Don’t Scoff, Be Vigilant :: By Nathele Graham

There are some things in life that make me scoff. Evolution, for instance. I have lived many years and never have seen even the slightest change of one kind of animal mutating into a new and different kind altogether. Cats are cats, whether they are calico, tabby, black, big with a mane, or large spotted ones. Dogs are dogs and never change to a new and different species. DNA proves that each kind of animal will always be that same distinct animal.

Yes, I scoff at the absurdity of evolution, but I never scoff at God’s truth. That doesn’t rule out survival of the fittest or adaptation. If the food supply can only be reached with a longer beak, the genes of birds with longer beaks will survive easier than those with shorter beaks, or else those with shorter beaks will learn to eat food that they are able to gather with their shorter beaks. For instance, a hummingbird has a beak that slips deep into a flower to gather the nectar, while a cardinal will eat seeds.

Today, Christians have stopped being vigilant and have allowed “science” to dictate truth. Only God is truth, and His ways are perfect. From Scripture, we understand that God created all things in six literal days, but instead of believing God’s truth, Christians have compromised. Will you be scoffed at or mocked or flunk a class at school if you stand firmly on God’s word? Yes, you will, but so what? If you take time to study, you’ll find that “science” is filled with made-up stories that are taught as truth.

“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

The secular world is blind to the truth. We can’t blame them for their ignorance, but we can guard our own understanding of truth only found in God’s word.

Most Christians have become lazy when it comes to studying and understanding Scripture. It’s interesting that many can quote sports statistics or know all about the stock market but haven’t a clue about God’s word. There’s no time for Scripture study when the Dodgers or Cardinals are playing ball. Or there’s a pennant race, or the stock market is sinking. None of those things can possibly matter for eternity. It matters not that your favorite team is low in the standings; what’s more important is the faith you profess is being compromised. We need to be vigilant and not allow anything to be above our knowledge and understanding of God’s word. Life on this earth is temporary.

“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

Where are you on that timeline? I’m just past the threescore and ten, but I have many friends well past fourscore. I’ve noticed that the “golden years” are tarnished by sorrow, loss, and the aches and pains of aging. Yet, God never changes. He is the same today as He was in the beginning.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

God hasn’t changed, nor has His word. Christians must use Christ as our example and become like Him instead of trying to change Him to be like us.

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

God’s perfection is an impossible standard for humans to achieve, but Christians have Christ. We are sinners saved by grace, and we must be vigilant in our Bible studies so we aren’t swayed by the ways and whims of the world. We mustn’t try to make God conform to human thinking.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God’s ways are so much higher than our minds can grasp. I want to be more like Him, but I fail. He doesn’t expect us to stop being human, but He does expect us not to scoff at His word and to be vigilant in our walk with Him. It’s important to be able to defend our faith because sometimes we listen to worldly opinions and even need to defend God’s word to our own minds. You may face derogatory remarks and scoffing from people around you, but stand strong in the Lord. How do you live your faith when people mock you and laugh at your beliefs? You need to plant your feet solidly upon Scripture, and don’t allow your faith to waiver.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

Every day we are inundated with sin being glorified. Even though the world accepts something, it doesn’t mean God accepts it. We are called haters when we stand against sin and don’t participate in pride parades or other blatant demonstrations of sin. When Peter talked about having a “good conversation in Christ,” the King James translation sort of blurs the meaning. The word “anastrophe” is translated as “conversation” and means “manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment.” We are to live our life in such a way that we please God, and those who accuse us of being “haters” will be ashamed because of our Godly love towards others.

If you love someone and see them headed to destruction, you don’t keep quiet. That’s not love. All who have rejected Christ for salvation are on the road to destruction. Paul and all of the Apostles faced persecution; scoffers were everywhere, but they were not silenced.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

We will be silenced if we are ashamed of our faith. Pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith and help you to speak openly in defense of the Gospel of Christ. Peter said to always be ready to answer questions about your faith. Study Scripture and write it on your heart so you have a ready answer.

A good study of Scripture (and I don’t mean one filled with New Age ideas and purpose-driven follies) will open your eyes to the truth of prophecy. People will scoff at you because Christians have been looking for the Rapture for years. Even Paul seemed to think it would happen in his time. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen. The Pre-Trib Rapture is a Biblical fact and a gift from God to all believers.

The Great Tribulation will be a horrific time when God’s wrath will be poured out in judgment of all who have rejected Him. For those of us who follow the news with an eye on prophecy, we can see all of the prophetic pieces falling into place. The nation of Israel is back in their land, and that was a huge part of fulfilled prophecy. Russia is uniting with Iran against Israel, and the whole world condemns Israel for defending themselves. The economic system of the world is merging into a one-world currency, and governments are starting to willingly turn over their individual sovereignty to a one-world government. Watch out for artificial intelligence; it’s being used for evil.

We live in exciting times, but they can be frightening. The Rapture is going to happen soon, and we can take comfort in that.

Hatred towards God and His children is becoming more open. As the pieces fall into place, the enemy of all (Satan) plants doubt in the minds of the weak and gullible, so God and Scripture are questioned. Pastors don’t equip Christians with the pure word of God but water it down and make it politically correct and user-friendly. Since many pastors don’t understand Scripture — because seminaries quite often don’t teach God’s pure word — scoffers can easily silence Christians. Christ is going to call Christians Home very soon, but scoffers laugh.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Things have changed a lot since the Garden of Eden. God’s perfect creation was damaged by sin. God could have left us to continue to struggle on our own to try and save ourselves from eternal death, but He loves us. He gave us Scripture, the Holy Spirit-inspired word of God. The Old Testament is filled with prophecy. Through prophecy, we understand that God still loves His creation and that the only way for humans to live eternally with Him is to be perfect. Not perfect in the eyes of other humans but perfect in the eyes of God. That perfection can only be obtained through faith in the shed blood of Christ.

When Adam sinned, the entire creation fell and was corrupted beyond salvation. That’s why we need Jesus Christ, God incarnate. This is also one of many reasons to reject the lie of evolution. Scripture tells us that there was no sin or death until Adam disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. That’s when humanity was separated from God. Billions of years of fish turning into higher life forms didn’t happen. God spoke, and creation happened. Then sin and death became reality, and creation was altered. That didn’t change God’s love.

Prophecy disclosed that God would provide a way for us to live with Him eternally. People who lived before the cross found salvation by looking forward to the coming Messiah. He would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, but those who were ignorant of prophecy were blinded to His coming. Jesus was God come in the flesh.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18).

Some well-meaning Christians would have us believe that faith isn’t enough; they want us to believe that faith plus works is necessary. God tells us that we are saved by faith. We will never be sin-free while we live on this side of Heaven, but true faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring God’s forgiveness of the sin that separates us from Him. Works won’t save you, but after you’ve repented and asked for salvation through Christ, you need to turn away from sin. You will fail in your walk. I do. In spite of our failures, God is always willing to forgive.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What a wonderful promise!

Don’t scoff at God’s word, but be vigilant in your walk with Christ. The Rapture will happen soon. I won’t try to guess at a date when it will happen, but as I study prophecy, I can see the signs that it could be at any moment. I’m ready to go, and I hope you are too. Don’t let scoffers intimidate you, but be vigilant in your walk with Christ.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

The post Don’t Scoff, Be Vigilant :: By Nathele Graham appeared first on Rapture Ready.