Friday, August 12, 2016
We’ve all experienced false advertising. Certain details are intentionally inconspicuous to gain our trust and ultimately our money, leading to the oft heard phrase, “What you don’t know can and will hurt you”. Those inconspicuous and deceitful details are usually in the fine print.
Much of the organized church makes numerous details of God’s Word inconspicuous to gain our trust, money and ultimate return. That’s not being negative but simply truthful. And unless you actually know the Word of the Lord, you will never be the wiser to those deceptions.
This is how Roman Catholicism grew to become the largest and by far the wealthiest Christian faith system in the world. For many hundreds of years the popes of Rome made inconspicuous the truth of God’s Word and disseminated in its place traditions of men giving them power and control over the people, making God’s Word of no effect in order to suit their own purposes.
But in the 1450’s that changed when Johannes Gutenberg in Germany mass produced the Bible, and “the cat was out of the bag” as it were, the truth of Christ was publicly revealed. This led to Martin Luther’s sixteenth century Reformation which gave rise to the splintered and divided Protestant church, each with its own traditions, again, making critical portions of God’s Word of no effect.
Not unlike Roman Catholicism, Protestant churches largely teach what they want you to believe. It’s largely become a gospel according to man and not Christ. The proof is found in the baggage of false doctrines, teachings and traditions. (See last week’s Letter for several examples.) On many fronts the church openly rejects God’s Word, but many of the people love to have it so.
It was like that in ancient Israel when God said, “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” (Jer. 5:30–31). They became corrupt having lost their love and vision of God’s Word, and it’s again much the same today.
What you don’t know of the end-time truths will hurt you. In fact, “then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Matt. 24:10). Jesus said this speaking of the tribulation. The NIV translates this saying, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other”. That warning should be boldly preached from every pulpit.
God powerfully warned us, “concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…[meaning the rapture] Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, [the offense of Matt. 24:10] and the man of sin is revealed, [the Antichrist of Matt. 24:15] the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:1–3).
The Scriptures warn of a sudden falling away in the end-times, specifically when the tribulation and the Antichrist are revealed, and that sudden falling away will be the result of multitudes in the institutional church being ignorant of the truth, and in offense learn they’ve been lied to about the end game of their faith. It will be similar to ancient Israel about to enter Canaan.
The prerequisite to eternal life requires that one actually believes the Christ of the Bible, see John 3:36. Many theologians, pastors and teachers, however, divorce themselves and their flocks from numerous of Christ’s Words in order to protect the false traditions of men. Yet, this all important God-question remains, “But what will you do in the end?” (Jer. 5:31).
Proud words and thoughts that he placed above the Word of God was Lucifer’s downfall. Satan said, “I will ascend…I will exalt…I will also sit…I will ascend above the heights…I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:13–14). Likewise, on numerous issues the organized church, rather than being humbled to God’s Word, exalts its own words and traditions above the Most High.
The unbelief and subversion of select portions of God’s Word has infected the church from the first century AD to our present day. Hence, in Revelation 2 and 3 in the seven letters to the seven churches Jesus strongly rebuked and sharply warned most to repent or suffer His rejection. But in the church today you will only be able to identify those errors if you know God’s Word.
Today many pastors deflect the truth that all Scripture is given, “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Often, and in covert ways they make God’s Word subject to their will, shutting out select portions of God’s Word to suit their purposes.
I defend the Words of Christ and His Spirit for the time of the end which is now upon us with abundant signs. I teach that what you don’t know about God-ordered headship for the church and end-times can and will hurt you. The world is on the cusp of the most difficult time in its history, and the church is largely silent about the seven-year tribulation coming to this final generation.
The transhumanism of Noah’s day increasingly attends our generation. CBS Pittsburgh 8/5/2016, reports, “People Implanting Microchips Under Their Skin To Improve Their Lives…We need to get rid of the accessories. We don’t want to carry devices; we want the devices built into us,” said Zoltan Istvan, who belongs to the Transhumanist Party. The movement seeks to radically improve humans though digital implants, even genetic manipulation.”
Genetic alteration marked Noah’s day, and similar genetic human alteration will become the mark of the beast. In Noah’s day fallen angels had sexual relations with human women and, “all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth” (Gen. 6:12). But God has His remnant, His people who keep themselves, “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27), as did Noah in his own days.
The Washington Times, 8/4/2016, “Government to lift moratorium on cross-species, ‘chimera’ research”. The article continues, “The federal government is planning to lift a moratorium on funding for research studying the effects of injecting animal embryos with human stem cells, creating half-human half-animal hybrids.” These existed in Noah’s day, but our culture calls them mythological creatures. But Jesus said they will return in the end. Are you prepared?
Transgenderism and homosexuality of Lot’s day attends this final generation in ever-increasing measure. Saints must be taught about the days of Lot from Genesis 18 and 19. They must know, that, “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites…will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9–10). Immorality of Lot’s day virtually rules our day.
If you’re not taught Jesus’ end-time parables and truths of Noah’s and Lot’s days, and that Jesus gathers His elect saints, “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31), nor are prepared for the same, it’s because your church has no regard for those teachings; it has exchanged Jesus’ end-time truths for the pre-tribulation rapture lie. Consequently, many of Jesus’ teachings and parables, and most of The Revelation of Jesus Christ is literally of no effect to suit traditions.
“But what will you do in the end?” (Jer. 5:31). God said the tribulation is 7 years, consisting of two halves each being 1,260 days by the Jewish calendar. Have you been led in knowledge and the expectation of the things God promised for that time? Have you been prepared for the Seal, Trumpet and Bowl judgments from The Revelation? Because you will be here for all three.
Have you been taught to endure to the end like Jesus taught at Matt. 24:13? Have you been taught to, “be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36)? (And that “escape” does NOT mean the rapture!) Have you been taught how to find God’s safety and provision at the middle of the tribulation? Have you been taught that, in Christ, you are “the freewoman” of Gal. 4:21–31, and that it is that “watchful” freewoman that finds the safety and provision of God for the last half of the tribulation, the last 1,260 days of great tribulation?
Many Christians know nothing of God’s safety and provision at the great tribulation, and will consequently become food for carrion birds when, “the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). This will bring fulfillment to what Jesus said, that, “wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Matt. 24:29).
Have you been taught that according to Dan. 12 there is a period of 75 days, “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31), and that on one of those days, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16), “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52), “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54), at, “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6), and Christ will gather His elect saints?
I’ve said for many years that what you don’t know concerning your faith in Christ, can and will hurt you. But when one believes the feel-good gospel according to the traditions of men, then life is great, all are saved, and actually believing Christ is not even required. Want proof? Though God said He gathers His elect “Immediately after the tribulation” the traditions of men say, no, He gathers His elect immediately before the tribulation. Thus, one can make the gospel say whatever he or she wants it to say. Yet this remains, “But what will you do in the end?”
Though I teach and equip saints in Christ’s end-time truths, it’s banned by the AoG church; “nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12). God said that, “A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies” (Prov. 14:25). Jesus prayed this for us: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), why not believe Him, prepare and become equipped to endure to the end? God be with you.
Marlin J. Yoder
