True Or False

The pre-tribulation rapture teaching that we hear about so often, is it biblical or not?  Most everyone that claims to be a true born-again believer, or even a non-believer, has more than likely heard of the “Late Great Plant Earth” books and the “Left Behind” movie and books which were very popular in the 70’s, also “The Thief in the Night” books, but were these true representatives of the word of God?  In other words, would you have come to this conclusion if you just read God’s word in its contextual form with no other outside influence?    

Take for instance one of the verses the pre-tribulation folks use is in Matthew 24:40-42, “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” 

Now read what is says also in some prior verses in that same chapter 38-39, “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

When you put all these verses together in Matthew 24:38-42, Jesus is relating to the days of Noah, where the unrighteous were taken away; not snatched away or caught up, they were taken away.  And why were they taken away?  They were taken away for judgement and Noah and his family were the only ones left behind, so in this context you want to be left behind.  There are numerous verses that they use for their case, but as far as I can tell none of them can be backed up in scripture if you use the scriptures they use in the right context.

They talk about the pre-trib rapture teaching in 2 Thessalonians and Revelations and other places, but I don’t think that any of them can be backed up if you understand them in the context they were meant to be used in.  I think that some of the reason for the confusion is that this teaching of the pre-trib rapture was so widely advertised and pushed.   Many, many books were sold, and one or more of them were best sellers and at least one movie was produced and maybe more.  And why was it so popular and so easy to believe?  It was because that’s what many people wanted to hear; that the Lord would return before the tribulation, so they and their families and loved ones would not have to suffer, if they were still alive at the time.  But, what about what Paul said, “if anyone lives a godly life, they will be persecuted.”  And, it is very sad to say there were others that heard this from someone they really trusted.

What about what Jesus said about tribulation, He said, “in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”  Now think about this; there have been so many predictions through the years about when this pre-trib rapture would take place, but it never happened.  Why?  Do you think that maybe that is why the word of God says this in 2 Timothy 2:14-16, “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.”   

From my understanding this teaching began in 1830.  A pastor named Darby started preaching about it.  Then from there, another Bible writer got a hold of it and put it in one of the Bible’s he wrote, and we are still talking about it in our day.  

Now instead of me trying to explain all the other verses about the pre-trib teachings and not covering all the bases, so to speak, please do me, and yourself, a huge favor and look up Dr. Michael Brown and Professor Craig Keener on YouTube talking about the pre-trib rapture and listen to what they have to say about it and how they came up with their conclusions on a post-trib rapture; they could explain it far better than I could.  I think if you listen with an open mind, you will gain some real insight and be very challenged, if you hold to a pre-tribe rapture teaching.  If you are seeking truth, check these two men out; you can give them your best arguments and they will politely answer any questions you may have about the pre-trib rapture teaching or anything else you may want to know about the word of God and they will do their best to biblically answer them for you.

My prayer is that this Tidbit will be an encouragement and a help to you.  May the good Lord bless you and yours with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness and may all of you have a super, super day!

Righteous Living

What does it mean to live a righteous life?  I think you should ask yourself this question: how can anyone be righteous in the first place, when all of us were born in sin and iniquity?  God’s word says for all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God, and along with that it also says this, that there is none righteous no not one.  Read what King David said when he was confronted with his sin with Bathsheba, in Psalms 51:1-8:

“Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight—

That You may be found just when You speak,

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.”

David realized his sinful condition before the Lord, and for about a year he was miserable because of it.  Then David repented and confessed his sin and was restored by the grace and mercy and forgiveness of God!!  That’s why God said that David was a man after His own heart, because He loved the Lord and confessed and turned from his sins, or repented for his sins, when he needed to.  He didn’t just say a repentant prayer, nor did he just change his mind, but he acted on the confession that he made and showed his repentance by his actions.  He didn’t just mouth a prayer and walk away unaffected because of an emotional high or just worldly sorrow.  He had godly sorrow that leads to repentance which leads to salvation.

This is what each of us needs to do.  We need to acknowledge our sin and respond with godly sorrow that leads to repentance unto salvation.  When we do this sincerely, the Lord will hear and forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness up to that point in our lives.  We will be covered by the blood of Jesus and His righteousness, praise the Lord!!  Don’t be fooled by the ‘hyper grace’ movement that teaches once you are saved your past, present and future sins have been forgiven and you never have to repent again; the word of God does not teach that.  

What does it look like to live a truly righteous life?  It looks like a transformed life and resembles a new creation.  It is loving God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and your neighbor as yourself.  It is doing to others as you would have them do unto you.  It is demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit.  It is taking up your cross and denying yourself and following the Lord every day.  It is the willingness to say you are wrong, when you are, without finding fault.  It is the willingness to forgive others when they have sinned against you.  It is walking humbly before God without false humility.  It is keeping your vows and promises.  It is seeking God’s heart and not just His hands.  And there is so much more that I could put down here, but I think you got the message.

I am not saying I do all these things, but I am striving to do these things and more and I hope you are as well.  I hope this has been an encouragement and help to you.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!

True Happiness, Peace and Joy

Where does true happiness, peace and joy come from?  Many may think they come from the American dream.  Some will say they are from having a family, a home, a good job and a very nice vehicle.  Some attribute true happiness, peace and joy to having large quantities of money or a large amount of stocks.  Some will say if you are famous like a movie or TV star you will have true happiness, peace and joy.  But in all honesty, none of these things bring true, lasting happiness, peace and joy; they are like the bandage that covers a festering wound that cannot be healed, just masked.  

Then there are those that may think it is the next hit of whatever their choice of drug is or more alcohol or sex, but none of these bring true happiness, peace and joy to your life either.  Then there are others that think if I can just become an all-star sports player, the top of my field, I will have true happiness, peace and joy in my life; but, like I said earlier in this blog, none of these things will bring true happiness, peace and joy.  There are people that have experienced these goals and when they did they said, “is this all there is,” and as a result they lost their happiness, also their peace and their joy because it was just superficial.

This is going to sound like an old cliché, but it is true, the only way that you will ever experience true peace, love and joy is through the Lord, by having a personal relationship with Him.  Read Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” 

People that are true believers have a peace that passes all understanding because it comes from the inside and not the outside, because it comes from the Lord.  

Now read Isaiah 35:10, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

True born-again believers have been ransomed of the Lord and because of it they can sing with everlasting joy also.  Does this mean they never experience tribulation or trials and, at times, persecution?  Of course not, but when these things happen they may not always be jumping up and down but that doesn’t mean they don’t have God’s peace and joy in their lives; some people express these things in different ways. 

Now please Read 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

When a person repents and turns from their sins, making a conscious decision to forsake their sins and follow the Lord, and receives the Lord’s grace, His unmerited favor they will have inexpressible joy when the Lord’s peace, love and joy flows through them!!  For the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!!  

The way to receive these things is to repent with true, godly sorrow which means turning away from your sins, confessing them and asking God to forgive you and to be your Lord and Savior.  If you do this in all sincerity, I think the Lord will honor your prayer and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, then you will experience the things I have been writing about here.  Praise the Lord!!

Now please read this Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I hope this has been helpful and a blessing!!  May you have a super day, and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!