YOU ARE NOW ON

THE CUTTING EDGE

DICTIONARY DEFINITION:  "Fundamental -- 1) Having to do with the foundation; elemental; basic; critical or central; an essential; the primary part of a system." [Webster's Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary, Tormont Publications, Inc., 1990, p. 677]

"Fundamentalism -- Belief in the Bible as factual historic record and incontrovertible prophecy, including such doctrines as the Creation, Virgin Birth, and the Second Coming; A movement among Protestants adhering to this belief; unswerving belief in a set of basic and unalterable principles of a religious or philosophical nature." [Ibid.]

This dictionary definition pretty well captures the essence of the Christian Fundamentalist today, and I find it very interesting that this definition comes from a secular source!  In today's religious world, all over the world, Fundamentalism is under attack like never before.  In fact, as the Roman Catholic Church is vigorously fulfilling her mandate from the New World Order Plan to unite all the religions of the world into a new, synthesis system, [Read NEWS1052 for full details] she is opening her arms to all religions and types of religions in the world, except for one group.  This group which Rome is attacking because of our refusal to follow them toward their new global religion is the Fundamental Christian . 

In fact, if you read the literature coming from Liberal Protestant organizations, you will discover that they universally detest the Fundamental Protestant churches. In fact, Liberal Protestants attack us for "dividing the brethren", and not having "Love".  Some of their writing against us Fundamentalists is so very strong you would think it was coming from the pen of an American propagandist writing against Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan during World War II!  They write as though they truly hate us, which I think they do.  As I read their writings, I can see Satan as the Master Marionette, pulling the strings attached to these poor, deluded "Christian" leaders.  They cannot see that they are opening the door to Antichrist by cooperating with the Church of Rome, and by extension, with Buddhists, Taoists, and all other pagan false religions of the world today. [2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, but especially verse 3, which reveals that Antichrist can only arise after the true Christian Church goes into deep apostasy]

Tragically, too many Fundamentalist pastors and leaders worry too much about this vitriolic, scathing, and caustic attack from these false Liberal "Christian" leaders.  We spend far too much time caring about these attacks.  We need to focus solely on whether Jesus Christ is pleased with our stand on the issues and with our relationship with Him.  Let us now examine this most important Scripture to see why He so commended the Church of Philadelphia and then did not issue a condemnation against them, the only church He did not condemn for something.

JESUS COMMENDS THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA WITHOUT CONDEMNING THEM!

"And to the angel (messengers) of the assembly (church) in Philadelphia write:  these are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one shall shut, Who who shuts and no one shall open:  I know of your record of works and what you are doing.  See!  I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut.  I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and guarded My message, and have not renounced or denied My name."

"Take note!  I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie -- behold I will make them come and bow down before your feet and learn and acknowledge that I have loved you.  Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you.]  I will also keep you [safe] from the hour of trial [testing] which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth." [This is the Rapture]

"I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.  He who overcomes [is victorious] I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of heaven and My own new name."  [Revelation 3:7-12; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary]

Please, oh please, note carefully what our Lord Jesus Christ is commending the Church of Philadelphia for doing, i.e., He was commending them for "guarding" His "message" and "keeping His Word"!  This is the essence of the Fundamental Churches today, and the reason we are so detested by the Liberal Protestant "Christian" churches of today.  We are being detested by the supporters of the coming New World Order Religion for the very reason the Lord Jesus commended the Philadelphians!  Maybe the time has come for us to decide by whom it is we want to be ultimately commended, Jesus Christ or the Liberal Protestants busily building the Church of Antichrist.

Jesus also promised His beloved Fundamental Philadelphian Church that, because they were rigidly holding fast to His Bible [Word] and obeying the advice given by the Apostle James to prove their faith by their works, He had opened a door which no man can shut!  We Fundamentalists may be outnumbered badly but we have the power of Almighty Jesus Christ to keep that door to minister to the wicked world open!  No man can shut that door, by any means or any persuasion, or any persecution!  We Fundamentalists need to stop worrying about what is being said and written about us, and keep on spreading the Word of God in our neighborhoods and around the world.

Similarly, we need to make sure that we are keeping true to the Name of Jesus Christ in everything we do and say.  We need to depend daily upon Jesus' power, since we, also, have but "little power".  In the book of the Acts, we see the apostles performing great miracles "in the name of Jesus".  This is precisely what we must be doing, right here and now, and until Jesus Christ takes us out in the Rapture.  Then, the One Who will be judging the living and the dead will say to us as He greets us in the air, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." [Matthew 25:23]

But, now we need to take note of the very next thing Jesus said to the Church of Philadelphia.  They were being attacked by Jews whom the Lord considered not to be true Jews, just as we are being attacked by false Liberal teachers and preachers who say they are "Christian" but whose denial of Scripture and fraternization with those who are, make them not the Christians they think they are.  I am sure the Lord Jesus would say this to us today:  "I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Christians and are not, but lie ..."  The Lord Jesus Christ knows who are His own and will soon take those people out of this wicked world in the Rapture; on the Sunday after the Rapture, the only preachers and teachers in any church will be those Liberal, Modernist "Christians" who have been criticizing us Fundamentalists for being so "hateful" and "divisive".  When they realize that the Lord Jesus took us Fundamentalists but not them, will they hang their heads in shame, realizing they have been so wrong, and fall to their knees in forgiveness?  to be sure, some will, but I suspect these non-Christian "Christian" leaders will fall under the deadly influence God has caused to fall upon all them who worked for Antichrist [2 Thessalonians 2:9-12].  I am sure the vast majority of them will stand up in their Liberal pulpits and shout glee that these hated Fundamentalists were snapped out of this dimension.  They will undoubtedly parrot the lie that the New Age has already spread amongst its followers about the Rapture, and their poor deluded parishioners will swallow this lie hook, line, and sinker.

Finally, we need to take special note of the encouragement Jesus gave to His Philadelphia Church in verses 11-12.  Jesus said several things by which He meant to encourage these Fundamentalist believers:

1)  Jesus warned His followers in Philadelphia to take special care "that no man take thy crown." [Rev 3:11] While no one who is truly saved can lose their salvation, our unfaithfulness can lose us reward.  Jesus is saying to us here, "you have come so far now in serving Me courageously; do not now falter and let someone rob you of the reward you have earned".  In other words, Fundamentalist Christians who are discouraged over a variety of issues, thinking they are not making any difference in their communities, Jesus is encouraging you to just hold on, knowing that He Whom you truly serve is noticing, from Heaven, what you are doing, even if it seems like just a little thing to you!  And, Jesus will be faithful to reward you for your faithfulness.  Remember, God forewarned His prophet, Isaiah, that he would not convince anyone even though he was to faithfully preach the Truth of God to the very wicked Israelites.

2)  In Revelation 3:12, Jesus said, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."  This word, "overcometh" is such an interesting word, because it is used only in the Book of Revelation!  Therefore, it must have special meaning to the Christian living near the time of the appearance of Antichrist, since the Church of Philadelphia parishioners are promised to be taken in the Rapture before Antichrist arises!  Jesus understood that the time immediately preceding the appearance of Antichrist would be difficult for the true Christian to take; therefore, He gave us this great and wonderful promise if we will just persevere!

"TO HIM WHO OVERCOMETH"

Let us quickly do a study on the usage of the word, "overcometh", as it has great significance in our study in this article.  This word is used just 11 times in the entire Bible, with 9 of those times in the Book of Revelation.  Furthermore, 8 of the times Jesus uses this word, He is addressing His beloved in the various churches in Revelation 2 and 3!  Once Antichrist arises, to a world that is now void of Fundamental Christians-- because we have all been Raptured -- the word, "overcometh" is not used, not even once!  The last time we hear this word, "overcometh" is in Revelation 21:7, when the Antichrist and False Prophet are seized, defeated, and cast into the Lake of Fire.  Let us quickly examine each of these instances where Jesus told His beloved in each of the churches to stand fast and "overcome".

As we study Jesus' usage of the word, "overcometh", you need to keep one thing in mind.  While each of these churches to whom Jesus spoke in Chapters 2 and 3 were actual physical churches that had the very conditions within them of which Jesus spoke, scholars also believe that each of these type of churches held predominate sway during specific periods of time.  Further, scholars believe that the type of believer which comprised the majority of each of these churches will exist in each age, and in every church.  For example, in each age, you will have Philadelphia believers in Laodocia churches, and vice versa.  In the final analysis, Jesus was speaking to each of these churches and the believers which comprised them, as though they all exist in the time period immediately preceding the beginning of the Tribulation Period, beginning in Heaven in Revelation, chapter 4.

OVERCOMETH -- A QUICK STUDY

1)  "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."  [Revelation 2:7]  Jesus was speaking here to  the Apostolic Church, the predominate type of church from  A.D. 30-66 (Ephesus ).  He promised them that, if they overcome their opposition, they would be given access to eat of the "tree of life", which we last saw in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve sinned.

2)  "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write ... He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."  [Revelation 2:8-11] Smyrna was known as the Persecuted Church, predominate from approximately A.D. 67-312.  Similar to other promises to the persecuted Christians later in the Book of Revelation, Jesus promised them that they would not be hurt by the Second Death.  Of course, this is the death of the unbeliever spoken of in Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."  The people who are not hurt by the second death are the saved ones who are raised in the First Resurrection, i..e., Rapture.

3)  "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write ... He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."  [Revelation 2:12-17]  Jesus mentioned some very specific things over which the people of the Church of Pergamos had to overcome:  a)  Martyrdom at the edge of the sword, wielded by the forces of Satan; b) Fighting against the doctrine of Baalam; c) Eating meat sacrificed to idols; d) Committing fornication.  Indeed, some members of the Pergamos church had already succumbed to some of these sins.  Jesus urged them to repent or else He would bring judgment.  But, to those who overcome this sin, and this martyrdom, Jesus gave this wonderful promise, above. 

The Church of Pergamos is known by Bible scholars as the Indulged Church -- 312-606 A.D. -- this was the transition between the true persecuted Church of Smyrna to a Counterfeit Christian Church that even though it still looks true, has departed from the faith because it has accepted the leadership of the counterfeit Constantine. This Church began to incorporate pagan practices into their church -- Beginning of Roman Catholic Church practices. Indeed, this is the error of Baalam, the incorporating of forbidden practices into the daily life of the people.  Right on schedule with this prophecy, the Church of Pergamos began to incorporated deadly pagan practices into the Church.