Rapture Watch

1. I recognise that there is only one true and living God (Exodus 20: 2 and 3), who exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is worthy of all honour, praise and worship as Creator, Sustainer and Beginning and End of all things. (Revelation 4:11; 5:9 and 10; Isaiah 43: 1, 7, 21).

2. I recognise Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). I believe that He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John3: 8), that He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15).

3. I believe that God has proved His love for me, because when I was still a sinner Christ died for me (Romans 5:8). I believe that he delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His Kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13,14). I believe that I am now a child of God (1 John3: 1-3) and that I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6). I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, that it was a gift and not the result of any works on my part. (Ephesians 2:8).

4. I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). I put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), for the weapons of my warfare are not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). I put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), and I resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.

****5. I believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and that He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). I announce to Satan that Jesus Christ is my Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3) and I reject any counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life. I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ because I am a member of Christ’s body (Ephesians 1:19-23).

****6. I therefore obey the command to resist the devil (James 4:7) and I command him and all his demons, in the name of Christ, to leave my presence. I here and now reject and disown all the sins of my ancestors. I also cancel out all demonic working that has been passed on to me from my ancestors. I reject and turn from all and every involvement that I personally have had in the works of Satan and his domain of darkness. I cancel all ground that evil spirits have gained through my wilful involvement in sin. Instead, I rely on Jesus Christ alone.

7. I believe that apart from Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), so I declare my dependence on Him. I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and to glorify the Lord (John 15:8). I believe that the truth will set me free (John 8:32) and that walking in the light is the only path of fellowship (1 John1: 7). Therefore, I stand against Satan’s deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard (2 Timothy 3: 15-17). I choose to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

8. I choose to present my body as an instrument of righteousness, a living and holy sacrifice, and I renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 6:13; 12:1-2). I ask my heavenly Father to lead me into all truth (John 16:13), and to empower my life so that I may live above sin and not carry out the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). I crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and choose to walk by the Spirit. I renounce all selfish goals and choose the ultimate goal of love (1 Timothy 1:5). I choose to obey the greatest commandment, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind, and to love my neighbour as myself (Matthew 22:37-39).

**** Note on paragraphs 5 and 6 above. If you are suffering from oppression due to past involvement in any aspect of the occult, print out this page and meet up with a strong Christian believer. If you want to be set free, read paragraphs 5 and 6 aloud. When you do this, Jesus will set you free. After this, be sensitive to anything Jesus may point out to you.

NOT YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

1. When you became a Christian, apart from calling on God in your weakness, you did nothing to get your sins forgiven. In your weakness, God did it all and gave you a new life in Jesus. Your onward walk in the Spirit with Jesus needs to follow the same pattern: your weakness = you calling on the Holy Spirit, God’s power for your life. The Bible teaches that when Jesus died on the cross your old life died with him. Read Romans Chapter 6. You are now "in Jesus" and your new life flows from him alone.

WRONG FUEL = NO PROGRESS

2. Trying to walk in your own strength will eventually lead to a sense of frustration and failure, because you can’t do what you want to do. Imagine a friend has generously given you a new car to replace your old one. Your old car was petrol-driven, the new one runs on diesel fuel. What happens when you try to run your new car on petrol? The car might go for some distance with the wrong fuel inside, but will gradually come to a stop. Applying more petrol will not solve the problem! Only when the correct fuel - diesel - is put in, will the car move forward. In your new life in Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s power is the only fuel that can move you forward. You will certainly fail if you insist on using your old fuel, "self-reliance". In the New Testament, Galatians 5:16, the apostle Paul says "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature".

WHEN YOU ARE OBEDIENT GOD PROVIDES THE RESOURCES

3. Living in the Spirit means actively trusting God’s Holy Spirit, asking him to do in you what you cannot do for yourself. It doesn’t mean being passive! God’s call on your life is to obedience, which is an active choice of your will. The balance between exercising your will to be obedient and God’s supply of His resources is what you should aim for. If, for example, you have a quick temper or a critical tongue, you need to remember that your old life is now dead and buried. Your old life died on the cross with Jesus. All your own efforts to deal with your temper, your tongue or whatever will sooner or later fail, because your new life can only be lived through Jesus. However, it’s only by an act of your will that you choose, or not, to deal with the problem. So your will to deal with the issue on the one hand, together with God’s supply of the enabling power on the other hand, combine to deal with the problem.

IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR MOSES……..

4. One of the greatest miracles in the Bible was the parting of the Red Sea. Read it in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 14. The Israelites were trapped, with no way forward, but God did an amazing thing and rescued them from the Egyptian army. Moses told the people: "Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring today". The people chose to be obedient to God (they stood firm and trusted Him) and God supplied the miracle.

DON’T ASK FOR "PATIENCE", "HUMILITY" OR "LOVE"!

5. God is not a shopkeeper dispensing parcels of patience, humility, love or whatever as separate "things" to help us. He has given just one source to meet all our needs - Jesus. What we need is more of Jesus. Because Jesus is patient, humble, and loving he will meet your needs in all these areas of your life. So ask Jesus to be the answer to whatever your need is. His Holy Spirit will be your enabler.

Answer

As a new Christian, have you ever asked yourself questions like these:

1. If God is in control, does that mean it doesn’t matter what decisions I take?
2. I know I have free will, but don’t God’s purposes always prevail anyway?
3. Do my prayers make a difference, or would God have intervened anyway?
4. If I pray for my children’s protection, will it make a difference or would they be just as likely to get raped or murdered anyway?
5. Is our fate and destiny pre-determined by God?
6. God has saved some of the members of my family. Would they have been saved if I hadn’t prayed for them?

These are questions that many theologians have wondered about over the centuries.

So - should we spend our time wondering about the answers or leave it to God?

One lady approached us recently asking these very questions, at the same time expressing her concern that "God doesn’t speak to me". The reply we gave suggested she should not give these questions very much thought. There are some questions that we will never get answers to - this side of Heaven. God wants us instead to turn our attention to the matters He considers more important – our relationship with Him and the outworking of that relationship in our daily dealings with "our neighbour".

After replying as above to the lady in question she responded as follows:

"I was sharing my thoughts on prayer with a Christian friend and he had a picture from God for me which really spoke to me. He could see me at the edge of the road trying to cross. If I decided to cross the road when there was a bus coming, I would get run over. The end of my life on earth. If I decided to cross after the bus had gone past then I live. It's my choice, my decision. God said don't get hung up on predestiny, focus your eyes on Me.

I hadn't shared my thoughts on things being predestined so I knew that God had spoken. And here was me moaning that God didn't speak to me!"

Introduction

God is still in the business of doing miracles today; Satan, too, is also active in counterfeits as a master of deception. The starting point for Christian discernment must therefore be the many warnings in Scripture that miracles will also take place through the outworking of evil powers in our world. As Jesus warns in the passage from Mark above, these miracles have one purpose only - to deceive.

Paul warns the Thessalonians:"The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved." (2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 verses 9 and 10) We must therefore make sure we "welcome and love the truth" otherwise we too may perish. Are you a "lover of the truth"? In Biblical terms the opposite of truth is error. Paul makes clear that "the result is that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in sin, will be condemned" (2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 and verse 12).

Satan's miracles certainly can look like the real thing. The magicians at Pharaoh's court (Exodus Chapter 7 verses 11 and 22 and Chapter 8 verse 7) were able to copy the first three miracles done by God through Moses; note though, that Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs (verse 12). Pharaoh's magician's finally concede defeat (verse 19)saying: "this is the finger of God" when they are unable to replicate God creative powers when he makes gnats from the dust of the earth. This suggests that creation of life is the sole prerogative of God.

How Should We Approach The Evaluation Of Modern Day Miracles?

"A VISION of the LOST" - Part 1

-by William Booth.

[Founder of the Salvation Army]

On one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window, I was led into a train of thought concerning the condition of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. As I looked out of the window, I seemed to see them all... millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant- wilfully ignorant in many cases- and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all. But all of them, the whole mass of them, sweeping on and up in their blasphemies and devilries to the Throne of God. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightening flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.

In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with its summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this great rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.

On looking more closely I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of the sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of the consequences in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me the most- the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks reaching a place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole being was wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.

But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, it seemed the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them at all. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care- that is any agonising care- about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes... many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and even their own children.

"A VISION of the LOST" - Part Two

Now this astonishing unconcern could not have been the result of ignorance or lack of knowledge, because they lived right there in full sight of it all and even talked about it sometimes. Many even went regularly to hear lectures and sermons in which the awful state of these poor drowning creatures was described.

I have always said that the occupants of this platform were engaged in different pursuits and pastimes. Some of them were absorbed day and night in trading and business in order to make gain, storing up their savings in boxes, safes and the like. Many spent their time in amusing themselves with growing flowers on the side of the rock, others in painting pieces of cloth or in playing music, or in dressing themselves up in different styles and walking about to be admired. Some occupied themselves chiefly in eating and drinking; others were taken up with arguing about the poor drowning creatures that had already been rescued.

But the thing to me that seemed the most amazing was that those on the platform to whom He called, who heard His voice and felt that they ought to obey it- at least they said they did- those who confessed to love Him much were in full sympathy with Him in the task He had undertaken- who worshipped Him or who professed to do so- were so taken up with their trades and professions, their money saving and pleasures, their families and circles, their religions and arguments about it, and their preparation for going to the mainland, that they did not listen to the cry that came to them from this Wonderful Being who had Himself gone down into the sea. Anyway, if they heard it they did not heed it. They did not care. And so the multitude went on right before them struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness.

And then I saw something that seemed to me even more strange than anything that had gone on before in this strange vision. I saw that some of these people on the platform whom this Wonderful Being had called to, wanting them to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them!

Some wanted Him to come and stay with them, and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock- so secure that they would be quite sure that they should never slip off again into the ocean. Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday: because as a matter of fact, it was well known that some had walked so carelessly as to lose their footing, and had fallen back again into the stormy waters.

So these people used to meet and get up as high on the rock as they could, and looking towards the mainland (where they thought the Great Being was) they would cry out, "Come to us! Come and help us!" And all the while He was down (by His Spirit) among the poor struggling, drowning creatures in the angry deep, with His arms around them trying to drag them out, and looking up- oh! so longingly but all in vain- to those on the rock, crying to them with His voice all hoarse from calling, "Come to Me! Come, and help Me!"

And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. The sea was the ocean of life- the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightning was the gleaming of piercing truth coming from Jehovah's Throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling and agonising in the stormy sea, was the thousands and thousands of poor harlots and harlot-makers, of drunkards and drunkard makers, of thieves, liars, blasphemers and ungodly people of every kindred, tongue and nation.

"A VISION of the LOST" - Part Three

Oh what a black sea it was! And oh, what multitudes of rich and poor, ignorant and educated were there. They were all so unalike in their outward circumstances and conditions, yet all alike in one thing- all sinners before God- all held by, and holding onto, some iniquity, fascinated by some idol, the slaves of some devilish lust, and ruled by the foul fiend from the bottomless pit!

"All alike in one thing?" No, all alike in two things- not only the same in their wickedness but, unless rescued, the same in their sinking, sinking...down, down, down... to the same terrible doom. That great sheltering rock represented Calvary, the place where Jesus had died for them. And the people on it were those who had been rescued. The way they used their energies, gifts and time represented the occupations and amusements of those who professed to be saved from sin and hell- followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The handful of fierce, determined ones, who were risking their own lives in saving the perishing were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus.

That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God, "the same yesterday, today and forever" who is still struggling and interceding to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music, machinery, and noise of life, calling on the rescued to come and help Him save the world.

My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock, He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go? Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life, crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact- a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who hung upon the cross, as real as the judgement day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.

Look! Don't be deceived by appearances- men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great White Throne, and what a sight you have! Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, through His Spirit, in the midst of this dying multitude, struggling to save them. And He is calling on you to jump into the sea- to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will you go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?

A young Christian once came to me, and told me that for some time she had been giving the Lord her profession and prayers and money, but now she wanted to give Him her life. She wanted to go right into the fight. In other words, she wanted to go to His assistance in the sea. As when a man from the shore, seeing another struggling in the water, takes off those outer garments that would hinder his efforts and leaps to the rescue, so will you who still linger on the bank, thinking and singing and praying about the poor perishing souls, lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people's opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women.

Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean - and knowing, He still calls to you and bids to you to come.

You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises- very much of heaven on earth. Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them.

Now what will you do?