Are you a prayer warrior?
May 11th, 2021 by Tait
To my Christian friends….
In these increasingly dark days where less and less makes sense and leaning on our own understanding clearly isn’t helping, we are left to ask who or what should we be leaning on? Politicians are lying, the media is lying, and many others seem to believe that lying is OK since it is truth to them. Like never before, good is now called bad and bad is being called good.
For me, and I hope for you, the only option left to make any sense of what is going on in the world right now is prayer, and specifically prayer to God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Over the years I’ve been in way too many churches that talked about the importance of prayer, but when I’d go to their prayer meetings, I’d never find any of the pastors or church staff there. So they (the pastors) talked the talk but they didn’t walk it.
That fortunately all changed when I joined my current church (springs.church) where 3+ years ago the weekly prayer meeting outgrew the prayer room and now has to meet in the main sanctuary. There are around 100 people at each prayer meeting and the senior pastor is most often leading the prayer meeting and many of the elders and staff are also present. My church strongly believes in the power of prayer and I find this so very refreshing.
Prayer is so important to us that twice (so far) this year (2021) we’ve had 3 days of prayer-and-fasting, meeting at church in the evening to pray over various topics.
I’m not suggesting anyone change churches (because you should be attending the church God has led you to attend), but if you have a passion for prayer and are hungry for prayer topics that are current, then you might want to check out a Wednesday prayer service 6:30PM – 8:00PM Mountain time. If you prefer live-stream, check out https://livestream.com/springs-church for past services or current ones.
Posted in Misc | Comments (0)
Online dating is horrible
April 14th, 2015 by Tait
Over the years I’ve had MANY people (pastors, friends, and relatives) recommend that I use online dating to help me find my future bride and over the last 10 years I’ve done just that with no luck. I have communicated with a couple of ladies, but nothing beyond that.
Whenever I’ve complained about how bad online dating sites are, most people have mentioned how many people they know of (or have heard of) who have meet online and ended up getting married so obviously online dating works. Sadly, the statistics don’t seem to agree. Eight years ago I heard the stat that only 1% of online members ended up meeting someone online and marrying. A better way to say that is 99% of the members failed at finding a spouse online. 99% of the time all of the money and hundreds of hours people spent online looking was wasted.
So that is 8 years ago you say, things have improved, what about now?
OK, some real and personal data that happened to me over the past year (Feb 2014 – Feb 2015).
I was a member of one of the larger online sites from Feb 2014 to Feb 2015 and over those 365 days I received 924 contacts from women (2.5/day). In one month I had 171 contacts (5.7/day). That may sound really really good, but when I say that all of them (100%) were fake, those numbers take on a totally different meaning.
Most were obvious fakes (their profiles were already gone/disabled in the 5 minutes it took the email to arrive and me trying to view their profile) so I obviously ignored those. There was another group where the profile “seemed” somewhat real, but when I compared the city (her home town) mentioned in the email I received to the city in the profile they were different and if I waited a hour, the profile would change showing yet a third city. Obviously fake.
Of the 924 contacts, roughly10 seemed real enough that I contacted them. Half of these quickly showed as being fake by their horrible grammar and spelling. English was obviously not their first language (which meant their profile saying they were US citizens was false). The remaining had somewhat good grammar and spelling, but quickly showed as fake when they all had a similar story. Her parents lived in a foreign country (Africa) and her father had gotten sick and died and she had gone to support her mother through the grieving process and was now stuck there wanting to come back to the USA.
Ads for online sites never mention percentages, only the number of resulting marriages. Most recently I heard a well known online dating site advertise that over 950,000 marriages have resulted and that sounds wonderful until you look at the stats. The site was started in 2000 so has been in business for 15 years which works out to roughly 63,333 marriages per year. I see some say that this site has 15 million members and if you do the math, that works out to 4.2% in a year get married (assuming a new/different 15 million each year — so 63333/15000000 = 4.2%). If some of those 15 million stay past a year, that percentage goes down. And if you combine all of the online sites (and take into account how many people are on multiple sites simultaneously), you can easily see how the percentage of marriages is in the 1-2% range.
So why does everyone recommend such an obviously failing solution? Ignorance is the biggest part of it since we only hear about the successes and not any of the many failures. Like the latest diet trend where you only hear about the successes but never hear how many people it didn’t work for since if you did you’d realize the diet is a hoax.
The other reason people believe in online sites is they are desperate. Even if they are aware of the poor success rates, they hope beyond hope that they will be included in that small 1% success rate, but that makes as much sense as investing thousands of dollars in something with only a 1% chance of making it big (or a 99% chance of losing all of your investment).
Online dating sites are not selling matches, they are rather trying to sell hope.
Posted in Misc | Comments (0)
The greatest sacrifice
March 19th, 2013 by Tait
The other day someone on the radio mentioned that Jesus made the tree He was crucified on and that got me to thinking. Jesus didn’t just make the tree, but He also made the raw materials from which the nails that held Him to the cross were made and the hammer that pound those nails into His hands and feet were made as well as the spear that pierced His side. He also created the ground in which the cross was placed as well as the plant whose thorny vines were placed upon His head. He even created the “water” (vinegar) that was given Him to drink while he was on the cross.
Even before the cross, He created the animal from which the leather was made that created the whip that beat Him. And ultimately it was ‘man’, created in God’s image, who whipped Him, who pounded those nails into His hands and feet, and who crucified Him.
We may somewhat imagine how horrible the crucifixion itself was, but how much more horrible and painful for Him that everything He made participated in that crucifixion.
As we soon celebrate Easter, may we be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us as well as for all of His creation. May our praise of Jesus be even greater as we are reminded that He redeemed all of His creation, not just us, through His sacrifice and His conquering death by rising from the grave after three days.
If you do not already know Jesus and what He did for you, then please know that He sacrificed Himself for you. He paid the penalty for your sins and that through His sacrifice on the cross, through His death, and ultimately through His rising from the dead three days later, He is presenting you with the gift of life. All you need to do is accept Jesus’ gift.
Romans 10.9
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Posted in Impressions | Comments (0)
Hitting the reset button on the world
August 12th, 2011 by Tait
Many of us have experienced the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) that appears on Windows computers from time to time and the solution when the system gets to this stage is to hit the computers reset button so the computer will reboot and start over.
Here in the USA the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 14% in just the past month and the financial climate in Greece and Spain and numerous other countries around the world are equally tenuous with many on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse. Yes, many will say that this is no big deal and a recovery will soon be seen, but what if there isn’t a recovery?
Long term, I don’t believe that a recovery will be seen. A world wide BSOD is, I believe, just around the corner and the solution that many will propose is we (the world) need to “hit the reset button” resetting the financial markets around the world and starting over. Since we would be starting over, many will naturally suggest that the world use a single, one world, currency because that would make things so very much simpler to buy and sell things. And of course it will also be suggested that all world debts (money owed by one country to another) would be eliminated so no country would be indebted to another allowing all countries to “reboot” at the same level.
This may not sound like a bad thing, but the assumption being made is that the exchange rate to the new currency will be equal and fair for all people around the world. I believe that in an attempt to make the world more “fair” and even, and since many around the world have a large hate of the United States of America, the exchange rate from US dollars to the new world currency will be half, a quarter, an eighth, or less, of what the exchange rate will be for everyone else in the world. Or there will be an upper limit on how much money can be exchanged with everything above this limit lost. For example, regardless of how much money you might have in the bank, 401K, IRA or in your house, only a fraction of it could be exchanged (say a max of $100,000 of all your assets) leaving the excess to be lost. All in the name of equalizing what people around the world have. If this type of “equalizing” happens, it will not be fair.
The Bible is very clear about what the world will look like in the last days (the days before Jesus Christ’s return) and it is very possible (and some might say likely) that the above scenario aligns very nicely with what the Bible describes.
A time is quickly approaching (I believe measured in months) when we, the people of the USA, will be faced with a decision on who, or what, we are placing our hope, trust and faith in. Many have and are placing their hope, trust and faith in their IRA/401K, the stock market or their bank accounts. The Bible is very clear that we are not supposed to lean on our own understanding, but rather we are to lean on the Lord Jesus Christ and to trust Him and only Him.
If you don’t already know Jesus Christ, and I’m not talking about knowing about Him, but rather knowing Him like you know your spouse, a family member, or your best friend, then I strongly suggest and encourage you to get to know Him because only He will be able to guide you and to direct your steps in the coming days.
Posted in Misc | Comments (0)
Past performance is no indicator of future performance.
June 12th, 2011 by Tait
In the realm of the stock market and mutual funds, the phrase “past performance is no indicator of future performance” is always seen at the bottom of all prospectuses. Unfortunately those very documents ignore this caution and immediately start to show similarities between “past performance” and current numbers and then start predicting what the “future performance” will likely be. Ironic that they say one thing and then immediately turn around and contradict what they just said.
As I was pondering the statement “past performance is no indicator of future performance” I started thinking about it in spiritual terms. Our “past performance” as sinners (before we knew Christ) really is “no indicator of future performance” once we have become followers of Christ. The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
In my pondering I realized how often Christians seem to do just what the stock market analysts do and that is ignore this statement by focusing mostly on the past.
Yes there are many things we can learn from the past, and we must do that, but once we have learned all there is to know about the past, then we should be looking and moving forward.
Maybe you have seen this too, but I’ve seen people walking down the sidewalk and then stumble or fall over something. They end up lamenting the thing that caused them to stumble/fall with the end result being they get so focused on what caused them to stumble/fall that they often forget why they were on the path in the first place and where they were going.
How often, in a spiritual sense, do we do the very same thing after “stumbling” over something (in other words we sin). We stand there lamenting the sin that caused us to stumble not realizing that while we are doing that we not only are no longer walking on the path the Lord has laid out before us, but we are also (often) continue to stand in the middle of that very sin.
We need to learn all lessons the Lord has to teach us regarding what we stumbled over and then we need to get back on the path moving forward.
Even if we do start back on the path, for years and years after we often drag behind us those “things” we’ve stumbled over. We lie to ourselves (and others) saying that we have left our “past performance” behind us when we are just dragging it along with us resulting in our “future performance” being affected (slowing us down a lot).
We need to let go of the past because as the scripture quoted above says, the “old things have passed away”. We have let them go. We have to stop dragging them behind us to the point that they get so far behind us that they have “passed” from our even being able to see them. We need to remember and embrace the fact that “all things have become new.”
If you are a Christian and you have stumbled over something today, I want to encourage you to remember, from a spiritual perspective, that “past performance is no indicator of future performance”. Tomorrow is a new day and can be different from all of the many yesterdays.
Posted in Impressions | Comments (1)
Why is it?
June 7th, 2011 by Tait
Why is it that Christians so often pray for the Lord to ‘come near’ without realizing what it is they are actually saying by praying that?
What people who pray this are admitting is that they are some place the Lord is not. What a horrific thing to admit. Why would any Christian choose to be some place He isn’t.
Henry Blackaby, in ‘Experiencing God’, describes the correct perspective:
Find out where God is at work and join Him there.
We should not so separate ourselves from the Lord that He has to come to us, rather we need to be where He is. We accomplish this by having open eyes, ears, and heart to see, hear, and know where He is working so we then can go where He is.
It is selfish and “me” centered to ask the Lord to come to us when it is us that needs to come to Him.
I would much rather be in the center of His Will than outside of it which is what the above prayer is saying.
So the next time you catch yourself praying for God to ‘come near’, look around and see where He is and then you ‘come near’ to Him (not the other way around).
Posted in Impressions | Comments (0)
The new normal …
May 17th, 2011 by Tait
The term the “new normal” is becoming more often used and I believe that most people don’t fully understand the implications and the dangers of this.
I’ve heard this term used when describing the unemployment rate which is currently around 9%. Not too many years ago the unemployment rate was roughly 5% and that was considered “normal”, but now 9% is talked about as the “new normal”. Really what people are saying when they use this term is that they don’t want to talk about the high unemployment rate all of the time, so they are just redefining “normal” so they, in my opinion, feel better about it.
The problem with this logic is that over time this redefinition will result in a “normal” that isn’t even close to what it started out as. it will change so gradually that few even notice the change. If 100 “widgets” was the “norm” a few years ago, now 80 would be the “new normal”, then in a few years 60 will become the “new normal” and a few years after that 50 will be the “new normal” and so on and so on until “normal” isn’t even close to what it started out as.
A few years ago (back in 2007) I saw this demonstrated by a pastor addressing a singles group when he said the following after playing the game of “Simon Sez” with us:
Now obviously the first thought is we can look at the life of Jesus, OK. But that’s really setting the standard high right out of the gate, OK. After all He was God, and it’s sometimes a little difficult to emulate Him exactly the way that we want to, to be Christ like is a great goal, but maybe tonight after this rousing game of Simon-Sez we need a little lower goal. So maybe we could move to Paul? Ehh, he’s so stinking smart, you know, I mean, everything the guy say [sic] is profound and insightful and …ahh… so, maybe that’s a little too intellectually difficult. So lets settle for somebody we can all relate to like, Simon Peter.
Just because you might not be able to reach a goal is no reason to stop trying.
We have all been asked the question of:
Is the glass half empty or half full?
but I contend that there is a third answer that in reality most people take. That answer is that the glass is too big. If the glass is too big, then of course you need a correctly sized (smaller) glass to make the (now smaller) glass full.
That may sound innocent enough, but over time as some of that liquid evaporates or disappears and the glass again becomes “half empty or half full”, yet another smaller glass is found and the liquid poured into it so the glass is again full.
As Christians this is a huge danger because this leads to compromise, becoming more worldly, and a moving away from Jesus and His Truth.
Imagine a very large boat representing “the world” and an island with a cross planted on it representing Jesus and His Truth. This boat is so large that few realize that they are even on a boat, but they are and this boat is sailing away from the island. From the perspective of the people on the boat it is the cross on this island that is moving away and not them. For the people on the boat, “normal” is always defined in terms of where they are right now. As Christians, though, our “normal” is Jesus Christ and He hasn’t moved nor has He changed.
As people become followers of Christ, or Christians choose to rededicate their lives to following Christ, and they jump ship to swim back to Jesus, the people on the boat are going to shake their heads wondering why so many are leaving “normal” to follow something that has, from their perspective, been moving away from “normal”. They don’t realize that it is they, on the boat, that is moving away and changing.
A popular author of children’s books ends one book saying that a day is coming when we must choose between what is good and what is easy. Oh so true. Do we stand up for what is right, true, and just, or will we just settle for what is easy and in the process redefine “normal”?
More on this in a future posting.
Posted in Impressions | Comments (0)
What Season is it?
May 17th, 2011 by Tait
Although we won’t know the “day or the hour” of Jesus Christ’s return, we definitely can tell in what season He will return, and as I personally look around me, the season is now.
The thing about seasons (summer, fall, winter, & spring) is that by looking around you, being observant and watchful, it is easy to tell when the next season is close at hand. The Bible also tells us to be watchful and observant so we will be able to see the “signs” of the “last days”, when Jesus will be returning.
Matthew 16:2-3 (NLT)
[Jesus said] “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!”
Matthew 24:32-33 (NLT)
[Jesus said] “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1:3 (NLT)
Now concerning how and when all this [the last days] will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
Just by looking for the “signs”, by being watchful, observant, and alert, we can tell a lot about what the coming days will look like. Whether seeing a red sky at night means good weather tomorrow, or seeing the buds on a tree means summer is just around the corner, or that labor pains means that a baby will be arriving soon, we can tell a lot about what “season” (Biblically) we are in. Yes, we might not know the exact moment the baby will be born, but we definitely will have a really good idea of when just by observing the signs.
So the obvious question then is what should we be looking for? The Bible has the answers.
Revelation 11:9-10 (NLT)
And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies [the two prophets]. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
For me, this is one of the biggest signs. It has only been with the invention of TV that “all peoples, tribes, languages, and the nations” could simultaneously see the two prophets killed and only within the past 10+ years that a single event was broadcast simultaneously around the world. And now with the invention of the smart phone where just about everyone can watch (live) things going on around the world, we are the first generation in which Revelation 11:9-10 can now be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:3-8 (NLT)
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”
Granted the “signs” of wars, famines, and earthquakes have always existed, but the number of wars and famines are increasing as well as the number of earthquakes. All “signs” we need to keep a watch on.
2 Timothy 3:1a-5
.. in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
The first two scriptures applies to world wide events and can often be hard to grasp since they are so large, but this third scripture is something personal that you and I can easily relate to and see for ourselves by just watching the nightly news. We’ve seen “lovers of money” at Enron and with Bernard Madoff, children killing their parents, people in New York city walking around a dying man as he lies on the sidewalk after being gunned down, people standing by in a McDonalds while a women is beaten and kicked in the head to the point of causing convulsions, and more and more people pushing God out of the public sector. Again, yes all of these things have happened in the past, but what makes these “signs” important is that they are happening at a greater and greater rate than every before.
Like a women in labor, as the contractions come closer and closer together, you know that the baby is due very soon, as all of the signs mentioned in the Bible come closer and closer together, we need to take notice since the end is due very soon.
You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
As was quoted above, “the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night”. If you are watching, you will see “the thief” coming and you will be ready for him. If not, the thief will steal everything you have, including your life.
If you don’t already know Jesus, get to know Him. Learn all you can about Him and I pray that you will choose to follow Him and that He will become your Lord and your Savior and that in the midst of this process, your eyes will be open to see all of the “signs” that are around you showing how close His soon return is.
Posted in Impressions, Interpretation of Scripture | Comments (0)
The coming economic crises?
April 26th, 2011 by Tait
[I know that what I’m going to say here is controversial and many will probably disagree, and if you do, I would very much like to hear your comments, but I feel that I need to say it since this “situation” is so well hidden and non-obvious.]
Many believe that the past 2 years of economic crises is coming to an end because the stock market is way up and lots of other “economic indicators” are up and the news is constantly pointing out how things are improving, but I believe with everything that is in me that though we might enjoy a brief economic recovery, the worst is yet to come.
One of the key indicators that is seldom talked about is the value of the US dollar and this is, I believe, critical. The dollar has been dropping and continues to drop in value and is close to an all time historical low and as the value drops, the cost of everything has to go up to make up the difference. People are surprised at the high cost of gasoline, but since oil is bought and sold in US dollars, as the dollar decreases in value, the oil producers naturally raise the price of oil to compensate. As an example, $1.00 in 2000 is now only worth $0.79 in today’s (2011) dollars. What this means is that to get a dollars worth of something (in year 2000 dollars) you would have to pay $1.27 today in 2011 dollars.
Everything is in one way or another dependent on the cost of oil. For example, to get groceries, clothing, and other merchandise to you it has to be shipped by truck, train, plane, or ship and all require fuel and as the price of oil/gas goes up, the cost of what you buy has to go up. This is inflation. Yet have you heard anything about inflation? Doubtful! In fact, some have even suggested that there is deflation.
Unfortunately most people only see and hear about the rising stock market (or other rising “economic indicators”) and just assume that all is going great. They don’t realize that like the price of oil, the rise in the stock market (or other economic indicators) is mostly due to the decreasing value of the dollar.
One of the biggest reasons why the dollar is falling in value is because the Federal Reserve (actually not at all a part of the US government but a separate entity altogether) keeps printing more money. And they are doing this mostly because the US government keeps spending more and more money (our ever increasing national debt) and that money has to come from somewhere and it is borrowed from the Federal Reserve (who has to print the money to satisfy the governments needs).
So in a sense, it is all one big lie. With one hand the US government is saying that all is OK and that our economy is improving, yet with the other hand by spending more money than it receives through taxation, our government is causing inflation (but says that we don’t have inflation because they have in subtle ways tweaked how inflation is calculated since they want things to appear better than they really are).
Complicating things is we no longer have just a US economy, a British economy, a Chinese economy, etc., but rather we now have a world economy and it is far more like a house of cards than most people realize. A house of cards can stand to have a card here or there removed without causing too many problems, but there are a few “key” cards that if removed will cause the entire thing to collapse. I don’t know what these cards are, but I believe that some time in the next 2-18 months some of these “key” cards will be removed causing an economic crises that will make the past two years look fantastic.
In reading the Old Testament it is very clear that the Lord does NOT like His children to worship idols and always instructed them to tear down and to destroy any and all idols. The problem is that for most Americans, their idol has become money and stuff and I believe that a day is coming soon (2-18 months) when the idol of money and financial security will come tumbling down.
As I was listening to the business news last week I was surprised to hear them talking about the fact that recently 3 financial institutions have started selling a “mutual fund” that was designed to make money if the stock market crashes. If the market doesn’t crash, then these investments would be worthless, but if the market does crash, then this “fund” would soar. As I listened to this news story, I thought of the scripture in Amos 3:7 which says, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” and I was wondering if these “fund” managers weren’t prophets (whether the realized it or not) preparing themselves, and others, for the coming days.
Are you ready if there is an economic crises? What are you leaning on? Are you leaning on your own understanding, your financial managers understanding, someone else’s understanding, or are you leaning on the Lord?
Posted in Impressions | Comments (3)
The Rapture … When?
April 20th, 2011 by Tait
As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, I believe that you and I are living in the last days and that Jesus will return within our life times. In a future article I’ll discuss the season I believe He will return, but in this article I want to discuss the rapture. I’m assuming that you have some knowledge of the Bible so this will only contain scripture references just to keep it short.
There are a handful of different possibilities that people talk about, but the ones I want to discuss are:
- Pre-tribulation rapture
- Mid-tribulation rapture
- Post-tribulation rapture
The tribulation consists of the 7 years before Jesus Christ returns and it is during these 7 years the Antichrist comes on the scene and Armageddon (from the book of Revelation) happens and all hell breaks loose here on Earth. The Bible talks about Christians being “taken up” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) so the question is when will Christians be “taken up” (raptured)?
Most Christian’s believe that the rapture will occur “pre-trib”. That is before this 7 year period starts. Others believe the rapture will occur “mid-trib”, in the middle of this 7 year period, while others believe it will occur “post-trib”, at the end of this 7 year period.
I’ve personally held all 3 views and there are good arguments for all 3, but right now I believe that if there is to be a rapture the evidence points to a mid-trib (or near mid-trib) rapture.
Many believe in the pre-trib rapture saying that God has not called His Church to go through the wrath (which I agree with) and since the “wrath” starts at the beginning of these final 7 years the rapture must occur at the beginning of these 7 years. The problem with this is that in reading Daniel and Revelation it is clear that there are two distinct periods within the final 7 years. The final 7 years starts out with a time of tribulation where “tribulation” is Antichrist’s persecution of the Saints. It is near the middle of the 7 years (the 6th Seal) that God’s wrath is first mentioned not before. So if God has not called His Church to go through the wrath and the wrath starts near the middle of the 7 years, then it is here that I believe the rapture will occur.
If that weren’t enough, I do not believe in the pre-trib rapture because I believe it would make God inconsistent since none of Jesus’ disciples were “raptured” and all, but one, had horrific deaths. Why would God rapture you and me so that we wouldn’t have to go through the tough time but not rapture the men who actually walked with Jesus when they were about to go through their tough times? Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and since He didn’t rapture Jesus’ disciples, I don’t believe we will be raptured before life starts to get rough.
As I mentioned above, I’ve held all 3 views (pre, mid, post), but my reason for believing in pre-trib and post-trib was actually based on partial and incomplete analysis of Scriptures where I was picking and choosing which Scriptures to use to support my conclusion. Unfortunately this also meant that I was ignoring other key Scriptures that disagreed with my conclusion. As I’ve re-read Revelation and looked at all Scripture together (not excluding anything), I’ve come to the conclusion that the rapture will occur near the middle of these final 7 years. The above two points are the real key issues for me coming to that conclusion.
In a future posting I’ll talk more about “when” I believe the 7 years will start (at least the season of when it will start), but for now I’ll end with this.
Are you just hoping (and wishing) that you will be raptured at the beginning of these final 7 years and you won’t have to worry about anything? What if you are wrong and you have to live through the first half of these final 7 years? Are you prepared, or will you be caught unaware like when a thief in the night comes when you are asleep? Don’t be caught asleep and don’t take my word for it. Investigate the Scriptures for yourself. Read Revelation for yourself. Remember that the only place in scripture that says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” is found in Revelation 1:3.
Posted in Interpretation of Scripture | Comments (2)