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If There Is No Resurrection Of The Dead

By Daymond Duck


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Paul said, “Moreover, bretheren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you” (I Cor. 15:1). What is the gospel? Paul said, “I delivered unto you . . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3-4).

The gospel concerns the death, burial and resurrection of Christ according to the Scriptures. It fulfilled Bible prophecy and has affected every generation, every nation, and every race on the face of this earth for almost two thousand years. It has caused millions to repent of their sins, change their life, and join the Church, sacrifice and share.

But let’s face facts. Millions more have rejected the gospel. And some have rejected it because they don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. That’s not new. It happened during Paul’s lifetime too. The Epicureans, the Sadducees and the Stoics didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead.

This unbelief prompted Paul to ask the Church at Corinth, “If Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead” (I Cor. 15:12). It’s an amazing thing, but some Church members don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. Paul addressed this unbelief (I Cor. 15:13-19).

First, “If there is no resurrection of the dead . . . then is Christ not risen.” If the dead can’t be raised, Christ wasn’t raised. A person can’t doubt the resurrection of the dead and believe in the resurrection of Christ. They are linked together.

Second, “If Christ is not risen . . . then is our preaching vain.” If Christ wasn’t raised, preaching is a waste of time. There’s no need to hear a sermon. Preachers won’t say anything that will do us any good.

Third, “If Christ is not risen . . . your faith is also vain.” Christians are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). But where does faith come from? The answer: Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). And what is the Word of God about? Among other things, the Word of God is about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. So if Christ wasn’t raised, the Word of God is wrong. If the Word of God is wrong, our faith is faulty. If our faith is faulty, our salvation is faulty.

Fourth, “If the dead rise not . . . we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not up.” If Christ wasn’t raised, the disciples lied. They said Christ was raised. But if it didn’t happen, they deceived us.

Fifth, “If Christ is not raised . . . we are yet in our sins.” If Christ wasn’t raised, He wasn’t the Lamb of God. If He wasn’t the Lamb of God, we’re still under the condemnation of our sins.

Sixth, “If Christ is not raised . . . they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” If Christ wasn’t raised, those who died trusting in Him to raise them have perished. They wrongly believed He was raised. And they wrongly believed He will raise them.

Seventh, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ . . . we are all men most miserable.” If we don’t have hope beyond the grave, we don’t have anything to look forward to. Death will be the end of us.

This is a terrible picture. But don’t overlook the fact that Paul was saying “if”---“if”---“if there is no resurrection of the dead.” He even went on to say, “But Christ IS risen from the dead.” Christ IS risen. Preaching IS worthwhile. Faith IS worthwhile. The disciples DID tell the truth. Our sins HAVE been forgiven. Our loved ones WILL be raised. And we HAVE the hope of being raised from the dead too.

That’s one of the main aspects of the Rapture of the Church. Paul said, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first . . .” (I Thess. 4:16). Hey! Be sure you are ready because some think that trumpet is about to sound. Wow!



Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck
daymondduck@bellsouth.net
rachelduck@bellsouth.net
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Did Jesus Say Anything About The Rapture

By Daymond Duck


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People have told me they don’t believe in the Rapture because Jesus never talked about it. But is that really true?

For one thing, it may be a stretch, but Paul talked about the Rapture and it is quite possible that he got his information from Jesus. When was on the road to Damascus Jesus appeared unto him and said, “rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee” (Acts 26:16). Jesus commissioned Paul to witness to what he had seen and what he would see in the future. Some might say Jesus didn’t reveal the Rapture to Paul in the future, but there is evidence that he did.

We find that in Paul’s words to the Thessalonians when he said, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thess 4:13-18). Notice that he said he was speaking “by the word of the Lord” (verse 15). He is saying this teaching on the Rapture is a direct revelation from Jesus. He made a similar claim about the gospel he preached (Gal. 1:11-12).

Then, there is that conversation that Jesus had with Martha when He raised Lazarus from the dead. Our Lord said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-26)? Deceased believers (the dead in Christ) will live or be raised from the dead. And the living believers will never die (will be changed. And both will be caught up or Raptured in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (I Thess. 4:17; I Cor. 15:51-52).

Those who think Jesus didn’t talk about the Rapture are on shaky ground. He proved that He can raise those who are dead and buried when He raised Lazarus (Jn. 11:42-43). And the fact that Enoch was translated without dying (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5), and Elijah went up without dying (II Kings 2:11), and Paul was called up into the third heaven (II Cor. 2:2-4) proves that God can do that. In fact, “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).



Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck
daymondduck@bellsouth.net
rachelduck@bellsouth.net
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Teach Your Children

By Grant Phillips


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“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

Why is it that so many Christians are in the dark concerning end time prophesies, end time signs that are all around us, and particularly the book of Revelation? Most pastors seem to know very little about this subject, and those who are not pastors, know little to nothing. It is sad to say, but most parishioners are so Biblically illiterate (not dumb, just uninformed) they cannot even explain or provide verses for the Gospel of salvation, let alone prophecy.

The primary assignment by the Lord to pastors, is to feed His flock. The primary assignment for Christian parents is to feed His little ones. God has provided parents a wonderful gift; i.e. children. He says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) How many of us have failed to do this? Do our children (and/or grandchildren) know that this Lord we confess is coming soon?

Looking at the lead verses again, do we have God’s Word on our mind at all times? Do we freely talk about God and His Word when around our children, or is the time taken up with other matters? For those of us who have grown children and grandchildren, we can assure you that your children will grow up over night. There may come a time, when they will not listen. Teach them as early as possible.

You say, “I have failed. What do I do now?” Start … right now. Put them in the Lord’s hands daily through prayer, and let them hear you pray. Talk to them about spiritual matters. Don’t beat the Bible over their heads, but share it with them. Ask the Lord to lead you, and trust Him to guide you.

Also, very important, live what you teach. They will be watching you. It may take time, but God is faithful. Do not despair. Be faithful to your charge. Our Lord is coming soon.



Grant Phillips

grantphillips@windstream.net

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Two Masters

By Grant Phillips


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“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” (Exodus 34:14)

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)

“And though they worshipped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations of which they came.” (2 Kings 17:33 NLT)

We live in a time in which the term “multitasking” is quite familiar. Children can watch television, listen to music through their headphones, and do home work. Women are probably much better at it than men, because they so often are doing several things at one time, especially if they have children. We think of computers multitasking by having several programs going at once, but they actually switch back and forth between the programs so fast, we are not aware of it.

When we are multitasking things in our lives, can we actually devote 100% of ourselves to any one thing? I don’t think so.

Can we multitask who we serve as master of our soul? According to the sampling of verses above, God says that we cannot. We must either serve Him, and Him only, or serve other gods and not Him. This would of course, include “flipping back and forth” between who or what we serve.

Notice 2 Kings 17:33 above. The Assyrian king had removed the Jews from the northern kingdom, Samaria in particular, and had replaced them with people from other nations. He later sent a Jewish priest back to teach these people how to worship the God of the land, Jehovah. In the thirty third verse we see these same people worshipping the Lord, but continuing to follow their own gods. Are we any different today?

We see in Exodus 34:14 above, that God will tolerate no rival. Jesus clearly says in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 above, that no man can serve two masters. There is no “straddling the fence” with God. We are either with Him, or we are not, but we cannot be both. So why do we even try?

In the Biblical sense, to “serve” a master is to; be a slave to; to obey and submit to; to yield obedience to. Obviously, God expects our un-compromised allegiance to Him. Ironically, unlike any other master, He will not force it upon us. He expects our absolute devotion to be totally voluntary. He has removed all the barriers. Now, who will we serve?

One of my greatest concerns on behalf of mankind, is the legitimacy of the salvation some say they possess, when the devotion to one Master, God, does not seem evident. Could we be guilty of not taking this requirement of God seriously? If so, we must recognize the seriousness of what our Master is saying, and do something about it. We must change.

I cringe at the thought of so many people who die thinking they are saved, but then arrive on the other side of death and discover too late, that they were not saved at all. The more I consider this aspect of God, the more I am convinced of a terrifying tragedy. Please understand also, that I am not talking about “works”. Works will be produced in our lives if we are His, just as fruit will grow on a fruit tree. I am referring about a devotion deep down in our soul that puts God first in every part of our lives. Even though we often fail Him, our whole being still belongs to Him, because He means everything to us. We have submitted ourselves to Him wholeheartedly. The answer may be seen by others, and it may not, but others cannot make that commitment for us. Each individual must settle this issue personally between themselves and God. Have you?

One of two things will take us out of this world, physical death and the Rapture (for the Christian). Eventually, everyone who has not confessed Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, will stand face to face with the God of the universe, and give an account. Only those who are servants of the Lord on high, will already have had their case pled by the Lord Himself, and will be exempt. I honestly do not believe that there will be any multitasking at that time by those standing before God. Every ounce of their attention will be focused on what God will say to them, praying that it not be what they expect, but alas, it will be too late.

Who is Lord of our life? Who really is our Master? Who do we serve? If we cannot answer those questions with the name “Jesus” after each question mark, we need to take an inventory of our life, and we need to be honest. Don’t cheat.

Let us not say that Jesus means everything to us, knowing that we rarely talk to Him or listen to what He has to say. If we don’t long for His daily fellowship, how can He be our Master? If we put other things before Him, how can He be our Master? We need to honestly evaluate our relationship, or lack thereof, with Him. Do we serve two masters? According to Jesus, it cannot be done. We are just fooling ourselves, and the end result not something to be desired.

Let us choose one Master and serve Him well. He knows we will not be perfect, but He expects our total submission.


Grant Phillips

grantphillips@windstream.net
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