Rapture Or Second Coming? A Sixth Distinction Refuted

Is there a Biblical difference between the "rapture" and the "second coming"? To show that such is the case, our brothers label the rapture "the blessed hope" , a term used by Paul in Titus 2:13, and then they assure us that the final coming could not be a "blessed hope" for the few Christians who live to survive the devastation of the Tribulation. Again here is the using of the conclusion as part of the proof. The pre-tribulationists are the ones who have divided Jesus' coming into two parts and assigned them names. The Bible nowhere does this.

But I fear there is even a greater lapse in logic by our esteemed brothers in this text. It would seem to me that the greater the tragedy, the greater the hope. As Jesus wipes away the tears of Tribulation saints in Revelation 7:13-17, He is truly received as a blessed sight. How much the saints will be affected by all that goes on during these dark years is not clear. We are called to be persecuted, but not judged. God will sort that out. But we will go through it. And we will be greeted by a loving Saviour who understands, because He went through earth's rejections. It seems inconceivable that believers snatched up before the suffering could receive a greeting that matches this one.

The mentality that our brothers echo here borders on that elitism that is prevalent among us in the Western Church. Why do we think we are not called to suffer when the Scriptures repeatedly say we are? Those that suffer with Jesus will reign with Him. But what of those who wish to be caught up before it all begins?

Bethel ministries says on this topic: "Persecution and martyrdom is, in fact, the New testament norm... Peter wrote, 'For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps.' (I Peter 2:21) ...Some church leaders teach that believing in an imminent pre-trib rapture will influence Christians to live holy lives. But the Scriptures teach, referring to the heavens and earth being destroyed by fire [and not the catching up of the bride], 'Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?...' (II Peter 3:11-14)

"There has never been a time when so many Christians believed in an imminent pre-trib rapture and yet the twentieth-century church in America can be characterized by almost anything but holiness...Paul said, 'We glory in tribulations...tribulation worketh patience'... [Jesus said] 'In the world ye shall have tribulation...' (John 16:33) 'We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.' (Acts 4:22). 'Blessed are ye, when men shall ...persecute you.' "

Who has more of a "blessed hope" ? The one who looks forward to no tribulation, or the one who is in trouble now, but is assured that soon the troubles will be gone? The soldier who "hopes" to escape the draft or the one who hopes for the end of the conflict in which he has participated fully? The farmer who "hopes" no bad weather will destroy his crops, or the one who has bravely fought the elements and now sees the fruits of his labor about to blossom in spite of all of nature's blast?

Oh saints! When we sit in a dingy prison cell for our faith in Christ, when all of those whom we hold dear have been taken away, when our stomach is bloated from hunger and our body is mangled from beatings, what a blessed hope is ours! Christ shall come and release us! Christ shall come and restore our Heavenly family! Christ will come and feed us with His own manna, and wash our scars and heal our bodies and we will be with Him forever! Could anything be more of a blessed hope than that?

And is it not equally true that those least looking for that "blessed hope" today are those for whom life is comfortable and secure? Why "hope" if we have what we need already?

There simply is no distinction between the rapture and the second coming. Together, they are our blessed hope!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Tips on Smuggling the Word of God

So how does the Word of God get into a Communist prison? Or a Communist country? By ordinary means it is impossible. We call North Korea, for example, a closed country. But God does not call it that.

Couriers risk their lives to carry it in, sometimes hidden in bags of flour. These warriors come in from China, from South Korea, from America.

And when the Word gets into a heart, who can keep it out? Arrested believers carry it in this manner to fellow-prisoners and a rich prison fellowship ensues.

We cannot rule out miracles. Angels. Healings. God is not bound. The Word goes in.

But I fear this question takes a different turn when referred to the American church. May I dare ask, how does the Word of God get into some Western churches? There the word "impossible" seems to me more fitting.

So many of our churches are caught up with different agendas than the one outlined in that Book sitting on the shelf of these groups. Even in Scripture's Book of Revelation, there were seven different kinds of churches listed, and not all of them were praised.

In at least one of those churches the doctrines of men were being preached alongside the Word, effectively confusing the congregants and making the Word of God ineffectual. No Word there.

In another there was an agenda of immorality. A popular woman teacher was seducing God's people into immorality and paganism. No Word there.

In another, the Word was so low a priority that God pronounced the church dead. No Word there.

And in still another, materialism reigned. Definitely no Word there.

That's a pretty good outline to explain how difficult it is to get the Word into so many churches today. The doctrines of men, immorality, paganism, materialism. It is that very collection of problems that we are having.

Church after church is now selling out to the world's music, female leadership, and the call to popularity and bigness. Church after church has adopted the world's morality, justifying their downward spiral by saying that they are opposed to legalism.

Pastors are living in fear of losing a paycheck instead of the godly fear of displeasing the Spirit with their preaching. Like doctors in the natural world they dread the accusation of mal-practice in a lawsuit-weary climate. They are forced into saying the exactly correct thing, or face an angry board.

Into this weak and stumbling church comes the revivalist, peddling emotion, hype, and what he or she calls "revival." Who can resist this "new life" , even though within weeks or even days it has died out. Churches are torn apart, some even destroyed, as the revivalist fills his pockets and moves on.

Gone are the hymns of the faith, replaced by choruses written by well-meaning but often un-tried young people. What they sing is true, but not deep. This music is often allowed in because it swings, not because it edifies. And though the promise was "renewal" it is not long before the worship service is revolving around the same 20-30 songs while a book filled with over 500 sits unused in a church library. One of the strongest methods of getting God's Word into the hearts of believers is thus eliminated.

The Bible as a book doesn't fare much better. No need to bring it any more. There are so many versions being accepted by believers that it is confusing for them to read out of the Book as a group. So, leave it at home. We'll use the overhead.

All of this pales into insignificance when compared to the pastors who arise and give their 10-minute nod to Biblical truth, watered down with humor, political commentary, and social justice. No Word here. The salt has lost its savor. Why keep up the facade week after week?

Is this the emphasis we are peddling to other nations via missionaries? I pray not, but many stories come back of how American missionaries have set the "natives" free of some of their "bondage", by which often they mean practices that those nationals found in the Scriptures: male leadership, proper dress and conduct in church, etc.

I ask again, how shall we get the Word of God into the West? It's getting into Communist countries, Islamic countries, and all the persecuted lands receive and value it. May we not lose out on what God is truly doing: calling out a people for His name worldwide, and building them into a holy and separated people.

Look up "Bob Faulkner" on http://sermonaudio.com On my personal home page I have combined my love for the Scriptures with a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Something Mary Can Teach Us

To which Mary do I refer? There are two very well-known persons bearing that name. One is the Biblical mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. The other, we will call "Mary Plus." She is the Mary of the traditional church, the Mary of myth. Those who wish to be clear about this matter must read the original -Bible- accounts of her life, and her encounter with Heaven, then compare their findings with all the rest of the story that has been added through the centuries. May I offer assistance on one leg of your journey?

The Bible's Mary descended from David (Luke 3:23, Matthew 1:16), and being Jewish, and therefore human, she was conceived with original sin. She was an acknowledged sinner who confessed her need for a Saviour (Luke 1:47).

But the other Mary experienced a miracle at her conception: her parents, though themselves affected with the human condition, brought forth a seed which was perfected by God immediately and grew to become the blessed mother of Jesus.

This doctrine of the immaculate conception has often been confused with the conceiving of Jesus later. But the catechisms will bear me out on this. The subject here is the parents of Mary, not the parents of the Lord. Immaculate conceiving is borrowed from Babylonian tradition, a faulty logic, and what is known as "the piety of the people." That is, so many good people through the years came to believe this to be the truth, that, it was reasoned, it must be true. Which is just more faulty logic...

What the immaculate conception doctrine is not, is revealed truth. God never hinted anywhere that there would be a miracle of perfection performed on any human being, causing their genetic structure to be unable to pass on the sinful nature. Never.

Rather, there is a promise to Mary, not her parents: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35)." The miracle is inside of Mary, due totally to the power of God.

God Himself entered Mary, perfected her seed, not her, and that seed became the Son of God. She had no merit of her own. She did nothing to deserve what happened to her. It was all God, and He, Who shares His glory with no one, will be praised eternally for this wonderful moment.

Now that is revealed truth and cannot be refuted without pure unbelief.

Mary, the real Mary, here becomes the model for all the saving works of God that will follow. Through no efforts or merit of our own, His Spirit enters us, overshadows us, produces His life in us, and makes us sons of the living God. We are born again. We deserved it not, we did nothing to make it happen. It's all God!

And this other Mary becomes the model of all who will trust in the merits of man to save. For, because Mary is holy,Jesus is holy, this line of reasoning goes. And because I cooperate with God in my own holiness, God adds his work to my meriting soul and together we produce salvation.

Don't think you see the clear difference? It can take years, decades for some. The close resemblance of the two Mary's and the two competing philosophies of salvation are the essence of the struggle for God in our world. This is no minor topic.

I dedicate this article, as all articles, to the North Korean church. It is my prayer that the believers there will be able to hear a clean, clear, pure description of what God has done for them, and by that message be saved. We desperately want their liberty but not their introduction to the chaos of the western religions. May Christ be preached in His power and purity!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

It's Not Cool to Worry

In our world today their is allot to be concerned about. Things like terrorism, crime, racism; or how about taxes, inflation and job loss. Truly we have allot we could be worried about. But I've found out that in order to function in life and overcome the obstacles we face, we need to give our cares,worries and frustrations to someone else. Someone stronger than us. We tend to lean and depend on our spouses or family and friends and that's awesome, but this support system can only take us so far and that's it. I've found on my journey that I really need a relationship with someone who's able to handle my worries and concerns that I face in my daily life. And that person is Jesus Christ.

I've found that through my relationship with Jesus I've been able to overcome some problems that would have taken me out of here if I had not have known Him. The bible says in 1st Peter 5:7 that we should cast all of our cares upon God because He cares for us and that includes worrying. When you worry you sin, and when you sin you miss the mark of God. Worrying about things can have a adverse affect on our body and it's ability to function properly. When improper stress enters the body it breaks down the body's immune system and causes us to become sick. Free radical cells come in when the body's immune system is weak, and worrying and stress help weaken your body's defense system.

To combat this we need to change a few things in our lives. First, we need to change our outlook on life. Start seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. You can always find something positive in a negative situation. Second, fill your mind with good positive and wholesome materials such as: the bible, positive inspirational music, uplifting reading materials like books and magazines and most importantly prayer. Tell God your problems. He will listen and no one else will know about it, and because you pray you will find yourself at ease with what you thought was a problem.

So don't allow life to get you so uptight. Just do the best you can with what you have and give the rest to God through Jesus Christ. And you will find that life isn't that bad when the right person has your back. You think about that, God bless.

Is the Sunday Sabbath From the Bible or Rome?

Having traced the idea of a Sabbath all the way through Scripture, I am still at a loss to make a completely valid decision.With all I have learned, something is still missing. What seems to be strong and important to God loses its significance as the Bible story continues on. Let's take a look at how the church of later generations understood their Sabbath responsibility before God. But because the church is always fallible, we must reserve the right to come back to the Scriptures, and see if we can discern what grace has done to the law of God. When it is all said and done, will the Sabbath go the route of circumcision and burnt offerings? Will it be at the level of the tithe? Will it be changed into a different day altogether likewise labeled Sabbath? Or will it be written on our hearts like the other of the ten commandments? I'm far from finished with this quest

What says History?

It certainly is a long way from the statement "Do this or die!" as the Old Testament speaks of Sabbath-keeping to the idea,"Do this wrongly and you might as well not do it at all!" as Jesus had to teach the leaders of His day. It's even further to saying , "Choose whatever you want or even nothing at all," as Paul seems to be saying later in Church history. What did we miss along the way? Why the radical change? Can God's heart desires really be that different? What did the early and later church do with all of this?

To begin, consider the following two quotes and see if you agree:

1. T. Enright, C.S.S.R., February 18, 1844 lecture: "I have repeatedly offered $1000.00 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says: 'No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' And lo! the entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.' "

2. D.B. Ray, The Papal Controversy, 1892, p. 179: "From this same Catholic Church you have accepted your Sunday, and that Sunday, as the Lord's day, she has handed down as a tradition; and the entire Protestant world has accepted it as tradition, for you have not one iota of Scripture to establish it. Therefore that which you have accepted as your rule of faith, inadequate as it of course is, as well as your Sunday, you have accepted on the authority of the Roman Catholic Church."

What say you? Is there any iota of truth about a Sunday holy day in Scripture? Well, we cannot say that those who built this doctrine started from nothing. Let's admit to the iota anyway, maybe even a few iotas, but nothing more. Let's look quickly at these particles of Scripture and then see how history built from there:

1. We can't forget that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. There is no official Scriptural union made between His resurrection and our weekly observance of 24 hours of celebration, but the resurrection does figure into why people believe the first day is now holier than the others. Of course, it was a day of work for God the Father. It was in fact the greatest work accomplished on the planet.

2. Pentecost, the very birthday of the Church of Jesus, when the Spirit of God fell and empowered the apostles, is likewise on the first day of the week. Still there is no commandment given to continue this observance every week until the end of the Church age. But a strong "silent" case certainly seems to be made by what God sovereignly did. Remember always that the word did implies yet more work. This too was not a day of rest.

3. Acts 20:7 is perhaps an even stronger argument for something happening on the first day, but certainly not for an all day rest. I quote: "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

So did the disciples meet every first day either before or after Troas? Even if this could be proved, the only message being given in this passage is that the first day was becoming a meeting time, and that the actual clock hour was after sun-down. Could this in fact have been Saturday evening, following Sabbath observance? Or was it Sunday night? Whichever, there is no reason to jump from first-day celebration to first-day holy Sabbath of rest. But church history is clear that this jump was made anyway.

4. Finally there is that command of Paul about a certain offering, I Corinthians 16:2. "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." This could well stop the mouths of those who say there was nothing special about that first day. Not only in Asia Minor , but now here in Greece there seems to be a growing practice of meeting on this day to celebrate the resurrection, fellowship in the Spirit, hear the Word of God, even minister to the material needs of the saints. In short, church. I think it important to say again here that from the beginning of the church, there was a daily fellowship of believers and a daily intake of souls into Christ, Acts 2:46-47, but it is hard to avoid the rising up of this first day as a clear pattern developing in those early days.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Story of Chosun, Part 5

All nations eventually decline, usually from moral failure. Such is the case in Silla on the Korean peninsula over 1000 years ago. As it loses its character, whole chunks of it are taken over by bandits, who increase as the main kingdom decreases. Two notable anti-heroes of the day are Kuyung-ye and Kyunwhun, rivals in opposite parts of the territory.

In the North a new kingdom forms from the old, Tabong. It is Buddhist-controlled, but actually the main power is the grossly immoral Kyung-ye, who calls himself a priest, but who is really a mad man. Eventually his chief general, Wang-gon, replaces him.

Tabong soon changes its name to Koryo as its people look back to the glory days of Korguryo with longing. In 920 old Silla recognizes new Koryo, and a new era has begun. Fifteen years later, after a 992-year stay on the peninsula, Silla breathes its last and is fully incorporated by Wang-gon into the burgeoning Koryo.

The South has been struggling along under Kyunwhun's rule. This attempt at a separate state soon fizzles, and the king is driven out. Needing a place of refuge, Kyunwhun finds it in Koryo. It is looking like the new nation will be the second power to gain the entire peninsula. Kyunwhun's sons surrender to the North in 936.

Buddhism has been making inroads in the new region, and now becomes the state religion. But during the reign of Koryo's third king, Confucianism gets a new impetus and curtails the strength of Buddhism.

Old ties with China re-surface, holding promise of alliance against the threatening Khitan tribe of the North. But when a formal request is made for help against the Khitans, China is too busy. For now, end of friendship. We will consider more of the Khitan-China-Koryo conflict next time.

I continue to share these thoughts about Korean history to demonstrate the hopelessness of nations without Christ, left only to their ingenuity and the hope of a good friend. Our prayer is that North Korea will learn to cling to Christ Jesus as Friend, knowing that the nation whose God is Jehovah is truly blessed.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

When the Time is Right

Someone's been taking care of Kim Jong-il's people in North Korea. Someone has surrounded the nation with intercessions to God. Someone has found the exits for many thousands of her citizens. That same Someone has been at the other end of the journey as refugees run to China-based Christians. Someone has been sending in food and clothes and Bibles and tracts.

That Someone is of course Jesus. Mr. Kim needs to know that the Jesus he squelches and Whose Word he consigns to the flames or the garbage is the very One who is caring for North Koreans day and night. That's Who Jesus is. That's the kind of thing He does.

Do we think for one moment that our God is emaciated and weak like the starving Koreans that Kim enslaves? That He is unable to rise up and with the breath of His mouth incinerate Pyongyang in a moment? He has done too many mighty works for us to think that.

There is a show of strength that is even greater than the meting out of deserved judgment. It is the restraint of a loving God Who will do nothing before the exact time has arrived. It is a God Who waits for people to repent, as He waited for the evil Canaanites, then the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Romans.

All great powers have been given their chance to change, but eventually judgment came. And in the midst of all their prospering, God was prospering too. Inside Egypt, inside Babylon, inside Rome and subsequent Romanism, God grew His people. Then He manifested to the world what He was doing, and received the glory for what He had done.

Someone needs to tell the Kim government that their power is granted them only for a time. God is even now growing a people inside those prison walls. Inside every concentration camp, every jail, every holding center for repatriated citizens, are some of the People of God. Their moment of manifestation will come. The government will fall. God's people will rise. History is clear. God's Word is always more powerful than the chains of men.

On an even grander scale, the Bible says that the entire planet is awaiting the manifestation of the Sons of God. We are a people in exile. We are the scum now, though a few of our people seem to shine and be acceptable. By and large our message, our Christ, is rejected, hated, beaten, imprisoned.

But the One Who behind the scenes has been our Healer, our Provider, our Comforter, will one day make not only His people appear, but Himself. He will return, judgment will fall, and we will be caught up to Him to reign over the planet.

A fairy-tale ending? Of course. Where did the fairy tales ever get such ideas in the first place? From the hope that springs eternal in the promises of God. We really do win, Mr. Kim. Evil really shall be rewarded. God's people really will shine forever.

Be patient, people of God. Force is not an option for us. Neither is defeat. Give it to God. He will bring the outward victory in His time. He will give you the inner victory this very day.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.