Deity’s Derision On Display

Most relevant of the political questions presently is: why cannot the Democrat Party acknowledge that the majority of America’s voters –and by a large margin—have rejected their party’s governance?

That this is the most relevant question isn’t even considered by that party’s radical membership –the base which so obviously controls that party. As a matter of fact, that radical base, I think it is reasonable to say by observation of their antics, hasn’t the individual or collective capability of figuring out their dilemma – that of why America’s voting public has shown them the proverbial door as of last November’s presidential election.

Their irrational antics include screeching in resistance to and protest of anything Trump. The antics include burning and/or defacing with swastikas Tesla electric cars, vehicles they just weeks ago championed over polluting gas-burning vehicles.

They scream against the deportation of illegal migrants who have raped and murdered throughout this country. They rant and rave over the new administration closing borders that formerly allowed such murderers, rapists, and child sex traffickers entry into our nation.

They support wholeheartedly the drive-by Israel-Jew-hating Jihadists who perpetrate genocide, determined to remove all such people from the river to the sea. They embrace every anti-God cause that degrades, debases, and debauches human beings and normality. They worship at the altar of Mother Earth with their climate change insanity. They favor in every way possible the abuse of the most innocent, championing the insane changing of the gender of children through bodily mutilation and hormonal disrupters.

They have, as the radical base of that political party, contributed mightily to turning America’s sub-culture into a mirror image like unto that of ancient Sodom.

This fanatical base sees America not as a light on the hill that has been illumination for freedom and national sovereignty –an example for the world to emulate—but as a hold-up to bringing all the world together as one, as John Lennon would have it. They embrace the globalist goals toward that end.

But the God of Heaven, I am of the conviction, has, for His own reasons, stopped these anti-God of reprobate mind (Romans 1: 28) sorts dead in their tracks – at least for the moment…

Psalms chapter 2 is in view, I believe, and it can’t be missed by the Spiritually-Attuned to Bible prophecy.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalms 2:1-5).

God the Holy Spirit, resident within each believer in Christ, is restraining evil and wickedness during this time so near the end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) (2 Thessalonians chapter 2). And I believe we are witnessing, through Heaven’s action, God’s telling just how near is the moment He will have His Son, the Lord Jesus, call all believers into the Clouds of Glory.

God is, I believe, through plainly putting His Psalms chapter 2 derision of anti-God forces on display, giving a heads-up on things to come in the very near future. These things include proof of the Truth Paul the Apostle was inspired to write as recorded in the Book of Romans.

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:28-32).

Now, understand that I am in no way whatsoever of the belief that the Democrat Party is the devil’s political party and the Republican Party is God’s political party. All political entities of this fallen world are sin-laden. Please understand that this is all to say that I believe God is displaying before the discerning eyes and ears of born-again believers that Heaven is restraining against and has in derision anti-God forces at this late prophetic hour through His observably dealing with this particular evil. I believe it is evidence that He is on the very cusp of intervening into this Sodom-like world.

This leftist political entity that goes against all that is godly is in total derision. Those fanatical adherents within its body are tearing apart the fabric of their political brand for all to see. That derision is from the very Hand of God, in my view.

Again, I’m of the opinion that this is particularly important because it could be a significant indicator of just how swiftly things are about to unfold from this point. Christ’s call to “Come up here!” could be very near indeed.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

–Terry

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Our Priceless Inheritance

It’s the subject of many murder mysteries. A wealthy man is murdered, and those set to share in his inheritance become key suspects. The story typically ends with one of them arrested for the crime.

Do you know that as believers, we will someday receive an inheritance that far exceeds any earthly fortune, not only in value but also in longevity?

The New Testament often refers to our unending legacy in passages such as Ephesians 1:11-14:

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Emphasis added)

What is this great inheritance that promised to us as believers? James, the brother of Jesus, defines it for us:

“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5, emphasis added).

We are heirs to a kingdom, but what exactly is it?

Paul wrote that as believers, God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:12). So, is our inheritance simply the spiritual realm in which we now walk with our Savior? No, that would make us possessors of the promised kingdom rather than heirs to it. In Ephesians 1:14, Paul clearly states that this “inheritance” is not yet ours.

In another passage, the apostle further clarifies that it’s impossible for us to inherit this realm in this lifetime.

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:50, emphasis added).

Paul very clearly states that it’s not possible for us to inherit the promised kingdom in our current mortal condition with bodies patterned after Adam’s (see 1 Corinthians 15:47–50). There must be a future phase of God’s kingdom that remains for us to inherit since we are ineligible to receive it with our current “perishable” bodies.

He doesn’t keep us in suspense with the seemingly unwelcome news but quickly explains that Jesus will transform our bodies and thus make us fit to enjoy our heritage:

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Our “flesh and blood” bodies cannot “inherit the imperishable.” It’s impossible. However, Jesus will someday solve our current dilemma by giving us “imperishable” and “immortal” ones. It doesn’t matter if we are alive or already with the Lord at the time of His appearing; Jesus will transform us into eligible recipients of our inheritance of a kingdom (see also Philippians 3:21). Until then, we wait with full assurance that someday we will receive what’s promised to us.

So, what is this future realm? Since we already belong to God’s spiritual kingdom, as we saw in Colossians 1:12, it must be something different than that. Since we are already members of the “body of Christ,” or the church (1 Corinthians 12:27), this future kingdom can’t be it since this is a current reality rather than something we cannot inherit until after this life is over.

The only future kingdom identified in Scripture is Jesus’ millennial reign. The apostle John defines its length as one thousand years in Revelation 20:1-10, and several passages throughout the Old Testament provide many more details of this celestial kingdom on the earth, one that has never existed in all of human history.

The Bible says that at His Second Coming, the Father will give His Son, Jesus, the nations as His “heritage” (Psalm 2:7-9; Daniel 7:13-14). Amazingly, Jesus will share the wonders, privileges, and prestige of His kingdom with us. As “joint heirs with Christ” to this glorious future realm (Romans 8:17), we will reign him in the millennial kingdom and then forevermore (Revelation 2:26-27, 5:9-10).

Isn’t it over-the-top good news to know that the church cannot possibly be the kingdom promised to us as our inheritance? What makes people think that our exquisite inheritance as New Testament saints is a temporal realm rife with division, false teaching, and far too many other problems to list in this short article? The fact that its members get sick and die demonstrates that it’s certainly not the glorious inheritance the Lord promises to us but rather one that we will someday inherit with gloriously transformed bodies.

The Lord will someday bestow upon us a priceless and never-ending legacy that will dwarf even the most substantial bequeaths in this life. Jesus Himself will make us fit as heirs to His kingdom by giving us bodies like His, ones that will last forever without aging, sickness, pain, or death.

What could possibly be better than what awaits us in eternity? Is it any wonder that we watch and eagerly long for Jesus’ appearing?

Maranatha!

-Jonathan

Sudden Destruction/Dynamic Destiny

Jesus, I am convicted, spoke to this very end-times moment in which we now live in telling about His end-of-this-Age-of-Grace, sudden intervention into the intolerable wickedness of humankind. By the use of the adjective “intolerable,” I mean in the eyes of our Holy God.

Jesus described the time of that future intervention, as we’ve looked at many times in this column. He said it will be like it was in the days of Noah and, more specifically, in the days of Lot when He will next bring catastrophic judgment to the earth like that with which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Following Lot and his family being taken by the angels’ hands and removed from the doomed city of Sodom to a place of safety, sudden destruction fell from above, decimating that whole region that had become intolerable to Heaven’s sense of righteousness.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah undoubtedly no longer recognized as wickedness the evil that occurred every day and every night. They had, apparently, willfully immersed themselves in the absolute immorality that had totally polluted their society and culture. I think it’s fair to say this was the situation at that time because God destroyed all those living there except for Lot and his family, with Jesus saying that Lot was “righteous in God’s eyes.” And that—God seeing Lot as righteous—obviously, we can conclude, was why Lot wasn’t so judged along with the others.

We leap forward now to our own time, examining and considering these days that almost certainly mirror those days of antiquity. If these days in which we live are the days about which Jesus prophesied —the time that will be like the time when Lot was removed so God’s judgment and wrath could fall—we must think on God’s method of removing the righteous so God’s sense of justice and righteousness can deal with the evil and wickedness of this world.

I choose not to go into all of the evil we’re witnessing all around us, and at every level, in this article. We’ve gone over these anti-God matters many, many times for literally years. I choose rather to think with you on a matter that’s among those of greatest interest to believers in Jesus Christ—the born again for salvation.

The Rapture of all born-again believers is inseparably linked to Jesus’ prophecy about the days of Lot in that Luke 17:26-30 account. The born-again believers in Christ for salvation of their souls are the righteous who, like Lot, will be removed at the Rapture (the twinkling-of-an-eye moment) when Jesus calls them into the clouds of Glory. This great event is, therefore, also linked inseparably to the sudden destruction that, like in the days of Lot, completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Apostle Paul was shown the mystery that is the Rapture of the Church. Paul was also given, through Holy Spirit revelation, prophetic truth about the terrible judgment that will immediately begin to fall upon those left behind—those committed to the evil and wickedness of this fallen world.

The following is Paul’s warning in that regard, linking sudden destruction to the Rapture of all believers.

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

The great apostle had, as recorded in the chapter just preceding this in 1 Thessalonians 5, gone into detail about the Rapture. He then gives the above prophecy, saying no one knows exactly when, but when the Rapture occurs, sudden destruction will come. This, of course, is exactly what our Lord said in the days of Lot prophecy.

At the same time the earth and those left behind are experiencing God’s judgment and wrath and the coming rule by Satan’s final dictator, Antichrist, all who have gone to Christ at the moment of Rapture will experience a “dynamic destiny.”

Here is the “mystery” the Lord told his immediate disciples—and what He later revealed to Paul, and, through His recorded words in the Bible, gave the great message of comfort for all of us who follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

And the Apostle Paul was further given, through Holy Spirit enlightenment, an exciting promise of the dynamic destiny of every believer at the moment of Rapture forward into eternity:

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Again, Paul addresses the sudden destruction/dynamic destination matters, bringing them to a most comforting conclusion:

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).

Of course, if you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ (haven’t accepted His grace gift offer for redemption from sin that separates your soul from God and Heaven), then you are, tragically, appointed to the wrath of God and His judgment for your sinful condition.

Here is how you can assure that you will not have to go through the Tribulation, or be eternally separated from God and Heaven:

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

—Terry

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If It Seems Slow

Do you feel it, too? Sometimes, the headlines of our day create an impatience within me for the Lord to intervene and begin His judgment on the evil-doers of our day. The ongoing murderous rampage in Syria began my latest round of wondering why the Rapture hasn’t already happened. Does He not see all the bloodshed in our world?

As I wrote last week, I recognize that the mind-numbing violence of our day has the world on course for the outpouring of God’s wrath after our departure from the world. The “sudden destruction” of the Day of the Lord begins soon after the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10). Jesus’ appearing to take us home begins His direct intervention in the planet, during which time He will deal with the murderers, thieves, terrorists, and wicked that are causing much pain throughout the world.

It’s the wait that grows in difficulty as we witness lawlessness increasing exponentially while deception abounds.

As I began to fret over the seeming delay of God’s response, I read Psalm 75:2, “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” That’s what I needed to see. The Lord’s answer to wickedness of our day is surely coming, but it will happen in His appointed time.

I’m reminded of the words of the prophet Habakkuk, “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (2:3).

The Father Knows

After reading the verse from Psalm 75, I turned to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

The Father isn’t trying to determine the best time to send His Son to retrieve His bride, the Church. He knew the exact time two thousand years ago when Jesus walked through Israel. He’s not waiting for a time when conditions will be just right. He saw our day from antiquity and determined the day, hour, and moment of the Rapture long before the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost.

The Son knew all about our day and described with much precision the events of the last days and Tribulation in Matthew 24:3-28. Then, perhaps to forestall questions from His disciples and calm our inquisitive minds in the twenty-first century, Jesus stated that only the Father knows the exact time in history when these events would sweep across planet Earth.

Fixed By the Father’s Authority

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus if it was time He “would restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). In response, Jesus expounded upon His earlier statement that only the Father knew the timing of such things.

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).

Here again, Jesus defers to the Father’s authority in this matter. God set the timing of the end-time events, beginning with the Rapture, long, long ago. In Isaiah 46:10, we read that He sovereignly declares “the end from beginning and from ancient time things not yet done.”

The Lord sees the murderous rampages of our time as well as the over-the-top wickedness. It is enough to know that at just the perfect time, He will intervene in world affairs in an unmistakable way.

We cannot know the exact time, but we know that we live in the season of His appearing.

With Equity

The other word in Psalm 75:2 that caught my attention earlier this week is “equity.” The word denotes an evenness or fairness in the Lord’s judgment. That’s bad news for those who think no one sees their corruption, murder of the innocent, and injurious behavior. They may think that God will not respond to their wickedness, but He will do so as their deeds deserve.

So, what’s the encouragement for us in knowing that God’s judgment will be fair, righteous, and wholly justified?

First, because Jesus paid the debt for our sins on the cross, we will not suffer the eternal consequences of our sins. Not only that, but we will not endure the outpouring of God’s wrath during the Tribulation period. Those who come to the Savior after the Rapture will suffer greatly, but like us, they will not pay the ultimate penalty for their sins.

Second, while today’s lawlessness and widespread violence upsets us, we find some degree of relief in knowing that the Lord sees all the evil of our day, even far beyond what’s apparent to us. Not only that, but He will judge with equity because not only does He see all things, but He knows the intent of the heart. We will most likely not see the evil-doers of our day arrested and put in jail, but they will not escape the consequences of their actions unless they repent and turn to Jesus.

Third, I’m reminded of my need to trust the Lord’s handling of the wickedness of my day. Psalm 37:1-7 sums up a response of trust, that of resisting the temptation to fret, remaining “still” or calm before Him in light of the success of the wicked, and waiting patiently for Him to act.

It’s easy to become weary of waiting for the Lord to act, but someday, He will come for us, take us to Heaven, and repay those who perpetrate so much evil in our world.

“If it seems slow, wait for it; will surely come.”

Maranatha!!

-Jonathan