My people are destroyed...

Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...." This morning I was visited by a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses (so-called) who said they were looking for people who were "seeking the truth." Anyone who has ever interacted with Jehovah's Witnesses can attest to the fact that opening the scriptures to them is a difficult task because their "Bible" is vastly different from the KJV.

The lady told me that she used to read the KJV before its errors were pointed out to her. I asked how the New World Translation came about, and she told me that scholars went to the museums where the old texts were held and translated them. Her arguments against the KJV mirrored the arguments made against it by proponents of modern translations, but that is not the point of my post.

She had been taught that God has tossed aside the nation of Israel, and that the Old Testament is now obselete. This view flies in the face of Daniel 9, Romans 9, and the Biblical concept of God's plan with man.
She had also been taught that salvation begins with Christ. Salvation begins and ends with Christ (Hebrews 12:2.)

Brethren, it is destructive to stay in the milk of the word and never move on to the meat. To fail to study God's word with the intent of learning more about God is to leave yourself vulnerable to deception. The propigators of false religion are tenacious, well educated and very persuasive. We need to be armed with the whole armor of God, including the sword of the word, and we must know how to properly use it. Otherwise, we will present ourselves to be foolish and dishonor the cause of Christ.

Get in the word today. Open your Bible. Study to show thyself approved. God bless you all.

The Shortest 10 Weeks of the Year

It's football season once again! The temperature cools down, the arm chair quarterback begins to share his wisdom, and fans pack stadiums to watch their favorite high school, college and professional football teams chase championship glory. To celebrate this American tradition, we even have a new anthem to remind us how close we are to this game. Kenny Chesney's "The Boys of Fall" is currently being played at every country radio station, can be heard from the windows of pickup trucks and is hummed at the checkout line at Walmart.

This year in Brownwood, fans have the added excitement of their team being ranked #1 in the Class 3A Associated Press football poll. Football is good and fun, and it highlights some core values that we should all hold dear.

1. Everything in Life is Temporary - Last season's success of failure is over. Can you tell me, off the top of your head, who won the Class 2A state championship in Texas last year? Who lost last year's Superbowl? What was the record of the 1983 Dallas Cowboys? If you correctly answer these questions, you either looked it up on the internet, or are too obsessed with football. Mike Leach said it best, "That catch you made last year, well, that was last year!" Most of our accomplishments on this earth will be short lived. My grandfather desegregated the Dawson (TX) public school system, and secured the funding to build a new high school for Latexo, TX. Neither town remembers who he is. Dawson, TX, does remember their most successful football coach ever, and named the stadium after him, but they forget that my grandfather hired him. Most of what we do will be forgotten.
2. Invest in That which is not Temporary - When the Dallas Cowboys signed Terrell Owens, most fans knew that TO would only be around a few short years. Still, Jerry Jones signed the receiver to a huge contract. Even after TO was cut from the team, the Cowboys still owed him millions of dollars. That is not a wise financial investment, neither is investing in something that won't last wise. While most footballers see the value in bringing in rookie talent and developing it into superstar talent, many don't understand the value in investing in the eternal things of this life.
3. Football is for a short time, but eternity is forever - Brownwood is full of men walking the streets who played on the 1960 state championship team, or any one of the other 6 state championship teams from Brownwood. These men, for the four years they were in high school, invested every ounce of their being into their football careers. Most of these football careers ended at graduation. A few went on to play in college. While they recognize how fleeting those football days were, and how important it was to get an education and gainful employment to take them through the rest of their lives, most fail to realize the importance of preparing for eternity. My four years of high school ended 14 years ago. It seems like it was in the distant past, and it seems very short. That's how your life will appear to you when you go into eternity. The life we lived on this earth will have seemed short and fleeting, yet, just like the decisions I made in high school still affect me now, so will the decisions we make on this earth affect you throughout all eternity.

And so now we get to the meat of the matter. Isn't it sad to see a man whose best days were while he was in high school? Don't make that mistake with your life in eternity. No matter how good or bad things are in this life, they will be but a blip on your eternal existence. The key decision you need to make in this life is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If you do so, you will spend eternity in Heaven. If you choose not to do so, you will spend eternity in Hell. The choice is yours.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Down the Home Stretch: Acquiring a Permanent Worship Facility

The front of the church building we are trying to buy.

In June of 2008, my wife Jessica, my children and I moved to Brownwood, TX, under the authority of Rocky Springs MBC, for the purpose of starting a local New Testament church. Brownwood is a town of approximately 24,000 people, with 37,000 living in the county. It is home to Howard Payne University, 3M and Kohler, and the nearest ABA church is located 84 miles away in Abilene, TX.

Over the past two years, we have seen 17 souls saved, four follow the Lord in Baptism, and numerous additions by letter and statement. Our attendance ranges from 15-30 on Sunday mornings, and we have been holding services in a rented facility that is only able to accommodate 40-50 people comfortably.

In order for our mission work (Grace Pointe MBM) to grow to become self-supporting, I feel that we will need to be able to grow numerically, as well as spiritually. While our current congregation is growing spiritually, the numeric growth will continue to be a challenge in our current facility.

Sanctuary from the back row

There is a vacant church facility located on the south end of town, adjacent to the youth sports complex, which includes the high school football stadium. To the north of this facility is Brownwood Middle School. This facility is also located adjacent to Brownwood’s largest residential neighborhood.

The proposed facility has a sanctuary that will seat 125 comfortably, has five classrooms, a kitchen and fellowship hall, and sits on five acres of land that will offer room for future growth. We have begun to canvass this neighborhood and have received great feedback.

The asking price for this facility is $195,000. Aside from some minor repairs, this facility is a turnkey operation. The church pews and church furniture is still in place, including a working baptistery, sound system and projection system. This facility is the most cost-effective option in obtaining a permanent worship facility for this new work.

Our goal is to raise the funds necessary to purchase this facility without going into debt. Any and all contributions to this project will be greatly appreciated, and will ONLY be used to purchase a worship facility for Grace Pointe MBM.

View from the pulpit

Should this particular facility be sold before we can raise the funds, there are two other facilities available for purchase. Please consider sending us a one-time offering for this project.

Support for our building fund can be sent to:

Grace Pointe MBM

PO Box 1828

Brownwood, TX 76804

Thank you for your consideration.

In Christ,

Leland Acker
Missionary to Brownwood, TX
(325) 200-8531

Mission: Brownwood July 2010 Report

Grace Pointe Enjoys Successful Summer Month

July saw Grace Pointe hold their first revival meeting (led by Bro. James Snyder of Central MBC in Jonesboro, LA), its third VBS (with a high attendance of 19 children), two professions of faith, one baptism and one addition by statement.

Ramping up Our Efforts

Grace Pointe has three major projects we are working on right now in an effort to reach the unchurched of Brownwood, TX, and eventually grow to be self-supporting. (1) We are currently going door-to-door sharing the Gospel and distributing tracts. When we finish giving out the current batch of tracts, we will have given out 3,000 Chick Tracts. That means that roughly 15% of Brownwood residents have received a Chick tract from us, not including the 15,000 people who received tracts from us at last year’s Brownwood Reunion. (2) We are also preparing to spread the Gospel at this year’s Brownwood Reunion. For this outreach, I plan to purchase 10,000 custom printed tracts for $920 shipping included. On average, this event is attended by 15,000 people. (3) We are looking to raise funds to acquire a worship facility. More on this to be posted in the near future.
By The Numbers:

Attendance:

Sunday Morning:

7/4 - 16 ($516)
7/11 - 16 ($145.50)
7/18 - 14 ($61)
7/25 - 14 ($500)

Sunday Evening:

7/4 - 12
7/11 - 13
7/18 - 16
7/25 - 10

Income:
Offerings: $1,222.50
Memorial MBC (Rusk, TX) $50
Marvin Acker (Jacksonville) $100
Roy & Cynthia McMullin $25
TM and Eloise Jones $25
Jim Slocumb ; $100
Northcrest MBC (Andrews, TX) $69.25
Arp First Baptist (Arp, TX) $120

Expenses:
Rent: $600
Sound System: $432.99
Leland Acker: $200
Brownwood Water: $84.51
James Snyder (Revivalist) $500
Lake Brownwood State Park (Baptismal Service) $27
VBS Budget (Details provided as soon as available) $500
Checks: $32.67
VBS Banner: $96
VBS Booklets: $192.50
Rich Cone A/C Repair: $298.50
TXU: $144.75

Mission Fund
Support:
MBA of Texas $3,058
Rocky Springs MBC (Jacksonville, TX) $515
Denson Springs MBC (Grapeland, TX) $100
White Rock MBC (Center, TX) $100
Heritage MBC (Missouri City, TX) $200

Expenses:
Leland Acker Salary + Housing: $3,622
Building Materials $279.93
Newspaper Ad for Revival $97.50
Revival $451.51
Outreach Luncheon $120
VBS supplies $373.67

Getting down to the Nitty Gritty in Revelation

We are studying the book of Revelation at Grace Pointe MBC in Brownwood, TX. For the past few months, we have been studying the seven churches of Asia, and the significance of the contents of God's throne room as is described in Revelation 4-5. This week, we begin chapter 6, which depicts the opening of the seals and the events that unfold during the Tribulation, the seven year period at the end of our current era also known as Daniel's 70th week.

At this point of the study, members at Grace Pointe will expect to hear teaching regarding the timing of the events of the seven-year tribulation. Growing up, I was always taught the following order of things:

1. The Rapture occurs.
2. The seven-year tribulation begins.
3. The four horsemen of Revelation 6 appear.
4. The two witnesses appear at the Temple or temple mount in Jerusalem.
5. The "Wrath of the Lamb" worldwide earthquake.
6. The Anti-Christ, who has appeared on the scene at some point during all this, assumes power.
7. The Anti-Christ is assassinated, but then healed.
8. The two witnesses are assassinated, then resurrect after three days in full view of the entire world.
9. The final 3.5 years of the Tribulation, known as "The Great Tribulation," begin.
10. The mark of the beast, total war, total judgment, total destruction, Christ returns and establishes His kingdom.

However, as a result of my personal study, and some teachings I received in seminary, I have concluded that the above list is inaccurate. First of all, in all passages of end time prophecy, the rapture is not mentioned. (The rapture is only described in 1 Thessalonians, and briefly in Matthew 24). Furthermore, I find it interesting that there is no mention of the Rapture in Revelation before the opening of the seals, which tells me that there is no Rapture that occurs before the Tribulation begins.

Furthermore, the two witnesses are not mentioned until Revelation 11. They will prophesy 1,260 days (or 3 1/2 Jewish calendar years.) The Antichrist (The beast) will be given power for 42 months (3 1/2 years).

This information, along with the understanding of the purpose of Daniel's 70th week (to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to reconcile God to His people, the Jews... Daniel 9:24), we find that the contemporary Christian understanding of the Tribulation is incorrect. Most Christians understand that the seven-year tribulation is God's wrath executed upon an unbelieving world. According to scripture (Daniel 9:24), the purpose is to bring Israel to repentance.

The fact that the Tribulation will be brought about to bring Israel to repentance means that it is not ALL God's wrath being poured out on the earth, meaning that God's children, those who know Jesus as Savior, will in fact endure at least part of the Tribulation. Scriptural evidence of this includes the martyrs mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11 and Revelation 7:9-16.

As for the two witnesses, I am thinking that their prophetic ministry happens during the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation. Why? First of all, when they minister. Revelation 11:1 tells John to measure the Temple of God, meaning the Temple will exist during the duration of the ministry of the two witnesses. Secondly, they witness for 3 1/2 Jewish years... the exact length of time of the Great Tribulation (the second half of Daniel's 70th week). Thirdly, the entire world rejoices at their demise... meaning that the world believes that its trouble is over because the two witnesses are gone. Notice also that 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says the world will say "peace and safety," then sudden destruction comes upon them. That is exactly what will happen at the end of the Tribulation.

As for the timing of the Rapture, I think I have found a passage in Revelation 14:14-20:

Rev 14:14-20 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

In this passage, you have one on the cloud like unto the Son of Man with a sickle, who reaps at the cry of the first angel who comes out of the Temple (the Rapture of the Saints?), and another angel who came out of the Temple with a sharp sickle who gathers the grapes of the earth (the fruit of the world, the unsaved) at the cry of the angel from the altar.

This incident happens immediately before the last seven plagues in Revelation 15, which are filled up with the wrath of God. If the rapture is in fact in Revelation 14, then it still occurs before the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth, thus we are still not appointed unto wrath.

With this (and many other thoughts in mind) my new timeline is as follows:

1. The seven year Tribulation (Daniel's 70th Week) begins at the signing of a covenant between the man who will go on to become the Beast (the Antichrist) and Israel. The covenant (probably will be called a treaty) will be a seven year treaty. (Daniel 9:27)
2. The seven seals and the 144,000 sealed.
3. The seven trumpets.
4. The midpoint - the two witnesses emerge and the beast (Antichrist) assumes power after having a fatal wound healed. The talking statue and the mark of the beast begin.
5. Rapture
6. Wrath (seven plagues and seven vials).
7. Fall of Babylon.
8. Marriage supper of the Lamb
9. 1,000 year reign.
10. Destruction of Satan.
11. Final judgment.
12. New Heaven and New Earth, New Jerusalem.

One objection some will have to this timeline is the timing of the rapture. Paul wrote that it would be at the last trump. It is possible that the seven trumps extend beyond the midpoint of the Tribulation. Regardless of the accuracy of my timeline, God's timeline is set and secure. This means that regardless of the timing of the rapture, God's saints will endure persecution and times are set to get harder. Be prepared and shore up your faith through the study of God's word (Romans 10:17).

I am not an end times expert, nor a scholar in the book of Revelation. These are conclusions I am basing on a study of Revelation in and of itself, with a background of having previously studied Daniel. Should you have any thoughts to offer, corrections to make, or arguments to advance, feel free to do so, as long as all is done in brotherly love and is supported by scripture in context.