Program 9: The Joys of Home Worship

Whether you are an individual, a family, or a group of families, learn how to worship at home.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

Main Program:

Part 1

Miles Robey: Hello! And welcome to today’s program. I’m your host, Miles Robey and joining me today is Dave Wright.

Dave Wright: Thanks for tuning in! We’re glad you could join us today.

Miles: I want to start by sharing the surprising results of a survey from a few years ago. This study, conducted by the Pew Research Center, found that the number of Americans who self-identify as Christians is rapidly declining.

Dave: That’s interesting. The US has always considered itself a “Christian” nation.

Miles: Yeah, but the way things are going, it may not be for long. In 2007, 78.4% of Americans identified as Christian. In just a few years, however, that dropped precipitously to 70.6%!

Dave: Wow. That’s a rather rapid drop.

Miles: It is. More than one-third of millennials say that they are not affiliated with any religion, which is up a whole 10 percentage points from the 2007 study.

Dave: Yeah, that’s a big change in just a few years.

Miles: Even the experts were surprised. Greg Smith, the lead researcher on the new study was quoted by CNN as saying, quote: "We've known that the religiously unaffiliated has been growing for decades but the pace at which they've continued to grow is really astounding."

Dave: Makes you wonder what the future holds for religion in America.

Miles: And millennials aren’t the only ones leaving the church in droves. The study found that in nearly every demographic, whether rich or poor, young or old, the number of people calling themselves Christian has taken a sharp drop.

Strangely enough, though, while there are increasing numbers of individuals who are religiously unaffiliated, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re infidels.

Dave: That’s interesting. It would be easy to assume that, leaving the church, they became atheists or, at least, agnostics.

Miles: Right, but that’s not what’s happening. Paul Fidalgo, the communications director for the Center for Inquiry, says, quote: "We are very cognizant that this does not mean there's been a straight-up spike in nonbelievers," and then he adds: "But it's still really good news to see a whole generation of people who are making their own decisions about belief, religion and spirituality."

And that’s key. People are thinking for themselves. They’re studying for themselves.

Dave: They aren’t content to just accept tradition without questioning its truthfulness and applicability to their own lives.

Miles: Precisely. The number of sincere people who are disenfranchised with organized religion is growing by leaps and bounds, and yet that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t believe in God. So today, I want to talk about home churching. What can you tell us, Dave?

Dave: Well, for the first part of our program I’m going to be discussing why it’s necessary to home church and in the last part, we’ll talk about how you can have a meaningful worship experience at home, even if you’re all by yourself.

Miles: Sounds great. Before you get into that, though, I want to take just a moment for our first-time listeners. If this is your first time joining us, you’ll notice that we don’t refer to the Creator of All by using titles such as “God” or “Lord”. We’re privileged to know His actual, personal name, which is Yahuwah, or Yah. The name of the Saviour is Yahushua.

Dave: Knowing the true names of the Father and the Son really is a privilege, isn’t it? And there’s so much meaning that’s lost when just the titles are used, or even the more common “Jesus.”

Take, for example, the Saviour’s name. In Matthew chapter 1, Joseph was told: “You are to call His name Yahushua for He shall save His people from their sins.”

When the Saviour’s name is properly understood, it contains an all-encompassing explanation of the salvation offered sinners!

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: The name “Yahushua” means: “Yahuwah save!” That’s a cry for help to the only One who can help.

It can also mean: “Yahuwah saves!” A joyous statement of fact.

Miles: That’s beautiful. It really inspires faith, doesn’t it? The Saviour’s very name is a reminder of how much we’re loved and the POWER Yah has to save sinners. It’s such a privilege to know and be able to use the real names for the Father and the Son. You just don’t get that depth of meaning from titles.

Okay, then. Home churching. First, Dave, is it truly necessary?

Dave: That’s a good question and one that more and more people are facing. Your question is best answered by another question, first asked by the prophet, Amos. He asked: “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”

Psalm 133 says: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

But if you don’t have the same beliefs, if you don’t share the same values, can you really dwell in unity? And if you can, on what? Just what are you uniting on, if you disagree on the most important and fundamental things in life: your religious beliefs?

Miles: That’s a good point.

Dave: Truth is, only a handful of people in any given generation make the conscious choice to follow truth regardless of the cost. It takes courage to stand alone. It can be very uncomfortable and yet . . . it’s necessary.

It’s got to be a conscious decision; a choice to make truth more precious than anything else. Truth has got to be more precious than your church fellowship, more precious than your job, your spouse, more precious than life itself. Only then will you be wiling to sacrifice all to follow the Lamb.

Miles: It reminds me of Matthew 10 where Yahushua said: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Dave: Exactly. Do you love your Saviour more than your house or your social standing? Do you love Him more than your spouse or even your children?

Miles: I get that. But, you know, it’s not really comfortable to stand alone.

Dave: Oh, no. It’s really not.

Miles: We all like being surrounded by a group of like-minded believers. It’s more comfortable.

Dave: Absolutely. It’s psychologically reassuring to know other people believe the same way you do. In fact, it’s such a deep psychological need, that most people will say something is true, even when they know it’s not, just because they don’t want to be different.

Miles: Seriously? They’ll really admit to something they know is not true, just because they don’t want to be different.

Dave: Yep. Have you heard of Solomon Asch?

Miles: Wasn’t he that American pro tennis player?

Dave: No, you’re thinking of Arthur Ashe. Solomon Asch was a psychologist. He conducted a series of experiments to discover the extent to which social pressure from a majority group can influence a person to conform.

Miles: Huh. How’d he do it?

Dave: Well, first, he put the person he was testing in with a larger “control” group and asked a series of questions.

At first, everyone answered correctly. After a while, however, the group (who had been coached by Asch on how to answer) began answering some of the questions incorrectly. The person being tested didn’t know that the others had been told to answer incorrectly. Nearly 75% of the individuals tested this way went along with the majority group at least one time.

They knew the correct answer. It was a simple "vision test" they could see with their own eyes! But they answered incorrectly when confronted with the uncomfortable position of being the only one insisting on that answer.

Miles: Wow. That really says something about our dislike of standing alone, doesn’t it?

Dave: Yes. Asch found that if even one other person answered differently from the main group—even if his answer were also not correct—the test subject would still give the right answer. But if everyone else was united on one specific answer, the test subject would, three times out of four, succumb and go along with the majority even when they knew the majority was wrong!

Miles: Hmmm.

Dave: Asch said: “The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call ‘white’ ‘black.’ This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and the values that guide our conduct.” Unquote.

And that’s true for everybody. No one likes being the only one standing alone. It makes you feel insecure. It’s uncomfortable.

Miles: You’re right about that. Here at WLC, because we’re a worldwide ministry, we’re constantly getting emails from all over the world, asking: “Is there a group near me that believes this way?”

When you’ve spent your whole life worshipping with others, you can feel really, well, cast adrift at the thought of worshipping alone. It simply doesn’t feel right. In fact, I’ve known a few people who will still go to church, even on a different day, just for the sake of fellowship.

Dave: People don’t want to worship alone. It feels . . . off, somehow wrong. And while it’s normal to feel that way, it’s not Biblical.

Miles: Really.

Dave: There are 80 times the word “church” is used in the Bible, and 35 uses of the word “churches.” All 115 occurrences are found solely in the New Testament. And yet, “church” is an incorrect translation of the original word!

Miles: What’s the original word?

Dave: Well, let’s consider what the word “church” means first. The dictionary defines a church as: “An edifice consecrated for public worship. It’s the collective body of Christians, composed of three great branches, the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Eastern. It’s a particular body of Christians united under one creed, and using the same ritual and ceremonies. A church is any group of worshipers; any organized body of Christians occupying the same edifice for religious worship.”

Miles: That sounds about right. But you’re saying that’s a mistranslation of the original word?

Dave: Yes. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of the original word, which is ekklesia.

Ekklesia means “A calling out” or, in other words, The Called Out Ones. Can you see how that really differs from the meaning of “church”?

Miles: Totally! The word “church” emphasizes a group, while, if you’re called out, you’re hardly in a group, are you?

Dave: No. You think about it, all of Heaven’s greatest faith warriors were Called Out Ones. You’ve got Elijah, by the Brook Cherith. You’ve got Moses who wasn’t ready to do Heaven’s bidding as a prince at 40 years of age. It wasn’t until he’d spent 40 years in the Wilderness with Yah, that he was ready to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt.

You’ve got the Saviour Himself! Surrounded by multitudes during His public ministry, yes, but the way He got the spiritual strength and stamina was by spending time alone with His Father. Mark 1 describes a common practice of Yahushua. It states: “In the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

All of Heaven’s greatest faith warriors were Called Out Ones. It takes strength and courage to be willing to stand alone. And the time to develop that strength and courage, that reliance upon Yah, is now.

Miles: Very good. Very true. But it’s not easy, is it?

When we return, Dave’s going to share with us some tips on how to have deep, meaningful worship, even if you’re entirely alone with not even a family member to join you.

Don’t touch that dial! We’ll be right back.

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Part 2:

Miles: Welcome back to the next segment of our program. We’ve been talking about the need to have the courage to stand alone and leaving the fallen churches—

Dave: —And all have fallen!

Miles: Right. Home worship is inevitable for everyone who would follow truth, regardless of the cost.

Dave: It really is.

Furthermore, Scripture does not condone church attendance simply for the sake of fellowship. As we mentioned in the previous segment, Yahuwah asks: "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"

Miles: I think the thing that’s hardest for a lot of people who’ve grown up in the church is not knowing how to worship at home. We get used to a set program, a certain order of worship service. The hymns, the sheer ambience can make it all seem more worshipful. And how do you achieve that at home?

Dave: You’re right. And not knowing how to worship at home, combined with feelings of loneliness and being “cast adrift” can lead some to question whether worshipping at home is even Biblical.

Miles: Well, yeah. You’ve got the admonition in Hebrews 10 to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.

Dave: But what’s interesting, Miles, is that not only is it Biblical, but in at least one instance, home worship was actually commanded.

Miles: Really. You’re going to have to remind me of that. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.

Dave chuckles: Well, you can see why it’s not something that would be promoted in a religious organization whose continuity relies on the tithes and offerings paid by its members!

Miles: True.

Dave: Home worship was commanded shortly after the Children of Israel left Egypt.

Right from the first, even before the tabernacle was constructed, Moses pitched a “tent of meeting.” Exodus 33 describes how Moses pitched this “tent of meeting” at a distance outside the camp. When he’d go out there, the pillar of cloud would descend to the tent and Moses would talk there with Yah.

Verse 10 states: “Now when all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle door, all the people rose up, and worshipped every man in his tent door.”

Now remember, this is in Exodus 33. This is before the Sanctuary was constructed. This “tabernacle” was simply a tent of meeting. And when people saw the cloud descend, they’d gather around and worship there.

As a kid, I distinctly remember feeing sorry for the Children of Israel. I pictured them having to walk across the hot, sandy dessert—because remember, when the Sanctuary was finally built, it was located over half a kilometer from the nearest tent. So, I’d picture all these people, millions of people standing around—not even a hard pew to sit on—listening to Moses preach a sermon.

Miles laughs: I never really thought about it before, but you’re right. That many people, even if he did preach, how many would be able to hear him?

Dave: I know, right? About two months after they left Egypt, Yahuwah gave a command that they were to all worship in their own homes, and that command was never changed–even after the Sanctuary was built! In fact, it was so important everyone worship quietly at home, that Yah made a point of providing a double portion of manna on the sixth day of the week.

Miles: Where does it say that?

Dave: Exodus 16. It says: “See! For Yahuwah has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”

Miles: Fascinating! So He really did command them to remain at home, didn’t He?

Dave: Yep, that’s right.

Miles: Well, you know, that’s good for people today to know. I didn’t know that, but it’s comforting to know that there is Biblical precedence for home churching.

I know the problem for most of us, though, is how do you do it? When you’re used to going to church and having a program presented to you, just how are you supposed to make Sabbaths meaningful?

Following truth is a very solitary walk.

Dave: It really is. And it’s different for each one. So let’s talk about what to do if you are completely alone.

A Bible promise that anyone can claim is found in Matthew 18: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”

A person worshipping alone can claim this promise with as much confidence as a group of many. Scripture teaches that all who love Yahuwah are given guardian angels who watch over and protect them. Thus, even the person alone is not ever truly alone. With his or her guardian angel, they together constitute an ekklesia of two, and there, Yahushua is in the midst of them.

Miles: That’s beautiful and so important to remember. Even if, to your natural sight, you’re utterly alone, you really aren’t. It’s a promise you may cling to.

Dave: In John, chapter 5, the Saviour said: “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”

Can you marvel on the Sabbath over the blessings in your life? Can you marvel, appreciate and admire the plan of salvation and the wondrous destiny planned for the saved of earth? Can you marvel that He loves us enough to die for us?

Miles: I like that. An “attitude of gratitude” can go a long way toward helping maintain a positive attitude and not feeling so alone when called upon to worship by yourself.

Dave: It really can! When you marvel at Yah’s goodness in your life, the Sabbath will be a delight and a blessing. The passing hours, even if spent alone in the company of angels, will increase our sense of the marvelous: the divine presence felt in our lives.

There are lots of ways for a person worshipping alone to receive a very rich Sabbath day’s blessing. Because no one else’s needs or limitations have to be taken into account, you can personalize your worship for what brings YOU the deepest blessings!

The sacred hours can be spent in deep Bible study and communion with the Father.

Miles: One thing I really like is to have lots of music. There’s Christian praise and worship music you can buy and sing along with it. Lots of Christian artists also release albums of hymns. Really beautiful! You can sing along with them.

Dave: Praising and singing really draws our hearts out to Yah.

Another really enjoyable way to nurture faith is to have a prayer and thanksgiving book. Even a simple notebook will work.

Each Sabbath, write down specific prayer requests. The following Sabbath, record the prayers answered and the blessings received through out the past week. Then make a new list for the coming week. It’s incredibly faith inspiring.

Miles: I’m sure! It’s so easy to rush from prayer request to prayer request that we never take the time to notice and return thanks for the answers we’ve received!

Dave: Which is too bad because it’s those answered prayers that strengthen our faith! Focusing on blessings received is especially important for those who stand alone. The recognition of prayers answered and blessings received arouses gratitude and love, which, in turn, increases faith and trust in the Father!

Miles: Right, right.

Dave: Another activity a lot of people have told us they enjoy on the Sabbath is to go through the eCourses on WLC. There are also articles and videos that provide food for thought and meditation.

Miles: What about loneliness, though? I’d think that would be a huge factor for anyone truly alone.

Dave: The best way to deal with loneliness is to reach out to others. Is there someone you’ve been witnessing to? Sabbaths are a great time to reach out to them in spiritual fellowship.

Spending time in nature is also a wonderful way to spend the Sabbath.

Miles: It really is! There’s just something about being out in nature that draws our hearts to the Creator. And we learn from Acts 16 that the early believers would often find a quiet place in nature to worship.

In Acts 16, Luke says Paul went out of the city on the Sabbath to the riverside where, he adds, “prayer was customarily made.”

Dave: Yeah. It was "customary" for the devout to withdraw to the quiet solitude of the river to pray and worship on Sabbath.

And listen: don’t be afraid to try something new! Remember: “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.”

However and wherever you worship, the point is to draw the heart out in love and gratitude to Yahuwah. This can be done alone, with your family, or a group of families!

Miles: Okay, so can you give us some tips on things a family can do on the Sabbath? What does your family do?

Dave: I will admit to feeling a bit of trepidation when we first started home churching. We were so used to the forms of ritualized, formal worship, how could we compete?

Miles: I hear you!

Dave: But, in the end, it’s turned into a tremendous blessing. We can work around our individual family’s needs and so our worship is even more meaningful than before.

Miles: So what do you do?

Dave: Well, in our family, we like to sing. We start out with a lot of singing. The kids really enjoy that part. Then, my wife and I take turns teaching. She usually teaches a Bible story, then I’ll share a story with an object lesson drawn from nature — something that, again, draws the mind and heart in love and gratitude to the Creator.

In the afternoon, if the weather’s good, we’ll go for a walk. In fact, in the summer, we’ll often spend the entire day at a quiet park. We’ll take a picnic lunch and not return until evening.

There are also various faith-inspiring books that can be read together as a family. My kids LOVE angel stories!

On our website, WorldsLastChance.com, there’s a dramatized version of Pilgrim’s Progress that our whole family enjoys. Sabbath afternoons when it’s too cold to be outdoors, the kids will sit around the kitchen table and color or work on various craft projects while listening to it. And the spiritual lessons are deep enough that the older kids and even my wife and I enjoy it, too.

Miles: What about for groups of believers? Occasionally, we’ll get emails from around the world where a small group of families have been cast out of their local church for following truth. Any suggestions on what they can do when worshipping?

Dave: Well, again, the point of worship is to draw close to the Creator. A group of 25 will require more organization than a family alone. Adults with no dependents will have different needs then the youth, but the young people’s needs shouldn’t be ignored.

Also, it’s not reasonable to expect young children to sit for long hours with nothing to do while the adults discuss things beyond the children’s level of understanding. Adults may enjoy long hours of Bible study, but the needs of young children and the interests of the youth should be taken into account as well.

The adults can take turns leading out, in singing, in Bible study, in prayer, as well.

Miles: One thing I’ll just insert really quickly here is how meaningful and faith inspiring it is to “open the floor” so to speak, and give everyone a chance to share how Yah has blessed them during the week.

Dave: Excellent point. I’m glad you brought that up.

Miles: Your point about the individual having a prayer and blessing book works the same way for the person worshipping alone. For those who have a group with whom to worship, setting aside time each Sabbath for those who want to, to share the blessings of the week, is really faith-inspiring.

Even the children should be encouraged to speak up and share their answers to prayer. Even a toddler can be asked what he’s thankful for. It’s a great way to encourage their developing faith and trust.

Dave: Well, they’re younger members of the family of Heaven. Letting them share and participate lets them feel a part of it, rather than just sitting as bored spectators.

Miles: Good point! I remember as a kid, the times I felt most connected to church were when the adults included me. And when you’ve stepped out and left that church fellowship behind, and possibly even some of your kids’ friends, how much more important it is to bring the hearts of your children with you.

Dave: This reminds me of one thing I would caution. When we first started worshipping alone, I thought I wanted at least a couple other families we could get together with. In the end, though, we found we liked Sabbath better with just our family. A group has lots of different people with lots of different needs, so you’re going to have to be careful that the blessing of meeting with a group doesn’t degenerate into simply another form of stylized tradition. This will really steal from the restfulness of the Sabbath.

Sermonettes can be given, but shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of any one individual. It’s going to take thought and care, and the commitment of everyone in the group, to prevent the establishment of a set routine which singles out one person as the more capable leader.

Set, rigid routines can drown out the leading of Yahushua’s Spirit who just might have something else in mind for that day.

Miles: Good point. I hadn’t thought of that.

Dave: A fellowship meal after the main worship service can provide everyone with a wonderful opportunity for visiting together. But, again, everyone should be careful to keep the conversation focused on spiritual themes. In the afternoon, the young people can go on nature walks. They can look for something that teaches an object lesson to share for evening worship. Again, include the youth as much as possible. Maybe even put them in charge of evening worship.

Miles: That’s good. I know, from my own experience, if you give kids the chance to share, they’ll often surprise you with some deep spiritual insights.

Dave: And we should do that! If we’re raising them to serve Yah, we need to provide them with opportunities to share and to learn to lead as well.

Whether worshipping singly, with the family, or in a group, preparation for the Sabbath begins on First Day. As parents, we need to guard our strength and energy so that when the sacred hours come, we can spend the day with our kids.

Miles: Oh, yeah. That’s so true. I remember as a kid, being so incredibly bored on Sabbath afternoons. The adults would all take naps, catching up on all the rest lost during the week, and we were left with a long list of things we couldn’t do to entertain ourselves. No wonder we were always glad when the Sabbath was over!

Dave: And what a waste of the precious hours of the Sabbath!

Miles: Yeah, it really is.

Dave: Listen, friends: it’s not beautiful stained glass windows that make a place holy. It’s not having a steeple on the roof or being surrounded by lots of other worshippers. The only thing that ever makes any place holy is the presence of Yahuwah.

The Israelites were instructed to build the tabernacle right down on the desert sand! There was no floor or foundation raising them up high as in heathen temples. There was just the ground. Yahuwah told Moses, “Let them make Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” He wanted them to know that they didn’t need to lift themselves up to Him. HE came down to dwell with THEM.

Today, Yahuwah is still looking for anyone who will invite Him to dwell with them, and wherever they are becomes a sacred, set-apart place for fellowship.

When the Israelite encampment moved, there was nothing holy about the sand on which the tabernacle had stood. It was the presence of Yahuwah, which made the tabernacle holy, and it is His presence that still makes any place holy where worship is offered to the Creator.

The place of worship might be a quiet spot in nature. Often, those who worship alone have to do so in the privacy of their own bedrooms. And that’s fine.

However, many who worship alone also have to face hostility from resentful, even mocking, unbelieving family members. Do what you need to do to carve out a quiet space for yourself. Maybe your place of worship is just your car parked beside a lake – or even at the far end of a crowded parking lot!

But remember this: wherever you worship is holy ground because Yahuwah has pledged to be there with you. Whether you worship in a semi-formalized group, with your family, alone in your bedroom or your car, such worship is acceptable to Yahuwah. He will draw near and you’ll be tremendously blessed.

Miles: Amen. I can testify from my own, personal experience that this is so true.

Don’t go away folks. When we return, we’ll dive into our Daily Mailbag to answer questions from listeners around the world. Stay tuned.

Daily Mailbag

Miles: Time now for our daily mailbag. Let’s see what we’ve got for today . . .

Okay. Looks like our first question is coming from Audrey in Christchurch, New Zealand!

Dave: Down where it’s cold in July and hot in December.

Miles laughs: Right. She says: “A friend of mine insists there won’t be a rapture. What say you?”

Dave: Yes.

Miles: What?!

Dave: There will be a rapture.

Miles: But-but that’s not Biblical!

Dave: Sure it is! A “rapture” is simply “to be carried away with power.” Paul, in First Thessalonians, even describes what happens at the rapture. He says:

“I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Yahushua died and rose again, even so Yahuwah will bring with Him those who sleep in Yahushua.

“For this we say to you by the word of Yah, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of Yahushua will by no means precede those who are asleep.

“For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of Yah. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Yahushua in the air. And thus we shall always be with Yahushua.”

So, yes. A rapture is Biblical. What isn’t Biblical is a “secret” rapture.

Miles laughs: You had me going for a minute there!

Dave chuckles: Sorry! The thing that’s important to notice in the passage in 1 Thessalonians is that those who have died will be resurrected first at Yahushua’s Second Coming, and caught up to Him in the clouds. AFTERWARD, Paul says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Yahushua in the air. And thus we shall always be with Yahushua.”

The rapture takes place AT the Second Coming, not before.

Miles: Awww! I see.

Dave: Scripture teaches that the Second Coming is literal and, what’s more, visible to everyone living on earth. John the Revelator, seeing it in vision, said: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.”

Nothing secretive about the Second Coming! Psalm 50 declares: "Our Eloah [or God] shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him."

Miles: So. Nothing secret about the rapture.

Dave laughs: Not really! No.

Miles: Well, I wish we had time for another question, but we don’t. We want to hear from you, though. So send us your questions and comments. Go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on contact us. We’ll do our best to answer, if not on air, at least on the website.

Daily Promise

This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Carl Christian Kierstede once wisely observed: “All error, all sin is emotion-driven. Truth, on the other hand, is logical. While truth may also appeal to the emotions, it is always consistent and reasonable. Truth thus appeals to the intellect. Truth will always triumph over error because to a well-balanced mind, logic is stronger than emotional lies.”

It’s true! Have you ever noticed that it is the people in error who argue most heatedly, and yell most loudly? Truth doesn’t need to rely on emotion or anger. It’s logical!

One of the greatest truths ever is that the eternal Father LOVES and FORGIVES sinners!

In fact, Yahuwah appeals to the intellect in the first chapter of Isaiah where He states: “Come now, let us REASON together . . .” He’s saying: “Think about this logically!”

Then He goes on to say: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Yahuwah is in the business of forgiving sinners! There is nothing you have done that is too dark for Him to see. There is nothing too bad for His love to forgive.

Come to Him, just as you are. If you wait to make yourself better first: guess what? You can’t do it, so you’ll never go! So don’t wait! Go now. Today! Claim the promise of forgiveness found in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Did you catch that? He doesn’t JUST forgive, although that’s huge enough. But He doesn’t stop there. He also CLEANSES us. He restores us back to where we would have been had we never indulged in that particular sin in the first place!

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

Ending Points

Dave: Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize winning physicist. He was quite the character with an irrepressible sense of humor. I laughed my way through a couple of his books when I was in university.

His second book was entitled: “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” And that’s how he lived his life – uncaring of others’ opinions.

Miles: Sounds . . . adventurous.

Dave laughs: Oh, yeah. But it’s a philosophy of life I think is important. It can be difficult, depending on your culture. Some cultures promote individuality, while others encourage conformity.

Now my wife, she’s definitely a non-conformist. Oh, yeah. In fact, she, uh, she takes a bit of pride in being a non-conformist. Fortunately, it’s one of the things I love about her.

At any rate, somehow or other, I’m not exactly sure how, she became good friends with a woman who is very much a conformist.

Miles: Well, they do say that in friendship, opposites attract.

Dave: Yeah, that’s how it is with them. I may not be as non-conformist in attitude as my wife, but her friend’s attitude has made a profound impact on both of us.

Miles: How so?

Dave: She’s constantly worried about what other people think! In fact, she lives her life based on what she thinks other people are thinking about her!

I didn’t really notice it much at first, but then over time, as I saw how she was bringing up her kids to worry about others’ opinions in the same way, it went from being a hardly noticeable, mildly amusing trait, to having rather startling consequences.

Miles: Why do you say that? I mean, if we were all to go through life, completely heedless of what other people think, we’d have a lot of people being careless, rude, or even cruel to others because, after all, why not?

Dave: No, there’s a difference between treating others, as you would wish to be treated, and being constrained by their opinions. If you raise your child to be so worried about what other people think, then when the time comes to stand alone for truth, your kid is going to be more concerned with others’ opinions of him, than he is for standing for principle.

Miles: That’s true. Mahatma Ghandi said: “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.”

Dave: Right! And it is more important than ever that each one of us develop a spiritual backbone of steel. One that will stand for the truth regardless of how many are screaming in your face that you’re WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

How many of us would have the courage and strength to do that?

Miles: Good question. One we need to ask ourselves individually.

Dave: The great Russian author, Leo Tolstoy, said: “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”

“Might” does NOT “make right” because truth does not need to use force! But if you are so used to conforming your opinions and beliefs, your attitudes and practices to meet the approval of those in your life, than when the final test comes, you will be far more likely to cave in to peer pressure.

Miles: That’s true.

Dave: I know we’re quickly running out of time, but before we close, I want to make one last point: we are not to return to Babylonian forms of worship simply because it’s uncomfortable to stand alone.

Miles: That’s a good point. How can we expect to stand firm in the days ahead when our very lives are at stake when, now, today, we’ll cave just for the sake of fellowship and socializing at church?

Dave: Exactly.

In Second Corinthians, Paul exhorts the believers to be separate, writing:

^“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”

If you will do this, Yahuwah will draw close to you. Everyone who will step free of Babylon may claim the promise in Second Corinthians 16, verses 16 to 18:

“I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says Yahuwah. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters.”

Miles: What a beautiful promise for everyone to cling to.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

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