Part One in a series of articles on the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Bride of Christ

Today, more than ever in history, the earth is filled with people who profess the Name of Jesus Christ. In third world countries many times this is born of true revival, where - as is historically accurate - persecution of the church brings about the greatest growth. These believers are attending illegal house churches simply desiring to worship their Savior, they congregate against the will of oppressive governments and neighbors who are zealously pious and dangerously vocal and devoted to their false religions. Their houses are burned, their women are raped and men are murdered through decapitation, hanging and various other forms of torturous manslaughter. Their children are either dashed to pieces or taken from them and converted to other 'faiths,' their land and personal property is often seized, yet they do not deny their Lord. Though, as anywhere else on earth, there are a few third world 'churches' who are cults that use Christ’s Name with no real understanding rather than being actual members of His body, the majority of these are legitimate sons (and daughters) of God and heirs to the Kingdom through the Messiah of God. This part of the body of Christ is associated with Smyrna, the second of the seven churches named in the book of the Revelation – the church of persecution and faithfulness unto death.

In the west, there is an equal growth of them that claim the name of Christian. These, however, tend to be divided into two groups. Two distinctly different branches with two completely different understandings who are truly polar opposites. This is the area of the Lord's harvest that has the greatest mingling of tares among the wheat. Them that are part of the true church and those who are simply part of the worldly synagogue of Satan. Though this may include some of the Jewish faith who will never be saved, this term in the Revelation does not mean the Jewish people as a whole - no matter what the Spiritless scholar may teach or the slimy false shepherd may preach, as the Hebrew nation at large will be brought back into the fold during the seven year period of tribulation. Remember, as Pauline doctrine dogmatically states, a Jew is not a man of the outward circumcision but of the circumcision of the heart - inwardly. This makes all true born again believers and lovers of the Messiah. Yeshua - Jesus Christ - spiritually Jews. We also are told that the Jewish people are only partially blinded (from recognizing their Messiah) until the days of the Gentiles is complete…a clue to the rapture.

The first group of the divided western churches is deeply committed to God. They seek to save the lost and want to bring others to the foot of the blood-stained cross of Calvary, that they may be saved. They do not suffer true persecution in the biblical sense, though the world still hates them – but they care for those in the third world church, praying for them, earnestly offering of themselves, of their time, finances and other resources to aid their brethren who are suffering for His name all over the globe. They go into the mission field eagerly bringing food, water, Bibles and the Gospel to a lost world, evangelizing in every corner of the world. They have sympathy and compassion for the homeless, the fatherless and the widow and offer a helping hand to those in need, not for works-sake, but because they want to pour themselves out as an offering to the Lord – letting Him live through them, showing the world the true love of Christ that comes from the Holy Spirit of God who lives within them. Though every brother and sister in this group is a sinner and a work in progress, they are being changed by Christ through their hearts. They are being set apart from the world for Jesus at His coming. This Christian is part of the church of Philadelphia found in the seven churches of Revelation – the church of brotherly love.

The second group from above is a Christian in name only (CINO) – actually blaspheming His name when they profess Christianity. These attend church faithfully but only as a social experience. They enjoy the perks of calling themselves Christians in a society that has found a wonderful new demographic to whom they market their religious wares. They love to wear their newest, best Sunday dress and desire to sit in the front pew so the congregation can get a good look at them. They say “praise the Lord” and in the same breath curse the driver of the car that cut them off as they are turning into the church parking lot. They memorize all of the Scriptures that seem to allow them to live the unorthodox lifestyle they are addicted to without caring about the actual context of those passages. When the homeless man begs some change from them, they pretend not to notice him and offer to their clique the excuse, “they would just by drugs or booze with it,” not understanding that the greater responsibility of 'the offering of' the offering - which lies with them - than with the actual use of said offering, which lies with the beggar.

Ironically, the CINO tends to proclaim social justice – government taking care of the poor – over abortion and marriage/family as the Lord's top priorities, with no discernment that above all life is God's plan and unborn life is His most prize possession, but are most likely to believe that a woman should have the freedom to choose to do with her body as she sees fit, not realizing that the unborn infant has completely different DNA, a separate and independent (though interactive) circulatory and central nervous system and who has a unique blood type, hair, eye and even skin color from the father and the mother – who is simply a temporal shelter for this the most precious and vulnerable of human life.

These love to be part of a specific denomination, yet cannot see that the Father wants unity in His church and not division. These attend 'Black' or 'White' or 'Hispanic' or 'Name a Specific Likeness' churches, not because they can't find a mixed church to attend, but because they feel more comfortable with 'their own kind' – yet they refuse to witness that Jesus said we worship 'in the Spirit' – and the Spirit has no color but is pure Light. These exclaim that God accepts the homosexual lifestyle as normal and good and that the Bible changes with the age and culture and cannot understand that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. They condemn those who are addicted to 'illicit drugs' while they themselves are drunkards and abusers of prescribed medications. They belittle the sexual addict who hates being in bondage to pornography and lust while they themselves watch 'R' rated movies and secular 'adult' situational comedy where one is a party to voyeurism and witness to abased behavior and lewd language – claiming 'I am not under the Law and besides, this doesn't make me stumble.'

These are the ones who, when faced with the Lord on the day of judgment, will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not do many great things in your Name?” and He will say, “I never knew you.” These are the congregation that by and large makes up the other five churches of Revelation – though in America, the Laodicean church is most widely represented. They have, but do not give. They are puffed up with pride and not truly saved. They do not honestly care for and love others. They seek after personal fulfillment and gratification and cannot see that they are fooling themselves. These will not make the rapture prior to the seven years of tribulation as the Lord will 'remove their lamp stand' and ‘cast them into tribulation‘. These will face the hour of testing that comes upon all of the inhabitants of the earth to force them to finally make a decision for or against God, through Jesus Christ.

These are most likely to say, “I'm not one of those crazy born again types,” and they think there are probably many ways to heaven...if there really is a heaven. These most likely do not believe that Satan is real, and say that the Bible is meant to be read allegorically, not literally. These are truly lukewarm 'Christians' and will be 'spit out' of the mouth of Christ at His coming. While I could go on and on, and on and on, let me simply say ”Woe to the false convert, as their portion will be a painful existence in the tribulation, facing the wrath of the Lamb in the wine press that is the time of trial; only able to look forward to dying at the hand of Antichrist or his minions for not taking his mark, finally either becoming reborn of the Spirit through Christ or being condemned to eternal torture in the lake of fire.” Strong words? Absolutely! So let's take a look at 'Strong's' words and see a little proof.

The apostasy alluded to in the second Thessalonian letter is quickly coming to pass as the world is being forced to take sides, mother earth or Father God. Yet, it is not commonly understood that there is a flip-side to this verse – another side to the apostasy coin. Lets look at the context and then discover the truth:

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-12 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [Strong's #646 apostasia] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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