January 30, 2008

Significant Changes on the Blog...

Update: Thanks for your patience everyone. We hope to be up and running with a new look and better streamed line site soon.

Hopefully by the end of this week, the blog changes will be finished. We are going to have a partly new blog design, upgrade to a new platform version, as well as streamline changes, for example a menu bar. This is one of the reasons why the blog activity has been slow this past week. But we will be posting frequently soon again.

January 21, 2008

Exciting News From the 2008 Conference!

We want to thank everyone who made it to the 2008 Prewrath Conference! I enjoyed meeting many of you who I have only known in cyberspace. And those who could not make it, we are already beginning to plan for the 2009 Second Annual Prewrath Conference. As part of the conference, we are going to work on having an eschatology debate with a very well known individual. But once we have that confirmed we will announce that news (as well as the theme of the 2009 conference.) There is a lot of expense that goes into having a conference. We would greatly appreciate any support for helping us with the next conference.

As many of you know, Charles Cooper's book was released at the conference, God's Elect and the Great Tribulation: An Interpretation of Matthew 24:1-31 and Daniel 9.

We will have an audio CD of the conference, which will include Marvin Rosenthal's excellent keynote speech "Prewrath: Fifteen Years and Beyond!"

Rosenthal made an exciting announcement. As some of you know the most popular book on the rapture is Zondervan's classic, Three views on the Rapture: Pre, Mid, and Post-Tribulation. Rosenthal announced that Zondervan has decided to publish a new book on the rapture jettisoning the mid-trib position and including the prewrath view. So the new book will be on three rapture views: pretrib, postrib, and prewrath--and Rosenthal has already written the Prewrath section of the book. I will certainly make an announcement of the book when it is released. This is significant because it will begin to make "prewrath" a Christian household term given that prewrath is indeed being established as a serious rapture position to consider.

Other news from the conference:

Cooper brought in a fabulous black choir called "Voices of Praise" from the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Let's just say that those who attended got a sneak preview of what heaven's music will sound like. We may have a song on the CD from the choir.

Roger Best gave two speeches on the history of the Prewrath position, as well as his session on "How to Teach the Prewrath Position." Cooper gave speeches on avoiding sensationalism and what truly to look for in the news, as well as his session on "How to Teach Revelation." I gave four hours of lectures on key issues in Thessalonians (I will upload my PowerPoints in due time). Allen Hadidian gave the closing session about convictions and commitment to end-times prophecy.

Prewrath is now fifteen Years and Beyond. It has become an established position despite the failed predictions of particular pretrib teachers who said it was just a fad and would fade away within a few years. The Lord has blessed the Prewrath view because it is Biblical. Many leaders, pastors, and laypeople have lost their ministries, churches, and friends because they have stood firm to their convictions. Sadly, many have not even given the prewrath position a hearing. But thankfully there are those who are true Bereans who do desire to have a teachable spirit whether they agree with it or not. We thank God for those individuals.

Continue to pray that God blesses Prewrath. Rosenthal gave a propitious comment in his speech. He said that in the past prewrath was more of a grass roots effort, but in very recent years many pastors now are contacting him wanting to learn more about Prewrath. In my view if this encouraging phenomenon continues, prewrath will proliferate from the top to bottom in the churches.

January 12, 2008

New Prewrath Book Release!

Charles Cooper's new book, God's Elect and the Great Tribulation: An Interpretation of Matthew 24:1-31 and Daniel 9, is now available for purchase.

It is a scholarly defense for the Prewrath Rapture position. This book has four goals:

(1) to support the prewrath position in its conclusion that insisting on a sharp distinction between God's work in Israel and His work in the church is a false presupposition that directly contradicts scripture.

(2) to support the prewrath position in its conclusion that Matthew 24:1-31 does apply to the church, the bride of Christ.

(3) to set forth a clear biblical exposition of Matthew 24:1-31.

(4) to correct the false and misleading conclusions about both the timing and fulfillment of Daniel 9:24-27.

January 2, 2008

Ministry founder: U.S. Christians "absolutely not prepared" for persecution

by Allie Martin

The founder of Gospel for Asia says while persecution is increasing worldwide for Christians, he believes it will soon impact believers in America -- and K.P. Yohannan says they need to get ready for it.

Persecution against Christians is increasing worldwide, especially in countries such as India, where attacks on churches and Christians by Hindu extremists have increased dramatically. In fact, when missionaries graduate from Gospel for Asia (GFA) Bible colleges, they are told to expect persecution -- and perhaps even death -- for spreading the gospel.

According to GFA founder K.P. Yohannan, Christians in those countries expect such treatment and are prepared when the tough times come. But he believes Christians in America will soon be faced with persecution as well -- and he is fearful that many are not ready.

"The great falling-away from faith could be worst here in [America] because people are absolutely not prepared to face suffering or persecution -- because we cannot imagine a gospel with the cross and the suffering in it," says Yohannan. "Yet the Bible teaches very strong about it. So as the Word of God says: He who has ears, let him hear."

The ministry leader is convinced that prosperity has caused many Christians in America to focus on material possessions instead of surrendering all to Christ. The result, he says, is that American Christians have become "very naïve" in thinking that real persecution will never come their way.

"These are warning signs," he exclaims. "God is telling us [that] we need to prepare our lives. And preachers going around saying that revival is coming, and everything is okay, and all these things? I think that people are [being] set up for huge disaster and denying their faith when they face problems."

It is estimated that more than 16,000 Christians are martyred worldwide each year for their faith.

(H.T. Jim P)