Expert Interview

Last week we invited Pastor Marlon Medina from Crave Church to come in for an Interview and here’s what we got.

S=Speaker, I=Interviewee

S: Today we have Pastor Marlon Medina from Crave Church, we appreciate you for coming in and giving us some time of your day.

I: It’s my pleasure to be here

S: Can you tell us about yourself and what you do?

I: My name is Marlon Medina. I’m the leading, founding pastor of Crave Church. I’ve always lived in a Christian home and when I got to my teen years I kind of left my faith and then, later on, I kind of got connected and now I’m passionate about my faith trying to lead others to Jesus

S: So, for our topic, we know the rapture is a serious topic right now, as a world issue can you give us a brief explanation about the rapture

I: Yeah so pretty much what the Bible teaches us that there’s going to come a day where Jesus Christ is going to return to pick up his church and by that, it means the people that are living in devotion towards Jesus. People that love God are not perfect don’t have it all, right. But they are loving and others connected to him through a relationship not through rituals, not through what they can do or perform for him. But the relationship and then Jesus when he comes back the Bible teaches that it’s not going to be a day that we know about, we don’t know the time nor the hour no one does into any type of prediction that says you know Jesus is coming back on this day and the world going to end on this day is not true because Jesus said that no one knows the time nor the hour, not even he knows it only God the Father does and so when he comes to the clouds he’s going to come to the clouds to pick up everybody that is a Christian. So we’re going to meet Jesus in the clouds and so we’re going to pretty much be taken so that we can go into heaven, not as pretty much of the Rapture is yeah yeah okay 

S: I thank you for the explanation and the second question is what do you think about the Rapture? 

I: I think it’s sometimes even a very complicated issue to talk amongst the people that actually even believe in the Rapture. so even if you know that there’s that there are three positions there three views on the Rapture and there’s a lot of debate between people’s views personally. I think that the Rapture’s real, I think that it’s going to happen. It’s incredible that from many civilizations before ours there’s always been this prediction that the world is going to end. I think that Hollywood has fascinated with the idea that the world is going to end I think that in our design in our being there’s always this type of thought that we are captured by that the world is going to end and I think the reason why we’re so fascinated by it the reason why we make movies about the reason why we think about it the reason why we have predictions about the reason why we watch the top 10 predictions on YouTube of how the world is going to end is because it’s written in inside of our hearts. That one day this world that we live in will come to an end and the reason is because there’s this guy that wrote the Psalms his name was David he was a real king historical figure and he said that eternity who has been written in our hearts of human beings so we know that there’s something more than just this life we know that there’s something that exists Beyond this life after we even passed away and so I think it’s raptured real I think that the Raptures an introduction to the next life which is eternity and it’s just a transition. I think that leads us from this existence that we live into the next existence that we’re going to be living which is called eternity and it’s written in our hearts and that’s why I think it was so fascinated by the topic of Doomsday and the end of the world everything’s going to finish so I do believe in the Rapture of you and I do believe that the Rapture is the event that will begin the ending 

S: if our whole Society starts believing in Christ, will we change the outcomes predicted by Christ or will it just stay the same 

I: No I don’t think that we could ever change what Christ said if we believe in the end and everybody comes to Christ I think that everything will happen the same way that Christ did it. Now, will everyone believe Nah, not everybody will. Not a lot of people will believe in Jesus. I know this because he said it. Matthew chapter 7 Jesus spoke that a lot of people will say to him “I did good things” and Jesus will reply to them I never knew you and the reason is because there are people that are going to be saved and people that are not going to be saved there are people that are going to make it to heaven and other people that are not going to make it to have it into something that has been predicted but more than predicted. So will everybody believe I don’t think so actually I know that not everybody is going to believe because Jesus said it but in case that everybody did believe I still think nothing would change because when Jesus speaks it comes to pass. What Jesus speaks what he prophesied has to happen because he’s God and he knows all things 

S: So in the Bible, it talks about future events between countries. What do you think about the events?

I: Yeah I think that the events between countries are all these are all events that will take place as warning signs that this event called The Rapture will happen and reason why I say that is because Jesus spoke about that in Matthew 24 Jesus spoke about that and I think we’re going to talk in a little bit about that later. the old prophet Ezekiel talks about going against nations and all these things are just signs for us that this event called the rapture that will unfold the ending there.

S: Yeah 

I: I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s been ordained. I think that is more like it’s been permitted and reason, why I say that it hasn’t been ordained 100%, is because God has given us something called free will just because Jesus spoke that it would happen it doesn’t mean that he was the one conducting everything the reason why he can speak about the future because he knows the future the Bible calls God on the issue meaning that he knows everything he’s omnipresent meaning that he’s everywhere he’s on the omnipotent meaning all-powerful right and so just because he knows to me doesn’t mean that he’s the one that conducted it or orchestrated it or ordained it. but he does permit things and even though what we do is not pleasing to him it’s not what he wants for us sometimes it’s not what he desires for us to do we still do it because of that one gift called Free Will so everything that is going to be happening, everything is going to be unfolding all the signs all the mess all the lore all these things are happening I don’t think he ordained it all but I think that he permitted it so yeah.

S: Where will he first go when he comes back to the Earth 

I: When he returns there has to be a lot of clarity with this in 1 Thessalonians,  Apostle Paul write the letter to the church and he talks about how Jesus will meet us in the clouds in this is in reference to the Rapture the word rapture is not in the Bible but it’s the best word to describe what the Apostle Paul writes about in 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 of Aleve and the first professional in chapter 3 Paul says that we will meet Jesus in the clouds he’s not coming to Earth for that Rapture moment we’re going to meet him in the clouds in the Bible says that the dead will rise first and we’ll meet him and then the others that are alive will meet him the clouds so that’s when Jesus does the Rapture thing. After the Rapture we’re going to go to heaven I’m going to have a feast right in the party that the Bible describes for all the people that were taken to Heaven that work we’re all the people that were taken right the church is going to have an award night like the Oscars. now after the Oscars are done in heaven we are rewarded for the things that we did the Bible says I think in Revelations 19 that here on Earth when all the nations gather to bully Israel and they want to come and kill the nation of Israel that’s where Jesus comes back to Earth and protect Isreal. Jesus won’t appear as a small little peasant marginalized man with sandals and a little lamb and that’s how I was Jesus described in Revelations 19 when he comes to fight for Israel you described as a warrior on a white horse with eyes of fire a sword that comes out of his mouth eating his word is piercing you know strong gladiator-style right now this is the type of Jesus that I like to preach about to the young guys right there young man because I think that way you will anyway the point is that the first time he come return for The rapture he’s going to come to the clouds and that’s our topic for today 

S: What is the reason for the rapture is it punishment?

I: The Rapture is not punishment, the Rapture is just God giving us VIP access to heaven for the Oscars. the scary thing is the word rapture doesn’t even sound nice but it just pictures God coming in his limo but it’s a limo-like a chariot of fire pretend that okay picking everybody up that has been doing an amazing job here on Earth he’s picking all of his closest friends those aren’t following those that our relationship which is called the church and he’s picking up us. now when he picks the Christians up and he takes us. There’s gonna be chaos on Earth. so I imagine that they’re Christian Pilots, Christian drivers, Christian Mother’s cooking at home, and all the Christians of the world getting taken to the Oscars in heaven. What’s going to happen to all the planes that Christians are piloting, what’s going to happen to all the cars that Christians are driving, what’s going to happen to all the stoves that are left on. Chaos is gonna happen right but it’s not punishment it’s just that God’s just going to take us to celebrate us but those that are left behind a lot of us focus on those that are left behind but I want to focus on those that are taken the Believers in Jesus that have a relationship with him. we’re going to go party it up and we’re going to go have a celebration, we’re going to have a good time but a lot of people that focus on the people that are left behind. 

In Matthew 24 6-7 It says “Nations will rise against Nations and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes” in our current world events today all of these events are happening around the world. Do you think the Rapture of Jesus Christ his coming going to happen sooner than expected?

Okay so it’s interesting that when we talk about wars Jesus Wars and huge events that are happening Jesus said this is the sign but then later on when we read in the scriptures in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 it says when people are saying peace and safety peace and safety when the world receives peace and safety vent destruction will come immediately so our focus is on all there’s a lot of War best monsters don’t know if you know wait wait we haven’t read everything completely we think that that means it’s near that’s not near that’s just saying that hey this is for entering That season later on it says when peace and safety is the conversation that’s when you know it’s going to happen so I’m not really afraid of all the wars and although I’m not really afraid of all this this is just let me know that way it’s it’s it’s it’s closed but it’s not not not yet the time we do reading the Bible that one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day hard time frame in God’s time from is totally different another thing that we have to consider is also that Jesus is delaying his return for the sake of more people being able to be saved one of the things that he says is that he wants to return when everybody hears the gospel when Every Nation every time there are still lots of Nations that have never heard the gospel there are people that are in Indian in there different parts of the world word no one has reached them and they don’t even speak the language they have their own dialects that I’ve never been reached and she’s saying until these people are spoken to then I’m going to return you want everybody to hear you want everybody to have a lot to consider I don’t think that were super close I think that we are in crazy times but then again there’s always been crazy times World War I like always for time but the real real sign I think is when peace and security are the are the thing that people are talking about that’s what we know if there’s World Peace we know it’s coming soon 

S: Earlier you said people will need to build a relationship with Jesus how would one build a relationship with Jesus? 

I: Excellent Question. I think it starts with understanding what Jesus did understanding what God did by sending his son Jesus if you don’t understand it and you just receive it then you’re just being a robot following an instruction or you’re just doing a good thing and I always tell the church that doing a good thing is amazing but doing a good thing is not doing a God thing and if you want to have a relationship with Jesus you first have to understand what Jesus did for you so the gospel is this and end in the reason why I like the gospels because the difference between the Gospel of Jesus and major world religions or major faiths and not to bash on any faith not to say that any faith is you know bad if you believe or if you have faith another thing. We don’t want to bash anybody’s Faith but what I would tell people to consider is this and the way that I like to paint it is through an analogy and religion rel religion we’re at the bottom of a mountain God is at the top of the mountain and that’s what religion is it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you know you believe in something you can get the God so when you’re at the bottom of the mountain it doesn’t matter where you are at the bottom of the mountain as long as you climb up from any direction that you start. you can always that work at it you got to do your best you got to be strong you got to be persevered to reach God at the top in religion. In the gospel, God comes down the mountain to meet with you and that’s word to me the gospel makes the biggest difference because Jen religion we had a table for God in the gospel God set the table for you in religion you must earn your way to God and religion you must work hard to be approved by God in the gospel Jesus says I’ve seen your mess I’ve taken your entire life into account and even before you received me even before you accepted me I still chose to die for your sins on the cross I still love you even before you looked at me before you saw me I give myself away to you you look at the gospel it’s never based on our performance it’s ever based on how hard we can work to earn to God in the gospel Jesus says I love you before you can even look at him. before you can even try he says I accepted you, I receive you and I want to have a relationship with you. Grace is so powerful because Grace is what we all crave for I always tell people to church when you make a mistake and you hurt somebody or you do something to offend somebody that you love your hoping that they could forgive you your hoping that they could let it go you’re hoping to receive something that you don’t deserve we all crave Grace one way or another the gospel that’s exactly what Jesus offers us he extends to us but we don’t deserve even though your failure even though your flaws and mistakes even though you have sense even though you’ll never be perfect Jesus says. I love you I love you the same way there’s nothing that you can do that will make me love you less or make me love you more and I extend Grace and I forgive you and I receive you and all Jesus wants the Simplicity this is the video of the Gospel of Jesus want is for you to try it now the fact that he loves you no matter what and that if you believe and you receive of you welcome you give space to him in your heart this is only one that you believe and trust him all you want is that you believe and you trust it is what God says I’ll save you a lot of Christian churches are a lot of Christian leaders have gossiped about God meaning they’ve said something that he’s not and we’ve all been gossiped about and we don’t like it when people talk bad about us we don’t like it when people say things that we are not really what they say we are a lot of religious Christian leaders sometimes make God look like an Angry God it’s got to be perfect and then make a charge which should be spaced of Grace a place of judgment and this is why people are turned away but when we go to the real version of the Gospel Grace is something we should all wish to be true and the beautiful thing is that it is true found in price Jesus accepting a message of acceptance of Hope of redemption. A message of perfection and you got to perform it’s one of acceptance forgiveness Redemption so when you understand that can you give me a call okay that I’m down to give this guy a shot I’m down to give this Jesus guy shot but if you don’t understand that what’re going to switch Jesus religion and they’re going to try to perform again and not becomes overbearing and that becomes bird retiring because none of us could ever be perfect so when you understand that then you can have a real relationship with cheese and you can say okay I’m going to give this Jesus guy shot I’m going to give him space in my heart 

S: Thank you for coming today!

I: My pleasure!