Resounding Shophar Blast Podcast John Johansson

Main Text:  John 11:38-39







38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone."







NKJV







There are two stones mentioned in the Bible, besides the five that David picked up going after Goliath, two stones that sit in the way of victory and blessing for every one of us.  To receive all that God has for us, these stones need to first be rolled away.







The first stone is mentioned in the text we just looked at.  This passage, along with several verses before and after it, tell the story of Lazarus and his resurrection.







John 11:1-37







11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."







17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." 28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Several weeks ago I walked into the local Wal-Mart and was immediately reminded about the time of year we were entering into.  You know that time of year, when fear, hate, terror, and the occult are glamorized and embraced with passion and excitement, reaching its peak on a day we call Halloween.  I’ve written since 2011 what my position is regarding this day that comes every year, and that hasn’t changed, but I want to take a different approach to the subject this year.

 

Each year the question is asked as to whether Christians should have anything to do with Halloween, or not.  And each year it only divides those who are opposed to it and those who think it’s okay for one reason or another.  You would think that the answer to the question is a simple one, and it really is, but when we determine our answer according to our personal opinions and feelings, instead of what Scripture has to say about it, then the answer becomes nothing less than complicated and divisive within church circles.

 

When we see that day approaching, it’s not uncommon to see and hear of churches gearing up and planning what they will do on Halloween.  Usually, the rationale they will embrace will go along one of two lines of thought; 1) they want to offer a Halloween alternative, or 2) they want to provide a safe place for children and adults.  But is Halloween something that Christians and churches should be involved with?  Unlike Christmas and Easter, holidays that some argue have both Christian and pagan roots, there is absolutely nothing Christian or God honoring when it comes to Halloween.  In fact, everything Halloween represents is anti-God and contrary to the mind and character of Jesus.  So, why is it that churches seem to believe that it’s okay to participate in one way or another on this holiday?

 

I’ve heard it argued by one pastor that even though their church has a community event on Halloween, an event where those who are organizing and putting it on incorporate costumes, various Halloween decorations, as well as activities that are clearly Halloween in nature, not to mention a name which is clearly a Halloween like name, that they are not participating in the Halloween festivities.  Well, I don’t know what his definition of participation is, but common sense for most people know that they are in fact participating in and celebrating Halloween.

 

There was a time several years ago that the United States was trying to befriend the nation of Iran, a country that is bent on nothing less than the total destruction of America and Israel.  It seemed like we were rolling out the red carpet of friendship with them, ignoring the fact that they did not share in that same endeavor.  As I observed what was happening, I couldn’t help but think of Halloween and how some churches and Christians seem to be okay with it.  Everything about Halloween and what it represents is anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Bible, and anti-life, just to name a few.  There is absolutely nothing redeeming about it, yet we have churches and Christians trying to find creative ways to “Christianize” the celebration to justify their involvement with it.  Contrary to how many seem to view Halloween, we are told in Ephesians 5:11 not to have any part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them.  We are also told in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 to abstain from every form of evil, and in Deuteronomy 18:9-14 and Leviticus 19:30-31 we are told of some of those things God says are evil.

 

Some will argue that it’s okay to do so because Jesus was a friend of sinners, a term that was given more as an insult to Him than a compliment.  Just because He associated with those considered to be sinners does not mean that He was a participant in sin, in that which was opposed to God in any way, or that He encouraged or condoned such activity.  To have done so, Jesus would have certainly lost His credibility as one sent of God ...

Hello, Everyone!  My name is John Johansson, and welcome again to another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  It’s been a while since our last broadcast due to some pretty significant things taking place on the Johansson front, and in time we may share some of those with you in future broadcasts.  In the meantime, we are back and looking forward to sharing more Resounding Shophar Blasts with you as we see the day of our Lord’s return speedily approaching as never before.

 

To begin with, the Apostle Paul asks a rhetorical question that is the theme for today’s broadcast, and that question is found in Romans 10:14 which says;

 

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

 

As Christians, believers and followers of Christ, we know and have a message that the world is looking for, and it is our responsibility to share that with others.  What is our message?  It’s the message of salvation through Jesus, and Him alone.  It’s a message that through Jesus one can be set free of the bondage and penalties of sin.  It’s a message that gives hope to the hopeless of a glorious, pain, sickness and death free eternity in heaven.  It’s a message of the Blessed Hope found in Jesus alone where He returns to receive His people to Himself, an event that takes place before God’s judgement is released upon the whole world in a seven-year period identified in Scripture as the Tribulation Period.  The problem is that it seems most churches in America are not sharing this message with others.

 

A lot of churches are embracing various false and deceptive teachings, and in the process, they are not presenting the message of salvation accurately or completely to those that are within their sphere of influence.  Some churches are not embracing false and deceptive teachings, but still they are not presenting the message of salvation and what it is, what it means, and why it’s so important for each of us to embrace.  We recently left a church we had been members of for nearly five years, and at that time someone made the comment to me that as long as it wasn’t over a salvation issue then that was okay, but something inside me rose up and I had to tell them it was over a salvation issue.  There were different reasons for our departure, but the main one was that in the nearly five years we were attending it was extremely rare, if at all, that the message of salvation was actually preached or taught from the pulpit or at any “outreach” events, and that is a salvation issue.  Let me explain.

 

If I know someone is very sick, perhaps with something like cancer, and I know what the cause of it is and have the cure for it, what could be a great life-giving event turns into a life and death situation if I withhold that from them.  In like manner, if I know the spiritual condition of a person, the root cause and that salvation is the cure, if I don’t let them know and give them the cure which is Jesus, then that is a salvation issue.  It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable I am of the situation, it doesn’t matter if I learned from honest and accurate teachers about it, if I don’t share the cause and the cure with them then that is a salvation issue.  In other words, even if a church is doctrinally sound, if they do not preach and teach on the subject of salvation, then that is a salvation issue as those under their influence have no idea what it is and why they need it, and as a subsequent result could still be eternally lost in hell unless they are told the truth about salvation.  How can people know about the salvation made available to them through Jesus if no one tells them about it?

 

On the same note, a lot of churches lead people to Jesus, but it stops there.  I liken it to me taking someone I know to be sick to the doctor.

Hello, Everyone!  Welcome to

another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  In case you haven’t been watching, there is a

lot going on right now regarding the fulfillment of Biblical end-time events,

so much so that some people are scrambling just to keep up with everything that

is going on.







As I observe all that is going on right now, I am reminded of something

that took place back in December of 1989. 

The event was a meeting between then President George W. Bush, Sr. and

the Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev on the island of Malta.  I don’t remember much about that event, but

what I do remember was something said by a well-known news anchor who was on a

boat in the middle of the Mediterranean, and during a storm.  This news anchor, and I don’t remember which

one it was, while he’s on the deck of the boat braving the storm, told the

audience that things were happening so fast that they were having trouble

keeping up and reporting all the news taking place.  When I heard him say that, immediately God

quickened to me that when the time comes for Jesus to return for His Bride and

for the start of the Tribulation period, things will be happening so fast that

people’s heads will be spinning, and what the world was experiencing at the

time this reporter made these statements was only a glimpse, a taste, of what

will happen when God says it’s time. 

People are now actually beginning to comment about how so much is

happening right now in the area of Biblical end-time prophecy fulfillment, they

are having trouble keeping up with it all.







In Matthew 24:32-35, as well as in Mark 13:28-31, Jesus gives us the

parable of the fig tree.  In the Bible,

the fig tree is symbolic of the Nation of Israel.  When Jesus gave this parable, Israel was not

a nation, but He was looking at a future time when Israel would become

one.  In this parable, Jesus makes it

known that the generation that sees Israel become a nation will not pass away

until all the things He previously mentioned takes place.  Well, Israel became a nation May 14, 1948, and

ever since then the fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies has kicked into

high gear along with the highly anticipated return of Jesus for His

Church.  Some people want to say that it

will be several years yet before Jesus returns, and some say even at least 100

or more years yet, but there is one very big problem with this rationale.  The generation that saw Israel become a nation

is about to pass away, which means that there isn’t the 10’s or 100’s of years

some would like to believe there is before Christ returns.  There has been much debate over the years as

to how long a generation is Biblically speaking, ranging anywhere between 40 to

120 years, but the consensus seems to point to 70-80 years as mentioned in Psalms

90:10.  The current life expectancy

statistics show just under 80 years, which seems to correlate very well with

what we are currently seeing in the fulfillment of Biblical end-time

prophecies.







In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus tells us that when we see all the

signs He had mentioned taking place that we are to know that the end is near, at the doors!  Talking about end-time events and when Jesus

will return for the Church, many people will comment about how the signs Jesus

mentioned, as well as what has been mentioned in other passages, have been seen

for years.  This only feeds into the

fulfillment of one of the prophecies we’ve been given regarding the end-times,

and that is found in 2 Peter 3:1-7 when the Apostle Peter tells us in the last

days many will mock and question the promise of Christ’s return.

Hello, everyone.  Glad you could

join us today for another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  The last couple weeks we looked at the signs and

the need for us to be paying attention to the signs indirectly pointing to the

return of Jesus for us, His Bride, the Church, His followers.  As I’ve mentioned in earlier broadcasts, my

heart is first to remind Christians that Jesus is coming back at any time, and

that they need to make sure they are ready when that time comes.  Today, I want to look at one of many reasons

some Christians will not be ready when the time of Jesus’ return takes place.







When someone is expecting something to take place, how much they

believe it will happen is seen in their preparation for it.  For example, if a person is excited about

attending a football game where their favorite team is playing for the

championship, they will be sure they have the proper attire for the event

cleaned and ready, they will make sure the car is fueled up and ready to go,

and that they have enough cash to pay for the $1,000 hot dogs being sold

there.  Or, if someone is waiting to be

picked up by a friend to attend a birthday party for their best friend, they

will make sure they are dressed and ready to go, that the present they are

taking to the party is boxed and wrapped up with a nice bow, and they will be

all ready to simply walk out the door when their friend arrives.  In the same way, if a person is expecting

Jesus to arrive at any moment, they will be sure to do all they can to be ready

when that event takes place.







This picture of followers of Christ being ready when Jesus returns for

us is seen in the parable of the ten virgins located in Matthew 25:1-13.  In this parable, there are ten virgins,

Christians who are waiting and expecting the bridegroom to return for them, but

only five of them were wise in making sure they were adequately prepared when

that time came.  The five foolish virgins

had not taken the initiative to make sure they were prepared for that time, and

as a result they were left behind and were refused entrance to the wedding

festivities.  So, what could keep someone

from being ready when Jesus returns for us? 

There are any number of reasons that this could be the case, but I want

to look at one reason a person may find that they were not ready when they

needed to be.







I realize that this is a controversial issue within Christian circles,

but nonetheless it must be mentioned, and that is the idea that a Christian’s eternal

destination is forever sealed at the point of salvation, where they surrendered

their lives to Jesus.  In other words, we

are talking of those who don’t believe that a Christian can “lose” their

salvation, a dangerous teaching that is putting many at risk of falling short

of eternity in heaven with Jesus.  I

first want to mention that I don’t believe everyone that believes this train of

thought is not going to heaven, but rather that those who do run the risk of

not being ready when the time of Jesus’ return comes.







Why would the teaching that Christians can not lose their salvation be

a dangerous one for people to embrace? 

Well, the reason is really quite simple. 

If they believe their eternal home has already been sealed and is

non-revocable, then it becomes very easy for someone to slack off and not take

their relationship with Jesus seriously. 

And if a person isn’t taking their relationship as seriously as they

ought, then they are more apt to allow unconfessed sin to continue in their

life, or to put something or someone other than Christ on the throne of their

heart,

Can you hear it? The "midnight cry" is sounding out even now that the very near return of Jesus for His followers is imminent. Should we be hearing it? Or should we be ignoring it?