Friday, June 18, 2021
The 1st Anniversary is that, 14 years ago this month, God called me to teach the end-times according to His written Word and not the traditions of men. Having earnestly studied the Word of God contextually, regarding the end-times, and having sought the truth in prayer, I knew that the pre-tribulation rapture taught by most churches was a deceptive lie of Satan – a lie and false hope that will produce great offense, betrayal and hatred in the seven-year tribulation just ahead. Teaching Jesus’ truths has caused many to depart my fellowship. But that’s the power of Christ vs traditions of men which make “the word of God of no effect” (Mark 7:13). I dislike conflict, but if tested, which God did by His calling, I will indeed defend God’s Word and testimony of His Son Jesus Christ over the traditions of men. And so should every professing Christian.
Though I wrestled, God reminded me: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:34–38). If that’s true in family relationships, and it is, then it’s certainly true in church relationships. As I contemplated the real truth, how could I let God’s Word remain subject to the traditions of men? I concluded, I had to take up my own cross and follow the Words and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and those of His Holy Spirit, no matter the cost. As with anyone who decides to follow Christ with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength that decision came at a price, but God indeed prepared me for it.
The 2nd Anniversary is that, 7 years ago this month, God called me and my family out of the organized tradition-laden church so that I could teach, among other truths, the end-time gospel according to Jesus, freely and unhindered; from the church in which my wife and I raised our children; the church to which we had tithed and ministered in various capacities for over thirty years. I had learned that the power of men’s tradition is unwaveringly intolerant of whatever opposes that tradition, even the testimony of Jesus Christ. But I recognize that that’s not new; it got Stephen stoned to death; it got the apostles martyred; it caused much suffering. Indeed, many suffered far beyond my loss as they loved and honored the testimony of Jesus Christ above traditions of men. Yet, so it remains today. Indeed, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9), as greater earthly loss lies yet ahead.
Are you God’s elect? Because Jesus said He gathers His elect “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31). Now, you’ll either believe that truth by faith, or you’ll believe the tradition of men which says Christ will gather His elect before the tribulation. Which will it be? The former honors Christ, the latter honors men. The former requires you to prepare for the tribulation, but the latter doesn’t require preparation at all. God said that Christ must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, Acts 3:21. When does God restore everything? It’s certainly not before the seven-year tribulation, for then there’d be no tribulation. God restores everything after the tribulation, and God said Christ must remain in heaven until then. Only then, immediately after the tribulation “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16) to gather His elect “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54); at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6); “at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52). So Christ, by His Word asks, will you believe Him or men?
The years of those two anniversaries were not created by me, but by God, and He is perfect in all He does. God’s timing is perfect, and readers of TheFridayLetter.com know that I believe the last seven years of this age will begin in the fall harvest months of this year. I might be mistaken, but that’s my heart of faith before God based upon Jesus’ parable of “the fig tree” (Matt. 24:32–35), and God’s generation of Psa. 90:10. In this regard I believe we, here in America, may be on the cusp of witnessing an unprecedented political upheaval having the possibility of ushering in an apocalyptic chaotic season that could suspend the US Constitution and usher in martial law with violence across this land of such magnitude as to destroy the nation, setting the very stage for the arrival of a deceptive alien savior, or worse “the man of sin…the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3).
As every conservative true Christian in America knows President Donald J. Trump in 2020 won re-election by a landslide. But the raging liberal Left and its media rigged the election during the night and pulled off what we all know was a false win for Joe Biden, the Democrat who couldn’t get fifty people to his rallies, while Donald Trump had tens of thousands attending his rallies! Of course you remember. Truth remembers. Yet, anyone who dared say the election was rigged was vilified by the biased, crooked lying media, while bolstered by Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram, whose CEOs should all be quickly tried and jailed.
Well, that scenario just might unfold sooner than we think. Christian attorneys Lin Wood and Sydney Powell have worked tirelessly to bring mountains of evidence to the courts in multiple states, and even to the SCOTUS, only to have those proofs rejected and dismissed out of hand without even being heard. That alone is a crime against every American who voted in the 2020 election. But Wood and Powell have not stopped, but continue behind the scenes. And now this from FOX News: “New media target: Wild chatter about Trump’s swift return to power”. The article says “Trump has been telling a number of people he is in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated by August.” Meaning August of 2021. Well, where there’s smoke there’s fire. I’ve heard much about this in the alt media the last two months. I’m hearing that military forces soundly back President Trump, and that he will return to power by August of 2021. If that were to occur, can you imagine the city-burning violent responses from the radical hate-fueled Left, from Antifa, and BLM, and from every unhinged radical-thinking “Defund The Police” liberal, trained by Obama and Biden and supporters of Critical Race Theory being taught in our public schools! Truly, if President Trump returns to power, I expect America to virtually self-destruct. The chasm between the liberal Left and conservative Right is too great to be healed by political wrangling, unless someone of deceptive skill and intrigue can quasi heal the US and the world.
As I pray about the two anniversaries created by God, I yet believe that we only have about 7 years remaining in this present age, and getting to its end in safety with provisions will only be by living a holy and Godly life, set apart unto Christ and His testimony, for Jesus said “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). May it be true of us that we are “the woman” of (Rev. 12:6), “the freewoman” of (Gal. 4:21–31), the true “Jew” (Rom. 2:28–29), that we may be “counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36).
Marlin J. Yoder
