Don't Pray For America

[nChrist]

The Church Against The Rapture
Opinion by Jack Kelley

When the Christian community gets united behind something we're a force to be reckoned with. The 2004 Presidential election was a good example. Many of those 35 million extra votes George Bush got were from Evangelical Christians. Sadly, things like that don't happen very often anymore. Even 9/11 didn't produce any long term change toward unifying the Body. But try to imagine this if you can.  Imagine how different this country would be today if all Christians held a Christian world view, were convinced that the Lord was coming back for us very soon, and were living their lives accordingly. Can you even begin to see the difference we'd be making? It would be amazing. America would be compared to the Israel of Solomon's day.

To prevent the tremendous effect we would have for good, the enemy has implemented a divide and conquer strategy. He knows that as long as he can keep the Body of Christ fractured he can keep us weak. Over the years, he's mounted a number of campaigns to implement this strategy. Gifts vs. no gifts, the inerrancy issue, and the proper method of interpretation come to mind. But one of his most successful efforts has been to take advantage of the fact that for His own reasons, God has chosen to keep the Rapture's timing a secret.

The clues He's given us point to our departure happening prior to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week. But right from the beginning Satan influenced Church leaders to conclude that denying the pre-trib pre millennial view would keep us focused on the things of this world instead of always looking up, waiting for the Lord. So even though Paul very clearly taught a pre-trib rapture of the Church, and John revealed a 1000 year Kingdom to follow it, alternate views have sprung up almost continuously since then.

Take Your Pick

Amillennialism came along in the early 400's to teach believers not to expect any literal Kingdom, ever.  It told believers that the 2nd Coming took place when Jesus came into their hearts, that the Church Age is the Millennium and that end times prophecy is not meant to be taken literally. This removed a major obstacle to having Christianity recognized by Rome.

Post millenialism taught that the 2nd Coming would take place after the 1000 year millennium which is really a golden age of Christian prosperity and dominance in the world. The prosperity gospel and Dominion theology are offshoots of post-millennialism.

The Post Tribulation Rapture view denied the doctrine of imminence by placing the Rapture after the Tribulation. Look for the anti-Christ, it says, not the Christ. Mid-Trib (aka Pre-Wrath) is a compromise between the pre and post trib views that denies imminence as well. Replacement Theology was to deny that the re-birth of Israel is an end times sign. Preterism denies all future prophetic events. Kingdom Now, or Dominionism, contends that the Lord can't come back until we've done our part by converting the world. As a result of Dominionism millions of believers have been looking all their lives for a great revival that's never coming, instead of looking for the Lord, who is.

The combined effect of all this is that most believers have been lulled to sleep with no clue as to how close we are to the End of the Age. While prophecies that Christians have been anticipating for nearly 2000 years are being fulfilled right before their eyes, they're more concerned about the long term mortgages on their homes and the interest free financing on their cars. Having sufficient retirement income far outweighs stockpiling treasure in heaven on their list of priorities. Their endless quest for bigger and better toys distracts them from the boredom of lives that have been rendered meaningless, without purpose. False teaching about the End Times has left them ignorant of the closeness of the Lord's return and complacent about their faith. It has stolen their joy, quenched their spirit, and made them no better off spiritually than the unbelievers who surround us. They sometimes get fired up on Sunday, but by mid-week you'd never know it happened.

Here's what that means. According to recent surveys in the USA, less than 10% of born-again believers have a Christian world view. That means over 90% of us have been seduced into a pursuit of the same materialistic goals as our unbelieving neighbors. Over 40% have never given the first dime to the Lord's work. Even more have never shared the Gospel with anyone. Some studies show that the abortion rate among Christians is the same as for unbelievers, as is the divorce rate, and two out of three of our children will stop going to church the minute they have a choice.

I lay most of the blame for this at the feet of so-called theologians who've let themselves be influenced by Satan while charged with the responsibility of teaching the Word of God. Remember, Paul's words to the Corinthians:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Knowingly or not, these people have bought into Satan's lies and have taught those entrusted to them that God's word isn't true.

[nChrist]

The Church Against The Rapture
Opinion by Jack Kelley

The Greatest Generation

What the secular media calls America's greatest generation, those who fought and won WW2, is also the generation that sat in the pews of the great denominational churches of the 40's and 50's. There they were taught that God didn't create the Heavens and the Earth in 6 days and Moses didn't write the Torah. Daniel didn't write Daniel, Isaiah didn't write Isaiah, Jesus didn't feed 5000 or walk on water, and on and on. To make God small enough to fit in their minds the denominational theologians made Him too small to meet our needs. Amillennialism became their eschatology of choice because with a God that small it was easy to believe that nothing was ever going to happen.  He isn't really going to return, they say, and even if he does it certainly won't be now. Some were actually saying that he had died. Because of their teaching, millions of Christians are asleep at the switch during the most important and exciting time in the history of man.

It's not because prophecy has ever failed, it's because like the Sadducees before them, the theologians stopped believing it and so the teachers stopped teaching it. Jesus addressed this in his letter to the Church at Sardis, a model of the mainline denominations. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3) The Sadducees missed the chance to be on the Lord's team at the time of the first coming because they stopped believing the prophecies. Liberal theologians and their students are missing the 2nd one for the same reason.

Now another great attack against End Times prophecy has come in the name of the Emerging Church. Leaders of this movement don't teach the Bible much at all because their success is based on saying nothing that could offend the people in their pews. Consequently there's no talk of being born again or getting ready for the Lord's return. They talk of being followers of the Lord not just believers in Him, but in truth there's very little discussion of what either means. Their pews and their bank accounts are full, and their members are kept busy with projects that often do a lot of Earthly good but aren't designed to bring any one any closer to the Kingdom. The study of prophecy is viewed as non productive and a distraction from their goals, one of which is to strive for a 50/50 split in their membership between believers and non-believers. The reason for this is that the non-believers can help to form a consensus that will draw the believers away from the moral and spiritual absolutes of traditional Christianity. As with the revival seeking Charismatics there is a thread of dominionism running through the emerging Church's doctrine.  It helps keep them focused on the things of this world.

Which One Are You?

So the liberals are amillennial and couldn't tell a rapture from a rupture. Pentecostal, charismatic, and emerging congregations are often dominionists, although for different reasons. Catholics and some conservative protestants are post-trib. Almost all have been tainted by replacement theology, and hardly any study prophecy. That leaves the evangelicals and even among us there's growing disagreement.

It's popular to just smile and say of the protestant church, "On the essentials of salvation we all agree, but in the non-essentials there's room for lots of different opinions." Baloney. The Bible is not a document written to provide a debating society with lots of different positions. It's the Word of God and it's not subject to man's opinion. Though we may not like it all, we don't have the right to re-interpret it to suit our desires.

But while we sit around arguing about what it says, the world is falling apart and the time is getting short. The Lord's coming back and 90% of the Church is distracted by the world and doesn't have a clue it's about to happen.

God said, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please … what I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11) It's not that He's stopped performing on this promise, it's just that most of the Church has stopped believing it and no longer expects it.

Of the 5 crowns believers can win as rewards for the way they live, one will be given to those who long for His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8 ) It has always fascinated me that it's called the Crown of Righteousness. Most folks would think that one would go to those who led exemplary lives. Not so. Our righteousness is imputed to us by faith. Longing for His return is a sign of faith in His promise that He will. (John 14:1-3) I wonder how many of those they'll be handing out.  My Thoughts 09-13-08

[nChrist]

Don't Pray For America
Commentary by Jack Kelley

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9)

In the time just before the Babylonian captivity, the people of Judah were certain that God would not permit the Babylonians to conquer them. "After all," they said, "we're God's people. His Temple is in our midst. Surely He will spare us." Their leaders encouraged them to think this way and false prophets assured them that everything would soon be normal again. Even when the Babylonian armies were at the very gates of Jerusalem they were expecting God to miraculously deliver them.

In fact, God had actually told them that if they turned back to Him, he would spare them.

If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. (Jeremiah 7:5-8 )

But they took no notice of how their behavior had offended Him, thinking only that because they claimed to be His people He would save them. Their leaders had told them that God would spare them and because that's what they wanted to hear, that's what they believed.

Finally, on three separate occasions God told Jeremiah to stop praying for them because He wasn't going to listen any more. (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14, 14:11) They had gone too far. Only a few years after a national revival they had quickly slid back into their idolatry and for God it was the last straw.

God's third discussion with Jeremiah on this matter is worth reviewing.

Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague."

But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.' "

Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries (worthless divinations) and the delusions of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14:11-14)

It was too late. They had missed their last chance. Even if the people did agree to mend their ways and come back to Him now, He knew their hearts had not changed. They would just be doing whatever they could to avoid the judgment. His decision had been made.

God is merciful but He is also just. He can't go on overlooking sin forever. There comes a time when He has to act, even though He would rather not. It brings Him no joy, and He's always looking for a way out that won't compromise His values.

For example, while He was on the way to judge Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham engaged Him on this very point. "Will you spare the cities if there are 50 righteous people there," Abraham asked. "Yes," God replied, "For 50 I will spare the cities." Then Abraham progressively worked the number down until they finally agreed that even if only 10 righteous people were found there God would spare everyone. (Genesis 18:22-33) Well, there weren't 10 righteous people there so the judgment was confirmed. But there was one and even though He wasn't bound to, God insisted that the one righteous person had to be removed from the time and place of the judgment before it could begin. The one was Lot. (Genesis 19:21-22)

Whether in Sodom or in Jerusalem, no one knew in advance that God was about to run out of patience because He doesn't want people to obey His rules just out of fear. He wants them to obey because it's the right thing to do. With Him the motive has to be right in order to make the action right.

Israel had been God's kingdom on Earth for over 600 years. They were so well established they didn't think it mattered what they did. As long as they called themselves God's people and went through the motions of worshiping Him they thought they were safe. And after all their Scriptures said that Israel was a Kingdom established by God, who intends for it to exist forever on Earth. Even so, when God's righteousness demanded judgment, nothing could prevent it.

We need to remember that while in many ways America is like Israel, the Church is not. First, The Church is not a national kingdom with a homeland and geographical borders. Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil 3:20) He's not coming here to be with us where we are. He's coming to take us to His Father's house to be with Him where He is. (John 14:1-3) So when He does it won't matter whether we're from the United States, the United Kingdom or the United Arab Emirates because the Church is everywhere. God has only established one eternal nation on Earth and that's Israel. The Church's eternal home is in Heaven where an inheritance from God Himself awaits us. (Galatians 4:4-7)

Second, the Church never needs to fear a judgment such as the ones I described above. The Lord Jesus agreed to be judged in place of the Church in order to present us to Himself without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:27)

[nChrist]

Don't Pray For America
Commentary by Jack Kelley

The Religious Right and other well intended American Christians frequently send out emails urging everyone to pray for America. But where in the Bible did God to say to pray for any place on Earth other than Jerusalem? God's will would be much better served if the Church would pray for itself, that it would finally adopt the Biblical world view it was intended to have, and become what it was intended to be, the body of Christ. It's an indication of what a secular world view the American Church has when more of us are praying that God will restore the good old days in our country than are praying for the Lord's speedy return to take us away from here.

Prayers for America are fine as far as they go, but they're motivated more by a love for what our country has been than by a desire to see God's will done on Earth. And when you get right down to it, praying that God will restore America could be seen as an admission that we're really not ready to see God's will done on Earth yet.

Many of us grew up in America believing that God is on our side. But when I began studying the Bible I realized that God doesn't take sides, He is a side. Whatever blessing we've enjoyed as a nation has come during times when we've been on His side, not because He's on ours. As far as God is concerned, America is one of the nations destined to be completely destroyed during the Great Tribulation (Jeremiah 30:11). In His mind, the only nation on Earth that matters always has been and always will be Israel.

Even so, there came a day when God told Jeremiah to stop praying for Israel because it was too late to change His mind. Even a revival wouldn't have helped them. If it's not already here, that day will soon come for America and whatever favor our nation might have enjoyed with God will be gone for good.

It's time for American Christians to realize that America is just a place where we're temporarily living. And while we mourn the fact that America seems to be turning its back on Israel, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that America is also turning its back on the Church.

According to no less an authority than our President, America is not a Christian nation.  He's right.  The only connection between God and America today is that a bunch of us who believe in Him happen to live here. Americans don't live by God's laws, we don't teach our children about Him in our schools, we don't offer public prayers in His name, and the holy days we observe are no longer tributes to Him. We don't thank Him for the blessings we receive and we don't turn to Him when we're in need.

America is a secular gentile nation that will soon be no more comfortable a home for the Church than pre-war Germany was for the Jews. It's high time we excised our patriotism from our religion. Think of it as a reverse separation of Church and State. In the last election Americans said they don't want the Church's values guiding the nation's direction.  Well neither should Christians want America's values guiding the Church. We should be so passionately yearning to leave here that our feet barely touch the ground when we walk.

One day the Lord was asking some men to follow Him. The first one said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." (By that he meant, "Let me wait till my father dies.") And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-60)

His position here is consistent with His warning against accumulating treasure on Earth.

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24) In the original language the word translated money also includes possessions. If you're up to your elbows in nice things, you're naturally going to want to spend your time with them instead of preparing to leave them and move to your new home.

He also had this to say about the seed sown among thorns.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)

These verses all speak against becoming so immersed in the ways of the world that we lose sight of where our real home is. In each case the one who falls into this trap becomes unfruitful. That means we ignore Kingdom opportunities here and forfeit Kingdom rewards there.

Why do so many in the American Church cling to America when America has made it clear it wants nothing to do with the Church? It's because it's our nature to always place a higher value on what we know than on what we don't know. We know how good our life here has been, but most of us don't know the first thing about how life in our eternal home will be. A surprising number believe we'll be sitting on clouds all day playing harps. Others think of Heaven as an endless worship service, and compare it to their Sunday morning experiences. It's no wonder they'd rather stay here.

It would be easy to blame organized religion for not teaching us the truth about this. But that would be a cop-out. After all organized religion itself is an earth centered institution. The real problem is that it takes a lot of faith to choose the unknown over the known. And just like most American Christians don't have the faith to live their beliefs, choosing to live secular lives instead, most of us don't have the faith to believe God's promises for eternity, so we focus on the here and now.

The solution to all this is deceptively simple. Paul wrote that faith comes through hearing the Word of the Lord (Romans 10:17). By reading what the Bible says about what's in store for us we can be made new in the attitude of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). We can be transformed, no longer conforming to the pattern of this world. (Romans 12:3). We can understand what it means to be in the world but not of it. We can discover that the greatest adventure ever designed for mankind lies right around the corner, and since we've accepted the Lord's death as payment in full for our sins it's all for us. And finally, we'll understand that while America's successes have been without parallel, in all the Age of Man the biggest winner by far is the Church. 06-06-09

[livingbyfaith]

    PTL!  I don't think much of America now.  Then I wonder if I'm being unpatriotic. I was 11 years old to 14 during WW !!  I did all the patriotic things.  What did I know about war? 

I started life as a Catholic.  Got into different cults and mind over matter things.  Just enough to know what they are about and how easy to fall into them when you don't know the Bible.

I did get saved but still wasn't sure what salvation was all about.  Had my doubts but God kept getting me out of all this stuff.  So I do believe I was saved.  I just got enough of the false teachings to know how easily people can fall into their  traps.  I did post "Take One Baby step" on this site if it can still be found. on 12/10/05.  And "Mind Control"  and "Which Spirits are you controlled by"  I have written about 100 articles  since 2000-2003 then my dry spell.  Wrote a few off and off in that time.

I jumped from church to church.  I was not getting fed the truth.  Many were people pleasers.

I finally just found one that teaches the truth.  Just a young man but  with much power behind his voice. If he thinks you don't get it, he repeats it.  Have only been going for 5 weeks now but I go home knowing I've been feed strong meat.  I go home and lay on my bed and feel God's love and presence and much peace like I never had before.

MY grand son goes there so his mother and I visited too.  Their theme for the year is "Crossing the river"  That hit me.  To get there I have to cross a river.  In the end of this month they are moving to a much larger building.  They have to cross to go there.  For confirmation that it was the right move, the next day two preachers talked about crossing the river!
I had gone to that church a few times many years ago when I lived only a few steps to their building.  Don't remember much about it.

Now I found out they had moved many times from a small store front to the new place they are going now.  It kept growing.  Lot of young people go there.  Very modestly dressed and very polite.
The young boys and men are the same. 

I've been criticized for changing churches so often.  When I find one that is preaching the truth that is where I'll stay.

I have so much on my mind about the way this world is going.  Even wrote some prophetic articles which I didn't quite understand much.  Now it it getting clearer to me.  I posted "Blessed Be Egypt MY people" on here too.  It didn't make sense to me at the time but I had to write it as the Holy Spirit led me.

Getting tired now.  You will see a lot of me.   God bless you.  Keep writing like you do.

Your sister in Christ, Joan

[nChrist]

Hello Sister Joan,

I'm happy to hear you say that we will be seeing you often. As Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we should know that fellowship is a gift that God gives us to encourage and strengthen each other.

I'm convinced that things are getting more difficult for Christians, but I'm also convinced that Christ is coming for us soon to take us Home to Glory. What a day of REJOICING that will be! The world will get what it wants, and God will carry out His Intentions for His Children.

Sister, it's hard to watch the world starting to devour itself with evil, but God foretold us all these things. Our part is to yield to His Purpose until the last moment.

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 19:1-14 KJV  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,  5  Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.  6  His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.  7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.  8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.  9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.  10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  11  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.  12  Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.  13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.  14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.