Once Saved - Always Saved?

How appalled we would be to discover that someone had known about an unsafe bridge, an unsafe building or unsafe drinking water and withheld that information.
We would consider it criminal if someone died as a result.

The Doctrine of Eternal Security of the Believer, correctly stated says: "One who is genuinely saved, will persevere."  Although debatable scripturally, that is quite different from the adage: "Once saved, always saved."  The phrase, "once saved, always saved" is an unscriptural tradition of men. 
Because of that declaration, which is not a valid Christian doctrine; I see people rushing into eternity, thinking the life they live on Earth has no effect on where they will spend Eternity. 

The tragedy of tragedies is the untold number of people who will stand in judgement without God because they have been led to believe the lie, that one emotional experience in which they walk down the aisle, and are baptized makes them eternally secure.  They believe that they can then live like the Devil himself with no consequences because they once got-saved.

Scripture does not teach this!  Scripture says, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man seweth, that shall he also reap."  (Galatians 6:7)  When I lived in Florida I had two orange trees in my back yard.  I never ever went out and found an apple growing on those trees.  They didn't produce Apples; they were Orange trees. 

People who are genuinely saved live for God, because they are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  People who don't live for God are fooling themselves like those in Matthew 7:22,23; "Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I (Jesus) will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Folks, we need to base our lives on the truths of Scripture, not on the traditions of men...
The life you live, does make a difference!
AuThor

WILL WE BE PERFECT WHEN WE DIE?

I find it odd that many believers think and some Christian pastors even teach that when we die,  we'll be instantly perfect and  equal.   Oh, we know that we'll receive crowns (rewards) to lay at Jesus' feet but after we lay down the crowns we're all the same.  Right?   Scripture does not teach this!    Fact is, Heaven, our eternal home, doesn't occur until after the thousand year reign of Christ upon Earth.  Fact is, God doesn't wipe away all tears until after the Great White Throne of Judgment and that occurs after the thousand year reign of Christ.   Scripture teaches three great separations, (or Judgments); the first two for believers only.

In Matthew 25, Jesus teaches about these separations. They are:

1. The Rapture (Christ comes to receive His Bride) occurs prior to The Seven Years of Great Tribulation!

2. The Judgment Seat of Christ, (Christ judges the Believers of all time based on their faithfulness) occurs immediately after His Second Coming but prior to His Millennial Reign!

3. The Great White Throne of Judgment (God’s judgment as to one’s eternal destiny: SAVED / LOST) occurs after the millennial Reign.
(Let me hasten to say that one’s eternal destiny is sealed in this life. It is given by the Grace of God as we receive or reject God’s provision of HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS – IN CHRIST JESUS, OUR LORD, OUR REDEEMER.)

Recently the question was asked of me, “How can you consider the Rapture a judgment?” My reply was, “if you’re saved but left behind when the Rapture occurs you’d certainly feel judged.”   And of course we all recognize that the Seven Years of Great Tribulation upon the Earth is certainly God's Judgments.   In Matthew 25, these judgments are separations. The first separation of believers will be when the Bridegroom comes for His Bride. Traditionally, this has been viewed as the rapture of all believers, but that’s not what Matthew 25 teaches.

Matthew 25:1-13 teaches a separation of believers. All ten virgins were saved. Five were wise; five were foolish. Foolish means double minded. The foolish were not lost! They were left behind! Scripture teaches that He’s coming for His Bride and she is making herself ready for His coming. She is purifying herself and watching and waiting for His appearing. What Bride does not with great anticipation await her groom? When those foolish members of the group were shut out because they were not ready, the Groom says, “I don’t know you” His words here are different from the “I never knew you” of Matthew 7. In Matthew 7 there is the separation of those who claim to be Christians but were not; there, Christ uses the word, “ginosko” or “I have no knowledge of you”.

In Matthew 25:12 where He says, “I don’t know you” He is saying, “You and I are not intimate; you’re not my Bride.” The word for ‘know’ used here is “oida” for intimacy. It’s like Adam ‘knew’ Eve and she conceived… Jesus doesn’t say they are lost; merely that they are not His Bride. They are left behind to endure 7 years of tribulation (judgment) upon the Earth. The Bride escapes that judgment. In Luke 21:36 speaking of these times, Jesus says, “Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass…”

Matthew 25:14 begins the next parable.  This describes the Judgment Seat of Christ. This judgment is also a separation of believers. This is the parable of the Unfaithful Servant. What happens to this servant? Matt. 25:30 “And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” He was a servant; he belonged to the Master.

I’m indebted to Chuck Missler and his book, “The Kingdom, Power and Glory” for his guidance into this scriptural truth. The unprofitable servant was not lost, but was cast outside the presence of Christ. The profitable servants’ reward was to enter into the presence of Christ where they will rule and reign with him for the Millennial kingdom that is about to begin. This judgment takes place after Christ’s second coming to the Earth, which is immediately after the 7 years of Great Tribulation upon the Earth.

Remember, Christ returns with His Bride in-tow (Family) to establish His Kingdom on Earth for 1000 years. He conquers all political powers at Armageddon and His first order of business is the Judgment Seat of Christ or His settling of accounts with His servants, i.e. Matt. 25:19. What did the faithful receive? Matt.25:21; “Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” He is setting up His Millennial kingdom. Faithful Christians (Servants) will rule with Him during the 1000 years. Unfaithful Christians (sheep) will not. They will be cast out of the presence of Christ to experience ‘remedial’ instruction. I don’t know if this is for the whole 1000 years or until the unfaithful servant is rehabilitated. See Missler’s book for insight here.

The last parable is the final and eternal separation of the sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who follow Him. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.” The goats are those who have not followed Jesus. Pretty simple; pretty cut and dried. Saved/Lost. Not based on works, simply based on whether they have received God’s gift of Life provided in Jesus Christ – God’s own Son! True enough, your works or lack thereof will exhibit who you really are. Matt. 25:46 says, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

AuThor

JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD!

I'm troubled by something an Episcopal priest said in defending that church's elevation to Bishop, a priest living in what the Bible would call a sinful lifestyle.  This priest charged that the Bible was not 'culturally correct."  She then said, "We worship the God of the Bible, we don't worship the Bible itself."

This caught my attention because I've heard this many times from Baptist pastors.  A while back, a local pastor asked my wife:  "Which is more important; that we worship the Jesus revealed in scripture or worship the scripture that reveals Jesus?"

I told her that this "chicken or egg" question seeks to piously separate God and His revealed Word.  Generally those who do this are questioning the very authority of scripture and I don't think there's one among us, be they Episcopal, Southern Baptist or anyone else who is sharp enough to divide God and His Word.

Although the Bible is full of scripture that reminds us that God alone is worthy of our worship and praise; have you considered:
Psalm 56:4; "In God I will praise His Word,...
Psalm 56:10; "In God I will praise His Word; in the Lord I will praise His Word."
Psalm 138:2; "...thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."
Certainly John 1:1 comes to mind.  "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, :2, the same was in the beginning with God, :3, all thing were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.  :14, And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..."

1John 5:7 continues,  "For there are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Spirit and these three are one."

Finally, Revelation 19:13 says, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called, THE WORD OF GOD."

Let us stop trying to divide God and His Word.  Apart from the Word of God, we can't know God!
James 1:21 says that we "receive the engrafted word which is able to save your souls."
As there is salvation in no other name than "Jesus", it is apparent that Jesus is the Living Word of God.  He and His Word are One!  So when you hear someone asking if we worship the Word of God or the Jesus revealed in the word of God - Just tell them that we don't have any knives in our drawers sharp enough to separate the two...

This is AuThor with a little thunder...

WILL YOU BE LEFT BEHIND WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS?

The Partial Rapture of The Church!

Whoa!  What do you mean?

 

Most Christians don’t believe that Christ is coming back in their lifetime, so they’re not ready for his return; ‘Not even thinking in that direction.

I believe in the literal second coming of Christ and I believe this will happen in my lifetime!  (Some Christian theologians believe in the Second Coming of Christ but do not believe in the Rapture of the Church as a separate event preceding his coming.)   Of course, I believe scripture teaches the rapture and I am suggesting that Christ will return in my lifetime and that a literal rapture will precede the return of Christ.

 Just as Armageddon is not a single event but a campaign consisting of three major battles over a three and one-half year period  – so the Second Coming of Christ is not a single event but two events separated by seven years.

The two events are:

1) THE RAPTURE – This is the Bridegroom (Christ Jesus – God’s Son) coming to get his bride to carry her to his Father’s house for a wedding feast.

2) THE RETURN OF CHRIST TO EARTH – This will be the prophesied  event of Christ setting foot upon Mount Olivet in Jerusalem to begin his literal reign upon Earth.

If I am correct to teach that this Second Coming will occur in my lifetime, this places an urgency on the the believer.  After all I’m 62 years of age.

Why do I say Partial Rapture?  What is that?

Does scripture teach that only those who are ready and awaiting his return will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; and those not ready will be ‘left behind?  If so, a lot of Christians will be left behind – to endure the seven years of the Great Tribulation upon the Earth.

Matthew 24 and 25 deal specifically with the ‘end of the age’.  It is here that we find the parable of the Ten Virgins.  Matthew 25:

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4 "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
7 "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8 "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
9 "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'
10 "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'
12 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Let’s look at scripture.

All ten were invited.  All were supposed to be in the wedding party.  So let me suggest – All ten were saved! 

I am told that by Jewish tradition.  The groom keeps the exact time of the wedding a secret.  It’s like a game, and at an hour of his choosing he sends the best man ahead of him proclaiming and announcing his arrival.  When the best man shouts, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh” then the wedding party quickly makes ready and the parade to the Father of the Groom’s home proceeds.  The Wedding feast last seven days!

We see here a direct correlation with Jesus, God’s Son, coming to get his bride, the church and carry her to the Father’s house for a seven day feast.  This is the Rapture!

But if this is indeed a picture of the rapture, then this same scripture suggests that NOT ALL INVITED GUESTS WILL ACTUALLY GO BECAUSE  OF A LACK OF READINESS!  In fact fully half in this parable don’t make the cut; not because they are not a part of the wedding party but because they were foolish and were not prepared when the call came.  Verse 13 challenges believers, “Watch therefore, for YOU know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”  ...and this passage and verse specifically refer to the coming of the Son of Man for His Bride.

This speaks NOT of the return of Christ to Earth, for scripture tells a sequence of events that will take place and following those events, the exact day of Christ’s return to Earth WILL BE KNOWN.

For the final battle of the Armageddon campaign will be led by the Anti-Christ and will be for the express purpose of stopping Jesus’ return to Earth to reign as KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

So if scripture teaches that No one knows the day and hour of His coming; and yet we will know the exact day of His return to Earth, is there an inconsistency?  Not at all!

No one knows the day or hour of the Rapture of the Church.  If the Rapture is for the purpose of extracting the Bride to the Father’s House for a seven day wedding party,  then there must be seven days that the Groom is tied up for this wedding feast at the Father’s house;  hence, the belief that the righteous will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and immediately turn around to be with Him as he sets foot upon the Earth is not a feasible argument.  For seven days or one week of years will pass before he returns.

Fact is, that Jewish history is divided into 70 weeks of years.  This is what scripture calls it – 'Weeks of Years.'   Scripture also teaches us that 69 of these weeks of years have passed and one is yet to come.  Jewish history entered a parenthesis some 2000 years ago.

The seventieth week of years (called one week in prophecy and yet lasting seven years upon Earth will be going on simultaneously with the week long wedding party in Heaven.

So you see, that:

The Seven years of Great tribulation upon Earth is the Seventieth week of Jewish history and comes after the Church Age or the Age of Grace has ended.

But those NOT ready – not awaiting the return of Christ for His Bride will be left behind to endure the Great Tribulation upon the Earth.    

AuThor

Come out of the Wilderness!

We all know the story of the twelve spies who went into Canaan to spy out the land for the nation of Israel.  Ten came back with the majority report, "We can not, We can not!"
Two, Joshua and Caleb, filed the minority report, "I think we can, I think we can!"  Actually, they said, "With God's help we can!"

Have you ever found yourself being critical of Israel... for wandering forty years in the wilderness when by God's promises, they could have entered the promised land?  Have you ever voiced your bewilderment that they would not trust God; only to wonder, "What's my excuse?"

When we don't take God at his Word, we are just like the majority of the Israelites, failing to enter into the promised land because we don't trust God to overcome the giants in our path.
WE DO IT! When it comes to trusting God, with ALL our needs; we wander in the wilderness because we are unwilling to enter into His Promises.  The Word says, in Phillipians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus."
I believe God!  Don't You?

WHICH IS THE GREATER THREAT: FAITH PREACHERS OR THE APOSTATE CHURCH?

I'm confused again!  I'll admit that's not too hard for me, but I've wondered why the fightings against faith preachers while we ignore the mainline denominational heresies.

For example, one of our mainline denominations endorses theological pluralism to the extent that it is sanctioned within the church for pastors to reject belief in a personal God, to reject the need for personal salvation, and to even reject Jesus Christ as the way of salvation.  It further sanctions these teachings as valid options for church members as young as fifth and sixth grade.

So, we fight the faith movement, while ignoring someone who doesn't believe in God or salvation; while ignoring a major church that sanctions non-belief.  Instead of denouncing them we call them 'liberal'.  Well, I'm like Dr. E.V. Hill about that.  "They're not liberal, they're LOST!"

I ask you, who constitutes the greater threat to faith?  The one who tells you there is no God and that you have no need of a savior; or the one who challenges you to believe God for everything you have need of, including health and finances?

I'd rather be wrong about believing that God will heal my body and my finances than wrong about believing that I don't need a savior!  One has earthly consequences, the other eternal!
Let's fight the real enemy! ...and he's not flesh and blood.

AuThor

I Know God's Will For You...!

Recently, I heard a radio preacher say, "I don't know what God's will is for you!"
Instantly, in my spirit, I responded out loud, "I do! I know God's will for you!"  I know because His will is the same for all of us...

It's so very common to ask the question.  People who love God want to know: "God, What is your will for me?" "What is your plan for my life?"  ...and while it's very obvious that we don't all have the same function or the same ministry, what God wants from us is primarily the same.

GOD'S WILL FOR YOU - is for you to take the time to get to know him better!  ...to establish a relationship with Him through Bible study and prayer so that you are able to hear His voice!

Scripture tells us, "Be still and know that I am God."  Our pellmell lifestyle is not conducive to hearing God.
He also says, "My sheep hear my voice." 
God's will for you?  STOP - Spend time alone with Him.  He wants a relationship with you, more than He wants service from you!  Service will follow, but, first things first!
Get to know Him!  Get so close to Him, that when He speaks, You don't miss it!

This is AuThor