Christian Escapism

I can't imagine a more serious blunder in end-time theology than teaching believers that they will escape the trouble that is coming upon the whole earth prior to the Lord's return. Yet that is exactly what some teachers teach and what many sincere believers believe. I have a hard time finding any support for this position in the scripture. In fact - I find that the Bible plainly states just the opposite.
If we are to trust the Word, we must be able to make sense of what is written. God knew when He gave the scripture that most people down through history would be uneducated so He purposely made the Bible understandable to the majority of mankind. It is not some kind of cryptic text meant only for geniuses and masterminds. So if we look at the plain meaning of the passages that deal with the end-times we can make sense of them.
Take 2 Thess. 2:1-4 for instance. This is part of Paul's 2nd letter to the believers in Thessalonica. Here's the quote: "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a messenger or a letter as if from us , to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition , who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God."
Paul clearly teaches that Jesus' coming and the gathering of believers to Him would not happen until two things happened first - the falling away and the revealing of the Antichrist when he displays himself as being God. Most of the faithful are agreed that that event - known as the Abomination of Desolation - takes place at the 3 1/2 year mark of the Tribulation. If you reason this out then the reality is that believers are present on the earth during at least the first half of the Tribulation. To come to any other conclusion is Christian escapism at best and an outright falsehood at worst. Believers will not be taken away from this intense time of trouble. This will be our time to shine - when our love for the Lord and His kingdom will stand unwavering even in the face of death - and our faces will be looking up for our redemption is at hand as we see Him coming in the clouds with great glory. Who wants to escape that?

Upsetting the Applecart

God has promised to shake not only the earth but also the heaven in order that "those things which can be shaken" would be removed and "those things which cannot be shaken may remain" [Heb. 12:26-27]. Verse 28 of that chapter goes on to define the kingdom of God as that "which cannot be shaken," and therefore as the "thing" which will remain.
We might as well get used to it. Shaking is coming. Trouble on a scale never before imagined is coming. God is going to upset humanity's applecart and remove everything we cling to and put our trust in outside of Him. He is serious about having us as His own possession - and if that means shaking things up so that we make the necessary choices He will do just that.

You MUST Choose a Side

Many people assume they can remain neutral concerning good and evil. They don't want to fully embrace wickedness and sin - but neither do they want to completely surrender to the God of righteousness. They do not realize what an untenable position this is. They forget or do not know that Jesus said "He who is not for Me - is against Me" [Luke 11:23]. In the wisdom of Almighty God - to NOT choose is to choose against God.
The events of the end of the age are designed to bring the issue of choice into sharp focus. People will be forced to choose sides. The twist in all of this is that the enemy will be releasing a level of deception that will ensnare many to his side. It is imperative that we know the truth so deeply that we can resist this onslaught of lies. But you must choose. There's no way around it - and the choice is the most critical one you'll ever make.

A Whole New Take

I have always found the subject of the End Times fascinating, but lately it's beginning to rumble around inside in a disturbing way. As long as I considered it far off in the future - a "someday" event not likely to affect me or my family - I had little problem with the concepts involved. But now that I am beginning to put concrete reality to it - and to consider the fact that my children and grandchildren are going to face this FOR REAL - I find an awful feeling running around in the pit of my stomach. How I wish there was some other way! I want to see Jesus return; I know that is good and right and wonderful. But nothing in me wants to see the terrible events of the Book of Revelation break out on the earth. I can hardly pass an individual in a store or on a sidewalk without wanting to grab them and shake them awake. I see a family in a park and I want to interrupt them to warn them of what is ahead. And - I think this is a normal reaction and is going to continue - even increase.
Really - you get a whole new take on this subject once you start putting names or faces into it. It takes it out of academics and into real life. I find it stirs up a heart-cry to the Lord no matter where I am or what I'm doing. I think we will all find ourselves groaning - yes, groaning - for the salvation of souls not too many seasons from now and I think we will ALL be trumpeting the Lord's return to everyone we meet before that awesome Day dawns.

Clouds, Harps and Other Illusions

I can't begin to number the times I've talked with people who, in their rejection of Christianity, default to the arguement that they have no interest in sitting on a cloud playing a harp for eternity. Who came up with this ridiculous idea anyway? Only someone who skimmed through Revelation and didn't pay attention to what it said.



Yes, harps are mentioned in the Throne Room scene of chapter 4, and yes, Jesus is pictured sitting on a cloud as He reaps the earth in chapter 14. Aside from that, in the descriptions of the next age, we are told about a city in which the redeemed of the Lord will dwell. And not only that, the city is described as being located near or on the earth. In Rev. 21 we see the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to the earth. I bet this is city life at its very best!



Just imagine, no overcrowding, no parking problems, no crime, no street gangs, no urban decay, no traffic jams, no pan-handling, no homelessness, and no lack of green space. Only great company, lovely scenery, endless delights, and the fellowship of the Father and the Lamb forever. In my view, that beats harps and clouds any day.

The Real Emerald City

I loved watching The Wizard of Oz when I was a child. Not only was it fun, exciting and colorful, it was musical and I love music. And the idea of a beautiful city under the rule of a great wizard captured my childish imagination. But of course, all too soon I grew up and wondrous lands lying just beyond the rainbow faded into oblivion in the face of day to day existence.

Now I find myself once again captivated by a wondrous city and a magnificent Ruler. Only this time it's not fantasy but a stunning reality being planned and executed by the King of Kings. We don't know a great deal about the City whose Builder and Maker is God, but we do know it is coming to the earth [Rev. 21:2]. We know it will be filled with the glory of God and that Jesus is its' lamp [Rev. 21:23]. We know it is full of splendor - beyond what we can imagine and that nothing evil or unclean will ever come into it [Rev. 21:18-21, 27]. I don't know about you, but if you ask me, this is the real Emerald City and this is the destiny of every true lover of God.

An Entirely New Creation

Have you ever wondered why Jesus has a body in heaven? I mean, isn't heaven where spirits go? God is a spirit and He lives in heaven. Angels are spirits and they're in heaven. The spirits of believers who die go to heaven. So why is Jesus in heaven with a body? The answer may surprise you. Jesus is in heaven with a body because He is the firstfruits of an entirely new creation - a creation that is one day going to enjoy living in both the heavenly and the natural realms.
Most people don't even think about this. In fact, a lot of people think Jesus is merely a spirit - that somehow His body remained on earth after He ascended into heaven. But that is not what we read in scripture. In scripture we see Jesus bodily ascend into heaven [Acts 1:11] and we read that this same Jesus is coming again to the earth just like He left.
But what's the deal with this anyway? Don't we all go to heaven and live happily ever after, amen? Well, yes and no. You see, according to the Bible, heaven [The New Jerusalem] is coming down to earth [Rev. 21:2, 10]. God is going to join the natural realm and the spiritual realm together into one reality. This is just like the reality Jesus lives with right now. In Him, the natural physical body and the spiritual body are joined together into one being. It's as if He were the prototype of what we will be like in the next age when He reigns as King on the earth in Jerusalem. Having a body makes much more sense when you consider that we are going to be relating here on the earth. And like I said, Jesus is the firstfruits of this new creation. Kinda makes your imagination take off wondering what it's gonna look like, doesn't it?