Evangelism
I know there
are many prominent people who teach that Christians are going to be raptured
before or at least half way through the Great Tribulation. For the first ten or
fifteen years of my Christian life I too believed that, because that is what I
was taught. During the three years I went to Bible College they did not teach
that doctrine (for it has become a Church doctrine). They presented the three
common views of pre, mid and post tribulation rapture, though some of them
believed in the pre and mid tribulation rapture, not many believed in the post
tribulation rapture (actually called the First Resurrection, Revelation 20:5).
There is a lot of teaching that the first resurrection is the spiritual
resurrection of each believer when they die to themselves in CHIRST and are
raised again into new life – born again; but we are still in the flesh
(Galatians 2:19-21)! The rapture as taught out of 1 Corinthians 15 and 1
Thessalonians 4 is of the whole Church being caught up to Heaven as one body when
CHRIST returns, the dead in the flesh first and then those who are alive.
My view did
not change until I actually started to read my Bible with the intent to learn
and hear from GOD. Over the next few years I started to see much miss-teaching
or actual error was being taught in the Church and preached to the world. That
is why I became a proponent of everyone – believer or not should read the Bible
for them self. As a Christian it is actually our responsibility to know GOD’s
Word and live according to it. If you are not reading the Bible to learn and
hear from GOD then you will be very sad on the day of Judgment; because we will
be judged and some who claim to be and live like and actually believe they are Christians
will be exposed as not being even known as a Child and Servant of GOD, Matthew
7 particularly :21-23.
So all that
is the prolog: what I was thinking about this morning is the fact that much of
the Church is busy preaching to itself rather than the lost. I know because I
have the same problem, as a young Christian with my pastor and in Bible College
I was involved in personal evangelism (door to door and street corner) and I
was always uncomfortable – I did not like it. So I mostly “felt” called to
teach the Church. But the Great Commission is to preach to the lost throughout
the world. When we are evangelizing or teaching we better know what the Bible
actually says. GOD will hold us accountable for not just preaching the Gospel
but for knowing His WORD. If we do not stop teaching false information to the
Church and especially to the lost, their blood will be on us. When you teach
something that is not actually true or you preach with a judgmental heart and
people are turned away from GOD then their blood is on your head. GOD is
serious about us obeying Him and even if we do it for selfish reasons He will
use us and we will be blessed in this life, but at the judgment…Matthew 7:23.
We
Christians have to start teaching each other and proclaiming GOD’s Salvation to
the lost like we believe we are living in the end times. If these are the last
days we better start preparing ourselves and everybody else for what lies
ahead. I personally do not believe that we are in the last days (that CHRIST’s
return to set up His 1000 year reign over the nations of the earth is emanate,
Revelation 19:11-20:6). But I pray it is because that means at some point in
the near future I will know for sure there are only seven more years of trials,
tests and tribulations. Remember according to the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 15 and
1 Thessalonians 4 the rapture of the physically dead in CHRIST and those left
alive who are in CHRIST will take place at the sound of the last trumpet,
Revelation 11:15. When the last trumpet sounds everything in Revelation
11:15-19, 14:1-20:6 are last day events. Chapters 12 and 13 happen previous to
the last trumpet.
Revelation
11:1-14 has to do with the Two Witnesses who prophesy from Jerusalem for three
and a half years, this happens during the last three and a half years of the
Great Tribulation;
before
CHRIST’s return. The resurrection and calling up to Heaven of the Two Witnesses
is the last event and the Second Woe before the Seventh (Last) Trumpet. The
Seventh Trumpet – The Day CHRIST returns to the earth to Reign is the Third
Woe.
Revelation 12
is about Israel and CHRIST, the devil’s Heavenly defeat and being cast to the
earth and his persecution of Jews and Believers.
Revelation
13 reveals the anti-christ, the false prophet, the image of the anti-christ and
the mark of the anti-christ.
Revelation
14 is an outline of the Last Day events: 1-5 JESUS appears with the 144,000
from the twelve tribes of Israel; 6-7 is the last proclamation of the Gospel;
7-11 is the proclamation of the final judgment; 12-13 is the blessing of the
Saints; 14-20 is the actual Rapture of the Believers and the reaping of the
earth for judgment.
So what am I
saying? Read and study The Bible for yourself, do not just believe what other’s
tell you it teaches because you are accountable to God for what you believe. If
you teach lies about GOD and The Bible because of what someone teaches you and someone
you teach dies in rebellion or disbelief they will go to hell and GOD will hold
you accountable for their blood; Ezekiel 3:16-21, 33:6-9
Evangelism
is the Great Commission that must be preached until the end. It will not be
preached during the Great Tribulation if the Church is raptured before it
begins!
