God. 9 This is followed by Peter's confession in the middle of the book, "You are the Christ,"10 and builds to the Roman centurion's confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"11
As you read through Mark's record of the life and teachings of Jesus, you will discover that His life touches the very center of your life.
--------
Note: Clicking on any footnote number will take you to the reference.
1 Mark 1:24, NIV
2 1:34, NIV
3 2:7, NIV
4 4:41
5 8:27-29
6 8:31
7 9:31
8 10:33,34
9 1:1
10 8:29, NIV
11 15:39, NIV
ashcraftministry.blogspot.com/
Almost 2000 years ago, four writers recorded the life and teaching of Jesus. The first four books in the New Testament bear their names: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He offers a first-hand account of what Jesus said and did over a three-year period.
Luke was a physician who became a follower of Jesus after Jesus' life on earth. He spent time with many who were close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus' mother Mary gave Luke a mother's insight into the birth and early life of Jesus.
John wrote the last of the four histories. Of the twelve disciples, no one was closer to Jesus than John. He was the disciple who stood alone at the foot of the cross. Jesus demonstrated His great trust in John by committing to John the care of His mother Mary. At the time he wrote the last of the four histories, John was the only disciple of the original twelve who was still living.
Mark's record is the earliest of the four accounts. A young boy during the latter part of Jesus' life, Mark grew up to travel with Peter, one of Jesus' first followers and closest friends. Peter was a fisherman who followed Christ personally and traveled with Him for more than three years. We know from early church historians that Mark wrote what he learned from Peter as he preached about Jesus to all who would listen. Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 175, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing the things preached by Peter."
Of the four histories, Mark's Gospel is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of Jesus' life, written in the common language of the marketplace. None of the other Gospels devotes as great a portion of its content to Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Mark does not mention Christ's genealogy or birth. Instead, he begins his Gospel by describing John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, followed by the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Then he leads into Jesus' public ministry in Galilee, giving special attention to His miraculous works that prove Him to be the Son of God.
As in all Peter's sermons about Jesus recorded in the Book of Acts, the presentation about Christ in the Gospel of Mark answers two simple but critical questions. It is divided almost perfectly in two equal halves, the first presenting who Jesus is and the second presenting why He gave His life.
From the earliest part of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 8, Mark records Jesus' miraculous works and repeatedly draws attention to the significance of who Jesus is. That is why in the first half of Mark's gospel the word "who" occurs so often.
In the first chapter, Mark clearly declares that Jesus is the Son of God1 Even demons gave this testimony: "I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" But, Jesus did not permit the demons to speak, "because they knew who he was."2
In chapter 2, the scribes said, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"3 In chapter 4, after Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, "Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"4
The climax of Mark's presentation of who Jesus is in the first half of the book comes at the close of chapter 8: "And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.' And He continued by questioning them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'"5
The second half of Mark's 16 chapters describe the final week of Jesus' life on earth — His suffering, death and resurrection. In a series of statements Jesus reveals the purpose for which He was sent into the world: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."6 "He said to His disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.'"7 ''We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"8
Also contained in Mark are three dramatic "confessions." In the first verse, Mark himself confesses Jesus as the Son of God. 9 This is followed by Peter's confession in the middle of the book, "You are the Christ,"10 and builds to the Roman centurion's confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"11
As you read through Mark's record of the life and teachings of Jesus, you will discover that His life touches the very center of your life.
--------
Note: Clicking on any footnote number will take you to the reference.
1 Mark 1:24, NIV
2 1:34, NIV
3 2:7, NIV
4 4:41
5 8:27-29
6 8:31
7 9:31
8 10:33,34
9 1:1
10 8:29, NIV
11 15:39, NIV
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Almost 2000 years ago, four writers recorded the life and teaching of Jesus. The first four books in the New Testament bear their names: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He offers a first-hand account of what Jesus said and did over a three-year period.
Luke was a physician who became a follower of Jesus after Jesus' life on earth. He spent time with many who were close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus' mother Mary gave Luke a mother's insight into the birth and early life of Jesus.
John wrote the last of the four histories. Of the twelve disciples, no one was closer to Jesus than John. He was the disciple who stood alone at the foot of the cross. Jesus demonstrated His great trust in John by committing to John the care of His mother Mary. At the time he wrote the last of the four histories, John was the only disciple of the original twelve who was still living.
Mark's record is the earliest of the four accounts. A young boy during the latter part of Jesus' life, Mark grew up to travel with Peter, one of Jesus' first followers and closest friends. Peter was a fisherman who followed Christ personally and traveled with Him for more than three years. We know from early church historians that Mark wrote what he learned from Peter as he preached about Jesus to all who would listen. Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 175, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing the things preached by Peter."
Of the four histories, Mark's Gospel is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of Jesus' life, written in the common language of the marketplace. None of the other Gospels devotes as great a portion of its content to Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Mark does not mention Christ's genealogy or birth. Instead, he begins his Gospel by describing John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, followed by the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Then he leads into Jesus' public ministry in Galilee, giving special attention to His miraculous works that prove Him to be the Son of God.
As in all Peter's sermons about Jesus recorded in the Book of Acts, the presentation about Christ in the Gospel of Mark answers two simple but critical questions. It is divided almost perfectly in two equal halves, the first presenting who Jesus is and the second presenting why He gave His life.
From the earliest part of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 8, Mark records Jesus' miraculous works and repeatedly draws attention to the significance of who Jesus is. That is why in the first half of Mark's gospel the word "who" occurs so often.
In the first chapter, Mark clearly declares that Jesus is the Son of God1 Even demons gave this testimony: "I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" But, Jesus did not permit the demons to speak, "because they knew who he was."2
In chapter 2, the scribes said, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"3 In chapter 4, after Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, "Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"4
The climax of Mark's presentation of who Jesus is in the first half of the book comes at the close of chapter 8: "And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.' And He continued by questioning them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'"5
The second half of Mark's 16 chapters describe the final week of Jesus' life on earth — His suffering, death and resurrection. In a series of statements Jesus reveals the purpose for which He was sent into the world: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."6 "He said to His disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.'"7 ''We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"8
Also contained in Mark are three dramatic "confessions." In the first verse, Mark himself confesses Jesus as the Son of God. 9 This is followed by Peter's confession in the middle of the book, "You are the Christ,"10 and builds to the Roman centurion's confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"11
As you read through Mark's record of the life and teachings of Jesus, you will discover that His life touches the very center of your life.
--------
Note: Clicking on any footnote number will take you to the reference.
1 Mark 1:24, NIV
2 1:34, NIV
3 2:7, NIV
4 4:41
5 8:27-29
6 8:31
7 9:31
8 10:33,34
9 1:1
10 8:29, NIV
11 15:39, NIV
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Almost 2000 years ago, four writers recorded the life and teaching of Jesus. The first four books in the New Testament bear their names: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He offers a first-hand account of what Jesus said and did over a three-year period.
Luke was a physician who became a follower of Jesus after Jesus' life on earth. He spent time with many who were close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus' mother Mary gave Luke a mother's insight into the birth and early life of Jesus.
John wrote the last of the four histories. Of the twelve disciples, no one was closer to Jesus than John. He was the disciple who stood alone at the foot of the cross. Jesus demonstrated His great trust in John by committing to John the care of His mother Mary. At the time he wrote the last of the four histories, John was the only disciple of the original twelve who was still living.
Mark's record is the earliest of the four accounts. A young boy during the latter part of Jesus' life, Mark grew up to travel with Peter, one of Jesus' first followers and closest friends. Peter was a fisherman who followed Christ personally and traveled with Him for more than three years. We know from early church historians that Mark wrote what he learned from Peter as he preached about Jesus to all who would listen. Irenaeus wrote in A.D. 175, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing the things preached by Peter."
Of the four histories, Mark's Gospel is the simplest, shortest and most direct presentation of Jesus' life, written in the common language of the marketplace. None of the other Gospels devotes as great a portion of its content to Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Mark does not mention Christ's genealogy or birth. Instead, he begins his Gospel by describing John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, followed by the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Then he leads into Jesus' public ministry in Galilee, giving special attention to His miraculous works that prove Him to be the Son of God.
As in all Peter's sermons about Jesus recorded in the Book of Acts, the presentation about Christ in the Gospel of Mark answers two simple but critical questions. It is divided almost perfectly in two equal halves, the first presenting who Jesus is and the second presenting why He gave His life.
From the earliest part of chapter 1 through the end of chapter 8, Mark records Jesus' miraculous works and repeatedly draws attention to the significance of who Jesus is. That is why in the first half of Mark's gospel the word "who" occurs so often.
In the first chapter, Mark clearly declares that Jesus is the Son of God1 Even demons gave this testimony: "I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" But, Jesus did not permit the demons to speak, "because they knew who he was."2
In chapter 2, the scribes said, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"3 In chapter 4, after Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, "Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"4
The climax of Mark's presentation of who Jesus is in the first half of the book comes at the close of chapter 8: "And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.' And He continued by questioning them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'"5
The second half of Mark's 16 chapters describe the final week of Jesus' life on earth — His suffering, death and resurrection. In a series of statements Jesus reveals the purpose for which He was sent into the world: "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."6 "He said to His disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.'"7 ''We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"8
Also contained in Mark are three dramatic "confessions." In the first verse, Mark himself confesses Jesus as the Son of God. 9 This is followed by Peter's confession in the middle of the book, "You are the Christ,"10 and builds to the Roman centurion's confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"11
As you read through Mark's record of the life and teachings of Jesus, you will discover that His life touches the very center of your life.
--------
Note: Clicking on any footnote number will take you to the reference.
1 Mark 1:24, NIV
2 1:34, NIV
3 2:7, NIV
4 4:41
5 8:27-29
6 8:31
7 9:31
8 10:33,34
9 1:1
10 8:29, NIV
11 15:39, NIV
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If you wondering how to start you Pentecostal Chat room Copy this code and paste it on your site. Send it to a friend.
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JRuby on Rails running on Tomcat inside Eclipse. Check out the Ruby version! It's 1.8.5 (java). More at kiyo.wordpress.com/2007/06/08/jruby-on-rails-in-eclipse-i...
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VOICE OF PROPHECY - Prophetic Words
OpenHeaven.com Forum : VOICE OF PROPHECY - Prophetic Words
Subject Topic: The New Kingdom Order to Come Post Reply Post New Topic
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Ray Ashmore
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Location: United States
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Posted: 03/14/2007 at 10:52am | IP Logged Quote Ray Ashmore
There is coming, and now is in seed form, a new order five-fold ministry which, for the most part, is hidden today, but is being revealed in these last days as a restoration of New Testament government and order. The scriptures given as promises to the coming apostles are Isaiah 60 and Isaiah 49. Apostolic authority is not sought by the called ones. On the contrary, it is reluctantly accepted. But obedient hearts submit to the Father’s will. They do not seek recognition but will be recognized as they go about their tasks of obedience. These apostles are committed as never before to the nameless, faceless ministry of lifting up the name of Jesus.
No one knows in specifics what this new order will look like. The fulfillment will interpret the prophecies. But there are coming significant changes in the body of Christ. There will be a change in the present leadership pattern of our churches. The present five-fold is still very much an overlay on the old order pattern of pastor, church officials and congregation. Some have changed the name "pastor" and replaced it with "apostle," or expanded team ministries to identify and include those with five-fold giftings. But the pattern is the same. This way of five-fold is necessary for transitional purposes, but will give way to a new work of God.
Many of the well known apostles and prophets today are members of the old order and speak out of the old paradigm. This does not make them wrong, just marginally relevant for what God is bringing about in the future.
New order apostles will not reject established church fellowships, but will be focused primarily as Jesus was, with an unyielding emphasis of reaching out, rather than inviting in. The gathered people of God will be community-wide, as city churches become more than wishful thinking. This will change the way the church is understood by the man in the street. Church is seen primarily as a gathering of like-minded Christians on Elm and Main which may or may not be denominationally related. The city-wide, nation-wide, world-wide nature of the church has been acknowledged in a token way or a denominational way, but the great reality which Jesus prayed for in John 17 hasn't manifested since a partial manifestation in the church's infancy. There is a coming change in our paradigm. Christians will begin to see the church as a community rather than a location. Locations will be important, but only as places to facilitate God's work, not as identity makers.
Miracles are increasing and will continue to increase as the name of Jesus is lifted up and His kingdom is manifested. The increase will be to the degree that the "wow" miracles we see today will be "ho-hum" in the days ahead. Apostolic miracles in every community and around the world will draw people to meet together in their common areas, church buildings, businesses, community buildings and homes. Religious walls of denominationalism and theological nit-picking will fall (at least among the obedient). Racial suspicions and divisions will begin to disappear as walls of the flesh crumble.
Those who are entrenched and vested in the present day old church order, (pastors who are in it for their careers, provincially minded church leaders, class and race worshippers), will align themselves with the world and will seek to stop the new movement of God through slanders and deceptions of all sorts., but to no avail. This civil war should reach its height within ten years of the public unveiling of the new order apostles. It will continue for some years as the forces of darkness, citizens of the world and religious conservators join together. There will be great darkness and travail, but the lovers of God’s kingdom will prevail. There will also be initial opposition from some five-fold ministers who will feel threatened by the new order. But when their pride is broken, one by one these leaders will join the new wineskin of God.
As the Father says, “I am going to work mighty works. I am going to touch my Heart, my Church. I am going to make a way of salvation and lead my Church to glory. I am going to manifest my presence, my power and my purpose for the Church in these last days. There will be great suffering, but greater glory. I will be revealed in power and men will marvel at my sight. Stand up and speak. Do not be deterred. There are those who want to hear their own thoughts, their own interpretations of their lives, and of Me. They do not want to hear me. But I will speak and not be silent. I will proclaim and not be shut up. I will voice my will and there is no one who will frustrate my work. My Truth is coming to pass and I will have my way.”
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Mike League
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Posted: 03/14/2007 at 12:20pm | IP Logged Quote Mike League
This certainly sounds great to me. The old, traditional way has never worked for me, that's for sure. I'm interested in reaching out to the lost. That's my goal. This new paradigm seems that it would be a better way to do that.
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Posted: 03/14/2007 at 6:00pm | IP Logged Quote Kathy Bippus
amen,
The `church' (ISC )has placed the emphasis on the gifts(five-fold), not Holy Spirit. He's now cleansing mindsets that have been taught and passed down, of and by men. He's tearing down those structures that have been built and propagated, and the government of His Kingdom is being established within the hearts and souls of men. We are built and founded upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner. The foundation which is built upon is, Jesus Christ. He is Messiah, Lord, King, Yvwh and His Kingdom of which the prophets foretold and the apostles preached. It is this Rock the church is built upon and the gates of hell can not prevail against. The Rock is the King and His Kingdom. Preach the gospel of the Kingdom in demonstration of power..in demonstration of His High Order of Government that triumphs over all. Too this we are called, to this we are to be His witnesses, in all the world.
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Denise Detwiler
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 5:17pm | IP Logged Quote Denise Detwiler
theres some good info in this..and hmmm...not exactly where to go here. could go many directions....
ok - one is that God has been repeatedly turning my thoughts to the letters to Corinth in recent months. and pointing out that although they all came together into what had to have been some pretty large meetings, they were not one. there were various factions and groupings and even classes of people and nationalities who - although they were gathered - were not joined. and He is showing me how much of what we do in large gatherings is very like that. and even just the concepts of having 'certain' apostles or teachers we 'follow'. and not only this, historically many (not all) of the leaders encouraged this type of thinking. (unlike Paul who comes against it)
What you write of: it's not been seen so we really don't know completely what to expect.
In Corinth, 'these' didn't sit with 'those' and 'that group's' widows didn't get to participate in the distribution of food, if a 'certain person' had baptized you..that set you in line ahead of others....
And while we have tried with our best efforts, for a large part we have not yet (as a whole) absorbed enough of His heart and nature to step away from this and into better things. In fact it has been much worse at certain times of history than now...and in many groups it's been the visible leaders who have fanned the flames of this....from impure hearts.
now what I seem to see from my end...is that now there are very unlikely appearing (on the surface) emergences of what you are calling the new order. hidden beneath what seems to be the opposite...and about to be uncovered and revealed. you say as they become visible there is to be civil war and although this doesn't surprise me...my hope is that it can be mitigated as much as possible by the bearing and attitude of the new order as you call it (really been around a good long time however not able to be widespread and full fledged) and by the Lord Himself revealing Himself in and amongst them.
My hope for mitigation of the civil war is the desire to see far more than seems possible make this shift. And less tragedies and loss of life.
Am hoping for a great deal more happy joyous surprises than grievous and sad ones...although I know there will be both....
Edited by Denise Detwiler on 03/16/2007 at 5:19pm
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 6:35pm | IP Logged Quote Therese Manes
Whew...
I hope I don't offend anyone, but I'm so thankful God has kept me out of the churches, the "religious world", and mostly away from media. (TV, newspapers, radio)
I'm new to this wonderful website; and while I've never felt more "connected" to people in my life due to having received many of your same revelations--I honestly don't comprehend half of the terms that are being used on here. (i.e. five-fold ministry)
But that's okay --haha! I'm hanging in there, and being very blessed by all of this.
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 6:49pm | IP Logged Quote susanvercelli
Hi Ray, the Lord gave me a word awhile back for leadership and order and I just thought it tied in with what you have shared her so I felt led by God to add this, thank you for sharing with us!
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Posted: 05/26/2006 at 1:40pm | IP Logged Quote susanvercelli
We learn from pst mistakes,Leadership must walk humble, and fear GOD, they have a moment by moment leading of the HolySPIRIT, They never underestimate who GOD can use, and they are always open for change and newness. They stay teachable, even when GOD gives great success and fame, they will not trust in approval or praises of man, they only seek GODS approval,PEACE... the mind of Christ, theres no spiritual pride, they come to JESUS daily like the blind man, say, I cant see show me, they come like a child like I know nothing, even what I think I know I lay down, come empty to be filled, they recieve the mind of CHRIST. His word comes first always, He meets us in his word, Theres no competition for position, or place, either ya know it or ya dont and ya get removed, if ya not sure your place ya get honest and ya will be shown. Leaders always open for correction, not proud, if it dont apply they let it fly, but if it does and their not accepting it their will be no peace till they surrender and get honest, and you will be continually confronted till you surrender, leaders will line up with GOD priorty"S not their own agenda, The fatherless the widow, the poor, even if GOD blesses you abundantly, with riches, spiritually and in natural, there will always be a ministry of giving to the poor, the true leaders know the more they give the more GOD blesses, they are faithfull stewards, and can be trusted with great wealth, used for GODS purpose, no greed or selfishness, for they know how can they enjoy the wealth if they arent sharing with the poor, this is the heart of the leadership, 1
Even those with great annointing position place in the kingdom, know they dont have to push to be heard or noticed, they only move with the spirit of GOD! they sit back and dont worry at times, they know noone can take their place in the Kingdom, their not threatened or insecure they know who they are, they are confident and bold and know that what GOD has for them to do, is only for them, its unique and cant be duplicated by flesh, some will try to copy, but it will be void of power and authority. leaders know all who are out of order will be drained and dealt with by GOD. they will have no peace and oppression and no good fruit if they are out of place. leaders know lip service is not enough, or even to understand intellectually, it must come from heart must be tested and tried and made life experience before you have power to preach it, those who try to preach from mind not heart are shallow and void of power, relegious flesh, they only understand on soul level(mind will intellect) but it never went deeper. Leaders dont preach like its for everyone else and not them, their never to proud to look at themselves, Real servants dont mind not being in the limelight, as a matter of fact they prefer not to, but when they are they always point to JESUS, and give him the GLORY< they refuse credit, give glory to GOD. They dont have to defend , but they will only at times defend truth, in order to to help someone see, so they can be set free.
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Edited by Kathy Bippus on 03/16/2007 at 8:15pm
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Therese Manes
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 6:59pm | IP Logged Quote Therese Manes
Susan! You and these folks are just SO annointed with the TRUTH!!! (Oh, how I wish there were people like you in MY "neck of the woods" to fellowship with in person!) Haha!
Edited by Therese Manes on 03/16/2007 at 7:00pm
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 7:29pm | IP Logged Quote susanvercelli
Hi Therese, well there is! There"s you! You are a light sweetheart! You just shine for Jesus! and one thing God always spoke to me (which I didnt quite understand) was He would say, there"s no distance! meaning that I can be here and you can be there but there"s no distance when we are with God, He is here and there and everywhere! (meaning we are together even though we are long distance?) God is with us! and we are together! I Am with you, and you are with me! (thats the revy I got) Isn"t this Glorious! Amen and be Blessed by the Lord, follow and abide always! send ya love from New Jersey to wherever ya at!
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Denise Detwiler
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 8:03pm | IP Logged Quote Denise Detwiler
Hi Teresa! Interestingly enough -- a part of what spurred my thought in this direction: "now what I seem to see from my end...is that now there are very unlikely appearing (on the surface) emergences of what you are calling the new order. hidden beneath what seems to be the opposite...and about to be uncovered and revealed."
was actually the use of 'five fold' and several other similar type words in the body of this message...it got my mind thinking of how certain things may give an appearance of or a sort of hiding of the reality that's within...certain looks and sounds trigger certain assumptions...but it really is far different than what may appear on the surface or at a glance or by the way it 'sounds' to the ear...
for the record...I hadn't heard the term 'five fold' until i think the 90's and then found out not too long after that what it meant in a general sense...but that has grown to have huge complicated structures round it for some people...it is also a widely used term that can connect the dots for some people.
there are several such terms in the above piece.
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 8:34pm | IP Logged Quote Therese Manes
God bless you Susan, for your precious comment. Yes, it IS Glorious... and I'm sending love right back to ya, from Carolina Country.
And thank you Denise, for your additional insight. This post still has me in a bit of a tizzy; I'll have to read it over a few more times.Most of it confirms what the Holy Spirit has been showing me, but it's just those few terms that aren't actually used in scripture, that are throwing me back a bit.
I'm praying you ALL have a very blessed weekend!
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 8:59pm | IP Logged Quote Kathy Bippus
Hi all,
What I hear and am seeing is the sound of the underground. An emergence of the living organism manifesting from within earth, upon earth.
Teresa, some refer to five-fold being apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors. While these indeed exist, even as stated in scripture, they are merely gifts of servanthood appointed a certain function within the body of Christ. I hadn't heard the term five-fold either until the early 90's. What that has done, in a very subtle way is produce an esteeming of and an elitism. In the Kingdom of God all are servants, subjects. There is none above, nor beneath another but one. A servant will honor others better than themselves..meaning placing them above themself, in this we see in part the functioning of these gifts appointed by Him. Even as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and the servant is not above His Master.
Sometimes when describing something we see of Him, in our limited vocabulary, we put a `term' upon it. What I think Ray is saying here by `new order' is his describing this..An emergence of the living organism manifesting from within and upon earth.
There is much that could be shared here and as Denise said, the structures and such. I encourage everyone to read through the Kingdom Growth Guides. As we beging to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things begin to align. That is what is taking place right now..shifting from the church emphasis, to the King and His Kingdom emphasis.
Love and blessings,
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 9:27pm | IP Logged Quote Therese Manes
Ahhhh! Makes perfect sense to me now. Haha! Thank you! I guess I've never been one to get into "titles"... for myself, I just find it simpler for me to obey the calling God gives me--going where ever He leads and doing whatever He commands. Not to dishonor anyone who does hold titles; it's just that I'm most familiar with the meaning of those such as apostle, prophet, teacher, evangelist, etc., as mentioned in scripture and also above.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain further Kathy, and I will definitely continue reading through those Kingdom Growth Guides.
Abundant blessings to all!
Edited by Therese Manes on 03/16/2007 at 9:29pm
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Posted: 03/16/2007 at 10:19pm | IP Logged Quote Kathy Bippus
Feel the same way Terese!
He never intended for us to erect a building and call that the church. A building, be it house or warehouse(where-house*smiles) can be used by the church..the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the city of refuge, relationally, so how that manifests in practicality varies. It is far huger than what we have made of it, for sure. It actually blows my mind! wooo!
I think in some ways what we did is take the scripture that says` a mans gift will make room for him' and turned it backwards and man made a room for his gift.
~~~~~breaking the chains~~~~~in His Love~~~~~
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Prema Laban
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Posted: 03/17/2007 at 2:06am | IP Logged Quote Prema Laban
Isnt God amazing and faithful? For years, we have all in our individual lives felt this tug to something new in Him. I dont know about all of you but it is SO great to know that others are hearing similar truth. For me, we are moving to a season of FUNCTIONAL authority in the church - the true church is here already functioning as God intended us to- with the life of God flowing and healing for the nations who see Jesus lifted up as King, THE WORD who is life.
For me positional authority is meaningless if it is not backed up by heaven's government. Daniel records an event when all power is handed over by the court of heaven to the Son and then there is dominion handed over to the saints of the everlasting kingdom. There are those with functional authority who have a heavenly mandate wo have been commissioned and are in place to see God's purpose established wheresoever He wills it -
"I come to do Thy will O Lord" is the response of the sons who have been entrusted with this heavenly charge and there is nothing that is going to stop this kingdom for the King is in our midst.
God Bless
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Ray Ashmore
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Posted: 03/17/2007 at 11:46am | IP Logged Quote Ray Ashmore
Susan,
Right on point with the word you just gave.
Thanks and blessings,
Ray
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Posted: 03/17/2007 at 12:43pm | IP Logged Quote Kathy Bippus
"I come to do Thy will O Lord" is the response of the sons who have been entrusted with this heavenly charge and there is nothing that is going to stop this kingdom for the King is in our midst." underline emphasis mine *K
Amen Prema, indeed He is oh so amazing and faithful! Oh such Beauty too behold! who is like unto our God..Who Reigns in wisom, might and splendor?!! He makes known His deeds among the people..Our Father, Who lives and abides in heaven, in the High Places, over and above all, Holy, Separate and Consecrated is Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your Governing come, manifest, appear on earth as it is in heaven!
Edited by Kathy Bippus on 03/17/2007 at 12:45pm
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What really happens when you die?
Find out incredible truth of what Bible actually says ... and doesn't say
Posted: January 24, 2009
12:30 am Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
It's a question that has echoed throughout the ages: what really happens when you die?
And at the moment of death, does the Bible state believers remain conscious and get immediately transported to a paradise called heaven to spend time with fellow Christians whose physical lives have also come to an end?
The answers just might floor you.
In perhaps the most underpublicized verse of the entire Bible – ironically found just three verses before what is arguably the most famous line of John 3:16 – Jesus Christ declared that no one has gone to heaven except Himself.
It's true. Here's the stunning quote.
* And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13, King James Version)
* No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. (John 3:13, New International Version)
Meanwhile, the Bible does indicate that at least one other person, specifically the Old Testament prophet Elijah, did go to heaven.
Scripture clearly states that "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." (2 Kings 2:11)
So, on one hand, the Bible says Elijah went to heaven, but on the other, it says no one went to heaven except Jesus.
Is there a solution to this apparent paradox?
"The answer is easy once you realize the Bible talks about more than one place called heaven," says Joe Kovacs, author of "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told."
"The Bible actually describes three very different places that all have the name of heaven. The apostle Paul even uses the phrase the third heaven. Obviously, there can't be a third heaven unless there are heavens of the first and second kind as well."
Kovacs explains: "Yes, Elijah did go to heaven. But it was not the heaven of God's dwelling place that many people immediately think of when they hear the H-word, because only Jesus went there. Elijah simply went to 'the first heaven' – that is the sky, the atmosphere of Earth – which the Bible also calls 'heaven.' The truth is that he did return to the ground.
"I realize many people get confused about what really happened to Elijah, because one has to jump to another book of the Bible to discover the rest of his story. If people just flip ahead to 2 Chronicles, they'll quickly find out the prophet was living out the rest of his days not on Cloud 9 or in some other dimension, but right here on terra firma sending some less-than-pleasant mail to an evil king years after he was airlifted to another location."
In "Shocked by the Bible," Kovacs goes on an in-depth probe of the three heavens, and using only verses from the Bible itself, explores the ultimate destiny for all of mankind.
The mystery of Elijah is just one of scores of points concerning heaven and life after death. Kovacs also digs into:
* What God really told Adam about his destiny
* There's a well-known, deceptive character who was heard saying, "Ye shall not surely die"
* What Scripture actually says about the state of the dead
* Are phrases such as "immortal soul" or "eternal soul" even found in Scripture?
* Does the Bible really say that souls die?
* Did Jesus guarantee the thief on the cross an immediate trip to heaven?
* The Bible talks about resurrections in the Old Testament, long before Jesus was raised
* What does Paul mean when he said he was "willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord"?
* Is the heaven of God's throne always going to be in an unseen place, or is it coming here to Earth?
"Fear not, Christians! You have excellent reason to rejoice," says Kovacs. "Everlasting life with God and fellow believers is on the way. The Bible talks dozens of times about eternal life as the reward of the saved. At the same time, the questions of precisely when and where that life will be spent are other issues and certainly deserve a closer look. You may be stunned to find out which words are actually on the pages of your own Bible, and which words are not."
Don't wait another second to find out God's truth about what really happens when you die. Get "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told" personally autographed by the author. If you prefer ordering by phone, call WND's customer service line toll-free at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266) between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
(Story continues below)
In "Shocked by the Bible," Kovacs also explains that if people just read for themselves without any preconceived notions, they'd quickly discover:
* "Three Wise Men" are never mentioned in the story of Jesus' birth, and no wise men at all are shown present at the manger scene the night Jesus was born. (They showed up later at a house when Jesus was a young child)
* The Bible doesn't outright declare the day, month, year or even season Jesus was born
* There's no mention of a Christmas tree or any tree in the gospels recording Jesus' birth. However, there is a custom mentioned in the Old Testament that shows people decorating trees with silver and gold. You might be astounded to find out what God says about such a practice
* The Bible never says Jesus died on a Friday or rose from the grave Sunday morning
* Scripture does not say Noah's Ark rested on "Mount Ararat"
* Noah brought a lot more than just two of certain animals aboard the Ark
* The word "Easter" has vanished from modern Bible translations
* God sought to kill Moses, shortly after telling him to lead the Israelites to freedom
* Jesus did not come to make everyone understand His message, and personally said so
* Jesus made personal appearances in the Old Testament
* The worst case of hemorrhoids in history is recorded
And these are merely the beginning of hundreds of facts that will stun even those who thought they had a strong knowledge of the Bible.
"If you've never been into the Bible, or even if you have, there's no need to fear," says Kovacs. "I make it quick, easy and fun for you to find out the juiciest, most interesting stuff that never seems to get mentioned in church. And I'm not talking about trivial facts and difficult names no one can pronounce."
"Shocked by the Bible" has become an instant smash since its release, twice hitting No. 1 in three Bible-related categories on Amazon.com with readers giving it high praise, and the author being interviewed on dozens of radio shows.
"Shocked by the Bible" skyrocketed to three No.1 spots on Amazon.com before and after its official release
It reached the No. 1 spot on the WND Best-Seller list several times. International demand has even led to a deal to have "Shocked" translated into the Korean language.
"If you think you really know the Bible, better think again," warns Fox News' Bill O'Reilly. "Your parents never told you this stuff was in the Bible," adds radio talker and author Melanie Morgan. WND founder Joseph Farah simply says, "'Shocked by the Bible' is nothing short of genius."
Kovacs, the executive news editor of WND, has written countless reports in his 25-year news career. Many have focused on biblical issues such as chariot wheels said to be found in the Red Sea, searches for Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, and controversies over Christmas and Easter holidays as well as the Saturday-vs.-Sunday Sabbath.
He has received many awards for news excellence from the Associated Press and United Press International. He's run television, radio and print newsrooms in the U.S., as well as Budapest, Hungary. Kovacs is also regarded as one of the premier creative headline writers in the news business today.
Find out what you've been missing. Get "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told" personally autographed by the author. It makes a brilliant gift that will be remembered for a lifetime.
To interview Joe Kovacs, author of "Shocked by the Bible," please contact him.
Related column:
Newsweek and Bush: Bible morons
Previous stories:
Pharaoh's chariots found in Red Sea?
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Smith Wigglesworth Apostle of Faith
By Jonas Clark
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Smith Wigglesworth
Smith Wigglesworth
Smith Wigglesworth had one of the greatest healing ministries in history. But there was a time when this great apostle of faith was reluctant to even preach. Smith Wigglesworth was a plumber from Bradford, England. While he believed in divine healing, he didn’t believe that anyone was getting healed in Bradford. So Wigglesworth took afflicted souls to nearby Leeds every Tuesday. He was confident that a group that practiced divine healing there had an anointing to break the yokes of sickness and disease. He was confident because his wife Polly was healed in Leeds. Little did he know that Bradford would soon be recognized as a place for divine healing, too, and that God would use a plumber as His chosen vessel.
It all started the day Bradford church leaders decided to attend the Keswick Convention, an annual summer reunion held to promote “practical holiness.” Smith Wigglesworth reluctantly agreed to administrate the church meetings during their absence, yet hoped to persuade someone else to preach. But everyone he asked insisted that he must do it himself. Wigglesworth did preach and although he could not remember what he said, the first man he prayed for was healed instantly. That miracle stirred the faith of at least 14 others at the meeting to believe God for healing. He prayed for each one and each one was healed.
A humble Wigglesworth was quick to announce that it was not his great faith at work that day, but God’s great hand helping him in his hour of need. Those miracles led to divine healing meetings in Bradford that continued to produce signs and wonders. Smith Wigglesworth’s healing ministry grew rapidly and moved to a new building that displayed the words “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” But it seems this great man of faith did not yet fully believe God for his own healing. When a brother with a healing ministry visited the church in Bradford, Wigglesworth invited him home for tea and his wife opened up a can of worms.
“What would you think of a man who preaches divine healing, yet he himself uses medical means every day?” Polly asked their visitor.
“I should say that man did not fully trust the Lord,” answered the brother.
After the meal Wigglesworth confessed that he had suffered from hemorrhoids since his childhood and used salts every day for relief. The trio then agreed to pray and trust God for his healing. Wigglesworth’s system functioned naturally without any medication from then on. Wigglesworth and his wife made a vow to God that day declaring: “From henceforth no medicine, no doctors, no drugs of any kind shall come into our house.” Wigglesworth was gripped by a violent pain in his side not long afterwards – a pain so violent that he was brought home to his wife. The couple prayed all night, but he grew worse instead of better. He thought this was his “home call” and reminded Polly of their agreement to send for a doctor to avoid the embarrassment of a coroner’s examination and the condemnation of outsiders if one of them was nearing death.
The doctor diagnosed Smith Wigglesworth with an advanced state of appendicitis. The only hope would be an immediate operation, but his body was too weak. The doctor left, promising to return later. While Wigglesworth lay in the bed suffering an elderly lady and a young man came to pray for him. The young man laid his hands on Wigglesworth and cried, “Come out, devil, in the name of Jesus!” Wigglesworth later testified, “To my surprise the devil came out and I felt as well as I had ever been.” He then went downstairs and told his wife that he was healed.
Later that day Wigglesworth answered an emergency call from a lady who needed a plumber. When the doctor returned to hear that Wigglesworth had gone to work he pronounced, “They will bring him back a corpse!” But upon examining Wigglesworth later, the doctor recanted and agreed that he was indeed healed. In fact, that “corpse” preached the Gospel in many parts of the world for another 40 years.
Wigglesworth was also instrumental in bringing thousands of people to salvation, baptism of the Holy Ghost and divine healing. About 20 people were raised from the dead during his ministry. Many people are fascinated by the life of Smith Wigglesworth and many books have been penned about him.
Born in 1859, by the age of seven he was working 12 hours a day with his father to supplement the family finances, so he had little education. He was born again at age eight and immediately sought to win others to Christ. His mother was his first convert. As an adult, Wigglesworth was called by God to, “come out.” First from the Methodist church, then the Anglican, Brethren, Salvation Army, and so on. While he ministered in Elim and Assemblies of God churches, he remained independent of any denomination.
This great man of God was far from perfect. He couldn’t read or write, had speech problems, a violent temper and even backslid when his business prospered. But His wife Polly helped him learn to read, prayer and commitment helped him overcome his anger, and when he backslid God restored him into victorious living. In 1907, at age 48, Wigglesworth was baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues. After that he also overcame his speech problem and many were surprised at his fluency.
Wigglesworth read little other than the Bible. Before preaching he would wait for the Holy Spirit to direct him to a particular passage of Scripture. He often gave a short message in tongues, which he immediately interpreted. And he would often quote a chorus from a well-known Gospel song. “Only believe,” was one of his favorites. Another, which was his testimony, was “I know the Lord laid His hand on me. Filled! A flowing, quickening, moving flame of God.” Many examples of God’s healing power were related through the songs. He believed his sermons should make his listeners either glad or mad. He would say, “If you do not progress every day, you are backsliding.” Once, when he preached in Norway, the town hall was full and thousands were outside. He had prayed for something different to happen. God told him, “If you will ask Me, I will give you every soul here.” Even though Wigglesworth knew it was God talking he was slow to accept, but he was still obedient to ask. The Spirit swept over the place. He had never seen anything like it. Many cried for mercy and Smith was convinced that God gave him every soul present.
Although Wigglesworth believed all sickness was from the devil and everyone could be healed, there were still some difficulties. The untimely death, for example, of his wife in 1913 was a real blow. He commanded death to give her up. While Smith was praying Polly said, “Smith, the Lord wants me.” He responded, “If the Lord wants you, I will not hold you.” And he let her go.
His daughter, Alice Salter, frequently traveled with him after Polly’s death. Alice was another trial of Wigglesworth’s faith because she was deaf and never healed. He believed that great trials lead to a deeper experience with God and was often heard saying, “Only melted gold is minted.”
Early in the 1930s X-rays revealed he was suffering from kidney stones. The doctor said an immediate operation was necessary to avoid a painful illness and eventual death. Wigglesworth said, “Doctor, the God who made this body is the one who can cure it. No knife shall ever cut it as long as I live.” He endured six years of pain before he was delivered. Long later Smith suffered from sciatica, which made walking painful. He was often sicker than the people he prayed for were.
Early one morning in 1937 while in South Africa, Wigglesworth marched into the office of David du Plessis, the secretary of the Apostolic Faith mission, and prophesied what we now know today as the Charismatic Revival. The Spirit of God spoke through him, saying that the 31-year-old man would play a major part in the revival if he remained humble and faithful. There was considerable antagonism between the established denominations and Pentecostals at that time, yet there were some refreshing exceptions. Du Plessis was one of those exceptions. Smith told him, “The day I pass away, then you can begin to think about it.”
In 1947 du Plessis went to the World Pentecostal Conference in Zurich. His ministry and influence developed from that point on and he later became known as the Father of Pentecost. Wigglesworth also prophesied a second move of the Spirit that would bring a revival of emphasis on the Word of God. We know this now as the Faith Movement. He added that, when these two moves, “the Word of God and the Spirit of God,” combine the Body shall witness the greatest move the Church of Jesus Christ has ever seen.
Wigglesworth died on March 12, 1947. His ministry is summed up in his own words, “There are four principles we need to maintain:
First, read the Word of God.
Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you.
Third, believe the Word of God.
Fourth, act on the Word.”
Acts 4:13 is true of Wigglesworth, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (NIV). Wigglesworth, an apostle of faith, lived so that people would only see Jesus.