General Articles

It’s All About the Moment :: By Jonathan Brentner

Published on: by RR7

The voices we hear from the world are increasingly at odds with what reads in God’s Word. The commercials we see on television encourage us to get the most out of this life, to “just do it.” The message of the world is all about living for the moment.

And I would agree … although I have a much, much different “moment” in mind. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Paul wrote, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (emphasis mine)

For those of us who belong to Jesus, it’s not about the thrill of a moment in time; it’s all about the moment when eternity begins for us. It’s all about the “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus takes us home to the place that He’s now preparing for us (John 14:2-3).

It’s this future “twinkling of an eye” that has repeatedly refreshed my soul during this shocking year that has forever changed life on planet Earth.

The Misery of 2020 Points to a Much Greater Threat

I am sure we all can recall heartbreaking and disturbing experiences from 2020. We have witnessed the activity of our enemy in our world as never before. The devil has created a culture of fear in our communities; furthermore, his minions have made their endgame abundantly clear; they plan to take full advantage of COVID-19 to make Satan’s plan for world domination a reality.

The coronavirus and what the World Economic Forum (WEF) dubs as The Great Reset go together like a couple madly in love walking down the street arm in arm. These elite globalists intend to use COVID-19 as a springboard to advance their plans for a Marxist New World Order.

The articles and videos on the WEF website openly describe their radical plans for controlling the lives of everyone on planet Earth. One of the videos on this site starts out with these chilling words about their vision for 2030: “You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.”[i] They make The Great Reset sound like a glorious utopia when, in reality, it will become a living hell to those alive during this time.

The intent of the world’s most powerful and wealthiest people is communism; how else can one describe their vision for 2030 where no one owns any personal property, not even the clothes they wear (yes, they actually say this in one of their articles). This is Satan behaving precisely as Jesus described him in John 10:10. Satan will work through the Antichrist and those who follow him to “steal and kill and destroy.” These words precisely sum up what the elite globalists at the WEF and UN have in mind for the people under their jurisdiction.

According to James Delingpole of Breitbart News, “COVID-19 has provided the perfect pretext” to usher in “a globalist takeover” of virtually every aspect of human life. “Put simply,” Delingpole continues, The Great Reset “is the blueprint for a complete transformation of the world economy. There will be no money, no private property, no democracy. Instead, every key decision — what you do for a living, how much stuff you consume, whether you can take a vacation — will [be] decided for you by a remote, unaccountable elite of ‘experts.'”[ii]

Lest you think the idea of The Great Reset is the product of a bygone era when John Lennon sang Imagine about a wistful utopia, it has become a hot topic today. Newsweek recently devoted an entire issue to it. The campaign slogan of Joe Biden, “Build Back Better,” comes directly from the World Economic Forum and their plans for world dominance.[iii]

Kerry, whom Biden has named as his special presidential envoy for climate, has already affirmed his allegiance to the radical agenda of the WEF. He said, “The notion of a reset is more important than ever before. I personally believe … we’re at the dawn of an extremely exciting time.” Kerry further assured the elites of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that a Joe Biden presidency would quickly advance the globalist “Great Reset” agenda “with greater speed and greater intensity than many might imagine.”[iv]

In a recent prophecy roundtable led by Amir Tsarfati, Jan Markell said, “The Great Reset is the great tribulation.” I wholeheartedly agree. A lady from Australia recently sent an e-mail to me in which she said the tribulation is coming toward us at “warp speed.” This is so true!

What we see happening around us is the beginning of what the apostle John wrote about in the book of Revelation. And if this is the case, and it is, then the rapture will happen sooner than many people can even begin to imagine.

Our Eternal Hope Far Exceeds All Earthly Threats

So why bring up all the current news about the coming Great Reset in a post about the moment Jesus comes for us? Because it confirms that the tribulation is knocking on the door, and this means Jesus’ appearing is ever so near. The threat to our future wellbeing is substantial, but our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing is greater; our hope far exceeds all threats from the enemy of our souls.

Because the rapture must happen before the tribulation, we are not waiting for the “Reset” of life and the radical transformation of life as we know it, but rather for our ascent into the clouds. We may see more of Satan’s plans for this world come to fruition before the rapture. However, the Bible assures us that we will be with Jesus in heaven well before the Antichrist assumes control of the rapidly approaching Great Reset.

I do not know what the remainder of 2020 or 2021 has in store for us who believe. We may experience greater restrictions on our freedoms and perhaps added suffering.

Circumstances, no matter how terrifying they seem, cannot derail our hope nor hinder the Lord’s sovereign agenda for His church, Israel, and the world. In other words, nothing can interfere with our “blessed hope.” Jesus is coming soon to take us home; that is the moment when our faith will become a reality.

In Philippians 3:20, Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word for “await” in the Greek denotes an eager anticipation of something. I believe it signifies the apostle’s “goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

Spectacular News for All Those Securely in Christ

Paul also wrote about his excited expectation of Jesus’ appearing in Romans 8:23-25. I especially like his words in verse 23, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

This is spectacular news for all my fellow groaners in 2020. Jesus will not disappoint us; He is coming, and at that moment, we will receive immortal bodies and fully experience our membership in God’s forever family.

If you are wondering why I am so certain that our departure from this world will occur before the start of the coming tribulation, please see a previous blog post of mine entitled The Biblical Necessity of the Pretribulation Rapture.

If you groan because the events of 2020 have taken a heavy toll on you, take heart and focus on the prize that lies ahead of you. The Lord may keep us waiting a bit longer, but we can be absolutely certain He will not disappoint us. Jesus will surely reward our patient endurance just as He promises us in Revelation 3:10-11.

If you have not read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 recently, I encourage you to do so often as a reminder of your wonderful and glorious hope. These verses reveal the outcome of our faith. Many today make the foolish mistake of divorcing our “blessed hope” from the Gospel message; they say it’s a third-order doctrine. It’s most assuredly not!

Our imminent departure from this world is the essence of our Gospel hope per the Lord’s assuring words through the apostle Paul in Romans 8:18-25.

I very much need a constant reminder of my hope, and I suspect that many of you do as well. Despite writing about it, I far too often lose sight of the Lord’s appearing as the true prize that awaits me as well as all those whose sins are covered by Jesus’ blood.

You see, it’s all about the moment Paul described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; it’s the “twinkling of an eye” when the glorious hope of the Gospel becomes reality for us, and Jesus turns our perishable bodies into imperishable and immortal ones.

I cannot imagine a better moment than that.

Jonathan Brentner

Website: Our Journey Home

Please consider signing up for my newsletter on my website. Thanks!

E-mail: Jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com

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[i] The WEF has revised this video, but it still can be seen here on the Zero Hedge website: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/horrifying-future-wefs-vision-post-covid-world

[ii] James Delingpole, The Great Reset Is Trending. Here’s Why…, On the Breitbart website at: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/11/18/the-great-reset-is-trending-heres-why/

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Article on the LifeNews Website: John Kerry: Biden presidency would advance globalist ‘Great Reset’ with ‘speed’ at: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/john-kerry-biden-presidency-would-advance-globalist-great-reset-with-speed

Romans Lesson 46: Be Established in The Gospel :: By Sean Gooding

Published on: by RR7

Chapter 16:17-27

“17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore, I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

“21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you, 22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.“

I am blessed to be surrounded by people who help me do the ministry. I have people who make sure that my work is edited. There are two wonderful ladies, one at our church and one for Rapture Ready that faithfully work to get these lessons out each week. Last week, one of the young men stepped up and did the music set-up for our service. He coordinated the message as well, put all the scriptures on the screens, and did an awesome job. As we explored last week, none of us in the ministry are loners. We need the work of the people God put in our lives to help us do the work that He has called us to.

Last week we explored that with Paul; he was quick to highlight and thank the people that helped him in the ministry. I encourage you to do the same if you are a minister. Thank the people that help you, the people that pray for you, the ones that stand by you, and the ones that love you. These are the ones that make what you do possible. Even here in this passage, we see teamwork. In verse 22, we meet Tertius; he is the one writing this letter to the Romans. Paul, as he got older, began to lose his eyesight, and we see in Galatians 4:15 that people at Galatia would have given him their eyes if they could. Paul was dictating, and Tertius was writing. Teamwork. As well, Paul was surrounded by other faithful men who had heard the Gospel and accepted it. As he is finishing the letter, Paul leaves us with some things to ponder and consider.

  1. Be careful of people who cause division, verses 17-20

Paul, Peter and Jude warn us that as we get closer and closer to the return of Jesus, there will be people who turn away from or pervert the Gospel. We can see that in many ‘churches’ today. They preach a gospel that is not even close to what Jesus taught. They teach a gospel of works whereby you can earn your way to heaven. Or, they pair the law with grace and teach that you need both to be saved. Many have turned the Gospel into a pretense to telling God what to do. They claim to speak commands, claim to bind things and loose things, claim and decree as if they are gods; they are not. Many don’t teach the Old Testament anymore; many teach just shallow encouragement pieces that center around how to pump you up rather than teaching about Jesus.

I keep hearing people say that they have some new revelation from Jesus, some word that He just dropped. NO, this is not the case. The Bible is the completed Word of God; if the ‘new’ revelation is not found in the Bible, it is NOT from God. Don’t follow these fables. These people use that phrase ‘I got a new word’ to trick you into believing their lies.

There is little teaching of suffering for the Gospel, being broken by the Holy Spirit in order that Christ may be formed in us or that God will change us and call us to sacrifice. The modern gospel does not seem to call for sacrifice and loss. It promotes abundance and the accumulation of wealth. These heresies are divisive, and we should not tolerate them. These teachers are the tares, and we the wheat in the Lord’s field. If we teach the truth, if we are immersed in the truth, if we love the truth of the Bible and make ourselves familiar with it, we will be able to point out these heresies and nip them in the bud, so to speak, so that they do not grow into doctrines in our churches. Do not tolerate this kind of heresy in your local church; confront it and root it out. I watch a lot of videos of good preachers who exegete the scriptures correctly, exposing the heresies in a lot of mega-churches.

There are a lot of small churches in the same heresies as well; size does not mean they are wrong. But think of the millions of people in many churches who have never really heard the Gospel. They have never heard that they are sinners, that Jesus is the ONLY Saviour, and they need Him to save them. Think of how many people in churches who don’t understand that bloodshed is the only way for sins to be forgiven and washed away. Think of how many people, some preachers, who don’t believe in the literal creation in six days as taught in Genesis.

Many deny the deity of Jesus, many the perfection of Jesus, many don’t understand the eternal salvation that we have in Jesus, and many don’t understand that there is a real judgment of the saved and a Hell for the lost. These doctrines are not popular. Jesus does not want to make a better you; He wants to destroy the old you and build a new you. The old self is dead in sins, and the new you is alive in Jesus.

The Gospel calls for us to separate from the ideas and the goals of the world system. The goal of a local church is to win the lost, baptize them and teach the scriptures faithfully, Matthew 28:18-20. It is simply and clearly stated here. Teach the Gospel, tell others about Jesus, the cross, the grave, the resurrection and the imminent return. Warn them to be ready to meet Jesus and to give an account of their lives. This is the Gospel, not just a get out of Hell free card. Yes, Jesus will save you instantly, but you are not saved to serve yourself; rather, you are called to deny self and serve the Lord and others. This is the Gospel; Jesus said that we are to take up our crosses and follow Him.

This gives the idea of suffering, pain, shame, loss, cost and sometimes mental stress. We are told that in this life, the children of God will have trouble, John 16:33. But Jesus told us this to give us peace inside so that when trouble comes, we will be steady in Him. The Gospel, our salvation, cost Jesus His life, and He suffered for us. As we live out the salvation that we have in Jesus, we should expect to have great costs and suffering. I had a dear pastor friend of mine point out that God never explains to us why Job was allowed to suffer; He just allowed it. But Job’s suffering has been a source of strength for millennia to the saved person. We must know the truth, be immersed in the truth, have our thoughts saturated with the truth so that we can weed out division caused by false gospels and false doctrines.

  1. Be established according to the Gospel, verses 25-27

Be wary of the false doctrine. BUT, be established in the truth. There is a necessary action here. If we are not established in the truth, then false doctrine will set in. Notice that it is Jesus who is able to establish you in the truth. Jesus, we are told in John 14:6, is THE TRUTH. He is the standard of truth; there is no truth without Jesus. Far too many of us saved people are looking for truth elsewhere, but Jesus is it! Spend more time in the truth, spend more time in the Bible, find songs that teach the truth, and they can run through your head during the day. Keep the truth readily available so that you can get the truth when you need it.

Have verses written in your home, listen to songs about the truth in your car, and let your kids hear them as well. I love taking my little Saturn to school; we turn on good Gospel music, and she knows the words and sings along. She has her favorites and can’t wait to hear them. She is in a Christian school that is doctrinally sound and also provides a good education. I want her immersed, surrounded and grounded in the Truth; then, when she is off on her own, she will be armed to stand up and be established in the Gospel. She is eager to pray and has a list of persons to pray for up on the whiteboard in our kitchen. By the way, she is eight (8). She can and does read the Bible as she is about to go to sleep, as a devotional. We speak the truth, do our best to live the truth, surround her with the truth, and we should all be that way.

Our churches should be filled with the truth, even the hard truths. We will stick out like sore thumbs in a world filled with lies, but we are called to stick out. We need to be light-bearers in this dark world. Some will hate us for the truth, and some will love us for the truth. God will bless us for the truth, in the truth and by the truth. The Holy Bible is TRUTH; love it, cling to it and ingest it often.

I pray that you have enjoyed our journey in Romans. I would love to get your feedback. It seems that I have been having some troubles with the church email. I don’t think I have been getting any emails or questions you may have sent. We will endeavor to fix that. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

God bless you,

Dr. Sean Gooding

Pastor of Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church

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