Dry Run?

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”  2 Thessalonians 2:7  NKJV

noun: dry run; plural noun: dry runs

1. a rehearsal of a performance or procedure before the real one.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/dry_run

As you might expect, the subject of the fallout from the coronavirus is front and center in most of the media today, as well as in conversations between most of us when we do get together to talk. One of the subjects which I find is most often overlooked by pastors teaching from the pulpit today is what exactly we should expect to see in the time leading up to the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the tribulation.  Considering that more and more believers are coming around to the belief that we are nearing this point in time, I would like to suggest that what we are seeing around the world today is Satan, in effect, practicing for what he intends to do during the tribulation.

That said, I think it important to address the movement we are seeing as more and more people begin to push back on the restrictions being imposed on us by what many describe as a “governmental overreach”.  Overreach or overreaction aside, what I believe is important here is the fact that many simply feel that the response by those in power to what has occurred, has in fact, infringed on our rights.  Those thoughts have resulted in the protests we have observed which have begun to take many different forms and actions throughout not only our nation but the world as well.

While the power to govern rests on the consent of the governed, there is going to come a time, perhaps much sooner than many believe, where the majority of the people will deliberately choose to give this power to one man, which the Word of God calls the antichrist.  This man will attempt to control the entire world by whatever means necessary and the result is a time of trouble the likes of which this world has never seen.  The following is an exerpt from an article by Jack Kelley of “gracethrufaith.com”.

“People will always choose repression over anarchy. History shows that revolutionary governments always wind up being more repressive than the the ones they overthrew. They come to power by promising to meet the basic needs of their subjects. They stay in power by suppressing individual rights.

The one world system will impose these conditions on a world wide scale. It will come to power by promising peace and safety in a time of chaos (Daniel 8:25). It will stay in power by suppressing freedom. It will not tolerate religious freedom. It will not tolerate democracy. It will not tolerate a free market economy. And for a time it will appear to have succeeded (Rev. 13:4).

But the man at the head of this one world system will have an agenda of his own, and that’s to be worshiped as God (2 Thes. 2:4). The One who is God will have none of that and will respond decisively to this challenge (Matt. 24:15-21).

Before then, there are just a few obstacles standing in the way of this one world system. The first is the United States which with all its flaws has really been the antithesis of the one world system. It was founded upon the principle of religious freedom, it’s the closest thing to a democracy the world has ever seen, and its power was built with a free market economy. It became too powerful to be defeated so it had to be destroyed from within. For nearly a century, powers behind the scene have been working diligently to accomplish that. Today they’re so close to success they no longer bother to hide.

The second obstacle is the Church. But soon God will have had a belly full of this world and will take us out of harm’s way in preparation for His judgment (1 Thes. 1:10). For a time it will look to the world as if their desired utopia has finally arrived, but just as they’re saying peace and safety destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (1 Thes. 5:3).

The one world system’s final obstacle will be Israel, the people of the God they’re so desperate to be free of. Thinking to prevent the Lord’s return by destroying His people, the world will unite in their common goal to wipe Israel off the map (Zech 12:3).

But the Lord has never left His people, always remaining close enough to hear their cry for help (Hosea 5:15). As soon as they ask He’ll come to their rescue, destroying the one world system and capturing its leaders (Rev. 19:19-21). He’ll return to Earth to set up the kingdom He promised them, one that will never be destroyed or given to another (Daniel 2:44). Finally, the world will have peace (Isaiah 9:7).

You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 02-26-11”

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/the-one-world-system/

I personally cannot help but wonder if the events we are witnessing today are simply a “dry run” in which Satan is orchestrating events in an attempt to finalize his strategy for what he will attempt to do during the tribulation period.  It then follows too, that the reason it is not succeeding is the presence of the Holy Spirit, the “restrainer” which is present in every member of the body of Christ.  While in the past it may have been difficult for many to understand how the antichrist accomplishes his control over this world, I believe after what we have witnessed in the past few months it becomes a much more believable scenario.  

The present situation we find ourselves in is certainly troubling, and much of what the media chooses to share with us can be unsettling, yet we as believers rest in the knowledge that our Savior Jesus Christ is the one with ultimate power and control.  The restrainer is holding back the powers granted to Satan, and his plans for this world are on hold for a time.  Yet his time will come, understandably so when you take into account that it occurs after the rapture when the body of Christ is removed from this world, and there is virtually no one left to oppose him.

Now more than ever, it is time for those who have never made the decision to give their lives to Christ to make that choice before it is too late.  Jesus has promised to take us home to be with Him before this world descends into that time which the Word calls the tribulation, and from all that we are witnessing today, it could happen at any time.  If you are unsure of being a member of Christ’s family, you can be sure today by praying a prayer like this;

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

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A Busy Time

Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God.' "  John 20:17  NKJV  

While most of us have recently added the term "social distancing" to our vocabulary, after His resurrection, Jesus did just the opposite and began to appear to many to finish the work of establishing His Church.  I thought today I would share some of my thoughts about Jesus' last forty days on earth and some of the events which occurred.

 

It may sound funny to some that while being virtually a prisoner in my own home, I decided to consider the question of all the traveling Jesus did in His three days after the crucifixion. It took me quite awhile, and a fair amount of study before I understood just how busy Jesus was in the time between His crucifixion and when He appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room after His resurrection.  If you look closely at this passage from John 20, you see Jesus telling Mary not to cling to Him because He was on His way to Heaven to see the Father.  This obviously begs the question, “where has He been for three days”?

Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise"  Luke 23:42-43  NKJV

For many years I thought that Paradise was Heaven, as many people do, but in Old Testament times paradise meant something completely different.  The Greek word for paradise is also another name for Abraham’s Bosom, the place within the earth where the believing dead were comforted, while the unbelieving dead suffered in Hades, the Greek word for Hell.  Jesus Himself referred to this in His teaching to the Pharisees in Luke 16.

"So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Luke 16:22-23  NKJV

How do we know that these places were located within the earth?  We need to remember what Jesus said about His own death as well while talking to the Pharisees.

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  Matthew 12:38-40  NKJV

Again, for many years I just thought this was referring to Jesus laying in the tomb, but what it really is talking about was His mission to go to Paradise and Hades in order to preach the Gospel to both believers and the unbelievers and to explain how His death and shed blood fulfilled the requirement of the Old Covenant that a sacrifice for sins be made.

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison",       1 Peter 3:18-19   NKJV

It was after Jesus spent those three days and nights in the “heart of the earth”, that He rose again and appeared to Mary outside of the Tomb.  His words to her as she hugged Him was to stop clinging to Him because He was on His way to the Father, and to go tell the disciples that He was alive and on His way to Heaven.  Now many have wondered if the “ascension” Jesus is talking about to Mary was in reality the “ascension” we find forty days later when Jesus commissions the disciples and rises into the clouds. 

If you notice however, in the passage from John Jesus tells Mary “I am ascending”, as in, I’m on my way right now and just stopped by so you could go and give this message to my disciples.  Why was He ascending?  Remember under the terms of the covenant, the blood of the sacrifice had to be sprinkled on the mercy seat.  Jesus had to ascend to the tabernacle in Heaven where He could sprinkle His own blood on the mercy seat in atonement for not only the sins of the past, but the future.  We are told about this in the book of Hebrews.

"But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption".  Hebrews 9:11-12  NKJV

It was after Jesus had fulfilled His role as our High Priest that He returned to the earth and appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that afternoon,

"Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them."  Luke 24:13-15  NKJV

and then to the disciples in the Upper Room that evening.

"So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those [who were] with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things [that had happened] on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  Luke 24:33-36  NKJV

Forty days later Jesus commissioned His disciples and ascended once again into Heaven as they watched.

"Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This [same] Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."              Acts 1:9-11   NKJV

It is because of His sacrifice that we can look forward to seeing Him come again “in like manner” to take us home to be with Him for eternity.By now I am sure many, if not most of you are aware that every day more and more are convinced that what we are experiencing and seeing are signs that our deliverance by way of the rapture of the Church is near.  If you are reading these words today and have never taken the opportunity to become part of the body of Jesus Christ, I would strongly encourage you to do it today.  

If anything, what we are witnessing today is a sure sign that the end is certainly near.  Simply tell God you believe that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins, and that He was buried and rose again on the third day so that we might live.  Do that, and you have the promise of eternal life with Him, and the escape from this earth and all that is to shortly occur.

 

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So What?

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”              Matthew 27:3,4  NKJV

I wrote this commentary a couple of years ago but felt led to post it again as I was thinking of the situation we are all facing today.  You see, it has become all too apparent that the world we live in is full of those who know what they should do, but choose not to.  In other words, their attitude when faced with making the right choice as opposed to the wrong one is, "so what"?  An attitude the world has seen before.

Something often overlooked in the narrative of the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is this response by the chief priests when Judas tried to return the thirty pieces of silver he was paid to betray our Lord.  While Judas felt guilty because he knew that Jesus was innocent of any crime, notice what the chief priests said when Judas said so.  “What is that to us?"  Or another way of saying, “So what?”  You see, they knew as well that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death yet they could care less that an innocent man had been condemned.  Their hatred of Jesus was such that they had no qualms at all with what they had done, and in fact, by this statement, admitted they knew He was innocent.

As opposed to Jesus, we are the guilty sinners deserving of death, but thanks to His sacrifice by dying in our place, we have the opportunity to join Him in heaven for all eternity.   We simply need to accept that sacrifice and believe that He rose again on the third day proving once and for all that He has the power to conquer death and to save us from our sins.  By the power of His shed blood, we are made sinless in His image and have His promise of spending eternity with Him.

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” Matthew 28:1-9 NKJV

Rejoice indeed. Because of the resurrection, we all have the opportunity to share in His power over death. It is a gift, freely given to anyone who chooses to believe. Have you ever considered the fact that as a believer in Christ, you are immortal? Death has no hold over us for we have the promise of eternal life, and to prove it, Jesus rose from the dead to show us He alone has the power.

“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26 NKJV

“Persistent unbelief in light of contrary evidence is willful ignorance!”

“Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”   Mark 16:9-11  NKJV

“After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”   Mark 16:12-13  NKJV

In the above passage from Mark we find that the disciples were presented with the testimony of at least three witnesses to the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead in Mary, and then two of their own.  Yet for some reason they still chose not to believe what was being told to them.  Now maybe, just maybe I could understand how difficult the fact of the resurrection might be to believe if it were not for the fact that Jesus Himself had told them that this was exactly what was going to occur before it ever happened!

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”                         Luke 9:20-22  NKJV

So what would your reaction be to someone who refused to believe even though the evidence presented to support a position met all the criteria necessary by established legal principles?  I daresay your thoughts would be less than kind, and truthfully mine would refer back to all of the passages in Proverbs which describe fools.  Does that seem harsh?  Maybe it would help to look at Jesus’ reaction to the disciples and their stubborn refusal to believe the evidence.

“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”   Mark 16:14  NKJV

Do you believe?  This is the most important question that anyone will ever be asked.  If you can answer yes, your place in eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior is guaranteed.   We can know this because God has promised us that all who believe will have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16 NKJV

“And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.”   Acts 2:21 NKJV

“And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."  Acts 16:30-31 NKJV

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”   John 10:9 NKJV

My prayer is that if you have never made the decision to believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, you would decide to do it today. Invite Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins, and begin to experience the joy that comes from having a relationship with a living God, and the knowledge that He has promised us eternal life with Him in Heaven if we only believe.

Have you made the decision in your own life to know the power of His resurrection? If not, you can right now by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.

He lives!

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Season of Deliverance

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  Revelation 3:20  NKJV

Anyone of my generation who went to Sunday School is more than likely familiar with this image and the verse in Revelation upon which it was based.  It is certainly one of my earliest memories and one which I am sure I will never forget. Yet it was many years later that I was to discover the context of this passage, and the amazement I felt upon realizing that Jesus is actually outside the church of Laodicea, knocking to come in.  I was reminded of this picture this past week when responding to questions about the rapture of the church, and what might we have to endure before that happens in relation to current events.  I believe the answer to that is in the words Jesus wrote to the chuch at Philadelphia.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown”.  Revelation 3:10-11  NKJV

Many scholars who teach about the pretribulation rapture of the church point to this message to the church at Philadelphia as one of our best promises from Jesus that His Church will be taken away before the tribulation begins.  It does not, however, promise that we won’t have to endure troubles, and the truth is, in several places we are told exactly that.  Is it any surprise then, that given what we are experiencing at this point in time, many believe we are swiftly approaching the time of our deliverance?  With that in mind, it occurred to me that deliverance has come to be associated with a certain time of year on God’s calendar and that time arrives this coming week.  I thought I would share some words with you today I wrote some years ago about the Passover season, and what I have learned about it.

“And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. “And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”    Luke 19:29-38  NKJV

Something I noticed rather early on in my life as a believer was the fact that a good many teachers of the Word concentrate solely on the New Testament and seem to avoid attempting to teach from the Old Testament.  When I thought about that, it seemed strange to me considering virtually all of the stories I learned in Sunday School came from the Old Testament!  Adam and Eve, Noah, Joseph and his coat of many colors, Moses and the Exodus, David and Goliath, and so many others I can recall were what became what I could call the equivalent of Bible 101 in my personal growth as a believer.

Something I came to appreciate even more, however, was the fact that there was much more to discover there than just the stories themselves.  As I began to look closer, it was amazing to find that there were many examples of the stories I knew actually being a prophetic picture of events to come.  Now the formal name for this is called typology, and if you are interested there are many resources to help you do that, and since you are reading this, it follows you have a computer so just search typology and see what you can find.  As for now, I simply want to share one example which, considering the proximity to Easter, seems rather appropriate.

When you begin to study the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, it soon becomes clear that although there were times when the people attempted to promote Him as King, He avoided it. A good example is right after the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.    John 6:14-15  NKJV

Yet there did come a day when He did choose to present Himself as King, and we find it revealed in the passage from Luke, which occurred on the tenth of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish religious calendar which was also the beginning of what we now call the Passion Week.  It follows that if Jesus arranged it, there must have been a reason for it, so if we look a little closer we discover that indeed there was.   Jesus was in fact following a script laid out in the Old Testament that we find in the book of Exodus where the first Passover was ordained and observed by the children of Israel while in bondage in Egypt.

“Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ‘And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. ‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ‘Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.”    Exodus 12:1-7  NKJV

In hindsight, we see that while presenting Himself as Israel’s King, He also was presenting Himself as our Passover Lamb on the tenth of Nisan with the foreknowledge that the Jews would reject Him, and then crucify Him on the cross.  As I read this passage from Exodus with the Passion Week in mind, it becomes so very obvious what Jesus was doing for us, the Church, in regards to fulfilling the Law as He said that He did.  Because we choose to believe in His sacrifice and atonement for our sins, He becomes our Passover Lamb and it is His blood which saves us from an eternity separate from Him. 

A few days after His presentation, Jesus celebrated the Passover dinner with His disciples.  If you read the account in Matthew, you will find something Jesus said which seems to be prophetic to the Church as well.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”       Matthew 26:26-29  NKJV

According to the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral laws and traditions, Jesus is waiting for the marriage feast before He drinks from this cup.  (Mishnah, Pesahim 7:13)  Since we know that the marriage feast takes place after the rapture, is it possible that Jesus’ statement is actually His way of telling us that we will drink this cup with Him on a future Feast of Passover?  Could this be a clue to the season of the rapture of the Church that we are so eagerly looking forward to?

If you have never made the decision to accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you by dying on the cross for your sins, there is no better time than right now to do so.  Just as He is knocking on the door of the church of Laodicea, He is also knocking on the door of your heart. Simply pray to the Father and ask Him to forgive you for your sins and tell Him you believe that Jesus died for you.  Accept the gift of salvation He has offered you and you too will drink of this cup of along with Jesus on that future day when He will invite all of His believers to join Him.  Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb who died for our sins, delivering us so we can spend eternity with Him.

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