Survival Guide: Antidote for the Last Days




Updates truths about End times:

- Using Revelation/Apocalyptic messages of God's wrath to preach to Christians about their walk is inappropriate (ie. 'fear-based" motivation), since we are no longer under wrath (1 Thess 5:9)

- I don't believe in a complete preterist view (ie. Revelation has completely been fulfilled some time in the past)

- I do believe in a millenium in some form

- It is important for Christans NOT to have an "escapist" mentality from the world's problems (ie. be prepared for persecution, have an overcoming eschatology)

- Prophecy is mystical and mysterious and can have several fulfillments and we need the Holy Spirit's revelation to understand any of it

- The wrath of God (tribulation) is not intended for Christians

There will be Christians during the tribulation (even if you believe in "the Rapture"

Christians should not fear what Satan/the antichrist can do (ie. mark of the beast,etc.) or anything that will come during the tribulation, since we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind

- The Second Coming is meant to be a specific point of encouragement and hope to one another as believers.  If we are not doing this, something is wrong with our eschatology.

____________________________
Some important Truths to Remember about End Times:

With my heart grounded in eternity, this temporary disturbances will not move me


- The Tribulation period (spelled-out in most of the book of Revelation) is 
God's wrath being poured out on the earth. God's wrath is NEVER directed 
towards those who place their faith in Him, but for the unbelievers. Some 
people, acting piously, accuse other believers of being weak-of-heart and 
just 'wanting to be raptured out of the tribulation', think they must go 
through this horrible time and receive the bulk of this terror. Believers 
will be kept from God's wrath. Note Noah, who believed God, was inside the 
ark, riding on the top of the 'tribulation' of the deluge.  In what way they 
are kept, God. knows, but He is for us, not against us.

- Believers must suffer to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. All who live godly 
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Note the source of the suffering 
is NOT God. It is not God's hand of wrath. It is the permitted persecution 
by the spirits of the antichrists, the Antichrist and Satan, through 
unbelievers. Some believers are trying to retire on this earth, while 
expecting to be received in great glory in the next. Press into God, and his 
love, and you will find to maintain it requires diligence and often brings 
rejection and suffering. Carrying the cross - bearing love in a hateful 
world - brings persecution and attacks from a spirit that just wants us 
dead. Plain and simple. But death has no hold on those who will be 
resurrected.

- Christ is returning. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it has 
already happened, or won't happen.  Check it out...I haven't seen 1/3 of the 
oceans turn to blood yet.

- Prophecy was not given to prove God right, but to test men's hearts.  Note 
Jonah, who prophesied the destruction of Nineveh within a certain amount of 
time.  The prophecy never happened, because people repented.

- We, as believers, can and should know our position in the time-line of 
God-ordained events. Note these people during the time of Jesus' first 
advent:  John the Baptist, Elizabeth, Simeon, the wisemen.  They all knew 
the time of Christ's first coming because they studied Scripture, believed 
it, and spent time with the Holy Spirit in prayer.  They listened to the 
supernatural ways God was speaking to them.  They knew their time.  The 
reason people want to study revelation and by 'Left Behind' books is because 
they want to know the future, but what I find lacking is they are not 
seeking God for the answers.  For instance, we should be asking God, "What 
time do we live in?"  "What events will be fulfilled in our life time?"  
"How can we prepare?"  "What should we be doing?"  "What do Your prophecies 
mean?"  Instead, people spend countless hours researching, studying, 
analyzing, and philosophizing over passages.  The answer is simple.  Seek  
Him. He has all the answers.


Survival Guide: Antidote for the Last Days - 2 Timothy 3

The World (the Weeds) are . . . The Kingdom (the Wheat) are:

lovers of themselves, utterly selfish. . . lovers of God with all their heart, soul, mind & strength & love their neighbor as themselves Matt 22:37-40

lovers of money, greedy . . . trustworthy in handling worldly wealth Luke 16:11

boastful, self-promoting . . . glorifying the Lord and exalting His name Ps 34:3

proud, . . . poor in spirit, so theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Matt 5:3

abusive . . . letting their gentleness be known to all mankind Phil 4:5

disobedient & contemptuous to their parents, . . . honoring their father and mother so that it is well with them and they live long on the earth Ex 20:12

ungrateful, . . . giving thanks in everything 1 Thess 5:18

unholy, profane . . . holy as He is holy 1 Peter 1:15

without love or affection . . . kindly affectionate to one another in love Rom 12:10

unforgiving, unbending . . . forgiving as the Lord has forgiven them Col 3:13

slanderous, . . . speaking words always with grace, seasoned with salt Col 4:6

without self-control, impulsively wild . . . self-controlled Gal 5:23

brutal, savage, fierce . . . showing kindness that leads to repentance Rom 2:4

cynical haters of good. . . rejoicing with the truth 1 Cor 13:6

treacherous, . . . trustworthy in little and also trustworthy in much Luke 16:10

rash, . . . waiting on the Lord, are strong and take courage Ps 27:14

conceited, . . . humbling themselves in the sight of the Lord that He may lift them up Ja 4:10

addicted to lust rather than lovers of God . . . at God's right hand with His pleasure Ps 16:11

having a form of godliness but denying its power . . . demonstrating the Spirit and power 1 Cor 2:4

manipulative, imprisoning smooth-talkers . . . proclaiming release to the captives Is 61:1

loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, . . . set free from sin Rom 6:22

always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth . . . led into all truth John 16:13

oppose, hostile to the truth . . . pillars and supports of the truth 1 Tim 3:15

depraved, twisted minds . . . transformed by the renewing of their minds Rom 12:2

as the faith is concerned, are rejected . . . accepted in the beloved Eph 1:6

their folly will be clear to everyone . . . letting their light shine that all will see their good works Matt 5:16

go from bad to worse, . . . transformed from glory to glory 2 Cor 3:18

deceiving and being deceived. . . . knowing the truth and the truth will set them free John 8:32


“...continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness...”

“the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” - Jn 1:5

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