Hold Fast Without Wavering

“Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:23-25 NKJV

I want to start off today with a question for you. Have you seen any signs indicating we may be close to Jesus' return during the last few years and if so, are those signs decreasing or increasing? The reason I ask is that we have arrived at a point where even those who don't watch are asking just what in the world is going on in the world today? The signs of Jesus' return are coming faster and faster, almost to the point where it is hard to keep up with them all. Do you think that might mean we are getting close to “arriving” at our eternal destination?

This passage from the book of Hebrews addresses the Church as a whole,  and believers specifically, about our mindset as we see the end approaching.  As we have been addressing lately what is expected from the Church, and considering where many believe we are on God’s calendar in regards to the end of this age, it occurs to me that these verses from the book of  Hebrews might be especially appropriate for us to consider.  I believe this passage speaks volumes on what the priority of the Church at this particular time should be so I thought we should look a little closer today at what wisdom we find here.

“Hold fast”. Might that translate be patient? It's a long trip but eventually we will get where we are going because our Father has told us so. Many of us have waited a very long time to see the days we are now living in and the closer we get the more impatient we become. Hold fast, without wavering, because the signs are coming so quickly that it can't be much longer before we go.

“Stir up love and good works”. Be on your best behavior? As we approach our final destination, we have the opportunity to share about our faith and give an explanation of what the world is going through. How much more will the world pay attention if we are are seen as a body of believers that are concerned with loving others and doing good works rather than being selfish and self centered.

“Not forsaking the assembling together”. We are family. Over the years we had occasion to hear people tell us how well behaved our girls were, and I must admit that made us feel good about the decisions we made as parents. I believe the most important decision was to attend church regularly so as a family we could meet and form relationships with other believers. Good or bad, what we experienced within the body as we grew as a family helped us form the foundations of our faith which are apparent today. We not only learn from our own experiences, but also the experiences of others.

“Exhorting one another”. We won't learn much if we don't meet together with other believers and also use that time to encourage and lend support to the family we are. The word translated “exhort” in this version is also translated “encourage” and “beseech” in other versions. As I studied this verse I looked to see how this word is used in other passages in the Bible and came to the conclusion that we are being told to “strongly encourage” each other. The word for exhort in the Greek is “parakaleo” and here are a few of those other passages using the same word.

“Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

Titus 1:9 NKJV

“Preach the word! Be ready in season [and] out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

2 Timothy 4:2 NKJV

“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;”

1 Thessalonians 4:1 NKJV

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”

Ephesians 4:1 NKJV

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service.”

Romans 12:1 NKJV

One other thing I noticed is that most often this word is also used in the context of our behavior as believers. I think it important to understand that God is very concerned with how we witness to the world by our actions, and He expects us to strongly encourage others in the body to “love and good works”.

“And so much the more as you see the Day approaching”. Are we there yet? We have all heard that question, and in this case the answer most believers who watch would give is a resounding “yes”! We should expect the rapture of the Church at any time, so now more than ever we need to be encouraging each other. Sharing what we see with other believers is a sure way to wake up those who might be slow to see just where we are in our journey home. How soon? I certainly can't say, but I do know this; we are almost there!

That said, whenever the subject of the signs of the rapture come up, there are sure to be those who protest that we can never know when that time has arrived.  So I thought I would share a portion of an article by Jack Kelley which addresses that position as well as any I have ever read.

No One Knows The Day Or The Hour

Now we’ll look at that other popular phrase, “No one knows the day or the hour”.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man“ (Matt. 24:36-37).

Let’s back up a few verses to make sure we have the proper context here.  After the Great Tribulation ends (Matt. 24:29) there will be various signs in the heavens. The sun and moon will go dark and the stars will fall from the sky. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear and all the nations will mourn.  After that they’ll see Him coming in the clouds with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30).  From both the context and the passage itself it’s clear that the day and hour the Lord was referring to in Matt. 24:36-37 is the 2nd Coming .

A few verses later, the Lord repeated the same thought, again in the context of the 2nd Coming.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matt. 24:42-44)

The Lord does not come to break into Satan’s domain at the rapture.  He calls us out of it.  And another few verses later.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 24:50-51)

There’s no way this can refer to the rapture because the things He described will not be done to unbelievers at the rapture. He’s speaking of the judgments that follow the 2nd Coming.

Then, for the fourth time in 28 verses the Lord said that believers on Earth at the time of the 2nd Coming will not know the day or hour of His return.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matt. 25:13)

This one is in the context of the parable of the 10 bridesmaids.

In previous studies I’ve shown that this parable can’t be about the church. The Church is the Bride, not a bridesmaid, there’s only one bride, not 10, and the banquet follows the wedding, it doesn’t precede it. There’s no way a newly married bride could be excluded from her own wedding banquet by a husband who claims he doesn’t know her. The parable is about tribulation survivors, 5 of whom are saved and enter the Kingdom and 5 who are not and don’t.

What’s The Point?

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”. (2 Tim. 4:8)

I’ve searched the Scriptures in vain trying to find either of the above phrases used in connection with the Rapture. But I can’t find a single verse that does so.  As I’ve shown they all point to the Second Coming and they are all directed toward Tribulation survivors, not the Church.

What I did find is that the Lord rebuked the religious leaders of His time for not expecting Him.  He criticized the Pharisees for not being able to read the signs of the times (Matt. 16:2-4).  We’re admonished to be aware as well.  For example, the Lord commanded us to understand Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy (Matt. 24:15).  Paul warned us not to let events leading up to the Day of the Lord take us by surprise (1 Thes. 5:4), and as we see above He promised that the Lord would award a crown to those who longed for His appearing.  And why shouldn’t we long for His appearing? After all, the rapture of the Church is one of the most exciting things our Creator has ever done for His followers.  It’s not for nothing that we call it our blessed hope. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.  Selah 09-05-09

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/no-one-knows-the-day-or-the-hour-2/

The Bible, in my humble opinion, makes it perfectly clear that if we watch for the signs Jesus promised would come, we will know His return is near.  It is my firm belief that these signs are occurring before our very eyes at the present time and our appointment to meet with Jesus in the air is imminent.  Many are disappointed that it hasn't happened already and some grow tired of watching but for those this passage from Hebrews says this, "Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering".  

Rest assured, we who have made the choice to accept His gift of eternal life will go to be with Him for eternity. If you have never made the decision to accept that free gift I encourage you to do so today.  Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him.  You can do that right now by praying a prayer just like this one;

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep watching.

Jesus Laid the Foundation

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”   1 Corinthians 3:9-15  NKJV

Last week I discussed the current state of the Church as I see it, and the unfortunate ineffectiveness to perform the mission of spreading the gospel as Jesus intended for it to do.  Surprisingly, while I believe this is true of the Church as a whole today, it is not necessarily a new problem.  In the third chapter of 1 Corinthians we can see that Paul was writing to a divided church which, was focused on issues concerning following different teachers rather than being united in teaching the gospel.  In Paul's words, they were trying to build on a shaky, flawed foundation which would never stand up to testing.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”  1 Corinthians3:11-8 NKJV 

In his instruction to the church in verses 9-15, Paul makes it clear that the focus should be on the foundation he laid. As Paul put it, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  The problem they were facing was much like the one the church faces today in that pastors are choosing to put their own spin on what the Bible has to say instead of teaching exactly what the Bible has to say.  In other words, they are busy building on a foundation which is deeply flawed and will never support what they are trying to build.

Unfortunately, Satan has done a very good job in creating flawed foundations for the world to choose from. If you have watched the news lately you will find numerous examples of those who seem to want to alter, or modify the very foundation God has laid for us. Yet the Word of God makes it clear that there is only one foundation strong enough to stand for eternity, and the Apostle Paul reminds us of what it is in his letter to the Corinthians.

Having spent many years in the home construction business, I learned a thing or two about building a good foundation.  My father was a part-time carpenter as was my grandfather before him. My first real job was as a carpenter's apprentice, and I have worked as a carpenter off and on my entire life. So it goes without saying that I enjoy the fact that Jesus was a carpenter, especially if you consider that God chose for Him to be born to a carpenter rather than to an earthly father with any other trade.

One of the very first things I learned as a carpenter was how important the foundation is to whatever it is you intend to build. What could be called the carpenter's golden rule is that you must have a strong, square, perfectly level foundation on which to build. Working as a framer on many large housing projects gave me ample opportunity to build on foundations others had laid, and I can tell you from experience that a poor foundation affects the entire construction process. I'm sure that Jesus was well aware of this rule, and I think it comes as no surprise that it is reflected in what Jesus had to say about building His Church.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.    Matthew 7:24-25  NKJV

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.    Matthew 16:18 NKJV

As we consider the foundation we build on, it must be our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and our acceptance of His sacrifice for our sin. If our foundation is flawed, it will affect everything else we may try to apply.  Jesus tells us two things here. One, the foundation of His church is built upon a rock so strong that not even Satan can move it. Two, He tells us exactly what that foundation is and if we look back just two verses in this passage from Matthew, we see what Jesus is referring to;

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Matthew 16:16 NKJV

You see, the Church is made up of those who choose to believe that Jesus was, and is the Son of God. When an individual chooses to accept this fact, and acknowledges that Jesus died for their sins, they then become “Christians”, or one of those who believe that Jesus was indeed the Son of God sent to this earth to die for our sins, and then rise from the dead so that we too could have eternal life. From that point on, the true believer seeks to follow all that we are taught by the Word and by the Holy Spirit. Jesus describes His followers this way;

"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.      Luke 6:47,48 NKJV

How strong is your foundation?  Do you hear Jesus’ words and do them?  Do you constantly question what you are told and measure it against God’s Word? That is the key to building on a strong foundation which will help you not only weather the storms life will bring, but help you to fulfill the purpose we as believers have in spreading the gospel as Jesus intended us to do. Rather than making the same mistake that the Corinthians made, we need to look for teachers who choose to build on the foundation that Jesus laid. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ".

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Keep watching.

The Most Overlooked Sign?

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”             Revelation 3:14-19  NKJV

When believers discuss the many signs of the end of this age that we are warned to watch for, one that many seem to overlook is the one that hits the closest to home, and that is the state of the Church today.  Now this is a subject I have discussed before, and without a doubt will continue to cover as it would certainly rate very high on my own list of signs we are approaching the end, as well as being one that Jesus told us specifically to watch for by virtue of His description of the Church at Laodicea.

One of the first things I learned when I first embarked on a serious study of the book of Revelation was the importance of the first three chapters of the book and the part they play in the history of the church. The fact that there are exactly seven letters to seven churches should be the first clue that there is something special there by the simple fact that the number seven in the Bible always refers to perfection in the sense of completeness, or a perfectly complete picture of something. Yet when you study these seven letters you begin to see that the picture we are given has application on far more than just one level.

Now the obvious picture is that Jesus is giving a “report card” to the church as a whole, and uses these seven in order to show that there are just seven categories to describe a church and all churches will fall into one of them. Yet scholars have found that these seven categories also mirror the evolution of the church throughout history. On an even more personal level is the fact that each of us as believers can be categorized as fitting the description of one of these churches in regards to how we choose to live out our faith.

So simply put, if we are as close to the return of Jesus for His church as we believe, the church today as a whole can be described as lukewarm (Laodicean), while yet being made up of individual churches which can fit the description of any of the other six. Most important to note though is that all churches are made up of individual believers who can also be described as fitting one of these seven examples we are given. As one well known bible teacher is fond of saying, make no mistake that these seven letters apply to all of us today!

Although the church at Laodicea believed it was rich and in need of nothing, it was in reality poor because the “riches” they were so confident in were of their own efforts, and not from God.  Rich in the eyes of the world, they were poor in the eyes of God as a result of the absence of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in their church.  The error of the Laodicean theology is that your eternal security can be assured by simply being a “follower” of Christ.  While this belief was obviously very popular by the size and success of the Laodicean church, unfortunately it is in direct opposition to the Word of God which states plainly that we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to receive eternal life.  The end result of this mistaken teaching is an entertaining and apparently successful church full of followers, but no true believers.

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.   Revelation 3:14-16  NKJV

Of the seven churches mentioned by Jesus in the beginning of His book of Revelation, I must confess that the church of Laodicea has been the most difficult for me to comprehend over the course of my study as a believer.  That is, until now.  You see (as I admit my age here) becoming a believer during the evangelical movement of the sixties and maturing during the Jesus movement of the seventies, I simply could not understand how a church could exist such as the Laodicean church described by Jesus.  Yet today we find the “emergence” of exactly what Jesus foretold so many years ago.

To make something lukewarm, you obviously mix together both hot and cold to arrive at a “compromise” temperature.  This is something I am an authority on since winter has finally arrived in the Northwest and my wife and I have begun our annual war over the thermostat.  The result is always the same as while both of us might not get what we want; neither of us is uncomfortable to the point of demanding a change.  As I thought about the state of the church today, and especially these words from Jesus concerning the Laodicean church, my thoughts continually returned to the words lukewarm and compromise.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—Revelation 3:17  NKJV

A fact that many are not aware of is that the meaning of the word Laodicea is “rule of the people”.  I would think that this is probably one of the first of many mistakes this church is making in that rather than looking to God for guidance on what He expects from them, they look to themselves for approval.  Did you notice Jesus’ response to this?  “Because you say”.  How sad is it that a church can exist which simply tells itself that it is rich and in need of nothing because they are all comfortable doing what they want.  The truth is, according to Jesus, they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”.

“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.                       Revelation 3:18-19  NKJV

“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. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.   Revelation 3:20-21  NKJV

I learned this verse as a child in Sunday School, and like many of you, have never forgotten it.  It has long been used as a tool in witnessing and sharing the good news with those who have not yet accepted the gift of eternal life, and presents a beautiful picture of the love that Jesus has for all of His children.  Yet it was quite a long time before I personally understood the context of this verse, and exactly how Jesus was using it to send a message to a church empty of true believers.  Although seemingly unaware of their need, Jesus stands at the door knocking to come in and anyone who hears and invites Him in will receive the free gift of salvation.

Unfortunately, many churches today fail  if not totally ignore the teaching of a personal invitation to Jesus being necessary for Him to enter our lives and provide the salvation His sacrifice provides.  As such, they provide the justification for God’s judgment which is soon to fall on this world by not fulfilling the mandate Jesus gave His true Church to spread the gospel to an unbelieving world. The good news is that God is a forgiving God, and has promised to deliver anyone from that coming judgment by simply accepting His free gift of salvation and striving to follow His laws. Yet by all accounts, it appears that time is running out swiftly for the world to make that choice.

"then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,"    2 Peter 2:9  NKJV

Do you want to know when God will judge?  Peter’s answer is that God is waiting to remove His own from harm’s way before He judges the world for their offense towards Him.  The rapture of the Church, the time when all true believers are caught up to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is the next event on God's calendar. Never fall into the trap of believing that God has forgotten, or changed His mind, or any other of the lies Satan uses to excuse sinful behavior.  Peter addresses this in the next chapter where he tells his readers this;

"knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to 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 creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."            2 Peter 3:3-7  NKJV

God will judge this world.  We have His promise on that. His Church just has to leave first.  As there are no preconditions for the rapture, coupled with the signs we are seeing fulfilled before our very eyes, it certainly seems time is definitely running out just as it did in Noah’s day when God shut the door of the Ark.  If you have never made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ I urge you to do it today.  If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that 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.

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

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