Friday, August 6, 2010
A Prayer For Today
Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you Lord that it is always true. It’s a word that has been settled forever in heaven. Lord when we understand what the bible says, it truly does give us a perspective on life. It helps us to know what to do and how to respond to situations. It gives us a great concern and passion for those who maybe caught up in the system of the world. Are hearts are burdened and saddened for what we see going on around us. Much of which is accepted by many in the evangelical faith as the whole picture of Christendom, that which your word says is certainly outside of your perfect plan and will for God’s people. Help us to be faithful to the word of God. Help us to here what it says, understand what it means, and apply it to our own lives. In Jesus name, Amen
My Fascination With The Pre-Trib Rapture
Ever since the early 80s, I've maintained a deep fascination with the pre-trib rapture. I don't recall when I first heard of the rapture, but I do know I instantly realized that this event would someday demand the world's attention.
Modern-day society has witnessed some rather distressing events over the past century. We've seen the assassination of world leaders, national and international wars, and disasters of every sort. All of these events have left deep scars on the psyche of humanity. However, I think these events will pale in comparison to the panic that will be caused by the pre-trib Rapture.
The rapture will someday give a new meaning to the word "shock." For the U.S., the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attacks currently rank as the most startling events in our nation's history. When the rapture takes place, I am convinced it will be 100 times more shocking than Pearl Harbor and September 11 combined.
In the past, no single event has managed to touch each individual on a personal level. For example, very few people in 1941 had even heard about Pearl Harbor, let alone knew someone involved in the incident. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon fall into the same category. Everyone saw the calamity on television, but it's unlikely that more than 1% of the US population knew any of the victims who worked in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon, or who were aboard the commercial airliners hijacked by the terrorists.
On the other hand, after the Rapture takes place, everyone left behind will know someone who was mysteriously taken away. It could be a neighbor, a distant cousin, or a person's entire immediate family.
Some prophetic commentators have tried to predict that there will only be a few halfhearted questions like, "Where did everybody go?" Simple logic dictates that the people who find themselves left behind will be absolutely terrified by what has taken place.
I can only guess at the level of interest the press, government, and public will pay to the rapture, but I'm sure it will be immense. As a result of the catching away of the Bride, I believe many individuals will turn to Christ and become numbered with the tribulation saints.
It's So Near
If it looked like the pre-tribulation rapture was going to transpire 100 years from now, there probably wouldn't be a pressing need for me to quickly assemble a website devoted to the subject. However, I believe we are getting very near to the end of what is called the Church Age, so I have been rushing to put together a comprehensive site on Bible prophecy.
Because the rapture is an event that will take priority over all other aspects of our life, it is very important for us to be mindful of its nearness. Death is the only other comparison one could use to describe the type of impact the rapture implies.
The rapture has always been an imminent event, but we now have the luxury of being able to look at history and realize there were a number of key end time prophesies that required several years to evolve into where we see them today. Before May 15, 1948, we only had hope that Israel would once again become a nation. It wasn't until the late 1990s that China gained the ability to field a 200-million-man army. Jan 1, 2002 stands as the date the Revived Roman Empire reestablished the practice of having a common currency.
I keep a close watch on dozens of prophecy-related categories and in the last few years I've noticed an exponential increase in the rate of prophetic progression. In many cases, I can clearly see we have already arrived at the point of fulfillment--no waiting or further development is really required. The final implementation of those end time factors is the only thing lacking.
The Great Transformation
When describing the rapture, most prophetic writers like to focus on the negative consequences of the event. Yes, if the driver of a car were to suddenly vanish, the vehicle would spin out of control. The tribulation is said to be a time of unparalleled distress, so I doubt a few traffic accidents will amount to any lasting significance.
As believers, we will have more important things with which to concern ourselves. Our main focus should be on the heavenly realm. Once we get to glory, we will be confronted with a world of absolute splendor.
Jesus said each believer will receive his own heavenly mansion. If we each have a spacious estate waiting for us, I see no reason for a Christian to strive to build an earthly mansion. I find it rather odd that so many well-known preachers spend large sums of money on ritzy housing and fancy cars. If they had a true understanding of eternal value, you would think they would buy modestly so that they could reinvest their financial gains into the spreading of the Gospel.
"But as it is written, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him'" (1 Cor 2:9).
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).
Losing Everything; I Mean Everything
I once took a tour of the United States Air Force's Strategic Command Post at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The center is charged with tracking the movements of anything that could deploy nuclear weapons: missiles, aircraft, or ships. It's the first layer of command that would order a nuclear counterattack. The command center would obviously be the prime target of any potential enemy.
While I was in the control room, I asked the sergeant giving us the tour, "What would you folks do if you knew a missile was headed in your direction?" His reply was, "I guess we'd open the snack bar up to all takers." I was struck by how true it would be in that situation in which money would have no value. A standard 10-megaton nuclear device exploding over the base would leave nothing but a giant hole in the ground.
For Christians, the rapture will bring devastation similar to that wrought by a nuclear war. When the trumpet sounds, all followers of Christ will instantly lose all of their worldly belongings. As a believer, you might have $20 million in the bank, a fancy home, a yacht, or your own prosperous business, but come the rapture, you can wave all that stuff goodbye as you soar skyward.
The Christian community holds wealth that is easily valued in the $1 to $2 trillion-dollar range. Knowing the total funding for global evangelization efforts amounts to a few hundred million dollars each year, our priorities are certainly in need of reevaluation.
I don't expect to be around to see Social Security, so it doesn't trouble me whether or not predictions of its distant future insolvency turn out to be true. Whenever oil prices zoom up, many people worry that we're going to either run out of gasoline or that it will become prohibitively expensive. At the end of each episode, however, the supply and the price always manage to return to more reasonable levels.
Because we don't know exactly when Jesus is coming for the Church, I believe it is wise to make long-term plans. The key, I believe, is not to allow ourselves to be distracted by trivial issues. We should concern ourselves mostly with today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.
When the catching up takes place, I expect to be flooded with a number of regrets over things I should have accomplished. It's the realization that our good deeds are the only possessions we will take with us that motivates me to keep pressing ahead.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Mat 6:19-20).
One of the most obvious benefits of being ready for the rapture is not having to suffer through the tribulation. Here are four passages that indicate that believers will not be left to suffer the outpouring of God's wrath:
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth " (Revelation 3:10).
If you're included in the rapture, you will be taken to heaven--the place that is a synonym for happiness. The Bible tells us that in heaven there are no health problems, moral failures, economic hardships, or marital difficulties.
The most important benefit of being included in the rapture is the chance to finally meet the Lord of Lords face to face. It's hard to envision what that experience will be like, but seeing one';s Creator certainly has to be the ultimate fulfillment of a person's existence.
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim 4:8).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).
Mockers And Detractors
Whenever an unbeliever sends me an email message that attacks or mocks the pre-trib rapture, I always think of the irony they are imposing upon themselves. Someday, the rapture will take place, and these folks will be dumbfounded.
Even when I get some rather nasty letters that condemn me to the fires of hell or that label me as a raving lunatic, it doesn't bother me because I know it would be punishment enough for anyone to miss the rapture. I see no need to take the attacks personally. I think after the event, these folks will be blaming me for not trying hard enough to convince them of their folly.
Once the big event takes place, there will be no more arguments over the rapture's validity. I try to set people up to be reachable after the Church is taken home to glory. Because I believe most of my detractors are still searching for truth, I don't return fire by saying things like, "Say hello to the Antichrist for me" or, "Save me one of those 100 lb. hailstones in your freezer. When I get back, I'd love to see what one looks like."
End time scoffers are actually doing me a valuable favor. The Bible says doubters will be one of the signs of the last days. Their strong opposition is what helps drive my fascination with the rapture.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet 3:3-4).
Get Ready, Jesus Is Coming
You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. In the Book of Luke, Jesus used a weather analogy to highlight how people failed to use simple logic to recognize the time in which they were living.
The folks who lived in the early part of the first century failed to realize that they were about to witness the revelation of the Messiah. Their error resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Today, people are making an even bigger mistake by not comprehending that this is the generation that will see the fulfillment of the end times.
I've always found it interesting how the salvation issue, both before and after the rapture, is so well balanced. Before the rapture, people need to use faith to overcome the lack of physical evidence for that event. After the rapture, there will be plenty of physical evidence of the event, but then a person will need faith to overcome the trials of the tribulation.
"And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:54-56).
"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:34-35).
God bless you all.
Modern-day society has witnessed some rather distressing events over the past century. We've seen the assassination of world leaders, national and international wars, and disasters of every sort. All of these events have left deep scars on the psyche of humanity. However, I think these events will pale in comparison to the panic that will be caused by the pre-trib Rapture.
The rapture will someday give a new meaning to the word "shock." For the U.S., the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attacks currently rank as the most startling events in our nation's history. When the rapture takes place, I am convinced it will be 100 times more shocking than Pearl Harbor and September 11 combined.
In the past, no single event has managed to touch each individual on a personal level. For example, very few people in 1941 had even heard about Pearl Harbor, let alone knew someone involved in the incident. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon fall into the same category. Everyone saw the calamity on television, but it's unlikely that more than 1% of the US population knew any of the victims who worked in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon, or who were aboard the commercial airliners hijacked by the terrorists.
On the other hand, after the Rapture takes place, everyone left behind will know someone who was mysteriously taken away. It could be a neighbor, a distant cousin, or a person's entire immediate family.
Some prophetic commentators have tried to predict that there will only be a few halfhearted questions like, "Where did everybody go?" Simple logic dictates that the people who find themselves left behind will be absolutely terrified by what has taken place.
I can only guess at the level of interest the press, government, and public will pay to the rapture, but I'm sure it will be immense. As a result of the catching away of the Bride, I believe many individuals will turn to Christ and become numbered with the tribulation saints.
It's So Near
If it looked like the pre-tribulation rapture was going to transpire 100 years from now, there probably wouldn't be a pressing need for me to quickly assemble a website devoted to the subject. However, I believe we are getting very near to the end of what is called the Church Age, so I have been rushing to put together a comprehensive site on Bible prophecy.
Because the rapture is an event that will take priority over all other aspects of our life, it is very important for us to be mindful of its nearness. Death is the only other comparison one could use to describe the type of impact the rapture implies.
The rapture has always been an imminent event, but we now have the luxury of being able to look at history and realize there were a number of key end time prophesies that required several years to evolve into where we see them today. Before May 15, 1948, we only had hope that Israel would once again become a nation. It wasn't until the late 1990s that China gained the ability to field a 200-million-man army. Jan 1, 2002 stands as the date the Revived Roman Empire reestablished the practice of having a common currency.
I keep a close watch on dozens of prophecy-related categories and in the last few years I've noticed an exponential increase in the rate of prophetic progression. In many cases, I can clearly see we have already arrived at the point of fulfillment--no waiting or further development is really required. The final implementation of those end time factors is the only thing lacking.
The Great Transformation
When describing the rapture, most prophetic writers like to focus on the negative consequences of the event. Yes, if the driver of a car were to suddenly vanish, the vehicle would spin out of control. The tribulation is said to be a time of unparalleled distress, so I doubt a few traffic accidents will amount to any lasting significance.
As believers, we will have more important things with which to concern ourselves. Our main focus should be on the heavenly realm. Once we get to glory, we will be confronted with a world of absolute splendor.
Jesus said each believer will receive his own heavenly mansion. If we each have a spacious estate waiting for us, I see no reason for a Christian to strive to build an earthly mansion. I find it rather odd that so many well-known preachers spend large sums of money on ritzy housing and fancy cars. If they had a true understanding of eternal value, you would think they would buy modestly so that they could reinvest their financial gains into the spreading of the Gospel.
"But as it is written, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him'" (1 Cor 2:9).
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).
Losing Everything; I Mean Everything
I once took a tour of the United States Air Force's Strategic Command Post at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The center is charged with tracking the movements of anything that could deploy nuclear weapons: missiles, aircraft, or ships. It's the first layer of command that would order a nuclear counterattack. The command center would obviously be the prime target of any potential enemy.
While I was in the control room, I asked the sergeant giving us the tour, "What would you folks do if you knew a missile was headed in your direction?" His reply was, "I guess we'd open the snack bar up to all takers." I was struck by how true it would be in that situation in which money would have no value. A standard 10-megaton nuclear device exploding over the base would leave nothing but a giant hole in the ground.
For Christians, the rapture will bring devastation similar to that wrought by a nuclear war. When the trumpet sounds, all followers of Christ will instantly lose all of their worldly belongings. As a believer, you might have $20 million in the bank, a fancy home, a yacht, or your own prosperous business, but come the rapture, you can wave all that stuff goodbye as you soar skyward.
The Christian community holds wealth that is easily valued in the $1 to $2 trillion-dollar range. Knowing the total funding for global evangelization efforts amounts to a few hundred million dollars each year, our priorities are certainly in need of reevaluation.
I don't expect to be around to see Social Security, so it doesn't trouble me whether or not predictions of its distant future insolvency turn out to be true. Whenever oil prices zoom up, many people worry that we're going to either run out of gasoline or that it will become prohibitively expensive. At the end of each episode, however, the supply and the price always manage to return to more reasonable levels.
Because we don't know exactly when Jesus is coming for the Church, I believe it is wise to make long-term plans. The key, I believe, is not to allow ourselves to be distracted by trivial issues. We should concern ourselves mostly with today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.
When the catching up takes place, I expect to be flooded with a number of regrets over things I should have accomplished. It's the realization that our good deeds are the only possessions we will take with us that motivates me to keep pressing ahead.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Mat 6:19-20).
One of the most obvious benefits of being ready for the rapture is not having to suffer through the tribulation. Here are four passages that indicate that believers will not be left to suffer the outpouring of God's wrath:
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth " (Revelation 3:10).
If you're included in the rapture, you will be taken to heaven--the place that is a synonym for happiness. The Bible tells us that in heaven there are no health problems, moral failures, economic hardships, or marital difficulties.
The most important benefit of being included in the rapture is the chance to finally meet the Lord of Lords face to face. It's hard to envision what that experience will be like, but seeing one';s Creator certainly has to be the ultimate fulfillment of a person's existence.
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim 4:8).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).
Mockers And Detractors
Whenever an unbeliever sends me an email message that attacks or mocks the pre-trib rapture, I always think of the irony they are imposing upon themselves. Someday, the rapture will take place, and these folks will be dumbfounded.
Even when I get some rather nasty letters that condemn me to the fires of hell or that label me as a raving lunatic, it doesn't bother me because I know it would be punishment enough for anyone to miss the rapture. I see no need to take the attacks personally. I think after the event, these folks will be blaming me for not trying hard enough to convince them of their folly.
Once the big event takes place, there will be no more arguments over the rapture's validity. I try to set people up to be reachable after the Church is taken home to glory. Because I believe most of my detractors are still searching for truth, I don't return fire by saying things like, "Say hello to the Antichrist for me" or, "Save me one of those 100 lb. hailstones in your freezer. When I get back, I'd love to see what one looks like."
End time scoffers are actually doing me a valuable favor. The Bible says doubters will be one of the signs of the last days. Their strong opposition is what helps drive my fascination with the rapture.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet 3:3-4).
Get Ready, Jesus Is Coming
You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. In the Book of Luke, Jesus used a weather analogy to highlight how people failed to use simple logic to recognize the time in which they were living.
The folks who lived in the early part of the first century failed to realize that they were about to witness the revelation of the Messiah. Their error resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Today, people are making an even bigger mistake by not comprehending that this is the generation that will see the fulfillment of the end times.
I've always found it interesting how the salvation issue, both before and after the rapture, is so well balanced. Before the rapture, people need to use faith to overcome the lack of physical evidence for that event. After the rapture, there will be plenty of physical evidence of the event, but then a person will need faith to overcome the trials of the tribulation.
"And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:54-56).
"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:34-35).
God bless you all.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The TiVo Premiere DVR Review
The TiVo Premiere features the first refresh of the TiVo interface in quite some time. While not everyone is a fan, most say that it is stunning and easy to use even as they note that it lacks some functionality -- something that will be handled in firmware updates that are expected to be released in the coming months. Most note that performance is on the pokey side, but that, too, should be fixed in forthcoming updates.
Everything else has critics mostly pleased. The TiVo's Discovery Bar makes it easy to explore offerings both from your cable provider and from online sources, including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster on Demand and many more. The storage capacity is relatively spacious at 45 hours for HD content, and you can add an external hard drive for even more room for your programs. You can also stream content from the TiVo Premiere for either viewing or storage, as well as burn copies to DVD with the help of software from Roxio (*Est. $70). If you want a TiVo Premiere with even more storage, the TiVo Premiere XL (*Est. $500 plus TiVo service) ups things to 150 hours of HD content and adds a few goodies, such as THX certification.
Like all TiVos (and any DVR that doesn't come directly from your cable company), you will need to get a CableCard from your cable provider (*Est. $4 per month) in most cases, and that technology deactivates some cable company extras such as video on demand. That leads some to say that cable company DVRs (price varies by provider) are both less expensive and more convenient than the TiVo Premiere, though many TiVo enthusiasts would beg to disagree. The TiVo Premiere works with all digital cable systems and Verizon Fios, but not AT&T U-verse or any satellite TV provider. One cable provider, RCN, is offering a CableCard-free version of the TiVo Premiere as an option.
The TiVo Premiere has been widely reviewed. The best review is the detailed report at PCMag.com. Other reviews worth reading can be found at Gizmodo.com, Engadget.com, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Check out TiVoCommunity.com for the most helpful user feedback.
Our Sources
1. PCMag.comDetails/Subscribe
This balanced and testing-based report examines the new TiVo Premiere hardware and user interface in detail. Positives and negatives are clearly spelled out, and the question of whether or not it makes sense to opt for a TiVo Premiere over a cable company DVR is squarely addressed. In the end, Joel Santo Domingo says that while the TiVo Premiere offers "the richest TiVo experience yet," many will find a cable company-provided DVR to be "a more-convenient and less-expensive choice."
Review: TiVo Premiere, Joel Santo Domingo, March 24, 2010
2. Gizmodo.com
In this long and detailed review, Gizmodo.com's Mark Wilson spends lots of time detailing some of the shortcomings of the TiVo Premiere. He bemoans the lack of "eye candy," complains that "corners were cut" in the hardware, and finds some rough edges in the user interface. However, he also says that if you can look beyond the omissions -- some of which will be addressed in coming updates -- "the TiVo Premiere becomes a brilliant machine," adding that it is "the best turnkey set top DVR I've ever used."
Review: TiVo Premiere Review: Where's the Razzle Dazzle?, Mark Wilson, March 24, 2010
3. Engadget.com
Engadget.com's Nilay Patel is clearly excited about the TiVo Premiere's potential, but just as clearly disappointed in the DVR as it currently stands. He recommends waiting to buy the Premiere until the anticipated updates are released, which will clean up some of the user interface's rough spots and rev up hardware performance. He also says TiVo's slow pace in previously updating its DVRs has allowed cable company DVRs to catch up.
Review: TiVo Premiere Review, Nilay Patel, March 24, 2010
4. USA Today Magazine
Edward C. Baig notes some "snags" with the TiVo Premiere, but says there are still lots of positives. Those include the new interface, which makes it easier than ever to find programming both from your provider and from online sources. In the end, Baig says the Premiere is an improved DVR compared with TiVo's previous and well regarded efforts, but he's just not sure it's a "game-changer."
Review: New High-def TiVo Premiere Combines Host of Features, Edward C. Baig, March 25, 2010
5. The Wall Street Journal
Walt Mossberg says the Premiere works as advertised despite some flaws, but could go further in delivering Internet content. Like others, he says the interface is slow and looks incomplete at spots. While most praise the Discovery Bar function for finding new content a plus, Mossberg calls it a distraction.
Review: New TiVo Mixes TV and Internet, but Falls Short, Walter S. Mossberg, March 24, 2010
6. TiVoCommunity.com
This is a treasure trove of information for owners and prospective owners of the TiVo Premiere. There are lots of discussions of positives and negatives of the DVR, owner reviews, problem fixes and more. A regularly updated and very lengthy FAQ details the current state of the hardware and firmware, along with known issues and solutions. Testing comparing the TiVo Premiere's performance to previous TiVo DVRs is provided.
Review: TiVo Community Forums, Contributors to TiVoCommunity.com
A Chronology Of The End Times Events
More and more as we get closer to the end, people want to see a time line of coming events. Questions about the order in which events will take place, the span of time between them and the likelihood of there being enough time for everything to happen in the time we have left are becoming more numerous with each passing week.
As you know the Bible doesn't provide this level of specificity. But neither are we left to make unfounded predictions. There are a number of clues scattered throughout the New Testament that take much of the guess work out of things. With diligent study, we can put them together and make some pretty reasonable assumptions.
Romans 11:25
For example Romans 11:25 says Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. I've shown several times how the phrases "full number" and "come in" point to the Rapture of the Church. In Paul's day they were often used in a nautical context. The “full number” was the number of crew members a ship needed before it was authorized to set sail. As soon as the full number of crewmen had been contracted the ship immediately left the harbor to begin its journey.
The phrase “come in” means to arrive at the ship's scheduled destination. It's still in use today. People talk about how different life will be for them when their ship “comes in”.
From Romans 11:25 we get the notion that the Church has a full number, too. That's the number of believers necessary for the rapture. Reaching that number frees us from the constraints of this world and we'll immediately “come in” to our scheduled destination, Heaven.
Jesus told the disciples He was going to His father's house to prepare a place for us, and then He'd come back for us to take us there (John 14:2-3). He didn't say He'd come back here where we are to be with us here, as in the 2nd Coming. He said He'd come back to take us there to be with Him where He is. This has to be a reference to the Rapture. Once He's done that, Israel's time of hardening will come to an end and the time of their reconciliation will begin.
Isaiah 17, Psalm 83, And Ezekiel 38-39
Ezekiel said that one outcome of the battle he described in chapters 38-39 is that Israel will be awakened to His presence (Ezekiel 39:22). Since Paul said Israel's awakening will follow the rapture and Ezekiel said it will be an outcome of his battle, we can assume the rapture will likely precede Ezekiel 38.
None of Israel's current next door neighbors are mentioned by Ezekiel, even though they're all antagonists, but the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 feature them prominently. From this we can conclude these prophecies will be fulfilled ahead of Ezekiel 38 but there's no way to tell if they will also take place before the rapture.
Acts 15:13-18
A set of parallel clues can bring us to the same conclusion about the relationship between Ezekiel 38 and the rapture. In Acts 15:13-18 James said that Israel was being set aside so the Lord could take out of the Gentiles a people for himself, after which David's fallen Tabernacle would be rebuilt. The phrase "take out" comes from a Greek word that means to take hold of something for the purpose of carrying it away. It refers to the rapture of the Church.
David's fallen Tabernacle is the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD and will be restored. But there won't be any need for a Temple until Israel is back in an Old Covenant relationship with God. And this will only happen after the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Being back in an Old Covenant relationship means Daniel's 70th Week will have begun (Daniel 9:27). That means the Age of Grace will have come to an end and the Church will be gone.
Matt. 24:34, Psalm 90:10 and Isaiah 23:15
Based on these verses I believe Jesus said His 2nd Coming would take place about 70 years from the time Israel became a nation again in 1948. (As I demonstrated in “Why The Re-Birth Of Israel Is A Sign Of The End”, it doesn't make sense to tie Matt. 24:34 to specific signs that happen just a few years before the 2nd coming.) Adding 70 years to 1948 brings us to the end of 2018. When Daniel's 70th Week begins, there will only be seven years left until the 2nd coming. That means Daniel's 70th Week will have to begin 7 years prior to 2018, in 2011. Other clues indicate the 2nd Coming will likely happen on Rosh Hashanna, also known as the Feast of Trumpets and the Jewish New Year. Because it takes place at the time of the new moon rather than on a full moon, it's often difficult to determine the exact time of its arrival. For this reason it was sometimes referred to in the past as the feast where no man knows the day or hour. Jesus used a form of this phrase 4 times in the span of 23 verses while referring to the time of the 2nd Coming (Matt. 24:42, 44, 50, Matt 25:13). Computer projections tell us that in 2018 Rosh Hashanna will occur on Sept. 9-10. But it takes a confirmed visual sighting to make it official and Matt. 24:29 says the moon will not give its light following the end of the Great Tribulation, so no one will know the day or hour of His return until they see Him coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30)
That's All Folks
That's as much of a hint as to timing the Bibles gives us. But remember Psalm 83, Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38 are all called battles, not wars. If Israel acted without restraint Psalm 83 would likely require only a week or so to fulfill. Isaiah 17 involves only the firing of a missile or the dropping of a bomb. The Rapture of the Church will happen in the twinkling of an eye. God could annihilate the forces of Ezekiel 38 in an afternoon. My point is, this is not too much for Him to accomplish in the time that's left.
The way the Middle East keeps heating up it's possible the fulfillment of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 could happen very soon. When the Gaza Blockade issue threatened to ignite into a full blown confrontation recently, I thought we were seeing its beginning. But sad to say it's not if these two prophecies will be fulfilled but when. And from Scripture you can't tell if they'll happen before or after the Rapture. They could all happen at once.
But after they do, the Battle of Ezekiel 38 will follow, Israel's awakening being necessary for Daniel's 70th Week to begin. This will bring the anti-Christ to the forefront to confirm the treaty that allows for a Temple to be built. In the middle of the 70th Week he'll claim to be God, kicking off the Great Tribulation, after which the Lord will return to establish His Kingdom. Over the past few weeks we've taken a fresh look at Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39. We've also shown why the re-birth of Israel has to be the premier sign of the End of the Age. Hopefully, this perspective on how all these prophecies are related will provide the overview we need to understand how very close we are to the End of the Age. Even angels have longed to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12) but you and I are blessed to experience them firsthand. You can almost hear the foot steps of the Messiah.
God bless you all.
As you know the Bible doesn't provide this level of specificity. But neither are we left to make unfounded predictions. There are a number of clues scattered throughout the New Testament that take much of the guess work out of things. With diligent study, we can put them together and make some pretty reasonable assumptions.
Romans 11:25
For example Romans 11:25 says Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. I've shown several times how the phrases "full number" and "come in" point to the Rapture of the Church. In Paul's day they were often used in a nautical context. The “full number” was the number of crew members a ship needed before it was authorized to set sail. As soon as the full number of crewmen had been contracted the ship immediately left the harbor to begin its journey.
The phrase “come in” means to arrive at the ship's scheduled destination. It's still in use today. People talk about how different life will be for them when their ship “comes in”.
From Romans 11:25 we get the notion that the Church has a full number, too. That's the number of believers necessary for the rapture. Reaching that number frees us from the constraints of this world and we'll immediately “come in” to our scheduled destination, Heaven.
Jesus told the disciples He was going to His father's house to prepare a place for us, and then He'd come back for us to take us there (John 14:2-3). He didn't say He'd come back here where we are to be with us here, as in the 2nd Coming. He said He'd come back to take us there to be with Him where He is. This has to be a reference to the Rapture. Once He's done that, Israel's time of hardening will come to an end and the time of their reconciliation will begin.
Isaiah 17, Psalm 83, And Ezekiel 38-39
Ezekiel said that one outcome of the battle he described in chapters 38-39 is that Israel will be awakened to His presence (Ezekiel 39:22). Since Paul said Israel's awakening will follow the rapture and Ezekiel said it will be an outcome of his battle, we can assume the rapture will likely precede Ezekiel 38.
None of Israel's current next door neighbors are mentioned by Ezekiel, even though they're all antagonists, but the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 feature them prominently. From this we can conclude these prophecies will be fulfilled ahead of Ezekiel 38 but there's no way to tell if they will also take place before the rapture.
Acts 15:13-18
A set of parallel clues can bring us to the same conclusion about the relationship between Ezekiel 38 and the rapture. In Acts 15:13-18 James said that Israel was being set aside so the Lord could take out of the Gentiles a people for himself, after which David's fallen Tabernacle would be rebuilt. The phrase "take out" comes from a Greek word that means to take hold of something for the purpose of carrying it away. It refers to the rapture of the Church.
David's fallen Tabernacle is the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD and will be restored. But there won't be any need for a Temple until Israel is back in an Old Covenant relationship with God. And this will only happen after the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Being back in an Old Covenant relationship means Daniel's 70th Week will have begun (Daniel 9:27). That means the Age of Grace will have come to an end and the Church will be gone.
Matt. 24:34, Psalm 90:10 and Isaiah 23:15
Based on these verses I believe Jesus said His 2nd Coming would take place about 70 years from the time Israel became a nation again in 1948. (As I demonstrated in “Why The Re-Birth Of Israel Is A Sign Of The End”, it doesn't make sense to tie Matt. 24:34 to specific signs that happen just a few years before the 2nd coming.) Adding 70 years to 1948 brings us to the end of 2018. When Daniel's 70th Week begins, there will only be seven years left until the 2nd coming. That means Daniel's 70th Week will have to begin 7 years prior to 2018, in 2011. Other clues indicate the 2nd Coming will likely happen on Rosh Hashanna, also known as the Feast of Trumpets and the Jewish New Year. Because it takes place at the time of the new moon rather than on a full moon, it's often difficult to determine the exact time of its arrival. For this reason it was sometimes referred to in the past as the feast where no man knows the day or hour. Jesus used a form of this phrase 4 times in the span of 23 verses while referring to the time of the 2nd Coming (Matt. 24:42, 44, 50, Matt 25:13). Computer projections tell us that in 2018 Rosh Hashanna will occur on Sept. 9-10. But it takes a confirmed visual sighting to make it official and Matt. 24:29 says the moon will not give its light following the end of the Great Tribulation, so no one will know the day or hour of His return until they see Him coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30)
That's All Folks
That's as much of a hint as to timing the Bibles gives us. But remember Psalm 83, Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38 are all called battles, not wars. If Israel acted without restraint Psalm 83 would likely require only a week or so to fulfill. Isaiah 17 involves only the firing of a missile or the dropping of a bomb. The Rapture of the Church will happen in the twinkling of an eye. God could annihilate the forces of Ezekiel 38 in an afternoon. My point is, this is not too much for Him to accomplish in the time that's left.
The way the Middle East keeps heating up it's possible the fulfillment of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 could happen very soon. When the Gaza Blockade issue threatened to ignite into a full blown confrontation recently, I thought we were seeing its beginning. But sad to say it's not if these two prophecies will be fulfilled but when. And from Scripture you can't tell if they'll happen before or after the Rapture. They could all happen at once.
But after they do, the Battle of Ezekiel 38 will follow, Israel's awakening being necessary for Daniel's 70th Week to begin. This will bring the anti-Christ to the forefront to confirm the treaty that allows for a Temple to be built. In the middle of the 70th Week he'll claim to be God, kicking off the Great Tribulation, after which the Lord will return to establish His Kingdom. Over the past few weeks we've taken a fresh look at Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39. We've also shown why the re-birth of Israel has to be the premier sign of the End of the Age. Hopefully, this perspective on how all these prophecies are related will provide the overview we need to understand how very close we are to the End of the Age. Even angels have longed to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12) but you and I are blessed to experience them firsthand. You can almost hear the foot steps of the Messiah.
God bless you all.
Living The Christian Life In Hard Times
There's no doubt we're living in some of the most difficult times of our generation. If experts are correct it's been 2 ½ years since this recession officially began, and many workers have already exhausted their jobless benefits. But others are just now being laid off and according to projections another million families will lose their homes in the coming months, so its not over yet. It's a sobering thought, but the Bible offers some sure fire advice on living in hard times. Let's take a look.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:25, 31-33)
Right from the start let's be sure we understand that the opposite of this promise is also true. If you're not seeking His kingdom and His righteousness you shouldn't expect His provision. Here's what Paul said about believers still following the ways of the world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.(1 Cor. 5:11).
In the verses surrounding this one Paul made it clear he wasn't talking about unbelievers here. He said it wasn't any of his business to judge those outside the Church. God will see to them. Neither did he say anything about these brothers losing their salvation because of their behavior. His point was their unconfessed sins have put them out of fellowship with God which has deprived them of His blessings, one of which is the support that comes from associating with other believers.
So, how do we make sure we're seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness so we be confident of His blessing? Let's find out.
First Seek His Kingdom
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
Good advice, and Paul's words prove that we have a choice when it comes to our behavior, but how do we exercise our choice?
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(Ephesians 4:22-32)
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:8-10)
We seek the Lord's Kingdom by choosing to put off the ways of the world and allowing ourselves to be conformed to His likeness. This is not working to earn our salvation, or to keep it. It's following the Holy Spirit's guidance, letting Him renew us to be more like Jesus, in gratitude for the salvation he's given us. Remember, these verses were written to believers, admonishing us to modify our behavior so we act like the new creations we already are (2 Cor. 5:17), members of God's royal family.
Pity the Holy Spirit, who's been sealed within us and therefore has to endure first hand exposure to all our tawdry behavior. It's bad enough that we grieve Him by accident. Let's not do it on purpose.
And His Righteousness
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.(Romans 3:19-24)
If you start thinking you're better than others just because you behave better than they do, you're not seeking God's righteousness, you're seeking your own. God's righteousness can come only through faith in His Son, and makes us humble, not proud. Your behavior is for the purpose of pleasing the One who has done so much for you, not elevating your self in your own sight.
And All These Things Will Be Provided
How does He provide all our needs? Usually He doesn't pour them down on us directly. But He does provide opportunities for us to receive them through the work we do. How do we know? Because He had Paul say this.
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Tim 5:8)
And in 2 Thes. 3:10 Paul said, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
Notice it says “will not work” not “can not work.” If you can't work because you're disabled, the Church should help. If you're a widow with a small baby, the Church should help. But if you're just waiting for something to happen when you could be spending your time productively, or wasting your money on beer and cigarettes instead of buying food for your family, that's a different story.
Remember how the Lord gave the people Manna (bread from heaven) in the wilderness?
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. (Exodus 16:4)
He could have put it directly into their mouths, like feeding a baby. Instead he made them go out and gather it for themselves. If you can work, the Lord will provide an opportunity for you to do so, as long as you're seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.
I Already Am Working
If you are working you should help those who aren't. Give what you can to those in need, and the Lord will give you more. It's the best way to make sure you'll always have enough.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(Luke 6:38)
It sounds counter intuitive to us, but generosity is the cause of prosperity, not the effect of it.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:6,8)
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).
Giving is evidence of our faith. It shows we know God has abundant resources and we trust Him to share them with us according to our needs . Hoarding is a sign we don't trust Him to give us more, so we hold on to everything we get. (By the way, putting aside any extra we have for the purpose of helping others as the need arises is not hoarding, it's giving.)
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17)
Or, as one of my earliest mentors used to tell me, “If what you believe doesn't result in action, it's doubtful you really believe it.”
A Final Thought
Above all remember that it doesn't matter what things look like. Don't be discouraged by what you see.
We live by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:18)
We can't see what's coming, but the Lord knows how things will work out and He's promised to take care of all our needs as long as we remain faithful to Him. What we see today is just temporary, but the promises of God are eternal.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4 -7) Amen.
God bless you all.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:25, 31-33)
Right from the start let's be sure we understand that the opposite of this promise is also true. If you're not seeking His kingdom and His righteousness you shouldn't expect His provision. Here's what Paul said about believers still following the ways of the world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.(1 Cor. 5:11).
In the verses surrounding this one Paul made it clear he wasn't talking about unbelievers here. He said it wasn't any of his business to judge those outside the Church. God will see to them. Neither did he say anything about these brothers losing their salvation because of their behavior. His point was their unconfessed sins have put them out of fellowship with God which has deprived them of His blessings, one of which is the support that comes from associating with other believers.
So, how do we make sure we're seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness so we be confident of His blessing? Let's find out.
First Seek His Kingdom
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
Good advice, and Paul's words prove that we have a choice when it comes to our behavior, but how do we exercise our choice?
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(Ephesians 4:22-32)
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:8-10)
We seek the Lord's Kingdom by choosing to put off the ways of the world and allowing ourselves to be conformed to His likeness. This is not working to earn our salvation, or to keep it. It's following the Holy Spirit's guidance, letting Him renew us to be more like Jesus, in gratitude for the salvation he's given us. Remember, these verses were written to believers, admonishing us to modify our behavior so we act like the new creations we already are (2 Cor. 5:17), members of God's royal family.
Pity the Holy Spirit, who's been sealed within us and therefore has to endure first hand exposure to all our tawdry behavior. It's bad enough that we grieve Him by accident. Let's not do it on purpose.
And His Righteousness
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.(Romans 3:19-24)
If you start thinking you're better than others just because you behave better than they do, you're not seeking God's righteousness, you're seeking your own. God's righteousness can come only through faith in His Son, and makes us humble, not proud. Your behavior is for the purpose of pleasing the One who has done so much for you, not elevating your self in your own sight.
And All These Things Will Be Provided
How does He provide all our needs? Usually He doesn't pour them down on us directly. But He does provide opportunities for us to receive them through the work we do. How do we know? Because He had Paul say this.
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Tim 5:8)
And in 2 Thes. 3:10 Paul said, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
Notice it says “will not work” not “can not work.” If you can't work because you're disabled, the Church should help. If you're a widow with a small baby, the Church should help. But if you're just waiting for something to happen when you could be spending your time productively, or wasting your money on beer and cigarettes instead of buying food for your family, that's a different story.
Remember how the Lord gave the people Manna (bread from heaven) in the wilderness?
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. (Exodus 16:4)
He could have put it directly into their mouths, like feeding a baby. Instead he made them go out and gather it for themselves. If you can work, the Lord will provide an opportunity for you to do so, as long as you're seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.
I Already Am Working
If you are working you should help those who aren't. Give what you can to those in need, and the Lord will give you more. It's the best way to make sure you'll always have enough.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(Luke 6:38)
It sounds counter intuitive to us, but generosity is the cause of prosperity, not the effect of it.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:6,8)
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).
Giving is evidence of our faith. It shows we know God has abundant resources and we trust Him to share them with us according to our needs . Hoarding is a sign we don't trust Him to give us more, so we hold on to everything we get. (By the way, putting aside any extra we have for the purpose of helping others as the need arises is not hoarding, it's giving.)
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17)
Or, as one of my earliest mentors used to tell me, “If what you believe doesn't result in action, it's doubtful you really believe it.”
A Final Thought
Above all remember that it doesn't matter what things look like. Don't be discouraged by what you see.
We live by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:18)
We can't see what's coming, but the Lord knows how things will work out and He's promised to take care of all our needs as long as we remain faithful to Him. What we see today is just temporary, but the promises of God are eternal.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4 -7) Amen.
God bless you all.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Match.com Review
Match.com is one of the big players in the online dating world. The company started up in 1995 and quickly grew to become one of the top dating sites on the internet. With more than 100 million users since 2000 and over 15 million currently active users, Match is a very solid choice for anyone looking for a change.
A part of the success of Match.com has to do with its long history of being in business but their greatest assets have proven to be their attention to customer service and never ending promotions. Starting an online dating site is no easy task but Match.com has managed to achieve the critical mass necessary to continually attract new members.
How Match.com Differs
Match.com appears to be a pretty straightforward dating site at first but once you dig a little deeper you'll see all the little things that have made the site such a success. For one, they have two different methods of matching people - a search method and an automated matching feature.
They also offer little tips as you go to give you help with talking to people and breaking the ice. One of the coolest features I found was Match.com Mobile which lets you use Match.com through your cell phone.
How Match Works
When you sign up at Match.com, you'll get a chance to explain what you're all about through a number of free writing categories. You can also post up to 26 different pictures to give other members a full overview of who you are.
There are two different ways for you to meet people at Match. You can actively search for other people by inputting some characteristics you're looking for and then hitting the search button or you can use the special Match service.
When you're ready to search for potential matches, Match.com makes it easy to select filters that will quickly narrow down the search results to find people you're interested in meeting. This will also keep you younger Match members from receiving e-mails from questionable members who are way out of your age range.
You can contact people you find on searches by sending a simple message with whatever you want to say. It can be pretty hard thinking of good things to say on that first message but one of the coolest things about Match.com is they give you tips on good things to say. It's a very helpful feature that I haven't seen anywhere else.
If you instead prefer to use the Match service, Match.com will do all the work for you. Match.com will pair you up with people who have the characteristics you are looking for while also taking into account the things they are looking for. Match.com will then send all your recent matches directly to your e-mail.
Privacy is a big deal at Match so the website never volunteers any information for you. You'll still be able to see the general characteristics of the people you're looking for but things like name, phone number and address are never revealed by Match.com. That's just common sense but it's still good to know.
Membership Rates
There are three different memberships you can choose from that work on a recurring basis. The longer membership options are cheaper by the month but cost more in the long run. Short term memberships are good for trying the site out for a little while but they cost more per month.
1 Month - $34.99
3 Month - $59.97
6 Month - $101.94
With dating sites it's usually best to go with at least a 6 month or a 1 year membership to truly give it time to work. If you only sign up for a month or two, you won't really have a good opportunity to see how well Match.com works. Dating online is faster than traditional methods but it's still dating and could be a lengthy process.
Ready to Experience Match.com Dating?
View Photos of Christian Singles In Your Area Free! Match.com
A part of the success of Match.com has to do with its long history of being in business but their greatest assets have proven to be their attention to customer service and never ending promotions. Starting an online dating site is no easy task but Match.com has managed to achieve the critical mass necessary to continually attract new members.
How Match.com Differs
Match.com appears to be a pretty straightforward dating site at first but once you dig a little deeper you'll see all the little things that have made the site such a success. For one, they have two different methods of matching people - a search method and an automated matching feature.
They also offer little tips as you go to give you help with talking to people and breaking the ice. One of the coolest features I found was Match.com Mobile which lets you use Match.com through your cell phone.
How Match Works
When you sign up at Match.com, you'll get a chance to explain what you're all about through a number of free writing categories. You can also post up to 26 different pictures to give other members a full overview of who you are.
There are two different ways for you to meet people at Match. You can actively search for other people by inputting some characteristics you're looking for and then hitting the search button or you can use the special Match service.
When you're ready to search for potential matches, Match.com makes it easy to select filters that will quickly narrow down the search results to find people you're interested in meeting. This will also keep you younger Match members from receiving e-mails from questionable members who are way out of your age range.
You can contact people you find on searches by sending a simple message with whatever you want to say. It can be pretty hard thinking of good things to say on that first message but one of the coolest things about Match.com is they give you tips on good things to say. It's a very helpful feature that I haven't seen anywhere else.
If you instead prefer to use the Match service, Match.com will do all the work for you. Match.com will pair you up with people who have the characteristics you are looking for while also taking into account the things they are looking for. Match.com will then send all your recent matches directly to your e-mail.
Privacy is a big deal at Match so the website never volunteers any information for you. You'll still be able to see the general characteristics of the people you're looking for but things like name, phone number and address are never revealed by Match.com. That's just common sense but it's still good to know.
Membership Rates
There are three different memberships you can choose from that work on a recurring basis. The longer membership options are cheaper by the month but cost more in the long run. Short term memberships are good for trying the site out for a little while but they cost more per month.
1 Month - $34.99
3 Month - $59.97
6 Month - $101.94
With dating sites it's usually best to go with at least a 6 month or a 1 year membership to truly give it time to work. If you only sign up for a month or two, you won't really have a good opportunity to see how well Match.com works. Dating online is faster than traditional methods but it's still dating and could be a lengthy process.
Ready to Experience Match.com Dating?
View Photos of Christian Singles In Your Area Free! Match.com
Second Chances
All scripture is God breathed.
“...they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
Are there second chances in life? Absolutely. Second chances are available for just about every aspect of life. Our God is a God of second chances, and third and forth and on they go. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. This verse is indeed encouraging, and rightfully so.
“Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God.” – Vines Expository Dictionary.
That’s our God, longsuffering; even though we at times are quite rebellious He’s loving and patient, full of grace and mercy to us-ward. But the question is, will God be patient forever? Many have heard the Gospel of Christ, and cannot make up their minds whether or not the Christian life is for them. Still others simply rejected it. Either way, knowingly or not, these folks are relying on God’s longsuffering and patience.
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. Just so we are all clear on what the Gospel of Christ is, I just played a trick on all those reading this commentary who claim they’ve never received the Gospel. You just did. Now we can move on.
Those who hear (or read) the Gospel and yet choose to put off their decision for Christ while they wallow in their desired sin just a tad longer are playing with fire. Those who’ve just outright rejected Jesus Christ haven’t a clue as to what they are playing at. Why? Time is the procrastinators Achilles heel. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Romans 13:11.
You say you want to wait until after the Rapture of the Church, if there is such a thing, to say yes to Jesus Christ? The word of God says not to delay, but when we hear the Gospel message we are to repent of our sins.
With all the signs of the times currently exploding onto the scene, and knowing what the Bible says about the end times believers in Christ know God is on the cusp of ending His self imposed longsuffering. If this is so, what happens to second chances then?
We all make mistakes, and oh how great it is when we are given a second chance; a chance to right the wrong we’ve committed. I’m sure everyone reading this commentary has had occasion when they can remember being afforded a second chance, perhaps even more than once. There will come a time though when all God’s second chances will end.
The Holy Spirit of God works in mysterious ways, ways we cannot comprehend. He works ever diligently, never tiring, pointing everyone to Jesus Christ. But there comes a time when the continual in His face rejection of the truth moves the Holy Spirit away from that soul. When a person hardens their heart to the extreme against God there’s a point of finality when the Holy Spirit ceases His work. Then those poor misguided souls are left to their own destruction.
People, for the most part, don’t understand God and His far reaching love for His creation. Where you and I might have given up on a person, believing them to be a lost cause, God sees far past our perceptions of who’s a lost cause and who’s not. A terrible place for any human to be though is in that place where the Holy Spirit finally decides enough is enough. I’d like to say that this just isn’t the case, but the Bible says differently.
“…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved... That they all might be damned” 2 Thessalonians 2:10b & 12. This means they were offered the truth by the Holy Spirit of God, and that God was patient with them to a point you and I would consider extreme, and yet they continued in their rejection of God’s only begotten Son.
The Gospel of Christ has been preached around the world and, for the most part, in every language. So for the majority of earth’s human population the Gospel of Christ is a fairy tale. This rejection God calls blasphemy. These folks fall into a category for which this commentary was written. They are those who’ve rejected the truth of the Gospel, who have rejected the Holy Spirit’s convicting messages. This is essentially calling the Holy Spirit a liar, which is the blasphemy God speaks about and a condition, if not corrected, that will condemn the blasphemer to Hell “…because they receive not the love of the truth…” (v.10).
I’ve often been asked if, after the Rapture of Christ’s Church, people continue to be afforded salvation. The answer is yes. The 144,000 Jews for example (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel) will be saved and will be witnesses for Christ and spreading His Gospel everywhere during the Great Tribulation. Many more will be saved because of the efforts of these and others. Yet we read, “... for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” 2 Thessalonians 2:11. What cause? They rejected the love of the truth. Recognizing the truth during the Great Tribulation for those who’ve rejected it for years will be very difficult, if not impossible. And by the way, if you’ve heard the Gospel and are still fence setting that would be the same as rejecting the love of the truth.
So what happens to second chances after the Rapture? God tells us that because of the strong delusion He will send them they will believe the lie. Who? Our current world of Christ rejecters. Why? Because they were given chance after chance after chance to believe the truth, yet they rejected God’s truth at every turn. Harsh punishment from a loving God? Not at all. These are the folks who took pleasure in unrighteousness and hardened their hearts against their God.
So why believe a lie instead of the truth? What could that strong delusion consist of that would be so appealing? The Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words tells us that it’s a fraud. We all know how frauds operate, always lying, working feverishly at their craft of deception convincing the simple minded that they have the truth. Frauds are appealing, that’s how they deceive. People are easily deceived when they are ignorant of the truth.
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2 Thessalonians 2:9. This strong delusion, this fraud, this anti-Christ, with all his lying signs and wonders will take many gullible people with him to Hell.
There will be folks who come to Christ during the Tribulation’s seven year duration, I’m not disputing that fact, but here’s the rub, many more will not be saved, and they will not be saved because of the condition of their hearts now. God’s strong delusion being placed on earth will be the stumbling block that keeps many from salvation.
Completely rejecting Christ now, before the Rapture, will lead multitudes to commit a horrible mistake during the tribulation period. God’s not going to make it easy on those who’ve called His Holy Spirit a liar and rejected His only begotten Son. A lifetime of rejecting the truth is a good indication of who will believe the lie.
“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:12. Those who fall for this delusional lie condemn themselves to Hell. Why? Because they took pleasure in unrighteousness instead of rejecting unrighteousness and accepting the truth. That damnation comes as a result of their own foolish choice. Hardening ones heart against God means one accepts the enemy’s lies as truth.
Those of you who have been assured that salvation will still be possible during the seven year Tribulation may want to re-evaluate that assurance and your stance on God’s free gift of salvation now, this side of the Rapture. There’s nothing standing in your way of believing the truth while there is still time. God has made His free gift of salvation accessible and easily acceptable, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16:30b-31a. God offers His free gift of salvation universally to all. The truth is, waiting for another day to accept God’s gift of salvation is pushing foolishness to the extreme.
So many people have been lied to for so long about what it means to be born again, that people shy away from asking for forgiveness and repenting of their sins. Many have heard the Gospel and liked what they’ve heard, but they feel it would be impossible to ever stop sinning. So they wait until they, through their own self will, can stop this sinfulness they’re obsessed with. But in all actuality the opposite is true – repent and ask for forgiveness now and the sinning will decrease. People need to be educated in this truth by all who preach and teach God’s word.
All believers are sinners and will remain so until death or the Rapture. Even though a person is born again, born from God, they never stop sinning. But they are forgiven and that is the key. Forgiveness only comes through repentance of sins and by believing in Jesus Christ. Waiting to say yes to Christ and His Gospel after being given truth is akin to sitting at a bus station and waiting for a bus you know has already come and gone. Foolishness.
Today many pastors and Bible teachers teach that sin is completely abated when we become born again. That is a completely erroneous fabrication and blatant corruption of the truth. The Apostle John addresses that very subject in his first epistle.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10. Here John is speaking to believers. How do I know? Go to the next chapter of First John “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” 1 John 2:1. Here John addresses those he’s writing to as “My little children” He uses this phrase in conjunction with believers and no one else.
When we read First John chapter 2 verse 1 it is obvious that he’s telling us to “sin not”. Clearly he wants us to be mindful of our nature to sin and to turn against that nature. Then John states this most telling verse, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (v10). Another way to translate this word “if” from the Greek is “in case”, in case anyone sin. That tells us that Jesus stands with us as our advocate with the Father in case we sin. Clearly the Holy Spirit would not have had John include the above verse in his epistle to the saints if there was no further sinning after conversion.
God is a God of second chances; this is what John addresses in this epistle. This is what needs to be taught even to non-believers as we witness to them, even to those who are continually sitting on the fence. They need to know that as a believer in Christ they will occasionally sin while residing on this side of eternity. But their sins will, over time, diminish. As a matter-of-fact they will begin to hate the sin and remorse will ultimately set in each time they sin.
All our friends and family members, who fall into this category of fence-sitter or of those who completely reject the truth of the Gospel, need to realize that after the Rapture salvation will be much more difficult to obtain because of the strong delusion God is going to place on all who’ve rejected His Son. It is pure foolishness to put off the decision to become a born again believer in Christ hopping God will give you one last future chance.
If you’re still a fence sitter it’s time to take that leap of faith, all second chances are about to reach their finale. Say yes to Jesus Christ, right now, please don’t wait any longer, the end is in sight, Jesus is at the door, planet earth is sitting late in her last hour. There will be no second chances once your residence is Hell, and one way or the other, believer in Christ or Christ rejecter, everyone lives forever, the only question remaining is which eternal destination have you chosen?
God bless you all.
“...they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
Are there second chances in life? Absolutely. Second chances are available for just about every aspect of life. Our God is a God of second chances, and third and forth and on they go. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. This verse is indeed encouraging, and rightfully so.
“Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God.” – Vines Expository Dictionary.
That’s our God, longsuffering; even though we at times are quite rebellious He’s loving and patient, full of grace and mercy to us-ward. But the question is, will God be patient forever? Many have heard the Gospel of Christ, and cannot make up their minds whether or not the Christian life is for them. Still others simply rejected it. Either way, knowingly or not, these folks are relying on God’s longsuffering and patience.
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. Just so we are all clear on what the Gospel of Christ is, I just played a trick on all those reading this commentary who claim they’ve never received the Gospel. You just did. Now we can move on.
Those who hear (or read) the Gospel and yet choose to put off their decision for Christ while they wallow in their desired sin just a tad longer are playing with fire. Those who’ve just outright rejected Jesus Christ haven’t a clue as to what they are playing at. Why? Time is the procrastinators Achilles heel. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Romans 13:11.
You say you want to wait until after the Rapture of the Church, if there is such a thing, to say yes to Jesus Christ? The word of God says not to delay, but when we hear the Gospel message we are to repent of our sins.
With all the signs of the times currently exploding onto the scene, and knowing what the Bible says about the end times believers in Christ know God is on the cusp of ending His self imposed longsuffering. If this is so, what happens to second chances then?
We all make mistakes, and oh how great it is when we are given a second chance; a chance to right the wrong we’ve committed. I’m sure everyone reading this commentary has had occasion when they can remember being afforded a second chance, perhaps even more than once. There will come a time though when all God’s second chances will end.
The Holy Spirit of God works in mysterious ways, ways we cannot comprehend. He works ever diligently, never tiring, pointing everyone to Jesus Christ. But there comes a time when the continual in His face rejection of the truth moves the Holy Spirit away from that soul. When a person hardens their heart to the extreme against God there’s a point of finality when the Holy Spirit ceases His work. Then those poor misguided souls are left to their own destruction.
People, for the most part, don’t understand God and His far reaching love for His creation. Where you and I might have given up on a person, believing them to be a lost cause, God sees far past our perceptions of who’s a lost cause and who’s not. A terrible place for any human to be though is in that place where the Holy Spirit finally decides enough is enough. I’d like to say that this just isn’t the case, but the Bible says differently.
“…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved... That they all might be damned” 2 Thessalonians 2:10b & 12. This means they were offered the truth by the Holy Spirit of God, and that God was patient with them to a point you and I would consider extreme, and yet they continued in their rejection of God’s only begotten Son.
The Gospel of Christ has been preached around the world and, for the most part, in every language. So for the majority of earth’s human population the Gospel of Christ is a fairy tale. This rejection God calls blasphemy. These folks fall into a category for which this commentary was written. They are those who’ve rejected the truth of the Gospel, who have rejected the Holy Spirit’s convicting messages. This is essentially calling the Holy Spirit a liar, which is the blasphemy God speaks about and a condition, if not corrected, that will condemn the blasphemer to Hell “…because they receive not the love of the truth…” (v.10).
I’ve often been asked if, after the Rapture of Christ’s Church, people continue to be afforded salvation. The answer is yes. The 144,000 Jews for example (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel) will be saved and will be witnesses for Christ and spreading His Gospel everywhere during the Great Tribulation. Many more will be saved because of the efforts of these and others. Yet we read, “... for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” 2 Thessalonians 2:11. What cause? They rejected the love of the truth. Recognizing the truth during the Great Tribulation for those who’ve rejected it for years will be very difficult, if not impossible. And by the way, if you’ve heard the Gospel and are still fence setting that would be the same as rejecting the love of the truth.
So what happens to second chances after the Rapture? God tells us that because of the strong delusion He will send them they will believe the lie. Who? Our current world of Christ rejecters. Why? Because they were given chance after chance after chance to believe the truth, yet they rejected God’s truth at every turn. Harsh punishment from a loving God? Not at all. These are the folks who took pleasure in unrighteousness and hardened their hearts against their God.
So why believe a lie instead of the truth? What could that strong delusion consist of that would be so appealing? The Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words tells us that it’s a fraud. We all know how frauds operate, always lying, working feverishly at their craft of deception convincing the simple minded that they have the truth. Frauds are appealing, that’s how they deceive. People are easily deceived when they are ignorant of the truth.
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2 Thessalonians 2:9. This strong delusion, this fraud, this anti-Christ, with all his lying signs and wonders will take many gullible people with him to Hell.
There will be folks who come to Christ during the Tribulation’s seven year duration, I’m not disputing that fact, but here’s the rub, many more will not be saved, and they will not be saved because of the condition of their hearts now. God’s strong delusion being placed on earth will be the stumbling block that keeps many from salvation.
Completely rejecting Christ now, before the Rapture, will lead multitudes to commit a horrible mistake during the tribulation period. God’s not going to make it easy on those who’ve called His Holy Spirit a liar and rejected His only begotten Son. A lifetime of rejecting the truth is a good indication of who will believe the lie.
“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:12. Those who fall for this delusional lie condemn themselves to Hell. Why? Because they took pleasure in unrighteousness instead of rejecting unrighteousness and accepting the truth. That damnation comes as a result of their own foolish choice. Hardening ones heart against God means one accepts the enemy’s lies as truth.
Those of you who have been assured that salvation will still be possible during the seven year Tribulation may want to re-evaluate that assurance and your stance on God’s free gift of salvation now, this side of the Rapture. There’s nothing standing in your way of believing the truth while there is still time. God has made His free gift of salvation accessible and easily acceptable, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16:30b-31a. God offers His free gift of salvation universally to all. The truth is, waiting for another day to accept God’s gift of salvation is pushing foolishness to the extreme.
So many people have been lied to for so long about what it means to be born again, that people shy away from asking for forgiveness and repenting of their sins. Many have heard the Gospel and liked what they’ve heard, but they feel it would be impossible to ever stop sinning. So they wait until they, through their own self will, can stop this sinfulness they’re obsessed with. But in all actuality the opposite is true – repent and ask for forgiveness now and the sinning will decrease. People need to be educated in this truth by all who preach and teach God’s word.
All believers are sinners and will remain so until death or the Rapture. Even though a person is born again, born from God, they never stop sinning. But they are forgiven and that is the key. Forgiveness only comes through repentance of sins and by believing in Jesus Christ. Waiting to say yes to Christ and His Gospel after being given truth is akin to sitting at a bus station and waiting for a bus you know has already come and gone. Foolishness.
Today many pastors and Bible teachers teach that sin is completely abated when we become born again. That is a completely erroneous fabrication and blatant corruption of the truth. The Apostle John addresses that very subject in his first epistle.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10. Here John is speaking to believers. How do I know? Go to the next chapter of First John “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” 1 John 2:1. Here John addresses those he’s writing to as “My little children” He uses this phrase in conjunction with believers and no one else.
When we read First John chapter 2 verse 1 it is obvious that he’s telling us to “sin not”. Clearly he wants us to be mindful of our nature to sin and to turn against that nature. Then John states this most telling verse, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (v10). Another way to translate this word “if” from the Greek is “in case”, in case anyone sin. That tells us that Jesus stands with us as our advocate with the Father in case we sin. Clearly the Holy Spirit would not have had John include the above verse in his epistle to the saints if there was no further sinning after conversion.
God is a God of second chances; this is what John addresses in this epistle. This is what needs to be taught even to non-believers as we witness to them, even to those who are continually sitting on the fence. They need to know that as a believer in Christ they will occasionally sin while residing on this side of eternity. But their sins will, over time, diminish. As a matter-of-fact they will begin to hate the sin and remorse will ultimately set in each time they sin.
All our friends and family members, who fall into this category of fence-sitter or of those who completely reject the truth of the Gospel, need to realize that after the Rapture salvation will be much more difficult to obtain because of the strong delusion God is going to place on all who’ve rejected His Son. It is pure foolishness to put off the decision to become a born again believer in Christ hopping God will give you one last future chance.
If you’re still a fence sitter it’s time to take that leap of faith, all second chances are about to reach their finale. Say yes to Jesus Christ, right now, please don’t wait any longer, the end is in sight, Jesus is at the door, planet earth is sitting late in her last hour. There will be no second chances once your residence is Hell, and one way or the other, believer in Christ or Christ rejecter, everyone lives forever, the only question remaining is which eternal destination have you chosen?
God bless you all.
Destroying Enemy Strongholds
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” 2 Corinthians 10:4. Speak with a military officer regarding an enemy and you’ll find that they fear enemy strong holds the most because once established, they are increasingly difficult to infiltrate or demolish. Afghanistan is a perfect example of military might being put to shame by enemy strong holds. And ignoring them won’t do. They must be quickly and decidedly dealt with. Disregarding an enemy only embeds that enemy’s determination and strengthens his resolve. People have been ignoring this enemy for thousands of years now, and he is just about to unleash the full brunt of his minions of evil on an unsuspecting, foolishly ignorant, and very complacent world.
Increasingly, mankind is given occasion to observe, through the actions of others, the manifestation of supernatural forces. In the person who occupies the Oval Office, for example, we can see pure evil at work. And in many cases those who surround this man as his advisors are also manifestations of this same evil. God does not allow us to visually witness the behind the scenes goings on of the supernatural realm because if He did we would certainly die of fright. But He does give us eyes, ears, and brains to discern truth from lies.
There is one supernatural being, though, that when ignored, as is the case presently in the US of A, civilization deteriorates to a morally debased culture devoid of all semblances of godliness. There is no uncertainty of the consequences involved when nations turn against their Creator God. When a nation as affluent and blessed as America begins to allow the enemy to build strong holds, and dismisses them as nonexistent, she will experience catastrophic sequences of events almost on a daily basis as God attempts to bring the foolish back from their self-imposed stupor. This goes for any and all peoples of the earth.
God’s enemy is our enemy, and we as God’s children must take responsibility for allowing our enemy to erect strong holds within the boundaries of not only our lives but that of our nation also. We, the Christian citizenry of America, are not responsible for the lack of discernment of other peoples of other nations, but we are responsible for dropping our guard and allowing the enemy to build strong holds in our land. Yes, it’s true that we as believer’s in Christ are to spread the Gospel to all nations, but we aren’t responsible, by any means, for their continued rejection of the truth. And that goes for the populace of the US also. The Gospel has been spread throughout our land but is now being rejected on a massive scale.
Here in America Christians fight and bicker amongst themselves like children, this bickering is not of God our Savior but of the enemy (Satan). Satan has effectively built a strong hold in America which pits brother against brother. It isn’t that the Body of Christ can’t get along, but that they won’t get along. This constant bickering amongst the brethren is just one strong hold, of which there are many, held by our enemy.
Christians should realize that our fight is against a well entrenched enemy, but instead we, the Body of Christ, connive and plot against our own brethren. Christians are becoming more and more like Islam’s Sunnis and Shiites as we war amongst ourselves. How can a non-believer look at all this bickering without being thoroughly disgusted? When believers in Christ begin to realize that our fight is not “...against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Ephesians 6:12, then we might start to fully realize just how deeply-rooted those enemy strong holds are.
Satan and his fallen hoard of minions bent on evil have been on this planet for 6,000 years give or take a day or two or a couple of years. America has been here for 234 years. The enemy is smarter, stronger, and worst of all he never stops attacking.
Many believers allow the enemy’s erecting of strong holds in their lives. This is something that is avoidable but is tolerated. You might ask yourself, “What enemy strong holds have I allowed in my life?” Well let’s see just how many fall into one or more of the following areas where the enemy loves to reside. Pride, lust, hate, envy, strife, despair, loss of joy, accumulation of materialism, lying, alcohol abuse, drugs, and one of the most prolific of all is pornography, and this is just to name a few. These are all strong holds which, if allowed to fester, grow into huge problems which become increasingly difficult to combat. Strong holds can become addictions and when finally realized can be next to impossible to eradicate and can lead to death. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James 1:16.
Strong holds erected by the enemy in a believer’s life will bring about a whole lot of unwanted circumstances. Interestingly of late I’ve receive numerous letters regarding various sins that the brethren are stuck in and which are draining them spiritually. Many profess thoughts of being not only out of fellowship with God but unsaved altogether. They can’t seem to kick the addictive sin they are involved in and thus believe they can’t possibly be saved. The enemy loves to move a believer into this camp.
To some of you this may seem to be just a trivial matter, perhaps just a lack of faith, but in all actuality it is tearing these individuals up inside. They profess to me their love for God, they tell me they believe He died for them on the cross, and they are sure His word is true. Yet, they find themselves fighting daily just to keep their head above water in a world where they seem to be drowning in unending distractions which have disastrous consequences. I believe programmed television is one of the main distractions available and highly accepted by believers in Christ, and yet completely promoted by Satan himself. This is a stronghold that many, certainly the majority, of Christians are addicted with.
Encouraging believers to hold fast to the faith and to help them cope with besetting sins has now become the main part of my response ministry. The majority of questions that I receive are from folks who find themselves dwelling in an arena that seems escape proof. Simply put, the enemy has become entrenched and he isn’t moving out anytime soon. I’m convinced that there is a huge shortage of sermons on the subject of eternal salvation these days which is in part the cause of so much negativity regarding a believer’s security in Christ. Of course a good Bible study program would be much more beneficial to believers than most Sunday sermons.
As a people of the Book, the body of Christ, and a nation built on Christian principles we’ve certainly allowed the enemy a huge platform for disseminating his agenda. We are now a nation that produces and distributes the filth of pornography worldwide. Children at a very young age are now able to access this vile internet filth and their minds are being filled with images that will never be erased. This goes for the majority of television programming as well. This is a huge, ever entrapping and completely engulfing enemy strong hold. America is also the biggest supplier of legal abortions to the world. Another enormous strong hold held by the enemy.
We teach and encourage atheism in our public schools and then we send our graduates off to achieve excellence in higher academia where they get fully grafted into this atheistic culture. We allow the perversion of homosexuality to be condoned and those who practice such perversion to assimilate into our culture as if this lifestyle was natural.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; …Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:18,22,26-27. The word “meet” here means “it is necessary”. God says “it is necessary” for these men and women to pay for their offense against Him.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Our very young are easily swayed so they are taught that this horrible evil of perverted lifestyle is fully acceptable and they are even encouraged to participate in this perversion. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:32.
Yes, enemy strong holds are well established and flourishing in America today, and not only in America but across the entire globe. I receive letters from folks in many different nations who are currently in horrible battles with the enemy and they feel they are losing. Instead of turning away from their addictions through prayer and fasting they’ve allowed the enemy to have his way.
Satan affects the life of all the world’s citizenry because each human being is influenced in some adverse way by the enemy’s strong holds. Here in America these strong holds are affecting believers by the score because of their perceived attractiveness. But unlike many Americans who are defenseless against such satanic strong holds, believers have a weapon of immense portion that they are free to access at will. It is a very powerful weapon which stands ready to be deployed at a believer’s beck and call. We have God Almighty on our side. We have His word and we have been covered by the perfect shed Blood of His only begotten Son. He supplies us with the protection we need.
As America moves ever closer to completely rejecting God as their provider and granter of blessings, this nation becomes more vulnerable to the enemy’s entrapments. More and more as we watch our society’s failings because of the perverse nature of our surroundings we will see God’s hand of restraint being lifted. Enemy strong holds will increase as God is decreased. Like I said, most military officers schooled in warfare will tell you how difficult it is to eradicate an enemy entrenched in their own strong holds. Again Afghanistan must come to mind, but unlike the Taliban and Al-Qaeda our enemy commands many more strong holds and which are far better established. To eradicate this enemy is going to take an ultimate commander, the King of Kings, to do battle for us.
Only God can remove this enemy’s strong holds but He will not act without our willing participation. Folks I’ve said it before, only through God’s intervention will our country survive and only through the ardent prayers of God’s children will He act. You and I are the voices God wants to hear; His own children voicing their concerns through the only mode of communication He’ll accept.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11. As we put on our armor which God so graciously provided, our huge and protective piece of armor is prayer, fervent unfettered prayers of a righteous people called by His name.
It is our responsibility as believers in Christ to act and to ask God for help. If we stay silent we will reap what we’ve sown through our silence. The silence of the believers sows enemy strong holds not only in our individual lives but across our nation and around the world. The enemy is already here and entrenched and it is up to us to mount a counterattack against those “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Ephesians 6:12.
Whether it is individual believers being attacked or the Body of Christ as a whole we are all equally capable as a part of that body in being proactive participants in a battle that rages 24/7. We are not many bodies all working apart from one another but one body in Christ. We gave up our individuality when we became born again. What affects one of us affects all of us. If one of our brethren is being attacked and destroyed by the enemy, we are all being attacked and if we do nothing we will all learn a most horrible lesson.
But if we become involved as a body, as a force wielding the power of God against strong holds, God will command His Holy angels to fight our battle for us. The only question now is will we give God the proper motivation to unleash His Holy army on the much inferior enemy, or will we stay silent? I’m for speaking up, how about you?
God bless you all.
Increasingly, mankind is given occasion to observe, through the actions of others, the manifestation of supernatural forces. In the person who occupies the Oval Office, for example, we can see pure evil at work. And in many cases those who surround this man as his advisors are also manifestations of this same evil. God does not allow us to visually witness the behind the scenes goings on of the supernatural realm because if He did we would certainly die of fright. But He does give us eyes, ears, and brains to discern truth from lies.
There is one supernatural being, though, that when ignored, as is the case presently in the US of A, civilization deteriorates to a morally debased culture devoid of all semblances of godliness. There is no uncertainty of the consequences involved when nations turn against their Creator God. When a nation as affluent and blessed as America begins to allow the enemy to build strong holds, and dismisses them as nonexistent, she will experience catastrophic sequences of events almost on a daily basis as God attempts to bring the foolish back from their self-imposed stupor. This goes for any and all peoples of the earth.
God’s enemy is our enemy, and we as God’s children must take responsibility for allowing our enemy to erect strong holds within the boundaries of not only our lives but that of our nation also. We, the Christian citizenry of America, are not responsible for the lack of discernment of other peoples of other nations, but we are responsible for dropping our guard and allowing the enemy to build strong holds in our land. Yes, it’s true that we as believer’s in Christ are to spread the Gospel to all nations, but we aren’t responsible, by any means, for their continued rejection of the truth. And that goes for the populace of the US also. The Gospel has been spread throughout our land but is now being rejected on a massive scale.
Here in America Christians fight and bicker amongst themselves like children, this bickering is not of God our Savior but of the enemy (Satan). Satan has effectively built a strong hold in America which pits brother against brother. It isn’t that the Body of Christ can’t get along, but that they won’t get along. This constant bickering amongst the brethren is just one strong hold, of which there are many, held by our enemy.
Christians should realize that our fight is against a well entrenched enemy, but instead we, the Body of Christ, connive and plot against our own brethren. Christians are becoming more and more like Islam’s Sunnis and Shiites as we war amongst ourselves. How can a non-believer look at all this bickering without being thoroughly disgusted? When believers in Christ begin to realize that our fight is not “...against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Ephesians 6:12, then we might start to fully realize just how deeply-rooted those enemy strong holds are.
Satan and his fallen hoard of minions bent on evil have been on this planet for 6,000 years give or take a day or two or a couple of years. America has been here for 234 years. The enemy is smarter, stronger, and worst of all he never stops attacking.
Many believers allow the enemy’s erecting of strong holds in their lives. This is something that is avoidable but is tolerated. You might ask yourself, “What enemy strong holds have I allowed in my life?” Well let’s see just how many fall into one or more of the following areas where the enemy loves to reside. Pride, lust, hate, envy, strife, despair, loss of joy, accumulation of materialism, lying, alcohol abuse, drugs, and one of the most prolific of all is pornography, and this is just to name a few. These are all strong holds which, if allowed to fester, grow into huge problems which become increasingly difficult to combat. Strong holds can become addictions and when finally realized can be next to impossible to eradicate and can lead to death. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James 1:16.
Strong holds erected by the enemy in a believer’s life will bring about a whole lot of unwanted circumstances. Interestingly of late I’ve receive numerous letters regarding various sins that the brethren are stuck in and which are draining them spiritually. Many profess thoughts of being not only out of fellowship with God but unsaved altogether. They can’t seem to kick the addictive sin they are involved in and thus believe they can’t possibly be saved. The enemy loves to move a believer into this camp.
To some of you this may seem to be just a trivial matter, perhaps just a lack of faith, but in all actuality it is tearing these individuals up inside. They profess to me their love for God, they tell me they believe He died for them on the cross, and they are sure His word is true. Yet, they find themselves fighting daily just to keep their head above water in a world where they seem to be drowning in unending distractions which have disastrous consequences. I believe programmed television is one of the main distractions available and highly accepted by believers in Christ, and yet completely promoted by Satan himself. This is a stronghold that many, certainly the majority, of Christians are addicted with.
Encouraging believers to hold fast to the faith and to help them cope with besetting sins has now become the main part of my response ministry. The majority of questions that I receive are from folks who find themselves dwelling in an arena that seems escape proof. Simply put, the enemy has become entrenched and he isn’t moving out anytime soon. I’m convinced that there is a huge shortage of sermons on the subject of eternal salvation these days which is in part the cause of so much negativity regarding a believer’s security in Christ. Of course a good Bible study program would be much more beneficial to believers than most Sunday sermons.
As a people of the Book, the body of Christ, and a nation built on Christian principles we’ve certainly allowed the enemy a huge platform for disseminating his agenda. We are now a nation that produces and distributes the filth of pornography worldwide. Children at a very young age are now able to access this vile internet filth and their minds are being filled with images that will never be erased. This goes for the majority of television programming as well. This is a huge, ever entrapping and completely engulfing enemy strong hold. America is also the biggest supplier of legal abortions to the world. Another enormous strong hold held by the enemy.
We teach and encourage atheism in our public schools and then we send our graduates off to achieve excellence in higher academia where they get fully grafted into this atheistic culture. We allow the perversion of homosexuality to be condoned and those who practice such perversion to assimilate into our culture as if this lifestyle was natural.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; …Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:18,22,26-27. The word “meet” here means “it is necessary”. God says “it is necessary” for these men and women to pay for their offense against Him.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Our very young are easily swayed so they are taught that this horrible evil of perverted lifestyle is fully acceptable and they are even encouraged to participate in this perversion. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:32.
Yes, enemy strong holds are well established and flourishing in America today, and not only in America but across the entire globe. I receive letters from folks in many different nations who are currently in horrible battles with the enemy and they feel they are losing. Instead of turning away from their addictions through prayer and fasting they’ve allowed the enemy to have his way.
Satan affects the life of all the world’s citizenry because each human being is influenced in some adverse way by the enemy’s strong holds. Here in America these strong holds are affecting believers by the score because of their perceived attractiveness. But unlike many Americans who are defenseless against such satanic strong holds, believers have a weapon of immense portion that they are free to access at will. It is a very powerful weapon which stands ready to be deployed at a believer’s beck and call. We have God Almighty on our side. We have His word and we have been covered by the perfect shed Blood of His only begotten Son. He supplies us with the protection we need.
As America moves ever closer to completely rejecting God as their provider and granter of blessings, this nation becomes more vulnerable to the enemy’s entrapments. More and more as we watch our society’s failings because of the perverse nature of our surroundings we will see God’s hand of restraint being lifted. Enemy strong holds will increase as God is decreased. Like I said, most military officers schooled in warfare will tell you how difficult it is to eradicate an enemy entrenched in their own strong holds. Again Afghanistan must come to mind, but unlike the Taliban and Al-Qaeda our enemy commands many more strong holds and which are far better established. To eradicate this enemy is going to take an ultimate commander, the King of Kings, to do battle for us.
Only God can remove this enemy’s strong holds but He will not act without our willing participation. Folks I’ve said it before, only through God’s intervention will our country survive and only through the ardent prayers of God’s children will He act. You and I are the voices God wants to hear; His own children voicing their concerns through the only mode of communication He’ll accept.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11. As we put on our armor which God so graciously provided, our huge and protective piece of armor is prayer, fervent unfettered prayers of a righteous people called by His name.
It is our responsibility as believers in Christ to act and to ask God for help. If we stay silent we will reap what we’ve sown through our silence. The silence of the believers sows enemy strong holds not only in our individual lives but across our nation and around the world. The enemy is already here and entrenched and it is up to us to mount a counterattack against those “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Ephesians 6:12.
Whether it is individual believers being attacked or the Body of Christ as a whole we are all equally capable as a part of that body in being proactive participants in a battle that rages 24/7. We are not many bodies all working apart from one another but one body in Christ. We gave up our individuality when we became born again. What affects one of us affects all of us. If one of our brethren is being attacked and destroyed by the enemy, we are all being attacked and if we do nothing we will all learn a most horrible lesson.
But if we become involved as a body, as a force wielding the power of God against strong holds, God will command His Holy angels to fight our battle for us. The only question now is will we give God the proper motivation to unleash His Holy army on the much inferior enemy, or will we stay silent? I’m for speaking up, how about you?
God bless you all.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Jerusalem, Israel's Forever
Each day, this nation gets further away from God and closer to seeing His wrath and judgment unleashed on our once great land. On top of legally slaughtering over 4,000 innocent babies each day, making a mockery of God's Holy Institution of Marriage, embracing every type of sexual perversion man has thought up in his depraved mind, worshipping the false gods and idols of the world, and literally living in all-out rebellion to our Creator and His Truth, the United States is now standing with the ENEMIES OF ISRAEL! My friend, if we ever wanted to experience the wrath of God, we are doing everything we possibly can to see that it happens.
Memo to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton: Jerusalem belongs to Israel, ALL of it! If Israel wants to build settlements in Jerusalem, they can. The enemies of Israel have NO CLAIM to this land. We are on the verge of seeing God's judgment poured out on this wicked nation, and now we are siding with the enemies of Israel? We are out of our mind! This is like going up to the biggest guy you can find on the street and spitting in his face. We are literally putting our middle finger in the air and screaming profanities at the top of our lungs to God!!!
Please, do yourself a favor right now and get your Bible and sit down and spend the next 10 minutes reading the anchor verses for today, Genesis 12:1-7, 13:14-16, 15:18; Deuteronomy 9:4-6; Joshua 1:1-11; 21:43-45. You could spend hours reading all the passages in God's Word that confirm that modern-day Israel is the land God promised to Abraham and gave to His children. You do not have to be a Bible scholar to quickly realize in just the few key passages I have given you today that the land of Israel is indeed the exact land God Himself promised to His children 4,000 years ago, and fulfilled that promise in 1385 B.C. when Joshua took possession of that land.
Having laid the Biblical case to support that the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, now you can see why giving away even one inch of that land to anyone else is going against God Himself. No person, no nation, has the right to give away what God promised and gave to the Jewish people. Those who do make themselves an enemy of God! Over and over throughout the Bible and human history, nations have invaded this land, taken it over, only to be defeated in the end. The land of Israel is only 20,330 sq km, slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Out of the billions of square miles that exist on this earth, this is the only place on the planet God literally promised and gave to His children. For anyone to go in and try to give a piece of that land away is foolish.
That is why the current "peace plan" the United States has had such a large role in working out will never work and has actually put our nation on the opposite side of God again! Let me be clear. The Gaza Strip belongs to ISRAEL! The West Bank belongs to ISRAEL! Jerusalem, all of it, belongs to ISRAEL! For this nation to be involved in any deals, even under the guise of "peace," that involves giving away the land God gave to the children of Israel is taking on God Himself! Not to mention that this land is being given away to the ENEMIES OF ISRAEL!!!
My friend, one of the problems many have with the Bible is that they can't understand why a God of love would command His children to go to war and "Kill every man, woman, child, and living thing" as He did many times in the Old Testament. The reason was this. God in His omniscience knew that the enemies of Israel, those who came to possess their land, had no desire for peace but the complete destruction and annihilation of the Jewish people. The complete obliteration of the Jewish people was their ONLY goal, not peace. Sadly, there are some people who have no desire for peace, only death and destruction and you either destroy them or they destroy you. That is one of the sad realties of living in this fallen and evil world.
For those who oppose the war in Iraq, they either don't understand or are completely blind to the fact that there are people on this planet whose only goal is the complete destruction of the United States and every person who lives here. That means you and your family too! I am thankful that this current administration understands this fact and that the peace-nuts we see on TV constantly don't have the power to impose their Pollyanna views of life on the defense policies of this nation or we would all be in grave danger. The sad reality is that there are very real people alive this very moment whose very real goal is the complete destruction of the United States. We will either kill them or they will kill us. We are blessed that our forefathers understood the evil that exits in this world or we would not be here today, enjoying the wonderful freedoms and life we do.
Israel also clearly understands the reality that there are people who desire their death and destruction. They don't have the luxury of great oceans on either side as we do and their enemies literally live all around them. That is what makes this current "peace plan" so silly. To actually take some of the small amount of land that belongs to Israel and literally give it to their enemies is absurd and ridiculous. It will only embolden and empower those who seek the destruction of Israel. Again, make no mistake about it. While we and others seek "peace," it takes TWO to make peace. Despite the claims by the Palestinian leadership, their goal is NOT peace but the destruction of Israel.
I have always been amused at why anyone thinks it is necessary to give the little strip of land God gave to Israel away to her enemies, when Israel is surrounded by Arab nations with VAST AMOUNTS of land who could easily assimilate their Arab brothers into their countries. Why do the Palestinians have to live on the land God gave to Israel when there is plenty of land in neighboring Arab countries they could live on? What is wrong with a "peace plan" that gave some of the land in surrounding Arab countries to the Palestinians?
I want to close today with a powerful promise God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago in Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." This one verse of Scripture is why what is happening in Israel right now is so critical to THIS NATION! In being part of a plan to give away the land God gave to Israel to anyone, especially her enemies who seek her destruction, puts us on the wrong side of God. We should be seeking the BLESSINGS of God, not His CURSES!
Know that I am praying for you today. Even though most Jewish people have rejected Christ as their Savior, blinded to the reality that He is the Messiah they were promised in the Old Testament, they were, are, and always will be God's chosen people. The promise God gave Abraham in Genesis 12:3 is still in effect today. Our Christian faith is traced back through the children of Israel. The last events of this world will be played out in Israel. That is why we need to pray for and support the Jewish people and God's plan for the land of Israel. Our blessings in life come from following God not being in opposition to God!
Also, be praying for this special group of people God chose to reveal Himself to and carry His message to the world. It was through the Jewish people God brought His Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Wonderful groups like Jews for Jesus have done a great work in bringing the fact the Messiah prophesied throughout the Old Testament, is Jesus! Jesus is the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophecies, and despite the fact He was rejected by his own people, today millions of Jewish people have come to know Jesus as their personal Savior by faith. In Heaven there will be no Jew or Gentile, only those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
God bless you all.
Memo to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton: Jerusalem belongs to Israel, ALL of it! If Israel wants to build settlements in Jerusalem, they can. The enemies of Israel have NO CLAIM to this land. We are on the verge of seeing God's judgment poured out on this wicked nation, and now we are siding with the enemies of Israel? We are out of our mind! This is like going up to the biggest guy you can find on the street and spitting in his face. We are literally putting our middle finger in the air and screaming profanities at the top of our lungs to God!!!
Please, do yourself a favor right now and get your Bible and sit down and spend the next 10 minutes reading the anchor verses for today, Genesis 12:1-7, 13:14-16, 15:18; Deuteronomy 9:4-6; Joshua 1:1-11; 21:43-45. You could spend hours reading all the passages in God's Word that confirm that modern-day Israel is the land God promised to Abraham and gave to His children. You do not have to be a Bible scholar to quickly realize in just the few key passages I have given you today that the land of Israel is indeed the exact land God Himself promised to His children 4,000 years ago, and fulfilled that promise in 1385 B.C. when Joshua took possession of that land.
Having laid the Biblical case to support that the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, now you can see why giving away even one inch of that land to anyone else is going against God Himself. No person, no nation, has the right to give away what God promised and gave to the Jewish people. Those who do make themselves an enemy of God! Over and over throughout the Bible and human history, nations have invaded this land, taken it over, only to be defeated in the end. The land of Israel is only 20,330 sq km, slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Out of the billions of square miles that exist on this earth, this is the only place on the planet God literally promised and gave to His children. For anyone to go in and try to give a piece of that land away is foolish.
That is why the current "peace plan" the United States has had such a large role in working out will never work and has actually put our nation on the opposite side of God again! Let me be clear. The Gaza Strip belongs to ISRAEL! The West Bank belongs to ISRAEL! Jerusalem, all of it, belongs to ISRAEL! For this nation to be involved in any deals, even under the guise of "peace," that involves giving away the land God gave to the children of Israel is taking on God Himself! Not to mention that this land is being given away to the ENEMIES OF ISRAEL!!!
My friend, one of the problems many have with the Bible is that they can't understand why a God of love would command His children to go to war and "Kill every man, woman, child, and living thing" as He did many times in the Old Testament. The reason was this. God in His omniscience knew that the enemies of Israel, those who came to possess their land, had no desire for peace but the complete destruction and annihilation of the Jewish people. The complete obliteration of the Jewish people was their ONLY goal, not peace. Sadly, there are some people who have no desire for peace, only death and destruction and you either destroy them or they destroy you. That is one of the sad realties of living in this fallen and evil world.
For those who oppose the war in Iraq, they either don't understand or are completely blind to the fact that there are people on this planet whose only goal is the complete destruction of the United States and every person who lives here. That means you and your family too! I am thankful that this current administration understands this fact and that the peace-nuts we see on TV constantly don't have the power to impose their Pollyanna views of life on the defense policies of this nation or we would all be in grave danger. The sad reality is that there are very real people alive this very moment whose very real goal is the complete destruction of the United States. We will either kill them or they will kill us. We are blessed that our forefathers understood the evil that exits in this world or we would not be here today, enjoying the wonderful freedoms and life we do.
Israel also clearly understands the reality that there are people who desire their death and destruction. They don't have the luxury of great oceans on either side as we do and their enemies literally live all around them. That is what makes this current "peace plan" so silly. To actually take some of the small amount of land that belongs to Israel and literally give it to their enemies is absurd and ridiculous. It will only embolden and empower those who seek the destruction of Israel. Again, make no mistake about it. While we and others seek "peace," it takes TWO to make peace. Despite the claims by the Palestinian leadership, their goal is NOT peace but the destruction of Israel.
I have always been amused at why anyone thinks it is necessary to give the little strip of land God gave to Israel away to her enemies, when Israel is surrounded by Arab nations with VAST AMOUNTS of land who could easily assimilate their Arab brothers into their countries. Why do the Palestinians have to live on the land God gave to Israel when there is plenty of land in neighboring Arab countries they could live on? What is wrong with a "peace plan" that gave some of the land in surrounding Arab countries to the Palestinians?
I want to close today with a powerful promise God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago in Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." This one verse of Scripture is why what is happening in Israel right now is so critical to THIS NATION! In being part of a plan to give away the land God gave to Israel to anyone, especially her enemies who seek her destruction, puts us on the wrong side of God. We should be seeking the BLESSINGS of God, not His CURSES!
Know that I am praying for you today. Even though most Jewish people have rejected Christ as their Savior, blinded to the reality that He is the Messiah they were promised in the Old Testament, they were, are, and always will be God's chosen people. The promise God gave Abraham in Genesis 12:3 is still in effect today. Our Christian faith is traced back through the children of Israel. The last events of this world will be played out in Israel. That is why we need to pray for and support the Jewish people and God's plan for the land of Israel. Our blessings in life come from following God not being in opposition to God!
Also, be praying for this special group of people God chose to reveal Himself to and carry His message to the world. It was through the Jewish people God brought His Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Wonderful groups like Jews for Jesus have done a great work in bringing the fact the Messiah prophesied throughout the Old Testament, is Jesus! Jesus is the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophecies, and despite the fact He was rejected by his own people, today millions of Jewish people have come to know Jesus as their personal Savior by faith. In Heaven there will be no Jew or Gentile, only those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
God bless you all.
Jesus's Critical Question for End-Times Believers
By Terry James
A recent news item about certain polling data grasped my attention. I'm sure many others had their curiosity piqued as well.
After looking into the matters reported, I found the poll wasn't as thorough as I would have liked--but it was fascinating nonetheless. Also, it was too one-sided in ethnic make-up. However, I give it enough credence to examine it here because I believe it revolves around a concern the Lord Jesus Christ expressed while teaching about conditions that will prevail at the end of the age.
A new survey finds that Americans are divided over whether they believe Jesus Christ will return by the year 2050.
Among respondents to the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and Smithsonian Magazine, 41 percent said they expect Jesus' Second Coming in the next forty years, while 46 percent said it probably or definitely won't happen.
The poll suggests that 58 percent of white evangelicals believe Jesus will return by 2050, compared to only 32 percent of Catholics, and respondents with no college education were three times as likely as those with college degrees to expect Christ's Second Coming in the next forty years. ("Many Americans Expect Jesus' Return by 2050," Associated Press/Israel News, 6/23/10).
To be honest, I was quite surprised that 58 percent of white evangelicals believe Christ will return by 2050. This disconnect in my mind comes from the fact that in looking for interest in Bible prophecy with in the church today (by this I mean, of course, born-again believers--see John 3:3), my colleagues and I find no evidence to support that percentage.
Perhaps I should speak just for myself, but if my colleagues are honest, based upon conversations we've had among ourselves, they will confess that the interest just isn't there in those kinds of numbers.
So, a few cynical (I suppose) thoughts regarding the poll come to mind:
1) The poll is a complete "guesstimate"--even a prefabrication.
2) The poll is skewed because it was taken from among a limited group of believers thoroughly educated in Bible prophecy.
3) The poll reflects a flippancy that will agree that Christ could return within the next forty years because the possibility is far enough in the future that the respondents need not worry about changing their personal conduct.
4) My colleagues and I are wrong and the church--"white evangelicals," in this case--is expecting the Lord's return in majority numbers.
If the last point is true, then the fact that so many are looking for Christ is well hidden. I'm a blind guy, as many know, so I can't see things all that well. But interest in Christ's return--and in Bible prophecy in general, according to everything I hear--is confined to an extremely small number of folks in relationship to the tremendous number of people who claim the name of Christ.
Clicking through Christian TV networks (yes, we blind guys "watch" TV), I rarely come across a prophetic message. The majority of the viewing fare consists of the prosperity gospel or entertainment that is for the most part a rather poor knockoff of secular entertainment. The preachers who do present a sound gospel message and sound doctrine seldom-to-rarely speak on Bible prophecy. And they certainly don't touch upon the pre-trib return of Christ in the Rapture.
When I've personally asked some of the preachers and teachers why they avoid presenting prophecy, they have said things like: "The people just don't understand Revelation"; "The subject is just too scary to most people"; or " We just concentrate on getting people the gospel so they will be saved."
The honest such preachers and teachers say: "I just don't know anything about prophecy. I've not studied it enough to preach on it."
What a tragedy, a travesty, this is! There is a singular hope (Titus 2:13) that God's people have in this swiftly degenerating age. Yet, their shepherds--the preachers and teachers, their suppliers of spiritual food--use every conceivable excuse for not telling Christians about their returning Lord.
Some accuse those of us whose mission we believe it is to concentrate on Bible prophecy in these times of doing so to the point that we ignore Christ's love and the Bible's life lessons for His people.
We in no way believe that prophecy should be taught exclusively. However, prophecy constitutes almost 30 percent of the whole Word of God, so the Heavenly Father obviously means for prophecy to be a generous part of the mix for His children's spiritual sustenance. This is especially true in these days when the signals of Christ's coming again are every direction in which one looks.
Bible prophecy is being marginalized by those who are supposed to shepherd their flocks, but who don't want to study it and/or don't want to risk scaring people out of the pews. This is because it is the feel-good and do-good, entertainment-oriented sermonettes that tickle itching ears and build many of the elaborate end-times edifices.
Understand that I recognize there are huge churches that hold to doctrinal truth and include God's prophetic Word as part of feeding their attending flocks. This is not to castigate these wonderful pastors, teachers, and staffs. God bless them! But these are in the minority. The dearth of interest in Christ's coming back in the Rapture, then in the Second Advent, demonstrates the lack of faith resident within Christ's body at this crucial hour.
Jesus asked the following profoundly troubling question in that prophetic context: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b). The Lord had a somber message for God's people who will be alive at His sudden, unannounced coming. I wrote the following as part of a chapter for an upcoming book that I believe gets across the gist of this "Nearing Midnight" commentary:
The indifference so prevalent within the church is, itself, an end-times signal, it seems. The Lord obviously spoke to the fact that God's own children will in large part be indifferent to the prophetic signals. They will not be living as they should at the time of His coming for them, as He promised in John 14:1-3. As a matter of fact, He forewarned: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:34-36; from a chapter by Terry James in a book to be released in 2010)
I pray more born-again pastors, Bible teachers, and God's children of this nation and the world will awaken en masse to the staggering implications of Christ's Second Coming.
God Bless you all.
A recent news item about certain polling data grasped my attention. I'm sure many others had their curiosity piqued as well.
After looking into the matters reported, I found the poll wasn't as thorough as I would have liked--but it was fascinating nonetheless. Also, it was too one-sided in ethnic make-up. However, I give it enough credence to examine it here because I believe it revolves around a concern the Lord Jesus Christ expressed while teaching about conditions that will prevail at the end of the age.
A new survey finds that Americans are divided over whether they believe Jesus Christ will return by the year 2050.
Among respondents to the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and Smithsonian Magazine, 41 percent said they expect Jesus' Second Coming in the next forty years, while 46 percent said it probably or definitely won't happen.
The poll suggests that 58 percent of white evangelicals believe Jesus will return by 2050, compared to only 32 percent of Catholics, and respondents with no college education were three times as likely as those with college degrees to expect Christ's Second Coming in the next forty years. ("Many Americans Expect Jesus' Return by 2050," Associated Press/Israel News, 6/23/10).
To be honest, I was quite surprised that 58 percent of white evangelicals believe Christ will return by 2050. This disconnect in my mind comes from the fact that in looking for interest in Bible prophecy with in the church today (by this I mean, of course, born-again believers--see John 3:3), my colleagues and I find no evidence to support that percentage.
Perhaps I should speak just for myself, but if my colleagues are honest, based upon conversations we've had among ourselves, they will confess that the interest just isn't there in those kinds of numbers.
So, a few cynical (I suppose) thoughts regarding the poll come to mind:
1) The poll is a complete "guesstimate"--even a prefabrication.
2) The poll is skewed because it was taken from among a limited group of believers thoroughly educated in Bible prophecy.
3) The poll reflects a flippancy that will agree that Christ could return within the next forty years because the possibility is far enough in the future that the respondents need not worry about changing their personal conduct.
4) My colleagues and I are wrong and the church--"white evangelicals," in this case--is expecting the Lord's return in majority numbers.
If the last point is true, then the fact that so many are looking for Christ is well hidden. I'm a blind guy, as many know, so I can't see things all that well. But interest in Christ's return--and in Bible prophecy in general, according to everything I hear--is confined to an extremely small number of folks in relationship to the tremendous number of people who claim the name of Christ.
Clicking through Christian TV networks (yes, we blind guys "watch" TV), I rarely come across a prophetic message. The majority of the viewing fare consists of the prosperity gospel or entertainment that is for the most part a rather poor knockoff of secular entertainment. The preachers who do present a sound gospel message and sound doctrine seldom-to-rarely speak on Bible prophecy. And they certainly don't touch upon the pre-trib return of Christ in the Rapture.
When I've personally asked some of the preachers and teachers why they avoid presenting prophecy, they have said things like: "The people just don't understand Revelation"; "The subject is just too scary to most people"; or " We just concentrate on getting people the gospel so they will be saved."
The honest such preachers and teachers say: "I just don't know anything about prophecy. I've not studied it enough to preach on it."
What a tragedy, a travesty, this is! There is a singular hope (Titus 2:13) that God's people have in this swiftly degenerating age. Yet, their shepherds--the preachers and teachers, their suppliers of spiritual food--use every conceivable excuse for not telling Christians about their returning Lord.
Some accuse those of us whose mission we believe it is to concentrate on Bible prophecy in these times of doing so to the point that we ignore Christ's love and the Bible's life lessons for His people.
We in no way believe that prophecy should be taught exclusively. However, prophecy constitutes almost 30 percent of the whole Word of God, so the Heavenly Father obviously means for prophecy to be a generous part of the mix for His children's spiritual sustenance. This is especially true in these days when the signals of Christ's coming again are every direction in which one looks.
Bible prophecy is being marginalized by those who are supposed to shepherd their flocks, but who don't want to study it and/or don't want to risk scaring people out of the pews. This is because it is the feel-good and do-good, entertainment-oriented sermonettes that tickle itching ears and build many of the elaborate end-times edifices.
Understand that I recognize there are huge churches that hold to doctrinal truth and include God's prophetic Word as part of feeding their attending flocks. This is not to castigate these wonderful pastors, teachers, and staffs. God bless them! But these are in the minority. The dearth of interest in Christ's coming back in the Rapture, then in the Second Advent, demonstrates the lack of faith resident within Christ's body at this crucial hour.
Jesus asked the following profoundly troubling question in that prophetic context: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b). The Lord had a somber message for God's people who will be alive at His sudden, unannounced coming. I wrote the following as part of a chapter for an upcoming book that I believe gets across the gist of this "Nearing Midnight" commentary:
The indifference so prevalent within the church is, itself, an end-times signal, it seems. The Lord obviously spoke to the fact that God's own children will in large part be indifferent to the prophetic signals. They will not be living as they should at the time of His coming for them, as He promised in John 14:1-3. As a matter of fact, He forewarned: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:34-36; from a chapter by Terry James in a book to be released in 2010)
I pray more born-again pastors, Bible teachers, and God's children of this nation and the world will awaken en masse to the staggering implications of Christ's Second Coming.
God Bless you all.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Where's the Church?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1. The Apostle John was given a special preview of future events as they would occur in Heaven. John wrote the book of Revelation approximately 2,000 years before the events he was allowed to see would actually occur. Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed this Apostle a very special gift and John wrote about all He saw as he gazed into the future.
The book of Revelation can be a little mysterious for believers who don’t understand what it’s all about. Many denominations just write this book off as allegory or dismiss it as past history with no bearing on the future of the Church. When I was first saved I asked my pastor about the book of Revelation hoping, as a new believer in Christ, to get some clarification about a book that had fascinated me for years, long before my becoming born again. I was seeking answers from a man who I presumed would be able to enlighten me as to the mysterious writings in that book; he had been a pastor for many years. His response to me was simple, “I don’t understand the book of Revelation therefore I just ignore it.” Consequently I never asked that man another question about the Bible and after a few more painful years at that church, my family and I left that non-denominational denomination. I went on to study my Bible and to place much emphasis on eschatology. I now understand the book of Revelation, and you can too.
There are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation, but after the first five chapters the only people who need concern themselves with the next 17 are those who will be left behind after the Rapture of the Church. Within the first three chapters Jesus addresses believers as well as others who think they are His followers but who are actually living a lie. As we can see from the verse above John is told to explain to all who will read this book of prophecy some of what Heaven is like and also who’s already there.
Remember, the voice which called to John in verse one above told him he would show John the things that must occur “hereafter”, in other words, things that must happen (in the future). John couldn’t have had any idea how far in the future this would occur, but he is sure of his location. He records the events as they occurred as the Holy Spirit directed.
“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2. John was in the spirit. Why? Because no sinful flesh can enter Heaven “...and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...” Isaiah 64:6. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and in the flesh, but He was and is sinless. His righteousness is perfect.
John was given an awesome gift as was the Apostle Paul; they were both given a glimpse of Heaven, an advance look if you will, into the Throne room of God Almighty. John goes on to explain what he saw there and his explanation is what assures all believers in Christ that they will not see the tribulation week unfold.
“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:3. John was looking upon the Throne of God as God sat on His Throne. He uses the most descriptive terminology possible at that time to provide readers with understanding as he views God’s glory. John hands believers in Christ a most glorious insight into what awaits all those who place their trust, their faith, their lives in Christ’s hands, a peek at Who awaits us at the Throne of God.
John’s next view is quite significant for those who will be Raptured. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. The elders spoken of here by John are representative of Christ’s Church. This is where we who follow Jesus Christ realize that we are, at this point and from here on until sometime just after the end of the tribulation week, assembled before the Throne of God worshiping Him and giving Him all glory, honor and praise.
In Revelation 5:9-10, the twenty-four elders sing a song of praise to Jesus, and they cry out: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9. In that passage, the twenty-four elders are clearly speaking as representatives of all God’s people, of the great company of the redeemed (Christ’s Church).
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11.
“The white robes and crowns of the elders seem to indicate that they are indeed human beings - in glory, of course. Angels are sometimes presented in white robes or garments (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), but saints also have white robes (Revelation 6:11; 7:9; 7:13-14) as a picture of their imputed righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:5-18). However, we never see angels crowned, but believers are and will be (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).
Therefore, redeemed, glorified man sits enthroned with Jesus, on lesser thrones, to be sure, but thrones none the less. We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). John, through Jesus’ insistence, gives the Church a wonderful picture of the saints in Heaven, and kneeling before God, and recognizably way before the wrath of God is unleashed on a Christ rejecting world.” – David Guzik
“... four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb..., and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8, 10. At the end of the Great Tribulation the saints will return with Jesus Christ as He assumes His visible position as King and reigns over all of earth for 1,000 years. This is proof positive for all the scoffers and naysayers who reject the Rapture that the saints (those who belong to Jesus Christ) are in Heaven and that we are made kings and priests and that we will reign with Christ on earth. If we are to come back with our Lord to rule and reign with Him, at some point we must have left earth to be able to return to earth. Clearly, the Church will not be here during the seventieth week spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
From this point and throughout the remainder of the book of Revelation, the tribulation and the wrath of God is clearly portrayed with no further mention of the Church (the body of Christ) being on earth. The seven year tribulation week becomes the point where God once again turns His attention to Israel. Even though the majority of Jews are blinded to the truth of the Gospel during the first half of the tribulation week, at the 3 ½ year point of the tribulation week, when the anti-Christ introduces the abomination of desolation, we’re told that all remaining Jews on earth will be saved. And not only Jews but many gentiles will also come to faith in Christ during that final week.
The Bible clearly tells us that through Jesus Christ, and only through Him, can we ever expect to enter Heaven. John was a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ and he was allowed a trip to Heaven before his death. To be in the presence of God Almighty we must be purged of our sins. The only way to be purged of sins is to believe in Jesus Christ; to believe is to accept His truth and His Gospel through faith, faith in the fact that His sacrifice on that cross was to pay the price for the sin of the world, that all might be saved. The Bible is written to everyone and everyone can either accept it as truth or reject it as a fairy tale. Believing the Bible to be a fairy tale, though, doesn’t negate the fact that God’s word is true. Unbelief and the rejection of the truth will only act as a catalyst in the condemnation of that person.
Rejecting the Bible and thereby rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ will automatically place you or your loved ones in the next chapter of the book of Revelation. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:1-2. Enter the anti-Christ, not Jesus Christ, although Jesus Christ does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16. This is not Him, this is a satanic dictator who imitates Jesus. He rules (a crown was given), he rules with a bow not a sword, and he exercises dominion over the earth (went out conquering and to conquer). But the results of his rule show that this is not the reign of Jesus Christ.
I think we can tell much about how a person understands the book of Revelation and God’s prophetic plan by seeing how they understand this first rider. Those who think Revelation is mostly a book of history believe that this rider is Jesus. Those who believe that this is a prophetic passage, yet to be fulfilled, mostly account this rider to be the antichrist. This final satanic dictator over men will be more terrible than all previous dictators. He will rule over men as a false Messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion against God.
This (anti-Christ) guy is going to demand everyone take his mark and worship him and if they don’t they will be killed (beheaded). From this point on the Revelation of Jesus Christ gets very disturbing, even gruesome. There won’t be any place to hide from the coming horrors, they will be worldwide, fierce to behold, and completely consuming in their vastness. No one on earth during this time will escape the tidal wave of tribulations. Those who miss the Rapture yet become believers during the tribulation week will fall prey to some of the horrors spoken of in those remaining chapters. Most will be martyred for their faith.
Only by becoming a born again believer in Christ now, before the Rapture, can we be assured of our non-involvement in all those horrors. The book of Revelation is God telling all who will read it that they will be blessed by it and that they should see their need for a savior and repent while there is still time. That’s the blessing. Read it for yourself and tell others to read it also. Keep in mind that you only have the first five chapters as a time frame for repentance and avoiding all those judgments which will ultimately prove God’s displeasure with those who’ve rejected His only begotten Son.
Those first five chapters of this awesome book speak of blessings, churches doing well and churches doing not so well, about things going on in Heaven, and about who is surrounding God’s throne. There’s no doubt about who’s there and who isn’t. Besides God Almighty, only angels and believers in Christ are there.
“...to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass...” Revelation 1:1. The word “shortly” in this verse means quickly or speedily. In other words, what John was about to witness were things that once they began their succession would bring quick and speedy results. Jesus said the signs we were to be watching for would come on this planet like a woman in labor (birth pangs). We are currently witnessing the beginning of many end times signs spoken of by our Lord Jesus. It seems, according to the book of Revelation, we’re now in the ninth month of labor.
Many will ignore the book of Revelation as my ex-pastor has. Many others will write it off as simply an allegory. Some will read it and dismiss it as having already taken place. God, on the other hand, is quite specific when it comes to this book and its wonderful blessing, and the future it holds. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. Folks the time is at hand for the prophecies that have been spoken of.
The book of the Apocalypse is a book of prophecy in which we are given the events that lead up to Christ’s return. “Apokalypsis” in the Greek is transliterated Apocalypse, which is translated Revelation in English. Its meaning is more simple than what many perceive it to be. It literally means “uncovering, unveiling, revealing or laying bare a mystery, of things before unknown”. The book of Revelation was never meant to confuse or scare anyone away; on the contrary, it was written to benefit each and every believer in Christ and to open the eyes of the lost.
So, the question is, how will you respond to God’s blessing as it’s associated with reading this book concerning “things before unknown”?
God bless you all.
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1. The Apostle John was given a special preview of future events as they would occur in Heaven. John wrote the book of Revelation approximately 2,000 years before the events he was allowed to see would actually occur. Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed this Apostle a very special gift and John wrote about all He saw as he gazed into the future.
The book of Revelation can be a little mysterious for believers who don’t understand what it’s all about. Many denominations just write this book off as allegory or dismiss it as past history with no bearing on the future of the Church. When I was first saved I asked my pastor about the book of Revelation hoping, as a new believer in Christ, to get some clarification about a book that had fascinated me for years, long before my becoming born again. I was seeking answers from a man who I presumed would be able to enlighten me as to the mysterious writings in that book; he had been a pastor for many years. His response to me was simple, “I don’t understand the book of Revelation therefore I just ignore it.” Consequently I never asked that man another question about the Bible and after a few more painful years at that church, my family and I left that non-denominational denomination. I went on to study my Bible and to place much emphasis on eschatology. I now understand the book of Revelation, and you can too.
There are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation, but after the first five chapters the only people who need concern themselves with the next 17 are those who will be left behind after the Rapture of the Church. Within the first three chapters Jesus addresses believers as well as others who think they are His followers but who are actually living a lie. As we can see from the verse above John is told to explain to all who will read this book of prophecy some of what Heaven is like and also who’s already there.
Remember, the voice which called to John in verse one above told him he would show John the things that must occur “hereafter”, in other words, things that must happen (in the future). John couldn’t have had any idea how far in the future this would occur, but he is sure of his location. He records the events as they occurred as the Holy Spirit directed.
“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2. John was in the spirit. Why? Because no sinful flesh can enter Heaven “...and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...” Isaiah 64:6. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and in the flesh, but He was and is sinless. His righteousness is perfect.
John was given an awesome gift as was the Apostle Paul; they were both given a glimpse of Heaven, an advance look if you will, into the Throne room of God Almighty. John goes on to explain what he saw there and his explanation is what assures all believers in Christ that they will not see the tribulation week unfold.
“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:3. John was looking upon the Throne of God as God sat on His Throne. He uses the most descriptive terminology possible at that time to provide readers with understanding as he views God’s glory. John hands believers in Christ a most glorious insight into what awaits all those who place their trust, their faith, their lives in Christ’s hands, a peek at Who awaits us at the Throne of God.
John’s next view is quite significant for those who will be Raptured. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. The elders spoken of here by John are representative of Christ’s Church. This is where we who follow Jesus Christ realize that we are, at this point and from here on until sometime just after the end of the tribulation week, assembled before the Throne of God worshiping Him and giving Him all glory, honor and praise.
In Revelation 5:9-10, the twenty-four elders sing a song of praise to Jesus, and they cry out: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9. In that passage, the twenty-four elders are clearly speaking as representatives of all God’s people, of the great company of the redeemed (Christ’s Church).
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11.
“The white robes and crowns of the elders seem to indicate that they are indeed human beings - in glory, of course. Angels are sometimes presented in white robes or garments (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), but saints also have white robes (Revelation 6:11; 7:9; 7:13-14) as a picture of their imputed righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:5-18). However, we never see angels crowned, but believers are and will be (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).
Therefore, redeemed, glorified man sits enthroned with Jesus, on lesser thrones, to be sure, but thrones none the less. We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). John, through Jesus’ insistence, gives the Church a wonderful picture of the saints in Heaven, and kneeling before God, and recognizably way before the wrath of God is unleashed on a Christ rejecting world.” – David Guzik
“... four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb..., and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8, 10. At the end of the Great Tribulation the saints will return with Jesus Christ as He assumes His visible position as King and reigns over all of earth for 1,000 years. This is proof positive for all the scoffers and naysayers who reject the Rapture that the saints (those who belong to Jesus Christ) are in Heaven and that we are made kings and priests and that we will reign with Christ on earth. If we are to come back with our Lord to rule and reign with Him, at some point we must have left earth to be able to return to earth. Clearly, the Church will not be here during the seventieth week spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
From this point and throughout the remainder of the book of Revelation, the tribulation and the wrath of God is clearly portrayed with no further mention of the Church (the body of Christ) being on earth. The seven year tribulation week becomes the point where God once again turns His attention to Israel. Even though the majority of Jews are blinded to the truth of the Gospel during the first half of the tribulation week, at the 3 ½ year point of the tribulation week, when the anti-Christ introduces the abomination of desolation, we’re told that all remaining Jews on earth will be saved. And not only Jews but many gentiles will also come to faith in Christ during that final week.
The Bible clearly tells us that through Jesus Christ, and only through Him, can we ever expect to enter Heaven. John was a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ and he was allowed a trip to Heaven before his death. To be in the presence of God Almighty we must be purged of our sins. The only way to be purged of sins is to believe in Jesus Christ; to believe is to accept His truth and His Gospel through faith, faith in the fact that His sacrifice on that cross was to pay the price for the sin of the world, that all might be saved. The Bible is written to everyone and everyone can either accept it as truth or reject it as a fairy tale. Believing the Bible to be a fairy tale, though, doesn’t negate the fact that God’s word is true. Unbelief and the rejection of the truth will only act as a catalyst in the condemnation of that person.
Rejecting the Bible and thereby rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ will automatically place you or your loved ones in the next chapter of the book of Revelation. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:1-2. Enter the anti-Christ, not Jesus Christ, although Jesus Christ does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16. This is not Him, this is a satanic dictator who imitates Jesus. He rules (a crown was given), he rules with a bow not a sword, and he exercises dominion over the earth (went out conquering and to conquer). But the results of his rule show that this is not the reign of Jesus Christ.
I think we can tell much about how a person understands the book of Revelation and God’s prophetic plan by seeing how they understand this first rider. Those who think Revelation is mostly a book of history believe that this rider is Jesus. Those who believe that this is a prophetic passage, yet to be fulfilled, mostly account this rider to be the antichrist. This final satanic dictator over men will be more terrible than all previous dictators. He will rule over men as a false Messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion against God.
This (anti-Christ) guy is going to demand everyone take his mark and worship him and if they don’t they will be killed (beheaded). From this point on the Revelation of Jesus Christ gets very disturbing, even gruesome. There won’t be any place to hide from the coming horrors, they will be worldwide, fierce to behold, and completely consuming in their vastness. No one on earth during this time will escape the tidal wave of tribulations. Those who miss the Rapture yet become believers during the tribulation week will fall prey to some of the horrors spoken of in those remaining chapters. Most will be martyred for their faith.
Only by becoming a born again believer in Christ now, before the Rapture, can we be assured of our non-involvement in all those horrors. The book of Revelation is God telling all who will read it that they will be blessed by it and that they should see their need for a savior and repent while there is still time. That’s the blessing. Read it for yourself and tell others to read it also. Keep in mind that you only have the first five chapters as a time frame for repentance and avoiding all those judgments which will ultimately prove God’s displeasure with those who’ve rejected His only begotten Son.
Those first five chapters of this awesome book speak of blessings, churches doing well and churches doing not so well, about things going on in Heaven, and about who is surrounding God’s throne. There’s no doubt about who’s there and who isn’t. Besides God Almighty, only angels and believers in Christ are there.
“...to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass...” Revelation 1:1. The word “shortly” in this verse means quickly or speedily. In other words, what John was about to witness were things that once they began their succession would bring quick and speedy results. Jesus said the signs we were to be watching for would come on this planet like a woman in labor (birth pangs). We are currently witnessing the beginning of many end times signs spoken of by our Lord Jesus. It seems, according to the book of Revelation, we’re now in the ninth month of labor.
Many will ignore the book of Revelation as my ex-pastor has. Many others will write it off as simply an allegory. Some will read it and dismiss it as having already taken place. God, on the other hand, is quite specific when it comes to this book and its wonderful blessing, and the future it holds. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. Folks the time is at hand for the prophecies that have been spoken of.
The book of the Apocalypse is a book of prophecy in which we are given the events that lead up to Christ’s return. “Apokalypsis” in the Greek is transliterated Apocalypse, which is translated Revelation in English. Its meaning is more simple than what many perceive it to be. It literally means “uncovering, unveiling, revealing or laying bare a mystery, of things before unknown”. The book of Revelation was never meant to confuse or scare anyone away; on the contrary, it was written to benefit each and every believer in Christ and to open the eyes of the lost.
So, the question is, how will you respond to God’s blessing as it’s associated with reading this book concerning “things before unknown”?
God bless you all.
Born Again Christians and Sin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. Anyone who says they have not sinned is living a lie. In the verse above you must notice John adds himself into the mix of sinners. He says if we say we have no sin. “No” in the Greek is “ou” and is expressed absolutely, and emphatically. It’s as though the Apostle John has asked someone if he considers himself a sinner, and the answer has come back to John in the form of a resounding NO!
We deceive ourselves: Here again John adds himself into the fray in that he too would be leading himself astray if he were to claim he had no sin. We just aren’t grasping the truth if we claim to be sinless. John is addressing believers in Christ in his epistles therefore he is addressing me and you; as believers we will continue to sin until we are called home. If anyone tells you differently they are deceived.
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:10. Again, we must first understand that John is addressing believers “In Christ” not the unsaved. Here in this verse John tells us if we claim we have not sinned we make Jesus Christ a liar. John tells us His (God's) word cannot be in someone who says they have never sinned, or even in those who claim now that they are saved they no longer sin. Again John places himself in the middle of this assertion by using the words “we” and “us”. It also means we can’t have God’s Holy Spirit in us if we claim a sinless life or a life of no more sin after we are born again. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. Nowhere in the Bible are we told we will stop sinning once we’re saved.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” 1 John 2:1. Can you see what a contradiction this verse is when we neglect the exegeses of the scriptures? “My little children” is referring to born again believers and John wants us to fully understand that point. When we compare “That ye sin not” to the previous verse we can see John isn’t advocating sinning. He’s simply saying turn away from habitual sin. In other words don’t let our whole focus in life be on one big sin party without thought of the consequences. If that be your case, salvation has eluded you.
In the last part of First John chapter 2 verse 1, John states that if any man sins we have Christ as our advocate for our defense. In this same verse, “if any man sin” actually means “in case”. So if we interpret this verse correctly, what John is saying is when not if we sin we have an advocate which is Jesus Christ the righteous.
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:1. Is it possible that John is saying in keeping Jesus’ commandments we will no longer sin? The Greek word “tēreō” represents our English phrase “keepeth”. The Greek word actually has many meanings but in this context John is speaking of those who “observe or take heed to” Jesus’ commandments. Since John previously addressed the fact that all believers sin, the answer to the question above is “No”. What he is saying is in observing Christ’s commandments we won’t live our lives in habitual sin. For example, living a lifestyle as a homosexual is habitual sin, as is living as an unmarried couple, or lying habitually. Once we become born again there will be a change that everyone who new us before our conversion will see. This change will reflect Christ as a definite positive part of our lives.
“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” 1 John 2:12. This verse is wonderfully placed in this chapter and in context we are told that all believers are forgiven sinners. Something that many “In Christ” believers stumble with is the fact that they continue to sin even though they have been justified (saved). Condemnation reigns supreme in their lives. But Paul tells us “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1.
In the book of Romans chapter 7 Paul speaks about his childhood before he was taught the law “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.” Romans 7:7-8. Very young children don’t know what sin is until their parent’s teach them what constitutes sin and what doesn’t. That’s why parents must be responsible for explaining sin and its consequences to the children God has blessed them with.
In Jesus’ eyes the very young children are blameless. They aren’t corrupted by all the evil and sinful desires that adults are continually confronted with. Children see joy, happiness, and love in the simplest forms. But before we know it our children are at that age when they are accountable for their own sinful actions; if they aren’t taught Godly ways they will not see any sin in those actions.
In the following verses Paul addresses that age old conundrum, one that has continually plagued believers throughout the ages. Why do I continue to sin now that I’m born from above? Remember this, now that we are justified God sees us through His Son Jesus Christ and our sins past present and future are forgiven. Still, even though we are justified in God’s eyes (saved), we still sin. The Apostle Paul will explain why, “The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Romans 7:14-24. (NLT)
Now read and understand Paul’s last words on this subject, and please, dwell on them. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin...” Romans 7:25 (KJV). I hope the readers of this commentary will understand why I’ve inserted the verses in the paragraph above using the New Living Translation. Many have a difficult time understanding Paul’s explanation about the nature of sin in Romans 7, especially when read in the KJV. So there is no lingering doubts, Paul, far into his ministry, states the obvious, we are all sinners and will remain so until glorification.
That’s why God had to die for His creation. There was no other way for us to be redeemed from this life of sin. Please don’t misunderstand, born again believers will grow to hate sin over time and they will be remorseful each time they fall back into temptation. Neither the Apostle John nor Paul is advocating sin. On the contrary, they are preaching against sin. Even though we remain slaves to sin, through our Christian maturity, our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, we will begin to walk to the far side of sin.
One last point, for the believer who occasionally stumbles (that’s you and me), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9. This was written to born again believers in Christ, what an awesome promise.
God bless you all.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. Anyone who says they have not sinned is living a lie. In the verse above you must notice John adds himself into the mix of sinners. He says if we say we have no sin. “No” in the Greek is “ou” and is expressed absolutely, and emphatically. It’s as though the Apostle John has asked someone if he considers himself a sinner, and the answer has come back to John in the form of a resounding NO!
We deceive ourselves: Here again John adds himself into the fray in that he too would be leading himself astray if he were to claim he had no sin. We just aren’t grasping the truth if we claim to be sinless. John is addressing believers in Christ in his epistles therefore he is addressing me and you; as believers we will continue to sin until we are called home. If anyone tells you differently they are deceived.
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:10. Again, we must first understand that John is addressing believers “In Christ” not the unsaved. Here in this verse John tells us if we claim we have not sinned we make Jesus Christ a liar. John tells us His (God's) word cannot be in someone who says they have never sinned, or even in those who claim now that they are saved they no longer sin. Again John places himself in the middle of this assertion by using the words “we” and “us”. It also means we can’t have God’s Holy Spirit in us if we claim a sinless life or a life of no more sin after we are born again. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. Nowhere in the Bible are we told we will stop sinning once we’re saved.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” 1 John 2:1. Can you see what a contradiction this verse is when we neglect the exegeses of the scriptures? “My little children” is referring to born again believers and John wants us to fully understand that point. When we compare “That ye sin not” to the previous verse we can see John isn’t advocating sinning. He’s simply saying turn away from habitual sin. In other words don’t let our whole focus in life be on one big sin party without thought of the consequences. If that be your case, salvation has eluded you.
In the last part of First John chapter 2 verse 1, John states that if any man sins we have Christ as our advocate for our defense. In this same verse, “if any man sin” actually means “in case”. So if we interpret this verse correctly, what John is saying is when not if we sin we have an advocate which is Jesus Christ the righteous.
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:1. Is it possible that John is saying in keeping Jesus’ commandments we will no longer sin? The Greek word “tēreō” represents our English phrase “keepeth”. The Greek word actually has many meanings but in this context John is speaking of those who “observe or take heed to” Jesus’ commandments. Since John previously addressed the fact that all believers sin, the answer to the question above is “No”. What he is saying is in observing Christ’s commandments we won’t live our lives in habitual sin. For example, living a lifestyle as a homosexual is habitual sin, as is living as an unmarried couple, or lying habitually. Once we become born again there will be a change that everyone who new us before our conversion will see. This change will reflect Christ as a definite positive part of our lives.
“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” 1 John 2:12. This verse is wonderfully placed in this chapter and in context we are told that all believers are forgiven sinners. Something that many “In Christ” believers stumble with is the fact that they continue to sin even though they have been justified (saved). Condemnation reigns supreme in their lives. But Paul tells us “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1.
In the book of Romans chapter 7 Paul speaks about his childhood before he was taught the law “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.” Romans 7:7-8. Very young children don’t know what sin is until their parent’s teach them what constitutes sin and what doesn’t. That’s why parents must be responsible for explaining sin and its consequences to the children God has blessed them with.
In Jesus’ eyes the very young children are blameless. They aren’t corrupted by all the evil and sinful desires that adults are continually confronted with. Children see joy, happiness, and love in the simplest forms. But before we know it our children are at that age when they are accountable for their own sinful actions; if they aren’t taught Godly ways they will not see any sin in those actions.
In the following verses Paul addresses that age old conundrum, one that has continually plagued believers throughout the ages. Why do I continue to sin now that I’m born from above? Remember this, now that we are justified God sees us through His Son Jesus Christ and our sins past present and future are forgiven. Still, even though we are justified in God’s eyes (saved), we still sin. The Apostle Paul will explain why, “The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Romans 7:14-24. (NLT)
Now read and understand Paul’s last words on this subject, and please, dwell on them. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin...” Romans 7:25 (KJV). I hope the readers of this commentary will understand why I’ve inserted the verses in the paragraph above using the New Living Translation. Many have a difficult time understanding Paul’s explanation about the nature of sin in Romans 7, especially when read in the KJV. So there is no lingering doubts, Paul, far into his ministry, states the obvious, we are all sinners and will remain so until glorification.
That’s why God had to die for His creation. There was no other way for us to be redeemed from this life of sin. Please don’t misunderstand, born again believers will grow to hate sin over time and they will be remorseful each time they fall back into temptation. Neither the Apostle John nor Paul is advocating sin. On the contrary, they are preaching against sin. Even though we remain slaves to sin, through our Christian maturity, our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, we will begin to walk to the far side of sin.
One last point, for the believer who occasionally stumbles (that’s you and me), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9. This was written to born again believers in Christ, what an awesome promise.
God bless you all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)