The church of Jesus Christ has been destroyed. Wait! What? That may sound confusing because so many around the world went to church yesterday. They worshipped Jesus maybe even shouted Hosanna and then went home. Now just to be clear I am not talking about the cult “the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints” (not Jesus Christ). I just wanted to be clear because if you were to google the church of Jesus Christ, the first response you will get is “the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints” website. There is also “the church of jesus christ” who also follow the book of mormon. On their website they say, “We believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon are one. These Holy Scriptures tell of God’s relationship with the human family. Together, these two books reveal God’s plan for us all.” One time a latter-day saint told me this illustration about the book of mormon. He said it is like having a nail in the bible and it spins freely but the book of mormon is a second nail that stops it from spinning. I told him, Revelation 22:18 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” I then asked him to leave as sadly there was no sense in trying to convince him otherwise.
This is not a blog about the mormon cult but about the true church that Jesus Christ is the head of. Yes, people say the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are cults and they are, but most churches do exactly the same thing and add to scripture and take from it according to their own beliefs. The group above said that together, the bible and the book of mormon, reveal God’s plan. I used to belong to the Free Methodist Church and then Wesleyan church (supposed to be part of the holiness movement but not holy or moving) and they do exactly the same thing. They have a book of discipline that tells you what they believe as opposed to others. Every group has a manual or guide that explains what they believe. Basically, they are also saying the bible cannot stand on its own. The problem is that it does spin freely, though it is not supposed to, because God has turned His face from the church and the Spirit of truth is not guiding into all truth. This happened because the church has rebelled by adding to and taking away from God’s word. These words of Jesus I shared with the young mormon are happening in the church. Revelation 22:18 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”
Each group who calls themselves the church states what they believe and if you are part of that group, you must agree to believe in their very distinct doctrines. If you are Methodist, if you are Baptist, if you are Catholic, if you are Pentecostal, if you are Reformed, if you are independent, and so on and so on and so on….. You are supposed to believe what they are teaching and they are all teaching something completely different, yet say out loud they all believe in Jesus Christ but agree to disagree on the doctrines each believe to be truth. That is ludicrous! The quiet part that isn’t said is that the others are wrong, and they are the way, truth and life. So, if you think about it, one groups says Jesus will rapture His church and then return to earth and reign for a thousand years. Another group says there is no rapture, but there is a thousand-year reign and still other groups say none of that will happen. Within each of the many differing groups there are thousands of doctrines from salvation to the end times all saying something different from the other.
Yes, these verses again. Paul said 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” And he said Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” There is no way the Spirit of truth is teaching a different jesus and other gospels. The Spirit of truth does not teach one thing to one group and another to a different group. The desolate and powerless church we see today is because of rebellion.
When Jesus called Saul, who became Paul, everything he was teaching was what the apostles were already teaching. Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. 11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.” Galatians 2:1 “Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” The church as we know it teaches something completely different from one another and also disciples and missionaries go out and teach others to do the same. Little do they know, their final destination will not be the place they were told it would be. 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” All because they did not test the spirits. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The question that you should be asking is, who then is teaching all these denominational distinctives, the answer is simple; satan! These two verses also go together. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Later times are already here. 2 Peter 2:1 “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” Paul gave the warning of following a different jesus and other gospels because that was already happening. Paul also gave this warning, Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Jesus said it first. Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” And when talking about the end times, Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Jesus then talked about the abomination that causes desolation, 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
The result of false teachers leading the church to rebel is tribulation. This explains why the church is going through tribulation. These words can be applied to the church. Jeremiah 9:12 “Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? 13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. 14 Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.” Jeremiah 25:3 “For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4 And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” 7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” Jeremiah 44:2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins 3 because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. 4 Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ 5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. 6 Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today.” Daniel warned the church about this. Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Paul said the same but also described the deception and delusion. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Paul then says “5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Aul then Paul says to stand firm. 13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
What have you been saved into? What Jesus are you following? What gospel have you adhered to? Take the time to find out. Those who teach the rapture usually also talk about the 7-year tribulation. They say the church will be gone and then all hell breaks loose. They also say people will be able to be saved during that time. But that is impossible because if the church is gone, that means God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and disciples are gone, so no they will not be saved. But in the tribulation where the church is still present yes, it is possible to repent and be saved. The good news is that Jesus is about to return and this desolation will be coming to an end and the church will rise up and do as Jesus did and then the end will come. Jeremiah 51:6 “It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves.” When God says it is time, that means His time, not ours. What it means for us is we had better be ready. Now many have changed this to mean rapture ready but as we have talked about the rapture is a doctrine of demons. People have believed them because of deception and delusion.
A lot of people in the church who have been deceived and deluded talk about a prophetic timeline but it is important to note that interpreting scripture is done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit you get nonsense that comes from delusion and deception. This happened because like Israel and Judah, the church did not stand firm on God’s word, but was easily swayed by the scheming of satan and his false teachers that eagerly proclaim his word. Paul described what the church was supposed to be. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” satan then distorts scripture as he always does and then deceives apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to do his bidding, and many have been deceived. satan tried to tempt Jesus and said, Luke 4:5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Jesus answered correctly but many were deceived by their desire for power. So instead of standing firm, you have what we see in the church today; “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”
False teachers and their gospels are everywhere in the church. This last week we have been looking into the many false end times teaching that is rampant in the church, but even amongst those promoting this nonsense there is disagreement. For example, there really is no need to talk about whether your millennialism is pre-, post- or a- as there is no millennium where Jesus comes back and reigns for a thousand years. Not only is there no millennium, there is no rapture and since there is no rapture there is no tribulation that has been said to last seven years. Many of those who believe in the rapture, tribulation and millennial kingdom follow a time line that they have created as if God handed it down to them because he forgot to include it in scripture. This forgetfulness of God required men and women to fill in the blanks God left out. Yes, I am saying that sarcastically because Jesus said clearly, John 16:13 “will tell you what is yet to come.” Again, the Spirit of truth is not telling people multiple versions of the end times but since God has turned His face from the church, men and women do as they please.
Today our focus is on the deception of the seven-year tribulation that is supposedly to begin when the rapture occurs. By understanding this is a doctrine of demons, you will be able to see that church is already going through tribulation and the destruction that has already happened to the church. Understanding this will increase our desire to call on God for mercy. They all teach this will happen in the future, but meanwhile millions are dying thinking they have been taught the truth but will find out when it is too late that they have been deceived. Why this false teaching that these events are in the future is so dangerous is because people will believe the powerless church as we know it is how it is supposed to be. Because they have been taught the millennial kingdom is coming in the future they miss the kingdom coming near. Because they have been taught to be rapture ready, they are totally unprepared to meet their God. Many love the idea of being removed from this earth while hell breaks loose on the earth but have been totally deceived and deluded and do not see that the church has already been decimated. The ridiculous part is that they say the antichrist will force people to worship him during the tribulation, but it doesn’t matter because they all rejected Jesus already, hence the left behind! Even more ridiculous is they say during the tribulation, people will be saved but there is no church which means God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are gone.
Many who believe these delusions say they have figured out the prophetic timeline and believe the time is imminent. Remember the word imminent, as seen on many websites in the beliefs section, is usually associated with those who believe in much of this end time nonsense. The problem is that false teaching means people have been deceived and deluded and they do not repent from these wicked ways. Yes, the return of Jesus can happen at any moment, but most are not prepared to meet their God. When you see the lack of power in the church and the false doctrines being taught it is then very easy see the tribulation we are already in. Yes, there is a tribulation and during that time there is an abomination that causes desolation, but the delusion is that happens in the future, meanwhile the church is decimated and desolate by this abomination.
As we have been talking about, the deception and delusion in the church is very powerful and has reached to the highest power in the United States. As I said going down this rabbit hole of false end times teaching, though mind-boggling, reveals some very interesting information. Have a look at the false teacher Paula White-Cain who is the Senior Advisor of the newly created White House Faith Office. I mentioned Greg Laurie before. He has a huge influence on people and now very close to President Trump. He was the one who recently organized the faith leaders to pray in the oval office. Again, just picture that happening and you will begin to see the abomination at work. Don’t be deceived into thinking they are just praying for their leader. That is satan gathered around the president. Greg Laurie said, “An honor today to stand in the Oval Office with other pastors and pray for the President “for such a time as this.” He welcomed our prayers and was gracious as always, even taking time to speak personally with each of us.”
Greg Laurie believes very much in the prophetic calendar. I came across this writing from him. See if anything sounds familiar. He said, The Bible tells us to be aware of the signs of the times. Things are happening in our world today that are indeed signs of the times, alerting us to the fact that Christ is coming back. The Bible describes these signs as labor pains. We also could compare prophetic events to closely placed dominoes. When the first one falls, the others will go in rapid succession. And we are on the verge of it. In my opinion, the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, that moment when God will call all true believers to meet Him in Heaven. Sometimes, people confuse the Rapture with the Second Coming. However, these are separate events. In the Rapture, Jesus comes for His church. In the Second Coming, He returns with His church. The Rapture comes before the judgment, the Tribulation period. In the Second Coming, Jesus comes with judgment. Following the Rapture, the Antichrist will emerge on the scene. He will be a charismatic, brilliant, politician-type who will have economic and military solutions. Initially he will reveal himself as a man of peace and even help the Jewish people rebuild their temple. But three and a half years into the Tribulation, he will commit the abomination of desolation, erecting an image of himself in the Jewish temple and commanding people to worship it. The Tribulation will culminate with the Battle of Armageddon, which will be fought in the Middle East. Then Jesus Christ will return in the Second Coming, which will be followed by the Millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth. Lastly, Heaven and Earth will become one as the New Jerusalem descends from Heaven to Earth. All these events are yet to come. What, then, are some of the signs of the times that we should be aware of?” I would say the emergence of China as a military and economic superpower would be a sign of the times. Another is the diminishing of the United States of America, which we don’t find in the last days scenario. Then there is the growing aggression of Russia and the emergence of Islam.”
Can you see the deception and delusion? I actually could not believe what I was reading especially when you look at Trump and all he is doing. If you go to a church with any of this is being taught, run away as your life is in danger. Obviously, we are just focusing on just a few of the false teachings in the church but there are many others and this requires discernment. Don’t just sit back and agree to disagree or ignore it. Your eternal destination depends on choosing the right path. (Read Proverbs 9) Take the time to find out what you have been saved into and what is at the end of your path.
So what is the big deal? I grew up with very little teaching from the church on the end times but as I shared before “The Thief in the Night” was shown when I was about ten and it messed me up for a long time, not just from fear, but uncertainty as to whether or not the rapture and the hell on earth that would come during the tribulation was actually real. It was always said that the antichrist would be Russian or the Pope. We are told 1 John 2:18 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 2 John 1:7 “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.”
So why are Greg Laurie’s words so disturbing. Many people say that Donald Trump is God’s servant, and he will make America great again. Others can’t believe a pathological lying narcissist could be the president of the United States and more powerful than anyone in the world. This really shows that the American great experiment did not work so well. As we talked about, America has not been great as racism, slavery, abuse of power and the only country to drop not just one but two nuclear bombs, just to name a few reasons. As we are told Daniel 2:20 “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.” Yes, God placed Trump in power because there is no other way someone like him could be president. But it is important to remember that God said the king of Babylon was His servant. Jeremiah 25:9 “I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations.” So servant is not a good thing. As can be seen so far, destruction follows Trump. Also, Trump became president because people were stupid enough to vote for him even a second time and then find themselves shocked that he lies about everything and does the opposite of what he promised. You also have to understand that it is not just Trump but his officials that are around him, plus a whole party that supports him. Isaiah 19:11 “The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings”? 12 Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the Lord Almighty has planned against Egypt. 13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. 14 The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does.” There are some very deviously intelligent people around Trump. Just to be clear this is not about party affiliation, as the democrats have also led America astray. Many have fallen for the political rhetoric and even ministers participated in the rhetoric. Going back a little, “On the Sunday before the election Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, said that if President Obama was re-elected his victory would lead to the reign of the Antichrist. I want you to hear me tonight, I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that at all. One reason I know he’s not the Antichrist is the Antichrist is going to have much higher poll numbers when he comes,” said Jeffress. “President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.” Does Jeffress think the future Antichrist will be an American president? He doesn’t say, though American presidents are a favorite choice in the “Name the Antichrist” game.”
There has never been anyone like Trump. If you can stomach Trump’s cabinet meetings where they try to outdo one another with accolades for Trump, and one recently really caught Trump’s attention. Here is what was said, “Well, back on Venezuela where Chris [clears throat] and I have both had a chance to be there. I literally think they're going to put up a statue to President Trump. And it's not a political statement. It's an actual thing. (Trump says) “That would be a great honor.” No, because it's, it's like they view President Trump like Simon Bolivar. He's the liberator of a country.” Trump as a narcissist loves his own image and things built or named in his honor. Recently he said about the Strait of Hormuz “They have to open it up. They have to open up the straight of Trump. I mean, Hormuz, excuse me for I'm so sorry. Such a terrible mistake. The fake news will say he accidentally said, "Now there's no accidents with me. Not too many.” He then went on to ramble about changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. He also desperately wants a Nobel peace prize and FIFA gave him a peace award. He campaigned on peace but goes to war instead. Not only militarily but in trade with his own allies. He treats enemies like Russia as friends and those like Ukraine and allies like enemies. He has singlehandedly turned the world upside down. And Christians have fallen for it. As Greg Laurie said, “Following the Rapture, the Antichrist will emerge on the scene. He will be a charismatic, brilliant (maybe not), politician-type who will have economic and military solutions. Initially he will reveal himself as a man of peace and even help the Jewish people rebuild their temple. But three and a half years into the Tribulation, he will commit the abomination of desolation, erecting an image of himself in the Jewish temple and commanding people to worship it.” It is interesting how Trump, the man they worship fits their own description.
The United States has never been a Christian country, religious yes, but not Christian. The constitution makes that clear because they would not have said religion if they were. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” That means any religion, even Islam can practice freely. Yet now Christian Nationalist are in power and as we see with Pete Hegseth and others, there actions are not constitutional. There are thousands of churches across the United States and many that are very powerful and have a global reach just like Greg Laurie’s Harvest church. There are even many mega churches as one person described as “Christian congregations with 2,000 worshippers or more, while there are fewer than 2,000 of those mega churches, a fraction of churches overall. They are so large that they draw nearly 7 million Americans on average. They grow even as Americans overall become less religious.” One of the fastest growing groups is called the religious nones. “Today, about 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.” Then you have Islam which is called the fastest growing religion in the world, while Christianity is dying. Some say they are only growing because of high birth rates. Christianity has births also, yet dying. Down the road from me is a mosque and there is a charismatic church on either side. The church has cars in the parking lot on Sunday and the mosque has multiple prayer times with packed parking lots. Both churches say they have the power of the Holy Spirit flowing but they do not.
If you do not think any of this tribulation talk is real, just listen to Pete Hegseth. “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asked Pentagon officials to pray for “overwhelming violence” against enemies in Iran and elsewhere in the “name of Jesus Christ” at a Christian worship service on Wednesday. Hegseth recited a prayer that he says was given by a chaplain to troops ahead of the U.S.’s illegal raid of Venezuela and kidnapping of then-President Nicolás Maduro in January. I pursued my enemies and overtook them. I did not turn back ‘til they were consumed. I thrust them through so that they were not able to rise. They fell under my feet,” Hegseth said. “And those who hated me, I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save.” He called on God to “snap the rod of the oppressor” and “break the teeth of the ungodly.” He is talking about people and has no idea what Ephesians 6 is about. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This shows you he is clueless about who Jesus is. The jesus they are promoting is not Jesus Christ. One person described this well when he said, “Christian Zionists believe three things: 1) that God’s gift of land to Abram applies to modern Israel; 2) that God’s commitment to bless those who bless Abram, and to curse those who curse him applies to modern Israel; and 3) that the modern state of Israel will be involved in a literal and final cataclysmic battle that will trigger Jesus’ return as a conquering king. Christian Zionism is more interested in the ancient kingdom of Israel than the message Jesus shared about the kingdom of God.” When you mix Zionism and Nationalism, as we can see from this so-called holy war, things are getting deadlier by the day.
So what does all this have to do tribulation? The church began to fail even in the life of Paul and he warned what was coming. The church would worship a different jesus and other gospels. Paul said Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Moses also said the same. Deuteronomy 31:24 “After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord: 26 “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them. 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.” The gospels was distorted and the church rebelled against the word of God and disaster came. The church did not listen to God’s word about the deception and because the church rebelled, as Paul said 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
False teachers are everywhere. Just look at how many have predicted the date of the rapture and have been wrong. I remember one guy saying, yes, the bible says no one will know but he said he knew. He did not know and looked like a fool. Edgar C. Whisenant in 1988 did the same when he claimed the date of the rapture and said, "if I am wrong, the Bible is wrong" He was wrong many times. But false teachers keep leading the church astray and distorting truth. and people keep following them. As Jeremiah said, Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Moses also said, Deuteronomy 32:5 “They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation. 15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior. 16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. 17 They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.”
Because the church rebelled against God’s word, God has hidden His face from the church and has allowed the abomination that causes desolation to decimate the church. Daniel gave us a clear picture of Jesus and a picture of the decimation of the church. Daniel 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” This is a powerful kingdom that would be everlasting. Even king Nebuchadnezzar came to understand after he humbled himself before God. Daniel 4:34 “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” When Jesus did come, we saw the power that the church would have. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” When the kingdom of God came near, what we just read was what the church was to continue to do. 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” The church was to continue in that work. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 8:5 “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” Paul said Acts 26:17 “I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” The church, not just Paul was to continue in the work of freeing people from the power of satan.
But very quickly the church turned away from the power of the creator of everything, to their own power and decided going their own would be a better idea. Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” Because the church rebelled, the abomination that causes desolation was released on the church and the church has been decimated, but not completely because God gave David a promise that there would always be a remnant of survivors just as we saw with Israel and Judah. False teachers rose up and infiltrated the church, but the church was powerless to do anything about it, Daniel warned Daniel 9:7 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Since the third temple as building is not part of God’s plan but the temple that is the body of Christ is, that means the abomination has infiltrated this temple. Paul also said 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
So what we have is satan teaching in the church and in classrooms and there has been much devastation. People are dying without ever knowing the truth and people continue to be deceived. Daniel also gives this devastating picture. Daniel 7:21 “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.” Jesus also talked about the devastation caused by the abomination that causes desolation. Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
Today the church is in tribulation and like when Assyria and Babylon attacked Israel and Judah, there are very few survivors. Today the church goes about its business as if nothing was wrong and they keep pointing to the future but are missing the decimation that has already taken place. Each group says the other is wrong but agree to disagree, but all the groups need to repent and return to God’s word. The person who wrote the quote above while speaking about the dangers of Christian Zionism, his church accepts homosexuality and all that goes with it. The non-charismatics say the charismatics are wrong and on and on it goes. The main reason we can say we are in tribulation is the lack of power in the church. The church should be doing as Jesus did, but it is not. The is no power to heal or cast out demons and you really have to ask what you have been saved into. Yes, there are random healings here and there but that is also happening outside the church. The problem with false teaching is it does not encourage people to repent. Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.” Jeremiah 23:1 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 16 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ 18 But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? 19 See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. 20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”
Worshipping a different jesus and following other gospels draws the anger of the Lord. The good news is that there will be survivors. Jeremiah 33:19 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” As Jesus said Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Daniel said Daniel 7:22 “until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” Then we see in Revelation, Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
We know that satan is raging and trying to take as many of God’s people with him as he can. Revelation 12:9 “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” For those who have fallen for his lies and teach others to do the same, 2 Peter 2:17 “Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” And those who follow them, Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” People don’t seem to take Jesus seriously when He answered the question if only a few would be saved. Luke 13:23 “Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
satan is a deceiver and has taken the word of God and distorted it and truth is brought into disrepute. Most think the church is how it is supposed to be and just need to get by until that final day. Because the church has rebelled, they are deluded by God, so they actually believe the nonsense satan is deceiving people into believing. There is a third temple, but it is not a building, but the body of Christ. There is a kingdom, and it is everlasting and Jesus is already reigning on David’s throne. There is a Second coming but no rapture and when Jesus returns that will be it and there is no time to repent. The lies people are being taught, and these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to false teaching, prevent them from seeing the urgency of repenting. satan knows when the kingdom comes near when we repent and he knows he will be defeated. Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” 2 Chronicles 7:13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
Next, we will be talking about the lies about healing and the lack thereof. The lack of healing is proof in itself that God has turned His face from the church and has allowed it to be destroyed. It wasn’t just the second temple Jesus was talking about, His words also referred to the church. Matthew 24:2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Many have come in the name of Jesus and many have been deceived in tribulation.
