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KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE Determining How Revelation’s Endtimes Unfold (Endtimes Prophecy) Leading To What Our Churches Should “Urgently” Do Now. Overview Theme: “Gaining Maximum Maturity in Christ” in Order to Know and Relate to God Toward His Maximum in Eternity
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KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE Determining How Revelation’s Endtimes Unfold (Endtimes Prophecy) Leading To What Our Churches Should “Urgently” Do Now Overview Theme: “Gaining Maximum Maturity in Christ” in Order to Know and Relate to God Toward His Maximum in Eternity Hebrews 6:1 John M. Stephenson BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW MINISTRIES
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW MINISTRIES John M. Stephenson PMB 283 1111 W. El Camino Real #109 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 408-376-0368 E-Mail: Drawgal@aol.com WWW.Biblicalworldviewministries.com Updated September 28, 2011 Copyright (C) 2009-2010 by John M. Stephenson All Rights Reserved; Copies Can Be Made Scripture Quotations Are Taken From The New American Standard Bible
OUR LIFE VERSES MATHEW 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. 2 CHONICLES 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…… ACTS 13:22 ….. 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.'
TOPICS PRESENTED The “big picture” of what is now and will soon be happening. How the endtimes are now unfolding. The endtimes’ Tribulation coming is imminent. The Rapture unambiguously will come Post-Tribulational. We are here to become maximally mature in Christ-likeness to know God in His depth-breadth in eternity. Apart from knowing God, there is nothing. Training “urgently now” for how we become maximally mature in Christ-likeness before the endtimes Tribulation comes. Know the Attributes of God. First become a Christian. Our churches overall are falling away bringing the endtimes Tribulation, without their realization. How our churches are now falling away bringing the endtimes Tribulation.
SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFEMust Act From Our Motivation to Have Living Life (and living faith) and to Be saved
WATCHMAN WARNING Signs and conditions now signal loudly and warn that the coming of the Endtimes Calamity and Tribulation are most imminent. The endtimes will come without warning, like a sudden earthquake, apart from the signs that now signal loudly they will soon come. The endtimes are coming because our American churches are now falling away from God’s obedient requirements. Our churches as a whole are now no longer maturing their people in Christ and are using the Devil’s rock music, and no longer acting to maximally evangelize the children in the community (although CEF is doing great work). Our churches should now act to obey God to the fullest, evangelize and maximally mature their people in Christ, and warn and prepare them for soon coming endtimes calamity and tribulation.
HOW DO THE ENDTIMES UNFOLD? How and where do we begin? There are many views of Bible Prophecy. Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
APPROACH TAKEN BY MANY BIBLE INTERPRETERS * Bible prophecy interpreters, to determine their view, generally sequence the Rapture, the endtimes Tribulation, Christ’s Second Coming, the 1000 years, whether there is an endtimes Tribulation, and Daniel’s seventieth week. As a result of this procedure, interpreters, sequencing them differently, have more than 6 different views. So how do we find the correct view? APPROACH TAKEN TO DETERMINE OUR VIEW In our view, it is necessary to begin with God’s plan for history to bring us to maturity in Christ-likeness and His relationships with us through Christ. This approach, in our view, leads us to the proper sequence. When you see this approach, many of the well known views are not possible, particularly those that depend upon a return of National Israel. All believers, both Jews and Gentiles, are one in Christ and compose His Church. * Our prophecy development will begin with God’s purpose for us on the earth to become mature in Christ-likeness and with our relationships with Him and Christ. ITEMS INVOLVED IN DETERMINING ENDTIMES BIBLE PROPHECY
WE ARE HERE TO BECOME MAXIMUMLY MATURE IN CHRIST-LIKENESS (THE CHURCH’S MAIN JOB IS TO MATURE HER PEOPLE.) Ephesians 4:11-13 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. Ephesians 5:18-19 - ……but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, Colossians 1:28-29 - And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Acts 20:26-27 - "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose (counsel) of God. (All the topics needed to mature the Church people.)
The Rapture of the Church occurs at Christ’s Second Coming after the endtimes Tribulation at the last (seventh) trumpet. The Rapture can only occur after the Tribulation when the heavenly court determines that Christ has won the spiritual warfare over Satan. The Rapture occurs after all the people who are to live, have lived, and have made formal and binding decisions in life or by death to accept or deny the Gospel. This is completed in the Mark-of-the-Beast Period. No one is born or saved after the Rapture. There definitely is an endtimes Tribulation. After the Cross, God no longer deals with Israel as a covenant nation. The Jews, as believers, become part of Christ’s body. Jews (mostly unbelievers) are now in their land in apostasy with little or no interest in their Messiah. SUMMARY OF OURPROPHECY VIEW PART ONE
SUMMARY OF OURPROPHECY VIEW PART TWO The endtimes unfold in a sequence similar to the sequences that happened to Old Testament Israel. This view is essential to recognizing the signs that signal the soon-coming endtimes Tribulation and how the events of Revelation unfold. The Church reigns with Christ from heaven after the Tribulation and during the 1000 years (a short time period) to determine whether or not anyone left after the Rapture are or can be saved. (None are or can.) This is when the wrath of God and the Day of the Lord occur that the Church will miss. Daniel’s “all Jewish” seventieth week is history occurring at the time of Christ’s Crucifixion (in its middle). (Revelation is “all nations” in characteristic. There is no match.) Christ has only one Second Coming, not two, that would be required for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
THE SECRETS TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE, INCLUDING ENDTIMES PROPHECY PART ONE The main reason we are on the earth is to become maximally spiritually mature in Christ-likeness, living as He does, with everything coming from God the Father. (The events of the entire Bible lead to this goal and outcome.) Being spiritually mature is so we can relate to and know God the Father toward His maximum in eternity. Apart from this relationship, there is nothing. Of course, we can also relate to each other in perfection (and we can accomplish more ministry now). What matters is our experiential relationship to God – regardless of where we live on earth – such as in the land of Israel. Israel, as a covenant nation, had an important role in God’s plan before the Cross, but none afterward. God’s marriage to Israel has been terminated. (However, she does in Satan’s endtimes plan.)
THE SECRETS TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE, INCLUDING ENDTIMES PROPHECY PART TWO Both Jew and Gentile believers, being the Church and single body of Christ, have been called out of the Dominion of Satan into the Kingdom of God. This is so they can gain maturity in Christ-likeness to relate to and know God. The Kingdom of God is a relationship kingdom, not a physical one on earth. All believers are in the Kingdom of God and under Christ’s rule regardless of where they live on earth. God uses the United States as a favored nation in a special sequence to bring the termination of history similar to the ones He used with Old Testament Israel. The Bible uses the Greek article (the) with “the” Coming, “the” Revelation, and “the” Appearance showing there is only one future coming of Christ, not two that would be required for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
THE FOUNDATION FOR BEGINNING OUR PROPHECY STUDY KEY: BECAUSE, WE ARE ON EARTH TO GAIN A MAXIMUM MATURITY IN CHRIST-LIKENESS IN ORDER TO KNOW AND RELATE MAXIMUMLY TO GOD IN ETERNITY, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE WE LIVE ON EARTH OR WHETHER WE ARE JEW OR GENTILE: The “main job” of the Church is to mature her people now regardless of where believers live on the earth. We are now to pursue maturity, becoming complete in Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 3:28; Hebrews 6:1) (All Bible events lead to this goal and outcome.) THE CHURCH IS MARRIED TO CHRIST. The Church is married to Christ that is composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers. Christ is no longer married to national Israel. CHRIST HAS ONLY ONE BODY AND CHURCH. All believers (both Jews and Gentiles) are in and are the Church. No exceptions. Christ has only one body (not two such as the Church and Israel). CHRIST IS NOW SITTING ON DAVID’S THRONE IN HEAVEN. Christ is now the ruler of the relationship Kingdom of God, sitting on David’s throne in heaven at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 2:29-36). At His ascension, He, as stated, translated all believers into the relationship Kingdom of God from the Dominion of Satan. God’s Kingdom existed in Old Testament times over all believers, but its existence was kept secret (a mystery) until the New Testament times.
CHRIST IS MARRIED TO THE CHURCH. HE CANNOT HAVE TWO WIVES AT SAME TIME. MARRIAGE OF CHRIST: Christ is now marrying the Church in the Oriental Marriage concept. The Church is now the legal bride of Christ, but does not yet live with Him (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-23). The Church (the bride) goes to live with Christ at the marriage (supper) of the Lamb (the Rapture) after the endtimes Tribulation at the time of Christ’s Second Coming. (Revelation 19:7-9) CHRIST CAN HAVE ONLY ONE WIFE AT A TIME: Christ is now marrying the Church and by His laws, He cannot have two wives at the same time (1 Timothy 3:2). Thus, He must have divorced Israel. GOD DIVORCED ISRAEL: God divorced the Northern Kingdom of Israel in a direct declarative teaching. Israel would not return to the marriage. (Jeremiah 3:7-8.) The Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah had the Romans crucify (kill) Christ using the Cross (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15). They said let His blood be on us and on our children (Matthew 27:25). They, as a covenant nation, were denying Christ as their Messiah forever. The marriage was terminated when Christ died. (There also could have been a divorce.)
WHAT THE CROSS ACCOMPLISHED ADDITIONAL TO SALVATION JEW AND GENTILE BELIEVERS ARE ONE IN CHRIST: The Cross broke down the barrier of the dividing wall between the Jew and the Gentile. Jews and Gentiles, as believers in the Cross, are now one in Christ without ethnic division. All believers, both Jews and Gentiles, are the Church and single body of Christ. (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14-15) CHURCH IS NOW THE SANCTUARY OF GOD: Animal sacrifices and physical temples have been put aside forever (Hebrews 8-10). The believer is now the sanctuary of God (Ephesians 2:20-22;) and is to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Bringing back animal sacrifices again would deny the efficaciousness of the Cross – major sin. MARRIAGE OF CHRIST TO ISRAEL WAS TERMINATED. Christ is now married to the Church. THUS, NATIONAL ISRAEL IN GOD’S PLAN IS GONE FOREVER: There are no future Jewish periods coming, including in the 1000 years. There have no purpose – only becoming mature in Christ does for the purpose of relating to God in eternity. LFS-30
NATIONAL ISRAEL HAD MANY PURPOSES BEFORE THE CROSS, BUT NONE NOW • ISRAEL’S PURPOSE BEFORE THE CROSS • God had many purposes for national Israel in Old Testament and Gospel periods. They included: • being a genealogy to bring their Messiah; • bringing the law that no one could keep to show the need of a Savior; • bringing a worship system (temples and animal sacrifices) that illustrate the needed sacrifice of a Savior; • having a sequence of blessing to judgment as a pattern sequence to illustrate and be a model for how the endtimes will unfold; • being used by Christ to train the disciples to take His Gospel to the world; and • rejecting Christ as their Messiah and have Him crucified by the Romans. After the Cross, Israel as a nation has no major purpose shown by what the Cross accomplished in addition to salvation.
THE RAPTURE OCCURS AT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING AFTER THE TRIBULATION THE RAPTURE CANNOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER THE TRIBULATION AT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING The wheat (the Church) cannot be separated from the tares (unbelievers) until after all the tares (unbelievers) are bundled for the fire which happens in the endtimes Tribulation. (Matthew 13:24-30) Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father until all His enemies (unbelievers) become His footstool or under His authority (Unbelievers formally deny the Gospel.). The latter happens in the endtimes Tribulation. (Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:13) God is a God of impartiality. He would not, in normal conditions, keep some of His people (the elect) out of the Tribulation, and put others through it. Christ comes on the last day. The word: “saints” as used for the Church in the New Testament epistles is found in Revelation showing the Church is in the endtimes Tribulation, including in the mark-of-the-beast period.
THERE DEFINITELY IS AN ENDTIMES TRIBULATION Christ returns after the Mark-of-the-Beast Period – There is an endtimes Tribulation. (Revelation 19) Revelation teaches there is a Tribulation, the Great One. (Revelation 7:14) The Pattern Sequence uses one to bring divine discipline on the Church of the favored nation – the United States. (Chapter 5 of Watchman Warning.) Christ uses the Mark-of-the-Beast Period to polarize the beliefs of all who are to live as they bindingly accept or deny the Gospel. This must happen before the Rapture can occur. (NOTE: Many chapters of Watchman Warning are on our web site. Check the website under Endtimes Prophecy.)
THE PATTERN SEQUENCE THAT GOD USES TO TERMINATE ISRAEL AND THE ENDTIMES PART ONE God chooses a most favored nation – Israel in the Old Testament; the United States in the endtimes. Revelation unfolds in a sequence using the United States as a favored nation similar to those that happened to Israel. (Indirectly, but positively taught.) The situation in Israel is a model for how the endtimes unfold. The aspects in Revelation match those that happened to Israel. The sequence is developed in detail from the Scriptures in chapter 5 of my book: Watchman Warning. THE ENDTIMES SEQUENCE IN THE UNITED STATES IS AS FOLLOWS: (1) Great blessing in obedience; (The United States has been most greatly blessed.) (2) Warnings signs and conditions of judgment coming in disobedience. Our churches are now falling away from God’s required obedience – results in sin. (3) With increased disobedience, she goes through a calamity that places her under world government rule for divine discipline (Tribulation in the endtimes); (The Church’s increasing disobedience is the cause of the Tribulation coming.) (4) Deliverance of His people back to Himself after the discipline period (the Rapture in the endtimes); and (5) Destruction of the world empire (all unbelievers in the endtimes). (Now eternity begins with resurrection and judgment.)
PART TWO The matching characteristics of the United States with Israel showing she is a most favored nation include: (Details in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Detailed in my book: Watchman Warning, Chapter 5. Chapter 5 as a stand alone is on the website.) (Aspects in Revelation match those of O/T. Israel.) begins in general obedience, ends in disobedience; becomes more sinful than the surrounding nations; no one believes that an enemy will ever take her over; God makes her a beautiful most successful nation; (Greatest in all history) she is center of nations; trusts in her beauty and plays the role of a harlot in reverse - pays her lovers; offers food to those who accept her harlotry; she sacrifices her children; has biblical signs of apostasy in her end time period; and in her beginning, has a mandate to take the Gospel to the nations which she does. THE PATTERN SEQUENCE THAT GOD USES TO TERMINATE ISRAEL AND THE ENDTIMES (Endtimes Characteristics of God’s favorite nation.)
SIGNS ARE WARNING OF THE SOON-COMING CALAMITY AND TRIBULATION EXISTING SIGNS SIGNAL THE SOON-COMING CALAMITY AND THE ENDTIMES TRIBULATION (Reference: Pages 30-34 of Watchman Warning) • These signs (similar to those that happened in Israel) include: • emphasis on sodomy and abortion (so the elect might not be born); • “extreme” weather, earthquakes, and fire storms; • a famine (dumbing down) of God’s Word in our churches (they no longer are enduring sound doctrine); • a “most severe” financial crisis; • the Middle East is setting up for a major war; • Using rock music, our churches cannot discern between the holy and the profane; • the coming of disease and pestilence; • the United States government is now working to bring world government; • Peace-peace when there is no peace. (Example Pre-Trib Rapture View)
SATAN’S STRATEGIES IN THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE GOAL:In order for Satan to win the warfare over Christ and avoid going to the Lake of Fire, he must prevent some of the elect from believing the Gospel and/or prevent some of God’s chosen works from being accomplished. (He will not be successful.) STRATEGIES:(1) Transform the churches to become immature (teach little of God’s Word and use the Devil’s rock music) so much of God’s work will not be accomplished and have their sin give him more power; (2) Have same sex marriages and abortions so that the elect might not be born and have the sin give him more power; (3) Have the US government work towards having world government with socialism; (4) Have the US vulnerable to attack such as by missiles; and (5) Have many things in place to deal with the Church and other citizens such as having jails and the HAARP project (Check the internet for this project). NOTE: Christ works to have the elect believe and accomplish God’s work. This will happen.
EXPECTED ENDTIME HAPPENINGS (According To The Endtimes Sequence) EXPECTED HAPPENINGS AS THE ENDTIMES CALAMITY COMES SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING The happenings include the following: (1) Some form of military attack on the United States; (2) severe financial crisis; (3) infrastructure break down – food and supplies not getting to the market place; (3) power outages and rioting; (4) great plague and diseases; (5) Christian and Patriot leaders arrested and executed; (6) Marshal law; and (7) being placed under world government. EXPECTED HAPPENINGS UNDER WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE ENDTIMES TRIBULATION There will be: (1) great persecution with martyrdom; (2) world government will make war against the Church and those who do not work; (3) great shortages and much chaos and rioting; (4) much disease and plague; (5) a new financial system; (6) children educated by the state for world government and world religion without Christ and the Bible; and (7) world government, in socialism, that will control all things including all property, banks, businesses, and health support. There will be legal sodomy, abortion, and bigamy REFERENCE:Watchman Warning
CHURCHES ARE NOW FALLING AWAY IN UNRECOGNIZED SIN (They are attempting to work all things together for good.) Many-many of our churches are: (1) using mainly fundamental training (no longer God’s Whole Counsel) to meet the people’s felt needs and using the Devil’s loud rock-type music to draw today’s youth. (The structure of rock music, coming from voodooism, was used to call up evil spirits and demons.); (2) not sufficiently evangelizing the children in the community; and (3) not warning and preparing their people for the soon-coming endtimes. As a result, not knowing the signs and the watchman's warning, their people most likely will be caught blind-sided by the sudden-coming Calamity. Our people will not have the maturity to have God’s best in eternity. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THE FALLING AWAY This falling away is transforming our churches to become immature churches with a loss of biblical intellect and with a low plateau of biblical knowledge. This is satanic strategy for the endtimes to bring the endtimes Tribulation. Churches generally do not realize their situation of falling away. They believe they are doing sufficiently good by drawing the youth. Many young people now when they leave high school, not seeing spiritual reality in their leaders, no longer attend church, and still listen to rock music. When the Tribulation comes, people, being spiritually immature and not having been taught prophecy, will not know what is happening. They and very likely will fall away much further under the coming severe persecution. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR CHURCHES
Churches should now “Immediately” Warn, Brief, Alert, and Prepare their people for the soon-coming endtimes or their people can be caught unprepared and blind-sided, as the Calamity comes suddenly like an earthquake without warning apart from the signs. Train them with Bible prophecy, how the endtimes will unfold, and what they will experience. (1) Urgently act to “maximally mature” their people in Christ-likeness (especially including the children and youth), particularly to walk by strong faith. (2) Keep the hymn (and like-music) services and provide “in-depth-breadth training” in the church services. (3) Brief all the people, particularly in the rock music services, of the dangers and bad effects of using loud rock type music, and provide a hymn service for those who will change to the hymns. (4) Keep the rock music service for those who will not change. (5) Remove all loud rock and other loud music from all the Sunday Schools through college and career. (6) Provide extra discipleship training to mature their people (including endtimes prophecy), including young people in Christ-likeness and also to train new people with the fundamentals of the faith. (7) Use CEF training materials in the lower Sunday School grades. (8) Train the junior and senior high schools with Christian-life relationship principles. (9) Go all out, working with CEF, to establish tens and tens of after school Bible clubs to help evangelize and disciple the children in the communities. RECOMMENDED “URGENT” ACTION NOW FOR OUR CHURCHES (Make the Future the Best We Can Have)
PART ONEWE MUST APPRECIATE GOD’S INFINITE GREATNESS Faithfulness (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 36:5; 40:10; 89; 91:4; 100:5; 119:75, 90, 138; 143:1; Lamentations 3:23; Romans 3:3.) Glory (Psalm 19:1; 72:19; 104:31; 138:5; Isaiah 35:2; Matthew 6:13; Romans 5:2; 6:4.) Grace (Acts 11:23; 13:43; 14:26; 15:11; 20:24; Romans 3:24; 5:2; 2 Corinthians 4:15; 8:9; 9:8; Ephesians 1:7; 2:7-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 5:10.) Holiness (1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 22:3; 99:9; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; 15:4.) Immensity (1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24.) Immutability. (1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17.) Justice (Job 36:6; Psalm 89:30-37; 111:7; Isaiah 42:1-4; 51:4; Amos 4:2; Jeremiah 4:2; 23:5; Matthew 12:18; Luke 7:29; Romans 3:21-30.) Light (Psalm 27:1; 36:9; 37:6; 44:3; 78:14; 89:15; 119:105, 130: Proverbs 6:23; 29:13; Isaiah 9:2; 60:19, 20; Matthew 4:16; John 1:4-9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36, 47; et al.)
PART TWOWE MUST APPRECIATE GOD’S INFINITE GREATNESS Long-Suffering (Romans 2:1-8; 2 Peter 3:9.) Love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8, 12.) Loving kindness (Psalm 5:7; 6:4; 25:7, 10; 31:7, 16; 33:5, 22; 36:7, 10; 40:10-11; 59:17; 61:7; 63:3; 64:3; 66:20; 69; 85:10; 86:5, 13; 89:2; 95:18; 106:1; 118:2; 119:76, 88; 136.) Mercy (Luke 1:54, 78; Romans 9:16, 18; 11:32; 15:9; 1 Corinthians 7:25; Ephesians 2:4; Philippians 2:27; 1 Timothy 1:2, 13; 2 Timothy 1:2, 18; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 1:3.) Omnipotence (2 Chronicles 20:6; Jeremiah 32:17; Psalm 115:3.) Omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12; Proverbs 15:13; Hebrews 4:13.) Omniscience (Job 37:16; Psalm 139:6; 145:3; Isaiah 40:28; 55:9; Romans 11:33; 1 John 3:20.) Provider (Genesis 22:14; 45:11; 50:21; 1 Kings 17:4, 9; Nehemiah 9:15, 21; Psalm 78:20; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 10:13.)
PART THREEWE MUST APPRECIATE GOD’S INFINITE GREATNESS Righteousness (Psalm 11:7; 111:3; 112:9; 119:142.) Self-Existence (Eternal Life) (Genesis 21:33; Psalm 9:7; 41:13; 102:12; Job 36:26; Isaiah 40:28; 57:15; Daniel 4:34; John 5:26; 1 John 5:11.) Sovereignty (Exodus 15:18; Deuteronomy 10:14, 17; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 135:5-6; Luke 1:37; Acts 17:24-26; Hebrews 6:13.) Spirit (John 1:18; 4:24; 5:37; Romans 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16.) Truth (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:5; 86:11; 108:4; 117:2; 119:142, 151; Isaiah 65:16; John 14:6; 17:17; Romans 3:8.)
OUR CHURCHES MUST BE ETERNITY ORIENTED OUR MAIN CHURCH PROBLEM IS THAT THEY ARE NOT ETERNITY ORIENTED Our churches must be both OUTCOME and PROCEDURE oriented in order to accomplish God’s maximum will. To do this, they must be eternity oriented so that their people reach a maximum maturity in Christ-likeness in this lifetime before death. (This means a mature very high-skill spiritual ability in Christ-likeness walking as He walks with everything for life in thought and action coming from God the Father as a source – nothing from us as a source. This means now only from the Bible.) OUTCOME: We are to become maximally mature in Christ. (This is the main job of the Church.) PROCDURE: We are to disciple to reach maximum maturity in Christ, not just for Christian growth.
TRAIN WITH GOD’S WHOLE COUNSEL EXAMPLE: COLLEGE DEGREES: We must take a large number of courses in order to gain our college degree (bachelor’s and master’s) over 4-5 years. MATURITY IN CHRIST: We must “train” with the needed topics and how to live them out to gain maximum maturity in Christ. So what are they? What are the characteristics of a maximally mature Christian? PLEASE UNDERSTAND: To train, we must teach what to do, how to do it, examples for how to do it, our testimony for how we did it, and place our people into some form of on-the-job training. We only have maturity when “we have the experience of living the Christian life” – not when we mainly have knowledge or regularly attend church – even do some ministry. It is a growth process. OUTCOME AND PROCEDURE: We need to search the entire Bible for everything: (1) for what God wants us to become (description of being maximally maturity in Christ-likeness) (OUTCOME); and (2) also for all the steps or principles we must live out experientially to gain the outcome (PROCEDURE). We should record our findings in our computer (so we can update as we learn more) and do nothing else.
PART ONE: (OUTCOME) SIGNS OF HAVING MATURITY IN CHRIST (This is a partial list. We do not know them all.) • * We will use only the Holy Bible for life’s direction and our authority for life. • * We will use the most accurate Bible translations. • * We commit to going all the way with God even if others do not. • * We will believe that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one and only single God. • * We will have an appreciation of God’s infinite Greatness, including His attributes and character qualities. We will know what they are. • * We will believe that salvation is founded only on the complete work of Christ on the Cross and in His death, burial, and bodily resurrection. The Cross is efficacious - a complete work in itself. • We will believe that all believers in Christ are His Body and compose and are the Church. The Church is not an organization or a group of buildings. We will believe that we have eternal security in Christ as Christians. We will live to glorify God, not ourselves. • * We will have a regular hunger for the Bible and will read and feast upon it regularly, hopefully daily. We will have a deep and personal devotional life with God as we walk in relationship to Him and do daily devotions reading our Bibles every day and have much prayer. We will have a regular, strong, and unceasing prayer life. We will have been disciplined by the Lord for our spiritual growth. • * We very importantly will let and trust God to work all things together for our good. We will die to self rule - and live under God’s rule.
PART TWO: (OUTCOME) SIGNS OF HAVING MATURITY IN CHRIST * We will choose biblical music in our fellowship groups and in our church services that is honoring to God, bringing Him maximum worship, and not taken from the world. We will choose music that causes us to sing melody from our hearts, spirits, and souls unto the Lord. * We will have an overall comprehension of Bible teachings and doctrines so we will not be swayed in wrong directions. We will have a written doctrinal statement with Scriptures upon which contains our foundational beliefs. * We will have an intimate fellowship and unity walk with God and with each other. We will be aiming at holy and righteous living as defined only by the Bible. We will seek unity and fellowship with all others as far as it depends upon us. * We will live by priority. It will be God first, then family, then support of family - job, then personal assigned ministry, and then church. * We as Church leadership will not train just (or only) with Bible content (knowledge). But instead, and very importantly, will use the Bible to train our people live the Christian life in worship, godly living, God’s work, to stand strong on basic doctrine, and have personal devotions. We will be life, ministry, and worship oriented. * We will train with God’s Whole Counsel in its depth-breadth with excellence and commitment - 80% of our time to at least the gung ho and the very faithful. We will have a higher priority to mature our own people over gaining numbers, even though we do both.
PART THREE: (OUTCOME) SIGNS OF HAVING MATURITY IN CHRIST • * We, personally, will be involved in ministry somewhere in evangelism, discipleship, planting churches, building godly families, and reaching out to and helping the needy. We will emphasize evangelizing the children and the youth. • * We will understand the spiritual warfare and Satan’s tactics so we will avoid using or being taken over by them. We will understand that we are placed into trials, testings, and temptations for our spiritual growth as we apply Scripture to life and trust God to get us through them. • * We will regularly experience having the fruit of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s vine as we obey Christ through the Holy Spirit’s leading. When we do, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. • * We will be involved with other Christians for fellowship, worship services, training, ministry, mutual support, and accountability. This can be in the ministry and especially in small groups. • We will remain faithful to God and to Christ throughout our lifetimes, worshiping them and helping to accomplish their work. We will endure to the end. • * We will stay in unity fellowship with all others as far as it depends upon us.
PART FOUR: (OUTCOME) SIGNS OF HAVING MATURITY IN CHRIST * We will be supportive to our church elders and leaders in the areas of their leadership. But our true and ultimate head for all of life is God, Christ, and the Bible with its doctrine. * We will not be addicted to drink alcohol. Limited drinking is not sin, but it does not generally provide a good example to others that might become addicted - particularly the youth. We can allow others and ourselves to drink a little wine for our stomach’s sake as the Bible teaches. But we should not be addicted to it or become drunk. Some red wines are actually very good for the health. * We will be walking by strong faith in God to guide our lives and fulfill His promises to us. We will have memorized many promises and know what they are. We will obey the instructions with the promises to activate our faith. We will be walking in great love for God shown by keeping (obeying) His commandments to activate our love. We will know what they are. * We will be doing regular critical analysis to determine how well we are actually obeying God - maturing our people and ourselves, avoiding major sin, and are actually doing local area-wide evangelism, especially of the children. We will be observing the trends and signs around us and the world for world changes that signal the endtimes are soon coming, and make needed changes. We will be warning our people of soon-coming bad endtimes so they will not be caught blind sided. We will ensure our children and youth are well trained.
URGENT MINIMUM NEEDED TRAINING IN OUR CHURCHES (PROCEDURE) PART ONE • Exalt, Worship and Glorify Him. This includes praising, honoring, worshiping, glorifying, obeying, pleasing, and loving God in an intimate fellowship. We glorify God by obeying what He has given to us. (Psalm 150; Matthew 22:37-38; John 4:23; 15:10; Acts 5:29; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:9-11, 18; Hebrews 11:6.) • 2. Live a Godly and Holy Life . This life includes living by faith, love, and hope in biblical head-subordinate authoritative relationships patterned after the Son’s walk with the Father, serving God and each other from sacrificial love, fellowshipping with God and with each other, etc. (Psalm 150; Matthew 6:33; 22:39; John 5:19; 14:7-11, 15; 15:10; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 13:13; Ephesians 5:18-20, 27; Colossians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 John 2:6; 3:2-3.) • We live by faith trusting God to fulfill His promises, and we activate our faith by obeying the instructions with the promise. Then we live without sin and gain revelation of the Scriptures. We live by love when we appreciate God’s infinite Greatness, and we activate our love by obeying the commandments. Then we live holy and righteously and get to know God.
URGENT MINIMUM NEEDED TRAINING IN OUR CHURCHES (PROCEDURE) PART TWO 3. Help Accomplish God’s Work. We are to help accomplish God’s work of witnessing and evangelizing total local areas particularly the children, discipling to maturity in Christ-Likeness (not just working for Christian growth), building godly families, training faithful people, planting new churches, and reaching out to and helping the needy. (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-48; Acts; Romans 10:13-15; 1 Corinthians 3:6, 10-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 9:10-15; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 5:21-6:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 8; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Hebrews 6:1; 12:1-2; 1 John 3:16-18.) 4. Believing and Standing Strong on Basic Christian-Faith Doctrines Including on God’s Attributes. Knowing Bible Content with the Doctrines of the Spiritual Warfare and Endtimes Prophecy. We should learn the doctrines of the faith for which we should be willing to die. 5.Devotional Life: We will have a strong personal devotional life before the Lord where we regularly read our Bibles (His Word) and pray about all things and people He puts in our minds.
1. Believe that you are a sinner, having broken God’s laws. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 2. Believe that Christ died on the Cross to satisfy God’s Justice for your sin. This is the Gospel. ROMANS 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-4 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 3. Activate your faith by praying to God that you believe the Gospel. JOHN 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. Romans 10:13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.“ HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN;(One Must Become a Christian to Go to Heaven After Death)
We Are Saved by Living Faith We are saved by living faith not by faith alone. We must activate our faith in the Gospel by some action, such as a prayer to God. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
LAKE OF FIRE: Participants will be without any Bible knowledge and will not know why God has forsaken them. They will be in both absolute spiritual and physical darkness. They will be in torturous physical and mental pain, and never see another person forever. They will be all alone. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 20:10-15 ….. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. UNBLIEVERS GO TO LAKE OF FIRE AFTER DEATH
LEADERS, PLEASE UNDERSTAND PART ONE ACCORDING TO THE ENDTIMES SEQUENCE WITH THE UNITED STATES AS A MOST FAVORED NATION TO GOD The United States government gets more power and freedom to work towards world government with socialism commensurate with the degree of the churches’ falling away to sin. The situation “can only be corrected” by having a massive revival in our churches. This is unlikely to happen. The falling away of the church, particularly in the United States, is responsible for the endtimes disciplinary Calamity and Tribulation coming. The Church is going through the Tribulation as a method of divine discipline. When believers respond to God properly in these events, they will gain more maturity needed for eternity. The churches are falling away largely because of the lack of leadership. They are not eternity oriented so they do not work to maximally mature their people in Christ. Do they know what a mature person in Christ is like and how to get there? They are discipling for Christian growth, but not to gain maximum maturity in Christ. Thus, because of sin, in my understanding, leadership can expect judgment.
LEADERS: PLEASE UNDERSTAND PART TWO NOTE: The existing signs and the watchman’s warning (such as the one presented in this presentation) is the only warning we will get of the coming Calamity and Tribulation. (I must warn or be guilty of the people’s blood.) UNDERSTAND FULLY: If leaders wait to warn their people until after they get definitive warning information of the Calamity’s timing – THAT THEY WILL NEVER GET – their people will be caught blind sided and unprepared. The people will suffer greatly. (If leaders, having heard the watchman warning, do not warn and prepare their people, they are guilty of their blood.) We must evangelize and disciple the children with high priority because their lives will be truncated – thus not living a normal life span. The Calamity will come suddenly without warning as does a sudden earthquake come. When the calamity comes, there will be little or no time to prepare.
LEADERS: PLEASE UNDERSTAND PART THREE If leaders have a different view of Bible prophecy than that presented, they must act urgently anyway as a hedge of being wrong. We must not under any circumstances let our people be caught blind sided by the soon-coming Calamity. We must realize that not acting to mature our people toward the maximum (we understand and praying for more understanding), not working to greatly evangelize the children, and using the Devil’s loud dominate rock beat type music is sin. LEADERS CAN EXPECT JUDGMENT. We must thoroughly understand that very likely the maturity we have in Christ-likeness at death we can have forever. So not to mature our people toward the maximum is doing a most terrible – most terrible- eternal disservice to our people. Remember we are talking about all eternity here, without any recovery. IF YOU BELIEVE OTHERWISE, ONE MUST MATURE THEIR PEOPLE ANYWAY BECAUSE GOD COMMANDS THAT WE DO.
SUMMARY:OVERALL PROPHECY AND GOD’S PLAN • We are on earth to gain maximum maturity in Christ-likeness so we can know and relate to God in His depth-breadth in eternity. Gaming maturity is “the main job” of the Church. • Israel as a nation had an important role before the Cross, but none afterwards. • All believers, both Jews and Gentiles, are the Church and single body of Christ. • Signs now signal the endtimes Tribulation can come any time with only God knowing the precise timing. • Christ is now married to the Church, no longer to Israel. • The endtimes sequence is similar to the ones used with Israel. • Satan works to keep the elect from believing and accomplishing God’s work. This action, being to some degree successful, gives him power to rule. • The Rapture can only take place after all have lived and have made formal decisions to accept or deny the Gospel and after the heavenly court has determined that Christ has won the warfare. No one is saved or born after the Rapture. The Rapture occurs after the Tribulation at Christ’s Second Coming at the seventh or later trumpet (last trumpet). • Daniel’s 70th week is history. The Church reigns with Christ in the 1000 years to determine whether or not any one left is saved or can be saved, None can.
MUST READING REFERENCES BIBLICALWORLDVIEWMINISTRIES.COM • PRIORITY WEB SITE DOCUMENT READING TO QUICKLY GAIN • THE BIG OVERALL UNDERSTSANDING • God's Plan over History for Man to Become Mature in Christ Needed to Eternally Know and Relate to Our Perfect God in His Greatness • 2. The Pattern View of Prophecy: The Many Doctrines of Prophecy Show Clearly the Rapture Will Come Post-tribulational and the 1000 Years During Christ's Second Coming • 3. Keys to Becoming Mature in Christ-likeness In Godly Relationship Living (Needed for Now and in Eternity to Know and to Relate to Our Perfect God Toward His Fullness in Depth-Breadth) • 4.Prepare “Now” for Going Through the Soon-coming Endtimes, Bringing the Tribulation, Rapture, and Christ’s Second Coming • “Helps To Urgently Prepare Our People”