There is a world of difference between having anxieties and misgivings over situations (even to the point that we tremble and shake), and having a “spirit” of fear. Indeed, the fear the Apostle Paul speaks about in 2 Timothy 1:7a is much more than just an emotion. This fear is a SPIRIT—an unclean or foul entity that is in league with Satan, who commands this foul spirit to torment nonbelievers!
Clearly understanding the hidden Divine Truth that pertains to the “Rapture” is possible only for those believers who are full of the Holy Spirit and who are accepting His leading and teaching. To the nonbelievers and to those doubting and skeptical believers who are not full of the Holy spirit and therefore who are not always led or taught by Him, the “Rapture’s” unambiguous understanding will remain controversial—will remain a mystery—so that they will never be in agreement with the Bride of Christ.
The Lord’s spoken Words lead His sheep to safe, fertile, grassy, and humid pastures, where spiritual nourishment and spiritual refreshment abundantly flow. His spoken Words also warn His sheep to look out for the ditches false shepherds dig and then cause naïve sheep to fall into them. Lastly, the Lord’s spoken Words warn His sheep to watch out for the unprotected, barren, grassless, and arid pastures that false shepherds lead naïve sheep to, where no spiritual nourishment or spiritual refreshment can flow!
Expressions of THANKSGIVING should be communicated to God, and to one another, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. AMEN!
For the purpose of helping His children cope with their relatively brief afflictions, God gives them the Hope of Glory, which is that supernatural HOPE God has placed in them for them to know that they will receive all of their promised eternal rewards in Heaven, including their crown of life. This HOPE, thus, is an incentive for them to remain faithful unto death, even if they do not die from the frequent, abundant, or severe afflictions. Therefore, while they are enduring their earthly persecutions, including those sufferings that result from religious leaders and laypersons’ corruption of the “institutional” church’s established positions of power that these great enemies hold, God wants His true children to let their HOPE of GLORY and their trust in God’s ways of “checking”—the ways He examines them, or causes them to examine themselves, meaning their own motives—be what keeps them from complaining, worrying, or, more important, giving in to the temptation to allow any sinful self-interest to move them to respond to their sufferings in sinful ways (i.e., wrecking or destroying themselves).
Instead of today’s EU’s nations proving that they will fulfill the traditional Revived Roman Empire theory, the EU is proving that said theory has no merit. Without doubt, it is the Ottoman/Turkish/Islamic Empire that fits the books of Daniel and Revelation’s descriptions of the 4th Beast that not only swiftly but also brutally crushes and devours the remnant territories and indigenous cultures conquered by Babylonia (Prophet Daniel’s Lion), Persia (Prophet Daniel’s Bear), and Greece (Prophet Daniel’s Leopard). The Roman Empire of Apostle John’s day merely annexed these territories and people, without ever getting rid of the diverse languages, cultures, religious systems, political systems, and so forth!
Most of the 21st-century Christians worldwide have ignored the true meaning of fellowship or “koinonia,” which refers to doing God’s Perfect Will together. A telling sign that proves that they are unmindful of God’s preferred way for believers to interact with one another is their misplaced priorities. More times than not, most “churchgoers” only pay attention to the obvious inconsequential facts: believers are not perfect, and some people unintentionally hurt others. Yes, it is true that believers are not perfect; yes, it also is true that some believers unintentionally hurt others. But the overlooked salient point here is that even when the most godly believers, who are full of the Holy Spirit, uncharacteristically blow it by hurting others, they quickly respond to the Holy Spirit’s convicting and leading, which make them sensitive to the Divine Truth—they need to apologize to the people they have hurt plus seek the hurt ones and God’s forgiveness!
Because many spiritual leaders (and their church members) have a weak understanding about progressive sanctification, the process of sanctification often becomes nothing more to them than a list of moral directives or some vague notion concerning doing good works. For this reason, a clear distinction must be made between the indwelling and infilling Holy Spirit. The above reason also is why a clear distinction must be made between the work of the Holy Spirit in justification and the work of the Holy Spirit in progressive sanctification. Furthermore, if these distinctions are not taught, then the spiritual leaders with their weak understanding about progressive sanctification will no doubt be responsible for creating the last days’ lukewarm Laodicean Christians (cf. Revelation 3:14-22)!
