False Teachers

September 23, 2017

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What is this all about? There are a vast amount of Facebook and social media posts as well as videos on YouTube claiming that there will be a sign of Virgo or something to that effect on September 23, 2017, that will either usher in the Tribulation or Christ’s return or a great monkey battle. Many say that on that on that day, there will be the fulfillment of Revelation 12, and that it means the Rapture will occur. First off, there are three main problems. One is Astrology! The second, is the premise of Leo having nine stars is false, along with the statement that the addition of the three planets brings the stars in Leo to 12, is also false. And, this occurrence is not even rare and has happened many times in the last 7,000 years. No one consulted with an actual astronomer.  The third, they have not read Rev. 12… This is the typical hype of a false teacher, no facts and playing on people’s emotions who are not willing to fact check!

Many Christians today prefer to take the word from false teachers who are tantalizing and provocative and not from God’s Word!

They feel they have special knowledge from God and thus do not read or study the Bible. Instead, they listen to fools who point to themselves, pseudo Bible teaching and not to our LORD or the true Truth of His Word. This creates the havoc of emotional driven immature Christians with false knowledge that leads to a weak do-nothing faith and division in His Church.

Before coming to Christ fully, I was captivated in a false teaching myself and seen the destruction it is having with young and immature believers. This was the “Jupiter Effect” on March 10, 1982. That a rare event will correspond with Christ’s return. The same thing is happening now.

Astrology? Really? “All the counsel you have received has only worn you out. Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the flame… Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you.” Isaiah 47:13-15

See more here: Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19; 47:13-14; Daniel 2:27; 4:7, 19

  • Revelation 12? This passage is written in the style of a Greek play depicting the mythology of the Greek gods such as the struggle of Leto giving birth to Apollo and Python and the Egyptian account of their gods Isis and Typhon as she gave birth to Horus.  John is using Jewish apocalyptic language. Understanding the literature and metaphors-what the First Century Jew saw-gives us a richer meaning of what the text (God) is seeking to communicate with us today. John uses this captivating style to show the struggle as God gives birth to Israel, Israel gives birth to Jesus, while Jesus is being opposed by Satan.

“Sign,” usually means something seen in the sky, or an astronomical event. Here, it is an illustration, conveying an event that is unexpected and astonishing. As with most symbols and metaphors in Scripture, it is an expression with the intention of pointing to something beyond it (Luke 21:11, 25; Acts 2:19).

These images deal with spiritual warfare, the conflict of good and evil, of light and dark, rooted in history and with ramifications for the future. These passages also deal with symbolism that is deeply rooted in Judaism as well as the plan and work of our Lord and the heralding of His Second Coming. The application is our being and remaining faithful to our Lord and continuing our witness and maintaining character in the midst of persecutions. We are also called to bear Fruit in and with His light as His witnesses against the dark forces, to a corrupt and conflict- ridden world with all its trappings of contradictions and confusion (Eph. 6:10-20). 

All this false date setting makes Christians look stupid. It’s embarrassing…

It all comes down to Christian maturity and are we really in the Word and building our faith. To answer this, seek this question: Are you chasing your desires or our Lord? The answer to this question will determine what direction in life you go as well as if, when, and how sin will entice you to fall! Sin is coming; we can either draw near to God to stay clear, or draw near to sin and thus away from God and His best for us. The great news is that Christ gives us the ability to stand firm in Him. The key is, we need to want to! Peter’s people were being slandered and taken advantage of, and they were becoming disillusioned. Peter’s call was to stand firm in faith and not worry what others do as long as we look to Christ wholeheartedly (1 Pet. 2:12,15, 23; 3:9, 16; 4:4,14; 4 1-11).

Thus, the best defense is the offense of righteousness and demonstrating the good life in Christ!

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Blood Moon, what is this all about?

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“The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light…”  Matthew 24:29

“The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.” Acts 2:20

The premise is four blood moons will happen in a sequence that will be the trumpet blast that echo in the return of Christ or a rapture or a tribulation, to whomever false teacher you listen to.  It seems plausible, an astronomical event that never has occurred that is foreboding and obvious to point us the Return of the King. Or is it?

The premise is four blood moons will happen in a sequence that will be the trumpet blast that echo in the return of Christ or a rapture or a tribulation, to whomever false teacher you listen to.  It seems plausible, an astronomical event that never has occurred that is foreboding and obvious to point us the Return of the King. Or is it?

There are many problems with this premise. And it will only appeal to a person who gets caught up in meaningless speculations, or a person who does not really read the Word, or a person gets captivated by personalities and not the Person of Christ, or a person who is, well I will say it, just weak in the faith at best, heretical at worst. And who would write such a book, someone who fits the previous qualifications, except they are the captivating personality who read into the Bible their views and do no real research to what the words mean and what these events are and what they really mean. 

What if Jesus will or had returned, April 15, 2014 as many false teachers have presented, or now, September, 23 or 27, 2015? Oh, those first two did not happen by the way. What were you doing? Does your life and attitude show that you were prepared by faith and not by theory?

By the way biblical eschatology is about give us hope and motivation to get our life right with Christ as Lord. It is not about meaningless speculations!

Yet, many Christians today take their word from false teachers who are tantalizing and provocative. They feel they have special knowledge from God and thus do not read or study the Bible. Instead, they listen to fools who point to themselves, pseudo Bible teaching and not to our LORD or the true Truth of His Word. This creates the havoc of emotional driven immature Christians with false knowledge that leads to a weak do nothing faith and division in His Church.

Here is the latest buzz, the Blood Mood!

I am sure you have heard of it, perhaps you got caught up in it, pun intended. What is this all about?

The blood moon is the earth’s moon in the night sky that will turn red, or as an astronomer would say, “in a deep red hue,” resembling the color of blood, hence the name. These events remind us of several Bible passages from Joel, Matthew, Acts and Revelation that Christ is coming back. While, others have stated that it is the significant sign of the apocalypse and or rapture or the end of days.

To make this more foreboding, there will be four of these on or close to the main Jewish feast days of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles in the next 2 years. So, a lot of Christians have been so tied up over this. The first of these blood moons arrived on April 15, 2014 near Passover (the foreboding part is this is tax day for Americans) then there will be three more in the next two years. As, we will have one in October, 8, 2014 and then two more April 4, and Sept. 27, 2015, which is also a super moon. Astronomers say this is not rare, as even though was 4 in the next 18 months, normally they average 3 every 2 years, or the super moon eclipse, 33 years. Yet, all astronomical events are rare, because we have a lot going on in our big universe.

Is Jesus coming back during these blood moons? Probably not. Yes, Jesus can come back during these events, but according to His Word, nothing needs to happen that did not already. Thus, He can come back at any moment, now, or thousands of years from now.

Let’s see what Jesus actually said about it!

Matthew 24:29-31: “The sun will be darkened.” This is a reference to a significant astronomical event, perhaps more than just an eclipse. And this is in the form of O.T. Judgment language (Psalm 18:6-19; Isa. 13:10; 24:23; 34:4; Jer. 4:20-28; Ezek. 32:7-8; Joel 3:14; Zech. 14:6).

The question is not if or when, as many of us obsess over; rather, He will come and we had better be prepared with our attitude and mindsets! 

“Darkness” was the most frightening prediction (Ex. 9:21-23)! 

“The sign of the Son of man” refers to God bringing about the opportunity for people to repent for having caused Him grief. Then, the Kingdom of Heaven will flourish (Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7).

“Sign” refers to the first real evidence of Christ’s second coming.

“Son of man” means He is Lord and King (Matthew 10: 16-26)!

“Clouds” mean judgment. This refers to a spectacular event, the numbers of angels testifying to God’s glory. It could also mean an extraordinary storm of clouds. Such as numbers of angels testifying to God’s glory (Ezek. 30:3; Dan. 7:13; Zech. 12:10; Matt. 16:28; 24:30, 34; 26:64). 

“Trumpets” were used to announce the coming of or the succession of a king. They were used to summon people together and for a war cry to motivate troops and scare the enemy (Judg. 7:8-25; Isa. 11:12; 27. 13; Jer. 4:5, 19-21; Zeph. 1:16). Here, it is a popular prayer Jesus uses to refer to a future gathering of believers in Christ (Zech. 9:14-16; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

“Taken” refers to being taken to Judgment (Jer. 6:10-12)! Most people think this is the rapture, but, it is never explicitly taught or illustrated, although this text is popular for, such as view, it really means judgment; and, you do not want that.

Some have thought that this passage can also refer to the coming defeat of Satan and His dominion or an apocalypse, but there is no textual support; rather, it is about His second coming in His timing (Matt. 13:40-43; 16:27; 25:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:14-17).

In addition, Revelation 6: 12-17 tells us, “Moon turned blood red,” this may refer to an unusual lunar eclipse or even something more spectacular. These events being described are not necessarily literal, astronomic events as many today think. 

“Stars in the sky fell to earth” means the cosmic scope of God’s judgment, as all will be affected (Isa. 34:4). This was also a sign for the coming of Christ (Mark 13:25-26). It may also refer to angels coming down or some stunning event that all will see in the sky (Isa. 24:21; Dan. 8:10; 10:13; Rev. 12:4).

Here is what we should wrap our brain and faith in, what Jesus was actually saying:

Matthew 24: 36-50: “No one knows…angels, or the Son…” Why did Jesus not know, when He is the Omnipresent God? God keeps most of His plans secret for good reason (Deut. 29:29; Zech. 14:6-9).

We would become preoccupied with them and miss our purpose for being here on earth. Just look at some Catholics and how they are overzealous with artifacts; in fact, there are enough so-called pieces of the cross of Christ in European Cathedrals to build a large church! There is also the obsession for the Holy Grail (the cup of Christ in His last supper). They look to “stuff” and not to substance! Let us not do that with our refusal to look to His Word and instead look to personalities.

Christ will Certainty Return PI

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Christ will ReturnUnexpectedly! 2 Peter 3:10-13 

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” 2 Peter 3: 10

What preparation and participation do you think we are to do? What happens when people do nothing with their faith and just wait for a future that may not come?

Peter, in graphic imagery and hopefulness, is making a strong argument that Christ will return and when He does, it will be un-expected with un-surpassing wonders the world has never seen.

During this time, these early Christians were being discouraged by the persecutions and seemingly insurmountable sufferings and loss. The comfort of Jesus’ returning was like cool water to a person dying of thirst on a hot day. Consequently, false teachers were taking advantage of them. These so-called pious fraud Christians, who were making their own apocalyptic predictions, with bad motivations. They operated just like Satan, seeking to disrupt, seduce, and carry people away from Christ and to their way. If you are not sure who they are, watch their character and Fruit, which will show their true nature (Jer. 23:13; Micah 3:5; Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Eph. 4:14; Phil. 3:2; 2 Tim. 3:4-6; Titus 1:11, 12; 2 Peter 2:18-19).

What is this all about? This is the climax of the Kingdom of God, the time when it comes into its fulfillment and fruition. The earth and all we know and see will be re-formed as a new earth and a new life. There will be a judgment from which nothing will be exempt.

What does this mean for me? Because all will be judged and “destroyed” (meaning renewed), we must make the most of our lives here and now, not wait for a future that may not come, or bask in the past. We must live for Christ with the hope and purpose He gives us with power, passion, and conviction.

The promise of His Second Coming is to give us hope and confidence. 

We live in a sin-infested world now, but the one to come will be perfect, as all in it will be right with God. We look forward to His Second Coming and the fruition of his Kingdom. But, beware of sitting and doing nothing; we will delay His work and impede the preparation of His Kingdom. Our participation helps His coming, as we help build His Kingdom now.

This passage is also very figurative. The purpose of figurative or apocalyptic language is to describe the indescribable. 

Peter attempts to help us understand these events and the importance of our being ready (Matt. 24: 36 through chapter 25 is also written this way for this reason). This is about being hopeful for the future, but living and being viable in the present.

We can take comfort in the fact that Jesus is coming back. 

This time it will not be a subtle event, as a baby born in a feed trough in a cave. Rather, the entire creation will glow and bend to show the whole world His glory. This passage gives hope to a persecuted church, hope to people in despair, and hope that He is indeed in charge, even when we cannot see it!

What does it mean that we are to live our lives as if Christ would be coming tomorrow and also preparing and planning as if He were coming a thousand years from now? Is this a contradiction, or a plan to do?

How can the Second Coming give you hope and confidence? How does this passage give hope to a persecuted church?

Scoffers on the Second Coming PIII

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Read, 2 Peter 3: 1-9

Have you ever thought that God seems slow? What needs to take place so we can understand that we can have patience and trust in Him and His timing? 

Because it has been nearly two thousand years since Christ’s ascension and proclamation to return, many people have given up and even stated, perhaps Jesus is not coming back. But is this valid? No. If we take God’s Word as true, then we know He is coming back. If we really read the Scriptures and see that God lives outside of space and time and is not governed by our physical or temporal laws of physics or humanity, then we can easily see two thousand years is nothing for God. Besides, this is an aspect of grace to give humanity time to consider the implication of God’s sovereignty and our convection to receive Him as Lord.

For God, time is totally relative and in the scope of eternity. This does not necessarily refer to a literal timeline. Rather, that God’s view and perspective of things is not our view and the converse thereof. This long wait is an aspect of His sovereignty (Psalm 90:4).

We have no knowledge of God’s timing! Thus we are not to forget or refuse to heed to God’s Lordship when we feel impatient.

Patient means that our God is a long-suffering God. When God delays His judgment, this means He is demonstrating His love, grace, and forbearance for the consummation of His purpose. We are to take comfort in that He is a God of grace and mercy and is patient with us when we do not deserve it. He seeks our repentance and trust. Therefore, we have no need to be impatient or confused or allow the mocking or misleading of others to distract us from His purpose and plan (John 6:39).

It seems that God is slow to us, but He is in absolute control and we can have patience and trust in Him and His timing. We are impatient with our thinking and expectations, whereas God is patient, allowing His grace and plan to work out. There is no need to make up dates or predict His Second Coming. We are called to be obedient and wait actively in His Word and truth.

Peter is restating his purpose of being an encourager and, at the same time, is shepherding them. A shepherd protects his sheep. If the sheep run astray, he will do what it takes to keep them safe and put, even if he has to break their legs so they will not be eaten.

A pastor needs to root out false teachers and discipline those who cause others to stumble. If not, others will fall prey to things that are misleading, counterfeit, and dangerous.

We can’t just look the other way, hoping all will work out. We have to be proactive and engage the enemy, even the ones in our own flock. Of course, we do this in love-but not just with feelings of love because we will not feel like loving them and, unless one has a disparaging personality, dispensing discipline will not be a joy.

However, we are called to act and to do so within the Fruit of the Spirit and love, carrying a staff to remove the wolves that desire to carry off our flock.

Scoffers on the Second Coming

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Scoffers-2-Peter2 Peter 3: 1-9

Do you realize that most arguments about end times come from our faulty thinking and conniving agendas pitted against others faulty logic, and lack of good biblical exegesis causing us to forget God’s promises and even His past provisions?

Peter in 2 Peter, is restating his purpose by reminding them of some essential precepts of our Lord, he stated in his last letter. He was writing about some of the same root problems, namely, those of forgetting Christ’s power and impact. So, he shows them from God’s Word. He has apostolic authority and is a principle church leader with the job of giving them instructions.

The problem is that the depraved human mind still will refuse to listen, no matter by what means or authority the message is relayed.

God’s patience with and love for us is so amazing (1 Pet. 1:13-2:12)! 

This is what most people get wrong, the meaning of “Last days” or last times, for the first century Jew and Greek, it means the “Christian era.” This will be a surprise to many, because It does not necessarily refer that the actual, final days of our existence, as in the second coming, are around the corner. Keep in mind also it has been nearly two thousand years; thus, not a few days. Rather, it means the period from the resurrection to His second coming. In other words, the present time or what many call the “church age.” Many have mistaken this term to mean that Jesus is right around the corner. Maybe He is, but for countless generations who have said that, well, they have been wrong and have missed the primary point, there will be a judgment(Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:2)! 

Peter even points out to us the term “Scoffers,” people who ridicule and make fun of what you do not comprehend or understand. Such as how the early Christians were treated by friends and family and many of us face today. Peter points us to that this behavior only makes the person who scoffs the fool. As at this time, the Gnostics did not believe in the idea of a judgment because they did not believe in moral accountability, so they scoffed. And if you hold to the true Truth today, people will scoff, even fellow Christians who are deluded by seeking one’s feelings to be fulfilled and not God’s Word.

Key word to know: “Evil desires.” Not being rooted in good thinking will create evil stemming from a lack of accountability or a basis for a morality to be built upon.

Here in Peter’s day, the false teachers were ridiculing the idea that Christ would return, since He had not yet. In the same way many Christians ridicule one another over the others view, when the irony is they are both wrong. Also, in Jewish tradition at the time, to ridicule a righteous person was considered evil. They also argued that God neither cares for us, nor intervenes in our lives and we should not trust in Him. Just because something has not happened does not mean it will not happen. Many lives, businesses, and opportunities have been destroyed by this feeble way of thinking.

Yes, Christ will return! We just do not know when. So, let’s stop the argumentation with one another and look to His Word, so we are not the ones who are willingly ignorant. So we can be fruitful with His Word and to one another. We can’t do much with the secular scoffers; other than live the life with fruitfulness the best we can and be the example of His love (2 Cor. 5:20).

Arguing over Rapture

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Are you rapture ready? Is that really important? 

How important is the “Second Coming” to you concerning how you live your life?

If so, take a look to the Book, as God does not care, in fact He is disappointed. Because He wants us Fruit ready! Think not? Read Galations chapter five and Ephesians chapter four. What does God want of us? A well laid out end times theory or a fruitful life?

Take a look at 2 Peter 3: 1-9, where God Promises Christ’s Return to us! The key word tells all, “Coming… He promised/promise of His coming. Peter is calling us to think back to what the Lord has done for us, so we don’t forget His grace, His provisions, and His answered prayers and blessings. To focus on the here and now what Christ is doing in and take hope He is coming, so we are not to be overcome with the struggles of the moment, so we do not see how He has brought us through them in the past. We are to refresh our memory in Him.

During this time, some people in the Early Church thought Jesus was coming right back right then, which was nearly two thousand years ago, and this was taught that as fact, as many do today missing the point. And, the false teachers used their impatience and misunderstandings of what Jesus taught against them too. Thus, the false teachers were spreading gossip as they mocked them and the ‘regular’ teachers were getting it wrong. Ironically, scoffing is one of the evidences that we are in the last days. We must be careful that what we believe and teach is authentic, or others will use our own words against us and perhaps be just in doing so.

We have to remember this: God does not take sides in a congregation where one side wants a beige covered hymnbook and the other side wants one with a blue cover, as God does not care if we have carpet or tile in the narthex.. He wants us to worship Him as LORD. In the same way, if someone is Pre Mill and others are Post Mill or Am Mill, or Pre Trib or Post Trib, or some are passionate about a rapture while others do not see that in Scripture. It is just not important. What is? That our fruitfulness now and that He is coming back, this is what it is all about.

Arguing about the delivery device is like getting excited about the hot dogs at a ball game, then quarrel what mustard, brown or yellow, you want on it, then not realizing you are missing the world series.

God does not take sides; He grieves when we engage in hostile actions against one another. Ephesians 4:1-6 clearly states what God wants; what He does not want is our feeble wars with one another. We must center ourselves on God’s desires and not our own!

The Christian must not be the type of person who has to have things his or her way all the time. As Christians, we must be in submission to the authority of Christ. Keep the main thing the main thing and not place our faith and worry in the trivialities.

When we are so, the natural inclination to be driven by our self-fulfilling ideas will fall off. The constant prowling to get what we want-when we want it-disintegrates the call because the result of this attitude is a reckless rudeness to others that destroys relationships and inhibits the spread of the Gospel. God calls us out of disintegration and into reconciliation.

 

What is the ‘Blood Moon’ all about?

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“The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.” Acts 2:20

“The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light…”  Matthew 24:29

 

What if Jesus had returned yesterday night, April 15, 2014 as many false teachers have presented? Oh, that did not happen by the way. What were you doing? Does your life and attitude show that you were prepared by faith and not by theory?

Many Christians today take their word from false teachers who are tantalizing and provocative. They feel they have special knowledge from God and thus do not read or study the Bible. Instead, they listen to fools who point to themselves, pseudo Bible teaching and not to our LORD or the true Truth of His Word. This creates the havoc of emotional driven immature Christians with false knowledge that leads to a weak do nothing faith and division in His Church.

Here comes the latest buzz, the Blood Mood!

I am sure you have heard of it, perhaps you got caught up in it, pun intended. What is this all about?

The blood moon is the earth’s moon in the night sky that will turn red, or as an astronomer would say, “in a deep red hue,” resembling the color of blood, hence the name. These events remind us of several Bible passages from Joel, Matthew, Acts and Revelation that Christ is coming back. While, others have stated that it is the significant sign of the apocalypse and or rapture or the end of days.

To make this more foreboding, there will be four of these on or close to the main Jewish feast days of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles in the next 2 years. So, a lot of Christians have been so tied up over this. The first of these blood moons arrived on April 15, 2014 near Passover (the foreboding part is this is tax day for Americans) then there will be three more in the next two years. As, we will have one in October, 8, 2014 and then two more April 4, and Sept. 28, 2015. Astronomers say this is not rare, as even though there will be 4 in the next 18 months, normally they average 3 every 2 years. Yet, all astronomical events are rare, because we have a lot going on in our big universe.

Is Jesus coming back during these blood moons? Probably not. Yes, Jesus can come back during these events, but according to His Word, nothing needs to happen that did not already. Thus, He can come back at any moment, now, or thousands of years from now.

Lets see what Jesus said about it!

Matthew 24:29-31: “The sun will be darkened.” This is a reference to a significant astronomical event, perhaps more than just an eclipse. And this is in the form of O.T. Judgment language (Psalm 18:6-19; Isa. 13:10; 24:23; 34:4; Jer. 4:20-28; Ezek. 32:7-8; Joel 3:14; Zech. 14:6).

The question is not if or when, as many of us obsess over; rather, He will come and we had better be prepared with our attitude and mindsets! 

“Darkness” was the most frightening prediction (Ex. 9:21-23)! 

“The sign of the Son of man” refers to God bringing about the opportunity for people to repent for having caused Him grief. Then, the Kingdom of Heaven will flourish (Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7).

“Sign” refers to the first real evidence of Christ’s second coming.

“Son of man” means He is Lord and King (Matthew 10: 16-26)!

“Clouds” mean judgment. This refers to a spectacular event, the numbers of angels testifying to God’s glory. It could also mean an extraordinary storm of clouds. Such as numbers of angels testifying to God’s glory (Ezek. 30:3; Dan. 7:13; Zech. 12:10; Matt. 16:28; 24:30, 34; 26:64). 

“Trumpets” were used to announce the coming of or the succession of a king. They were used to summon people together and for a war cry to motivate troops and scare the enemy (Judg. 7:8-25; Isa. 11:12; 27. 13; Jer. 4:5, 19-21; Zeph. 1:16). Here, it is a popular prayer Jesus uses to refer to a future gathering of believers in Christ (Zech. 9:14-16; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

“Taken” refers to being taken to Judgment (Jer. 6:10-12)! Most people think this is the rapture, but, it is never explicitly taught or illustrated, although this text is popular for such as view, it really means judgment and you do not want that.

Some have thought that this passage can also refer to the coming defeat of Satan and His dominion or an apocalypse, but there is no textual support; rather, it is about His second coming in His timing (Matt. 13:40-43; 16:27; 25:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:14-17).

In addition, Revelation 6: 12-17 tells us, “Moon turned blood red,” this may refer to an unusual lunar eclipse or even something more spectacular. These events being described are not necessarily literal, astronomic events as many today think. 

“Stars in the sky fell to earth” means the cosmic scope of God’s judgment, as all will be affected (Isa. 34:4). This was also a sign for the coming of Christ (Mark 13:25-26). It may also refer to angels coming down or some stunning event that all will see in the sky (Isa. 24:21; Dan. 8:10; 10:13; Rev. 12:4).

Here is what we should wrap our brain and faith on, what Jesus was actually saying: 

Matthew 24: 36-50: “No one knows…angels, or the Son…” Why did Jesus not know, when He is the Omnipresent God? God keeps most of His plans secret for good reason (Deut. 29:29; Zech. 14:6-9).

We would become preoccupied with them and miss our purpose for being here on earth. Just look at some Catholics and how they are overzealous with artifacts; in fact, there are enough so-called pieces of the cross of Christ in European Cathedrals to build a large church! There is also the obsession for the Holy Grail (the cup of Christ in His last supper). They look to “stuff” and not to substance! Let us not do that with our refusal to look to His Word and instead look to personalities.

 

God Promises Christ’s Return to us!

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Read 2 Peter 3: 1-9

Where does your thinking need to be stimulated? How does remembering what our Lord has done for you in the past help strengthen your faith for the future?

Peter restates his purpose of the Epistle, and desires to get his people thinking about Christ, not the trends of the day, not the new philosophies, false teachers, or the scoffers.

How relevant is this now? What that early church was going through, is what we are going through right now!

 Some key words from Second Peter three:

“Dear friends” means “loved ones.” Peter wants us to know for certain that Christ will return! Which is the prime point of Escatolody, that Christ is coming back. So, what he is doing is to “Stimulate” as to “stir you up.” this is a literary device to grab attention, so this is important, a call to listen up. In order to help them remember who they are in Christ and the wonders of Him, not the lusts and desires of the flesh. God wants us to live lives that are worthy of being given the grace and to show excellence in our character for His glory, and our contentment in Him (1 Pet. 2:11; 4:12).

One of the goals of Christ’s Second Coming that takes us beyond a carrot on a stick to as Peter states, “simulate”, but to what? That would be, “Wholesome thinking” which means to have a pure mind, undefiled by the filth of false teachers so we can be better prepared (Matt. 24:42-44; Rom. 12:1-3).

Peter affirms his argument by identifying the Old Testament prophets with the New Testament Apostles as of equal authority. Both are specially called and used by God to spread His truth. This is so we trust in what he says, so we can get it. However, this may not apply to us today, as we should get the fact the Bible is God’s Word! What we can take to heart is that whoever is in Christ is now a representative of Christ and has responsibility and His authority to spread His knowledge (2 Cor. 5:20).

The Peter brings us the other aspect of the Second coming we do not hear much about, why He is coming. We get so captured by the vehicle delivery apparatus theories and miss the point. Like we are more exited about the hubcaps of the limo than the fact it is taking us to the Grammies. We have a call attention to an important issue. The issue is, there will be a judgment! 

Here is a key word many get wrong. Because they assume in the English and not bother to look it up in the Greek and its Junra and syntax…. “Last days” and its equivalent, “last times”… So what does it mean? It is the “Christian era.” It does not necessarily refer that the actual, final days of our existence, as in the second coming, are around the corner. Rather, it means the period from the resurrection to His second coming. In other words, the present time. Many have mistaken this term to mean that Jesus is right around the corner. Maybe He is, but for countless generations who have said that, well, they have been wrong and have missed the point (Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:2).

The main point is that Peter wants them to focus upon Christ and the precepts and the hope He brings. And of course, this means us too! This applies that, our thinking needs to be based on Christ, not what we want or how we think things should be. This takes trust and seeing hope. God wants us to understand that He has real, true substance for us to know and do! We have the responsibility to know this trust and hope and put both into our life and practice them.

How important is the “Second Coming” to you concerning how you live your life? Consider theses applications:

How does it make you feel and/or strengthen your faith that God intervenes, cares, and He is involved, with the intention of making you for a plan and a purpose?

What about the idea that you are no mistake, so therefore, you are wanted and have a destiny?

So, what can you do to put His willingness to infuse and use you into practice?

How do we live lives that are worthy of being given the grace and excellence in our character for His glory and our contentment in Him?

 

Can you find where ‘apocalypse’ is in the Bible?

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apocalypse

I have seen it in movies, in TV preaching, from false teachers, from sensational books, on the cover of “Time” and so forth. But can you find it? I have tried, I tried hard to prove it and to disprove it and to just find it. I am sorry, I only been looking for it for 35 years, I read the Bible daily, and I can’t find it? And not to be facetious, I really tried. It is not in quality Bible Dictionaries like the ‘Oxford Dictionary,’or in ‘scholarly ones like ‘Colin Brown’ or ‘Kittel.’ Well maybe it is me, others claimed they have seen it, even wrote books on it.  I know I am limited in my education of the Bible with just 2 PHD’s and of course seminary; but, I can’t find it! Anyone, anyone?

 If you try to look up the word “apocalypse,’ in online sources this is what you will get, “Sorry, we didn’t find any results for your search. Please try the following:” and then no suggestions…

So, where does ‘apocalypse’ come from?

It is somewhat in the Greek word, well very somewhat. The word for, Revelation, is from the Greek title word “apokalypsis,” which the Anglicized version turns into “apocalypse.” However, in the Greek, this term means, “discourser of events,” as opposed to total destruction or end of days or something secret or hidden. Thus, even though Revelation is symbolic in places, it is not hidden to us when we take an honest look and compare it to other Scriptures rather than trends or newspapers.

It also means an uncovering, an unveiling or, as we have it in the English, a Revelation. The other title that has been used is “The Apocalypse.” Thus, Revelation is a book of disclosure of John’s seven visions and God’s exhortations to encourage early Christians enduring severe persecution to remain loyal to Christ and Christ will retaliate against those who dare hurt His anointed (Judges 6:11-23; Dan. 7:16; 10:5-21).

The word apocalypse has come to us in the last century to also refer to a trial, like the phrase, The hour of trial. This is a way to say the “Apocalypse,” or times of extreme hardship, trials, suffering, and/or being tested. This phrase denotes a widespread, universal (as throughout the Roman Empire) suffering as opposed to a local persecution. This can also refer to the “Great Tribulation” and/or the “Great Judgment” where we all go through tough times or our personal journey when times are harsh (Rev. 2:9-10; 3: 7-13).

It has been used to refer to “To test those,” to mean we are purified and refined when we go through the consequences and quintessence of life. These have a purpose; nothing happens to us without a reason that is meant to teach and grow us (Job 23:10; Psalm 12:6; Prov. 17:3; Isa. 43:2; Jer. 11:4; Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:4-28; Mark 13:19; 1 Cor. 4:3-5; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Pet. 1:5; 4:13; 5:1; Rev. 13:5-10).

So what does apocalypse mean?

From the original Greek rendering and from the contexts and actual intended meaning, it means ‘comfort,’ to be loyal to Christ, for His plan is unfolding. It does not mean what most people think it means, a total destruction or an end to the world, it actually means the opposite. Consider that, John is proclaiming an important fact we must all agree upon, that God is Sovereign and in control! He gave us grace that we did not deserve and a precious plan that will unfold.

We have hope both now and in the future.