The Catching Away of His Bride: Ready, Pure & Holding the Line | Week 5 Bible Study Recap EP 43

This week on Unfiltered Faith: Beyond the Church Walls, Evelyn and Krystal recap Week 5 of our Bible study through The King Is Coming by John Bevere.

This episode focuses on The Catching Away of His Bride — the hope of Jesus’ return, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the transformation of living believers, and what it means to live ready while we wait for the Bridegroom.

We discuss the different views surrounding the timing of the catching away — pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib — while emphasizing that this topic should not divide believers or create arrogance. Paul said to comfort one another with these words, not fight over them.

We also talk about holding the line in a dark world, resisting compromise, pursuing holiness, and living as a bride prepared for the return of Jesus.

Key Scriptures:
 Luke 19:11-13
 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11
 Matthew 25:1-13
 Matthew 6:31-33
 Revelation 19:7-8
 Hebrews 12:14

This episode is our personal recap and discussion from Week 5 of The King Is Coming Bible study by John Bevere. It is not a replacement for the full teaching, book, video, or study guide. We encourage you to purchase the full study and go through it for yourself.

The return of Jesus is not meant to make us fight.

It is meant to make us faithful.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hello everyone and welcome back to Unfiltered Faith Beyond the Church Walls. I'm Evelyn and I am here with Crystal.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Hey everybody!

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Before we get started, we want to say clearly that this episode is our Bible study recap and personal discussion from week five of the King is Coming study by John Bevere. We are not reproducing the full teaching, the video, or his study guide. We are simply talking through what stood out to us, what we discussed as a group, and the scriptures connected to this week's lesson. We encourage you to purchase the book and the study guide, go through the full teaching for yourself, and most importantly, open your Bible. Don't just take our word for it, read the scripture, pray through them, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the understanding and show you how it applies in your own life. So today we're going to recap, like I said, week five of our Bible study through the King is coming. And this is one of those weeks where you almost have to slow down a lot, and we did, and really take a breath, take through, because there is a lot in this week's, and there is only one more week, and then we're finishing up. So it's getting pretty deep at this point. We're talking about the catching away of his bride. Some people call that the rapture. Other people prefer to say caught up or catching away, because that is the wording Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians. Either way, we're talking about the moment where the dead in Christ rise, and then those who are alive in Christ are changed, basically in the blink of an eye, right? And believers are gathered to meet the Lord up in the sky, right? And right away, this topic we know can get people really worked up. Um, we noticed that when we did our revelation series, and now and just doing this series through, the second you mention the word rapture or tribulation, pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, all the trib, right? People start like picking teams. And it's like a church softball tournament, you know. And honestly, that's the one thing we really need to guard against because we're not here to, you know, um bicker over this particular topic. This lesson is not supposed to make us combative. It's really not supposed to make us like arrogant or prideful, right? It's not supposed to turn the return of Jesus into a debate club where everybody is trying to prove they're smarter than the next person in the room. Basically, Paul said it great. He said it's to use to comfort one another with these words, right? So we shouldn't be getting bickering. We should be comforting one another. That means the return of Jesus should bring hope, sobriety, urgency, and really encouragement. It should wake us up, you know, not puff us up and get us all angry at each other.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Agreed, agreed. And like a little side note, uh John Vivere and his wife don't even agree.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Yeah, I when he mentioned that I'm like, man, that seems like that's hard to believe. And I I would really love to hear her take on it. Yeah, because I think he said she's kind of between mid and mid and post. Mid and post, because he's a pre-trib. Yeah, so it's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

Yeah. But so getting back to the study, you know, um Paul's words, you know, that was obviously one of the biggest things that stood out to me. Yeah. You know. Um, but there are also other details to the study, right? So there are different views on when the church is caught up, which we've talked a little bit about. But if the whole thing only makes us argue, then we are completely, completely missing the point. Absolutely. The question underneath all of it is basically this are we ready? Yeah. You know, are we living like Jesus is actually coming back?

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Exactly, because we can know all the timelines. And I think a lot of people do, like we, you know, ever the timelines are talked about a lot, yeah, but still be asleep spiritually or dead spiritually. You know, we can study revelation and we have, yeah, um, and still not forgive people and still be in that, you know, in that place. We can talk about the Antichrist and still not obey Christ.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

True.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Um, we can debate the tribulation still and still be compromising in our private lives, you know. So today, what we're gonna talk about and kind of walk through is the main theme of week five in a way that is really practical. Um, we'll talk about Jesus as both bridegroom and the king. Um, we'll talk about catching away of the church, the different views, the timing and differences between tribulation and the wrath of God, and what it means to hold the line and what it looks like for the bride of Christ to be pure and ready. And again, this is a recap and a discussion. So we are not replacing the study. Again, we're just pointing you back to the scripture and encouraging you to go deeper. Absolutely. So, with that being said, why don't we open in prayer?

SPEAKER_00 5:03

So, Father God, we thank you so much for revealing to Paul that the rapture should bring us comfort. We thank you for loving us, we thank you for the timelines, and we thank you for the signs that we can recognize your return. We love you, and just we ask that you be with us during this time, during the study, and just touch the hearts of everyone listening. In Jesus' precious and mighty name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Amen. So, one of the first things we looked at this week was the word of Jesus in Luke 19.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

And before we get into catching away, before we get into the timelines, and before we can really get into tribulation views, we have to start with what Jesus told his servant to do while they waited. So, Christopher, if you want to read uh Luke 19, verses 11 through 13, and you're reading out of which version?

SPEAKER_00 5:54

So this one is titled The Parable of the Minas. Now, as they heard these things, he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore he said, A certain nobleman went into the far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten Minas, and said to them, Do business till I come.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Yeah, so in that parable, Jesus is correcting a wrong expectation. The people thought like the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately, right then, in that time. And Jesus tells the parable about, you know, the nobleman, like you said. So in the King James Version, the wording is, quote, occupy till I come, end quote. So that phrase is so important because it means handle business, continue doing your good work, you know, and doing it well. You know, keep stewarding everything well. Anything that's placed in your hand, you know, do it well and to the Lord, right?

SPEAKER_03 6:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Don't sit around doing nothing just because, you know, the master, in this case, you know, Jesus is away. Don't bury what he's given you, don't become lazy, and don't become distracted, you know, just be faithful until his return. And that's what we should be doing.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

And I definitely think that's a needed correction for us, I mean, especially today.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Because sometimes, you know, end of times teaching can make people either fearful or passive. And I know for myself, before we dived into Revelation, I was very fearful of it. You know, people see how dark the world is getting, and instead of becoming more faithful, they, you know, almost check out, you know, it becomes, well, Jesus is coming back, so why even bother? Um, but Jesus said he said the exact opposite. Right. He said to occupy until I come. Yep. And that means his return to make us more faithful and not less faithful. Faithful. And I love how John said it a couple weeks ago. He plans like Jesus isn't coming for 200 years, but he lives like he's coming in the next hour. I love that because that really put it into perspective for me.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Absolutely. And I think that's where I we need to really be honest with ourselves. If like my belief in the return of Jesus causes me to stop serving or stop witnessing to people, stop, you know, stop discipling and loving people well, you know, like basically stop building for the kingdom, then I really miss have missed it. The return of Jesus is not permission to just sit back and complain about the world, and God knows that's happening, right? Um, it really calls us to be faithful while the world is dark. We still have people to reach, you know, and lots of them. We still have family members that we're praying for, and we still have truth to speak and people to minister to. You know, we have an assignment from God, and we need to, every breath that we have, we need to be on this earth, we need to be utilizing it. You know, basically occupying doesn't always look like a microphone or a platform. Sometimes it's just looking like raising your children in the fear of the Lord, like we're trying to do with our little Riley here, you know, and another one to come soon. Um, sometimes it looks like praying for someone who keeps rejecting God over and over, and you're just praying and the whole that the Holy Spirit, you know, get a hold of them. Sometimes it just is like showing up and being faithful when nobody claps for you, or serving in a small ministry as we do, and just having little Bible studies, feeding people, feeding others, forgiving someone who really doesn't deserve it, because none of us do. None of us deserve it, you know, and discipling one another, telling the truth even when it costs.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah, and I mean that's real talk right there. Talk about forgiving someone like Jesus forgave us all, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:34

So it's but we gotta do it even if we don't want to, even if our flesh says no, you know, we gotta say yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

That's right. But I mean, I also think it keeps us from getting lost in speculation, you know, because we can sit here and we can we can ask a thousand questions about the timing of everything. Yeah, but Jesus has already given us very clear instructions. We are to watch, we are to pray, we are to be ready, be faithful, and take care of what he has already given us.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

That's right, you know, because we cannot use unclear details as an excuse to neglect clear obedience. Yeah, you know. So before we can ask when will he come, we need to ask the question, am I doing what he told me to do until he comes? Because the when he's already said we don't know the hour, the time, nor the day. We just need to be faithful until he comes, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Another major theme of this week's was the transformation. So this part was powerful because it shows us that salvation is not just one isolated moment. You know, God is redeeming the whole person. The first transformation is the transformation of the spirit. That happens when we are born again. Jesus says in John 5 25 that the one who hears his word and believes has passed from death to life. That's instant, that's salvation. Your spirit, which was dead in sin, is then made alive in Christ. And I think that is awesome. And then the second transformation that he talked about is the one of the soul. And this is a renewing of our mind, you know, and this is an ongoing process. This is what we do every day throughout life, and that is in Romans 2. I'm sorry, that is in Romans 12, 2. And that tells us to be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind. And this is where I think thinking changes, or where our thinking changes, or it should. Our desires change. You know, if we're living for Christ every day and we've, you know, we've taken that salvation on, right? We've passed from death to life, and now we have salvation. If we're in his word all the time, it is transforming us, it's changing us. We should react differently. And I'm not saying overnight because we're not perfect. No. I have been living for the Lord now for quite some time, and I still get it wrong on the daily. And I just like, Lord, work on me, Holy Spirit help me, right? You know, but our priority should change, our attitude should change. And this is where we have to cooperate, and that's being the word, with the Holy Spirit. And I think that's where a lot of us do get it wrong. We're not always cooperative with the Holy Spirit, right? Right? Let's be honest. I mean, that's that's true. Some of us got saved instantly, but our mouth still needs work. I mean, I was baptized until 14, and I'm gonna say that probably just yesterday my mouth got the best of me, you know. Our temper still needs work, our thought life, right, still needs work. And our fear still needs work. I mean, there's all those things I ask on the daily for the Lord to take, you know, to help me with, you know. Holy Spirit, please help us. Um, you know, even our spending habits, we've talked about that, you know, um, relationship wounds, you know, we've got to work on those things. Yeah, and then our reactions still needed to come under the Lordship of Jesus. So I think that's it. Like, I think really it's like when we think about that, like all those things I can relate to totally, but it's like maybe I should be asking the Lord, Lord, it's the reactions of those things, you know. It's like I can't change somebody, but I can certainly change how I respond.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Yeah, right? I mean, I feel like I'm getting a little bit better, you know, because I feel like at one point, yeah, I told you when we came back from uh from vacation what my mother-in-law said, and it took everything in me to not just jump down her throat, but I made a promise to my husband that I would let him handle her. Yeah, because I will say things not in a very nice way, where he's more diplomatic, and I did just that. So when we came, we were laying in bed. I was like, babe, I was about ready to tell you, you have breakfast with your mom, you take me, baby, home because I don't want to deal with it. And I was like, but I didn't. He's like, Thank you. So like I'm getting better, but it's still human, though.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

And unfortunately, you guys are, you know, just so people you guys are on a different political sphere, and so that makes it difficult. And anytime you bring politics and religion into anything, and if you're complete opposites, that does make it rough. So, you know, politics aside, we gotta love them, right? Yeah, yeah. Love our we love everybody, and we just have to, you know, just love them how the Lord would, and that's difficult. It's difficult, it definitely can be.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

That's why we are fleshy and not like Jesus. I mean, we're trying to be more like Jesus, but we are every day, usually, yeah, exactly. But little puzzle side rant.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Where you're working where you're working on on your responses, your reactions.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

But getting back to it. So, you know, and I what you said, you know, it it makes sense because sometimes people think, well, you know, I gave my life to Jesus, so you know, like, why am I still struggling? You know, I've had that thoughts, right? But it's like, well, the spirit is alive, and then the soul has to be renewed. Yeah. So you can be saved, but if you're not in God's word every day, how you we can't move our mind. We can't, if we don't know God's word, yeah, we can't be renewed. So we have to let the word reshape the way we think. We have to let the Holy Spirit deal with those patterns that were built before we even knew Christ.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

That's exactly it. I think that's the part people miss. Yeah, you know, think about like we're we're talking about even like little Riley. Some of the stuff she says, like yesterday, she blew our mind. Tony has been trying to get her to say this, this he has been trying to get her to say, whoa, Nelly, for uh a year. I he says he like he'll play with her and he'll be like, whoa, Nelly. And just yesterday, we were just sitting there and she was playing on my lap and then she almost like almost and she didn't almost fall, but she was pretending like she was almost falling and she goes, Whoa, Nelly, the clear blue. So you know, you think about that, but something that has been put in your mind, it's there. And when it does come out, you know, you've got to renew that. And so the bad things have to be renewed. And you know, salvation is instant, but maturity is formed.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

So those things that we have in us, you know, we have to work on that. That is this second transformation over and over and over. Yeah, we've we've had years to form these bad habits that are not gonna be changed overnight. That's correct. First of all, with the whole with the whole thing. Well, there are certain things that there's a difference between transformation and then deliverance. Yes, people, yeah. You know, those are people who are delivered. But transformation, that second transformation that we're referring to, is every single day of renewing your mind. Okay. So the third transformation is the transformation of the body. Okay, so Christopher, you'll read 1 Corinthians 15, verses 51 and 52. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Okay, so Paul says, We will not all sleep, meaning not every believer will physically die. So that is something. So we know that the Lord, well, obviously, right? Because Enoch happened to Enoch. It happened a couple people. Well, what's gonna happen though is it's gonna happen there there will be a generation of people who will be alive and who will be caught up, right? Yep, yep. But we will all be changed. Yes. So in that moment, so in the twinkling of an eye, the dead will be raised incorruptible and the living will be changed. So those who are living, and I hope that's in my lifetime, will be changed. So this is a bodily glorification. So this is the third transformation. One day, these mortal bodies are transformed, and I don't know about you, but the older I get, the more I appreciate that. And I said that late last night by Bible say I'm like, this body's getting tired, it's aching, you know, it, you know, we get sick, it's it's time. Our bodies carry weariness and grief and trauma. But for the believers, this is not the final version, which this again is the third transformation. So Jesus is the first fruits, right? His resurrection shows what is coming. And he rose from the dead, he was not just a spirit floating around, right? He had a body. And he even asked Thomas to touch him, remember?

SPEAKER_02 17:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

And he ate with his disciples. Um Tom, like I said, Thomas could see it, not only could he see his wounds, he could feel his wounds, right? But the body was glorified. It was different. As a matter of fact, when he was walking, it in scripture it tells us that one day we'll all be changed like that. But when he was even walking, people didn't even recognize him. Right. So it wasn't like a scary thing, they just didn't recognize him as Jesus, right? So that's encouraging.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

Yeah. And, you know, that also brings us hope because when you think about the catching away of the church, I mean, it's not just about leaving the earth, it is about resurrection, it is about Jesus completing what he started in us. So spirit, soul, and body.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Yes, and that takes us into deeper than just I want to escape from the hard times. Right. You know, people say we're, you know, oh, some the pre-tribers were all what do you say, escapist. Yes, thank you. Yeah, but that's what the Bible says that pray to escape it.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

I want to be an escapist.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

The real hope is that we will be with him and be made whole, right? So that we're not those left behind. The dead in Christ will not be forgotten, and the living in Christ will not be abandoned. I think that is an amazing picture, actually. So Jesus will gather his people up in the sky, so the living in Christ will not be abandoned, and Jesus will gather his people, and we will all be changed. I think that is very comforting.

SPEAKER_03 19:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

So now let's get into the main passage for the week, which is 1 Thessalonians, uh, verse 4, if you can pull that up. And we're gonna read um let's see, verses 16, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Okay, so here Paul gives us this picture of the Lord Himself descending from heaven, and I think that matters. He does not say an angel comes to collect, you know, the church, the his people. He does not describe it like a distant mechanical event of some of some sort, right? He says the Lord Himself will descend. And there's a shout. Now there is the voice of the archangel. So there's also a trumpet of God, and then the dead in Christ rise first, and then those who are alive and remaining are caught up together, and them they meet the Lord together in this in the air. Now, Paul says, Um, so shall we ever be with the Lord? So I love that because that is truly the heart of it. We'll always at that point be with the Lord from that point forward, and the hope is not just being taken from something, the hope is being gathered to someone, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Yeah, and I mean I love that too because it brings the focus back to Jesus, which should always be the most important. And sometimes people talk about the rapture only as an escape. But Paul talks about being with the Lord forever, and that is the real promise. That is why we are doing what we are doing.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

That's right, yeah, exactly. And the phrase caught up is where people get the word rapture. Right. So, like I know when I've discussed with people, and I'll I'll keep the names out of it because some people that I've talked with about this are non-believers and they like to use, well, the word rapture is not in the Bible, and that is true. It's an English that's an English word, rapture. It may not appear in most English Bibles, but the concept comes from this passage. The idea is a sudden take up or a snatching away or a gathering of the believers to the Lord. Right. So people will debate the word and when they That word rapture is certainly not there. So the issue is not whether the English word appears, the issue is whether the teaching, the concept is there. And I think 1 Thessalonians 4 clearly teaches that believers will be caught up to meet the Lord. It says it pretty clearly. And the disagreement isn't whether Jesus gathers his people, the disagreement is when that happens in relation to the tribulation. And that's where we just have to have humility. We just gotta, you know, absolutely agree to disagree and know that we just need to be ready.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Yep. And you know, Paul tells us to comfort one another with these words. So that tells me that our tone matters. So if we talk about this in a way that creates fear, pride, division, then we need to take a step back and you know have a heart check.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Oh, absolutely, because clearly the doctrine supports the word comfort, you know, it's it's to comfort the church. Right. The dead in Christ will rise, so that's comforting, I think, you know, especially for those of us who have dead ones that we want to meet in the sky with the Lord. You know, the living will be changed, that's comforting, and we will be with the Lord forever. That's even more comforting, you know. So this should give us hope, this should keep us steady, and really should make us want to live ready every day. You know, now that brings us to the discussion that often gets people divided that we've kind of alluded to, and that's when does the catching away happen? Um, there are three main views, there may be more, but there are certainly three main views that are usually discussed. The pre-tribulation views teach Jesus catches away his people, his church, before the seven-year tribulation begins. And then in mid-tribulation, that view usually talks about the catching away around the mid-tribulations, which is about three and a half years into the tribulation, which is the seven years, right?

SPEAKER_03 23:53

Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

And often is connected to the abomination of desolation when the Antichrist exalts himself and demands worship.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Yeah, that's when he enters the tabernacle, right?

SPEAKER_01 24:04

It's my understanding. And then the post-tribulation view teaches that the church goes through the tribulation and is caught up when Jesus visibly returns to judge all the nation and establish his kingdom. Now, in week five of the study, it presents the catching away of the church as happening before the outpouring of God's wrath. I personally, like I said, see this is where I see the strongest biblical case for that. But I also want to say this clearly: we need to hold this conversation with humility because Bible-believing Christians disagree on the timing. People who love Jesus disagree on the timing. People who study scripture disagree on the timing. That does not mean truth doesn't matter. It does. But it does mean we should not become ugly, arrogant, or divisive over this situation. Basically, if we are planning, like John said, his wife does, you know, she they like you said, they believe differently. Just it makes him have to deal with in his mind what it if just to be ready to go through the tribulation. Yeah, just to be prepared for persecution, basically. Because there is persecution, absolutely. But to the level that is described in tribulation, we've not seen that.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Right. I think it's important because sometimes people treat their own timeline like it's the gospel itself. But I mean, our salvation is not a timeline, our salvation is Jesus. So the timeline is important, but it's irrelevant to our salvation. It's irrelevant to getting people to Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

That's right, because a prophecy chart didn't die for me, Jesus Right. Right? So I can study the chart, but I better not worship the chart. I can have conviction about the timing, but I need to keep my eyes on Jesus Christ. And I'll say this too: even if someone believes the church is caught away before God's wrath, that does not mean we are promised an easy life. You know, we there will be tribulations in this world, there'll be persecutions in this world, and we just need to be ready for them, like John said. You know, be ready for persecution. You know, we still need to we still need endurance. You know, we still need to cur to be courageous, you know, and make sure that our roots are strong and deep in Jesus. And he never promised us a soft, cushy Christian, you know, Christianity. That's not you know, that's not it. So basically, if I'm wrong about the timing, I still want to be faithful. And I if it's if hardship increases, I still want to be stand strong and be faithful, be courageous. And as this world is getting darker, I still want and need to obey Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

And I know that you've already told, like, you know, I'm obviously a pre-tribur. And but it's important for me, I think, to learn everyone's views because let's just say our views are wrong, and it is mid or post, and we are gonna go through this persecution. Like, I don't want to face those times being disheartened that you know, well, the word says that Jesus that God loves me and He's not gonna have me go through this wrath, yet here I am. So I don't ever want to be discouraged if my timeline is wrong. So I think that's why the word says to stay humble.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

Um because we don't, it's supposed to be encouraging and not be discouraging. And I feel like people who are just hardcore pre-trib, pre-trib, pre-trib, and then that that their mindset's on that and not on Jesus, then let's say we do face the hard stuff. It's like, are you gonna be able to stay focused then? Right, and not become lazy, and not become disheartened that you're gonna have to go through whatever. But I also think that's a balance, you know, because a pre-trib view should not make us lazy at all. And a different view should not make us hopeless.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

So either way, the command is the same. Whether you believe in pre-mid or post, we are to be ready, we are to be faithful, watch, pray, and occupy until he comes.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

Yeah, and I think that's the part we can all agree on, right? Occupy until he comes and be ready. Whether someone is, like you said, any of those pre-mid or post, nobody gets permission to sleep. Nobody gets no matter which which timeline, right? Nobody gets permission to compromise, and nobody has you know permission to neglect the kingdom. Jesus says to be ready, you know, and so therefore we should.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Yeah, and I love that Amy. I love that she um she has a a bunch, uh not a bunch, but she's got a handful of Christian-esque tattoos on her arm, and she's like, This is because I can't lie. Do you believe in Jesus? Well, what does my arm say? Like, there is no lie, there is no lying. So I'm facing persecution, I can't lie about being a Jesus follower.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

That's correct. One of the most important distinctions made this week is the difference between tribulation and the tribulation, or more specifically, the difference between the suffering believers face in this world and the wrath of God poured out in judgment. Yes. And I love you know that John did explain that. It helped a lot, actually. You know, Jesus said in John 16, 33 that in this world we will have tribulation. So that means Christians should not expect to have a trouble free life. We certainly do not. And early church, the early church suffered. Absolutely. And the apostles suffered. Absolutely. Believers, we can see it around the globe today, are suffering. And then some are rejected, some are you know, imprisoned, some are persecuted, and some lose their lives for the name of Jesus. So we are not saying that Christians never suffer, right? That would be obviously a falsehood, right? The Bible clearly says the opposite. However, the argument made this week and this week's teaching is that suffering from the world is not the same as being appointed the wrath of God.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

So we're gonna turn to 1 Thessalonians 5, and Christopher, you'll read verses 5 through 11.

SPEAKER_00 29:57

Okay. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor the darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

So Paul says, believers are children of light and children of the day. He tells us not to sleep but to watch and be sober.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Right?

SPEAKER_01 30:55

Then he says, God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. So he says it right there. So I think that's and John explained that so the tribulations, the tough stuff we go through in this world, we're gonna go through. But the wrath here, Paul clearly says, you know, is not appointed to his believers, right? Right. That is one of the major reasons many believers hold to the pre-trib view, and that's where I stand.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Um, the idea is not that believers could, you know, we avoid hardship, all hardships. The idea is that the church is not appointed, the outpouring of God's wrath. And I love that he explained that last night.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Yeah, and you know, that helped me too because sometimes people hear this view and think, you know, we talked about it earlier, oh, this is just an escape mentality. But there is a real distinction between persecution from the world and the wrath of God. Those two are not the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

No, no, and I think right there in Paul's scripture clearly says that. And still, this should never make us careless, right? If anything, it should really, you know, keep us focused. It should make us grateful for salvation and serious about our assignment, you know, whatever the Lord has for us here on this earth. It should make us think about being urgent and reaching the lost. You know, because if we really believe, and I do, believe judgment is coming, the wrath I'm talking, how can we be so casual about people who don't know Jesus? You know, if we really believe Jesus is returning, how can we be lazy with the gospel? And so really, I think it it not to create panic at all, but we should it should create urgency in us.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

You know, and the difference between panic and urgency, panic is fearful driven and chaotic, where urgency is like spirit-led and being obedient. Panic runs around and screaming, which is I think what people have seen and kind of been, you know, I think way back in my younger years, I used people used to scare me on the street corners. They would they would have signs, the wrath of God's coming. And as a child, that scared me. You know, that so that's what I mean by that, like that running brown panic screaming. But urgency is just get getting busy and going out and loving people to Jesus, which is what we do when we go out and do our outreach. You know, we're planning an outreach probably in June to uh you know go into portage, and I'm looking forward to it. And that's what just love people. We don't we're not gonna go out with signs saying, you know, Jesus is coming, the wrath of God's coming. No, that's not what you do. You just love people, feed, you know, go feed those in need, go clothe those in need. That's what Jesus wants us to do.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

You treat people like Jesus would have treated them if he was here walking. You say Jesus loves you, he wants you to come home to him, and then you let the Holy Spirit do its job. Yeah, we'll hand out our little Bibles, you know.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

You know, I I just love them, like you said. So another beautiful theme, and that's it. This this week is packed, y'all. Yes, this was really, really packed. But another theme this week was seeing Jesus as both bridegroom and king. Yeah, you know, and we need both pictures. You know, in John 14, 1 through 3, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them and that he will come back again and receive them to him, and that's the catching up, right? Now that sounds pretty personal to me. That sounds tender, loving, sounds like a bridegroom, right? Coming for his bride. But then when you see the passage like Zechariah in 14, 3 through 5, and Revelation 19, 11 through 16, you see Jesus coming as a conquering king.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

In Zechariah, his feet stand on the Mount of Olives, and Revelation 19, he returns in power, judging righteousness, and he is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yeah, so we see both. And he is the bridegroom who receives his bride, and he is the king who judges evil and sets the world right. And boy, am I looking forward to that day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

And I I love that so much too because it shows both his tenderness and his authority. You know, some people only want one side, but with Jesus, you get both sides. Yes. They want the gentle Jesus, but not the judge, and we can't have that. No. Or they want the conquering king, but forget his tenderness toward his people. Scripture gives us both, and I think that's why people missed him back in the day. They weren't expecting a carpenter. He came as a lamb. They were expecting, like basically a roaring lion. He is both, but at that point in time, he was a carpenter, he was a teacher, and they were not expecting that from Joseph. They expected a king. And that's why they missed him because they didn't have a relationship with him.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Yeah, and I think the first time he came, he came, like you said, in humility. The next time he comes, he comes in glory. Absolutely. And the first time he wore a crown of thorns, the next time he's gonna be wearing many crowns, right? The first time he stood before Pilate, and the next time every ruler will stand in answer to him. Yeah. I mean, that's that you talk about being sobering. That's right. Um, but it should, you know, it should comfort us, you know, because no matter how dark the world gets, we know who wins in the end, and Jesus wins.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

Evil does not get the final word, corruption does not get the final word, death does not get the final word, Jesus does, he's our conqueror.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Yeah, and I and I I think what I love about that picture is, and I don't want to slightly cry, I don't know another word for karma, but it's like Jesus gets his basically his vengeance, right? Because he was Well, he says vengeance is mine. Yeah, because he was murder, he was killed, he was murdered on a cross, and see he was slain as a lamb, he's gonna come back as a roaring lion, he's gonna come back as a king, he's gonna come back victorious. He's in, like you said, he has the ultimate final saying. That's amazing. Yeah, absolutely. That's so much.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

So, again, like I said, so much to cover in this this week five. Um, we also brought up Isaiah 26, verses 19 through 21, and this is where one of those passages that make you pause. Isaiah speaks about the dead rising, and then God's people are told to enter their chambers and hide for a little while until the indignation has passed. So, in the study, the passage is connected to the idea of God gathering and hiding his people before wrath is poured out. And whether someone interprets all the timing details the same way or not, the picture is powerful. God knows how to preserve his own. You know, I love that. He also connects the picture of Noah. Uh, Genesis 7:16 says Noah entered the ark and God himself shut the door. So before judgment came, God made a way for safety for Noah and his family. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

Because it's almost like Noah, maybe as a human, is like, I can't easy this.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Can you imagine all people running and wanting you to save you?

SPEAKER_00 37:52

Like he's like, uh-uh, closing the door.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Yeah, and that part stood out to me too because it shows again both judgment and mercy. So God does not delight in destruction, he warns, he prepares, he calls people to respond, and he makes a way.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Well, and that really does matter because some people um talk about judgment like God is just waiting to smash people. That's not it. Um, scripture shows that he is more than patient. Yes, such a merciful God, and he warns us and warns us and warns. I mean, I cannot tell you we're going through the Bible again and the Bible recap. And you know, every time I read about how he's, you know, how the Israelites turned from him and then he and then they came back to him. I mean, he how many warnings and he sends messages, he gives us time, right? Um, he calls his people to repentance. But there does come a point, and there will come a point when that door is going to shut, yeah, you know, and that really should make us all think twice, you know. That means we should not play games with a God. If he is dealing with your heart, respond now. Like if he's dealing with you now, respond now. If he is calling you to repent, repent now. You know, never wait, never, you know, wait. Um, if he is telling you to forgive, forgive now. If he's telling you to stop compromising, stop now. Don't wait until everything gets worse to get serious. You know, don't try to schedule repentance like you're scheduling a dentist appointment. You know, you need to stop, get down, bend down the knees, right? Get down on the knees and pray and repent and turn away and say, today is the day, God, and respond. The teaching also discussed the 24 elders in Revelation. Now we want to be careful because we don't build our whole doctrine on symbolism alone, but the study did present the 24 elders as a picture of the redeemed people of God. So they're clothed in white, they have crowns, they worship before the throne, they are connected to the language of redemption, and they are seen in heaven before the judgment unfolds on earth. Some understand the 24 elders as representing the people of God, connected symbolically to the 12 tribes of Israel and to the 12 apostles. Again, not everyone agrees on these details, but the bigger picture is that the redeemed are worshiping the Lamb.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

Yeah, and I think that's probably the most important part. So it doesn't matter what someone believes about you know the exact symbolism, the scene is worship. The Lamb is worthy, the redeemed belong to him, and heaven is centered around Jesus. Exactly. And that's what that symbolism shows.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

That's exactly it, yeah. And that is how we need to even read Revelation. You know, revelation is not mainly about the Antichrist, it's not mainly about beasts, seals, bowls, and judgment. Right. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And people get that kind of twisted, I think, a little bit. They don't realize that if we read Revelation and become more fascinated with the darkness than with Jesus, we miss the entire point of the book of Revelation. You know, the Lamb is worthy, the King is coming, the redeemed will worship. That is the entire center of it. You know? So another issue that came up is the claim that the idea of the catching away was invented later in the church history, which I found interesting. Um some people say it all came from John Nelson Darby in the 1800s. And here's how I would say it scripture has the authority, not church fathers, not modern teachers, and not popular books, not charts, nor traditions. Scripture is is always our foundation.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Um Paul wrote about believers being caught up to meet the Lord long before any later theologians organized in time systems. The resurrection of the dead is biblical, the transformation of the living believers is biblical, and the Lord gathering his people is biblical.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

So throughout church history, Christians have understood the timing of these events differently. Some early Christian writers spoke in ways that sound like believers being gathered before severe judgment. Others emphasize the church enduring tribulation, so it's always been there. It's always the there's always been those disagreements. So we should be fair and not really oversimplify history, you know. But we also do not need to act like the catching away comes from nowhere because the language of being caught up is in the Bible long before these you know other theologians. The debate is not whether Jesus gathers his people, the debate is again what happens in the relation to the tribulation in the timing. So the next part of the study was called holding the line. And I love that phrase because it speaks to where we are right now. We are living in a world where darkness is no longer hiding. You know, darkness used to hide, but sin now is celebrated, truth is mocked, and Bible conviction is often treated like hate. Um, confusion is everywhere. And, you know, the church is as a church, we are not called to blend in like that. You know, we are called to be separate. Yes, you know, we are called to, like you said, hold the line. So holding the line doesn't mean being hateful, it doesn't mean you know being self-righteous, you know, walking around like we're better than people. It just means standing on truth, love, holiness, and obedience. Holding the line means standing in truth, love, holiness, and obedience, even when the world's pulling us in the opposite direction. The study referenced 2 Thessalonians 2, 6 through 8, where Paul talks about lawlessness already being at work and something restraining it. So there is a mystery in that passage, and Christians interpret the restrainer differently. My whole, up until recently, I mean, up until like studying with John Bavere and a couple others, my whole Christian life, I was always told the Restrainer was the Holy Spirit. And but some people believe that, and some people believe it's the church is the restrainer. One thing is clear: evil is real, lawlessness is active, and God is still restraining according to his timing. So Jesus also said in Matthew 16, 18 through 19, that he would build his church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. That means the church is not supposed to hide in fear. We are supposed to be advancing.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Yeah, and advancing does not mean, I mean, acting ugly. It means living as light. It means prayer. It means speaking truth. It means holiness. It means being different in a way that actually reflects Jesus and not like you're living for the world.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Yeah, I think this is where it gets a little personal because it's easy to say the world is dark. We know that. But the bigger question is, are we shining in that world of darkness? You know, are we holding the line in our homes? Are we holding the line in our conversations inside and outside the home? You know, what are we tolerating? What are we watching? What are we laughing at? What are we excusing? You know, what is it that we are calling normal? Sometimes the church wants to rebuke the darkness out there while making peace with darkness in here, you know? Um, and that really doesn't work. So we cannot hold the line publicly if we're compromised privately, you know, if there's darkness privately. So that one does sting a bit, but it's the truth.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

This week also had us look at several passages that show what happens when godly people become scarce. So in Genesis 6, 5 through 7, it shows a world full of wickedness before the flood, where the thoughts of people's hearts were continually just evil. And then Genesis 19, 12 through 17 shows Sodom before judgment, but also shows God rescuing Lot and his family. And then there's Psalm 12, 1 and 2. This is a cry for help because the faithful seem to disappear. Ezekiel 22, 29 through 31 shows God looking for someone to stand in the gap. Micah 7, 2, and 3 describes a time when the godly seem to vanish and corruption increases. Those passages are sobering because they show us that when righteousness disappears, a society does not improve. It actually decays and gets worse if you could fathom that at all. When truth is rejected, deception fills the space. And when godly voices go silent, darkness gets louder because it has a grasp.

SPEAKER_01 46:55

Yeah. And I think that when I said, you know, there's the two versions of it's the Holy Spirit or the church that's the hell back, that's why the belief is when the church is raptured, the Holy Spirit has to still be present. And this is what I think it was Rook Renner. I won't swear it at Rick Renner and um John Bevere, but I'm not 100%. But when I was watching a podcast where he says, if the church is taken away and raptured away, people who are here who will come to know Christ, the Holy Spirit has to be present in order for people to be convicted. Okay, and that makes total sense to me. I'm like, of course that makes sense. Whereas we were under the impression at first that the Holy Spirit leaves and that cannot be. And if you think about that, that absolutely cannot be, right? Because so when it talks about like when when you just mentioned about when all those things disappear, you know, the truth is rejected, deception fills the space when righteousness like leaves, right? So when the church leaves, those things are going to come to be. And that's when it reminds me that our obedience matters more than we realize. Sometimes one faithful person feels small, but scripture shows that faithful people truly do matter. Noah mattered. That's why the Lord used him. Those who stand in the gap matter. The church matters. So when that church is pulled out, yeah, this world is gonna go in complete utter chaos.

SPEAKER_00 48:19

Because people intercede with prayer. They're interceding on behalf. And yes, our prayers matter, your prayers matter, your obedience matters, your witness matters, your holiness matters, your stand matters, and your yes to God matters. So holding the line means we do not just complain about the darkness because the darkness isn't going to go anywhere until Jesus comes and completely gets rid of it. That's right. So we have to live as light. We we have to stop blaming the world for being the world. Yeah, we can't ask it to be any different, and just start asking whether the church is being the church, and that's where the real examination begins. Yeah, gosh, that's so true.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

So another passage from this week was Hebrews 10, 28 through 31. And that was a serious passage. It talks about the weight of rejecting God and trampling underfoot what is holy. So we don't talk about the fear of the Lord enough. I don't think the church talks about it enough at all. Um, and when I say the fear of the Lord, I don't mean like being afraid of God, like he's cruel or unstable. I mean holy reverence. I know we as a church and group talk a lot about the reverence of God because we believe that it's a deep awe, you know, it's taking God seriously, you know, um, remembering that he is loving, but he is also holy. Absolutely. He is merciful, but he is also just, and he is a fat, he is our father, but he also is our judge. Right. You know?

SPEAKER_00 49:53

And I think that really needs to be understood that Jesus is both. Because sometimes people talk about grace like it means God does not care how we live. But that's not true. Grace does not make sin safe. That's a fact.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

Not at all. No, that's a fact because people, grace isn't permission to live carelessly. Right. You know, grace is power to live free. That's true. If our version of grace makes us like comfortable grieving the Holy Spirit, then we have misunderstood grace. Right, because grace should bring us out of our sin and not just give us permission to stay in it. That's right. I mean, the fear of the Lord changes the questions we ask. Instead of asking, how close can I get to sin and still be okay? We should start asking, how close can I stay to Jesus? You know, instead of asking, what can I get away with, we should ask what pleases the Lord. Right. You know, that's what is maturity. That's where we talked about, like, you know, your salvation comes and then your the second that second transformation is right. Salvation and then the second transformation is this is much getting maturity in the spirit, you know, in it our our daily walk. And then the study also brought um Galatians 6 9 and 1 John 2.28. So Galatian tells us not to grow weary in doing good, because in due season we will reap if we do not give up. And then in 1 John 2.28, it tells us to abide in Christ so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink back in shame. So I think that's important because waiting can make people weary. You know, standing for the truth definitely can be tiring. You know, it's like win, Lord, win already, you know, and doing the right thing while the world goes the other direction can feel lonely. Um, and serving can can sometimes drain you. Ministry definitely can stretch you, and obedience can cost you something.

SPEAKER_00 51:55

Yeah, and you know, I think a lot of people they need to hear that, you know, they are trying to stay faithful, but they are tired. Yeah, they are trying to stand, but they feel so worn down, either maybe maybe by their self or just by the darkness of the world, or both.

SPEAKER_01 52:13

Yeah. So hear this: do not let weariness talk you out of obedience. Yeah, you know, do not let delay make you careless, do not let pressure make you compromise, compromise ever, and do not let disappointment make you bitter. You know, keep going, keep sowing, keep praying, keep serving, hold the line. You do not know how close the harvest is.

SPEAKER_03 52:37

Oh, that's good. You know?

SPEAKER_01 52:39

And now we need to talk about another major topic in week five, and that is being pure and ready. So let's go to Revelation 19:7 through eight.

SPEAKER_00 52:51

Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

SPEAKER_01 53:08

Okay, so this passage talks about the marriage of the lamb and the bride making herself ready. The bride is clothed in fine linen, clean and bright. So the picture matters because you know, we see the bride preparing. Right. You know, the bride does not treat the wedding like it's something casual. You know, she doesn't show up carelessly or unprepared. You know, it kind of reflects her love and her honor for the groom. And the church is the bride of Christ, so we should be doing the same, you know, preparing. So we are not made pure by our own works, that's for sure. We are washed by the blood of Jesus, we are saved by grace through faith, but grace does not call us to live dirty, grace calls us to belong fully to Christ.

SPEAKER_00 53:56

Yeah, and there's a balance there that is so important. So we don't pursue holiness to earn salvation, we pursue holiness because we love the one who saved us, and that's Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 54:08

Yeah, holiness isn't like legalism. No, you know, it's love, devotion, saying, Jesus, you are worth more than this compromise. And this is where we have to talk about compromise. Compromise stains the garment, it dulls our spiritual senses, it makes sin feel normal, it makes obedience feel extreme, and it makes holiness look old-fashioned. But heaven still calls holiness beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 54:34

Yeah, the world may say it doesn't take all that, but the bride says he is worthy of all that. So this week had us look at Matthew 6, 24, Romans 12.2, and 1 John 2, 15 through 17. So Jesus says, No one can serve two masters. Paul says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And John says, do not love the world or the things in the world. Now, hear me, those are not suggestions, those are warnings. You cannot serve God in mammon, you cannot be shaped by the world and renewed by the word at the same time. You cannot love the world's system and be fully devoted to the Father. At some point, we have to choose.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

Absolutely. That's so true. And compromise usually starts small. It you know, it doesn't look like a dang it doesn't really look dangerous at first. It's like, yeah, that you know, that little white light or that little, you know, that little thing I took, that pin that I took from the counter. You know, I mean it has to be little, right? It's still theft, it's still lies, no matter how you slice it. It says it's not that serious, everybody does it. You can stop later. God understands.

SPEAKER_00 56:04

Yeah, and that is exactly how it works. You know, compromise rarely just kicks the door down, it whispers. And slowly we start agreeing with the things that actually grieves God's heart. And that is why we need the word, that is why we need the Holy Spirit, that is why we need conviction, that is why we need community, because if we keep making peace with small compromise, then eventually we will not recognize how far we have drifted and how worldly we have become. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:37

Okay, so we're not gonna dive back into the virgin and the oil, which is in Matthew 25, 1 through 13, that parable that talks about the ten virgins. We have talked about that in the last couple um podcasts that we've done over this, but we're gonna go into the questions pointed back to Matthew 6, 31-33, and we're gonna read those, that scripture where it talks about seeking the kingdom.

SPEAKER_00 57:01

Therefore, do not worry saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

SPEAKER_01 57:23

So Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That is the anchor. So seek first the kingdom, not first seek arguments or timelines or debates. You know, not your not our favorite theory. It's seek the kingdom first. That doesn't mean doctrine does not matter, it does. That does not mean prophecy does not matter, it does. That does not mean we should be careless with scripture, we should never. But if our study of prophecy does not lead us to seek the kingdom first, we are missing the point. If it does not make it us look more urgently to the Lord, you know, we are clearly missing the point. If we if you know, studying this only makes us argumentative or suspicious, proud, you know, we're just mishandling truth, which is the word.

SPEAKER_00 58:13

And that really is the heart of this this week's study. So the return of Jesus should change how we live right now.

SPEAKER_01 58:21

Yeah. Let's look at Hebrew 12, verse 14.

SPEAKER_00 58:25

Pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 58:33

Okay, so this passage tells us to pursue peace with all people and holiness without, you know, without which we won't see the Lord. So that's serious. Holiness is not an option, you know, in our Christian life. It's not just for pastors or teachers or missionaries, it's for all his people. And holiness is for the bright. Holiness is not a narrow life, it's a whole life, you know, a life full of given to Jesus. So the world may call holiness old-fashioned, but heaven calls it faithful. You know, and the world may call purity unnecessary, but heaven calls it beautiful. And we know that the world may call compromise normal, and we see that today, but heaven calls holiness being ready.

SPEAKER_00 59:22

And holiness actually brings us freedom. The world makes it sound like holiness steals joy, but uh in actuality it's sin that steals joy. So compromise looks easy at first, but it brings about chains, it brings us shame and bondage.

SPEAKER_01 59:41

Gosh, that's so true. Sin promises freedom, you know, and but it produces, like you said, bondage. You know, holiness definitely will cost you something, but it brings peace and obedience certainly requires sacrifice, but you will never regret being faithful to Jesus. You know, 10,000 years from now, no one will say, I wish I had compromised more. That's a fact. You know, no one will say, I wish I had ignored conviction. And no one will say, I wish I had flirted with darkness longer. I have a feeling that most would say the opposite. You know, I think we will be glad we follow Jesus. We will be glad we obeyed and be glad that we stayed faithful, you know, in our walk here on earth. Because when he comes, we're gonna be very thankful for that. Absolutely. So let's uh bring this home. Week five has given us a lot to think about, but it really comes down to the question, are we ready? It comes down to the question, many questions. You know, are we occupying till he comes? Are we holding the line? Are we pure, awake, seeking the kingdom first? Are we comforting one another with hope of his return? Or are we distracted, careless, compromising, arguing? You know, are we asleep? And I think every one of us need to ask these questions honestly. Um, as well as if Jesus came today, what would I wish I had taken more seriously? Would I wish I had forgiven more? Would I wish I had shared the gospel with my family? Would I wish I had stopped compromising or spending time in the spending more time in the Word, or maybe I wish I would pray more. The questions are not meant to condemn us, they're just meant to wake us up and be ready.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:33

Yeah. And waking up is mercy. Conviction is mercy. God shows us what needs to change because he loves us, not because he's trying to push us away, he's actually trying to bring us closer to him.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:48

So if something stirred in you through this lesson, do not brush it off. Respond, repent, pray, forgive, you know, be obedient. Get oil in your lamp, and that is getting in the word. That is serving others. That is, you know, living your life for Christ. You know, clean the garment, hold the line because the bridegroom is coming. Yeah. So we just got a few questions, discussion questions before we close here. Um, to, you know, basically sit with you this week. You may even want to write these questions down and pray through them. Question one, what does Occupy until I come look like in your life right now? Question two, are you more focused on debating the return of Jesus or preparing for it? Question three, where is God renewing your mind in this season?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:39

Question four, what area of compromise has the Holy Spirit been putting his finger on?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:45

Question five, where do you need to hold the line in your home, your relationship, your church, your workplace, or your private life?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:56

Question six. Are there places where your spiritual garment has been stained by bitterness, pride, fear, compromise, or distraction?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:07

Question seven. If the bridegroom came today, would you be ready?

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And the final question and how should the promise of Jesus' return make you more urgent about reaching the lost?

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Church, Jesus is coming. People can mock it, argue about it, ignore it, or try to explain it away, but it is still true. He is coming. The dead in Christ will rise, the living will be changed, the bridegroom will receive the bride. The king will judge the nations. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. So let's not be asleep, let's not be careless, let's not flirt with darkness and call it freedom. Let's not delay obedience and call it wisdom. Let's not mistake religious activities for intimacy with Jesus.

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Let's be ready, let's be pure, and let's hold the line. Let's seek first the kingdom. Let's love people enough to tell them the truth, which is hard. Let's serve while there is still time. Let's forgive while there is still time, and let's preach while there is still time, and let's repent while there is still time. Let's take care of kingdom business until the king comes. Yes. Because when he does, I do not want to be found arguing over details while neglecting obedience. I want to be found faithful. I want to be found watching, and I want to be found working. I want to be found with oil in my lamp, and I pray the same for you.

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Yes. So, Krista, why don't you close us up in prayer?

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Okay. Lord Jesus, thank you for the promise of your return. Thank you that death does not have the final word, and thank you that the grave does not win. Thank you that those who belong to you have hope beyond this life. Help us to be ready, not fearful, not distracted, not arrogant, and not asleep, but ready. Renew our minds, purify our hearts, and wake us up where we have become dull. Show us where compromise has crept in. Give us courage to obey you even when the world goes the other direction. Help us hold the line in truth, love, holiness, and faithfulness. Help us seek first your kingdom. Give us oil and our lamps, clean hands and pure hearts. Give us urgency for the lost and compassion for the broken. Help us not to fight over prophecy while ignoring obedience. Help us not to study your return and still live unprepared. Yes. Until you come, help us occupy. Help us take care of kingdom business. We love you, Jesus. We are watching, we are waiting, and we want to be found faithful. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you for joining us for this. Week five recap. We pray this encouraged you, challenged you, and pointed you back to Jesus.

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And again, this was our personal recap and discussion from week five of the King is coming Bible study by John Bevere. We encourage you to purchase the book and study guide and go through the full teaching for yourself. Don't just listen and move on. Sit with the Lord, ask him where you need to wake up, ask him where you need to hold the line. Ask him where you need to get ready. Because the return of Jesus is not meant to make us fight, it's meant to make us faithful. So until then, stay grounded, stay hungry, and stay unfiltered in your walk with Jesus. This is Unfiltered Faith Beyond the Church Walls. We will see you right here next Thursday. We love you. God bless.