A Cowboy Bible Study: of END TIME REVELATION

By Mike Coe

The title of this book is from that of which it came; a group of cowboy believers wanting to know what the Bible really says about the return of Christ Jesus to planet earth. John, the revelator, was in the aEURoeSpiritaEUR on the LordaEUR(tm)s Day when he heard a loud voice speaking to him as of a trumpet. The voice said to him, aEURoeI am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia.aEUR It is clear that God wanted to get a message out to the believers. It is that message that we at Cowboy Country Fellowship seek to understand.In our world today we have many who teach on the book of Revelation. Our problem is that they cannot all be right! Some teach a pre-tribulation Rapture. Others teach a mid-or post-tribulation Rapture that must take place at the return of Christ. Still, there are others that teach something totally different. So who is right? Not everyone is going to be right! What is the truth concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him? We wanted to know!It was readily accepted that the only way to know the truth was to know it for ourselves. We set aside our preconceived ideas brought about through doctrinal teaching and set out to learn the truth from the Scriptures for ourselves. If something didnaEUR(tm)t fit, we would acquit any preconceived idea not backed up in Scripture as un-provable. Nonetheless, it was difficult to let go of some things we had held so dear from our lack of knowledge. It is much easier to believe something that may not be true when it sounds so good and requires little effort. Few are willing to suffer for His cross.For the first year we spent a lot of time on the words of Jesus given to the early church leaders in Matthew chapter 24, which took us to the book of Daniel. In Daniel 2:44, it says: aEURoeAnd in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.aEUR We, therefore, set out to identify if those kingdoms were in existence today.After a rather hard start we began to fit Scripture with Scripture found in both the old and New Testament. We began to understand the symbolism God used in scripture based on prophecy already fulfilled. We studied the symbols used concerning the coming of Christ Jesus to become the only propitiation for our sins that God would accept. After about a year we were ready to begin a detailed study into the book of Revelation written by the only disciple of the twelve who lived to an old age who was not martyred (killed) for the testimony of Christ. Some will escape the sword!It may interest you to know that Daniel and John the revelator are the only two men in the Bible of which it is written of them personally that God either aEURoegreatly lovedaEUR or aEURoewhom Jesus loved.aEUR We know that God loves us all. John 3:16 tells us that. But for some reason God saw to it to mark these two men by saying he loved them in Scripture. You can find it in Daniel 10:23 and John 10:19, and both wrote some of the most prophetic words ever written.Enjoy this study. Time is running out to forever know the truth within our hearts for ourselves. All we need is the aEURoewant to.aEUR God will do the rest to open our understanding. You will find that this study places Scripture with Scripture, line upon line, here a little and there a little, and precept upon precept as it is written within the scriptures. This study is much more than just a bunch of drug-store want-a-be cowboys blowing off steam. We discovered Truth!It is exciting to begin a new year with a president who is not a polished politician. Will he drain the swamp? Or will he become a creature of the swamp? Will he keep his promises? Or will he morph into broken promises as one of them? Only time will tell! Perso

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098036560

Book preview

cover.jpg

A Cowboy Bible Study

of END TIME REVELATION

Mike Coe

Copyright © 2020 by MIKE COE

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

End of the Church Age: What Jesus said in Matthew 24 (2 Timothy 2:15)

Matthew 24: To the Early Church Leaders

The Book of Daniel: A Time of Trouble Such as Never Was

First Corinthians 15: The Mystery of the Resurrection

First Thessalonians 4: Them which Sleep in Jesus

Second Thessalonians 2: Let No Man Deceive You

End of the Church Age Bible Study: Continued after Arena Work and Rodeo

Did It Occur to God?: Did We Occur to God?

What Is Your Fixed Point? Why the King James!

King James vs. Contradictions Found: In Modern-Day Versions

USA and CCF: What We Must Do

United States in the Bible: Prophesied Years Ago

Fitting Scripture with Scripture: Prophecy and Fulfillment

The Mysteries of God: Being Revealed

Everywhere a Sign: Signs of the Time

Warning Signs: In The Last Days

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: John’s Witness to Revelation

Revelation 1 and 2: The Seven Churches

Bible Study Conclusions: Is there any?

My Personal Observation from This Study

From the Pastor’s Desk: From Believer to Leader

Author Mike and wife Diana

"Mikey, the only thing a man will ever posses in this life, are the things he gives away."

—Velma Marie Coe Clemmens

My grandmother told me these words when I was a teenager, extremely rebellious, and mad at my parents for getting a divorce. We were farmers, outhouse and all, drew our own bath water, and ate what we raised. We were different but we kids didn’t know it, living in an over-the-hill, dead end road, four roomed farm house on Talala creek. My grandmother owned it. There were six of us plus mom and dad, with me being the oldest of the six.

I asked grandma what she meant by telling me that. It sounded so ridiculous to me. All she would tell me was: "What is inside of you is all you will ever have. Make it strong and give it away." I didn’t understand! But she was always telling me to let go of my anger and "look for the beauty in life." She was so confusing to me at times, but as a child I enjoyed staying overnight with her and grandpa, except when it was prayer time. I would fall asleep with my head bowed on the chair seat. They would call out the names of ever one I knew and many I didn’t for hours!

In my early thirties, grandma was going to have exploratory surgery for stomach pains. The evening before the surgery grandma and grandpa Dan were walking along a country road. I stopped to tell her I would be praying for her during the surgery. She had the brightest smile I had ever seen on her face and said: "Mikey, I’m going home!" I then offered to give them a ride. She immediately took my hand, looked me straight into my eyes and said softly: "No Mikey, I’m going home." I looked at grandpa, but all he did was shrug his shoulders.

I realized what she was telling me and offered the understanding that it was only exploratory surgery, that everything would be alright, we would be praying! With the biggest smile I have ever seen she said: "Mikey, remember what I told you. Give what you have away. I will be seeing you soon. I’m going home." I had never seen her so happy!

The next day the report came. Grandma had died within minutes on the operating table. She had gone home! I dedicate this Bible Study to Grandma, looking forward to seeing her soon. But before I do, I want to give away what I have inside. I believe this Bible Study is in-part what Grandma was talking about. It is written in easy to understand words. No PHD, no highly praised seminary degrees, just plain talk. Enjoy this study into our future.

Sincerely,

Mike Coe

Melvin still plants the garden

Preface

How it Began

To be perfectly honest I never thought I would work so hard, as I have with my brother Mike, to convince him to publish his work. Mike taught a two-year Bible study on the book of Revelation and made study guides for us to use. His work is called A Cowboy Bible Study, and he has allowed our church to publish it. CCF is a church full of men and women like Mike who are talented in ministering the Word of God in speech, in music, and in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are a nondenominational church from different backgrounds, church denominations, and worship styles.

Cowboy Country Fellowship is where countryfolk, city slickers, cowboys, bike riders, and ex-cons meet with one purpose in heart; and that purpose is to magnify the Living God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our guidelines and rules of engagement with this world come directly from the Holy Bible. No one has to agree totally with everyone else to be a member and worship God with us. There are several things in the Bible that some see different than others. And that’s okay!

The fundamentals of salvation in being born again are simple and easy to understand. Our motto is Making believers and leaders where the lost once stood. We make no judgments on anyone because of their past or style of worship. We encourage all to walk their life as Christ Jesus told us. Christian means to be Christlike, which can be a very difficult thing to do in the body of flesh weakened by the sin nature of Adam. But with Christ, all things are possible, including victory over our sin nature! We are to be examples to the world.

It may interest you to know just how CCF came into existence to unite so many of the different denominations and backgrounds into a common goal. It is most definitely a God thing, and you may find it interesting.

As a young man, I began working in a boy’s ministry much like Boy Scouts. Mike had tricked me into helping him for just one night in a new ministry he had begun. That one night expanded to over Thirty-five years. We camped, fished, hiked, run the rapids in canoes, and had a lot of fun. The ministry used activities such as these to excite the boys to come join our gang. But the activities were only a tool used to introduce the young boys, the young men, to Jesus. We often found ourselves being the only father figure the boys had to relate with, with so many broken homes all around us and single-parent moms.

The good news is many of the young boys grew into men serving God with all their heart. Before I left that ministry to start CCF, I found myself working with the children of those first boys, the second generation, and it was hard to leave.

My wife Diana and I also served as youth pastors in Children’s Church. Every Sunday morning for years, we came to church to pour our lives into these children, planting seeds of eternal life into their hearts. Many of those today are serving God in supernatural ways. God has truly blessed Diana and me. A man will never stand so tall as he does when he stoops to help a boy.

But the story I want to tell is about how God set CCF just north of Talala, Oklahoma, on a ranch I used to haul hay on. Our church is the very barn I filled with hay along with Mike, my dad, and all my brothers and sisters. There are six of us kids, and Dad saw to it that we knew what work was and in setting goals for that day.

The story begins like this: Our parent church had built a wonderfully new church in a great location and was about to move in soon. The boy’s ministry I was still working in was camping pre-1840 style as mountain men at that time. Before, Diana and I had talked about a cowboy church among ourselves, but never shared it. The old church was about to become vacant. I had to move quickly to share my idea and my calling with others before it was too late. There were other ministries that wanted the building.

As we sit around the campfire watching the flames and sparks leap up as Sweetpea would stir the fire, I popped the question: What do you think about a cowboy church in the old church building? The first to sound off was Two Sticks Mud Flap, my brother Mike. We had all been renamed a mountain man name with a story behind it. My name was (is) No Powder. I forgot to put powder into my black powder rifle during a competition shot.

Next was No Fun Mouse Hawk, our senior leader of the group. No! they both proclaim. Not a chance. They wanted the building for the boy’s ministry we were doing. Fiddle Head and a few others sided with them but thought it would still be a good idea, just not in that building.

But I was not without my allies. Merchant Man, Rabbit Head, and Bubbles thought it was a great idea. Bull Eye would not commit one way or the other, as did others. Still, I was convinced that God wanted me to start a cowboy church. I just needed a building to begin the vision I had. Or so I thought! Full Moon, so named by Hanging Hoot Owl, thought it would be a tuff sell.

I immediately started talking with our pastor. We were great pals, so he entertained the idea with me. Finally, the move from the old church to the new took place. The old church was empty, and there was talk about selling it. But I kept the pressure on the pastor to allow me to begin a cowboy church in the old building. And I am sure Mouse Hawk and Mud Flap was doing the same with additional allies such as Time Keeper and Statesman for the boy’s ministry. They had plans too!

Then one day the pastor said, Okay, Cletis, do your cowboy church. Mouse Hawk and Mud Flap took it well and wished me God’s blessings. And that is just what God did! A lot of work went into getting ready to open our doors for the first time. Several good men and women worked hard in painting and decorating the building to fit our cowboy theme. All we had to do was bring in enough tithe money and offering to pay the utilities.

People started coming in from everywhere. We grew quickly. Our church was full most every Sunday. The people were paying their tithes and giving offerings. People who had stopped going to church, for whatever reason, were now attending CCF. I thought, Things just couldn’t get much better. And I was right!

I had become quite comfortable being the pastor of a thriving, fastest-growing cowboy church in Oklahoma, and I felt good in what God was doing in the lives of so many. But I knew God wanted more from me, and my vision included a working ranch with a lot of youth. A place where hard work paid off in great eternal dividends measured in lives being forever changed to the glory of God. We had the building but not the location. We were smack-dab in the middle of town! And we had no property for a ranch.

As fate would have it, the property our church is now on came up for sale. It was offered to me first as a friend to the family selling the property and at a very good price. In all honesty, I wanted to buy it for myself without even giving our parent church the opportunity to purchase it. But I just couldn’t do that. They had been so good to us in allowing our use of the building, and I thought it would be wrong to take advantage of such a good deal. Mike and I talked about it for days. Finally, the decision was made. We would first offer it to the parent church!

To my surprise the property was rejected by the board of directors of the parent church without little, if any, hesitation. I was told that all I wanted was for the parent church to buy it for the cowboys, and that was certainly not true! We were bringing in far more than just our utility bills in a united spirit of love. It looked like a no-brainer to me, so I signed my name on the dotted line in faith that God would somehow provide. Time was running out! We stepped out in Faith.

However, the relationship between the two churches began to falter. It was all over money. Partly my fault, if not mostly! We wanted to start paying right away on the ranch to get it back into operation and achieve some of the goals we had set for ourselves as a church. But this was not to be. I had signed personally on the dotted line to keep the property from going to another. Believe me, timing was everything!

I had become very comfortable with all we had done to make our cowboy church look like the real deal. The building was beautiful, and I was willing to stay right there with the ranch as a separate working part of the church near my hometown. Some of the members, few in number, didn’t want to spend any money on the ranch until I had personally paid it off and signed it over to the church. Others just wanted to get it done! Things were beginning to get really complicated for Diana and me, and all we wanted to do was to serve God!

Nonetheless, tensions between the two churches hit its peak. In a few short months we were told to evacuate the building in thirty days. Later we learned from Bulls Eye that all the pastor and board of the parent church ever thought we would become was a glorified Sunday school class of thirty to forty people tops! But we had become a thriving body of believers doing what God expected of us and operating in one accord.

I didn’t know what to do, where to go, or how to save the church. I called Mike, and we began to look for options. Then we had the big idea to drive to the property I owed a bundle on north of Talala and just look around. We talked about the good old days when we were young working on the ranch, hauling hay. We walked around the big barn we both knew so well when all of a sudden we looked at each other and said, Why not have church here! After all, we are cowboys!

We reasoned among ourselves that if a cowboy gets knocked of his horse, he is surely to get back on, dirt and all. So for the next few days we worked hard to get water and electric to the old hay barn using our own equipment and hired hands. Utilities were already on the property, just at the other end. So we decided to use the big hay barn as our church!

Our first Sunday morning was huge! We had, near as we could count, 264 people in attendance with a twenty-four-foot flatbed trailer as a stage, three port-a-potties, a row of lights down the middle of the barn, and a water hydrant. But the best part is that God showed up to bless us, and together we magnified His glorious name! We were not without our difficulties, but God will always provide when His people are in one accord with Him.

Today, as I write these words, our new church, a bigger barn, is under construction. We hope to be in it before winter. We have good men and women working very hard to make that happen and with a little more room and comfort. We are still making leaders out of believers where the lost once stood. God is building His Church!

I hope you like this Bible study. Mike has put a lot of work in trying to rightly divide the Word of God. If I am successful, I will convince Mike to allow us to publish more of his work. This particular work was given to the church free of charge to do as we please. Mike wants only to put Scripture with Scripture to prove his point, and then he looks for scriptures that could possibly disprove that point. All he wants is the facts that are proven in the Holy Scriptures, and nothing more, to draw a conclusion. He is in search for the non adulterated truth proven in scripture.

Read it carefully. There is absolutely no way this study could convey all that we learned in our open Bible study. Everyone was allowed to speak who wanted to, and many did. Any person wanting to present another man’s conclusion or the prophecy teachings of another was free to do so. It was a great study, and I know you will like it. You may not totally agree, but you will learn something!

The bottom line is that we must all seek out our own salvation with fear and trembling as in Philippians 2:12 and allow God to use us for his good. I pray that this Bible study will challenge you to move forward from the sincere milk of God’s Word and into the deeper things of God. Truly God has given unto us a preview of things to come in these last days.

If you have ever wondered what role the United States of American will play in the End Times just before Jesus returns, I challenge you to read this study. Most people do not even believe we are mentioned in the Bible, but we are! This fact alone is what prompted Mike to do the study as much for him as it was for others.

For God and Country,

Pastor Cletis T. Coe

About the Author and Teacher

About the Bible Study

Hello! My name is Mike. I am the brother of our pastor Cletis Coe with his wife Diana. I am a member of Cowboy Country Fellowship, married with four children, and have seven grandchildren. And I am a very imperfect man. I am at war with my sinful nature and must rely totally upon the strength in the Holy Spirit that only Christ can give to live a victorious life. My spirit is indeed willing, but my flesh is weak to my shame. See Matthew 26:41

But Jesus Christ overcame the lust and desires of the flesh when He died upon a cruel cross of crucifixion nearly two thousand years ago. As a man, he was of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. From the seed of Israel to the birth of Christ Jesus, we can trace the seed or generations of Jesus from Abraham to King David, and even to His mother Mary, the seed of David. His stepfather Joseph was also of the seed of David. It was of that seed the man Jesus would become the only sacrifice God could accept for the complete forgiveness of my sin and yours. Through adoption we can become a part of that seed as in Ephesians 1:5.

Jesus was more than just a man from the seed of Israel. His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph to be married but knew not each other as sexually intimate. God, knowing the hearts of both, moved upon the Virgin Mary in the power of the Holy Spirit—God! And she was found with child, Jesus, of the Holy Spirit. Joseph knew it was of God because the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream. God was once again preparing Himself a sacrifice of flesh and blood. But it was to be the flesh and blood of the seed of man and not that of sheep, goats, cattle, or birds; Christ Jesus, the only sinless and perfect sacrifice able to forgive the sins of mankind against their Creator God.

Man has been given a space in time called the church age to accept the sacrifice of Jesus to redeem himself back to God. Failure to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus will result in God’s rejection of those who will not, by choice, receive the sacrifice Jesus made to redeem man from his sins. It is a gift. We cannot buy our salvation! And it only comes by knowing who Jesus the man was.

Jesus told his disciples, in speaking of the thing which were to come, "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, you might believe." Much has already come to pass! We will stand before God without any excuse for our unrepented sins and for not receiving the gift of Christ as the propitiation for our sin. Sadly, those who choose to do it their way will have all eternity to ask themselves, Why was I so blind?

Jesus told us He was coming back. He gave us precise signs of his return. This Bible study is a study into what, how, when, and where will Jesus return. It is in no way complete! I am honored that the pastor and board members want to publish it as a Bible study for others to use. I want only to provoke thought, challenge our understanding, and be a servant to my Lord Jesus Christ. I do not claim to have all the answers. Nor should you! There is a mystery that will only be known when Christ returns. See Revelation 10:7.

Therefore, the things I say in this study are out of a heart of true sincerity to find the truth and not something that sounds good and preaches well. I want to know the truth for myself, being able to rightly divide God’s Word as in Second Timothy 2:15, understanding precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little as in Isaiah 28:9–11. I do not want to be of the crowd prophesied in Second Thessalonians 2:10–12 who are deceived by the sweet sounding words of a preacher making merchandise of us in the lies they tell. See Second Peter 2:1–3. I want the Truth, Bitter or Sweet!

If at any time we are unable to back-up our spoken theology with Holy Scripture, the matter remains unresolved! It would be better to remain silent than to mislead someone in matters of eternal consequences. But it is perfectly fine to give our opinions and observations of what we learn. The Holy Scriptures can only be discerned into understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us. Doctrinal theology must prove itself! However, some things will remain a mystery.

The purpose of this study is to take as much mystery out from our understanding as God will allow. According to Acts 2:17–21, our time has come to understand the remaining prophecies as more and more sign come into focus. We will endeavor to fit scripture with scripture. All are invited to express their opinions. I want this to be an enjoyable study.

Sincerely,

Mike Coe

PS: Editing Note

Our study into the end of the church age got off to a rocky start beginning April 2015. We have church in a real hay barn. The pastor and I stacked hay in this very barn as kids and young middle-aged adults for years. In the summer the barn is as hot now as it was then and cold in the winter. We now have two large portable buildings for Sunday school, kid’s church, and small-group events. Our new church in a barn is under construction. We will still utilize the present church barn after the new has been completed for special rodeo events, family gatherings, and other events. But for now, we still have church in an old hay barn.

In spite of the challenges, Pastor Cletis still wanted to expand our outreach to the community. Therefore, it was decided to have a Sunday night Bible study into the End Times we now find ourselves living, and I volunteered. For the first class meeting! There was no written road map in how to begin. We just began. The listing of our study guides is in the order we presented them while dealing with many challenges including the building of a rodeo arena. This study is not professional, but it is very real! We had a great time in our study of God’s Word and would like to share our study with you in the order it was presented. A big thank you to all those who attended! It took us two years to bring this study to a close. We now offer it to you.

End of the Church Age—CCF Bible Study—Study Guide Handouts:

Matthew 24, Book of Daniel, First Corinthians 15, First Thessalonians 4, Second Thessalonians 2, End of the Age (continued), Did It Occur to God, What is Your Fixed Point, King James vs. Contradictions, USA and CCF

United States in the Bible—CCF Bible Study—Study Guide Handouts:

Fitting Scripture with Scripture, The Mystery of God, Everywhere a Sign, Warning Signs

The Revelation of Jesus Christ—CCF Bible Study—Study Guide Handouts:

The Things John Saw about the Messenger in His Vision: Revelation 1, (2)

The Things which are at the Time of John’s Vision: Revelation 2 and 3

The Things which Shall Be to this Present Time and Beyond: Revelation 4–22

I am excited to be living during the time on which Jesus Christ will return for those who look for Him. Jesus gave us a warning in Luke 21:34–36 to not become slack in our walk with Him. Jesus knew that it could become easy for us to let our guard down when all seemed to be going so well for us. We, the people of the United States of America, have done that. We were once One Nation Under God with a solid foundation to build from. Today, we are a nation under many gods, allowing our government to call evil good and good evil without a moral compass to guide us or our posterity by design. Our compass was ripped from our public school walls.

Today, we support (allow) legalized sin with our Christians dollars, and call it our Christian duty to do so according to Romans 13. We have become weak in our faith and looking for an easy way out. Can God possibly be pleased with us? Read Daniel 3 and rightly divide Romans 13.

I hope this Bible study helps you. What if there is no easy way out except through the Cross? Mortal life will end, as it is appointed. Will we have enough of God’s Word hid in our hearts to keep us from being marked for destruction? Or will we be deceived into believing a lie that will take us far away from the presents of God? I hope not. Know God’s Word for yourself! I hope I have left no stones unturned.

We begin by asking ourselves, "Who is the Bride of Christ?"

Church in the Barn

Foundational Members Tom and Rhonda

Sunday morning Breakfast

Introduction

The Bride of Christ

In Revelation 21:9, John the Revelator was told by an angel to "Come, I will show you the Lamb’s wife." Then in verse 10 John was carried away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed "the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." Then it continues on to describe what the city looks like.

Symbolism found in the Word of God could be the key to understanding what God wants us to know in regard to the soon return of Christ Jesus for all those who have put their trust and confidence in the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. But it is not the key!

In First Corinthians 2:9, Paul says, "As it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Paul goes on to say, But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Therefore the Holy Spirit is our key!

In verse 12 we are told that "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God." Without a doubt, it would be impossible for us to understand the book of Revelation and the message of the soon return of Christ unless we first have the Spirit of God working in our lives. The wisdom of man will often lead to death and destruction to any who may oppose his views of self-preservation in his ungodly deeds. To lie, cheat, and steal is the norm for the world; not the church.

Our study into the book of Revelation would be fruitless without the power of the Holy Spirit revealing to us what these End-Time events will look like. The symbolism is only understood through the Spirit of God. First Corinthians 2:14 tells us that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Therefore, the key to understanding the book of Revelation is to have within us the power of the Holy Spirit actively leading us into all truth. If our going to church on Sunday morning is only a formality to make us feel accepted by our peers, then we will have a real problem understanding the End Time recorded in the book of Revelation. I promise to do my part in seeking God’s favor through pray, fasting, and the study of God’s Word. I ask that you pray for me. We will begin a Sunday night Bible study where all views will be considered and tested as proven in scripture.

Any time we set out to do something for Christ Jesus, you can count on the enemy coming against us. Before we actually begin the study of Revelation, I would like to do a little groundwork into how we get to the book of Revelation. It is the last book of our Holy Bible and for good reason. John was the last of the twelve apostles who actually walked and talked with Jesus. He was among the group who asked Jesus what the signs of the end would be in Matthew 24:3.

And it was John who saw the Lamb’s wife recorded in Revelation 21:9.

During this study I hope to conclusively determine who the Bride of Christ is. Many people believe it is the 144,000 Jews from Revelation 7:4 of Israel. Others believe it is those caught away in a pre-tribulation Rapture to meet Jesus in the air, both Jew and Christian alike. Still, others look for an eternal existence on this earth, with a few major changes in this earth, and in their flesh and blood body. And there are many other beliefs in what will be when Jesus returns for those who love him and keep His commandments.

Personally, I do have an idea of what will happen, when it will happen, and where the gathering place is when the Rapture does occur; but I do not know for sure. Not yet! The purpose of this study is to provoke thought, learn the scriptures, and not be in darkness about the return of Christ Jesus. There will be, and is now, a great deception being formed that will cause people to believe a lie to their eternal doom. The bottom line is, the truth in this matter will make a difference for many. Perhaps even you and me!

All I am looking for is the truth. Even if the truth is bittersweet. Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the whole world. The prophets, apostles, those of the early church also paid a price for what they believe. Many today in the church of the Living God around the world are paying a price for what they believe. The question I ask myself is this: What price am I willing to pay? Is it getting up early Sunday morning to go to church with no one to stop me, or is it being patient when the preacher preaches too long?

Here in America, we really have it good! Our cost in claiming Jesus Christ as Lord is without much consequence. It is easy to portray a Christlike appearance. But what would I do if my happy escape plans to miss any persecution and tribulation that the early church faced failed me? What are the scriptures that back up the doctrine of pre-tribulation Rapture? Are there other scriptures we must dismiss to believe in it or explain away as not really meaning what it says? I don’t know! But I am concerned in knowing the truth and not a fable as in 2 Timothy 4:3–5.

What about mid-tribulation Rapture? Where are the scriptures located that prove that doctrine? How do people even get the name mid-tribulation Rapture? What is our hope in a mid-tribulation Rapture? God’s Word tells us we are not appointed unto wrath! What Gives?

Who in their right mind would want to believe in post-tribulation Rapture? Would God beat up His Bride to save her just before He returns to planet earth? There are many serious questions! And it is my hope that during this study we find answers proven to be true based on Scripture. First Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." That is what I seek to do during this study—to know the truth!

Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." I want to know who the bride of Christ is based on Scripture. Verse 9 says, "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Is there a difference between the Lamb’s wife and those who are called?

I invite you to share with us your understanding of the Scriptures. This can be a very good and enlightening study if we do it in sincerity. Be a part of this study and let us determine from Scripture who is the Bride of Christ. Forget what we think we know based on what we have been told. Let us determine truth by reading and studying the scriptures for ourselves. If what I think it is telling me, then we don’t have much time to do the work of an evangelist; of which, as born-again believers, we are all called to do in spreading the Word of God unto Salvation.

Second Timothy 4:5 says, "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." I do not want to teach a heresy to the Word of God simply because such teaching feels good or that crowds gather to hear what their itching ears desire to hear. If there comes a point in these End Times that a firm choice to stand for Jesus and His commandments would be required versus the ungodly commands of earthly authorities to yield to their dictates, then I would want to know precisely how to make myself ready to make that choice! We may not get a second chance. Only as mortal do we have a choice.

In Revelation 19:7, it says that the Lamb’s wife "hath made herself ready." Would that indicate that there was a point in time that she was not ready? Eternity is for everlasting. Would Christ Jesus want a wife who only wanted to date Him on Sunday morning? Or would He choose a wife that showed her love for Him each and every day in who she talked to, in what activities she would attend, and, most importantly, what is the message on her lips? Think about it. What does Jesus expect from you? What does He expect from me? Are we inviting others to the marriage or for just a look-good date on Sunday morning? When do our actions prove who it is we belong to?

In all honesty, I wanted to do this study by using DVDs, VHS tapes, and other materials I have collected over the years. It seemed like an easy way to teach. But that has all changed. I found out that some of us have real issues with certain prophecy teachers. Like a steel trap, our mind (heart) has been closed to anything other than what we have already accepted. Therefore, I will teach this study based on what the word-for-word translation is from the King James Version. Other versions to the Word of God will be used as a reference only.

God promised to preserve His Word and to let it not return unto Him void. There are some good modern-day versions, but there are also some real perversions. I learned this while doing jail and prison ministry as a young man. I didn’t know what to think when some of these modern-day versions were in direct opposition to what my King James said. They would sometimes completely contradict what my Bible was telling me.

God did not hide the true Word of God from mankind only to be revealed in the last one hundred years or so. Yes, old manuscripts have been found in caves such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Peter warned us in 2 Peter 2:1–3 that false prophets and teachers would be among us to secretly bring damnable heresies into the church for the reason of making merchandise of us. That means, give them our money because we like what they say! But we know nothing for our self.

I hope you will choose to be a part of this study. We can study together and fulfill the message found in Scripture in 2 Timothy 2:15, which says, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Truth is what we are after! My promise to you is that I will study and come up with a guideline to follow in the way of handouts. Then, if I have got something wrong, it will be in black and white for you to tell me so. I am certainly nothing special, except to God. My past is full of mistakes and failures. And I am so ashamed of my past. So much of it I would like to do over. But this one thing I do: "I forget those things which are behind me, except to learn from them. I reach forth unto those things which are before. I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul taught me that in Philippians 3:13–14. There is nothing I can do for those I have hurt but to pray that they will forgive me. A good man told me once that "sin would take me further than I would ever want to go, keep me there longer than I ever wanted to stay and cost me more than I could ever afford to pay." I am so sorry for the mistakes I have made in my self-will sinful nature! I have lost much because of sin. I needed a Redeemer when I thought no redemption was needed! Sin will often blind us from the truth in our un-repented sins. Sin is a self-willed deception that will trap (snare) many in its’ grip because of the short-term beauty and pleasure it offers. See: Luke 8:14, 21:35, Second Thessalonians 2:12, Hebrews 11:15 and many others. Just because it looks good, sounds good and/or feels good for the moment, does not mean it is of righteousness towards God. Sin will blind us from the truth!"

Therefore, I want to get this right! I am counting on you to hold me accountable for what I teach. We will all stand before the Judgment Seat of God. Let there be a song in our hearts and praise upon our lips toward God, who provided Himself a sacrifice for sin in His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world.

Our study will end with the book of Revelation. In the last chapter, Revelation 22:17, it says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." This is a study as to when the end of the church age will be. I know God does not want us to be clueless. His Word tells us that much!

First Thessalonians 5:1–4 says,

But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Don’t live in darkness. And don’t rely upon something you have been told. Know for yourself. Come to this study. Together we will reveal who the Bride of Christ is! Together we will search the Scriptures to understand the Word of God.

Tribute to a fallen Comrade

Baptism in the pond

Come on, your turn

End of the Church Age

What Jesus said in Matthew 24

(2 Timothy 2:15)

The prophet Daniel had dreams and saw visions that are recorded in the little book of Daniel. The most interesting to me are his words recorded in the last chapter, chapter 12, beginning at verse 8(KJV): "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?"

And verse 9: "And He said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."

And verse 13: "But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

I believe it was impossible for Daniel to understand what he saw during his time in the Spirit. But because we now live at the "end of the days," we can understand!

The purpose of this study is to share with each other the understanding that God can now open understanding to each of us because the words are no longer closed and sealed up. Second Peter 1:20–21 says: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

The words of Jesus himself recorded in the book on Matthew chapter 24 should not be dismissed as to the Jewish people alone, as is the practice of some concerning the end of the age. Jesus told us in verse 14 that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all the nations; and then shall the end come." Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was (is) the apostle to the Gentiles, based on what Christ did for all and in no way made anything Jesus said null or void to non-Jews. Read Isaiah 42:6 and Acts 9:11-16.

Verse 14 is only one of the many signs given to his disciples when they came to him asking (verse 3 in KJV), "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (or end of the age in NKJV)?"

It is interesting to note that Jesus also gave us warnings wrapped within the very signs he foretold. For example, verse 24 in NKJV says, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." The old KJV says, "Insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Has this happened yet?

Seems to me that we should, above all, be alert in keeping our shield of faith in hand and ready to quench all the fiery darts of deception and fear not troubled times that are sure to come our way as recorded in Matthew 24:6–14. Second Thessalonians 2:10–11 reads, "With all deceivableness of unrighteous in them that parish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they would believe a lie." Let us study together to show ourselves approved of God, rightly dividing the Word of God, and let us do this in love without getting in a hurry. Second Timothy 2:15 tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God.

I truly believe that if we harden our hearts to what God’s Word is clearly telling us, then there will be no escape from the strong delusion that God will send. We will believe the lie we ourselves created in the Word of God to our eternal doom. Therefore, 2 Timothy 2:15. To be the evangelist God expects each of us to be (as in 2 Timothy 4:5), and to make full proof of our ministry, we must study! From the fulfillment of prophesied signs, we know the end of the Church-Age is near its end, and the Wrath of Satan of Revelation 12:12 looms. And without doubt the whole world will understand what happened after the Bride Groom comes for His Bride! Therefore, we will not debate the Word of God (Job 6:24-26); but rather to Study the Scriptures.

Valentine Sweethearts Scott and Pee-wee

Ranch Forman John and wife Wanda

Matthew 24

To the Early Church Leaders

As Jesus sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him and privately ask Jesus questions concerning the things He had said earlier. They said, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NKJV). This is the same question being asked today. When will Jesus come back for the church?

It is interesting that Jesus was giving His answers to the very leaders of the Christian faith and said nothing about a pre-tribulation Rapture. This is a mystery! The disciples were Jews and was raised from childhood living under the Mosaic Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments of God. The Jews were looking for their prophesied Messiah of Daniel 9:25–26 and was referred to in John 1:41 and John 4:25. They believed (thought) that Jesus would restore the kingdom of Israel as God’s Kingdom on earth during their time. Why? Jesus, after His resurrection, told them in Acts 1:7 that "It is not for you to know times and seasons which the Father has put in His own authority."

The religious leaders of that day did not recognize the fulfillment of the Scriptures prophesying their messiah being born in a flesh and blood body as a sacrifice for all the sins of the whole world. The scribes and Pharisees knew the Scriptures but were blinded by their self-righteousness. They were keeping the ritual of the law but not the intent of the law. Many times Jesus referred to them as hypocrites! They looked good on the outside but were far from righteous. See Matthew 23. Read all of it. The same thing can be said of much of the church leadership of today. They will even dice and splice scriptures to fit their desires. That in itself is a sign!

In verses 4 through 12, Jesus gave the disciples several signs of the end of the age. Most people reject these signs as commonplace in the world since the beginning of time. But beginning with World War I planet earth had never suffered a world at war. Never had the nations of the world suffered such death and destruction. Then came World War II with over fifty-two million killed! Each day we grow closer to that final battle called Armageddon. Our quest is to determine if we can discern the truth in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6) by fitting Scripture with Scripture. By knowing our part in it and the timed fulfillment of prophesied sings perhaps we may understand more.

Verse 12 tells us that sin and lawlessness will abound. Many will simply give in to the perversions of the world by growing lukewarm in compromise to their walk with Jesus. They will become numb to the things of God and promote man’s evil deeds with his own hard earned wealth. The sad part in this is, it is done with righteous pride as did the scribes and Pharisees in keeping the law. Many are spiritually blinded by the good-life they now live.

Today, all around the world, Christians are being killed because of their faith. Our own government has attacked the Christian faith on which this nation was founded. Instead of teaching the Christian roots of this nation as we once did, we now make it a crime to have the Ten Commandments on our public school walls. The Bible is regarded as a mystical book of fables, replaced with the tax-funded teaching of Satan’s religion that there is no God. As Christians, we have become weak in standing against such teaching without demanding that evolution and creation science be taught equally. Instead, we involve ourselves in the cares of the world where God is mocked and sin is openly displayed, and we do nothing to rebuke the godlessness because we fear the reproach of man! We fear our government more than God in His command to be holy. See: Acts 5:29 and First Peter 1:16. Understand Second Peter 3:5!

In verse 13 Jesus gives us a promise: "He who endures until the end shall be saved." We know from 1 Corinthians 15:50 that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." Yet we fear our mortal death as if some big bad thing is going to somehow happen to us. Why not look at death as Paul did? Philippians 1:21 says, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. That does not mean we walk around hoping we will die soon, but rather to know that death is nothing to fear. How many people do we know over one hundred years old? Not many! Should the Lord tarry till His appointed time, it may happen to all, even you.

Jesus told us in verse 14 when He was to return: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come." With our modern-day technology of smart phones, satellite communications, and evangelist spreading the gospel, how could that day be far off? If you wish for the return of Christ, do something as a witness to spread the gospel! Try Matthew 28:19–20.

In verse 15 Jesus steps back and brings up the book of Daniel about the "abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet" recorded in Daniel 9:27. The prophecies of Daniel must be very important for Jesus to give His disciples, leaders of the early church, such a warning