2nd Peter 3:9 and the Rapture

God is holding back the prophetic hands of time for you oh sinner, hoping that you'll get saved!

by David J. Stewart

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." —2nd Peter 3:9

       The Bible teaches us in 2nd Peter 3:9 the attitude and mindset that every believer should have concerning the Rapture. The Bible says that God is not slack concerning His PROMISE, as some men wrongly judge of Him; but rather, God doesn't want anyone to perish in their sins and go to Hell. It is easy to misjudge God, which is why Proverb 3:5-7 tells us not to lean unto our own understanding; but rather, trust in the Lord with all our heart, for He knows all. My Lord knows the way through the Wilderness, all I have to do is follow.

The only thing preventing the Rapture is souls that haven't been reached for Christ yet. Thus, soul-winning ought to be the very top priority of every Christian believer today. While we eagerly await the Rapture, let's reach as many lost sinners for Christ as possible with the glorious gospel. The entire reason why God hasn't returned yet, the only reason, is because God knows there are more people who are going to get saved. Think about that for a moment. God has chosen to hold back the hands of time in His longsuffering and love, because He desires for more people to get saved. What an awesome God!

If you are not saved friend, God is waiting for you. The Rapture is only being delayed for you, because God loves you so much. God is holding back the bus, loaded with passengers going to Heaven; but He is hoping for you to join Heaven's angel band on those distant peaceful shores. What are you waiting for... ALL ABOARD!!!

God told Abraham that if only 10 righteous (saved) people could be found in Sodom, that He would spare the city from divine judgment and utter destruction. Abraham couldn't find them. God knew this before Abraham ever began to search diligently for anybody who was saved in Sodom. God refused to destroy the righteous with the wicked. This is one big reason why we know that the Church will not go through the horrifying Tribulation Period, when God shall pour out His fury upon the inhabitants of the earth. Every believer will be Raptured (i.e., “caught up” as 1st Thessalonians 4:17 teaches). Most churches today are ruptured.

2nd Peter 3:9 tells us that the only thing preventing the Lord's return is lost sinners who have yet to be saved. God is holding back the hands of time waiting for you oh sinner, if you are not saved, to come to Christ Jesus for salvation. Thus, since soul-winning is the only reason why God hasn't returned yet; we ought to be soul-winning by preaching the redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Romans 1:16).

No one came to Christ during the 120-years that Noah preached. No one came to Christ in the city of Sodom, because they had no preacher of righteousness. Jesus said that Sodom would have repented had they seen the miracles which He performed in Capernaum.

Matthew 11:23, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”

It is clear from the teaching of 2nd Peter 3:9 that the Lord hasn't returned yet because He desires for all men to come to repentance unto salvation.

Sodom would have repented if they'd had the blessings that we have today, There were no printed Bibles at the time of Sodom. We are blessed to have modern printing presses today, so that the Word of God can be mass-produced for all people to read and study. Yet, so many people reject the Bible. We have the completed Word of God. Amen and amen!

There are some wonderful truths to be gleaned from this precious passage of Scripture:

First, the Lord Jesus PROMISES that He will return. The coming Rapture is a solemn PROMISE from our Wonderful Savior! Repeatedly throughout the Bible we are comforted that God does not, and cannot lie.

• Titus 1:2, “...God, that cannot lie, promised...“
• Judges 2:1, ”...I will never break my covenant with you.”

Second, we see evidence of the great heart of God in 2nd Peter 3:9, Who is not willing for any to perish. God desires even for the most wicked and hopeless human being to be saved. No one is beyond hope with God...

Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

God wants all to be saved. The Bible is clear in Isaiah 59:1-2 that it is only men's sins that hinder them from coming to Christ for salvation. Jesus clarified this truth in John 3:20, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”; and again in John 6:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Third, the only thing preventing the Lord's return is God's desire for more people to get saved, for this was the entire reason that Christ came into the world...

• Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
• 1st Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

If you are unsaved, please know that God has held back the hands of time for you oh sinner, desiring for you to get saved. God is waiting for the very people who mock and scoff at Him (challenging if He will return) to be saved.

Why We are Living in the LAST DAYS!

by David J. Stewart

1st John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

       The Bible tells us WHY we are living in the Last Days in 1st John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” How do we know that it is the Last Days? Because there are MANY ANTICHRISTS!

The Apostle Paul believed that he was living in the Last Days because of the preponderance of Christ-rejecters in his day. This Scriptural principle still applies today. As the world becomes more apostate, so do the number of Christ-rejecters increase. There are over 1,000,000,000 Islamic Muslims in the world who all deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. There are hundreds-of-millions of Buddhists and Hindus that also deny the Lord. Jews who follow Judaism deny that Jesus is the Christ. Over 1,000,000,000 Romans Catholics errantly think that devotion to Mary will get them into Heaven. It is tragic!

Jesus warned that the End Times would be once again as it was in Noah's time, when people only lived to enjoy the cares, riches and pleasures of this life (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 8:14). Only 8 people survived the flood. I dare say that even one-percent of the world's population are truly born-again Christians (Matthew 7:13-14). Few people will enter into Heaven. 

Many religious cults distort the Person, character and nature of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul warned about false prophets who would introduce to us ANOTHER Jesus, ANOTHER Gospel, and ANOTHER spirit (2nd Corinthians 11:4). Galatians 1:9 proclaims a CURSE upon them all, for corrupting the Gospel. These are signs of the Last Days. Everywhere we turn nowadays, we are having false doctrines, false religions, false Christs, false Gospels and false Bibles introduced to us. Satan is working relentlessly to corrupt churches with New Age teachings, diminishing being born-again from a miracle of God (John 1:12) into a mere feeling, experience or commitment to serve God. 

Just as God parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites from the wrath of Pharaoh and Egypt's armies; so is salvation only of the Lord. God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites had absolutely nothing to do with parting the sea. Their only requirement was to walk through, and they did, on dry ground. Likewise, God saves a sinner who repents toward God in faith to be forgiven through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. 

This Scripture is NOT speaking about THE Antichrist, who is coming soon to rule the world as an evil thug dictator (2nd Thessalonians 1:1-10). Rather, the term antichrists (plural) refers to religious fakes (Modernists) and false prophets. A “Modernist” is someone who talks about spiritual matters, but is not a genuine born-again Christian. Some popular Modernists are: The Pope, Oprah Winfrey, John MacArthur, Carter Heyward, John Edward, Benny Hinn, Ellen G. White, Ron Hubbard, Joseph Smith, Charles Russell, Mary Baker Eddy, and thousands more. 1st John 2:19 teaches that many of them began in the Church... “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” 

2nd Timothy 3:5 describes these people as, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” That “power” is the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to him that believeth (Romans 1:16). To those who don't believe, it is worthless. Many of the Israelites who wandered in the Wilderness for 40-years, died and went to Hell in their sins, because they heard the Gospel; but it wasn't “mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). 

Others add self-righteous works to their faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), which is no faith at all in the Lord (Romans 11:6). Dr. John MacArthur requires sinners to try really hard to stop sinning in order to be saved (which he wrongly defines as repentance). MacArthur has it all backwards. You get saved first, and then God makes the changes; You don't make the changes, and then God saves you. Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron and John MacArthur wrongly teach that a person must REFORM as part of being REGENERATED by the Holy Spirit of God; but the Bible teaches that a person cannot REFORM until they've been REGENERATED. 

2nd Corinthians 5:17 says that IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST he is a new creature. Notice that this is after-the-fact. A man cannot be a new creature until he is already in Christ. In other words, a changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance unto salvation; and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith to be saved (Romans 4:5). 

A sure sign according to the Bible of living in the LAST DAYS is the preponderance of false prophets, Christ-rejecters, and religious phonies in the churches. 2nd Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The word “perilous” is the Greek chalepos and means, “hard to endure, difficult, dangerous; through the idea of losing strength.” We are certainly living in trying times of our Christian faith. 2nd Timothy 3:12 teaches that all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall (not possibly or maybe, but shall) suffer persecution. This lost and dying sinful world hates Jesus, hates the Bible, hates Christianity and hates all genuine Christians (John 15:19). You can display anything that is Islamic, Buddhist or Jewish and no one cares; but if you dare display anything Christian, such as a manger at Christmas, all the hordes of Hell will come after you, and everyone has a heart-attack. 

There have never been as many religious fakes in churches as today. There have never been as many false prophets as today. There have never been as many Christ-rejecters as today. There have never been as many false Bible as today. There have never been as many corrupted Gospel as today. All around the world, people are turning to a Luciferian type of one-size-fits-all religion, that puts forth the teaching that sincerity is all that matters, and that there are many paths to the light and reincarnation. These New Age philosophies are rooted in demonic Buddhist, Hindu and ancient Egyptian and Babylonian mysticism. 

Whether it be the occultist Alice Ann Bailey (1880-1949), Pat Robertson's CBN which promotes New Age psychologists, or the Satanic Pope who says people with no Biblical faith can go to Heaven... New Age is the Luciferian religion of the End Times. Christ-rejecters, Gospel corrupters, Bible perverters, church-infiltrators, and Bible-deniers are everywhere today. 

1st John 2:18 proclaims that we are living in the LAST DAYS. And the Bible tells us how we know this truth... because there are many antichrists in the world today. Never before have we seen so many people attacking the Bible, the precious name of Jesus, and Christianity. Every Hollywood movie blasphemes God by cursing in His holy name. Every Hollywood movie uses the precious name of “Jesus” as a curse word. The word “wicked” has been redefined by evil people to mean something good; thus eliminating one of the few words available to describe the awfulness of sin. The King James Bible mentions the word “wicked” 421 times in the Old Testament. Yet Hollywood mocks God, attacks the Bible, and commits a grave sin by misapplying the word “wicked.”

If Jesus didn't really exist, or was not truly the Son of God as the Bible teaches, then why would every nation on the face of the earth be so hateful against Him? If the Bible is not true, then why are so many of the world's leaders, music and movie producers, and Hollywood celebrities, hostile toward the cause of Christ and the Word of God? 

Christianity is unique! You can belong to any religion and people don't care; but born-again Christians are hated the world over. This is because all false religions are owned by Satan. 1st John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” It is Jesus Christ Who is within the believer (Romans 8:9). Satan is the god of this evil world (2nd Corinthians 4:4).

It is so obvious that we are living in the Last Days. 1st John 2:18 plainly states that antichrists would abound in the Last Days, and we see them everywhere today. From Christ-rejecting Hollywood celebrities, to lewd Country music singers, to degenerate Rock 'N' Roll singers, to criminal Federal Reserve Banksters, to rebellious feminists, to murdering abortionists, to lying evolutionists, to arrogant humanists, to foolish atheists, to the rotten lying newsmedia who mislead the public concerning the truth—they are all antichrists who are the enemies of God (James 4:4). 

2nd Peter 3:9 teaches that the only reason the Lord hasn't returned yet is because He is waiting for people to repent. God is long-suffering and patient, not willing for any to perish. When the Gospel is no longer being preached because of Communist Police State oppression, perverted Bibles, corrupted churches and worldwide apostasy; then I think the Lord will return, because that is when the fewest people will be getting saved. There are more people against Jesus Christ today than ever before. Most of the people who claim the name of Jesus today are false prophets, following a works-based false gospel, which is exactly what Catholics follow. Manmade traditions are a road to Hell beneath.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

8 Kings | Last Days

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Bible Prophecy

Where Will You Be After the Rapture?

by Dr. Raymond W. Barber

(Loyal Pastor for 35 Years of the Worth Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas) 

"And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: "For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. "And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. "And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."—Rev. 19:1–10.

       Nothing will be the same after the sound of the trumpet, after the descent of the Lord, after the voice of the archangel, after the resurrection of the dead, after the translation of the living—everything will be changed.   God is working out His plan. We are now living in what is commonly called the church age or the dispensation of the church or the age of grace.  But one day ere long, the day of opportunity will end. When the last Gentile believer is saved and the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then comes the rapture. It will be the end of the church age and the onslaught of tribulation. Following the Tribulation, all of His saints will come with Christ to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

He will fight the battle of Armageddon. John says:

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."—Rev. 19:15,16.

Then comes the great millennium, the period of righteousness and peace when the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas, and into eternity the ages will roll.

God has a plan.  God has a program.  God has a purpose.  God has a prescription.

You are not an accident nor an incident. God has a plan and purpose for your life: It is either counting for Christ or a bad example to the world. I hope each of you can say, "I’m ready for the coming of Christ. I know where I’ll be after the rapture." 

AT THE RAPTURE

Can you imagine the consternation that will be going on here on earth! Can you imagine the headlines in the newspapers all over the world the day after the rapture: "Millions Missing From Every Continent!"  Someone asks, "How are we going to solve the employment problem?" God is going to solve that.   Another asks, "How are we going to solve the food problem?" God is going to solve that.  When Jesus comes, every believer will be taken out of this world. Planes will be flying through the air at seven hundred miles an hour; suddenly the saved pilots will be taken out. What about those left who are unsaved?  Cars will be speeding across the highways; the saved drivers will be caught up, but their unsaved passengers will be left. What then?   Ships will be sailing through the ocean; Christian captains will be taken out at the rapture. Then what happens to the ships as they sail unmanned through rough seas?  Trains will be going across the rails; Christian engineers are caught up. What is going to happen to those trains and their passengers who are not saved?  What an awesome day that will be! I’m glad that Christians will not go through that awesome period. God said He is going to spare us of it.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [that’s the hour of tribulation], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."—Rev. 3:10.

TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE

There are two classes of people—saved and unsaved. Whatever else they are—their status in life, their nationality, their color or creed—they are either saved or lost. There is no middle ground.

Jesus tells us about two ways, two roads, two destinations, and two groups of people. I hope that you find yourself in the right company.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."—Matthew 7:13,14.

Notice the contrast of many and few. Most people tonight are not saved. The world is heavily populated with people who have never been born again, dear and precious people who have never trusted the Saviour. What a harvest field! What an opportunity! What a great time to reach out and bring the lost to Jesus, ere the trumpet sounds and time as we know it will be no more! When night settles in, the opportunity to win the lost will be gone. It will be too late when the day of God’s wrath comes!

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."—Matt. 7:15–23.

Not everyone whose name is on a church roll is saved. Some are going into Hell from a church pew. They are depending on their good works or their baptism or their reformation or their turning over a new leaf or signing a card or shaking a preacher’s hand or going into a baptistery. But Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." You must have a new birth, a new life. You must be born all over from above. All who experience the new birth will be raptured when Jesus comes. All who have not experienced the new birth will be left upon the earth to go through the horrors of that awesome period called the Tribulation. The saved will be in Heaven after the rapture; the unsaved will be left on the earth!