Be Ye DOERS of the Word!

James 1:22
But be ye DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.


He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake.. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.' I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car.'

¿Habla usted español?

It's here!!! The Way of the Master Basic Training Course is finally available in Spanish!!!! YAY!! Check out the new Spanish Living Waters site!




Our pal Mary has received her package and is ready to go! She is preparing to go into full time ministry as a missionary. She wants to get this training going here in Florida and then take it down to Peru. We are praying that Spanish speaking people will come alongside of her to help. Go Mary!






Gio and Christine live in Bloomington, Illinois with their beautiful daughter, Isabella. I met Gio when he came out for evangelism on Constitution Trail. They attend my Dad's 'Sowers Class' at Calvary Baptist Church. Gio played professional soccer in his home country of Guatemala. When I learned they spoke Spanish I was really excited, but to tell you the truth I didn't know if he and Christine would be willing to teach the class. You see, they have been through one of the hardest years of their lives. Earlier this year they lost their young son, Emilio to cancer. How do you survive something like that? They are graciously allowing God to have full control of their lives. They estimate that there are about 5,000 Spanish speaking people living in and around Bloomington.

Please pray for both of these classes. May the Lord bless all involved.

Why Friendship Evangelism Is Neither Friendship Nor Evangelism

Why Friendship Evangelism Is Neither Friendship Nor Evangelism

Not long ago, I received the following message from a friend on Facebook. While it is a topic I've tackled many times in the past, I thought the way my friend honestly asked her question accurately expressed how many Christians feel about sharing the gospel with their friends. Her words also helped to reaffirm what I have believed for a very long time. "Friendship Evangelism" (as it is most commonly taught and practiced by Christians) is neither friendship nor evangelism.

With my friend's permission, I would like to share her note with you; and then I will answer her question.
I have made a lifetime of friends, and up until about 6 years ago, I was a partier and not walking with the Lord. Since become a Christian, I have made myself known to all, but not gone out of my way to share the gospel. I know my friends "think" they know what the Bible says and I also know that they don't want me to preach or share. I have hoped that Facebook would encourage them to ask me, but they don't.

I watch like a voyeur, their lives on FaceBook and I hate it. I see them post pictures of nights on the town, glazed eyes, draped over a different guy in each shot. Today I read as they talked about spending money frivolously and obnoxiously. I see so much "selfism" and today it really started to hurt.

I keep thinking that, by example, they might want to know more or ask...instead I see them avoid my page and my comments. They never address anything I say regarding our Savior, God, or the written word, and only comment on the "regular" things I post.

Most of my "friends" from the past, I still DO care about their salvation. I'm certain that my approach will mean the end of life-long friendships. Should I just keep exposing the Lord to them? Our Christmas cards and small other things are about all the contact we really have. Should I just go for broke and risk turning them off completely? I know it would mean the end of friendships in most cases.

Part of me knows that losing these friendships shouldn't matter. I'm more concerned that is I can keep the door open, they might ...might...someday come to repentance. I want the door to remain open.

I need some advice. I'm pretty sure your going to tell me to go for it...but I thought you might have a perspective or a way that I should use as an approach . . .

[P.S.] I'm thinking of how to approach evangelizing them. I know the approach that Ray uses, letting them convict themselves through the 10 Commandments (which really works) and you too have mastered it. I have also been told tho have them read the word themselves because the word has power. As a chicken, I was hoping to be "non-confrontational" and send it in a letter. A letter of love, and a pouring out of my heart for them. But that leaves them with the ability to not answer, or reply. I know that God would use me MUCH better if I had the nerve to deliver my (HIS) message in person. I want to engage their minds. I've never been a "chicken." I don't want to fail God. I want my (HIS) words to pierce. So...praying and waiting for His inspiration and His way to lead me, and maybe your words will help push me into the world. I'm NOT ashamed of Him, I'm afraid of them, so to speak. I know if He is with me, who can be against me? Why...do I struggle? Oh, the flesh.
Before I answer my friend's questions, it is important that I preface my commentary with a few clarifying remarks. First, my commentary is not a critique of my friend--of neither her love for Christ nor her love for people. I do not question her salvation or the genuineness of her desire for her friends to be saved. My commentary is, however, a pointed critique of what I believe is a profoundly effective tool of Satan--"Friendship" or "Relationship" evangelism.

I believe many Christians practice "Friendship Evangelism" with sincerity. But sadly it is a sincerity most often born out of ignorance--an ignorance of the Word of God in general and evangelism in particular. At the same time, I feel no such obligation to charity toward authors, pastors, teachers, speakers, and movement leaders who propagate this spiritual fraud upon followers of Christ--both true and false converts. Theirs will be a stricter judgment (James 3:1).

Now, let me take a moment to answer a couple of baseless objections to my position before I even articulate my position. I do this in advance of making my case because I know for some Christians "Friendship Evangelism" is treated like a sacred cow, an essential evangelism tradition. I use the word "tradition" since there is no biblical support for this methodology and philosophy for ministry. And it's traditions like this one that are evidence of the sad reality that evangelicalism, especially the American variety, has yet to completely break free of Rome.

Allow me to make it very clear that Christian evangelists are called by the Word of God to be both friendly and relational. "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). To be opposed to "Friendship Evangelism," as it is most commonly practiced, is not to be opposed to friendship or relationships. But a godly and biblical Christian will put God and friends before and above friendships. More on this later.

Secondly, a common objection to an argument against "Friendship Evangelism" is, "There are many ways to share the gospel and friendship evangelism is one of them." Not so. There is only one way to communicate the gospel, which can take but a few forms--the Bible's way. Any methodology that is extra-biblical (meaning: the Bible neither commands nor condemns the activity), the method should be approached and applied with extra care and caution. The spurious fruit and the measurable harm done by "Friendship Evangelism" is evidence the American Church has thrown caution to the wind and has operated carelessly when applying this extra-biblical, faux-evangelistic methodology.

With the above in mind, I will now address my friend's questions and concerns.

My friend wrote:
"I have made myself known to all, but not gone out of my way to share the gospel."
In a sentence my friend summed up one of the great deficiencies of "Friendship Evangelism." With fewer than 5% of all professing Christians sharing the gospel with a single person in a year's time, it's pretty obvious that most Christians practicing "Friendship Evangelism" are part of that indefensible number. Why? Because in "Friendship Evangelism" the Christian spends far more time making themselves known to their friends than making Christ known to their friends.

Many Christians who practice "Friendship Evangelism" have been led to believe that it is evangelistic to live a perceptible Christian life in front of unbelievers or to say to openly admit to unbelievers that they are Christians. There is nothing remarkable about such an admission, especially in America. The majority of the American population will indicate on surveys and censuses that they are Christians. Many Christians will answer the "What religion are you" question with "I'm a Christian" for no other reason than they are not Jewish, Muslim, or Atheist. To check the Christian box is the default position or most Americans. But many are no more Christian than the Jew, Muslim, or Atheist.

Part of the evidence that "Friendship Evangelism" is not evangelistic is the practice makes the Christian known but it all-too-often fails to make Christ known.

My friend wrote:
"They [her friends] don't want me to preach or share."
Modern evangelicalism has wrongly placed an unregenerate sinner's felt needs over their very real need of salvation. This is not to say that we shouldn't address a person's felt needs. In doing so, one can often discover that the root of a particular felt need is sin; which then presents the opportunity to share the Law and the gospel with that person. However, where evangelicalism has woefully dropped the ball is in the practice of trying to meet felt needs and stopping there, as if to address felt needs is the same as evangelism.

More to the point regarding my friend's assertion: of course the unregenerate doesn't want their Christian friends to proclaim the gospel to them. Why? They hate Jesus. They love their sin and they hate God. Cockroaches don't run to the center of the floor and square dance when you turn on the kitchen light. They flee to the dark regions underneath the cabinets and appliances. They hate the light. And so does the unregenerate sinner. Their love for the darkness of their sin is so great that any holy light brought to bear in their lives is not only uncomfortable and unpleasant. It's detestable.

Sadly, modern evangelicalism has responded to this reality by doing everything it can to engage lost sinners in their culture and according to their felt needs without ever bothering to flip the light switch of the gospel. Evangelicalism has allowed how lost people feel about "the light" determine whether or not it shines the light. Frankly, it doesn't matter what the lost person wants. What matters is what they need. And what they need is salvation by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. What they need, whether they feel it or not, is to to repent and believe the gospel.

My friend wrote:
"I keep thinking that, by example, they might want to know more or ask...instead I see them avoid my page and my comments."
Part of the evidence that "Friendship Evangelism" is not evangelistic is the practice of "Assisi-ism."

Francis of Assisi is far-too-often quoted as saying, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." There are two problems with this quote: 1) it is unbiblical; and 2) Assisi never said it. Catholic scholars have methodically and exhaustively searched the extant writings of Assisi and cannot attribute the quote to him. These days, this is common knowledge. Yet Christians continue refer to the mythical quote and worse, apply it in their lives. The quote also has a modern-day translation. It goes something like this. "Live your life in such a way that people ask you why."

While it is true that our good works, when performed for the glory of God alone, can cause lost people to glorify God (Matthew 5:16); that is not to say by living a Christian life in front of lost people that they are going to see Jesus in you. Why? The reason is simple enough. Unregenerate sinners are spiritually blind.
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14).
The gospel is a spoken message--meaning it is communicated in verbal and/or written formats.
"How then will they call on him of whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:14-17).
With 150,000 people dying every day, and the vast majority of them facing God's judgment (Matthew 7:13-14), it amounts to depraved indifference to wait for the lost people around us to see something special in us and ask what's different about us. We are commanded by God's Word to go (Matthew 28:18-20) and preach (Mark 16:15) the gospel to as many people as we can, whenever we can, as often as we can. Time is far too short to wait for spiritually blind people to see Jesus in Christians who are still clothed in sinful human flesh.

My friend wrote:
"I'm certain that my approach will mean the end of life-long friendships."
The tragic result of "Friendship Evangelism," as it is most often practiced by Christians, is that friendships often become more important than the soul of friends. Christians have been wrongly convinced that they must take time (often lots of time) to cultivate relationships with people so that, someday, they may gain the lost person's permission, to "earn the right" to share the gospel with them. So the Christian invests time, energy, and resources sincerely trying to establish loving and caring relationships with people. Is it wrong to do that? No. But the all-too-often tragic result of the practice is that if the Christian every gets the courage or desire to share the gospel with their lost friend, they won't. Why? The reason: the Christian doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize the relationship they've worked so hard to build. So, again, the friendship becomes more important than the soul of the friend.

Upon closer inspection, this is really selfish behavior. Does the Christian believe that they are so valuable that their lost friend can't live without them? Or is it that the Christian derives so much pleasure out of the relationship, from what their lost friend does for them that they don't want to ruin a "good thing?"

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). If Christians truly love their lost friends they will give up everything, even their very lives, certainly their relationships, so that those same lost friends might have eternal life. Or do Christians really want their friends to be with them more than they want them to be with Jesus?

My friend wrote:
"Part of me knows that losing these friendships shouldn't matter. I'm more concerned that is I can keep the door open, they might ...might...someday come to repentance. I want the door to remain open."
No Christian can close a door God wants open. No Christian can open a door God wants shut. God is sovereign. And He doesn't need our help. The gospel alone is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). God, by His grace, chooses to use His children to communicate that life-saving gospel to a lost and dying world. No one goes to heaven because we've made friends with them. And no one goes to hell because we've failed to establish relationships with people.

In closing, let me reiterate that Christians should be friendly with people. We should speak the truth in love. Evangelism isn't a game. It's not a sport. It is what God has called every follower of Christ to do. Evangelism is a lifestyle--not that the way we live our life is evangelism; but rather our verbal proclamation of the gospel should permeate every aspect of our life and impact every relationship we have.

My friend understands all of this. She knows what she must do. She acknowledged as much toward the end of her note. And I hope I've answered her questions, and maybe some of yours, too.

Team Yale: Mission Accomplished

Posted: 20 Nov 2009 06:09 PM PST
To give you a quick overview, I got this from Wikipedia:
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five U.S. presidents, nineteen U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and several foreign heads of state.

Incorporated as the Collegiate School, the institution traces its roots to 17th-century clergymen who sought to establish a college to train clergy and political leaders for the colony. In 1718, the College was renamed Yale College to honor a gift from Elihu Yale, a governor of the British East India Company. In 1861, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences became the first U.S. school to award the Ph.D.

Yale College was transformed beginning in the 1930s through the establishment of residential colleges, 12 of which now exist (but with two more planned). Almost all tenured professors teach undergraduate courses, more than 2,000 of which are offered annually.

The University's assets include a US $16.3 billion endowment, the second largest of any academic institution, and more than two dozen libraries that hold a total of 12.5 million volumes (making it one of the world's largest library systems). Yale and Harvard have been rivals in academics, athletics, and other activities for most of their history, competing annually in The Game and the Harvard-Yale Regatta.

When I first heard of the opportunity to lead the team at Yale University I was a bit anxious. I didn’t know what to expect since I hadn’t seen anyone in that area for 25 years.

I prayed as the Lord formed the team. One by one they came…but not as many as I’d hoped. Since I live in Florida and the event was in Connecticut, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and was dependent on the Lord each day for the details. He brought Stan Gucwa and his wife, Donna along. They kindly took delivery of the boxes and moved their cars over. My old friend, Pastor Steve Baker and his wife Colleen joined the group and even dragged their nephew, Wayon to the event. Stan spoke to his home group and Chand and Roberta Ahuja got excited and involved-they were also kind enough to invite me to 'Hotel Ahuja". Tina Carlson was all about this project and was able to provide details about the campus we desperately needed. Then LW sent me an email from some guy named James Harriott. After giving him a hard time and making sure he was who he said he was, he joined the group. We are so thankful that he did.

We had our lone meeting Monday and put our heads together over a campus map. Then we did some role-playing. We had a great time and as the Lord saw fit, a bond formed between family. Donna made sure no one went away hungry!

We used the folding crates from Staples as suggested and they were fabulous. Just what we needed since we didn’t have a very large group. We needed to get in there and get those books out since we didn’t have an official invitation onto the campus. There is no free speech area either at Yale. This is probably a requirement for a censored education.

On the recon trip that Tina and I took 2 days before the big event, we spotted an area rather like a quadrangle. We hung out and saw that it had the best traffic of any area.

Wednesday 8:30 am: We met in the parking lot and drove to New Haven to the street we had agreed upon. Stan had organized everything and even pre-packed the folding crates before loading the cars. All we had to do was take them out and GO!

We spread out to different points. Students trickled by this morning. The books went pretty easily and after we had about half of them distributed, Stan walked in and told me he had just run into a guy who ‘wigged out’ when he saw what Stan was passing out. He said, “Hey, you’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow!” The student had jumped off of his skateboard and was now making phone calls furiously. Within minutes, he was joined by two other people. The young man, named Ashok was almost embarrassed to be surprised by us. One of the other young men had a box with papers, which he was furiously stapling together. He would staple some together and then try to distribute them along side of us. But he had to continually run back and staple some more together. Seems they were not prepared-even though they thought the event was less than 24 hours away.


Among the comments heard were:

-One professionally dressed woman (50’s) hugged it, raised her fist and said, “I’m with you-the gospel of Charles Darwin!”
-some said-”This is deceitful!”
-most people said, “Thanks!”
-after a quick review of intro, one very angry atheist said to me, “You are a transitional form-when you’re dead!!”
-another disturbed man brought it back and opened the book pushing it towards me and said, “How could you write this garbage?”
-Yale has many old churches and I was stationed outside one. A woman staffer came out and I offered her a book. She refused. When she returned I offered it again. She told me that she believed in God. I told her we did, too and asked her to read the intro. She gave me an odd look and took the book. In a few minutes her co-workers began to come out and ask for their own copy.

-Comments from SSA representatives:
- “Oh man, you’re supposed to come tomorrow!”
-“I wish I could get Ray to sign mine. This is going to be a family heirloom!”
-Stan told Mike from SSA that when Mike was judged on that day, he could not blame Stan for not telling him the truth. Mike replied with a laugh, “Yeah, that’s the one bad thing about being an atheist, we won’t get to say, “I told you so!”

-I did not have anyone profess to be a Christian

Tina found this article today.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/crosscampus/2009/11/18/creationism-vs-secularism-showdown-cross-campus/


FOX Reports:
Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent. Still, the study found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state.



I am so grateful to the Lord for putting together such a wonderful team of people-right where He wants them.

Continuing down the narrow path-

The gospel is waiting by John Fischer

The gospel is waiting. It is waiting not to be spoken, but to be lived. The gospel is waiting to be believed and to be put to use in your life and mine. It's not just a static message; it's a living testimony. The gospel needs much more than paper to be printed on; it needs a life it can imprint.

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:1-2).

The success of the Gospel in our present age does not depend on how attractively it is packaged, but on how honestly real Christians are living out their lives in the world. It's not just the Gospel that does it. It's not just a message. It's the gospel in you and in me. Nothing needs to be done to the gospel except to be lived.

Nothing needs to be done to the Gospel. Everything's already been done. But there is much that needs to be done in our lives by the Gospel. And this is the every day walking in faith that even the strongest and longest of Christians must do, too. There is hope to be expressed, sin to be confessed, forgiveness to be embraced, suffering to be endured, glory to be shared, love to be received, and love to be given. It is the presence of all this happening in our lives that we are to commend to someone else.

If the Gospel is alive in me and I introduce myself to someone, I am introducing them to the Gospel. If it is not alive in me, no amount of dressing it up is going to convince anyone; but, on the contrary, it will mask the real truth.

The issue, therefore, is not how to present the Gospel, but how to make certain it is living in me — a much more difficult proposition. It means deep questioning, soul-searching, and observing myself continually in light of the truth. "Undressing" would be a more appropriate expression of this process than "dressing up."

Dressing up, if it protects us from having to be honest, is nothing more than cover-up. That's a message you simply cannot dress up, especially if you tell the whole truth about yourself.

No need for deception. We won't draw people into a net and then surprise them with the Gospel. We set forth the Gospel plainly through words of truth and words of honesty from our lives. We trust God, the Great Designer, to handle His own image.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (KJV)

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name."

I Pray that you all had a tremendous week spending time with family and that you made it home safely!


REMINDERS:


1. Our Sowers Class Brunch is set for THIS SUNDAY, December 6th! Can you believe our fantastic Christmas Brunch is already this next week?
Please plan to bring a delicious dish to pass!

2. Our Sowers Class is planning on going to dinner at Soplados in Springfield on Saturday, December 12th. We will leave at 4:15 from the church.
Babysitting is available. Please contact Glennie if you are planning on going!

Mr. Good's Lesson:

RAPTUREOUR BLESSED HOPE

MANY SAVED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE "RAPTURE" OF THE CHURCH AND ITS OBVIOUS CONTRAST WITH THE "SECOND COMING" OF JESUS CHRIST.
IS THE TERM "RAPTURE" EVEN IN THE BIBLE?
THE HARP/RAPEO
THE MYSTERIOUS EVENT KNOWN AS THE RAPTURE IS MOST CLEARLY PRESENTED IN PAUL'S FIRST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS, IN WHICH HE ENCOURAGES THE GRIEVING CHRISTIANS THAT, AT THE "GREAT CATCH," THEY WILL BE REUNITED WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DIED IN CHRIST BEFORE THEM.
1 THESS. 4-13-18
[13] BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU TO BE IGNORANT, BRETHREN, CONCERNING THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP( HAVE DIED), THAT YE SORROW ( GRIEVE ) NOT, EVEN AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE.( CONFIDENCE )
[14] FOR IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP ( HAVE DIED ) IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM.
[15] FOR THIS WE SAY UNTO YOU BY THE WORD OF THE LORD, THAT WE WHICH ARE ALIVE ( SURVIVE ) AND REMAIN UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD SHALL NOT PREVENT ( PRECEDE ) THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP.
[16] 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 ( DEPARTED ) IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST:
[17] THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: ( ATMOSPHERE ) AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.

[18] WHEREFORE COMFORT ( ENCOURAGE/CONSOLE )ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.

IN VERSE 17, THE ENGLISH PHRASE "CAUGHT UP" TRANSLATES THE GREEK WORD HARP WHICH MEANS "TO SEIZE UPON WITH FORCE" OR "TO CATCH UP."
THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT THE WORD "RAPTURE" ISN'T IN THEIR BIBLE. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY AREN'T USING THE LATIN TRANSLATION:
...DEINDE NOS QUI VIVIMUS QUI RELINQUIMUR SIMUL RAPIEMUR CUM ILLIS IN NUBIBUS OBVIAM DOMINO IN AERA ET SIC SEMPER CUM DOMINO ERIMUS..
1 THESSALONIANS 4:17 (LATIN VULGATE)
THE LATIN EQUIVALENT OF THE GREEK HARP IS THE LATIN VERB RAPIO, "TO TAKE AWAY BY FORCE." IN THE LATIN VULGATE, ONE OF THE OLDEST BIBLES IN EXISTENCE, THE APPROPRIATE TENSE OF RAPIO APPEARS IN VERSE 17. (RAPTUS IS THE PAST PARTICIPLE OF RAPIO, AND OUR ENGLISH WORDS "RAPT" AND "RAPTURE" STEM FROM THIS PAST PARTICIPLE.)
AT THE RAPTURE, LIVING BELIEVERS WILL BE "CAUGHT UP" IN THE AIR, TRANSLATED INTO THE CLOUDS, IN A MOMENT IN TIME, TO JOIN THE LORD IN THE AIR.
THE PROMISE
THIS WILL BE THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE WHICH OUR LORD CONFIRMED AT THE LAST SUPPER:
JOHN.14
[1] LET NOT YOUR HEART ( SOUL ) BE TROUBLED: ( FEARFUL ) YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME.
[2] IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS: IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU.
[3] AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF; THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO.
[4] AND WHITHER I GO YE KNOW, AND THE WAY YE KNOW.
[5] THOMAS SAITH UNTO HIM, LORD, WE KNOW NOT WHITHER THOU GOEST; AND HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?
[6] JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: ( ZOE ) NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.

THIS PROMISE WASN'T GIVEN TO EVERYONE, ONLY TO HIS BELIEVERS. (JUDAS HAD ALREADY LEFT BY THEN.)THIS APPEARS TO PARALLEL THE PROMISE OF THE BRIDEGROOM IN THE PATTERN OF THE ANCIENT JEWISH WEDDING, WHERE, AFTER THE KETUBAH, THE ENGAGEMENT, BUT BEFORE THE HUPPAH, THE FORMAL CEREMONY, THE GROOM DEPARTED TO PREPARE A NEW HOME FOR HIS BRIDE, USUALLY AN ADDITION TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE.
THE BRIDE WAS KEPT IN A STATE OF EXPECTANCY PENDING HIS RETURN-OFTEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AS A SURPRISE.
(THE HUPPAH, THE WEDDING CEREMONY, WAS FOLLOWED WITH A SEVEN-DAY CELEBRATION, ETC.)
THE PROCESS
THE ANTICIPATION OF A BODILY RESURRECTION AFTER LIFE ON THIS EARTH PERVADES THE ENTIRE BIBLE. IN THE OLDEST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, JOB DECLARES:
FOR I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH, AND THAT HE SHALL STAND AT THE LATTER DAY UPON THE EARTH: AND THOUGH AFTER MY SKIN WORMS DESTROY THIS BODY, YET IN MY FLESH SHALL I SEE GOD: WHOM I SHALL SEE FOR MYSELF, AND MINE EYES SHALL BEHOLD, AND NOT ANOTHER; THOUGH MY REINS ( INTERNAL ORGANS ) BE CONSUMED WITHIN ME. -JOB 19:25-27
YET, WHEN OUR LORD COMES TO GATHER HIS CHURCH, THERE WILL BE A GENERATION ALIVE AT THAT TIME. IN HIS DISCUSSION OF THE RESURRECTION IN HIS FIRST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, PAUL AGAIN DEALS WITH THIS ASTONISHING EVENT:
BEHOLD, I SHEW YOU A MYSTERY; ( SECRET ) WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, ( TRANSFORMED ) IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING( NANO SECOND ) OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMP: FOR THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED. FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY. SO WHEN THIS CORRUPTIBLE SHALL HAVE PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL SHALL HAVE PUT ON IMMORTALITY, THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT TO PASS THE SAYING THAT IS WRITTEN, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? -1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-55

THE IMMINENT GATHERING
CLEARLY, THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO EXPECT HIM AT ANY MOMENT. THIS IS CALLED THE DOCTRINE OF IMMINENCY: IT IS NEXT ON THE PROGRAM AND MAY TAKE PLACE VERY SOON.
IMMINENCY EXPRESSES HOPE AND A WARM SPIRIT OF EXPECTANCY, WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN A VICTORIOUS AND PURIFIED LIFE. BELIEVERS ARE TAUGHT TO EXPECT THE SAVIOR FROM HEAVEN AT ANY MOMENT.


TWO EVENTS
THERE ARE MANY THAT HOLD TO THE VIEW THAT THE "SECOND COMING" OF CHRIST AND THE "RAPTURE" ARE SOMEHOW THE SAME. YET THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INDICATIONS THAT THESE ARE DISTINCT AND SEPARATE.
IN CONTRAST TO THE IMMINENT GATHERING OF HIS CHURCH, THERE ARE NUMEROUS PASSAGES THAT DEAL WITH PRECEDENT EVENTS WHICH MUST TRANSPIRE PRIOR TO THE "SECOND COMING" TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON THE EARTH. SOME OF THE PASSAGES REFERRING TO THE RAPTURE AND THE SECOND COMING ARE SUMMARIZED IN THE TABLE BELOW.
RAPTURE SECOND COMING
JOHN 14:1-3 DAN 2:44-45
ROM 8:19 DAN 7:9-14
1 COR 1:7-8 DAN 12:1-3
1 COR 15:1-53 ZECH 14:1-15
1 COR 16:22 MATT 13:41
PHIL 3:20-21 MATT 24:15-31
COL 3:4 MATT 26:64
1 THESS 1:10 MARK 13:14-27
1 THESS 2:19 MARK 14:62
1 THESS 4:13-18 LUKE 21:25-28
1 THESS 5:9 ACTS 1:9-11
1 THESS 5:23 ACTS 3:19-21
2 THESS 2:1 1 THESS 3:13
1 TIM 6:14 2 THESS 1:6-10
2 TIM 4:1 2 THESS 2:8
TITUS 2:13 2 PETER 3:1-14
HEB 9:28 JUDE 14-15
JAMES 5:7-9 REV 1:7
1 PETER 1:7, 13 REV 19:11-20:6
1 JOHN 2:28-3:2 REV 22:7, 12, 20
JUDE 21
REV 2:25
REV 3:10


We need to fulfill these four things:

1. Proclaim the Truth
2. Defend the Truth
3. Instruct the Truth
4. Live the Truth

Jesus IS COMING AGAIN!
This world is NOT my home.
I am just passing through.

Are you telling others about how they can find peace and live with our Lord and Savior for all of eternity??
Tomorrow may be too late - don't wait!

*****Do you remember when Jimmy DeYoung was visiting and he talked about how Tony Blair could be appointed to help us sign a peace treat and is truly setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled in a future tomorrow?
Hmmmmmmmm . . . it could be happening soon. Check Jimmy DeYoung's website and learn more about this.
http://www.prophecytoday.com/

Check out this video about Tony Blair and New World Order: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMqUWFXdxBM&feature=related


The Bible is clear that in the last generation just before Christ's return, a Peace Treaty of 7 years will be signed to quell hostilities in the region of Israel & the Mideast.

Daniel 9:27:
"And he [Antichrist] will a make a firm cov- enant with the many [Jews] for one week..."

In Daniel's context, one "week" represents this final period of 7 years, not 7 days. At its signing, the final 7 years of Tribula- tion begin.
Prophecies in the News Today that confirm His nearness...
News articles about:
Major NEWS Headlines CONFIRM that the stage is set now for the signing of a Mideast Peace Plan. It will ultimately be negotiated by Antichrist with the End Time Jews of Israel. This will trigger the last 7 year period in history:


Have a blessed week and pray for those that need the Lord in their lives!
Send me additional prayer requests you may have throughout the week!
Let's be prayer warriors!

God Bless!

First Hand Look

Be sure to check out the video of the Origin into School: Team ISU project.


You might just spot someone you know!

Origin into Schools: Team ISU

We had a great time giving away free copies of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, with a new introduction by Ray Comfort.

Many students were so glad to have their own copy! Our attitude concerning the information is "We provide-You decide", since an intelligent mind always considers all of the facts before reaching a conclusion.


Check it out!!