Luke 8 -- The rapture is central to the gospel

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ZNP

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Sep 14, 2020
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Again, we are looking at Luke and Mark and the differences between the two gospels. Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist. The believers who are left behind during the rapture will get serious as believers and the gospel will begin for them with the ministry of the two witnesses during the Tribulation. I hypothesized that one of those witnesses will be Elijah because of the prophesy that he comes before the Lord to set the paths straight, and because we saw Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus, and because the bodies of both Elijah and Moses were taken by God. In contrast the gospel in Luke starts more than 30 years before the ministry of John with the experiences of believers like Zachariah and Mary who are waiting and watching for the Lord’s coming. Now many of the experiences recorded in the two gospels are the same, for example Jesus fasting in the wilderness. To my understanding the difference is the timing. The experiences and failings shown in both gospels are the same, the difference is that some believers will experience them prior to the tribulation and some will need the tribulation to force them to take this path.

1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. So a women’s group is now supporting a bus tour of the US concerning these election protests. They begin their tour in Florida and end up in Washington DC for a second rally on December 12th. This is also reminiscent of Esther giving two banquets and in the second Banquet revealing that Haman had attempted treason. Many of the speakers in their rally in Atlanta were from the “Walk away” movement which were former Democrats who came to realize they had been lied to and deceived.
 

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4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

The verse that kept coming to me was Isaiah 55:11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. The Lord’s purpose could be to feed the birds. We are currently seeing these “birds” gobbling up the words of the Lord. Researchers are proving that google, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are doing just that. They have created algorithms that “gobble up words” they don’t like. But doing that will make a solid case against them when they have to stand before the judgement seat. Some fall in rocky ground and wither, again that also could be the purpose the Lord had for it. I teach high school earth science and biologic weathering is how we get soil from rocks. Having a word wither in your heart could be a necessary step in the process to turn a stony heart to a heart of flesh. Likewise, how can we know the thorns from the wheat? Those things that choke the word of God reveal themselves. So my point is that each of these seeds is accomplishing what the Lord sent it to accomplish. Make a case against the “birds”, transform a stony heart to a heart of flesh, reveal the false prophets from the true, and yield a crop that is a hundred times what is sown. When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” You cannot judge that the word is working by your eyes. The person who is sowing these seeds will not see the effect it has on people’s hearts, or how it is used by the Lord at the judgement, or that it helps people discern the false prophets from the true. You won’t even see it yield a harvest for a several months. Since this age is likened to a single year, a single harvest, the words that Paul sowed are still bringing a harvest today.

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

This is really amazing. For two thousand years we have been reading these gospels and only now can we see how Luke could be written to those who were raptured at the beginning of the tribulation while Mark is written to those who are raptured in the middle of the tribulation.

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Wow, when I say that Google, Twitter and Facebook are taking away the word I specifically mean that this illustrates what is going on. The salvation in the gospels is unique to the Lord Jesus whereas the “salvation” that this stolen word refers to is simply a type. It is not the eternal salvation, but rather the salvation that comes when thieves and liars are caught and those they are harming get help. But in this censorship that is currently taking place those who are censoring the truth are likened to the devil. The US was set up to be a city on a hill shining to the whole earth and they are acting as an enemy to this goal and to the covenant God made with His people with the Mayflower compact.

13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Why are people threatening people who are standing for the truth? Surely it must work on some people otherwise they would stop using this as a failed strategy. To my impression when ANTIFA goons attack the elderly and children in Washington DC it is abundantly clear that they are being influenced by evil demonic spirits. So there is a price to pay to do something like this where all can see. The only reason to do that is because it works on some people. The same scorching sun that causes some to wither causes others to grow bigger and stronger.

14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Hollywood is truly a thorn bush. The same is true of professional sports. These things have “idols” and the riches and pleasures truly choke people’s time in the word and their putting the word into practice. However, this battle we are in now to my impression is much more exciting and much more important than any championship game of any sporting event. I feel like I am in the trenches, I am seeing the linemen pushing back the enemy. That screaming voices yelling that this is all over, move on. They seem to me to be defensive linemen desperately trying to get to the quarterback but can’t. Every day I see us ripping off big runs. Just yesterday they discovered that thousands of absentee ballots were fraudulently portraying post office boxes as their home address. They have found this fraud in several states. The people who did this can get 10 years in prison. Every post office box (including UPS, Fedex, etc) will have a name and address attached to it, so it is easy to bring charges against these people. Will they flip and become witnesses for the State? I would think that is a very likely outcome.

15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

That is the word that everyone is speaking. Persevere, hold the line, don’t back down, have a backbone, stand up in front of everyone.

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

To me it is like finding a vein of gold in the ground. Keep digging. They don’t conceal things unless they are really important, really valuable, so keep digging. But there is a warning, there are those who think they already have and stop digging. They even tell others to stop digging and worse they may try to stop you digging by force. Even what you think you have will be taken away from you. Just remember, Jesus is Lord. You need to be very clear in your spirit that you are walking according to Him.