[Trisha]

My view was that dead believers, along with living believers, would be raptured to meet the Lord in the clouds prior to His second coming. We would later return with Him when He comes back for all the world to see in His glory when He will touch down on the Mount of Olives

I want to wait until I see the arguments about the Millennium to assess if I should change my views.

[Trisha]

Popular views in movies etc is that it will either be a worldwide nuclear war or the earth will be invaded by aliens. No mention of the wrath of God.
We can all see that there is some kind of climate change going on but there has always been climate change (ice age etc). The OT bible also tells us of famines due to parched ground etc. Even though some scientists are blaming man for the problems, we cannot overlook that a natural occurrence of a major volcanic eruption, can cause a massive amount of emissions of gases.
I think it’s funny sometimes when we are told that the earth is heating up and then we witness the falling of snow in areas where this should not be. I think God is telling us that He controls the weather.
I think, where possible, we should always continue to look after our planet. For example, we should stop the unnecessary use of plastics. Creatures on land and in the sea, are paying dearly for dumped rubbish in their environments.
The world appears to be heating up but the bible tells us that this earth will be burned up in the future anyway.

[Trisha]

Not sure of context question – People may voice an opinion that Jesus never existed. It may be obvious that they want to live their lives without being accountable to a moral code. We can explain that the instructions/guidance that the Lord has given us to live by, are for our wellbeing. They protect our mental and physical health etc.

[Trisha]

preparation – Benjamin Franklin said “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. The Lord has also warned “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. I think we need to keep a close and continual intimate relationship with God, by studying His word, and praying for His guidance in our daily lives. This should take precedence over everything. If we do this, we will keep increasing our knowledge and understanding of our Creator and how He wants us to live our life that is pleasing to Him. This may entail, going against current societal norms. Don’t put off what is right to do today for a later time.
Prepare our mental thinking, not to be fearful or anxious as we begin to see possible signs and events, because we know the final outcome.

[Trisha]

We are the generation that has the technology (internet, satellites etc) to enable the message to reach almost anywhere in the world. This will increase the speed of the second coming of Jesus.

[Trisha]

Hi Brother Jean
I was interested in your comments and examples. As stated above I also thought it was worth everyone reading the additional study material. The notes regarding why certain gospels do not all contain the same facts due to the audience they are addressed to eg divorce, was understandable and interesting.

Having said that, I am having concerns that there seems to be a push in those notes, as well as the introduction paper 1.1 of stating that bible verses were only applicable in the time period they were given, or the person or group that they are referring to; example 2 Peter 3.3, 2 Timothy 3.1. It concludes that the term ‘last days’ in the New Testament does not refer to the days prior to the second-coming of Jesus. I strongly disagree with this statement. I am having trouble with this theme as I advance through the course. The Jews would have always been familiar with the concept of ‘latter days’ right from Deuteronomy 4.30-31. I would ask the question; if bible verses are not also aimed at future generations, right up to the final end time generation, then why are they in the bible?

I believe that all scripture is for all generations, so that it will assist us, to be continually on alert, for the second coming of the Lord Jesus and that it will make sense to the generation that will actually see the second coming (which I believe is our generation.) I think it is healthy to debate concerns, especially as we advance through the study notes. I would be interested to know what other think and would appreciate your help.
Blessings
Sis Pat

[Trisha]

(2)I have gone out, in a town centre with a group, to evangelise. I am also comfortable speaking one to one. I am of an age now, when I seem to be going to lots of funerals. I think there is a good opportunity, when you bump into someone who attended the funeral, and you talk about the person who died, that you can then ask that person if they have a relationship with the Lord. As I’ve previously said, I will also explain to non-believers, that its ‘forgiven’ people who go to Heaven, as opposed to the wrong common belief, that only ‘good’ people who go to Heaven.

I think it is also important, if we see someone evangelising on the street to stop and give them support by increasing the number of onlookers etc and giving them words of encouragement in what they are doing. There are far too many other preachers out there that are not preaching Jesus.

We can speed up the coming of Jesus to fulfil the first sign of the second coming of Jesus by spreading the gospel to those who we have access to. They in turn, will spread the gospel to their access groups. Each group will have its own diversity. This diversity has the ability to reach different countries and continents etc.

[Trisha]

(1)I think evangelizing is easier if you get prepared before you go out. Personally, I always carry copies of a colourful ‘bridge’ bible tract. I remember when I first saw this leaflet, how it spoke volumes to me, just by looking at it. I could quite easily identify that I was on top of one cliff and God was on the cliff opposite. There was a ravine of death between the two of us. Jesus was the bridge that connected the two cliffs.
The words on the top of the tract are ‘Many of us would love to be able to reach out to God and have a relationship with Him as our loving Father, protector and provider. However, in our sinful state, we just come up against a void, a gulf of separation between ourselves and God. We can try and fill that void with all kinds of temporary pleasures and suspect ‘spiritual’ practices and theories, but to no avail. Amazingly, the God on the other side of this bottomless gulf loves you so much that He provided a way for you to come to Him. He allowed His own Son to die for you on a cross, in order to take away your sins and therefore ‘make you right with God’, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3.16).
Cont.

[Trisha]

Added notes – our notes from week one talked about principles of biblical interpretation. The Olivet Discourse is in reference to Israel and not the Church. Maybe the books of Revelation and Daniel etc have more relevance to the Church alongside Matthew 24.
I don’t know whether I misinterpreted the course teaching notes regarding the chart ‘Antichrist and Great Distress’ where I interpreted that it was saying that the AD70 event had fulfilled Daniels ‘abomination that causes desolation’. I set out some thoughts about the temple that you may or may not agree with. I’ve looked through some of my old notes and I don’t see any reference to the temple being desecrated while in use. I have notes that Titus himself was shocked by the extend of the ‘ploughing up’ of Jerusalem. The Romans set fire to the temple and the extreme heat melted the abundant gold that adorned the place of worship. This caused the liquefied metal to seep into the cracks of the foundation stones. The Roman soldiers came and toppled every single stone in order to recover the gold and other metals.
I would suggest that the 70AD invasion/war, did not produce a desolation and therefore the prophecy of Daniel was not yet fulfilled. This means that another temple will be built in the future which will then be desecrated by the antichrist with him declaring that he is God.

[Trisha]

I was concerned about 24.24 where it states ‘even the elect’ could fall to deception. The course has shown me that I will not have the slightest doubt that it is the Lord Jesus who has returned in a very visible and public manner. Any doubt means it is an imposter.
I was not aware that Titus had offered pagan sacrifices in the temple in AD70. I had been aware of Antiochus iv (Epiphanes) offering up a pig on the alter which was the ‘abomination of desolation’. I thought that the future one referred to by Jesus, would be the antichrist in a future re-built temple in Jerusalem.
I was interested in the support literature suggesting that there are four main approaches to understanding the Olivet Discourse.

[Trisha]

Good evening, Pastor Karl
Thank you for your notes regarding my above post. I had heard the song ‘I can only imagine’. Doing the course and reading your comments, has made me think about what the lyrics are actually saying rather than just hearing it. I think that the words ‘surrounded by Your glory’ aptly sums up our meeting with the Lord.

I am also imagining that we will feel a depth of love that we have never felt before.
Blessings
Pat

[Trisha]

I am secure, in the knowledge, that the Lord promised to never leave me nor forsake me. I am happy being one of His flock. It will be awesome to be in His physical presence and go to the place that He has prepared for me.
I am excited that my body will be transformed without any sickness or disease etc. I will have the capability of knowing and doing things that I can only imagine at this present time.

[Trisha]

Jesus’ promise, to return to take me with Him, is the most valuable gift that anyone could be given. It means that we will never be separated from the Lord and be at peace. I am excited that we will see / feel / and do things etc. that we could not even imagine with our current senses.

[Trisha]

I was listening to a tv programme and this comment was made
‘Culture today, tells us that good people go to Heaven but the bible tells us something different. It is not good people who go to Heaven; it is forgiven people who go to Heaven’.
It has only been, in the last few years, that I have understood this statement. Once I understood the definition of ‘sin’ and that even telling a lie would stop access to God the Father without forgiveness, I knew that I could only gain that access, by being covered, by the blood of Jesus; accepting Him as my Lord and Saviour. I am therefore free from the wrath of God.

[Trisha]

Greetings everyone. I wanted to take this course because I became fascinated with hearing about prophecy, end times and the second coming of Jesus Christ, during the first long Covid lock-down. The ‘key terms’ section has already proved useful. I had not heard of the word ‘parousia’. There have been a couple of areas where I have had a slightly different understanding. The notes on ‘Principles of Biblical Interpretation’ have proved useful.

[Author]

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