OUT ON A LIMB...

THE END IS NEAR!! 

I know what you're thinking... Rick has finally gone off the deep end!  Well, maybe so... but, to my surprise, it seems that I am finally willing to go out on a limb and put my predictions where my mouth is.  Take it or leave it, but for what it's worth... based on prayer and my study of history, Biblical prophesy, and current events...  I personally believe that the first five Seals of Revelation will be fulfilled this year.

SEAL 1…  Today, the Roman Catholic Pope has no military power (no “Arrows”).  Nevertheless, through the Joint Catholic-Lutheran Statement  on Justification in 1999, he was able to finally silence his only real opposition, Martin Luther. The blasphemous hope of attaining a Christ-like holiness has once again poisoned the Church.  Today, the unique holiness of Christ is commonly rejected.  The “Holy Roman Empire” is back! 

I believe that this year, because of ill health, the current Pope will be replaced.  According to Roman Catholic tradition, the next and last Pope will in some way take the name Peter.  He will become the acclaimed leader of a united Protestant-Catholic Christian Church... and as all Popes have done, he will claim to be Christ's holy equal... and he will also claim to be the actual voice of God on earth.  However, this Pope will wield this power like no other has ever dared.   

SEAL 2…  God has already sent the “Great Sword” of Islam against apostate “Christendom” for the third and last time (Jihad III began - 2001).  This war will continue with greater and greater devastations. 

SEAL 3…  The economic collapse, global depression, and food shortages that began in 2008, will hit its climax this year, and will send the world into political chaos. 

SEAL 4...  I really believe that sometime this year, a new and lethal bacteria or virus will be discovered.  This global Plague may start slowly, but when it ripens and explodes onto the world, it will kill on the same scale as the “Black Death” and “Spanish Flu”. 

SEAL 5…  I believe that the long awaited Islamic Messiah, the “Mahdi”, will appear this year.  When he does, he will consolidate all of Islam under his control.  Beheadings will test the faith of Christians in all Islamic countries around the world.  

Please note... that  God's four severe judgments against apostasy (Ezk 5:17, 14:21) contained within the first five Seals of Revelation, have been poured out on Christendom twice before.  (1) Economic collapse and catastrophic crop failures  (2) Deadly diseases  (3) The wild beast empire of Islam rising as God’s hand of judgment  (4) The bloody sword of Islam bringing the destruction of the apostate people and the martyrdom of the faithful remnant by beheading, have already occurred during Jihad I that started in 690 AD, and also during Jihad II that began in 1453 AD.

 

                                                                     HANG ON TO YOUR FAITH ! 

 

 

IGNORANCE... The Price of Apostasy

It is essential for all Christians to understand the chronology of Christ’s return, because knowing what the Bible says would happen shortly before Christ’s return, and seeing it actually happen, builds up our faith in the Word of God, encourages us to draw closer to our Savior, and motivates us to reach others before it’s too late. 

However, it is simply impossible to understand the chronology of Christ’s return, if we don’t understand that Judgment begins with Christ’s Church.  “It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God, and if it will begin with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  (1Peter 4:17)  “The Son of man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous shall shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mathew 13:41-43)

The “Book of Revelation” is a letter warning about the apostasy that was already spreading through the Churches of the first century.  The letter is a terrible rebuke to all apostate churches, and a loving encouragement to the faithful remnant.  It describes the judgments that will be poured out on the earth shortly before Christ’s return.  The four judgments contained within the first five “Seals” in the Book of Revelation, will be poured out on Christendom, (1) Economic collapse and catastrophic crop failures  (2) Deadly diseases  (3) The sword of Islam rises as God’s hand of judgment  (4) War brings the destruction of the apostate people and the martyrdom of the faithful by beheading.  (note that these four judgments have already been poured out on apostate Christendom twice before, during Jihad I that started in 690 AD, and Jihad II that began in 1453 AD) 

Then... Seal six and seven, the Trumpet judgments, and Bowl judgments will be poured out on the rest of the world because of unbelief.  We must remember that the devastating judgments described in Revelation do not reflect God’s eagerness to pour out his wrath against evil people.  These judgments are to be poured out slowly at first, and then gradually increased to devastating levels.  This merciful plan of God was designed to give His people and the rest of the world a last chance to turn back to a saving faith in their Savior.

However, I am extremely sceptical that today's arrogant Christians, who have chosen to believe that they can actually attain personal Christlike holiness, can ever find true HUMILITY again... and repent. 

It is the apostasy of Christ’s Church that is causing these devastating judgments to come upon us.  Ironically, however, this pride-filled apostasy is also causing the Church to remain completely blind to the fact that these judgments are already being poured out…  “Remember therefore what you have received and heard, and keep it, and repent.  If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.” (Revelation 3:2-3)

 

                                                                      AMEN !

"SANCTIFICATION"... Fact or Process?

A relationship to God measured by growth toward sanctification (holiness) must eventually shift the foundation of that relationship from Christ's covering, to my own holiness. My motivation for battling sin also shifts to a self centered pride in achieving my goal. Pride forces me to look for evidence that I really am becoming more and more like Christ. Pride also forces me to measure my progress against that of others. Soon, my Christian life becomes a pride filled pursuit of personal holiness, based on faith in myself, and not in God's Son. When I finally get comfortable judging myself to be holier than others, it becomes impossible for me to identify with them as a fellow sinner. If I can no longer identify with others as a fellow sinner, I have proof that my faith has truly shifted from Christ, to my own holiness.

THE TRUTH IS... if we are not absolutely holy, fully and completely sanctified, we dare not approach a holy God. The  question then becomes... Is sanctification a lifelong PROCESS? ... or... Is sanctification a FACT OF FAITH? Scripture clearly teaches that we can approach God now, and being able to approach God now, refutes the idea that  sanctification is a lifelong process. Being able to approach God now proves that we already are fully and completely sanctified by our faith in Christ.

Paul said... "...we HAVE BEEN sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all..." "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who ARE sanctified." (Hebrews 10:10-14) About entering into the very presence of God, Paul wrote... "Since therefore, brethren, we have CONFIDENCE to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus..." ".. .let us draw near with a sincere heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith..." (Hebrew 10: 19-23) "And such CONFIDENCE we have through CHRIST toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." (2Corinthians 3:4-5)

And, finally, for those who would dare waver from absolute  faith and trust in Christ alone, Paul said this... "How much severer the punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under-foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he WAS sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews  10:28-29) God knows that it is impossible for us to become holy. To be holy, everything we THINK, SAY and DO must agree with the Law of God and the will of God… EVERYTHING! This is impossible for us! Only Jesus was  capable of this kind of sinless perfection, therefore only Jesus is HOLY. "...Thou ALONE are HOLY..." (Revelation 15:4)

Jesus said very clearly in (John 8:23-24) that "...unless you believe that I am He (God), you shall die in your sins." We MUST believe that Jesus is God! But... how is it possible to believe that Jesus is God, and truly honor him as God, if we also believe that we will one day be just like him? Nowhere in Scripture, did God say that anyone could ever be like him.

The truth is... it is IMPOSSIBLE for a true Christian to believe that they can be like Jesus! If we try to do it, and we're honest about it... we will soon discover that we're forced to  either believe that Jesus is someone other than God, which according to Jesus, assures us that we will die in our sins without hope of salvation. Or.... we must join with Satan, and believe that we actually can be like God, which also guarantees that we will die in our sins without hope of salvation! This popular idea, that we can believe that Jesus is God, and at the same time believe that we can become just like him, is very dangerous! What is not dangerous is to believe what the Bible actually teaches. Jesus is God... and NO ONE will ever be LIKE GOD!

Sanctification is a fact of our faith in Christ Jesus! There is no separate process of sanctification! You can choose to believe this or not. But, before you make up your mind, shouldn't you listen to what Jesus himself said about sanctification? On the road to Damascus, Saul (Paul before his conversion) is confronted by Christ.  Out of the brightness of Christ's glory, Saul is blinded physically at the same time he is given spiritual vision and faith in the truth. Christ himself said, that those Saul (Paul) will reach with the gospel, will be among those who "...HAVE BEEN sanctified by FAITH IN ME..." (Acts 26:18)

 

                                                                                 AMEN !

New Years Resolution... EMBRACE THE TRUTH !

Today, sincere seekers of Christ are absolutely beleaguered with sermons, books, radio messages, and contemporary Christian songs that proclaim the Christian walk as a lifelong struggle toward Christlikeness and personal holiness. Is it any wonder, that Christians who have discovered the wonderful blessedness of resting completely in Christ, seem to be few and far between. It's sad but true, that Christian churches are increasingly filled with people who get completely swept away with the newest teaching that promises to somehow transform their continued failure into a true Christ-like holiness. Therefore, filled with a false hope and a false faith in themselves, these people will NEVER find true rest and security in Christ.

Salvation has absolutely nothing to do with us taking on the likeness of Christ. Salvation is centered on CHRIST taking on the likeness of US! (Romans 8:3)(Philippians 2:7)  He, in our  likeness, lived a perfect life as an acceptable human being. He alone passed the test. It's only through God's immeasurable love and grace and mercy, that we are given the opportunity to put on the glorious covering of Christ, the robe of acceptability. This precious gift of Christ's covering, is ours only as long as we confess our need for it. We must die completely to any and all hope of ever becoming acceptable to God within ourselves. All of our faith must remain in Christ alone... FOREVER!

We dare not allow even a speck of self centered hope to rise up out of the grave. "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law (through my own ability), then Christ  died needlessly." (Gaiatians 2-.18-21)

THIS IS THE TRUTH... The moment our faith shifts to our own potential to become Christ-like and holy, we strip  ourselves of the robe of Christ's holiness. (Galatians 5:4) Paul said, that even the simple act of receiving circumcision, obligates us to keep the whole Law, and severs us from Christ, and his grace and mercy. It's not the physical act of circumcision. Paul was circumcised, and Paul was a  Christian. Paul is clearly warning us not to let our heart drift from absolute faith in Christ. Our faith can either be in the protection of Christ's perfect holiness, or in the protection of our own potential holiness… BUT NOT BOTH!

A saving faith in Christ, cannot ever be divided! A person who has trusted completely in Christ, and has died completely with him on the cross, simply has no independent life to make holy. As a true Christian, our only hope is to be with Christ when we leave this life, and until then, our only goal should be to glorify only Christ. (Philippians 1:21-24)  

However, as we learn to walk in our reborn “spirit”, where our love for God resides, we do indeed change and become a different kind of person who sins less. Our complete faith in Christ and his covering, gives us a close and confident relationship to God, and this close and confident relationship  gives us a growing desire to not give place to our dead “flesh". However, our sinning less is still not holiness. Our sinning less, is simply the natural result of a close relationship to God. (Romans 8:10)(1Peter 3:18)

                                                                               AMEN!


... And have a faith-filled 2013