The Tribulation which is in Jesus - Zac Poonen

In Revelation 1:9-10, John refers to himself as a "fellow-partaker in the tribulation which is in Jesus". Every wholehearted disciple of Jesus should be prepared to partake in the "tribulation which is in Jesus", as long as he is in this world. John did not get this unveiling while living in comfort. He received it, while experiencing tribulation at Patmos, because he had been faithful to "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9). He had to experience tribulation himself in order to be able to write about the saints experiencing the great tribulation from the Antichrist in the last days. God takes us through trials and tribulations first before giving us a ministry to others who are facing tribulation. Paul said, "God encourages us in all our affliction so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction, with the (same) encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God" (2 Cor.1:4 - Amplified).

It is not surprising therefore that the doctrine that Jesus would come secretly and take (rapture) His church out of the world, before the great tribulation, arose for the first time in a country (England) where Christians were living in comfort, and at a time (mid-19th century) when they were not facing any persecution for their faith at all. Today this doctrine continues to be proclaimed and believed by Christians who live in ease and comfort, in countries where there is no persecution against Christians at all. Since the prayers of most Christians are basically of this order : "Lord make my life more comfortable on earth", it is not surprising that they have gladly accepted this teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Thus Satan has succeeded in lulling multitudes of Christians with a false comfort, so that they will be unprepared for the great tribulation when it does come upon them.

The words of Jesus are clear: "In the world YOU HAVE TRIBULATION. But take courage; I have overcome the world" (Jn.16:33). He never promised that we would escape tribulation - whether small tribulations or the great one. But He did say that we could overcome even as He overcame. He is far more interested in making us overcomers than in saving us out of tribulation, because He is far more interested in our character than in our comfort. Neither did Jesus ever say that escaping the great tribulation was a reward for faithfulness, as some teach. On the contrary, He said that those who forsook everything to follow Him would have even more tribulations than others who didn't follow Him (Mk.10:30). When He prayed to His Father for His disciples, He said, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil." (Jn.17:15). He did NOT want His disciples to be raptured out of the world at that time, just because they were going to face tribulation.

In the 3rd-century when Christians were being thrown to the lions in the Roman amphitheatres and being burnt at the stake in different parts of the Roman empire, the Lord did not rescue them from such tribulations. The God Who shut the lions' mouths and took away the power of the fiery furnace in Daniel's day, did NOT do such miracles for these disciples of Jesus - for these were new-covenant Christians who were going to glorify God through death. Like Jesus their Master, they neither asked for, nor expected twelve legions of angels to come and protect them from their enemies.

From heaven, God watched the Bride of His Son being torn to pieces by lions and being burnt to ashes; and He was glorified in their testimony - for they had "followed the Lamb, wherever He went", even unto a violent physical death (Rev.14:4). The only word that the Lord spoke to them was, "Be faithful until death and I will give you a crown of life." (Rev.2:10). Even today, when the disciples of Jesus are being tortured and persecuted for His Name in many lands, the Lord does not take them away from the earth. And He will not rapture us to heaven before the great tribulation either. He will do something far better. He will make us overcomers in the midst of the great tribulation.

Jesus is far more interested in saving us from evil than in saving us from tribulation. He permits us to go through tribulation because He knows that that is the only way that we can become spiritually strong. Such a message is strange teaching indeed to a comfort-loving Christendom that has been coddled in their pews every Sunday for years by ear-tickling preachers. But this is the message that the apostles preached to the early churches. "They (the apostles Paul and Barnabas) strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.'" (Acts 14:22). The little trials that we face at home and at work now, are but a preparation for the greater ones that will come in the days to come. That is why it is essential that we are faithful now. For God says, "If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?" (Jer.12:5).

John speaks here about being a "fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus" (Rev 1:9). We have to enter into fellowship with Jesus in tribulation first, before we can share His throne with Him in His kingdom. Perseverance is a great virtue that is emphasised throughout the New Testament. Jesus Himself said "They will deliver you to tribulation.....but the one who endures to the end shall be saved" (Mt.24:13).

Street Preachers Gunned Down After Sharing the Gospel!

Saints of God, this did not happen in a foreign country!  It happened right here in the USA!

Faith Organizations to Address the Tragic Murders of Two Street Preachers in South Florida
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla., Feb. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- The street preachers were gunned down on the public sidewalk in Boynton Beach, Florida after sharing the gospel with gang members.

** (Below is a copy of a news article of the shooting.)

The Christian Defense Coalition and the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission will be holding a news conference and prayer vigil on the same public sidewalk where the preachers were executed.

They will also be leaving flowers on the public sidewalk to honor the work and life of these heroic preachers.

The news conference will be held on Friday, February 19, at 11:00 A.M. at the 100 block of Southwest Second Ave. in Boynton Beach.

At the news conference, the groups will be:

*Calling for Attorney General Eric Holder to launch a federal investigation to see if these murders broke federal laws or federal civil rights statutes.

*Announcing plans for a rally and gospel witness on the exact spot where the two preachers were killed.

*Seeking a meeting with Boynton Beach police officials to see if they are pursing religious discrimination elements in this case.

*Seeking assurances that Christians preaching the gospel will be protected on the streets of Boynton Beach.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., states,

"We are coming to South Florida to first honor the lives and work of Mr. Ocean and Sufra. They were gunned down shortly after sharing God's love on the streets of Boynton Beach with struggling and hurting people.

"We are also coming to seek assurances that Christians preaching the Word of God on public streets will be protected by local and federal law enforcement officials and that any violations of federal laws and civil rights will be thoroughly investigated.

"Finally, the greatest tribute we can give these two preachers is organizing a prayer rally and day of publicly sharing the gospel on the streets of Boynton Beach. Something these men gave their lives for."

Dr. Gary Cass, Executive Director of the Christian Anti- Defamation Commission, shares,

"This senseless crime has made martyrs out of two fine young Christian preachers. Their courageous example has made us determined to not let their deaths be in vain.

"We cannot and will not allow the message of God's transforming love in Jesus Christ to be silenced anywhere in America."

For more information or interviews contact:

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney at 540.538.4741 202.547.1735

Dr. Gary Cass 954.551.9770

**
Man arrested on charges of shooting street preachers in Boynton Beach

February 03, 2010 By Jerome Burdi, Sun Sentinel Boynton Beach -- Preaching the word of God brought two street ministers to the man who killed them, police said.

Jeriah Woody, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged in the double murder in Boynton Beach.

According to police: Victims Tite Sufra, 24, and Stephen Ocean, 23, were shot and killed Saturday night after meeting Woody on Southwest First Street and Second Avenue standing under a tree.

They preached to him for 15 minutes when Woody got a phone call and told the preachers he had to go. They kept walking down Second Avenue when Woody suddenly started walking toward them. Sufra walked up to meet him and was met with a gunshot. Ocean then ran and was shot in the back.

When he fell, Woody shot him in the head, execution style, police said.

Police found Woody through his street name, Plug, and he was identified through a witness. Woody surrendered to police on Wednesday and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, Woody has been arrested on burglary, theft and drug-related charges.

In her Boynton Beach home, Sufra's mother, Vertilia St. Remy, said her son left behind a widow, but would not comment further after being told not to by her daughter, who was "very shaken."

"Everybody loves him," St. Remy said.

Staff writer Erika Pesantes contributed to this report.
Jerome Burdi can be reached at
jburdi@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6531.
Christian Newswire

Watchman Alert!

Explosive New Report Documents 'The Religious Face of the New World Order: From the Vatican to the White House to the United Religions Initiative'

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- A new report from the public policy group America's Survival, Inc. (ASI), headed by veteran investigative reporter Cliff Kincaid, explores how and why the Pope's call for a "World Political Authority" plays into the hands of those demanding a "New World Order" and increased power and authority for the United Nations. Author Lee Penn says, "The question is not whether there will be a New World Order. The question is who will control it, and for what ends." The Vatican, he argues, is determined to be a major global player.

Kincaid comments, "This report, with almost 300 endnotes, examines in detail how and why the Vatican has abandoned its resistance to a New World Order. This is a major sea change in world events and the global political order." Penn, who previously wrote the book, False Dawn, about global religion, notes in this report that "When the Pope agrees with Mikhail Gorbachev, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Henry Kissinger, the new President of the European Union, and other secular leaders on the need for global governance and a new world order, we can know that the world has indeed experienced a 'harmonic convergence' and entered a new age." Kincaid's introduction to the report goes into substantial detail about the roles being played in this unfolding international drama by the Obama Administration and financial hedge fund operator George Soros, who is pouring large sums of money into various politically active "Catholic" groups.

Penn observes the significance of what is happening:

In the past, the proponents of "global governance" have faced Papal skepticism or opposition. With the publication of Caritas in Veritate, Benedict XVI has himself come out strongly for a new world order. He might wish to put a new international system to different uses than those supported by Mikhail Gorbachev, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Henry Kissinger, or others -- but he agrees that a new international system, "a true world political authority," must come into being.

In the explosive report, Penn offers his own provocative theory of what is happening and why. World government, he argues, depends on a global religion. ASI President Kincaid adds, "On a basic level, this can be viewed as an attempt to bring together the world's Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is not clear how Islam will be integrated into this global system but the United Religions Initiative (URI) seems designed to accomplish this goal. As Lee Penn documents, the URI even included practitioners of Wicca (witchcraft) as well as an Islamic cleric convicted of rape."

While much of this seems inevitable, Kincaid says that opposition is emerging from traditional Christians, most especially conservative Catholics.

The 84-page report is available at www.usasurvival.org. Interviews are available with ASI President Cliff Kincaid and Lee Penn, the author of the report.

Christian Newswire

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Did you know that there is a right way to study the Bible? Many Christians have fallen victim to so-called Bible teachers (crackpots)… and I will call them crackpots because that is just what they are. I believe that many of the modern prosperity preachers today are grounded in BAD doctrine, which is a result of the improper study of God’s Word. Their followers are their victims because they don’t take the time to verify for themselves what these false teachers write or tell them. They swallow it hook, line and sinker.


The Bible tells us in 1 Tim 5:17 Be diligent (study) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If you are not handling the word of God accurately, then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you are going to handle it accurately, you have to be diligent, you have to work hard at it. It must be interpreted accurately and those that fail to do that have reason to be ashamed.

It’s hard work. That is why God has given teachers to the Church so that we can work hard in understanding God’s word and correctly instructing people in the scriptures through consistent, conscientious labor in the Word.

Those who are improperly teaching the saints invent theology as they speak. You should never, ever make a point at the price of a proper interpretation. Otherwise, you are the final authority and not the Word of God. We must protect the integrity of scripture by demanding a proper interpretation, otherwise it just feeds and promotes endless confusion.
The following are three areas that need to be avoided that are not always avoided in contemporary interpretation:


1. Do not make a point at the expense of a proper interpretation. Do not look for a verse to go with your message. Do not try to make the Bible fit with YOUR philosophy.

2. Don’t spiritualize or allegorize the text. This practice goes on with many well-known and popular TV preachers and other false movements, messianic movements, “churches.” It’s the invention of their own imaginations. This kind of preaching is a form of hucksterism. If you do that, you can spiritualize any text that will leave you with a fanciful conclusion. They are nothing more than a bunch of pulpit conmen (wolves in sheep’s clothing) ripping off God’s people spiritually and economically.

The correct approach is you need to go to Jesus and remember when he was walking on the road to Emmaus He said that beginning with Moses and all the prophets He explained to them the things concerning Himself and the scriptures. The word hermeuo (explain/interpret) which is where we get the word hermeneutics (the art of interpretation). He carefully interpreted the Old Testament. He used sound hermeneutics.

When we teach, we want to be sure that we don’t make severe errors.

3. Another area is superficial study.  The Bible tells us in 1 Tim 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

Living By Faith - George Muller

This is an example of living by Faith.     

Robber Of The Cruel Streets: George Muller (2005)
George Müller (1805-1898) was a worldly young German man who found Christ and gave his life to serve Christ unreservedly. His mission was to rescue orphans from the wretched street life that enslaved so many children in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist. Müller did rescue, care for, feed, and educate such children by the thousands. The costs were enormous for such a great work. Yet, amazingly, he never asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal. This docu-drama presents his life story and shows how God answered prayer and met their needs. It is a story that raises foundational questions regarding faith and finances.



How to Ascertain the Will of God
By George Mueller

I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties areovercome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2.--Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3.--I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4.--Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5.--I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

6.--Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and
in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

George Muller lived Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.