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The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Christ – Pt. 1
Tim Staples' Blog ^ | May 30, 2015 | Tim Staples

Posted on 10/03/2015 4:50:54 AM PDT by GonzoII

The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Christ – Pt. 1


In my next post, we will get into a biblical critique of the popular “Rapture” theology we find mostly among Evangelical, Fundamentalist, and Pentecostal Christians, but before we do that I would like to respond to a question I often get when talking about this question in general.

“What’s the big deal?”

In other words, so what if these confused Protestants have their beliefs about this aspect of eschatology awry. That’s not going to hurt anybody, is it?

In fact, I argue, Dispensationalist theology is dangerous for many reasons, but one of them can be seen in their view of the Antichrist. Now, for those who may not know, “Dispensationalist theology” made famous by Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth,” and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkin’s famous “Left Behind” series of books and movies, radically departs from the traditional and biblical Catholic teaching on the Second Coming of Christ. Texts of Scripture that speak of the Second Coming of Christ have always been understood to refer to the absolute consummation of all things at the end of time. Not so, with the Rapture theorists.

The Rapture theorists divide the coming of Christ into first a “Rapture of the Church” where true believers in Christ (and in the very near future, I might add) will literally disappear from sight having been “raptured” up to heaven by God. This is a sort of “secret coming” of Christ that only affects true believers. They will be taken away while the rest are “left behind” to face a seven-year tribulation period where the Antichrist will be revealed and literally billions will be slaughtered in a massive world war that will follow.

Nota Bene: I am using for this post the most popular version of the Rapture theory known as the “Pre-tribulation Rapture” theory. This means the Rapture of the Church will occur before a seven-year tribulation period of unspeakable horror on earth for those “left behind.” There is a minority of folks who hold to a “mid-trib” theory that says the Rapture will occur 3.5 years into the seven-year tribulation. And there are those few who hold to a “post-tribulation” theory that says the Rapture will occur after the seven-year tribulation as well.

At any rate, this “Rapture of the Church,” according to the popular theory, will cause car and airplane crashes, as well as massive economic and cultural chaos due to the “disappearance” of millions of people in an instant.

Again, see my next post for a thorough de-rapturing of Scripture.

But understand that after the Rapture, those “left behind” will have to face the Antichrist, a massive world war that will see the slaughter of billions, as well as executions of a relatively few who will turn to the Lord for salvation during this terrible time of persecution.

Then, at the end of the seven-year period of tribulation, Jesus will return to establish a 1,000 year reign on earth where there will be great harmony, though there will still be sin and death for some. The righteous will live very long lives and many will come to Christ during these 1,000 years leading up to the final “White Throne Judgment” at the end of this millennium that will usher in eternity.

So what could be the harm here, right?

One interesting and I believe dangerous error taught by Dispensationalists about the Rapture, is their teaching that says Christians will never see the Antichrist. Christians will be “Raptured away” before the Antichrist comes on the scene. Would this not be the perfect set up for the Antichrist himself when he does come on the scene? What better cloak for him to deceive than a belief that excludes he could possibly be the Antichrist? This is extremely dangerous, folks!

The Church and the Bible Say

CCC 675-676 gives us the Catholic and biblical perspective on the Antichrist:

Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.

The Church traditionally distinguishes between the Antichrist, generally understood to be a pseudo-Messiah who will come at the end of time and lead “the world” against the Church in this “final trial” that we just read about in the Catechism, and antichrist[s] in the plural who participate, in various ways, in the same spirit, so to speak, of Antichrist who will personify the spirit or mind of the devil.

Recall Satan’s temptation to Adam and Eve. He tempted them to “realize within their own history,” so to speak, or in their own lives God’s promise of sharing in God’s own image and likeness, but by their own power and in their own way. Satan is the ultimate example of Sinatra’s famous—“I did it my way!” The spirit of Antichrist, in a sense, is synonymous with the spirit of the devil that opposes the will and the way of God in favor of his own way.

II Thess. 2:1-12–a text we will examine a bit below, and more in my next post–describes the Antichrist to be a person who will have all the power and deception of the devil himself. He will attempt to deceive people into believing that he is what he is not. Ultimately, he will claim himself to be God. And it will only be the coming of the Lord that will stop him. Christ himself will finally defeat him and cast him into Hell.

But we also see in St. John’s writings, for example, there will not only be the Antichrist who appears at the end of time, but there are “many antichrists” already in the world:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look to yourselves that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward (II John 1:7-8).

Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour… [22] Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son (I John 2:18-22).

In St. John’s day, he was combating the early “fathers,” so to speak, of Gnosticism. According to St. John, they personified the Antichrist because they denied the Incarnation of Christ—the plan of God for the salvation of the world, thus, Antichrist “denies Jesus coming in the flesh.” But he then goes beyond this and says anyone who would then “deny the Father and the Son” to be an antichrist.

But here is a point many miss: In this same context, St. John teaches us something else very important in I John 4:3-6. Just after St. John declared every one who “confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,” obviously aimed at the false teachers who denied Jesus had a physical body, he goes on to say:

… and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

According to St. John, there is a connection between the spirit of antichrist and those who reject God’s authority, or spokesmen, on earth. The “spirit of truth and the spirit of error” can be known quite simply and clearly. The spirit that says I know more than God’s apostles or bishops on the earth, sent by God with his authority is that same spirit of antichrist that says, “I’ll do it my way!” This is what St. John is warning against in I John 4:6.

Sounds Protestant, doesn’t it? Yet, not just Protestant. The spirit of antichrist is the spirit that says I’ll do it “my way.” The spirit that says with the Devil in Jer. 2:20, “Non serviam!”

Am I saying all Protestants are “antichrists?” No. But I am saying there is a spirit of antichrist that permeates the reformer’s mindset.

At any rate, back to the point:

We, as Catholics, believe it will only be after the revealing of the Antichrist that the Second Coming of Christ will come about, wherein Christ will come and all the nations will be gathered together for the final judgment as Christ himself clearly says to us in Matthew 25:31-46. But that’s it! Then the faithful will be in eternity and experiencing an existence that is beyond anything we can now fathom. However, this is not so according the Rapture Crowd!

More Problems

We have some very obvious problems with the Rapture theory from a biblical as well as historical perspective. The Bible teaches just one “Second Coming” of Christ. Yet, the Rapture theory has Christ coming (at least half way down), snatching up Christians, and then going back up to heaven for seven years! Then it presents Christ as coming again at the end of a seven-year tribulation (a “third” coming?) to establish a millennial kingdom on earth that will last for 1,000 years. During this time “the wolf will lie down with the lamb” (Is. 11:6), children will be born, people will die (though they will live a long time as I said above) and people will have to choose Christ and then Christ will finally judge those who live through the millenium at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth!

So, what is being presented is a second and third coming of Christ! Now, to be fair, some Dispensationalists will say the Second Coming is broken down into two-parts: the Rapture and then the Coming of the Lord seven years later. But the Bible says absolutely nothing of the sort.

Perhaps even stranger is the fact that we have four judgments: One at death, one at the Rapture, one at the end of the Tribulation and one at the end of the millennium! As we will see in part two of this post, the Bible only speaks of two Judgments: the particular and the general Judgment at the end of time. And, again, it only speaks of two comings of Christ. The First was in the manger of Bethlehem and the Second will be at the end of time. So where did all of this “Rapture stuff” come from?

From the writings of St. Paul in II Thess., to the Montanists in ca. AD 200 to the millenium craze in AD 1000 to the “Millerites” in 1843-1844, there have been from time to time, and in various forms, many examples of false teachers who get carried away with the imminent return of the Lord. In fact, in II Thess. 2:1-12, St. Paul tells us there were folks who were then teaching Christ’s return was immanent in the first century. And the irony is, St. Paul clearly does not agree with them. He clearly says there was then present “a restrainer” that would have to be taken “out of the way” and that the coming of him whom we today call “the Antichrist” would have to occur as well before the Second Coming:

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Notice, the Lord clearly will not come until after the antichrist is revealed. St. Paul’s message is as timely today as it was 2,000 years ago.

And we can say the same thing today. “The day of the Lord has not come!” And “the day of the Lord will not come until after the Antichrist is revealed!” And there are other things that have to happen as well that are somewhat less certain as to their fulfillments. “The rebellion” of which he speaks, is actually apostasia in Greek, or “apostasy.” This will, most likely, be an apostasy like we’ve never seen before in history. We’re not even close to that now.

It also speaks of the removal of “the restrainer.” Tertullian connected this with lawful government because of the connection to lawlessness. More likely, it would be the sovereign will of Christ whom Scripture depicts as “the strong man” who binds Satan, and the one who “looses” Satan to tempt the earth in Matt. 12:29, and Rev. 20:7.

But one thing Is absolutely certain, the Lord will not come until after the Antichrist is revealed. Now, these necessary things can happen swiftly, and the Lord could come again in any generation, but we have to be careful about coming up with scenarios where we start giving dates and times for Christ’s return! Jesus was pretty cautionary on that point in Matt. 24:36. And yet…

William Miller, a Baptist lay preacher, is an excellent and more contemporary example of one who believed Jesus’ return was imminent in his day. He said Jesus was coming by March 21, 1844. He then extended it to October 22 before giving up on his theory, only to have his message “saved” by the “vision” of Hiram Edson who said Jesus did come, but he came in an “invisible way” and “cleansed the sanctuary” in heaven! His “visible” coming was very soon, he said… we’re still waiting… but his invisible return already happened.

Invisible? Really? What ever happened to “every eye will see him” (Rev. 1:7)?

By the way, the sect Hiram Edson started would later become the “Adventist” movement out of which would arise such sects as the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have become famous for their many predictions of the end of the world, such as they said was coming in 1914 (and many other years). Their last prediction of the coming of the Lord was for 1975. Obviously, it didn’t happen!

There have been many others who have predicted the second coming (in the case of Miller and others, many of their followers lost everything in the process! They sold off everything they had and waited… and waited…). But beginning with John Darby, a Congregationalist minister in the 1870′s, we have for the first time this very odd and novel belief, not just in the imminent return of Christ, but in this “secret rapture” I mentioned above that has become the craze today in many Evangelical, Fundamentalist and Pentecostal circles.

You’ve probably seen the bumper stickers on cars that will say things like, “In case of rapture, nobody will be driving this car!” The belief is that when the Rapture occurs, all born-again Christians will simply disappear, cars will crash, airplanes being flown by Christians will crash, etc. And this will begin the 7-year tribulation period just before the Coming of the Lord where he will come back to earth to rule and reign for 1,000 years.

This “Rapture” mentality has led to many failed predictions of the coming of the Lord from Hal Lindsey’s famous prediction that Jesus was coming before 1988 in his 1970 book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” to Harold Camping’s many, many failed predictions.

Let’s pause here for now. But don’t miss my next post where I will give you an in-depth exposition on why the seven most often used biblical texts in favor of the Rapture theory, actually say absolutely nothing of it! In fact, some of them expressly contradict the theory!

If you liked this, and would like to study this further, click here.



TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: antichrist; endtimes; rapture; timstaples
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To: metmom

Yes Staples is confused. When people are full of themselves this tends to happen.


21 posted on 10/03/2015 8:48:38 AM PDT by redleghunter (Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation)
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To: Wilhelm Tell

No, dispensationalism has absolutely nothing to do with JWs.


22 posted on 10/03/2015 8:50:38 AM PDT by redleghunter (Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation)
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To: Elsie
The rapture has a LOT more bible supporting it than purgatory!!!

That is true. I have yet to find ANYTHING that supports purgatory being anything other than a ski resort town in Colorado. 😎

23 posted on 10/03/2015 9:14:18 AM PDT by Mark17 (Heaven, where the only thing there that's been made by man are the scars in the hands of Jesus)
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To: Stegall Tx

“Where do Dispensationalists ever say any sacrifice has the power to cleanse sin?”

It is very hard to reconcile Christ’s finished (once and for all) work on the cross with a resumption of Temple sacrifices in the Millennium.

http://dispensationalist.blogspot.com/2011/03/animal-sacrifices-in-millennium.html


24 posted on 10/03/2015 9:23:24 AM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: metmom

No doubt Tim Staples at one point did believe in the Rapture. His failed Protestantism has, sadly, obligated him to swallow whatever the magesterium proclaims at any point of time. St. Paul was who revealed the mystery of the Rapture of the church before the Tribulation. It’s not as if nobody ever heard of such a thing before the Reformation!


25 posted on 10/03/2015 2:49:02 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums; metmom
No doubt Tim Staples at one point did believe in the Rapture. His failed Protestantism has, sadly, obligated him to swallow whatever the magesterium proclaims at any point of time.

Maybe he was never anything more than a PINO. Remember 1st John 2:19.

26 posted on 10/03/2015 5:01:30 PM PDT by Mark17 (Heaven, where the only thing there that's been made by man are the scars in the hands of Jesus)
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To: GonzoII
Dispensationalist theology is dangerous for many reasons...

Poppycock. Dispensationalist theology is NOT dangerous. You will NEVER understand God's Word properly UNLESS you rightly divide it. When you don't, you get theological contradictions and division. Or, you try and appropriate a promise or prophecy meant for Israel and apply it to the Body of Christ. You know what theology is VERY dangerous AND deadly - replacement theology. When, where, and how did that manifest?

Dispensationalist theology” made famous by Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth,” and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkin’s famous “Left Behind” ...

I would place none of those gentlemen in the category of dispensational theologians. Not even sure what point the author is trying to make with that paragraph.

But understand that after the Rapture, those “left behind” will have to face the Antichrist, a massive world war that will see the slaughter of billions, as well as executions of a relatively few who will turn to the Lord for salvation during this terrible time of persecution.

If you are starting with a premise of rejecting dispensational teaching, not rightly dividing the Word or understanding the difference between the Body of Christ and Israel, you will never understand end time events. Its called a time of JACOB's trouble for a good reason.

Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.

This is the danger of a works based theology. Believers are COMPLETE in Christ. The Body of Christ, those made alive in Christ and seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, do not need to experience God's judgment. This is really elementary stuff if you know who you are in Christ.

The spirit of antichrist is the spirit that says I’ll do it “my way.”

And what has Rome been doing for almost 2,000 years? Is Rome not made up of people? They have elevated a man and placed him as the Head of the Body instead of Jesus. Religious reasoning often trumps God's Word. Theological opinion is prized above the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Rome is Earthly, worldly, and religious. However, the Body of Christ is in this world, but not of this world. Believers are seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I can't say it much better than Paul, who is writing to individual Believers, not a religion or denomination. This is not theological opinion that needs interpretation. This is God's Truth, and the Believers' reality. Note the conditional statement that starts the passage. The religious among us might not believe they are risen with Christ. Therefore, they will see themselves with the rest of the world in the time of wrath, and not appearing with Christ in Glory.

Colossians 3:1-4 (KJV)

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

This “Rapture” mentality has led to many failed predictions ...

I 100% agree that setting dates is dangerous. Believers should be aware of the seasons and signs. National Israel returning to their land should be enough to wake some folks up to how close we are to the end. I do suspect Spirit-filled Believers may have some advance notice. I base that on Elijah and the prophets all knowing the exact day when Elijah would be translated. I will not fall on a religious sword over it, its just a hunch.

The problem with many of these Rapture rants is that if you do not know WHO you are in Christ, and WHERE you are presently in Christ, how can you possibly understand what the Father has planned? You can certainly find flakes and nuts in every theological camp, but that is why Believers have God's Word and the Holy Spirit. You don't have to rely on theologians, a denomination, Christian fiction writers, or even Tim, to know God's Truth.

27 posted on 10/03/2015 5:52:02 PM PDT by Kandy Atz ("Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want for bread.")
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To: Mrs.Z

It is not “unquestionably correct” and Chuck Missler has been proven to be a fraud and a huckster.


28 posted on 10/03/2015 7:25:02 PM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Kandy Atz

***If you are starting with a premise of rejecting dispensational teaching, not rightly dividing the Word or understanding the difference between the Body of Christ and Israel, you will never understand end time events. Its called a time of JACOB’s trouble for a good reason.***

And who decides who’s “rightly dividing the word?” Everyone divides it differently. I know, I used to be a Protestant.

The main problem I have with Dispensational theology is the arrogance of it. America isn’t really mentioned in the Bible because most of us will be “raptured” out of here. As if we are such better Christians than the rest of the world. So we’re better than the Christians in the Middle East who are fleeing for their lives or worse being captured and chopped in half or having their heads cut off? Not only have we killed millions of babies we are the biggest exporter of abortion in the world. Hitler got a lot of his ideas from people such as Margaret Sanger, and other Americans.

I got news for you. Iraq, Syria, Nigeria,etc., they’re experiencing Tribulation now. Pick up Revelation and read it and tell me that’s not what is happening to them. Jesus said for us to pick up our cross and follow Him. He said the slave is no better than the Master. He told us we would be hated and even killed for following Him. That means America too folks. We’re not special. In fact, we are the Babylon of Revelation, so I guess we are mentioned in the end times after all.


29 posted on 10/03/2015 7:49:53 PM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Lil Flower
And who decides who’s “rightly dividing the word?” Everyone divides it differently. I know, I used to be a Protestant.

Are you a Christian? Who cares what denomination or religious flavor you call home now or in the past. That's irrelevant. The Holy Spirit reveals the Truth to your heart. If you are a Believer, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. You have the written Word that is alive and filled with God's Wisdom, and the Holy Spirit to guide you. Don't let any man, religious or otherwise, tell you what is Truth. That Revelation needs to come straight from the source to your spirit, and then let it renew your mind. The natural man will NEVER receive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:6-16, see also John 14 & Romans 8)

Have you ever read a passage or verse and it just explodes in your spirit? Suddenly the Truth of it is revealed? Or if you heard something preached that was contrary to God's Word, you sensed an unease in your spirit? Jesus tells us - the Holy Spirit will guide you into all Truth (John 16:13). And remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus - “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32) Jesus is the Living Word, and the entrance of the Word gives light - even to the simple. (Psalm 119:130) Are you going to trust men, or the Author Himself who dwells in you? The religious will put you in the ditch. Stick with the Lord.

Rightly dividing the Word is such a simple concept it takes a theologian to screw it up. Here is my simple definition for your edification - What is written to the Body of Christ is to, for, and about Believers. What is written to Israel is FOR Believers, but not written TO them or necessarily ABOUT them. Failure to discern this simple formula has led to some grievous errors like replacement theology, and works-based religion.

The main problem I have with Dispensational theology is the arrogance of it. America isn’t really mentioned in the Bible because most of us will be “raptured” out of here. As if we are such better Christians than the rest of the world.

Do you take an unblemished lamb to church to sacrifice? Do you stone people caught in adultery? If you answered no to those questions, congratulations you are a dispensationalist. Welcome to the club. There is no arrogance about it. Its simply recognizing the Truth that God has dealt differently with people from different ages throughout time. At present, we are in the Age of Grace. This time was a Mystery, hidden in God until revealed through Paul in his latter letters. A simple comparison of Paul's teaching on the Body of Christ and the Mystery, to what was taught in other dispensations will show many differences. This often creates contradictions, unless you understand dispensationalism which negates many of those contradictions and brings clarity to God's Word.

What does America, a nation, have to do with Spiritual Truth? The BODY OF CHRIST, is made up of BELIEVERS. It is neither Jew or Gentile, male or female, but ONE BODY with Jesus as the Head, and only HEAD of the Body. Nationality, or even religious affiliation, is irrelevant. The ONLY judge that matters is our Father. If He has judged us righteous by faith, made alive in Christ and seated in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus, who are you to question? You are either spiritually alive, or spiritually dead. There is nothing in-between. The "better than us" kind of thinking comes from people who believe in works-based religion. Its all about God's Grace in this dispensation. Love Himself chose to GIVE me life, and I received it with THANKSGIVING and JOY! Believers are HIS workmanship, so there is no merit, no reason for boasting or comparing. Here it is straight from the heart of God:

Ephesians 2:4-10 (KJV)

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Not only have we killed millions of babies...

We? I certainly did not. The world is an ugly place full of darkness and spiritually dead people. Believers are in the world, but not of the world. If Believers were doing their job, exercising their faith, sharing God's Word, believing and praying, we could get people saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and transform this nation, and the world. Fighting a spiritual battle with worldly weapons is a recipe for failure. God knows the problems. He needs folks to exercise their faith and authority to turn the ship around.

I got news for you. Iraq, Syria, Nigeria,etc., they’re experiencing Tribulation now.

Yes, Believers as long as they are in the world will experience persecution. However, it is not THE Tribulation, BIG difference. Man is still judging on Earth. The time is coming for God's judgment, where man will literally say to the rocks - "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" That time has not yet come. And just to be clear, Believers will have no part in that time. God will turn His attention back to Israel and will work through them to preach to the nations.

Maybe you prefer God's judgment. For me, I will stick with His Grace, knowing there is nothing I can do to earn Life that would ever come close to what Jesus has ALREADY DONE. Its far better being COMPLETE in Christ.

Colossians 2:8-10 (KJV)

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

30 posted on 10/03/2015 10:33:19 PM PDT by Kandy Atz ("Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want for bread.")
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To: Kandy Atz

***8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ***

Dispensationalism = traditions of men. Yes I am a Christian and yes the Holy Spirit leads all to Truth the problem is men start to decide what truth is instead of following the Holy Spirit so that you can’t even decide amongst yourself whether it’s pre- trib or at the 3 1/2 yr mark. I have heard so many times and read numerous books many,many years ago and so many hoped and believed that the US was the “eagle” that was going to save Israel. I saw someone post it the other day. And that was my point which you completely ignored. Christians in this country have an arrogance about them that somehow we’re better than the rest of the world and that is why we are not mentioned in the Bible in regards to “end time prophecy,” because most of America will be raptured out of here. God is no respector of persons. And yes we as in we America will answer for our sins. That’s you and I, too. We will answer for what we didn’t do just as well as what we did do.


31 posted on 10/04/2015 8:24:44 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Kandy Atz

Well said! Amen.


32 posted on 10/04/2015 9:24:58 AM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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