We live in an age when shorts, sweatpants, and bare midriff (sometimes all at the same time) are considered acceptable attire for most churches. I have also noticed that more and more men are throwing away their suit and ties and taking on more extreme casual ware when they go to church.
I remember when the "tradition" of giving honor to our Lord, was by dressing up to meet with His people to worship Him.
And, I might be as bold to suggest that Scripture could, in fact, suggest this. In the parable told by Christ in Matthew 22:11-12, the king expected each of his guests to come with the proper “wedding garment.” Not to do so was to show disrespect for the king and for the occasion. In like manner, our forefathers felt it important to come to church with clothing that showed proper respect to the Lord and to the occasion.
As a child growing up, it was required that we take a bath on Saturday night, even if we needed it or not, in preparation for Sunday Church.
Today we swerve boldly in the other direction. We energetically oppose dressing especially for church. Many even consider it hypocritical to do so. We should come as we are and avoid any pretense. But do the dress patterns of today prove that we have a greater sincerity and are more genuine than our predecessors? I don't believe they do.
The slouchy dress that we see in worship services directly corresponds to our flippant attitude toward meeting with our Maker and Saviour. We have lost our respect for the spiritual dimension of God meeting with His people. Now, we want to dress like we would at a backyard barbecue. God is everywhere. Why approach His house with any more formality than we would enter the neighborhood grocery store?
The key word for today is comfort. “Why shouldn’t I feel comfortable? After all, my comfort is the main thing. I’m not going to go out of my way for anyone–even God.” We exult in our come-as-you-are philosophy. Our services have become user-friendly for everyone except God. More and more, He seems to be left out in the cold. O how we love ourselves unto death!
The Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes may be a tradition that is quickly fading away. But it was a good tradition and one whose parting is just another sign of the times–the last times. Where is our sense of awe in the presence of God? He says He dwells in the midst of us when we meet with Him (Matthew 18:20). The church is the people, not the building. When the people of the church meet, they become the “house of God” (1Timothy 3:15); they become His dwelling place. What a special privilege to enter into this presence!
Psalm 96:8-9 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth."
When I meet with the congregation of the Lord, I count it not a burden, but an honor to give extra pains in preparation, in physical cleanliness, and in dressing up. I count it a privilege to wear my Sunday best. Any discomfort I may feel from a tie about my neck, from a coat about my body, or from clothes too good for playing kickball is offset by the solemnity and wonder of the occasion.
It is seldom that we in America get to suffer anything for the Saviour who suffered so much for us. The least I can do (and I mean the least) is to honor Him by dressing more formally when I come to His church than I do for other events. Certainly, I can suffer a necktie for Him.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Pervading Attitude Of The Church Today
There is a very dangerous attitude pervading the Church today, and it's an attitude of "It's all about me".
Consider these statistics of Christianity in America: Eighty-four percent of the inhabitants of this nation say they believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, according to one of Barna Group survey, and 45 percent claim to be born-again Christians. Other studies show it is closer to 33 percent.
Which ever numbers you use, they are high.
And, when you look at the great moral decline of the last generation (50 to 60 years) and the telling statistics of our society, you wonder how much time we have left. Here is what the statics are saying.
Consider these statistics of Christianity in America: Eighty-four percent of the inhabitants of this nation say they believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, according to one of Barna Group survey, and 45 percent claim to be born-again Christians. Other studies show it is closer to 33 percent.
Which ever numbers you use, they are high.
- Seventy-seven percent believe their chances of going to heaven are excellent.
- Thirty-three percent believe one day everyone will go to heaven.
Yet America has:
- the highest percentage of single-parent families in the industrialized world,
- the highest abortion rate,
- the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases,
- the highest rate of teenage birth by far,
- the highest rate of teenage drug use and
- the largest prison population per capita than any country in the world.
And, when you look at the great moral decline of the last generation (50 to 60 years) and the telling statistics of our society, you wonder how much time we have left. Here is what the statics are saying.
- The divorce rate has doubled,
- teen suicide has tripled,
- reported violent crime has quadrupled,
- prison population has quintupled,
- percentage of babies born out of wedlock has risen sixfold,
- couples living together out of wedlock have increased sevenfold,
- and gay marriage is now a legalized reality in a number of states, with many believing the end is not in sight.
In this past generation, we have experienced an overwhelming increase in lawlessness, permissiveness and selfishness, even among Christians. Moral actions that were unthinkable a few decades ago are now commonplace—Christian leaders indulging in sexual sin and grossly immoral scandals, addicted to pornography and accompanied by an exploding divorce rate have greatly factored in the rapid decrease of morals in the American church. And as the church goes, so goes the world.
The most staggering statics from the Barna Group survey is that among young American adults, the percentage who follow biblically based values for living has now dropped from 65 percent during World War II to a mere 4 percent today.
There has never been a society in the history of mankind whose moral values have deteriorated so dramatically, in such a short period of time, as those of Americans in the last 50 years. And so far it shows no sign of stopping. These statistics are eye-opening, and they serve to warn us that something is terribly wrong with our brand of Christianity. They reveal how poorly the church has communicated the true gospel to mainstream America, and thus the reason for so much deception in our culture.
When the rich man died and went to Hades (Luke 16:19-31), he was surprised to find himself there. In the Jewish culture, they equated wealth with godliness, so this man thought God favored him. The common thought, especially among the Jews, was if you were blessed financially, then you were a good person and therefore favored by God and on your way to heaven. This also explains the disciples' astonishment when Jesus told them how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:23-25).
Similarly, there was a church in Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22) who, due to their wealth, thought they too had attained God's favor. Jesus expressed great disapproval over their spiritual condition as well, which they were totally unaware of. They were deceived.
There has never been a society in the history of mankind whose moral values have deteriorated so dramatically, in such a short period of time, as those of Americans in the last 50 years. And so far it shows no sign of stopping. These statistics are eye-opening, and they serve to warn us that something is terribly wrong with our brand of Christianity. They reveal how poorly the church has communicated the true gospel to mainstream America, and thus the reason for so much deception in our culture.
When the rich man died and went to Hades (Luke 16:19-31), he was surprised to find himself there. In the Jewish culture, they equated wealth with godliness, so this man thought God favored him. The common thought, especially among the Jews, was if you were blessed financially, then you were a good person and therefore favored by God and on your way to heaven. This also explains the disciples' astonishment when Jesus told them how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:23-25).
Similarly, there was a church in Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22) who, due to their wealth, thought they too had attained God's favor. Jesus expressed great disapproval over their spiritual condition as well, which they were totally unaware of. They were deceived.
Here are some questions that you should ask yourself:
- Do you really know what your true spiritual condition is?
- Are you allowing the pop culture around you to dictate your standards?
- Are you conforming to the world's standards or to the Bible?
- Are you being deceived?
How can a nation of people among whom a large percentage claims to be born-again Christians experience the kind of degradation the above statistics reveal? Such deception is the state of America today, and the above statistics reveal the fruit of it.
The problem has been that the real gospel has not been preached nor lived.
Both the profession and the practice of many so-called Christians in this nation have not matched up. Our substandard message has produced substandard believers. Our departure from the preaching of the cross, repentance, holiness, and the real empowering grace of God has increased the level of deception in the church. How else can we explain the disparity of the above statistics in the church and the nation?
But what is really at the root of this deception? This is what we need to carefully discern. In one word, it is humanism—the glorification of self.
But what is really at the root of this deception? This is what we need to carefully discern. In one word, it is humanism—the glorification of self.
Humanism has crept into much of the modern-day church and is diluting the power of the real gospel.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
THINKING OUT LOUD -- The Malaysian Airliner And Benghazi
As of late, I have been thinking of the “missing” Malaysian airliner. Here is what we have been told ... a jumbo jetliner somehow went off course, flew several hours then crashed into the Indian Ocean without word from the cockpit, without a trace.
As the time passes, I am having trouble buying this garbage!
And I am not the only one either. The Israelis don’t. They went on high-alert after the plane’s disappearance. What they’re looking for is that jet, appearing to be a normal civilian flight, being the vehicle for a nuclear attack.
Consider this -- Malaysia is a Muslim dominant country. The pilots were Muslim, along with two Iranians who used stolen passports to board the plane. To say that a commercial jet can go missing without a trace is implausible. This was not a military stealth aircraft. We’re told that the pilots altered the flight path and turned off the radio and transponder. To what end? Where were they going? To plan and execute such a maneuver just to fly aimlessly for five plus hours and then crash doesn’t make sense.
And here is another thought --Various nations have sophisticated satellite, aerial, ground and sea-based surveillance systems. They monitor all air traffic everywhere in the world. A missile can’t be launched without being spotted. Yet we’re told that this large aircraft simply went missing.
I believe this ro be a lie. I believe somebody, maybe several some bodies, including the US and China know where that plane went. It had a predetermined destination where to land, and it wasn’t in China.
Reading an article in which Retired Air Force Lt. General Thomas G. McInerney was quoted, "he believes that the plane flew to Pakistan or possibly Iran. It could’ve shadowed behind another flight headed to one of these nations, appearing on civilian radar as a single incoming plane. Such a plan, obviously would entail meticulous planning and execution. Wherever it landed, those in that nation and on the ground knew it was coming. It was the plane that was wanted.
The sad part is that we are left to surmise that the passengers were extraneous and likely eliminated. I believe that this plane had and has a purpose, something huge to justify the risk and publicity that such an operation entails.
General McInerney has contacts and resources, not to mention vast knowledge gleaned from a distinguished military career. His is not groundless theory.
There were reports that the missing plane had landed at Diego Garcia, an important British/U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean, implying direct US involvement. This is likely disinformation, but who knows. One would guess that if the U.S. were involved, they’d use surrogates away from U.S. bases to land it.
There was another possibility that was circulating and does have credence to consider; it is a remote possibility, but one to ponder. The Malaysian flight could’ve been carrying some type of weapon, tactical nuke, EMP, etc. on behalf of a state actor like China. If it were headed to Diego Garcia, under any guise, the question would be, would it be allowed to approach or would U.S. forces shoot down a civilian jumbo jet?
Now this would be purely speculation on anyone's part. Neither the US or China would want such an event to be made public, but again, just something to think about.
We still don't know what happened in Benghazi. And with a president who is pro-islamic, we may never know for sure; on either of these matters.
As the time passes, I am having trouble buying this garbage!
And I am not the only one either. The Israelis don’t. They went on high-alert after the plane’s disappearance. What they’re looking for is that jet, appearing to be a normal civilian flight, being the vehicle for a nuclear attack.
Consider this -- Malaysia is a Muslim dominant country. The pilots were Muslim, along with two Iranians who used stolen passports to board the plane. To say that a commercial jet can go missing without a trace is implausible. This was not a military stealth aircraft. We’re told that the pilots altered the flight path and turned off the radio and transponder. To what end? Where were they going? To plan and execute such a maneuver just to fly aimlessly for five plus hours and then crash doesn’t make sense.
And here is another thought --Various nations have sophisticated satellite, aerial, ground and sea-based surveillance systems. They monitor all air traffic everywhere in the world. A missile can’t be launched without being spotted. Yet we’re told that this large aircraft simply went missing.
I believe this ro be a lie. I believe somebody, maybe several some bodies, including the US and China know where that plane went. It had a predetermined destination where to land, and it wasn’t in China.
Reading an article in which Retired Air Force Lt. General Thomas G. McInerney was quoted, "he believes that the plane flew to Pakistan or possibly Iran. It could’ve shadowed behind another flight headed to one of these nations, appearing on civilian radar as a single incoming plane. Such a plan, obviously would entail meticulous planning and execution. Wherever it landed, those in that nation and on the ground knew it was coming. It was the plane that was wanted.
The sad part is that we are left to surmise that the passengers were extraneous and likely eliminated. I believe that this plane had and has a purpose, something huge to justify the risk and publicity that such an operation entails.
General McInerney has contacts and resources, not to mention vast knowledge gleaned from a distinguished military career. His is not groundless theory.
There were reports that the missing plane had landed at Diego Garcia, an important British/U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean, implying direct US involvement. This is likely disinformation, but who knows. One would guess that if the U.S. were involved, they’d use surrogates away from U.S. bases to land it.
There was another possibility that was circulating and does have credence to consider; it is a remote possibility, but one to ponder. The Malaysian flight could’ve been carrying some type of weapon, tactical nuke, EMP, etc. on behalf of a state actor like China. If it were headed to Diego Garcia, under any guise, the question would be, would it be allowed to approach or would U.S. forces shoot down a civilian jumbo jet?
Now this would be purely speculation on anyone's part. Neither the US or China would want such an event to be made public, but again, just something to think about.
We still don't know what happened in Benghazi. And with a president who is pro-islamic, we may never know for sure; on either of these matters.
I don't believe that we can trust our government to be truthful with the American people -- so far we haven't had any indication that they have, and just not this present administration. This goes back many years, folks, and that's why it is hard to be truthful..
Through all of this, we can say for a certainty that we are "are living in the 'mid night' hour."
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Who Is The Restrainer Mentioned In 2 Thessalonians 2?
Out of all the varying eschatological views, the Pre-Tribulation view is the strongest and most scripturally consistent advocate of God’s dealings with man in the entire Bible. You can see it in typology, symbolism, and in both the OT and NT passages. It is found in the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, the Epistles, and in Revelation. The Pre-Tribulation view remains the most scripturally consistent view within God’s purpose and plan for man’s redemption.
The Pre-Tribulation view argues that there is a future fulfillment to the prophetic text, the full Preterist view states it all happened in the first century. Every other view has to rely on extra-biblical sources, allegorizing, spiritualization, or other ways to get around the literal understanding of the passages. In regards to the Tribulation, the Futurist’s bottom line is, although man will endure trials and tribulation in this life, God does not pour out His wrath upon His own.
Their argument was/is that the Roman system and Nero’s suicide prevented Nero from fully wiping out the early church. The major problem with this is that Nero wasn’t destroyed in keeping with the passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, but committed suicide. Preterist and others have to rely on extra-biblical accounts to try and paint Nero as the Antichrist (Pliny the Elder, Suetonius) to get this. But this view is still perpetuated by the Roman Catholic Church, which allows that blame to be laid at the feet of dead, pagan Caesars and not on them.
Amillennial and Post-Millennial believe that all governments are emplaced by God (Romans 13:1-7), and that it is only under God’s sovereignty do they still wield control (albeit limited) over the earth, therefore God only allows them to do so much, and then He restrains them, or uses them to restrain evil.
But since the days of Nimrod and Babel, human government has almost always been at odds against God and His plan of redemption for mankind. We know that the Tribulation is a time unlike any other, as the entire world will fall under the sway of the ultimate, one-world government, which will be under the control of the Antichrist. (Rev. 13:7) Seeing human government as the restrainer of evil, (Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Ottomans, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Communist China, etc.) when they are one of the primary instigators of evil, is laughable. In fact, God does laugh at this. (Psalm 2)
To come to this erroneous conclusion, one would have to do some serious reworking of most of the major terms and structure as found in 2 Thessalonians 2. For those who hold this view, the phrase ‘taken out of the way’ does not mean taken out of the way, but means ‘to come into being’. The Rapture is in conjunction with or right before the Second Coming, which in reality is very confusing.
The only problem with the above three views, is that none of them could be the ‘he’ used in 2 Thessalonians 2: 7. The ‘He’ is used as a masculine personal pronoun, and is used in direct relation to the Restrainer. Neither the Roman or human government, nor the revelation of the lawless one, could be referred to in that manner. The ‘He’ denotes a person, or sentient being and not a thing or system.
And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3
It appears at least according to the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit had an active role here on planet earth prior to the Flood. In the absence of written Scriptures or historical references, the Holy Spirit would have convicted men of sin and guided their conscience unto doing what was right. This certainly makes the case for Enoch as a type of the Church who is ‘caught up’ prior to the Flood.
The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:18-23 that ‘many antichrist’s have come’ and that the spirit of antichrist denies Christ is God in the flesh. The spirit of antichrist is a spiritual battle that requires the Restrainer to also be spiritual. And since many religions, philosophies, and peoples deny Christ all around the world, the only Person who is omnipresent and omnipotent, is God the Holy Spirit.
Born again believers are sealed until the day of Redemption (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Eph 1:11-14), which means when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, those He indwells are as well. Now, the Holy Spirit is God, and is omnipresent by His very nature, so it’s not like He is removed physically, because that is not possible. His role of restraint is removed (see Genesis 6:3 again) which is done through removing the body of Christ that has remained on this earth for these last 2,000 years.
The age of the Church had a beginning, and it’s only logical to conclude that it will also have an ending. The birth of the Church had a dramatic and powerful beginning as the Holy Spirit descended down as ‘cloven tongues like as of fire’ upon those believers in Acts 2.
Likewise will the removal of the Holy Spirit be a dramatic departure from this earth as believers (dead and alive) are resurrected and translated from mortal, to immortal, from perishable to imperishable. Prior to the Holy Spirit descending down in Acts 2, no orthodox Christian denies that the Holy Spirit existed, because we can see the Holy Spirit’s role in Creation as early back as Genesis 1:2. Yet, when it comes to the Rapture and the Holy Spirit's role as the Restrainer, many reject that out of hand as unbiblical.
The Church in and of itself cannot restrain evil, because we are but flawed humans. But through the working and power of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27, 16:5-15), we can do all things through Christ.
Christ called Him the Helper or Comforter, because for us, He is. But to the world, He is the Restrainer who judges the world of sin and keeps Satan’s plans from manifesting and completely enveloping the world in evil. It is not until the Church is removed, that the world will be thrown into a literal hell on earth. [See Revelation 6-19] But until that Day, Christ promised...
Maranatha!
The Pre-Tribulation view argues that there is a future fulfillment to the prophetic text, the full Preterist view states it all happened in the first century. Every other view has to rely on extra-biblical sources, allegorizing, spiritualization, or other ways to get around the literal understanding of the passages. In regards to the Tribulation, the Futurist’s bottom line is, although man will endure trials and tribulation in this life, God does not pour out His wrath upon His own.
- Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
- The restrainer is the apostasy and revelation of the lawless one.
- The restrainer was the Roman government.
- The restrainer is the system of human government.
- The restrainer is Michael the Archangel.
- The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the Church.
- The restrainer is Satan.
Their argument was/is that the Roman system and Nero’s suicide prevented Nero from fully wiping out the early church. The major problem with this is that Nero wasn’t destroyed in keeping with the passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, but committed suicide. Preterist and others have to rely on extra-biblical accounts to try and paint Nero as the Antichrist (Pliny the Elder, Suetonius) to get this. But this view is still perpetuated by the Roman Catholic Church, which allows that blame to be laid at the feet of dead, pagan Caesars and not on them.
Amillennial and Post-Millennial believe that all governments are emplaced by God (Romans 13:1-7), and that it is only under God’s sovereignty do they still wield control (albeit limited) over the earth, therefore God only allows them to do so much, and then He restrains them, or uses them to restrain evil.
But since the days of Nimrod and Babel, human government has almost always been at odds against God and His plan of redemption for mankind. We know that the Tribulation is a time unlike any other, as the entire world will fall under the sway of the ultimate, one-world government, which will be under the control of the Antichrist. (Rev. 13:7) Seeing human government as the restrainer of evil, (Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Ottomans, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Communist China, etc.) when they are one of the primary instigators of evil, is laughable. In fact, God does laugh at this. (Psalm 2)
To come to this erroneous conclusion, one would have to do some serious reworking of most of the major terms and structure as found in 2 Thessalonians 2. For those who hold this view, the phrase ‘taken out of the way’ does not mean taken out of the way, but means ‘to come into being’. The Rapture is in conjunction with or right before the Second Coming, which in reality is very confusing.
The only problem with the above three views, is that none of them could be the ‘he’ used in 2 Thessalonians 2: 7. The ‘He’ is used as a masculine personal pronoun, and is used in direct relation to the Restrainer. Neither the Roman or human government, nor the revelation of the lawless one, could be referred to in that manner. The ‘He’ denotes a person, or sentient being and not a thing or system.
That leaves us with only three legitimate contenders:
The case for Michael being the Restrainer, stems primarily from three sections of Scripture:Daniel 10:3, 20-21, 12:1; Jude 1:9; & Revelation 12:7-9. In each instance, Michael is seen as the one who contends against Satan and his demonic forces at specific times. The problem is, is that these instances are too specific, meaning, that this is not Michael’s role in general, but as a special assignment solely to the nation of Israel or as directed by God. There is no Scripture citing Michael the Archangel as the restrainer of lawlessness (keeping in context with 2 Thess. 2). The best case that can be made is in Revelation 12:7-9, as Michael and the angels war with Satan and his, and cast them out of heaven. Even then, that is not restraining, but active warfare.
One of the more bizarre candidates that are offered for “the” restrainer is Satan himself. Why would he restrain himself? But still, the text would have to read something like this for Satan to be the ‘restrainer’:
- Michael the Archangel
- Satan
- The Holy Spirit
The case for Michael being the Restrainer, stems primarily from three sections of Scripture:Daniel 10:3, 20-21, 12:1; Jude 1:9; & Revelation 12:7-9. In each instance, Michael is seen as the one who contends against Satan and his demonic forces at specific times. The problem is, is that these instances are too specific, meaning, that this is not Michael’s role in general, but as a special assignment solely to the nation of Israel or as directed by God. There is no Scripture citing Michael the Archangel as the restrainer of lawlessness (keeping in context with 2 Thess. 2). The best case that can be made is in Revelation 12:7-9, as Michael and the angels war with Satan and his, and cast them out of heaven. Even then, that is not restraining, but active warfare.
One of the more bizarre candidates that are offered for “the” restrainer is Satan himself. Why would he restrain himself? But still, the text would have to read something like this for Satan to be the ‘restrainer’:
- Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he [Antichrist] may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He [Satan]who now restrains will do so until He [Satan] is taken out of the way [Insert Rev 12:7-8 here]. And then the lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 [my notes in brackets]
And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3
It appears at least according to the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit had an active role here on planet earth prior to the Flood. In the absence of written Scriptures or historical references, the Holy Spirit would have convicted men of sin and guided their conscience unto doing what was right. This certainly makes the case for Enoch as a type of the Church who is ‘caught up’ prior to the Flood.
The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:18-23 that ‘many antichrist’s have come’ and that the spirit of antichrist denies Christ is God in the flesh. The spirit of antichrist is a spiritual battle that requires the Restrainer to also be spiritual. And since many religions, philosophies, and peoples deny Christ all around the world, the only Person who is omnipresent and omnipotent, is God the Holy Spirit.
Born again believers are sealed until the day of Redemption (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Eph 1:11-14), which means when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, those He indwells are as well. Now, the Holy Spirit is God, and is omnipresent by His very nature, so it’s not like He is removed physically, because that is not possible. His role of restraint is removed (see Genesis 6:3 again) which is done through removing the body of Christ that has remained on this earth for these last 2,000 years.
The age of the Church had a beginning, and it’s only logical to conclude that it will also have an ending. The birth of the Church had a dramatic and powerful beginning as the Holy Spirit descended down as ‘cloven tongues like as of fire’ upon those believers in Acts 2.
Likewise will the removal of the Holy Spirit be a dramatic departure from this earth as believers (dead and alive) are resurrected and translated from mortal, to immortal, from perishable to imperishable. Prior to the Holy Spirit descending down in Acts 2, no orthodox Christian denies that the Holy Spirit existed, because we can see the Holy Spirit’s role in Creation as early back as Genesis 1:2. Yet, when it comes to the Rapture and the Holy Spirit's role as the Restrainer, many reject that out of hand as unbiblical.
The Church in and of itself cannot restrain evil, because we are but flawed humans. But through the working and power of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27, 16:5-15), we can do all things through Christ.
Christ called Him the Helper or Comforter, because for us, He is. But to the world, He is the Restrainer who judges the world of sin and keeps Satan’s plans from manifesting and completely enveloping the world in evil. It is not until the Church is removed, that the world will be thrown into a literal hell on earth. [See Revelation 6-19] But until that Day, Christ promised...
- ...I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19
Maranatha!
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