Hello, Everyone!  My name is John Johansson, and welcome again to another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  It’s been a while since our last broadcast due to some pretty significant things taking place on the Johansson front, and in time we may share some of those with you in future broadcasts.  In the meantime, we are back and looking forward to sharing more Resounding Shophar Blasts with you as we see the day of our Lord’s return speedily approaching as never before.

 

To begin with, the Apostle Paul asks a rhetorical question that is the theme for today’s broadcast, and that question is found in Romans 10:14 which says;

 

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

 

As Christians, believers and followers of Christ, we know and have a message that the world is looking for, and it is our responsibility to share that with others.  What is our message?  It’s the message of salvation through Jesus, and Him alone.  It’s a message that through Jesus one can be set free of the bondage and penalties of sin.  It’s a message that gives hope to the hopeless of a glorious, pain, sickness and death free eternity in heaven.  It’s a message of the Blessed Hope found in Jesus alone where He returns to receive His people to Himself, an event that takes place before God’s judgement is released upon the whole world in a seven-year period identified in Scripture as the Tribulation Period.  The problem is that it seems most churches in America are not sharing this message with others.

 

A lot of churches are embracing various false and deceptive teachings, and in the process, they are not presenting the message of salvation accurately or completely to those that are within their sphere of influence.  Some churches are not embracing false and deceptive teachings, but still they are not presenting the message of salvation and what it is, what it means, and why it’s so important for each of us to embrace.  We recently left a church we had been members of for nearly five years, and at that time someone made the comment to me that as long as it wasn’t over a salvation issue then that was okay, but something inside me rose up and I had to tell them it was over a salvation issue.  There were different reasons for our departure, but the main one was that in the nearly five years we were attending it was extremely rare, if at all, that the message of salvation was actually preached or taught from the pulpit or at any “outreach” events, and that is a salvation issue.  Let me explain.

 

If I know someone is very sick, perhaps with something like cancer, and I know what the cause of it is and have the cure for it, what could be a great life-giving event turns into a life and death situation if I withhold that from them.  In like manner, if I know the spiritual condition of a person, the root cause and that salvation is the cure, if I don’t let them know and give them the cure which is Jesus, then that is a salvation issue.  It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable I am of the situation, it doesn’t matter if I learned from honest and accurate teachers about it, if I don’t share the cause and the cure with them then that is a salvation issue.  In other words, even if a church is doctrinally sound, if they do not preach and teach on the subject of salvation, then that is a salvation issue as those under their influence have no idea what it is and why they need it, and as a subsequent result could still be eternally lost in hell unless they are told the truth about salvation.  How can people know about the salvation made available to them through Jesus if no one tells them about it?

 

On the same note, a lot of churches lead people to Jesus, but it stops there.  I liken it to me taking someone I know to be sick to the doctor.  If I take them to be introduced to the doctor, but I never tell them why they need to see the doctor or how the doctor can help them, after the introduction we can turn around and leave and all the person knows is that they just met a nice doctor.  We can take people to Jesus, figuratively speaking, but if we never tell them why they need to meet Jesus and what He can do for them, then all they’ve done is met an important person in world history.  Again, how can people know about the salvation made available to them through Jesus if no one tells them about it?

 

Something else we need to be sharing with others is about Jesus’ soon return for His bride.  This is another message that seems to be overlooked or ignored in many churches here in America.  There are many reasons for this; pastors and other Christians don’t know much about it, some are intimidated by the subject, some are afraid that others will respond with fear or contempt, possibly taking their money with them, and others just don’t believe in it.  In either case, it isn’t getting preached or taught in most churches.  I remember a time when I was a kid in which this subject seemed to be talked about nearly all the time, both behind the pulpits and outside the four walls of a church, but now it seems like it’s almost taboo to even discuss it.  People that once strongly believed in the pre-tribulation rapture, now it seems many of them no longer believe even in the rapture itself.  Sadly, this is another fulfillment of Bible end-time prophecy pointing to the ever-imminent return of Jesus for His followers.  Getting back to the issue, it’s scary to me that more and more churches are not preaching or teaching on Biblical end-time prophesies and the return of Jesus for His followers in the event we know as the Rapture.  When I think about this, I can’t help but remember some of the things Jesus said on the subject, things that should be a red flag for us to pay attention to.

 

When it comes to His return for us, on multiple occasions Jesus tells us to watch and pray, and He said it with emphasis.  Each time He said it, it was not a suggestion or a recommendation, but it was a strongly stressed command.  What does it mean to watch and pray?  To watch for His return, it means that we need to expect Him to return at any moment, and with that to be watching the signs of His coming.  Granted, there are no specific signs pointing to His return at the Rapture, but there are many signs pointing to the Tribulation Period, and when we begin to see those signs being fulfilled pointing to the Tribulation Period, that should tell us that the Rapture is that much sooner.  There are some who say we don’t need to be watching for Jesus to return at any moment, or even to be watching the signs of His return, but that is simply in contradiction to what Jesus tells us to do.  I don’t know about you, but I believe Jesus means what He says, He says what He means, and since He knows more than we do I think it best to take Him at His words and be obedient to them.  To not be watching as He has commanded us is disobedience wrapped up in pride that says we know better than Jesus what we need or don’t need to do.  In Luke 21:34-36, Jesus tells us not only to watch, but He also tells us to pray that we are counted worthy to escape that which is coming on the earth.  Counted worthy?  Yes, that is what Jesus said.  Some will argue that we are already worthy at the point of salvation, and that we will remain worthy from that time forward no matter what, but there are many passages in Scripture that would seem to contradict that way of thinking.

 

In Titus 2:11-13 and 1 John 3:2-3, we are told that as we look forward to Jesus’ return for us in the Rapture, the Blessed Hope, we are to purify ourselves from sin and all ungodliness.  For those who believe their admittance into Heaven was sealed at the point of salvation, and that there is nothing more they need to do until then, it is a dangerous place to be in because it becomes very easy to not take the presence of sin in their lives seriously.  According to the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John, the more we look forward to Jesus’ return for us, the more we should be motivated even more to repent of sin in our lives and turn from it.

 

So, how serious is it that we be watching for Jesus’ return for us?  Well, apparently Jesus takes it pretty seriously.  In Revelation 3:1-6, speaking to the church in Sardis, He pretty much tells them to repent and start watching for Him, and that if they don’t watch for Him to return, they will miss it when He does.  I don’t think you can get much clearer than that.  If we don’t watch for Him to return, then we will be caught off guard and miss it when it does happen.  Is there another passage that lends some weight to this?  Yes, there is.  In Revelation 16:15, Jesus makes it clear that those who are watching for His return, and who keep their garments clean of sin, they are blessed.  But He goes on to say that those who did not watch and keep their garments, people will see them naked (without their robes of righteousness) and see their shame as ones who knew the truth but didn’t take it seriously enough to apply it to their lives.  Wow!  I guess that means we should be watching for Jesus’ return for us, and to make sure we’re ready when He does.  Going back to the main theme for today, how will people know about Jesus’ soon return, the need to be watching for Him, and the need to keep our garments clean of sin, if no one is preaching and teaching them about it?

 

How shall they know ….

 

In Ezekiel 33:1-11, God makes it very clear that if we don’t warn others of what is coming, then their blood will be upon us.  However, if we do warn people of what is coming, and how to prepare and avoid it, then if they choose to disregard the warning then their blood will be upon themselves.  This should be a stark warning for all followers of Christ given that we have been given a message we are commanded to share with the lost, and if we neglect to do so their blood will be upon us.

 

...

Hello, Everyone!  Welcome to

another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  In case you haven’t been watching, there is a

lot going on right now regarding the fulfillment of Biblical end-time events,

so much so that some people are scrambling just to keep up with everything that

is going on.

As I observe all that is going on right now, I am reminded of something

that took place back in December of 1989. 

The event was a meeting between then President George W. Bush, Sr. and

the Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev on the island of Malta.  I don’t remember much about that event, but

what I do remember was something said by a well-known news anchor who was on a

boat in the middle of the Mediterranean, and during a storm.  This news anchor, and I don’t remember which

one it was, while he’s on the deck of the boat braving the storm, told the

audience that things were happening so fast that they were having trouble

keeping up and reporting all the news taking place.  When I heard him say that, immediately God

quickened to me that when the time comes for Jesus to return for His Bride and

for the start of the Tribulation period, things will be happening so fast that

people’s heads will be spinning, and what the world was experiencing at the

time this reporter made these statements was only a glimpse, a taste, of what

will happen when God says it’s time. 

People are now actually beginning to comment about how so much is

happening right now in the area of Biblical end-time prophecy fulfillment, they

are having trouble keeping up with it all.

In Matthew 24:32-35, as well as in Mark 13:28-31, Jesus gives us the

parable of the fig tree.  In the Bible,

the fig tree is symbolic of the Nation of Israel.  When Jesus gave this parable, Israel was not

a nation, but He was looking at a future time when Israel would become

one.  In this parable, Jesus makes it

known that the generation that sees Israel become a nation will not pass away

until all the things He previously mentioned takes place.  Well, Israel became a nation May 14, 1948, and

ever since then the fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies has kicked into

high gear along with the highly anticipated return of Jesus for His

Church.  Some people want to say that it

will be several years yet before Jesus returns, and some say even at least 100

or more years yet, but there is one very big problem with this rationale.  The generation that saw Israel become a nation

is about to pass away, which means that there isn’t the 10’s or 100’s of years

some would like to believe there is before Christ returns.  There has been much debate over the years as

to how long a generation is Biblically speaking, ranging anywhere between 40 to

120 years, but the consensus seems to point to 70-80 years as mentioned in Psalms

90:10.  The current life expectancy

statistics show just under 80 years, which seems to correlate very well with

what we are currently seeing in the fulfillment of Biblical end-time

prophecies.

In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus tells us that when we see all the

signs He had mentioned taking place that we are to know that the end is near, at the doors!  Talking about end-time events and when Jesus

will return for the Church, many people will comment about how the signs Jesus

mentioned, as well as what has been mentioned in other passages, have been seen

for years.  This only feeds into the

fulfillment of one of the prophecies we’ve been given regarding the end-times,

and that is found in 2 Peter 3:1-7 when the Apostle Peter tells us in the last

days many will mock and question the promise of Christ’s return.  While it is true that many of the signs Jesus

mentioned have been seen for years, the difference to the times we are now

living in is that all the signs seem to be converging together at the same time.  This is different from the past in that not all

the signs were present at the same time, but at different times and in

different places.  As we watch the

fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies all around us, as well as all the

signs prophesied converging together at the same time, it is evident that the

final fulfillment of the signs Jesus gave is near, even at the doors!

When we talk about the final fulfillment of the signs Jesus gave us

being near, it is important for us to remember a couple things.  To begin with, some of the signs Jesus gave are

directly connected to the Tribulation period we know will be coming, but we

also know that if what He gave us relates to the Tribulation period, then that means

the Rapture is that much closer.  Therefore,

Christians who are watching for the return of Jesus for His followers in the

Rapture are excited about what they are seeing, knowing that this only means

that the Blessed Hope mentioned in Titus 2:13 is about to happen.  I’ve heard it said in the past, and I’ve

since mentioned it myself at times, that when you begin to see the signs

pointing to the fact that Christmas is near, that only means Thanksgiving is

that much closer.  What we are seeing

take place right now point to the reality that the Tribulation period is about

to start very, very soon, and that only means that the pre-Tribulation Rapture

is that much closer.

Notice that in Matthew 24:32-35, Jesus is talking about Israel.  He’s not talking about America, which didn’t

come into existence until over 1700 years later, or any other country or people

group.  He’s talking about Israel and the

Jewish people.  What should that tell

us?  That should tell us that Israel is

God’s prophetic timepiece, not America, or any other country or people

group.  In fact, when we look at Bible

end-time prophecies, both in the Old and New Testaments, it’s all pretty much

centered around Israel and the Jewish people. 

Those who want to say that God is done with Israel, and that He replaced

them with the Church, a teaching that is spreading more and more within Church

circles, they haven’t really read their Bible as that is most definitely not

the truth.  In fact, the Tribulation

period the Bible talks about was prophesied for the Jewish people way back in

Daniel 9, the purpose of which is to judge and discipline Israel and bring them

to a place where they will acknowledge Jesus as the messiah they have been

promised from the beginning, the same Jesus they rejected almost 2000 years

ago.  So, not only does this mean that

God is not done with the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people, but it also

means that Israel is the prophetic timepiece God is using.

In Matthew 24:3-4, Jesus is asked by the disciples as to when He would

be coming and when would the end of the age be, and Jesus’ initial response to

them was to not be deceived.  As we see

more and more of the signs of the end-times being fulfilled, it becomes even

more necessary for us to be guarded against being deceived.  In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Timothy 4:1-5, we

are told by the Apostle Paul that deception will be strong in the last days as

Christians will fall away from the faith to embrace false doctrines inspired

and promoted by demons, false doctrines that tickle peoples ears who reject the

truth to embrace that which feels and sounds good.

Deception is not limited to just false doctrines and teachings, but

also to that which distracts us away from the truth and what we are called to

be as ambassadors of Christ.  One form of

deception that is often overlooked is that of misdirection, the practice of

getting peoples attention away from where it needs to be and onto something

else.  This is something that is often

seen in the area of magic tricks and those who practice the art of illusions,

making something appear to be something other than what it really is, but it is

employed in a variety of ways that include directing the focus of Christians

away from Biblical truth and onto something else that feels and sounds good.  We see this happening in various forms within

the Church. 

Jesus mentioned that when we see all the signs He told us about being

fulfilled, then we are to know that they are indicating to us that the

Tribulation period and His subsequent return to establish His kingdom here on

earth is very near, even at the door.  So,

what are those signs that Jesus mentioned? 

One of the signs He gave us, going along with that of deception, was of

false prophets in verses 4-5.  While we

are seeing some who claim to be Jesus, this will only increase especially

leading up to the Tribulation period. 

These will join the crowd of false teachers who teach and promote false

doctrine that does not line up with Scripture, something that is becoming more

and more prevalent in the days we are currently living in.

Another of the signs He mentioned is found in verses 6-7, and that is

of wars and rumors of wars.  There is currently

no shortage of wars going on, and rumors of wars about to break out around the

world is great, and it seems to only be increasing.  These include the Biblically prophesied wars found

in Psalms 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39, wars that appear to be right around

the corner, some of which could happen any day now.

Another sign that Jesus gave in verse 7 was that of famines,

pestilence, and earthquakes.  Famines are

only increasing as regions are either experiencing severe drought, severe

flooding or other natural catastrophes that devastate crop productions and

other food sources, and which greatly impact availability and access to food

and pure water.  Pestilence is also

increasing around the world with disease epidemics growing and expanding all

over the place, as well as the re-emergence of some diseases long thought to be

no longer in existence.  As for

earthquakes, they are increasing both in number and intensity as never before,

and even in places once thought to be free of earthquakes.  Might I also add the increase in volcanic

activity all around the world, activity that can in themselves sometimes create

earthquakes?

...

Hello, everyone.  Glad you could

join us today for another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  The last couple weeks we looked at the signs and

the need for us to be paying attention to the signs indirectly pointing to the

return of Jesus for us, His Bride, the Church, His followers.  As I’ve mentioned in earlier broadcasts, my

heart is first to remind Christians that Jesus is coming back at any time, and

that they need to make sure they are ready when that time comes.  Today, I want to look at one of many reasons

some Christians will not be ready when the time of Jesus’ return takes place.

When someone is expecting something to take place, how much they

believe it will happen is seen in their preparation for it.  For example, if a person is excited about

attending a football game where their favorite team is playing for the

championship, they will be sure they have the proper attire for the event

cleaned and ready, they will make sure the car is fueled up and ready to go,

and that they have enough cash to pay for the $1,000 hot dogs being sold

there.  Or, if someone is waiting to be

picked up by a friend to attend a birthday party for their best friend, they

will make sure they are dressed and ready to go, that the present they are

taking to the party is boxed and wrapped up with a nice bow, and they will be

all ready to simply walk out the door when their friend arrives.  In the same way, if a person is expecting

Jesus to arrive at any moment, they will be sure to do all they can to be ready

when that event takes place.

This picture of followers of Christ being ready when Jesus returns for

us is seen in the parable of the ten virgins located in Matthew 25:1-13.  In this parable, there are ten virgins,

Christians who are waiting and expecting the bridegroom to return for them, but

only five of them were wise in making sure they were adequately prepared when

that time came.  The five foolish virgins

had not taken the initiative to make sure they were prepared for that time, and

as a result they were left behind and were refused entrance to the wedding

festivities.  So, what could keep someone

from being ready when Jesus returns for us? 

There are any number of reasons that this could be the case, but I want

to look at one reason a person may find that they were not ready when they

needed to be.

I realize that this is a controversial issue within Christian circles,

but nonetheless it must be mentioned, and that is the idea that a Christian’s eternal

destination is forever sealed at the point of salvation, where they surrendered

their lives to Jesus.  In other words, we

are talking of those who don’t believe that a Christian can “lose” their

salvation, a dangerous teaching that is putting many at risk of falling short

of eternity in heaven with Jesus.  I

first want to mention that I don’t believe everyone that believes this train of

thought is not going to heaven, but rather that those who do run the risk of

not being ready when the time of Jesus’ return comes.

Why would the teaching that Christians can not lose their salvation be

a dangerous one for people to embrace? 

Well, the reason is really quite simple. 

If they believe their eternal home has already been sealed and is

non-revocable, then it becomes very easy for someone to slack off and not take

their relationship with Jesus seriously. 

And if a person isn’t taking their relationship as seriously as they

ought, then they are more apt to allow unconfessed sin to continue in their

life, or to put something or someone other than Christ on the throne of their

heart, which is idolatry in the sight of God. 

In other words, the person becomes complacent and apathetic as a

follower of Christ.

Obviously, some will still argue that a Christian can not “lose” their

salvation, but let’s take a brief look at some passages that would seem to indicate

otherwise.

In John 15:1-8, Jesus identifies Himself as a vine, and that we are the

branches of that same vine.  In order to

be a part of the vine, one must be in a life-giving relationship with Jesus.  If a person never comes to salvation through

Christ, then they are never a branch attached to the vine.  However, if a person enters a relationship

with Jesus through salvation, then they become a branch attached to the

vine.  In verse two, we are told that

every branch that does not bear forth fruit He takes away.  In verse six, we are told that anyone that

does not abide in Him will be cast out as a branch and withered, showing that while

they initially received the life-giving nutrients available only through Christ,

they are now no longer in a place to which they can continue receiving

those.  Furthermore, we see that those

same branches that were cast away for not abiding in Him, which meant they were

no longer bearing fruit, were also thrown into the fire and were burned.  In this passage, we see a picture of those

who had entered a relationship with Jesus at some point, but because they did

not continue to abide in Him, they no longer bore fruit and were subsequently

cast away and thrown into the fire.

We also see in 1 Timothy 1:18-19, that there are some who become

shipwrecked in the faith because they rejected having faith and a good

conscience.  When a sea vessel becomes

shipwrecked, they have been immobilized to varying degrees, often suffering

damage that sinks them to the bottom, a place they will more than likely “rest”

for an indefinite amount of time which could be permanent.  The ship had to have a good beginning in

order to take to the seas, but no matter how good it initially was it became

shipwrecked sometime later.  This picture

that the Apostle Paul gives us could be considered a parallel passage to that

of John 15:1-8, in that there were some who started off good, but for one

reason or another they became relationally disconnected from Christ.

Another passage to consider is found in 2 Peter 2.  This chapter is dealing with false teachers

and false doctrines, and in verse 15 we read that they have “forsaken” the

right way and gone astray.  Well, what

does it mean to be forsaken?  The Greek

word for “forsaken” is, “kataleipo” (2641), which means to abandon or leave

behind.  This clearly indicates that some

of these false teachers once knew Jesus and the truth of the Gospel, but through

deception they had gone astray from the truth.

1 Timothy 4:1 is another passage that indicates that in the last days

some will depart from the faith.  The

Greek word translated as “depart” in this verse, “aphistemi” (NT:868), means to

desist, to depart, to fall away, or to withdraw self.  Again, we are clearly seeing Scripture

indicating that there will be some who, for one reason or another, will leave

the faith, which subsequently means they will experience broken relationship

with Jesus.

What about Romans 8:12-13?  In

this passage, we read that those who live according to the flesh will die.  Some will argue that this chapter is showing

the distinction between followers of Christ and those who are not, but we must

consider two things before we can make that assumption.  To begin with, we read in Romans 1:7 that the

Apostle Paul is writing to all the saints, all the Christians in Rome.  He’s not writing to non-Christians, but

instead to Christians.  Second, Romans 6

speaks to us about submitting ourselves to unrighteousness and sin, or to

righteousness that leads to life, an option that only Christians can make.  Non-Christians are bound to unrighteousness

and sin, and even if they change their sins, so to speak, they are still bound

to unrighteousness apart from a relationship with Jesus.  However, having been set free from the

bondage of sin and unrighteousness through Jesus, we now have the option, the

freedom to choose, to submit ourselves to unrighteousness or to righteousness.  So, when we look at chapter 8, we must view

it as a chapter exclusively addressing Christians.  To solidify that point, let’s take closer

look at verses 12-13.

In verse 13, we are told that those who live according to the flesh

will die.  If a person is already born

dead in trespasses, how can they die if they are already dead?  They would have to first come alive for them

to die, but we know that a person can not become spiritually alive apart from a

saving relationship with Jesus. 

Furthermore, the Greek word for “die” in this passage is “apothnesko” (NT:599),

which means to “die off”, either literally or figuratively.  This only reinforces the belief that not only

is the Apostle Paul referring only to Christians, but also that Christians who

live according to the flesh will die spiritually, unless they repent and start

living according to the Spirit and will not find their eternal residence in

Heaven.  In another verse in this chapter

we read that those who live according to the flesh will not even be called the

sons and daughters of God.

Other passages to consider are found in Revelation chapters 2-3.  In these chapters, Jesus is speaking directly

to seven churches, Christian churches, as well as churches and Christians into

the future.  When speaking to the

churches, there are times when Jesus tells them to repent or suffer the

consequences if they don’t.  I want to

look specifically at chapter 3:1-6, the section where Jesus is speaking to the

Church in Sardis.  In verse 2, Jesus

tells the angel, or the messenger and minister there, that there are some who

are ready to die.  It’s interesting that

the Greek word for die in this passage is the same one we mentioned earlier for

Romans 8:13, which means to die to an eternal death, and why is that?  That is because Jesus was not finding their

works to be perfect before God.  This

implies that not only is God expecting us to be doing “works” after receiving

salvation, not to be confused with obtaining salvation apart from “works”, but

that He also looks at our works and the motivations behind them to determine if

...

Can you hear it? The "midnight cry" is sounding out even now that the very near return of Jesus for His followers is imminent. Should we be hearing it? Or should we be ignoring it?

Signs. We see them everywhere telling us things we need or want to know. The Bible gives us signs to watch for regarding the end-times and what they will bring.

This is the first post of the Resounding Shophar Blast! These are podcasts along the same theme of the website and past blogs, reminding Christians that Jesus is returning very soon and that they need to make sure they are ready for Him when He does return.