"Holy, Holy Holy" will be the first song we hear when we are Raptured up to Heavenly Jerusalem. The highest level of praise to which a saint might ascend is that place of worship that God Himself quickly inhabits. His Word has promised that He inhabits the praise of His saints. “O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). We were created to love our Heavenly Father and to voice our greatest emotion is to join His cherubims in singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” Just as soon as we reach His celestial throne, the great living creatures will be sounding out Heaven’s highest praise. The character of Heaven is not love. That is Heaven’s undying emotion. It is not mercy, although mercy is the reaction of God to His fallen race. The character of God is Holiness, so the song of the angelic throng is “Holy, Holy, Holy!”
It is impossible for the Rapture not to occur between the first and fourth verses of Revelation chapter four. Immediately the scene moves from the troubled churches of chapters two and three to a transcending view of Almighty God and His worshipping creation. The Son is there because He is the voice of the grand event. The Holy Spirit is there because He is the Seven Lamps of Fire. The angelic multitude is there to lead in worship by the thrice sounding of the “Holy” chorus. Occupying center stage are twenty-four lesser thrones, the grand seats of triumphant saints. Sixty-five previous books of the Holy Truth could never boast of such a movement.
These saints are seated in regal splendor. This splendor was not earned by human birth or obtained by careless promotions. The position of popes, priests, bishops, or deacons was not even considered in these rewards. These are blood-washed saints that represent an unnumbered multitude that have paid the price of being overcomers. They have forsaken the world to follow the highest calling. They have counted earthly attainment as loss compared to the glory of following their Master. They have reached the star-studded triump of entering the Heavenly Jerusalem. The moments of man’s greatest hope has finally arrived.
The Heavenly Father is welcoming His Son’s Bride. They are properly attired in the purity of spotless white robes. Sacred blood spilled on a cruel cross has prepared the wedding garments for this grand event. The cherubims are prepared to worship the thrice revealed and thrice Holy God. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). Nothing in the Bible has ever been revealed to match this scene.
The Throne of God is wrapped in a rainbow of brilliant colors. The Father that walked with Noah and Enoch, but made Himself invisible because of human sins, is once again visible to the redeemed multitude. Satan’s payday has arrived and the process of reclaiming a lost world has been set in motion. The redeemed of the earth are no longer struggling with the daily temptations and no longer facing the despite of evil enemies. They are elevated, glorified elders ready to join the action of divine judgment. The days of triump have arrived.
Our Heavenly Father will be personally present and will be seated upon His throne in the Heavenly sphere. Saints of His kingdom have longed to look upon Him and drink in the majesty of His revealed glory. The Psalmist David prayed, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). It is impossible to walk with God in the graces of Calvary and not long for the day when we shall enter His presence. Christ’s redeeming and sanctifying blood will not just cleanse a soul from sin, but will also fill that soul with a righteousness that is fixed on Him and Him alone. If you walk in grace, you will long for the day when you are free from the encumbrance of this flesh.
John the Revelator struggled for words to describe Him on His throne. Without a doubt the Lord Jesus inspired this description, “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. 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. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Revelation 4:3-5).
As the host of cherubims -- living creatures -- watches the unfolding drama of this reunion of the Father and His separated family, they can contain themselves no longer. They prepare themselves to burst forth into Heavenly praises declaring, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4:8). The name of their song is clearly, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” We do not yet know all the words of this refrain.
As they sing praises to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, it is then stated, “And . . . those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever” (Revelation 4:9). Now, the saints either join or follow after these great angelic creatures in praise to God. With united voices, “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).
In chapter four the Raptured saints sing of the Father and praise Him with voices that are unlimited by flesh. But, then, in chapter five they sing of their Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The Bible says that we sing a new song to Him, “And they sung a new song, saying, 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 5:9-10). Music was created as the language of praise. Every time you sing you praise something or someone. The saints of God -- the Rapture-ready believers -- must prepare for this triumphant day. We must be freed from the lust of this world and sanctified to praise and worship. We are getting ready to go.
The greatest worship of human experience is just ahead for the Saints of God. Revelation chapter four opens to the grand hour of “Hallelujah’s,” “Amen’s,” and the Heavenly Song, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” Will you be ready to ascend and break forth in Heavenly music? There will not be a notice for last minute preparations. The call of God is clear, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Leave Jerusalem Alone
250 Israeli Rabbis Sign Letter to Obama: “Hands off Jerusalem”
In a reference to the upcoming “nine days” which culminate in Tisha B’Av, the rabbis tell US Pres. Obama that “during these days, in which the Jewish people mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and mark the disgraceful memory of its destroyers, we are certain that you, Mr. Barack Obama, do not want to enter that disreputable list of those who raise their hand to strike Jerusalem and those who live in it.”
The rabbinical letter ends with a clear request: “If you, Mr. Obama, wish to leave any chance at all for peace and quiet in the Middle East, take your hands off the Holy City of Jerusalem right now!”
Two hundred and fifty rabbis have signed the appeal, and efforts are being made to collect the signatures of every rabbi in Israel before the letter is sent to Washington. (Source: A7News)
Tisha B'Av is a particularly sad day for Jews. Both the first and Second Temples were destroyed on that day, and down through history a number of other religious and national catastrophes have occurred on the 9th of Av as well. The nine days mentioned above refer to the first nine days of Av, a time of national mourning for these events that culminates on the 9th, Tisha B'Av. This year Tisha B'Av falls on July 30 so the nine days of mourning began on July 22.
The chain of events that resulted in this letter began in 1948 when Jordan attacked the newly created state of Israel and captured the Eastern part of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount. All of the city had been given to Israel by the UN. 19 years later Israel got it back in the 6 Day War and annexed it, reuniting the city. Since then several hundred thousand Jews have made Eastern Jerusalem and its suburbs their home. But the international community has never accepted the legality of the annexation. It calls the neighborhoods they live in “settlements” and the so-called Road Map agreement forbids additional settlement construction until Jerusalem's final status has been negotiated. Will it remain undivided as Israel's capitol, or will it be divided again with the Eastern part becoming the capitol of a future Palestinian state?
Israelis are united in their view that all of Jerusalem is legally theirs and it must never be divided again. That's why PM Netanyahu has flatly rejected the world's demand that he deny permission for an empty building in East Jerusalem already under Jewish ownership to be converted into apartments. This construction project, financed by Miami Beach philanthropist Irving Moskowitz, is located mere yards from Israel's national police headquarters and other government ministries, and only a few blocks from the country's prestigious Hebrew University.
Here's How It All Began
The Jewish claim to Jerusalem is over 3,000 years old. While the Jews were still in the wilderness, God told them he was going to name a place for them to worship Him after they entered the Promised Land. (Deut. 12:5) But it wasn't until David was King, several hundred years later, that God chose Jerusalem to be that place.
“Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.” (2 chronicles 6:5-6)
Once God had selected a location, Satan wanted it as well. He had already duped Adam and Eve into forfeiting their dominion over earth to him. But unless he has possession of Jerusalem, he doesn't really have possession of Earth. Three times the Lord Himself called Satan the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). And Paul said he's the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan needs Jerusalem to perfect his claim to planet Earth. This is why the final battle for control of Earth will be fought over Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has no natural harbor. It isn't situated astride any major trade route. Nor is it a gateway city. It's not a banking or industrial or commercial or medical or hi-tech center. It has no natural resources. While it's too hilly for an airport it doesn't command any strategic high ground. It has nothing at all to commend it except for the fact the God chose it for Himself. And to Satan that makes it the most desirable piece of real estate on the planet.
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians as part of God's judgment against them for their idolatry, but even as He was sending them away He promised He'd bring them back.
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11)
He fulfilled this promise in what came to be known as the first regathering of Israel. But even before the first one, God had Isaiah promise there would also be a second regathering, because once more Israel would be scattered and again Jerusalem would be destroyed. The second destruction began in 69-70 AD when Jerusalem was burned to the ground and by 135AD the nation had ceased to exist altogether.
This time there was no predetermined date known to man when Israel would rise again and as the centuries passed most Gentiles assumed that God had abandoned His people and transferred His blessings to the Church, even though the prophets had said otherwise. But at the end of the 19th Century the hearts of Jews around the world were stirred and the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy began to look like a real possibility after all.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.(Isaiah 11:11-12)
Even though the Zionist movement began on the eve of the 20th Century, and the Balfor Declaration laid the ground work for a Jewish homeland in 1917, this second regathering officially began in 1948 and continues to this day. Immediately Satan called his troops to battle and before the ink was dry on the UN declaration that made Israel a nation again, they were at war. By the time it was over, half the Holy City had been captured. 19 years later in June of 1967 Israel reunited Jerusalem in the Six Day War.
Who's Behind This?
As you can see, the fight for Jerusalem isn't really between Arab and Israeli, or even between Molsem and Jew. Satan has simply stirred Israel's enemies up for his own purposes, and as the Jews inch closer and closer to renewing their covenant with God and making Jerusalem the one place on Earth to worship Him again, Satan will make Israel's enemies become more and more determined to stop them. He won't give up until he has the whole world united against Jerusalem. But as we'll see, it's a losing strategy.
"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Zechariah 12:2-3)
Zechariah saw Israel's victory over its neighbors happening in 2 stages. First, the nations surrounding Jerusalem will rise up against it, but they'll be sent reeling. This will be accomplished in two fierce battles, one foretold in Psalm 83 and the other in Ezekiel 38-39. God will deliver a supernatural victory in Ezekiel's battle to open Israel's eyes and draw them back to Him and the land He gave them.
Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. (Ezekiel 39:28)
Then at the very end of the age, the anti-Christ will mobilize all the nations of Earth and gather them against Jerusalem for one final push. It too will end in failure.
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev. 19:11-16,19-21)
But In The Mean Time
The world is already pushing against Israel in a way never seen before. The US has demanded that this building in East Jerusalem not be renovated. The EU has condemned all “settlement” construction. Javier Solana wants the UN to set a date for unilaterally imposing the two state solution, dividing Jerusalem again. All the world powers have united against Israel in this matter. And this is just the beginning. But here's the Lord's response.
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. (Isaiah 40:15-17)
The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. (Psalm 33:10-11)
This is what the LORD says: I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. (Zechariah 8:3)
No other city has been so clearly and so decisively claimed by God as His own, so this isn't about religion and it isn't about politics. It's about whether we're on God's side or on Satan's. Those who set about to divide the only city on Earth God has claimed for Himself are taking a stand against Him personally (Psalm 2:2). and aligning themselves with Satan. And it's not like there's the slightest chance of succeeding. These men with their great armies who think they can push God and His people around haven't got a clue as to how outmatched they are.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." (Psalm 2:4-6)
From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. (Psalm 33:13-16)
Nor is there any chance that God will change His mind or forget His promise to His people,
This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD Almighty is his name:
"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
or give up and go away.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. (Isaiah 62:1-2)
"And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is There ." (Jehovah Shammah) Ezekiel 48:35
From all this it seems pretty clear that Jerusalem belongs to God forever, and there's no chance that anyone trying to say otherwise will prevail. Indications this week are that the US is about to moderate its position where Israel is concerned, and may adopt the Bush Administration position that trying to forbid construction that only accommodates natural growth is not practical.
Some are saying that Mr. Obama is beginning to realize that his appeal to the Moslem world hasn't changed anything, so he's decided "to avoid a situation where he gets nothing from Arab leaders and yet is at odds with the Jews." Time will tell, but if true, this is good news for America. After all, aren't we in enough trouble with God already?
In a reference to the upcoming “nine days” which culminate in Tisha B’Av, the rabbis tell US Pres. Obama that “during these days, in which the Jewish people mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and mark the disgraceful memory of its destroyers, we are certain that you, Mr. Barack Obama, do not want to enter that disreputable list of those who raise their hand to strike Jerusalem and those who live in it.”
The rabbinical letter ends with a clear request: “If you, Mr. Obama, wish to leave any chance at all for peace and quiet in the Middle East, take your hands off the Holy City of Jerusalem right now!”
Two hundred and fifty rabbis have signed the appeal, and efforts are being made to collect the signatures of every rabbi in Israel before the letter is sent to Washington. (Source: A7News)
Tisha B'Av is a particularly sad day for Jews. Both the first and Second Temples were destroyed on that day, and down through history a number of other religious and national catastrophes have occurred on the 9th of Av as well. The nine days mentioned above refer to the first nine days of Av, a time of national mourning for these events that culminates on the 9th, Tisha B'Av. This year Tisha B'Av falls on July 30 so the nine days of mourning began on July 22.
The chain of events that resulted in this letter began in 1948 when Jordan attacked the newly created state of Israel and captured the Eastern part of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount. All of the city had been given to Israel by the UN. 19 years later Israel got it back in the 6 Day War and annexed it, reuniting the city. Since then several hundred thousand Jews have made Eastern Jerusalem and its suburbs their home. But the international community has never accepted the legality of the annexation. It calls the neighborhoods they live in “settlements” and the so-called Road Map agreement forbids additional settlement construction until Jerusalem's final status has been negotiated. Will it remain undivided as Israel's capitol, or will it be divided again with the Eastern part becoming the capitol of a future Palestinian state?
Israelis are united in their view that all of Jerusalem is legally theirs and it must never be divided again. That's why PM Netanyahu has flatly rejected the world's demand that he deny permission for an empty building in East Jerusalem already under Jewish ownership to be converted into apartments. This construction project, financed by Miami Beach philanthropist Irving Moskowitz, is located mere yards from Israel's national police headquarters and other government ministries, and only a few blocks from the country's prestigious Hebrew University.
Here's How It All Began
The Jewish claim to Jerusalem is over 3,000 years old. While the Jews were still in the wilderness, God told them he was going to name a place for them to worship Him after they entered the Promised Land. (Deut. 12:5) But it wasn't until David was King, several hundred years later, that God chose Jerusalem to be that place.
“Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.” (2 chronicles 6:5-6)
Once God had selected a location, Satan wanted it as well. He had already duped Adam and Eve into forfeiting their dominion over earth to him. But unless he has possession of Jerusalem, he doesn't really have possession of Earth. Three times the Lord Himself called Satan the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). And Paul said he's the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan needs Jerusalem to perfect his claim to planet Earth. This is why the final battle for control of Earth will be fought over Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has no natural harbor. It isn't situated astride any major trade route. Nor is it a gateway city. It's not a banking or industrial or commercial or medical or hi-tech center. It has no natural resources. While it's too hilly for an airport it doesn't command any strategic high ground. It has nothing at all to commend it except for the fact the God chose it for Himself. And to Satan that makes it the most desirable piece of real estate on the planet.
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians as part of God's judgment against them for their idolatry, but even as He was sending them away He promised He'd bring them back.
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11)
He fulfilled this promise in what came to be known as the first regathering of Israel. But even before the first one, God had Isaiah promise there would also be a second regathering, because once more Israel would be scattered and again Jerusalem would be destroyed. The second destruction began in 69-70 AD when Jerusalem was burned to the ground and by 135AD the nation had ceased to exist altogether.
This time there was no predetermined date known to man when Israel would rise again and as the centuries passed most Gentiles assumed that God had abandoned His people and transferred His blessings to the Church, even though the prophets had said otherwise. But at the end of the 19th Century the hearts of Jews around the world were stirred and the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy began to look like a real possibility after all.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.(Isaiah 11:11-12)
Even though the Zionist movement began on the eve of the 20th Century, and the Balfor Declaration laid the ground work for a Jewish homeland in 1917, this second regathering officially began in 1948 and continues to this day. Immediately Satan called his troops to battle and before the ink was dry on the UN declaration that made Israel a nation again, they were at war. By the time it was over, half the Holy City had been captured. 19 years later in June of 1967 Israel reunited Jerusalem in the Six Day War.
Who's Behind This?
As you can see, the fight for Jerusalem isn't really between Arab and Israeli, or even between Molsem and Jew. Satan has simply stirred Israel's enemies up for his own purposes, and as the Jews inch closer and closer to renewing their covenant with God and making Jerusalem the one place on Earth to worship Him again, Satan will make Israel's enemies become more and more determined to stop them. He won't give up until he has the whole world united against Jerusalem. But as we'll see, it's a losing strategy.
"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Zechariah 12:2-3)
Zechariah saw Israel's victory over its neighbors happening in 2 stages. First, the nations surrounding Jerusalem will rise up against it, but they'll be sent reeling. This will be accomplished in two fierce battles, one foretold in Psalm 83 and the other in Ezekiel 38-39. God will deliver a supernatural victory in Ezekiel's battle to open Israel's eyes and draw them back to Him and the land He gave them.
Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. (Ezekiel 39:28)
Then at the very end of the age, the anti-Christ will mobilize all the nations of Earth and gather them against Jerusalem for one final push. It too will end in failure.
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev. 19:11-16,19-21)
But In The Mean Time
The world is already pushing against Israel in a way never seen before. The US has demanded that this building in East Jerusalem not be renovated. The EU has condemned all “settlement” construction. Javier Solana wants the UN to set a date for unilaterally imposing the two state solution, dividing Jerusalem again. All the world powers have united against Israel in this matter. And this is just the beginning. But here's the Lord's response.
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. (Isaiah 40:15-17)
The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. (Psalm 33:10-11)
This is what the LORD says: I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. (Zechariah 8:3)
No other city has been so clearly and so decisively claimed by God as His own, so this isn't about religion and it isn't about politics. It's about whether we're on God's side or on Satan's. Those who set about to divide the only city on Earth God has claimed for Himself are taking a stand against Him personally (Psalm 2:2). and aligning themselves with Satan. And it's not like there's the slightest chance of succeeding. These men with their great armies who think they can push God and His people around haven't got a clue as to how outmatched they are.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." (Psalm 2:4-6)
From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. (Psalm 33:13-16)
Nor is there any chance that God will change His mind or forget His promise to His people,
This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD Almighty is his name:
"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
or give up and go away.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. (Isaiah 62:1-2)
"And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is There ." (Jehovah Shammah) Ezekiel 48:35
From all this it seems pretty clear that Jerusalem belongs to God forever, and there's no chance that anyone trying to say otherwise will prevail. Indications this week are that the US is about to moderate its position where Israel is concerned, and may adopt the Bush Administration position that trying to forbid construction that only accommodates natural growth is not practical.
Some are saying that Mr. Obama is beginning to realize that his appeal to the Moslem world hasn't changed anything, so he's decided "to avoid a situation where he gets nothing from Arab leaders and yet is at odds with the Jews." Time will tell, but if true, this is good news for America. After all, aren't we in enough trouble with God already?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
“I’m Not a Practicing Christian”
Whenever I’m confronted by someone who says they are a Christian but not a practicing Christian it really makes me cringe. I don’t know where that phrase first came from, but after studying the Bible for years my first thoughts go to what Jesus taught about those who think their saved. “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Matthew 25:11. And also “Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” Luke 13:26-28.
I recently received an email from a lady, who is a fairly new believer, who had a complaint against a friend of hers. She’s known this friend for 30 years. When this lady told her friend that she had become a born again believer in Christ, the friend told her that she, too, was a Christian. For 30 years they had known each other and had enjoyed a close relationship, but the friend had never brought up Jesus Christ in conversation.
If we are truly born again, Jesus is our best friend and we love Him more than anything. Is there any chance we would live thirty years as a follower of Jesus Christ and never mention Him to others? If we are truly living the Christian’s experience, the lost will take notice of that fact. That’s our opportunity to discuss the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, unless we are no longer a practicing Christian.
If someone who at one time considered themselves a Christian but no longer has a desire to practice Christianity (live a Christ centered life) then they will have no desire to promote the truth of God’s word, and so the question arises are they really born again? Are they following Jesus’ commands? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30. Certainly if anyone makes the claim “I’m not a practicing Christian” they aren’t standing up for Jesus Christ by winning souls.
When someone admits to no longer being “a practicing Christian” it tells me they are much more concerned with the world and with all of its tentacles than with Christ. This concern for the worldly pleasures will result in a thorough neglect of the truth of God’s word. They will quickly revert back to their old way of life. They want little or nothing to do with other believers. This, in itself, is quite telling. Think about it, just where is Jesus in their heart? And, of course, reading their Bibles becomes non-existent.
When Christians stop associating with likeminded brethren and become embroiled in worldly affairs and with worldly folks who have no use for God and certainly no regard for His word, they will begin to renounce Christianity, and the following mantra will become their phrase of choice “I’m not a practicing Christian”. It’s offensive and discouraging to be confronted by someone making that statement. You’re either a Christian or you’re not. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16.
Recently I came across an old friend from high school and began an email correspondence with this person. I knew my friend had attended a Christian elementary school until entering high school. We talked about our families and the old days in school. Before long, my emails began to include Jesus and what He has done in my life. As I broached the subject of Christ with my friend, I also began sending this person my commentaries. Almost immediately I was asked to discontinue our email exchange. Why? Because the views I now hold are quite different than those I held as a senior in high school, some forty years ago. I had changed and this old friend had become worldlier. The last email I received from this person held almost exclusively these words, “I’m no longer a practicing Christian, and I do not agree with your conservative stance on things.” I was then asked not to email again. “He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” Proverbs 5:23.
I may get a lot of email on this subject and that’s fine, but personally I see a huge gulf between a Christian, that is a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, and a person who claims “I’m no longer a practicing Christian”. That gulf may very well span the same distance as Heaven and Hell. The chasm between these two concepts of being someone who is devoted to Jesus Christ and someone who declines to have an association with Jesus may very well span eternity. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. Can anyone honestly love Jesus without keeping His commandments? “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19.
To me the life of a Christian is not just something we practice but it’s a new way of life we’ve chosen to embark on. We live our new life in Christ daily; there are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, and we are to be an active follower of Jesus Christ in every waking moment. Believers don’t turn on and off their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the hour dictates. We belong to Him. He owns us. He gives us our marching orders and we follow His commands. Believers can’t walk away from everything Jesus teaches and still claim to be a born again Christian; it’s an obvious contradiction which has lead to open apostasy. (Here come the emails). Again, the question must be broached, was that person really ever born again?
I’m not trying to be judgmental with these observations. I am not God and I can’t see into a person’s heart, that’s God’s domain and His alone. Yet He tells us to look to a person for the fruit that they produce to determine their relationship with Him. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” Matthew 12:33. Jesus made this statement while speaking to the Pharisees about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In God’s view there is no in between. Rejecting the message given us by the Holy Spirit is the only sin that will not be forgiven, either in this life or the one to come. Aren’t those who are no longer practicing Christians rejecting the message?
True born again followers of Christ no longer want to have anything to do with that old sinful life. We are filled with remorse each time we stumble and take a step back. Our lives as Christians are focused on our first love, our most precious love, Jesus the Christ. Everything is second to our Lord and Savior. Jesus wants to be where we know He should be in our lives – at the highest rung on the ladder of our lives. The reason the Bible warns us so vividly against apostasy and false prophets is because true conversion can only be measured by visible fruit. “Ye shall know them by their fruits...” Matthew 7:16a. Non-practicing Christians will find it virtually impossible to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God because they aren’t interested in doing so. They want their cake and to eat it too (they want to live like the world but inherit Christ’s promises).
Those who make the claim “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” wish to remain neutral. They are fence setters. From afar they see the path of least resistance and are able to change their colors like a chameleon so as to not be detected as a rival by whomever they see approaching. To be truly born again is not an easy road. Persecution can and will come into the lives of all believers, even from one’s own family and friends, and this, my brethren, can be daunting. But there is no neutral ground when it comes to following Jesus. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30. Jesus Himself tells all those who would make such a statement as “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” they are in big trouble. Therefore one must weigh the cost to see whether or not following Jesus is worth the final prize.
Folks such as those who claim this status of “I’m a Christian but I don’t really want to live my life like you other Christians” can be easily manipulated by God’s adversary. They grow in their acceptance of the worldly influence and before long they can no longer see truth. They become adverse and blinded to the truth. What was once preached to them at church is foolishness, and now they put their faith and trust in what is preached to them from their television sets. Blindness to God’s truth turns the world upside down. Black is white, up is down, right is wrong, good is evil, love is hate, and on it goes.
I am a firm believer that once a person is born again, born from above, born from God, that that person is forever in God’s hands. It’s God’s responsibility to keep us that way. I can almost hear the computers being fired up and readied to bombard me with an onslaught of emails refuting my claim. Guess what? God’s declares it so. Of course I must agree with God. “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30. Paul tells us that those who are born from above, born from God, have the Holy Spirit of God sealed within them unto the day of redemption. That’s God claim, His promise. Who am I do argue the point?
There’s an old movie that includes the following line “It’s not my fault, I only read it”. Those who were listening to him read from that particular news story tried to blame this guy for the bad news he continually read to them. In my case, though, it’s only good news; you can’t lose your salvation if you are truly born again, period. Here’s the rub, those who were once professing Christians but who now recite the statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” may not have the Holy Spirit sealed within them, thus they may be in for quite the surprise as they reach their eternal destination.
There are many people, especially here in America, who claim the title of “Christian”, yet haven’t a clue as to what that title encompasses, which in turn makes it easy to claim a position of non-practicing Christian. They have no comprehension of what it means to live a life devoted to Christ therefore they have no idea the consequences of that statement and how it puts them at odds with the Savior of the world. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23. These nine characteristics will become evident in the life of a true believer in Christ.
How can anyone take the position “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” when they know the truth? Perhaps they never really believed and what they heard about Jesus was robbed from them at some point by Satan. Take a look at the explanation Jesus gives His disciples when asked about the parable of the sower. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Luke 8:5-14. In this parable Jesus is speaking about those who would make the following statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian”. They no longer hold on to the hope and joy of knowing who Jesus really is.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” John 16:1. Offended in the Greek is “skandalizō”. The complete meaning behind the rendering of this word is: To put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaphorically to offend, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, to cause to fall away. Jesus taught all things to His disciples and to us so that we “should not be offended”, fall way.
I’m continually being bashed about by my brethren for my biblical stance on abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage and the fact that I believe Obama is the worst and most offensive Muslim to invade the U.S. in the last 233 years. Those who make the statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” will never feel the heat of persecution and maybe that’s why they continue to recite that statement. Perhaps it just got too hot in the kitchen. Those who make that offensive statement are most certainly at odds with the Creator of the universe.
I recently received an email from a lady, who is a fairly new believer, who had a complaint against a friend of hers. She’s known this friend for 30 years. When this lady told her friend that she had become a born again believer in Christ, the friend told her that she, too, was a Christian. For 30 years they had known each other and had enjoyed a close relationship, but the friend had never brought up Jesus Christ in conversation.
If we are truly born again, Jesus is our best friend and we love Him more than anything. Is there any chance we would live thirty years as a follower of Jesus Christ and never mention Him to others? If we are truly living the Christian’s experience, the lost will take notice of that fact. That’s our opportunity to discuss the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, unless we are no longer a practicing Christian.
If someone who at one time considered themselves a Christian but no longer has a desire to practice Christianity (live a Christ centered life) then they will have no desire to promote the truth of God’s word, and so the question arises are they really born again? Are they following Jesus’ commands? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30. Certainly if anyone makes the claim “I’m not a practicing Christian” they aren’t standing up for Jesus Christ by winning souls.
When someone admits to no longer being “a practicing Christian” it tells me they are much more concerned with the world and with all of its tentacles than with Christ. This concern for the worldly pleasures will result in a thorough neglect of the truth of God’s word. They will quickly revert back to their old way of life. They want little or nothing to do with other believers. This, in itself, is quite telling. Think about it, just where is Jesus in their heart? And, of course, reading their Bibles becomes non-existent.
When Christians stop associating with likeminded brethren and become embroiled in worldly affairs and with worldly folks who have no use for God and certainly no regard for His word, they will begin to renounce Christianity, and the following mantra will become their phrase of choice “I’m not a practicing Christian”. It’s offensive and discouraging to be confronted by someone making that statement. You’re either a Christian or you’re not. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16.
Recently I came across an old friend from high school and began an email correspondence with this person. I knew my friend had attended a Christian elementary school until entering high school. We talked about our families and the old days in school. Before long, my emails began to include Jesus and what He has done in my life. As I broached the subject of Christ with my friend, I also began sending this person my commentaries. Almost immediately I was asked to discontinue our email exchange. Why? Because the views I now hold are quite different than those I held as a senior in high school, some forty years ago. I had changed and this old friend had become worldlier. The last email I received from this person held almost exclusively these words, “I’m no longer a practicing Christian, and I do not agree with your conservative stance on things.” I was then asked not to email again. “He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” Proverbs 5:23.
I may get a lot of email on this subject and that’s fine, but personally I see a huge gulf between a Christian, that is a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, and a person who claims “I’m no longer a practicing Christian”. That gulf may very well span the same distance as Heaven and Hell. The chasm between these two concepts of being someone who is devoted to Jesus Christ and someone who declines to have an association with Jesus may very well span eternity. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. Can anyone honestly love Jesus without keeping His commandments? “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19.
To me the life of a Christian is not just something we practice but it’s a new way of life we’ve chosen to embark on. We live our new life in Christ daily; there are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, and we are to be an active follower of Jesus Christ in every waking moment. Believers don’t turn on and off their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the hour dictates. We belong to Him. He owns us. He gives us our marching orders and we follow His commands. Believers can’t walk away from everything Jesus teaches and still claim to be a born again Christian; it’s an obvious contradiction which has lead to open apostasy. (Here come the emails). Again, the question must be broached, was that person really ever born again?
I’m not trying to be judgmental with these observations. I am not God and I can’t see into a person’s heart, that’s God’s domain and His alone. Yet He tells us to look to a person for the fruit that they produce to determine their relationship with Him. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” Matthew 12:33. Jesus made this statement while speaking to the Pharisees about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In God’s view there is no in between. Rejecting the message given us by the Holy Spirit is the only sin that will not be forgiven, either in this life or the one to come. Aren’t those who are no longer practicing Christians rejecting the message?
True born again followers of Christ no longer want to have anything to do with that old sinful life. We are filled with remorse each time we stumble and take a step back. Our lives as Christians are focused on our first love, our most precious love, Jesus the Christ. Everything is second to our Lord and Savior. Jesus wants to be where we know He should be in our lives – at the highest rung on the ladder of our lives. The reason the Bible warns us so vividly against apostasy and false prophets is because true conversion can only be measured by visible fruit. “Ye shall know them by their fruits...” Matthew 7:16a. Non-practicing Christians will find it virtually impossible to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God because they aren’t interested in doing so. They want their cake and to eat it too (they want to live like the world but inherit Christ’s promises).
Those who make the claim “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” wish to remain neutral. They are fence setters. From afar they see the path of least resistance and are able to change their colors like a chameleon so as to not be detected as a rival by whomever they see approaching. To be truly born again is not an easy road. Persecution can and will come into the lives of all believers, even from one’s own family and friends, and this, my brethren, can be daunting. But there is no neutral ground when it comes to following Jesus. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30. Jesus Himself tells all those who would make such a statement as “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” they are in big trouble. Therefore one must weigh the cost to see whether or not following Jesus is worth the final prize.
Folks such as those who claim this status of “I’m a Christian but I don’t really want to live my life like you other Christians” can be easily manipulated by God’s adversary. They grow in their acceptance of the worldly influence and before long they can no longer see truth. They become adverse and blinded to the truth. What was once preached to them at church is foolishness, and now they put their faith and trust in what is preached to them from their television sets. Blindness to God’s truth turns the world upside down. Black is white, up is down, right is wrong, good is evil, love is hate, and on it goes.
I am a firm believer that once a person is born again, born from above, born from God, that that person is forever in God’s hands. It’s God’s responsibility to keep us that way. I can almost hear the computers being fired up and readied to bombard me with an onslaught of emails refuting my claim. Guess what? God’s declares it so. Of course I must agree with God. “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30. Paul tells us that those who are born from above, born from God, have the Holy Spirit of God sealed within them unto the day of redemption. That’s God claim, His promise. Who am I do argue the point?
There’s an old movie that includes the following line “It’s not my fault, I only read it”. Those who were listening to him read from that particular news story tried to blame this guy for the bad news he continually read to them. In my case, though, it’s only good news; you can’t lose your salvation if you are truly born again, period. Here’s the rub, those who were once professing Christians but who now recite the statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” may not have the Holy Spirit sealed within them, thus they may be in for quite the surprise as they reach their eternal destination.
There are many people, especially here in America, who claim the title of “Christian”, yet haven’t a clue as to what that title encompasses, which in turn makes it easy to claim a position of non-practicing Christian. They have no comprehension of what it means to live a life devoted to Christ therefore they have no idea the consequences of that statement and how it puts them at odds with the Savior of the world. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23. These nine characteristics will become evident in the life of a true believer in Christ.
How can anyone take the position “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” when they know the truth? Perhaps they never really believed and what they heard about Jesus was robbed from them at some point by Satan. Take a look at the explanation Jesus gives His disciples when asked about the parable of the sower. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Luke 8:5-14. In this parable Jesus is speaking about those who would make the following statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian”. They no longer hold on to the hope and joy of knowing who Jesus really is.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” John 16:1. Offended in the Greek is “skandalizō”. The complete meaning behind the rendering of this word is: To put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaphorically to offend, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, to cause to fall away. Jesus taught all things to His disciples and to us so that we “should not be offended”, fall way.
I’m continually being bashed about by my brethren for my biblical stance on abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage and the fact that I believe Obama is the worst and most offensive Muslim to invade the U.S. in the last 233 years. Those who make the statement “I’m no longer a practicing Christian” will never feel the heat of persecution and maybe that’s why they continue to recite that statement. Perhaps it just got too hot in the kitchen. Those who make that offensive statement are most certainly at odds with the Creator of the universe.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Two Roads, Two Gates, One Goal
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)
This passage is often quoted in reference to the different roads traveled by unbelievers as opposed to believers. Unbelievers are said to be on a broad road with many fellow travelers, all on the way to their destruction. Believers on the other hand are a small segment of humanity and are on a narrow road to salvation. This difference is further defined by some as pertaining to our behavior. The unbeliever's gate is wide and his road is broad, supposedly indicating that there's room for all kinds of sinful behavior, while for the believer it's a small gate and a narrow road suggesting that there's very little latitude for misbehaving. A careless step or two and you may find yourself being rerouted onto the broad road.
If you look at these 2 verses alone it's easy to understand why so many see them this way. But in the context of the chapter a different picture emerges.
In Matthew 7 the people in focus all claim to be believers, and the emphasis is on their fruit. The Lord began by admonishing us against judging others,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2)
Verses 3-5 have to do with judgment within the community of believers.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
We're all sinners and hypocrites who have a tendency to pounce all over even the “minor” sins of others while ignoring our own massive list of transgressions. Why is it that those who test the Lord's patience to the max are often the most acrimonious in their accusations of others?
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? (Romans 2:1-3)
Intolerant, judgmental believers are convinced they're defending the faith and that they'll receive the commendation due them from the Lord. But these verses indicate quite the opposite.
As much as we ignore the warnings in verses 3-5, our disregard for verse 6 is even more glaring. It has to do with our attitude toward unbelievers.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Expecting the unbelieving world to conform to our moral standards is ridiculous. And yet to the world the church is known primarily for its holier-than-thou hypocrisy in doing just that. Like the Pharisees of old we demand that others live up to behavioral standards we ourselves don't keep. For example studies show that our divorce and abortion rates are no different from theirs. And it's a known fact that we indulge in more than our share of adultery, theft, gluttony, avarice, greed, and so on, as well.
It's like we have forgotten all about the Lord's advice that the best way to convert the world is for the Church to become what it was meant to be, an agent of His love (John 13:34-35). Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:4) It's God's kindness and mercy that bring people to Him, not threats of condemnation.
Some think it's persecution when unbelievers pass laws that contradict our beliefs and restrict our freedoms while promoting the freedom of others. But maybe it's just them turning on us for the way we've pushed our beliefs on them, like the Lord said they would.
In Matt. 7:7-12 the way to salvation is explained to us. It's summarized in verse 8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. If you ask for it, you'll receive it. It's this message of hope that's needed for our time, not judgment and condemnation.
I don't think it's an accident that in verse 10 the Lord asked, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” The comparison of bread with a stone takes us back to the Wilderness Temptation when Satan challenged Him to turn stones into bread. He replied, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4) God's Word is life, and Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). Stones are dead. If we ask for life will the Lord give us death instead?
But the comparison of a fish to a serpent symbolizes the central thought of the entire chapter. The fish stands for Jesus and became the symbol of His followers. The serpent stands for Satan. Jesus called the leaders of His day's organized religion children of the devil (John 8:44), who with their insistence on a mindless obedience to their laws (Isaiah 29:13) rather than faith in a coming Redeemer, made their converts twice the son of hell as they were (Matt. 23:15). They had turned God's love into a tool of the devil, and sadly there are many in the church still doing the same thing today.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(Matt 7:12) The phrase Law and Prophets was a Jewish idiom for their Scriptures, the Old Testament. While we think of the Golden Rule as a New Testament idea, Jesus said it summarized the Old Testament as well. If you don't want to be judged, don't judge. If you don't want to be condemned, don't condemn. If you want mercy, be merciful. If you want to be forgiven, forgive. If you want to receive, give. (Luke 6:36-38)
There's a reason why verses 13-14 are in the middle of the chapter and not the beginning or the end. Up till now we've been looking at misdirected believers who think they're defending the faith but instead will find themselves defending fruitless lives at judgment time. Now we'll see examples of those who claim to be in the Church, but will actually be left behind when the Rapture comes.
Matt. 7:15-23 warns us against following false prophets, saying, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matt. 7:22-23)
Appearing to perform miracles in the Lord's name does not make someone His follower, so we shouldn't blindly accept them as such, but should inspect their doctrine. Remember Satan will appear to perform miracles and will deceive many. (2 Thes. 2:9-10) Only those who do His father's will can claim the Son, regardless of what else they say or do. And what is the father's will? Here's the Lord's answer. “My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)
Nowhere is the Father's will as it regards our salvation stated more clearly. Anyone who adds any requirement or qualification to this declaration (or takes anything from it) is a false prophet even if they perform miracles in the Lord's name.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matt. 7:24-27)
Here is the Lord's summary statement complete with one final comparison, this one aimed at the liberals. In Matt. 16: 16-18 Jesus called Peter's confession that He was the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God, the rock on which He would build the Church. Paul wrote that the rock Moses struck to provide water for the Israelites represented Christ. For they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:4) From ancient times, the priest would call God's people to worship saying, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1) And today we sing, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
A doctrine of salvation that's built upon anything other than the personal relationship with Jesus that comes from being born again rests precariously on sinking sand. (John 3:3) He alone is the foundation of our faith, and unless our salvation is built exclusively upon this Rock, it will be of no avail to us when we stand before Him on that Day.
From the context of the chapter, we can see that the Lord's topic was salvation. We don't deserve ours so we shouldn't judge others when it looks to us like they don't deserve theirs. We have no right to think of ourselves as being better than unbelievers, so we shouldn't try to impose our values on them. We received our salvation simply because we asked for it in faith. There was no merit or worthiness involved, nothing to commend us. But we should be very wary of those who would propose alternatives to salvation by grace through faith alone, whether by adding to or subtracting from it, even if they perform miracles.
Now let's go back to verses 13-14. Each of the two roads is thought by its travelers to be the way to salvation. But the name engraved above the wide gate is Works and multitudes who call themselves Christians are striving to get there. They run the gamut from extreme legalism to extreme liberalism, but have in common a belief that it's their behavior that saves them.
The legalist proudly proclaims, “Jesus may have begun my salvation, but I finished it. I have kept the commandments and no longer sin. I have earned the right to call others to account for their behavior. How else will they learn?”
The false prophet says, “I'm a miracle worker, just like the Lord was. Who can doubt that I'm His.”
The artificially modest liberal says “I'm a good person and I've tried to live a good life. There are many roads to salvation and as long as we're sincere in what we believe, the Lord will understand and accept us.”
None of them realizes the road he's on leads to destruction.
But at the end of the narrow road stands a small gate on which the word Faith is inscribed. As we come alongside the few travelers on this road we can hear them softly singing,
“Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”
This is the road to Life.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9) Selah.
This passage is often quoted in reference to the different roads traveled by unbelievers as opposed to believers. Unbelievers are said to be on a broad road with many fellow travelers, all on the way to their destruction. Believers on the other hand are a small segment of humanity and are on a narrow road to salvation. This difference is further defined by some as pertaining to our behavior. The unbeliever's gate is wide and his road is broad, supposedly indicating that there's room for all kinds of sinful behavior, while for the believer it's a small gate and a narrow road suggesting that there's very little latitude for misbehaving. A careless step or two and you may find yourself being rerouted onto the broad road.
If you look at these 2 verses alone it's easy to understand why so many see them this way. But in the context of the chapter a different picture emerges.
In Matthew 7 the people in focus all claim to be believers, and the emphasis is on their fruit. The Lord began by admonishing us against judging others,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2)
Verses 3-5 have to do with judgment within the community of believers.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
We're all sinners and hypocrites who have a tendency to pounce all over even the “minor” sins of others while ignoring our own massive list of transgressions. Why is it that those who test the Lord's patience to the max are often the most acrimonious in their accusations of others?
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? (Romans 2:1-3)
Intolerant, judgmental believers are convinced they're defending the faith and that they'll receive the commendation due them from the Lord. But these verses indicate quite the opposite.
As much as we ignore the warnings in verses 3-5, our disregard for verse 6 is even more glaring. It has to do with our attitude toward unbelievers.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Expecting the unbelieving world to conform to our moral standards is ridiculous. And yet to the world the church is known primarily for its holier-than-thou hypocrisy in doing just that. Like the Pharisees of old we demand that others live up to behavioral standards we ourselves don't keep. For example studies show that our divorce and abortion rates are no different from theirs. And it's a known fact that we indulge in more than our share of adultery, theft, gluttony, avarice, greed, and so on, as well.
It's like we have forgotten all about the Lord's advice that the best way to convert the world is for the Church to become what it was meant to be, an agent of His love (John 13:34-35). Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:4) It's God's kindness and mercy that bring people to Him, not threats of condemnation.
Some think it's persecution when unbelievers pass laws that contradict our beliefs and restrict our freedoms while promoting the freedom of others. But maybe it's just them turning on us for the way we've pushed our beliefs on them, like the Lord said they would.
In Matt. 7:7-12 the way to salvation is explained to us. It's summarized in verse 8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. If you ask for it, you'll receive it. It's this message of hope that's needed for our time, not judgment and condemnation.
I don't think it's an accident that in verse 10 the Lord asked, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” The comparison of bread with a stone takes us back to the Wilderness Temptation when Satan challenged Him to turn stones into bread. He replied, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4) God's Word is life, and Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). Stones are dead. If we ask for life will the Lord give us death instead?
But the comparison of a fish to a serpent symbolizes the central thought of the entire chapter. The fish stands for Jesus and became the symbol of His followers. The serpent stands for Satan. Jesus called the leaders of His day's organized religion children of the devil (John 8:44), who with their insistence on a mindless obedience to their laws (Isaiah 29:13) rather than faith in a coming Redeemer, made their converts twice the son of hell as they were (Matt. 23:15). They had turned God's love into a tool of the devil, and sadly there are many in the church still doing the same thing today.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(Matt 7:12) The phrase Law and Prophets was a Jewish idiom for their Scriptures, the Old Testament. While we think of the Golden Rule as a New Testament idea, Jesus said it summarized the Old Testament as well. If you don't want to be judged, don't judge. If you don't want to be condemned, don't condemn. If you want mercy, be merciful. If you want to be forgiven, forgive. If you want to receive, give. (Luke 6:36-38)
There's a reason why verses 13-14 are in the middle of the chapter and not the beginning or the end. Up till now we've been looking at misdirected believers who think they're defending the faith but instead will find themselves defending fruitless lives at judgment time. Now we'll see examples of those who claim to be in the Church, but will actually be left behind when the Rapture comes.
Matt. 7:15-23 warns us against following false prophets, saying, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matt. 7:22-23)
Appearing to perform miracles in the Lord's name does not make someone His follower, so we shouldn't blindly accept them as such, but should inspect their doctrine. Remember Satan will appear to perform miracles and will deceive many. (2 Thes. 2:9-10) Only those who do His father's will can claim the Son, regardless of what else they say or do. And what is the father's will? Here's the Lord's answer. “My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)
Nowhere is the Father's will as it regards our salvation stated more clearly. Anyone who adds any requirement or qualification to this declaration (or takes anything from it) is a false prophet even if they perform miracles in the Lord's name.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matt. 7:24-27)
Here is the Lord's summary statement complete with one final comparison, this one aimed at the liberals. In Matt. 16: 16-18 Jesus called Peter's confession that He was the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God, the rock on which He would build the Church. Paul wrote that the rock Moses struck to provide water for the Israelites represented Christ. For they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:4) From ancient times, the priest would call God's people to worship saying, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1) And today we sing, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
A doctrine of salvation that's built upon anything other than the personal relationship with Jesus that comes from being born again rests precariously on sinking sand. (John 3:3) He alone is the foundation of our faith, and unless our salvation is built exclusively upon this Rock, it will be of no avail to us when we stand before Him on that Day.
From the context of the chapter, we can see that the Lord's topic was salvation. We don't deserve ours so we shouldn't judge others when it looks to us like they don't deserve theirs. We have no right to think of ourselves as being better than unbelievers, so we shouldn't try to impose our values on them. We received our salvation simply because we asked for it in faith. There was no merit or worthiness involved, nothing to commend us. But we should be very wary of those who would propose alternatives to salvation by grace through faith alone, whether by adding to or subtracting from it, even if they perform miracles.
Now let's go back to verses 13-14. Each of the two roads is thought by its travelers to be the way to salvation. But the name engraved above the wide gate is Works and multitudes who call themselves Christians are striving to get there. They run the gamut from extreme legalism to extreme liberalism, but have in common a belief that it's their behavior that saves them.
The legalist proudly proclaims, “Jesus may have begun my salvation, but I finished it. I have kept the commandments and no longer sin. I have earned the right to call others to account for their behavior. How else will they learn?”
The false prophet says, “I'm a miracle worker, just like the Lord was. Who can doubt that I'm His.”
The artificially modest liberal says “I'm a good person and I've tried to live a good life. There are many roads to salvation and as long as we're sincere in what we believe, the Lord will understand and accept us.”
None of them realizes the road he's on leads to destruction.
But at the end of the narrow road stands a small gate on which the word Faith is inscribed. As we come alongside the few travelers on this road we can hear them softly singing,
“Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”
This is the road to Life.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9) Selah.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Health Hazard
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly ...” Revelation 22:18 -20.
At first glance the above admonition seems to be directly referring to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the concluding text that closes out the entire Bible. From cover to cover, God designated the Holy Bible as a whole, a completely integrated design. The Bible is also a book of prophecy, and in light of that proven fact and the warning given by Jesus, anyone contemplating making any change to any chapter or any verse would be guilty of corrupting His word.
God takes His word very seriously, much more so than man, and as such He’s willing to protect it tenaciously. Jesus is warning all who hear the word of prophecy in this book that adding man’s flawed concepts to His word, or subtracting any part from His word would be a fatal mistake, both physically and spiritually. Jesus’ warning is explicit. His word needs no adjustments no tweaking, no additions, and no subtractions. It’s perfect as written.
When a believer reads the Bible it becomes a love search. We gain a greater knowledge of who God is and with that new knowledge there becomes a need to continually pursue a better grasp of God’s plan for our lives. God loves us and He loves it when we immerse ourselves in His word. But He’s adamant about making changes to it. No born again follower of Jesus Christ is going to intentionally make changes to God’s perfect and inerrant word. Those who profess having a relationship with Jesus, but in all actuality don’t, are the ones who these scriptures are speaking to. It would be completely arrogant and foolhardy to tamper with God’s word. Many, in the past, have ignored these warnings and without either understanding or believing it possible, they’ve corrupted the word of God. Where will this lead those who follow such people? Now that’s a scary thought.
God’s Holy Spirit moved among selected men to record events in their specific day and to give them history lessons in advance so they could record this information for all posterity. The Holy Spirit inspired those men to place prophecies throughout the Bible so that God’s word would gradually, over a period of many hundreds of years, develop into one complete unit, The Holy Bible. Keep in mind that all the chapter and verse portions of the Bible were developed by translators, not the original writers. If you want to get a better concept of the Bible as one complete book, consider each book in the Bible as a chapter title, all formulated in the authors mind to be read as one book.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is “God breathed”, who in their right mind would want to mess with what God Himself has designated as true and complete?
Some will take 2 Timothy 3:16 and say when Paul wrote those words to Timothy there was very little of the New Testament completed, let alone circulated. Timothy, for the most part, had only the Old Testament scriptures, and thus Paul was only referring to the Old Testament as God breathed. Since God is thoroughly able to see the future of mankind shouldn’t we at least consider that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write those words in anticipation of a still future completed book? “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15, 16. Even the Apostle Peter refers to Paul’s writings as scripture comparing them to other scriptures.
There are those who won’t see Jesus’ warning pertaining to the entirety of the Bible and will not agree with me on what I’ve stated, at least not from just three verses extracted from the book of Revelation which I laid out in the beginning of this commentary. As we study our Bibles we should find that there will be two or three witnesses to prove a matter. There are other verses that confirm this truth spattered throughout the Old and New Testaments.
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2. Does anyone dispute that what God is addressing here is the taking away or the adding to His word? The warning, given in the book of Revelation, is of course a warning that transcends all scripture. Certainly we read the result of Bible tampering as a warning God takes very seriously. God has applied His warning to all of His words. There will be a huge price to pay for anyone who refuses to heed His warning.
What is meant by “add unto the word”? How do we do that? Here’s just one example (of which there are many) of how some add to God’s word. Baptism as a requirement for salvation is a heresy promoted by numerous Churches around the world. Adding to the sufficiency of the cross is wrong. It’s bad doctrine and it’s dangerous. How dangerous? Does plagues and having your part removed from the book of life jar your memory?
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32. We find this same admonishment twice in the book of Deuteronomy. God says what He means and means what He says. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. He isn’t just requesting we observe what He tells us, He’s telling us that if we love Him we will keep His commandments, and He commands us to leave this book as it is written.
These other verses that speak about adding to and subtracting from God’s word are very telling. God, by placing them strategically so many times throughout His word, fully expects some people to ignore His warnings. And guess what? They do. Is it that some folks think they are smarter than God in that re-writing His word has become their perceived destiny? Think about it this way, we change God’s word to fit our interpretation and we teach others our interpretation which is at odds with what God has plainly stated. Then this erroneous teaching gets passed on and on down the line and pretty soon there’s a snowball effect happening with loads of bad and destructive false doctrine being promoted as truth.
“...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation...” Deuteronomy 5:9. What we can take from this scripture verse is that the sin of the father is taught to the children even unto the third and fourth generation. The children pickup the sins the father commits and carry them on in their generation and even pass them on to their children and so on. In that sense we see what’s being taught by one is passed down to those he is teaching. If someone changes God’s word and teaches these changes to others and they in turn teach the changes to still others we see that this can lead to generation after generation being taught false and destructive doctrines. Just take a look at the Christian cults that have flourished for generations. They’re all guilty of making fatal changes to God’s inerrant word.
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:6. Doubting God’s promises as described in Revelation 22:18 and 19 will lead to perilous times for those foolish individuals who take from or add to His word. Warnings which are purposely and openly observable abound throughout the scriptures to keep us from harm. Over and over again we’re admonished to listen to God and He will be our shield and make our paths straight. If we don’t listen to God our paths will be wide and will undoubtedly lead to destruction.
“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4. Jesus used those words in response to Satan’s attempts to tempt Him during a 40 day fast in the wilderness. The word of God is the key. Jesus knew it and He’s been trying to get the rest of us to see it for years now. The Bible is perfect and believable and many do believe it, and many hold it in the highest esteem. But many more disparage, neglect, hate, dismiss and even change God’s word to fit their agendas. Those who treat God’s word with contempt will regret their life and their decision to do so.
My wife and I attended a conference in Tennessee a few months ago. While we waited for it to begin, she and I went to a coffee shop for some coffee and a donut. Seated near us two men, who seemed to be pastors, were discussing the Bible. We weren’t eavesdropping, but could hear the conversation clearly. One was explaining to the other how the Bible should be re-interpreted to take in a broader scope. He actually said “We need to take Paul’s letters and extrapolate them forward to fit today’s society.” In other words, take the words that God told Paul to write and change them to make the Bible conform to us rather than us conform to the Bible. Be Careful my brethren, this approach to God’s word will lead to a very sticky end.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3. This verse is an admonishment to the believer to declare the truth about what they believe. Contend for the faith. The truth we know as God’s word is something we must, with complete conviction, stand firm on.
Keep a watchful eye and ear out for those who have their own dubious plans to corrupt the word of God. Through the arrogance of people such as these, many of our brethren are being falsely led. The outcome of this type tampering can only result in the further dumbing down of the Church.
At first glance the above admonition seems to be directly referring to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the concluding text that closes out the entire Bible. From cover to cover, God designated the Holy Bible as a whole, a completely integrated design. The Bible is also a book of prophecy, and in light of that proven fact and the warning given by Jesus, anyone contemplating making any change to any chapter or any verse would be guilty of corrupting His word.
God takes His word very seriously, much more so than man, and as such He’s willing to protect it tenaciously. Jesus is warning all who hear the word of prophecy in this book that adding man’s flawed concepts to His word, or subtracting any part from His word would be a fatal mistake, both physically and spiritually. Jesus’ warning is explicit. His word needs no adjustments no tweaking, no additions, and no subtractions. It’s perfect as written.
When a believer reads the Bible it becomes a love search. We gain a greater knowledge of who God is and with that new knowledge there becomes a need to continually pursue a better grasp of God’s plan for our lives. God loves us and He loves it when we immerse ourselves in His word. But He’s adamant about making changes to it. No born again follower of Jesus Christ is going to intentionally make changes to God’s perfect and inerrant word. Those who profess having a relationship with Jesus, but in all actuality don’t, are the ones who these scriptures are speaking to. It would be completely arrogant and foolhardy to tamper with God’s word. Many, in the past, have ignored these warnings and without either understanding or believing it possible, they’ve corrupted the word of God. Where will this lead those who follow such people? Now that’s a scary thought.
God’s Holy Spirit moved among selected men to record events in their specific day and to give them history lessons in advance so they could record this information for all posterity. The Holy Spirit inspired those men to place prophecies throughout the Bible so that God’s word would gradually, over a period of many hundreds of years, develop into one complete unit, The Holy Bible. Keep in mind that all the chapter and verse portions of the Bible were developed by translators, not the original writers. If you want to get a better concept of the Bible as one complete book, consider each book in the Bible as a chapter title, all formulated in the authors mind to be read as one book.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is “God breathed”, who in their right mind would want to mess with what God Himself has designated as true and complete?
Some will take 2 Timothy 3:16 and say when Paul wrote those words to Timothy there was very little of the New Testament completed, let alone circulated. Timothy, for the most part, had only the Old Testament scriptures, and thus Paul was only referring to the Old Testament as God breathed. Since God is thoroughly able to see the future of mankind shouldn’t we at least consider that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write those words in anticipation of a still future completed book? “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15, 16. Even the Apostle Peter refers to Paul’s writings as scripture comparing them to other scriptures.
There are those who won’t see Jesus’ warning pertaining to the entirety of the Bible and will not agree with me on what I’ve stated, at least not from just three verses extracted from the book of Revelation which I laid out in the beginning of this commentary. As we study our Bibles we should find that there will be two or three witnesses to prove a matter. There are other verses that confirm this truth spattered throughout the Old and New Testaments.
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2. Does anyone dispute that what God is addressing here is the taking away or the adding to His word? The warning, given in the book of Revelation, is of course a warning that transcends all scripture. Certainly we read the result of Bible tampering as a warning God takes very seriously. God has applied His warning to all of His words. There will be a huge price to pay for anyone who refuses to heed His warning.
What is meant by “add unto the word”? How do we do that? Here’s just one example (of which there are many) of how some add to God’s word. Baptism as a requirement for salvation is a heresy promoted by numerous Churches around the world. Adding to the sufficiency of the cross is wrong. It’s bad doctrine and it’s dangerous. How dangerous? Does plagues and having your part removed from the book of life jar your memory?
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32. We find this same admonishment twice in the book of Deuteronomy. God says what He means and means what He says. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. He isn’t just requesting we observe what He tells us, He’s telling us that if we love Him we will keep His commandments, and He commands us to leave this book as it is written.
These other verses that speak about adding to and subtracting from God’s word are very telling. God, by placing them strategically so many times throughout His word, fully expects some people to ignore His warnings. And guess what? They do. Is it that some folks think they are smarter than God in that re-writing His word has become their perceived destiny? Think about it this way, we change God’s word to fit our interpretation and we teach others our interpretation which is at odds with what God has plainly stated. Then this erroneous teaching gets passed on and on down the line and pretty soon there’s a snowball effect happening with loads of bad and destructive false doctrine being promoted as truth.
“...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation...” Deuteronomy 5:9. What we can take from this scripture verse is that the sin of the father is taught to the children even unto the third and fourth generation. The children pickup the sins the father commits and carry them on in their generation and even pass them on to their children and so on. In that sense we see what’s being taught by one is passed down to those he is teaching. If someone changes God’s word and teaches these changes to others and they in turn teach the changes to still others we see that this can lead to generation after generation being taught false and destructive doctrines. Just take a look at the Christian cults that have flourished for generations. They’re all guilty of making fatal changes to God’s inerrant word.
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:6. Doubting God’s promises as described in Revelation 22:18 and 19 will lead to perilous times for those foolish individuals who take from or add to His word. Warnings which are purposely and openly observable abound throughout the scriptures to keep us from harm. Over and over again we’re admonished to listen to God and He will be our shield and make our paths straight. If we don’t listen to God our paths will be wide and will undoubtedly lead to destruction.
“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4. Jesus used those words in response to Satan’s attempts to tempt Him during a 40 day fast in the wilderness. The word of God is the key. Jesus knew it and He’s been trying to get the rest of us to see it for years now. The Bible is perfect and believable and many do believe it, and many hold it in the highest esteem. But many more disparage, neglect, hate, dismiss and even change God’s word to fit their agendas. Those who treat God’s word with contempt will regret their life and their decision to do so.
My wife and I attended a conference in Tennessee a few months ago. While we waited for it to begin, she and I went to a coffee shop for some coffee and a donut. Seated near us two men, who seemed to be pastors, were discussing the Bible. We weren’t eavesdropping, but could hear the conversation clearly. One was explaining to the other how the Bible should be re-interpreted to take in a broader scope. He actually said “We need to take Paul’s letters and extrapolate them forward to fit today’s society.” In other words, take the words that God told Paul to write and change them to make the Bible conform to us rather than us conform to the Bible. Be Careful my brethren, this approach to God’s word will lead to a very sticky end.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3. This verse is an admonishment to the believer to declare the truth about what they believe. Contend for the faith. The truth we know as God’s word is something we must, with complete conviction, stand firm on.
Keep a watchful eye and ear out for those who have their own dubious plans to corrupt the word of God. Through the arrogance of people such as these, many of our brethren are being falsely led. The outcome of this type tampering can only result in the further dumbing down of the Church.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Blind Faith In Jesus Christ?
Recently, I read a blog post and accompanying comments which addressed an article I had previously written. Unfortunately, the post and some of the comments focused on challenging the Word of God and denigrating believers in Jesus Christ.
But this is nothing new. We’ve seen these types of comments before.
They go something like this…
“The bible is a fairy tale.”
“God is completely made up.”
“Why won’t God show Himself?”
“Where’s the evidence of God?”
“Christians are idiots with blind faith in fairy tales.”
Some of these statements are blatantly false opinions unsubstantiated by fact, while others are legitimate questions. The remainder of this article will attempt address these points for the non-believer.
Is God Made Up?
God is certainly not a figment of man’s imagination. In fact, it’s the idea that God doesn’t exist that’s a concept invented by mankind, not the other way around.
As God is quick to remind us…
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1 (NLT)
It’s pure foolishness to deny the existence of God.
Why?
Because evidence of His existence is all around us, a point which will be addressed in detail momentarily.
But right now, we should be more concerned with where this idea comes from. Why do so many people outright reject the idea of God’s existence? After all, even demons acknowledge God as evidenced by the following:
“As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him.” Luke 8:27-29 (NLT)
Not only do the demons acknowledge God’s existence, but also His power, because they beg for His mercy:
“The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.” Luke 8:30 (NLT)
So if demons acknowledge God’s existence, why are so many people confused?
One reason is because the Prince of this world has successfully convinced many people that belief in God is incompatiable with rational thought and logic.
But is this really the case?
Blind Faith?
One of the favorite stand-by slanders utilized by those who deny the existence of God is the following…
“I don’t accept the truth of ancient texts with blind faith. Our ancestors just made up the idea of God because they couldn’t explain the world.”
The insinuation is that if you accept the existence of God and God’s Word (the Bible), then you must throw all rationality and common sense out the window. Why? Because there’s no evidence any of this stuff is true!
Does that line of irrational thought sound familiar?
It should. I’ve heard it all my life, and this line of reasoning is just plain ignorant of the facts.
Why?
Because it…
1) Equates faith with a blind unquestioning acceptance
2) It assumes no evidence of God exists
Both are incorrect assumptions.
Faith is not blind acceptance, and faith is not an irrational embrace of uproven tradition.
Faith is trust. Trust and belief that someone will hold true to their word.
And trust is built on reputation.
For instance, you might trust someone if they have a history of integrity, a track record of reliability, and an impeccable reputation of trustworthiness established over a long period of time. In such a case, it’s reasonable and rational to expect the person’s trustworthiness will continue.
I have faith in Jesus Christ not because my ancestors did, and not because I cling to a false hope… It’s just the opposite!
I have faith in Jesus Christ because I trust God. I trust Him to keep His Word.
Here’s what God had to say hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came into this world…
“I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.” Deuteronomy 18:18 (NLT)
God promised a prophet from among the Israelites. He promised to put His own words in that prophet’s mouth.
Then when God sent His prophet, He and His servant John testified on His behalf…
“Then John testified, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.’” John 1:32-34 (NLT)
My well-reasoned, rational reason to have faith in Jesus Christ? …Because God said to trust Him!
And given His track record, I’ll take God’s Word over the words of the world.
Will I fall victim to false hope?
Don’t count on it…
“And anyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed.” 1 Peter 2:6 (NLT)
So why do I trust God’s Word? What makes God so trustworthy? What’s His track record?
And why would anyone accept anything written in the Bible as true? Where’s the evidence?
Once I show you, you won’t equate faith in Jesus Christ with blind acceptance. Instead, you’ll understand that faith in Jesus Christ is nothing more than trust in the Word of God. And God has proven He deserves our trust.
The Evidence of God
One of the common arguments put forth by those who discount God’s existence is the following:
“Okay, if God exists… Where’s the evidence?”
Unfortunately, most believers are unprepared to respond properly. As a result, the self-righteous questioner believes he’s won his argument.
Yet nothing is farther from the truth.
There’s plenty of evidence of God’s existence.
Creation is one. Bible prophecy is another. And both directly testify to people who live today, and there’s no denying the reality of either.
Creation
The very existence of creation is evidence enough of God’s existence.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)
Creation speaks to every person on a daily basis, literally proclaiming God’s existence to the world. So how can anyone say there’s no evidence of God?
They can’t…
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 (NLT)
On its own, creation provides such indisputable evidence of God’s glory that people “have no excuse for not knowing God.”
So, in an effort to explain away God and creation, non-believers evolve various theories as to how creation came into existence… Notice who’s engaged in the creative, ever-evolving storytelling here? Hint, it’s not Bible believers.
So who’s irrational? The man who looks at a snowflake and believes an intelligent designer created it? Or the one who looks at the same snowflake and chalks it up to random chance?
Bible Prophecy
As if creation weren’t enough, God created a written account of His Word and gave it to the world. He challenged mankind to test it and to live by it.
But have non-believers objectively tested God’s Word?
No. If they did, they would be aware of hundreds and hundreds of fulfilled prophecies written in some cases thousands of years prior to their fulfillment. They would realize the statistical improbability of 100% of these prophecies reaching fulfillment, and they would believe in God.
After all, mankind can’t even fortell the direction of tomorrow’s stock market.
Yet God regularly fortells the rise and fall of nations centuries in advance!
And throughout the Old Testament, He points to this unique ability as evidence of His existence:
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” Isaiah 42:8-9 (NLT)
“‘Present the case for your idols,’ says the Lord. ‘Let them show what they can do,’ says the King of Israel. ‘Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods.’” Isaiah 41:21-23 (NLT)
“This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.’” Isaiah 44:6-7 (NLT)
So, how does God’s promise stand the test of time?
It stands up perfectly. Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled, one-hundred percent accuracy.
This article doesn’t contain enough room to address every one of prophecies. But there’s one that’s undeniable to the modern day non-believer…
The birth of Israel as a nation.
Israel
Non-believers can dismiss the messianic prophecies as unfulfilled by claiming the Gospels were written by the followers of Jesus and that Medieval historians revised history.
But you can’t make the claim of historical revisionism when a prophecy is fulfilled in your own day.
And God’s Word was fulfilled in plain sight, for all the world to see, in May 1948. That’s when Israel became a nation for the first time in almost 2,000 years.
2,600 years ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke on behalf of God, who promised to gather Israel’s children from the four corners of the earth and bring them back to the land He promised them:
“‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west and from north and south. I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Isaiah 43:5-7 (NLT)
God also promised through the prophet Jeremiah to bring the people of Israel out of exile and back into their land:
“‘But the time is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.” Jeremiah 16:14-15 (NLT)
And, as if that weren’t enough, God reiterated His intentions through the prophet Ezekiel:
“Therefore, give the exiles this message from the Sovereign Lord: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.” Ezekiel 11:16-17 (NLT)
The promise to restore Israel as a nation isn’t made just once, twice, or even three times in the Bible, but numerous times. Space constraints simply don’t allow for an exhaustive look at all of God’s prophecies concerning Israel.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that long before the Jewish people ended an almost 2,000 year exile from the land of Israel, God promised their return.
These promises weren’t “made up” by mere men… How could they be? Who but God could have foreseen the Jewish exile and subsequent regathering? What other nation of people in the history of the world faced a forced exile yet retained all the elements of their cultural, religious, and social heritage?
The modern day nation of Israel is bombshell testimony of God’s existence…
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)
Which opens the door to even more evidence…
The Holy Spirit
Aside from creation and fulfilled bible prophecy, the Holy Spirit offers further evidence of God’s existence. Those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ can testify to the existence of the Holy Spirit, which gives regular testimony of God’s existence.
As Jesus promised:
“But I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.” John 15:26-27 (NLT)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
As Paul points out, the Holy Spirit transforms a person. So those people are a testimony of Christ’s existence:
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Unfortunately, evidence of the Holy Spirit is hidden from the non-believer:
“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NLT)
Believers in Christ can understand these things, because they “have the mind of Christ.” But in the eyes of non-believers, the Holy Spirit and God’s existence sounds foolish.
Why Won’t God “Show” Himself?
Another typical argument put forward by the non-believing public is this one…
“If God exists, where is He? Why won’t God show Himself?”
This shows ignorance on two fronts…
First, God shows Himself every day through the Holy Spirit to countless believers. But since non-believers themselves can not experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they make an assumption that it does not exist.
Second, it ignores creation, bible prophecy, and the historical background of God “showing Himself” to mankind.
After all, God used to regularly show Himself to mankind. Unfortunately, the non-believers of the Old Testament era got upset and asked God to no longer reveal Himself in the same way…
“And they said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!’” Exodus 20:19 (NLT)
Why did they make this request? Because God scared them! He spoke with thunderous authority, and He made demands of mankind that mankind did not want to adhere to…
So what did God do?
Gentleman that He is, He honored their request. God promised to no longer speak in thunderous tones from a mountain top. Instead, He promised to send a prophet to speak on His behalf…
“Moses continued, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.’” Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (NLT)
The prophet God sent is Jesus Christ. He is the physical and human manifestation of God Almighty Himself… the very thing the non-believers demand! Yet, in spite of His coming and fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, non-believers continue to insist, “God does not exist…”
They continue to proclaim…
“There’s no evidence.”
They continue to demand…
“Why doesn’t God show Himself?”
Yet, God did and does show Himself. His name is Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
While the non-believers of this world continue to insist a belief in God is utter foolishness, the exclusive domain of irrational intellectual Neandrathals who embrace fairy tales… God has something else in mind.
It turns out the joke is on the intellectually arrogant. For in the eyes of God, the wisdom of this world is nothing more than mere foolishness:
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’ And again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.’” 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NLT)
God exists. Evidence abounds.
And God will soon show Himself to the world through the Glorious Appearing of His Son, Jesus Christ…
But this is nothing new. We’ve seen these types of comments before.
They go something like this…
“The bible is a fairy tale.”
“God is completely made up.”
“Why won’t God show Himself?”
“Where’s the evidence of God?”
“Christians are idiots with blind faith in fairy tales.”
Some of these statements are blatantly false opinions unsubstantiated by fact, while others are legitimate questions. The remainder of this article will attempt address these points for the non-believer.
Is God Made Up?
God is certainly not a figment of man’s imagination. In fact, it’s the idea that God doesn’t exist that’s a concept invented by mankind, not the other way around.
As God is quick to remind us…
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1 (NLT)
It’s pure foolishness to deny the existence of God.
Why?
Because evidence of His existence is all around us, a point which will be addressed in detail momentarily.
But right now, we should be more concerned with where this idea comes from. Why do so many people outright reject the idea of God’s existence? After all, even demons acknowledge God as evidenced by the following:
“As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him.” Luke 8:27-29 (NLT)
Not only do the demons acknowledge God’s existence, but also His power, because they beg for His mercy:
“The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.” Luke 8:30 (NLT)
So if demons acknowledge God’s existence, why are so many people confused?
One reason is because the Prince of this world has successfully convinced many people that belief in God is incompatiable with rational thought and logic.
But is this really the case?
Blind Faith?
One of the favorite stand-by slanders utilized by those who deny the existence of God is the following…
“I don’t accept the truth of ancient texts with blind faith. Our ancestors just made up the idea of God because they couldn’t explain the world.”
The insinuation is that if you accept the existence of God and God’s Word (the Bible), then you must throw all rationality and common sense out the window. Why? Because there’s no evidence any of this stuff is true!
Does that line of irrational thought sound familiar?
It should. I’ve heard it all my life, and this line of reasoning is just plain ignorant of the facts.
Why?
Because it…
1) Equates faith with a blind unquestioning acceptance
2) It assumes no evidence of God exists
Both are incorrect assumptions.
Faith is not blind acceptance, and faith is not an irrational embrace of uproven tradition.
Faith is trust. Trust and belief that someone will hold true to their word.
And trust is built on reputation.
For instance, you might trust someone if they have a history of integrity, a track record of reliability, and an impeccable reputation of trustworthiness established over a long period of time. In such a case, it’s reasonable and rational to expect the person’s trustworthiness will continue.
I have faith in Jesus Christ not because my ancestors did, and not because I cling to a false hope… It’s just the opposite!
I have faith in Jesus Christ because I trust God. I trust Him to keep His Word.
Here’s what God had to say hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came into this world…
“I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.” Deuteronomy 18:18 (NLT)
God promised a prophet from among the Israelites. He promised to put His own words in that prophet’s mouth.
Then when God sent His prophet, He and His servant John testified on His behalf…
“Then John testified, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.’” John 1:32-34 (NLT)
My well-reasoned, rational reason to have faith in Jesus Christ? …Because God said to trust Him!
And given His track record, I’ll take God’s Word over the words of the world.
Will I fall victim to false hope?
Don’t count on it…
“And anyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed.” 1 Peter 2:6 (NLT)
So why do I trust God’s Word? What makes God so trustworthy? What’s His track record?
And why would anyone accept anything written in the Bible as true? Where’s the evidence?
Once I show you, you won’t equate faith in Jesus Christ with blind acceptance. Instead, you’ll understand that faith in Jesus Christ is nothing more than trust in the Word of God. And God has proven He deserves our trust.
The Evidence of God
One of the common arguments put forth by those who discount God’s existence is the following:
“Okay, if God exists… Where’s the evidence?”
Unfortunately, most believers are unprepared to respond properly. As a result, the self-righteous questioner believes he’s won his argument.
Yet nothing is farther from the truth.
There’s plenty of evidence of God’s existence.
Creation is one. Bible prophecy is another. And both directly testify to people who live today, and there’s no denying the reality of either.
Creation
The very existence of creation is evidence enough of God’s existence.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)
Creation speaks to every person on a daily basis, literally proclaiming God’s existence to the world. So how can anyone say there’s no evidence of God?
They can’t…
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 (NLT)
On its own, creation provides such indisputable evidence of God’s glory that people “have no excuse for not knowing God.”
So, in an effort to explain away God and creation, non-believers evolve various theories as to how creation came into existence… Notice who’s engaged in the creative, ever-evolving storytelling here? Hint, it’s not Bible believers.
So who’s irrational? The man who looks at a snowflake and believes an intelligent designer created it? Or the one who looks at the same snowflake and chalks it up to random chance?
Bible Prophecy
As if creation weren’t enough, God created a written account of His Word and gave it to the world. He challenged mankind to test it and to live by it.
But have non-believers objectively tested God’s Word?
No. If they did, they would be aware of hundreds and hundreds of fulfilled prophecies written in some cases thousands of years prior to their fulfillment. They would realize the statistical improbability of 100% of these prophecies reaching fulfillment, and they would believe in God.
After all, mankind can’t even fortell the direction of tomorrow’s stock market.
Yet God regularly fortells the rise and fall of nations centuries in advance!
And throughout the Old Testament, He points to this unique ability as evidence of His existence:
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” Isaiah 42:8-9 (NLT)
“‘Present the case for your idols,’ says the Lord. ‘Let them show what they can do,’ says the King of Israel. ‘Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods.’” Isaiah 41:21-23 (NLT)
“This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.’” Isaiah 44:6-7 (NLT)
So, how does God’s promise stand the test of time?
It stands up perfectly. Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled, one-hundred percent accuracy.
This article doesn’t contain enough room to address every one of prophecies. But there’s one that’s undeniable to the modern day non-believer…
The birth of Israel as a nation.
Israel
Non-believers can dismiss the messianic prophecies as unfulfilled by claiming the Gospels were written by the followers of Jesus and that Medieval historians revised history.
But you can’t make the claim of historical revisionism when a prophecy is fulfilled in your own day.
And God’s Word was fulfilled in plain sight, for all the world to see, in May 1948. That’s when Israel became a nation for the first time in almost 2,000 years.
2,600 years ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke on behalf of God, who promised to gather Israel’s children from the four corners of the earth and bring them back to the land He promised them:
“‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west and from north and south. I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Isaiah 43:5-7 (NLT)
God also promised through the prophet Jeremiah to bring the people of Israel out of exile and back into their land:
“‘But the time is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.” Jeremiah 16:14-15 (NLT)
And, as if that weren’t enough, God reiterated His intentions through the prophet Ezekiel:
“Therefore, give the exiles this message from the Sovereign Lord: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.” Ezekiel 11:16-17 (NLT)
The promise to restore Israel as a nation isn’t made just once, twice, or even three times in the Bible, but numerous times. Space constraints simply don’t allow for an exhaustive look at all of God’s prophecies concerning Israel.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that long before the Jewish people ended an almost 2,000 year exile from the land of Israel, God promised their return.
These promises weren’t “made up” by mere men… How could they be? Who but God could have foreseen the Jewish exile and subsequent regathering? What other nation of people in the history of the world faced a forced exile yet retained all the elements of their cultural, religious, and social heritage?
The modern day nation of Israel is bombshell testimony of God’s existence…
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)
Which opens the door to even more evidence…
The Holy Spirit
Aside from creation and fulfilled bible prophecy, the Holy Spirit offers further evidence of God’s existence. Those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ can testify to the existence of the Holy Spirit, which gives regular testimony of God’s existence.
As Jesus promised:
“But I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.” John 15:26-27 (NLT)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
As Paul points out, the Holy Spirit transforms a person. So those people are a testimony of Christ’s existence:
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Unfortunately, evidence of the Holy Spirit is hidden from the non-believer:
“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NLT)
Believers in Christ can understand these things, because they “have the mind of Christ.” But in the eyes of non-believers, the Holy Spirit and God’s existence sounds foolish.
Why Won’t God “Show” Himself?
Another typical argument put forward by the non-believing public is this one…
“If God exists, where is He? Why won’t God show Himself?”
This shows ignorance on two fronts…
First, God shows Himself every day through the Holy Spirit to countless believers. But since non-believers themselves can not experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they make an assumption that it does not exist.
Second, it ignores creation, bible prophecy, and the historical background of God “showing Himself” to mankind.
After all, God used to regularly show Himself to mankind. Unfortunately, the non-believers of the Old Testament era got upset and asked God to no longer reveal Himself in the same way…
“And they said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!’” Exodus 20:19 (NLT)
Why did they make this request? Because God scared them! He spoke with thunderous authority, and He made demands of mankind that mankind did not want to adhere to…
So what did God do?
Gentleman that He is, He honored their request. God promised to no longer speak in thunderous tones from a mountain top. Instead, He promised to send a prophet to speak on His behalf…
“Moses continued, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.’” Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (NLT)
The prophet God sent is Jesus Christ. He is the physical and human manifestation of God Almighty Himself… the very thing the non-believers demand! Yet, in spite of His coming and fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, non-believers continue to insist, “God does not exist…”
They continue to proclaim…
“There’s no evidence.”
They continue to demand…
“Why doesn’t God show Himself?”
Yet, God did and does show Himself. His name is Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
While the non-believers of this world continue to insist a belief in God is utter foolishness, the exclusive domain of irrational intellectual Neandrathals who embrace fairy tales… God has something else in mind.
It turns out the joke is on the intellectually arrogant. For in the eyes of God, the wisdom of this world is nothing more than mere foolishness:
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’ And again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.’” 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NLT)
God exists. Evidence abounds.
And God will soon show Himself to the world through the Glorious Appearing of His Son, Jesus Christ…
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Why the "Epicenter" Could Shake the World Sooner Than You Think
There is a lot of speculation these days about Israel's recent missile class warships sailing through the Suez Canal. This was just shortly after an Israeli submarine was spotted, capable of launching a nuclear missile strike in preparation for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
All of this was confirmed by Israeli officials, and it was a clear signal that Israel is able to put its strike force within range of Iran on short notice.
Additionally, Israel has strengthened ties with Arab nations that also fear a nuclear-armed Iran. In particular, relations with Egypt have grown increasingly strong this year over the "shared mutual distrust of Iran." Israeli naval vessels would likely pass through the Suez Canal for an Iranian strike.
These exercises are a message to Iran that Israel is serious about defending herself. It is believed that Israel's missile-equipped submarines, and its fleet of advanced aircraft, could be used to strike at in excess of a dozen nuclear-related targets more than 800 miles from Israel.
Is this just saber rattling with little substance? No. Israel knows it must strike Iran's nuclear plants before Iran is capable of seriously launching nukes at Israel's main cities in retaliation. If Israel strikes now, Iran is not yet capable of retaliating with her own nukes. Yes, she would retaliate in other ways, but they wouldn't decimate Israel. The region could be spared devastation if Israel acted in the next few weeks to a few months. If Israel waits a year or more, Iran will have the nuclear capability to send the region -- and world oil supply -- into utter chaos.
The Jews ignored the warnings of the 1930s to get out of Europe. They could not comprehend that a mad man had come on the scene who was serious about exterminating all of European Jewry. The Pharaohs and Hamans of Bible times weren't enough of a signal that such evil abounds then and now. The "new Hitler," Achmadinejad, is far more dangerous than the old Hitler. He did not have technology and nucleaer weapons.
In 1973 during the Yom Kippur War, Israel was caught by surprise. Israel kept delaying the deployment of troops. Not until the morning of Yom Kippur (October 6), about six hours before the Arab offensive, were Israeli officials convinced that war was imminent, and a mobilization of the reserves ordered. By then it was almost too late. But Israeli action, even though delayed, was so stunning that the Soviet Union threatened direct military intervention. Again, the world could have been plunged into a global disaster all because Israel waited too long.
Israel's victory in this war cost 2,400 lives and an estimated $5 billion of which more than $1 billion was airlifted by the U.S. during a time in the war when Israel's outcome looked bleak. There actually could have been a military escalation between superpowers in 1973, all because Israel did not heed the proper warnings before October 1973.
She will not make these mistakes again! It's kill or be killed now.
Any kind of military strike in the Middle East will affect you directly. You need to take these issues seriously and be in prayer. The Middle East is called the "epicenter" for a reason. It is the center of the earth geographically, politically, and religiously.
It does not help to have America's president tell Jewish leaders, as he did last week, that they must engage in self-reflection. Obama says there is a narrow window of opportunity for advancing the peace process and that he plans to speak openly and honestly with Israel just as he did with the Arab nations in Cairo. But in Cairo, he primarily praised Islam, his own Islamic heritage, and bad-mouthed America. Obama ignored the rejectionism of the Arab world against Israel and the ongoing wars and waves of Arab terror directed against the Jewish state since the day of its creation. He also compared the Palestinians to the U.S. civil rights movement.
His "engagement" and benign relationship with corrupt and despotic Arab regimes contrasts starkly with the tough talk conveyed to Israel at a time in history when once again, without God's intervention, Israel is facing extinction if she doesn't act and act quickly. She knows America is no longer her trusted friend. And no, God would not allow her extinction.
It's time Obama tell the Arab/Muslim world -- and not Israel -- to engage in self-reflection! It's time he tell them that the world's economy, already in a free fall, could spin out of control if there is a war in the Middle East sparked by Iran's thirst for nuclear weapons as soon as possible! It's time he tell them to dismantle all suicide bombers whose target is innocent Israelis (and other victims such as those in Jakarta last week). It's time Obama leave Israel alone, quit telling her to dismantle settlements, and quit trying to divide Jerusalem.
Obama's policy can be summarized as "Israelis should give and Palestinians should take." It amounts to appeasing the Arabs, humiliating Israel and, in the process, undermining the security of the Jewish state, the entire Middle East, and the rest of the world. Right when Israel needs every friend she can get (although the Bible says just the opposite will be the case), when Iranian nukes are being designed to fly down smokestacks in Tel Aviv and Haifa, America's president is lecturing and scolding Israel and telling her to "engage in self-reflection"? I suggest President Obama exercise some of his own self-reflection! (Also see Ezekiel 38:22, 23 for more of God's miraculous intervention when no nations come to Israel's defense.)
American Jews who voted overwhelmingly to elect Obama should not remain silent. They are entitled to press him to adhere to his commitment and treat the Jewish state in an even-handed manner. Together with other friends of Israel, they should discourage Obama from offering Israel as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of Arab appeasement. In urging Obama not to abandon Israel, they would also be promoting the U.S. national interest. History cannot point to a single instance in which appeasement of jihadists or tyrants has ever borne fruit.
Yet appeasement seems to be Obama's middle name. John Lennon would be happy were he still alive. The world's superpower, America, just loves to give peace a chance in all the wrong places.
Keep your eyes on the epicenter. It could literally explode in the coming weeks or months. Israel must act quickly no matter what the cost.
All of this was confirmed by Israeli officials, and it was a clear signal that Israel is able to put its strike force within range of Iran on short notice.
Additionally, Israel has strengthened ties with Arab nations that also fear a nuclear-armed Iran. In particular, relations with Egypt have grown increasingly strong this year over the "shared mutual distrust of Iran." Israeli naval vessels would likely pass through the Suez Canal for an Iranian strike.
These exercises are a message to Iran that Israel is serious about defending herself. It is believed that Israel's missile-equipped submarines, and its fleet of advanced aircraft, could be used to strike at in excess of a dozen nuclear-related targets more than 800 miles from Israel.
Is this just saber rattling with little substance? No. Israel knows it must strike Iran's nuclear plants before Iran is capable of seriously launching nukes at Israel's main cities in retaliation. If Israel strikes now, Iran is not yet capable of retaliating with her own nukes. Yes, she would retaliate in other ways, but they wouldn't decimate Israel. The region could be spared devastation if Israel acted in the next few weeks to a few months. If Israel waits a year or more, Iran will have the nuclear capability to send the region -- and world oil supply -- into utter chaos.
The Jews ignored the warnings of the 1930s to get out of Europe. They could not comprehend that a mad man had come on the scene who was serious about exterminating all of European Jewry. The Pharaohs and Hamans of Bible times weren't enough of a signal that such evil abounds then and now. The "new Hitler," Achmadinejad, is far more dangerous than the old Hitler. He did not have technology and nucleaer weapons.
In 1973 during the Yom Kippur War, Israel was caught by surprise. Israel kept delaying the deployment of troops. Not until the morning of Yom Kippur (October 6), about six hours before the Arab offensive, were Israeli officials convinced that war was imminent, and a mobilization of the reserves ordered. By then it was almost too late. But Israeli action, even though delayed, was so stunning that the Soviet Union threatened direct military intervention. Again, the world could have been plunged into a global disaster all because Israel waited too long.
Israel's victory in this war cost 2,400 lives and an estimated $5 billion of which more than $1 billion was airlifted by the U.S. during a time in the war when Israel's outcome looked bleak. There actually could have been a military escalation between superpowers in 1973, all because Israel did not heed the proper warnings before October 1973.
She will not make these mistakes again! It's kill or be killed now.
Any kind of military strike in the Middle East will affect you directly. You need to take these issues seriously and be in prayer. The Middle East is called the "epicenter" for a reason. It is the center of the earth geographically, politically, and religiously.
It does not help to have America's president tell Jewish leaders, as he did last week, that they must engage in self-reflection. Obama says there is a narrow window of opportunity for advancing the peace process and that he plans to speak openly and honestly with Israel just as he did with the Arab nations in Cairo. But in Cairo, he primarily praised Islam, his own Islamic heritage, and bad-mouthed America. Obama ignored the rejectionism of the Arab world against Israel and the ongoing wars and waves of Arab terror directed against the Jewish state since the day of its creation. He also compared the Palestinians to the U.S. civil rights movement.
His "engagement" and benign relationship with corrupt and despotic Arab regimes contrasts starkly with the tough talk conveyed to Israel at a time in history when once again, without God's intervention, Israel is facing extinction if she doesn't act and act quickly. She knows America is no longer her trusted friend. And no, God would not allow her extinction.
It's time Obama tell the Arab/Muslim world -- and not Israel -- to engage in self-reflection! It's time he tell them that the world's economy, already in a free fall, could spin out of control if there is a war in the Middle East sparked by Iran's thirst for nuclear weapons as soon as possible! It's time he tell them to dismantle all suicide bombers whose target is innocent Israelis (and other victims such as those in Jakarta last week). It's time Obama leave Israel alone, quit telling her to dismantle settlements, and quit trying to divide Jerusalem.
Obama's policy can be summarized as "Israelis should give and Palestinians should take." It amounts to appeasing the Arabs, humiliating Israel and, in the process, undermining the security of the Jewish state, the entire Middle East, and the rest of the world. Right when Israel needs every friend she can get (although the Bible says just the opposite will be the case), when Iranian nukes are being designed to fly down smokestacks in Tel Aviv and Haifa, America's president is lecturing and scolding Israel and telling her to "engage in self-reflection"? I suggest President Obama exercise some of his own self-reflection! (Also see Ezekiel 38:22, 23 for more of God's miraculous intervention when no nations come to Israel's defense.)
American Jews who voted overwhelmingly to elect Obama should not remain silent. They are entitled to press him to adhere to his commitment and treat the Jewish state in an even-handed manner. Together with other friends of Israel, they should discourage Obama from offering Israel as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of Arab appeasement. In urging Obama not to abandon Israel, they would also be promoting the U.S. national interest. History cannot point to a single instance in which appeasement of jihadists or tyrants has ever borne fruit.
Yet appeasement seems to be Obama's middle name. John Lennon would be happy were he still alive. The world's superpower, America, just loves to give peace a chance in all the wrong places.
Keep your eyes on the epicenter. It could literally explode in the coming weeks or months. Israel must act quickly no matter what the cost.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
What is Life?
The phrase, “what is LIFE” is a question that every person that has ever lived since the beginning of the ages must answer sometime in their LIFEtime while the breath of LIFE from God is still in them. Scripture says from the Word of God the Holy Bible that God breathed the breath of LIFE into man and he became a living soul.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
LIFE for everyone has started with God and will end with or without God. There is a heaven and a hell. The phrase, “smoking or non-smoking, does pertain to eternity. Life begins anew when we ask Jesus into our hearts and start a new life born again of the Spirit of God. When we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins a new life born of the Spirit of God begins. Scripture says we are born again not of the flesh but of the spirit of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
God has instructed us in his Commandments to serve only him and have no other gods before him. God created us to serve him and live our lives in communion with God. God is a jealous God and demands we serve only him. Think about the idols that hold people bondage. These idols may not be stone or wooden statues like we usually think of as idols, but what about materialism, pleasures of the flesh, addictions, and anything that comes between you and God that is an idol. What about making ourselves the idol of putting ourselves in place of God and above God? When we serve our own selfish gains, could we make ourselves an idol and serve only ourselves?
The scripture talks about heathen godless nations that offered the lives of their children as scarifies to gods of stone and wood that were nonexistent. These idols of stone and wood were only a deception to the people and were a sacrifice to Satan himself. I can’t help but think we are no different than these godless heathen nations. Think about it, abortion is usually about selfish motives of not interrupting the life of the mother. Many times we hear of the financial struggles these mothers have or other inconveniences this gift from God would bring. God wants us to protect those that cannot protect themselves and it is only a natural reflex to want to protect life especially of innocence.
The hope and pursuit of materialism at any cost is only a lie of deception. The aborting of a child to help the mother continue her way of life without the interruption of having a child is pursuing self and idolizing self interests above Gods. To pursue with no regard to the consequences or judgment of God and knowing that adoption is an option leaves God out of the equation. The evil doers of this world may think they are not offering these aborted babies up to gods of stone and wood as mentioned in the bible, but they are greatly deceived by the father of all lies Satan himself and offering this precious blood to Satan himself. The enemy is laughing at the destroyed lives of the mother, doctor, families, and the unborn. The blood sacrifice to Satan is a sin that the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob will judge someday soon. This way of life will someday change because of the great sins of the world either before the Rapture or shortly after. We are to protect LIFE and the taking of the unborn is a great sin that this nation will pay for with the aborted children that are murdered daily. LIFE is a matter of choices and those choices will determine our future and where we will spend eternity. In this article I would like to share my thoughts on the miracle of LIFE and how our society has violated it.
I recently found out that I was going to be a grandfather. You can imagine the excitement and joy that this news gave me and my wife and my whole family. The news that my daughter was only a couple weeks brought us joy because we knew LIFE is in her and that a child is growing daily. Even though it was just a couple weeks we knew that we have been blessed by a miracle from God. Each LIFE is exactly that, “a miracle of God”. Some time back I went to lunch with my wife and noticed a child bringing smiles to everyone around her. She was laughing and playing and as I watched her all of LIFE’S problems seem to disappear for a time. While I watched her I was thinking that someday all children including all babies still in their mother’s womb will disappear. It is my belief that in the Rapture all of us true Christians and innocence will be taken away from sudden destruction at the start of the Tribulation. After the Rapture sudden destruction and world chaos and panic will be like never seen on planet earth.
All the joy that children bring and that ability to make LIFE’S struggles not seem so important will be gone in an instant. The other thought that went through my mind was the horrible tragedy of those that are left behind without these treasures of LIFE given by God. The thoughts also went through my mind of all the people that are pro-choice that think that taking a LIFE from the womb is not murder. I believe that these very people will be reminded of their thinking and choices they made with these innocent precious gifts from God. They will be reminded of these great sins before God by living in a world without the laughter of children. I had the thought that this will be God’s way of showing America and the world of its sins against the unborn miracles that he gave us. The abortionists may have their way now, but judgment is coming soon. The judgment of God will be to both those who actually take children’s lives and to those who believe that there is nothing wrong with killing babies. The blood will be on all their hands and UN repented sin. I believe the judgment of God will be continually reminding them of a world without children with both the unborn and born. It will be a feeling of hopelessness and guilt. They will know the error of their way and that they were wrong and God’s judgment is on them. It is just my opinion that innocence under the age of accountably to Jesus including the children in the womb will be taken in the Rapture. After the rapture I believe that scripture points out that woman left behind in the tribulation will once again become pregnant and bear children, but the world that is left behind will be a place of great pain and sorrow during the tribulation years. The joy of life and motherhood will vanish in hopelessness of a world controlled by Satan.
Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The spirit of God that lives in the millions of saints here on the earth will be gone. The only thing that is holding back evil from exploding on this earth now is God’s spirit and his spirit that lives in the Christians.
I believe that all the aborted children of this world will be in heaven to greet us born again believers when we get to heaven. I believe that the true Christian that is born again will be those that have truly repented of their sins and asked Jesus for forgiveness. They will believe in the saving power of Jesus to cast their sins as far as the east is from the west, from one nail scarred hand to the other. The Christian has faith in Jesus and believes in his birth, death, and resurrection and his coming back to take us true Christians out before sudden destruction with the start of the Tribulation. I think they also believe in LIFE and that it is a miracle from God and it is not a matter of choice. I believe that a so called Christian who voted for those that are pro-choice must search their heart and ask for forgiveness for making such a mistaken choice. Repent for the judgment of God is coming soon. Get ready, get ready. Know that you know, that you know, that you truly know, that you are ready to meet Jesus. The only way to escape the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God is JESUS.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting LIFE.
If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, make the choice to accept him today. This day choose LIFE in Jesus Christ and choose to have a daily relationship with him. Forsake the things of this world that are idols before God. Repent and turn away from sin and by the spirit of God live LIFE to the fullest in Jesus Christ. Do not be deceived that there are many ways to God. There is only one way to God and that one way to God is through his only son Jesus Christ.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
LIFE for everyone has started with God and will end with or without God. There is a heaven and a hell. The phrase, “smoking or non-smoking, does pertain to eternity. Life begins anew when we ask Jesus into our hearts and start a new life born again of the Spirit of God. When we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins a new life born of the Spirit of God begins. Scripture says we are born again not of the flesh but of the spirit of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
God has instructed us in his Commandments to serve only him and have no other gods before him. God created us to serve him and live our lives in communion with God. God is a jealous God and demands we serve only him. Think about the idols that hold people bondage. These idols may not be stone or wooden statues like we usually think of as idols, but what about materialism, pleasures of the flesh, addictions, and anything that comes between you and God that is an idol. What about making ourselves the idol of putting ourselves in place of God and above God? When we serve our own selfish gains, could we make ourselves an idol and serve only ourselves?
The scripture talks about heathen godless nations that offered the lives of their children as scarifies to gods of stone and wood that were nonexistent. These idols of stone and wood were only a deception to the people and were a sacrifice to Satan himself. I can’t help but think we are no different than these godless heathen nations. Think about it, abortion is usually about selfish motives of not interrupting the life of the mother. Many times we hear of the financial struggles these mothers have or other inconveniences this gift from God would bring. God wants us to protect those that cannot protect themselves and it is only a natural reflex to want to protect life especially of innocence.
The hope and pursuit of materialism at any cost is only a lie of deception. The aborting of a child to help the mother continue her way of life without the interruption of having a child is pursuing self and idolizing self interests above Gods. To pursue with no regard to the consequences or judgment of God and knowing that adoption is an option leaves God out of the equation. The evil doers of this world may think they are not offering these aborted babies up to gods of stone and wood as mentioned in the bible, but they are greatly deceived by the father of all lies Satan himself and offering this precious blood to Satan himself. The enemy is laughing at the destroyed lives of the mother, doctor, families, and the unborn. The blood sacrifice to Satan is a sin that the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob will judge someday soon. This way of life will someday change because of the great sins of the world either before the Rapture or shortly after. We are to protect LIFE and the taking of the unborn is a great sin that this nation will pay for with the aborted children that are murdered daily. LIFE is a matter of choices and those choices will determine our future and where we will spend eternity. In this article I would like to share my thoughts on the miracle of LIFE and how our society has violated it.
I recently found out that I was going to be a grandfather. You can imagine the excitement and joy that this news gave me and my wife and my whole family. The news that my daughter was only a couple weeks brought us joy because we knew LIFE is in her and that a child is growing daily. Even though it was just a couple weeks we knew that we have been blessed by a miracle from God. Each LIFE is exactly that, “a miracle of God”. Some time back I went to lunch with my wife and noticed a child bringing smiles to everyone around her. She was laughing and playing and as I watched her all of LIFE’S problems seem to disappear for a time. While I watched her I was thinking that someday all children including all babies still in their mother’s womb will disappear. It is my belief that in the Rapture all of us true Christians and innocence will be taken away from sudden destruction at the start of the Tribulation. After the Rapture sudden destruction and world chaos and panic will be like never seen on planet earth.
All the joy that children bring and that ability to make LIFE’S struggles not seem so important will be gone in an instant. The other thought that went through my mind was the horrible tragedy of those that are left behind without these treasures of LIFE given by God. The thoughts also went through my mind of all the people that are pro-choice that think that taking a LIFE from the womb is not murder. I believe that these very people will be reminded of their thinking and choices they made with these innocent precious gifts from God. They will be reminded of these great sins before God by living in a world without the laughter of children. I had the thought that this will be God’s way of showing America and the world of its sins against the unborn miracles that he gave us. The abortionists may have their way now, but judgment is coming soon. The judgment of God will be to both those who actually take children’s lives and to those who believe that there is nothing wrong with killing babies. The blood will be on all their hands and UN repented sin. I believe the judgment of God will be continually reminding them of a world without children with both the unborn and born. It will be a feeling of hopelessness and guilt. They will know the error of their way and that they were wrong and God’s judgment is on them. It is just my opinion that innocence under the age of accountably to Jesus including the children in the womb will be taken in the Rapture. After the rapture I believe that scripture points out that woman left behind in the tribulation will once again become pregnant and bear children, but the world that is left behind will be a place of great pain and sorrow during the tribulation years. The joy of life and motherhood will vanish in hopelessness of a world controlled by Satan.
Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The spirit of God that lives in the millions of saints here on the earth will be gone. The only thing that is holding back evil from exploding on this earth now is God’s spirit and his spirit that lives in the Christians.
I believe that all the aborted children of this world will be in heaven to greet us born again believers when we get to heaven. I believe that the true Christian that is born again will be those that have truly repented of their sins and asked Jesus for forgiveness. They will believe in the saving power of Jesus to cast their sins as far as the east is from the west, from one nail scarred hand to the other. The Christian has faith in Jesus and believes in his birth, death, and resurrection and his coming back to take us true Christians out before sudden destruction with the start of the Tribulation. I think they also believe in LIFE and that it is a miracle from God and it is not a matter of choice. I believe that a so called Christian who voted for those that are pro-choice must search their heart and ask for forgiveness for making such a mistaken choice. Repent for the judgment of God is coming soon. Get ready, get ready. Know that you know, that you know, that you truly know, that you are ready to meet Jesus. The only way to escape the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God is JESUS.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting LIFE.
If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, make the choice to accept him today. This day choose LIFE in Jesus Christ and choose to have a daily relationship with him. Forsake the things of this world that are idols before God. Repent and turn away from sin and by the spirit of God live LIFE to the fullest in Jesus Christ. Do not be deceived that there are many ways to God. There is only one way to God and that one way to God is through his only son Jesus Christ.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Free speech under attack!
remember many years ago telling the readers of my Daily Devotional that it would soon be legal in this nation for men to marry men and women to marry women. I still remember the onslaught of emails telling me that I was crazy, that it would never happen. Well, it has happened in 10% of our states and more to come. I have also been trying to warn you that our most basic freedom to proclaim the Gospel would soon be in jeopardy. Sadly, most people are so apathetic or simply out of touch that they don't even realize that day is now upon us.
We all assume that based on our Constitutional right to freedom of speech, we will never have to worry about having the ability to proclaim God's Truth and the Gospel message. My friend, the very first group who will be targeted in an attempt to stifle free speech will be Christians because we are the weakest! I realize that most people may think I am being paranoid and have lost my mind, but you haven't lived, breathed, and operated 24/7/365 the last 10 years preaching Biblical Truth and the hope of Christ in the marketplace like I have. I've not only experienced the attacks each day, but see clearly how the world wants to desperately silence our message.
Sadly, while Rick Warren was on his knees apologizing to the sodomite community for stating marriage was between a man and a woman, while Joel Osteen was delivering another motivational speech and hiding from the issues of our day that are literally ripping out the soul of this nation, a mere beauty pageant contestant was delivering a message that if you closed your eyes, you would have thought she was reading from an article such as this…
Carrie Perjean spoke eloquently yesterday on our need to stand for our faith in the marketplace regardless of the personal consequences, and that we have every right to exercise our free speech to state our beliefs as those who oppose God have to express their beliefs.
WHAT A SAD COMMENTARY ON THE VOID OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP WHEN IT TAKES A 21-YEAR-OLD MODEL AND BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANT TO SHOW MORE GUTS AND COURAGE FOR OUR FAITH THAN does 90% OF THE PASTORS AND SO-CALLED CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF OUR DAY.
The fact is those who oppose God DO want to silence us. Now please understand me. As long as we stay inside our churches, as long as we stay in our own little Christian media world that NOBODY outside of a small minority of Christians pays attention to, we are fine. However, once we venture into the marketplace, into the mainstream media, we have problems.
The new hate crime legislation is designed for one purpose, and that is to silence anyone from speaking out on the sin of homosexuality, even when the words of condemnation are directly from the Bible. The case will be made that anyone who calls this act a sin is spewing hate speech designed to incite people to violence against homosexuals, even though there will be no proof of such hatred whatever. The tactic is the same that other groups like the Muslims, the baby killers, and others who oppose God use to silence those who take a stand for God's Truth in the marketplace. Calling hate speech the basic truths of the Bible is exactly how those who oppose God will seek to silence anyone who goes into the public arena to take a stand for Biblical Truth.
The reality is, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We extracted ourselves from the marketplace a long time ago. Those who do venture into the public arena, are more concerned with being politically correct than Biblically correct. We have a generation of gutless pastors who have been weaned on these seeker/purpose driven/emerging church marketing strategies that are designed to put warm bodies in their pews at the expense of the Truth of the Bible and the Gospel.
It is no longer about sin, sacrifice, and service, but tickling ears, entertaining, and making people feel good. Church is no longer about preaching and teaching the Bible to equip the saints and save souls, but is little more than a social setting that is a big business fraught with politics and lots of flesh. The irrelevance of the modern church in the real daily lives of people is why you have the better percentage of two full generations who have never even been to a church in their life.
It is the weak, apathetic, and in many cases, apostate church that is largely to blame for the lack of courage most people have in sharing their faith with the world. The world is a bully. Like a classic bully, they smell fear and weakness. The world has intimidated most Christians into silence, and in so doing, has made it that much easier to now make a real move on taking away one of our most foundational rights, the freedom of speech.
This is a wake-up call today to all of those who love the Lord. You no longer have the luxury of being silent.
The reality is, it will soon cost you to speak out for Christ. However, regardless of the personal consequences, you have no choice. Sadly, we are at a stage in this nation's history where people of faith will pay a price for speaking out for their faith. It is a reality many of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world face daily. Regardless of the price, we can't be silent and must speak out or the very rocks will cry out!
I pay a price daily to do what God has called me to do. I could have taken the same road most do, stay in the Christian trough, preach to the choir, build buildings and fly around in private jets. But that is the mindset that has put us in a position where in the very near future we won't even be able to preach from the Bible without repercussions. Our ability to freely share the Gospel will be gone one day very soon. We MUST make the most of what little time we have left. The window to turn this nation back to God and to His Truth, to freely bring the lost to Christ, is almost closed. Now is the time, this is the moment, while we still have it, we must exercise our right to free speech!
We all assume that based on our Constitutional right to freedom of speech, we will never have to worry about having the ability to proclaim God's Truth and the Gospel message. My friend, the very first group who will be targeted in an attempt to stifle free speech will be Christians because we are the weakest! I realize that most people may think I am being paranoid and have lost my mind, but you haven't lived, breathed, and operated 24/7/365 the last 10 years preaching Biblical Truth and the hope of Christ in the marketplace like I have. I've not only experienced the attacks each day, but see clearly how the world wants to desperately silence our message.
Sadly, while Rick Warren was on his knees apologizing to the sodomite community for stating marriage was between a man and a woman, while Joel Osteen was delivering another motivational speech and hiding from the issues of our day that are literally ripping out the soul of this nation, a mere beauty pageant contestant was delivering a message that if you closed your eyes, you would have thought she was reading from an article such as this…
Carrie Perjean spoke eloquently yesterday on our need to stand for our faith in the marketplace regardless of the personal consequences, and that we have every right to exercise our free speech to state our beliefs as those who oppose God have to express their beliefs.
WHAT A SAD COMMENTARY ON THE VOID OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP WHEN IT TAKES A 21-YEAR-OLD MODEL AND BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANT TO SHOW MORE GUTS AND COURAGE FOR OUR FAITH THAN does 90% OF THE PASTORS AND SO-CALLED CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF OUR DAY.
The fact is those who oppose God DO want to silence us. Now please understand me. As long as we stay inside our churches, as long as we stay in our own little Christian media world that NOBODY outside of a small minority of Christians pays attention to, we are fine. However, once we venture into the marketplace, into the mainstream media, we have problems.
The new hate crime legislation is designed for one purpose, and that is to silence anyone from speaking out on the sin of homosexuality, even when the words of condemnation are directly from the Bible. The case will be made that anyone who calls this act a sin is spewing hate speech designed to incite people to violence against homosexuals, even though there will be no proof of such hatred whatever. The tactic is the same that other groups like the Muslims, the baby killers, and others who oppose God use to silence those who take a stand for God's Truth in the marketplace. Calling hate speech the basic truths of the Bible is exactly how those who oppose God will seek to silence anyone who goes into the public arena to take a stand for Biblical Truth.
The reality is, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We extracted ourselves from the marketplace a long time ago. Those who do venture into the public arena, are more concerned with being politically correct than Biblically correct. We have a generation of gutless pastors who have been weaned on these seeker/purpose driven/emerging church marketing strategies that are designed to put warm bodies in their pews at the expense of the Truth of the Bible and the Gospel.
It is no longer about sin, sacrifice, and service, but tickling ears, entertaining, and making people feel good. Church is no longer about preaching and teaching the Bible to equip the saints and save souls, but is little more than a social setting that is a big business fraught with politics and lots of flesh. The irrelevance of the modern church in the real daily lives of people is why you have the better percentage of two full generations who have never even been to a church in their life.
It is the weak, apathetic, and in many cases, apostate church that is largely to blame for the lack of courage most people have in sharing their faith with the world. The world is a bully. Like a classic bully, they smell fear and weakness. The world has intimidated most Christians into silence, and in so doing, has made it that much easier to now make a real move on taking away one of our most foundational rights, the freedom of speech.
This is a wake-up call today to all of those who love the Lord. You no longer have the luxury of being silent.
The reality is, it will soon cost you to speak out for Christ. However, regardless of the personal consequences, you have no choice. Sadly, we are at a stage in this nation's history where people of faith will pay a price for speaking out for their faith. It is a reality many of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world face daily. Regardless of the price, we can't be silent and must speak out or the very rocks will cry out!
I pay a price daily to do what God has called me to do. I could have taken the same road most do, stay in the Christian trough, preach to the choir, build buildings and fly around in private jets. But that is the mindset that has put us in a position where in the very near future we won't even be able to preach from the Bible without repercussions. Our ability to freely share the Gospel will be gone one day very soon. We MUST make the most of what little time we have left. The window to turn this nation back to God and to His Truth, to freely bring the lost to Christ, is almost closed. Now is the time, this is the moment, while we still have it, we must exercise our right to free speech!
Monday, July 20, 2009
America Going to Pot, Literally
It is estimated that marijuana is the biggest cash crop in America. According to the Office of Management and Budget, the entire U.S. marijuana market is worth about $112 billion.
Around the nation, the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana use has been gaining traction. Pro-marijuana bills have been introduced by such prominent politicians as Reps. Barney Frank, Ron Paul, and Sen. Jim Webb.
The epicenter of the pro-pot movement is clearly California. San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has already introduced a bill that would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess, grow, and sell marijuana.
"It defies reason to propose closing parks and eliminating vital services for the poor while this potential revenue is available," Ammiano said in a statement.
It's not just the track record of California's liberal population that has it front and center in the legalization debate. Since California has a massive $26.3 billion budget shortfall, the argument is being made that pot can be a good source of income for the state. One headline made the trade-off very clear: "No Marijuana Taxation without Legalization." A tax on marijuana in California, like alcohol, would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue, according to an official analysis released by state tax officials.
The use of marijuana is banned outright under federal law, but It is unlikely that there would be a state- vs.-federal conflict since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department would defer to state marijuana regulations. Holder is basically saying we are going to void the federal laws by ignoring them.
Over the last several years, the U.S. government has changed the focus of its anti-drug efforts, deemphasizing marijuana in favor of prescription drugs. Even private anti-drug groups have been retreating from the effort to control marijuana usage.
Recent polls show a sharp rise in the public's support for legalization. Thirty years ago, only 27 percent of the population was for marijuana being made legal. Today, there are polls that show nearly 50 percent of the public is for the lifting of such restrictions.
Any ads you do find today about pot are for its free use. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is using TV ads to urge California residents to support a plan to legalize and tax marijuana.
Once California becomes a haven for marijuana usage, the pressure will be on other states to join the party. The perfect template for how a vice can spread throughout the land is gambling. At one time, anyone who wanted to roll the dice or try their luck with a one-armed-bandit had to travel to Las Vegas. Today, nearly every state in the Union has some form of gambling.
In my home state of Iowa, they first had riverboat gambling. The twisted thinking was that betting on the river was somehow separate from betting on dry land. Now that people have gotten used to gambling dens, Iowa now has several soil-based casinos throughout the state. Some are equal to ones found in Nevada.
The problem with sin is that it has a very progressive nature. When we allow room for one “minor” sin, one of a more evil nature will quickly follow. I can see legalized euthanasia in the footsteps of the marijuana campaign. Oregon passed a law allowing doctor-assisted suicide, and the pro forces there have won every legal challenge. Gay marriage is another sin sweeping over the nation. Same-sex marriage is now legal in nine states.
All this moral erosion tells me is that tribulation judgment is coming soon. At some point, God will say "enough is enough," and will begin to pour His vengeance on this evil world. We, as believers, need to do our best to combat the forces of darkness. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the Lord will want to know what role we played in this mess.
"Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (2 Corinthians 5:9-11).
Around the nation, the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana use has been gaining traction. Pro-marijuana bills have been introduced by such prominent politicians as Reps. Barney Frank, Ron Paul, and Sen. Jim Webb.
The epicenter of the pro-pot movement is clearly California. San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has already introduced a bill that would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess, grow, and sell marijuana.
"It defies reason to propose closing parks and eliminating vital services for the poor while this potential revenue is available," Ammiano said in a statement.
It's not just the track record of California's liberal population that has it front and center in the legalization debate. Since California has a massive $26.3 billion budget shortfall, the argument is being made that pot can be a good source of income for the state. One headline made the trade-off very clear: "No Marijuana Taxation without Legalization." A tax on marijuana in California, like alcohol, would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue, according to an official analysis released by state tax officials.
The use of marijuana is banned outright under federal law, but It is unlikely that there would be a state- vs.-federal conflict since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department would defer to state marijuana regulations. Holder is basically saying we are going to void the federal laws by ignoring them.
Over the last several years, the U.S. government has changed the focus of its anti-drug efforts, deemphasizing marijuana in favor of prescription drugs. Even private anti-drug groups have been retreating from the effort to control marijuana usage.
Recent polls show a sharp rise in the public's support for legalization. Thirty years ago, only 27 percent of the population was for marijuana being made legal. Today, there are polls that show nearly 50 percent of the public is for the lifting of such restrictions.
Any ads you do find today about pot are for its free use. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is using TV ads to urge California residents to support a plan to legalize and tax marijuana.
Once California becomes a haven for marijuana usage, the pressure will be on other states to join the party. The perfect template for how a vice can spread throughout the land is gambling. At one time, anyone who wanted to roll the dice or try their luck with a one-armed-bandit had to travel to Las Vegas. Today, nearly every state in the Union has some form of gambling.
In my home state of Iowa, they first had riverboat gambling. The twisted thinking was that betting on the river was somehow separate from betting on dry land. Now that people have gotten used to gambling dens, Iowa now has several soil-based casinos throughout the state. Some are equal to ones found in Nevada.
The problem with sin is that it has a very progressive nature. When we allow room for one “minor” sin, one of a more evil nature will quickly follow. I can see legalized euthanasia in the footsteps of the marijuana campaign. Oregon passed a law allowing doctor-assisted suicide, and the pro forces there have won every legal challenge. Gay marriage is another sin sweeping over the nation. Same-sex marriage is now legal in nine states.
All this moral erosion tells me is that tribulation judgment is coming soon. At some point, God will say "enough is enough," and will begin to pour His vengeance on this evil world. We, as believers, need to do our best to combat the forces of darkness. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the Lord will want to know what role we played in this mess.
"Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (2 Corinthians 5:9-11).
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