[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”July-August 2022 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1304″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1598373738095{border-radius: 3px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
– Psalm 104:12, 27

One of the many hummingbirds who visit our backyard feeders decided to build a nest right outside our bedroom window. We’ve enjoyed watching the mother sitting over two eggs in the nest she made (the nest is about 1-1/2” across and the eggs were the size of pinto beans). They hatched and then we’d see mother dutifully feeding two very tiny chicks.

Not tiny for long. Mother kept up the feeding and the two birds would stand at the edge of the nest flapping their rapid wings. They flew off on June 6 and 7, about a month after the eggs were laid.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Back the Badge
“Blessed are those who maintain justice.” – Psalm 106:3

Always “On Call”

In the Bible we read a word of advice from the Apostle Paul to his young colleague Timothy: “Be prepared in season, out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The words have broad application beyond advice to Christian ministers who find ourselves called on suddenly when not “on the job.” Emergency responders such as firefighters and police officers are especially called to be “prepared in season, out of season.”

The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics begins with “As a Law Enforcement Officer my fundamental duty is to serve; to safeguard lives…” (and much more). The officer promises to “be constantly mindful of the welfare of others.” Such commitments know no “punch clock” timing.

May 21, 2021 – Sgt. Joe Garcia of the Seal Beach CA Police Department was driving the freeway on his day off, heading toward a park to do some mountain biking. When traffic slowed to a crawl on the freeway, he saw the reason why. A woman and her 6-year-old son—victims of “road rage”—were on the freeway shoulder, the son with a gunshot wound in his back.

Sgt. Garcia laid the boy on a blanket and administered CPR until paramedics arrived. Upon arriving at the hospital several miles away, Sgt. Garcia learned the child had died. He would later say, “Once I saw Aiden [the boy’s name] I immediately thought it was my boy” who turned five years old the same day. When he heard Aiden didn’t make it, “I pulled over and broke down, because I just kept saying in my head this mom is now without her son.”

This past May the American Red Cross of Orange County (CA) rightfully honored Sgt. Garcia with the “First Responder Hero Award.”

It might be said that Sgt. Garcia’s quick response that day is what any dedicated officer would do. True. But this doesn’t at all make the trauma routine. An excellent officer’s training will kick in when he or she is confronted with a life-threatening emergency. But these officers don’t leave their humanity behind.

[Details of the incident and award are from The Orange County Register, May 21, 2022.]

A PERSONAL NOTE: I was a young pastor in the mid-1970’s when our home phone rang in the middle of the night. It was a distraught father calling to tell me his teen son had just died from an accidental gunshot wound. I went to the boy’s grandparent’s home to give them the tragic news. Then I drove to the regional hospital, arriving just as the family was about to view the boy’s body.

After some hours I returned home. I stood in the doorway of my 4-year old daughter’s bedroom watching her sleep so peacefully. I was thankful to God for my family’s safety and struck by the fragility of life at the same time. That night will never leave my mind.

What Key Identification Info Is Missing Here?
An on-line news source put out this alert. What’s missing from it?

SEAL BEACH, CA — The Seal Beach Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding the suspects in an armed robbery at a T-Mobile store on Tuesday [May 10, 2022].

One suspect was described as a man in his late 20s, about 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket with dark jeans, Seal Beach police said.

A second suspect was described as a man in his late 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. Police said he was wearing a gray jacket with gray sweatpants.

Gender, clothing, approximate height, weight and age—it’s all there.
Wouldn’t it be good public service to give the racial IDs of the suspects?
This detail was available and vital. But would it be “incorrect” to report it?

A Meaningful Prayer for a Church and a Hurting World
Men and women from the congregation offer prayers to open our church services. I thought this prayer given June 12 was especially excellent. I share it slightly abbreviated. Thanks to Andreas Gratopp, who gave me the text.

Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful that You bless this place and this gathering with Your presence. We are comforted to be able to continue returning to Your house to listen to the good news, to your Gospel.

As we look forward to summer… remind us to celebrate and be thankful for the fruits and freedoms that this Nation provides. We thank You Lord, for bestowing Your justice, Your mercy and Your faithfulness to all that call this land home.

Father, please be with our brothers and sisters that are suffering here and around this fragile earth. We ask that You guide them in their fight for justice, for mercy and for peace in their respective lives. Please lift up their faces, to be able see Your grace. Place your loving hand on burdened shoulders and lighten their load…

We turn to You with our eyes open, with our ears trained to listen, with our voices ready to sing and pray, and with our hearts prepared to receive Your Son. Lord, we thank you for the Spirit that surrounds us and encourages us to be faithful. Whatever our circumstance, we look up to You and we are grateful to know that Your love, Your gospel, is always available to us.

All of these things we ask and pray for in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Picture: Outdoor 9:30 a.m. service of Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, CA
(June 26, 2022). Services at 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. are held indoors in the church sanctuary. The outdoor option is popular and has remained even after Covid restrictions were lifted for indoor gatherings.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Learning Worship from the First Christians
– 6th Essay on Worship for 2022
“[Jesus] read the Old Testament. It’s strange that many Christians don’t read what Jesus read.”
– Dennis Prager
Christians sometimes romanticize the Early Church. “Why can’t we be like the Early Church, those first Christians?” Some churches and denominations actually stress the importance of duplicating the Early Church, in organization or worship or spiritual gifts.

But if we strive to be like the Early Church we can expect some undesirable things: controversies, excluding people who should be let in, letting in people who should be excluded, false doctrine, worship abuses and legalism.

Still, we can learn a lot by seeing how the Early Church worshiped. The worship patterns of the Early Church are fascinating and helpful.

God does not require that we Xerox the worship of the Early Church and do it exactly that way. But we should consider patterns in Early Church worship and how to apply them to our own experience, so we might worship in a more God-pleasing way.

We should follow the spirit of what we learn and, in accord with our Christian freedom, employ what will serve the tasks of our modern church the best.

Three Biblical PRECEDENTS for Worship
After the birth of the Christian Church on the Day of Pentecost (30 AD?), worship patterns slowly emerged. Early Christian worship didn’t just start from “scratch.” Some things were new, needing to be developed. But three key features were quite old, simply needing to be appreciated and used.

First, the Early Church was never without a BIBLE (Holy Scripture).

It already had what Christians call “The Old Testament”—a body of literature Paul would describe as “inspired of God and profitable…” (2 Timothy 3:15-17). They had words from God that could light their pathway in worship and more.

Second, the Early Church was never without a HYMNBOOK.

It already possessed The Psalms. Some traditions in the Protestant Reformation have said we should ONLY sing the Psalms. That’s legalistic. Isaac Watts (1674-1748), “The Father of English Hymnody,” wrote 800 songs, many based on the Psalms (“O God Our Help in Ages Past” and “Give to Our God Immortal Praise”), but also songs not from the Psalms (“Jesus Shall Reign” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”). I’m glad he “broke the mold.”

Still, to ignore or minimize this rich, inspired hymnbook is poverty. I mention again that the “Jesus Movement” of the 1960’s and 70’s restored Psalm-singing to the church. If you are old enough to remember, think how little Psalm-singing took place before that movement.

Third, the Early Church was never without a TRADITION.

This “tradition” was the worship of the Jewish synagogue (read Luke 4:14-21). The synagogue service had these elements (note: we know more about worship details of the 2nd and 3rd centuries than we do of the 1st century):
• The Confession (Deuteronomy 6:4 – “the Lord is one.”)
• The Prayers
• The Readings (from the Law and Prophets)
• The Instruction from the scriptures
• The Benediction

Worship in the synagogue was “God-centered” and Jesus shared in it. Here is an important word on Jesus’ worship habits: “On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom” (Luke 4:16).

Jesus, our example, nurtured faithful and meaningful worship habits. In this spirit, we are instructed not to forsake our own “gathering together” (Hebrews 10:25). Do you remember the question, “WWJD?” (“What Would Jesus Do?”)? Jesus would be in a worship gathering on The Lord’s Day.

A Biblical PATTERN for Worship (Acts 2:42)

Since first discovering it I have always encouraged Christians (especially new believers) to develop the pattern for worship found in Acts 2:42. Once baptized, these new believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to [the] prayers.”

1. The Apostles’ Doctrine – This is the teaching of those chosen and taught by Jesus to unfold the meaning of his life and death and to establish his followers in the Faith. Now this teaching is found in the New Testament. It is also well summarized in the historic creeds we may recite in church.

“The Apostles’ Doctrine” will keep us from heresy (which contradicts and destroys the church’s message) and from market-driven or politics-driven trendy topics (which water down or ignore the church’s message).

2. The Fellowship – Regular “getting together” to help with needs and share warmth, rejoicing and tears. This protects us from unhealthy spiritual individualism
(“I come to the garden alone…”). Biblical fellowship is well expressed in the familiar hymn:

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

3. The Breaking of [The] Bread– This is more than “breaking bread” as a sign of friendship and togetherness. There is a definite article (“the”) before “bread.” It very likely refers to “the Bread” of the Lord’s Table, the Communion Bread. This divine tradition was established very quickly in the life of the Early Church (1 Corinthians 11:23-24 NIV): “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’”

Frequent receiving of “Communion” keeps our thoughts Cross-centered and renews our intimate togetherness with Jesus, the One crucified for us.

4. The Prayers– Meaningful prayer is often spontaneous. Here though the reference is probably to planned or ritual prayers. Rather than criticizing this as empty ritualism (which it can be, but our spontaneous prayers can be empty and torturous to others as well!) we can use ritual prayers helpfully.

The best prayer ritual we can ever have is the frequent recitation of “The Lord’s Prayer” Jesus gave us to pray. We should also pray the Psalms.

Churches always face the pressure to be conformed to the world rather than transformed by the Word. We ask people what they want and make worship “man-centered.” Instead, we should seek out what God wants and make worship “God-centered.” * We demand that the church meet our needs. Instead, we should ask, “What needs did God create the church to meet?”

If our worship is centered on God, strengthening to believers, sensitive to non-believers, and meeting the needs God equipped it to meet, then we will have good worship. Godly-minded people will be pleased. Most of all, God will be pleased. All this we learn from the worship of the earliest Christians.

I love to live in Your house, O Lord.
I love to sit here at Your feet,
And let Your words be the food I eat.
The food I eat.

I love to live in Your house, O Lord,
to dine at the table with my King.
And give to You the praise I bring.
The praise I bring.
– “The House of the Lord” by Glen Veenstra

* Churches are free to “flex” on morally-neutral features of worship (kinds of instrumentation, choirs, praise teams, style of sermon delivery, etc.) for the greater benefit of those present. “Being all things to all people” can be difficult if the church has multiple kinds of people attending with different preferences. Paul doesn’t teach that oldsters and the “weak” should control things (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23), nor does he permit legalism to prevail (Galatians 2:11-15).

Next Issue: “Ceremonies Sent from God that Help Us Worship”[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]This Independence Day – Appreciate American Leaders Who Excelled, Moral Shortcomings and All

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free.”
– Thomas Jefferson, “Notes on the State of Virginia”

The City of Long Beach is pondering changing the name of a park from “Lincoln Park” to a name of interest to Native Americans. OK, maybe the park is on land with a history many of us don’t know. If the change is made, I hope “Lincoln Park” can find a place to bear its name somewhere else. Don’t judge an imperfect Lincoln in a way that cancels his magisterial accomplishments.

Thomas Jefferson was not a perfect man. Will the perfect person please stand, that we might pay you honor? His slavery practices fell well short of his proclamations on slavery. To put it another way, though he was a sinner who kept slaves, Jefferson set forth principles bigger than he was—principles that helped sow the seeds of abolition. This must not be forgotten.

Our nation’s pacesetters need to be evaluated by the mores and standards of their own generations, not by “righteous people” who come along later— who’ve had more of a chance to learn and grow from the mistakes of the past.

We honor President Franklin D. Roosevelt but we must not forget his evil actions against innocent Japanese-Americans. Eighty years ago he signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the War Relocation Authority, which led to placing 120,000 West Coast Japanese-Americans in relocation camps.
Should we “correct” our history and close his monument in Washington, DC?
No, but we must tell the story and never forget his great wrong.

Likewise, California’s attorney general (and later its very popular governor) Earl Warren* was a strong supporter of the relocation camps and urged the president on. On the way up the coast on Highway 101, just past Santa Barbara, we pass the Earl Warren Showgrounds. Should this be renamed and his name cancelled? No, but his complicity in the interning of American citizens of Japanese descent must be remembered.

* See: Greg Robinson, By Order of the President, pp. 96, 101, 102, 126. Most Americans today remember Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969, whose appointment President Eisenhower later called “the biggest damn-fool mistake I ever made.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1656698124270{background-color: #21e0d3 !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

Roe v. Wade Overturned by U.S. Supreme Court
Dobbs v. Jackson (June 24, 2023)

Here are two important quotes giving (1) a SUMMARY of the decision, and
(2) the LIMITATION of the decision to the abortion issue alone.

(SUMMARY) “We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.” [page 69]

(LIMITATION) “…the Solicitor General suggests that overruling those decisions would ‘threaten the Court’s precedents holding that the Due Process Clause protects other rights.’”
“…to ensure that our decision is not misunderstood or mischaracterized, we emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt
on precedents that do not concern abortion.” [page 66]

The decision, concurrences and dissent are well worth a read (you may skip the long syllabus and go straight to the decision).
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]For Me, The “Rapture” Is Up in the Air!
By Donald Shoemaker
PART THREE (of 3): The Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of the Church – Some Helpful Reflections

In “Part One” ” I shared my movement away from a doctrinaire “Pre-tribulation Rapture” view toward (1) greater openness on the subject and (2) the observation that this subject is not a “Truth of the First Order” where we speak with high certainty. Rather, it is a “level three” or “level four” teaching, which carries less certitude and shouldn’t divide us.

In “Part Two” ” we saw how Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian Christians contain an amazingly large amount of teaching on the Second Coming of Jesus and also contain a surprisingly small amount of teaching on the Rapture. This is significant all the more in light of the fact that the Rapture is likely taught nowhere else in the Bible.

We looked at the seven references in 1 and 2 Thessalonians to the Second Coming and the Rapture. My conclusion from my study: These texts together support or lean toward the idea of the Second Coming being one comprehensive event, not “Events A and B.”

Now for “Part Three” I want to discuss a number of issues that relate to the Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of the Church.

1. Why the current disinterest in Bible Prophecy?
When I was a young Christian in the 1960’s I was concerned that a general disinterest in Bible prophecy seemed to be settling into evangelical churches and ministries. This was a BIG change from the 1950’s, when Bible Prophecy was a huge teaching theme. Trends in youth ministry pointed us to focus on problems of this world and our role in changing things. Prophecy took a back seat, for it was seen as a hindrance to this-world ministries.

Everything changed dramatically again with the arrival of The Jesus Movement in the late 1960’s. Many of the “Hippies” who were attracted to The Jesus Movement were kind of “doomsday” people to begin with (the singer Barry McGuire, who converted to Jesus, was already known in the entertainment world for his song “Eve of Destruction”).

The Jesus Movement was highly influenced by the Calvary Chapel churches that grew from it and by Hal Lindsey (author of The Late Great Planet Earth). Calvary Chapels were strongly into Bible Prophecy and were (and still are) strong proponents of the “Pre-Trib Rapture.” Youthful Christians were taught that the Rapture could happen at any moment. Youthful songwriters produced songs on prophecy themes (like Larry Norman’s pre-trib song “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”). The youth of my own congregation in Long Beach, California started a regular “Jesus Meeting” gathering known as “Last Generation.”

The popular film “A Thief in the Night” promoted a pre-tribulation rapture. San Diego-based pastor and author Tim LaHaye, whom TIME Magazine named one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America, produced the immensely popular “Left Behind” series of 12 books that depicted a world in turmoil after the sudden pre-trib rapture of the saints.

Youth-driven interest in prophecy topics had never been greater, I’m quite sure.

Now today we have lapsed back into disinterest in Bible prophecy. One writer said you have to be over 50 to be interested (all those Jesus People are now well over 50!). This could be blamed on the excesses and extremes of some prophecy teaching. Or to the “this-world” orientation of a lot of teaching and ministries today (including efforts to change society). Or simply to a blind spot in our attention to one of the Bible’s key themes.

Whatever the reasons, the current disinterest is nothing new. “I’ve seen it all before!” The Church needs to be concerned about it and reform itself by a healthy restoration of Bible Prophecy.

2. Can even good teaching on Bible Prophecy lead to bad behavior?
Let’s stipulate: Bad theology leads to bad behavior. But can good teaching lead some to wrong behavior. This seemed to be the case in Thessalonica, when Paul wrote his two letters to the church there.

That church seemed remarkably free of bad thinking and bad living *. Still, Paul makes reference to some bad behavior which might well be linked to the teachings on prophecy the church had learned:

We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 NIV)

Here’s the error: Instead of minding their own business they started minding the business of others. Idleness creates unhealthy dependence and nosy busybodies. Paul’s strong words of solution were “be quiet, earn your own bread. And if you won’t work, then you don’t eat!” He gives the practice of his own missionary team as an example to follow: “We worked hard among you and didn’t ask you for anything” (verses 7-8).

Unfortunately, even truthful teaching about Jesus’ second coming can lead to wrong application of the truth if guidance on good behavior isn’t given. Trust in the return of the Lord should lead to energetic service and devotion to everyday duties. It must not lead to idleness and dependency. Or to the “cultural withdrawal” we sometimes see today.

A church once began near my home. The pastor announced in the local newspaper that his new church wouldn’t own any buildings because Jesus was coming soon. But Jesus didn’t come immediately and in time some couples in his congregation wanted to get married.
How does a pastor handle weddings if his congregation has no place of their own to meet? Well, why not go ask other churches if they could use their church building for wedding ceremonies? See the dependency? Update: that church now owns its own building!

We must be sure to provide example after example of the godly living that must proceed from good prophetic teaching, lest listeners misapply the teaching and go astray.

[ * Paul also identifies some apparent sexual misbehavior in this congregation, but doesn’t seem to link it to prophetic teachings. Rather, to a failure to honor the human body as we should (1 Thessalonians 3:3-8).]

3. Arguments for a Pre-tribulation Rapture based on biblical issues, not biblical texts

• An imminent “Rapture”?
In his book The Rapture Question John Walvoord stated that the Rapture is not explicitly taught in Scripture (p. 148 in 1957 edition, deleted in later printings). This is not a disproof in itself, but acknowledges that the doctrine is essentially rationalized from other topics *.

One rationalization is the “imminence” issue—an “any moment” return of Christ. If the Rapture is “imminent,” then no signs—certainly not the Tribulation—can precede it. It is further argued that an “imminent rapture” is a stimulus for godly living, and this stimulus is lost without an imminent rapture.

There are warnings in scripture about the Lord’s sudden, unexpected return that will catch many unprepared. “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42). However the reality is that such warnings are intended to prepare people for the post-tribulational Second Coming (24:30), not a rapture seven years earlier. Indeed, Jesus alerts his followers to look for signs of this “imminent” event and to be prepared, because its exact timing is unknown. Combined with this is Jesus’ word that “for the sake of the elect” the final days of stress before his return will be shortened (Matthew 24:22). How much, we’re not told. **

Here’s a challenge: before us are two devout Christians. One believes the Rapture could happen at any moment. The other Christian’s prophetic system teaches that certain events will precede the Rapture. Show me that the first person’s prophetic outlook will make him any more godly, any more “ready” for the Lord’s return than the other. I doubt you can. Hopefully, our commitment to pleasing our Lord goes deeper than where Jesus’ coming for his saints is placed on the prophecy chart hanging on some wall at church.

* It’s true that doctrines can be rationalized from biblical statements that don’t teach it explicitly. The Trinity is a prime example. But the many texts that would lead to a reasoned doctrine of the Trinity are quite clear (the deity of Christ, for example, in John 1:1 and Philippians 2:5-11).

** Anyone who has tried to interpret Matthew 24 and related texts knows how Jesus’ words on the destruction of the Temple (70 AD) and his Second Coming are intermingled and is aware of how difficult this makes our understanding of many specific verses.

• Sharp distinction between Israel and the Church?
The system of interpretation known as “Dispensationalism” distinguishes Israel and the church (and God’s promises to each). The argument here is that God will conclude his dealings with the Church (by rapturing it) before he resumes his favored dealings with Israel. Richard Mayhue stated that “nowhere in Scripture is it taught that the Church and Israel would coexist as the centers for God’s redemptive message and yet remain mutually exclusive.”

Some writers are adamant, insisting that God’s ministry to the Church must end before he resumes his ministry with Israel.

I call this insistence the notion that God can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Why can’t God multi-task if it fits his purposes?

Others say the non-congruence of these two works of God is a free decision by God (which fits our understanding of God’s freedom better).

This is an example of where new perspectives on Dispensationalism are modifying that system. A pre-tribulation rapture once thought to be a necessary implication of this system is no longer seen as such. Note some statements by Robert Saucy (pages 8-9 and 26-27 in The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism):

While most dispensationalists probably hold to a pretribulation rapture of the church as being in certain respects more harmonious with dispensationalism in general, many would not desire to make this a determining touchstone of dispensationalism today.

Saucy argued for a “mediating position”: (1) a natural understanding of the prophetic Scriptures that appear to assign a significant role to the nation Israel in the future is retained; (2) God’s program is viewed as unified within history. A radical discontinuity between the present church age and the kingdom promises to Israel is denied.

This is a big debate. The only point I make here is that a particular position on the timing of the Rapture should not be inferred from a conclusion on how God can or must deal with Israel and the Church.

• Exemption from God’s judgments poured out during the Tribulation
I noted in “Part Two” of this 3-part study that it is hard to contemplate the presence of the saints on earth during a time of God’s intense worldwide outpouring of his wrath as it seems to be described in Revelation 16. This leads some to support a “pre-wrath rapture” theory. Others look to the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7-11) as evidence that God can protect his chosen ones while his wrath is expressed all around. They note the seal of protection on the 144,000 during the Tribulation as an example (Revelation 7:1-8). Others hesitate to impose a worldwide notion on texts that may not intend such a perspective (e.g., Luke 2:1).

Still others would spiritualize at least some of the plagues. I’m fascinated by the views of Dwight Pentecost (a strong “literal meaning” advocate for understanding prophecy texts). He says the outpouring of God’s wrath in the “vial” judgments of Revelation 16 have reference to unbelievers and special reference to the Beast [Antichrist] and his followers. He goes further and spiritualizes at least some of these plagues. A judgment on the “seas” refers to spiritual death; one on “rivers” and “fountains of life” shows that the Beast is unable to nourish and sustain life. Judgment on the sun speaks of “spiritual blindness” (Things to Come, pp. 363-64).

The issue I identify remains but has possible solutions. And it definitely does not require a rapture that would exempt Christians from the Tribulation and its persecutions.

4. Two examples of change from a strict Pre-tribulation Rapture position

The pre-tribulation rapture position had its rise with the Plymouth Brethren and the Bible Conference movements of the 19th century. Dispensationalism got a huge boost in the U.S. from the great popularity of The Scofield Reference Bible.

One reference to the pre-tribulation rapture in The Scofield Reference Bible is clear (commenting on the “restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 being the Holy Spirit in the Church, p. 1272). Scofield’s main impact is his sharp distinction between scriptures referring to Israel and the Church. For example, he would hold that the prophecies in the Synoptic Gospels have little to say directly to the Church.

The pre-tribulation rapture found its way into many doctrinal statements of Dispensational flavor in the first half of the 20th century. It also became popular in the new Pentecostal movement, which was “end times” focused. Many thought it was a bulwark against liberalism. Insist on this doctrine and liberalism will never take root!

The Bible Institute of Los Angeles (which morphed into Biola University, where I once taught) has a clearly mainstream evangelical doctrinal statement (1912) that doesn’t get into the rapture issue. However, a number of “Teaching Positions” were created over the years to clarify the doctrinal statement. In reality, some positions added to the school’s doctrines rather than just clarifying them.

Biola’s teaching position on the Rapture added to the doctrinal statement as it said:
“The Scriptures are to be interpreted according to dispensational distinctive with the conviction that the return of the Lord for His Church will be premillennial, before the Tribulation, and that the millennium is to be the last of the dispensations” [italics mine].

As a biblical studies professor, I found this position to be a confining limitation on freedom of inquiry on an issue over which evangelicals should be able to hold various positions without putting themselves outside the “Bible-believing” camp.

Biola’s current position, however, is quite different: “Before these millennial events, the believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thess. 4:13-17). The time of this ‘rapture’ is unknown, and thus believers are to live constantly watchful and ready.” Yes!

Likewise, my own denomination (The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, now commonly known as “The Charis Fellowship”) adopted a clear pre-tribulation rapture position in its 1969 doctrinal statement:

SECOND COMING. The personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove His church from the earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11-20:6). [Italics mine]

This reflected a move away from the simple statement on eschatology in The Message of the Brethren Ministry” (1921):

The personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the glorious goal for which we are taught to watch, wait and pray.

The change represented a doctrinal “tightening” viewed by many as a progressive step coming from deeper insight into scripture. But not all of us were content!

In the year 2000 I wrote an article titled “Grace Brethren Eschatology: Where Should Our Fellowship Go?” in Sharpening One Another, a publication of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers. I presented a series of statements encouraging us to ponder turning away from a dogmatic pre-tribulation rapture position and back to the simplicity of “The Message of the Brethren Ministry.” [See Appendix #1]

In 2015-16 the FGBC/Charis Fellowship adopted a new document known as “The Charis Commitment to Common Identity.” It is an interesting document worth a look (under “about” at www.charisfellowship.us). Its eschatology statement is premillennial without dogmatism about the timing of the Rapture:

The present Church age will come to an end when our Lord comes in the air to remove His Church from the earth and fulfill His promises to Israel. The second coming of Christ is the personal, physical, and visible return from heaven of Christ to earth with His Church, to establish His thousand-year reign before instituting His eternal kingdom.

The Charis Fellowship’s educational institution, Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary, retains a pre-tribulation rapture statement in its “Covenant of Faith.”

These two examples represent a broad trend in conservative denominations toward the loosening of position-taking on the Rapture of the Church. Other evangelicals have, on the other hand, retained the pretribulation rapture point—the Assemblies of God and the Calvary Chapel network are examples of denominations doing this.

Some Final Words
(We believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.

– The Nicene Creed (325 AD)

Millions of Christians express their unity of faith in Christ’s return as they recite this creed or the similar though briefer Apostles’ Creed.
I strongly believe that the various perspectives on the details of the Second Coming of Jesus and the Rapture of the Church are to be points of discussion rather than division, for celebration not for conflict, for anticipation not for acrimony.

Therefore I tend to oppose doctrinal statements that go beyond the simple, clear, significant confessions of the post-apostolic church on Jesus’ present Session in heaven, his return in glory, the resurrection of the dead, judgment of all, and life in the world to come.

What is my “preference” so far as the Rapture is concerned? Well, of course, my personal preference is for a pre-tribulation rapture. I want to escape the trials of the Last Days. But what does the biblical information support? I fear that the desire for an exemption from tribulation is a feature of comfortable Western Christianity, which has enjoyed unparalleled religious freedom and a long vacation from major tribulation. But that is not the experience of many Christians over time or around the world today (“…through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.” – Acts 14:22 ESV).

My operational and theological thesis now is that the Bible does not provide support for a two-stage Second Coming—what I have referred to as “Second Coming A” (the Rapture) and “Second Coming B” (the Revelation). There is no compelling reason to hold to more than a single comprehensive “Second Coming in Glory.”

That said, I pray my mind stays open for I know there is much more to learn in humility because “now we see through a glass dimly” and we will not “fully know” until we see Jesus face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Jesus’ Second Coming in glory is “The Blessed Hope” of the Church which the Apostle Paul presented in Titus 2:11-13 as an inducement for godly living. I stress again that this godliness-inducing event is Jesus’ glorious appearance, his “epiphaneia” after the Tribulation, to establish his Kingdom (Revelation 19:11-16).

The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing
[epipháneian] of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…

“Veni, Domine Jesu”
“Come, Lord Jesus!”

(Revelation 22:20)

Please see two Appendices below.

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net

Don has been a member of the clergy in the Long Beach, California area since 1970. He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (where he was senior pastor 1984-2012) and as Senior Chaplain of the Seal Beach Police Department (2001+). He previously was an assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Biola University (1976-84) and chaired the Social Concerns Committee in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches from 1985 to 2019.

His graduate work includes a Master of Divinity from Grace Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary with a concentration in Christian ethics, and a Doctor of Ministry from American Baptist Seminary of the West (now Berkeley School of Theology) with a concentration on the Charismatic Movement. His law school studies included a course on the First Amendment. He and his wife Mary have been married for over 55 years. They have two children and six grandchildren.

© 2022 Donald P. Shoemaker[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Appendix #1 –
My article on “Grace Brethren Eschatology”

(Reprinted from Sharpening One Another, publication of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers, May, 2000)

Grace Brethren Eschatology:
Where Should Our Fellowship Go?

By Dr. Donald P. Shoemaker, Senior Pastor
Grace Community Church (FGBC)
of Seal Beach, California

In 1921, Dr. Alva J. McClain authored “The Message of the Brethren Ministry,” setting forth the common beliefs of the Brethren ministers of that day. The statement has been a defining document of our movement ever since and was endorsed by our General Conference in 1938.

This is the eschatology statement of “The Message”:

The personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the glorious goal for which we are taught to watch, wait and pray.

Since the summary of our beliefs is always a current statement of a never-ending process (this side of Glory) to articulate truth, rather than a statement of our perfect understanding of truth, I believe the time has come for us to revisit our current position on eschatology. Specifically, I suggest it is time for us to extend latitude toward more than one evangelical option on how the Rapture of the Church relates to the Tribulation Period.

Here are some reasons for my thinking…

(1) Belief in a pre-tribulation rapture is neither an essential part of historic Christian confessions nor (either in breadth or duration) of the belief patterns of the Brethren throughout our history.

(2) The notion of a 7-year tribulation rises from only one interpretation, among many viable ones, of Daniel 9:25-27, an apocalyptic passage notoriously cryptic.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text](3) The pre-tribulation rapture is generally defended along inferential lines rather than from relatively straightforward statements of the biblical text.

(4) Creating our identity around a fine point of eschatology and separating from other Christians over such a fine point seem contrary to “maintaining the unity of the Spirit” in the Body of Christ.

(5) The study of eschatology is by nature a tentative exercise, especially the more we refine our position beyond the fundamental points of a Second Advent, resurrection, judgment and eternal state.

(6) Twentieth-century “Dispensationalism” has undergone modifications in recent years that have called into debate some of its features previously thought to be “necessary.”

(7) A survey of Grace Brethren ministers in 1982 found that a sizeable minority of ministers confessed varying degrees of reservation over our stated position on a pre-tribulation rapture. The number of ministers with reservations has most likely increased since 1982. A spirit of honest inquiry on matters not foundational to our faith as Christians is best done in an unthreatening and brotherly context where we can be “free to disagree.”

(8) Our witness to our world and our expression of our self-identity should focus on the major themes that separate “light from darkness” (or at least they should express major theological themes) rather than peripheral or tangential areas where godly, conscientious Christians have differences.

So I would pose the question, “Is now the time for us to identify ourselves more with the historical Christian hope and with the Evangelical mainstream in our eschatology?”

A return to Dr. McClain’s articulate words could be the right step in that direction.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Appendix #2

Primary Sources for the 3-part study: “For Me, the ‘Rapture’ Is Up in the Air!”
(The Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of the Church)
(May, June, & July-August Newsletters)

Archer, Gleason, et. al., The Rapture—Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational?
Bird, Michael F., Evangelical Theology (second edition), “The Gospel of the Kingdom,”
pp. 297-393.
Blaising, Craig, et. al., Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church.
Bruce, F. F., Word Bible Commentary: I & II Thessalonians (vol. 45).
Demarest, Gary W., Mastering the New Testament: 1, 2 Thessalonians; 1,2 Timothy and Titus.
Erickson, Millard J., A Basic Guide to Eschatology.
Fee, Gordon D., The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians.
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology (second edition), “The Doctrine of the Future,”
pp. 1343-1418.
Gundry, Robert H., “An Open Letter to Dr. John F. Walvoord concerning his book
The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation” (36 pp.).
__________, Commentary on the New Testament (vol. 2), Romans-Revelation, pp. 812-31.
__________, The Church and the Tribulation.
__________, First the Antichrist.
Ladd, George, “Eschatology,” A Theology of the New Testament, pp. 550-58.
__________, The Blessed Hope.
__________, The Last Things.
Mayhue, Richard L., “Why a Pretribulational Rapture?” The Master’s Seminary Journal
(Fall 2002) 241-53.
Marshall, I. Howard, The New Century Bible: 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Morris, Leon, The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians.
Ortlund, Gavin, Finding the Right Hills to Die On—The Case for Theological Triage.
Pentecost, J. Dwight, Things to Come.
Sailhamer, John H., Biblical Prophecy.
Sandy, D. Brent, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic.
Saucy, Robert G., The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism.
Schreiner, Thomas R., “Who are the 144,000 in Revelation 7?” Crossway
(daily e-edition for June 13, 2022).
Shoemaker, Donald P., “Grace Brethren Eschatology: Where Should Our Fellowship Go?” Sharpening One Another (Association of Grace Brethren Ministers, May, 2000).
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (vol. VII), “episunagōgē,” pp. 841-43.
Walvoord, John F., The Blessed Hope and The Tribulation.
__________, The Rapture Question.
__________, The Thessalonian Epistles.
Weima, Jeffrey A. D., 1-2 Thessalonians.
Whitcomb, John C., The Rapture and Beyond.
Wright, Randy. “Arguing the Pre-Tribulation Rapture from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Alone.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]