Hollywood's Dark Secret Revealed: Dr Eric Walsh Exposes

Philipians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SABBATH

Did Colossians 2:14 end the weekly Sabbath?

 Let's first take a look at the apostle Paul's words in Colossians 2:14-17: "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross....So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

When some read about the sabbath days that were shadows and that passed away at the cross, they think that Paul was referring to the weekly Sabbath, the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Is this accurate? It's important to get this right, because our interpretation of the apostle's actual meaning can lead us into deeper truth or into deeper error.

Two Sabbaths

First, there is nothing in the Ten Commandment law about food, drink, festivals, new moons, or sabbath days (plural). All these were actually separate laws that God gave for the physical and spiritual health of His Old Testament people; these were called ceremonial laws.

Second, Paul wrote plainly that he was speaking of "sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come," and not of the weekly Sabbath, which is a memorial of something that happened in the past, at the creation. The contrast between a shadow and a memorial is quite clear. Indeed, the fourth commandment does not tell us to keep the seventh day as a type of something to come. It says: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8, 11).

Moreover, to show that he had something other than the weekly Sabbath in mind, Paul distinctly mentioned "sabbaths," plural," which are a shadow of things to come." (The word "sabbath" in the Greek can be singular or plural according to Strong's and Greek lexicons.)

Festivals and Shadows

The King James uses the word "holyday," and some will contend that it refers to the weekly Sabbath, while the expression "sabbath days" refers to yearly sabbaths. The American Standard Version uses "feast day" instead of "holyday," and this likely a clearer translation. The word translated "holyday" is from the Greek heorte, and in John 5:1, this same word is used to designate one of the yearly festivals of the Jews: "After this there was a feast [heorte] of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem." This is one of the holy days that Paul spoke of as having been nailed to the cross.

The "shadows" Paul mentions pointed to Jesus as a Savior from sin and were observed with that in mind. But the weekly Sabbath was made for man before sin entered into the world, before man would need atonement. The shadows pointing forward to His death as an atonement for sin certainly were not instituted until after sin. Therefore, since the weekly Sabbath was instituted before sin, just as was the marriage institution, it was not a shadow of Christ's death as a Savior from sin; and His death did not end the Sabbath day any more than it brought marriage to an end. Both the Sabbath and marriage came to us in a perfect world.

Paul's language shows he was referencing the shadowy ceremonies that pointed forward to and ended at the cross. Notice again, carefully, his words in Colossians 2:14: "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Paul mentions that these laws were "against us" and "contrary" to us. Would it be contrary to Christians to refrain from idolatry, using God's name in vain, dishonoring parents, murder, theft, adultery, lying, and coveting - the sins rebuked by the Ten Commandments? Thus, the apostle must have been talking of another law - a law that enjoined food offerings, drink offerings, the observance of festivals, new moons, and yearly sabbaths.

Why Are These Laws Contrary to Us?

Why would the observance of these ceremonies after the death of Christ be contrary to the Christian faith? The yearly sabbath of the Passover involved killing a lamb that represented Jesus, the Lamb of God. The apostle Paul taught directly, "Indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us' (1 Corinthians 5:7). Thus, to keep offering a sacrificial lamb after His death would be to imply that Jesus had not accomplished atonement. Such an observance would be contrary to the teachings of Christianity.

Many other shadowy requirements of the ceremonial law pointed to the death of Jesus on the cross, as well. All these festivals, food and drink offerings, and sabbaths that were nailed to the cross, Paul declared to be "a shadow of things to come." Then he adds, 'But the substance is of Christ.' That is, the substance that cast these shadows was Christ's body on the cross.

Think of it this way - late in the afternoon when a tall tree casts its shadow eastward, one can begin at the farthest end of the shadow and follow it until he or she gets to the tree that casts the shadow, and there the shadow ceases to be. Likewise, we can go back to the time when "through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin," and there a merciful God promised to send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15), a Substitute, to die in man's place. To keep man continually reminded of this fact, and to supply him with a means of expressing his faith in the coming sacrifice, God instituted these ceremonies. All of these were included in the law that was not written on tables of stone.

Follow these shadowy ceremonies all the way from Eden to the time of Moses, and then through the wilderness journey and on for hundreds of years after the settlement in Canaan, and at last to Calvary - and there they cease. So it would be 'against us' and 'contrary' to our faith to observe these ceremonies after Jesus' death. Not so with the other law. It is just as necessary to refrain from idolatry, using God's name in vain, dishonoring the Sabbath, murder, adultery, and theft after the cross as before. Indeed, it was the violation of these principles that caused the death of Christ. Could they have been set aside or changed to accommodate the carnal mind, Jesus need not have died.

Now with these truths before us, let us again read Colossians 2:14-17 and see how plainly Paul revealed that he did not mean that the weekly seventh-day Sabbath had been nailed to the cross: 'Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.'

 

• What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
  
                                 

Be Born Again

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." John 3:1, 2

"Jesus bent his eyes upon the speaker, as if reading his very soul. In his infinite wisdom He saw before Him a seeker after truth." DA 168

"Jesus . . . said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. " John 3:3

"He was a strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good works. He was widely esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in sustaining the temple service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. . . . By virtue of his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of a place in the kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. Hence his surprise at the Saviour's words." DA 171

"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" John 3:4-10

I also had not known what the new birth was or the necessity of it. In my natural nature I, just like Nicodemus, had been trying to obey God.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov. 14:12

"By nature the heart is evil, and 'who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.' Job 14:4. No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. 'The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Rom. 8:7. 'Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' Math. 15:19. The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit." DA 172

I also had not known the need of a death to self and sin and the need of the Holy Spirit to regenerate the heart.

"The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they are buried alive. Self did not die, and there-fore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ." 6BC 1075

How sad! There are so many problems in churches and homes because people don't know how to die to self and be born again. They do not know how to let God's love control them.

Think a moment; were you taught, before your baptism, to leave the sins of the world? Smoking, drinking, adultery, stealing, and so on?

When I ask this question in our churches, usually almost every hand goes up. But when I ask: How many of you, before your baptism, were taught how to die to self and give up the right to all the heart sins - hatred, anger, bitterness, resentment, impatience, irritation, jealousy, and selfishness? few, if any, hands go up. This is our problem! So few have understood how to surrender the heart with all the heart sins.

I was not taught these things either, and as long as I did not commit exterior sins, I thought I was a good Christian. I made excuses for my defects of character; resentment, impatience, and irritation. But when I surrendered my whole heart to God, then He could cleanse me from all my heart sins.

"The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. " 1 John 1:7

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"For 'if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.' 2 Cor. 5:17. That which was objectionable in the character is purified from the soul by the love of Jesus. All selfishness is expelled, all envy, all evil-speaking, is rooted out, and a radical transformation is wrought in the heart." RH 7-22-1890

"Many who profess to follow Christ have not genuine religion. They do not reveal in their lives the fruit of true conversion. They are controlled by the same habits, the same spirit of faultfinding and selfishness, which con-trolled them before they accepted Christ.

"No one can enter the city of God who has not a knowledge of genuine conversion. In true conversion the soul is born again. A new spirit takes possession of the temple of the soul. A new life begins. Christ is revealed in the character." RH 7-30-1901

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:3, 4

"While the law is holy, the Jews could not attain righteousness by their own efforts to keep the law. The disciples of Christ must obtain righteousness of a different character from that of the Pharisees, if they would enter the kingdom of heaven. God offered them, in His Son, the perfect righteousness of the law. If they would open their hearts fully to receive Christ, then the very life of God, His love, would dwell in them, transforming them into His own likeness; and thus through God's free gift they would possess the righteousness which the law requires. . . . a reproduction in themselves of the character of Christ. " MB 54, 55

"Nicodemus . . . searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see the kingdom of heaven as he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit." DA 175

"We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner; but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness." SC 28

"The great burden of every soul should be, Is my heart renewed? Is my soul transformed? Are my sins pardoned through faith in Christ? Have I been born again?" 2SM 117

Did Jesus tell us about others who had the same misunderstanding? What were the foolish virgins needing?

This is taken from ADVENT TOOLBox

From America 2 Babylon

This is a much watch  

KNOW THE TRUTH

 

                                         SUCCESS AGAINST SIN

Prayer Is Heaven's Plan for Success Against Sin—There are many who, though striving to obey God's commandments, have little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched  wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.

Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive."( Pr 64.4 - Pr 65.1 

It's important that we allow God to work in us and to have His Spirit be our ever guide less we be as a people without hope and purpose.

Our success depends a lot on how we pray and as the word of God written by Paul states we should pray without ceasing. We ask God for strength to be able to overcome our trials and all that the enemy sets before us, if we depend on ourselves and past mercies we will fail, we need everyday to be covered by the Spirit of God or we will be at the mercy of the enemy.

I thank God for victory that is promised to everyone who believes...Thank you God. 

 FROM BABYLON TO AMERICA

But who or what is Sanat Kumara?

 Sanat Kumara is The Head of The Spiritual Hierarchy for Planet Earth. He rules over the entire earth from The Buddhas and Masters of Wisdom down to the basic atom.  

He is also called The Ancient of Days (in the Bible), The Lord of the World, The One Initiator. He is The Father we pray to in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name....”

Before coming to this planet, Sanat Kumara had lived millions of lives throughout the universe, many of them as the leader of planetary civilizations or as a planetary savior. Approximately 18 million years ago, The Solar Logos, The Creator of our solar system of planets, was considering the dissolution of Planet Earth because the evolutionary progress of the planet and her life-forms was going so poorly; the planned advancements were not occurring.

Sanat Kumara, who was The Spiritual Leader and Lord of the World for the Planet Venus, agreed to come to this planet to place it on an evolutionary path more in line with the plan of The Solar Logos. The very advanced civilization on Venus was at a much higher level than Earth’s. Out of loving compassion, Sanat Kumara came to this dark, laggard planet, along with an entourage of 104 Great Beings Who are called The Lords of the Flame.

The above mentioned is in answer to a question asked in my previous post on the dangers of yoga.

The above answer as to who really is sanat kumara demonstrates that yoga is about false worship of a false god.

YOGA IS POWERFUL--BUT IS IT REALLY BAD FOR YOU?

 Despite its popularity amongst all walks of life, the power of Yoga (eastern meditation) remains one of the mysteries in life that boggles the mind.

Today Yoga is taught in schools, practiced in business environments, and prescribed by the medical community as a means of calming the mind and dealing with the ever increasing number of stress-related illnesses. However, the author of this book shows, with irrefutable proofs, backed by science and confessions from yoga gurus, that “Yoga is the progressive elimination of consciousness" in order to secure what is alleged to be "pure Self-awareness”.

He drives home the all-important point often overlooked by western Yoga enthusiasts, that Yoga “is not just a physical exercise, but has a strong psychic component as well." He says, 'You cannot remove the psychic, or occult aspects from Yoga. All Yoga, no matter what 'school' or how is has been Westernised, is a form of worship and spiritual exercise that puts the practitioner/participant in contact with the gods or deities of Yoga.' Every asana (yoga pose) is a posture of worship and an invitation, or invocation to one of these deities. Yoga poses are offerings to Hindu gods, says Dr. George P. Alexander, a Sri Lankan who grew up in India.

Yoga is prayer, Yoga is worship.... It matters not whether you are a believer or an Atheist, when you practice Yoga, you are engaged in worship, you are channelling to the gods of the eastern religions and opening yourself to powerful occult forces that have been shown in a scientific study to cause mild to serious psychiatric illnesses, including suicidal tendencies, and schizophrenia.

In fact, many individuals have suffered serious psychiatric Illnesses due to practicing Yoga, as a wide-ranging scientific study, supported by a Court finding, confirmed to be true. Yet, most practitioners and even Yoga teachers seem unaware of this potential danger. Indeed, most of you reading this will doubt it can be true.

That's what Annabel (not her real name), a 20-something year French woman thought. Just over five years ago, Annabel went on a silent meditation retreat in a large city in the North of England, for just 10 days. She says that everything was going OK until the seventh day, when she suddenly developed a panic attack. “It just felt like my brain literally exploded,” she told BBC reporter Jolyon Jenkins: “Then I felt like I was completely separated from my own body.” Her Yoga teachers did not know what to do or how to help her, and simply told her to carry on with the meditation. At the end of the course, when she somehow managed to make her way back to France, she "collapsed" in her mother’s house. Annabel told Jolyon Jenkins, “I tried to go on with my life but it was impossible. I could not get out of bed anymore, I could not eat. I was having symptoms of terror and panic. I had a lot of fear and I had ‘depersonalization’ - Jenkins explains, "that’s basically when you look at yourself in the mirror and you’re unable to recognize yourself". Annabel also suffered ‘derealization’, which as Jenkins says, "is when you look at the world around you and it seems unreal.” Annabel was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and had to be treated with anti-psychotic medication for her meditation. Jenkins reports that even "A year later, she is still on the drugs" and  “still have a long road ahead" of her.

You may think Annabel’s case is extreme but is is not as unusual at all. Most Yoga practitioners who suffer psychiatric illnesses will likely never associated it with Yoga. They and others will almost always attribute the cause to something else.  In writing this book, the author not only read research on the dangers of Yoga, but also spoke to a few people who had sound mental health until they got involved in Yoga, or meditation. In fact, in one case, a young woman, never quite made the connection, until she was told what many years of research had uncovered about Yoga's potential to cause psychiatric illnesses. Only then did the young British woman explain to the author that she never had any mental health issues all her life, but after taking up Yoga, she developed mental health problems that required long-term psychiatric intervention.

Apart from the main study mentioned earlier (details of which are in the book), a recent scientific report published in an academic paper cited individuals engaged in part-time meditation, found that a quarter of them had encountered “substantial difficulties”, including “challenging experiences of the self” and a “frightening dissolution of identity”.

In this concise and powerful book, "Yoga is Powerful - But is it Really Bad for You?", you will discover how Yoga works. What is the energy, or forces behind Yoga and meditation, as well as the occult powers that Yoga is meant to give to the practitioner.

You will learn details a major scientific study that proves Yoga very bad for your spiritually, and psychological well-being, including serious psychiatric illnesses!

You will understand the true reason Yoga has been called the “highest path to God-realization” and the means by which this most dangerous occult tool or method is subtly able to yoke you with the 'transcended Masters' or higher reincarnated beings, as well as the "Universal Soul" also called the Atman, or Sanat Kumara... But who or what is Sanat Kumara?

By P.D. Moore

THE FAITH OF JESUS

 “The faith of Jesus.” It is talked of, but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that he might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take his righteousness. And faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus. 

Taken from 3SM 172.2

Ellen G White writings. 

Press On

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;

but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are

behind

and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

    Philippians 3:13

The world will tell you that the dominating influence in

your life is your past. If you came from a difficult home,

that will determine the direction of your life. If your culture

was treated unfairly, that will dictate the condition of your

life today. If you were hurt or abused or if your youth was

spent in rebellion, the remainder of your life will be spent

struggling with your past.

Christians, on the other hand, live in freedom because

Christ has overcome our past. The “old things” have been

done away with and “new things” have come (2 Cor.

5:17). God has so totally forgiven the Christian's sin that

He chooses not to remember it (Isa. 43:25). Christians do

not forget the past, but we are not controlled or motivated

by it. The Christian looks to the future with hope.

The people of the world focus on what they are

overcoming. Christians focus on what they are becoming.

Christians know that the Holy Spirit is conforming them

into the image of Christ. Christians know that eventually

every injustice will be addressed and every hurt

comforted. They know that Satan, and death itself, will

finally be brought to an end. The Christian's future is so

full and rich and exciting that it supersedes whatever

happened in the past.

If you are preoccupied with your past, ask God to open

your eyes to the incredible future that awaits you and

begin, like Paul, to press on to what is ahead.

Devotional by Richard Blackaby:

Experiencing God day by day.

GOD'S DESIGNED REST

"One of the things obvious from a quick reading of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 is that the fourth commandment is the most detailed by far. Whereas some of the commandments are recorded in as few as three words in some versions (in the Hebrew some can be expressed in only two words), the fourth commandment gives space to the why, how, and who of remembering the Sabbath day."

"Notable among these Sabbath details is the focus on others. Sigve K. Tonstad argues that this kind of command is unique among all the cultures of the world. The Sabbath commandment, he explains, “prioritizes from the bottom up and not from the top looking down, giving first considerations to the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. Those who need rest the most—the slave, the resident alien, and the beast of burden—are singled out for special mention. In the rest of the seventh day the underprivileged, even mute animals, find an ally.”—The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press,
 "The commandment has a special focus on urging that the Sabbath is a day to be enjoyed by everyone. In the light of the Sabbath, we are all equal. If you are an employer during the week, you have no authority to make your employees work on Sabbath. And that’s because God gave them, too, a day of rest. If you are an employee—or even a slave—for the rest of your days, the Sabbath reminds you that you are equally created and redeemed by God, and God invites you to celebrate this in ways other than your usual duties. Even those outside the Sabbathkeeping people—“any foreigner residing in your towns” (Exod. 20:10, NIV)—should benefit from the Sabbath."

"This idea would have been a remarkable change of perspective for the Israelites, fresh from their own experiences of slavery and marginalization. Now that they were to be established in a new land, God did not want them to adopt the habits of their former oppressors. As well as giving them detailed laws for their society, He gave them (all of us, actually) a weekly reminder, in a powerful way, of just how equal we all are before God."
Sabbath School for Mobile
https://goo.gl/3vHYXM

No wonder then that the enemy of souls is so adamant to try with all his might to blot out from the minds of humanity the wonderful laws that God has put in place to show that ,equality for all is possible and also the possibility of living in peace and harmony with each other.
But man has allowed selfishness and pride,(place before them by the devil),to be the hallmark our existance here on earth. God's plan for us is more than we can think or imagine..
KJV Jeremiah 29
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Christ as the Center

Christ as the Center

 Jesus is the central figure throughout the Bible (John 5:39), and we need to see ourselves in relationship to Him. He paid the penalty for sin and is “ ‘a ransom for many’ ” (Mark 10:45). Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18), and all things are in His hands (John 13:3). His name is higher than all others, and one day every knee shall bow down to Him (Phil. 2:9–11).

 

“Jesus is the living center of everything.”—Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 186.

 Christ is the heart of our stewardship and the source of our power. Because of Him, we produce a life worth living, demonstrating to all that He is the central focus of our lives. Paul may have experienced many trials, but no matter where he was or what happened to him, he had one priority for living: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21, NKJV). 

Read Colossians 1:16–18, Romans 8:21, and 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

What do they tell us about just how central Jesus is to everything about us? ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________   

There is no genuine stewardship without Christ being our central core (Gal. 2:20). He is the center of “that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), and “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17, NKJV). Just as the axle is the center of the wheel and thus carries the weight of a wagon, Christ is the center of the steward’s life. Just as a solid axle provides stability allowing the wheels to rotate, Jesus is also the fixed and stable center of our Christian existence (Heb. 13:8). His influence should affect everything we think and do. All aspects of stewardship rotate around and find their center in Christ. “ 

‘For without Me you can do nothing’ ” (John 15:5, NKJV). The center of stewardship is not a hollow void but the reality of the living Christ, who is working in us to mold our characters now and for eternity. 

It’s one thing to say that Jesus is the core of our lives, but it’s another to live as if He is. How can you be sure that Jesus is, indeed, living in you as He promises He will if you will but let Him in? ____

Taken from the SDA quarterly ________________________________________________

Second Coming of Jesus

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE "RAPTURE"

Let me give you Bible PROOF right from the start why the rapture teaching HAS to be a false teaching. We are going to use a lesson from Jesus Christ Himself to show you why the rapture theory has to be a false one.

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the disciples a couple of parables. One of them being the wheat and the tares. Now have a real good think about the following verses:

Matthew 13:24-30 ...'Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, 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.'

When we come across such clear Bible verses as these, we should not need to debate the issue, because God has left no doubt what the truth is. These verses alone show the rapture theory to be false. Notice that Jesus says to leave the wheat (children of God) and the tares (the wicked) TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST. But the harvest IS the "rapture" you may say? Well, if the rapture is the harvest, then this world must continue after the harvest right? Because that is what the rapture theory teaches, that the world continues for at least another 7 years AFTER the church has been taken. Look at the following scripture:

Matthew 13:38-40 ...'The field is the world; the good seed are the children of
the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE WORLD; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.'

So we have a number of very clear points here. The church (wheat) and the wicked (tares) are not separated until the harvest. The harvest happens at the end of the world when Jesus comes at the second coming with His angels. The angels gather the wicked FIRST.

Those who believe the rapture teaching are waiting for Jesus to take them away from this world FIRST, before the end. And yet the above scripture clearly shows that the church will continue to stay on this earth until the end. And the lost will be gathered first, not the church. Proof that the rapture teaching is false and that there is no separation until the end of the world.

WHERE DID THE RAPTURE TEACHING COME FROM?

During the great Protestant reformation, the reformers believed and taught the "historical" interpretation of the Bible and prophecy, especially concerning the antichrist. They clearly saw from the Bible and history that the antichrist was a religious system of apostasy and great persecution, rather than a future single individual. And from the evidence, it was clear that this antichrist system was none other than the Papal Church of Rome (Roman Catholic Church).

 

 

This brought about the counter reformation from Rome and a new society was established in the mid 1500's called the Society of Jesus (Order of the Jesuits), led by Ignatius Loyola. Through this Jesuit order, new interpretations of Bible prophecy were introduced, placing the emphasis on futurism, rather than the accepted historical interpretation. And of course with these new teachings of futurism, the Papal church was able to divert the minds of the people away from the Roman Catholic Church being the true antichrist, to a future individual who would arise AFTER the church was "raptured" away.

They achieved this by changing the true historical teaching of the 1260 year prophecy of Daniel and Revelation where the saints were persecuted by the antichrist power (fulfilled between 538AD - 1798AD, and known as the Dark Ages where the Papal Church persecuted God's people who read the Bible for themselves) to a literal 1260 days (3 1/2 years) and placed that time period in the future. They also changed the 70 week prophecy of Daniel, by taking the last 7 years and placing them, again, in the future and saying that the church would be "raptured" away before this 7 year period of tribulation, during which time the antichrist would rise. Even though there is no Biblical support whatsoever for taking the last 7 years of the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel and placing them into the end times.

The main aim of these new false interpretations was to divert people away from the truth that the Roman Catholic Church is the antichrist system that the Bible speaks of. And they were successful, as these false Jesuit teachings dominate in the mainstream Protestant churches today.

IS "RAPTURE" IN THE BIBLE?

Let's take a look at the very name "rapture". You will not find this word anywhere in the Bible.

 Not only is the word rapture not in the Bible, most Christians who believe in this teaching can't even agree as to whether they will be taken before, during, or after the seven year tribulation. There is just utter confusion on this, when there shouldn't be, as God's Word is very clear on it. It's a false teaching and in this study we will show you why.

To say that Christ will rapture away the church goes against the very teaching of the end times taught in the New Testament. And as we take a look through some Bible verses, you will see that the second coming, the resurrection, the harvest and the end of the world happen during the ONE SAME EVENT. There is no mention at all of any sudden taking away of the church before the end of the world.

The word 'rapture' is based on the words 'caught up' in the Bible verses following in Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 ...'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.'

Now if we study the above verses IN CONTEXT, we will see another description of the second coming in Chapter 5 vs 2 ... "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." ... This thief in the night description is also used by the rapture supporters. But if we take a look at another Bible passage that talks about Jesus coming like a thief in the night, we can gain a TRUE understanding of it:

2 Peter 3:10 ...'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.'

Wow! Bible proof once more that the rapture teaching with a following 7 year tribulation period is a false teaching! Look at what it says. Yes, the Lord WILL come like a thief in the night, but what happens AT THE SAME TIME? "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.". No rapture and certainly no life continues AFTER Jesus returns like a thief, because it's the end of the world!

So what is the Bible getting at when it tells us that Jesus will return like a thief? Again we need to study IN CONTEXT, rather than take a verse hear and there. Look again at 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4:

1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 ...'For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.'

So what happens during the coming of Jesus as a thief? SUDDEN DESTRUCTION! And what does the above verses confirm concerning the church? THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT BE AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT to the church, because we will have been watching and waiting for Him. So to apply the thief in the night verses to the church being raptured away is wrong. But the following verses confirm who Jesus comes as a thief for:

John 10:10 ...'The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.'

Matthew 24:43 ...'But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.'

Revelation 3:3 ...'Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt NOT watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.'

Revelation 16:15 ...'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.'

Do you see a clear theme here? Friends, you have the amazing Bible truth right there! Jesus is NOT coming as a thief for the church. He is coming as a thief for the lost! For those who will not be expecting Him to return. Think about it. Would we WANT to see a thief? No. So who is it that wouldn't want to see Jesus "as a thief"? The lost! And when He does come as a thief, He will destroy the wicked and the earth will come to an END, which 2 Peter 3:10 confirms.

PAROUSIA AND APOKALUPSIS

Those who believe in a rapture say that the Greek word "parousia" refers to the secret coming of Jesus with the rapturing of the church and that the Greek word "apokalupsis" refers to the visible glorious coming of Jesus in power seven years later. So they believe from these Greek words that Christ will return in two phases, separated by the 7 year tribulation. The problem is, we have already PROVEN from the Bible that there is no separation between the church and the wicked until the END OF THE WORLD. The rapture supporters also teach that in middle of this seven year period, the antichrist will reign. This is nothing but Jesuit false doctrine to take people's eyes off the Roman Catholic Church being the true Bible antichrist. But let's take a quick look at "parousia" and "apokalupsis", and what we will show you is that BOTH are used to describe the SAME second coming.

Paul uses the word "parousia" in the well known so called "rapture chapter" of 1 Thessalonians 4, which we have discussed above, when speaking of the coming of Christ and our gathering together unto Him. But Paul then shows that this "parousia" will destroy the man of sin; the Antichrist ... "whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [parousia]." 2 Thessalonians 2:8. So we have a problem. Paul is saying that it is DURING the "parousia" of Christ that the man of sin will be destroyed. And yet those who hold to the rapture teaching say that the man of sin will reign AFTER the "parousia". And will not be destroyed until the physical "apokalupsis" coming of Christ.

"Apokalupsis" [revelation] is also used in a way that indicates it is NOT a separate coming from the time the believers are gathered up. Peter said in 1 Peter 1:13 ..."be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [apokalupsis] of Jesus Christ;" Now why would Christians be exhorted to continue hoping to the end of the world for the grace brought through the revelation of Jesus Christ if their real hope was a rapture seven years before the revelation? Do you see the problems with this teaching? I hope so.

These following verses which give Matthew and Luke's account of the same event prove that the words "parousia" and "apokalupsis" do refer to the SAME ONE COMING OF CHRIST. In Matthew 24:37 it says ..."But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming [parousia] of the Son of man be." ... And the same account in Luke 17:26, 30 says ... "As it was in the days of Noah ... Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [apokalupsis]." This is how we are to find out the TRUTH. We need to compare scripture with scripture.

So why are the two Greek words used? It's quite simple. Parousia means "presence", a VISIBLE return. And Apokalupsis means "to reveal", a REVEALING OF THE TRUTH. So to turn these two words into two separate comings make no sense whatsoever. They both describe the ONE event, the physical, visible, loud, fiery second coming of Christ, in which the truth will be REVEALED!!

LEFT BEHIND?

Another popular false teaching which is taught alongside and is used to support the rapture teaching is the left behind doctrine. This has become so popular that NOVELS have been written about it, selling multiple millions of copies. And yet, along with the rapture teaching, it can EASILY be proven false from the simple Word of our Awesome Creator and Saviour. So let us do that straight away.

Luke 17:36-37 ...'Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.'

So those who support the rapture teaching believe that the one taken is the one raptured to heaven, as you can gather from the picture, and the one left behind is the one that goes through the 7 year tribulation after the church is raptured. Some even believing that the one left behind gets a second chance at salvation, which is a VERY dangerous teaching.

Now if you read Luke 17 in context, you will see that Jesus is describing His physical, visible second coming. And during this event He says that between two people in the field, one will be taken and one will be left. Now remember what we discussed at the very beginning of this page? We proved that it is only at the end of the world that this separation takes place. So from that we know, this event in Luke is the ONE coming of Christ which marks the end of the world. Now notice what else it says in Luke 17 above:

"WHERE LORD?"

The disciples ask "where Lord". Why are thy asking this? Do they need to know where the one left in the field is? No. They want to know where the one TAKEN has gone. And look at Jesus' response ... "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." ... Now the word eagles in the original language can also mean VULTURES. And where do vultures gather? Where there is a DEAD BODY!

Job 39:27-30 ...'Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.'

You see, the one taken is the lost and will be destroyed, and the one left behind will be saved, just like Noah was the one left behind and saved, while the wicked were TAKEN by the flood and destroyed. And contrary to belief, Lot was the one left behind and saved and the wicked in Sodom were "taken" and destroyed.

And we know this also because Jesus said that the angels will gather the wicked FIRST to be destroyed (Matthew 13:30)

The whole message of what Jesus was giving was for us to be watching and waiting for His return. His ONE AND ONLY return. So that we will not be "taken" by surprise and His second coming ends up being "like a thief" to us. And what does this false Jesuit teaching of the rapture and the left behind teaching do? It causes believers to "relax", thinking that they will not go through the tribulation that is to come and maybe even get a second chance after the church is so called "raptured". This is a teaching from the enemy friends and goes against the very teaching of Jesus that we need to be PREPARED, READY, WATCHING, WAITING for His return!

Luke 13:25 ...'When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are.'

THE END OF THE WORLD

Matthew 28:20 ...'lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'

Interesting statement don't you think? Why would Jesus promise us that He would be with us until the end of the world, if He was going to rapture away His people BEFORE the end of the world?

John 6:40 ...'And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.'

John 6:44 ...'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.'

John 11:24 ...'Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'

John 12:48 ...'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.'

The separation takes place at the end of the world, NOT before. We are resurrected on the last day, NOT before. We receive our judgment and reward on the last day, NOT before. Friends, this is the BIBLE TRUTH. Please heed the Word of the LORD, not the teachings of man!

This Post is taken from the website at the bottom:
 http://www.endtimes-bibleprophecy.com/page26.htm