February 13, 2009

“And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia, write, ‘. . . I know your works. See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have KEPT My word and have NOT denied My name. . . . Because you have KEPT My command to PERSEVERE, I also will KEEP YOU from the hour of Trial (three and one half-years) which shall come UPON the whole world (Revelation 3:7-8, 10).

“God’s Protection for His little Flock”

(Luke 12:32).”

Dear Brethren,

In the Comments for this week I am sharing it with a beloved dedicated member and writer for our magazine, The Philadelphia Remnant. He wrote the basis of it and I have added to it.

Your friend and servant in Christ,

Don Billingsley

Christ's Promise of PROTECTION

By

Garfield Gregoire/ Alton B. (Don) Billingsley

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world ..."(Revelation 3:10).

These are the words of the Living Christ to the Church that would be in existence at the very end of the age or time when the return of Jesus Christ is virtually IMMINENT! It is a message that directly applies to the Faithful Remnant of the TRUE Church of God; the very Church that is now holding to ALL the RESTORED DOCTRINES and TRUTH taught by Mr. Armstrong.

Whether we want to believe it or not, there is only one Church that is holding to what Mr. Armstrong taught in its purest form together with obedience to God’s government while being used by Jesus Christ to go forth with the gospel and the Ezekiel warning message in this end-time.

It is continuing God's work by the power of that same Spirit which led and guided Mr. Armstrong.

Yes, there may be small, unknown groups or pockets of individuals around this world that are holding to what Mr. Armstrong taught; and if they are holding to such truth, then - as taught by Mr. Armstrong (and the Scriptures) - such are also of the TRUE BODY of Jesus Christ; and God will miraculously bring all of these members together according to His time table.

Why God Protects His True Church

The Scriptures clearly make known that "God is no respecter of persons' (Acts 10:34). This means that God does not play favorites to people or nations; we either keep his laws or suffer the consequences of breaking those laws. Verse 35 of Acts 10 goes on to prove the point by saying: "But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousnes, is accepted with Him."

At this end-time there are the ELECT members of God’s Church who are now being accepted by God and will receive His protection from all the horrors that will be brought on many in God’s Church and also on Israel during the time of the GREAT TRIBULATION. God makes known that there is a SPECIFIC REASON why this particular group of people are going to be protected during this soon-coming terrible time.

"Because you have kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world" (Revelation 3:10)

Here we find that God's people are going to be delivered and protected because they have KEPT the WORD of His PATIENCE. Patience simply means to persevere or ENDURE. In Matthew 24:13 Christ makes known that "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Patience while keeping God’s word is the key to receiving God's protection. The Scripture has a lot to say about being patient.

In Luke 21:19, Christ told His followers that in their patience they would possess their souls; and in verse 20, Christ also warned that when they see "Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh."

The above prophecy primarily referred to the Jewish captivity of A.D.70. However the meaning also is carried forward to what is to be watched for in the end-time. The early Church did possess their souls through patience and was able to flee at the exact time needed from the Roman onslaught on the city of Jerusalem; the same will be true with the elect before much longer. Of course, the ultimate possessing of our souls will lead to eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Revelation 3:10 applies to God's people now more than when Mr. Armstrong was alive because after he died thousands of members of God’s Church have simply either turned away or compromised with God's restored truth - failing to endure - not keeping the WORD of his PATIENCE.

How Will Protection Come?

It cannot be denied that we have all wondered just how God is going to deliver his Faithful Remnant from the Great and Terrible Tribulation that is now coming upon our people. To be sure, it is going to take a miracle from Jesus Christ to bring them together from wherever they may be at the time. From Scripture, we do know that God is going to do this and then bring all of these people to a central location. How this is going to be done we do not now fully know for sure.

However when we consider the time of the Flood of Noah it should be realized that God so affected the minds of all of the wild animals, birds of the air, and all other life to be preserved on the Ark, to not only move from their habitats to the ark at the exact time needed, but He also caused them to enter the Ark.

With this in mind it should be easy to understand that God will stir the minds of His elect to begin coming together to His one true Church of God; they will then respect and obey the leadership Christ will place and use in it.

This will make possible for the word to go forth to each one by the leadership that the time has come to leave for the place God will have provided for them. That word can come to the leader in whatever way Christ chooses, possibly by sending Gabriel to him or in some other way.

The Jewish historian Josephus did make known in his writing that prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70, a sound was heard in the temple of a great multitude saying "let us remove hence" (A Handbook of Ancient History in Bible Light, Page 261, by Dorothy Ruth Miller). The Church did flee to Pella and there escaped the wrath of the Roman army.

We know that God works through His government; He uses one man at a time. It may be that God will give the inspiration to leave for the place of protection through the one leading God's Church as He did when His people fled Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (A Handbook of Ancient History in Bible Light, Page 262, Dorothy Ruth Miller).

Remember God used one man (Moses) to deliver the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:1-22). He also used one man, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, to take his gospel message to all the world in this end time. Based on God's usage of one man; it seems logical that God will once again use one man in the near future. Remember the Scripture tells us that God "changes not" (Malachi 3:6).

The Time of Departure

It should be realized that at the time to actually leave will require great faith and courage on the part of God's people to give up their homes, cars and other valuable possessions – especially so the family members they will have to leave behind.

That will be a time of grief and agony as it was with Lot and his wife knowing they were leaving behind their married daughters, and though the Bible does not say, possibly grandchildren as well, knowing the fiery deaths they would soon suffer (Genesis 19:12-14, 24-26). It is in this context there is the warning from Jesus, who said, ‘Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).

The place that God will have provided for His people will be in a wilderness area—indicating a sparsely populated place. It is also made known that the Church will "FLY" (Revelation 12:14).

Scripture implies the Church will literally be flown to a temporary haven of safety in Israel by the use of airplanes. In completing the journey to safety shortly thereafter the elect will undoubtedly follow the pattern of Israel leaving Egypt on foot with little provisions and as the crow flies the distance from Jerusalem to Petra would be approximately 70 miles (44 miles from Jerusalem to Amman), hot and windy.

The FLIGHT seems to have a parallel of flying associated with walking. Exodus 19:4 makes known that God led the Israelites out of Egypt on "eagles wings." Back then there were no airplanes to fly - the Israelites had to walk from Egypt across the desert to the Promised Land. God’s Church will both literally fly and later walk just as did Israel. Eagle’s Wings – appears to making the reference to God’s continued protection and care for them.

Notice Revelation 12:14: "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she, might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time from the face of the serpent."

Based on the warnings given by Jesus Christ for His people, it would appear that the members will fly to the area of Jerusalem from wherever they live and will live there for some little time (Matthew 24:15-20; Luke 21:20-21).

From there they will enmasse (altogether as one body) at the precise time needed, begin their final departure from Jerusalem to the mountains of possibly Petra.

En route (along the way) Satan will use the Beast to send an army to try and destroy the fleeing members just as he tried to destroy Israel at the Red Sea (Revelation 12:13-16; Exodus 14:5-30).

Pray Always that You May be accounted Worthy

Jesus gave the answer as to how His people can come to know the time by praying fervently for a close relationship with God, and also with the request of being found acceptable by Him to be numbered among the elect who will escape the horrors of this soon coming time: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

Christ command us to ALWAYS pray that we may be accounted worthy to be taken to a place of protection and to escape what is coming upon this world. This means that God wants us to be ever conscious of the fact that terrible times are coming upon this world; and we must always be earnestly praying so that He will judge us as being worthy to escape these world troubles.

Revelation 3:10 tell us that this hour of temptation (trial) "shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

Many in God’s Church along with the nations of Israel will experience the horrors of the Great Tribulation, by NOT being found acceptable by Him!

But when one considers that Christ is speaking to his own people or Church here in Revelation 3, it becomes clear that this prophecy is mainly about those of God's lukewarm Church who are scattered around the world, and are the ones who are going to be severely tried.

The word or expression "TRY" means to test or prove! God's lukewarm Church is going to be tested in the fires of the tribulation. In Revelation 3:18, Christ counsels his lukewarm people to buy of him "gold tried in the fire."

This fiery ordeal to be endured for eternal life in the kingdom of God will either be won or lost for all eternity. The tribulation will be the supreme test for God's lukewarm Church. The Laodicean Church era currently believe that everything is fine between themselves and Christ, but it is not so - as they will be STUNNED and SHOCKED to find themselves in the TRIBULATION!

The STARK reality of their spiritual lethargy and compromising of God's truth will confront them; they will then know why they are there and why they have not been afforded divine protection.

They are going to have to prove their worth to God by giving up their own lives in martyrdom (Revelation 6:9-11).

In this time of being tested and refined some are going to cave in and lose out on eternal life; what a tragedy this is going to be - as many potential sons of God are going to die for all eternity - never ever to be in the presence of God!

The signs of the times are upon us and the Great Tribulation is bearing down on this world. Like an oncoming locomotive, the world is now speeding and careening toward is prophesied end! Very soon those who have endured and faithfully kept the patience of God's word will at last receive the exciting but yet sorrowful news that it is time to leave to their place of protection.

May God help each one of us to continually examine our own lives to ensure we too do not fall into a Laodicean attitude; and then fail to hear the word that the time has come to leave. It can be so easy to see the mote in the eyes of others and not see the mote in our own eyes, and that is why Romans 10:12 says: "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

If we are not careful, we can be blind to our own shortcomings, and that is why Christ admonished us to pray what we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man.

Remember brethren, we are not going to be in a place of protection simply because we want to be there, but we can only be there if we are accounted worthy - and for that to happen, it must mean we are ever growing in grace and knowledge and overcoming the pull and sway of this world (II Peter 3:18; Luke 21:36).

http://bodyofchristonline.us/     http://cog-ff.com     http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/

The pictures above are intended for educational purposes only.
Brought to you by the Church of God Faithful Flock