Faith Matters Podcast

The Bible urges us to forgive – totally. It is very surprising, therefore, to learn that there is no teaching of this kind for forgiveness in Judaism.

Last time we read together we covered lessons learned from Joseph’s example. Do not let anyone know what someone said about you or did to you? Do not allow anyone to be afraid of you or intimidated by you. We will want them to forgive themselves and not feel guilty. But there’s more. Let’s cover those tonight.  

Last time we talked about how Joseph’s actions toward his brothers demonstrated total forgiveness. So what lessons about total forgiveness can the example of Joseph teach us?

The story of Joesph provides a heart-searching frame of reference by showing us how he was able to totally forgive his brothers.

Forgiveness isn’t approving of, excusing, justifying or pardoning an offense. It doesn’t have to include reconciliation and it doesn’t mean we deny, turn a blind eye or forget the sin against us. We don’t have to refuse to take a wrong seriously or pretend that we weren’t hurt by it. But forgiveness is necessary. “Just as God forgives people without approving of their sin, we also must learn that forgiving people does not imply an endorsement of their evil deeds.” So let’s take a look at what forgiveness is.

Last week we started chapter 1 and left off with this quote: Total forgiveness does not mean closing our eyes to those who will continue to harm others. Before going any further, let me clarify what total forgiveness is not.  

One must totally forgive those who will not be reconciled. It must happen in the heart, and when it does, peace emerges – with or without a complete restoration of the relationship. What matters is that the Holy Spirit is able to dwell in us ungrieved, able to be utterly Himself.

He has chosen to share many of those prophecies with us, if we will only heed what they say.

We’ve now spent twenty-nine chapters exploring the reality of the Rapture. A moment is coming when our world will change “in the twinkling of an eye”. The Lord Jesus will appear in the clouds and gather His people to Himself – first those who’ve died in Him, and then those who are fortunate enough to witness His return in the sky.

When Jesus leads His heavenly offensive against Satan and the Antichrist at that battle, He will follow a similar strategy as the US forces in Iraq – although He will have no part with conventional ammunition. His weapon will be glory. Christ’s transcendent splendor and power will be fully aimed at the evil that has bedeviled humanity for so long. In that final showdown, the rebellion of the Tribulation Period will come to a head. The Antichrist, the kings of the earth, and the souls that follow them will gather one last time to try to defeat Jesus Christ. Their armies will be made up of soldiers from the ten nations of the revived Roman Empire. The Antichrist, with the False Prophet at his side, will lead those massive armies in defying Ghrist’s authority and right to rule – the ultimate revolt against God. When Christ’s return draws near, they will do everything they can to prepare for the battle of the ages. And they will fail spectacularly.

When Jesus leads His heavenly offensive against Satan and the Antichrist at that battle, He will follow a similar strategy as the US forces in Iraq – although He will have no part with conventional ammunition. His weapon will be glory. Christ’s transcendent splendor and power will be fully aimed at the evil that has bedeviled humanity for so long. In that final showdown, the rebellion of the Tribulation Period will come to a head. The Antichrist, the kings of the earth, and the souls that follow them will gather one last time to try to defeat Jesus Christ. Their armies will be made up of soldiers from the ten nations of the revived Roman Empire. The Antichrist, with the False Prophet at his side, will lead those massive armies in defying Ghrist’s authority and right to rule – the ultimate revolt against God.  

Signs play an important role in the modern driving experience. They tell us what’s coming. They alert us to possible problems. And they help keep us safe. The same is true for the “signs” identified throughout God’s Word. Thankfully, those signs cannot be altered or adulterated!

In order to have a firm grasp of God’s prophetic plan for the future, we need to notice the distinctions between the Rapture and the Second Coming.

There are many times when silence is a powerful witness to the facts, and that’s true when it comes to the Rapture of the chruch and the events of the Tribulation as we find them in the book of Revelation. So far, we’ve already established our conviction that the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation. The “curious incident” of dead silence regarding the church in the core chapters of Revelation comes alongside that conclusion and helps corroborate it.

The Rapture is a biblical promise stating that one day Jesus will drop everything, bring His people to Himself, and make our deepest dreams come true by welcoming us to His Father’s house for all eternity. In this chapter, we’re going to closely examine one verse of Scripture that indicates a before-the-Tribulation Rapture. It’s one of the most important verses in the entire New Testament on this subject and worthy of investigation.

All of us who know Christ are His ambassadors, His representatives in a deteriorating world. Just before the storm of the Tribulation’s violence hits the gates of the church, our great Commander is literally going to airlift us to safety, rescuing us before the storm. We’ve talked about that rescue often in these pates – it’s the Rapture. What you may be surprised to learn is that God has followed that pattern many times in history. Proverbs 11:8 says, “The righetous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.”

From Dr. David Jeremiah's book, The Great Disappearance We saw in the previous chapter that the Rapture is Imminent, meaning it can happen at any moment. Yet our Lord Jesus has not yet returned. For two thousand years, Christians have watched and waited for the catalyst of the Rapture to coalesce into the next phase in God’s prophetic plan. And we are still waiting. It's fair to ask the question: Why the delay?

One of the key teachings about the Rapture that is recorded in several places in Scripture is often called the doctrine of imminency. When something is imminent, it could happen at any moment. There are no barriers that need to be removed or qualifications that need to be met before it occurs. Importantly, an event that is “imminent” is not necessarily “immediate.” Saying an event is imminent does not mean it is guaranteed to occur in the immediate future, only that it could occur at any time. Bible expositor A. T. Pierson wrote, “Imminence is the combination of two conditions . . . certainty and uncertainty. An imminent event is one which is certain to occur at some time, uncertain at what time. Imminent is not synonymous with impending. It is not exact to say what is imminent is near at hand; it may or may not be.” I am highlighting this term because the Bible presents the Rapture as an imminent event – one that could take place at any moment. This chapter will show you where to find those claims in Scripture and why the doctrine of imminency is important for your everyday life.

Join us every week as we read through another chapter from our book review series. SALVATION IN THE TRIBULATION CH 20 The grace of God will pull many people out of the rubble of the Tribulation. There will still be hope for those left behind after the Rapture. The gospel will still be available, even if the church is gone. There will be at least four streams of gospel truth that will cut a channel through the Tribulation. In fact, it is possible that the spiritual awakening that will occur during the Tribulation will be the greatest evangelistic harvest the world has ever seen. https://www.diggingdeepertv.com

Reading about the horrors of war as a student of biblical prophecy causes me to think about what our entire world will experience in the future. Reading about the trials and tribulations of people in a war-torn country reminds me that the Tribulation is coming — and perhaps coming soon. Remember, the Rapture will not occur in a vacuum. The moment Jesus steps through the gates of heaven and returns to rescue His people from this world, the countdown to Tribulation will begin. Therefore, it’s important for us to learn more about that seven-year period looming on the horizon of human history. The Picture of the Tribulation Seven Years of Surprise