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TO THOSE IN MINISTRY
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Issue No: 792 Published: 02 Jan 2017
‘THE RAPTURE’ - SATAN’S PLAN OF DECEPTION WITHIN TODAY’S CHURCH (Part 7)
THE GROWING POPULARITY OF THE RAPTURE IN CHURCH AND SECULAR CULTUREThis rapture phenomenon has grown dramatically, particularly in America, during the past 50 years. From there it is rapidly spreading around the world through the medium of popular books, films, TV and of greatest concern, Bible colleges and seminaries, such as the influential Dallas Theological Seminary. Indeed, so endemic is the teaching that for many churches and Christians it is sadly accepted as 'gospel truth'!
This theory has been reinforced by the populist 'Hollywood' treatment of it. I quote from an article by Brett McCracken, a noted film critic and author (whose knowledge about such matters is infinitely greater than mine, as I ignore them!)....
Pop apocalyptic�the larger genre of disaster movies and end-of-the-world scenarios�has been a big business for a long time. It flourished after World War II and during the cold war. Just as Amish romances have provided an evangelical-friendly niche within the larger genre of romance novels, Rapture media allowed Christians to carve out a space within the larger (and quite profitable) genre of apocalyptic. Whereas Amish romance provides a "safer alternative" to bodice-rippers, however, Christian Rapture fare often seems more intent on upping the terror factor than providing toned-down, family-friendly fun.
Take the 1941 evangelistic film 'The Rapture', produced by Charles Octavia Baptista. In 11 minutes, the film chillingly depicts the chaos to be wrought on earth when the Rapture occurs. The narrator predicts that "speeding trains will plunge unsuspecting passengers into a black eternity as Christian engineers are snatched from the throttle. Operations will be halted midway when believing surgeons are caught up to be forever with the Lord."
Rapture terror hit a new high in 1973 with 'Thief in the Night'. The film combined the tropes of low-budget horror (George Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' had come out a few years earlier) with dispensationalist anxiety fueled in part by books like Hal Lindsey's 'The Late, Great Planet Earth'. Produced by Russell S. Doughton (The Blob), the 69-minute film terrified audiences and spun off three sequels: 'A Distant Thunder', 'Image of the Beast', and 'The Prodigal Planet'.
The Rapture renaissance we enjoy today is probably most indebted to Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins's 16-book 'Left Behind' series (1995�2007), which has sold more than 63 million copies and launched three films as well as video games, parodies, and a 40-installment children's series. The Nicolas Cage treatment of 'Left Behind' is just the latest in a crowded pack of 21st-century Rapture movies. They include Cloud Ten Pictures' 'Apocalypse' franchise, Pure Flix Entertainment's 'Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End', and the Carman-starring 'Final: The Rapture', which director Tim Chey said he made to "scare the living daylights out of adult nonbelievers."
While most Christian-made Rapture movies seek to scare nonbelievers into reconsidering Christ, many secular films in the genre aim merely to entertain. Recent comedies such as 'Rapture-Palooza', 'The World's End', and the aforementioned 'This Is the End' have mined the apocalypse for laughs.
The ease with which the Rapture has crossed over into secular culture may reflect a broader societal anxiety. The destabilizing effects of two world wars and the cold war, coupled with nuclear fears and worries about technology, infused the 20th century with an existential urgency and expectancy of calamity. When fears of apocalypse�whether by contagion, nuke, robot, zombie, mutated spider, or giant lizard�were everywhere in pop culture, the worldwide disappearance of millions didn't seem farfetched.
It could be, indeed, that the original resonance of the dispensational Rapture among Christians had more to do with the anxious effects of modernity than with its theological merit. "Signs of the times" is a common trope in Rapture narratives, but in a profound sense, the Rapture's popularity is itself a "sign of the times," a byproduct and manifestation of larger societal unease.....
..... Both Taylor's loss of "higher times" and Rushkoff's burden of the "infinite present" help us understand why we're so compelled by things like the Rapture�or anything apocalyptic. Living in a flattened timescape, we long for moments to take us out of the profane and everyday. In the absence of "higher times," global disasters and narratives of apocalypse stand in as sacred moments that rupture the monotony of secular time. "Where were you when . . . ?" is a question of almost spiritual gravitas for anyone alive on 9/11 or the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Especially since the advent of mass broadcasts of breaking news, we mark time by shared moments of global calamity and terror, existential pauses that give us transcendent perspective.
These are real if perverted expressions of our longing for the "higher" time we've lost, for pivot points in history, for an escape from the present. In a world where there's "nothing new under the sun," where generations come and go "but the earth remains forever" (Ecc. 1:4), we long to be part of an unexpected story, to witness something significant. But must that "something significant" be the earth's fiery end?
Christians of all people need not buy into the prevailing culture's preoccupation with doomsday. Let the world have its apocalyptic versions of the Rapture�Christians have something better. Surely there are movies to be made about not destruction, but resurrection.
Brett McCracken is a film critic for Christianity Today and author of Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism and Liberty (Baker Books).
Consciously or unconsciously, the popular, (highly profitable!) Hollywood treatment of rapture theory has deceived society, the church, and individual believers into believing that this doctrine is true without checking out the real facts of what the Bible says of end times.
Let Scripture have the last word....
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say �No� to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope�the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. (Titus 2:12-15)
18Then Jesus came to them and said, �All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.� (Matthew 28:18-20)
(Concluded next week)
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-9, Luke 6:46-9)
Everyone that hears the words I say, and follows them, is like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. The rain poured down, and the floods rose, and the winds blew hard against the house, but it didn’t fall down, because its foundations were on solid rock. Everyone that hears the words I say, and doesn’t follow them, is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain poured down, and the floods rose, and the winds blew hard against the house, and it fell down—it totally collapsed.â€
Jesus Heals the Centurion’s Servant (Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7;1-10)
Through the faith of the Centurion, without visiting his home.
“I will come and heal him,â€
“I tell you the truth, I haven’t found this kind of trust anywhere in Israel. I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown out into utter darkness where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.â€
“Go home. Because you trusted that it would happen, what you asked for has been done.â€
Jesus Raises the Widow of Nain’s Son (Luke 7:11-17)
When the boy’s body was being taken outside of the town.
“Don’t cry,â€
“Young man, I tell you, get up.â€
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
***NOW***NINE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!
9 BOOKS are now available on Amazon (Kindle)!The final one to be added is THE PURGING OF THE CHURCH. It is based on 11 bullet points David Wilkerson, noted author of 'The Cross and the Switchblade', published about changes needed in the church of today to prepare it for the return of Jesus.
All are available worldwide for electronic download on Amazon (Kindle) for $US0.99c . Unfortunately there has to be charge in order to list.
Your support would be appreciated and they could well change your life!
They are all found at this link.....
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=david+tait+books/
BOOK OF THE WEEK
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCHCHANGES GOD REQUIRES IN HIS CHURCH TODAY IN ORDER TO PRODUCE THE PERFECTED ‘BRIDE OF CHRIST’
A journey of discovery for those who are dissatisfied with the 'church system' today. If you have a spiritual hunger for more of Jesus, more 'real' interaction with the Holy Spirit and desire to know and live the will of the Father in your life, this is for you. Do you earnestly hunger to enter the 'kingdom of God', the final age that will usher in the return of Jesus? 'TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH' will illuminate the way ahead for you.
Downloadable from Amazon for USD99c at.....
https://www.amazon.com/TRANSFORMATION-CHURCH-CHANGES-REQUIRES-PERFECTED-ebook/dp/B01DBD2SVG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N7DW6CGNE9C2PP30K1TX
***DAILY EZINE!*** 'DAVID'S DAILY DOODLINGS' Subscribe Today
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'THE WORDS OF JESUS' REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR PDF DOWNLOAD
Join the many who have downloaded the 'The Words of Jesus'. I am sure you will be blessed by it, as I have been.One key element here is the setting out in chronological order (as far as it is possible to do so) our Lord's words drawn from all the Gospels, and the elimination of repetition between Gospels.
You may be surprised by the different perspective this presentation gives you both in understanding of His life and ministry, and in achieving a closer relationship with Him.
Download the free PDF here.....
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1052. Today's revelation becomes tomorrow's religion.
1053. One dose of God is worth more than a billion of religion!
1054. When mankind cannot accept God's revelation, they adapt it to become religion.
1055. The cost of God's kingdom is obedience, religion's, money. Most of us take the easy option!
1056. Religion goes as God's kingdom grows.
1057. Revelation tells us God's kingdom is available now, while religion places itself in the now, with the kingdom to be found in the future.
1058. Religion may well be the opiate of the masses, but God's kingdom is possessed by the godly, right now!
1059. Religion comes and religion goes, but God's kingdom goes on forever.
1060. God's kingdom now isn't freely given, but possessed through godly obedience.
1061. God reveals, while religion conceals.
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW continues.....Today we look at the final part of the SUMMARY of what we have learned.
Check out all the available teachings at...
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused****** Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others. ***
410. A RUMOUR
Rumour has it that Billy Graham Ministries is starting up a Emotional Support Group for men who are experiencing the trauma of hair loss. Reportedly they close every meeting with the benediction, "Go, and thin no more!"
409. SPIRIT IN A VACUUM
I once heard a preacher say that it's man's spirit that makes him different from animals.
That may be true, but I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners.
408. THE PURCHASE
I don't know what's wrong with my television set. I keep getting Christian TV and the Home Shopping Network on the same channel. I actually bought a church choir the other night.
"FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 800 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Who drew the original Mickey Mouse in his first short cartoon?ANSWER: Not Walt Disney, as is commonly believed. All of the sketching and animation was done by Ub Iwerks, Disney's chief animator in the early days of Disney Studios. Walt Disney had largely abandoned drawing animated characters to concentrate on the commercial side of business. However Walt did come up with the idea for Mickey and established his personality. He also supplied the voice. (And banked the money!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What do cats, camels, and giraffes have in common?
SOME FUN FACTS 309. A NEW STAR BORN.....
…in our galaxy every 18 days. Our galaxy though, comprises 100,000 million stars. (So it makes little noticeable difference.)
310. MUCH HEAVIER
A bucket filled with earth would weigh about 5 times more than the same bucket filled with the substance of the Sun. However, the force of gravity is so much greater on the Sun that a man weighing 150 pounds on our planet would weigh 2 tons on the Sun. (Would still be instantly ‘sunfried’!)
311. SWEETNESS
When Princess Maria Theresa of Spain was betrothed to Louis XIV of France in 1615, she gave her fiancé an engagement gift of chocolate, packaged in an elegantly ornate chest. Their marriage was symbolic of the marriage of chocolate in Spanish-Franco culture. (How long did it last? The chocolate I mean!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
PLATTER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
Or view all 1232 online at...
THE PARABLES
7: Five of the 'Ten Virgins' did not take enough of what?a. Food
b. Clothing
c. Oil
d. Water
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""SOME WORDS OF HUMAN WISDOM
!!!!!!! A person who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes, but a person who doesn't ask, is a fool forever...
!!!!!! A best friend is like a four leaf clover... hard to find, and lucky to have.
!!!!! A friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart.
!!!! A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.
!!! I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
!! Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.
! Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace... and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
TIL DEATH DO US PART
99. LOGICAfter a particularly rough argument, the wife says to her husband, "I'll tell you what. I'll admit I'm right, if you'll admit you're wrong."
100. CUTE
In the manner of all new mothers, I spent a lot of time inspecting my firstborn, When he was almost a month old. I noticed a curious dimple on his bottom. With each diaper
change and bath I became more concerned. What if the boys in the locker room found it funny and teased him about it, or, even worse, what if some future spouse thought it to be
strange?
One evening I approached my husband, "Look at this," I cried, waving the small bottom about. "Do you think it will embarrass him when he grows up? Do you think it's strange?"
My husband listened patiently to my outburst, then said, "No, I don't think it is strange, dear. I've always thought that it was pretty cute on you!"
101. RELATIVES?
Years ago, George and Laura Bush had enjoyed lunch at the only cafe in Crawford, and were driving back to the ranch in silence. They had had a disagreement just before they got into the pickup truck, and were giving each other the silent treatment. As they passed a
small farm with pigs and a mule in the pasture next to the highway, George couldn't resist. Pointing to the livestock, he jokingly asked, "Relatives of yours?"
Laura, quick witted as ever, responded, "Yes ... in-laws."
102. SECRET FEAR
Over the cover of a women's magazine, a title caught my eye: "Men's Secret Fear About Their Working Wives." I decided to get a first hand account. "What's your innermost fear about my working?" I asked my husband.
"That you'll quit," he promptly replied.
Enjoy more marriage and family humour here....
I Found the Gospel in Communist Romania
And then I shared it with the man the government sent to kill me.Virginia Prodana
Like most people, I was born with a hunger for truth and freedom. Unfortunately, I was born in Communist Romania under the brutal totalitarian regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. Ceausescu’s Romania was a land of lies, where simply questioning a government directive could lead to imprisonment, physical torture, and—in some cases—death.
Needless to say, we lived in a constant state of anxiety and mistrust. Anyone could arbitrarily denounce a neighbor, classmate, or family member for making “anti-government†statements. The government even had spies planted in the churches. The best way to avoid trouble was to remain silent, question nothing, and try to blend in.
For years, I watched my parents and relatives play the part of “good citizens†while privately whispering their contempt for the government. I wondered, Why do people always speak in whispers? Why are they so afraid to speak the truth?
‘Do you go to church?’
The more fear battered those around me into silence, the more obsessed I became with finding the truth. After graduation, I went to law school and became an attorney. But my job—assigned by the government—consisted of little more than rubber-stamping newly-created communist rules and regulations. It was demoralizing.
One evening a client came in to discuss some paperwork related to a property settlement. We had been meeting for months now, and frankly, I was exhausted. But this particular client never seemed to get discouraged. He always smiled, and he had a sense of contentment unlike anything I had ever seen. It was as though he were somehow oblivious to all of the misery that surrounded him. He radiated joy and peace, and for some reason, it troubled me.
Without thinking, I confessed, “I wish I had what you have in your life. I wish I had your sense of peace and happiness.â€
“Do you go to church?†he asked.
“Yes,†I replied. “On Christmas and Easter. Why?â€
“Would you like to come with me to my church this Sunday?â€
My first instinct was to decline. After all, the communist government was notoriously anti-church. Under Ceausescu’s rule, Christians were frequently arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. Church buildings were bulldozed, their land confiscated to make room for Ceausescu’s palace. Anyone who questioned his anti-God stance was either thrown in jail or “disappeared.†For all I knew, this could be a trick to test my loyalty. I paused briefly to consider my next move. Then I saw once again that look of peace and contentment. I wanted that—so much so that I decided it was worth the risk.
The next Sunday I visited his church. As soon as the choir finished the opening song, the pastor read John 14:6—“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.†I could not believe what I heard. Someone was claiming to be the truth?
As the pastor continued to describe the truth of Jesus Christ, I felt as though the verses he shared were written specifically for me. Looking across the aisle, I saw my client. He smiled, nodded, and gently patted his Bible as if to say, “Now do you understand?â€
I did. Without realizing it, I was beaming back at him. For the first time in my life, everything made sense. I had spent years searching for the truth, but I had been looking in the wrong places—law school, the government, the justice system. I suddenly realized that truth was something that came not from law books, but from God himself: the Creator of the universe—my Creator, the source of all life, peace, and happiness.
Source: www.christianitytoday.com
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
A REVELATION OF... DIVIDING THE WATERSRESTORING GOD’S CHURCH IN THESE END TIMES
A revelation based upon the 3 times the waters were divided in the Bible (The Red Sea with Moses, The River Jordan with Joshua and The River Jordan again with Elijah and Elisha.) and their meanings for the restoration of God's church in these end times.
Download your free PDF File here.....
WAXING LYRICAL
A new year, What will we do in it?2017
A new year is here.
But will we hear?
Desire to be in one accord,
With our master and Lord.
To be in His rest,
Is often a test.
May the Lord take you there,
Be an end all your despair.
JESUS IS LORD!
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
As mentioned last week, the primary reason for our trip to India was the wedding of our 3rd son Nigel to his beautiful Indian bride, Savithri, whom he met in London, England, where they both live.The best way to describe the wedding itself, was as a 'fairy tale', because of the setting in which it was held. Held at the Bangalore Club, a leftover from the British Raj days, the setting was outside in a garden area abundant in fairy lights!
Many of Nige and Savi's friends came from London, the USA and Canada, plus one from China! Together with the wider Tait clan from New Zealand, Scotland and Australia plus, of course, a large contingent of Indians, the wedding was truly an international one!
The saying, a picture is worth a 1000 words, surely applies here! The bride and groom are flanked by their respective parents, with the celebrant to the left.
A superb occasion!
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: PRATTLE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: c. Oil (Matthew 25:3)
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
7 Bull Street
Ahuriri
Napier
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 835 0567 International (+64) 6 835 0567
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz
Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!
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