Forget The Doctrine of Imminence

By Ray Gano

One of the people that I look up to in history is President Ronald Reagan.

In 1962 He made the following statement…

“I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The Democrat Party left me.” Ronald Reagan, 1962

I woke up this morning to the following headline…

A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFIRMARY - Obama Health Care Passed

Talk about a pit in ones stomach. As an American, I feel betrayed and sold down the road to slavery.

But can I really blame the Democrats and Republicans in the house, senate and government for this problem?

No, I really can't.

Prayer Banned in Schools

The U. S. Supreme Court issued two bans. One in 1962 and the second in 1963. Both bans were the result of lawsuits against the teaching of religion and religious practices in public schools. Basically stating that organized prayer in schools was a violation of the separation of church and state. It was decided that publicly funded schools were an extension of the state, and that organized prayer or bible readings were a form of proselytizing. The bans not only banned mandatory prayer in schools but also banned the daily reading of bible passages.

The lawsuits were supported by several organizations but the most outspoken supporter for banning prayer in schools came from Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists, Inc.

Abortion on Demand

On January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade was decided upon in favor of killing innocent children in the womb. The historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion law and making abortion legal in the United States. The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy.

Can I really blame the U.S Supreme Courts?

We would like to, but no, we really can't.

The Poor and Hungry

The official number of poor in the US in 2008 is 39.1 million people. Today we live in the year 2010, there are even more people poor and hungry. In fact those on Food Stamps are at an all time high. Children represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States; they are 25 percent of the total population, but 35 percent of the poor population. In 2008, 14.1 million children, or 19.0 percent, were poor.

There are children in the US that go to bed hungry every night and only having one meal per day.

Can we blame these young for being poor and destitute?

I have to say that I am ashamed of Christians today. We have turned into a selfish lot and not occupying till He Returns.

Can we blame any of those above for the situations that we as Christians face today in the US?

No we can't.

Who we need to blame is ourselves.

Why, because we have forgotten the doctrine of Imminence.

Listen, I don’t want to hear any garbage about the doctrine of imminence being…

" The generally accepted definition that Jesus could come "at any moment" meaning there are NO signs to occur, NO prophecies to be fulfilled before Jesus returns for the rapture of the church."

That is a bunch of hog wash. We are students of Bible Prophecy. We know we are living in the last days, we can clearly see the signs of His coming. I don’t care when you believe the Lord will return. If one cannot see the clear writing on the wall they are either not paying attention, they are a fool or they are a heathen.

What did Reagan say?

“I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The Democrat Party left me.”

Well you know how I feel? I feel like..

"I didn’t leave the pre-trib, the pre-trib left me." Ray Gano - March 22, 2010.

And you can quote me too.

One of the pillars of the doctrine of imminence is that having an urgency knowing that Christ can return at any moment because we are living in the Last Days.

But where is that urgency? But more than that, why are not Christians occupying till He returns?

You would not believe the complacent pitiful emails I get from people basically stating..

"oh why worry about this or that, Christ is coming to rapture us out any day now. There is not much that we can do anyways. In essence saying let's just all sing Kum-by-ya."

Occupy Till I Return…

Luke 19:12-27 (KJV) …A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

We are where we are because we have been complacent in our duties, we are like the wicked servant derelict in his duties to the Master.

We have allowed evil to overtake our land because we are too lazy to do the right thing and stand for the Lord.

There are millions who have no knowledge of God, our Savior Jesus Christ or His word. Millions will burn in Hell because we have not been obedient to the Great Commission nor the Great Commandment.

Scripture says…

1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV) Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Now, am I speaking to everyone?

No I am not, there are many good and faithful servants out there who are doing the right thing and if they are not physically able, they are helping by prayer, support and giving. Even the widow who only has a mite to give is still part of the solution.

I am speaking to those who are doing absolutely nothing, and there are a boat load of you out there too.

Look how many churches no longer support missions. In fact we have more missionaries returning home due to a serious lack of support than those who are being sent out.

Our nation's one saving grace was that we have always sent out more missionaries than any other. But that is no more. We no longer support the missionary with funds, supplies and prayer. Again it boils down to a selfish attitude.

Do you want to know what is happening today? Other countries are actually sending missionaries here to the US.

Why?

Because they have a burden for this nation who once stood for God and who once made a difference in their own country.

Those other countries feel an obligation to us because we sent them God fearing missionaries and shared the gospel. We have fallen by the wayside and become backslidden in our gross sin.

How did we get to where we are today?

Out of our own selfish desires and our do nothing attitude; we lie to ourselves and to others and do not love the Lord our God as commanded.

For I Hungered

Mat 25:41-46 (KJV) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:…

Many Christians I know have become hypocrites. They speak of urgency and imminence and yet the fruits of their knowledge are lacking.

Their faith without works is dead.

I know for a fact that many of these do nothing people have friends and family who do not know the Lord.

See that is what troubles me, these people know that the Lord's return is near and their lack of action will cause many people to burn in hell.

Why?

Because we have forgotten the doctrine of imminence. We have forgotten the urgency that we need to have in our lives knowing that the next minute may be our last.

Because many have forgotten the doctrine of imminence, we are where we are today.

We are ruled by a Muslim sympathizer, and believe he is a Muslim himself.

Our leaders have turned their backs upon Israel and her people.

We kill over three million of our own innocent children every year and don’t even blink.

Those children we don't kill lack any discipline or love because they don’t even know what prayer or for that matter what the 10 commandments are.

Sodomites and hedonism runs rampant.

Sexual deviance and perversion has exploded.

We are a nation controlled by mind altering drugs both legal and illegal.

All this and more, and who do we blame?

We blame everyone else as if it is not our problem nor could we have done anything about it.

The reality is that it is our fault, it is our problem because we have not done what the Lord has commanded us.

That is to occupy till He returns.

We have made our bed due to our pitiful lack of action, laziness and complacency. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

God's Word warned us, but we did not care.

You know how we can fix it?

It is very simple…

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

But will many people do it?

I doubt it.

It will have to get a whole lot worse before it gets better for the people to really return to the Lord.

In fact this nation is ripe for judgment.

Now a somewhat positive note out of all of this.

Judgment purifies the church. In fact I have heard rumors that our brothers and sisters in China actually pray for persecution to come to this nation so that we may finally get on our knees and repent before the Lord our God.

Now I have probably made some of you out there angry. The truth is cold steel that cuts to the bone.

With all this said, I have to ask the following...

"Knowing that Christ is coming as well as judgment, what are you going to do? "

Sit around with rose colored glasses humming kum-by-ya?

Or

Occupy till He returns being a good steward over what the Lord has given you stewardship over for the betterment and growth of His kingdom.

Scripture says…

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Are you always ready to give an answer?

Conduct a check up from the neck up and ask yourself, Who do you REALLY serve?

Any other answer that you give besides our Lord God, then you need to repent of your sins, ask God to forgive you, pick up your cross and follow Him.

1 John 1:8-10 (KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.