I’ve been watching the com-traffic regarding the validity of our brother in Christ, Joshua Mhlakela. He recently did another interview on the Centtwins TV podcast and tried to explain himself. While he recognized the error with the Gregorian vs. Julian calendar thing, he was also quite firm on his stand regarding what God told him about the Rapture. You can watch the podcast for yourself to draw your own conclusion. I have an opinion regarding this that I would like to briefly share because it’s important that we ‘test the spirits to see if they are from God.’ (1 John 4)
I have a Pentecostal background. I was raised on ‘thus sayeth the Lord’ statements from various characters over the years. We were always taught to never use that phrase unless you have the goods! You know that you do when it lines up with God’s Word in context to its usage. This requires the listener to be mature in their faith, have a knowledge of God’s Word, and a discernment of spirits. I am all of these and more; I love Jesus with my whole heart and I feel that brother Joshua does also. I have noticed that a lot of people are quick to judge him, and others, quick to endorse him. My position is that we need to separate the message from the messenger. Too many people want to ‘shoot to messenger’ because of their message. Joshua said that this word came from the Lord, therefore he is operating in the office of prophet. He gave us a date and then he extended that date. This would be hard for even the strongest of believers to process; however, we have our orders, test what he is saying against God’s Word, leave him out of it, and wait and see what happens. Time has a tendency to reveal the truth in what people proclaim. If we’re still here in mid-October, then we will know; if not, than we will know. Let it ride.
That being said, I should like to share my thoughts on the brother (BroScott) who posted a very compelling video regarding the calendars and some of the other brothers who have contributed in support. I could sense the genuineness of their spirit as they proclaimed the possibility of a delay due to calendar issues. Whether or not this is the case remains to be seen, but I was more interested in the brokenness of the heart conveyed in the presentation. It’s nice to have people ‘go to bat’ for you, especially when you’re down. That speaks more to me because as a pastor, I have seen brothers and sisters in the Lord scrap over all kinds of issues and cause pain to themselves and others. I come from a broken home and I know how the negative impact of conflicting adults in your life can have on a kid. It’s no different in the body of Christ. The Lord wants His children to get along just as much as we do (if we are parents) or for our parents to get along (if we are children).
If this whole date/calendar/delay/Joshua fiasco is of God, it will be revealed in due time. Our role in all of this is to conduct ourselves in a manner that is both biblical and Christ-like. I should like to remind you that the Rapture is only a ride to the Bema seat judgment; once we’re there, we will have to give an account to the Lord for our actions taken here. I believe that God can use the ‘mix-up’ to stir up His people before we go up. Our role is to trust the Lord, rely on His Word and the promises therein; mainly, that He is coming for us. We all need to wait and see as we watch and pray, work and serve, plan and prepare, for the next thing that God has called us to be doing in these last of the last days.
Being a watcher is not for lightweights. If God has called you to watch, than our conduct in the waiting must reflect His heart, especially as it relates to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Let’s be honest, we’re all a little nutty at times, some more than others, but even in that, we are to ‘bear with the scruples (weakness, nuttiness) of the weak.’ (Romans 15:1) You who are strong (mature) in the Lord need to do this. These are our standing orders from the Lord that come straight out of His Word.
I was in Los Angeles in ’92 when the riots broke out. I remember Reggie Denny telling the people of LA at a press conference, ‘Can’t we all just get along?’ Those words have permeated our culture ever since; they still ring true today within the body of Christ. Let’s work at getting along as we watch, wait, and work. I encourage you all in the Lord to be strong in the Lord and keep your eyes on Jesus; He’s coming for us and He will get here when He gets here; we just need to be living ready.
Maranatha!
Encourage Men 