JURONG OUTREACH - September 10

Special Music
5th Sep 2010 

The phrase "special music" is used to describe choirs, quartets, trios, duets, and solos in worship services. Webster says that the opposite of "special" is "ordinary." However, it was a divine order that started what is ordinary, congregational singing, and we find no divine order modifying or supplementing congregational singing.

According to the divine order, all of the singers are also the listeners ("yourselves," "one another"), which in fact eliminates special music:

 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and plucking the strings of your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19), . . . teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16). 

The divine order is stated again in the book of Hebrews, but it does not say: "By him therefore let a choir or a quartet or a trio or a duet or a soloist offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips, confessing his name," but the divine order is an exhortation to a whole congregation, or to individual Christians everywhere, omitting not one, "us":

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips, confessing his name (Hebrews 13:15)

Special music changes worshipers into two classes, performers and spectators. Special music changes the auditorium into a theater.

According to a professor of music in Westmont College, Dr. Gerald Bouma, special music is three things:

1. A congregation of worshipers is changed into an audience.

 2. The music is reduced to entertainment offered to the congregation, not by it, and the singers become
performers, and the audience is moved to clap their hands.

 3. When the pressure to have such music is from people, not from God(Charles Hodge, Keynoter,9-1-1994, p. 3).

Special music introduces a very real danger. In a small Pennsylvania town hand-bills were distributed inviting people to a protracted meeting at the Church of Christ. A lady telephoned the local preacher, saying she was a soloist at the Lutheran Church, and that she would be glad to sing for the "revival" at the Church of Christ. The preacher told her that only congregational singing was practiced, but that she would be welcome to be part of the audience. She never attended. Did she want to worship or to show off her beautiful voice?

From one standpoint, the divine order makes the entire congregation of worshipers a choir, a choir that includes the spiritual presence of Jesus' singing both to his fellow choir members ("I will proclaim your name to my brothers") and to God ("I will sing hymns of praise to you in the midst of the congregation" (Hebrews 2:12).

Jesus, spiritually present in every worship service, singing both to his brothers (Romans 8:29) “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Hebrews 2;12) and to the Father “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee”, conforms to the divine order given to all Christians to "speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" and to sing "to the Lord . . . plucking the strings of your heart" (Ephesians 5:19), and "teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).  

Thrilling is the thought that when Christians teach "one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," that Jesus is spiritually present doing the same thing, and when Christians sing "with grace in their hearts to God," Jesus is spiritually present doing the same thing!

The Second Coming of Christ
John Grubb
12th Sept 2010

 People are interested in the second coming of Christ! Every few years someone sets the date for the Lord’s return. In fact, one of the most popular religious subjects in the past twenty-five years has been the teaching that Jesus is coming back to the earth to set up His kingdom and rule on earth for one thousand years. This doctrine is called "premillennialism." A large number of preachers teach this doctrine. Can it be proved from the Bible, or, is it the doctrine of men? 

What is premillennialism? This doctrine says that when Jesus came to the earth the first time, He intended to set up His kingdom. Since the Jews rejected Him, Jesus set up a temporary institution, the church, instead. The New Testament refutes this claim of premillennialism. The church is not a temporary institution, but is a part of the eternal purpose of God (Ephesians 3:10, 11). 

Premillennialism claims that the church and the kingdom are not the same. Jesus promised to build His church, which is His kingdom (Matthew 16:18,19). He fulfilled His promise in the first century (Acts 2:47; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9). 

Premillennialism also teaches that Jesus is coming soon! It teaches that there will be many signs before Christ’s coming. It implies that God failed in His first attempt to establish the kingdom as prophesied in the Old Testament.

Premillennialism is a false doctrine! It is not supported by the Word of God. Let us examine the Bible to see what it says about the second coming of Christ. 

Is Christ coming again? Yes, He is! Note the following passages from the Bible: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27,28).

When will Christ come again? No one on earth knows the answer to this question! No signs will be given to tell us when the second coming will be. Jesus said: "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32). "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). 

What will Christ do when He returns?  

First, He will raise the dead. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28,29).  

Second, Christ will judge the whole world when He comes again (Matthew 25:31-46). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). 

Third, when Jesus comes again, it will not be to establish a kingdom, but He will return the kingdom, which is His church, to the Father: "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. The cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power" (1 Corinthians 15:23,24). 

Fourth, when Jesus comes again, eternity will begin when the dead are raised to life, never to die again. Premillennialists teach that there will be two or more resurrections of the dead, but the Bible teaches that there will only be one when Jesus comes again. Please note that the resurrection is singular, not plural in the following passage: "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" (Acts 24:15). Please read John 5:28,29 again also. 

Fifth, when Christ comes again the earth will be destroyed! Therefore, there will not be a place for the rule of Christ on the earth which the premillennialists teach. Please read 2 Peter 3:7,10,12. Christ came to this earth almost 2,000 years ago. He is going to come again. Because Christ is coming again, faithful Christians are busy preaching the gospel to the lost and dying world. What about you? Are you ready for the Lord to come again? Are you prepared to meet Him in Judgment? If not, begin your preparation now by obeying His gospel (Mark 16:16).

What The Bible Says About The Rapture
Rod Rutherford
19th Sept 2010 

First, it must be pointed out that the Bible says nothing about the rapture. The word "rapture" is not found in all of God’s Word. Neither is the idea of the rapture in the Bible. False teachers, commonly called "Premillennialists" or "Dispensationalists," have invented the doctrine of the rapture. It is a doctrine of man, not of God. "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." (Matthew 15:9,13). 

Second, concerning the second coming of our Lord, the Bible teaching is very plain and simple. The Bible teaches that Jesus is coming again. Jesus Himself promised He would return (John 14:1-3). When Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the angels promised He would come again (Acts 1:9-11). The apostle Peter promised that our Lord would return (2 Peter 3:10,11). Many other passages could also be added which teach that Jesus is coming again. 

Third, the Bible teaches that the coming of the Lord will be sudden and unexpected. The Bible says: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. . . . Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:42,44). Please read also I Thessalonians 5:1-11. 

Fourth, the Bible plainly teaches that no man knows the time when the Lord will return. Jesus said: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). If no man knows the hour, it is not possible that anyone can predict the time or give any signs of the time (Mark 13:32). 

Fifth, the Bible teaches that Christ is coming back to receive His kingdom (church). Please note the words of the apostle Paul: "Then cometh the end when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power" (1 Corinthians 15:24). 

Sixth, the Bible clearly teaches that when Christ comes again, this earth and everything in it will be destroyed: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). 

Seventh, the Bible teaches that when Christ comes again, the dead will be raised and judgment will take place. Jesus said: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28,29). Please read also Matthew 25:31-46. 

Eighth, following the second coming of Christ, the judgment of the world, and the destruction of the earth, the saved ones will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The Bible teaching on the second coming is simple, plain, and easily understood. There is nothing in the Bible, however, about the rapture. Our purpose on earth is not to try to guess the time when the Lord will come, but to be ready so that when He does come, we will be prepared.

Are you prepared to meet the Lord when He comes again? Have you believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). Please read also Mark 16:16. Have you repented of all your sins? "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38). Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?" "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32,33). "And Phillip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest, And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). Have you been baptized (buried in water and raised up) into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4). Please read Acts 2:38 and Galatians 3:26,27 also. 

Why not obey Jesus Christ today so that you will be prepared to meet Him when He comes, whenever that may be.

Will Jesus Reign on Earth for 1000 Literal Years?
26th Sept 2010

Premillennialists believe that Christ will some day return to this earth, establish an earthly kingdom, and rule here a thousand years. According to this theory, this will take place before the final resurrection and judgment.

The word "millennium" is not in the Bible, thus premillennialism is not in the Scriptures. "Millennium" means "a thousand years," and with the prefix "pre" means "before the thousand years." Some believe we are now in the age before the millennium, or Christ’s literal thousand year reign on earth. One of the most dangerous doctrines contained in the premillennial theory is that a "second chance" will be given many of the unjust at their resurrection. The main proof text used by premillennialists is Revelation 20:4.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

Many things taught in the book of Revelation were "signified" unto John (Revelation 1:1). To signify something is to teach by signs, symbols and figures of speech. Note that this passage says nothing at all about a bodily resurrection of the saints. Neither does it say when the thousand year reign will take place, nor where. Thus, the theory that Christ will return to earth with these saints, and establish a literal reign here for a thousand years, is not even hinted at in the passage. Therefore, it is perverted by those who attempt to use it as proof of their theory.

Shall we take all John wrote as literal? Read verse three and tell us if the bottomless pit really had no bottom to it. Note also the verbs in verse four: "I saw," "judgment was given," "were beheaded," "they lived and reigned." Premillennialists often insist upon a literal application of this passage, but in their arguments they change these past tense verbs into future tense, and say SHALL LIVE and SHALL REIGN. They also insist the reigning SHALL BE here upon earth, but the passage says not one word as to where the reigning was to be done. If we take the passage in its literal language, the reigning has already taken place, for the verbs used are past tense. Our passage says the "souls of them that were beheaded" lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, but the premillennialists also include many who will not have died at Christ’s second coming.

Note also that this passage does not say how long Christ will reign or where. To say that "Susie lived and worked with Elmer on the farm twenty-five years" is not to say how long Elmer lived and worked on the farm. So the souls "that were beheaded" lived and reigned with Christ, gives no hint as to how long Christ’s reign is. Also, this reign included only a certain class of saints--those beheaded, or martyrs--none else.

None of the premillennialists I know of will affirm that the beast of Revelation 20:4 is a literal beast. Neither can they show the thousand years means a literal reign on earth.

In Revelation 20 nothing is said about the bodies of the beheaded souls being raised. "Souls" can live without their bodies being raised, for the soul does not depend upon the body for its continued existence (Matthew 10:28). Also, there are figurative resurrections in the Bible. Bringing the house of Israel out of captivity is pictured as bringing them out of their graves (Ezekiel 37:1-15). In a figurative sense, John the Baptist was called Elijah; not Elijah literally raised from the dead, but John in the spirit and power of Elijah. The "thousand years" refers to a period of time when faithful preachers of the gospel would boldly defy false religions.

Nobody can know that the "thousand years" mentioned is a literal thousand years. It may possibly signify a long period of time. When a preacher speculates with figurative language, making it literal, and tries to interpret prophecy before it is ever fulfilled and makes positive statements concerning such, you may be assured he doesn’t know what he is talking about.

We have seen that premillennialists, who teach Christ will come to earth and establish His kingdom with a literal reign, use Revelation 20 as proof. We have shown that this passage is perverted to teach such by the following: (1) The book of Revelation is written largely in signs and symbols, to which literal meanings cannot be attached; (2) The passage does not mention a bodily resurrection of the saints; (3) It does not say when or where the thousand year reign would take place; (4) It does not suggest the idea Christ will return to earth with saints that sleep and establish a literal, earthly reign; (5) If we are going to take the passage literally, then the verbs are in the past tense, indicating the reign has already taken place, and no future reign on earth is indicated; (6) This passage mentions only those who have suffered martyrdom, but premillennialists also include those living when Christ comes; (7) Though it says souls reigned a thousand years, it does not say where, neither does it say how long Christ reigned; (8) Only those "beheaded for the witness of Christ" were included, thus the unjust are excluded, and there is no promise of a "second chance;" (9) No premillennialist will say that the "beast" and his "image" are to be taken literally. How can one demand a literal application of a "thousand years?" (10) The passage does not say Christ would come back to earth BEFORE or even AT THE BEGINNING of this reign. It does not say that either Christ or the "souls" were on earth at the time of the reign.

Any honest student of the Bible must conclude that neither Revelation 20, nor any other passage for that matter, teaches that Christ will literally reign on this earth a thousand years!