Rapture

The Rapture

Rapture definition – 1. feeling of intense pleasure or joy. 2. (according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ. 3. (according to some millenarian teaching) transport (a believer) from earth to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ.

Where did the Rapture theology originate?

John Nelson Darby, a 19th-century Irish theologian, is credited with popularizing the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. This doctrine, which he developed through his analysis of scripture, suggests that the rapture, the sudden, global gathering of believers to meet Christ in the air, will occur before the Great Tribulation, a period of intense suffering and judgment on Earth.

The fact that John Nelson Darby invented the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine around 1830 AD is unquestionably true. All attempts to find evidence of this doctrine before 1830 have failed.

The John Darby Rapture theology was influenced by Margaret MacDonalds visions and utterances. This is the link that shows Margarete’s influence on John Darby, https://www.discerningtheworld.com/2016/05/02/margaret-macdonald-vision-pre-trib-really/.

The Rapture teaches in the end times believers that both living and dead believers will ascend into heaven to meet Jesus Christ at the Second Coming.

The belief in the Rapture emerged from the anticipation that Jesus would return to redeem all members of the church. The term rapture, however, appears nowhere in the New Testament. In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wrote that the Lord will come down from heaven and that a trumpet call will precede the rise of “the dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first).  Thereafter, Verse 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. The clouds are not referred as heaven.  It appears to mean we will ultimately will be with the Lord here on earth where Adam and Eve resided. Revelation 21:1-2 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Deuteronomy 11:21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land (earth) of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth

Of great concern is believers think that just because they are Believers in Jesus Christ, they can continue to sin without consequences, Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  Will the raptured be sinless?

Key point is the word rapture is not in the Bible.  The original definitions prior to the rapture theology is: a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.  The other rapture definitions came after John Darby invented the rapture theology.  Caught up in the air in the Bible has no reference to rapture theology. (1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord) is not raptured into heaven. 

The Bible talks about the narrow gate.  Who is God referring to?  Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ God is talking about us Christians.  Are sure you will be raptured up?  Are those who don’t believe in the rapture theology believe they will be in heaven on earth with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

Lawlessness is being one with sin.  Lawlessness is not reading His Word. Lawlessness is not teaching the Gospel. Lawlessness is not casting out evil spirits. Lawlessness is not praying for people. Lawlessness is not doing anything for God’s Kingdom. 

It’s not about what I think about rapture doctrine.  It’s about what the Bible tells us. Scripture is thousands of years old created by God.  Rapture theology is 195 years old   invented by John Nelson Darby.  Who are you going to believe?

We can’t believe in one word and ignore the totality of God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; Tony Sanchez 5-8-2025 

The Principality of Bitterness

 Note:  Before we get started, we must understand what bitterness does to our bones.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit (bitterness) dries the bones.

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Drying of the bones means that it dries the bone morrow and the white T cells that protects us from immune diseases.  In addition, bitterness and anxiety/stress/fear cause cortisol drip.  Excessive cortisol secretion destroys white T cells and soft tissue throughout the body including the brain which leads to dementia.

Bitterness is a principality of the enemy.  Ephesians 6:12 says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

If we are in conflict with one another, I am not your enemy.  You are not my enemy.  The problem here is we are not able to separate the person from their sin.  Their sin is our enemy – Not them!

When someone violates us, we make him or her evil along with the evil they did, don’t we?  You must be able to separate people form their sin.  God didn’t create you from the foundations of the world as a sinner.  God created you from the foundation of the world as saints before Him and as His sons and daughters forever.  Because of sin, we have become separated from God.  Even after conversion, we still have many things to work out.

Bitterness is a principality; under it and answering to it are seven evil spirits (demons) that reinforce bitterness.

1.     Unforgiveness

When the root of bitterness in Hebrews gets a foothold, the first thing that happens is a record of wrongs.

Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled Hebrews 12:15.

How many of you are still having flashbacks from people hurting you?  If I mentioned someone who hurt you, you would probably give me 15 reasons why you don’t like them.  Then, you would tell many others the same 15 reasons.  This results in gossip, slander, and embellishment (making it worse than what it is), especially true with families.  This is unforgiveness.  After unforgiveness gets a foothold and creates a record of wrongs, there’s another dimension of the spiritual dynamics. It is called resentment.

2.     Resentment

Resentment is the record of wrongs being fueled by feelings of holding onto it and starting to meditate on the wrongs.  It’s hard to understand that we have feelings of resentment as we think about the people in our mind   throughout the day.  It’s because you are a spirit being; you have a soul, and you live in your body.

Resentment is a spiritual problem, not a psychological problem.  Bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment are spiritual problems, not psychological problems.  You can take these keys and use them in any spiritual conflict you have in your life.  This gets us right here in our heart.  This is what separates us from others and it is the foundation of fear which may come later: fear of man, fear of rejection, fear of failure, and fear of abandonment. 

Retaliation

After resentment gets a foothold, then we have retaliation.  We take an attitude of “I don’t forgive, I just get even.”  After resentment has started to simmer, we find ways to get back at the person who caused it.  Most often with gossip, slander, and backstabbing.  Retaliation wants to make the person pay.  They want to get even.

3.     Anger

After retaliation gets a foothold, then anger starts to set in.  Unforgiveness, resentment and retaliation have been building and now a real strong feeling of anger comes along.  Anger is very hard to control.  What we fail to understand is anger is a choice.  Nobody can make you angry unless you allow someone to make you angry.

4.     Hatred

After anger sets in, there comes hatred.  Hatred says this: “Because I’m remembering what you did to me, because I have really been meditation on it and I really resent it, I’m going to get even.  I’m going to get the pressure cooker going because I’m going to add fuel to the fire, and now at this stage you do not have any reason to exist anymore, especially in my presence.”  Hatred says, “There is not even room on this planer for you and me at the same place at the same time.”  Hated says, “You and I cannot stay in the same room together.” Hatred starts to develop into the elimination process.

5.     Violence

After hatred comes violence.  Violence says this:  Before I eliminate you, you are going to feel my pain.  You are going to hear my voice.  You are going to know my hatred.  You are going to experience my hatred.”

6.     Murder   

Once violence erupts, the final fruit of bitterness is murder.  This can be actual physical murder, or murder with the tongue, which is character assassination or verbal abuse.  Whenever I find any of these in a person’s life, all the stuff from here (the mind) to here (the heart) is there.  I know if we do not deal with it, it’s going to go to the heart and take up residence. 

When hatred, violence, and murder are in someone’s life, they feel they are justified and everybody else is going to pay the price.  Have you been a victim of this?  Did you feel defiled? Have you made a victim of someone else on this basis?

I have found that if any one of these seven areas answering to bitterness exists, all of the preceding ones will be there from the one area.  I noticed; if left unchecked, all the rest will surely come.  For example, if you see hatred in a person, unforgiveness, resentment, retaliation and anger always precede.  Also, each of the seven is progressively worse than the one just proceeding it. For example, violence is much more serious problem than resentment. 

Forgiveness:  What God Expects of us – 70 x7

 What does God expect of us when we are forgiving someone else and ourselves?  I mentioned ourselves as well because we can have bitterness towards ourselves and the seven steps can apply to ourselves

Peter and Jesus had an interesting conversation.  Jesus was teaching and Peter asked the Lord, how often should I forgive my brother?  Up to seven times?  Jesus said, no, I do not say until seven times; I say to you seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:22 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

What Jesus is saying is that we must continue to forgive until the unforgiveness is not an issue anymore.  When the remembrance of the hurt or offense does not sting anymore.  Forgiving is much more effective if we declare forgiveness out loud consistently. 

You forgive others and yourself because God had forgiven you.   God has told us to forgive and we are His obedient children.  When you forgive your brother his trespasses, then God will release you because you have released your brother from his trespass.  You are now released from the spirit of bitterness and the antagonistic high-octane ping on the inside goes away.  You will always remember the evil that was done to you but you do not have to carry it as a sin in your own life.

You do not have to carry someone else’s sin inside of you.  This is their sin.  God will be their judge.  Your job is to release them, get back before God, get your heart right with God, then keep on moving.  Your freedom does not depend on their resolution – it depends on your resolution.

When you forgive others, you are not letting them off the hook, but giving them to God.  You are off the hook.

When you forgive someone, you continue to hate their sin, but you are commanded to love them.  John 13:34- A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

We are not the judge when it comes to sin.  Sinners cannot judge sinners.  Only God will judge.

Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

When it comes down to it, why are we judging someone to begin with? Because we want retaliation! 

Whether a person responds to you in forgiveness or not, it’s their problem and their sin.  Walk away, keep your heart right, and ask God to bring reconciliation, and pray for them.  Do what you can to bring it about and if you cannot have peace, keep on moving.

Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander…. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God forgave you

From Henry Wrights book, A More Excellent Way (p. 99)                                              Tony Sanchez April 29, 2025

Mind - Body Sickness and Disease Connection

 

Mind-Body Connection
We Are Responders To Our Thoughts Physically And Emotionally
SPIRIT				Fragmented Soul
				Hurts
				Offenses
				Un-forgiveness
				Bitterness
				Expectations
				Disappointments
				Betrayal
				Regrets
SOUL				Broken Heart
				Traumas
				Fear
Mind				Rejection
	Will			Unloving
Emotions				Anger
				Soul Ties
				Spoken Curses
				Generational Curses
				Imaginations/Fantasizing
				Accusations
				Unbelief
				Depression - Hopelessness
				Oppression
				Envy & Jealousy
				Pride
Body				Self-pity
				Addictions
Sickness & Disease - Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Do You Have Bitterness?

 The vast majority of people say they are not bitter at anyone, self, or an organization.  Let’s look at the definition of bitterness and similar words. 

Bitterness – anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly or hurt; resentment.

Similar words – harshness,  resentment, resentfulness, embittered, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, discontent, grudge, pique, indignation, rancor, spite, sullenness, churlishness, moroseness, petulance, peevishness, spleen, acrimony, trauma, pain, painfulness, agony, grief, unpleasantness, disagreeableness, nastiness, awfulness, upset, heartache, heartbreak, unhappiness, misery, wretchedness, sorrow, sadness, distress, desolation, despair, desperation, poignancy, tragedy, sting, keenness, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, enmity, animus, friction, virulence, anger, spitefulness, vindictiveness, viciousness, vitriol, savagery, ferocity, hate, hatred, loathing, detestation, venom, poison, bile, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood, malignity, malevolence,

Can you more easily identify with bitterness now?  Perhaps we all must rethink what we know about bitterness and how it is affecting our health?

Bitterness will destroy your soft tissue.  Science says: Cortisol, a stress (fight or flight) hormone, can negatively affect soft tissues by breaking down protein, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy, hindering wound healing, and potentially contributing to decreased collagen production, which impacts skin elasticity and tissue repair; essentially, high cortisol levels can weaken and deteriorate soft tissues in the body.  This can include destruction of:

·       White T cells (bone marrow) that fight off immune sickness and diseases, Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones"

·       Myelin that surrounds the nerve fiber and the nerve itself

·       Inner ear that results in Tinnitus and hearing loss

·       Brain cell destruction

·       Liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, pancreas, uterus, appendix, spleen, gallbladder, intestines, lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, stomach, bone marrow, veins, pancreas, and Urinary bladder

"Dries up the bones" is not meant to be taken literally, but rather represents a state of depletion and weakness caused by prolonged negative emotions, Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.  Envy leads to jealousy and anger, and ultimately bitterness.  We are responders of our thought. In other words, your health is dependent how you think good or evil. 

Negative declarations – What is coming out of mouth directed at people, self, and organization?  Is it a blessing or a curse?  In Genesis 1:3 “God said, let there be light” God spoke light into existence.  In the same manner we can speak into existence curses onto ourselves and others.  James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  I can’t tell you how many people beat up on their selves at a high level through negative declarations.  It greatly affects their health.

Bitterness has many things tied to it that lead to physical and mental illnesses.  Primarily, is the unloving spirit which is causes rejection, abandonment, not feeling loved or worthy to be loved, anger, hatred, hurts, unforgiveness, and finally bitterness.  All of these cause sickness and disease.

As I said numerous times over the years, every health issue, physically and emotionally has a root cause and the Bible says it is disobedience (Sin) Deuteronomy 28 15-68.  Science identifies the symptoms, doctors treat the symptoms, we and the church pray for the symptoms. Yet we remain sick and diseased because we refuse to find the spiritual causes and pray effectively (James 5:16) against the causes that lead to the symptoms. 

There is a mind-body connection directly tied to sickness and disease caused by spiritual wickedness (sin) working in us and from others. The Body of Jesus Christ is suffering and we are in captivity.  When is the church going to wake up and start teaching the causes of sickness and disease and praying for the flock? T. Sanchez 3/25                                        

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Isiah 5:13 Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge 

Spiritual Grooming in The Church Over the Centuries

Spiritual grooming definition – The act of forming a relationship with others with the intention of introducing them to a religious doctrine or church process that may or may not align with the church of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. Note: Spiritual grooming is programing the Body of Jesus Christ with a belief not always aligning with the Word of God.  

Most often the church tradition supersedes the church of Jesus Christ.  The church has placed the pastor above the flock. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that pastors are to be at the top of the church hierarchy. It does say pastors are one of five chosen to be leaders in the church, but not better than anyone else.  Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  Everyone of the five and even the flock are to carry out the Great Commission, Mark 16:14-18 for healing. 

The current church hierarchy creates separation within the flock rendering them as followers with little say so in church matters which is very dangerous.  We all know what power and haughtiness can do to leadership,

Church Service     

I have visited over 50 different churches and I am seeing the same church services.

1. Very seldom is the Holy Spirit called before or during service.  The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Luke 14:16, 26. Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
2. The church does not pray for sick and diseased before/during/after service. When they do pray, they pray for the symptoms and not the causes that lead to the symptoms.
3. I have yet to see a scripture posted on the screen where the entire congregation declares or prays the scripture.
4. Pastors preach, a feel-good message, they council people, they joke too much to get a laugh, they give motivational messages and the flock still remains sick and diseased. 
5. None of these 50 churches have a healing, prayer, and deliverance ministry.  Did Jesus have a healing ministry?  Of course!  Matter of fact, Jesus taught the disciples to preach the gospel, pray away evil spirts that cause sickness and disease so they may be healed.

Does your church resemble the church of Jesus Christ?  Does your church cast out demon spirits (evil spirits)?   Most cannot identify evil spirits working in them even though evil spirits are all around them and keeping them in captivity.  Are the following evil spirits familiar to you like, fear, anger, bitterness, unloving, anxiety, lust, envy, jealousy, and a lying spirit to name a few?  Does the church know what causes depression?  God tells us in Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety (fear) in the heart of man cause depression.  Do you know that these are sins which are called iniquities in the Bible?  Is the church you attend teaching you how to come out of captivity?

This is a short teaching that everyone must consider because the church is not teaching what God wants us to know.  People continue to go into church service sick and diseased and leave sick and diseased.