Have you ever thought there was more to God's Word than you were being taught in church? Here is one of the few pastors left that teach God's beautiful Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse. We are the generation of the fig tree. Check him out.
https://t.co/T5ASscC448
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.- Ezekiel 28:16
Have you ever thought there was more to God's Word than you were being taught in church? Here is one of the few pastors left that teach God's beautiful Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse. We are the generation of the fig tree. Check him out.
https://t.co/T5ASscC448
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.- Ezekiel 28:16
@student_word Pastor Arnolds teaching of the Word changed my life Always went through the motions with "church" and never understanding the Word and being confused until a friend introduced me to Shepards Chapel a couple years ago. Learned of the 3 world ages and everything changed.
@_BrettRyanMusic@RBM7211 The gentleman with zero scripture to back up his accusations. His argument was "Christian churches have denied preexistant human souls for centuries". To deny the age that was is following the traditions of men. Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13
AMEN
Many will stumble over this
âjesusâ
Who comes to Earth
At the
6thTrump
The world is becoming more
& more âreligiousâ
As you can say a hollow prayer on your phone. Watch the life of the disciples on TV. See the passion of Christ in a movie
& Hear our government contemplate extraterrestrial
& preachers speculating that the rapture will be confused with alien abduction
As
The Whole World
Is being set up for the arrival of the Supernatural
son of perdition
Whose never been born of the bag of water & blood
& his beauty is almost the full pattern
With his pride showing no limits
As he even tried to tempt
THE LIVING WORD
As he quoted scripture in the wilderness with a twist &
he will be able to call fire down from heaven
Performing miracles in the side of men
The whole world will whore after him
Calling himâmessiahââjesusâ
As
They Become Part Of The
Great Apostasy
Claiming to love, Jesus
But in Not understanding
That the FAKE FALSE
jesus comes 1st
But we are to be like the
5 Wise Virgins
By
Remaining a Virgin Bride &
WAITING
For our Bridegroom
Who comes to Earth at the
7thTrump
WHEN THE TEXT DESTROYS THE THEORY
Revelation 11 and the Presence of the Church Until the Last Trumpet
The Chapter That Ends the Debate
Many passages challenge the preâtribulation rapture.
Many contradict it.
Many expose its assumptions.
But one chapter does more than challenge, contradict, or expose.
Revelation 11 destroys the preâtribulation rapture.
Not by interpretation.
Not by theological argument.
Not by inference.
But by sequence.
Revelation 11 gives a tight, unbroken, divinely measured timeline that leaves no roomânoneâfor a rapture before tribulation.
This chapter is the Spiritâs answer to the confusion of the last century.
The Candlesticks and the Olive Trees: The Church Is Still Here
Before the timeline even begins, the Spirit settles the question of identity.
Jesus Himself defines the symbol:
âThe seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.â
âRevelation 1:20
Later, in Revelation 11, the angel says:
âThese are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.â
âRevelation 11:4
The logic is unbreakable:
⢠Candlesticks = churches
⢠The two witnesses are candlesticks
⢠Therefore the two witnesses are churches
This alone proves the Church is present during the 1260 days.
The olive tree imagery reinforces the identity:
⢠Spiritâanointed witness
⢠Prophetic testimony
⢠Jew + Gentile remnant
⢠One people of God
⢠One New Man
Revelation 11 is not describing two individuals. It is describing the prophetic Church, the remnant Body, the Spiritâanointed lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
Preâtrib theology must break Jesusâ definition to survive.
Revelation 11 refuses to let it.
The 1260 Days: The Church Is Still Here
The chapter begins with a measurement:
âAnd I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore daysâŚâ
This periodâthe 1260 daysâis the same period given to:
⢠the trampling of the holy city,
⢠the nourishment of the woman,
⢠the persecution of the saints,
⢠the endurance of the remnant.
Preâtrib theology claims the Church is gone before tribulation.
Revelation 11 shows the Church ministering during tribulation.
The Church is present.
The Church is speaking.
The Church is suffering.
The Church is witnessing.
There is no rapture here.
There is no removal here.
There is no escape here.
The Death of the Witnesses: The Church Is Still Here
After their testimony is complete:
âThe beast⌠shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.â
Preâtrib theology claims the Church will never face the Antichrist.
Revelation 11 shows the Church killed by the Antichrist.
Preâtrib theology claims the Church is removed before the beast rises.
Revelation 11 shows the Church standing when the beast rises.
Preâtrib theology claims the Church escapes martyrdom.
Revelation 11 shows the Church martyred.
The text is not ambiguous.
The text is not symbolic.
The text is not optional.
The Church is still here.
---
V. The 3 1/2 days: The Final Silence Before Resurrection
The witnesses lie dead three days and a half.
In Hebrew reckoning, this means:
⢠three full days completed,
⢠plus the next morning,
⢠until the moment of resurrection.
This is the final humiliation of the remnant. This is the last moment of apparent defeat. This is the midnight before the dawn.
But heaven is counting the hours.
The 85th Hour: The Resurrection of the Witnesses
Revelation 11 is precise:
âAfter three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into themâŚâ
Not at the end of the 3½ days.
Not after another interval.
Afterâmeaning in the next hour.
This is the 85th hour.
This is the hour of:
⢠resurrection,
⢠vindication,
⢠fear falling upon the nations,
⢠the prophetic voice rising again,
⢠the third woe arriving,
⢠the heavens opening,
⢠the command from above: âCome up hither.â
This is the hour of firstfruits.
The 86th Hour: The Harvest of the Saints
The witnesses ascend first.
Then the earthquake strikes.
Then the third woe arrives.
Then the seventh angel sounds.
And at the seventh trumpet, heaven declares:
âThe kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LordâŚâ
This is the moment Paul calls
⢠the last trump
⢠the resurrection of the righteous,
⢠the transformation of the living,
⢠the gathering of the saints,
⢠the rewarding of the servants,
⢠the judgment of the dead.
This is the 86th hour.
This is the harvest.
This is the gathering.
This is the end.
There is no earlier resurrection.
There is no earlier trumpet.
There is no earlier gathering.
The Church rises at the seventh trumpet.
The NonâNegotiable Logic of Revelation 11
If the saints are rewarded at the seventh trumpet, and the dead are judged at the seventh trumpet, and the resurrection occurs at the seventh trumpet, and the ascension occurs at the seventh trumpetâŚ
âŚthen the Church cannot be removed before the seventh trumpet.
Revelation 11 is the Spiritâs surgical dismantling of preâtribulationism.
The Two Verses That Alone End the PreâTrib View
Here is the chain of logic:
⢠Jesus defines candlesticks as churches
⢠Revelation 11 calls the witnesses candlesticks
⢠Therefore the witnesses are churches
⢠The witnesses minister for 1260 days
⢠Therefore the Church ministers for 1260 days
⢠Therefore the Church is present during tribulation
⢠Therefore the preâtrib rapture is impossible
This is not interpretation.
This is not theory.
This is not theology.
This is text.
Conclusion: The Text Speaks, the Theory Falls
Revelation 11 gives:
⢠one identity (candlesticks = churches),
⢠one timeline (1260 days + 3½ days + 1 hour),
⢠one resurrection,
⢠one ascension,
⢠one trumpet,
⢠one judgment,
⢠one reward,
⢠one harvest.
There is no earlier event.
There is no earlier trumpet.
There is no earlier resurrection.
There is no earlier gathering.
The Church remains until the last trumpet.
The remnant stands until the final hour.
The Bride is gathered at the seventh trumpet.
Revelation 11 ends the preâtribulation rapture.
âhe that endureth to the end shall be saved.â
A Pastoral Message for Pentecost
Beloved in Christ,
As we enter this holy feast of Pentecost, we stand again in the rhythm of God, the God who gathers, the God who restores, the God who breathes life where there was none. Pentecost is not merely a remembrance of fire that once fell; it is the celebration of the God who still descends, who still fills, who still unites His people into one Body, one Spirit, one hope.
Pentecost is the feast of completion, the sealing of what began at Passover, the fulfillment of what was promised in the Upper Room, the moment when waiting becomes sending and longing becomes clarity.
This year, the Spirit is drawing our attention to three movements of His work.
1. Pentecost is the Gathering of the One New Man
At Pentecost, the nations heard one voice. At Pentecost, the scattered became gathered. At Pentecost, the walls between Jew and Gentile fell under the weight of the Spiritâs unity.
This is the hour when the Lord is gathering His people again, not into institutions, not into systems, but into Himself.
Pentecost is the birth of the One New Man, the Bride formed from every tribe and tongue, united not by culture but by covenant.
2. Pentecost is the Renewal of the Covenant
The same Spirit who wrote the Law on tablets now writes it on hearts.
Pentecost is the moment when God says again:
âI will be your God, and you will be My people.â
It is the feast of restoration, the feast of return, the feast of renewed obedience.
It is the hour when the Lord whispers to His people:
âTurn to Me, and I will not forsake you.â
Pentecost is the season of covenant restoration, not by human effort, but by divine breath.
3. Pentecost is the Empowering of the Remnant
Before the nations are shaken, the remnant is strengthened. Before the world hears the message, the Bride is filled. Before the hour of testing, the Spirit seals those who belong to Him.
Pentecost is the moment when the Lord clothes His people with power, not for spectacle, but for faithfulness.
It is the hour when the Spirit says:
âStand.
Endure.
Shine.
For the Lord your God is with you.â
This is the strengthening of the inner man, the quiet courage that comes not from emotion but from the presence of God Himself.
A Word for This Pentecost
Beloved, this Pentecost is not about noise.
It is about alignment.
It is not about striving.
It is about receiving.
It is not about rushing forward.
It is about standing still until the hour turns.
The Spirit is completing a work in many hearts, gathering the fragments, ordering the threads, preparing the Bride for the next movement of God.
Pentecost is the breath before the unveiling.
Pentecost is the fire before the sending.
Pentecost is the seal before the message.
A Pastoral Blessing
May the Spirit who descended in wind and flame descend upon your heart with peace and clarity.
May He gather what has been scattered,
restore what has been broken,
renew what has grown weary,
and seal what He has spoken.
May He make you ready â
not by your strength,
but by His breath.
And may the Bride say with one voice,
in this Pentecost hour:
âCome, Lord Jesus.â
Amen.
âSeal Up Vision and Prophecyâ â The Purpose of the Sealing
Daniel 9:24 includes a phrase that is often read but rarely understood:
ââŚto seal up vision and prophecy.â
This is not a poetic flourish.
It is a covenantal act with a longârange purpose.
The Hebrew word is chatham â to seal, close, secure, complete, or make inaccessible. Daniel is told that the prophetic vision would be closed until the appointed time.
This is the architecture of the sealed vision.
The Vision Was Sealed Until the End
Daniel 12:4 and 12:9 repeat the same truth:
⢠the vision is sealed
⢠the words are closed
⢠understanding is withheld
⢠the meaning is reserved
⢠the unsealing belongs to the end
This means no generation before the end could fully understand the prophetic architecture.
Not the early Church.
Not the medieval Church.
Not the Reformers.
Not the revivalists.
Not the modern prophecy teachers.
The vision was sealed.
This is the clarity of endâtime unsealing.
The Sealing Allowed Apostasy to Flourish
Because the vision was sealed, the Church entered the last days with:
⢠incomplete understanding
⢠partial frameworks
⢠contradictory systems
⢠confident but inaccurate interpretations
⢠teachers defending models built on sealed prophecy
This created the perfect environment for:
⢠apostasy
⢠false teachers
⢠false prophets
⢠counterfeit movements
⢠doctrinal confusion
Not because God failed to warn â
but because He intentionally withheld understanding until the appointed generation.
This is the architecture of the apostasy mechanism.
The Sealing Created the Conditions for Deception
Jesus warned:
⢠âmany false prophets will ariseâ
⢠âmany will be deceivedâ
⢠âfalse Christs will appearâ
⢠âeven the elect would be deceived if possibleâ
Paul warned:
⢠âthe falling away must come firstâ
⢠âteachers will gather crowds to suit their desiresâ
⢠âthey will turn aside to mythsâ
Peter warned:
⢠âfalse teachers will secretly introduce destructive heresiesâ
Why did this flourish?
Because the vision was sealed.
This is the clarity of the deception environment.
The Sealing Separates Wheat From Chaff
The sealing was not a mistake.
It was a mechanism of separation.
When the vision is sealed:
⢠the proud invent systems
⢠the ambitious build platforms
⢠the deceived follow voices
⢠the false prophets multiply
⢠the foolish cling to tradition
⢠the unstable chase novelty
But when the vision is unsealed:
⢠the wise understand
⢠the humble receive
⢠the faithful discern
⢠the remnant awakens
⢠the wheat separates from the chaff
The sealing created the conditions for deception.
The unsealing creates the conditions for discernment.
This is the architecture of the wheatâandâchaff separation.
The Purpose of the Sealing in Our Day
The sealing ensured that:
⢠false systems would rise
⢠false teachers would prosper
⢠false prophets would gain influence
⢠the Church would be sifted
⢠the remnant would be revealed
⢠the wise would shine at the end
Daniel 12:10 says:
âThe wicked will not understand,
but the wise will understand.â
The sealing was for protection.
The unsealing is for identification.
This is the clarity of the endâtime purpose.
---
The Sealed Vision Enabled the Great Modern Apostasy
When Daniel was told that vision and prophecy would be sealed (chatham) until the end, this was not merely a delay in understanding.
It was the very condition that allowed the greatest doctrinal deception of the modern age to flourish.
This is the architecture of the sealedâage apostasy.
The sealing of vision and prophecy allowed false systems to flourish so that, when the unsealing came at the end, the wheat would be revealed, the chaff exposed, and the wise distinguished from the deceived.
The DarbyâScofield System Could Only Rise in a Sealed Age
Because the prophetic architecture was sealed:
⢠the Church lacked clarity
⢠the prophetic frameworks were incomplete
⢠the endâtime structure was unknown
⢠the 70th week was misunderstood
⢠the 3½âyear pattern was hidden
Into that vacuum stepped the Darby/Scofield system, offering:
⢠a preâtribulation rapture
⢠a 7âyear peace treaty
⢠a rebuilt temple
⢠red heifers
⢠animal sacrifices
⢠a revived Levitical system
⢠the doctrine of imminence
None of which appear in the prophetic architecture.
This is the clarity of the DarbyâScofield framework.
The System Gave the World a False Hope
The preâtribulation doctrine promised:
⢠escape instead of endurance
⢠removal instead of refinement
⢠rescue instead of overcoming
⢠absence instead of witness
It trained a generation to expect:
⢠signs that do not exist
⢠events Scripture never describes
⢠a timeline Scripture never gives
⢠a rescue Scripture never promises
This is the architecture of false imminence.
The System Replaced Christ With a Framework
The tragedy is not merely doctrinal.
It is relational.
The system taught believers to trust:
⢠a timeline
⢠a chart
⢠a sequence
⢠a rescue plan
instead of trusting:
⢠the Shepherd
⢠the Word
⢠the Spirit
⢠the endurance of the saints
The system became the savior.
Christ became the footnote.
This is the clarity of systemâbased faith.
The Sealing Allowed the Apostasy to Mature
Because the vision was sealed:
⢠false teachers prospered
⢠false prophets multiplied
⢠false systems gained authority
⢠the Church embraced illusions
⢠the remnant became hidden
This was not an accident.
It was a mechanism of separation.
This is the architecture of the apostasy mechanism.
The Unsealing Exposes the System and Reveals the Remnant
When Christ knocks â Revelation 3:20 â and the door is opened:
⢠clarity returns
⢠endurance awakens
⢠obedience strengthens
⢠deception collapses
⢠the remnant emerges
The unsealing does not merely correct doctrine. It reveals who belongs to Him.
This is the clarity of the remnant revelation.
The sealing of vision allowed the Darby/Scofield system to flourish, giving the world a false hope of escape; the unsealing exposes the deception, separates wheat from chaff, and restores the Church to Christ Himself.
THE STONYâGROUND CHURCH:
There is a word rising again in this generation, a word Jesus spoke long before the shaking of the nations, long before the doctrines of escape were invented, long before the Church learned to prefer comfort over endurance. It is the word of the Sower, the word that reads the heart more accurately than any doctrine, the word that exposes the soil beneath our confessions.
In this hour, the Spirit is not merely revealing events. He is revealing conditions. He is uncovering the inner terrain of the Church.
For the danger of the last days is not only deception from without,
but shallowness from within.
And the Lord is saying again:
âSome receive the word with joy, yet have no root in themselves.â
This is the prophetic burden of this chapter. A generation has embraced a message of escape, a message that promises exemption from the very tribulation Jesus said would test the whole earth. And because they expect removal, they have not prepared for endurance.
They rejoice in the word â
but only until the word demands suffering.
They celebrate the promises â
but only until the promises require perseverance.
They love the idea of the kingdom â
but not the path that leads into it.
And so the prophecy of Jesus unfolds before our eyes:
âWhen tribulation arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.â
This is the StonyâGround Church â
the church that sings loudly but roots shallowly, the church that embraces blessing but rejects endurance,
the church that collapses at the first tremor of pressure.
But the Lord is raising a remnant who will not be offended. A people who will not wither. A people who will not fall away when the sun grows hot. A people who understand the apostolic witness:
âWe must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.â
This chapter is written for them â
for the ones who refuse false peace,
for the ones who reject shallow soil,
for the ones who choose depth over excitement,
for the ones who will stand when others fall.
May the Lord break the stony ground.
May He plant His word deep.
May He form in us the endurance of the saints.
Why Escape Theology Cannot Endure the Hour of Testing.
The Parable That Reads Our Generation
Jesus parable of the sower is not merely agricultural imagery. It is prophetic diagnosis that reveals the inner architecture of the human heart in the last days.
And among the four soils, one stands out with haunting relevance to our time:
âHe that received the seed into stony places⌠hath no root in himself⌠when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.â
(Matt 13:20â21)
This is the StonyâGround Church â the church that rejoices in the word until the word demands endurance.
It is the church that sings loudly but roots shallowly. The church that celebrates revelation but collapses under pressure. The church that embraces promises but rejects suffering.
And it is the church most vulnerable to the lie of escape.
The StonyâGround Believer: A Profile of Fragile Faith
Jesus gives six characteristics of this soil. Each one mirrors the spiritual formation produced by escape theology.
1. âHe heareth the wordâ
There is no lack of exposure.
This believer attends, listens, consumes, and receives.
2. âAnon with joy receiveth itâ
There is emotional enthusiasm.
Immediate excitement.
Quick affirmation.
This is the believer who loves sermons about blessing, victory, destiny, and favor.
3. âYet hath he not root in himselfâ
There is no depth.
No hidden life.
No endurance structure.
This is the believer formed by a theology of exemption, not endurance.
4. âHe dureth for a whileâ
Temporary faith.
Shortâlived zeal.
A season of devotion.
This is the believer whose faith lasts only as long as circumstances cooperate.
5. âWhen tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the wordâŚâ
The pressure is not random.
It is because of the word.
The word contradicts their expectations.
The word demands endurance.
The word confronts their theology.
6. âBy and by he is offendedâ
This is the breaking point.
Offended at suffering.
Offended at tribulation.
Offended at the cross.
Offended at the cost of discipleship.
Offended at the idea that the Church must endure.
This is the spiritual fruit of escape theology.
Escape Theology Produces Stony Ground
Escape theology promises:
⢠exemption
⢠removal
⢠avoidance
⢠comfort
⢠safety
⢠immunity
It trains believers to expect a path Jesus never promised.
So when tribulation appears â even the idea of tribulation â they react with:
⢠coldness
⢠defensiveness
⢠hostility
⢠dismissal
⢠offense
Not because they are wicked,
but because they were formed shallowly.
They were discipled into stony ground.
The Apostolic Witness: Tribulation Is the Pathway
âConfirming the souls of the disciples⌠that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.â
(Acts 14:22)
This is apostolic discipleship.
Paul and Barnabas did not hide tribulation.
They did not soften it.
They did not apologize for it.
They confirmed the souls of the disciples with it.
The apostolic message:
Tribulation is the pathway into the kingdom.
The modern message:
âYou will escape tribulation.â
One forms deep roots.
The other forms shallow soil.
One produces endurance.
The other produces offense.
One prepares the remnant.
The other prepares the stony ground.
The StonyâGround Church in the Last Days
Jesus warned that in the last days:
⢠âthe love of many shall wax coldâ
⢠âmany shall be offendedâ
⢠âmany shall fall awayâ
⢠âmany false prophets shall ariseâ
The StonyâGround Church is the soil in which these prophecies grow.
It is the church that:
⢠loves comfort more than truth
⢠loves promises more than obedience
⢠loves escape more than endurance
⢠loves excitement more than depth
⢠loves peace more than preparation
This is why escape theology spreads so easily. It speaks to the shallow places of the heart.
The Remnant: The Good Soil That Endures
In contrast, Jesus describes the good soil:
⢠hears the word
⢠understands the word
⢠keeps the word
⢠endures under pressure
⢠bears fruit with patience
This is the remnant.
This is the firstfruits.
This is the company that will stand in the hour of testing.
They are not offended by tribulation.
They are strengthened by it.
They do not flee the fire.
They meet the Son of Man in the fire.
They do not collapse under pressure.
They shine under pressure.
They do not expect escape.
They expect endurance.
The StonyâGround Church rejoices in the word until the word demands endurance. Escape theology produces this shallow formation. It promises exemption, so when tribulation arises â even the teaching of tribulation â the believer is offended. But the apostles taught the opposite: âWe must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.â The remnant is not the offended; the remnant is the enduring.
---
Beloved, hear the word of the Lord for this hour.
The days ahead will expose every root system. The shaking will reveal what was shallow, and the fire will reveal what was true. The sun is rising, and the heat of the day will test every soil.
Therefore, strengthen your heart.
Break up the stony places.
Let the word go deeper than excitement, deeper than emotion, deeper than the joy of first hearing.
Let it reach the hidden places where endurance is formed.
For the Lord is calling forth a people who will not be offended when tribulation comes, a people who will not stumble when the word contradicts their expectations, a people who will not wither when the pressure increases.
He is forming a remnant who will say:
⢠âI will endure.â
⢠âI will stand.â
⢠âI will not be offended at the cross.â
⢠âI will not be shaken by the hour that tests the whole earth.â
This is the company who understands the apostolic witness:
âWe must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.â
This is the soil that bears fruit with patience.
This is the heart that cannot be uprooted.
This is the faith that cannot be stolen.
This is the endurance that cannot be quenched.
So rise, beloved.
Let the Lord deepen your roots.
Let Him anchor you in the patience of Christ.
Let Him prepare you for the hour that separates the shallow from the steadfast.
And may this promise rest upon you like a seal:
âThey shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.â
Amen.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.- Jeremiah 1:5
The true Church is not a building, an institution, or a hierarchy in Rome. It is the living body of Christâmany members, one Headâwherever two or three (or more) gather in His name, and Christ Himself is in the midst (Matthew 18:20).
Whether Amish, Mennonite, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, or any other label, the real Church consists of all those who have a personal, true relationship with their Father in heaven through Jesus Christ. Their faith is in Himânot in any institution.
When Jesus died, the veil was torn from top to bottom. The way into the Fatherâs presence was opened once and for all through His blood alone (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:19-22). No man, no system, and no earthly structure stands between us and God. Jesus is the only Mediator and the only Vicar we need (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Holy Spirit Himself is our Teacher (John 16:13; 1 John 2:27), and God personally sends us teachers when we need them, just as He promised. So why donât you believe the promises in the good news that Christ gave? Why do you want to stop the freedom that Christ brings?
The gospel is not something to be owned, institutionalized, or married to saint worship, vain repetitions, or claims that another man is the âVicar of Christ.â That is the spirit of religionâthe same spirit Jesus confronted in the Pharisees when they elevated traditions of men above the Word of God (Mark 7:6-13).
An institution cannot be its own God. The good news is simple, powerful, and free: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures. Whosoever believes in Him has eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 3:16). No institution, no succession of men, and no extra-biblical traditions can add to or improve upon what Jesus finished on the cross.
Letâs return to the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). True unity isnât found in visible earthly authority or institutional loyaltyâitâs found in hearts fully surrendered to the living Jesus.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.- 1 Thessalonians 4:17