Ephesians 5:25-27
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
A Glorious church! My God I pray for the day! No spots, no wrinkles, made holy, and without one blemish. Seems like a long way off considering the church’s present condition. But I am here to tell you that it’s nearer now than when we first believed!
Romans 13:11-14
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
Today I put on the full armor of God, today I put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I take my stand against the devil’s schemes. Today I take my stand against every doctrine of demon and tradition of man. My battle is NOT against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high and low places. Today I take my place on the battlefield of the Lord; I take up my sword and shield, making myself ready for the battle that will try men’s souls. I lay down my life for Jesus, His body the church, and the gospel of the kingdom of God.
I am writing this open letter of correction through the apostolic authority that Jesus has given me by His word, His anointing, and by prophecy. What I undertake this day will have eternal implications for myself and all who listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. These words of doctrinal correction are for every professing Christian who considers themselves part of the body of Christ.
I do not seek man’s approval or acceptance, I am not looking for speaking engagements, and I have no ulterior motives. My only desire is to see the bride of Christ made ready for the imminent return of the Bridegroom, to see her pure, clean, arrayed in fine white linen and unblemished in the sight of God. The Lord has made it clear to me that ‘the end of all things is near’, and He is making me and my wife able ministers of the New Covenant in these last days.
I write this letter out of the love that God has shed abroad in my heart by His Spirit. I do not write this letter in judgment, pride, or arrogance, but in the fear of God because it’s to Him that I must give account. I have the utmost respect for every man and woman who has labored in the Lord and laid down their lives for His flock. We are all earthen vessels and servants to be used for His glory!
Many of these truths are already known, but they have been dispersed throughout many denominations and movements that emphasize one doctrine while excluding the truth of another. We know that Christ only founded one church, not denominations. He gave five offices to the church not one. He taught one doctrine, not thousands. There is only one interpretation of scripture, His. What I write I have received from Him, from His Spirit, from the throne of God, and He will confirm His word. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
1) The Holy Spirit
Receiving the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are all one and the same. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is NOT a separate occurrence apart from conversion; it is a part OF conversion! The reason there are a multitude of professing Christians who cannot overcome sin and who never see any evidence of the Spirit’s power and fruit is because they do not have the Spirit of God indwelling their bodies. They are unconverted believers.
Ephesians 4:4-5
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;”
This error comes from the misinterpretation of Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Peter said let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus, he didn’t let any believer do what they thought they should do. He told them plainly what they all had to do in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Many believe and are taught today that when you are baptized in water the Holy Spirit descends upon you and He starts to indwell you. Well how do you know the Spirit descended upon you? How do you know that you received the gift of the Holy Spirit? Because you or the minister read the scripture? Ask yourself this question: when I got baptized, was there any evidence at all that the Spirit of the Living God came to dwell inside my body? The Spirit of God that hovered over the face of the waters, the Spirit that spoke through all the prophets, the Spirit that came upon Mary and over shadowed her. The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and performed every miracle of the Lord and the apostles in the 1st century; can you honestly say that you have this Spirit indwelling you? If there was no initial evidence, and there is no perceivable evidence after, then you don’t have the Spirit of God indwelling you.
Put Acts 2:38 in context and you will realize that Jesus had just told the apostles that John indeed baptized with water, but they would be baptized with the Spirit in a few days and to wait for the promise of the Father.
Acts 1:4-5
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Read Matthew 3:11) & (John 15:26,16:5-15)
Then during the day of Pentecost we read of the outpouring of the Spirit upon the flesh of man and the initial manifestations of the Spirit that followed this gift.
Acts 2:1-4
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
We can understand from these scriptures that the apostles and the disciples were just doing what they were commanded to do, they were waiting on the promise, and they didn’t know what day it would actually come or what would happen, but they were being obedient to the commandment of the Lord. Then suddenly the prophetic words that Jesus spoke days earlier were fulfilled and the promise of the Father was given to them all. We read of the initial evidence of the outpouring of the Spirit on their flesh and what happened after. How else would they have known they were receiving the promise of the Father and being baptized with the Holy Spirit that Jesus commanded them to wait for, if there wasn’t any evidence? We can ask ourselves the same question today. God said through the prophet Joel that there would also be evidence of the indwelling Spirit after the outpouring.
Acts 2:17-18
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy." (We are now in the last days!)
The people gathered in Jerusalem thought those who received the Spirit were drunk and could not understand what was happening, but Peter understood what they had just received, and he preached a powerful message about Christ which cut them to their heart and Peter told them what they needed to do, and how they could receive the same Spirit that he did.
Acts 2:37-39
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise (the gift of the Holy Spirit) is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Has the Lord stopped calling men and women? No. Did He change the way new converts are to receive the Spirit? No. But when we do not understand or believe the truth of these scriptures, and are not taught correctly we do not receive the promise of the Father, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are the same human beings, the same ordinary unschooled men and women that they were, and we receive the same Holy Spirit that they did then.
Look at Acts 8:14-17 (Example of Unconverted Believers)
“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
This is a clear example of what goes on the majority of time in the church today. We hear the word, repent, confess our sins, believe in Jesus Christ, get baptized in water, but fail to receive the Holy Spirit, leaving thousands unconverted and believing that they have the Spirit indwelling them. Peter and John recognized that these disciples had not received the Holy Spirit, and how did they know? Because they did not see any evidence; they knew the initial signs and the manifestations of the outpouring of the Spirit upon the flesh because of the day of Pentecost, and they knew there would be evidence of the indwelling Spirit after the outpouring. Peter called it the “gift of God” in verse 20.
Paul himself was only fully converted after the Lord sent Ananias to lay hands on him to receive his sight and be filled with the Spirit. Acts 9:17 Once he received his sight and the infilling of the Spirit he got baptized in water; then we read the evidence of his conversion in the following scriptures.
Acts 9:20-22
Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Then we have Cornelius the Centurion, his family and friends in Acts 10
Acts 10:44-47
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.”
In these scriptures we see God pouring out His Spirit upon the flesh of the gentiles; here we read that the Holy Spirit is given to ALL nations of people and not just the Jews. As peter testified of Jesus the Holy Spirit fell upon everyone inside the house, and even the brothers who came with Peter were astonished to see the gift of the Holy Spirit fall upon the gentiles. And how did they know the Spirit fell upon Cornelius and the others? For they HEARD them speak with tongues and magnify God. They had clear and undeniable evidence they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then Peter goes on to say can anyone forbid them to be baptized in water because they have received the same Holy Spirit we did on the day of Pentecost.
Contrast Acts 2:38 with Acts 10:45-46 and you will see the same words being used for the conversion experience, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now you can begin to understand what it really means to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and how thousands of professing Christians are unconverted today.
Acts 19:1-6
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
In these scriptures Paul finds some disciples in Ephesus, and he didn’t hesitate to ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. Its good he asked because these disciples hadn’t even heard there was a Holy Spirit. Once Paul told them about Jesus Christ they were baptized in water and by the laying on of Paul’s hands we read of the initial evidence of their reception of the Holy Spirit, they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now, Paul and the converts knew they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul also explains to the Corinthian church in 1st Corinthians 12:4-11 that everyone who receives the Holy Spirit will display a manifestation of the Spirit.
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
Manifestation: 1 a : the act, process, or an instance of manifesting b (1) : something that manifests or is manifest (2) : a perceptible, outward, or visible expression (Merriam-Webster)
Those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit WILL have a perceptible manifestation of the Spirit. Whether its dreams, visions, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, workings of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different languages, or interpretation of languages, everyone who has the Holy Spirit indwelling their bodies will have evidence of that indwelling.
Not only will those fully converted to Christ have a perceptible manifestation of the Spirit, but they WILL have inward evidence as well. The believer will not be able to physically see the fruit inside themselves, but they will be able to perceive a change within, and others will see the change too. (So will God!)
Paul says to the Galatians in 5:22
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Many professing Christians read this scripture and think they have all these fruits (I sure did!) and can even make others think they have them, but without receiving the Holy Spirit how can they? We can all willfully display outward signs of these fruits, but inwardly still be full of strongholds, iniquity, and sin. Like Jesus told the Pharisees who looked good on the outside; they had their nice clothes on, they said the right things, prayed out loud in the streets, knew the scriptures backwards and forwards, went to the temple every Sabbath, but inwardly they were full of dead men’s bones, Jesus called them hypocrites.
Matthew 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
Without receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit the conversion process of a confessing believer is not complete, and their soul will not experience the sanctification of the Spirit, the circumcision of the heart, the renewal of the mind, or the conformation of the inner man to Christ.
NOTE* There are many Christians who have received the Spirit with initial evidence, but through laziness, false teachings, a lack of prayer, and bible study, have quenched the Spirit’s fire. If this is you, I exhort you to repent and turn back to the Lord while He may be found.
If you realize that you do not have the Spirit of God indwelling your body, then pray earnestly to the Father for it, and ask Jesus to baptize you in the Spirit and He will do it! (That’s what I did when I learned this truth) If you haven’t been baptized in water, what are you waiting for? Jesus said unless one is born of water AND Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God! (John 3:5)
2) Praying Jesus or Inviting Jesus Into Your Heart
This false doctrine has been a thorn in the flesh of the body since its inception and has no scriptural grounds to stand on. Those who teach and believe this doctrine are unconverted believer’s and have basically thrown out the words of God that clearly outline what one must do in order to be saved. Not one place in the New Testament do you see Jesus say you must pray me into your heart or repeat a prayer in order to enter the kingdom of God, nor did He teach it to His apostles who He sent out to be witnesses of Him throughout the world, and they never converted any Jew or Greek to Christ in the 1st century doing this. So why is it being taught?
Let’s take a look at the few scriptures that are used as the foundation for this doctrine.
Romans 10:8-12
“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
These scriptures definitely sound like the roadmap to salvation don’t they? And in truth these words are a part of the good message that the apostles preached about the kingdom of God. But who was Paul talking to here? Was he talking to us today giving his apostolic revelation of the gospel? Or was he talking to unconverted Jews and gentiles who needed salvation? Let’s answer these questions.
Take a look at Romans 1:7 and 10:1
“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”
We can read clearly in these scriptures that Paul wrote this letter to the Roman saints, who were already converted to Christ during the two years that he spent in Rome after arriving there as a prisoner from Jerusalem. (Read Acts 28)
Paul is talking to the brethren in Rome telling them his heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that THEY may be saved. Why? Because they were rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ! These scriptures were not written for us to quote and repeat for the salvation of our soul. If that were true then everything else Paul said regarding the gospel message he preached would be in question. For example:
Acts 16:29-33 (The Philippian Jailer)
“Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”
This is an example of an unconverted person in need of salvation. If all you had to do was confess Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead then Paul would have said that to the Philippian jailer in Acts, but Paul told him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and THEN he spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house, and immediately after that the jailer and his whole family were baptized.
Paul also told the disciples he found in Ephesus what they had to do in order to be saved.
Acts 19:1-6
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Again we read Paul telling those who needed salvation to believe in Jesus Christ and when they heard his gospel message they got baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit.
All the apostles preached the same message, they didn’t change the gospel to suit the people; they were obedient to what they were taught by Jesus Christ. Peter also told the same thing to the unconverted people in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when they asked what they should do to be saved.
Acts 2:36-39
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Again we read the conversion process for unconverted people. Hear the gospel message preached, believe the message, repent (change your mind or think differently), be baptized in water, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When you read further down in Romans 10 you can put the preceding verses of scripture in context and understand Paul was not telling the Roman saints then or us today what we must do to be saved.
Romans 10:14-16
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! ”But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?”
Clearly what Paul wrote to the Roman brethren was not a roadmap to salvation, but a word for the already converted saints to know how much Paul wanted to see his own countrymen saved.
If you believe that you are saved just by quoting the scriptures or repeating a prayer after someone, then you must understand that you are disregarding the very words of Jesus Christ Himself whom you profess to believe when he said in John 3:5 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” You would also be dismissing the inspired words of Peter, the rest of the apostles, Phillip the evangelist, and Paul who received the gospel by revelation from Jesus. And all scripture is inspired by God! (2 Timothy 3:16)
3) The Rapture
The word ‘Rapture’ is not found anywhere in scripture, but the Coming of Christ is. This doctrine has led many professing Christians to believe that they will be taken off the earth before the great tribulation and unveiling of the antichrist man (beast). But what does the word of God have to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? Let’s take a look at the scriptures this doctrine is based on.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Paul is talking to the Thessalonian saints about the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth for the second time to receive His people to Himself. Nowhere in these scriptures do we read about a secret rapture of the dead in Christ or of the saints who are alive when He comes. In truth what we read is Jesus descending from heaven to earth with a SHOUT, with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God. Nothing quiet and secret about a shout and a trumpet!
Paul also tells the Corinthians the same thing.
1st Corinthians 15:20-23, 51-53“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
Again we don’t read anything about a secret rapture, but of those who have fallen asleep (dead in Christ), and those who are Christ’s at His coming.
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (dead in Christ), 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 incorruptible, and we (those alive when He comes) shall be changed.”
Once again no secret rapture of the dead in Christ or of the living saints when Jesus returns to this earth. What we read is the last trumpet sounding during the coming of Christ and the dead being raised with the living saints being changed.
Some believe that only those in Christ will hear the trumpet and see Jesus, but that belief is unfounded by the scriptures. In truth here is what Jesus Himself said about His coming.
Matthew 24:29-31
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
The words of Christ in Matthew make it clear to us that those in Christ WILL be on this earth during the great tribulation. In truth Jesus said in verse nine. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” When He comes every person will SEE Him coming on the clouds of heaven and then He will send His angels to gather the elect with the same sound of a trumpet that Paul told the saints would herald the Second Coming of Jesus.
Why didn’t Jesus say to His disciples: When the Son of Man comes He is going to secretly rapture up the dead and those who are alive when He comes, and no one will see Him or hear the sound of the trumpet but them. Then they are going to come back to heaven with the Son of Man, and then the Son of Man is going to come back again after the tribulation. How does that sound? But this is what many teach and believe.
Look at Luke 21:25-28
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Jesus Himself is saying again in Luke that He will not be secretly coming to redeem His saints, but the whole world will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory!
Mark 13:24-27
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."
Jesus says once again in Mark, AFTER that tribulation the signs of His Second Coming will be seen by the whole world, and He will send His angels to gather His elect from all over the earth. We have a choice to believe the very words of Jesus and prepare ourselves for the coming tribulation, or believe the false teaching of a secret rapture before the great tribulation.
Revelation 1:7
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
Acts 1:9-11
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Even the angels of heaven told the apostles that Jesus would come back the same way they saw Him go up into heaven. There is nothing about a secret rapture found anywhere in the scriptures.
Mark 14:62
Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
These scriptures directly refute the false teaching of a secret rapture. Paul clearly tells the saints LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU! The day WILL NOT COME until the falling away COMES FIRST! AND the man of sin IS REVEALED, the Antichrist, the beast, the son of perdition, who will stand in the soon to be built third temple in Jerusalem and claim to be God.
We must prepare ourselves for the coming spiritual and physical battle that will face those who confess the name of Jesus Christ. If Christians don’t wake up now to this truth they will be unprepared for the evil that every person on this earth will face. Jesus said the distress and tribulation will be so great that men’s heart’s will fail them for expectation of what is coming upon this earth. I urge every professing Christian to seek the face of the Lord today with all your heart, soul, mind and strength so that you may be ready for the day of evil.
Scriptural Proof Of Divine Protection:
I know and understand that there will be no secret rapture of God’s elect, but according to Revelation 12:1-6,13-17 there will be a part of the church that will be divinely protected and nourished for the three and a half years that the beast or anti-christ man will reign on the earth. This is a true promise from God and Jesus told His disciples to pray so that they may be accounted worthy to escape the tribulation. (Luke 21:36)
“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
There will be a great multitude divinely protected by God from Satan, but there will also be many Christians martyred during the great tribulation.
Revelation 6:9-11
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
Revelation 20:4
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
This scripture proves that Christians will be on this earth during the tribulation period and they will be martyred for bearing witness to Jesus Christ and the word of God. These Christians will NOT worship the beast, his image or take his mark on their foreheads or hands and they will be killed for their uncompromising faith in Jesus Christ. But they will have their reward in heaven and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
4) Substitute
This doctrine says that Jesus was our substitute and that He took our place on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. But the word ‘substitute’ is not found anywhere in the scriptures. Let’s take a closer look at the word of God to see what Jesus really was for God and for us.
The scripture used to support this doctrine is 2nd Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (NKJV)
Where is; for He made Him who knew no sin to be a substitute for us? It’s not written in the scriptures because it’s not true! Jesus was a propitiation for our sins, He made an atonement for our sins by willingly coming to earth and sacrificing Himself to God to pay the penalty of sin that was due God.
Look at Young’s Literal Translation:
“For him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.”
The Literal Translation is unusual in that, as the name implies, it is a strictly literal translation of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. (Wikipedia)
We don’t see the word ‘substitute’ used in either translation, and Young’s Literal Translation renders the text in a much different way than the KJV or NKJV. And I don’t know about you, but I would like to get as close to the original Word’s of God as I can!
Here is the translation from the bible I use: The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, With Strong’s Concordance Numbers Above Each Word. By: Jay P Green, Sr. (Volume IV)
“The (One) for not knowing sin on behalf of us sin He made so that we might become (the) righteousness of God in Him.”
These two literal translations from the Greek Received Text gives us a much better understanding of 2nd Corinthians 5:21, and should remove any idea from our minds that Jesus was a substitute for us.
Look at what substitute means:
Main Entry: sub·sti·tute“A person or thing that takes the place or function of another.” (Merriam-Webster)
How could Jesus ever be a substitute for us? This would mean that we could have gone to the cross for our own sins, but Jesus came and took our place instead. Were we ever sinless? Were we ever perfect? No. God manifested Himself in the flesh taking on a physical body and doing what no one else could have ever done. Paul said while we were still SINNERS Christ died for the ungodly!
Here is what John said Jesus was for our sins:
1st John 2:1-2
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
Propitiation means: 2 : something that propitiates; specifically : an atoning sacrifice (Merriam-Webster) Propitiation also means appeasement.
Romans 5:10-11
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Atonement means: 2 : the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. (Merriam-Webster)
The word of God tells us that Jesus Christ was an atoning sacrifice for our sins that reconciled us to God. Not a substitute.
Jesus was a perfect, sinless, and unblemished sacrificial lamb that was sacrificed on the cross to God, paying the penalty of sin that we could never pay. God laid our sins upon the body of Christ who became a sin bearer, and He willingly and knowingly sacrificed Himself so that we could once again have a covenant relationship with God.
Isaiah 53:6,10-12
“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin,”
“He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
1st Peter 2:24
“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
During the priestly ministry of the Old Covenant, once every year the Levitical high priest had to offer unblemished goats and calves for the sins of Israel, and by placing his hands upon the animal, the high priest symbolically transferred the sins of Israel onto it, causing the animal to become a sin bearer, and it was then sacrificed to God. The Levitical priesthood sacrifices were a shadow of Christ and pointed towards the one bodily sacrifice of Jesus. God prepared a body for His Christ to reconcile the world back to Himself, and He laid the sins of the whole world upon Jesus who bore our sins in His body becoming a sin bearer and an unspotted lamb who sacrificed Himself to God.
Hebrews 9:6-7
“Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance.”
Hebrews 9:12-14
“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Jesus offered Himself without spot to God on our behalf because we could never do anything to take away our own sins. Jesus was not a substitute.
Hebrews 9:26-28
“but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
Jesus Christ was a sin offering to God, a sin bearer, an unblemished and unspotted sacrificial lamb who bore the sins of the whole world in His body. He was NOT a substitute.
Hebrews 10:5-7
“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’”
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross had everything to do with a loving and righteous God who wanted to re-establish the covenant relationship He had with man before he fell in the Garden of Eden; God prepared a body for the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. God sent His only Begotten Son to do what only God Himself could do, live a perfect, sinless life, and offer Himself as a sacrifice to save all man-kind. Jesus was not, and never will be, a substitute.
5) The Trinity
The word ‘trinity’ is not found anywhere in scripture, but there is a whole doctrine and belief system that has been built upon this word. Did Jesus and the apostles teach the doctrine of the trinity? Did man make it up? We will find out the truth as we search the scriptures and learn what the Word of God tells us about His nature.
The foundational scripture used to support this doctrine is:
Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
This scripture has nothing to do with the nature of God and has been used for centuries to support a doctrine of man. There are many scriptures that tell us exactly who God is, and what God is; but this scripture is not one of them.
In truth what this scripture tells us is that Jesus wanted His apostles to baptize all nations of disciples IN THE NAME OF, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When you read the book of Acts you will find the apostles doing exactly what Jesus commanded them to do; baptize new converts in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which is JESUS!
You will not find one scripture where the apostles baptized anybody using the three names, why? Because they understood that the NAME of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit IS JESUS.
Look at what Peter said in Acts 4:10-12
“let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
This scripture tells us plainly that there is NO other NAME under heaven GIVEN among men by which we MUST be saved!
Jesus Himself tells us in John before His death that He had manifested (to make evident) the name of the Father and given it to the men the Father gave Him out of the world.
John 17:6
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.”
And what NAME did the apostles use to drive out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, and baptize in? JESUS CHRIST! The Jewish name for God (Yahweh), was already given to them from the books of Moses and the prophets, but they received a new manifested name of God from the Father; Jesus.
John 17:11-12
“Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.”
We can understand from these scriptures that Jesus had NOT manifested the name Father, because the Father is a manifestation of the One God, not His name! Paul said in Galatians 3:28 that we are one in who? Christ Jesus.
“For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus says in John 17:26
“And I have declared to them Your name (Jesus), and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Mark 16:15-18
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (Jesus) they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The apostles and the 1st century believer’s did all these things in the manifested name of God; Jesus
God is NOT One God in three persons. God is Spirit, God is One, and He is manifested in three ways; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
John 4:24
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”
1st John 5:7
“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (JESUS), and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”
God is One, and the scriptures never use the words ‘three persons’ or ‘trinity’.
John 1:1,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten (Son) of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word never stopped being God, but the Word was manifested in the flesh and became the Son of God, who was given the name Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God-With-Us).
Luke 1:31,35
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”
1st John 1:1-3
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us”
John again tells us that the Word was manifested to the world; He was an invisible Spirit that became flesh when He was born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit miraculously impregnated Mary, which allowed God Himself to enter this physical realm in the flesh of man.
Philippians 2:5-9
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”
Jesus, who is the Word (God), manifested in the flesh made Himself of no reputation; He had all the powers of an omnipotent God but set aside His divinity so that He could save mankind, and He only lived by what the Father gave Him from heaven.
Colossians 2:9
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;”
Jesus could have done anything He wanted to do at anytime because the fullness of God lived inside His body, and the Holy Spirit worked through Jesus miraculously. But Jesus never went outside the Father’s will and He was obedient until His death, setting an example for His followers to depend solely on the Father for everything.
Colossians 1:15-17
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
This scripture tells us that God is invisible (Spirit) NOT a person, and that Jesus is the image of God. All things in heaven and earth were created by Him, because He is the Word of God manifested in the flesh.
1st Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Look at Genesis 1:1-3
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
When God spoke, it was the power of His Word that brought the creation into existence; this same Word that created all things was manifested in the flesh and came into this world through the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is NOT three persons, God IS Spirit and God IS ONE!
6) The Tithe
This Law of Moses that was given to the Israelite nation by God has been used for centuries to collect money from believer’s to fund the church and the salaries of clergy. The misuse of the tithe has led to divisions in many families and marriages, causing a multitude of Christians over the years to go without food, pay their bills, put gas in the car, buy clothes, and many other necessities of life. It has also caused many believer’s to feel manipulated, guilty, and afraid that God will curse them if they don’t tithe or cannot give due to their financial situation.
The scriptures used to validate the tithe in the New Testament church comes from:
Malachi 3:6-12
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.”
The first question we need to ask is: Who was Malachi prophesying to?
Malachi 2:6 “To you priests who despise My name.”
The main recipients of this prophetic word were the levitical priests of Israel who offered defiled food, lame, sick, and blind animals on the altar of God. They were the ones who went away from the ordinances of the Lord and were doing evil in His sight. They asked the Lord ‘in what way shall we return?’ ‘Will a man rob God?’
The nation of Israel was robbing God of His tithes that were commanded by the Law of Moses to be given for the priests to live on in the temple. The priests withheld the pure and unblemished offerings that were required by the law to be sacrificed to God. This is why God said bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in My house, not money! The Israelites tithed on their food and livestock so that the priest’s and those who needed it would be fed. If they did this THEN God would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on the nation of Israel and their land, NOT on Christians today!
When we read ALL of Malachi in context we can clearly understand that God was not talking to those under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. In truth He was talking to the levitical priests and the nation of Israel who were under the Old Covenant.
Malachi 2:1
“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the LORD of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.”
The Lord makes it very clear who He was talking to through the prophet Malachi.
Malachi 3:9
“You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.”
What nation? The nation of Israel!
When man takes scripture out of context and uses it for his own gain the consequences always fall upon the sheep that listen and trust them. Many ministers are afraid to speak the truth for fear of losing the sheep and their salaries, but every shepherd must realize that the sheep are the Lord’s and we are just tending the flock until the Great Shepherd returns!
Now take a look at how the New Testament church began under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, the Covenant of grace and faith by the law of the Spirit.
Acts 2:44-46
“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
The saints in the New Testament church were exhorted by Paul to excel at the grace of giving, and to give from the heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion. There are no scriptures that command the Christians to tithe ten percent of ALL their income every week to the church.
2nd Corinthians 9:7
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2nd Corinthians 8:1-4
“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”
The 1st century churches were concerned about taking care of one another and providing for the needs of the poor, their offerings were free will offerings. The apostles didn’t have to tell them to give, they gave joyfully even under affliction and poverty. They wanted to minister to the needs of the saints. If the churches today were like this, there wouldn’t be as much need inside the church or out of it.
2nd Corinthians 8:12-15
“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Giving in the 1st century was all about equality and sharing the blessings of God, but today we see guilt giving, reluctant giving, and giving to get something back from God. Is there anywhere in the scriptures that tell Christians to do what we hear coming from the mouths of ministers and televangelists today? Paul told the saints to give according to what they had, not what they didn’t have, so there would be equality in the church.
1st Corinthians 16:1
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.”
Again we see a collection being made for the saints and NOT for the clergy or a building, but to provide for the other churches. The church in Jerusalem was in need so Paul told the Corinthian church and the churches of Galatia to set something aside as they have prospered so a collection could be made for the Jerusalem church; nothing about the prophecy of Malachi in these scriptures. In truth you will not see any of the apostles quoting the prophet in order to get money from the saints, and Paul knew the Old Testament scriptures well, why didn’t he quote Malachi?
In truth, the law of tithing was NOT commanded to be kept by any Christian convert in the New Testament scriptures and the tithe is NOT a New Covenant obligation for the saints today. If the first church didn’t do it, then why are we doing it?
If you would like to go even deeper into the truth about the tithe, here is a link to a very detailed and in-depth study: http://bible-truths.com/tithing.html
In Conclusion:
I pray that this labor of love has benefited your soul and you have taken to heart the words of God and the words that I have written. I pray that you will seek the Lord and ask Him to confirm His word concerning these truths.
I am truly blessed to be able to share this knowledge and understanding of the scriptures with you because I had spent years blind and deceived, being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. I spent years of being a hypocritical professing Christian with no power to overcome sin, myself, or Satan, but today I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ, His words, and the truth that He delivered to me by His Spirit.
I do not profess to know everything about each truth, but I have written what I have received, we only know in part. I am truly open to receive more insight into the scriptures and I am more than willing to discuss the things of the kingdom with those who want to share what they have received with me.
I pray to God that those who listen to what the Spirit is saying in these last days will find the joy, salvation, peace, love, and power that the true and Living God has shown me. I pray for every eternal soul that receives the grace of God through the reading of this letter and that we will see each other in eternity.
With Sincere Love In Christ,
Tyrone D Palmer, the servant of all, and apostle of Jesus Christ
