You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May, 2007.
This one has probably done the rounds 10 times over, but heck is it cute! Well worth yet another visit 
No commentary needed for once.
This is a post I’ve long thought about writing, but have held off on doing so for a multitude of reasons. However, while reading yet another book on the topic currently, I feel more motivated than ever to ensure I add my voice to all the others to enlighten the world that there IS such a thing, that it WILL happen, and when it does, the world will be an utterly much darker, and more dangerous place than ever in its history to date. It’s a topic that seems to be on the lips of many Christians regardless of their knowledge of it to any degree, and like so many other things currently, it would appear to be something else the Lord is provoking many to discuss and debate perhaps.
Ok – first off – what’s the Rapture? Well, if you’re a Christian and you’ve not yet heard of the term – shame on you!! Fair enough I know it’s not a term mentioned in the bible, but neither is the Trinity and all Christians have certainly heard of that one in their lifetime. And if you’re not a Christian and/or think this is nothing to do with you, you couldn’t be MORE wrong!! While the Rapture itself directly affects Christians, the aftermath will be the worst period ever for those who don’t know Jesus as their Saviour regardless of whether they may determine to do so a day later.
Back to the question then – what’s the Rapture? Well, it’s a concept based on the Greek biblical term “harpazo” which means “to catch up,” and Paul discusses this quite a few times in his letters to Timothy and the Church at Thessalonica – (to save space I’m not going to put verses in here, but will rather link to them to make it a bit easier for you). Check out: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 which is the primary verse used to lay the foundation for this awesome event. Others include:
Revelation 3:10 -where Jesus states that He will keep His church “from” the “hour of trial” which he says will hit the whole earth in the last days i.e. now.
Acts 8:26 – another example of a singular “rapture” of one person being ‘translated’ from one place to another in an instant.
1st Cor 15:50-54 – how it will happen in a nanosecond.
Luke 21:34-36 – Jesus exhorts us to remain faithful so that we can be proven worthy to “escape” all the things that will happen in the end days.
My eldest stepdaughter, Caroline, is going to make me a ’step’ granny later this year, and I was reading up on issues relating to biblical parenting for her, when I happened to watch a programme about “surrendered” wives. While not specifically made by or for Christians it did feature at least two Christian couples who practice this art. I had very mixed feelings while watching it. One couple in particular made me a bit uneasy, but I don’t know whether it was because of how their relationship came across, or whether I felt the husband was abusing the principle for his own means. The wife literally not just submitted to his role as head of the household, but deferred to him on absolutely everything in her life, from the clothes she should wear, to what she ate, and how she managed her day. He provided her a list of chores he expected her to do through the day, and would literally check them off with her on his return from work. She maintained she was happy because she knew that she was not only making him happy, but enabling him to be the best attorney he could be, because his home life was under control. Control I felt was somewhat the operative term in their relationship. I just thought that while he appeared to love her, he didn’t allow his wife the remotest sense of independence, whether by her choice or his I’m unsure. And she was already promoting this lifestyle to their 3-year-old daughter – continually telling the daughter that they would do something because it would please Daddy – something many mothers might say to their kids, but the context here was just a bit more brain washing to me than allowing the child to have its own opinion later on.
First off, I know this is an ultra sensitive time to write about this topic given the recent horrendous tragedy in Virginia Tech, so let me preface this by saying I’m not in any way setting out to dishonour those deaths or upset grieving family/friends etc. But this is something I’ve heard said so much recently I felt I just had to make note of it and put it up for others to comment on.
Why do people in addressing such a tragedy always state that they are praying for the victims as well as the families etc. Is it just something that’s said without thinking, and/or meant in some other way entirely, or do they sincerely mean they are praying for the dead?? I believe Catholics consider this an acceptable practice, but I’d like to know why? Where in scripture does it ever mention that we should undertake this action? And to what end? What I have understood about death is that it is the final closure on your life – your choices must be made before that curtain falls, as they absolutely categorically cannot be made afterwards, and I don’t care what any religion says to the contrary. It stands to reason that if we could all make a different choice after death once we know things from a fully spiritual perspective, and see God for Who He truly is, that anyone who’d not made a choice for Him in fullness through Jesus Christ in their lifetime, would absolutely change their mind and choose Him then. Would be sheer and utter madness not to when you could see the reality of Hell staring you in the face with nowhere to hide! BUT if that was the case, then why would God ever send His only begotten Son to die for mankind in such a grisly way – what was it going to achieve that couldn’t be achieved by death essentially? Hell wouldn’t be required if everyone who died could then determine to do what they should have done while alive without the need for a Redeemer. So praying for them by that stage is futile and pointless. 
They’ve already determined their own fate before death, and all the prayers in the world can’t change the outcome of that decision. So if you’re praying for the dead and it’s not for them to be saved from hell, then what else would you pray for? Peace – sorry, but I suspect that might be thin on the ground if they’re not ‘born again’ (by God’s Spirit) believers and already in heaven anyway. Joy – hardly – can’t imagine they’re going to gain much joy from the new predicament they now find themselves in. Mercy – ahh, now that’s one we would absolutely expect God to provide for them isn’t it? But there again lies a problem. God’s mercy has already been poured out on the world by sending Jesus to die for everyone who accepted His gift of salvation, in order to provide them immediate access to eternal life on death, so why should we then expect him to be doubly merciful to us after death too? If that was the case, then again there’d be no purpose or reason for hell to exist at all – ultimately God would just let everyone into heaven regardless(after they told him they were sorry for not believing what He’s said in His Word, and ignoring Him all their lives, and preferring their will over His etc), and that would be that. But then where would there be any sense of justice – the worst murderers could and would absolutely desire heaven once they realise the enormity of the crimes they’ve committed against God let alone His creation, and do anything to escape His judgement. If ALL of that was possible then it would mean that there would be little point in anyone here bothering to become a Christian in the first place – you may as well just be a humanist and live for today doing all and everything you fancy without concern for others in the slightest. And that my friends would ultimately mean a total breakdown in life as we know it on this planet. But I digress somewhat. I’m just trying to point out some of the dangers in having this viewpoint and its spiritual impact.
Most like to think whatever belief system they belong to that it’s the best around, and the only right one – trouble is that even the one that is i.e. Christianity, has those who make it weak by their power struggles and demand for control of the people they’re supposedly serving. So let’s start with Christianity. I can happily state that it is indeed the only faith system that guarantees heaven to those who submit and follow its founder – Jesus Christ. Why? Because firstly Jesus Himself stated that He alone is the Way the Truth and the Life and the ONLY way to the Father (and thus Heaven). That’s a statement no other belief system holds to. Secondly, He provides redemption for sins – again something no other religion has to offer through grace alone rather than, or with, works. And thirdly, He died, and rose again and is ALIVE – granting the same resurrection status to all His followers – all other false religions follow dead men or idol gods. So Christianity is absolutely unique in every sense.
Now as to who makes this awesome faith weak – basically anyone who states that you absolutely categorically cannot consider changing your mind and leave said religion or you will not only be damned to hell, but absolutely left outside in the cold under 20+ anathemas, with no hope of forgiveness from anyone, least of all presumably God Himself, since it’s His Church you’ve left!!! I trust we all know which brand of Christianity it is I’m talking about here? What purpose does it serve to lay that burden on any believer other than to ensure they remain paid-up (and I mean that in the truest sense of the term) members who wouldn’t dare to risk eternal damnation over a possible change of their beliefs. Please show me where in the Bible did Jesus, or anyone else, ever state that people were to be blackmailed into remaining within whatever religious order they’d either been born into or chosen? God hasn’t laid such a burden on anyone to comply with what any manmade religious order imposes on its followers – but He has laid a burden on anyone who purports to be a Christian to ensure they adhere to the TRUTH alone as given in His Word alone, and to His commands, not mans.
Then we have the other major monotheistic faith (although it follows a different god!) which imposes yet more radical punishments on its followers if they dare to consider moving sideways at any point in their lives – its not content with just excommunicating said “apostates”, but prefers to just kill them off preferably in the most torturous and grotesque ways possible in order to truly ensure everyone else will stay put. But as I maintain – all this does is show just what weak belief systems these are – if those who adhere to them have to be forced to do so, or at the very least, prevented where possible from exercising any attempt at free will or choice, then its not their god (lower case intentional!) who’s keeping them there is it??
Those who become true Christians, who truly submit to the God of the Bible as revealed to the world by a Risen Redeemer and Lord – Jesus Christ – maintain their faith by choice despite horrendous persecutions by those who’re in one of those weak faith systems (but who feel this is how they show themselves to be powerful perhaps), not because they fear man, nor death, but rather because they truly do fear GOD – and because they have met Him and know Him personally, and trust His Word implicitly. Now I appreciate that some reading this are quite likely Catholics who’re rankling that I dare to lump you in with Muslims, but sad to say the premise above still stands for Catholicism – if the Catholic Church truly were Christ’s Church on earth (and it alone!), then it would be utterly content to allow people to make free will choices about whether to join it, stay in it or leave etc given that it uses Peter as its role model. Nowhere do we hear of Peter (who by the way never witnessed nor worked to save Gentiles predominantly, but rather the Jews!) stating anywhere that if people joined any congregation their choice or position within it by birth was irrevocable on the point of excommunication or exiling or any other form of punishment by man. Even Paul whose ministry was to the Gentiles never makes such a statement. However, most Christians accept that if someone doesn’t repent of their sins and accept Jesus as their Saviour, then they are indeed going to end up in Hell, (click here if you want a deeper explanation of that fact), but you absolutely do not have to accept one particular religious path over all others, in order to do that. If that was the case, Protestantism with its multiple variants would absolutely be a mockery! Religion doesn’t save anyone – Jesus does!! Spot the distinction.
The whole point of the Gospel is FREEDOM – not slavery to
a religion. Jesus came to set men free, not point them to a Gentile equivalent of the Pharisaical system He so vehemently opposed in His ministry. And if you do belong to one of those ‘weak’ faith systems, can I just encourage you that if you have sincerely repented of your sins, self will and disobedience to God, fully accepted Jesus as Redeemer of your sins personally, and granted Him alone the Lordship of your life, then you need not fear what any man or manmade religion dares to threaten you with. Exercise the awesome gift of free will that God has provided for you, question, read and learn scripture for yourself (don’t trust anyone who insists you shouldn’t because you won’t understand it!), pray for God to reveal His Will to you and obey Him alone, and you will find strength, joy and freedom beyond anything any religion on this earth can offer. Christianity in its truest sense is not a religion, but a relationship, and that’s what you must develop above all else.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
