Behind Enemy Lines
Why Me, Why Now?
Have you ever wondered why you were born in this era?
Have you ever thought what the odds are, that you were born at this time in history?
Out of all the millions of gamete (sperm), the one that fertilised the ovum from your mother, turned out to be you.
The odds are enormous, millions to one. It could have been any one of millions, however, it was you.
The Bible tells us that we were chosen before the foundation of the world and that God chose this time in history for you to be born and not only that but most importantly, to be born again.
God has a plan and you are part of that plan.
Romans 8:28 - 30 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn of many brethren.
30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.…
This is a done deal, notice all these are in the past tense. These things are sure.
From before the foundation of the world, God purposed these things and in the fullness of time, He brought it to pass.
If you are born again of the Spirit of God, you have a commission from the Saviour Jesus Christ, to share your faith with others.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Jesus also told us that we are in the world but not of the world.
Philippians 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Jesus also told us that because we are not of the world, the world would hate us.
John 17: 14 – 16 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
There is no doubt we are living in the last days.
This world is getting more evil as times passes by, the teachings of the Bible are becoming less and less relevant to modern society. The Bible is seen as an antiquated book that has no relevance in today’s world.
Today we are living in perilous times and the scriptures warned us about them.
2 Timothy 3:1-13 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Just before the wrath of God was poured out on the world in the times of Noah, the world was an evil place.
Jesus told us that the last days would be just the same.
Matt 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
In the days of Noah we see what it was like.
Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
Jesus said that these last days would be just like the days of Noah and that the wrath of God will be poured out on this evil generation.
This is the signs of the times, (The Zeitgeist – The Spirit of the Age).
The Apostle Paul talks about the man of perdition, the man of lawlessness, the antichrist, who will come on the world scene in the last days before the second coming of Christ. At the moment, he is being restrained by the Holy Spirit. However, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.
2 Thess 2: 6 And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.…
We can see this spirit of lawlessness being outworked in our societies. Even our laws are being changed to accommodate evil acts. Even the professing Christian churches are going against the teachings of scripture.
This is not surprising, seeing that Jesus warned more about apostasy and false teachers more than anything else in the last days.
Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing amongst the brethren. Many professing Christians that are leading many astray.
There are many scoffers in the world, who have no regards for God’s word. Lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God.
2 Tim 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
The Apostle Peter warned of scoffers in these last days.
2 Peter 3:3 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 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 creation."
We are living in dangerous times and we must stay alert, for the devil is very active.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Behind enemy lines:
During the last days of the Second World War, the Nazis got more and more evil as the war neared its end. Hitler knew his time was short and so they set out to kill as many undesirables as possible, both Jews and Gentiles. The gas chambers were running 24/7.
Satan knows that his time is short and will become more and more active as his defeat comes nearer.
He will persecute the Jews and the Christian church.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Satan in times past tried to stop the first coming of the Messiah and failed.
His objective is to stop the second coming of Christ.
In the last days of World War Two, D Day was always said to be 7th June 1945. However D Day began on the 6th June but no one knew about it, only those involved. On the 6th June, commandos from Britain and America were dropped behind German lines taking down strategic positions, felling communications lines to prepare for the Normandy beach landings.
Partisans in France were busy preparing for the attack on the Normandy beaches.
Without this behind the scenes work, the invasion could have not taken place.
This is where we are today. Christians are behind enemy lines, laying the groundwork for the invasion of Jesus Christ.
We are as it were, God’s commandos.
We are not to be idle, we are to work while it is still light.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Matt 5:13- 15 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savour, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Noah continued working on building the Ark and preaching righteousness until the last moment and not many listened, save his family. Only after Noah and seven others were safely in the Ark was God’s judgement poured out on the earth. (The way is narrow that leads to salvation and only a few will find it).
Noah preached for 120 years and only seven listened. Yet he was a successful preacher because he was obedient to God's word.
They were removed before the flood (the wrath/judgement) came.
So, as Jesus said, just as in the days of Noah, so it will be.
When the last soul is safely in the Ark, Christ will return in judgement.
The Ark is a type of Christ and the church will be removed sometime at the end of the great tribulation but before God’s wrath.
Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.…
1 Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The words here in Greek is “Tereho Ek” (To keep from).
At the end of the great tribulation of those days, there will be a rapture of the believers and then shall the wrath of God be poured out on an unbelieving world.
There are three different words used to show a separation between tribulation, great tribulation and the wrath of God.
The Greek words are Thilipsis – Tribulation. Mega Thilipsis – Great Tribulation and Orge – Wrath.
The believing church have always experienced Thilipsis. Jesus said this.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
However, the church will go through the Mega Thilipsis – the Great Tribulation. but these days will be shortened for the elects sake.
During the seven year covenant made by antichrist with many, at the mid point, (The Abomination of Desolation) spoken of by Daniel the prophet. There will begin a great tribulation, the like of which has never been seen before.
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
This then, is a pre wrath rapture of the church, which occurs between the sixth and seventh seals of Revelation. Hence, (Intra seal). We see this at the end of chapter six of Revelation. Then we see the raptured church in heaven in chapter seven, followed by the wrath of God in chapter eight.
After the removal of the believing church, which includes the resurrection of the dead in Christ (Greek, Anastasia) the catching away of those who are alive and remain to His coming, (Greek, Harpazo) and the gathering together in the air, (Greek, Episunagarge), the Wrath of God – (Greek, Orge – wrath) will be poured out.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath (orge) of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
See also Blog 23. “The Intra Seal Rapture”
https://jeffreyunsworth.wixsite.com/teleiosbibleblogs/intrasealrapture
It is important that we remain true to the commission given by Christ to the church and be like Noah, faithful to our calling, preaching
righteousness to a fallen world. Preaching the Gospel of salvation to whoever. We must remain obedient to our orders.
We have a job to do, behind enemy lines.
