Eschatology Is Not a Bad Word

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Eschatology: the study of end-time events. I have heard numerous Christians say they want nothing to do with any of it. “It’s confusing. It isn’t important. Loving Jesus is all that matters.” The truth, though, is that it matters to Jesus — a lot. It is part of His story, and He wants us to pay attention to what He says about the end times in the Bible.

Jesus spoke extensively on the time of the end in the gospels. It was a major emphasis of the apostles in their letters to the early Church. They consistently reminded believers to be ready and looking for Jesus to come for them at any moment. The Old Testament prophets also spoke at length on the last days. Clearly, end-time events are important to the Lord, and He wants us to be informed about what is to come. We won’t get it all down pat, but we can all understand way more than we do.

I grew up in a liturgical church where we rarely heard anything about Jesus’ return. Once a year, we sat through a frightening sermon, taken from 2 Peter 3:10. Basically, the message was, “The earth is going to be cinderfied by God. Any of us who are still alive then will be burnt to a crisp, so get your act together now.” That one little snippet was all we were ever given. Good for us!

The after-church discussion at our dinner table amounted to my parents expressing their terror of becoming black toast. As an eight- or nine–year-old child, I simply thought, “It will probably only hurt for a second or two, and then I’ll be with Jesus.”

I married a Jesus People kind of guy. He had a different story of how it was all going down. He and all his buddies had inhaled Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late, Great Planet Earth. I never read it, but I think all the cinderfied earth was still somewhere in there. But there was also a “great catching away” (Rapture), a “Great Tribulation,” and a thousand-year reign of Jesus on earth coming first. It was a whole new weird theology to me.

I was skeptical and stubborn. I guess I wanted to cling to getting burnt to charcoal for some reason. But, I did what has been a faithful standby for me all these years. I said, “I am not swallowing this unless You show it to me in the Bible, God.” And He did. Not Hal Lindsey’s 1970s version. Just Bible verses which began to pop out here and there, much to my awe and illumination. I became one of those (gasp!) pre-Trib Pentecostal people who now looked forward to Jesus coming for His bride.

Twenty-five years later, a new take on the end times was introduced into my horrified brain by the apostolic/prophetic community. Now I was being barraged with “Jesus isn’t coming back any time soon” stuff. “He can’t, because if He does, your children’s children’s children won’t have the chance to fulfill their prophetic destiny.” (???) “Rapture-smapture! We are going to turn the earth around in its tracks, solve all mankind’s problems by supernatural revelation, and then hand our perfected planet on a platter to Jesus. He won’t come back until we do it all!” That’s a tad bit exaggerated, but you can tell the smidgen of humor is to get my point across, right?

So, what did I do? I began asking the Lord again to show me truth in His Word. I set aside a Bible just for my new eschatology adventure, and every time I ran across a verse that had any whisper of the end times in it, I underlined it in red. Doing that kept me standing strong through the latest barrage of uncomfortable teaching.

The project took a couple of years, but it was worth it. Along the way, I noticed that the early apostles were hugely focused on Jesus coming back for His people. They mentioned it all the time! And they believed it could happen at any moment. They heeded all Jesus had told them on the subject, like Jesus’ exhortation to continually watch and be ready for Him, because “the Son of man will come at an hour when you don’t think He will” (Luke 12:40).

Am I trying to convince you to join my pre-Trib camp? Nope! I have often said that I don’t think any of us have the whole picture exactly right. Some of the puzzle pieces don’t fit for me yet, either. We will understand it all much better after it happens.

But do realize that studying the end times in your Bible is exceedingly important, even if it is confusing sometimes. It’s precious to the Lord when we search the Scriptures to learn as much as we can about what comes next on God’s timeline — because it is a subject dear to His heart. He loves it when we converse about it with Him. He wants to put a deep longing in our hearts to be fully united with Him, in our glorified bodies, seeing and knowing Him as He is, face to face. We are meant to desire Jesus’ literal rule and reign on earth — yes, because of the restoration and justice He will bring — but even more, because He will receive all the glory He deserves.

And there’s still more after that: the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, as described in Revelation 21 and 22. So much good stuff ahead! Sheer blessing for us, but ultimately, it is all for Him.

“Love His appearing” as 2 Timothy 4:8 says. Be on tiptoe for that catching away of all the saints “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52), so that we will forever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Look forward to Jesus setting all things right on earth at His physical return, and the heavenly Jerusalem we will enjoy with God through all eternity.

And get as informed as you can now about it all by studying what He has said in the Bible. Eschatology is meant to bring hope, joy, and peace into our hearts. It helps us to know God’s heart better. Let it do that for you.

Related post:
Is There Still Going to Be a Rapture?
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All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World

Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God

Deception Warning Alerts

Image by Elchinator from Pixabay

We have a growing problem in the modern Church. It is emerging through ministry leaders, such as those mentioned in Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Not all of them are equipping/perfecting the saints as intended by the Lord. Instead of helping the saints grow into maturity, some are claiming “new revelation” which cannot be supported by the Bible (or even worse, contradicts the Bible). Some of the very people who have been called to protect God’s beloved children from being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14) are infected with those errant ideas themselves — and teaching them to others.

I don’t believe the majority of them are intending to promote wrong things. They enthusiastically believe the deceptions they are popularizing. Often, it is a result of these leaders listening to one another or reading each other’s works without questioning or discerning what is being said, and then passing it on because it sounds convincing. They have too quickly swallowed someone else’s “revelation” without checking it against the Bible. After a while, even more extreme teaching arises, built on the faulty foundation of previous dubious ideas. Error breeds greater error.

We should keep this in perspective. There are indeed many faithful leaders who are doing their best to stay true to God’s Word. They are not basing what they teach on Bible verses lifted out of context or on a supernatural experience alone. They take their job of feeding God’s flock very seriously. But, with social media at everyone’s fingertips, new opportunities have arisen for unreliable teachers and prophets to gain vast followings, especially through YouTube.

How do we escape being bamboozled in the midst of it all? Let’s look at some spiritual and common sense guidelines to help us:

Avoid “new revelation” not mentioned in the Bible. If Jesus or the first apostles didn’t teach it, or if it wasn’t known to the New Testament Church, that’s an obvious red flag. If believers over the entire last 2,000 years had no knowledge of it, it isn’t genuine. Yes, sometimes teachers in our time rediscover truths that were lost or watered down over the centuries. God will use people to resurrect what has always been in Scripture, but that is not the same as coming up with totally new stuff.

Beware of teaching which is based solely on a verse here or there. These are usually verses lifted out of context, most often from the Old Testament. They are frequently obscure verses, but people wanting to come up with a new angle will build massive teachings around them. It’s been going on since the Church began, but we haven’t learned our lesson, yet, have we? Consider the new teaching in light of the whole Bible. Scripture can always be relied upon to interpret other Scripture.

Does the teaching measure up against the “many witnesses” principle which Paul taught? Paul charged Timothy, “And the things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit those same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

Paul repeatedly warned Timothy to avoid and shut down “other doctrines,” “fables and endless genealogies which minister questions, rather than godly edifying,” “profane and old wives’ tales,” and “vain babbling and oppositions of what is falsely called science” (1 Timothy 1:3, 4; 4:7; 6:20). He warns that these teachings will only lead to more ungodliness and eat away at their listeners like gangrene (2 Timothy 2:16, 17), leading people to err from the faith (1 Timothy 6:21).

Does the supposed new truth take you into any kind of legalism or self-help? Measure the “revelation” against Paul’s letter to the Galatians. If the thrust of the teaching is methodology you must follow exactly in order to please God or to receive what you desire, it is off-base. While truthful instruction can still give us practical ways to move forward with Jesus, it will always point toward dependence on Him, not toward what we must ritualistically do to succeed.

Does the teaching follow legalistic patterns which provide your magic prayer bullet for getting answers? Immerse yourself in Jesus’ extensive instruction on prayer in the gospels. How does the new teaching stack up against what He said? What did the apostles in the New Testament say about intercession and receiving answers? How did the Old Testament saints succeed in prayer? Find out by reading their words — without a running commentary from someone trying to expand upon it or take away from it.

God does not put us through difficult hoops before He is willing to grant our requests. He does not disqualify our petitions on minor technicalities. Anytime someone tells you that eureka! they have discovered a brand new or long-hidden way to pray which will give you answers every time (if you do it exactly, infinitesimally right), just run. They are deceived and are lying to you.

Does the teacher major on supernatural manifestations above all else? Take note if the person rarely talks about Jesus, His atonement for us at the cross, and core scriptural truths. Is the focus on supernatural encounters and signs, rather than on the Lord? Signs and wonders follow believers who focus on the gospel. Let’s not get that turned around to where we are chasing the signs and wonders.

An alarming trend right now is prophetic people claiming to interact with deceased saints — and they want to teach you how to do it too! This is a dangerous deception. Beware of the fixation with the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1), which, in the Bible, is a reference to the people of faith listed in Hebrews 11, along with others like them. But currently, all sorts of silly teaching about how to interact with the cloud of witnesses is being spewed upon gullible Christians. 1 Timothy 4:1 warns that “in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.”

If a Bible teacher puts a new spin on the meaning of a verse, don’t take their word for it. Check how that verse reads in several translations. Read the before-and-after verses to see if what the teacher is saying fits. When they tell you a word or phrase within a verse actually means such-and-such in the original Greek or Hebrew, look it up in a concordance or two to see if they’re correct — especially if you’ve never heard it presented like that before.

What does the Holy Spirit say to you about it? If the teaching is something new to you, listen to whether the peace of God is ruling or not ruling in your heart about it, as Colossians 3:15 instructs. Does it set right, or does it make you uneasy? Ask God to speak to you about it through Bible verses. He will. Just give Him time. John 14:26 promises, “But the Comforter, Who is the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.”

The best protection against new revelation deception is to prayerfully read the Bible — all of it — over and over. It will keep you “girded about with truth” (Ephesians 6:14), so that you won’t get off in weird places.
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The Intercessor Manual

Yes and Amen: God’s Promises from Genesis Through Revelation
Available in King James Version or Modernized KJV

What Is the Gospel of the Kingdom? (Part 3)

We have received the gospel (good news) of the kingdom, and we now have unbroken fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. What’s next?

 

The gospel of the kingdom is a gospel of power — because our fellowship with the King produces a continual flow of His power in and through us. The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians, “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Earlier in that same letter he said,

For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
— 1 Corinthians 2:2-4

Note that Paul wasn’t impressed with slick, polished preaching. He wanted tangible evidence of what it produced in people’s lives.

The closing verses of Mark’s Gospel give us an idea of what this “demonstration of the Spirit and power” should look like:

And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…. And these signs shall follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover….”

And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
— Mark 16:15, 17, 18, 20

Jesus also promised, “He who believes on Me, the works that I do will he also do. And greater works than these will he do; because I go to My Father” (John 14:12). We are to emulate Jesus, Whom “God anointed … with the Holy Spirit and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38), and Who “destroy[ed] the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

In addition, we demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23), thereby revealing the character of Jesus to the world. We can do these things only through the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us.

We must understand that the power of God’s kingdom is quite different from that of the world system. The carnal nature wants power over people to force them into thinking and acting in prescribed ways. In the kingdom of God, we are not to lord it over others, but to serve them. When Jesus sets His physical foot on the earth, that will change. He will rule His enemies with a “rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). There will be no tolerance of rebellion or wicked behavior then. But we are not yet at that stage of the kingdom.

Much of the apostolic/prophetic movement today is focused on advancing the kingdom of God through gaining positions of power and influence in what are referred to as “the seven mountains” of society — government, education, business, media, entertainment, religion, and family. They believe if we just have enough Christians holding these positions, we will be able to bring “transformation” to our society. (Secular people also use the seven mountains terminology, but with the opposite agenda.) So far, I don’t think it is working very well — probably because it subtly shifts us into trusting in men and man’s methods instead of in God.

We are to “occupy” until the Lord comes (Luke 19:13), and being involved in leadership in these various areas is certainly God’s purpose for some. When we abdicate our responsibilities to be involved, we end up with tyranny such as we currently see happening. So, yes, if you are called to run for government office or to speak into it — or any of the other areas of society — by all means take your place.

But never forget that this is temporary and limited, and that we cannot force the kingdom of God on people through gaining the reins of power. When we try to apply an outward kingdom to unchanged hearts, it not only doesn’t work, but because Christians still deal with a sin nature, we are in danger of enforcing a religious tyranny every bit as oppressive as what we had before. Read the history of Oliver Cromwell’s takeover in Britain if you have any doubts.

The kingdom of God is within you, and advancing its boundaries is primarily about helping others to have the kingdom within them, too. This gospel is focused on delivering people from the power of darkness and translating them into the kingdom of God’s Son, as mentioned in Colossians 1:13, not on just giving them a better life now.

Some have responded to the extremes of transformation (seven mountains) theology by saying, “Well, if we focus on evangelism, enough people will come to the Lord, so society WILL be transformed. Heart change will equal society change.” I would agree — as long as we realize lots of people coming to Jesus doesn’t always mean having a godly government, education system, business world, etc. It could, but it is not a hard and fast principle. Multitudes of people are coming to Christ around the world, but some continue to live under extreme oppression, with evil people still holding the reins at the top. Think in terms of the Roman Empire in Paul’s day, or China and Iran right now.

Our challenge is to keep God’s kingdom in right perspective, remembering that at this point in time, it is still a spiritual kingdom. We carry it with us wherever we go, and it spills out from the spiritual into the natural realm as we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Our main goal is to let others know through our words and deeds that they, too, can be part of the kingdom, with all its benefits, but especially having eternal, unbroken relationship with God.

Next time we will talk about the kingdom’s future.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4

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The Names of God,
by Lee Ann Rubsam
An alphabetical list of the names and titles of God, as found in the KJV

All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

What Is the Gospel of the Kingdom? (Part 2)

In our last post, I gave a simple definition of what the gospel (good news) of the kingdom is, as preached by Jesus: God desires to dwell with man in unbroken fellowship.

In John 14:6, Jesus explained that HE is the only way to enter into this kingdom fellowship with God. He also said, in John 10:9, “I am the door: if any man enters in by Me, he shall be saved….” So, we see that in order to be part of God’s kingdom, we must initially enter it through Jesus.

This is the same message as the gospel of salvation, which is why I said in the last post that I disagree with those who say the salvation gospel is inferior to the kingdom gospel. Jesus was all about bringing people to the Father through belief on the Son. He died on the cross so that we could enter into restored fellowship with God, which had been lost in the Garden of Eden.

I think perhaps there is a misunderstanding among those who claim to be “kingdom-minded” about what the salvation message really is. It is definitely not about saying the sinner’s prayer and then going on in an unchanged lifestyle. Serious Christians across denominational lines realize that once we enter God’s kingdom we are supposed to continue growing in Christ. That’s why we have all the discipleship/Christian growth resources that we do.  It is not only those who identify with kingdom theology who desire to see the “equipping of the saints” (“perfecting of the saints,” in the King James), mentioned in Ephesians 4:12.

Unfortunately, there are people who want to go on living unsanctified lives, who deceive themselves into thinking they know Jesus. Even sadder is that some churches are fine with this! These are neither true Christians, nor are the churches who find this behavior acceptable true houses of God.

It is worth noting that the apostle Paul referred to the gospel he preached as the “gospel of Christ,” not the “gospel of the kingdom” — yet Paul did speak about the kingdom of God, usually in the context of how to live a lifestyle worthy of heaven. Again, this is the message of salvation and how it should evidence in our lives. I invite you to investigate for yourself by looking up “kingdom” and “gospel” in a concordance, and then checking what comes up in Paul’s letters.

So, what did Paul preach? He preached “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Everything he said focused on, and was anchored in, Christ and His atoning work on the cross. For those who did not yet know Who Jesus was and what He had accomplished, Paul revealed Him as the way into fellowship with God. For those who had already entered into that fellowship, he instructed them in detail in what being citizens of God’s kingdom should look like.

Essentially, both Jesus and the apostles spoke of the kingdom’s three phases:

Entering into it

We believe on Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. This is “the kingdom of God is within you” stage, mentioned by Jesus in Luke 17:21. Paul says God has at this point “sealed us, and given us the earnest [down payment] of the Spirit in our hearts” (1 Corinthians 1:22). 1 John 4:13 tells us, “Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

Living it out

This is what we do, after we have received Jesus, during our mortal time on earth. We act as salt and light to those around us. We tell others the good news that they can know Jesus too. We progressively become like Jesus. We listen to how the Spirit directs us and carry out God’s will as He has specifically purposed for each of us to do.

What is ahead

This is our future after this life — enjoying heaven with the Lord UNTIL it is time for Jesus to physically reign on the earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20). We will be with Him back on earth then, in our resurrected bodies, because the kingdom is about forever being with the Lord. Revelation also speaks about the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and God living there with His people forever.

Whatever your end-times theology happens to be, my point is that Jesus will, at a specific moment in history, return to earth and reign here physically, and we will be with Him — again, that unbroken fellowship with the Lord.

We see that from the time we enter into God’s kingdom through embracing Jesus as our Savior and Lord, through our mortal life on earth, and from there into eternity, God’s plan is to live in us and with us. Through all of the phases, we will enjoy His kingdom in a spiritual sense, but in the future we will also experience the physical, material kingdom of God here on earth and in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 and 22.

“Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) is always our reality, but we will not see it in its completeness until the return of Jesus. Next time, we’ll talk more about the kingdom of God as we are meant to live it out now.

Previous (Part 1)

Next (Part 3)

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Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God

Encouragement from God’s Word

What Is the Gospel of the Kingdom? (Part 1)

In apostolic/prophetic circles, there is much talk about the “gospel of the kingdom” as preached by Jesus. We are often told that this is different from the “gospel of salvation” most of the Church is focused on, and that salvation is just a small portion of the kingdom gospel.

We are told that, in preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Jesus was speaking of believers transforming society by getting into positions of influence so they can change the system. While I am all for bringing the light and truth of Jesus with us everywhere through our words and deeds, this “kingdom” message never sat quite right in my spirit, especially in how winning souls was minimized.

For a long time, I continued to ask the Lord here and there, “What is the true gospel of the kingdom?” I felt that He finally gave me the understanding I was seeking, and this is it in a nutshell:

The gospel (good news) of the kingdom is that God desires to dwell with man in unbroken fellowship.

There are different phases in the journey to His goal. Our human thinking tends to focus on the things we experience with our five natural senses, while the material world is secondary to the spiritual with the Lord. Thus, the Jewish people of Jesus’ time looked for an earthly Messiah-King, who would overturn the oppressive government they were currently under. When Jesus began His ministry by saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15), they assumed He was on their wavelength. When He didn’t deliver on that expectation, they rejected Him. They did not understand God’s timeline or His perfect order in fulfilling His kingdom on earth.

When the religious leaders demanded to know when He was going to set up His kingdom, Jesus attempted to correct their notion by saying, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Neither shall they say, ‘It’s here!’ or, It’s there!’ for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). The kingdom of God starts in our hearts, by believing on Jesus. When we do that, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us, planting Christ’s kingdom within. The kingdom of God within us is about having continual communion with Him.

This is why the salvation message is not inferior at all to Jesus’ kingdom message. They are one and the same. Let’s go back to our nutshell definition of the gospel of the kingdom of God: God desires to have unbroken fellowship with mankind. It is not about gaining power over territory, governments, and world systems. These are only outward manifestations. A kingdom is never a kingdom without people. The Lord desires for as many people as possible to know Him and to have communion with Him. He wants to live within us and among us forever. This is why one of His names is Immanuel — God with us. It is the longing of His heart.

The kingdom of God starts as a spiritual reality, which will ultimately become a natural reality as well. It is a process from one to the next — but there will be a very sudden advent of its completion, when Jesus comes to physically rule on earth from His capital city, Jerusalem.

Yes, we are to bring God’s kingdom into our world right now. Jesus said we are to be salt and light. We should actively oppose evil and bring His goodness to bear in our natural realm.

But don’t ever let anyone tell you that the Church is the sum total of the physical reign of Christ, and that there will never be a bodily return of Jesus. This is modern-day Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a serious heresy in the early Church. The apostle John spoke of it when he said false prophets were teaching that Jesus had come spiritually, but that He had not actually come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-4). In our time, a few in the prophetic/apostolic community are going so far as to teach that Jesus will not come again in the flesh. They spiritualize His second coming by saying that the Church as His body is the only physical appearance Jesus is going to make. Run from them!

If I’ve raised more questions than I’ve answered, please keep in mind that this post is a beginning overview for a series. I hope as we delve deeper into the gospel of the kingdom, the points I have made will become clearer.  Until next time!

Next (Part 2)

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The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

The Dream Book: A Practical Guide to Christian Dream Interpretation,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

Show Me Your Glory

I am currently captivated by a particular episode in Moses’ life, which takes place shortly after the golden calf incident. Moses pleaded for Israel, and dissuaded God from wiping out the entire nation. (How is that for an example of the power of intercession?)

In Exodus 33:1-3, the Lord tells Moses that because of what Israel had done, He would from then on send an angel to lead them into the promised land, instead of going with them personally. “For I will not go up in the midst of you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way.”

The Israelites mourned when they heard God would no longer go personally among them, and a short time later, Moses and God had another conversation on the same subject:

“…You say to me, ‘Bring up these people,’ and You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’

“Now therefore I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You, that I may find grace in Your sight: and consider that this nation is Your people.”

And [God] said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

And [Moses] said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known here that I and Your people have found grace in Your sight? Is it not in that You go with us? So shall we be set apart, I and Your people, from all the people which are upon the face of the earth.”

And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this thing also which you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

And [Moses] said, “I beseech You, show me Your glory.”
— Exodus 33:12-18

Moses and the Israelites received an offer from God to be escorted by an angel into their promised land. In many Charismatic circles today, we would probably hear people exclaim, “Cool! God is sending an angel among us!” Yet the offer did not delight Moses. He was grieved that the Lord Himself was not to be among them. 

He went on to express his intense desire to know God, to understand His ways and His nature. He pleaded, “Show me Your glory.” His whole focus was on the Lord. God’s response was to agree to let Moses see a glimpse of Himself. He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you…” (Exodus 33:19). 

Under the New Covenant we have in Christ, God has promised to be with us always, to never leave us. He has revealed Himself as “Emmanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). What we have been given is a gift beyond comprehension — the Lord’s presence. Yet, time and again, many of us get more enthused about seeing visions of heaven or having encounters with angels than we do with experiencing the Lord of Glory. How this must grieve God’s heart! We are like the child who would rather have a shiny piece of colored glass than the gemstone it is meant to imitate.

Colossians 2:18, 19 (NKJV) warns us, “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head [Jesus]….”

I want to pursue God as Moses did, always hungering to know Him more, to understand how He thinks and acts, to hear His voice. I want Him to show me His glory. I want to interact with HIM. 

Angelic encounters and heavenly visions are wonderful things, and we should be thankful for them, if and when they happen. But they were never meant to be a thrill to be chased after. Getting as close to the King of Glory as we possibly can should be the motivation of our hearts above all others. 

I beseech You, show me Your glory, Lord.

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I offer a free e-book, Overcoming Spiritual Bondage, to new subscribers. But if you are already a WordPress member when you subscribe, WordPress doesn’t give me your e-mail address — and I need it to get your book out to you!

So, if you subscribed to (followed) Out of the Fire in the last few weeks and did not receive the free book by e-mail, please contact me at leeann@leeannrubsam.com and request it. I will gladly send it out to you.

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The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

Your Intercession Questions Answered,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

Are You Influenced by the Political Spirit?

I’ve been concerned for quite some time about the influence of the political spirit upon Christians. While it is most easily seen during election years, it rears its ugly head at various other times as well. It’s currently surfacing a lot in opinions about the Covid-19 crisis, but it shows up in other discussions too, such as immigration or social justice.

This post is sort of a “Part Two.” Discerning the Political Spirit, written a couple of years ago, acts as my “Part One.” That post explains a lot about the political spirit. Today’s post goes on from there.

Here are some ways the political spirit affects people, including believers:

It causes us to be hardhearted.

Ephesians 4:32 tells us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted….” The political spirit causes us to put our “convictions” ahead of kindness and tenderness. Mercy and compassion take a lesser place, because being right becomes paramount. Often those convictions are not biblical principles at all, but opinions we have absorbed from various secular sources with a political agenda behind them. When we take in enough of them, they become part of our worldview. We might think that worldview is unquestionably biblical, because we’ve heard influential Christian leaders speak the same things — but that could be because those leaders have unwittingly become influenced by the political spirit as well.

An example of how this plays out can be seen with the current controversy over how the Covid-19 crisis should be addressed. We hear a great deal of talk about constitutional rights. Preserving constitutional rights is important. However, if we forget that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are for everyone, not just self, it could be a sign that we’re influenced by not only selfishness, but the political spirit. When one’s own rights and wants become more important than caring for the welfare of others, we’re missing the second great commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

It polarizes people.

We should never get sucked into a false unity. Light and darkness cannot mix. However, the political spirit will cause unrighteous (and unnecessary!) division between believers. Factions form. Paul attempted to correct this attitude in the Corinthian Church:

Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you…. For it has been declared to me … that there are contentions among you. …You say, “I am of Paul,” and “I am of Apollos,” and “I am of Cephas,” and “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? …. (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

We see this every day, from arguments about governmental policies to theological disputes on matters which aren’t about foundations of the faith.

It promotes finger-pointing.

The devil is “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). Unfortunately, too often we cooperate with him! Mudslinging is part of political campaigns, and the political spirit will lead you into that behavior in other arenas too. It has a lot to do with those convictions I mentioned earlier, which are really only opinions.

It fosters pride.

This goes along quite nicely with finger-pointing. We feel so strongly about our position that we assume everyone who doesn’t see it the way we do is less spiritual, asleep at their post, or just plain stupid.

Could it be that those of a different opinion are seeing from an angle we have not yet considered? Can their perspective and mine dovetail together for a more complete picture of the truth? The political spirit attempts to blind us to such possibilities.

It diverts us from Christ and the Gospel.

The political spirit sidetracks us onto temporary tangents, consuming our thoughts with current events which have little to no bearing on eternal matters. We become earth-bound, consumed with anxieties over what will happen if “our side” does not carry the day. Jesus is not mentioned very much anymore. Sharing the “good news” of our viewpoint takes the place of sharing the good news of the cross.

In his book, The Discerner, James Goll comments,

Particularly in these days of instant social messaging, we need to be alert to the influence of the political spirit around us. We have to work hard to keep our focus on God and not on the troubling and divisive contemporary issues unfolding around us, lest we react to them by joining the toxic fray, rather than being part of the solution. While we should fulfill our civic responsibilities and keep a level head while participating in our representative government, the best thing we can do is to pray and intercede in order to break the power of the demonic political spirit that causes divisions, animosity, and strife.(1)

How do we break the power of the political spirit off of our minds?

1. The first step is recognizing its influence over us.

2. We repent and renounce it, asking the Lord to deliver us from it.

3. We determine to, once again, “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1, 2). That might require more time reading the Bible and less time reading or listening to the ideas of men.

The Lord will free us, if we ask. He will also help us know where to put our energies in the future. He will give us the wisdom we need to escape the deceptions of the political spirit.

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(1)  James W. Goll, The Discerner (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2017), p. 148.

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All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam
(Bible character education study for adults and teens)

Small Beginnings, Influencers, and Cupbearers

I know I have written on this topic before, but it’s on my heart once again.

In the last thirty years or so, I have seen a mindset within the charismatic/prophetic church which has brought a great deal of discontentment and disillusion to some believers. It’s the emphasis on being somebody special — special in the sense of being more than everybody else. We’ve been encouraged to achieve “greatness.” Many of us have been given personal prophecies that we would be important “influencers;” “world-changers;” great evangelists, prophets, worship leaders, or whatever. In short, we’ve been molded into thinking that if we don’t have some kind of celebrity status, there is something wrong with us.

We’ve been told, “Don’t despise the day of small beginnings” — with the implication that we might start small, but it had better get bigger! We’re encouraged to serve first by cleaning toilets, because eventually our faithfulness will be noticed, and we will graduate to better things (where cleaning toilets is no longer part of our job description). I suppose it’s the same “dream big” mentality that pervades all of American society, where every little girl or boy theoretically has the potential of someday becoming President. We’ve just repackaged it a bit in Christianity.

Along the way, though, some have become sadly disappointed when these illusions of greatness did not materialize. They’ve given up, wondering what went wrong or where they failed. Still others continue to chase after that pot of gold (personal importance) at the end of the rainbow, while it always remains out of reach.

I suspect God never intended for us to have expectations of being a “somebody.” We already are somebodies in His eyes, because we are His sons and daughters. We are already “a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9) of priceless value, just because we are His. I don’t think He ever wanted us to aim at graduating from scrubbing toilets into something “better.” Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, didn’t He? He said that in the Resurrection, He would seat us at the table and serve us (Luke 12:37). How amazing! Not even Jesus has graduated from serving. It is His eternal nature, and it must become ours.

A few days ago, I spent some time praying part of Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might….” I promised the Lord that I would do whatever He brings to my hand, no matter how insignificant it might seem. For me right now, that means devoting myself to serving my elderly mother, making sure she feels loved and well taken care of. It means spending time listening to people, praying with them, answering their questions about spiritual things when I am able, and helping them in little ways here and there which are unlikely to be noticed on a grand scale. It means cherishing my husband and children. It also means that right now I can’t pursue some things I would have preferred to do if I had the time.

I see a lot of other Christians in the same position, some serving with greater dedication than I could ever hope to. Selfless giving in small ways is precious in the Lord’s sight, if we do it humbly and joyfully for Him. These acts of kindness, every bit as much as miracles, signs, and wonders, are the works and greater works which Jesus said we would do, in John 14:12. Don’t think so? Take another look at 1 Corinthians 13, with its message about noisy gongs and clanging symbols versus loving when the rubber meets the road.

Years ago, I taught a Bible verse to our small children when I put them to bed at night: “And whoever will give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I say to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). We recited this verse together over that last glass of water they requested before going to sleep at night. It’s a fun memory.

Whether you ever become well known or not, do with all your might whatever the Lord gives you, moment by moment. Don’t miss out on the many opportunities to serve Him and the people around you while you wait for some big destiny thing. And remember, giving that cup of cold water, only in the name of a disciple, will be rewarded by the King, too.

________________________________

 

 

 

All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 8) — Conclusion

We started this series by looking at what “church” (ekklesia) means — a called-out assembly. We are called out of the darkness of this world into God’s family and kingdom, not as individuals only, but as a united body of believers, meant to live and carry out our purpose together.

I also gave you a core job description: The Church is the expression of Jesus Christ upon the earth.

Throughout the series, I emphasized that healthy church life means we function as the family of God. When we forget that we are family, some of the other components of who we are — an army, discipleship center, or even a house of prayer — can get out of whack. But if we stay in the context of family, the many purposes God has for His Church work beautifully together. When we overemphasize one aspect of the Church to the exclusion of others, we become like a wheel out of round, or one missing some spokes, but properly balancing who we are and what we are supposed to do causes us to thrive.

There is one more element of the Church that I would like to mention. Really, I’ve saved the best for last:

We are Christ’s bride.

It is definitely a “now, but not yet” part of who we are. We are betrothed to our Bridegroom Jesus, but the wedding celebration will not take place until He returns for us. While we wait for Him, we are in a two-fold preparation time. We are already spotless in the sense that we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, blameless and pure through His atonement for us at the cross. But Jesus is also bringing us through a wedding preparation process, “that He might sanctify and cleanse [His bride] with the washing of water by His Word, so that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26, 27).

We have our role to play as well. Just as an earthly bride goes through much preparation to look her most beautiful on her wedding day, we are to give great attention to readying ourselves for Jesus. Revelation 19:7 says of the marriage supper in heaven, “for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

In this present hour, the Lord is doing His part to cleanse His Church, even sometimes through the painful, public exposure of sin. We must do ours as well, in setting aside every encumbrance, every distraction, which would keep us from looking eagerly for our Bridegroom to come for us. We must get our attention off the temporary pursuits and cares of earth, and firmly fix our gaze on Jesus. He is coming. Let us be eagerly anticipating Him.

Summing things up:

The expression of love, mercy, and compassion should always be prominent in the Church. We carry out the practical functions to which we are called as Christ’s body on earth, but forever in the context of these three attributes. This is why the Spirit led the apostle Paul to insert “the love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13) between the the gifts and church order chapters (1 Corinthians 12 and 14).

We must also remember that our Sunday morning services are only a slice of what it means to be the Church. If that is all we ever experience, we are missing out on a great deal. The early Church not only met together in large gatherings; they met “house to house” informally, eating and fellowshipping with one another (Acts 2:46), receiving teaching (Acts 20:20), and praying together (Acts 12:12) too. We can do the same in our day. They also lived out the life of Christ in the world around them, including showing forth the power of God through miracles, signs, and wonders, which are supposed to “follow those who believe” (Mark 16:17). “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).

I hope you have enjoyed this series and that it has provoked some new ideas for you. I would love hearing any additional thoughts you have!

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 3 — We Are One Body
Part 4 — We Are an Army
Part 5 — We Are a House of Prayer and Worship
Part 6 — We Are a Healing Center
Part 7 — Other Church Attributes

________________________________________

 

 

Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God, 
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 7) — Other Attributes of the Church

We’ve talked about the Church being a family, a body, an army, a house of prayer and worship, and a healing center. Here are a few other attributes of the Church which should not be neglected.

 

The Church is a governing body upon earth.

We carry out our governing function in a couple of ways. One is by bringing the power and presence of God with us wherever we go.

We are meant to influence and bring change in our world through our words and actions. We are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), meaning that what Jesus did to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, we do also. Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38); we do likewise. He spoke light and truth; we are to do the same. Jesus said of His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” — “a city set on a hill [that] cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:13, 14). Paul worded it, God “makes manifest by us the savor of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:15). So, we govern by bringing the Lord’s kingdom to our world in how we do life.

Each of us can do this in the process of going about our daily occupations. But in order to be as effective as possible, we should stay aware that this is why we have been placed by God in our particular spheres of influence. We must not miss our opportunities!

The second way we govern on earth is through prayer. In Matthew 18:18, 19, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father Who is in heaven.”

In his book, Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, Derek Prince said this: “The Bible reveals that this world is not really ruled by presidents and governors and dictators. They only seem to rule. The people who really rule the world are those who know how to pray.” We need to grasp this idea and run with it!

Our governing function is carried out both individually and as a church body. While each of us should be an ambassador and a prayer warrior, when we join together in unity with other believers, our effectiveness is greatly multiplied. Corporate governing as a body ties in with what we already saw in Part 4 about the Church being an army. No man fights a war all by himself.

Ultimately, we will physically govern on earth with Christ when He returns (and we with Him) for His millennial reign as King. The governing we do now is a seed, a foretaste of what is to come.

The Church is a center for discipleship.

What did Jesus tell His disciples before He left earth? “Go, therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations… teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you….” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

Paul called this discipleship “the perfecting [equipping] of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all come, in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery and cunning craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:12-14).

Some of our local churches are fulfilling the discipleship function well. However, based on the amount of serious doctrinal error which has become commonplace in the Church today, apparently many of our churches are not getting the job done. In Charismatic / prophetic / apostolic circles, we often focus on “equipping the saints” in how to do the supernatural works of Jesus, but we have neglected to lay the firm foundation of the core doctrines taught by the original New Testament apostles. Indeed, we have neglected teaching the Bible as a whole. On the other hand, in fundamentalist / non-Charismatic streams, there is often a great adherence to Bible teaching, while not emphasizing pursuing intimacy with Jesus Himself. As you can see, the Church needs a lot of improvement in the discipleship area!

The discipleship function can be worked out in a variety of ways. The Word of God should be preached from our pulpits (in many cases, this is not happening as it should). Home Bible studies and Bible classes within the local church can further enhance the work. One-on-one discipleship, with mature believers mentoring newer Christians, is just as vital as what we receive through sermons and structured teaching.

I personally believe we should see more teaching from the Bible on God’s nature. If we understand Who He is and how He acts, we can then apply that understanding to develop Christlike character in our own lives. Too many believers in our day have little understanding of either God’s nature or how to live like Jesus. These things can be taught systematically, however.

It is a large task, and may seem overwhelming, but each of us can do our part by being connected into a local fellowship where true discipleship is taking place, and by being willing to disciple others who are just beginning their life in Christ.

In our next post, we’ll wrap up this series with one more aspect of who the Church is and a few final thoughts.

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 3 — We Are One Body
Part 4 — We Are an Army
Part 5 — We Are a House of Prayer and Worship
Part 6 — We Are a Healing Center
Next: Part 8 (Conclusion)

________________________________________

 

 

Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God, 
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam