Stand

By Shanna Cooper

End-time teaching is a subject that interests all Christians. The location of Christians during tribulation times as described in Bible prophecy is of upmost importance. The purpose of this book is to encourage the people of God to strengthen their faith and put on the whole armor of God to spiritually stand in hard times. Knowledge is a powerful tool to guide the believers' walk. Allowing the Word of God to teach directly is an eye-opener. Human interpretation, assumption, and tradition are not a substitute for direct in-depth Bible research. Tracking in the footsteps of leading end-time theologians of popular thought will lead the Bible student off the trail into the weeds. The message is urgent. The real question is, how will today's Christian handle conflict? God's inspired Word stands firm, independent of our opinion. Is there an unrealistic expectation to receive something that God nor history has promised? Will the believer be able to stand in this volatile world when they have been taught and only prepared for an easy-out escape? Christians serve a big God, a God who has and will provide for his children when he sees fit. Scripture tells how he was in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children. God was in the lion's den with Daniel. They persevered and overcame the tribulation of their day. That same God lives today. Believers can overcome by the blood of the Lamb in the tribulation of our day. Discover the protective seal he provides for vast multitudes of believers from all nations. Notice in end-time prophecy how God's terrible judgments on this world are directed only to the nonbelievers. Those seals, bowls, and plagues are targeted only to those who reject Almighty God. This book is a road marker, an encouragement to look into the raw Word of God. You will become a stronger Christian for the effort.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645157151

Book preview

Chapter 1

Trackers

In the pioneer days, settlers made their way across the land using a scout to blaze a trail through the wilderness. The lone scout was necessary to forge a safe path for the others to follow into the unknown frontier. There were real and imagined hazards ahead. He would return to the group and describe the best route to take, location of water sources, and level paths where the wagon wheels could roll, what obstacles and risks lie ahead, and where abundant game graze and predators stalked. The scout knew where the valleys, forests, canyons, and mountains were located. The people trusted the scout’s word and followed in his tracks. They were trackers, never venturing out on their own.

Pioneers learned about a particular scout who had led others across the nation and survived the adventure to return and lead another group. The scout was respected for his experience and reputation as a pioneer, explorer, wagoner, and rifleman. It was his job to safely guide the group across this land, a task necessary for development of the country.

Today, many Christians look at God’s Word as a frontier. They see valleys, mountains, forests, and deserts. They believe they will get lost in the wilderness of words. It seems easier to track in the footsteps of a scout rather than search out the discoveries in the Scripture for themselves. The Christian’s scout may be a Bible commentary, Sunday school teacher, preacher, shepherd of a flock, or a college professor. Christians prefer to follow in the footsteps of these respected leaders. The teachers and professors are tracking in the footsteps of others who have gone on before them. The leaders are followers also.

Today, just as in the pioneer days, the scouts have a purpose. They are a resource in guiding the Christian to learn the pathway to knowledge. However, too many find it easier to just sit in church, be a spectator listening to other’s Bible lessons, and go home. The ultimate textbook sits on the shelf untouched and collecting dust. However, there is a danger of being misdirected when leaning totally on other’s interpretation and theological footsteps. These leaders may claim the lesson is in the Bible, but is it really? God’s Word is like a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). In order to cut through the weeds of other’s interpretation, we must stay sharp and listen to what God is directly trying to tell us. Forge your own path into that wilderness. Scale those magnificent mountains; look down over the green valleys; dip your toes into the cool, clean waters. Drink deep to quench the thirst you developed over life’s trail. Behold the sunset at the end of day.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6, NIV)

Some churches pride themselves for PhDs in tracking. They declare they are the only repository of truth. Congregations are not encouraged to search out the Scriptures on their own. After all, it is much easier to just take the words of others for it instead of using the energy to do a comprehensive direct Bible study of your own. God is the only receptacle of truth. Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word. Sink your roots into the Word. Believers who ignore the Bible are in danger of straying onto the wrong trail, traveling through dark woods.

If Martin Luther while in the monastery in 1517 had continued to take the word of his scouts and never opened the Bible for himself, there would have never been a Protestant Reformation. Do not shortchange the Holy Spirit’s ability to shine the light on your adventure. He alone is an excellent trailblazer. There is no one better qualified to guide you on your journey through the Word than the Holy Spirit.

But, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26, NIV)

The voyage is not frightening; it is enlightening.

Chapter 2

Expectation

The Bible instructs believers to expect, watch, and be ready for Christ’s return. A problem is manifested when dates are set for Jesus’s reappearance. Harm occurs to the general belief in the second coming from date setters. The excited expectation has caused Christian trackers to follow advice of a trusted scout leader by selling all belongings, maxing out credit cards, quitting jobs, putting on white robes, saying goodbye to families and friends, climbing a mountain in preparation for Christ’s return to be lifted away at a predetermined date.

Gathering the believers by Christ is commonly known as the rapture. The word rapture, however, is not in the Bible. Are Christians seeking rapture from responsibility? After all, how wonderful to no longer have to pay those bills racked up on credit cards—an easy out, escape from the reality of tribulation! It is appealing.

It is a rude dose of reality when those Christians need to return to work the next day, to pay off the debts they incurred. They face immediate mocking and scorn from family and friends who observed the return, not of Christ, but the return of the disappointed believer. The leader is embarrassed; he made a mistake he will not easily live down. The world laughs. Those Christians failed to look to God’s Word before making a public prediction for a date of Christ’s return. They tracked in the footsteps of that scout. The mistake brings ridicule to the whole church, casting doubt on everything else the church might proclaim to a lost world. Even end-of-world predictions from other sources, not religious, have had consequences when not fulfilled. In the year 2000, the world was ginned up thinking all was going to end by the Y2K computer problem, also called the millennium bug. The fearmongers were making money off of people who were storing up survivalist gear, including purchasing thousands of generators from a big retail chain. When the Y2K horror stories did not develop as predicted, those customers tried to return the merchandise to the stores to get a refund on their new gear. The stores refused to accept the generators back.

The hype regarding the Mayan calendar was another one. Conspiracy theorists abound today. The tinfoil-hat wearers make predictions of all sorts about government takeovers, UFO arrivals, murder plots, black helicopters, chemtrails, Illuminati, New World Order—most thought up from flat-earth-society types. The theories are endless and change with the wind.

Hopefully the majority of Christians are smarter than to jump on any conspiracy bandwagon passing by. They will not take part in white-robe mountain marches. However, many still think they will receive an easy-out escape from tribulation harm.

Old Testament prophets were held to a strict standard. If they were not 100 percent accurate but only 99 percent accurate in their predictions, they were killed by stoning. God does not make mistakes, not even 1 percent of the time. That prophet was declared a false prophet.

God’s warning has not changed. It is the same today as it was centuries ago.

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Luke 12:40, NIV)

The warning is repeated in the book of Mark.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the Angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. (Mark 13:32–33, NIV)

All we are told is that the day will indeed come; watch and be ready.

At that time if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There he is! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matthew 24:23–25, NIV)

Christ was concerned about the false prophets who would appear and deceive the elect by telling them that Jesus was waiting in some town, valley, or on a mountaintop. People would gather themselves together and go out on some wild goose chase to find him. False Christs and prophets purposefully search out every possible way to deceive the very elect. The warning is repeated in the book of Mark.

At that time if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or, Look, there he is! do not believe it. (Mark 13:21, NIV)

The cleverest avenue for deception is through the churches, messages that come over the pulpit and the lessons from the Sunday school. The very house of God is the location of the people of faith. God’s own have rightly been taught not to listen to what the world has to say. But they may take everything they hear from the church as the gospel truth, not realizing they are following in the footsteps of other trackers just like themselves.

Some churches think the Bible is only good when interpreted correctly. Truth is, God does not need us to interpret his Word to others. He is the one that is sovereign, not us. Truth is not dependent on our opinion. It remains truth regardless. No one knows the understanding of Scripture better than God, the author. Neither can history be changed. Look what has happened to the church in the past. Not any of the churches Paul started in his missionary travels still exist today. None of them. We cannot erase God’s Word or history. It is not wise to cover over Scripture with preconceived notions and deception. In today’s world, people are crying out for the simple truth on all subjects. We do not know the truth of everything, but we do have the truth on the Bible because we have the textbook. The alert sounds out against substituting anything else, even good things, in the place of direct Bible study. Do you give