Key Scriptures:
“Their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” - Isaiah 2.8
“And it came to pass after all thy wickedness (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD), that thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street. Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms…Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.” - Ezekiel 16.23-25, 27
“The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore, now, amend your ways, and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.” -Jeremiah 26.13-14 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” - 2nd Timothy 4.4-5
“…sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.” - John 5.14
“This is the interpretation of the thing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” - Daniel 5.24-27
We all remember the date and what happened: September 11th, 2001. For every American - yea, every person who was alive and watching the news of that horrific day - the events of September 11th, 2001 have forever been burned into our psyche, our memories, and our minds. It was on this day that four airplanes were hijacked, with three of them crashing into both of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and the Pentagon Building in Washington, D.C. In the time since that horrific day, the United States of America has continued on her downward spiral into sin, iniquity, and destruction. In many ways, especially those having anything to do with morals and Biblical Values, we, the Citizenry of the United States of America have not only continued to enjoy the sliding moral decay that has continued unabated since the middle of the 20th Century, but have embraced it. Abomination now is popularized, magnified, and enjoyed, uplifted in the US of A for all the world to see. It’s as if we, the American People didn’t learn a thing from September 11th. Now, God wants the world to know that worse -- far, far worse -- is in store for the USA if we fail to turn around and repent.
Their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
If we take even a casual glance around at the United States of America, we can easily see that this verse of Scripture from the Prophet Isaiah is glaringly and appallingly clear and easy to see. We Americans love our entertainment. We love movies, television, stage and theatre, music, internet use, and, to a lesser extent, magazines, newspapers, and books. We Americans love to be entertained. Though movie ticket sales dropped a bit in the mid stages of the first decade of the 21st Century, as of this year, movies are now more popular and famous as ever. Television is still the rage, and TV shows of every stripe and type can be viewed, even on public airwaves. Television has been a boom and a boon since its invention in the early decades of the 20th Century, and its popularity - especially since the advent of cable and satellite TV - has exploded. Music, as well, has continued to be a booming market, with new and varied genres and styles of music being created to satiate an ever more demanding American populace. Since its onset almost two decades ago, the internet has also exploded. As of this date (September 19th, 2009), websites on the worldwide web number in the tens of billions (a Google search for the letter “A” numbered “about 14,380,000,000”). More and more people are creating and accessing the Internet in ever greater numbers. Even other communication and entertainment outlets continue to be popular and well trafficked. The sad reality of all of this is that most of these forms of entertainment have now supplanted any kind of desire to learn or know about Jesus Christ. Just a little over a decade ago, the Pastor of College Church of the Nazarene at the time delivered a message in which he stated that the number of people now actively engaged in any kind of Bible Training in the church numbers two out of every ten. Just a few decades before this particular message, that number stood at eight out of ten. Could it be that the American People have set up entertainment and “having fun” as false gods? Could it be that Isaiah, when he wrote these words to the nation of Israel almost three thousand years ago, that in reality, he was also seeing this day and age? More and more Americans are going to movies, sitting in front of the TV, and listening to any number of radio stations than ever before. The internet is red-hot with activity at any hour of the day. Yet for all of this, how many Americans take time to spend with God in the morning or evening, or both? How many people find themselves inside of a church on the weekend? How many Americans spend quality time in actual prayer before the Lord? It seems that Isaiah’s prophecy is square on with the US of A.
Thou Hast...Multiplied Thy Whoredoms
If the previous prophecy from Isaiah weren’t enough, when taking a look at US Entertainment, what do we find? On television alone, we see more sex, violence, acceptance of homosexuality, and other abominations (and this is all on public television) being not only portrayed, but glorified every single night on every single TV station in the land. Where homosexuality was once relegated to very late night television and a sparsely few cable and satellite providers, it is now glorified on public television. Portrayals of sex and sexual situations have continued to grow and explode in mainstream media for the past fifty years, with every deviant sexual flavor imaginable being glorified. Violence on Television has also seen an expansive growth in programming. More and more blood is being spilled on television to an ever increasingly voracious appetite of American viewers. The movie industry has seen these categories expound and expand even more. Movies that would have been considered abhorrent and rejected fifty or sixty years ago are now not only embraced, but encouraged to go to deeper and deeper portrayals of depravity (The Saw series alone has seen movies plunge into the depths of depravity with regards to violence). The internet, as well, with its millions and billions of web pages has also seen an explosion of sites geared towards sin and iniquity. A Google search for the word “porn” brings up about 207 million web pages, while a search for “bomb making” brings up nearly 44 million pages. Magazines - especially those of the fashion, men’s, and sports genres - have also seen considerable changes with regards to morality. Men’s magazines, such as FHM, Maxim, GQ, regularly show women in various stages of undress, even so far as full frontal nudity. Fashion and lifestyle magazines not only offer photos of nudity for both sexes, but regularly include articles on sexual pleasure. The rise also of erotic books and magazines continues unabated, with Playboy and Hustler showing a resurgence of popularity. Could it be, also, that Ezekiel the Prophet saw this day and age through the mind and eyes of faith, and wrote the words mentioned above in today’s keys in order to speak directly to the people of the US of A?
They Shall Turn Their Ears Away from the Truth
The Apostle Paul was not only writing to Timothy about the day and age in which they lived; he was also writing of this day and age. In frightening similarity to Ancient Rome, the United States of America, the last Superpower, is quickly turning away from the truth. Recent Statistics have sown that 76% of Americans say that they are Christians. While this is very, very good news to many, including this writer, the stark reality is that many of these professing to be Christians may very well be cultural Christians, or CINOs (Christians In Name Only). Further, this statistic of 76% is down from 80% just eight years ago. The fact of the matter is that many believers and many people who call themselves Christians are either going through the motions, or are part of a church or denomination that preaches any number of heresies. The current popular message today in the church is the “Prosperity Gospel” message. This message is one that teaches and preaches that if one is truly faithful, truly believing, and truly trusting in God, he or she will be rich, wealthy, and financially secure. Preachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and Creflo Dollar teach that if a person gives money to this or that ministry, God will make them healthy and wealthy. Other churches and preachers, in order to draw in crowds, have watered down the Gospel to the point that words and phrases such as “Sin”, “Hell”, “Lake of Fire”, “Eternal punishment”, “Satan”, and “Devil” are no longer preached. The dangers of sin and its eternal consequences are downplayed, with a love gospel being bandied about as the message of the day. Still other churches have accepted and embraced deviant lifestyles, snipping away and cutting out clear and easily seen Bible passages that speak against them. More and more Americans are becoming followers of these kinds of false messages and doctrines of men, all the while the gospel of Jesus Christ is relegated to the fringes, those calling out for condemnation of sin and sinful lifestyles tagged with any number of labels, including “fundamentalist” and “fringe”. No longer do popular pastors, churches, and Christian leaders preach the truth, but instead, preach popularity, self-esteem, a humanist based gospel of works and feelings instead of the rock-bottom truth of righteousness and holiness. Anyone who does dare to stand up and speak the truth is immediately denounced as a fundamentalist or residing somewhere in the fringe of society. Even many church leaders, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and which have fallen into sin and sinfulness have maintained their ministries and lifestyles. Still other church leaders - such as Jack Van Impe and even Billy Graham - have ceased in the Gospel Message they started with and are now embracing heretical forms of an all-inclusive Gospel in which Jesus Christ is really no longer the only way. It would seem that 2000 years ago Paul was writing about things that are happening right now. More and more Americans want so little to do with the truth, and are for themselves piling up preachers and teachers who would rather tickle their ears than point out sin and its dangers.
Sin No More, Lest a Worse Thing Come Upon Thee
“How dare you judge me?!? Didn’t Jesus say, ‘Judge not…?’” How many times has this phrase been called out by someone on the receiving in of the truth? Yet the glaring fact of the matter is, most people who use this phrase to justify their sin go right on with their lives, never changing or repenting of the sin which has so easily entangled them (Hebrews 12.1). They also forget that the Bible is replete with calls from God for people to be holy as he is holy, Jesus himself telling two people on separate occasions to stop sinning. In the particular verse of Scripture from above, Jesus had just healed a man who’d been a sick invalid for thirty-eight years. This man had turned Jesus over to the Pharisees, and when Jesus found him again had spoken this warning to him. The question must be asked, “What could be worse than 38 years of crippling illness?” Many could ask a similar question with the same vein of thought: “What could be worse than September 11th, 2001?” The fact is, for both questions, there is and there could be a LOT worse. The crippled man form the Pool of Bethesda is not mentioned again anywhere in the Bible, so we don’t know if he left his life of sin and followed Jesus Christ. However, what could be worse than 38 years of crippling disease? This was a question asked by the Pastor of Olathe Westside Church in a sermon about 12 years ago, and his answer was profound:
“What could be worse? An Eternity in the lake of fire, separated from God and without the salvation of Jesus Christ is infinitely worse on all counts! What could be worse than sitting beside a pool for nearly forty years, not able to do much, hoping beyond hop for a miraculous movement of water, and not getting much? Someone sitting in hell’s black darkness for all eternity without hope and without the saving, redeeming light of Jesus Christ is far, far worse!” - Rev. Charles Pickens - Senior Pastor: Westside Church of the Nazarene, Olathe, Kansas, USA, From the Sunday Sermon, “What Could Be Worse?” - August 1998
What could be worse than September 11th, 2001 and the terrorist attacks that came with them? Far, far worse things come to mind.
A Warning from Daniel
When Daniel spoke the interpretation of the words written on the wall by the hand of God, King Belshazzar basically ignored the warning he was given. He and the rest of his lords, ladies, wives, concubines, nobles, and soldiers trusted in the thick, impregnable walls of the city of Babylon to protect him. It is said that the walls of Ancient Babylon were so thick and so great, four chariots could be driven abreast of each other, and on top of this, the city was surrounded by two tributaries of the River Euphrates. Even further, the Babylonian Army was, up to that point, the greatest in the world. On paper, the king had no reason to fear nor worry about Daniel’s interpretation. Yet, as the Scriptures clearly state:
“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.” - Daniel 5.30
Despite his apparent protection, the armies of the Persians and Medes still managed to take the city, just as God had predicted. In a similar way, many in the US of A think that there could never be another 9/11 on US soil. Because of heightened security, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the continuing War on Terror, the vigilance of the US Military, and the subtle and secret workings of the CIA and other intelligence agencies in the US, many Americans believe that the US cannot and will not be hit with a terror attack again. In a similar fashion as King Belshazzar, most Americans are depending on earthly protections while dismissing God altogether. Yet, September 11th, 2001, was the handwriting on the wall. For one whole day, the US of A could not defend itself against nineteen men. Think of it: nineteen men from third world countries held the USA, the greatest power on the earth, in modern history, and one of the greatest in all of history with a population of 300 million, hostage for an entire day (The Old Testament is rife with Scripture Verses which state that in an unbelieving nation, thousands would run from one, and with five, ten thousand would be put to flight. Didn't this very thing happen on 9/11/01?). If the USA couldn’t defend itself against nineteen determined men, could not worse be in the offing.
Weighed in the Balances and Found Wanting
Yet since that time - since that devastating day of September 11th, 2001 - what has changed in the USA, except for tightened security on inbound planes? Has the citizenry of the United States learned its lessons and repented of the sins and iniquities we have, for so long, embraced? Have we as an American society changed our ways and come to accept the God of the Founding Fathers as the true foundation for the USA? The fact of the matter is, very little has changed in the US since September 11th 2001. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, church attendance skyrocketed. Within six months to a year, church attendance had dropped to pre-9/11 levels, and the decline has steadily continued until today. Instead of calling for repentance, the USA has continued to embrace deviant lifestyles, abominable practices, sordid violence, seedy sex, and vitriolic forms of entertainment. Despite the fact that 30 states in the United states of America have voted against same-sex marriage, homosexual advocates continue to pressure courts, elected officials, and legislatures to demand their “right” to “marry”. Abortion on demand is still the law of the land, with thousands of abortions taking place daily in the USA. Children in Junior High and High School - and in some states, late-elementary school - continue to be indoctrinated into the Public School system’s and Government Sponsored fallacy of “’safe’ sex”, and being given condoms or vouchers for other forms of birth control. The mainstream media continues to decry anything having to do with the Name of Jesus Christ, and Hollywood continues its downward spiral into the cesspool of immorality producing more and more movies and TV shows filled with all imaginable forms of immorality, violence, and sin glorifying self and sensuality at the expense of all that is good and right. Its as if we as a Nation have learned nothing from September 11th, 2001.
Thy Kingdom is Divided
As if all of this were not bad enough, in 2006 and 2008, the United States Electorate placed into office - by their vote - people who have little to no regard for God, His Word, His Son, or anything having to do with Him. In the mid-term elections of 2006, Democrats were swept into the majority, as Americans voted out the Republican Majority that had resided in congress since 1994. With this change came the Democratic leaders, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, and Representative- turned-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California. The problem with both of these people is that they have had long-standing issues aimed against Jesus Christ and his church. Yet, what is frightening is the way in which these two and their Democrat Colleagues were elected into office: the Christian voting bloc which had helped George W. Bush win two presidential elections turned out in great numbers and voted mostly with the Democrats. In 2008, this would again be the case as most voters who called themselves Christians helped to elect Sen. Barack Hussein Obama into the office of President of the United States of America. The problem with this scenario is that all three of the people who were swept into office by strong Christian voter polling in their favor is that Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi, and worst of all, President Obama have taken positions and stand on principles that go entirely against Christian values. All three support homosexual “rights”; all three support strengthening abortion on demand (something that President Obama has promised to do is to make the Freedom of Choice Act [FOCA] the law of the land); all three support restricting free speech in the form of “Hate Crimes” legislation. Now that all three are in the highest elected positions in the land, they are already working to get their ideology and their agendas made into the law of the land. Though many Christians have opposed them and voted against them in the recent elections, the fact remains that Christian voters placed these people into office. As such, we as a Church in the USA are divided. Jesus Christ himself speaks a dire warning about being divided:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought into desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand…” - Matthew 12.25
Could it be that, as the Church has divided its vote between “hope and change” and voting for what is good and right, that we as a nation and church are on the brink of desolation and fall, as Jesus warned?
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
God’s words written to warn King Belshazzar are again glaring to us in this present day and age: MENE - Just as Daniel told the king that Babylon had been numbered, so is God telling us in the USA that our kingdom, as well, is numbered. We can already see how the world is beginning to shift its attention away from the USA, thanks in large part to the financial meltdown that occurred over the last year. Already, the heads of four countries that have been dependent on US Trade have called for the end of the US Dollar’s dominance n the world economic stage. Several commentators and pundits have also stated most recently that all it would take is some great event to push the USA over the brink on which we are already teetering. Could this event be the much prophesied Rapture of the Church? Could something else, such as a terrorist strike - far worse than 9/11/01 - be the ending factor for the USA? We’ve elected Barack Hussein Obama to be our 44th President of the USA. Could his first term be the first “MENE”, with a possible looming second term being the second “MENE”? Could it be that God is warning us of dire implications should President Obama be re-elected? Could the strikes on two locations (Washington D.C. and New York City, N.Y.) be God’s way of giving us Americans the “writing on the wall”? Could it also be that the two destroyed World Trade Center Towers (which have yet to be memorialized in stone, and no replacement buildings yet built, incidentally) - essentially the symbols of 9/11/01 - are America’s “MENE, MENE”? Is it mere coincidence only that four planes were hijacked, and God’s handwritten words in Daniel were also four (MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN)? Is God, even after eight years have passed since 9/11/01, still trying to tell us, the citizenry of the USA, something important, dire, and urgent?
TEKEL - As described above, the immorality of the USA has been weighed in God’s balances, and we as a nation are found wanting. In the thirty-six years since the Supreme Court of the United States of America legislated from the bench and legalized abortion on demand, 50 million innocents in the USA have been put to death. Christ states very clearly in the Proverbs that the shedding of innocent blood is an abomination to him:
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…” - Proverbs 6.16-17
Even further, the Bible is replete with account after account of civilizations being destroyed - including Israel - for their own shedding of innocent blood. Along with this, homosexuality is gaining more and more acceptance and strength in the USA, and despite the majority of Americans being against same-sex “marriage”, several states by way of their supreme courts have legalized homosexual “marriage” as protected under the law. How much longer will God wait? September 11th, 2001 proved that we as a society have been weighed and found wanting: the slide into immorality has only gotten worse. Is it almost time for another wake-up call from God? Must he again remove his hand of protection and blessing to get our attention? PERES/UPHARSIN - Just as Daniel told the king that his country had been divided between the Persians and Medes, it is a little more than curious to note that the same thing is happening to the USA, even as this lesson and warning is being typed. Just as Babylon and the Chaldean Empire was divided between the Persians and Medes, the USA is, also, being divided in the same way. Persia is easily identified in modern times: it is the modern country of Iran. However, who are the Medes? Though some describe them as also Persians, Median territory, prior to their unification with the Persian Empire some time later, is situated around the present country of Afghanistan and Eastern Iran. Since taking office in January of this year, it is curious to note the growing interest that President Barack Hussein Obama has had with Afghanistan. Troop levels in Afghanistan have continued to grow ever since President Obama took office. Could it be that, with the growing nuclear threat from Iran and heavier and heavier US Involvement in Afghanistan, the US of A is being divided between the Medes and Persians, similar to Belshazzar’s ancient Chaldea? If troop levels continue to grow in Afghanistan, and Iran succeeds in creating a nuclear weapon, it could very well be that the USA is divided literally and figuratively between the Medes and Persians, just as the Chaldean Empire was nearly three thousand years ago.
The Bottom Line - Nuclear 9/11
Folks, it is this my belief that a nuclear strike will take place very soon in the USA. Much in the same way that the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 were, at first, thought to be accidents and were totally unconventional, I believe that a nuclear terrorist attack will also, at first, be viewed as an accident, and will take place in an unconventional manner. I believe that it will be in more than one city, and it will, for lack of a better word, finish the USA for good as a superpower. Many people may scoff at this, as scoffers have come and gone in the past. However, the bottom line here is that God is not limitless in his patience, and the United States of America has gotten away with moral depravity, abominable practices, and gross immorality for far too long. Greater societies have fallen for lesser offences towards God; what makes us, the USA, think that we are any different than they? Though many Americans claim to be Christians, it is shocking not to hear President Obama state that we are not a Christian Nation, but to know that such, in fact, is the truth! Christ has been dismissed from public school for nearly fifty years. The name of Jesus Christ has been mocked, taken in vain, and used as a curse in the media for nearly as long. Sin has been upheld by US Society as good and right since the 1960s. Yes, while we have a large percentage of the population claiming Christ, and while cities and towns and villages all across the land still have churches in them, the fact that we have slidden so far makes it a glaring truth when the President comes out and states it in public: we may claim Christ, but we are not actively living him out in our lives. As such, God will not hold out his hand of blessing for much longer. Nuclear 9-11 is coming, and I believe that it will be upon us very, very soon….perhaps, even, before President Obama is finished with his first term, and certainly before the end of his second should he be elected to one, especially if he makes FOCA and the rest of his agenda the law of the land.
Conclusion - Repent!
Jesus said it at the beginning of his ministry, as did John the Baptist. As they say so in the word, so I write it here: REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND! If we as a nation turn from our wicked ways, God will avert the evil that he knows is coming and will allow if we fail to return to him. If we will turn back to him, and ask him for forgiveness, he will hold off execution of sentence and nuclear 9/11 for another day. However, if we persist in our spiritual and moral depravity, it will be upon us very soon. If we do not well, then, as God spoke to Cain, sin lies at our door, and -- just as it dominated us via nineteen men on September 11th, 2001 -- so it will be again, and likely by less. REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!
Prayer - Lord in Heaven, help us we pray. Heavenly Father, we can easily see in your word that judgment and carrying out of divine sentence comes to those who reject you. Help us, Heavenly Father, as a nation, to heed your word, and come back to you. We pray this, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Dead Faith
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20. Many an individual claim they’re saved yet continue in their same sinful lifestyle without any visible change. We aren’t God, we can’t see into the hearts of others. We can only see visible outward signs that give us any indication whether or not a person is a believer. James says without works faith is dead. Our works are the result of our love for God and they should come instinctively after conversion. As believers, born from God we should be passionate, even driven, by a desire to please God and to give our lives to Him.
So how do we know whether or not our faith is dead? Honestly, a professing believer who is living a lifestyle contrary to God’s will may not even care whether or not their faith is dead. Our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be a living faith. It’s not to be misplaced out in the world somewhere; it’s placed in a living God. What’s that mean, living faith? “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:15-17. Jesus tells us to love one another but if we show no compassion toward others, or very little for that matter, or if we can’t seem to get motivated enough to help our fellow man then our faith may very well be dead.
Many Christians are non-participants in God’s plan for humankind. They just aren’t interested in fulfilling God’s commandments. What that means is even though they’ve made the statement that they’ve repented of their sins and asked for forgiveness, and say they’ve asked Jesus Christ to be the savior of their lives, there’s no visible change between their current status and their pre-conversion state. This is where James chapter 2 comes into play in all our lives. If there is no visible difference in a person’s life after the conversion experience, what kind of faith is that?
After conversion Christians should begin to look at the world with a whole new perspective. As we become more and more familiar with God’s word we begin to see the evil that’s been surrounding us much more clearly. We begin to eliminate the baggage we’ve been carrying and are then free to pursue God’s will for our lives. By baggage I mean being stuck with the mindset of mass accumulation, such as materialism. Even attributes such as self-reliance, pride, haughtiness, etc., are all hindrances to our relationship with God. These hindrances should be significantly reduced at some point after conversion so a believers life will become completely devoted to adhering to God’s will.
Now that our blinders have been removed we need to tell others about our new relationship with God, and the saving grace only obtained through Jesus Christ. This becomes our works which God has ordained as a part of our new life in Christ. All of our works need to bring glory to God and it should be our good pleasure to help others to come to the saving knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. The truth is the world has been blinded, and because of our new ability to see the truth we can play a big part in God’s plan just by witnessing to the lost. The Holy Spirit will do the rest by removing the blinders of all those who want to see the truth.
Our conversion/rebirth puts us forever in the hands of Jesus Christ, and as such it’s essential that our actions and even our conversations produce good works. The more we grow in our Christian walk the more we will accomplish for the Kingdom of God, and we will continue to grow as we study His word and give ourselves wholly to Him.
All believers are admonished to spread the Gospel. The commandment wasn’t meant for just a select few. So, do we spread the Gospel as commanded? Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a huge part of what James is speaking about as works. You see, works is doing what God wants of us, and even commands us to do. Please don’t misunderstand James’ admonition of works based faith. James is speaking of a believer’s life after justification.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure,” Philippians 2:12. This is another easily misunderstood scripture verse. Paul’s statement of “work out your own salvation” means that after conversion we need to be diligent as we go about our Fathers business. Continuing day by day in God’s will, and working out our own salvation is God’s will for our lives. It’s obedience to God that Paul is speaking about. Again, works aren’t what saves us, but works will certainly follow our born again experience.
We should see evidence of works in every area of believer’s lives. We need to activate the awesome salvation God freely gave us. By activate I mean we are to involve ourselves with sharing God’s Gospel, activate it. Paul, like James, is actually bringing the same concept into view, albeit a slightly different approach, but both approaches are completely complementary of each other. If there is no activity in a believer’s life, activity associated with spreading the Gospel, feeding the hungry, basically showing others the love of Christ, then as James explains, our faith is dead.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also,” James 2:26. God has given us an awesome advantage over the lost in that He has allowed those who follow Him to see things the lost cannot. When believers read God’s inerrant word they are blessed with understanding, and they gain insight into God’s nature. Believer’s advantage is that they now know God, and since we know God and we know what He expects of His own, we must train ourselves to do the works He has assigned to us. Occasionally believers fail to be attentive to God’s will and must be admonished to continue to seek His will. Faithful mature believers will apply themselves to accomplishing that task.
Many reading this commentary will conclude by this point that I am advocating salvation through works. No, I’m not. God offered His Son to die for our sins. We accept His free gift and are then justified through our faith. “The just shall live by faith,” Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38. And in Habakkuk 2:4 we’re told “The just shall live by his faith. Clearly we live by faith, we promote the Gospel through and by our faith, and we exist as believers by faith through God’s grace. Once we have the Holy Spirit sealed within us we are completely secure in God’s hands. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
What we do after our becoming justified (born again) for God’s Kingdom is what James considers as works. We are adhering to God’s will by following His commands. If believers aren’t interested in following all of God’s commands, well then James says our faith is dead.
James’ admonition that faith without works is dead isn’t a contradiction of the other scriptures that plainly state we are saved by grace through faith, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2: 8, 9. But what he is saying is once we’re born of God our works will be the natural progression in a believer’s life. What you can take away from all this is if a person shows no interest in following Christ even after conversion then they are probably living a lie. On the other hand there are many who do a ton of works thinking that’s what puts them in a right relationship with God. No sir! Get right with God first then the attitude of working for God’s Kingdom will manifest itself in your life like rivers of flowing water.
James and Paul aren’t saying anything we don’t already know. To believers, doing the works of God is a blessing. Being works oriented is our biblical manifesto. Works are simply our marching orders. A truly born again believer “in Christ” will find no drudgery in following God’s will. As we go about our daily routine it is a natural occurrence for believers to be the light of Christ. Simply put, works are the believer’s pleasure and as such their accomplishments are assured.
Jesus tells us that not everyone who calls Him Lord is in line for any inheritance. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Doing the will of the Father, the Son tells us, is essential for admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” Matthew 7:22. Here we see that many will say they did many wonderful works for the Lord but as we’ve already learned works aren’t what saves us. “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23.
Faith without works is dead and faith in Christ is what we need for salvation. Jesus makes it plain to all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear how we enter Heaven. It’s a yes, a done deal, for all those who have placed their faith and trust in Him. All those who do the will of the Father will be saved. What is the will of the Father? “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29. We see from all this that faith and works are associated in that one is dead without the other. It’s plain what kind of Christians we are if we remain in our comfort zone and never embark on a path that involves adhering to God’s will.
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19. James tells us that without works our faith is the same as demons who believe and tremble. Such a faith cannot save anyone, because there is no verifiable works that would naturally accompany a saving faith. Where faith abounds there is the fruit of the Spirit which is always accompanied by works. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25
What kind of faith do you have? Are you one of those James addresses whose faith is dead or are you alive with the Spirit of God and following His commands? We should all give it some serious thought.
So how do we know whether or not our faith is dead? Honestly, a professing believer who is living a lifestyle contrary to God’s will may not even care whether or not their faith is dead. Our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be a living faith. It’s not to be misplaced out in the world somewhere; it’s placed in a living God. What’s that mean, living faith? “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:15-17. Jesus tells us to love one another but if we show no compassion toward others, or very little for that matter, or if we can’t seem to get motivated enough to help our fellow man then our faith may very well be dead.
Many Christians are non-participants in God’s plan for humankind. They just aren’t interested in fulfilling God’s commandments. What that means is even though they’ve made the statement that they’ve repented of their sins and asked for forgiveness, and say they’ve asked Jesus Christ to be the savior of their lives, there’s no visible change between their current status and their pre-conversion state. This is where James chapter 2 comes into play in all our lives. If there is no visible difference in a person’s life after the conversion experience, what kind of faith is that?
After conversion Christians should begin to look at the world with a whole new perspective. As we become more and more familiar with God’s word we begin to see the evil that’s been surrounding us much more clearly. We begin to eliminate the baggage we’ve been carrying and are then free to pursue God’s will for our lives. By baggage I mean being stuck with the mindset of mass accumulation, such as materialism. Even attributes such as self-reliance, pride, haughtiness, etc., are all hindrances to our relationship with God. These hindrances should be significantly reduced at some point after conversion so a believers life will become completely devoted to adhering to God’s will.
Now that our blinders have been removed we need to tell others about our new relationship with God, and the saving grace only obtained through Jesus Christ. This becomes our works which God has ordained as a part of our new life in Christ. All of our works need to bring glory to God and it should be our good pleasure to help others to come to the saving knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. The truth is the world has been blinded, and because of our new ability to see the truth we can play a big part in God’s plan just by witnessing to the lost. The Holy Spirit will do the rest by removing the blinders of all those who want to see the truth.
Our conversion/rebirth puts us forever in the hands of Jesus Christ, and as such it’s essential that our actions and even our conversations produce good works. The more we grow in our Christian walk the more we will accomplish for the Kingdom of God, and we will continue to grow as we study His word and give ourselves wholly to Him.
All believers are admonished to spread the Gospel. The commandment wasn’t meant for just a select few. So, do we spread the Gospel as commanded? Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a huge part of what James is speaking about as works. You see, works is doing what God wants of us, and even commands us to do. Please don’t misunderstand James’ admonition of works based faith. James is speaking of a believer’s life after justification.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure,” Philippians 2:12. This is another easily misunderstood scripture verse. Paul’s statement of “work out your own salvation” means that after conversion we need to be diligent as we go about our Fathers business. Continuing day by day in God’s will, and working out our own salvation is God’s will for our lives. It’s obedience to God that Paul is speaking about. Again, works aren’t what saves us, but works will certainly follow our born again experience.
We should see evidence of works in every area of believer’s lives. We need to activate the awesome salvation God freely gave us. By activate I mean we are to involve ourselves with sharing God’s Gospel, activate it. Paul, like James, is actually bringing the same concept into view, albeit a slightly different approach, but both approaches are completely complementary of each other. If there is no activity in a believer’s life, activity associated with spreading the Gospel, feeding the hungry, basically showing others the love of Christ, then as James explains, our faith is dead.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also,” James 2:26. God has given us an awesome advantage over the lost in that He has allowed those who follow Him to see things the lost cannot. When believers read God’s inerrant word they are blessed with understanding, and they gain insight into God’s nature. Believer’s advantage is that they now know God, and since we know God and we know what He expects of His own, we must train ourselves to do the works He has assigned to us. Occasionally believers fail to be attentive to God’s will and must be admonished to continue to seek His will. Faithful mature believers will apply themselves to accomplishing that task.
Many reading this commentary will conclude by this point that I am advocating salvation through works. No, I’m not. God offered His Son to die for our sins. We accept His free gift and are then justified through our faith. “The just shall live by faith,” Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38. And in Habakkuk 2:4 we’re told “The just shall live by his faith. Clearly we live by faith, we promote the Gospel through and by our faith, and we exist as believers by faith through God’s grace. Once we have the Holy Spirit sealed within us we are completely secure in God’s hands. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
What we do after our becoming justified (born again) for God’s Kingdom is what James considers as works. We are adhering to God’s will by following His commands. If believers aren’t interested in following all of God’s commands, well then James says our faith is dead.
James’ admonition that faith without works is dead isn’t a contradiction of the other scriptures that plainly state we are saved by grace through faith, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2: 8, 9. But what he is saying is once we’re born of God our works will be the natural progression in a believer’s life. What you can take away from all this is if a person shows no interest in following Christ even after conversion then they are probably living a lie. On the other hand there are many who do a ton of works thinking that’s what puts them in a right relationship with God. No sir! Get right with God first then the attitude of working for God’s Kingdom will manifest itself in your life like rivers of flowing water.
James and Paul aren’t saying anything we don’t already know. To believers, doing the works of God is a blessing. Being works oriented is our biblical manifesto. Works are simply our marching orders. A truly born again believer “in Christ” will find no drudgery in following God’s will. As we go about our daily routine it is a natural occurrence for believers to be the light of Christ. Simply put, works are the believer’s pleasure and as such their accomplishments are assured.
Jesus tells us that not everyone who calls Him Lord is in line for any inheritance. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Doing the will of the Father, the Son tells us, is essential for admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” Matthew 7:22. Here we see that many will say they did many wonderful works for the Lord but as we’ve already learned works aren’t what saves us. “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23.
Faith without works is dead and faith in Christ is what we need for salvation. Jesus makes it plain to all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear how we enter Heaven. It’s a yes, a done deal, for all those who have placed their faith and trust in Him. All those who do the will of the Father will be saved. What is the will of the Father? “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29. We see from all this that faith and works are associated in that one is dead without the other. It’s plain what kind of Christians we are if we remain in our comfort zone and never embark on a path that involves adhering to God’s will.
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19. James tells us that without works our faith is the same as demons who believe and tremble. Such a faith cannot save anyone, because there is no verifiable works that would naturally accompany a saving faith. Where faith abounds there is the fruit of the Spirit which is always accompanied by works. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25
What kind of faith do you have? Are you one of those James addresses whose faith is dead or are you alive with the Spirit of God and following His commands? We should all give it some serious thought.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Christian Prosperity Crisis
Researchers point out that one of the main differences between the U.S. financial crash and others—for example, that of Japan in the 1990s—was that it was households (individuals and families) that became heavily overindebted. This was not the case in Japan, nor the Asian crisis of the late 1990s, nor those in Scandinavia in the early 1990s. There, it was more the actions of companies and governments that led to these crises.
But why in the case of America’s situation, did people became so easily seduced to take on such huge amounts of debt and to accept the vain predictions of perpetual prosperity? Responsibility of stewardship was thrown to the wind.
It may have to do with another main difference: namely America’s major religion—a post-modern, utilitarian aberration of the Biblical Christianity. This may seem a harsh statement, but I believe that the facts well support it. Most definitely, America is the most Christian-professing, major nation in the world. That religious belief and philosophy has an impact on economies and financial markets is a well-established fact. After all, economies are nothing more than human beings acting upon their wants and beliefs.
Why do Chinese households save so much? Could it be that their Confusion culture is predisposed to such behavior? Why did nations inspired by Christianity produce the Industrial Age of the 1800s? Or, why are Latin American countries so often vulnerable to inflationary collapse and corruption? Max Weber (see The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism1), and other social economists such as R. H. Tawney studied this religious/economic connections. Beliefs do drive actions.
Only in North America do we find such a significant influence of the Prosperity Theology. It should not be surprising then that this teaching will have played a contributing (perhaps causal) role in America’s late slide into financial crisis and decline. We want to examine this connection further by investigating some of the doctrinal distortions behind this movement, which merges Christianity and money into the eschatological timeline.
Crucially, it can be shown that it aligns with developments that the Bible indicates will take place in the Last Days, right into the Great Tribulation.
Deeply Rooted False Prosperity Beliefs
While Prosperity Theology tends to be more associated with the charismatic segment of Protestant Christianity, it could be said that virtually all of North American Christianity has been infected with its influences. This perspective co-exists comfortably with the ideology of the American Dream. For centuries, the “Christian nation” of America has been a land of opportunity, espousing upward mobility and success for all who seek it.
Prosperity thinking is therefore subtly imbedded in the psyche of North American Christians. It is almost considered an entitlement in some circles. Of course, most will perhaps not swallow the teachings and techniques of the likes of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and Peter Popoff—he of the “divine transfer”—and many others. After all, some of these more extreme teachers in this community even go so far as to claim that if you have much faith that you can “get wealth.” Just send in your seed faith offering and you may get a “divine wealth transfer” or “100-fold” return.
In this bartering system with the Most High, one is taught to expect that God will reciprocate—actually multiply—your seed offering with a monetary or material blessing of some kind. It could be a sizable check arriving in your mailbox from a mysterious source or some other lucky happenstance. If you believe and have true faith, it is a sure payout, backed by a god that has unlimited capability to redirect money and earthy wealth upon Christians.
If this really is the case, then we have discovered a heaven-ordained Ponzi scheme. What is a Ponzi? This fraudulent sham was named after Charles Ponzi, one of the most famous American swindlers of all time. He promised people high returns on their investments by paying them with other people’s new incoming investment money. This is how Bernie Madoff amazingly managed to misappropriate over $60 billion in recent years. As long as people were investing more in his fund than he was paying out, he went undetected.
Let’s conservatively check out the math on the promises of the Prosperity Theology teachers. A favorite verse is found in Matthew 19:29. It reads: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” That is a wonderful promise. However, it does not refer to earthly riches as is taught by the more extreme prosperity promoters, but rather eternal reward.
For the purposes of illustration only, let’s assume that there are 100 million real “in spirit and truth ”Christians on earth (approximately 1.5% of the world’s population) and that they will get a 10-fold return (not 100-fold). Next, if we take these 100 million from North America, where the average person has about $166,000 in net worth2, we quickly discover that such a promise can only apply to a select few. With this kind of a sure return, everyone would surely give the prosperity preacher everything they have. If they then were all to get a 10-fold return on their contribution, it would amount to a total of $16.5 trillion. How much is that? That is almost as much as all the money deposits in all the banks of the world. How then could this work? It doesn’t.
Think of the consequences if this and other similar teachings were really true. The world would have the greatest money inflation in history and North America would have the most hedonistic Christians imaginable of any nation. Perhaps this result is not so far from the truth. Indeed, hedonism is a susceptible characteristic of this teaching.
Theological Wealth Distortions Everywhere
False gospels are deadly, their heresies distorting virtually every doctrine, worldview and eschatological perspective. In like manner, Prosperity Theology radiates its destruction into many doctrines and perspectives. If the case for its destructive contributions to America’s recent demise is already not incriminating enough, there is yet more to consider.
A sure sign of all false gospels is their perspective on money. Every single false teaching or heresy mentioned in the New Testament epistles (and there are many) was associated with greed or an inordinate affection with money and wealth. This is evident today as it was then. If anything is different, it is that some of these heretical perspectives have become much more systemized than they were in New Testament times.
Though beliefs held by certain Christian sects may appear rooted in scriptural teaching, it is disturbing to discover how subjective and unfounded these are. These beliefs simply do not hold up under the scrutiny of all Scripture. However, these do find good company in pagan and New Age religions. An entry on Wikipedia under the topic Prosperity Theology points out that this “somewhat similar (yet strikingly different) belief appears in most ‘New Thought’ religions, Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science denominations.” It should seem strange that such commonality is found with these other religions. It is not coincidental.
As we have already shown, Prosperity Theology does not even pass the test of common sense. If the promises of Prosperity Theology were legitimate and observable, then it should be discovered that its adherents indeed would be wealthier than the general population. Yet, the opposite is true.
According to the surveys of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life3, the average income level of all Christians is less than that of other faiths. For instance, the percentage of Protestant Christians with incomes over $100,000 per annum is 15%. This is less than Muslims (16%), Jews (46%), Buddhists (43%) and Hindus (43%).
Drilling down into comparisons between Christian denominations themselves, the same non-confirmation is evident. If one assumes that prosperity teaching is most prevalent in evangelical Pentecostal sects, the falsehood of this teaching is even more blatant. The Pentecostal demographic is the poorest of all, with the exception of Baptists in the Historically Black Tradition.4 48% of Pentecostals have incomes less than $30,000; only 7% greater than $100,000 per annum. That compares to 31% and 18% in the Christian population overall, respectively.
Clearly, the promises of Prosperity Theology are a hoax. Much worse allegations could be made. It would be considered a financial sham were its promoters to be seen preying on the hopelessness of its congregants. In that sense, it would not be much different than the consumer credit business. Just which demographic segment of society has historically proven to be the most profitable credit market for financial institutions … at least up until the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)? The poor. It is these people that are required to pay high loan fees and interest rates and tend to run high balances on their credit cards with exorbitant charges. In like manner, this gospel is certainly not “releasing the oppressed” as was Christ’s mission (Luke 4:18).
Why is it that Christians are so gullible? It may be for the same reason that the thickest complaint file of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in America is the category of religiously associated fraud. When con artists or teachers imply a relationship with God or make a purported scriptural reference promising prosperity, the wallets are opened unthinkingly. Why is it that charismatic churches time and again have proven themselves most vulnerable to the flimsiest of Ponzi schemes? It is both astounding and explainable.
This quote from an op-ed article published in the Russian online news portal, Pravda offers a disturbing connection, though somewhat tangential. The journalist, though irreverent of America and an apologist for the official Russian Orthodox Church, does make some connections between America’s slide and liberal Christianity:
“First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. […] Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different ‘branches and denominations’ were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the ‘winning’ side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the ‘winning’ side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.”5
The Effects Are Subtle But Dangerous
Our review of the more extreme aspects of Prosperity Teaching is not meant to attack anyone personally. Rather, we seek to stand up for truth and to contest dangerous teaching. Yes, many prosperity teachers may preach inspiring sermons, be of good character, and not even realize that they are influenced by Prosperity Theology. But that still would not be sufficient excuse nor render this teaching harmless.
In the physical world, purity is highly prized. Were we to purchase a bar of 24K gold, we expect it to be 100% pure. When we buy gasoline for our cars or are prescribed penicillin tablets, we expect the content to meet the specifications on the label. Anything else is fraud and deliberate deception. The same is true of any teaching that does not meet the exact specifications of the Gospel and the Bible.
Satan, the Bible tells us, is a cunning deceiver (John 8:44) and masquerader (2 Corinthians 11:14). Were we to devise a plan to poison someone with arsenic, we would surely know how to secret its ingestion. We might hide it in a slice of sweet apple pie covered with ice cream. Effective rat poison is designed the same way. It is deliberately manufactured to be tasty and nutritious. Even though only a very small percentage of its content is poison, it is enough to kill the rodent. The fact that the other 99% of its content was life-sustaining food—or that that the other 99% of teaching was sound—does not prevent bad consequences.
Then what are the evil consequences of Prosperity Theology, and why does it fit into the eschatological timeline? There are a number of reasons, some of them deviously subtle. Firstly, Prosperity Theology that overly focuses upon material riches and physical well-being, acclimatizes Christians to feel comfortable in the realm of Mammon. As already explained, the risks and rewards of the material realm are put onto a spiritual level. The opposing kingdoms of God and Money are confused. Monetary fortunes—the ups and downs of the bank account and investment portfolios—are interpreted as the omens of God. For example, if I lose my job, God is punishing me. If I get an inheritance from a distant relative, then I am being divinely blessed. That perspective is not Biblical … certainly not to be found in the New Testament.
Erroneously, this teaching about money promotes the notion that God runs His kingdom on the principle of monetary and material incentive. How crass. God manipulates Christians to love Him and to obedience through the carrot of material wealth and well-being? They confuse the realm of Mammon for the Kingdom of God.
The danger of this perspective is amply evidenced by the recent disastrous Global Financial Crisis. Because stock markets and housing prices were soaring, people that were entranced by the Mammon spirit uncritically received it as a blessing. To them, it was a sign of God’s favor upon America. In reality, it was a deliberate and deceptive trap. Today, therefore, America is weakened.
Prosperity Theology also can lead to slovenly stewardship. Why practice sensible budgeting if I have a few divine lottery tickets soon to pay off with a big win? With a 100-fold return promised, why not spend the money in advance? Or, if a finance company approves an option mortgage with no money down, is this really a blessed intervention by God to provide a house that is bigger than you need and cannot afford? With this kind of undisciplined thinking, we see that personal accountability can go out the window. Such teaching in spirit does not promote sensible stewardship.
Thoughts to Ponder
The deadly mindset of Prosperity Theology promotes at least three other dangers … these the worst of all. Firstly, it greases the slide to the final grand ecumenicism—the perversion that merges the worship of God and Mammon. Did Christ really say that you cannot serve two masters? Yes, of course. In Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 it says you can only serve either Mammon or God, not both. Yes, but if we redefine wealth and money as the sure manifestation of God’s blessing; and a massive commercialization and globalization of the world as godly because its goal is to free the world of poverty; and “capitalism” and other “isms” as Biblically-endorsed concepts; well then, manipulated global wealth booms must be the sure working of a pleased God. That is precisely the type of world that is shown in Revelation 17 and 18, which depict a worldwide marriage of religion and commerce.
The second disaster of America’s collision with the effortless prosperity pipedream is that the U.S. is now reduced and embarrassed on the world’s geopolitical sphere. This is not a good sign for Israel. Political leadership will not have much difficulty abandoning Israel if this is promised to return our nation to bubbly prosperity.
Finally, we know there will come a time when the entire world falls for the “prosperity teaching ruse.” An antichrist will stand up and deliver what appears to be the promise of prosperity, and perhaps even the eradication of poverty. It will sound good to the mammonish mind. Take the “mark” and you will be assured of a prosperous future.
Turning back to the current economic troubles, what Christian might not be tempted to think that God and country have abandoned them? Instead of the American Dream or the soothing promises of the preacher, disappointing hardships and troubles are being experienced.
What Christian would not be inclined to whine to God, as did Jeremiah: “Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?” (Jeremiah 15:18). Jeremiah figured that since he was walking with God and answering His calling, that he deserved special treatment. He bargained with God, saying, “I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me, and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable?” (Jeremiah 15-17-18).
How did God respond? He didn’t even acknowledge the complaint. He simply said this: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me” (verse 19).
No doubt, all 12 of the New Testament apostles settled this same issue in a satisfactory manner. They were doing the Lord’s will and were all blessed with rich robes and fine foods. Actually, directly to the contrary. 11 of them died an unnatural death. All of them physically suffered for their beliefs. Was this just? Said Paul, “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love […]” (2 Corinthians 6:4-6).
ENDNOTES
1. Weber, Max. The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, published 1905.
2. Calculated from Federal Reserve Board Z1 Report, June 11, 2009, reporting March 31, 2009 conditions.
3. U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, February 2008, Table: Income Levels of Major Religious Traditions, pg. 60.
4. Ibid, Income Level by Protestant Denominations, pg. 80.
5. Stanislav Mishin, Op-ed, Pravda Russia, June 1, 2009.
But why in the case of America’s situation, did people became so easily seduced to take on such huge amounts of debt and to accept the vain predictions of perpetual prosperity? Responsibility of stewardship was thrown to the wind.
It may have to do with another main difference: namely America’s major religion—a post-modern, utilitarian aberration of the Biblical Christianity. This may seem a harsh statement, but I believe that the facts well support it. Most definitely, America is the most Christian-professing, major nation in the world. That religious belief and philosophy has an impact on economies and financial markets is a well-established fact. After all, economies are nothing more than human beings acting upon their wants and beliefs.
Why do Chinese households save so much? Could it be that their Confusion culture is predisposed to such behavior? Why did nations inspired by Christianity produce the Industrial Age of the 1800s? Or, why are Latin American countries so often vulnerable to inflationary collapse and corruption? Max Weber (see The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism1), and other social economists such as R. H. Tawney studied this religious/economic connections. Beliefs do drive actions.
Only in North America do we find such a significant influence of the Prosperity Theology. It should not be surprising then that this teaching will have played a contributing (perhaps causal) role in America’s late slide into financial crisis and decline. We want to examine this connection further by investigating some of the doctrinal distortions behind this movement, which merges Christianity and money into the eschatological timeline.
Crucially, it can be shown that it aligns with developments that the Bible indicates will take place in the Last Days, right into the Great Tribulation.
Deeply Rooted False Prosperity Beliefs
While Prosperity Theology tends to be more associated with the charismatic segment of Protestant Christianity, it could be said that virtually all of North American Christianity has been infected with its influences. This perspective co-exists comfortably with the ideology of the American Dream. For centuries, the “Christian nation” of America has been a land of opportunity, espousing upward mobility and success for all who seek it.
Prosperity thinking is therefore subtly imbedded in the psyche of North American Christians. It is almost considered an entitlement in some circles. Of course, most will perhaps not swallow the teachings and techniques of the likes of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and Peter Popoff—he of the “divine transfer”—and many others. After all, some of these more extreme teachers in this community even go so far as to claim that if you have much faith that you can “get wealth.” Just send in your seed faith offering and you may get a “divine wealth transfer” or “100-fold” return.
In this bartering system with the Most High, one is taught to expect that God will reciprocate—actually multiply—your seed offering with a monetary or material blessing of some kind. It could be a sizable check arriving in your mailbox from a mysterious source or some other lucky happenstance. If you believe and have true faith, it is a sure payout, backed by a god that has unlimited capability to redirect money and earthy wealth upon Christians.
If this really is the case, then we have discovered a heaven-ordained Ponzi scheme. What is a Ponzi? This fraudulent sham was named after Charles Ponzi, one of the most famous American swindlers of all time. He promised people high returns on their investments by paying them with other people’s new incoming investment money. This is how Bernie Madoff amazingly managed to misappropriate over $60 billion in recent years. As long as people were investing more in his fund than he was paying out, he went undetected.
Let’s conservatively check out the math on the promises of the Prosperity Theology teachers. A favorite verse is found in Matthew 19:29. It reads: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” That is a wonderful promise. However, it does not refer to earthly riches as is taught by the more extreme prosperity promoters, but rather eternal reward.
For the purposes of illustration only, let’s assume that there are 100 million real “in spirit and truth ”Christians on earth (approximately 1.5% of the world’s population) and that they will get a 10-fold return (not 100-fold). Next, if we take these 100 million from North America, where the average person has about $166,000 in net worth2, we quickly discover that such a promise can only apply to a select few. With this kind of a sure return, everyone would surely give the prosperity preacher everything they have. If they then were all to get a 10-fold return on their contribution, it would amount to a total of $16.5 trillion. How much is that? That is almost as much as all the money deposits in all the banks of the world. How then could this work? It doesn’t.
Think of the consequences if this and other similar teachings were really true. The world would have the greatest money inflation in history and North America would have the most hedonistic Christians imaginable of any nation. Perhaps this result is not so far from the truth. Indeed, hedonism is a susceptible characteristic of this teaching.
Theological Wealth Distortions Everywhere
False gospels are deadly, their heresies distorting virtually every doctrine, worldview and eschatological perspective. In like manner, Prosperity Theology radiates its destruction into many doctrines and perspectives. If the case for its destructive contributions to America’s recent demise is already not incriminating enough, there is yet more to consider.
A sure sign of all false gospels is their perspective on money. Every single false teaching or heresy mentioned in the New Testament epistles (and there are many) was associated with greed or an inordinate affection with money and wealth. This is evident today as it was then. If anything is different, it is that some of these heretical perspectives have become much more systemized than they were in New Testament times.
Though beliefs held by certain Christian sects may appear rooted in scriptural teaching, it is disturbing to discover how subjective and unfounded these are. These beliefs simply do not hold up under the scrutiny of all Scripture. However, these do find good company in pagan and New Age religions. An entry on Wikipedia under the topic Prosperity Theology points out that this “somewhat similar (yet strikingly different) belief appears in most ‘New Thought’ religions, Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science denominations.” It should seem strange that such commonality is found with these other religions. It is not coincidental.
As we have already shown, Prosperity Theology does not even pass the test of common sense. If the promises of Prosperity Theology were legitimate and observable, then it should be discovered that its adherents indeed would be wealthier than the general population. Yet, the opposite is true.
According to the surveys of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life3, the average income level of all Christians is less than that of other faiths. For instance, the percentage of Protestant Christians with incomes over $100,000 per annum is 15%. This is less than Muslims (16%), Jews (46%), Buddhists (43%) and Hindus (43%).
Drilling down into comparisons between Christian denominations themselves, the same non-confirmation is evident. If one assumes that prosperity teaching is most prevalent in evangelical Pentecostal sects, the falsehood of this teaching is even more blatant. The Pentecostal demographic is the poorest of all, with the exception of Baptists in the Historically Black Tradition.4 48% of Pentecostals have incomes less than $30,000; only 7% greater than $100,000 per annum. That compares to 31% and 18% in the Christian population overall, respectively.
Clearly, the promises of Prosperity Theology are a hoax. Much worse allegations could be made. It would be considered a financial sham were its promoters to be seen preying on the hopelessness of its congregants. In that sense, it would not be much different than the consumer credit business. Just which demographic segment of society has historically proven to be the most profitable credit market for financial institutions … at least up until the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)? The poor. It is these people that are required to pay high loan fees and interest rates and tend to run high balances on their credit cards with exorbitant charges. In like manner, this gospel is certainly not “releasing the oppressed” as was Christ’s mission (Luke 4:18).
Why is it that Christians are so gullible? It may be for the same reason that the thickest complaint file of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in America is the category of religiously associated fraud. When con artists or teachers imply a relationship with God or make a purported scriptural reference promising prosperity, the wallets are opened unthinkingly. Why is it that charismatic churches time and again have proven themselves most vulnerable to the flimsiest of Ponzi schemes? It is both astounding and explainable.
This quote from an op-ed article published in the Russian online news portal, Pravda offers a disturbing connection, though somewhat tangential. The journalist, though irreverent of America and an apologist for the official Russian Orthodox Church, does make some connections between America’s slide and liberal Christianity:
“First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. […] Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different ‘branches and denominations’ were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the ‘winning’ side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the ‘winning’ side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.”5
The Effects Are Subtle But Dangerous
Our review of the more extreme aspects of Prosperity Teaching is not meant to attack anyone personally. Rather, we seek to stand up for truth and to contest dangerous teaching. Yes, many prosperity teachers may preach inspiring sermons, be of good character, and not even realize that they are influenced by Prosperity Theology. But that still would not be sufficient excuse nor render this teaching harmless.
In the physical world, purity is highly prized. Were we to purchase a bar of 24K gold, we expect it to be 100% pure. When we buy gasoline for our cars or are prescribed penicillin tablets, we expect the content to meet the specifications on the label. Anything else is fraud and deliberate deception. The same is true of any teaching that does not meet the exact specifications of the Gospel and the Bible.
Satan, the Bible tells us, is a cunning deceiver (John 8:44) and masquerader (2 Corinthians 11:14). Were we to devise a plan to poison someone with arsenic, we would surely know how to secret its ingestion. We might hide it in a slice of sweet apple pie covered with ice cream. Effective rat poison is designed the same way. It is deliberately manufactured to be tasty and nutritious. Even though only a very small percentage of its content is poison, it is enough to kill the rodent. The fact that the other 99% of its content was life-sustaining food—or that that the other 99% of teaching was sound—does not prevent bad consequences.
Then what are the evil consequences of Prosperity Theology, and why does it fit into the eschatological timeline? There are a number of reasons, some of them deviously subtle. Firstly, Prosperity Theology that overly focuses upon material riches and physical well-being, acclimatizes Christians to feel comfortable in the realm of Mammon. As already explained, the risks and rewards of the material realm are put onto a spiritual level. The opposing kingdoms of God and Money are confused. Monetary fortunes—the ups and downs of the bank account and investment portfolios—are interpreted as the omens of God. For example, if I lose my job, God is punishing me. If I get an inheritance from a distant relative, then I am being divinely blessed. That perspective is not Biblical … certainly not to be found in the New Testament.
Erroneously, this teaching about money promotes the notion that God runs His kingdom on the principle of monetary and material incentive. How crass. God manipulates Christians to love Him and to obedience through the carrot of material wealth and well-being? They confuse the realm of Mammon for the Kingdom of God.
The danger of this perspective is amply evidenced by the recent disastrous Global Financial Crisis. Because stock markets and housing prices were soaring, people that were entranced by the Mammon spirit uncritically received it as a blessing. To them, it was a sign of God’s favor upon America. In reality, it was a deliberate and deceptive trap. Today, therefore, America is weakened.
Prosperity Theology also can lead to slovenly stewardship. Why practice sensible budgeting if I have a few divine lottery tickets soon to pay off with a big win? With a 100-fold return promised, why not spend the money in advance? Or, if a finance company approves an option mortgage with no money down, is this really a blessed intervention by God to provide a house that is bigger than you need and cannot afford? With this kind of undisciplined thinking, we see that personal accountability can go out the window. Such teaching in spirit does not promote sensible stewardship.
Thoughts to Ponder
The deadly mindset of Prosperity Theology promotes at least three other dangers … these the worst of all. Firstly, it greases the slide to the final grand ecumenicism—the perversion that merges the worship of God and Mammon. Did Christ really say that you cannot serve two masters? Yes, of course. In Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 it says you can only serve either Mammon or God, not both. Yes, but if we redefine wealth and money as the sure manifestation of God’s blessing; and a massive commercialization and globalization of the world as godly because its goal is to free the world of poverty; and “capitalism” and other “isms” as Biblically-endorsed concepts; well then, manipulated global wealth booms must be the sure working of a pleased God. That is precisely the type of world that is shown in Revelation 17 and 18, which depict a worldwide marriage of religion and commerce.
The second disaster of America’s collision with the effortless prosperity pipedream is that the U.S. is now reduced and embarrassed on the world’s geopolitical sphere. This is not a good sign for Israel. Political leadership will not have much difficulty abandoning Israel if this is promised to return our nation to bubbly prosperity.
Finally, we know there will come a time when the entire world falls for the “prosperity teaching ruse.” An antichrist will stand up and deliver what appears to be the promise of prosperity, and perhaps even the eradication of poverty. It will sound good to the mammonish mind. Take the “mark” and you will be assured of a prosperous future.
Turning back to the current economic troubles, what Christian might not be tempted to think that God and country have abandoned them? Instead of the American Dream or the soothing promises of the preacher, disappointing hardships and troubles are being experienced.
What Christian would not be inclined to whine to God, as did Jeremiah: “Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?” (Jeremiah 15:18). Jeremiah figured that since he was walking with God and answering His calling, that he deserved special treatment. He bargained with God, saying, “I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me, and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable?” (Jeremiah 15-17-18).
How did God respond? He didn’t even acknowledge the complaint. He simply said this: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me” (verse 19).
No doubt, all 12 of the New Testament apostles settled this same issue in a satisfactory manner. They were doing the Lord’s will and were all blessed with rich robes and fine foods. Actually, directly to the contrary. 11 of them died an unnatural death. All of them physically suffered for their beliefs. Was this just? Said Paul, “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love […]” (2 Corinthians 6:4-6).
ENDNOTES
1. Weber, Max. The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, published 1905.
2. Calculated from Federal Reserve Board Z1 Report, June 11, 2009, reporting March 31, 2009 conditions.
3. U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, February 2008, Table: Income Levels of Major Religious Traditions, pg. 60.
4. Ibid, Income Level by Protestant Denominations, pg. 80.
5. Stanislav Mishin, Op-ed, Pravda Russia, June 1, 2009.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Satan, Hell, and Bible Prophecy
When it comes to Satan, hell, and bible prophecy, a number of myths and misunderstandings have taken root over the years.
It’s important to correct these myths, because people need to know the truth.
Not only the truth about what is, but the truth about what’s going to be…
The bible has a lot to say about Satan, hell, and the future. And knowing what the bible says helps us to develop a worldview grounded in truth and perspective.
If we want to understand the world around us, now and in the future, it’s essential to know what the bible says.
So let’s address two widespread myths which persist to this day…
Myth #1: Satan Resides in Hell
One of the most persistent cultural myths in our lifetime is the idea that Satan resides in hell. In the images of pop culture, Satan is pictured as the undisputed ruler of hell.
But according to the bible, Satan is not in hell. In fact, according to the bible, Satan splits his time between this world and heaven.
This concept is clearly illustrated in the Book of Job, when Satan himself comes before the Lord…
“One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.” Job 2:1 (NLT)
It’s clear from this passage that Satan isn’t a prisoner of eternal torment in hell as conventional wisdom so often states.
On the contrary, the bible portrays him as having regular access to God. The Book of Revelation calls him, “the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
This verse paints a portrait of Satan as a heavenly figure who accuses the followers of Christ day and night before the Lord of Creation. In its entirety, this prophetic passage also clearly states that Satan will be thrown down to earth…
“For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth – the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
And that begs the question… Thrown down from where? The obvious implication is that Satan will be thrown down from heaven, where he currently resides.
If this is true, where do we get the idea that Satan resides in hell?
Well, we get it from the bible… But what is often misunderstood is that hell is not Satan’s present residence; it’s his future destination.
Right now (the pre-Tribulation period), Satan is in heaven. But his days in heaven are numbered. God will not endure Satan’s presence forever, and the time which is marked for Satan’s permanent exile from heaven is the mid-point of the Tribulation.
As the Book of Revelation reveals…
“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” Revelation 12:7-9 (NLT)
It’s a commonly held belief that Satan and his rebellious angels were banished from heaven long ago, but that’s a myth.
Satan’s banishment is a future event, one slated for the last days.
And Satan will not become a resident of hell until after the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ, when he is bound and thrown into the lake of fire…
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon – that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan – and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:1-3 (NLT)
And that leads us to a second myth…
Myth #2: Satan Will Rule Over Hell
The second myth involves Satan’s ultimate role in hell.
If you buy into the conventional wisdom, Satan is the undisputed ruler of hell, a place where he wields power over fellow inhabitants, torturing them day and night.
But the bible paints a different picture…
It’s a picture of Satan as a defeated being who is mocked mercilessly and ridiculed by the very people he led astray…
“In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you. With one voice they all cry out, ‘Now you are as weak as we are! Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.’” Isaiah 14:9-11 (NLT)
Rather than facing an eternal future as dictator of hell, Satan faces a humbling future as the lowest of the low in hell…
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’” Isaiah 14:12-17 (NLT)
Despite his ambition, this is Satan’s ultimate fate.
And he knows it. After all, Satan also studies the scriptures, as evidenced by his use of scripture in his temptation of Jesus:
“Then the devil took him to the holy city, ml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Matthew 4:5-6 (NLT)
Here, Satan exhibits full knowledge of Psalm 91:11-12, and you can be absolutely certain he knows Isaiah 14, Revelation 12, Revelation 20, and the rest of God’s Word.
That’s why, when Satan is thrown down to earth, he arrives in great anger. Because he knows his time is short…
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” Revelation 12:12 (NLT)
In a last ditch effort to avoid to his fate, Satan will attempt to annihilate the Jews…
“When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.” Revelation 12:13 (NLT)
Why is Satan trying to annihilate the Jews?
Because, if he’s successful in doing so, he wins an enormous victory over God.
After all, God made a promise to Abraham…
“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’” Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
And God’s promise included the land of Israel…
“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’” Genesis 12:7 (NLT)
If Satan can eliminate the physical descendants of Abraham, then he makes God a liar. Does this help shed some light on why anti-Semitism persists and why Hitler so vehemently pursued the Holocaust?
Satan was, and is, behind it all.
But this hatred isn’t reserved exclusively for the Jews. God’s promise to Abraham included Abraham’s spiritual descendants as well…
“Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.” Romans 4:13-14 (NLT)
And who are Abraham’s spiritual descendants?
Those who forge “a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”
When Satan is thrown down to the earth, he will ruthlessly pursue those people too…
“And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children – all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” Revelation 12:17 (NLT)
Does this help you better understand Christian persecution throughout the ages?
Satan hates Jews and Christians, because both are beneficiaries of God’s promise to Abraham… God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants.
Right now, Satan commands great influence over the inhabitants of this world…
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
But Satan’s rule is destined to come to an end, and he knows it.
That’s why the Tribulation is such a terrible time in human history. Knowing he has little time, Satan will deploy the full use of his power in a feeble attempt to prove God’s Word false and avoid his ultimate destination… Hell.
As a result, terrible times are coming, but those with faith will avoid the great time of testing…
“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God – the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.” Revelation 3:10-12 (NLT)
In the meantime…
We should trust in Christ. We should obey His commandments, and use what little time we have left on this earth to bring glory to God. We should preach His Word to those who will listen. And we should show love for friends and enemies alike, doing unto to others as we would have them do unto us.
We should live our lives as faithful servants of Christ, and look forward to the day when we hear a loud voice shouting across the heavens…
“It has come at last – salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth – the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!” Revelation 12:10-12 (NLT)
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
It’s important to correct these myths, because people need to know the truth.
Not only the truth about what is, but the truth about what’s going to be…
The bible has a lot to say about Satan, hell, and the future. And knowing what the bible says helps us to develop a worldview grounded in truth and perspective.
If we want to understand the world around us, now and in the future, it’s essential to know what the bible says.
So let’s address two widespread myths which persist to this day…
Myth #1: Satan Resides in Hell
One of the most persistent cultural myths in our lifetime is the idea that Satan resides in hell. In the images of pop culture, Satan is pictured as the undisputed ruler of hell.
But according to the bible, Satan is not in hell. In fact, according to the bible, Satan splits his time between this world and heaven.
This concept is clearly illustrated in the Book of Job, when Satan himself comes before the Lord…
“One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.” Job 2:1 (NLT)
It’s clear from this passage that Satan isn’t a prisoner of eternal torment in hell as conventional wisdom so often states.
On the contrary, the bible portrays him as having regular access to God. The Book of Revelation calls him, “the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
This verse paints a portrait of Satan as a heavenly figure who accuses the followers of Christ day and night before the Lord of Creation. In its entirety, this prophetic passage also clearly states that Satan will be thrown down to earth…
“For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth – the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
And that begs the question… Thrown down from where? The obvious implication is that Satan will be thrown down from heaven, where he currently resides.
If this is true, where do we get the idea that Satan resides in hell?
Well, we get it from the bible… But what is often misunderstood is that hell is not Satan’s present residence; it’s his future destination.
Right now (the pre-Tribulation period), Satan is in heaven. But his days in heaven are numbered. God will not endure Satan’s presence forever, and the time which is marked for Satan’s permanent exile from heaven is the mid-point of the Tribulation.
As the Book of Revelation reveals…
“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” Revelation 12:7-9 (NLT)
It’s a commonly held belief that Satan and his rebellious angels were banished from heaven long ago, but that’s a myth.
Satan’s banishment is a future event, one slated for the last days.
And Satan will not become a resident of hell until after the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ, when he is bound and thrown into the lake of fire…
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon – that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan – and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:1-3 (NLT)
And that leads us to a second myth…
Myth #2: Satan Will Rule Over Hell
The second myth involves Satan’s ultimate role in hell.
If you buy into the conventional wisdom, Satan is the undisputed ruler of hell, a place where he wields power over fellow inhabitants, torturing them day and night.
But the bible paints a different picture…
It’s a picture of Satan as a defeated being who is mocked mercilessly and ridiculed by the very people he led astray…
“In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you. With one voice they all cry out, ‘Now you are as weak as we are! Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.’” Isaiah 14:9-11 (NLT)
Rather than facing an eternal future as dictator of hell, Satan faces a humbling future as the lowest of the low in hell…
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’” Isaiah 14:12-17 (NLT)
Despite his ambition, this is Satan’s ultimate fate.
And he knows it. After all, Satan also studies the scriptures, as evidenced by his use of scripture in his temptation of Jesus:
“Then the devil took him to the holy city, ml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Matthew 4:5-6 (NLT)
Here, Satan exhibits full knowledge of Psalm 91:11-12, and you can be absolutely certain he knows Isaiah 14, Revelation 12, Revelation 20, and the rest of God’s Word.
That’s why, when Satan is thrown down to earth, he arrives in great anger. Because he knows his time is short…
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” Revelation 12:12 (NLT)
In a last ditch effort to avoid to his fate, Satan will attempt to annihilate the Jews…
“When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.” Revelation 12:13 (NLT)
Why is Satan trying to annihilate the Jews?
Because, if he’s successful in doing so, he wins an enormous victory over God.
After all, God made a promise to Abraham…
“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’” Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
And God’s promise included the land of Israel…
“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’” Genesis 12:7 (NLT)
If Satan can eliminate the physical descendants of Abraham, then he makes God a liar. Does this help shed some light on why anti-Semitism persists and why Hitler so vehemently pursued the Holocaust?
Satan was, and is, behind it all.
But this hatred isn’t reserved exclusively for the Jews. God’s promise to Abraham included Abraham’s spiritual descendants as well…
“Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.” Romans 4:13-14 (NLT)
And who are Abraham’s spiritual descendants?
Those who forge “a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”
When Satan is thrown down to the earth, he will ruthlessly pursue those people too…
“And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children – all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” Revelation 12:17 (NLT)
Does this help you better understand Christian persecution throughout the ages?
Satan hates Jews and Christians, because both are beneficiaries of God’s promise to Abraham… God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants.
Right now, Satan commands great influence over the inhabitants of this world…
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
But Satan’s rule is destined to come to an end, and he knows it.
That’s why the Tribulation is such a terrible time in human history. Knowing he has little time, Satan will deploy the full use of his power in a feeble attempt to prove God’s Word false and avoid his ultimate destination… Hell.
As a result, terrible times are coming, but those with faith will avoid the great time of testing…
“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God – the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.” Revelation 3:10-12 (NLT)
In the meantime…
We should trust in Christ. We should obey His commandments, and use what little time we have left on this earth to bring glory to God. We should preach His Word to those who will listen. And we should show love for friends and enemies alike, doing unto to others as we would have them do unto us.
We should live our lives as faithful servants of Christ, and look forward to the day when we hear a loud voice shouting across the heavens…
“It has come at last – salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth – the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!” Revelation 12:10-12 (NLT)
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
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