CHRISTIAN SCOFFERS ABOUND

Christian Scoffers Abound



6/2/2011







“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant…” 2 Peter 3:3-5a. For the last 2,000 years Christians have been anxiously awaiting their Lord and Savior’s return. Why? Because of Jesus’ own words in John chapter 14. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3. Then again, for that same period of time there have been those who challenge the rest of us with these words “Where is the promise of his coming?” 2 Peter 3:4a. Of course, we who truly trust God know that He will return.







Before Jesus returns to earth He has a prior commitment to accomplish. He must first remove His saints from amongst the earth dwellers. There’s nothing tricky about it, He’ll simply say “Come up here” and we who love Him and who’ve put our faith, trust, and hope in Him, and Him alone for salvation, will all instantaneously go missing. God the Father will say to His Son, “Go get ‘em Son”. At which point Jesus will remove His Church and then approximately seven years later He’ll return again and take His rightful place on David’s throne. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” Luke 1:31-32. From that vantage point Jesus, our Messiah, will rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, along with His saints, for 1,000 years.







In John’s Gospel chapter 14 in verses 2 & 3 Jesus isn’t just trying to get His followers to appreciate Him for what He can do for them with some pie in the sky heavenly enticements (mansions). He’s being extremely forthright telling us just what awaits those who follow Him. As His followers, these words should give us great comfort. When the Creator of the universe tells His followers, “I will come again” we should be more secure with that statement than we are with the fact that we have air to breathe.







Jesus is coming back in the flesh to set up His monarchy on earth. Many Christians perceive themselves to be too intellectual to believe such a thing as Jesus re-appearing in the flesh; most have been taught by their pastors or seminary professors that Bible prophecy is irrelevant, or that prophecy is all in the past, it’s all been fulfilled, there’s nothing else to come. They may be folks who are in love with their worldly pleasures and have no longing for His appearing. Remember the world loves those who belong to her. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived, Jesus will return, and in the flesh. He was flesh and bone when He appeared to His disciples and He will return in the same glorified body He left earth in. “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” Luke 24:39.







Scoffers are plagued with unbelief. Peter says scoffers will come in the last days, to which I must add “And how”. Any mention of the Rapture in one of my commentaries and the flood gate of letters opens for all who feel the need belittle me and point out my blindness concerning my interpretation of God’s Word. As Jesus tarries the scoffers seem to be further emboldened all the while neglecting to recognize He’s running the show, not us.







Christians who’ve studied eschatology should not be surprised at those who scoff at every prophetic scripture in God’s word. They hold to their own erroneous interpretation of God’s Word and defend their misguided ideas with all tenacity. They come at us from all walks of life. Peter said it would be so. What surprises this Christian is the fact that many of these scoffers, while claiming a relationship with Jesus Christ, criticize His Word. That fact is astounding.







In his first epistle the Apostle John tells us “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19. John doesn’t mince his words. They called themselves Christians, yet they were not.







“…The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24b-30. The tares are professing Christians yet are not of us. They infiltrate the Church and spread untruths but are perceived to be quite knowledgeable. Many listen to them. They are the enemy’s property, thus they scoff at the truth as they disseminate their lies to the biblically illiterate Church.







Many people simply want to reject God so they can go about their lives without the need to be accountable to Him. They would prefer to wallow in their sinful lifestyles with impunity; they don’t realize that the consequence of sin is death. It is ludicrous for a professing Christian to deny the truth of God’s Word and then ignore the fact that that denial has consequences. Jesus said He would return, why is that so difficult to believe? Could it be that many would rather live on this earth with its manmade rules and laws than to be governed by a perfect awesome King? I pray that is not the case, but I’m concerned that it is.







Many denominations believe that Jesus is currently ruling over His Kingdom in our hearts. To these folks it’s extremely farfetched to believe God will snatch His saints from the face of this earth at some point in the future. The 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth is an anathema to many professing Christians. These folks are also scoffers. “…for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:4b. In other words, they may believe in creation but believing in Jesus’ promise that He will return becomes much more obscure. Peter goes on to enlighten us with a much deeper look into their motives. “For this they willingly are ignorant…,” 2 Peter 3:5a. Willingly ignorant means deliberate. They deliberately refuse the truth, and they knowingly mouth opposition to the prophetic scriptures. The question is how can professing Christians deny God’s truth and say they love Jesus? Why profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ in one breath and call Him a liar with the next?







For years the erroneous teachings of scriptures by deceived individuals has wreaked havoc on a large portion of blind and disobedient Christians. Denying the truth that Jesus will return one day soon is calling Him a liar. A question remains, by denying prophecy are they not poking a finger in God’s eye? If a person doesn’t believe in the Rapture, that unbelief won’t diminish their salvation. Still, to refer to God’s word as nothing more than something that occurred in the past or relegating His word to simply allegorical can’t possibly be very endearing to Him.







“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Denying any portion of God’s prophetic Word is akin to ignorance, which in the Greek is “agnoeō” and it means to err or sin through mistake, to be wrong. Denial of God’s inerrant word, for a follower of Jesus Christ is worse than unbelief, it is willful disobedience. Whether Christians know it or not denial of any portion of God’s word as truth in any form connects them to a corrupt and unbelieving world. As Christians, we are set apart from the world. Christians must stand together against any and all opposition to God’s truth. Picking and choosing what we want to believe is sin.







I find it interesting that four times in his letters Paul instructs Christians to not be ignorant (without knowledge):







Don’t be ignorant about God’s plan for Israel (Romans 11:25).



Don’t be ignorant about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1).



Don’t be ignorant about suffering and trials in the Christian life (2 Corinthians 1:8).



Don’t be ignorant about the rapture and the second coming of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13).







Yet, these are areas where ignorance is still common in the Christian church. Paul instructs the Church to learn the scriptures and to obtain the knowledge God would have them to possess.







Another of Paul’s admonishments is to comfort one another with the words he wrote to the Thessalonians. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words .” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Why would Paul give this admonition to comfort one another with these words if there is nothing comforting about them? Teaching the Rapture of Christ’s Church is clearly comforting and encouraging, otherwise there would be no reference to this event whatsoever.







The last days and the end times are spoken of constantly by prophecy teachers, yet in many Christian churches there is no comfort being offered as to the truth of the prophetic scriptures. Every prophetic scripture that has been fulfilled so far has come about exactly as God’s Word proclaimed they would. Why dismiss the remaining few prophetic scriptures as allegorical or as having been fulfilled back in 70AD? There are plenty of scripture verses that have yet to come to pass and we who study those scriptures have a clear vision as to what to expect in these last days. Comforting words are needed in our Churches today to fend off the horrible things we see occurring today. The literal truth of Scripture needs to be taught thereby heading off the lies of scoffers.







Bible prophecy is the key to understanding God’s word and for drawing closer to Him. The Bible has been laid open for our understanding, now more than ever before in the history of the scriptures. Diligent study is essential to discerning those scriptures and grasping what God clearly expects His Church to comprehend. Those who neglect diligent Bible study are missing out on a great relationship with their Savior God. Believing in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is just the beginning, now it’s time to build on a most desired relationship with the Creator of the universe. When we talk about walking with Jesus and growing closer to Him it’s through His Word and much prayer that that relationship builds, and as it builds He begins to take complete control of our lives.







The scoffers will still come, that’s just a fact. We will never convince everyone that God’s Word is true and inerrant; even many professing Christians stand apart from that truth. It all comes down to who you allow to teach you about God and His Word. In many cases men teach the Bible as they themselves have been taught without variance; which means that if they were taught by someone who taught erroneously those same errors are then passed down to the next generation of students and so on until the errors run rampant. Studying your Bible for yourself and praying for God to enlighten you to the truth of His Word will garner a huge harvest of truth and you can take comfort in knowing God gave you the discernment to understand Him.







Opinions? Yes, we all have them. Truth? Now that’s different, we must rely on and stay in God’s word and believe all of His truth. When we discover for ourselves that all of God’s word is inerrant and prophecy matters greatly in the Christians life, our life on earth becomes even more exciting as we await the final outcome.







God bless you all,







Ron Graham



All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed

SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

Speaking the Truth in Love

3/15/2012

 

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;” Matthew 13:41. Should a Christian ever say anything that might offend someone? Should we keep quiet in the presence of those who might be offended by our speech? What about writing a commentary such as this? Should I refrain from such a topic if there are people out there that might read my commentary and be offended? Certainly Christians should represent Christ on earth, and as such we should love our fellow man in all manner of godliness. Therefore we should never purposely offend other individuals. Our faith is in the One true God, and in that context nothing we say in regards to our God should offend anyone. But we all know just how impossible it is to be about our Father’s business “Speaking the Truth in Love” without offending someone within earshot.

 

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. When we preach the Gospel of Christ to a Christ rejecting world, invariably some will be offended by our speech, that’s just the simple fact. What then, should we not preach? We preach to others in a manner befitting our relationship to the Creator of the universe, and only His truth can make them free.

 

The verse above from Matthew chapter 13 is sobering as we reflect on just who the angels will be removing off the face of this earth. They are those who offend (create stumbling blocks) and also those who wallow in iniquity (the unrighteous, the wicked, the transgressors). Since there is only one way to Heaven, that being through the one and only begotten Son of God, all who reject that truth while seeking their own path to God remain the unrighteous (condemned). The truth will not be readily accepted, especially by those who think they already have it. Explaining God’s truth is seen as offensive to many people. Interestingly, none seem as offended at the presentation of the Gospel as the Muslims. They, with a determination of pure hatred, proceed to defend their belief with swords, guns, and many other forms of violence.   

 

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,” Isaiah 46:9. Worldwide we see a commonality, a unity of effort if you will, to obfuscate the damning truth about the Muslim religion. Offending Muslims has become a fear that stretches around the globe. How is it that Muslims are being offended? Well one way is to tell the truth about Jesus Christ, this is very offensive to Muslims. Mention to a Muslim that Jesus Christ is the One true God, that He is God Almighty, and that there is no other God just as He proclaims in the verse above, and you may have a hard time exiting where you are with your head still attached to your body.

 

If we do a little research about Mohammad, the leader of their Islamic religion, we find a horrible example of a human being. Albeit publicly declaring that truth will mean, you guessed it, the certain removal of your head from your body. Offending the Muslim world is not difficult, just tell the truth and you’re in for a real surprise.

 

What about all the evil that Muslims have perpetrated on the rest of mankind just in our own lifetime? Remind them of all the “senseless” murders of people around the globe, or remind them of their promotion of brainwashing techniques which they use on their own children in military training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and cause maximum deaths of Jews and other non-Muslims, and you have just offended them.

 

Since I brought up the Jews, let’s continue with their plight from the Muslim Jihadists. The way Muslims treat the Jewish people should be offensive to the rest of humanity. Yet, what we see all over the world is an attempt to appease the Muslims no matter how many Jews, Christians, or other so called infidels they choose to destroy (murder) in the name of their god.

 

Are Jews innocent? Are Christians? Indeed, we all have our ugly past histories to contend with. But I will say this, Jesus never demanded jihad of His disciples, His Apostles, nor does He make such a demand of us today. But to the Muslim, to die in jihad is the ultimate glory. Love one another seems to missing from the Qur’an.

 

“Church” tradition tells us that all Apostles, save John, died a horrible death. Why? Did they die in jihad? No, they preached the truth of the Gospel of Christ everywhere they went. Soon, it was apparent that they had all offended at least one too many, and they were put to death. Can you imagine being put to death today, here in America, for preaching the truth the Bible declares? The more we appease the Muslims the sooner we may find ourselves under just such a persecution. As most Christians in this land remain silent, the time will soon be upon us that the clarion call of “Off with their heads” will become the new rousing cry of the non-persecuted people of this wonderland called earth.  

 

Muslims must come to the truth of just who Jesus the Christ actually is, just as all the rest of the lost folks of this world must do. We must stop the appeasement of the Muslims and stop changing history so that they will not be offended and begin to come to grips with who is behind this evil religion. Satan is their god. How can I tell? Simple, read their Qur'an and see if you can find any form of benevolence toward all people of earth in that “being” that they refer to as allah. He is a capricious and evil false deity who, by the way, has very strict prerequisites for entering his domain of heaven. Not even the Muslims can be sure of just what it takes in the way of works that they must perform to be allowed into their false god’s “conceptual idea” of heaven. Of course, those who blow themselves up while flying a plane into buildings killing thousands, or by using any other form of evil to kill, maim, and destroy infidels (Jews and Christians) have a promise from their god; in regards to these jihadist murderers, their capricious god has declared that they’ve automatically made the cut.

 

We’ve all heard our very informed and intelligent government leaders declare that the Muslims are a peace loving people. It never fails to amaze me when I hear the words spoken so sincerely that the Muslim religion is a religion of peace, yet as we read through their Qur'an or the writings of their prophet Mohammad (the Hadith) we find war and hatred at every turn. They not only hate Christians and Jews but they also hate each other. No my friends, Muslims are far from peace loving. As a matter of fact we can take a look back on just the last 60 years or so and find many examples of what a peaceful religion the Muslims are associated with. During WWII they sided with Hitler to exterminate the Jews. Who else has been obsessed with exterminating the Jews for all of Israel’s existence? You guessed it, the one who is actually the focus of the Islamic religion, Satan himself. Of course the Muslims don’t see allah as Satan but that’s only because they are deceived. Oh and by the way, Christians and Muslims don’t worship the same God. I’m a Christian, I don’t worship Satan, I worship the God of all creation – Jesus our Messiah.     

 

Christians should not be afraid to tell the truth even to the Muslim. I’ve read that many Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus Christ and in huge numbers. I can tell you this, when a child is born into a Muslim family they are inculcated with the indoctrination of the Islamic religion, and by converting to Christianity they carry a much heavier burden than do the rest of us Christians. They are told that if they leave the religion of Islam they will be killed. That’s Islam, the religion of peace and love raising its ugly head again. If a person wants to abandon Christ for some false god Christians don’t pursue them to kill them. We should warn them of their erroneous decision, but kill them? Not hardly.

 

Offending others is not the goal of Christianity. Nor is it a worthwhile endeavor on the part of anyone. Yet no one seems to be concerned when Christians are offended, and why is that? It is because we don’t retaliate with death threats and long “head removing” swords. We are told to turn the other cheek to harsh and blasphemous words no matter how hurtful. The Muslim child as he/she is growing up is not taught such things as love thy neighbor as thyself, and they certainly aren’t taught that those who bless Israel, God will also bless but those who curse Israel, God will also curse. That doesn’t mean they can’t be taught that peace and love are the ways of the One true God – Jesus the Christ.

 

Jews and Christians have much in common. We worship the same God. It’s just that the Jews haven’t as yet recognized their true Messiah. But the Bible tells us that the Nation of Israel will come to know Jesus the Christ as Messiah before the end. The Muslims are far from worshipping the same god as Christians and Jews. Since there is only one God, and since all other gods are false “baal” gods, we must conclude that all the religions of this world that are separated from the One true God are of Satan. Therefore, the worship of Satan is equally as widespread as there are diverse religions around the world.

 

Offending the Muslim population can be detrimental to the health of non-Muslims. But as for the followers of Jesus Christ we have nothing to fear from Muslims. They, on the other hand, have much to be fearful about. They reject the Creator God of the universe, Jesus the Christ, as of course do many others. They will all face the same ugly end unless we Christians, bringing light into a dark world, can show them a better way.

 

There’s a scripture verse that always seems appropriate at this juncture “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” Luke 12:4-5. Christians aren’t to be offensive in their delivery of the truth of the Gospel, but we need to be faithful to God, and fearless in our walk with Christ.

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron Graham

All scripture is from the KJV and “theopneustos” God breathed

 

Please continue to pray for my health.

TTHE RAPTURE OF THE EKKLESIA

The Rapture of the Ekklēsia

3/8/2012

 

“Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9b-10. This verse is invariably used to promote the false teaching that not every Christian will go when Christ takes His “ekklēsia” (the called out congregation or assembly) home. A frequently asked question is “Will all Christians go in the Rapture?” The simple answer is “Yes”. All Christians will be Raptured! But then another question must be broached “What constitutes a Christian?” I’ll get to that answer in a moment.

 

The verses in the above paragraph, as well as other Bible verses, have been used over and over again to teach a false doctrine; that a Christian who might be battling any of the evils that Paul mentions above will be left behind when the Rapture of the “ekklēsia” occurs. I can tell you that many Christians believe this false teaching. I’m continually being castigated by my brethren for being of a different view on this subject. When we take Bible verses out of context it’s easy to establish false doctrines. I’ve excluded the first part of that verse above on purpose. The reason for excluding it is that it plainly answers the question “Who’s All Going?” or more specifically who’s not going “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?” 1 Corinthians 6:9a. Those who wish to confuse people use only the second part of that verse, they are those who are intent on promoting their own made up doctrine. Could it be any simpler? The unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Since that statement is God’s truth the opposite must also be true. “…by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous...That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:19b, 20.

 

Only the righteous will inherit the Kingdom of God. Who are the righteous? Anyone who is born from above, from God! Is everyone on the same page here? When a person becomes born again they become justified (saved/righteous). That means they are, in God’s eyes, His righteous children. We were the unrighteous before we said yes to Jesus Christ, but through faith our disbelief was exchanged for justification (salvation/righteousness). “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11. Notice the Apostle Paul said “such were some of you”. But now being washed, sanctified/justified through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior means we’re no longer the unrighteous but the righteous inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

 

Let’s take a look at just how difficult it is to become born again. Jesus makes it abundantly clear that belief is the key. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. Is anyone confused by that verse? All it takes to become a child of God (born again) is to believe in His only begotten Son. By believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord the new believer becomes instantaneously justified in God’s eyes. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can void our salvation. 

 

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13. Anyone who falls into the category just mentioned above is born again. Here’s the rub. Not all who profess to be Christian are actually born again. Isn’t that really what’s at the crux of the matter here? If there’s any doubt in a person’s mind as to whom Jesus the Christ really is then that person would be well advised to re-evaluate their salvation.

 

My opinion as to whether or not some Christians will or will not be taken in the Rapture is inconsequential. What does God say? “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. (emphases mine) 

 

In the above verses the Apostle Paul is explaining to the “ekklēsia” at Thessalonica that at the harpazō (the Rapture) the dead “in Christ” will rise first, then the rest of us who are “in Christ” and still alive, will also be caught up together with the ones who were asleep (dead) into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul doesn’t exclude anyone who is born again.  Everyone who is born again is “in Christ”. It’s impossible to be “in Christ” and not be born again. The following verses from Romans chapter 8 say it all. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are ‘in Christ’ Jesus” Romans 8:1 (emphases mine). No condemnation for those who are “in Christ”. There will be no missing the boat, so to speak, for anyone who is not condemned. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is ‘in Christ’ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (emphases mine). Nothing can separate us from the love of God which has been permanently allotted to all “in Christ” believers.   

 

Still, after all those verses there will be many who argue the point. But what’s the argument? Whether or not someone is actually a Christian? Or whether or not someone who professes to be a Christian is going in the Rapture? Isn’t that what it all boils down to? Many people profess to be Christian but if asked what it means to be born again some have no idea what that means. So in those terms we can say that they, by professing to be a Christian without becoming born again, are only fooling themselves. After all, no one can fool God.

 

It’s not all that difficult to see the fruits of many who are justified/saved. Nor is it difficult to see the fruits of the unjustified/unrighteous, they oppose each other with striking contrasts. Here’s a perfect example: Obama claims to be a Christian, yet by his own demonstrated fruits, clearly the experience of being born from God is missing. Ask yourself this question “Would a born again believer ‘in Christ’ stand so diametrically opposed to their Savior God?” Two very obvious examples of a person who stands against God’s precepts are anyone who promotes the murder of babies while still in their mother’s womb, and anyone who promotes the homosexual agenda and same sex marriages. These are just two of Obama’s very clear stances which God abhors, but they are enough to tell any born again believer in Christ that this man is not standing with God and should not be the leader of any nation.

 

So in the sense that a person professes to be a Christian yet he/she has never been born again we can say with absolute certainty that they will not be raptured with the rest of the “ekklēsia”. Remember, the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Only the righteous, the born again, “in Christ” believers will be Raptured. Watch out, just because someone professes to be a Christian doesn’t mean they are so.

 

But getting back to those who are born again, there are a few other verses that are used by those who say not all Christians will be included in the Rapture. They are as follows. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23. This is very simple to understand. Jesus says to these folks “I never knew you”. Jesus knows all those who belong to Him. He will never lose even one who has said yes to Him. But He never knew the folks mentioned in the above verses. They were not born again.

 

The next verse is one the people with an agenda of promoting false doctrine like to throw out. It’s the parable of the ten virgins. We know by reading the entire account that five virgins were let into the marriage and five were not. What did the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) say to these last five virgins? “Verily I say unto you, I know you not” Matthew 25:12. Jesus never knew these last five virgins. Why, you might ask. Because they had no “oil” for their lamps (they were void of the Holy Spirit). They were not born again. You see, Jesus only knows and allows the ones into His Kingdom who have said yes to Him. “Yes Lord Jesus, I believe”. These are the folks who become born again from above. Everyone who places their faith, trust, and hope in Jesus Christ and Him alone for salvation is justified in God’s eyes and will inherit His Kingdom (they will be raptured) if they do so before the rapture takes place.

 

The truth of the matter is this. All Christians will be Raptured. The problem is that not all people who say they are Christians are being truthful with themselves. It is not my place to judge whether or not a person is a Christian. God knows the heart of every human and He alone stands at the juncture of judging. But I can tell you this, He knows all who are His and He knows who will become one of His children before Christ’s return.

 

Remember that God can’t learn, He can’t be surprised, He can’t be deceived, and He won’t be mocked. If you say you are a Christian, you’d better be sure. The alternative to being a true born again believer “in Christ” is this truth  – you will join a huge throng of people who have made the same mistake as you. You will all be permanent residences of what the Bible calls the Lake of Fire (Hell) if you die in that frame of mind, which is rebellion to Christ.

 

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29. We are justified by what we believe about Jesus Christ. Our salvation is not based on works. Our righteousness comes only through a belief (faith) in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus the Christ.

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron Graham

All scripture is from the KJV and “theopneustos” God breathed

 

MEAN SPIRITEDNESS

Mean Spiritedness

3/1/2012

 

“Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” Isaiah 5:14. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed the incredible change in people’s attitudes of late. Unless you’ve been holed up in a cave somewhere or stranded on a desert island you must agree with me that a malicious mindset has emerged and it’s something that every Christian will be subjected to in some way at some point in their walk with Christ. In His Word, our Lord Jesus tells us that a spirit of wickedness would be the norm in the last days.

 

There’s a growing gap between people and their ideas concerning what’s right and what’s wrong. There’s nothing new about people having opposing views, it’s just that lately it has become dangerous to express those views. It seems that these days even friendly disagreements can turn into an exchange of verbal abuse, ultimately turning into physical altercations. These are not isolated events but are actually occurring every day and in every walk of life.

 

No longer do we see good vs. evil where good wins out. Nowadays everything is upside down. It seems we are being pried apart by life’s problems and every little quirk becomes a major stumbling block (a reason for a fight). Doesn’t it seem to you that in these last days it takes very little to put people off?

 

Friendliness is diminishing while a spirit of meanness has surfaced in its place. Why is humanity heading into this wasteland of hateful attitudes? It’s actually much simpler than most would want to admit. As a civilization we’ve left God behind. That’s it, that’s the reason man is turning against his fellow man with such evil intent. Without God in our lives we can’t have joy, we can’t have peace, and we certainly can’t know love. Why do you think so many people turn to drugs and alcohol for simulation? They are trying to compensate for a lack of love, joy, and peace which has left them destitute.

 

Recently I’ve received letters telling me about times when my readers have had to deal with mean spirited people. Two such letters related that the intensity of verbal attacks were unnerving. Imagine being confronted by a mean spirited person who has pure evil on his/her mind, and as they’re hurling obscenities at you and getting right in your face, you’re trying to stay calm while at the same time trying to calm them and to get them to see reason.

 

Many people have abandoned God and joined the enemy’s team. This abandonment of God has become obvious in these last days. What we now see burgeoning is exactly what the Bible tells us will occur. A breed of wickedness has joined the ranks of humanity and it is redefining mankind.

 

“And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:” Isaiah 5:15. This evil presence that has become so very blatant is, of course, diametrically opposed to God. But God won’t be opposed for long. As we read our Bible we come to understand that even though God is longsuffering there does come a point that His patience ends. Even the mean man will be brought down.

 

Since the majority of mankind do not believe in a creator God it’s easy for Satan to convince them of his lies. Remember, Eve knew God existed and yet she still allowed herself to be deceived. Imagine how much easier it is for Satan today with the immense amount of unbelief in the world. But there will be a finale.

 

It’s hard to oppose God when you don’t have a leg to stand on. Anyone who thinks they can deny or usurp God’s authority is standing on very precarious ground. Just as it was in the days of Noah, God will put an end to evil. “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3. The key word in the above verse is “strive”. The Hebrew word is “diyn” which means “plead a cause”. God’s Holy Spirit has a specific job; He strives, or contends, with man in regards to the precepts of God. He is a convicting spirit. The Spirit of God had diminished in that antediluvian world. Actually it had been replaced by the spirit of evil, and what we see today is that same spirit of evil once again becoming a strong influence. Don’t be confused by the above verse and the length of time mentioned there. God is not saying humankind will enjoy a life span of 120 years, but that He is going to withhold His judgment for another 120 years. He gave those inhabitants 120 years to shape up, that was then. Here we are in the last of the last days and we don’t have a 120 more years to shape up. If people don’t get on board soon the ship will sail without them.

 

It’s not difficult to see those in our society who oppose God. Arrogance, pride, mean spiritedness, maliciousness, cruelty, and hatred are all burgeoning human attitudes, which are all in direct opposition to our Creator. Today people seem to be without restraint as they wallow in their wickedness. Christians are going to be in the direct line of fire as this phenomenon continues. We must learn to steel our minds and our hearts.

 

The idea that people can be uncivil to one another, treating each other with cruelty and a complete lack of sensitivity, is nothing new. It’s just that this lack of civility has blossomed into full-on hatred. No longer are Christians going to be immune to this intense hate. The enemy is not going to rest until he has convinced all the foolish people he can that God is evil and he is good. We are witnesses to this upside down world coming into play.

 

What we see occurring today is an obfuscation of the image of God. Satan will do whatever he can to confuse people about who God is and he’s been quite successful. The obvious consequences of all Satan’s antics are being unveiled today more than ever. Joy, love, and peace are being replaced by a dog eat dog mentality. The reality of this kind of existence is that it will not last for long. A disintegration of the moral fiber inherent in all humans along with a complete lack of compassion for one another is creating a society bent on self destruction.

 

America, and the rest of the world for that matter, is teetering on the edge of complete hopelessness. Those who’ve aligned themselves with the enemy have become very vocal and aggressive in their determination to rid the world of the One true God. A satanic attempt to be sure, and although it is having a far reaching affect on our world it will not come to fruition. But Satan, being the god of this world and the father of all lies, wields incredible influence over the foolish and simple minded. Anyone who follows the father of all lies is going to have a mindset of aggressive mean spiritedness. Don’t think so? Watch the Muslim world for obvious indications of what god they serve.

 

How do we contend with this aggressive, mean, vicious, hateful attitude? The same way our Lord did. He was always ready for the enemy’s attacks. We too must be ever vigilant as the enemy never rests. This next verse should encourage you as you are confronted by this evil attitude of mean spiritedness “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.

 

Referring to the Pharisees as brood of vipers, Jesus isn’t using real soft language, nor could we say that Jesus used soft words when He told these same evil minded folks that they were the children of their father the devil. When Jesus tells Peter “Get thee behind me Satan” that’s pretty harsh in whatever language you use, and there may come a time when we are pushed into defending our faith in these same strong words. But remember honey draws more flies then does vinegar.

 

Satan has no love or compassion in him. Love is not in Satan’s vocabulary other than to denounce it. But mankind, made in God’s image, does know love because it’s a part of us. The opposite of love is what Satan promotes and many people have given themselves over to the enemy.

 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11. It’s going to get tougher as we move deeper into the cesspool of hate. More and more people without the love of Christ in them are going to surface. You’ll know them by their fruit (spirit of meanness). A period of testing is here. If you’ve not been confronted by the spirit of evil as yet, your turn is coming. Something that every Christian must recognize is that this aggressive evil is infectious – and burgeoning. As Chuck Missler likes to quip, “Never leave home without your heavy artillery,” That would be prayer.

 

Christians are fully protected from the consuming affronts of the enemy. “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16. We may be hit now and then with one of his darts but he can’t consume us. As children of the Most High God we are called to stand on His promises. Whenever the occasion arises for us to deal with evil, we are assured that there is nothing to fear as we’ve been given all the protection we need. The Holy Spirit of God indwells us, who is indwelling our enemies?

Lost folks these days are becoming fully armed by their leader Satan. Vocabularies are infused with obscenities that are used for the sole purpose of hurting others. “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39. Here our Lord is giving an example of how we should react to someone’s verbal abusiveness. The word smite is used metaphorically as being hit by stinging words. We should simply turn away from the person and continue on our way. Evil words are only a part of the satanic behavior these people are displaying today. There is a growing aggressive attitude of using physical force to abuse others. Christians are told to love our enemies and pray for them, but when we or our families are threatened with physical harm, nowhere in the scriptures are we told to simply stand and allow others to physically abuse us. I might allow someone to harm me physically, but I won’t allow wicked human beings to harm my family.

 

Christians will suffer in these trying last days “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” 1 Peter 4:16. It won’t be long now; God will soon pour out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world. The restrainer is soon to be removed so that lawlessness can abound. Since the restrainer is sealed within every born again believer on earth, we must all be removed before the beast can be released. “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure…” Isaiah 5:14a.

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron Graham

All scripture is from the KJV and “theopneustos” God breathed

 

 

FEARLESS CHRISTIANS

Fearless Christians

2/23/2012

 

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4. The Apostle John is speaking to those individuals who belong to Jesus Christ. He addresses us as little children, which is a term of endearment; he goes on to admonish the brethren against dangers in the spiritual realm. John says “Ye are of God”, only those who are born again fall into this category. Because Christ has been victorious over His foes, we who belong to Him through faith can celebrate His victory over death as we too have victory. Therefore we have no reason to fear Christ’s foes. Why? We’ve been given the power to withstand them. That doesn’t mean Satan is through attacking believers. Quite the contrary, he is fully intent on crippling us in regards to our walk with Christ. How does he do this? His tactic is legendary because of its success.

 

Fear is the key to Satan’s flourishing but debilitating dark and sinister practices. Using fear as a weapon, Satan and his evil horde of minions have demonstrated enormous influence over the minds of many followers of Jesus Christ. Fear will ultimately eliminate the usefulness of a Christian in regards to their purpose which is to promote the Gospel to this lost world. Fear can weaken our resolve, while we are overcome with a sense of dread, terror, horror, which leads to panic in the face of adversity. Fear can freeze up our walk with Christ which is why fear is a preferred tool of the enemy.

 

Darkness instills fear, and the enemy is the lord of darkness. Just contemplating venturing out into the dark night can conjure up images in our minds of all sorts of ghouls and goblins. God never glorifies darkness. Why? Because it is the realm of the malevolent supernatural – ever wonder why we can’t see in the dark? Ever wonder why as soon as we switch on the light or the sun begins to peak over the horizon we then become at ease and relieved of fear? “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good:” Genesis 1:3-4a. God proclaims the light good. But try as we might we can’t find where God specifically declares the darkness as good. The Hebrew word “choshek”, translated into English as “darkness”, can also mean “obscurity, to obscure, or confuse”. From the word obscurity we get “gloom, spiritual unreceptively, and calamity”. Darkness breeds confusion; and that is Satan’s playground. This is where fear becomes enabled in our psyche. 

 

Remember when I speak of Satan and his seeking to destroy us, I’m also referring to hordes of malevolent helpers he has at his disposal. Satan is not God, it’s impossible for him to work alone. When you give some thought to who he is you come to the conclusion that he is only a very poor excuse for a supernatural being. But like I said, his powers of persuasion are legendary.

 

Satan capitalizes on the fear factor in everyone, but especially in those who have given their lives to Christ. He maximizes fear to its highest level, this begins a process of eroding our confidence, which leads to an attitude of defeat. When fear is enabled, even for a moment, we become a person with a disability. Our “fearful” disabilities becomes a stronghold for the enemy, and consider this, the enemy never rests. 

 

Fear can convince us to change course, take another path, even to persuade us to discontinue certain aspects of our Christian walk. Through fear the Christian can be consumed with doubt, doubt that will focus on the denial of what God has promised those who will keep the faith. As born again believers in Christ, God has placed His Holy Spirit within us. So really, what is there to fear? God is greater than any of His foes. His Holy Spirit is not a subset of a greater God, He is God.

 

Scary stuff will always arise in our lives, but it’s when we allow those scary things to manifest into fears to be inculcated into our minds that we are actually permitting the enemy a firm hold on our lives. The demonic supernatural presence surrounding us knows full well how fear cripples. Most people will attempt to dismiss any thought of demons as pure myth and will relegate anyone who believes in the demonic to the realm of lunatics on the fringe of society. This is, of course, exactly what Satan wants. Christians should know better.

 

“Fear not” is a phrase which is given numerous times in the scriptures as an admonishment to encourage us. Yet many Christians become overwhelmed with fear to the point that they are stricken with mental paralysis. Why? As believers in Christ we need not be fearful of anything worldly nor should we fear the supernatural. People tell me that they, at times, have been too afraid to speak up for Jesus. This fear is one of perception; they fear those who don’t believe. They fear being mocked, ridiculed, or subjected to some other form of mental persecution.

 

Do you love Him? Seriously, do you love Him? Would you even have to think twice about standing up for your spouse or children? No! We would be fearless in such a case. Why then, when the world threatens our family are we fully prepared to defend them but in the case of someone attacking our greatest love, our glorious blessed Hope (Jesus the Christ) do we remain silent? Because Satan has already established a stronghold of fear in the lives of many of Jesus’ followers?

 

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25. The above verse is a small example of what people will be experiencing in the last days before the Lords return, days which will be filled with perplexity. Perplexity causes men to become confused and disorientated, unable to make decisions. Which causes them to have doubts about which way to go. The very next verse tells it all “Men's hearts failing them for fear,” Luke 21:26. Perplexity leads to fear, which leads to the failing of hearts. 

 

The poisonous darts of the enemy will increase in the last days and those who have rejected the Lord Jesus will become a powerful resource for the enemy to draw from. A state of fear placed upon the “in Christ” believer will only serve the enemy in these last days. When God says “fear not” He’s telling us we have nothing to fear as we are His children. God delights in lighting our paths as He guides us through the darkness.

 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...” Psalm 23:4. Who can forget the 23^rd Psalm; most of us have it memorized. It is a comfort to repeat it, even more so in the face of adversity. We fear no evil. Why? Because thou art with us, O God. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Psalm 18:46. Jesus is the rock and shield for all those who follow Him. When the enemy attacks, Jesus is our strength because carnal weapons will do us no good. When we are compassed about by the enemy and his minions who revel in darkness, God and His holy angels are with us, but in numbers of such magnitude the enemy doesn’t stand a chance. At that point the enemy cowers and makes a speedy retreat. God will never walk away from a fight to protect His children.

 

If we allow doubt to creep in through fear the enemy finds an easy target to destroy. Destruction of the human race is what the enemy is all about. By filling the children of God with fear, the enemy will facilitate his goal of convincing many to follow him straight into Hell. The more fearful Christians are the less promoting of the Gospel gets accomplished. 

 

We who follow Jesus with all our heart are His emissaries. As such we carry a message from God to be delivered to anyone who God chooses to place in our path. That message is a message of hope. No matter how tough it gets while we sojourn this world we mustn’t allow fear to dominate us or we will be consumed with it and doubt will be a natural outcropping. We are told to hold fast to the faith. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23.

 

Here’s a little reminder I believe is appropriate at this juncture. Neglecting the study of God’s word, leaves us wide open for the enemy’s shenanigans. Satan will dominate the life of a believer when that believer ignores God. God speaks to us through His word. We can never overcome fear unless we trust God and rely on His inerrant word. Disobedient children are always going to run into problems or obstacles that seem insurmountable because they’ve lost their focus on their greatest love. I assure you, true Bible study will turn into a habit that you will love and never break.

Jesus unabashedly tells His disciples what fear is – it’s a lack of faith. “And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” Mark 4:40. In this verse Jesus tells His disciples that they are faithless. There is nothing resembling faith in their actions as they allowed the fear of perishing to consume them. At that point in time His disciples still hadn’t recognized who Jesus really was, but today His followers know exactly who He is, fear and doubt should be the furthest thing from our minds. 

 

“Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:” Psalm 27:3. David was a man who at various times was surrounded by his enemies, yet we’ve learned that he was also a man who was fully reliant on God for his strength. David was fearless as he stood up for his God. How can we be any less fearless as we stand up for Christ, after all, are we not children of the Most High God? The malevolent armies that surround us, relentless as they are, are in battle with the Lord of all creation. Although they pursue us with an unholy determination to destroy us, as we move into the mode of combatant we must always remember that the actual physical battle belongs to the Lord. Our weapon of choice is prayer.

 

“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. Here we’re told that those who belong to the Lord have nothing to fear from God’s enemies. Why? We are encompassed round about by a multitude of godly angels and they are here for the guarding of the saints – we’re protected on every side. The battle rages, the enemy is relentless, but he is powerless against obedient godly angels.

 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For  the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. There is no room for fear in the life of a born again believer “in Christ” – fear only leads to an unfulfilled life. “Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.” Lamentations 3:57.

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron Graham

All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed