If you are reading this, buckle your seat belt, because The Judgment Day of God on the earth will start May 21, 2011.
This group predicts the Rapture (Latin “raptio,” to snatch out) will occur this Saturday. The Rapture is when Christ will remove His true followers from this earth so they can avoid the time when all hell breaks loose here, called the time of Great Tribulation. (“End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word,” By TOM BREEN, AP article, 1/3/11).
Many Bible-believing Christians, like me, take seriously both the Rapture and the Great Tribulation. But we also take literally Jesus’ warning that “no man knows the day or the hour” when those will take place (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). This Judgment Day group seemingly ignores Christ’s clear warning.
I’m equally concerned about another one of their main teachings. They state the Holy Spirit left all organized churches worldwide on May 22, 1988. That’s when Satan entered all churches and started to control their leaders, and do so until this day. Consequently all true followers of Jesus MUST immediately leave all organized churches (see their brochure at http://www.familyradio.com/ or http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/
Followers of Jesus have been lured away from organized churches throughout church history. I understand this temptation. Real relationships with actual people that you have to relate to & engage on a weekly basis are challenging and messy. It’s a lot more convenient and “clean” to be involved in church via radio, internet, TV, concerts, coffeehouses & facebook, instead of face to face flesh and blood people. But virtual relationships can’t be the basis of the Body of Christ—the Church.
How can followers of family radio.com seriously believe that all the godly pastors and good ministries that preach the Bible, exalt Jesus, and do marvelous works in His name (the same works Jesus did, Luke 4:18-19), are being ruled by Satan?
Jesus warned that blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin, was to say the things of God were actually being motivated by Satan (Matt 12:30-32; Mark 3:29-30). I suggest this doomsday group is coming dangerously close to the unforgivable sin in their statements.
Many will chalk all the above to “more Christian infighting”-- that the church is the only army whose firing squad stands in a circle. Ouch!
But Jesus said we must be about grace AND truth (John 1:14, 17). So I have tried to communicate my concerns to this group as lovingly as I know how. Now I must speak the truth to all who have ears to hear.
