Tag Archives: only the Father knows

Defining the Gift

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Day Two

This is my 2nd day of a 21 day fast for understanding the things to come.  Like Daniel in chapter 10, I have “set [my] mind to gain understanding and to humble [myself] before God,” (Daniel 10:12).  Most Christians agree that we are living in the End Times.  Jesus is coming soon to Rapture His Church, and many terrible things will follow, including the final war, usually called Armageddon (although in the Bible, the name actually refers to a place, not an event).  However, there are probably things that we need to do to prepare for those terrible times.

I want to make it very clear that I am not asking God to reveal to me when the Rapture will be.  Jesus said that only the Father knows the day and the hour.  The angels don’t know, and even Jesus, Himself, doesn’t know (Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32).  If the Father isn’t revealing that to Jesus, then it’s for sure that He won’t tell me.

What I want is to understand what is coming and how to help God’s people prepare for it.

This morning as I was praying and contemplating my role, the Holy Spirit reminded me of my main spiritual gift: Encouragements.  In the King James Version, the gift is called Exhortation.  The Spirit urged me to consider the difference between the 2 words: encouragement and exhortation.

So I looked it up in the online dictionary.

Encourage:

  1. to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten
  2. to attempt to persuade : urge
    1. to spur on : stimulate
  3. to give help or patronage to : foster

Exhort:

  1. to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly
  2. to give warnings or advice : make urgent appeals

Then I got curious about the original language: Greek.  In the Greek, the word is paraklesis.  Paraklesis is from the root parakletos, the word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit, and translated as comforter.  That discovery is very encouraging to me.  I love the thought that my spiritual gift is much like the Holy Spirit, Himself.

Paraklesis:

  1. a calling near, summons (esp. for help), importation, supplication, entreaty
  2. exhortation, admonition, encouragement
  3. consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment—thus of the Messianic salvation (so the Rabbis call the Messiah the consoler, the comforter)
  4. persuasive discourse, stirring address, instructive, admonitory, conciliatory, powerful hortatory discourse

In contrasting these definitions, it seems that encouragement is too soft.  It seems to imply jollying-along someone who is depressed or unhappy.  But exhortation seems too hard and cold, almost like how a teacher talks to a lazy student.  Paraklesis is precisely what I do, which includes both encouraging and exhorting, and also refreshing and comforting.

C. Peter Wagner defines the spiritual gift of exhortation as frequently being part of the pastor’s gift mix:

The gift of exhortation is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed.  “Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow” © 1979, 1994 C. Peter Wagner, Regal Books.

Now, having defined and contrasted the definitions, I understand at least 1 thing: this time of fasting and praying for understanding is important for helping the missionaries and pastors of Europe that God puts into my path (and others who will read it on my blog or in my next book).  God is good!

Fast and Pray for The Answers

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Day One

I have always had a fascination with End Times prophecies.  It’s an interesting subject.  I read the Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye, and the Christ Clone Trilogy written by James BeauSeigneur.  Both are interesting and well-researched, but regarding the Rapture, I think both are wrong.

Left Behind has people being Raptured out of their clothing.  The Bible tells about 2 people who were Raptured:  Enoch and Elijah.  Neither of them was Raptured out of their clothing, though Elijah’s mantle fell from him.  What about the rest of his clothing?  Surely Elijah was wearing more than just his mantle (or coat).  I believe that Elijah’s mantle was left as a sign of the double portion of Elijah’s anointing having passed to Elisha.  What happened to their clothing, and what will happen to ours in the Rapture?  I believe that just as our physical bodies will be transformed into spiritual bodies, so our clothing will be transformed into new clothing.  Is anything too hard for God?

While we’re on the subject of physical transformations at the resurrection: it’s silly to think that God can only resurrect a body that has been buried and preserved whole.  Lots of people shun cremation, believing that God can’t or won’t resurrect a body from ashes (scattered or not).  Absurd!  What about all the Christian martyrs whose bodies were eaten (and pooped-out) by lions?  Do they think that God just throws up His hands and says, “They should have been buried whole.  There’s nothing I can do!”?  Or what about the Christian martyrs that were burned at the stake?  What about Christians that drown at sea?  Or Christians blown up by bomb attacks?  Or beheaded, with their heads separated from their bodies, like John the Baptist?  Ridiculous!  They think that God, who made the human body in the first place—made a man out of dirt and made a woman out of a rib, can’t resurrect a body that’s not preserved whole.

All the dead in Christ worldwide will be resurrected and raptured in the twinkling of an eye.  God, who can do that, can also recover bodies and missing body parts from ashes and dust.  The problem is that many people (maybe even most people) have an idea of God that’s way too small.

I even had a funeral director dig my father’s grave in the wrong place, despite my very clear instructions.  She said that the reason was so that when Jesus comes to raise the dead, my father (and eventually, though she still lives) my mother will be raised standing just as they stood at their wedding: he to her right.  Poor Mom was very upset when she saw that the grave had been dug in the wrong place.  I told the funeral director that it is utter nonsense.  Jesus clearly says that in the resurrection there is no marriage (Matthew 22:30).  I told her to fill-in that hole and bury my father where I had told her to dig.

The Christ Clone Trilogy has a different error.  In the Rapture, it has all the Christians being found suddenly dead.  Again, Enoch and Elijah did not leave their bodies behind.  If they had, then they would have been counted as dead like all the rest that had gone before them.  In Elijah’s case, 2 Kings 2:11 (and following) would also contain an account of Elisha burying Elijah’s body.

A lot of conflicting theories about the End Times are circulating on the internet, and I realized that it would be useful to know what’s true and what is erroneous speculation, like the aforementioned Rapture errors.  When I prayed about it, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Daniel asked these same questions, praying and fasting for the answer (Daniel 10).  So today I am starting a fast to understand the true End Times answers.

One thing I want to make clear: I am not asking God when Jesus will come to Rapture the Church away.  Jesus said that only the Father knows, not the angels and not even the Son knows (Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32).  So to ask God to reveal something to me that He is keeping even from Jesus is pointless.  It blows my mind that some people think they have that revelation, when the Bible is so clear about it—and somehow they convince others, too!

Here in my blog I will keep a diary of the progression toward understanding the End Times.  You’re welcome to join me in fasting and praying for the important answers to these questions.  Please let me know anything that God reveals to you.

Blessings to all of you!  God is good!