The Rapture And The Second Coming

(Written by Daymond Duck)
At the Rapture, Jesus will remain in the air or clouds (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will come down to the earth and stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4, 9; Matt. 25:31-32).

At the Rapture, the Church will meet Jesus in the air (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will follow Jesus to the earth (Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, the Church will go up to meet Jesus (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will come down with Jesus (Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, the Church will leave the earth (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will come back to the earth (Zech. 14:4; Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, Satan will be very active on earth (Rev. 12:12; 13:2).
At the Second Coming, Satan will be bound and chained and cast into the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 20:1-3).

At the Rapture, peace will be removed from the earth (Rev. 6:3-4).
At the Second Coming, peace will be restored on earth (Isa. 9:6).

At the Rapture, the Antichrist will appear and go forth conquering and to conquer (II Thess. 2:7-8; Rev. 6:1-2).
At the Second Coming, the Antichrist will be seized and cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).

The Rapture and Tribulation Period will come like a thief in the night to unbelievers (I Thess. 5:2-4).
At the Second Coming, every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7; Luke 21:27).

At the Rapture, the Church will be removed from the earth (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Lost will be removed from the earth (Matt. 13:36-43; 47-51).

The Rapture will before the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-10).
The Second Coming will be after the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:11-15).

At the Rapture, Jesus will come to receive His Church (John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:13-18)
At the Second Coming, Jesus will come with His Church (I Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:14).

There are no signs of the Rapture (Matt. 24:36).
There are many signs of the Second Coming (2520 days after covenant is signed, 1260 days after Antichrist defiles the Temple, after the Mark, after the Battle of Armageddon, etc.

The Rapture will take place in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:52).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will remain to reign on earth (Isa. 9:6; Jer. 23:5-6; Zech. 14:9; Hos. 3:4-5; Matt. 6:9-13).

At the Rapture, Israel’s enemies will try to destroy Israel (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:16; Rev. 12:13-17).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will destroy Israel’s enemies (Rev. 19:17-21).

Headship in the Home

(Written by Joseph Chambers)
No man can be successful as the head of his home until he first makes Jesus Christ the true head of his own life. Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example by carefully maintaining His Father’s headship in His every word and deed. Remember, He said, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (St. John 12:49-50). This is our perfect example for every man and woman. Our homes and our churches are suffering calamity because our culture has utterly forsaken true authority from God that is only known by submission.

The Holy Ghost is the author of all Scripture. When the Spirit spoke on this subject, He began by speaking to men because they hold the first line in obedience after Christ. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (I Corinthians 11:3).

When a Godly man genuinely humbles himself to walk and live in the sweet lordship of Jesus Christ, that man becomes a dynamo for the gospel. There are few women that will not submit to such a good man. His love for his woman will be so beautiful and tender that every crisis of authority will be quickly settled. Listen to the Spirit of God, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). What an example to challenge a man to be His best. To love our wives like Jesus Christ loved His church is a powerful directive.

The world’s fallen culture is perfectly described in the Book of Revelation chapters two and three. The Spirit guided John in expressing what Jesus was saying to the church, “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols” (Revelation 2:20). Our world is being quickly destroyed by the “Spirit of Jezebel.” There are several expressions of this unclean spirit gripping the world and the church.
- Effeminate (wimpy) men that act, dress, or live without masculine characteristics.

- Masculine women that have forsaken the beautiful life of feminine purity.

- A society that has no sense of the God-ordained differences between male and female.

- A younger generation that is so confused about their physical person and role that they are like lost sheep.

- A world that is literally moving toward a value stripped culture that hates the name of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible.

Does God punish the sinner?

(Written by Tassos Kioulachoglou)
Many have created in their minds - with the help of religion - the image of an angry God, a God that is ready to throw fire from heaven and burn the sinners, punishing them for their sins. Similarly others, if something bad happens in the world, in their lives or in the life of somebody they know, attribute this to God with such words as: “the judgment of God fell on him”, “he did something bad and God punishes him”, “this evil is the punishment of God for their sins”. In other words they more or less attribute to God the evil that is happening in this world with the justification that this allegedly is the judgment, the punishment of God for the sin that is in the world. Is however this view right? Τhe answer is NO! I believe that in the age of grace in which we live, God does not condemn, punish the sinners. Be careful, I’m not saying that it is right for somebody to sin. I’m not saying that sin is not actually sin. I’m not saying that we do not need to confess our sins to the Lord and repent. What I’m saying is that the Lord does not condemn, does not punish people for sin, at least not in the age of grace we are living in. This of course does not mean that whoever sins will not also receive the respective awful results. The wages, the results, of sin is death (Romans 6:23) says the Word! However, these awful results are NOT the judgment, the punishment of God in the life of the sinner but the results, the fruit, of his own acts, of his sin. For example, let’s assume that somebody is an alcoholic, he does not get rid of his addiction, he is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and dies. Is this the judgment, the punishment of God in his life? Did God cause this, punishing him for his doings? NO! He caused this to himself. Presenting this as punishment, as judgment of God for the acts of this man and attributing his death to God has no relation whatsoever to reality. God never did this and never wanted this!

But let us see the above with an example from the Bible. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the perfect representation of the Father. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Whoever saw Him saw the Father (John 14:9) and He only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). What therefore we will see Jesus doing, God would be doing the same today too. Let’s go then to John 8. There we see the Pharisees bringing to Jesus a woman that was caught during the act of adultery and asking Him what they should do to this woman. According to the law of Moses, this woman should have been stoned to death for her act. Her sin was punishable by death, no exceptions. But see here what answer Jesus gave to them:

John 8:7, 9-11
“So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

“Free Grace,” The Devil’s Joke

(Written by Joseph R. Chambers)
Free grace does not exist, but the free gift of grace does. Ask the Father if grace was free and He will answer, “It wasn’t for me!” Ask the Son what the price of grace was and His answer will be, “It cost Me My life!” The modern church has stripped the cross of Jesus Christ of all of its pain and suffering for those who will embrace it. The people that embrace this new compromise are as spiritually dead as the theologians that preach it.

A cross that costs nothing means nothing. The faith that shook the world during church history was always a faith that costs the followers everything — the deeper the embrace and the greater the sacrifice, the greater the impact. Find any adherent that is a part of this “free grace” mentality and you will find a spineless and soft religion. Nothing but a religious club of giddy worldliness can result from such cheap grace.

Grace costs the Father His only Son! What a price that Heaven had to pay to purchase man back to the family of God! Sin did not just separate man from God; it defiled and robbed Him of his very God-like character. Sin is as vile as the serpent that was its first mouthpiece. The Jewel of Heaven was the Father’s Only Son. He alone speaks the perfect revelations. When God created light, the Son of God was the light bearer. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Our God paid the ultimate price for grace through the gift of His Son.

The price of grace for the Son of God was beyond words. To leave His Father sitting on His majestic throne must have filled this great Heavenly temple with utter sadness. The Son could not come to earth as the Prince He was, but He humbled Himself to be stripped of His divine robe. From birth to death, someone was constantly seeking His destruction.

The Call to “Come Up Hither!”

(Written by Joseph R. Chambers)
Any view of the fourth chapter of the Book of Revelation that doesn’t allow for the triumphant Rapture of the saints is woefully inadequate. This chapter is a grand picture of the true church and the overcoming saints that have been transferred from the lion’s mouth to the King’s throne. The blood-washed saints that were hated by the world will have faced their persecutors for the last time. Giving up the world, they will have gained the grandest seats around the throne of the Father. This chapter is the beginning of the glory that has been promised to the saints since the opening of the Holy Bible. From seats around the throne to the city of the throne, the saints will never suffer shame again. They are His saints and they will take up positions as His elders until they march as His army, reign as Kings, and possess the city of the Bride, New Jerusalem.

The great Jehovah God is seated on His throne in the celestial heavens and is fully prepared for the heavenly court. Over six thousand years have passed since a serpent — possessed by Lucifer — walked into the garden and deceived God’s perfect couple, Adam and Eve. From the venom of those lies in the garden, sin has touched every offspring of Adam. The upheaval of the earth by the Noahic flood left indescribable scars on a sin-cursed earth. There is not one element of the created world unspoiled by the flood of evil, and it is now time for redemption. The earth must be reclaimed.

The celestial city of Heavenly Jerusalem and its inhabitants are the only untouched geography in the cosmos. This future court will be held in its temple. David must have had a slight view of the location of this seven-year judgment session, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge” (Psalm 48:1-3).

The court proceedings that must go forth out of this city demand a Pre-Tribulation Rapture to transfer the saints from their graves or from their lives on earth to fulfill their appointed positions. This earth is the Lord’s and He has appointed it to His saints to posses for eternity. It has been clearly stated that we shall judge this earth, and our removal to this grand event is unquestionably guaranteed. The fight against the Rapture is a last ditch effort from the devil to prevent us from our heavenly task. The proceedings cannot begin until we arrive at our appointed seats before the throne.

The Spiritual War of Imagination

(Written by Joseph R. Chambers)

Your mind can easily become the devil’s playhouse. He and his world of dark spirits are masters at imposing their evil influence on top of you. That place at the top is your mental thought life. The human ability to think, dream, and plan is wonderful, even God-like. This is one of the powerful things about our creative abilities. Our great God made us a little like Himself and nothing about us is bigger than our mind, which includes our self-consciousness.

Satan long ago developed and mastered the ability to attack the human consciousness. It is very likely the same method Satan used to deceive the angels and lead them to rebel against the Father. Millions of New Agers brag about taking possession of man’s minds to create what they call mass-consciousness. They project the idea of using their mental powers to lead our world to another level of evolution. They call it the coming “Age of Aquarius.” It is scary even though it is Biblical because they are actually promoting the Antichrist Kingdom.

The Bible has much to say about our thought life. Solomon spoke with God-given wisdom when he said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7a). Apostle Paul warns us of the desperate need for charity or love that “thinketh no evil” (I Corinthians 13:5b). He spoke of the pure virtues that must fill our thought life, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Repeat the last four words, “Think on these things.”

David cried out, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). In the first psalm, the Spirit of God gave us the formula of success, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:2-3). I have known a host of people that meditate on God’s promises and that is good; but, first, we must meditate on His laws if we are to prosper.

This dangerous hour is a repeat of the spirit of evil that plagued Noah’s generation right before judgment came. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Jesus warned us of this, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark” (St Matthew 24:38). Apostle Paul described that same period, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” (Romans 1:21-24). Human imagination that forgets God is like a cesspool that spews vileness to destroy and pollute everything it touches.

Differences between Catholics and Protestants

(from GotQuestions.org)
There are several very important differences between Catholics and Protestants. While there have been some attempts over the last several years to find common ground between the two groups, the fact is that the differences remain, and they are just as important today as they were at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Following is brief summary of some of the more important differences.

One of the first major differences between Catholicism and Protestantism is the issue of the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the sole source of God’s special revelation to mankind, and as such it teaches us all that is necessary for our salvation from sin. Protestants view the Bible as the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. This belief is commonly referred to as “Sola Scriptura” and is one of the “Five Solas” (sola being Latin for “alone”) that came out of the Protestant Reformation as summaries of some of the important differences between Catholics and Protestants.

While there are many verses in the Bible that establish its authority and its sufficiency for all matters of faith and practice, one of the clearest is 2 Timothy 3:16 where we see that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Catholics on the other hand reject the doctrine of “Sola Scriptura” and do not believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. They believe that both the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic tradition are equally binding upon the Christian. Many Roman Catholics doctrines, such as purgatory, praying to the saints, worship or veneration of Mary, etc. have little or no basis at all in Scripture, but are based solely on Roman Catholic traditions. Essentially the Roman Catholic Church’s denial of “Sola Scriptura” and their insistence that both the Bible and their “Sacred Tradition” are equal in authority undermines the sufficiency, authority and completeness of the Bible. The view of Scripture is at the root of many of, if not all, the differences between Catholics and Protestants.

Another major but closely related difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is over the office and authority of the Pope. According to Catholicism the Pope is the “Vicar of Christ” (a vicar is a substitute), and takes the place of Jesus as the visible head of the Church. As such he has the ability to speak “ex cathedra” (with authority on matters of faith and practice), and when he does so his teachings are considered infallible and binding upon all Christians. On the other hand, Protestants believe that no human being is infallible, and that Christ alone is the head of the church. Catholics rely on apostolic succession as a way of trying to establishing the Pope’s authority. But Protestants believe that the church’s authority does not come from apostolic succession, but instead is derived from the Word of God. Spiritual power and authority does not rest in the hands of a mere man, but in the very Word of God recorded in Scripture. While Catholicism teaches that only the Catholic Church can properly and correctly interpret the Bible, Protestants believe that the Bible teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all born again believers, enabling all believers to understand the message of the Bible.

Wealthy Christian Leaders

(Written by Ron Graham)
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

It can get pretty discouraging, especially in these last days before Christ’s return, as we’re confronted with more and more high profile Christian leaders falling into sinful lifestyles. When I read about both men and women pastoring huge mega churches, or those who are out on evangelistic tours pulling down yearly salaries in the millions, all the while building up fleets of exotic cars, boats, and flying their own personal jets around the world, I’m actually grieved in my spirit. Why? Because almost without fail the next thing we know is they’ve been caught in some kind of scandal, and it is usually of a sexual nature.

It seems that the more money they receive the less attractive lifestyle they lead. Year after year the news reports come in exposing, even detailing, the less than moral lives many of these individuals have been living. Professing Christians – all of them leading huge flocks of parishioners to where? God knows. Without fail, as they are caught in the most compromising of positions, out come the tears and the cries of repentance begging for forgiveness. Have they actually repented and turned away from the sinfulness that got them into the bind they are in? Only God knows. But we as followers of Jesus Christ must make a decision to forgive them and continue to follow this person’s teachings, or to simply move on.

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21, 22. Here Peter refers to a brother sinning against a brother, but these folks are sinning against God and it is God whom they need to ask forgiveness of. Of course God will forgive them but God can see their hearts, He knows if they are truly sincere or not.

The love of money certainly is the root of all evil, of that fact I have no doubt. It seems that many of these folks started out in the most sincere ministries, but as their following grew they became wealthier and wealthier until their lifestyle had made such a change that finally their extremely flamboyant lives demanded they pursue more wealth. Oh sure, they can preach a sermon that draws huge crowds, we’ve all seen the results of their obvious charisma. And they seem to draw folks with some very deep pockets. They are very convincing with their showy, sometimes fiery, sermons, but are these folks actually portraying a Christ-like lifestyle or are they living a “behind the scenes” type of life that if truth be known would have us squirming in our seats?

Was Christ ever rolling in the dough? Did Jesus Christ ever come to a meeting in one of the most expensive modes of transportation of His day, or did he usually walk from the last place He held a meeting? The only time the Bible records Christ as using any mode of transportation other than walking is when He rode on the colt of an ass into Jerusalem and allowed Himself to be worshipped as Messiah.