WILL YOU BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD?

A recent publication by Zion’s Hope magazine, dated May-June 2023, asks, “Is the Church prepared to encounter the Antichrist before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?” (Zions Hope, by Marvin J. Rosenthal, 1933-2022).

I attended a small Church in Estero, Florida for a number of years, that is, until ‘certain things’ became clear to me. For example, I cannot count the numbers of members at that church who thought (believed) that the Church would be raptured before the appearance of the Antichrist.

When the matter would come up, I pointed out (on numerous occasions), that 2^nd Corinthians 2:1, says, “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, verse 2, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Verse 3. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, verse 4, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”, only to be met with a blank stare and a denial.

“Naw”, they would say, “I don’t believe that. We will be raptured before that happens”. I would take a Bible and point out the verse to them. Still, a blank stare.

Marvin Rosenthal points out, in his article, “The Scriptures clearly teach that the Antichrist and the GREAT Tribulation (the final seven years of Great Tribulation) will precede the Lord’s coming. The Church should be constantly watching for her Lord’s coming, but fully cognizant of the fact that it is the emergence of the Antichrist which will indicate the Lord’s emergence is near.

“Believers still living at that time will be removed from the earth by rapture before the outpouring of God’s wrath during the Day of the Lord (the trumpets and bowls of the Book of Revelation) , but they will not be exempted from the difficulties associated with the Antichrist.

“If the Church believes she will be out of here before the Antichrist emerges, she will be caught off-guard and unprepared when he appears to deceive the world.”

Please, dear friends, be ready. Stay ready.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:   On another, but related matter, among the many reasons my wife and I had to stop attending that church was the denying of the plain language of the Bible in favor of personal opinions. (Please don’t misunderstand. There were many, many times the Word of God was taught accurately and with great sincerity in this church, and many churches like it. But suppose if you were confronted with this scenario: You are dry and very thirsty, on the verge of passing out for lack of water, and someone offered you a cool, clear glass of water – but the unrevealed caveat is that the glass container itself may have previously been contaminated with fecal bacteria – would you drink? You see, it is the “hidden, missing or omitted facts” that creates danger and should create pause.)

It happened that at some point at this church, someone in the congregation found it necessary to begin ‘giving messages in tongues’ during or at the end of a sermon. Another person, then, would dramatically ‘interpret’ these unintelligible sounds. It was almost always the same two people claiming to have this ‘gift’, and they seemed to play off one another. It awed some people in the congregation, the interruption and strange practice annoyed others. Some people didn’t care one way or another, but some left these services permanently.

I pointed out on occasion that the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:23 said, “Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane?”, some in the congregation would give me a blank stare – there’s always that stare – and would ask, “what are you trying to say?”.

“What am I trying to say”, I would think? “Read it for yourself”, I would think.

Finally, this practice ‘sealed the deal’ for me and we ‘were directed by the Word of God’ to move to another Church: The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). (also see GotQuestions.Org).

Also, in 1 Corinthians 14:33, we find, “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34, the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.”

The clarity of these verses is so loud that it is deafening. It must be deafening because it seems some ‘churches and church people’ can’t (or won’t) hear it.

The church, I refer to, had decided not to just ordain women but to appoint women as co-senior or senior pastors to preach from the pulpit – over men. (Again, 1 Timothy 2:11–12, says “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent”.

(There is a Biblical, spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and social reason for this teaching, but I do not have the time or space to explain it here.)

I have had some people in other churches tell me it is none of my business, when I bring matters like this up for discussion, since I am not a member of ‘their church’.

FIRST-OF-ALL, in response to this, I say, “it is NOT your church. It is Jesus’ Church”, it is His Bride, and you have no right and NO AUTHORITY – none whatsoever – to stand in judgment of scriptures. Your responsibility is to read the Holy Scriptures, understand them, and obey them. (Call this ‘legalism’ if you must. I offer it out of love and concern for the Body of Christ, The Church, and for our spiritual prosperity.)

Finally, I would refer you to hear what pastor and teacher John Piper says in an article (interview) on his website “Desiring God”, which he says this:

“Matthew 7:15: tells us to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And the word beware means all of us should be alert, but especially shepherds, to identify not just false teaching, but false teachers, whose ways are subtle. They’re clothing themselves with lamb’s wool, while they are wolves.

“And Paul used the same Greek word for beware, in Acts 20:28–29 when he said, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. . . . I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing them.”

“In order to avoid them (false teachings and false teachers), you have to know who they are. You can’t avoid somebody if you don’t know who they are. This idea of identifying and avoiding shows up in 1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14; 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 John 10. In other words, Christians, and shepherds in particular, should be discerning and alert to behavior and teaching that dishonors Christ and destroys people — and not treat it in a casual or harmless way.

“And then in 1 Timothy 5:19–20, Paul went beyond just “avoid them” to “rebuke them publicly.” So, speaking of elders who persist in error, he said, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin” — and that can be sin of false doctrine or sin of evil behavior, anyone who does not accept correction — “rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

I know that this “PS” will not make me popular with some and will probably rub some people the wrong way. It may cost me some acquaintance-ships. If so, I will be saddened by that. But enough is enough. It’s time to speak up and to speak out.

So, what do you think?

“Is the Church prepared to encounter the Antichrist before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?”

(You can leave your comments below).