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Welcome to the only authorized and exclusive web site for ECCL.ORG A FREE CHURCH (ECCL). We are an unincorporated association of law abiding believers, united in faith, who share a common vision. This copyrighted article highlights our mission.
Please understand that we voice our concerns with the greatest care and respect for the reader's sensitivities. We thoroughly expect forces from both outside and inside the reader to look for offense in our message, when in fact we are going out of our way to avoid even accidental abrasiveness. We are doing our part to not offend you, so please be as kind and resist being easily offended, too. As briefly as possible, we share here our repentant orientation, starting with a sobering last admonition by Christ, our Savior. While much of the last New Testament book seems figurative, a particular passage must be observed in a literal sense. Verses 18 and 19 of the 22nd chapter sternly apply to the entire book of Revelation and we believe they are but one conspicuous acid test of true discipleship for the last days. This adamant stance is balanced by a more historical handling of the previous books, which are also printed in various translations by imperfect humans. We firmly believe that God did in fact breathe His words into the original oral story tellers and authors (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Unfortunately, we have a long record of messing up just about everything we touch, including otherwise Holy Scripture. Despite our contamination, the word of God is so powerful and pure that it leaps off of our soiled pages. This is part of a self evident and recurrent lesson which we will strive to repeat here: apart from our Creator, we are hopelessly lost. Even more so, it is we who abandon Him. Having introduced our motto of "No Additions - No Omissions" to the book of Revelation, let's review the start of our mutual story. In the beginning, we basically thumbed our noses at God and chose death, determining good and evil for ourselves (Genesis 3). This was in direct opposition to God's way, the way to eternal life. As mentioned before, we relive this lunacy over and over again. Could now be the time in our tragic history when we collectively convert from a contrite spirit to a repentant heart? We don't simply mean individual growth, but rather a global eureka moment for those who come to understand that we are doomed without God's reign over us all and that Christ must return as soon as possible. Is it remotely possible that God has been waiting for us to beg for His rule over the entire planet and not just the repentant few? Sinterdiction or Sintervention - A Powerful Skill Most of us have been and continue to be molded by conflicting traditions of men which are a breeding ground for Satan's divide and conquer tactics, keeping us separated from God and one another. We must work our way through the infinite differences we have acquired in various Christian educations. We must resolutely and absolutely fight off Satan's aggravation of our differences while holding fast to eternal truths taught in many congregations (Ephesians 6:13-19). Let's use the same techniques successful for resisting sinful thinking and its subsequent behavior to tame our hostile voices toward each other. As echoed in 2 Corinthians 10:5, we can begin living as subjects to our King by first directing our thoughts to comply with His will, command, and example. If we were tasked with creating a new word for this, we might call it sinterdiction or sintervention. That is, to interdict or head off the problem of sinful thinking before it can take root. To replace a bad habit of thinking inappropriately, we can instead focus on what is good (Romans 12:9, Ephesians 4:29, Philippians 4:8). This should become a reflexive, real-time, minute-by-minute, 24/7 skill. Psychotherapists have harnessed this principle for the benefit of many clients. They may use terms such as internal voice, dialogue, tape, or script. Regardless of the label, God entrusts us with the free will to draw on His spirit, word, and numerous examples to rule over our spirits, to bring our thoughts into His subjection. As long as we develop and hone a continuous self-monitoring awareness (conscience control), we are prepared for an immediate response which should please Him, even when temptation is strong (James 4:7). This is not about willpower, but rather value power. As we grow to hold God in higher regard, we value and reciprocate His care for us and we seek to please Him, not for mere reward. Our actions more easily follow the convictions of His Spirit and the examples of His Son. As we grow in grace toward one another, we again affirm our faith in Him and demonstrate our loyalty with productive action. So, when we get the slightest inkling that we are focusing on our religious differences, we must immediately check those thoughts. We must instantly appreciate both the evil force that wants us to be hostile to each other and God, as well as the powerful example of God's patience, tolerance, and forgiveness toward us. Only the most extreme encounters should evoke a fight or flight response (1 Corinthians 5:1-5 & 15:33, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). From the Beginning, a Profound Global Lesson We all have lessons to learn and one shared by the entire world is that we are totally inept at governing ourselves apart from God. We need the divine King that we have historically shunned in lieu of our self-government, dictating for ourselves the meaning of good and evil. We need the King of revelation, not the serpent of rebellion, experimentation, and its school of hard knocks. The Garden of Eden account encapsulates our first point of emphasis: divine revelation vs. self destruction. We have thousands of years of miserable experience on this planet because we have insisted on doing things our way (Satan's way) and not God's way. The time to accept our collective error is now. What if God is just waiting for the world as a whole to wake up and beg for the return of His King with His divine rule? What will it take for that to happen? In the End, a Serious Global Test Before continuing with our shared observations and beliefs, we should reemphasize in the strongest language possible Revelation 22:18-19. Note how Christ's words to us through John go far beyond an admonition to avoid private interpretations and vain doctrines. We consider this instruction as dead serious. As we proceed with this topic, please also appreciate the delicate balance we seek, to avoid offending those of us who have been indoctrinated by traditions of men which add or subtract from this book. As just mentioned, we intend to reverently share its exact words. Despite any human errors in retranslating these passages over time, we believe any listener from any century could have applied the understandable passages and principles to their time, in the world they knew. For example, every Christian living after the times of the seven churches and until now could also apply those messages to their lives. And those who have already died in the faith need not worry about the remaining nightmare in Revelation, whether some illustrations prove out to be figurative and others literal. Just as Satan tries to divide and conquer us through our differences, he also uses his mastery of deception (John 8:44). Add that to the ever growing abundance of "extraneous" end time material, which understandably supplies a demand created by the signs of our times, and we have an enormous potential for greater confusion. While we appreciate some last days writers clearly labeling their works as fiction, our goal is to motivate our fellowship to study God's word, knowing full well that we bring our cultural "baggage" along. We need to discard every supplemental notion we can't square perfectly with Spirit and scripture, lest we play right into Satan's plans for us - eternal destruction. Again, please consider Revelation 22:18-19. Furthermore, we must continue to appreciate that in addition to personal speculations, private interpretations, mistranslations, and the dynamics of fluid language changes over many centuries, we have an adversary in Satan who wishes us to remain divided and become even more hostile toward each other (and God). It is our firm belief that God's spirit of love will provide the tolerance and compassion to look beyond our differences and better appreciate sincere efforts to prepare us for the most trying times ahead. So please, fight off the divisive thoughts and comments which play right into Satan's hands. Instead, feel free to join us as we uncover aspects of seldom discussed truths, promises, and prophecies, many of which have been simply muddled up or neglected by us imperfect humans. We should learn to discern the helpful opinions from the destructive, while leaving any future condemnation of our enemies to God. There is an immense power in properly distinguishing discernment from judgment. We have a duty to exercise this rule over our individual spirits (Colossians 3:12-17). With this proper Christian mindset and recognizing the sound teachings available to us through thousands of congregations, let's address the topic of the end times in a way that leaves our cultural baggage at the door. With Revelation 22:18-19 foremost in our thoughts, we must avoid the introduction of more fiction, but instead strive for the purest and most accurate prophesy. Let's allow time to fill in the details and illuminate passages which we find difficult to comprehend. A few centuries ago, an English minister promoted the word "rapture" within his depiction of apocalyptic events. This Latin rooted word (raptus) has been popularized by some who accept his concepts of the last days. There's no problem with the word, as we could easily substitute its Swahili equivalent or consider the original Greek word of harp (i.e. to pluck). The real danger lies in misrepresenting the prophesied events themselves, creating expectations that may lead us astray in terribly stressful times. Some alive today may actually live to experience this earth shattering climax, and the actual details may prove quite contrary to those accepted beliefs which include additions and subtractions to our King's promises. Of the many prophetic references to the end times, read Paul's instructions as found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11. (If you have more than one Bible, this is as good a time as any to suggest comparing these passages from different translations.) Regardless of which Bible you use, try to filter out previous assumptions or preconceived notions (leave your baggage at the door). We can read this again and again, yet we'll be hard pressed to extract any verses about ship captains instantly disappearing from their controls to the detriment of all remaining onboard. To be fair, it doesn't say this won't happen, either. We maintain that personal speculation should remain just that. We are better served by memorizing exactly what has been recorded, so we are better able to discern fact from fiction when the heat is on. Despite our human fingerprints of imperfect translation, we believe these words were most perfect at the time they were divinely inspired to the various orators and authors. To avoid further contamination of the true intended meaning, we should stay as close as possible to the Bible alone and allow His word to interpret itself. We conclude that even if the best translations fall short of 100% accuracy, extensive consideration of harmony and context most often resolves the initial confusion we have created. We believe that the sharpest tool for working through such puzzles is God's Holy Spirit. It can replace our cynical, stubborn, and contentious attitudes when we allow Him to rule over us, and so us over our spirit. We have both the power and the duty to discern for ourselves and our households, yet not condemn others. Of all the divisions and strife Satan uses to accuse and destroy us daily, there is one particular coming event we might call the global test. Some reading this won't live long enough to see the day, so why should they try to instruct future generations now? For that very reason - today's children and tomorrow's grandchildren have an increasing probability of experiencing the prophesied last days and you might not be here to help guide them through it. Despite the honorable efforts of many to educate the church as best they know, there still remains an incredible shortage of accurate coverage on this most serious topic of the Great Tribulation, whether it be decades, years or months away. The 666 Ton Beast in the Room Many mainstream Christian denominations strive to live according to God's instructions, teaching practical applications for daily life with Christ the King as the focal point. Although we should listen, discern, and respect those charged with guiding the flock, salvation comes only from Christ. Nobody else can pay the price for our sins and we alone as individuals must choose eternal life through Him, or eternal destruction without Him. Listen to Him first and foremost when you consider our words or anyone else's, because only He can save your soul - not us. Before the King returns to rule the entire world, He warns us of mountains of deception, misdirection, and harmful fiction that will prevail everywhere (Matthew 24:4-14). Only those who live and die for Christ the King in those days will be spared the eternal damnation reserved for all the rest who worship the beast or take its mark (Revelation 13:15-17 and 14:9-12). Why aren't these warnings from Christ given more emphasis in more congregations? We perceive our historical global lesson as one long experience of living apart from God. While many souls have lived and died in faith, our world as a whole has missed or rejected the Creator right from the start in the Garden of Eden, choosing to listen to Satan, determining good and evil on our own. As the world wakes up to impending destruction, the acceptance of the need for the true King's rule should replace our vanity. His return will come amidst the greatest tribulation and in ways which will surprise many if not most living at that time. If any of us think we have a pretty good grasp of these events, we should remember the Jewish community in Roman occupied Israel two thousand years ago. Despite dozens of Old Testament prophesies fulfilled by Christ's first appearance, most of His contemporaries initially rejected Him as the Messiah. Whether His life didn't fit their preconceived notions, spurious traditions, or hardened hearts, they simply wouldn't believe what they were witnessing. For whatever reasons, they didn't correlate the unfolding events with the scriptures they so greatly revered. If well educated Jews disregarded pure, plain prophecies of His first coming, how much more are we at risk today of making a similar mistake at His second coming as King? How can we or our children avoid this error? We strongly encourage all to stay true to the recorded word, not allowing an abundance of personal speculation to crowd out clear promises. In addition to many references to the end times in both Old and New Testaments, we see a strong message in Revelation which often seems to be neglected or distorted today. Still keeping verses 22:18 and 19 at the forefront, we see the consequences of either refusing or receiving the beast's mark in 20:4 and 19:19-21. What could be clearer? Either we risk our human lives because we demonstrate our loyalty to Christ by resisting the beast power and its control, or we accept this final evil world power as our authority, only to suffer eternal damnation. We call this mark of beast government MOB or MOB rule for short. If either seems like a high price to pay, choose eternal life, remembering the countless number of saints before you and your children. Beginning with Christ and His first disciples, we find an early martyr in Stephen (Acts 7). Note that as he was being stoned to death, he asked God to forgive His murderers. Regardless of our individual fate, even those protected in a place prepared by God are noted as not loving their lives to the death (Revelation 12:11). Beware of false prophets like those who led their followers to senseless deaths at Jonestown and Waco, claiming them to be places of refuge. To avoid a similar fate, we must establish and maintain balance. Consider these things like the fair minded Bereans (Acts 17:11). Compare proposed meanings to recorded scripture, with no additions or omissions (Revelation 22:18-19). Just as scripture illuminates itself, the actual events will prove out the prophecies, distinguishing the figurative from the literal. Let's get it right and listen only to truth, not Satan's misdirects. His first recorded lie to us begins in Genesis 3:4. We sense an additional and somewhat similar deception brewing today. Please note that I Thessalonians 4:16 describes a resurrection of the dead in Christ and a subsequent transformation and ascension (rapture) of any faithful still alive. We respectfully suggest that our primary focus be placed on the first part of this united group. Consider all of those who will remain faithful to their deaths at the hands of MOB rulers and their minions. Many, if not most of us who won't bow down and worship the beast power, will so join the faithful of past generations who await their resurrection to eternal life (Revelation 13:15). We strongly suggest that you embrace this outcome as a high probability for you and yours, while acknowledging that some others will be spared this death and also "join up" to meet our returning Lord. Just as we encourage you to study the entire Bible, we suggest you read and reread this last book. To be sure, some sections can be rough going when we haven't yet witnessed all of the events foretold. However, this does not relieve us of the responsibility to get it right. As with other topical study, cross referencing other passages can be helpful in getting proper perspectives. For one example, our King's description of these end times as recorded in the Gospels can provide a short, direct context (Matthew 24). We find that world developments of the last centuries and decades are a close fit to older prophecies, such as Daniel 12:4. We are getting a sense of urgency to emphasize end time scriptures to our children, hoping they will also articulate the sober message to their kids, with no additions and no omissions, but just the purest renderings possible. We encourage you to share this web site address with others and to revisit it from time to time for any updates. And may God richly bless you with His wisdom! Memorize This
Let no man nor beast deceive you or yours in the coming last days. Commit the following essential points to memory daily until you can recall them with ease: 1) The stage is being set for the Great Tribulation. Daniel 12:1-4, Matthew 24:21, Revelation 7:14
2) As if there isn't enough falsehood in our sick and dying world, a climatic wave of it will abound near the end time. Matthew 24:4-5, 9-12 3) God's wrath is poured out on at least two types of offenders, those who add or subtract from the words of Revelation and those who choose to follow the Beast and/or take its mark. Revelation 22:18-19, 14:9-11 4) Those remaining loyal to Christ will reject MOB rule and risk or trade their physical lives for eternal life within God's divine family. Revelation 14:12-13 5) Our King reigns and restores this world without Satan's influence! Revelation 21:4-8 Consider Classic Resources We should prepare for theological conflicts in advance of the Great Tribulation. Anticipating a variety of opinions regarding Christ's return, we suggest a three hour "debate" from thirty years ago. It offers a degree of balance in discussing competing traditions: http://www.itbn.org/index/detail/lib/Programs/sublib/Classics/ec/h4bTVvMjouMevM7yLtrobEjmtKuQy3fJ Prayer Request Please pray for all of us at ECCL, that we may serve God by serving you!
Emphasize the most timely and essential words of our Creator.
Prepare our generations to resist an impending Mark of Beast rule. Promote global appreciation for the return and reign of Christ our King. ECCL.ORG A FREE CHURCH is a 508(c)(1)(A) tax exempt unincorporated association.
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