After Hours Ministries Apologetics
Q & A about the Rapture
by Bryan W Melvin on 05/22/19
Q & A about The Rapture
From time to time I receive questions concerning the Rapture and a recent question came up on this subject on my Face Book Afterlife Group. I am posting these and my response for you.
Question: Is there really going to be a rapture? Pre, post, mid? there is so much disagreement on this
My Answer: Frist off there are many different opinions on this matter. Pre, post, mid and no rapture. Thus, a lot of confusion. Jesus said no one knows the particular day or hour but rather how to identify the signs pointing out how to identify the times. Date setting never good.
I respect all views on the rapture and never want to make enemies on my view of the rapture. There is no need to divide the church into fist fighting factions over this. We can disagree and should do so with respect and listen to each side.
With that, here is my opinion on the Rapture that I have held for many years and surprised that a few folks also discovered the same evidence from the bible I have. Evangelist, Perry Stone holds the same view I have: A Partial Rapture event…
Why – for me Revelations chapter two and three are about the state of the church near the end times. 1Pe 4:17 states a biblical principle – judgment always begins in the house of the Lord first. Revelation chapter two and three come first before the final wrath of God is poured out in the following chapters.
Only two groups of people who from the seven churches do not have to repent: Smyrna and Philadelphia. Smyrna represents the persecuted church – believers. There number is not full till the end of the Tribulation. Only Philadelphia, has this promise:
Rev 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” NKJV
Look at these verses:
Zephaniah 2:2, 3 "Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you! 3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger." NKJV
Isaiah 26:20, 21, "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain." NKJV
These two verses clearly have not happened yet.
Psalms 50:2- 6, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah" ESV
Add this to what Jesus says in Matt 24:37-42-51 – “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” NKJV
Verses 38 tell of things going along as they do then bam things change… Verses 40-42 tells of one is taken and another left behind from the same field and at the mill.
Luke 17:26-37 give more insight into this:
"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." NKJV
Rev 20:6, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection….” NKJV
Zephaniah 2:2, 3 "Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you! 3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger." NKJV
Isaiah 26:20, 21, "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain." NKJV
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NASB
Since some are taken and others left behind and notices how Revelation chapters two and three indicate a partial rapture event that, more than likely, will occur before the day of indignation is fully unleashed. Those left behind are found in verses commonly associates with the mid, post, and no rapture views.
Question: how much longer before the SHTF in terms of judgement on the USA??
My Answer: I do not know – what we can tell from the bible evidence, such as 2 Thess 2:1-4, it will get really bad before that. No one knows the specific day nor hour – we are called to look for it and to ready ourselves.
Ready ourselves first means we need to get cleaned up and healed on the inside so we can shine bright, so Jesus sees us when he comes (Matt 25:1-13). That is how simple it is. Summed up simply as having the Lord reveal things to us so we can be healed – so he can send us out as his gift bearers to bring others into the Kingdom of God.
The tribulation period is a time where God offers times to repent return to Him. During this time those left behind will face people with insane rage, always choosing to reject God, and warring against God’s people with reckless hate.
It is a time when God Almighty wars against the fallen angels too. Please note this principle is found in Exodus 12:12 where God says the plagues against Egypt were against their gods (aka Fallen Angels who were imitating the gods) of Egypt. Likewise the tribulation period will be about that too and against all people who are allied with them. True evil will expose itself and intent.
2Th 2:1, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” NKJV
I suggest people explore the verses on the rapture in both Old and New Testament and come to his or her own conclusions.
Breakthrough: thoughts on the Movie
by Bryan W Melvin on 05/01/19
Breakthrough
I would suggest that folks go and watch the new movie “Breakthrough” about a 14-year-old NDE and his recovery. January 2015, John Smith and two of his friends fell through the ice on a Missouri lake. John was unable to get out of the water and for 15 minutes remained submerged when rescue workers retrieved his body.
His brain and body had no sign of life for 45 more minutes. John’s mother, Joyce, was allowed to see her son to say her goodbyes when she prayed that he would be spared. John began to have a heartbeat. In short, due to lack of oxygen, if he recovered at all, he would be in a vegetated state. However, 72 hours later after extensive prayers by his family, church, and others he opened his eyes and two week later walked out of the hospital with no ill effects.
At the end of the film the leading physician, Dr Garett, concluded that this was a factual miracle and it was. What stuck me about the film was not so much the miracle but how the film in a short time conveyed what it is like for someone who has actually died and was permitted resurrection goes through afterwards.
That stuck a cord in me. In the film, John went back to school and saw stickie notes on his locker. Midst many well wishes the film zoomed in on a few that mentioned, “why did you come back and not my loved one.” In another scene, John was leaving school and was mocked by school mates.
I personally can relate to that. After I began telling folks what happened to me, the same sort of things happened. I struggled with, “why was I allowed to return and others not. I surely did not deserve to return. God should have chosen someone else better suited.”
Then there were the mocking’s I heard like: “You think you’re someone special. You think you are owed promotions in the ministry. You are in it for the money. You are arrogant,” and a host of other comments like it. The last part of the film reminded me of all that.
People can be cruel. Never in my life have I ever thought I was special or that anyone owed me ministry promotion or renown because of what happened to me summer of 1980. Nor have I earned wealth from the experience either. I still struggle financially as does everyone else. Nether am I arrogant or think anybody owes me anything.
That is what the film, Breakthrough, meant for me. It recalled to my mind, how over the years what people and ministers have said to me. How the ministry rug has been pulled out from under me so many times due to these false beliefs well-meaning people project forth.
Another thing the movie showed me near the end of the film is coming to terms with what happened. This settles things for a person with a resolve to serve God no matter what folks say. You see, far more folks more like you than mock. Nothing goes to your head. You know who you are in Jesus Christ and you simply surrender your will and ego to the Lord, totally.
You also do not see this mortal life the same anymore. You literally feel the tug of the eternal on your heart. The things of this world lose all appeal. You value this time on earth as something special granted by God and know that this life can change in an instant ushering all into eternity at any moment.
You don’t mince words nor try to change the gospel by mixing the appeals of the world into it. You look at people and say, like Jesus did, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:24 NJKV
The gospel involves waking people up to what they know not what they do and applying the cure, Jesus Christ to it, which sets them free. That my friends, is what speaking the truth in love is all about not by how the world’s standards define it.
The last part of the film Breakthrough brought back many memories for me on a personal level that I just related to you. I suggest seeing the film and letting the Lord speak through it to you, and be blessed in the name of the Lord.
Devil Sends Junk Mail
by Bryan W Melvin on 04/12/19
Part One: Devil sends Junk Mail
By B W Melvin
From edited Transcript of April 5, 2019
Omega man radio show
Junk mail. Ever noticed that you receive more junk mail than reminders of what you owe in bills? Same with email, spam, along with unwanted pop up, all junk mail. Now even in the church, more junk mail!
Maybe you received some like this:
Have you heard anything like this: “Prophet & seer I M Mazing has the Pro 8:21 anointing! What’s that? the Pro 8:21 blessing – at 8:21 tonight send $8.21, get a 10-fold return – give a $821.00. Get a 100-fold return – $8,210 – 1000-fold - watch the presence of God fill your bank account!”
Or ever received one like this: “Come hear Mr. So-ses-me – who has a prophetic mandate from the throne room to help you receive your impartation so you can find your destiny, reach greater levels, and grow deeper into the things of God. He has an amazing anointing - and can tell you - the last 4 digits of your phone number - and from these numbers - prophesize just what you want to hear!”
Sound familiar?
People always chasing after and sign here, a wonder over there, a new impartation up the street, or go down the way to hear the latest thespian blast broadcasting the newest honest minister in town like this:
“Brother Hickster has NOW word for you – Brother Hickster received his fivefold anointing when he was called up into heaven where he nightly plays checkers with Jesus in the throne room of God. Here Jesus gives him new revelations on how to have dominion over the weather! Brother, Hickster, has been mandated by God to impart into you his storm buster anointing to rebuke Hurricanes, typhons, tornados, severe thunderstorms –and heal global warming too! Come, Join the team! Learn how You can bust storms by twisting 5 easy bible verses…in his new 1-week course!”
Maybe you fell victim to these sorts of things. Or watched loved ones run the same race and you feel helpless? Now you are hurt, wounded by such experiences… where’s God is the cry of your heart!
Maybe you were a Pastor's Kid and saw thru the lies and hucksters and it caused you to fall away?
Maybe some of you watched loved one’s craziness in religion and it left a bad taste in your mouth. Or some reading this were taught that God is inept and incapable of doing anything. Were you a victim of fear based or hyper legalism Christianity where misery is the only accepted virtue, or you may have been deceived by some crazy serpent flicking tongued minsters quackery?
Folks, I am sorry that you been through this. That is not biblical Christianity at all. It is no wonder young and old are leaving the church in droves -- But Folks God is real, alive, and active today…
Jesus in Matt 24:10-14 said this about the last days, “(A time when) many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” NKJV
How many in the world are receiving this type of junk mail spam today? Not just, in the world, or at home, or in politics but in church as well too?
You saw jealousy, envy and ministry sabotaging as well as witnessed how Christians tear each apart over the stupidest things; while the bible tells us to love/respect each other – we tear each other apart -- maybe that is what you’ve seen and hurt by it?
Yep, as long as the Devil keeps sending Junk mail, people will keep reading it!
Folks, I am sorry you been through all this. This is not biblical Christianity at all. It is no wonder young and old are leaving the church in droves. People need healed of the hurt from this sort of stuff, you think?
Folks God is real, alive, and active today. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit have not vanished. God still sovereignly heals. Answers Prayers
There are real heaven encounters and God still does things supernaturally. Our authority in Christ is real. Holy Spirit dreams and vision still happen today as they did in the book of Acts. Storms have been rebuked and stopped. Yes – there are true principles of giving and sowing into the Kingdom of God. Devils are still cast out - God is still real and in power today. Miracles still do happen.
But why don’t we see many miracles in the modern westernized church these days? How can God do anything when people restrict God act with 50 pages guidelines on who how to pray for people and midst the formulas and the latest churchanity fads?
Folks did you realize – the Devil sends Junk mail to give the excellent things of God a bad rap in order to have God’s own people keep hindering any true move of God on earth today?
The devil sends his own ministers to deceive leaders in the church: after all Jesus warned in Matt 24:24 that, “…false prophets false messiah figures will rise in the last days showing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” NKJV
From these folks well intentioned Christians end up delivering the devils junk mail bearing great scripture quotes and quips in the sales pitch.
In 2015 Bill Johnson rebuked of Jason Westerfield Why – he actually admitted on record that he was never a Christian and that. his intent was to bring the New Age into the church. However, before 2015 rebuke he was extolled as greatest thing to happen in the church. Well intentioned Christian leaders were taken in. Do you think there is a dearth of the gift of the discerning of spirits in the church?
Bible says in Jude 1:4, “…certain men have crept in unnoticed…ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” NKJV
People like Westerfield have and still do creep in unnoticed and the Question needs asked – Why do Christian leaders and laity keep delivering his kind of New Age Junk Mail into the Church?
Why hasn’t such new age occultism never been rebuked, exposed, or renounced?
Why is it still being practiced today in many churches from benign sounding church marques touting Christian yoga classes to heavenly and earthly astral projection?
We even have Christian witches’ conferences now gone mainstream!
So, the question remains--How do we know the true from the false? Heresy from gospel truth?
Answer is to look at who’s delivering the mail - Jesus said in Mat 12:33, “A tree is known by its fruit.”
So, how can we tell the real from the fake - answer- We need to look at the messenger – their fruit and
their Message - sometimes this is easy
– other times not so easy!
Let me go over seven quick points on how to identify those who deliver the devils junk mail
Point One -. Did you realize that New Agers like Jesus as do those who practice white magic witchcraft? They preach another Jesus and they can even preach holiness in a new age ascetism and purity kind of way that is.
We Christians interpret it one way, but they mean it in another way. To them, having a pure mind is used to draw magical power to fight against enemies, us, even by use of trickery to deceive to get people off track and on their junk mail list.
# Two - They can even lead people to Jesus – what is a little collateral damage to the devil if five people are saved while one thousand are deceived and end up in hell?
Look- Balaam (Rev 2:14) blessed the children of Israel and prophesized the words of God (Num 22:12 and Num 23:1-30). Yet, he taught king Balak how to get God to destroy his own people by mixing the worship of Astarte and the Baal’s into the household of God on earth to lead them astray.
Yep, this means, they might even be able to prophesize correctly at times, in order to have you sign on to their devil’s junk mail list to slowly lead you astray latter on. This is why the context of bible verses are so important, to keeps you on the straight and narrow, and increase the gift of discernment that lacks in so many places.
# Three - They have one after another heaven or some sort of spiritual encounters. Because of this, they always allude to themselves as God’s favored ones sent with a mission - mandate to give new revelations to help people go higher, receive greater prosperity, attain your destiny or whatever in such way that you are slowly drawn away to rely more on them & less & less on the Holy Spirit.
You may hear things similar like this: Brother Reedsrong has an amazing anointing for street witnessing – he can read a person’s crow’s feet around their eyes and from these prophesies radical positive change into a person by this new outpouring of the spirit!
Brother Reedsrong says, “...for far too long people have been told to die to self, live that old religion of death, but now, God is doing a new thing because dying to self and carrying your cross was okay for way back then but this is a new day – Jesus is doing a new things as Isaiah 42:9, says…
“Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; Before they spring forth, I tell you of them." NKJV
“Dying to self, carrying the cross, has turned mean spirited so now the new way is all about love – hugs and no condemnation and imparting radical positive change into people lives by reading the crow’s feet lines around their eyes!
“Brother Reedsrong has been chosen by God to stand in the heavenly courtroom where he met Brother Hickster playing checkers with Jesus and received this throne room anointing.
“Come! Learn how to impart radical positive change by reading peoples crow’s feet around their eyes by attending a seven-course training secession for only $79.99 and for $150.00 stay longer and receive your storm busting anointing form Brother Hickster too. Amen and Halleluiah!!! Thank you very much!!”
With all kidding aside - These folks paint themselves up as someone great. They run with a group of like minds. Where the doctrine of Nicolaitans is present -- what’s that…well they are the ones who have an inside track with God, that you lack, and thus you need to receive from them their new revelations. They become the new lords of Christendom whom you must rely on to survive, to go higher!
Folks Bible says, God is not a respecter of persons. If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom – you must be a servant – not a Nicolaitan lord and master. These people set themselves up as special ones – favored – to give new revelations because God is doing a new thing –
They use the bible verses such as Isa 43:19, in their junk mailing list:
“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?” NKJV
They say things like, “…God is now doing a new thing! The message of the cross was fine in the day and we still believe that, but it degenerated into brow beating, control, legalism, poverty mindset so Now God is doing a new thing, shall we not know it?”
“How do we know – God told me while playing checkers with Jesus in throne room of God!” Thank you very much - Amen and Halleluiah!!!”
In fact, Isa 43:21 defines what the new is: “This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.” NKJV
In fact, 1 Pe 2:9 tells us this new thing has already happened by work of Jesus: “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light?” NKJV
This connects in direct context with Isa 43:19 and Jer 31:31 concerning the New Covenant. The new thing happened in in Acts chapter two - the empowering of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in Joel 2:28-32.
Yet today Isaiah 43:19 is inserted into junk mail to hook people – taking them down crazy town road where one is led to worship a junk mail hipster in crowd carrier who can’t be questioned.
Fourth way to recognize those delivering the devil’s junk mail:
They, in many overt, and subtle ways, allude to their personal legitimacy and that any criticism against them is touching the Lord’s anointed…don’t touch!
King David coined that phrase against his persecutor, King Saul, in hopes that God would restore sanity back into Saul. King David did not say that about himself at all but about his persecutor. However, these folks flip the meaning of the phrase as – “don’t anyone dare questions them…or their revelations…or else God has a lightning bolt of wrath against you! How dare you question the work of God!”
The Bereans in Acts 17:10-17 were positively commended for searching the Scriptures daily to find out whether the things spoken by Paul and Silas were true. They were not told in any way: How dare you question us – don’t touch the Lord’s anointed or God will zap you if you do… We play Checkers in the throne room – you don’t!
True men and women of God who move in the true callings and gifts of the Holy Spirit will lead people to Jesus Christ instruct total reliance upon the word of God and Holy Spirit – not themselves. They take criticism in stride and curse not those that curse them (as the bible teaches) but instead let’s God deal with them in prayers and in hope God restores them.
They know they are servants, who can be wrong and check themselves and repent. They are not about making a big name for themselves or running with the hipster in crowd of big wig preachers selling things - as seen on TV.
The false do not do that – they want control, power, and exalt themselves at the expense of bible truth, and lead people to follow those in the club, in league with the slogans they conjure up.
Yep they create slogan Christianity:
Impartations, mandates, anointings, ascend to a new Level and go higher! (I didn’t know Christianity was like a video game, did you?)
Do you think video game Christianity, or some new sales slogan is really going to put a dent in the high suicide rate? Stop crime? Have the abuser stop abusing – people find freedom from darkness?
A New Age has been unleashed in the church for sure! Maybe you been hurt by this and left the church because of all this and fed up and left – looking for a new place or just shrug the shoulders and move on.
That is not church folks – Jesus loves you – he is reaching for you to come back and heal the hurt the wounds, so you become stronger and wiser – to make a stand against this stuff….
“If my people who are called by my name humble, seek, and turn away from their wickedness…” 2 Chronicles 7:14. What is this verse really implying by turning away from wickedness?
Fifth point - continued below:
Continued - Part Two: Part One: Devil sends Junk Mail
By B W Melvin
