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THE CUTTING EDGE

How does one go about writing an article with the intent of capturing the attention of his brothers and sisters in Christ? What can we possibly do or say that will cause you to focus your thoughts upon weighty spiritual matters of the utmost importance? We all know that  it cannot be done unless the Holy Spirit impresses upon your heart that you should read and heed! And it is our prayer that He will see fit to do just that.

We at Cutting Edge are very concerned that God's people are "at ease in Zion" and pretty much unprepared for that Tribulation which is certain to occur sooner or later. Never before in human history have so many people around the world enjoyed the degree of prosperity and overall good times that we are now experiencing--not to mention the duration of it. With all things taken into consideration, the economic boom has been almost unbroken since the end of World War II and from 1945 until the present we have become increasingly "rich and increased with goods" (The Laodicean Church, Rev.3:17). So much so in fact that the poor people of the United States are actually very rich by third world standards and millions would gladly trade places with them! But this unprecidented prosperity and materialistic fervor which is now gripping the masses should be viewed by God's people as a red flag of warning. If for no other reason, we should understand that history definitely repeats itself and we are long overdue for the usual calamity to come along and level everything out again. Since the dawn of civilization men have always sought to rule the world and take by force what they could not gain through subterfuge--and to date nothing has been done to the hearts of men to put a stop to it. So just as sure as the sun will come up in the East tomorrow morning, the devil is going to see to it that this economic house built upon the sand will come tumbling down and the world plunged into chaos once again. And it is our heart-felt belief that when it does happen, the antichrist will use it to come to power.

It is also our belief that millions of Christians have been lulled into a false sense of security through what we see as a misunderstanding of the timing of the rapture of the Church. For over a hundred years conservative Bible teachers have been telling us that the rapture will occur before the antichrist is revealed, and thus generating the general belief is that Christians will escape all the horrors of his reign. While we agree that we will be spared the actual tribulation period itself, there is no Bible teaching that assures us we will not have to endure his ascent to power! All that the Bible does tell us is that the tribulation period ("The Day of the Lord") will not begin until the apostasy and the revealing of the antichrist both take place (2 Thess.2:3). The Greek word translated "revealed" in this verse literally means "to take the lid off" thereby revealing the contents! As we understand this concept, the "revealing" of antichrist could be anything from the first incidence of his name appearing on the nightly news to his "confirming the covenant with Israel" (Dan.9:27)--which, by the way, will be the official start of the tribulation period. If his "revealing" coincides with the confirmation of the covenant, it will still meet the criteria of 2 Thess.2:3 in that it preceeded the onset of the tribulation period. And if this is the case, his rise to power--regardless of the time covered--could very well be viewed and endured by Christians prior to the rapture. The teaching that the rapture will take place prior to the revealing of the antichrist is found in in verses 7 and 8 of 2 Thessalonians 2, where we read the following:

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (KJV, emphasis mine).

The "he who now letteth" [hinders] is believed to be the Holy Spirit and He will continue to hinder the plan and program of Satan until the time is right and then "he" [the Holy Spirit] will be taken out of the way. Where the problem comes in is that the current prophecy experts insist that the Holy Spirit's restraining influence will be removed at the rapture when His presence (within the hearts of Christians) will leave along with them. [Stop! Read our discussion on the error of standard Bible Prophecy teaching, Confirmation of Major Discrepancies In Standard Bible Prophecy Seminar Teachings: Discussion With Dr. Timothy Ice, https://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1332.cfm]

Now that you have read this above article, now please continue reading this one:

While that certainly can be true, we must point out that it says the hindering influence of the Holy Spirit is "taken out of the way"--not "removed" as would be the case with the rapture scenario! God can [and we believe He will] simply take His restraining hand off world affairs and allow Satan to have free reign for his allotted time. If this is in fact the case, then the timing of the revealing of antichrist would not be tied in any way to the rapture of the Church and necessarily subsequent to it.

We take this position merely to point out that we must not consider the subject to be chiseled out in granite and thereby make the mistake of ruling out other possibilities. What if our maverick view of these events is correct and genuine Christians--those who have been taught that they would be raptured prior to all of this taking place--suddenly find themselves up to their eyeballs in end-time events which are clearly related to the antichrist and yet they are still here? What if David Bay's hunch is correct and the devil stages a "false rapture" and people are told by the media that millions world-wide have disappeared, yet those who were positive that they were among God's elect are still here? Folks, this may not happen and we may be wrong--but for the love of God wake up to the realization of its possibility and ask Him to help you prepare for anything that might come. We certainly believe that the rapture of the Church is imminent, but it could be years away and who knows what the world, the flesh, and the devil might throw at us in the interim?

Every Christian should realize the world situation at this hour is one big pot of seething hatred just waiting for an opportune time to boil over. The Palestinians and other Muslim groups hate Israel with a passion that is bound to erupt in hostilities sooner or later--and the political climate is such that when this confrontation takes place, the rest of the world is likely to be sucked into it. If the production of oil in the Middle East were suddenly shut off because of Arab retaliation, the stock markets of the rest of the world would likely crash and the majority would find themselves to be destitute with no viable options. A society that just a few hours earlier had been thriving and everything looking rosy could quickly be turned into a unimaginable nightmare.

Are you in any way mentally and spiritually prepared for disaster to strike? None of us are ever totally prepared, but just realizing that it could happen and bracing ourselves through prayer and Bible study will certainly help. Anticipated calamity is never quite so overwhelming as one that catches us completely off guard.

So what do we do if the worst happens and we find ourselves "up against it"? Well, obviously we must take stock of the situation and try our best to survive. Food, clothing, and shelter are the bare necessities and under extreme circumstances men have found that they could get along very well with far less than they were accustomed--and we can too. But we cannot get along without God and our personal and loving relationship with Him. When the darkness overtakes us and everything seems lost, our first priority must be to look up and thank Him for the circumstances because He has told us in Romans 8:28 that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Notice that it does not say that all things are in and of themselves good, but rather that they work together for our good. If you ever really get a "handle" on this verse, your outlook on life will be changed forever! No matter what the world, the flesh, and the devil throws at us--God says that every bit of it will work together for our good. Medicine often tastes bad, or has painful side-effects, but is necessary if we are to recover from our illness.

Are you fully aware of God's promises to us in His Word? Unless you have been through a protracted time of having your faith tested, you may have never been forced to consider them. For that reason, we want to point out some precious Scripture references with the sincere hope that you will print them out and save them. But don't wait until the roof falls in on you to use them,  look them up and receive a blessing right now!

We begin our selection with a passage from Psalms:

"Blessed--happy, fortunate [to be envied]--is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law; that you may give him power to hold himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage" (Psalm 94: 12-14, Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary, emphasis mine).

NOTE: The majority of quotes taken from the Old Testament apply equally to saints of all ages, but we must point out that some of them apply only to the Jew under the Law of Moses. Conditional promises of health and wealth, etc.,--God says if you do this, then I will bless you in thus and thus manner--do not apply, as such, to the rest of us.

PROMISES TO THE RIGHTEOUS:

Old Testament: Genesis 15:1; Genesis 22:17; Exodus 23:22; Leviticus 26:5-6; Deut.28:1-13; Deut.33:27; 1 Sam.2:9; 2 Chron.16:9; Ezra 8:22; Job 5:11-27; Job 8:4-7; Job 820-21; Job 11:15-20; Job 22:21-30; Job 36:7-12; Psalm 4:3; Psalm 5:12; Psalm 15:2-5; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 25:10-14; Psalm 28:8; Psalm 29:11; Psalm 32:6-8; Psalm 32:10; Psalm 33:18-19; Psalm 34:9-10; Psalm 34:15; Psalm 34:17; Psalm 37:3-5; Psalm 37:9; Psalm 37:18; Psalm 37:23-29; Psalm 37:34; Psalm 41:1-2; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 55:22; Psalm58:11; Psalm 62:8; Psalm 65:4; Psalm 73:24; Psalm 81:10; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 85:9; Psalm 91:1; Psalm 91:3-7; Psalm 91:9-12; Psalm 94:17-18; Psalm 97:10-11; Psalm 111:5; Psalm 112:6; Psalm 121:3-8; Psalm 125:1-3; Psalm 128:1-6; Psalm 145:18-21; Proverbs 1:33; Proverbs 2:21; Proverbs 3:1-10; Proverbs 3:25-26; Proverbs 10:3;  Proverbs 12:2; Proverbs 14:26; Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 16:7; Proverbs 21:21; Proverbs 28:25; Proverbs 29:25; Eccles. 7:18; Eccles.8:5; Isaiah 4:5-6; Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 33:16; Isaiah 33:21-22; Isaiah 33:24; Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 40:10-11; Isaiah 40:29; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 41:10-11; Isaiah 41:13; Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 44:2-3; Isaiah 49:9-12; Isaiah 50:7-9; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 56:2-8; Isaiah 57:1-2; Isaiah 58:8-14; Isaiah 59:20-21; Isaiah 64:4; Isaiah 65:13-14; Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 66:13-14; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Ezekiel 18:5-9; Ezekiel 18:19-20 Ezekiel 34:11-17; Ezekiel 34:22-31; Daniel 12:1-3; Hosea 6:3; Nahum 1:7; Haggai1:13; Haggai 2:4-5; Zechariah 3: 7; Malachi 3:16-18; Malachi 4:2-3.

New Testament: Matthew 3:12; Matthew 5:3-12; Matthew 7:7-8; Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28-32; Matthew 13:43; Matthew 18:10-20; Matthew 19:29; Matthew 24:21-22; Mark 8:35; Mark 9:41; Mark 10:21; Mark 10:29-30; Mark 11:23-24; Mark 13:13; Mark 13:27; Luke 3:17; Luke 6:20-23; Luke 10:20; Luke 11:9-10; Luke 12:7; Luke 12:32; Luke 16:22-25; Luke 18:29-30; Luke 19:16-21; Luke 20:35-36; Luke 21:18; Luke 21:27-28; Luke 22:29-30; Luke 23:43; John 3:15-18; John 3:36; John 4:14; John 5:24; John 5:29; John 6:39-40; John 8:12; John 8:51; John 9:31; John 10:27-29; John 12:25-26; John 13:36; John 14:1-3; John 14:12-13; John 14:15-21; John 14:23; John 16:33; John 17:2; John 17:22; John 17:24; Acts 10:4; Acts 10:31; Acts 20:32: Acts 26:18; Romans 2:7; Romans 2:10; Romans 5:9-11; Romans 5:17; Romans 6:22-23; Romans 8:14-18; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:32-39; Romans 9:33; Romans 10:9; Romans 10:11-13; Romans 13:11; 1 Cor.1:8-9; 1 Cor.2:9; 1 Cor.3:21-23; 1 Cor.6:2-3; 1 Cor. 8:3; 1 Cor. 13:10-12; 1 Cor.15:48-57; 2 Cor.1:20-22; 2 Cor.4:14-15; 2 Cor.4:17; 2 Cor.7:1; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 6:8-9; Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 6:8; Phil. 4:7; Phil.4:19; Col.1:12; Col.3:4; Col.3:24; 1 Thes. 2:12; 1 Thes.3:12-13; 1 Thes.4:15-18; 1 Thes.5:9-11; 2 Thes.1:5-7; 2 Thes.2:13-14; 1 Tim.1:16; 1 Tim.4:8; 2 Tim.1:12; 2 Tim.2:10-12; 2 Tim.2:19; 2 Tim.4:8; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 2:15; Hebrews 4:9; Hebrews 4:15-16; Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 6:16-20; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:34-36; Hebrews 11:16; Hebrews 12:22-23; Hebrews 12:28; Hebrews13:5-6; James 1:5; James 1:12; James1:25; James 2:5; James 4:8; 1 Pet.1:2-5; 1 Pet.2:5-6; 1 Pet.2:9-10; 1 Pet.3:9-12; 1 Pet.4:13; 1 Pet.5:4; 1 Pet.5:6-7; 1 Pet.5:10; 2 Pet.1:4; 2 Pet.1:10-11; 2 Pet.2:9; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:17; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:2; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:13; Rev. 1:6; Rev. 2:7; Rev. 2:10-11; Rev. 2:17; Rev. 2:26-28; Rev. 3:4-5; Rev. 3:10; Rev. 3:12; Rev. 3:21; Rev. 7:3-4; Rev. 7:9-17; Rev. 11:12; Rev. 11:18; Rev. 14:1-5; Rev. 14:13; Rev. 16:15; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 21:3-7; Rev.21:24; Rev. 22:4-5; Rev. 22:7; Rev. 22:12; Rev. 22:14.

If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, these promises (as previously noted) apply to you and we recommend that you familarize yourself with them and claim them as your own. Even if the end-time events do not transpire during our lifetimes, sooner or later you are going to face a spiritual/emotional/financial crisis and these verses of Scripture will prove to be a source of great comfort.

Keep your spiritual eyes and ears open because we are definitely living in "perilous times" (2 Timothy 3:1).

If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and been born again, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.

Are you spiritually ready? Is your family? Are you adequately protecting your loved ones? This is the reason for this ministry, to enable you to first understand the peril facing you, and then help you develop strategies to warn and protect your loved ones. Once you have been thoroughly trained, you can also use your knowledge as a means to open the door of discussion with an unsaved person. I have been able to use it many times, and have seen people come to Jesus Christ as a result. These perilous times are also a time when we can reach many souls for Jesus Christ, making an eternal difference.