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{Original} "'My Return Is Not Imminent', Says The Lord"
- Jan 7
- 32 min read
Updated: Jan 12
The Return of Jesus is Not Imminent
It Is Set by God the Father for An Appointed Time
Thus, the Lord says,
"My return is not imminent. I'm coming back at an appointed time. Tell them!"
The concept of an "appointed time" for Jesus' return emphasizes God's sovereignty and encourages believers to live in readiness and expectation, rather than attempting to predict the exact date.
The exact date of Christ's first coming was revealed in Daniel 9:25, among other scripture passages. However, His second coming has no specific date given in Scripture, though it is set for an appointed time during the end times—specifically during the seventieth week described in Daniel 9:27. Only God the Father knows the exact day and hour (Matthew 254:36), which is why Scripture doesn't reveal it.
Acts 1:6-8
Modern English Version
The Ascension
6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the dates, which the Father has fixed by His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This confirms that the timing is under the Father's exclusive authority and is part of a divine schedule.
Hebrews 9:27-28
Modern English Version
27 As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment,
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him.
The term "appointed" directly refers to a set time for Christ's second appearance, just as there is an appointed time for death and judgment.
Daniel 12:11
Modern English Version
11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
That's an appointed time for Christ to return.
Matthew 24:36-44
Modern English Version
The Unknown Day and Hour
36 “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and the other left.
42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.
43 But know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for in an hour when you least expect, the Son of Man is coming.
This passage underscores that while the exact moment is unknown to humanity, it is a predetermined event in God's plan. Scripture doesn't reveal the specific day or hour when Jesus will come back. However, the discussion of His return in verse 37 connects to verses 40 and 41, which describe the rapture—when God's people will suddenly disappear at Jesus' return.
This raises an important question: How can there be a seven-year tribulation period between a pre-tribulation rapture and Christ's return if the context from verse 37 to verse 41 shows God's people disappearing on the same day that Jesus returns?
When Jesus comes back, He will gather His church through the rapture. Importantly, there is no separate pre-tribulation rapture. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 24:29-31, where He places both His return and the rapture after the great tribulation, not before it.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
Modern English Version
{Paraphrased}
1 Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you.
2 For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 When they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction {from Jesus' wrath when He returns; the wrath of God - Zechariah 14, 2 Peter 3, Revelation 19} will come upon them as labor upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
Although many people won't see it coming, the "day of the Lord" is a specific, scheduled event in God's timeline. This appointed time will arrive when the world proclaims, "Peace and safety!"
2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Modern English Version
The Man of Lawlessness
1 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and concerning our gathering together unto Him, we ask you
2 not to let your mind be quickly shaken or be troubled, neither in spirit nor by word, nor by letter coming as though from us, as if the day of Christ is already here.
3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day will not come unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself as God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?
6 Now you know what restrains him that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already working. Only He who is now restraining him will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His presence,
This passage pinpoints a crucial marker for Christ's return: the revelation of the lawless one (the devil). Christ's return occurs during the era of global "peace and safety" referenced in the preceding passage (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)—commonly understood as "the New World Order"—when the devil exercises dominion over the world immediately before his unveiling (Revelation 13:11-18; 17). This revelation functions as the definitive sign of both the rapture and Christ's second coming, establishing a more precise timeframe for His return than the broader "peace and safety" period alone. The appointed hour arrives upon the devil's revelation.
Moreover, "that Day" in verse 3 directly correlates to verse 1, which addresses Jesus' coming and our collective gathering to meet Him—the rapture expounded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. During this event, deceased and living believers alike are gathered together to meet Jesus in the air. This correlation demonstrates that the rapture and Jesus' return occur simultaneously—on "the Day of Christ" referenced in verse 2, synonymous with the Day of the Lord (see Zechariah 14, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 19).
Finally, verse 6 discloses that the devil's physical manifestation has a divinely appointed time (Revelation 12:12). Consequently, just as the devil's appearance is appointed, so too is the Lord's appearing, for it is the devil's emergence in the world that precipitates Jesus' return.
Matthew 25:1-13
Modern English Version
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were wise and five were foolish.
3 Those who were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them.
4 But the wise took jars of oil with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom delayed, they all rested and slept.
6 “But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 But the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.’
9 “The wise answered, ‘No, lest there not be enough for us and you. Go rather to those who sell it, and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they went to buy some, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us.’
12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
The term "at midnight" in verse 6 of this passage denotes an appointed time. This specific reference to midnight indicates that God has predetermined the exact moment of this event, even though the precise timing remains hidden from humanity. The use of "midnight" emphasizes both the certainty of God's plan and the element of surprise, as midnight represents a time when many are unprepared and unaware.
Excerpts below are taken from my message "The Midnight Cry", included at the end in the link after the excerpts.
The Lord Jesus prophesies to the church today,
"This is not My Gospel that you are preaching. You are saying that My Coming is imminent. I did not say that I can come at any time. I said I'm coming at midnight".
"This is the point I'm to make with this letter here on My son's (Darrin) webpage, that you call the crab's den. This means you don't believe in our preaching, in our teaching, in our tools".
"What I'm to tell you tonight is that you're wrong about Jesus' return being imminent. He didn't say 'I could come at any time'. He said, 'I'm coming when this world is asleep'. That means you're not going to be prepared".
"I'm only coming for those in the Light. When they're asleep, they're sleeping with Me. I know who I'm coming to get. But you don't, and this is the reason why you're saying it's imminent because you don't know when it's going to happen. That's what I mean when I said, "You're in the dark if you don't know the day of My return'".
"My return isn't imminent. It's prophesied to come when the world is at its darkest. That's when antichrist is going to be ruling supreme as supreme ruler in your realm. My realm is full of blessings. That's why I'm to come when its night. You can't see Me approach. But I can see you in the clouds. So, I know who I'm coming to get. Their eyes are on Me in the Word. Those preachers and teachers that teach that I'm coming when you're unprepared, is My preaching tool".
"Now light up this world with My love and tell them that I'm coming when you're not aware. And sing that song Amazing Grace. This is the song that was sung to Me on the day of My burial",
The Archangel Gabriel Speaks About the Midnight Cry
Message Dated,
December 22nd, 2022, at 10:32 AM (CST).
On April 30th, 2024, at 4:00 AM, The Archangel Gabriel got me on my recorder and took me back to 2022 in messages not written yet...this is what the Archangel Gabriel says for the Lord about the Midnight Cry,
"This Bible that we have, is missing a lot of important statements from the Lord Christ. He didn't say to "watch for His return until the Day dawns". He said that He's coming "at night". This is what that preacher wrote that you told him, that, God's about to come back in the worst times in the world.
To the world, it's going to look like heaven on earth because the antichrist is going to say that he's God, and he's going to have this world in a state of bliss and euphoria. The Bible calls it "Peace and Safety" {2 Thessalonians 5:3}. There's going to be a World Unity. No more war. Everybody's going to be prospering in business, and everyone's going to be happy because there's going to be no more fighting".
"But the Lord said that, is evil. He calls those "the days of darkness" just before His return. The world isn't going to be about God or believing in Him and preparing for the rapture by preaching. They're going to be living in secular peace and safety. Thinking that Christ has returned in the antichrist. That's the darkness! The Lie! The Bible calls it a lie. That's the darkness Jesus is talking about".
"So, we think that when Jesus said that when He returns the world's going to be in darkness, they think that it's talking about suffering. But the antichrist is going to look like God by removing war and suffering and make a one world unity, and that, is what God calls 'darkness'".
I wanted to add in an edited version of what Arc Gabriel told us above for your understanding and clarity ... I expanded the narrative details and made it more descriptive and longer ... check it out:
The Archangel Gabriel Speaks About the Midnight Cry
Message Dated: December 22nd, 2022, at 10:32 AM (CST)
In the early morning hours of April 30th, 2024, at precisely 4:00 AM, something extraordinary occurred. The Archangel Gabriel reached out to me through my recorder, initiating a divine communication that would transport me back in time to the year 2022—back to messages that had not yet been written down or fully understood. In this profound encounter, the Archangel Gabriel delivered a critical message from the Lord concerning the Midnight Cry, a warning that challenges our conventional understanding of Christ's return.
Gabriel began by addressing a fundamental gap in our sacred texts: "This Bible that we have, as complete as we believe it to be, is missing a lot of important statements from the Lord Christ. These are truths that have been lost or overlooked through the centuries of translation and transmission. One such truth concerns the timing of His return. He didn't say to 'watch for His return until the Day dawns,' as many interpret. Instead, He said something far more specific and sobering—that He's coming 'at night,' in darkness, when the world least expects it."
The archangel then reminded me of a conversation I had with a preacher, where I conveyed God's message about the conditions of the world at the time of His return: "This is what that preacher wrote down when you told him—that God's about to come back during what will appear to be the worst of times in spiritual terms, but paradoxically, the best of times in worldly terms."
Gabriel continued with a striking revelation: "To the world, from their limited perspective, it's going to look like heaven on earth. This isn't because God has brought His kingdom, but because the antichrist is going to deceive them. He's going to boldly proclaim that he himself is God, and through his cunning and supernatural power, he's going to have this entire world in a state of bliss and euphoria unlike anything humanity has ever experienced. The Bible calls this deceptive period 'Peace and Safety' {1 Thessalonians 5:3}. There's going to be an unprecedented World Unity—nations that have been enemies for centuries will lay down their arms. No more war. No more conflict. No more terrorism or threats."
"Everybody's going to be prospering in business," Gabriel explained further. "The economy will boom globally. Poverty will seem to vanish. Everyone's going to be happy, content, and satisfied because there's going to be no more fighting, no more division, no more suffering—or so it will appear on the surface."
Then came the sobering truth: "But the Lord said that this state of affairs, this apparent utopia, is evil. It's a grand deception. He calls those 'the days of darkness' just before His return—not because of visible suffering, but because of spiritual blindness. The world isn't going to be focused on God or believing in Him and preparing for the rapture through repentance and preaching. Instead, they're going to be living in secular peace and safety, completely deceived. They'll be thinking that Christ has already returned in the person of the antichrist. That's the darkness! The Lie! The Bible explicitly calls it a lie—the great deception that will sweep across the earth. That's the darkness Jesus is talking about when He warns of His return."
Gabriel wanted to ensure I understood this critical distinction: "So, we think—and most believers have been taught—that when Jesus said that when He returns the world's going to be in darkness, they interpret that He's talking about physical suffering, tribulation, and catastrophe. But that's not what the darkness refers to. The antichrist is going to look like God by doing exactly what people expect from a savior—removing war and suffering, healing divisions, and creating a one world unity where everyone lives in harmony. And that false peace, that counterfeit kingdom, is what God calls 'darkness'—because it leads souls away from the truth and into eternal destruction."
"The Midnight Cry"
A Message from God About False Prophets
God told me that when I write messages from Him about the pre-tribulation rapture, that He is using me to speak to false prophets in churches across the world. In conclusion, anyone who believes in and teaches the pre-tribulation rapture, is what God calls a "false prophet."
How many churches teach the pre-tribulation rapture? There are only a few real prophets in the world today. The majority of churches have false prophets. The Lord told me that John Nelson Darby is a false prophet, as is Margaret MacDonald, who taught this doctrine to him. The Lord says that what they wrote about the pre-tribulation rapture, are "lies."
I have witnessed that many false prophets are genuinely converted. They have the Holy Spirit inside them with spiritual gifts like healing and exorcism, but not prophecy. I too have gotten things wrong until the Lord corrected me. I too was saved but teaching false prophecy, which made me a false prophet—just like all of you, until I repented.
Even though false prophecies about Jesus' return and the pre-tribulation rapture can't condemn you to hell after you've been saved, if you repent upon the Lord's call to (1 John 1:9), God wants to correct us about teaching false prophecy. When you teach it, you damage the salvation of other souls because you're lying to them. They become lost and wander from the Lord's fold into the world to be devoured by wolves (John 10).
You're anointed, but you're focused on spiritual gifts, ceremonies, and services instead of being focused on obedience to God. This means you're saved and anointed, but like King Saul, you're disobedient to God (See 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel). Disobedience leads to loss of salvation and the Holy Spirit departing from a believer because they won't repent of sin and obey God, like what happened to King Saul (see 1 Samuel 16:14).
This is the problem with false prophets who teach the pre-tribulation rapture heresy. They're saved and anointed but are disobedient to God and are therefore in danger of losing their salvation (Matthew 25:14-46). Great will be their fall, according to Jesus in Matthew 7:13-28.
God also says that the reason they teach false prophecy is because "they aren't real"—not real Christians. They are false prophets.
Matthew 7:13-28
Modern English Version
The Narrow Gate
13 “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it,
14 because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore, by their fruit you will know them.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’
23 But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.' {Psalm 6:8}
The Two Housebuilders
24 “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.
25 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded a rock.
26 And every one who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell. And its fall was great.”
28 When Jesus finished these sayings, the people were astonished at His teaching,
What is John Nelson Darby's Pre-Tribulation Rapture Teaching?
AI Overview
John Nelson Darby's pre-tribulation rapture teaching, a core of
dispensationalism, posits that the Church will be secretly taken to heaven before a future seven-year period of intense suffering (the Great Tribulation), followed by Christ's visible return to establish His kingdom, separating Israel's future tribulation from the Church's removal. He systematized this idea in the 1830s, contrasting with earlier views that the Church would endure tribulation until Christ's visible return, significantly influencing modern evangelical eschatology through figures like C.I. Scofield.
Key Components of Darby's Teaching:
Dispensationalism: A framework dividing history into distinct "dispensations" where God deals with humanity differently, seeing the current Church Age as a temporary "parenthesis" in God's plan for Israel.
The Rapture (Secret Coming): Christ will return "in the air" to snatch believers (the "bride of Christ") to heaven, a sudden event unseen by the world.
The Tribulation: A severe period of judgment on Earth, primarily for Israel and unbelievers, marked by the Antichrist's rise.
Separation of Israel and the Church: The Church's removal prevents them from experiencing God's wrath during the Tribulation, which is seen as a time for Israel.
Second Coming (Visible): After the Tribulation, Christ will return visibly to Earth with His raptured saints to defeat evil and set up His millennial kingdom.
Origin & Popularization:
Inspiration: While influenced by earlier ideas, Darby developed this systematic view in the 1830s, potentially inspired by visions like Margaret Macdonald's.
Dissemination: The system gained prominence through Darby's ministry with the Plymouth Brethren and was cemented in American evangelicalism by the Scofield Reference Bible (1909).
In essence, Darby's teaching separates the rapture (for the Church) from the second coming (with the Church), placing the rapture before the Tribulation, a concept now central to many fundamentalist and evangelical beliefs.
Read the Bible for Yourself Instead of Letting Others Tell You What It Says
While church teaching and biblical scholarship have their place, every believer must develop a personal relationship with Scripture. The Holy Spirit desires to speak directly to you through the Word of God, revealing truths specifically tailored to your spiritual journey. When you rely exclusively on others' interpretations, you risk missing the unique revelation God intends for you.
Learn from What the Holy Spirit Says to You and How He Uses You
The Holy Spirit is your personal teacher and guide. As you read Scripture and engage with God in prayer, pay close attention to how the Holy Spirit illuminates passages, convicts your heart, and directs your steps. Observe how He uses your spiritual gifts in various situations. This divine instruction is irreplaceable and forms the foundation of authentic spiritual maturity.
Don't Let Other People Replace His Voice to You
While godly counsel and biblical teaching provide valuable guidance, they must never substitute for the Holy Spirit's direct communication with you. God speaks uniquely to each believer, and His personal instruction to you cannot be fully mediated through another person. Cultivate the discipline of seeking God's voice yourself through Scripture, prayer, and listening obedience, ensuring that your faith rests on your own encounter with Him rather than solely on secondhand interpretation.
The Bible is the Voice of the Holy Spirit
John 14:26
Authorized (King James) Version
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Holy Spirit Talks to You by Quoting Scripture You've Read to Your Memory
So, You've Got to Read and Know the Bible for Yourself
2 Timothy 2:15
Modern English Version
{Paraphrased}
15 Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth {; the Bible}.
The Holy Spirit Also Speaks Rhema to the Genuine Christian Like This, As He Does to Me,
Acts 9:1-17
Modern English Version
The Conversion of Saul
1 Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any there of the Way, either men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he went he drew near Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
5 He said, “Who are You, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 Trembling and astonished, he said, “Lord, what will You have me do?” The Lord said to him, “Rise up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.
8 Saul rose up from the ground. And when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 A disciple named Ananias was in Damascus. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”
He said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Rise and go to Straight Street, and inquire at Judas’ house for someone named Saul of Tarsus, for he is praying,
12 and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he may see again.”
13 Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evil things he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem.
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go your way. For this man is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the sons of Israel.
16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 Then Ananias went his way and entered the house. Putting his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
(More references from the New Testament book of Acts where God speaks directly to His church, Acts 8:26-29; 13:1-4; 16:6-10; 18:9, 10; 21:4, 11; 23:11)
You've Got to Read and Know the Bible for Yourself
If you want to see what the Bible says about the great tribulation, the rapture, and the return of Jesus, read the Bible for yourself and don't let other people tell you what it says. Read my posts on my website—these posts explain what God and the Bible say about all of this. I tell you what God says about the Bible, not my own conclusions from my studies.
For example, earlier in this post, Matthew 24:37-41 teaches that when Jesus returns, one will be taken and the other left. This implies that the rapture—the disappearing of the church from the earth—will happen when Jesus returns, not before He returns in the Great Tribulation.
Additionally, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 states that we are gathered together to meet Jesus on the Day that He returns. It says that the coming of the Lord Jesus and our gathering together to meet Him both happen on "the Day"—that is, the Day of the Lord (see Zechariah 14, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 19).
It appears that the reason the majority of believers in the world today believe in the pre-tribulation rapture is because they're false prophets. This means they believe what other people say about the Bible instead of hearing from God themselves, as I do. This implies that only a few among the masses in church are genuine, like me.
These people in church are false prophets because they elevate scholars, popular beliefs, and well-known people who've been to school and written books as if they speak for God. They say things like, "He's a professor in college, so why would we listen to you when he's somebody important in church and you're not?!" These are the same kinds of arguments that the false prophets of Jesus' time—the Pharisees—used against Him (see John 8:31-59). They put degrees before the anointing because they don't know God. God doesn't operate that way, as we can see from the life of Jesus in the Bible.
Spiritual authority is not derived from human credentials or titles, but rather from God's sovereign anointing and divine choice. As 1 Corinthians 12:11 teaches, the Holy Spirit distributes gifts "to each one individually as He wills," emphasizing that spiritual gifts are granted solely by divine will.
Moreover, Ephesians 4:10-12 reveals that Christ Himself gave gifts to His people "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," underscoring that service in God's kingdom flows from His appointment. While 1 Corinthians 12:27-29 identifies the diversity of gifts within the church body—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—it clarifies that God sovereignly assigns these roles.
This divine commissioning demands obedience above all; the example of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:10-33 stands as a solemn warning—despite his anointing, his disobedience led to God's rejection. Therefore, true spiritual authority rests not merely on giftedness or service but on a heart aligned with God's will, faithfully obeying His commands.
A Personal Testimony: How to Serve God
There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3). A time to listen to God within the inner sanctum (1 Kings 19:9-18, 1 Samuel 3:10, Psalm 119:105, John 10:27, Hebrews 4:16), and a time to listen to God outside your inner sanctum in the church (Isaiah 30:2-22). Learning to serve God requires balancing personal revelation from Him with instruction from church leaders.
Hearing the Voice of God in Church: Discipleship
A Victory Outreach Pastor in 1992 talking to His new members with his staff (the church leaders) & his rod of correction (lol),
"Hey man! You can't just come in here and start using your spiritual gifts like that. You need to learn to obey God first. God is calling you His child, but you're not doing what is required for you to be one. You're acting like His enemy".
When I first received salvation and the anointing in 1991 at Victory Outreach in Los Angeles, I was empowered with the gifts of healing and tongues. However, the church leaders helped me recognize a troubling pattern: like King Saul, I was using my gifts to serve in church while living in disobedience outside of it. My personal life was marked by womanizing and fighting. Though I didn't yet understand how to obey God, my gifts operated powerfully. I was attempting to leverage my spiritual gifts to become a powerful man of God, but I had not yet grasped the fundamental principle that service in Jesus' Name must be founded upon practicing what you preach.
We often receive messages from God through our spiritual gifts and feel compelled to publish them immediately, yet we have not first embodied the truths we proclaim. God desires that we practice what we preach before we preach it. This is the lesson of King Saul's failure. God told Saul that He desires obedience, not ceremonies and services (1 Samuel 15:22). While God calls us to preach and serve the lost and His church, He will discipline us severely if we do not first listen to Him in our personal lives. Without personal obedience, God will reject us despite our powerful anointing.
Hearing the Voice of God When You're Alone: Your Spiritual Gifts and the Way God Uses You
One crucial lesson I have learned in church is that most Christians struggle to understand who they are in Christ. Many believers are born again and Spirit-filled with the anointing, yet they attempt to define their identity solely through church discipleship programs and by studying their spiritual gifts. They do this hoping to discover how to serve God, but this approach often leads to confusion.
Here is the answer I learned after struggling with this same question for years: No one else is going to tell you how to serve God. You will learn through how God uses you.
You may want the church to teach you how to use your healing powers, your tongues and prophecy, and all the other gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. However, you will ultimately learn from God Himself who you are and how to operate in the Spirit. No one can teach you this—it is on-the-job training. In the end, like me, you will become an expert in your spiritual gifting and office of service for God because God taught you, not people.
Those who struggle with the question, "How do I serve God with my gifting? Who am I in Christ?" need to understand that discovering the answer requires time and personal experience. Through using your gifts, you will learn how to operate in them and understand who God has made you to be in the church through His personal choice of spiritual gifting impartation. No one in church can fully reveal this to you.
Victory Outreach Church Assessment
The Pastor & Staff: Personal Accountability
Victory Outreach Church International
Hebrews 10:24-25
Modern English Version
{Paraphrased}
24 And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works.
25 Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together {at church}, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day {of Jesus' return} approaching.
The pastors at Victory Outreach confronted me with a critical truth: the reason I was living in sin while anointed was because I lacked accountability to a church body. They explained that I was returning to the ways of the world because I was not actively serving God. They emphasized that I needed to commit to the church and become involved in its activities to prevent falling back into the sinful patterns that had characterized my life before salvation. They called this principle "personal accountability" and "discipleship."
The church leadership assigned me to the Director of Ministries—the outreach pastor and evangelist—along with his wife. This office oversaw food distribution and evangelism. On weekends, they would walk through the local neighborhoods, going door to door, asking community members if they needed anything from God and the church.
Through this ministry, I had the opportunity to use my spiritual gifts in a real church setting on the weekends. The work included exorcism, prayers, salvations, weddings, and distributing carloads of food to the poor in the community. I engaged in spiritual warfare, confronting demons in witches and others oppressed by darkness within that community. While I could recount numerous experiences of exorcisms and deliverance, the central point here is not the exorcisms themselves but the transformative power of personal accountability.
Through consistent involvement and discipleship at Victory Outreach in Los Angeles, I soon stopped womanizing and fighting. Instead, I was actively evangelizing, reaching many people I knew from California prisons and from the Los Angeles county jails.
The Scapegoat Mentality: An Examination of Displacement and Accountability
Biblical Foundation
Leviticus 16:10, 20-22
Modern English Version
10 But the goat on which the lot falls to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement with it, that it may be sent away as a scapegoat into the wilderness.
20 When he has made an end of atonement for the Holy Place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, then he shall bring the live goat.
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away by the hand of a designated man into the wilderness.
22 And the goat shall bear on it all their iniquities to a desolate land, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
Defining the Scapegoat Mentality
The scapegoat mentality represents a psychological phenomenon wherein individuals deflect responsibility for their transgressions onto others to alleviate personal guilt. Historically analogous to the concept of a whipping boy, this behavioral pattern involves the systematic attribution of one's moral failings to an innocent party. In biblical times, the scapegoat symbolically bore the collective sins of the community. In contemporary society, individuals exhibiting this mentality identify specific persons upon whom to project their guilt and culpability.
The Nature of Internal Conflict
Romans 7:7-21 illuminates the human struggle with inherent moral weakness. The apostle Paul articulates the paradox of human nature: individuals repeatedly engage in behaviors they consciously reject and deplore. Scripture identifies this internal struggle as originating from the sinful nature inherent within humanity. This spiritual bondage is explicitly referenced in Acts 8:23 as "the bond of iniquity."
Distinguishing Behavioral Patterns
Observable human behavior may be categorized into two distinct patterns: those who exhibit scapegoating tendencies and those who demonstrate personal accountability.
Individuals manifesting the scapegoat mentality demonstrate a persistent pattern of blame displacement. Recognizing their inability to modify self-destructive behaviors and experiencing profound self-reproach for repeated transgressions, they systematically attribute responsibility for their actions to others as a mechanism for guilt relief.
Conversely, accountable individuals, while equally subject to moral imperfection and the bondage of iniquity, do not engage in blame displacement. Rather, they pursue their legitimate interests while maintaining responsibility for their actions. These individuals acknowledge their capacity for self-improvement and behavioral modification. The fundamental principle guiding their approach is the recognition that acknowledging one's shortcomings precedes meaningful change, rather than deflecting responsibility to evade consequences and avoid confronting their moral failures.
Psychological and Behavioral Manifestations
Individuals who displace blame frequently exhibit hostility, particularly toward those they have wronged. This defensive posture stems from the overwhelming guilt experienced in the presence of their victims. A proverbial saying illustrates this phenomenon: "If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is the one that got hit."
This adage signifies that when confronted regarding their misconduct, guilty parties respond with hostility rather than contrition or reconciliation. Such individuals may be characterized as psychologically impaired, as the guilt they experience in the presence of innocent parties becomes intolerable. Consequently, rather than seeking reconciliation through apology, they may contemplate eliminating the source of their discomfort—the innocent party who serves as a reminder of their wrongdoing.
Theological and Moral Considerations
This psychological condition finds biblical description in 1 Timothy 4:2, which references a conscience "seared with a hot iron." Such individuals recognize their incapacity to cease inflicting harm upon innocent, undeserving parties. Their hostility and destructive impulses represent attempts to eliminate the source of their guilt rather than address its root cause.
Accountable individuals operate from a fundamentally different paradigm. They comprehend the principles of personal responsibility and the necessity of acknowledging wrongdoing. They understand that confession facilitates reconciliation with both the divine and their fellow human beings. As established previously, such individuals prioritize their legitimate interests without seeking external parties to bear responsibility for their moral failings. As common wisdom affirms: "Admitting you're wrong is the step toward healing."
Conclusion
Within human society exist individuals who, recognizing their inability to transform their sinful nature, seek others upon whom to displace their transgressions, thereby escaping the burden of guilt. This constitutes the essence of the scapegoat mentality.
Personal reflection reveals an alternative approach: pursuing one's legitimate interests while maintaining respect for others. Moral struggles are addressed through acknowledgment, confession, repentance, and sustained personal development. This represents the normative standard of accountable human behavior.
Director of Ministries
AI Overview
A Director of Ministries (DOM) in a church or religious organization
provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and administrative management for all ministry programs, ensuring they align with the church's vision, mission, and values, by developing teams, managing budgets, coordinating activities (like youth, outreach, studies), and supporting pastoral staff to effectively grow the congregation and implement spiritual goals.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Vision: Works with leadership to develop and implement strategic plans for all ministries.
Team Leadership: Recruits, trains, equips, and empowers staff and volunteers (paid and unpaid).
Operational Management: Oversees daily administration, finances (budgets), and resource allocation for ministry departments.
Program Oversight: Manages diverse areas such as Bible studies, community outreach, youth programs, and worship services.
Support & Alignment: Supports the Lead Pastor, ensures alignment with church culture, and acts as a liaison between staff and leadership.
Spiritual Development: Cultivates personal spiritual growth and models a strong relationship with God.
Key Skills & Qualifications
Strong Christian character and spiritual maturity.
Proven leadership, management, and administrative abilities.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
Experience in strategic planning, team building, and budget management.
A creative vision for ministry and strong organizational skills.
Role in the Organization
Acts as a high-capacity leader to ensure ministry effectiveness.
Frees the Lead Pastor to focus on vision casting and spiritual guidance.
Ensures smooth implementation of the church's mission to make disciples.
The Global Impact
Victory Outreach International
{Pastors Sonny and Julie Arguinzoni's} original vision was mainly to East Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Through the voice of the Holy Spirit, God began to reveal a need that was far more reaching than just the inner-city communities of Los Angeles. As people were set free from a lifestyle of sin, Sonny received a vision for the potential in people who had been marginalized by society and could not find their place in the general Body of Christ. He felt that if God could change his life and use him in the ministry, then God could do the same for countless others. A foundational scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
One by one, the former hopeless members of society were not only transformed but began to answer the call of God into ministry. Many followed the pattern of Sonny and Julie by pursuing theological education and became qualified as licensed pastors, evangelists, missionaries and recovery home directors.
Today Victory Outreach International consists of well over 1000 licensed pastors and ministry workers in 33 nations of the world. In the first 58 years of ministry, Victory Outreach has planted over 700 churches and recovery ministries with a brand-new push to reach, train and launch a new generation of believers called “The Third Wave”.
Sonny and Julie also established the Victory Outreach Bible College, an accredited Bible College where thousands of students from around the world pursue Biblical education and ministry training. Along with the Victory Outreach Urban Training Centers, a new generation of young adults are answering the call of God in various countries around the world.
Through the years, Victory Outreach International has been recognized as the leading inner-city ministry in the Body of Christ with many acknowledgements and recognitions from United States Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, along with special acknowledgments from US Senators, Governors and US Attorney Generals.
In Closing: A Call to Spiritual Self-Examination
Like King Saul: The Peril of Presumed Righteousness
Self-assessment serves as an essential measure of one's obedience and devotion to God. Many believers presume they are pleasing to the Lord without conducting rigorous examination of their spiritual condition. I myself once held this presumption following my baptism in the Holy Spirit, believing I had attained the pinnacle of service to God. However, I discovered how profoundly mistaken I was in assuming righteousness before Him. This is a common error among the faithful. To illuminate the distance between perceived righteousness and actual standing before God, I present the following scriptural passages for your careful consideration and periodic self-evaluation:
1 Timothy 3:1-13
Modern English Version
Qualifications of Overseers
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.
2 An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach;
3 not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money, but patient, not argumentative, not covetous;
4 and one who manages his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence.
5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? 6 He must not be newly converted, so that he does not become prideful and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good reputation among those who are outsiders, so that he does not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Qualifications of Deacons
8 Likewise deacons must be serious, not insincere, not given to much wine, not greedy,
9 keeping the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let them first be tested; then, being found blameless, let them serve as deacons.
11 Likewise, their wives must be serious, not slanderers, sober, and faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well in the office of deacon purchase for themselves good standing and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:5-9
Modern English Version
Titus’ Work in Crete
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I commanded you:
6 any man who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who are not accused of being wild or unruly.
7 For an overseer must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not easily angered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, self-controlled, just, holy, temperate,
9 holding firmly the trustworthy word that is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to convince those who oppose it.
The Path Forward: Honest Assessment and Repentance
Acknowledging Violations of Scripture
Upon discovering areas where your conduct falls short of these scriptural standards, it is imperative that you understand the necessary course of action. Honesty—both with God and with yourself—is paramount. If you genuinely aspire to righteousness and desire to be pleasing to the Lord, you must identify specifically which biblical standards you are violating. Present these shortcomings before God in earnest prayer, and petition Him for assistance in genuine repentance and in aligning your life with His Word. This action must not be delayed.
"Real Foos Compilation" (Anwar Jibawi - 2024)
Whittier Boulevard Holiday Cruise 2025 | East LA Lowriders Take Over the Streets
"Practice What You Preach" (Testament -1989)
Practice What You Preach
Song by Testament ‧ 1989
Lyrics
Practice what you preach
Yeah
You think your life's so grand
Don't believe a word you say
Your feet aren't on the ground
Let your life just slip away
Just so uncertain of your body and your soul
The promises you make, your mind goes blank
And then you lose control
And then you lose control
I never was the one, the one to say the things you say
Never seem to wonder what you say
You think you've got your life completely in control
You've got a lot to learn, the bridge you burned
It's gonna take its toll
Pay the burnt bridge toll
So practice what you preach
Practice what you preach (preach)
Practice what you preach
Practice what you preach (preach)
Practice what you preach
Come on
You think your life's so grand
Don't believe a word you say
Your feet aren't on the ground
Let your life just slip away
Just so uncertain of your body and your soul
The promises you make your mind goes blank
And then you lose control
Pay the burnt bridge toll
Then you lose control
Pay the burnt bridge toll
Practice what you preach
Practice what you preach (preach)
Practice what you preach
Practice what you preach (preach)
Yeah
"Without Me You Can Do Nothing" (A Holy Ghost & Keith Green Playlist)
World without end. Amen.
