Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the
purpose of the First Fruits Website?
Our mission is to warn all worldly Christians to read and obey the Holy Bible, to start living a righteous life now for Christ and to be joyfully watching for His return so they may participate in the First Fruits Rapture and enjoy the reward of sitting with Jesus on His throne in Heaven. They will thus avoid being left behind and having to endure severe persecution by the Antichrist for the first half of the Tribulation. If The Lord wills, after the First Fruits Rapture, this Website will continue to provide, via our many articles, in-depth instruction for righteous living for all Main Harvest Christians that are left behind to be tested in the Tribulation.
Q. What is soul salvation?
A person consists of a body, spirit and soul. The soul is the emotions, mind and personality of a human. Jesus expects Christians to live a righteous life because of our love for Him. If we do, our soul is saved at the Judgment seat of Christ. We then are given leadership roles in the Kingdom. If we do not, our soul is lost at the Judgment seat of Christ. We then cannot enter the Millennial Kingdom. For details read: Soul vs Spirit Salvation.
Q. I believe that all Christians will be raptured before the start of the Tribulation and will thus not experience any persecution by the Antichrist. Here is the scripture: Revelation 3:10. Now what do you have to say to my assertion?
The questions I would ask you are: Why is the verse about the rapture in the Philadelphia section of Revelation and why not somewhere else? and Why doesn't Jesus just say directly that all of the end-time Christians will be saved? He only says this scripture to the Church of Philadelphia. He does say that those that are walking worthy within the Church of Thyatira and Sardis will be raptured. For the Church of Laodicea, He does say that if any members of that church will repent and perform righteous works for Him, they will also be raptured. Being a member of the First Fruits Rapture depends on watching for Jesus' return and living a righteous and holy life for God.
Q. In the book of Revelation, Jesus has nothing bad to say about the Church of Smyrna or the Church of Philadelphi Are they perfect? Do they ever sin?
They are not perfect and they certainly commit sins. However, they have confessed all of their sins to God (I John 1:9) and hence they are completely forgotten by Him. Hence Jesus does not bring up their failings when He evaluates their faith in the book of Revelation. Their sins will also not be remembered at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. What authority do you have to tell us that we are unrighteous?
Our authority is given in the verses in Ezekiel 3:20-21. Because we love our Christian brothers and sisters, we are warning you to repent if you are not living a righteous life. If you are living a righteous life, we believe that you should also care about your friends and relatives and also warn them.
Q. Why do you think you know so much about the Bible?
The Web team members have studied all verses in the Old and New Testament scripture for many years. The New Testament has many verses that discuss soul salvation, spirit salvation, the requirement to live a righteous life, prophecy and Jesus’ second coming. The articles on this Website discuss in detail these scriptures. Just read the articles and you will see that an in-depth study of the Holy Bible reveals what God wants for us: a) to live a righteous life for Him b) to be prepared for Jesus’ return c) if you are not prepared now, you will eventually become faithful because you will endure severe testing in the Tribulation.
Q. If Soul Salvation, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the First Fruits Rapture ideas are so important, why are no pastors giving sermons on these topics? Why are none of these concepts ever discussed in our Sunday School materials?
This is a failure of the pastors and teachers in many churches in the world. An understanding of these concepts requires diligent study of the Word of God, and few pastors and teachers exert the effort to understand them. Also, these concepts show accountability for Christians, so they are not popular topics. There are too many pastors today that are more concerned with their job and their popularity in this life than their standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is the reason that many pastors will be left behind at the Firstfruits Rapture. Most will become faithful during the tribulation period, but they will not be part of the bride of Christ, so there will be tremendous loss for them in the heavenly aspect of the kingdom.
Q. I don't care at all about rewards in Heaven for myself. All I want to do is to be with Jesus when I die. I don't care if I rule and reign with Jesus in His Millenium Kingdom or wear any crowns. What's wrong with that?
In essence, you are saying that the works that God has prepared for you to do are not important, and you are not interested in being found faithful at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a slap in the face to God and shows that you do not care about being found faithful. The top reward in heaven is to "win Christ" (Phil. 3:8), which means to be the bride of Christ. The bride will be the most intimate with Christ in the heavenly kingdom. If you are not interested now in reward in the kingdom, you will be interested at the time you get a new body that will be perfectly obedient to God. You will then experience weeping and gnashing of teeth when you realize that you have wasted your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red stew (Gen. 25:20-34), but he wept bitterly when he later realized what he had done (Heb. 12:14-17). I recommend that you read the following article: The Bride of Christ.
Q. The How to Crucify Self article will be impossible for me to follow. Can anyone really accomplish all those steps suggested in that article?
Have you actually tried the eleven steps and reading the scripture suggested in the article? This is a step of faith and requires you to lean heavily on God for His help. Start with the first step and ask God to help you with the walk. You will be pleasantly surprised that He will help you. If you want to live a righteous life, it will happen because God will be with you in your walk. The door is open, just walk through the door and experience a joy and peace that is beyond measure!
Q. If salvation is by grace, why is living a righteous life so important?
The spirit of a person is saved when you first have faith in Jesus. Your spirit salvation can never be lost and there is absolutely nothing you have to do to earn this salvation. We do live a righteous life because we love Jesus (John 14:15). We show our love for Him by keeping His commandments; this is everything Jesus said in the New Testament. We also keep the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. Another very important reason for living a righteous life, is that by fully obeying Jesus, our souls are saved. This means that we have rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ and we will escape having to be refined by persecution during the first half of the Tribulation.
Q. What does it mean to live a righteous life?
It's not complicated. You have to do the following: 1. Resist evil. This means that whenever you have an opportunity to sin, you say no. This could be a temptation from someone else ("Let's go out and get drunk.") or from within your mind ("That guy just cut me off in traffic. Let me think how I can get even with him.") When you do commit a sin, you confess your sin to God and ask for His forgiveness. 2. Accomplishing a walk with God. You pray and read the Bible and praise God for His presence in your life. 3. Do righteous works. This means that you will roll up your sleeves and do the work that God gives you to do. You can contribute time or money to someone's needs. You could be the joy in someone's life. Just be loving and friendly. It could even mean that you accept a job in your church as a teacher, a deacon, work in the kitchen or nursery, etc. 4. Live the Christian Life. You will show Christian love in your home and neighborhood and at your place of employment. 5. Rely on God. Remember, you cannot live a righteous life without God's help. This is a walk of faith with complete reliance on Jesus for His guidance and help.
Q. Why are today so few Christians living for Christ?
Most Christians simply don't read the Bible in any depth. They rely mainly upon scripture such as we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). While that is certainly a fact given by God to us, there is really much more in the Scripture that God requires us to read and to apply to our lives. Sadly, most of the other scripture is simply ignored. These scripture are mainly the chapters that discuss items like soul salvation and the Judgment Seat of Christ. There are many verses in the Bible that command us to live a righteous life for God. However, many Christians of today are too busy or too lazy to read all of the verses in the Bible and live their lives by these verses. The cares of the world are much more important to many Christians than becoming prepared for eternity.
Q. I'm a single Mom that has to work two jobs to support my children. I have little time to rest and little time to spend with my kids. How can I possibly do all those righteous deeds that will make me a First Fruits Christian?
The righteous deeds that God has ordained for a mother to perform are in raising and taking care of her children. In fact 1 Timothy 2:15 states the woman--and all women--can save her soul in "childbearing" if she remains faithful in performing her duties in love and self-control. This means that a woman can save her soul by being a good mother and rearing her children to be faithful, obedient children. This is the primary work that every mother should be doing. If you start spending time loving and nurturing your children in the care and admonition of the Lord, then God will see that your needs are provided.
Q. Suppose a Christian doesn't know about all those verses in the Bible and the articles on your website that discuss watching for Jesus' return, soul salvation, the Judgment seat of Christ and the command to live a righteous life. At the Judgment seat of Christ, this Christian will not be judged too severely will he?
The Scriptures are clear that we must study the Bible to to be approved as a workman. Of course, the more we understand, the more accountable we will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but if we choose to remain ignorant, we will also be judged for that. The simple answer is to not study the Bible unless you intend to obey what it teaches. If one studies the Bible and refuses to comply with its precepts, then that person will be judged more severely than one who has not studied the Bible. However, in both cases the judgment will be negative. One negative judgment is just more severe than the other. The correct response is to study the Bible with the intent to obey what it teaches, and the result will be a positive judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This person will be approved as a workman, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Ignorance will not be bliss at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. What about all those Christians in Africa, Asia and other poorer parts of the world that don't have access to a Bible in any form or an Internet connection--how can they know what to do in order to become a First Fruits Christian?
According to Scripture, a Christian will be judged based on the knowledge and understanding that he has about Scripture. Obviously, some will have less knowledge than others, so God will be just in judging them. Since God ordains and elects individuals to spirit salvation, He also ordains the works that they are to perform (Eph. 2:8-10). If they are faithful in performing the works that He has ordained for them, then I believe that they will be accounted as worthy for the Firstfruits Rapture. For example, a mother can realize soul salvation by being a good mother and simply being faithful to the knowledge that she has in regard to Scripture (1 Tim 2:15).
Q. If I am an unfaithful Christian and at the Judgment seat of Christ I lose the salvation of my soul, what happens to my soul during the millenium and during eternity? Will my soul (including my mind and my emotions) be totally blank, like a newborn child? Will my soul ever be able to mature? Will I even know who I am? The four living creatures and the 24 elders will be very close to Jesus. How close to Jesus will I be able to get if I am an unfaithful Christian? Will Jesus ever come to me and tell me that He loves me? Will I ever be invited to fellowship with Him?
The loss of the soul at the Judgment Seat of Christ is in reference to the kind of person that person is when he arrives at the Judgment Seat. For example, if the person has been a practicing liar, then he will no longer be a liar. If he is an immoral person, then he will no longer be immoral. If he is a drunkard, then he will no longer be a drunkard. His new body will be under the complete control of the new spirit nature, and he will no longer commit ANY SIN. The old flesh nature will be completely gone, so there will be no desire to get drunk, lie, commit adultery, gossip, backbite or live the depraved lifestyle that many Christians live today.
The Christian who has spent his life seeking after fame and fortune will no longer be that way. The Christian who has lived a selfish and self-indulgent life will no longer be that way. In simple language, all depravity will be completely obliterated. If the Christian's primary characteristics were that of a depraved person, then he will no longer have those characteristics. He will be totally changed into a faithful, meek and kind person who exhibits all the fruits of the spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The glutton will no longer be a glutton! The womanizer will no longer be a womanizer! The person will be totally different in regard to his character and life practices. He will still maintain his identity in regard to many personal characteristics, but his behavioral characterics will be totally different.
All Christians will know that Jesus loves them and they will be in the New Jerusalem with Jesus. His bride will certainly be more intimate with Jesus than the other Christians, so there will be levels of intimacy. Just as Jesus was more intimate with his disciple John than the other disciples, He will be more intimate with his bride than with other Christians. Jesus also had a closer relationship with Peter, James and John than He did with the other disciples, but they all knew Jesus and had a relationship with him. This is the way I envision life in the kingdom.
Just think of a family in today's society. Some family members are closer than others. The wife is the most intimate with the husband, and the children are next in intimacy with the father. The brothers and sisters would most likely be next in intimacy with the cousins being next. Then friends would be next in intimacy. This analogy should give you an idea of the levels of intimacy that Christians will have with Jesus Christ in the coming kingdom. I recommend that you read the following for a deeper understanding of practical righteousness, which will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ:
Practical Righteousness
The Philadelphia Christian
Soul vs Spirit Salvation
The Sermon on The Mount
Lust of the Flesh vs Fruit of the Spirit
Q. Why are your articles so difficult for me to understand? It seems like most of your ideas are predicated on other ideas. The articles on prophetic interpretation are especially difficult for me to understand.
The first question that you should ask yourself is if you are open and teachable in regard to the deeper truths in Scripture. 2 Peter 3:5 discusses Christians who "willingly are ignorant" of truths in Scripture, and 2 Thess 2 addresses Christians who prefer to believe "the lie" over the truth. If you sincerely desire to know the truths of Scripture, God will allow you to understand them, but you must be willing to devote time and effort in understanding these truths. A lady once told me that she just did not understand the Book of Revelation. I asked her how many times she had read it. She stated that she had read it once. I told her not to feel badly about this, as I did not understand it the first 200 times that I read it. If you are to understand the articles in the web site, you must spend time reading them and studying the Scriptures that are explained in them.
The articles on prophetic interpretation are for advanced students of the Bible. They are only understood in relation to typology or the understanding of types in the Bible. One must first have a thorough understanding of the literal interpretation of the Bible, before he will understand the prophetic interpretation. An understanding of the parables is a prerequisite for understanding the prophetic interpretation. I recommend that you read the prophetic interpretation of Ruth: Book of Ruth first to get an idea of how the prophetic interpretation works. Ruth would be the simplest to understand the prophetic interpretation.
It is true that many of the truths are predicated on understanding other truths. It is sort of like mathematics. One cannot understand Calculus without an understanding of Trigonometry, and Algebra is necessary to understand Trigonometry. Likewise, a knowledge of basic arithmetic is necessary before understanding Algebra.
If you are willing to devote the time and effort in studying the Scriptures, then ask God to lead and guide you in your understanding. This is what I over 30 years ago and God is still showing me truths from his Word. We can never exhaust the truths taught in the Bible. The key to understanding it is devoting the time and effort and asking God to lead and guide you in understanding it.
Q. What is the Prosperity Gospel?
The Prosperity Gospel is a product of the Laodicean church age. It has come out of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement, and it emphasizes the here and now, as opposed to the coming millennial kingdom. Since it emphasizes the here and now, it focuses on bodily healing and the accumulation of goods and riches rather than true spiritual growth. When the Bible speaks of healing, the Prosperity Gospel assigns it to physical healing rather than spiritual healing. It also assigns spiritual blessings to current happiness and prosperity, rather than spiritual health and stability. The Lord is more concerned with our spiritual maturity than with our physical health, and virtually all of the warnings and admonishments in the Bible pertain to our spiritual condition rather than our physical condition.
This is not to denigrate physical health, but it is a general truth that the Christian who is mature spiritually will also be physically healthy. For example, the mature Christian will typically have self-control, and will not be a glutton, a drunkard, a smoker, a drug abuser, a worrier, a seeker after riches, a workaholic or any of the other characteristics that affects one's health and well-being. The mature Christian typically leads a simple, disciplined life that results in a healthy, active lifestyle. Of course, there are exceptions to this where currently faithful Christians have left a lifestyle that has already caused the degeneration of the body. The forgiveness of sin does not erase the consequences of a previously degenerate lifestyle. Please read the following article for a detailed look at the modern day church of Laodicea: The Church at Laodicea.
Q. What is the Midnight Cry?
The Midnight Cry is the cry that goes up when the Five Wise Virgins know that Jesus is coming for his bride (Matt 25:6). It is the sudden realization by the Five Wise Virgins that Jesus is about to remove the faithful Christians from the earth and take them to heaven. This is the time that the Five Foolish Virgins wake up to the return of Jesus for the faithful. The Five Wise Virgins are the Christians who are faithful to Jesus and most are looking or watching for his return. They are wide awake and beckoning for Jesus to return. The Five Foolish Virgins are asleep relative to the return of Jesus and are caught unawares by his return. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the Midnight Cry: The Olivet Discourse.
Q. What is the Grand Feeding?
At the time of the Midnight Cry the Five Foolish Virgins will inquire of the Five Wise Virgins about the extra measure of oil needed for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. The teaching about the kingdom is addressed in the parable of the sower, and it is called the Word of the Kingdom. The majority of the Church has rejected this teaching because of ignorance, persecution or getting caught up in the cares of this world. At the Midnight Cry this teaching will quickly be given to the Five Foolish Virgins in a very brief span of time. This teaching is called Meat in due Season, which is the name of my ministry. The meat is the teaching about the kingdom and the due season is the time that the teaching takes place at the time of the Firstfruits Rapture of the bride and her court.
The phrase "due season" means at the appropriate time. Literally, this means at the time of the Midnight Cry. Prophetically, it means at the time the Philadelphia church taught about the truths of the Second Coming and the mystery aspect to the kingdom of heaven. Figuratively, it means anytime that a Christian learns about kingdom truths because he is open and teachable. This comes from the fact that all Scripture has three interpretations: literal, prophetic and figurative. Thus, the literal Grand Feeding occurs immediately before the Firstfruits Rapture. The primary Scripture verses that address the Grand Feeding are Matthew 24:45 and Luke 12:42.
The majority of Christians are not open to the meat of the Word, but they will be open to it at the time of the Midnight Cry and in the time after the Firstfruits Rapture. The purpose of this web site is to provide meat in due season, but the main body of the Church will not be open to it until the Midnight Cry takes place and the Grand Feeding occurs just before the Firstfruits Rapture. The Feeding of the Five Thousand is a typological study on the Grand Feeding. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the Grand Feeding: The Feeding of the 5,000.
Q. When could Jesus return for the First Fruits Rapture?
As most Christians understand, the day and hour that Jesus will return for the Firstfruits Rapture is unknown. However, Christians are exhorted and warned many times in Scripture to watch for his return, so they will not be caught by surprise and not be ready to be taken in the Firstfruits Rapture. This is the primary difference between the Five Wise Virgins and the Five Foolish Virgins. The Five Wise Virgins were watching, but the Five Foolish Virgins have gone to sleep relative to Jesus' return for his bride.
The Scriptures also provide detailed information that allow the watching virgins to know the approximate time and season of his return. The Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:32-34) places the time within the generation that sees Israel reestablished as a nation. That took place in 1948, so the time is very short. We are at the end of that generation. Also, Song of Solomon 2:10-13 describes the coming of Jesus Christ for his bride in late spring. The Olivet Discourse in Matt 24:32 also places it at the time just before summer, so it should take place in late spring just before the summer solstice, which takes place in June 21st. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding about the return of Jesus Christ for his bride:
The Seven Feasts
Daniel's Seventy Weeks
Parable of the Ten Virgins
Q. What does it mean for a Christian to have "roots in the earth"?
A Christian who has "roots in the earth" is the Christian caught up in the cares of this world. He has become comfortable in the present world and is not interested in the Return of Jesus Christ for his bride. The future home of the Christian is the New Jerusalem, and we are citizens of this city and should not consider ourselves as citizens of this world. Unfortunately, the majority of Christians have become comfortable in the world system, and they have sunk their roots down deeply in this world system. This is the meaning of the mustard seed that became a tree instead of a bush. I recommend that you read the following: Parables of the Kingdom.
Q. What church of today does the Church of Thyatira represent? Church of Sardis? Church of Philadelphia? Church of Laodicea?
The church that is represented by Thyatira is the Catholic Church and its offshoots like the Episcopal Church. Thyatira is characterized by false doctrine and spiritual adultery. The church that is represented by Sardis is the Protestant churches, and this includes Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran and many other churches that came out of the Reformation. Sardis is characterized by its cold, dead formalism. The church represented by Philadelphia is primarily found in home churches across the nation. They are the nondenominational churches that are not identified with Thyatira, Sardis or Laodicea. Philadelphia Christians are typically rejected by Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea. Philadelphia is characterized by its brotherly love, studying the Bible and watching for the return of Jesus Christ for his bride.
The church represented by Laodicea is the charismatic and pentecostal churches. Laodicea is characterized by an emphasis on the emotional and physical aspects of man. Therefore, it gravitates toward the emotional highs and healing of the body in lieu of spiritual healing. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the four end-time churches and their role in the fulfillment of prophecy:
The Seven Churches of Revelation
The Church at Laodicea
Q. What is the unforgivable sin?
The unforgivable sin is also referred to as the unpardonable sin and the sin unto death. The unforgivable sin is to turn one's back on Jesus Christ by a believer with a knowledge of the truth about Jesus Christ. The unforgivable sin can only be committed by a believer who has knowledge of the truth about Jesus Christ, but he turns away from the faith anyway. This person will receive a severe judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ with the loss of his soul. He is still saved spiritually and he goes to heaven, but he loses his reward in the kingdom of heaven. This sin is unforgivable in the sense that the loss of reward is certain without any recourse. Please read the following articles for an in-depth understanding of the unforgivable sin:
Impossible to bring to Repentance
The Law of Sin and Death
Q. Why is confession of a Christian's sin to God so important? Doesn't He already know all the evil I commit?
Of course, God knows all of our sins, but it is absolutely critical for us to confess our sins in order to live a righteous life. When we confess our known sins, God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If we do not confess our sins to God, then we break fellowship with God, and we will lose our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Thus, confession of sins is necessary for us to save our souls at the Judgment Seat of Christ and for us to receive a reward in the kingdom of heaven.
Q. Why don't you have articles on your website that discuss accepting Jesus Christ as Savior? Isn't this very important? All you seem to talk about is living a faithful and righteous life for Christ and watching for His return. What happened to "grace"?
Our ministry is to Christians who have already been born again spiritually, so our emphasis is on helping Christians become faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. The great majority of ministries preach the gospel of grace, and we certainly believe and preach the gospel of grace to anyone in need of this, but the gospel of Christ is our primary focus. The gospel of grace is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The gospel of Christ is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Thus, the gospel of grace pertains to spiritual rebirth or the salvation of the spirit. The gospel of Christ pertains to the salvation of the soul and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Spirit salvation is necessary for entrance into heaven, but soul salvation is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is a place, but the kingdom of heaven is a position of reigning and ruling with Jesus Christ. Living a faithful and righteous life is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven--a truth neglected by many ministries. Please read the following article for a deeper understanding of the different gospels: The Gospel.
Q. Why should Christians be watching for Jesus' return?
We should be watching because Jesus commands it in the warning in Revelation 3:3 to the Church of Sardis:
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The Sardis church represents the Protestant churches of today which include Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran and others. The watching Jesus wants us to do is to be aware of the scriptures that predict His return and the events associated with those scriptures. If we actually watch for His return, we will show our faith in Him and thus live a more righteous life dedicated to Him. We will then be taken by Christ to Heaven in the First Fruits rapture and avoid the severe persecution by the Antichrist in the first half of the Tribulation.
Q. What is the Tribulation?
The Tribulation is a time for testing and a time for God's wrath on the world. It is seven years long and consists of two parts. The first 3 1/2 years is the time that God allows the Antichrist to persecute the unfaithful Christians in the world. Some will be tortured and some will be killed by the Antichrist. Because of this refining, most Christians will become much more faithful. Also during this time, God will prepare 144,000 Jews for service for Him. They will be the main missionaries to the rest of the world for God.
At the mid point of the Tribulation, all Christians will be raptured to heaven in the Main Harvest Rapture. In the second half of the Tribulation (sometimes called the Great Tribulation), all Jews in the world will be tested by Antichrist and many will accept Jesus Christ as Savior because of the witness of the 144,000. Because Satan hates the Jews, he will cause many Jews to be killed. Because of man's sin in the world, God will also send terrible catastrophies on the earth and many humans will die because they have not recognized God's right to rule. For details on the Tribulation, read the articles on Revelation, starting with: Revelation, Chapter One.
Q. What is the First Fruits Rapture?
If you are currently living a righteous life for Jesus, you are accounted by God to be among His most faithful followers. Because of this effort on your part, God has determined that you are refined enough to be worthy to escape the testing that will occur for non-faithful Christians during the first half of the Tribulation. Just before the start of the Tribulation, you will then be taken into Heaven to live with Christ forever and will avoid the severe testing of the tribulation.
Q. What is the Main Harvest Rapture?
If you are not living a very righteous life for Christ, you are not deemed by Him to be a worthy follower of His. You are then given a second chance by Jesus to become more faithful by being required to endure persecution during the Tribulation; you will also need to completely rely on Christ for all your needs. Because of this testing, you will then be prepared for eternal service for God. During times of persecution, Christians are almost always shown to be very faithful followers of God. At the end of the testing period (mid-Tribulation), you will be taken to Heaven and live with Jesus forever.
Q. What is the Judgment Seat of Christ?
After a Christian dies or is raptured to Heaven, he must give a detailed account of his life's works to Jesus. Each work that he has done will then be judged by Christ. If the work is a righteous work, the Christian will be given a reward by Jesus. If the work is an unrighteous work, it will be burnt up and the believer will suffer loss because the work is evil. If the Christain has confessed to God any unrighteous work (sin) that he has committed before he dies, the work will already be judged. Hence, it will not be brought up at Christ's Judgment seat. For details, read: The Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. Why should our main Christian focus be to strive for rewards and enter the Kingdom of Heaven by doing good works such as Prayer, Studying the Bible, apprising other Christians of accountability, fearing God, and crucifying our Flesh Nature?
There are many verses in the Bible that answer this question. Here are are several:
(Heb 11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Heb 11:24-26 NKJV) By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
(Mat 6:33 NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(2Ti 2:15 KJVA) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(Act 14:21-22 NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
(Eph 2:10 NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
(Gal 5:16-17 NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
(2Co 5:9-11 NKJV) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
(Ecc 12:13-14 NKJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
Q. Why is the fear of the Lord so important?
Just think of how wise and powerful God is. He created billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. He created the extremely beautiful and complex world we live in and He created you and me. This fear we should have is both an appreciation of His infinite powers and capabilities and also of His discipline He sometimes has to show us because we don't always follow His will. God holds us in the palm of His hand and we should recognize that He has the right to rule over us in all things.
Doesn't that make you a little nervous, knowing that the Creator of the universe watches every move we make and listens to every thought we think and every word we speak? Solomon admonishes us: The Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7). When we do fear the Lord, it will reflect in the way we live our life. We will want to live a righteous life and resist evil.
Q. What is the "Great delusion" (the lie) discussed in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2?
Paul gives the subject of the lie in the first few verses of this subtopic. The subject of the lie pertains to the Second Coming of our Lord and the Rapture of the Church. The actual lie itself is that the entire Church will be Raptured before the tribulation begins.
Q. Who are the recipients of this lie or doctrinal error that comes from God?
Paul identifies the recipients of this lie in verse three where he warns the Christians in Thessalonika against this deception. Consequently, the recipients of this lie are Christians.
Q. Why would God send out a lie to His own people, the Church, for them to be deceived?
Paul gives the answer to this question in verse 10 by stating that they did not love the truth and refused to receive it. Therefore, God sent them what they wanted and loved, the lie. Read the following article for details: The Great Delusion (The Lie).
Q. If faith is a necessary factor in earning soul salvation, what can I do to have more faith?
You need to start with reading and applying scripture to the way you live your life: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Try reading a few chapters a day of the Holy Bible for a year. Your faith will increase and your life will be changed.
Q. You say that the Christians that are members of the First Fruits Rapture will receive the highest honors from Jesus and will sit on His throne with Him and assist Him in ruling over Heaven and Earth. I don't understand why the Main Harvest Christians won't have the highest honors and awards from God. After all, won't many give up their lives for Christ during the Tribulation, rather than give up their faith in Him?
First Fruits Christians have also had their trials and tribulation throughout the Church era. The difference is that the First Fruits Christians heard and obeyed God's call to faith and service for Him. In effect, they volunteered to walk with and obey Jesus even when wealth abounded and could have lured them away from fully following God. The Main Harvest Christians did not fully follow Jesus because the gain of wealth was a higher priority rather than a close walk with Jesus.
The Main Harvest Christians will have no choice in being left behind to be severely tested by the Antichrist. In effect, they will be drafted by God to be refined so they will be of great value for God in His eternal plan. Most Main Harvest Christians will demonstrate great faith in Jesus during this time of testing in the Tribulation. However, Jesus greatly desires for us to want to follow Him now. The lure of wealth may be a more severe test for the Christian than even the test of persecution and death.
Q. I like adventure and challenges and the unknown. Won't heaven be kind of boring--just praising and worshipping God all day for the rest of eternity?
All of God's people will certainly love, praise and worship God because this will be something that all His faithful will want to do. However, does having a on-going conversation with the infinite God who created the universe sound boring? God has created His servants with many different kinds of talents and they will be used in some form in eternity. I believe that all of our talents God will give us in Heaven will be absolutely perfect. For example, our singing voices will be perfect; we will play musical instruments and never miss a note. We will want to do things for God. Perhaps He will allow us to write songs and poems of adoration for Him. If you read the last few chapters of Revelation, you can understand only a few of the activites He will have for us to enjoy.
What God has planned for His faithful believers is so wonderful that mortal mind cannot understand it now. Here is the verse: But just as it is written, Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him. (NET--1 Cor 2:9). We can only guess at what these things could be. I would personally like to know what God did before He created the universe, say a trillion years ago. I would like to know if He created other universes in other dimensions. I would like to know the secrets of science including the "theory of everthing." I would like to explore the universe and know what it's like inside a black hole. I could go on and on. As awesome and perfect as God is, do you think He would ever let us be bored?
Q. Is it too late for me to become a Christian who is part of the First Fruits rapture and thus escape having to go through the first half of the Tribulation? I'm asking this question because from your articles, it appears that Jesus could return at any moment.
No, it is not too late, just read the article: Laborers Article. It discusses that it is possible to be part of the First Fruits Rapture up until the last few days of the Church age by beginning to live a dedicated and righteous life for God. The spiritual condition of all end times Christians is described in the article: The Ten Virgins. When Jesus is about to appear to take the Five Wise Virgins (the Christians of the First Fruits Rapture) to Heaven, it will then be too late for the Five Foolish Virgins (the Main Harvest Christians) to escape the testing of the Tribulation because they will have few righteous works to show to Christ. Since only God knows when Jesus will return, my suggestion is to not wait until the last moment to begin a fully dedicated walk with Jesus. You should start that walk today. The article How to Crucify Self describes how to accomplish being a First Fruits believer. If Jesus were to return tonight for the First Fruits rapture, would you be ready?
Our mission is to warn all worldly Christians to read and obey the Holy Bible, to start living a righteous life now for Christ and to be joyfully watching for His return so they may participate in the First Fruits Rapture and enjoy the reward of sitting with Jesus on His throne in Heaven. They will thus avoid being left behind and having to endure severe persecution by the Antichrist for the first half of the Tribulation. If The Lord wills, after the First Fruits Rapture, this Website will continue to provide, via our many articles, in-depth instruction for righteous living for all Main Harvest Christians that are left behind to be tested in the Tribulation.
Q. What is soul salvation?
A person consists of a body, spirit and soul. The soul is the emotions, mind and personality of a human. Jesus expects Christians to live a righteous life because of our love for Him. If we do, our soul is saved at the Judgment seat of Christ. We then are given leadership roles in the Kingdom. If we do not, our soul is lost at the Judgment seat of Christ. We then cannot enter the Millennial Kingdom. For details read: Soul vs Spirit Salvation.
Q. I believe that all Christians will be raptured before the start of the Tribulation and will thus not experience any persecution by the Antichrist. Here is the scripture: Revelation 3:10. Now what do you have to say to my assertion?
The questions I would ask you are: Why is the verse about the rapture in the Philadelphia section of Revelation and why not somewhere else? and Why doesn't Jesus just say directly that all of the end-time Christians will be saved? He only says this scripture to the Church of Philadelphia. He does say that those that are walking worthy within the Church of Thyatira and Sardis will be raptured. For the Church of Laodicea, He does say that if any members of that church will repent and perform righteous works for Him, they will also be raptured. Being a member of the First Fruits Rapture depends on watching for Jesus' return and living a righteous and holy life for God.
Q. In the book of Revelation, Jesus has nothing bad to say about the Church of Smyrna or the Church of Philadelphi Are they perfect? Do they ever sin?
They are not perfect and they certainly commit sins. However, they have confessed all of their sins to God (I John 1:9) and hence they are completely forgotten by Him. Hence Jesus does not bring up their failings when He evaluates their faith in the book of Revelation. Their sins will also not be remembered at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. What authority do you have to tell us that we are unrighteous?
Our authority is given in the verses in Ezekiel 3:20-21. Because we love our Christian brothers and sisters, we are warning you to repent if you are not living a righteous life. If you are living a righteous life, we believe that you should also care about your friends and relatives and also warn them.
Q. Why do you think you know so much about the Bible?
The Web team members have studied all verses in the Old and New Testament scripture for many years. The New Testament has many verses that discuss soul salvation, spirit salvation, the requirement to live a righteous life, prophecy and Jesus’ second coming. The articles on this Website discuss in detail these scriptures. Just read the articles and you will see that an in-depth study of the Holy Bible reveals what God wants for us: a) to live a righteous life for Him b) to be prepared for Jesus’ return c) if you are not prepared now, you will eventually become faithful because you will endure severe testing in the Tribulation.
Q. If Soul Salvation, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the First Fruits Rapture ideas are so important, why are no pastors giving sermons on these topics? Why are none of these concepts ever discussed in our Sunday School materials?
This is a failure of the pastors and teachers in many churches in the world. An understanding of these concepts requires diligent study of the Word of God, and few pastors and teachers exert the effort to understand them. Also, these concepts show accountability for Christians, so they are not popular topics. There are too many pastors today that are more concerned with their job and their popularity in this life than their standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is the reason that many pastors will be left behind at the Firstfruits Rapture. Most will become faithful during the tribulation period, but they will not be part of the bride of Christ, so there will be tremendous loss for them in the heavenly aspect of the kingdom.
Q. I don't care at all about rewards in Heaven for myself. All I want to do is to be with Jesus when I die. I don't care if I rule and reign with Jesus in His Millenium Kingdom or wear any crowns. What's wrong with that?
In essence, you are saying that the works that God has prepared for you to do are not important, and you are not interested in being found faithful at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a slap in the face to God and shows that you do not care about being found faithful. The top reward in heaven is to "win Christ" (Phil. 3:8), which means to be the bride of Christ. The bride will be the most intimate with Christ in the heavenly kingdom. If you are not interested now in reward in the kingdom, you will be interested at the time you get a new body that will be perfectly obedient to God. You will then experience weeping and gnashing of teeth when you realize that you have wasted your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red stew (Gen. 25:20-34), but he wept bitterly when he later realized what he had done (Heb. 12:14-17). I recommend that you read the following article: The Bride of Christ.
Q. The How to Crucify Self article will be impossible for me to follow. Can anyone really accomplish all those steps suggested in that article?
Have you actually tried the eleven steps and reading the scripture suggested in the article? This is a step of faith and requires you to lean heavily on God for His help. Start with the first step and ask God to help you with the walk. You will be pleasantly surprised that He will help you. If you want to live a righteous life, it will happen because God will be with you in your walk. The door is open, just walk through the door and experience a joy and peace that is beyond measure!
Q. If salvation is by grace, why is living a righteous life so important?
The spirit of a person is saved when you first have faith in Jesus. Your spirit salvation can never be lost and there is absolutely nothing you have to do to earn this salvation. We do live a righteous life because we love Jesus (John 14:15). We show our love for Him by keeping His commandments; this is everything Jesus said in the New Testament. We also keep the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. Another very important reason for living a righteous life, is that by fully obeying Jesus, our souls are saved. This means that we have rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ and we will escape having to be refined by persecution during the first half of the Tribulation.
Q. What does it mean to live a righteous life?
It's not complicated. You have to do the following: 1. Resist evil. This means that whenever you have an opportunity to sin, you say no. This could be a temptation from someone else ("Let's go out and get drunk.") or from within your mind ("That guy just cut me off in traffic. Let me think how I can get even with him.") When you do commit a sin, you confess your sin to God and ask for His forgiveness. 2. Accomplishing a walk with God. You pray and read the Bible and praise God for His presence in your life. 3. Do righteous works. This means that you will roll up your sleeves and do the work that God gives you to do. You can contribute time or money to someone's needs. You could be the joy in someone's life. Just be loving and friendly. It could even mean that you accept a job in your church as a teacher, a deacon, work in the kitchen or nursery, etc. 4. Live the Christian Life. You will show Christian love in your home and neighborhood and at your place of employment. 5. Rely on God. Remember, you cannot live a righteous life without God's help. This is a walk of faith with complete reliance on Jesus for His guidance and help.
Q. Why are today so few Christians living for Christ?
Most Christians simply don't read the Bible in any depth. They rely mainly upon scripture such as we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). While that is certainly a fact given by God to us, there is really much more in the Scripture that God requires us to read and to apply to our lives. Sadly, most of the other scripture is simply ignored. These scripture are mainly the chapters that discuss items like soul salvation and the Judgment Seat of Christ. There are many verses in the Bible that command us to live a righteous life for God. However, many Christians of today are too busy or too lazy to read all of the verses in the Bible and live their lives by these verses. The cares of the world are much more important to many Christians than becoming prepared for eternity.
Q. I'm a single Mom that has to work two jobs to support my children. I have little time to rest and little time to spend with my kids. How can I possibly do all those righteous deeds that will make me a First Fruits Christian?
The righteous deeds that God has ordained for a mother to perform are in raising and taking care of her children. In fact 1 Timothy 2:15 states the woman--and all women--can save her soul in "childbearing" if she remains faithful in performing her duties in love and self-control. This means that a woman can save her soul by being a good mother and rearing her children to be faithful, obedient children. This is the primary work that every mother should be doing. If you start spending time loving and nurturing your children in the care and admonition of the Lord, then God will see that your needs are provided.
Q. Suppose a Christian doesn't know about all those verses in the Bible and the articles on your website that discuss watching for Jesus' return, soul salvation, the Judgment seat of Christ and the command to live a righteous life. At the Judgment seat of Christ, this Christian will not be judged too severely will he?
The Scriptures are clear that we must study the Bible to to be approved as a workman. Of course, the more we understand, the more accountable we will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but if we choose to remain ignorant, we will also be judged for that. The simple answer is to not study the Bible unless you intend to obey what it teaches. If one studies the Bible and refuses to comply with its precepts, then that person will be judged more severely than one who has not studied the Bible. However, in both cases the judgment will be negative. One negative judgment is just more severe than the other. The correct response is to study the Bible with the intent to obey what it teaches, and the result will be a positive judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This person will be approved as a workman, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Ignorance will not be bliss at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. What about all those Christians in Africa, Asia and other poorer parts of the world that don't have access to a Bible in any form or an Internet connection--how can they know what to do in order to become a First Fruits Christian?
According to Scripture, a Christian will be judged based on the knowledge and understanding that he has about Scripture. Obviously, some will have less knowledge than others, so God will be just in judging them. Since God ordains and elects individuals to spirit salvation, He also ordains the works that they are to perform (Eph. 2:8-10). If they are faithful in performing the works that He has ordained for them, then I believe that they will be accounted as worthy for the Firstfruits Rapture. For example, a mother can realize soul salvation by being a good mother and simply being faithful to the knowledge that she has in regard to Scripture (1 Tim 2:15).
Q. If I am an unfaithful Christian and at the Judgment seat of Christ I lose the salvation of my soul, what happens to my soul during the millenium and during eternity? Will my soul (including my mind and my emotions) be totally blank, like a newborn child? Will my soul ever be able to mature? Will I even know who I am? The four living creatures and the 24 elders will be very close to Jesus. How close to Jesus will I be able to get if I am an unfaithful Christian? Will Jesus ever come to me and tell me that He loves me? Will I ever be invited to fellowship with Him?
The loss of the soul at the Judgment Seat of Christ is in reference to the kind of person that person is when he arrives at the Judgment Seat. For example, if the person has been a practicing liar, then he will no longer be a liar. If he is an immoral person, then he will no longer be immoral. If he is a drunkard, then he will no longer be a drunkard. His new body will be under the complete control of the new spirit nature, and he will no longer commit ANY SIN. The old flesh nature will be completely gone, so there will be no desire to get drunk, lie, commit adultery, gossip, backbite or live the depraved lifestyle that many Christians live today.
The Christian who has spent his life seeking after fame and fortune will no longer be that way. The Christian who has lived a selfish and self-indulgent life will no longer be that way. In simple language, all depravity will be completely obliterated. If the Christian's primary characteristics were that of a depraved person, then he will no longer have those characteristics. He will be totally changed into a faithful, meek and kind person who exhibits all the fruits of the spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The glutton will no longer be a glutton! The womanizer will no longer be a womanizer! The person will be totally different in regard to his character and life practices. He will still maintain his identity in regard to many personal characteristics, but his behavioral characterics will be totally different.
All Christians will know that Jesus loves them and they will be in the New Jerusalem with Jesus. His bride will certainly be more intimate with Jesus than the other Christians, so there will be levels of intimacy. Just as Jesus was more intimate with his disciple John than the other disciples, He will be more intimate with his bride than with other Christians. Jesus also had a closer relationship with Peter, James and John than He did with the other disciples, but they all knew Jesus and had a relationship with him. This is the way I envision life in the kingdom.
Just think of a family in today's society. Some family members are closer than others. The wife is the most intimate with the husband, and the children are next in intimacy with the father. The brothers and sisters would most likely be next in intimacy with the cousins being next. Then friends would be next in intimacy. This analogy should give you an idea of the levels of intimacy that Christians will have with Jesus Christ in the coming kingdom. I recommend that you read the following for a deeper understanding of practical righteousness, which will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ:
Practical Righteousness
The Philadelphia Christian
Soul vs Spirit Salvation
The Sermon on The Mount
Lust of the Flesh vs Fruit of the Spirit
Q. Why are your articles so difficult for me to understand? It seems like most of your ideas are predicated on other ideas. The articles on prophetic interpretation are especially difficult for me to understand.
The first question that you should ask yourself is if you are open and teachable in regard to the deeper truths in Scripture. 2 Peter 3:5 discusses Christians who "willingly are ignorant" of truths in Scripture, and 2 Thess 2 addresses Christians who prefer to believe "the lie" over the truth. If you sincerely desire to know the truths of Scripture, God will allow you to understand them, but you must be willing to devote time and effort in understanding these truths. A lady once told me that she just did not understand the Book of Revelation. I asked her how many times she had read it. She stated that she had read it once. I told her not to feel badly about this, as I did not understand it the first 200 times that I read it. If you are to understand the articles in the web site, you must spend time reading them and studying the Scriptures that are explained in them.
The articles on prophetic interpretation are for advanced students of the Bible. They are only understood in relation to typology or the understanding of types in the Bible. One must first have a thorough understanding of the literal interpretation of the Bible, before he will understand the prophetic interpretation. An understanding of the parables is a prerequisite for understanding the prophetic interpretation. I recommend that you read the prophetic interpretation of Ruth: Book of Ruth first to get an idea of how the prophetic interpretation works. Ruth would be the simplest to understand the prophetic interpretation.
It is true that many of the truths are predicated on understanding other truths. It is sort of like mathematics. One cannot understand Calculus without an understanding of Trigonometry, and Algebra is necessary to understand Trigonometry. Likewise, a knowledge of basic arithmetic is necessary before understanding Algebra.
If you are willing to devote the time and effort in studying the Scriptures, then ask God to lead and guide you in your understanding. This is what I over 30 years ago and God is still showing me truths from his Word. We can never exhaust the truths taught in the Bible. The key to understanding it is devoting the time and effort and asking God to lead and guide you in understanding it.
Q. What is the Prosperity Gospel?
The Prosperity Gospel is a product of the Laodicean church age. It has come out of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement, and it emphasizes the here and now, as opposed to the coming millennial kingdom. Since it emphasizes the here and now, it focuses on bodily healing and the accumulation of goods and riches rather than true spiritual growth. When the Bible speaks of healing, the Prosperity Gospel assigns it to physical healing rather than spiritual healing. It also assigns spiritual blessings to current happiness and prosperity, rather than spiritual health and stability. The Lord is more concerned with our spiritual maturity than with our physical health, and virtually all of the warnings and admonishments in the Bible pertain to our spiritual condition rather than our physical condition.
This is not to denigrate physical health, but it is a general truth that the Christian who is mature spiritually will also be physically healthy. For example, the mature Christian will typically have self-control, and will not be a glutton, a drunkard, a smoker, a drug abuser, a worrier, a seeker after riches, a workaholic or any of the other characteristics that affects one's health and well-being. The mature Christian typically leads a simple, disciplined life that results in a healthy, active lifestyle. Of course, there are exceptions to this where currently faithful Christians have left a lifestyle that has already caused the degeneration of the body. The forgiveness of sin does not erase the consequences of a previously degenerate lifestyle. Please read the following article for a detailed look at the modern day church of Laodicea: The Church at Laodicea.
Q. What is the Midnight Cry?
The Midnight Cry is the cry that goes up when the Five Wise Virgins know that Jesus is coming for his bride (Matt 25:6). It is the sudden realization by the Five Wise Virgins that Jesus is about to remove the faithful Christians from the earth and take them to heaven. This is the time that the Five Foolish Virgins wake up to the return of Jesus for the faithful. The Five Wise Virgins are the Christians who are faithful to Jesus and most are looking or watching for his return. They are wide awake and beckoning for Jesus to return. The Five Foolish Virgins are asleep relative to the return of Jesus and are caught unawares by his return. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the Midnight Cry: The Olivet Discourse.
Q. What is the Grand Feeding?
At the time of the Midnight Cry the Five Foolish Virgins will inquire of the Five Wise Virgins about the extra measure of oil needed for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. The teaching about the kingdom is addressed in the parable of the sower, and it is called the Word of the Kingdom. The majority of the Church has rejected this teaching because of ignorance, persecution or getting caught up in the cares of this world. At the Midnight Cry this teaching will quickly be given to the Five Foolish Virgins in a very brief span of time. This teaching is called Meat in due Season, which is the name of my ministry. The meat is the teaching about the kingdom and the due season is the time that the teaching takes place at the time of the Firstfruits Rapture of the bride and her court.
The phrase "due season" means at the appropriate time. Literally, this means at the time of the Midnight Cry. Prophetically, it means at the time the Philadelphia church taught about the truths of the Second Coming and the mystery aspect to the kingdom of heaven. Figuratively, it means anytime that a Christian learns about kingdom truths because he is open and teachable. This comes from the fact that all Scripture has three interpretations: literal, prophetic and figurative. Thus, the literal Grand Feeding occurs immediately before the Firstfruits Rapture. The primary Scripture verses that address the Grand Feeding are Matthew 24:45 and Luke 12:42.
The majority of Christians are not open to the meat of the Word, but they will be open to it at the time of the Midnight Cry and in the time after the Firstfruits Rapture. The purpose of this web site is to provide meat in due season, but the main body of the Church will not be open to it until the Midnight Cry takes place and the Grand Feeding occurs just before the Firstfruits Rapture. The Feeding of the Five Thousand is a typological study on the Grand Feeding. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the Grand Feeding: The Feeding of the 5,000.
Q. When could Jesus return for the First Fruits Rapture?
As most Christians understand, the day and hour that Jesus will return for the Firstfruits Rapture is unknown. However, Christians are exhorted and warned many times in Scripture to watch for his return, so they will not be caught by surprise and not be ready to be taken in the Firstfruits Rapture. This is the primary difference between the Five Wise Virgins and the Five Foolish Virgins. The Five Wise Virgins were watching, but the Five Foolish Virgins have gone to sleep relative to Jesus' return for his bride.
The Scriptures also provide detailed information that allow the watching virgins to know the approximate time and season of his return. The Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:32-34) places the time within the generation that sees Israel reestablished as a nation. That took place in 1948, so the time is very short. We are at the end of that generation. Also, Song of Solomon 2:10-13 describes the coming of Jesus Christ for his bride in late spring. The Olivet Discourse in Matt 24:32 also places it at the time just before summer, so it should take place in late spring just before the summer solstice, which takes place in June 21st. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding about the return of Jesus Christ for his bride:
The Seven Feasts
Daniel's Seventy Weeks
Parable of the Ten Virgins
Q. What does it mean for a Christian to have "roots in the earth"?
A Christian who has "roots in the earth" is the Christian caught up in the cares of this world. He has become comfortable in the present world and is not interested in the Return of Jesus Christ for his bride. The future home of the Christian is the New Jerusalem, and we are citizens of this city and should not consider ourselves as citizens of this world. Unfortunately, the majority of Christians have become comfortable in the world system, and they have sunk their roots down deeply in this world system. This is the meaning of the mustard seed that became a tree instead of a bush. I recommend that you read the following: Parables of the Kingdom.
Q. What church of today does the Church of Thyatira represent? Church of Sardis? Church of Philadelphia? Church of Laodicea?
The church that is represented by Thyatira is the Catholic Church and its offshoots like the Episcopal Church. Thyatira is characterized by false doctrine and spiritual adultery. The church that is represented by Sardis is the Protestant churches, and this includes Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran and many other churches that came out of the Reformation. Sardis is characterized by its cold, dead formalism. The church represented by Philadelphia is primarily found in home churches across the nation. They are the nondenominational churches that are not identified with Thyatira, Sardis or Laodicea. Philadelphia Christians are typically rejected by Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea. Philadelphia is characterized by its brotherly love, studying the Bible and watching for the return of Jesus Christ for his bride.
The church represented by Laodicea is the charismatic and pentecostal churches. Laodicea is characterized by an emphasis on the emotional and physical aspects of man. Therefore, it gravitates toward the emotional highs and healing of the body in lieu of spiritual healing. I recommend that you read the following for a better understanding of the four end-time churches and their role in the fulfillment of prophecy:
The Seven Churches of Revelation
The Church at Laodicea
Q. What is the unforgivable sin?
The unforgivable sin is also referred to as the unpardonable sin and the sin unto death. The unforgivable sin is to turn one's back on Jesus Christ by a believer with a knowledge of the truth about Jesus Christ. The unforgivable sin can only be committed by a believer who has knowledge of the truth about Jesus Christ, but he turns away from the faith anyway. This person will receive a severe judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ with the loss of his soul. He is still saved spiritually and he goes to heaven, but he loses his reward in the kingdom of heaven. This sin is unforgivable in the sense that the loss of reward is certain without any recourse. Please read the following articles for an in-depth understanding of the unforgivable sin:
Impossible to bring to Repentance
The Law of Sin and Death
Q. Why is confession of a Christian's sin to God so important? Doesn't He already know all the evil I commit?
Of course, God knows all of our sins, but it is absolutely critical for us to confess our sins in order to live a righteous life. When we confess our known sins, God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If we do not confess our sins to God, then we break fellowship with God, and we will lose our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Thus, confession of sins is necessary for us to save our souls at the Judgment Seat of Christ and for us to receive a reward in the kingdom of heaven.
Q. Why don't you have articles on your website that discuss accepting Jesus Christ as Savior? Isn't this very important? All you seem to talk about is living a faithful and righteous life for Christ and watching for His return. What happened to "grace"?
Our ministry is to Christians who have already been born again spiritually, so our emphasis is on helping Christians become faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. The great majority of ministries preach the gospel of grace, and we certainly believe and preach the gospel of grace to anyone in need of this, but the gospel of Christ is our primary focus. The gospel of grace is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The gospel of Christ is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Thus, the gospel of grace pertains to spiritual rebirth or the salvation of the spirit. The gospel of Christ pertains to the salvation of the soul and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Spirit salvation is necessary for entrance into heaven, but soul salvation is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is a place, but the kingdom of heaven is a position of reigning and ruling with Jesus Christ. Living a faithful and righteous life is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven--a truth neglected by many ministries. Please read the following article for a deeper understanding of the different gospels: The Gospel.
Q. Why should Christians be watching for Jesus' return?
We should be watching because Jesus commands it in the warning in Revelation 3:3 to the Church of Sardis:
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The Sardis church represents the Protestant churches of today which include Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran and others. The watching Jesus wants us to do is to be aware of the scriptures that predict His return and the events associated with those scriptures. If we actually watch for His return, we will show our faith in Him and thus live a more righteous life dedicated to Him. We will then be taken by Christ to Heaven in the First Fruits rapture and avoid the severe persecution by the Antichrist in the first half of the Tribulation.
Q. What is the Tribulation?
The Tribulation is a time for testing and a time for God's wrath on the world. It is seven years long and consists of two parts. The first 3 1/2 years is the time that God allows the Antichrist to persecute the unfaithful Christians in the world. Some will be tortured and some will be killed by the Antichrist. Because of this refining, most Christians will become much more faithful. Also during this time, God will prepare 144,000 Jews for service for Him. They will be the main missionaries to the rest of the world for God.
At the mid point of the Tribulation, all Christians will be raptured to heaven in the Main Harvest Rapture. In the second half of the Tribulation (sometimes called the Great Tribulation), all Jews in the world will be tested by Antichrist and many will accept Jesus Christ as Savior because of the witness of the 144,000. Because Satan hates the Jews, he will cause many Jews to be killed. Because of man's sin in the world, God will also send terrible catastrophies on the earth and many humans will die because they have not recognized God's right to rule. For details on the Tribulation, read the articles on Revelation, starting with: Revelation, Chapter One.
Q. What is the First Fruits Rapture?
If you are currently living a righteous life for Jesus, you are accounted by God to be among His most faithful followers. Because of this effort on your part, God has determined that you are refined enough to be worthy to escape the testing that will occur for non-faithful Christians during the first half of the Tribulation. Just before the start of the Tribulation, you will then be taken into Heaven to live with Christ forever and will avoid the severe testing of the tribulation.
Q. What is the Main Harvest Rapture?
If you are not living a very righteous life for Christ, you are not deemed by Him to be a worthy follower of His. You are then given a second chance by Jesus to become more faithful by being required to endure persecution during the Tribulation; you will also need to completely rely on Christ for all your needs. Because of this testing, you will then be prepared for eternal service for God. During times of persecution, Christians are almost always shown to be very faithful followers of God. At the end of the testing period (mid-Tribulation), you will be taken to Heaven and live with Jesus forever.
Q. What is the Judgment Seat of Christ?
After a Christian dies or is raptured to Heaven, he must give a detailed account of his life's works to Jesus. Each work that he has done will then be judged by Christ. If the work is a righteous work, the Christian will be given a reward by Jesus. If the work is an unrighteous work, it will be burnt up and the believer will suffer loss because the work is evil. If the Christain has confessed to God any unrighteous work (sin) that he has committed before he dies, the work will already be judged. Hence, it will not be brought up at Christ's Judgment seat. For details, read: The Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q. Why should our main Christian focus be to strive for rewards and enter the Kingdom of Heaven by doing good works such as Prayer, Studying the Bible, apprising other Christians of accountability, fearing God, and crucifying our Flesh Nature?
There are many verses in the Bible that answer this question. Here are are several:
(Heb 11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Heb 11:24-26 NKJV) By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
(Mat 6:33 NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(2Ti 2:15 KJVA) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(Act 14:21-22 NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
(Eph 2:10 NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
(Gal 5:16-17 NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
(2Co 5:9-11 NKJV) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
(Ecc 12:13-14 NKJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
Q. Why is the fear of the Lord so important?
Just think of how wise and powerful God is. He created billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. He created the extremely beautiful and complex world we live in and He created you and me. This fear we should have is both an appreciation of His infinite powers and capabilities and also of His discipline He sometimes has to show us because we don't always follow His will. God holds us in the palm of His hand and we should recognize that He has the right to rule over us in all things.
Doesn't that make you a little nervous, knowing that the Creator of the universe watches every move we make and listens to every thought we think and every word we speak? Solomon admonishes us: The Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7). When we do fear the Lord, it will reflect in the way we live our life. We will want to live a righteous life and resist evil.
Q. What is the "Great delusion" (the lie) discussed in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2?
Paul gives the subject of the lie in the first few verses of this subtopic. The subject of the lie pertains to the Second Coming of our Lord and the Rapture of the Church. The actual lie itself is that the entire Church will be Raptured before the tribulation begins.
Q. Who are the recipients of this lie or doctrinal error that comes from God?
Paul identifies the recipients of this lie in verse three where he warns the Christians in Thessalonika against this deception. Consequently, the recipients of this lie are Christians.
Q. Why would God send out a lie to His own people, the Church, for them to be deceived?
Paul gives the answer to this question in verse 10 by stating that they did not love the truth and refused to receive it. Therefore, God sent them what they wanted and loved, the lie. Read the following article for details: The Great Delusion (The Lie).
Q. If faith is a necessary factor in earning soul salvation, what can I do to have more faith?
You need to start with reading and applying scripture to the way you live your life: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Try reading a few chapters a day of the Holy Bible for a year. Your faith will increase and your life will be changed.
Q. You say that the Christians that are members of the First Fruits Rapture will receive the highest honors from Jesus and will sit on His throne with Him and assist Him in ruling over Heaven and Earth. I don't understand why the Main Harvest Christians won't have the highest honors and awards from God. After all, won't many give up their lives for Christ during the Tribulation, rather than give up their faith in Him?
First Fruits Christians have also had their trials and tribulation throughout the Church era. The difference is that the First Fruits Christians heard and obeyed God's call to faith and service for Him. In effect, they volunteered to walk with and obey Jesus even when wealth abounded and could have lured them away from fully following God. The Main Harvest Christians did not fully follow Jesus because the gain of wealth was a higher priority rather than a close walk with Jesus.
The Main Harvest Christians will have no choice in being left behind to be severely tested by the Antichrist. In effect, they will be drafted by God to be refined so they will be of great value for God in His eternal plan. Most Main Harvest Christians will demonstrate great faith in Jesus during this time of testing in the Tribulation. However, Jesus greatly desires for us to want to follow Him now. The lure of wealth may be a more severe test for the Christian than even the test of persecution and death.
Q. I like adventure and challenges and the unknown. Won't heaven be kind of boring--just praising and worshipping God all day for the rest of eternity?
All of God's people will certainly love, praise and worship God because this will be something that all His faithful will want to do. However, does having a on-going conversation with the infinite God who created the universe sound boring? God has created His servants with many different kinds of talents and they will be used in some form in eternity. I believe that all of our talents God will give us in Heaven will be absolutely perfect. For example, our singing voices will be perfect; we will play musical instruments and never miss a note. We will want to do things for God. Perhaps He will allow us to write songs and poems of adoration for Him. If you read the last few chapters of Revelation, you can understand only a few of the activites He will have for us to enjoy.
What God has planned for His faithful believers is so wonderful that mortal mind cannot understand it now. Here is the verse: But just as it is written, Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him. (NET--1 Cor 2:9). We can only guess at what these things could be. I would personally like to know what God did before He created the universe, say a trillion years ago. I would like to know if He created other universes in other dimensions. I would like to know the secrets of science including the "theory of everthing." I would like to explore the universe and know what it's like inside a black hole. I could go on and on. As awesome and perfect as God is, do you think He would ever let us be bored?
Q. Is it too late for me to become a Christian who is part of the First Fruits rapture and thus escape having to go through the first half of the Tribulation? I'm asking this question because from your articles, it appears that Jesus could return at any moment.
No, it is not too late, just read the article: Laborers Article. It discusses that it is possible to be part of the First Fruits Rapture up until the last few days of the Church age by beginning to live a dedicated and righteous life for God. The spiritual condition of all end times Christians is described in the article: The Ten Virgins. When Jesus is about to appear to take the Five Wise Virgins (the Christians of the First Fruits Rapture) to Heaven, it will then be too late for the Five Foolish Virgins (the Main Harvest Christians) to escape the testing of the Tribulation because they will have few righteous works to show to Christ. Since only God knows when Jesus will return, my suggestion is to not wait until the last moment to begin a fully dedicated walk with Jesus. You should start that walk today. The article How to Crucify Self describes how to accomplish being a First Fruits believer. If Jesus were to return tonight for the First Fruits rapture, would you be ready?