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8-11-2019 Weekly Message

Meditation of the week: Psalms 50:1-23

Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-17

Message title: The mission of pastors and congregations living in the last days waiting for Rapture

         We must discern when is the last days  the Bible speak of. The last days are the last days of the world. The last days of the world refers to the days when Satan the Devil, who has ruled the world by violence for the past six thousand years, has been judged. Then Since when Satan the Devil has been judged? It is the time of crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was judged on behalf of the sins of the world by imputing and crucifying all sins in his body to take away all the sins of the world that Satan brought forth. Jesus then triumphed over the Devil, the power of death, by his resurrection on the third day. Jesus sent a Comforter Holy Ghost in his name to show the world that he had judged the Devil by his death and resurrection.

         Jesus foretold that when Holy Ghost would come, he would reprove the world. From then on, sin is not a sin of the law, and we no longer need to keep it in order to be righteous. He said Therefore, since the Holy Ghost came into the world, it is sin that not believe in Jesus Himself, but believe in Himself  to go to heaven justified by faith, and not to go to hell anymore after following the judged devil:

” Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. “(John 16: 7-11).

           That’s right! In the last two thousand years after the Devil has already been judged, the world has been in the last days. Apostle Paul testified of what will happen in these last days:

” For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. “(2 Timothy 3: 2-5)

         Above words is the testimony of what has happened constantly in the last two thousand years after the Devil was judged. These things are constantly happening in the present two thousand years. We ourselves are witnesses to all of these things. In short, the devil is trying to hide the fact that he was judged so that even those outside the church or those inside the church do not realize the gospel so that they do not love God but love themselves. In this way, even those in the church are not allowed to participate in the rapture but are being drawn into the Great Tribulation.

          In short, the Gospel of Christ means that the Devil has been judged. The Devil, however, is that even those who profess to believe in Christ Jesus do not understand the truth by listening to other gospels and still follow the judged Devil. Sooner or later, when the Lord  Jesus Christ lifts up his church, the bride, to heaven, the Great Tribulation will be in the earth and the devil judged will not be able to find a place in heaven, but will be cast out to earth. The world will be enraged by the Devil, who knows that his time is short. Previewing this scene,  Apostle John testified:

” And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.“(Revelation 12: 7-12).

          In the last days, those who follow the flesh are characterized by hypocrites. Outwardly pretending to be godly, the purpose of all their actions is to win financial prosperity and honor by being recognized by people. Godliness means that the outside and the inside are made holy through the word of God and the Holy Ghost. But hypocrites are the people who, through their hypocrisy, make the behavior appear holy. They are also those who deny the power of godliness by despising those who have been sanctified in spirit, soul, and body through the Words of God and the Holy Ghost. They are not interested in God’s Words, but only in Mammon and honor. These are the ones who never reach the knowledge of the truth, no matter how they read and study the words of God. Apostle Paul told Timothy to turn away from these people. He also testified that all who seek to live godly as they follow the Holy Ghost and the Words in Christ Jesus will be persecuted by the hypocrites.

          Hence, Apostle Paul earnestly charged pastor Timothy to study all the Scriptures in detail and to teach all the doctrines, reproofs, corrections, and disciplines of righteousness so that the Saints may be perfected and equipped for all good works.

”  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.“(2 Tim. 4: 1-5).

             That’s right. When Apostle Paul preached the sound doctrine to the pastor Timothy, he first left with a strict command to preach about the rapture when Christ Jesus appears  in the air as well as the kingdom  to be established by Christ Jesus when he returns to the earth. .

            Apostle Paul testified of those who would be raptured in the future when he spoke of the rapture to the Corinthian church:

 ” But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.“(1 Corinthians 15: 20-24)

        When he wrote to the Galatians, he testified of who is the Christ’s to be raptured:

” And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24).

            That’s right! Those who belong to Christ are spiritual Christians who have a form of godliness in the last days but are not hypocrites who follow lust of the flesh, money, and honor, but who live godly lives in Christ Jesus. Amen! Hallelujah!