Sept. 19, 2008
After a week of lovely weather, it’s hard to imagine just a week ago a massive hurricane tore through the area leaving a wake of destruction in its path.
The loss of life could have been worse, but the loss in property is in the many billions — numbers that are hard to fathom.
It seems we have seen a lot of storms like this over the past few years. We had Katrina and Rita three years ago. This year we had Gustav and Ike in succession. The seas are definitely raging. So what does the Bible say about all this?
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” — Luke 21:25-26
I would say that’s an appropriate description of what we’ve been going through the past few weeks. Shoot, I would say the past seven or eight years.
Remember 9/11 and how the country was gripped with fear. Fast forward four years to Katrina and recall in your mind the people waiting for relief from the storm. Remember the images of squalor on TV. Remember the people in Mississippi and Alabama whose homes were not just under water, but were completely demolished by the hurricane.
In between those two events, about nine months before Katrina, came the Asian tsunami that killed over 200,000 people. A staggering number of people whose lives were lost in the blink of an eye.
Around that same time period we had the earthquake in Pakistan which killed several tens of thousands of people.
As for natural occurrences, this year is a banner year. Record cold gripped the U.S. northern states as record snow fall was measured in several different places. (Global warming does not quite fit the bill anymore so now weather phenomena is now being credited to “climate change.”)
In the spring, a killer cyclone struck the tightly controlled country of Myanmar. As best as can be counted, about 100,000 lives were lost in that killer storm. Not long after that, China experienced a massive earthquake killing around 70,000 people.
Volcanoes erupt in South America; record numbers of tornadoes rip through the U.S. Heartland. Now, it’s hurricanes. Hurricanes, Dolly (which hit South Texas), Gustav, Hannah and then Ike all did a number on us.
I would definitely say the seas are raging.
Is it what Christ was speaking about in the Olivet discourse? No, not exactly and not yet. I would say the worst is yet to come.
How can that be some may ask, but all of it is made very clear through Scripture, especially when the light of its truth is shined on these modern times. The verses I quoted were meant to immediately precede Christ’s conquering return to earth at the end of the Tribulation period.
Before Christ told his disciples about what would happen in the end, he warned them not to be deceived.
“He replied: ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and “The time is near.” Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.’” — Luke 21:8-9
We are in that time, but I must say Christ’s return is a ways off.
Before you say, “How can you say that Wayne?” Everyone must realize that Christ’s return is at least seven years away — that is his bodily return to earth, not the Rapture of the church which can happen at any time.
My point is this, there is a lot of be alarmed about in these times. Some things, such as hurricanes, present frightening images, but we must hold fast to the teachings of Christ and not let ourselves be deceived into following false gospels and false Christs.
There is only one gospel — Jesus Christ crucified.
If you are in a church, that says you can be saved, but then doesn’t ask you to repent of your sins and lay your burdens at the foot of the cross then I have one piece of advice for you — leave with all haste.
Only the blood of Christ will save us from our sins and from the coming wrath — there is nothing else.
I believe with all of my heart in the Rapture. I believe Christ can call for his church to come to him at any moment in time — in fact I stake my life on it.
Do I believe things will get bad for those of us who have put our faith and trust in Christ — you bet I do and those times are fast approaching.
But I do not believe the true church will be called upon to go through the Tribulation.
Those days are reserved for the purification of Israel and for God to exercise his judgment upon the earth.
Here are some of the reasons I believe this.
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.’” — Romans 11:25-26
It seems, at least from Paul’s teaching, that the Rapture depends on a number — not a date.
From Paul’s teachings, it would seem Christ will call his church, and not until, “the full number of the Gentiles has come it.” Once the church is out of the way, then God’s attention will be focused solely back upon Israel.
What that number is, we can only speculate. Until then, we must always be ready with the gospel on our lips so that others can share in the joy of Christ.
The other verse I will refer to now, also is from Paul.
“For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” — 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.
And one more.
“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
Let us not fear the storms of life. They are not harbingers of death, but calls from God telling us our time is short.
So while we are raking fallen leaves from our yard, focus your minds on Christ and what he did for us and his soon return for his church.
Like I said, I don’t believe we can focus on a date, that would negate imminence. I believe Christ will return when a number is reached. So if you are ready to spend eternity with Christ, then pray for his return and share the gospel with all you meet — if just one gives his heart to Christ, that may just be the magic number.
The loss of life could have been worse, but the loss in property is in the many billions — numbers that are hard to fathom.
It seems we have seen a lot of storms like this over the past few years. We had Katrina and Rita three years ago. This year we had Gustav and Ike in succession. The seas are definitely raging. So what does the Bible say about all this?
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” — Luke 21:25-26
I would say that’s an appropriate description of what we’ve been going through the past few weeks. Shoot, I would say the past seven or eight years.
Remember 9/11 and how the country was gripped with fear. Fast forward four years to Katrina and recall in your mind the people waiting for relief from the storm. Remember the images of squalor on TV. Remember the people in Mississippi and Alabama whose homes were not just under water, but were completely demolished by the hurricane.
In between those two events, about nine months before Katrina, came the Asian tsunami that killed over 200,000 people. A staggering number of people whose lives were lost in the blink of an eye.
Around that same time period we had the earthquake in Pakistan which killed several tens of thousands of people.
As for natural occurrences, this year is a banner year. Record cold gripped the U.S. northern states as record snow fall was measured in several different places. (Global warming does not quite fit the bill anymore so now weather phenomena is now being credited to “climate change.”)
In the spring, a killer cyclone struck the tightly controlled country of Myanmar. As best as can be counted, about 100,000 lives were lost in that killer storm. Not long after that, China experienced a massive earthquake killing around 70,000 people.
Volcanoes erupt in South America; record numbers of tornadoes rip through the U.S. Heartland. Now, it’s hurricanes. Hurricanes, Dolly (which hit South Texas), Gustav, Hannah and then Ike all did a number on us.
I would definitely say the seas are raging.
Is it what Christ was speaking about in the Olivet discourse? No, not exactly and not yet. I would say the worst is yet to come.
How can that be some may ask, but all of it is made very clear through Scripture, especially when the light of its truth is shined on these modern times. The verses I quoted were meant to immediately precede Christ’s conquering return to earth at the end of the Tribulation period.
Before Christ told his disciples about what would happen in the end, he warned them not to be deceived.
“He replied: ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and “The time is near.” Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.’” — Luke 21:8-9
We are in that time, but I must say Christ’s return is a ways off.
Before you say, “How can you say that Wayne?” Everyone must realize that Christ’s return is at least seven years away — that is his bodily return to earth, not the Rapture of the church which can happen at any time.
My point is this, there is a lot of be alarmed about in these times. Some things, such as hurricanes, present frightening images, but we must hold fast to the teachings of Christ and not let ourselves be deceived into following false gospels and false Christs.
There is only one gospel — Jesus Christ crucified.
If you are in a church, that says you can be saved, but then doesn’t ask you to repent of your sins and lay your burdens at the foot of the cross then I have one piece of advice for you — leave with all haste.
Only the blood of Christ will save us from our sins and from the coming wrath — there is nothing else.
I believe with all of my heart in the Rapture. I believe Christ can call for his church to come to him at any moment in time — in fact I stake my life on it.
Do I believe things will get bad for those of us who have put our faith and trust in Christ — you bet I do and those times are fast approaching.
But I do not believe the true church will be called upon to go through the Tribulation.
Those days are reserved for the purification of Israel and for God to exercise his judgment upon the earth.
Here are some of the reasons I believe this.
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.’” — Romans 11:25-26
It seems, at least from Paul’s teaching, that the Rapture depends on a number — not a date.
From Paul’s teachings, it would seem Christ will call his church, and not until, “the full number of the Gentiles has come it.” Once the church is out of the way, then God’s attention will be focused solely back upon Israel.
What that number is, we can only speculate. Until then, we must always be ready with the gospel on our lips so that others can share in the joy of Christ.
The other verse I will refer to now, also is from Paul.
“For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” — 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.
And one more.
“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
Let us not fear the storms of life. They are not harbingers of death, but calls from God telling us our time is short.
So while we are raking fallen leaves from our yard, focus your minds on Christ and what he did for us and his soon return for his church.
Like I said, I don’t believe we can focus on a date, that would negate imminence. I believe Christ will return when a number is reached. So if you are ready to spend eternity with Christ, then pray for his return and share the gospel with all you meet — if just one gives his heart to Christ, that may just be the magic number.
No comments:
Post a Comment