Tag: Jesus Christ

Now Is The Time

It sure seems like things are getting pretty upside down in the world right now, and getting turned inside out on top of that.  One can’t help but wonder what is going on, and where is it all going to end up.  Unrest is growing in intensity, not just in other parts of the world but also here in America.  Lines are being drawn between different groups of people, and different ideologies of life and government.  Corruption is widespread from the highest levels of government all the way down to some of the most impoverished in society.  Violence is increasing to the point, and stirred up by some, that cold-blooded murder is becoming rampant from coast to coast, even to the point of targeting law enforcement.  What do we have to look forward to?

 

Have you ever been in one of those situations where the time had come that you had to react?  You know what I mean, where you just know it’s one of those “it’s now or never” moments?  We are speedily approaching that point in time where “it’s now or never”, if we’re not already there.  Am I talking about taking up arms to protect and defend ourselves and others?  Am I talking about moving to the mountains to get off the power grid and live in isolation, living as a hermit of sorts?  No, I’m not talking about either of those, or anything else of the sort.  What I’m referring to is something far greater in importance than any of those I mentioned.  I’m referring to one’s eternal destination.

 

Ever since God placed Resounding Shophar on my heart some 25 years ago, it has been my desire first and foremost to sound the alarm of the soon and imminent return of Jesus for His bride.  That desire was coupled with the sense of urgency to encourage and challenge people to make sure they are ready and prepared for His return.  That doesn’t mean that I have all the answers, or that I’ve mastered in my life what it means to be a child of God or His ambassador.  It just means that I’ve been willing and available to do it.

 

Over the years I have written short stories to help people remember Christ is returning and to refocus their eyes with that truth in mind.  I’ve challenged people in areas that they may have thought was unrelated to, or had no bearing on, the return of Christ and their readiness for it.  I’ve written about what it means to be ready when that trumpet sounds, as well as mindsets and behaviors that may cause some to not be ready when that time comes.  I’ve encouraged people to not live in the regrets or the “what if’s” of the past, but instead with an assurance of an eternity with Christ that awaits those who live for and place their trust in Him.  I’ve routinely written about the condition and attitudes of one’s heart, as well as the two mindsets I refer to as “kissing cousins”, legalism and extreme or hyper-grace.  I’ve written about the presence of unconfessed sin of an unrepentant heart, and those who choose to continue in sin finding ways to justify or rationalize why it’s okay to continue in it, and how that sin and mindset can interfere with their readiness for Christ and their plans for an eternity in heaven.  I’ve tackled the idea that all Christians will go up in the rapture when that trumpet sounds, and even the views held by some that there will be no literal, physical rapture of any kind.  I’ve even attempted to not only show Biblically how we can be assured of a coming rapture for the Church, but also why I believe it to be one that takes place prior to the seven years of God’s judgment we call the Tribulation Period.

 

I’ve shared my heart with Biblical support over the years regarding Christ’s return and our need to be ready when that trumpet sounds.  I realize there are different views regarding this subject matter within church circles, and some can even be supported in part with scripture.  I learned a long time ago that each person chooses what they believe, who they will believe, and what information they consider true and factual whether or not it truly is.  With that realization, I know that it is entirely up to you what you say or do with what I’ve written and presented over the years.  Do I have all the answers on this subject, and am I 100% right in what I’ve shared?  No, and probably not, but I have shared to the best of my ability and understanding what I believe God’s word has to say on the subject, and what God’s heart for us is as we see that day quickly approaching. 

 

I believe humanity in general, and Christians more specifically, are now in a position, or quickly speeding to it, where the term “it’s now or never” is sounding long and loud for people to get ready for Christ’s return for His Bride.  When we see things unraveling all around us and the world, and things speedily lining up for events specifically laid out in Scripture for the tribulation period, we have to understand that time is quickly running out for people to prepare and get ready for Christ’s return.  The abundant fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophesy right before our eyes I believe is the midnight call of Christ’s very imminent return.  No matter what your views are regarding the return of Christ, it would be wise for you to take the necessary steps to be watching and ready for Him when that time comes.  It’s not so much an issue of when you think He will be returning, but whether or not you are going to be ready when He does.  It doesn’t matter what you believe about the continuing presence of unrepentant sin in your life, sin that you’ve justified as okay and acceptable in your life, it would be wise to deal with it and get it out of your life.  No matter what you believe, are you willing to risk losing eternity in heaven by choosing to continue in a sin you have justified as acceptable and okay in your life on the basis of grace?  No matter what, NOW IS THE TIME for you to make sure you are ready and prepared for Him!

 

NOW IS THE TIME!!

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Don’t Blink!

Have you ever been on a trip heading to a specific destination, but because you blinked you missed it?  Oh, you were watching for it, but in that moment you blinked or got momentarily distracted you went right past it.  Or what about that time you thought for sure you still had another 10 or so miles to go before you would be at your exit, only to find yourself suddenly and unexpectedly going right past it?  At those moments you probably felt frustration, surprise, and possibly anger towards yourself for missing it.  It probably didn’t help much if there were others with you at the time, too.

 

Can you imagine what it would be like for those who get left behind when the rapture of the church takes place?  Especially for those who thought that they would be one of those caught up to meet Jesus in the air?  I don’t know about you, but I definitely do not want to be one of those left behind.

 

I’m hearing more and more Christians take the position that Jesus isn’t returning anytime soon, if at all.  For some, they think that things have to get much worse before Jesus will return.  Others believe that there has to first be a great revival.  And still a growing number of Christians are taking the position that Christ isn’t returning for His church at all in what we call the rapture.  Is this okay, or is there a danger for embracing such positions?

 

In Matthew 24:42 and Matthew 25:13, as well as in Mark 13:35-37 and Luke 21:34-36, Jesus tells us to watch for His return because we don’t know what day or hour that He will come for us.  Jesus isn’t casually telling us to be watching for Him, but He is saying so as a command with strong emphasis to heed and take seriously.  To emphasize the point, Jesus tells us in Revelation 16:15 that the one that watches for Him and takes care of their garments will be blessed, while those who didn’t watch or take care of their garments would find themselves walking naked, or without their robes of righteousness they once had through Christ, and others will see their shame.  Jesus doesn’t pull any punches, commanding His followers to be watching for His return, and rebuking those who didn’t heed His commands regarding His return.

 

So, where does that leave those who are taking the position that Jesus is not returning anytime soon, or that He’s not returning at all?  We’re told in 2 Peter 3:1-13 that in the last days there will be those who will mock the idea of Jesus returning for the Church, and we are seeing that more and more all the time.  How many times have you heard someone say something to the effect that “people have been saying He was coming back for 2000 years”, as if that is a good reason to assume He’s not coming and that they can live as they please?  These are the very people that the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told us would be scoffing at the thought of Christ returning in the last days.  If you are someone that doesn’t believe, for whatever reason, that Jesus isn’t coming back in the very literal and physical event we call the rapture, you are the very ones that God warned us about in these last days.  If you are a Christian and you still don’t believe that Jesus is coming back for the literal and physical rapture of the church, then you are embracing what the Apostle Paul referred to in Galatians 1:6-10, a “different gospel”, and he said to let those who preach and teach it to be “accursed”.

 

I heard of a Christian, a minister that doesn’t believe in a literal and physical rapture of the church, that said he’s convinced that if he was wrong regarding the rapture he would still be raptured up.  To take that position just shows how little he knows of what the Bible teaches regarding the rapture of the church and the consequences of those who aren’t looking and watching for it.  If a person can’t receive salvation if they don’t believe in it, or receive divine healing if they don’t believe in it, how can someone expect to be raptured up if they don’t even believe in it?  The logic this minister is using just doesn’t add up as sound or credible logic in the face of what Scripture tells us.

 

What about those who do believe in the rapture of the church but don’t think it will happen anytime soon?  As I mentioned earlier, some think things have to get a whole lot worse than they are before He will return, and others believe a great revival must first take place before He comes back.  Those who think that things need to get a whole lot worse before He returns, they often times take the approach that Christians in America have to first experience the physical persecution Christians experience in other countries.  Whether or not that is true is really a mute issue, especially when Jesus told us to be watching for His return as He will come at an unexpected moment.  If we think things need to get worse before He will return, then we are at least subconsciously lowering our guard on the premise that He’s not returning anytime soon, as if we really know that.  There is a very real danger with this mindset that I will address shortly.

 

Some Christians seem to think that there has to be a great revival before Christ will return, and like those who believe things have to first get much worse, there is a very real danger with this mindset as well.  While it would be great to see a tremendous revival happen before He returns, to think it has to happen prior to Jesus’ return is a dangerous position to embrace.  Yes, both Joel and the Apostle Peter talked about a great outpouring in the last days, but is it what we think it will be?  After all, when Jesus came the first time, fulfilling the prophesies of how He would come to a “T”, the people and the religious leaders didn’t recognize Him as the messiah because He didn’t come as they thought He should have.  I hear people talk about the prophesied revival of the last days, and what they think it should look like, but have you ever taken a really good look at the revival Joel and Peter described?  When you look at the description of the revivals they prophesied about, we’ve already been experiencing it the past 50 years, going back to the mid 1960’s.  I do believe there is a great revival yet to come for the whole world, but I believe the revival many people are talking about is one that will take place AFTER the rapture of the church.  Like I said, to be thinking that Jesus won’t be coming back until after one last revival is a very dangerous position to be in.

 

How can it be dangerous to believe that things have to get much worse than they are now, or that there has to be one more great revival before Jesus will return?  To begin with, most people who take such a position tend to lower their guard and take their relationship with Christ more casual and laid back than those who are expecting Him to return any moment.  It is here that people are less diligent to keep their robes of righteousness clean without spots or blemishes from sin and the world.  They become lax, thinking they still have tomorrow to “tidy up and get prepared” for His return.  Are these the only reasons why it’s dangerous to embrace such positions?  No, they are not.  We read in Matthew 24:45-51 that the servant that thought his master was delaying his return, and therefore paid little attention to the how he lived in the present, when the master returned at a time when he wasn’t expected to he cut the servant into pieces and gave him his portion among the hypocrites.  We see in Matthew 24:42-44, Luke 11:46-52, and Luke 12:35-48, that those who thought that the master was delaying his return not only got rebuked, but they also were dealt with along with those who were evil and hypocrites.  Luke 12:47 is especially sobering because it speaks to those servants, Christians, that know the masters will and did not prepare themselves or do the will of the master, that they would be beaten with many stripes.  Earlier we saw how strongly Jesus commands us to watch and prepare for His return, and now we’re seeing the consequences of those who don’t because they think His return is still a way off.

 

We are living in a time when we can’t afford “to blink” in our walk with Him, to get distracted with the cares and pleasures of life, or with the idea that He’s not coming back anytime soon.  We’re living in a time when the signs pointing to His very real and increasingly more imminent return are screaming out to us to watch and prepare for Him.  This is not the time to “blink”, because to do so may very well cost us eternity with Him.  To think that this isn’t possible, especially because of His love for us, that we don’t have to worry about it and that we’re a shoe-in for the rapture, is to discount both the commands and the warnings of Christ regarding His return and the times we are living in.  To embrace a teaching that says He’s not coming, or that He’s delaying His return, is a very dangerous position to take and could be viewed as playing a form of “Russian Roulette” with eternity.

 

You might be getting tired of hearing about Jesus’ return and the signs pointing to it, and perhaps finding yourself despising or rejecting any thoughts or conversation on the topic, but Jesus, Himself, tells us as He did the church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13, to persevere.  He tells us that it is in our persevering that we will obtain the crown of life Jesus promises for us, and will keep us from the hour of trial and testing that will come to the earth.  Jesus said in Luke 21:36, that we are to watch and pray that we are counted worthy to escape that which is coming to the earth.  Watch!  Don’t blink!

 

Don’t blink!

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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How Secure Are You?

I was recently asked by a friend I’ve known since my youth if I had written anything on this particular subject.  While I have eluded to it at times, I have never focused primarily on the subject, but seeing that the return of Jesus for His bride is right around the corner I felt it was important to write on it.  How secure are you in your relationship with Christ and eternity?  Are you secure in it, or are you embracing a false security that could have disastrous consequences if you are not prepared when that trumpet sounds?

 

As we see the turmoil within society and the world at large increase in intensity faster and faster, it’s becoming more and more evident that we are actually living in the last days prophesied in Scriptures.  As a part of these last days we know that Jesus will be returning for His Bride sometime in the very near future, and with that the question is asked, “How secure are you in your relationship with Christ?”  It has been debated over the years to what extent one can be assured of their salvation and entrance into heaven, with some arguing that once you’re saved you’re always saved, and some arguing that each time you sin your salvation is lost and needs to be restored.  Which one of these arguments are true, or is it an entirely different position somewhere between the two extremes?

 

The idea of “once saved, always saved”, also known as “eternal security”, has been around for years.  What is believed by those who embrace such a doctrine is that once someone is saved, their eternal destination in heaven has been sealed and cannot be revoked for any reason.  When asked about those who appeared to receive salvation yet later on in life seem to live a life apart from Christ, the common response is that the person wasn’t truly saved to begin with.  It’s as if a person forfeits any free will when they get saved, having no freedom to change their mind at a later time in regards to salvation.  Perhaps this is where the thought originated, that those who have experienced and received the love of Christ will automatically and without question give their lives to Him, and that they would never want to be without it?  I wrote about such a person that had both observed and received Jesus’ love and acceptance for over three years, yet at the end he chose to make decisions that destroyed his relationship with Jesus and his eternal home in heaven, 30 Shekels of Silver.  The teaching of “once saved, always saved” implies that at the point of salvation, salvation is complete and requires nothing more from the individual, except maybe to be loving and gracious towards others.  For some, they will go to the extreme and say all their sins, past, present, and future, were forgiven at the point of salvation, and that there is now no more need to confess and repent of future sins as they were already forgiven.  I realize Scripture is used to support the “once saved, always saved” doctrine, but is there Scripture that would contradict it?

 

I remember just a few years after high school sitting on the floor during one of our youth fellowship group meetings, or home group as some call them, at a youth leaders house.  That night a question was raised that I had heard many times before, but this time it was different.  The question asked, when does grace end?  This, of course, was under the premise that a person could lose their salvation.  So, when the question was asked, when does grace end, the Holy Spirit immediately pointed me to a scripture reference.  It wasn’t one of those times where you’re trying to think of a scripture to answer a question or to support a perspective, and I definitely did not remember what the scripture said, but the Holy Spirit immediately gave me direction.  Now, before I give you the reference, let me tell you something about myself.  I’m one of those people that if you told me that the sky is blue, then I would conclude that it isn’t red.  If you tell me that stepping on the accelerator pedal of a car will make a car go faster, then I would conclude that to take my foot off of it would make it go slower and perhaps stop.  So, when I read the verse I’m about to give you I immediately made a conclusion based on what it said.  In Romans 6:17, the Apostle Paul tells us “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered”.  After reading that I believe God gave me the answer to the question that was asked.  If salvation by grace is a result of obeying God from our heart, then it only makes sense that grace begins to cease when we no longer obey Him from our heart.  It’s not so much an issue of whether or not we sin, but what is the condition and attitude of our heart when we sin.  If our heart seeks to honor God and to be pleasing to Him in all our ways, then we are going to shun sin in our lives more and more, having an attitude of repentance and turning from sin that can be seen in our actions and behaviors.  On the flip side, if we are continually trying to justify or defend why what we are saying or doing is okay, then our heart attitude isn’t right and will jeopardize the operation of God’s grace in our life.  With the right heart attitude grace is in full operation, but it’s a dangerous place to be in if our heart attitude isn’t right and healthy in His sight.

 

I recently wrote another blog asking if Jesus is your Savior, or is He your Lord and Savior.  In it we took a look at Matthew 7:21-23, and how that the ones Jesus turned away were practicing lawlessness even though they called Him Lord and did the supernatural in His name.  They were doing their own thing, living as they felt was right and okay and not according to Scripture and what God had for them.  The attitude of their heart was not one of obedience to Him, and as a result Jesus told them to depart from Him.

 

In Matthew 25:1-13, we read of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins.  In this parable, the virgins represent followers of Christ, Christians.  All ten of them were patiently waiting, with full expectation, for the bridegroom to come get them, but only five were found ready and prepared when he did arrive.  The five virgins that were not ready and prepared for him were left behind.  The setting of this parable is in the context of the ancient Jewish wedding, a picture that is often times used to illustrate the wedding between Christ and the Church.  To keep things brief, one of the aspects of the ancient Jewish wedding is that the groom and bride enter into a marriage covenant with each other, a process that isn’t completed until a future time.  After entering into this marriage, the groom leaves for an indefinite period of time to prepare a place for her.  Upon his return for his bride, the one whom he has entered into a marriage covenant with, if she was ready and prepared for him when he returned, he would take her back to his father’s house where the marriage process would be finalized and completed.  If on the other hand he were to find that her affections were elsewhere or that she had not prepared herself for him as she ought, the groom could leave without her and give her a letter of divorce.  This was what Joseph was going to do with Mary when he heard that she was with child, planning to “put her away privately”, Matthew 1:19.

 

In the parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:21-34, Jesus gives us a picture of the place forgiveness should have in our life.  In it, a king is settling accounts with his servants who represent Christians.  A servant is brought to him that owes him an enormous debt that he could not pay, and when the king gives orders to have him sold along with his wife and children to pay the debt the servant begs for time.  Out of compassion the king not only gives him more time, but he actually forgives, or cancels out, the debt this servant owed him.  The servant then goes out and finds a fellow servant that only owes him pennies by comparison to what he had just been forgiven of, and despite the begging of this other servant for more time to pay, he has him thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the king hears of this he calls for the servant, rebukes him because he didn’t show the same kind of compassion and kindness towards the other servant that he had been given, and in anger recalls the debt that had initially been forgiven and sends him to the torturers until he paid it all.  In a nutshell, when the king forgave the servant, that represents salvation, but because the servant didn’t extend forgiveness to others after he had first received forgiveness from the king, his past debt was remembered and he was sent off to be tortured.  For those that say that this doesn’t apply to us, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:35 that God will do the same to us if we don’t from our heart also forgive.  The servant received salvation, but because he would not forgive his salvation was forfeited.

 

Some will argue that these teachings of Jesus are not relevant to us because they were before He died and rose again, but in Matthew 28:19-20, just before He ascended up into heaven, Jesus instructs us to teach others to observe and do ALL that He commanded us.  He didn’t indicate only that which was after His resurrection, but all that He had commanded us to do.  In a book that was written about 90 A.D., almost 60 years after Christ’s ascension, Jesus talks to seven churches made up of Christians in Revelation 2-3.  In these chapters Jesus identifies what awaits those who overcome, and in Revelation 3:1-6 He talks to the church in Sardis.  In Revelation 3:5 He tells them that if they overcome “He will not blot their name out of the Book of Life”.  How can a person’s name be blotted out of anything without it first being put in it?  Since a person’s name is entered into the Lamb’s Book of Life at the point of salvation, this can only mean that because they didn’t overcome as Christ instructed them to do they “lost” their salvation.  Some people confuse the Book of the Living with the Book of Life, but they are two completely different books.  The Book of the Living, which is what Moses referred to in Exodus 32:32-33, has the names of all people who are physically living.  The Lamb’s Book of Life has all the names of those who have received salvation, whether they are currently dead or alive, which is only through Christ and the accepting of His sacrifice for our sins.  The writer of Hebrews indicates in Hebrews 10 that it’s possible for some to “draw back” from the salvation they once received, and how that the just will endure and live by faith.

 

While I don’t embrace the teaching of “once saved, always saved”, also known as “eternal security”, I do believe a person can be secure in their salvation.  When a person has a heart that seeks to honor and please God in all they do, to obey Him and His commands first and foremost, to actively shun sin in their life and be quick to repent when they do sin, which means to cease continuing in that sin, I believe a person can be secure in their salvation.  But, if a person is continually trying to defend or justify their behavior or the presence of sin in their life, or they take the position that they have the right to decide when they will or will not obey God and His Word, no matter what it is, then they are at risk of forfeiting the salvation they began in.  Some say for some to lose their salvation requires a complete turning of ones back to God, but I believe from what we’ve looked at in this and the previous blog it is possible for someone to “lose” their salvation and not enter into heaven without completely turning their back on Him.  Does a person lose their salvation every time they sin?  No, I believe that a person with the right attitude of the heart will experience God’s grace without measure during those times until they’ve had opportunity to recognize the sin and repent of it.  The Holy Spirit will convict us when we’ve sinned, and when we continue in sin, but if we continue to ignore His conviction or try to say it isn’t Him then we run the risk of falling short of the prize that the Apostle Paul tells us about, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Philippians 3:12-16.  The Apostle Paul tells us to push for the prize that awaits us, and Jesus tells us that there is a reward for those who endure and overcome till the end.

 

Do you want the prize, the crown awaiting those who persevere and overcome till the end?  Do you want what awaits those who watch and prepare for the return of Jesus for His Bride?  Don’t let your robes of righteousness become spotted and blemished with the world and sin.  It’s up to you.

 

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Jesus, Our Savior

Jesus, our Savior, that is what many of us are looking for.  We want to receive God’s love for us, and His forgiveness of our sins, and for many that is where it ends.  Jesus can be our Savior, freeing us from the bondage and penalty of our sins, but to give Him the position of Lord in our life is another story.  It’s almost as if all we’re wanting is “fire insurance”, enough of what God has to offer us through Jesus to keep us out of hell, but is that the kind of relationship Jesus is calling us to?  Or is He wanting something more from us?

 

A well-known author made a point along these lines.  He commented that many have come to the place that they believe who Jesus is and what He did for them, and that the basis of their prayer for salvation is based on their belief in Jesus, not a commitment to follow Him.  Many seem to think that all they need Jesus to be is their savior, not realizing that Jesus is requiring a relationship defined as a follower of Jesus.  In Luke 9:23-26 Jesus tells us what is required to be with Him; we need to deny ourselves, take up His cross daily, and follow Him.

 

In the New Testament, the word Savior is used more than 20 times in reference to Jesus.  The words Lord and Savior together more than 15 times, but the word Lord by itself is used more than 700 times of Jesus.  Jesus longs to be our Savior, but it appears that Scripture greatly emphasizes His role in our life needs to be that of Lord.  Are you okay with Jesus being Lord in your life, or are you content with Him just being your Savior?  It’s a tough question, but your answer could have potentially disastrous eternal consequences.

 

Some people think that just because they walked down an isle and said the “sinner’s prayer” they are a shoe-in for heaven.  When we look at Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus makes it clear who will and will not enter into heaven.  In verse 21 Jesus tells us not everyone who says to Him “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father.  And in verse 23 we learn that those Jesus tells to depart from Him are those who practice lawlessness.  Check out the irony in this.  Here we have people who are doing the supernatural, and in Jesus’ name, yet Jesus tells them to depart from Him because they practice lawlessness.  This tells us two things.  The first thing is that just because someone can do the supernatural in Jesus’ name does not mean they are in right relationship with Him.  This doesn’t mean that doing the supernatural is not of God, or that it’s not good or desired for us, but instead that this is not the barometer to gauge whether or not we are in right standing with Him.  The second thing we learn is that Jesus is looking for those who do the Father’s will, not those who do as they deem is right and okay based on their own perceptions and opinions.

 

Those who do the will of the Father, and those who practice lawlessness even though they can do the supernatural.  I think you can sum up the difference between the two with one statement; one group made Jesus their Lord, and the other group only saw Him as their savior.  We see people in church circles who are quick to claim the promises and blessings of being a child of God, even moving in the supernatural with signs and wonders, yet at the same time they can be rebelling against God and His will for them.  Perhaps God called them into full-time ministry and they decided to pursue a career more to their liking?  Maybe it was to keep their mouth shut but they just can’t stand not gossiping or making comments whenever they choose to do so?  Maybe God wanted them to move somewhere and they decided to stay put or move somewhere else?  Or, it could be something as mundane as God telling them to give up sodas, but because they see nothing wrong with them they continue to drink them.  Some may argue whether or not situations like what I just described could keep them out of heaven, but to argue that point is to miss the point.  Besides the fact that choosing to go opposite of what God is calling you to, regardless of what it is, sends the message that your opinion is more important than God’s, there is a heart issue here.  If a person is always trying to justify their decisions, or their behavior, as to why they are not being obedient to God or continue behaving in a way that is not honoring and pleasing to Him, the issue goes beyond the choice they made or the behavior they choose to continue in.  The issue is an attitude of the heart.  Is the attitude of your heart one that desires to obey and honor God in all areas of your life, or is it one that consistently tries to defend and justify themselves?  A Christian with the right attitude will be quick to repent of sin in their life, which means turning away from the sin.  A Christian with that attitude of the heart I believe experiences God’s grace without measure, covering sins in their life that they may not be aware or had opportunity to repent of, but a Christian with the wrong attitude of the heart could very possibly find themselves with the same group of people that Jesus turns away in Matthew 7:23.

 

A lot of people in the days we are living in see Jesus as only their savior.  They are quick to accept and receive all the promises and blessings God can give them, including love and forgiveness, but sadly many of them don’t allow Jesus to be Lord in their life.  Some have the mindset that our relationship with Christ is based solely on what He can and has done for us, giving very little to no thought that they have a responsibility in this relationship.  They seem to think that salvation is an end in and of itself, and that nothing more is required of them outside of merely accepting it, seeing Jesus as only Savior, but what we learn from the above texts is that this is not the case.  Jesus requires that we live with Him as Lord of our life, and that limiting Him to just our savior is not sufficient.

 

In my youth I was a part of a church youth choir that did some traveling.  It was not your typical church youth choir in that we had at one time 175 youth in it, and the guys outnumbered the girls causing the Music Pastor to make adjustments to some of the music to accommodate this unique dynamic.  One of the songs we sang is still a well-known song (not because of us), “I surrender all”, but one of the statements in the song that is not often heard was powerful and made an impact on me.  The statement was, “If Jesus is not Lord of everything, then He’s not Lord at all”.  Before you’re quick to say that Jesus is Lord in your life, stop and take a closer look at yourself and see if there are any areas that you’ve pretty much denied Jesus access to.  You may be faithful to church on a regular basis, passionate to talk about Him to others, involved in various ministries, listen only to Christian music with Jesus bumper stickers on your car, but are there areas that by disregarding God’s will or instructions for you, some of which are found in His Word, you have told God that He is not Lord in your life?

 

Is Jesus your Savior, or is He both your Lord and Savior???????

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Looking for the Anti-Christ?

I remember as a kid growing up hearing people talking about the anti-Christ, trying to figure out who he was and whether or not he was even alive yet.  At the time most people seemed to think that it was Henry Kissinger, citing various reasons including one that suggested his name equaled the number 666.  Over the year’s people have speculated about who is the anti-Christ.  For one reason or another, people have speculated that it was Nero, Hitler, John F Kennedy, Prince Charles, and even Mikhail Gorbachev, just to name a few.  In recent years, it has been largely speculated that President Barak Obama is the anti-Christ, a position I have been hesitant to embrace though I believe he’s done a lot to propel us into the waiting arms of an anti-Christian, One World government.

 

Several years ago I was watching something on TV that looked at some of the leading candidates of our time for being the anti-Christ.  One name seemed to pop out at me more than the others because of where this person is from, who he associates with, and his desire to be the foremost world leader with a plan on how to accomplish that.  While his name has been in the news from time to time over the years, it hasn’t been until recent weeks that he’s been in the news a lot, and he’s become more aggressive in his attempt to position himself as the world leader he’s envisioned himself becoming.  His desire is to unite all the different Muslim groups under his leadership and control, sharing common goals and ambitions, and to create a Muslim caliphate state ran by Sharia law that has not been seen in centuries.  His name is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey.  Could he be the anti-Christ, or just someone helping to usher him in?  I can’t say one way or the other, but what I can say is that he is a viable candidate for the position.

 

Why am I sharing this with you?  Are we supposed to be focusing our attention on who is the anti-Christ, or is our attention supposed to be somewhere else?  While I do keep an eye out for the leading candidates to fill that position, I also think it fruitless to focus our attentions on it and try to speculate who that person will be.  There are two main reasons why I take that position that I want to share with you.

 

Listening to some I find that many believe we are already in the tribulation period, the period of time that marks the years the anti-Christ will rule.  They see and hear of all the persecution against Christians, the natural disasters and other calamities taking place throughout the world, and their answer to all of it is to say we’re in the tribulation period.  This leads to the first of two reasons for my position.  In Daniel 9:20-27, we read of the angel Gabriel telling Daniel about a period of 70 weeks.  In verse 24 we learn what the purpose of the 70 weeks is for, and in verses 25-26 we learn how the first 69 of those 70 weeks will conclude.  In verse 27 we learn about the 70th week, the last week of the 70 weeks Gabriel is talking about, and what will mark its beginning.  The beginning of this last of the 70 weeks, a period of time known by Biblical scholars as the 7-year tribulation period, starts off with the anti-Christ confirming a covenant of sorts that includes Israel.  This confirming of a covenant is the only sign we are given to identify when the tribulation period will begin, and that has not happened yet.  Yes, the times we are living in are tough and brutal, especially for Christians, but it is a result of sinful mankind rebelling against a holy God and His Children.  While some of what we see in the area of natural disasters and calamities may be specific and isolated judgments of God, what we are seeing is nothing near the judgments of God that will be poured out upon all mankind alive on earth during those seven years.  So, contrary to what some believe, based on the above scripture, we are clearly NOT in the tribulation period at this time.

 

The second reason for the position I take is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.  In this passage, specifically verses 3-8, the Apostle Paul mentions the anti-Christ, identified in this passage as the son of perdition, and when he would be revealed.  In verse 7 we are told that the anti-Christ is being restrained at this time, and that he will not be revealed until he who restrains is taken out of the way.  There is some debate within church circles as to who is being mentioned that is restraining the anti-Christ at this time, debating between the Holy Spirit and the Church.  I personally believe it is the Church, especially since we know that we’ve been promised that God would never leave or forsake us.  If the Holy Spirit were to leave He would have to take the Church with Him, but if the Church were taken out of the way, the Holy Spirit could still be working here on earth though His role may change since the Bride of Christ is no longer here.  With that, I believe Scripture is telling us that the anti-Christ will not be revealed until AFTER the rapture of the Church.  If that is the case, then why is it that so many Christians are caught up in this quest of sorts to identify who the anti-Christ is, often times at the neglect of watching and preparing for the return of Christ?

 

As Christians, we are told to be watching for the return of Christ for us, His Bride, and not for the anti-Christ.  We are also told to prepare for Christ’s return, not for the appearance of the anti-Christ.  I just saw a video of a woman proclaiming that God had revealed to her in two visions who the anti-Christ will be.  While I believe she is well intentioned and sincere in what she believes, I can’t say that I agree with her.  First off, we are told by God that the anti-Christ will not be revealed until AFTER the rapture of the Church.  Why would God tell us he won’t be revealed until after the rapture, only to reveal to someone who he is before we are even raptured up?  That is a contradiction of Scripture, and I choose to listen to Scripture more than someone’s visions.  Whenever someone says or proclaims something that clearly contradicts Scripture, we need to align ourselves with Scripture more than their supposed “revelations”.  Another reason I take what she says with a grain of sand is because the person she identifies doesn’t match up with Scripture that gives us clues to his identity.  We are told in Daniel 9:26 that the anti-Christ will come from the people that destroy the city and His temple, and it is on this basis that we have concluded he is to come from the ancient Roman empire.  The person this woman identifies doesn’t come from those who made up the Roman empire, though some have stretched things a lot on the basis that America was once a British colony.  Going back to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God, which took place in 70 A.D., we see that the Roman empire did lay siege upon Jerusalem and had a part in the destruction of the temple.  However, when we take a closer look at the historical accounts by two historians that saw these events first hand, we find that the Roman soldiers that took part in this siege was not primarily made up of natural born Romans.  Yes, the leadership were clearly Roman, but the soldiers themselves were primarily Syrians and Arabs, arch enemies and direct neighbors of the Jews.  This is another reason why I discount the person this woman identified, and why I mentioned the President of Turkey, understanding that modern Turkey was a part of Syria in 70 A.D.  Based on Scripture, the anti-Christ has to come from the middle east, and more specifically the area that made up Syria in that day, which included Turkey and Iraq.

 

So, if the anti-Christ will not be revealed until after the rapture, why do we need to know who he is?  Well, we don’t.  God gives us events and details of the last days for a number of different reasons.  I believe He gives us this information as part of the signs we are to be watching for to show us how imminent Christ’s imminent return for His Bride is, seeing the final steps taking place for things that will be taking place in the tribulation period.  I also believe He gives us this information to validate that He really knows what will take place long before any hint of them becoming reality was ever seen or imagined, and that we can have greater confidence in how things will be in the end.  Another reason I believe He shares these things with us, I believe, is more for those who are left behind, giving them information of events to come and what to expect, and to know when and how He is going to finish things off.  This information will be a big comfort for those who are left behind.

 

While it is important for us to be aware of the events of these last days, and to know the signs of His return, it is more important for us to be watching for the return of Jesus for His Bride, and to make sure we are prepared for Him when He arrives for us.  Don’t get so caught up trying to identify or speculate who the anti-Christ is, especially since God makes it clear that he will not be revealed until after the rapture of the Church, to the point that you are not actively watching for Jesus and making sure you’re prepared for Him.  Jesus is very adamant about us watching and preparing for His return, and gives us no instructions for watching and identifying the anti-Christ.  Don’t get caught up in the trap that so many others have fallen into.

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Rapture – Part 6

Well, this is the sixth and final installment of the rapture series.  In the previous installments we briefly covered how scripture supports the rapture teaching, the differences between the rapture and the second coming of Christ, the seven feasts of God, and the harvest cycles.  In this blog I want to present to you what I believe is one of the strongest Biblical pictures of a pre-tribulation rapture, and that is found in the ancient Jewish wedding.

 

A lot of times when we read of marriage in the Bible we tend to view them through filters based on the American culture.  When we do that, we end up missing what it is that God is trying to reveal to us in Scripture, especially when it comes to our relationship with Christ.  There is little resemblance between the wedding process of ancient Jews and what we practice here in America.  When we view our relationship with Christ in the context of marriage, we rarely see that it is also a picture of end-time events and the fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecy.  When we realize this, it begins to really open up our understanding of what is in store for the Church and how the last days will take place.

 

To begin with, the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that we are betrothed to Christ.  Betrothed is different than the western practice of being engaged to be married to another.  The practice of being engaged to be married is pretty much a commitment only as strong as the weakest commitment between the two getting married.  With betrothal, the two parties are considered married civilly, legally, relationally, and religiously, even though the marriage has yet to be consummated.  Unlike engagements that can be terminated simply by one of the two parties indicating they are backing out of it, the only way to break a betrothal is through divorce or death.  When Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he was planning on putting her away privately until an angel appeared to him, Matthew 1:18-25.  Even though they had not yet consummated the marriage, what Joseph was planning on doing was to give Mary a letter of divorce, ending the betrothal stage and the marriage.

 

In Ephesians 5:22-33 the Apostle Paul gives us some instructions regarding marriage, and in that portion of Scripture he likens marriage between a man and a woman to that of Christ and the Church.  The relationship between Christ and the Church is a marriage relationship, and in it we find clues that point to the rapture of the Church and other end-time Biblical prophecies.  Let’s take a look at some of these.

 

In the ancient Jewish wedding, it was initiated with the groom choosing his bride.  We see that in John 15:16 and in Ephesians 1:4 where Jesus chose us first.  If the groom’s father approved of his selection, then the groom would approach who he wanted with what is called a ketuba.  The ketuba was a proposed contract of sorts that the groom would present to the anticipated bride, one that would stipulate both what would he would commit to, and what was expected of her, in their relationship.  For the Christian, the Bible is our ketuba.  After approaching the prospective bride, if the bride consented to his proposal they would then take the necessary steps to contractually enter into marriage with each other, which often times included both of them drinking from the same cup.

 

After the new bride and groom enter into this marriage with each other, before they ever consummate the marriage, the groom would leave to go to his father’s house to prepare a place for his new bride.  We see this in our relationship with Jesus in John 14:1-2, where He tells us that He is going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us.  When the groom left to go prepare a place for his bride, this period of time was usually around 12 months long, but the groom didn’t know how long as that was to be determined by his father.  Speaking of His return for the Church, His Bride, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 that He doesn’t even know when that will take place, but only the Father knows.

 

While the groom was gone preparing a place for his new bride, the bride was set apart for him alone, and she was to present herself to others as someone’s wife.  During this period of time, the betrothal stage, the bride was considered married to her groom legally, civilly, and religiously.  Anything on her part that could be viewed as being unfaithful or uncommitted to her groom drew very serious consequences.  This was a period of time that she was expected to prepare herself for her groom and his return for her, being ever watchful for him not knowing when he would return.  Throughout the New Testament we read of how we are to grow up and mature in Him, how we are to find our identity in Him alone, and how that we are to live a life pleasing and honoring to Him as we prepare ourselves for His return.  Furthermore, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:43 and Matthew 25:13, that we are to be watching for His return, not knowing when that will be.

 

In our relationship with Christ, we are in the betrothal stage.  Contrary to popular opinion, our marriage to Christ has not been finalized yet, and it won’t be until after we are raptured up to meet Him in the air.  Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that we are betrothed to Jesus.  If our marriage to Him has been completed already, then he wouldn’t tell us we are betrothed to Jesus.  This is an important fact to remember.  Many people believe that once they enter into a saving relationship with Christ, their relationship with Him is complete and final, and that they are guaranteed a ticket to be a part of the rapture when it takes place.  Having this mindset is contradictory to what we see in Scripture, especially in the parables and teachings of Jesus that tell us that many who call themselves Christians will not be raptured up or enter into Heaven with Christ for eternity.  However, when we view our relationship with Jesus through the eyes of the ancient Jewish wedding, we can clearly see how that is.  When the groom returned for his bride and found that she wasn’t faithful to him, or that her affections were elsewhere, or even that she hadn’t prepared for him like she was supposed to, he would give her a letter of divorce and leave without her.  This is what Joseph planned to do with Mary when he heard that she was pregnant, but an angel intervened and told him not to put her away as he was planning to do.  When Jesus returns, if He finds that we’ve been unfaithful to Him, or that our affections are elsewhere, or that we hadn’t prepared ourselves for His return as we ought, He will also give us a letter of divorce and leave us behind.  A scary and very sobering thought to consider.

 

When the groom returns and finds his bride watching and ready for him, he would then take her back to his father’s house where they would then consummate the marriage.  This would mark the beginning of a week full of festivities attended by family and friends of the family, a period of time that was usually seven to 10 days long.  This period of time coincides prophetically with the tribulation period.  At what is known as the “Lord’s Supper”, Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:26-29 and in Mark 14:24-25 that after that time He would not again drink of the vine until He drinks it with us in His Father’s Kingdom.  Jesus was having the Passover meal with His disciples, and in understanding the Passover meal and the four cups they would drink from, we can know that they drank from the third cup of four cups.  They do not drink from the fourth cup, waiting for Elijah to return and drink from it announcing the arrival of the Messiah.  That fourth and last cup of the Passover meal has a unique name to it, the Cup of Consummation.  That will be the cup that Jesus and His Bride will drink from after the rapture of the Church, consummating the marriage between Jesus and the Church.  This is all happening during the tribulation period.

 

When the wedding festivities conclude seven to 10 days later, the bride and groom return to be seen publicly as husband and wife, and the groom will have a year where he does no work or go to war so he can focus his time and attention on his new bride.  In regards to Jesus and the Church, His Bride, we see this in Revelation 19:11-14 when Jesus returns with His Bride, the armies of Heaven.  It is at this time that the millennial, 1,000-year reign of Christ begins.

 

As you can see, the parallels between the ancient Jewish wedding and Christ’s relationship to the Church, as well as Biblical end-time events, are amazing.  Jesus is coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:25-27), and it’s up to the Bride to make sure her garments are clean and pressed for Him.  Jesus gave us His robe of righteousness when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, but it is up to us to keep that robe clean and free from sin and the marks of this world. If we don’t, then we risk getting a “letter of divorce” from Jesus and left behind.  In the midst of John recording what he was seeing with the judgments in the book of Revelation, Jesus pops in for a quick commercial to emphasize this important point.  In Revelation 16:15, Jesus tells us “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (NKJV).  If we miss the rapture, we lose our robe of righteousness that He gave us, and Jesus doesn’t want that to happen to us.  Are your garments spotted with sin, especially sin that you choose to continue in?  Jesus isn’t pulling any punches.  He wants us to be watching for Him with robes ready and prepared for Him.

 

Are you ready for Him?  If not, then this is the time to do so!  You can’t wait until a better time to prepare for Him, or to get sin out of your life.  Don’t allow your robes of righteousness to remain blemished and spotted from the world!  Jesus is coming back, and by all indications much, much sooner than most care to believe.  Don’t be caught off guard and unprepared!

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Rapture – Part 5

In part 3 and 4, we took a look at the seven feasts God established for Himself in Leviticus 23, and how that in them we not only see the rapture, but also a pre-tribulation rapture.  This was one of three Biblical pictures we will be briefly looking at that point to a pre-tribulation rapture.  In this blog, part 5 of the rapture series, we’re going to take a brief look at the second of three Biblical pictures I want to give you that point to a pre-tribulation rapture, and that is found in the harvest cycles.

 

Every year, there were three feasts that God instructed all the men to attend, and each of these feasts were identified with three different harvests.  The three feasts that required the attendance of all the men were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.  The Passover feast emphasized the barley harvest, Pentecost emphasized the wheat harvest, and Tabernacles emphasized the harvest of fruit, namely grapes.  How each of these harvests were conducted represents not only the three phases of the harvest, but also in them the three resurrections.

 

The first harvest, the barley harvest, involved a process of winnowing where the entire stalk was thrown up into the wind.  When the barley was tossed up into the wind, the wind would separate the shell from the barley.  This harvest represents the rapture of the Church before the tribulation period begins, where those who are in Christ are caught up in the air to meet the Lord.  We can also see this when Elijah was caught up into a whirlwind and when Jesus was taken up in a cloud in the presence of His followers.

 

The second harvest, the wheat harvest, involved a more aggressive form of harvesting.  In order to break and separate the shell from the wheat it requires a threshing process.  This process was done in the time of Christ with a Roman threshing roller called a tribulim, the word we get tribulation from.  It means to press or squeeze, creating pressure that causes separation.  This harvest represents those who come out of the tribulation period.  Christians who were not ready and prepared when the rapture took place will be a part of this group, those who will have to give their lives for Jesus.

 

The third harvest, the grape harvest, is a harvest involving a crushing.  Grapes do not have a shell but instead have flesh and skin that needs to be crushed in order to get the juice.  The tribulation period is the “grapes of wrath” and the “winepress of God”.  This represents the harvest, the resurrection, at the end of the tribulation period, Revelation 14:17-20.

 

Barley is soft and represents the church and the overcomer, Revelation 2-4.  Wheat is hard and must be separated from the shell through the pressures created in the tribulation period, Revelation 14:1.  Grapes are crushed representing the winepress of God, Revelation 14:19.

 

Biblically, the way that a field was harvested provides another picture of how God will harvest His people in these last days.  This process involved three phases in order to harvest the whole field.  The first phase was about the first fruits, the overcomers (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).  In this phase the priests would go through the field and select portions of the field that was ripe and ready for harvest, and then they would harvest the portions they selected with either a sickle, or simply pull it out of the ground, to take back to the temple.  This represents the rapture, the resurrection of the dead in Christ out of the ground, and the catching up of the living who are in Christ who are ripe and ready for harvest.

 

The second phase of the harvest was when the main field was harvested, leaving the four corners of the field to provide gleanings for the poor and the widows.  This represents the second harvest that takes place in the middle of the tribulation period, where people have washed their robes by giving their lives for Jesus (Revelation 14:15).  This phase includes the 144,000 Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel, as well as possibly those Christians who missed the rapture because their garments were spotted with sin and they were not ready when He came for them.

 

The third and final phase of the harvest is when the four corners of the field are harvested (Matthew 24:31).  At this point the entire field has been harvested.  This final phase of the harvest represents those who are gathered together from the four corners of the earth at the end of the tribulation period.  These are called the remnant, those who lived and gave their lives for Christ in the last part of the tribulation period.

 

Understanding the different phases associated with the harvesting of a field helps us understand both the manner and the order in which God will harvest His people from the earth.  Some people get confused when they read in the book of Revelation the saints and elect having to go through the tribulation period, thinking that these terms refer to the church.  This is not necessarily the case as both terms, the elect and the saints, have been used throughout the Bible referring to different individuals or groups.  The term “elect” has been used to identify Christ, of the angels, Israel, Jacob, a woman, and also the church.  The term “saints” in the New Testament means “a holy thing”, and it represents anyone who has been washed in the blood of Christ.  While both terms can obviously refer to the Church, one is hard pressed to arbitrarily conclude that the references in the book of Revelation is speaking exclusively of the Church.  There are some problems when we try to say that it is referring strictly to the Church.  When we see indications that in Heaven there are those who would have been resurrected and raptured up there, all the while seeing saints and the elect on earth going through the tribulation period, this can lead to confusion when attempting to say they are all the Church. The last time we read of the church in Revelation is chapters 2-3, after which in Revelation 4 we read about John being called up to Heaven and what he sees when he gets there.  Like others, I believe this represents the rapture of the Church.  From that time on there is no mention of the Church, except for it being identified as the Bride of Christ at the end of Revelation.  The saints and elect mentioned after chapter four more than likely refers to those who are living and giving their lives for Christ after having realized they had been left behind. 

 

During the tribulation period those who were raptured up observe the transition of Jesus from High Priest to King, appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ, receive rewards, and are present at the wedding between Christ that His Bride, the Church.  Once the wedding is complete, Jesus and His Bride return to earth to establish Christ’s reign on earth for 1,000 years.  In the next part of this series on the subject of the rapture, I’m going to cover what I believe is one of the strongest pictures of a pre-tribulation rapture.  In the meantime, the most important question to ask yourself is whether or not you are ready for Him if He were to return before your next breath?  If you are not ready to meet Him, then this is the time to get ready.  Time is short, and this is not the time to be taking this casually and risk getting left behind.  Now is the time to get it right with Him, and to keep things right with Him.

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Rapture – Part 4

In my last blog we covered the seven feasts that God established for Himself, feasts that were to mark future points in time in God’s plan of redemption for mankind.  While these feasts were God’s feasts, they were given to the Jews to keep and observe every year, and the Apostle Paul told us in Colossians 2:16-17 that they are a shadow of things to come.  It hasn’t been until recent years that the Christian community has even stopped to consider the possibility that in these feasts Biblical end-time prophecy can be found, much less that it had anything to do with us.  In these feasts we can not only see the rapture of the church, but also that the rapture is a pre-tribulation event.

 

Of the seven feasts that God established for Himself, one of them clearly represents the rapture of the Church, and that is the fifth feast known as the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah.  It is in learning more about this feast that the words of the Apostle Paul regarding the rapture of the Church begins to make more sense.

 

So, what do we know of the Feast of Trumpets?  The Feast of Trumpets represents a day of the blowing of trumpets.  On that day the shofar, a trumpet made from the horn of an animal, is sounded 100 times.  There are four distinct sounds it makes, and three of those sounds are blown 33 times each, with the fourth sound only being blown one time after all others have sounded.  Each of the four sounds represent something different.  The first is called Tekiah, a long single blast, which represents “the sound of the Kings coronation”.  The second one is called Shevarim, three short wail-like blasts, which represents “repentance”.  The third sound is the Teruah, nine staccato blasts of alarm, which represents “to awaken the soul”.  The fourth, and final, sound is the Tekiah Ha-Gadolah, a great long blast, which represents “for as long as you can blow”.

 

Here is a list of some of the things this feast represents.

 

–          The day of the blowing of trumpets

–          The day of the awakening blast

–          The day of the resurrection

–          The day of the coronation of the King

–          The day the King takes His bride

–          The day of the King’s wedding

–          The day God divides mankind into three groups, the wholly righteous, the wholly wicked, and the intermediates (those in between)

 

Do you see the parallels between this feast and the rapture of the Church?  The resurrection of the dead, Jesus receiving His bride, the Church, and the wedding between Christ and the Church?  Or, what about God dividing mankind into three groups, taking the wholly righteous while leaving the wholly wicked and those Christians unprepared for His coming for them?

 

There are two phrases from both Jesus and the Apostle Paul that alludes to this Feast of Trumpets.  The first one is by Jesus in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, “but of that day and hour no one knows”, referring to the rapture of the Church.  Of all the seven feasts, it was only this one that no one knew when it would take place.  Oh, they knew it would be within a 48-hour span of time, but when exactly they did not know.  There would be at least two witnesses set to observe the phases of the moon, and when the moon reached a certain phase they would report to the priests what they had seen.  Once the priest got word from the witnesses that they had seen the specific moon phase, then the priest would declare when the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah would begin.  Until that moment, they never knew when it would start as it was dependent upon the “new moon”, and as a result ancient Jews identified this feast as “the day and hour no one knows”.

 

The second phrase alluding to this feast was by the Apostle Paul, referring to the rapture of the Church in 1 Corinthians 15:52.  It was the phrase “last trump”, or in some translations “last trumpet”.  Some people argue that the trumpet Paul is alluding to is the last of the seven trumpets sounded in the book of Revelation, but this is not the case.  To begin with, the book of Revelation was written about 35 years after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, and there is no indication that people questioned what he was even talking about.  However, ancient Jews in Paul’s day were well aware of the phrase “last trump”, and that was in direct connection to the Feast of Trumpets.  Remember I mentioned there were four distinct sounds on Rosh Hashanah, and the first three were blown 33 times each, and that the fourth sound was only blown once and after all the others had been sounded?  That fourth sound, the final blast of the shofar on that day, was known by all Jews as the “last trump”, or “last trumpet”.  A definite connection to the Feast of Trumpets.

 

Another facet of this feast that corresponds to the rapture is what is called the Teshuvah season.  The Teshuvah was a period of time that spanned 40 days, starting 30 days before the Feast of Trumpets.  Teshuvah is translated “repent” or “repentance”, and it is believed to stem from the third time Moses ascended Mt. Sinai for 40 days and nights to get the second set of tablets.  The theme of this season is repentance, and Isaiah 55:6 is considered thematic of the season.

 

The first 30 days of this season of repentance are set aside for soul searching, repentance, and forgiveness, and it ends on Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets.  This is a period of time when people are to repent of sin in their life, give and seek forgiveness of those we’ve wronged seeking to make things right with them, and finally to prepare for judgement.  The primary motivation for them is to be found worthy to be resurrected and called up by the King so they won’t have to go through the remaining ten days of this season.  We can see the scriptural parallel with this period of time in Luke 21:36 and Mark 13:32-33, where we are told to watch and pray to be counted worthy to escape that which is coming to the world, knowing that the day He returns will be the “day and hour no one knows”.  Other scriptures that should be noted with this time are Matthew 24:36-38 and Luke 17:26-30.

 

The last ten days of the Teshuvah season are called “Days of Awe”, which ends on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.  These last ten days directly correspond with the tribulation period, and it’s a time of serious introspection and opportunity to change the books your name is written in.  This is a period of time Jews know they do NOT want to go through because it will be that bad.  Only the righteous who are resurrected and called up on the Feast of Trumpets will escape this period of time.  Jesus mentions this in Revelation 3:10-11.  Those who were not wholly righteous or are wholly wicked that are left behind are given an opportunity during this period of time to solidify their eternal destination in heaven or hell by their works during this time.  Even those who were wholly wicked will have an opportunity during this time to get their names in the Book of Life by works starting with repentance, works that will probably include giving their very lives for the name of Jesus Christ.

 

In the middle of the judgments being poured out in the book of Revelation is a scripture that almost seems out of place, Revelation 16:15.  It’s like Jesus is popping in for a quick news flash making sure people know that they are blessed who are watching for His return and keep their robes of righteousness, otherwise they will be found walking naked and people will see their shame.  This is also why it is so important for us to consider what the writer of Hebrews tells us in, Hebrews 12:1-2, to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily trips us up.  This is not the time to playing with eternity nonchalantly.  If you haven’t been taking your walk with Jesus seriously, now is the time to start as His return is imminent as the signs of the times are so clearly screaming out to us.  Even the Jews, and I’m not talking about Messianic Jews who accept Jesus as the Messiah, know that the period of time between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement are not anything anybody in their right mind wants to go through.  If they recognize that, how much more should we when we see God’s plan of redemption for mankind unfold before our very eyes?

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Rapture – Part 3

In a previous blog I briefly touched on what is the rapture.  We covered where the word “rapture” came from, and some of the reasons why some discount it as a Biblically sound teaching.  We also touched on the three primary views surrounding its timing; pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation.  Among the three different views, I believe that the pre-tribulation position is the strongest of the three, and I want to cover why that is.

 

As I stated in the first blog of this series, there are some who discount the rapture as a Biblically legitimate view.  They either take the position that there is no Biblical evidence of a rapture, which we’ve already proved to be incorrect, or they take the position that all Biblical end time prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D.  Those that take the position that all end time prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. also believe that God has been done with Israel since then, and that the law found in the Old Testament is null and void, completely done away with for all mankind.  This is a scary position to take.  We’ve already showed in the Old Testament individuals that had been raptured to heaven, a shadow of what God has in store for the Bride of Christ.  What about the other references in the Old Testament to a rapture yet to happen?

 

In Leviticus 23, God lays out to Moses feasts that he is to proclaim to be holy convocations, feasts that are Gods.  Many people tend to view the seven feasts that God instructs Moses on as feasts for Israel and the Jews to abide by, but this is incorrect.  While it is true that the Jews are instructed to keep and observe these feasts, God makes it clear that they are His feasts and not theirs.  God established these feasts in part so the Israelites would remember what He had done for them in times past, but they were also set up to mark future points in time relating to His plan of redemption for humanity.  When we take a look at these feasts we see that Jesus fulfilled the first three feasts on the actual day of each feast, and then the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost marks the fulfillment of the fourth feast.  If what God laid out in the Old Testament was done away with and made null and void with Christ and the subsequent destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., then when and how were the last three feasts fulfilled?  If these feasts were not fulfilled prior to 70 A.D., and now they are of no importance to us, then does that mean God didn’t know what He was doing when he established them?  Or that He made a mistake in His calculations of time, which seems rather odd to think considering He’s the creator of time itself.  To say that those feasts are of no relevance to us, especially if they hadn’t been fulfilled, that is to say God is not all knowing or in control of times and events, especially ones that He has established for Himself.

 

Are these feasts something that we don’t need to be concerned with, or is there something about them we do need to be aware of?  The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia that he is concerned about them and how they were becoming legalistic in their observations of the days, months, seasons and years (Galatians 4:9-11).  Paul isn’t saying it’s wrong to keep the feasts, as he even told the Corinthian church to keep the feast in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, but that we shouldn’t be in bondage to them.  Later in Colossians 2:16-17 Paul tells us that they are a shadow of things to come.  This would indicate that future prophetic events can be identified through the feasts, and that it is important for us to be aware of them to properly discern what is and will be happening in the future.

 

So, what are the feasts we are referring to, and how did Jesus fulfill the first three?  Can we find evidence within them not only of a rapture, but also a pre-tribulation rapture?  Let’s take a brief look at them.

 

1) Passover (Leviticus 23:5) – Pointed to the Messiah as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover at the same hour that the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover meal that evening (John 19:14). 2) Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6) – Pointed to the Messiah’s sinless life (as leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible), making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’ body was in the grave during the first days of this feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the bread of life. 3) First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10) – Pointed to the Messiah’s resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on this very day, which is one of the reasons that Paul refers to him in 1 Corinthians 15:20 as the “first fruits from the dead.” 4) Weeks or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16) – Occurred fifty days after the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and pointed to the great harvest of souls and the gift of the Holy Spirit for both Jew and Gentile, who would be brought into the kingdom of God during the Church Age (see Acts 2). The Church was actually established on this day when God poured out His Holy Spirit and 3,000 Jews responded to Peter’s great sermon and his first proclamation of the gospel. 5) Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24) – The first of the fall feasts. Many believe this day points to the Rapture of the Church when the Messiah Jesus will appear in the heavens as He comes for His bride, the Church. The Rapture is always associated in Scripture with the blowing of a loud trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:52). 6) Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27) – Many believe this prophetically points to the day of the Second Coming of Jesus when He will return to earth. That will be the Day of Atonement for the Jewish remnant when they “look upon Him whom they have pierced,” repent of their sins, and receive Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:1-6, 25-36). 7) Tabernacles or Booths (Leviticus 23:34) – Many scholars believe that this feast day points to the Lord’s promise that He will once again “tabernacle” with His people when He returns to reign over all the world (Micah 4:1-7).

 

We can see from above that the first four feasts have already been fulfilled through Jesus and the birth of the Church.  We can also see that those feasts were fulfilled in the order that God established them.  If God continues to fulfill the feasts in the order that He gave them, then it only makes sense that the next feast to be fulfilled would be the Feast of Trumpets.  The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, is the feast that represents the rapture of the Church to Christ.  Everything about this feast and what it represents screams rapture.  I’m not going to go into all the details of this feast in this blog, but the period of time between it and the sixth feast, the Day of Atonement, represents a seven-year period of time that we identify as the seven-year tribulation period.

 

I will go into more depth regarding the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, in the next installment of this rapture series of blogs.  In the meantime, no matter what your position is with the timing of the rapture, the most important thing is that you are ready for it no matter when it takes place.  If you’re not ready for it, today is the day to get ready.  Time is short, and the rapture is just around the corner.

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Rapture – Part 2

In my last blog I briefly touched on what is the rapture.  We covered where the word “rapture” came from, and some of the reasons why some discount it as a Biblically sound doctrine.  We also touched on the three primary views surrounding its timing; pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation.  In the following blogs I will present why I believe that the pre-tribulation teaching is the strongest of the three, but what I want to cover in this blog is the distinction between the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

 

There is confusion among some who think that both of these events are really just one, and people who take this position generally embrace a post-tribulation rapture teaching.  To say that these events are the same creates some problems Biblically, and we’ll see some of those problems as we continue.

 

Have you ever heard someone say they are “going with someone” only to see them going in two very different directions?  With that thought as the backdrop, it’s probably the best way to show how that the rapture and the second coming are two separate events, to show the many ways in which they differ.  Let’s take a look at some of their differences.

 

1.       At the rapture believers meet Jesus in the air, but at the second coming the believers return to earth with Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 19:14)

2.       At the rapture Jesus, Himself, removes the people from the earth, but at the second coming the angels go forth to remove the wicked from the earth for judgement.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 13:36-42, 47-50)

3.       At the rapture Christians are removed to be with Jesus in Heaven, and at the second coming the wicked are removed for judgement.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 13:36-42, 47-50)

4.       The rapture takes place prior to the tribulation period, and the second coming takes place after the tribulation period. (1 Thessalonians 1:10,5:9; Revelation 19:11-16)

5.       There are no immediate signs indicating when the rapture is about to take place, giving a sense of imminence, but for the second coming there are plenty of signs in addition to the fact that it is seven years after the start of the tribulation period. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; Matthew 24:15-30)

6.       With the rapture there is no mention of an immediate judgment, but at the second coming the judgment of the wicked takes place. (Revelation 20:4)

7.       At the rapture there is a resurrection just prior to the catching up of those alive in Christ, and at the second coming a resurrection of the dead takes place after Jesus descends onto earth. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4)

8.       At the rapture the bodies of the believers, dead and alive, are transformed into glorified bodies, but at the second coming there is no mention of a bodily transformation. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55)

9.       The rapture will happen in secret and instantaneously, but the second coming will take place for all to see. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 1:7)

10.   After the rapture wickedness will be the rule of the land for seven years, but the second coming will usher in the millennial (1000-year) reign of Christ on earth. (Revelation 3:10-11, Daniel 9:27; Revelation 20:4)

 

These are just some of the differences between the rapture and the second coming of Christ.  Based on what we see from above, the idea of both the rapture and the second coming being the same event is incompatible with Scripture.  Part of the confusion between the two events is that some people view what is called the rapture as one of the comings of Christ to earth, but that is incorrect.  When Jesus came to earth as a babe over 2000 years ago, that was His “first coming”, and His “second coming” isn’t until He actually sets foot once again on earth.  He is not coming to earth at the time of the rapture, but instead coming in the clouds to receive the church, His bride, to be with Him in heaven.  One of the biggest differences is that Scripture tells us that the rapture could happen at any time and to be ready, while at the same time telling us that the second coming happens at the end of the seven-year tribulation period.  The Scriptures point to and encourage an awareness that Jesus’ return for His bride is imminent, meaning it could happen at any moment, but if it is at the end of the tribulation period then where is the sense of imminence when we know it will be at least seven years from now, knowing that the tribulation period hasn’t even begun yet???

 

In the following blogs I hope to share some things that only strengthen the pre-tribulation position as the most Biblically sound doctrine of the three different views we’ve touched on.  Again, the biggest thing to gain from all of this is the realization that no matter what, and no matter the timing, we need to be ready when that time does come.  Are you ready?  If not this is the time to get ready.  How do you get ready?  It starts with surrendering your life to Jesus, asking Him for forgiveness of your sins, and turn away from the sin.  You need to then be reading the Bible, getting plugged into a solid Bible believing, Bible preaching church, and have a willingness to let God lead you no matter what.  If you’ve said or done anything that would be considered sin or dishonors Him, then you will need to take that to Him in humility asking for His forgiveness and help to not involve yourself in it again.

 

Are you ready????????

 

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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