When the Lord brought me into the born-again experience, he revealed himself to me as “the truth.” I especially treasure that because I came out of a false religion. When I read the Bible for the first time, I was appalled at the many doctrines of my former religion which were in opposition to what I was reading in the Bible. I had a choice: either leave the religion, with all that was going to cost me, or stay in it to keep peace in the family. I left the religion.

It’s been many years since then. I see on social media so much controversy, even to name calling and hatefulness. I won’t go there. I am not a debater, as I believe only the Spirit of God can reveal truth. So …when I see error, I state why I agree with it, but when someone comes back at me I don’t engage.

What I’d like to do here is to very briefly address some of the controversies and offer what I believe to be the truth, because I do feel responsible to share what I’ve learned from walking with the Lord for more than 40 years.

1. Predestination

Many believe that God arbitrarily calls some and rejects other. In other words, for those others there is no hope of salvation. And that …infers that those who are NOT predestined are actually chosen to go to hell. What does Scripture say?

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that ANY should perish
but that ALL should come to repentance.
2nd Peter 3:9

God desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1st Timothy 2:4.

Jesus didn’t come to die for only a select few:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that WHOSOEVER believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.
Luke 9:56

2. Must we keep the Sabbath?

3. Is the Rapture pre-tribulational, post-tribulational, or pre-wrath?

What truly defines the timing of the Rapture is Daniel chapter 9.
Daniel chapter 9 states that the last seven years are determined
. “upon thy people” -which is the Jews –
. “upon thy holy city” – which is Jerusalem.
NOT upon the church.

Some people suggest the timing should be determined by “the last trump.”
The trumps mentioned in the Rapture passages are not trumps of the Book Of Revelation.
Those trumps are trumps of angels, and they are trumps of judgment. They announce
the judgments of the wrath of God.
The trump in the Rapture passages is “the trump of God.”
It’s the trump of assembly, not of judgment.
We are not appointed to wrath. 1st Thessalonians 5:9