Mockers Have Come

Chris

Administrator
Staff member
Mockers Have Come
By Hal Lindsey

Signs of the end of the age continue to increase in number and intensity. The Bible presents many such signs, including this surprising one in 2 Peter 3:3-4. “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’”

It’s surprising because these people should know better. They are the ones who have heard about the coming of the Lord for years. They know something about the Bible. Many of them are, or at least represent themselves as, believers. They often belong to, or even lead, churches. Yet they choose to mock. And what is the object of their mockery? The Lord Himself.

“Where is the promise of His coming?” they ask. We find “the promise of His coming” in the Lord’s own words. The fulfillment of His promise depends on His truthfulness and His faithfulness. That’s why to mock His promise is to mock the Lord Himself. Jesus said it plainly. He said it often and in many different ways. In John 14:3, He put it like this. “I will come again.”

What’s plainer than that? I…WILL…COME…AGAIN!

Can you imagine looking into His face and mocking that which He promised? Yet one prominent Christian leader explained why he stopped preaching on Bible prophecy. He said young people “don’t want to hear that.”

Are we now supposed to ignore major portions of the Bible because of what one demographic or another “wants” to hear? Should the whims of “itching ears” rule our pulpits? Jesus chided the religious leaders of His day for not understanding the signs of the time (Matthew 16:14). What does Jesus now think of leaders who refuse to preach major portions of His message because young people “don’t want to hear that”?

Hebrews 9:28 says that Jesus will appear a second time “to those who eagerly await Him.”

“Eagerly await”
is the English translation of the Greek word apekdechomai. It means to look-for with joyous expectation. This passage uses the phrase “those who eagerly await Him” like a synonym for “the followers of Christ.” It’s not saying that we earn salvation by having the correct attitude about the Second Coming. But it does point to the fact that eagerly awaiting His return is the normal, healthy posture of those who follow Jesus.

Yet individual churches and whole denominations now eschew any mention of the Lord’s return. Many churches that once joyously taught the Second Coming, now treat it like a bad smell. Ironically, they have turned away from the teaching of Christ’s return at a time when signs of that return are flooding the world. Contemporary events serve as vivid evidence of the Bible’s reliability and accuracy. Yet many of those who say they preach the Bible refuse to let people know what’s really going on.

Marketing experts should not choose our sermon topics. We must preach what Acts 20:27 refers to as “the whole counsel of God,” and we must do so consistently.

The course of world events is again proving that the message God gave in the Bible is completely reliable. If we trust God, we will trust His word. When we trust His word, we are trusting Him.

https://www.raptureforums.com/end-times/mockers-have-come/
 

kathymendel

Well-Known Member
Therein lies the problem............... churches for how many years now have NOT been preaching on the rapture.
How are the younger generations supposed to know not to scoff, when they have not been taught the truth about this?
Many pastors and priests, etc. are going to have to answer one day for their neglect, and for the souls who were not taught well.
We need boldness and truth from the pulpits................ desparately. But, so many wolves in sheep's clothing have entered the
sanctuaries. So sad. I pray eyes will be opened and the true Word will go forth once again.
 

RobinMc

Well-Known Member
The pastor at my former church told me plainly, I can't teach prophesy, it will hurt my reputation. This same pastor stood on Sunday morning and taught the church how to do enneagrams. I wanted to get up and leave that day, but my husband didn't. When we later discussed it, we decided he must have just been ignorant to what he was doing. Since I have left, a friend has told me they are going to start having 'christian yoga' for the ladies. I'm assuming 'christian torah cards' are next.
This is a Southern Baptist Church. If my dad was still living, he'd be going nuts.
 

DWB

Well-Known Member
Many Pastors care more about attendance and offerings than they do about saving souls. Unfortunately, their jobs depend on these things and not on the number of saved souls. That's why you hear so many sermons from the four gospels and not Paul's letters.
 

usoutpost31

Well-Known Member
I don't think the Resurrection is well understood in contemporary Christianity. To a degree Paul declares it to be a mystery, but reading 1 Corinthians 15, he seems to get it. He makes a series of points leading up to vs 50-55; that death is our last enemy, and that the Resurrection is the final victory for the believer.

Don't misunderstand; I think it's important to understand God's prophetic plan, and the chronology of events. But I can't help but think at times, even dispensationalists took a wrong turn somewhere. All the focus on what the 'earth dwellers' of Revelation have to look forward to. We're looking at what we're leaving behind, and not where we're going. The Rapture doesn't offer people hope because we're still worrying about what happens on the earth.

The followers of the Antichrist are described as 'those who dwell upon the earth' because they have no hope of heaven. We, on the other hand, are called 'citizens of heaven', and the majority of the scenes in Revelation, are in fact, based on Heaven's perspective. I mean, if we expect to be where John of Patmos is, to see the things he saw and experience what he experienced, isn't this where our interest should lie?

Again, it's good to learn about the Tribulation, the Antichrist, and to be informed on those subjects, to understand God's prophetic plan. But if we're going to teach about the Rapture, and what comes after the Rapture, we should teach about what believers have to look forward to after the Rapture. If we don't, then we have the perspective of the earth dwellers of Revelation, and that is as bleak as it gets. If we have Paul's perspective, then I don't think there should be much disagreement among believers, and no pastor should be afraid to preach 1 Corinthians 15 or any other Rapture/Resurrection passages.
 

Bethlehem57

Well-Known Member
The pastor at my former church told me plainly, I can't teach prophesy, it will hurt my reputation. This same pastor stood on Sunday morning and taught the church how to do enneagrams. I wanted to get up and leave that day, but my husband didn't. When we later discussed it, we decided he must have just been ignorant to what he was doing. Since I have left, a friend has told me they are going to start having 'christian yoga' for the ladies. I'm assuming 'christian torah cards' are next.
This is a Southern Baptist Church. If my dad was still living, he'd be going nuts.
Christian yoga? Not really surprised I have to admit. It’s really tough trying to find churches that teach Biblically! And lots have invoked the “prophecy will hurt our numbers” excuse. We’ve got to be close to going home!
 

RobinMc

Well-Known Member
My friends asked what do I have against yoga? It's from the hindu religion, torah cards are from new age and fortune telling. Is that really needed in the Christian church? They think I'm hard core. I am. I'm all about Jesus. He never spoke about or recommended these things.
 

kathymendel

Well-Known Member
The church I was attending said preaching on the rapture was "too controversial" so they avoided it altogether.
Everything in the bible is "controversial", isn't it?????? What a lame excuse.
We left, and the other day we ran into one of the women from the church and she said it is dying................
All the old members are dying and there are no younger members, or new members coming in.
 

daygo

Well-Known Member
The church I was attending said preaching on the rapture was "too controversial" so they avoided it altogether.
Everything in the bible is "controversial", isn't it?????? What a lame excuse.
We left, and the other day we ran into one of the women from the church and she said it is dying................
All the old members are dying and there are no younger members, or new members coming in.
I've never known it in UK and been a Christian now for 38 yrs.
 

GotGrace

Well-Known Member
We're looking at what we're leaving behind, and not where we're going.
Exactly. A lot of times when I see these grand buildings somewhere I can’t help but think that the thing will be shaken to rubble some day and all the money it took to build it gone forever.

I wonder if some folks just can’t wrap their head around the fact of all the destruction that is coming and therefore think it will never happen. It’s going to happen! My 15 cents in my bank account will be gone forever but that’s okay because I’m going where the gold streets are. Hallelujah what a Savior! Jesus Christ the perfect Lamb is close to taking us outta here.
 

ItIsFinished!

Blood bought child of the King of kings.
The Baptist Universities in the 60s started looking for teachers that were better at psychology than they were at BIBLE. Since they tried to make a come back but it sounds like it has failed.
Lord wake up those You can.
Not sure about the Baptist universities , but all the Baptist churches I've associtated with over many years (American Baptist Association) absolutely teach/preach sound eschatology, as well as the whole counsel of God's Word.
Having said that, I don't identify with a denomination , rather I identify with the risen Christ Jesus.
 

Bethlehem57

Well-Known Member
Yes, mockers abound, and I was confronted by many on another site this past week. Sure glad this solid biblical site is back up and running!
Yes! I posted something anti Catholic and got replies that were so hateful! They will deny, deny, deny that when they go to a priest for forgiveness, that its really going straight to Jesus, not an actual human.

As if that weren’t enough, they start explaining how much holier they are than anyone else.. Lord isn’t it time to go home yet?

I am very thankful for this site!
 

GotGrace

Well-Known Member
Not sure about the Baptist universities , but all the Baptist churches I've associtated with over many years (American Baptist Association) absolutely teach/preach sound eschatology, as well as the whole counsel of God's Word.
Having said that, I don't identify with a denomination , rather I identify with the risen Christ Jesus.
I can’t help but wonder if we will get back to people meeting in homes for church as denominations become more and more liberal.
 

kathymendel

Well-Known Member
GotGrace, your posts brought a picture into my mind that I have never considered before.
I've traveled a bit, and I've watched Rick Steve's travel documentaries................
Can you imagine what is going to happen after we are raptured, and all of the gold-gilded cathedrals around the world
are looted by the masses??? And, that will happen.

I have always felt that after the rapture - and maybe even shortly before - the churches will fail miserably (many already are)
and true believers will go back to meeting in homes - after the rapture it will definitely go underground.
 
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