Even folks who generally don't notice our times are paying attention right now. The birth pangs are intensifying with tragic consequences and loss of life. The earth is reeling.
A parade of potentates has addressed the United Nations this week trying to manage earth's problems. The head of the European Union wants to have a single E.U. leader so that body can "make the world great again."
Russia is on the move. North Korea is making astounding threats. Iran's intentions are a menace to the entire globe. Israel is striking in Syria.
The area around Yellowstone is rumbling. Days of Noah behavior is stunning with the aberrant actions being celebrated. There is a seduction in the storm resulting in end-time deception running amok and false teachings and teachers being glorified. Sound doctrine is scarce.
Life as we know it has changed. We are not in Kansas anymore. All of this, and more to come, was predicted for a last generation.
Anyone who follows this ministry -- its radio program, website, conference activity, and more -- knows that I have a specific burden. Churches have dropped the greatest news there is today -- the King is coming. And there is a crown for all of those who long for His appearing (II Timothy 4:8).
This past summer I put all of these thoughts into a new DVD: "How the Blessed Hope Became the Blasted Hope: The Attack on Bible Prophecy." It grieves me that the topic is marginalized and mocked but even that fulfills Scripture (II Peter 3:3).
At a time in history when headlines are at best maddening and bleak, the very theology that makes sense of them is declining. In its place people are told we are now in the Millennium and the Church can make the world perfect.
E-mails and letters pour into this office from people who are without a home church. Or they are visiting church after church trying to find one that can minister to their souls and spirits in these disturbing last days.
Dark headlines make sense when they fit hand-in-glove with eschatology or Bible prophecy. What a disservice to a flock to withhold this information or have it contorted into theologies and belief systems that don't equip the flock to endure our times.
If you feel alone, you are really not alone. We are indeed a remnant, sadly. Last year 6,000 of you turned up to my annual conference, in part to be with like-minded believers. (See upper side bar for details on 2017 event.)
Always remember that the King is still coming, stage-setting signs are escalating, a trumpet is about to sound, the Church will vanish, and the hoof beats of the Four Horsemen will be heard in the distance. Things are not falling apart. They are falling into place.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thess. 4:16-18).
Planet earth is a world fallen and in raging rebellion. Those who God’s Word in KJV terms “the earth dwellers” acknowledge His existence only to provide opportunity to mock and blame Him for the consequences of their own sinful proclivity to collectively destroy all they touch. Mankind was given immense ability to create, being made in the image of Almighty God, their Creator. Yet the ultimate result of that creativity since the Fall in Eden has wrought the ultimate ability to decimate. The proof of this fact of history is the discovery and unleashing of the atom.
We don’t have to think upon the great nuclear powers with their arsenals of mega tonnage and pinpoint missile capabilities to wage mankind’s final war. The world now hunkers under the fearful threat of the nuclear sword that might be swung by a half-crazed dictator in North Korea or in scimitar fashion by rogue terrorists literally everywhere we look within the Islamic world.
The question that truly amazes–astonishes—me is the fact that the God of Heaven obviously has His mighty hand upon that potentially planet-ending sword–even thus with the daily hatred that is heaped upon Him. As I often hear it expressed, if one or the other of those of us who are sorely vexed in this increasingly wicked generation had our way, we would have already have swung that proverbial sword ourselves.
Man, who was made in perfection, in God’s image, changed from the perfect creature that walked in harmony with His Maker to a fallen creature that would soon shrivel, die, and return to the dust from which he was made. God’s holy character is unchanged these millennia later. That character is clearly seen throughout His Word.
Nothing shows just how magnificently unassailable the changeless personality of the Creator is more clearly than do His prophetic promises. Bible prophecy thus takes on ever-deepening significance as we move toward the consummation of this age and the ultimate destiny of His creation. His character is all-important, in every respect imaginable.
His divine character is tied inextricably to His prophetic promises.
The ultimate promise relevant to sin-infected mankind, which is shriveling, dying and returning to the dust from which man was made, is that God would send a Savior to redeem us fallen creatures. Prophecy goes on to promise that human life–as well as all of God’s creation—will be returned to its pristine, pre-Fall condition–that is, all but the fallen ones, both human and angelic who do not have Christ as redeemer. The human, unrepentant rebels have rejected god’s grace offer of salvation, and the angels who fell in the original rebellion gave up all right to the presence of Almighty God, thus are unredeemable–lost forever.
For our purposes here, I propose that no prophetic issue more profoundly points to God’s character and prophecy being inalterably linked than does the Rapture. This great event, scheduled next on God’s calendar of prophetic promises, is a salvation matter at its very core. The Rapture promises to keep us–saints of the Church Age or Age of Grace–out of the very time of God’s wrath and judgment against the rebels who have rejected His Son, Jesus Christ (read Revelation 3:10).
There is no greater point of faith in this regard, in my view, than to consider God’s embrace of children below the age of accountability. This age is known only to the God of all creation. It is the age, or spiritually cognitive level of functioning, reached when a person realizes he or she must accept or reject Christ for redemption from sin.
Until that point–with each individual it is different—the person’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When the person understands and makes the decision to accept Jesus for salvation, that person’s name is written in permanently. If the decision is to reject, the name is blotted out, the Scripture says (Rev. 3: 5), until at some future time he or she accepts Christ as Savior. When the person does this, his or her name will then be written in the Book of Life forever.
This is all part of the divine character of God. He will let no person go into hell, into judgment and wrath, separated from Him forever, without giving opportunity to be saved from sin’s deadly ruin. Thus, the Rapture of children below the age of accountability is all-important in considering God’s prophetic promises. Each and every such child, even those just conceived and those growing in the womb, will instantaneously be in the presence of Jesus Christ at the moment of Rapture–just as they are if they die before reaching that age that only God knows.
I believe with all that is within me that when the Rapture happens, God is going to make a thunderous statement about when life begins. He will let this rebellious world know in that instant His holy opinion about the murder of the unborn that has been conveniently termed “pro-choice.”
Our own individual walk with the Lord should reflect that godly character at every moment of life. He has restored us to be conformed to His image, to strive to be more like Jesus moment by moment.
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6: 8).
Excellent article, thanks for posting it. I've often thought that when Jesus returns for his bride every child will be taken if they haven't rejected Christ. God's mercy towards mankind is overwhelming, we see that at the cross, despite sacrificing the children in the fire in so many horrible and truly demonic ways, God has continued to bless us with children, however the day will come when, as in the days of Noah, He will close the door. Sadly very few people want to hear the truth these days, preferring distraction and easy messages, it reminds me so often of how to boil a frog!
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