Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

How Much Do We Love the Truth?

deception

How much do we love the truth? Is a love of truth necessary for us to be saved, or is it merely an one way to come to God? Does the Lord care if we fudge the truth about “non-essential” matters as long as we adhere to the main tenets of the Christian faith? I hope that by the end of this article you will agree with me that truth and error do not mix.

Some of the mainline denominations have been willing to compromise with LGTBQ+ ideology in order to avoid offending a large number of people who populate their congregations. By so doing they have divided their followers into two camps – those who are willing to embrace, or at least refuse to confront, error and those who believe we must firmly adhere to the Bible’s teachings. The United Methodist Church split right down the middle with the formation of the Global Methodist denomination. In most cases, however, the split is much less dramatic. Bible loyal congregants simply leave to find groups that are more hospitable to their convictions.

With some evangelical churches, the compromise with truth is often less stark. Some churches choose to avoid addressing potentially divisive issues, such as abortion, in order to attract large numbers of “seekers” to their meetings, where the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ is preached. These churches believe that tolerating error in some areas is permissible as long as the central gospel message is preserved. But what kind of disciples are being produced? It has been my observation that churches must continue doing what drew people in order to keep them. Are unity and growth more important than truth? 

In this article I will show that truth can be a radically divisive thing that exposes who loves it and who doesn’t.

Those who are indifferent are lumped together with the second group. We cannot be indifferent to something we love.

I use the word “radically” in the above sentence in a most fundamental way. Radical comes from the Latin “radix,” which means root, core, or foundation. Radicals believe that they must be true to core principles, that behavior must correspond to foundational beliefs, and that we must love truth no matter what the consequences.

Jesus is a radical and wants us to be.

Jesus identifies himself the “truth” (John 14:6). When he stood on trial before Pilate, the Bible records the following interaction.

Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37 (NASB95)

Jesus understood his purpose in coming to the earth was to testify to God’s truth and destroy Satan’s web of lies.

Interestingly, he also stated that people who are “of the truth” are able to “hear” his words. The rest are either indifferent or hostile. The Jewish leaders completely rejected the one who is the living embodiment of truth. They murdered their Messiah with the help of the Romans.

Lovers of truth have a God-given type of hearing that results in their understanding and believing the truth.

Without God’s help, we cannot hear or believe Jesus or his words.

“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:43–45 (NASB95)

The Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, must work inside us to give us a love for God’s truth and draw us to Christ.

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth... John 16:13a (NASB95)

When the apostle Peter confessed aloud that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus replied that he could not know that truth unless it were revealed to him by God. (Matthew 16:17) Those who love truth were chosen by God for this privilege.

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)

We should be eternally grateful for the mercy shown to us and be willing to pray that others might have their eyes opened, too. Those who do not possess a love for truth will be lost forever, according to the Bible, entrapped and enslaved by the lies they believe. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

Those who love the truth pursue truth wherever it may lead.

The first apostles followed Jesus even when they did not fully understand his words or were fearful of what may lie ahead. Our pursuit of truth must be just as selfless and fearless. 

Those who love the truth will find themselves at odds with a world where falsehood reigns and not just in those areas pertaining to the gospel.

The entire world system lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), who is the father of lies (John 8:44). He has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9), and we would be naive to think that this is only in spiritual matters. Wholesale deception runs through our educational system, the sciences, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, paleontology, astrophysics, biology, and medicine, the arts and media, finances, and, of course, politics. I used to think that deception was, say, knee deep. Now I think it is like a vast chasm, where we cannot yet see the bottom. We are up against something far more formidable that we formerly thought. Those who love the truth must be prepared to stand against a whole world of lies.

The truth of the Bible must spill over into every area of life; otherwise, we have believed the lie that Christianity does not have any place in the “real world,” but belongs inside the church building only.

We cannot allow the great lie birthed during the Age of Reason to stand: science cannot be separated from God’s truth as revealed in the Bible.

Jesus was not afraid of controversy. He split rabbinic Judaism right down the middle. People had to choose between the Talmud and the Messiah. There was no gray area. Those who were drawn to the Truth were saved. The rest were destroyed, including Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.

The truth just naturally divides because it exposes those who love it and those who hate it.

Jesus warned:

Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; Luke 12:51 (NASB95)

In the last days, I believe it will be increasing necessary for God’s people to hold steadfastly to biblical truth without compromising in any area.

We have the responsibility to stand publicly for the Bible’s truth with a godly attitude.

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24–26 (NASB95)

God expects us to exhibit humility, patience, mercy, and love as we stand for truth, without compromising, having the goal to help people repent from their love of error and embrace truth. Thankfully, some who currently hate truth will come to their senses and become lovers of truth. We do not yet know who they are, but God does. If we testify to the truth, it will enable them to hear and believe with the Holy Spirit’s help.

We understand that honest people reach different conclusions when interpreting scripture.

When it comes to what some call “non-essential” doctrines, those that will not determine our eternal destiny, we charitably allow for differences of opinion. Examples are views about the end times or the Armenian-Reformed theology debate. In both of these cases, we hold to what we believe is true, but allow other persons to think differently. We disagree about the end time because it has not taken place yet and we are unsure how to properly interpret some prophetic sections of scripture. We disagree over the Armenian vs Reformed dispute because we tend to see one side of the issue more clearly than the other. It is a disagreement over some of the details of how God saves us, not whether he does. When I teach, I present both sides, but then tell my listeners what I believe and why I think it best agrees with the Word of God. It is important, but non-essential in an eternal sense. Nevertheless, we still must take sides because truth demands it. We speak the truth in love, but we speak the truth.

However, some truths are so important, and their corresponding lies so devious, that we cannot be so generous as to simply politely disagree.

The LGBTQ+ controversy is a case in point. To embrace homosexuality and transgenderism is to rebel against the Creator and his purpose in sexuality. It is also a rejection of the Bible’s testimony. Another case for us to consider is the debate around whether Genesis Chapter One should be taken as a true history of creation or interpreted as poetry to make room for modern astrophysics.

It must be obvious that Satan wishes to undermine the Bible’s truthfulness and authority. What better way than to discredit the very first chapter of Genesis?

Some Christians feel comfortable embracing the Big Bang theory, even though it fundamentally contradicts the Genesis creation account and gives legs to the deceptive theory of evolution. I humbly admit that I previously saw no contradiction between the Big Bang explosion and God’s speaking the creation into existence, I now see that it contradicts the Bible.

To compromise Genesis Chapter One is a departure from and denial of biblical truth that sets the stage for greater errors down the road and leads ultimately to atheism.

How can we knowingly embrace or even wink at a clearly anti-biblical position, if we are lovers of truth? Please seriously think about this. Sadly, a large proportion of the mainline church has compromised with LGBTQ+. Perhaps sadder still is that most of the church rejects Genesis Chapter One as a true account of creation, having capitulated to modern astrophysics without so much as a whimper of protest!

It seems that sola sciencia might be a better motto than sola scriptura for many evangelicals today.

Perhaps we are not yet as open to the truth of God’s Word as we think we are. We still have a long way to go, but I thank God that he is very patient with us as we stumble along on our journey toward fully embracing God’s truth, and the Holy Spirit is relentless in guiding us into that truth. Hallelujah!

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Chapter 107: Providence

foundations 
(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

Definition of Providence: God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that the following is true.

  1. Preservation – God keeps all things in existence and maintains the properties with which he created them;
  2. Concurrence – God cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and
  3. Government – God directs them to fulfill his purposes. (Grudem, Bible Doctrine, p.142)
Preservation

Christ upholds or carries along the entire creation.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds (Greek: phero – carries) all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  Hebrews 1:3 (NASB95)

The use of the present participle of the Greek verb phero indicates that Jesus is continually carrying and sustaining the creation.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together [consist].  Colossians 1:17 (NASB95)

Without our Lord’s continually sustaining the creation, it would cease to exist.

Only God is self-existent. Everything and everyone else must be continually sustained by the Creator.

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’  Acts 17:28 (NASB95)

You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve (Hebrew: chayah – give life in an ongoing sense) them all. The host of heaven worships You.  Nehemiah 9:6 (NKJV)

God preserves us in congruity with how he made us. We maintain the same properties over time, which is the basis for science. God’s unchangeableness is reflected in this aspect of creation.

Concurrence

God accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will while maintaining the properties of his creation.

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works (Greek: energeo) all things after the counsel of His will,  Ephesians 1:11 (NASB95)

He concurs with his creation as he works all things together to accomplish his will. This includes inanimate matter, animals, and people. This means that even seemingly random or chance events are under his direction in the sense that God makes everything work together to accomplish his will. Often God’s concurrence is hidden from our sight. It may seem that events are caused solely by created beings or processes, but the Bible assures us that God is the ultimate Mover.

His sovereignty extends to nations.

For the kingdom is the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.  Psalm 22:28 (NASB95)

His sovereignty oversees every aspect of our lives, including gender, family, health, intelligence, location, lifespan (Psalm 139:16), provision (Matthew 6:11), salvation (Galatians 1:15), calling (2 Timothy 1:9), and the choices we make (Proverbs 16:9). Everything we have comes from God. (1 Corinthians 4:7)

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13 (NASB95)

God is sovereign, but he is he not responsible for evil.

The Bible maintains the twin assertions that God is sovereign and uses evil to accomplish his ends, but he is not the author of evil.

“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”  Luke 22:22 (NASB95) 

this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.  Acts 2:23 (NASB95)

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  Acts 4:27–28 (NASB95)

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NASB95)
 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Genesis 50:20 (NASB95)

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  James 1:13–14 (NASB95)

God does not do evil, or he would not be good. If evil does not fulfill his purposes, then evil is not under his control and might not fulfill his purposes. (Grudem, pp.149-150)

God is perfectly righteous when he judges his moral creatures for the evil we commit.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,  Romans 9:19–23 (NASB95)

God is sovereign and we are responsible.We cannot fully comprehend how both are true, but it is what the Bible affirms. We dare not limit the Bible’s meaning to only what we can grasp.

We have freedom to choose, but only within the bounds of God’s sovereignty. An absolute freedom that could contravene God’s purposes is not possible. Nevertheless, we do make choices that have real consequences. No one sins involuntarily, unless it is done in ignorance. We act according to our desires. This is where the New Covenant comes to bear. God changes us on the inside so that we begin to desire to do what pleases God. Then the Holy Spirit gives us the grace to carry out those things.

While acknowledging God’s sovereignty, we reject fatalism, the idea that our actions are outside of our control and predetermined. We believe God predetermines outcomes without violating our ability to choose. This is a profound mystery, but both must be true.

Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  Romans 9:13–16 (NASB95)

We must accept what the Bible teaches, even if we cannot completely comprehend it. Man is not the measure of what is true. God is.

Government

God providentially directs all things to accomplish his purposes.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.  Psalm 103:19 (NASB95) 

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’  Daniel 4:35 (NASB95)

It is only because God sovereignly governs all things that Paul can say that God works everything together for good (and his glory). (Romans 8:28)

Human Responsibility

  • We are responsible for our actions.
  • Our actions have consequences that impact history.
  • Prayer is important and can change outcomes.
  • Trust in God is also called a “work” by our Lord.
  • Our faith is demonstrated by what we do. (James 2:18)
Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:28–29 (NASB95)

In conclusion, we maintain that God is sovereign over creation and predetermines outcomes without violating our responsibility to choose life and reject sin and death. Ultimately, we can only choose Christ because the Holy Spirit draws us and enables us to repent and believe. When it is all said and done, we will give thanks to God for his supreme kindness to us who believe.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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Dispensational Theology vs. the New Covenant – Part 1: Introduction

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Dispensational theology is a relatively new way of interpreting the Bible. It contrasts greatly with other historically accepted views but, nevertheless, has become the predominant eschatology among evangelicals. Dispensational theology ignores much of church history by using a futurist interpretation of many key passages in Matthew 24-24, Daniel, and Revelation. It contradicts Paul’s clear teaching regarding the New Covenant church being the “Israel of God,” and insists that today’s geopolitical entity called Israel corresponds to the Old Testament nation by the same name and is central to God’s end time purposes. I holds that Israel will be restored to worldwide to possess the lands promised to Abraham and be the base from which our Lord Jesus rules the world during his millennial kingdom. Dispensationalism encourages Christians to support the modern nation of Israel militarily, politically, and financially, claiming that we are assisting that nation to come into God’s purposes. It also claims that any failure to support national Israel will result in curses coming upon that individual or group or nation. Currently, it is claimed that to even speak against the actions of Israel equates to antisemitism and is a hate crime. So much for freedom of speech, the First Amendment.

In this series, I intend to show that Dispensational theology is a serious error that directly opposes the New Covenant and the teachings of Jesus and Paul regarding Israel.

Dispensationalism arose within the last 150 years; it is a system of interpretation for reading and understanding the Bible. It is distinct from, and incompatible with, the covenant theology held by our Reformed tradition and other Christians over the past 2,000 years of church history. A key aspect of dispensationalism is its unique views regarding the end-times events laid out in the Bible. Yet, more central to its uniqueness is its separation of Israel and the church. While covenant theology holds to the historic view that the Old Testament people of Israel and the Church are one covenant people in God’s redemptive plan throughout history, dispensationalism introduces a unique view: that God has a different plan for salvation for ethnic Israel (the Jewish people) and the Christian church.*

Central to this theology is the contention that God relates to man primarily on the basis of dispensations of grace. This conflicts with the reformed view of scripture, which holds that God has always related to mankind through covenants, about which you can read by clicking here.

Below is a graphic representation of the rather complicated dispensational scheme as developed by Clarence Larkin.dispensationalism

As can be seen, the above graphic neatly lays out the dispensational timeline. It seems to fit in many ways, but is generally incorrect because some of its presuppositions are false.

If our presuppositions are incorrect, so will be our conclusions.

The dispensational system of biblical interpretation first crystalized in the mid-1800s due to the ministry of John Nelson Darby with the Plymouth Brethren in Great Britain and Ireland. One of the emphases of the Plymouth Brethren movement was their anticipation for Christ to return at any time (and likely within their generation)… Darby stressed the two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church—a sharp division between the Old and New Testaments in how God dealt with those peoples—and he adopted a futuristic understanding of Revelation, in which God would remove the church from the world and finish his prophetic promises to the people of Israel.*

(I have written elsewhere about the various approaches to interpreting end time scriptures. I personally do hold to a futuristic view because I do not think it comports with most scripture. I recommend the book, Victorious Eschatology by Eberle and Trent, if you want to learn more about the partial preterist position.)

The idea of a “rapture” developed from the combination of this new distinction between Israel and the Church, end-times fervor, and ecstatic revivalism. Out of these, dispensationalists developed the idea that in this rapture (which would occur before the coming tribulation), God would remove the church from the world before their futuristic understanding of the events described in Revelation would occur. The first known articulation of a “pre-trib rapture” came from fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald in the form of an ecstatic prophetic utterance at a prayer meeting in her brother’s home in western Scotland, 1830 (MacPherson). Darby further popularized this view among the Plymouth Brethren and exported it from Great Britain to America. In America, Cyrus Scofield popularized these doctrines with his immensely popular Scofield Reference Bible, which was one of the first study Bibles, and contained dispensational commentary throughout the text of Scripture. The Scofield Reference Bible’s pessimistic views towards the history of the Church in the world, and the timing of its publication on the eve of World War I, cemented the idea into the evangelical psyche that the world was getting progressively more evil and would continue in that way until the Antichrist would arise after the Church was raptured out of the world.*

Cyrus Scofield was a charlatan and convicted fraudster. His rise to ministry fame is shrouded in mysterious connections to powerful people outside the church. He abandoned his first wife and daughters, which is condemned in the New Testament, falsely claimed to have a doctoral degree. All of this mitigates against our accepting anything doctrinal from him. Below is a video outlining his questionable story. Regardless of how much of this is true, the most fundamental reason to reject his theology is because it contradicts the New Covenant, which I will show in this series.

I have written elsewhere that I think the rapture is a false hope and will not comment further here.

During the Cold War, in the 1960s through the 1980s, dispensationalism went mainstream into the wider culture with the publication of Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth and Edgar Whisenant’s book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. As dispensationalism matured in the 20th century, confidence was stirred in its views when the modern nation of Israel was birthed in 1948, and when it miraculously won the Six-Day War in 1967 against a coalition of Arab states. In light of these historical developments, many dispensational teachers and groups continued the trend from 19th-century religious movements to believe that the current generation was the last generation before Christ’s return. Many dispensational ministers (e.g. Edgar Whisenant, Harold Camping, Chuck Smith, and others) would set specific dates or a range of years for Christ’s expected return. As the year 2000 approached, rapture fever increased and was fueled by the fictional Left Behind franchise of books and movies by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, which presented dispensational end-times views in story form. *

I became a follower of Christ in 1971 and was inundated with this view of the end times. In my early days this was the predominant, if not only, view of the end times to which I was exposed. It was not until later that I became aware of alternate ways of interpreting the Bible regarding the end times.

Dispensationalists believe that the Jews’ official rejection of Jesus Christ was a significant moment in history that essentially stopped the “prophetic clock” in Scripture. They teach that the prophetic promises in Daniel, Matthew 24-25, and Revelation are now on hold during the dispensation or “age” of the Church, which has lasted 2,000 years (from Pentecost to today). According to dispensationalism, the Church exists in a parenthesis in prophetic history, as they believe the prophetic promises described in the Bible are for the people of Israel, and that the “true” Church will be raptured before the prophetic events described by Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostle John are destined to occur (during the Tribulation, and before the Millennium, when according to dispensationalists, Christ will finally rule as the Messianic King on Earth).*

Since dispensationalists are futurists, they do not generally consider what has already taken place in church history as being the fulfillment of prophecy. I have written elsewhere my position that Daniel’s prophecies describe the coming of the Messiah, his crucifixion, and the subsequent destruction of the Jewish nation and Temple.

Having restored Israel to nationhood status in 1948, dispensationalism teaches that God is actively protecting the nation of Israel. In this scenario, Israel is largely the focus of what God is doing in the end times. As these dispensations are different ages in which God is doing different things, the dispensationalists believe that God was doing something different during the time of the Mosaic covenant from the New Covenant initiated by Christ.

Dispensationalism completely distinguishes between Israel and the Church, and believes that they have separate future destinies.

According to that doctrine, the Church did not exist in the Old Testament and did not begin until Pentecost. Therefore, all the promises made to the people of Israel, in particular the physical blessings, are only for Israel and not the Church. L.S. Chafer wrote:

“The dispensationalist believes that throughout the ages, God is pursuing two distinct purposes: one related to the earth with earthly people and earthly objectives involved, while the other is related to heaven with heavenly people and heavenly objectives involved” (Chafer, Dispensationalism).*

In the following articles, I plan to show that everything in the Old Testament scriptures pointed to a fulfillment in Christ via the New Covenant.

I will demonstrate that the promise of a “seed” to Abraham was fulfilled in Christ. The multitude of descendants is and will be those who are born again into God’s family, the church composed of both Jew and Gentile. I will also show that the promises regarding land were fulfilled under Joshua, David, and Solomon and that the New Covenant exceeds this by promising the entire recreated earth to God’s born-again church. Likewise, I will demonstrate that the Jewish people forfeited their part in God’s kingdom by rejecting and murdering their Messiah. Today only a remnant of Abraham’s descendants is being saved, those who become part of the church, the “one new man” in Christ, in which racial and genetic distinctions are no longer considered. All that matters now is being a new creation in Christ. I will show that God will be glorified for all eternity in the church; therefore, it is not a “parenthesis” in God’s plan.

Israel-centered dispensational eschatology detracts from the purpose of God to sum up all things in Christ. It seeks to return us to old covenant thinking and theology instead of moving forward with God’s purposes in Christ and his church.

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. Ephesians 1:9–10 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NKJV)

I believe that the church has been duped by Dispensational theology into supporting a rebellious “antichrist” nation that is determined to establish world dominance without ever bowing the knee to Jesus the Lord. This is doomed to failure and should not be supported. We are called to love the Jewish people, pray for them, share the gospel with them, and perhaps support them in a limited fashion as a strategic ally, but it is a falsehood to call them “God’s Chosen People.” There is only one chosen people – God’s elect, the church.

 

Footnotes
* "Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1)" by Jon Brodhagen.

If you wish to read more about Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology, click here and here.
If you wish to learn more about an alternate view of the end times, I recommend Harold Eberle's book, Victorious Eschatology.
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Identifying the Antichrist Spirit

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The Bible tells us of a coming Antichrist. How do we identify this individual or individuals? The apostle John wrote the following warning:

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 1 John 2:18 (NLT)

The antichrist spirit resists the rule of our Lord Jesus, the risen lord to whom belongs all glory and authority. Satan hates and opposes God and his rule, and those under his influence do the same. Some who are under Satan’s sway have enormous influence and wealth provided by their dark master. (Luke 4:6) The entire world system is in rebellion (1 John 5:19, James 4:4) to God and operates by deception. (Revelation 12:9) It is a satanic kingdom. (Colossians 1:13) The more a person abandons himself to the antichrist spirit, the more thorough is the satanic influence.

The Bible informs us that a spirit of antichrist actively opposes the gospel and the spreading rule of Christ in the world.

Over the centuries, certain leaders have embodied this spirit in a clear and dramatic fashion. They are always bloodthirsty men who go after God’s people. Entire nations and cultures can come under the sway of this spirit.

Initially, the Jews manifested the antichrist spirit by putting their Messiah, the Christ, to death. They also were the principal persecutors of those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ. Later Rome took up the torch of the antichrist Spirit by violently persecuting Christians. The Emperor Nero fulfilled the 666 warning found in Revelation. That was the number of his name in Hebrew. Revelation was written to the believers who lived during that time of intense suffering for the gospel.

Those of the Scofield Dispensational version of eschatology do not accept that Nero fulfilled the warning in Revelation and from Paul in 2 Timothy 2:3. They believe another antichrist will arise in the Last Days, who will persecute Jew and Christian alike. (You read more about the various eschatological views by clicking here.)

Regardless of which doctrine of the end times we adopt, we know that many antichrists have come and gone because the spirit of antichrist never dies.

It maintains its influence in the earth because there are plenty of people who are willing to sell their souls to the devil to obtain worldly wealth, fame, and power.  What are the characteristics of the antichrist spirit? How can we quickly recognize its activity and ward off its influence?

Denial of the Validity of God’s Word.
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

Denying the truth of the God’s words, the Bible, is a primary way to circumvent God’s authority in our lives.

The serpent injected doubt into Eve’s heart, leading her to question and disobey God’s clear command, which brought death and destruction to the entire earth. This spirit is doing the same thing today. We see its activity in the media, our universities and public schools, the halls of congress, and in mainline denominations, where there has been an embracing of anti-biblical positions regarding creation, marriage, sexuality, gender, and abortion, to name a few.

Once the standard of biblical truth is rejected, the door is open for all manner of deception and evil.

Denial of Christ’s Lordship

There can only be one Lord, and Satan desires to have that position in the world. When people follow a person filled with the antichrist spirit, it amounts to an indirect worship of Satan. Jesus called the devil the prince of this world (John 12:31). At the cross, Satan tried to eliminate Jesus, the lawful heir to God’s kingdom, only to see our Lord completely turn the tables on him by returning to life after three days.

The antichrist spirit still vainly attempts to strip Christ of his glory and honor by denying his identity as the risen Lord and persecuting his followers.

Even if Satan cannot defeat our Lord, he gains a sort of Pyrrhic victory by taking with him to hell as many people as he can. It should astound us that people believe such a liar and follow him into eternal darkness and pain.

And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 1 John 2:22 (NLT)
Persecution of God’s Elect

Jesus taught that the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and that he was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Satan hates and seeks to kill God’s people because they are destined to co-rule with Christ and share the glory of their Redeemer – King.

He tried to usurp that glory for himself (Isaiah 14:13), but was put out of heaven for his rebellion. (Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 12:9, and Luke 10:18) It galls the devil to see God’s people, all those born of the Spirit, be freely given everything for which he lusted. The devil is the quintessential bully. If he cannot have what he wants, he wants to prevent others from obtaining it.

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:19 (NLT)
Massive Deception

Jesus taught us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and there is no truth in him. He is a cunning master deceiver who knows how to lie boldly and to subtly twist the truth.

Those with the antichrist spirit  will be a master deceivers and use intrigue to enslave the masses (Daniel 8:23-25).

Jesus warned us that the end time deception will be so great that even the chosen of God will stand in danger of being swept away.

Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25  See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26  “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27  For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:23-27 (NLT)

delusionThe Muslims teach that Jesus did not actually die, but swooned, was revived, and later was assumed into heaven, where he waits to return in order to join their Mahdi or Messiah in converting people to Islam under pain of death. If that scenario plays out, we will need to remind ourselves of Jesus’ warning above. Whoever this person may end up being, it cannot be the true Lord Jesus because he does not serve Mohammad or Allah. Those who are not firmly grounded in the Bible and possess a love of the truth will be in grave peril.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9  This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NLT)
Violence
At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24  He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. Daniel 8:23-24 (NLT)

Wherever Satan reigns, violence and chaos are the order of the day.

The antichrist spirit does not flinch from using violence to accomplish its purposes. That is why Jesus will violently destroy the antichrist, consigning him to the lake of fire along with his master, Satan.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

 

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

No matter if Dispensationalists are correct and a terrible time of tribulation is coming upon the earth or if the Post-millennialists are correct and a time of God’s kingdom expansion is coming, we must be prepared to suffer for the gospel if required. Here are some keys to overcoming by faith during such a time.

  • Faith. The first thing we need to know is that Jesus has all authority, which includes complete sovereignty over Satan, the antichrist spirit, world governments, and current events. Nothing gets by him. Nothing can touch God’s people without God’s permission, limitations, and oversight. In other words, we can trust the Lord, no matter how crazy things may get. (Romans 8:28)
  • Allegiance. We are privileged to declare our allegiance to the one true Lord and King, Jesus the Messiah or Christ. We do this both verbally and through water baptism. Let us make a firm commitment to worship, serve, and tell others about him. We should also make a stand on the validity and truthfulness of the Bible.
  • Courage. It takes courage to stand for truth when the spirit of antichrist mocks and threatens us. The Holy Spirit is our source of comfort and strength, who will see us through.
  • Community. God instituted the church to be a strong community of support. If we are not already of member of a community of believers, we should make it a priority to find one. A wolf always goes after the lone sheep.
  • Mission. The best defense is a good offense. If we make the Great Commission our personal mission in life, it will be a safeguard. Let’s make seeking God’s glory our priority and his kingdom our focus. Everything else will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:33)
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Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

glory fills earth

We may be on the brink of the long awaited Second Coming of Christ. As we approach the very end of time, many Christians of the Scofield Dispensational theology persuasion pin their hopes on being “raptured” out of a period of great persecution and tribulation. I believe this is a big mistake based on false doctrine.

The various views and doctrines relating to the end times are a branch of theology and doctrine called eschatology or the study of the end times or eschaton. The early church did not adhere to Dispensational theology. In fact, it is a relatively recent addition dating back to the late 1800s, which was introduced by John Darby and Cyrus Scofield. However, its relative young age has not stopped its being believed by many. (If you wish to read more about the various views, click here.)

Even though the word “rapture” is not actually a biblical term, the idea is found in the Bible. It is connected to Christ’s return.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away.

Dispensational theology teaches that God’s people will be raptured, but not at the very end. Depending on the version, it could be prior to, mid, or post Great Tribulation. The “pre-trib” rapture is probably the most popular, for obvious reasons. It hold that believers will be snatched up from the earth before it gets really bad, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this conform to the Bible’s clear teachings on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten BoomCorrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world as a speaker in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT)

Here Jesus explained that the group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario taught by rapture enthusiasts.

In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will be.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)

Once again Jesus words do not lead us to have an expectation of the rapture of the church out of tribulation. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away first are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, after the wicked were removed.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in various parts of the world right now. Many areas have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB)

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus watchman neetold us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those which did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman persecutions and has expanded victoriously during the modern version in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of what happens before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB)

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture. Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on the earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will figure everything out ahead of time the second go around?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
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Are We on the Verge of the Apocalypse?

lord

Are we on the verge of the Apocalypse? No one knows for sure. In Greek, apokalupsis simply means a revealing; hence, the last book of the Bible, which reveals Jesus’ glory and authority, is called Revelation (apokalupsis). In fact, Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible, the goal of history, and the absolute Lord of all creation. All of history is being channeled into the time when the Lord will be revealed to all creation.

The Apocalypse will be the final unveiling of Jesus’ identity to the world for all to see.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NLT)

His Second Coming will take place at the conclusion of history, at which time the final judgment of everyone who ever lived will take place, followed by the recreation of heaven and earth, which will inaugurate the final state of things.

But God has been revealing his glorious Son for a long time now. 

Just after the first man and woman fell for the devil’s lie and betrayed their Creator, God told the serpent, the one who led them astray, that one day in the future a descendant of Eve would crush his head.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

We now know that this mysterious person is none other than our Lord Jesus, who defeated Satan at the cross and when he rose again. Jesus’ mission was to restore the human race and all creation to God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20–21 (NASB95)

Much later God promised the then childless Abraham that through his descendants the entire earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3) Paul, who encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, understood that this promise came to pass through one particular descendant by the name of Jesus.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)

Much later, God revealed something further about his coming One. Not only would he descend from Abraham, more specifically he would be the “seed” of King David and inherit his throne – forever. In other words, he would not only be a blessing: he also would rule over God’s eternal kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) This was a second major unveiling of God’s plan for the coming Messiah King.

There were others who “saw” by revelation this coming One. King David wrote Psalms about him, Psalm 22 being a prophetic preview of his crucifixion. Job saw by faith his future appearance on the earth to raise the dead. (Job 19:25-27) Isaiah saw his glory (Isaiah 6:1) and predicted his suffering and death (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah revealed that Jesus would be God’s means of bringing righteousness through a new covenant. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Zechariah saw his glorious appearing to the Jews who would believe in him at the very end. (Zechariah 12:10) All of these people saw something glorious without ever completely knowing what it all meant. That would only be unveiled much later.

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11  They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12  They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NLT)

Let’s skip forward in time to a huge turning point in human history when the angel Gabriel appeared to an unassuming young unmarried woman in Israel with this unprecedented message.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32  "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:31-33 (NASB)

God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah King.

Jesus’ conception and birth initiated a series of remarkable unveilings of his identity.

Contrary to all expectations, God became a human being, a baby born to relatively poor parents with no apparent prestige or standing in the world. He came inauspiciously, hidden from the view of everyone except those whose spiritual eyes were opened by the Spirit of God: Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, as well as Anna and Simeon, who were in the Temple when Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he prophesied:

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30  I have seen your salvation, 31  which you have prepared for all people. 32  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33  Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:29-35 (NLT)

Imagine being able to see past the Messiah’s humble condition as a little baby into his glorious future role!

The ability to see what is true about Jesus, which is hidden to most people, is called revelation, which comes via the Holy Spirit. Only those who had eyes to see and ears to hear the Spirit were able to discern his true identity. The same is true today.

The next key person to whom God revealed the Messiah was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and Elizabeth’s son. God’s choice of John was even more significant because we usually are unable to accept that someone in our own family is especially called and gifted by God. Nevertheless, God used John to reveal to the world Jesus’ true identity as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) God also showed to John that Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who empowers the church to fulfill the Great Commission. In addition, John identified Jesus as the Son of God, which was the same as calling him the Messiah and Lord. John the Baptist saw by revelation Jesus’ entire earthly ministry – Savior, Lord, and Baptizer in the Spirit.

John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33  "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34  "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:32-34 (NASB)

When John’s followers heard these pronouncements, some of them elected to follow Jesus as disciples. They saw something in our Lord that pulled them toward him. Eventually, Jesus asked his followers a very important question: “Who do you say that I am?” He wanted to know what had the Spirit shown them. Peter spoke up.

...“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:16-17 (NLT)

The Bible makes it clear that it is impossible for us to recognize Jesus’ true identity as God’s chosen Messianic King and Lord without our spiritual understanding being opened by the Holy Spirit.

The nature of revelation is that it depends on God. We play a part by responding to the inner working of the Spirit, but we cannot open our own sin-blinded eyes.

Until we receive this divine impartation of revelation from God, we cannot see as we should.

But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16  But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 (NLT)

Most of the people in Israel in Jesus’ day did not know Jesus’ real identity. Some said he was a good man, a prophet, a teacher, or even a blasphemer. Only those whose eyes were opened were able to see that he was and is the Messiah.

God revealed Jesus’ identity a little more on the mount of transfiguration, where three disciples saw him glorified beyond anything seen before by men. (Matthew 17:1-8) His face shined like the sun and his clothes were a dazzling white like light itself. This brief encounter with Jesus’ glory awakened those three disciples to a heavenly reality not before experienced, but they still did not understand. In their minds, Jesus was on a par with Moses and Elijah, not in a class by himself. That would all change at the resurrection.

After Jesus suffered and died as God’s Lamb to expiate our sins, he was buried and after three days rose from the dead. Paul wrote the following summation.

The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:3-5 (NLT)

When God the Father raised Jesus from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus came out of the grave as the glorified Lord of Lords, to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given. (Matthew 28:18)

The only proper response to the gloriously risen Jesus is to acknowledge his supreme authority and lordship and to follow and obey him. That is what God wants us to do.

This takes us back to the Garden of Eden where Adam refused to recognize, honor, and obey his Creator God, causing humanity to plunge into the abyss of rebellion against our Maker. Mankind in general continues to choose slavery to the devil over submission to the Creator. By so doing, humanity has embraced tyranny, evil, destruction, poverty, sickness, and death. By dying in our place and rising again, Jesus conquered the prince of darkness, paid the penalty for our rebellion, and made it possible for us to return to God’s benevolent rule. We do this by turning from our wicked rebellious ways and the wicked one’s rule and by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord. In other words, we switch kingdoms. Paul said it this way.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Those first disciples were given the glorious privilege of personally seeing, touching, and conversing with the risen Lord. Thomas was famous for saying that he would not believe that Jesus rose again unless he personally put his fingers into the nail holes in his hands. Jesus granted this request, at which point Thomas exclaimed, “My lord and my God!” Jesus replied:

..."You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:29 (NLT)

Even when we cannot see with our natural eyes because Jesus has ascended into heaven, we can see with spiritual eyes and believe.

Paul prayed:

[I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might Ephesians 1:16-19 (NASB)

All who are granted the ability to see who Jesus is by revelation and who put their faith and allegiance in him will be saved.

Those who eyes still are blinded by sin will not see, receive, or submit to his benevolent rule. They will suffer the condemnation and punishment that all traitors deserve.

There is soon coming a point in history for the final and most glorious revelation of Christ to the world – the Apocalypse. At this time every eye shall see him for who he really is, the glorious Son of Man, the judge of all the earth.

According to prophecy (Daniel 7:13-14) and Jesus’ own words, already quoted above, he will come in the clouds with great glory. His authority to judge and rule will at that time be apparent to all. The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.( Philippians 2:9-11) For us who have already acknowledged his lordship, it will be a joyous day! For the rest, it will be the acknowledgement of the condemned that they deserve judgment for rejecting his rightful kingship.

Which camp will we be in, those who rejoice to see his coming or those who are terrified?

Now is the time to join the first party, if you have not already. The Bible says that, if we confess that he is the Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) God is more than ready to help us in this matter. Fifty-four years ago this Spring, I made the decision to invite this King into my life. I was not yet convinced that he had really risen from the dead, but I knew that, if he had, it was the most important event to date in the history of the world. I asked him to reveal himself to me, if he were truly the risen Son of God. As you have no doubt figured out, the Holy Spirit soon opened my eyes to that glorious reality. Faith filled my heart, and I experienced God’s presence all around me. As God gave me a new birth, spiritually speaking, everything became new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was filled with an amazing joy and a desire to tell everyone about this God who can be known. I want you to know him, too. We may be on the verge of his appearing. Don’t delay.

Prayer

Jesus, I have heard about you and realize that I have been living as my own little god, calling the shots in my life without regard to you. I have changed my mind and want you to be my Lord from now on. Please come into my life as my Source, my Life, my Peace, and my Lord. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to make me right with Father God. I profess allegiance to you as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Empower me to be your witness to the world. Amen.

If you prayed this sincerely, God will do his part. Find a good church where you can publicly announce your allegiance and faith in Christ to the world through being water baptized. Start reading your Bible, praying, worshiping, and regularly attending meetings with other disciples who can help you grow in the Lord. Be sure to tell others that they can know him, too.

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The only way to escape God’s coming judgment…

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We live in the last days. Every day that passes is a day closer to Christ’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment. In the meantime, God continues to execute judgment upon the earth, as he has done from the beginning. We reap what we sow both as individuals and collectives.

When a predominant number of people in a nation embrace God’s truth and believe the gospel, that nation will reap significant blessings. However, when a nation turns its back on God and the truth of his Word, it will encounter God’s judgment in a number of ways.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB95)
Abortion: The Shedding of Innocent Blood

Perhaps one of the easiest examples of how a nation can embrace a sinful lie is how the United States relates to abortion.

Since the Supreme Court Decision of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, we have regarded ourselves as a paragon of freedom and equality for women without batting an eye regarding the mass murder of over 60 million unborn defenseless babies. This has happened in the last 52 years, under the watch of the Baby Boomer generation! Consider that this number equals some estimates of the total number of lives lost in WWII! Let that sink in!

Will God ignore the treachery? Not if the Bible is true. According to it, God innocent blood cries out to God for justice. We see this in Genesis after Cain killed his brother Abel.

He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:10 (NASB95)

We see it again in the history of the kings of Israel. Manasseh brought down God’s judgment by killing innocent people.

Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 2 Kings 24:3–4 (NASB95)

God has not changed. He still judges sin. We should be appalled, ashamed, aghast, disgusted, and fearful of what God will do to such a people. The United States allows us to freely kill an unborn baby without legal consequences, but that does not mean we will escape the Judge of the whole earth, who is not fooled by our unjust laws!

It does not matter what man’s laws say. God’s law trumps human law and is the standard God will use at the Last Judgment.

Women’s reproductive rights is a euphemism for the mother’s right to terminate the life of the defenseless baby in her womb. That is murder, no matter how we slice and dice it. Whether or not we ever consented personally to an abortion, we all bear guilt as a nation since we are part of the collective.

We claim that the baby in the womb is not yet a human to make it easier to erase its existence. We used a similar argument to justify slavery and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans.

Dehumanizing those we enslave, oppress, and murder is an age old ruse.

We now look back with sorrow and shame as we contemplate our forefathers’ reasoning and actions. How will future generations judge us? More importantly, how will God judge us? God is the defender of the helpless and innocent. Should it not terrify us to think how deserving of judgment our nation is? And this is only one sin!

But most of us would rather not think about it. We prefer to live in denial and evade the truth. We may successfully refuse to take responsibility for this sin for a while, but we cannot evade the consequence. We will reap what we sow.

Evolution – Hiding God’s Glory by Suppressing the Truth of Creation

The hypothesis of evolution is a prime example of the suppression of truth, which is being done worldwide. The Bible teaches that God’s existence is clearly evident through observing of his creation. In other words, we have to be willingly blind to miss it.

…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 (NASB)

By denying the existence of the Creator and his work, we attempt to free ourselves from any moral obligation to worship and serve God or keep his commandments.

If man evolved, we are accountable to no one for how we live our lives. We are our own god. No wonder this lie is so popular. It appears to give solid scientific footing to the desire to throw off God’s rule.

Transgenderism – Rebelling against God’s Sovereignty

Another lie that is sweeping our culture is that gender is psychologically determined rather than divinely ordained.

In other words, we are not limited to how God made us. We can choose whatever gender we want. The Bible teaches that God created us as he saw fit, which is male and female, which is determined at conception and permeates our being all the way down to the chromosomal level.

All of us come into this world with most of the really important factors already determined for us by God.

God sovereignly chooses for us our sex, intelligence level, physical strength, race, family, nation, looks, general health, etc. None of us chose to be born and none of us can stop the aging or death process. We cannot undo gravity or much of anything else God has built into his creation, much less our gender.

Nevertheless, many rebel against the idea of anything being predetermined by God and try to undo it.

Rather than accept how God made us, we want to change it. We can change our dress. We can surgically alter our bodies. We can inject unnatural levels of hormones, but we cannot change ourselves at the most fundamental level. Our  chromosomes tell the true story.

We cannot change what God has created. We can only accept it or rail against it.

Is It Too Late?

America seems to have reached, and perhaps passed, a critical point in her history. As a nation, we have turned our backs repeatedly on God and his truth. We are locked in a battle for the soul of the nation.

Many of our nation’s leaders and influencers  -the educational establishment, the main stream media, and Hollywood – are actively suppressing truth, and the American people seem to like it that way.

It is increasingly coming into question whether we are capable any longer of responsible self-government. We are being set up for tyranny. Many of our citizens now believe that there is no God, no absolute truth, no ultimate authority, no coming judgment, and no everlasting consequences for rejecting God and disobeying him. They (we) could not be more wrong! Those who believe there is no God are more than willing to surrender to a human or institution, such as government, which claims to provide what God alone can do. The suppression of the truth about God leads to idolatry.

Will judgment come to America or is it already here? I believe it’s here now. The only question is will it destroy us, or do we still have space for repentance?

Making the Decision to Pursue Truth

Truth seekers are fairly rare it seems. Sadly, the more comfortable we are, the more likely we will be unconcerned about eternal things. My own personal journey to God was a search for truth. I wanted to know if what the Bible says about Jesus and his resurrection is real or not. At one point, I called myself an agnostic, thinking that God cannot be known, simply because I had not yet come to know him. How ludicrous to make a judgment about God based solely on our own experience; yet, how common it is for people to suppose that what we think and have experienced determines reality.

Paul wrote that people grope about in their search for God. (Acts 17:27) Spiritually blind people fall all over themselves and unseen obstacles in their pursuit of reality and truth.

We cannot find God on our own, but, if we seek him, he promises that we will find him. He will make sure of that!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8  “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB)
What the Pursuit of Truth Is Not
  • Seeking truth is not limiting ourselves to some predetermined position.
  • It is not going to be found by going to ungodly sources, especially non-truth seeking groups.
  • It not not necessarily something that will make us feel good or confident in ourselves or that will help us to fit in with the crowd.
  • It’s almost surely not something that is politically correct.
What truth Is
  • Even though Jesus is full of love, truth is always “cold,” in the sense that it is doesn’t care if it pleases us or not.
  • Truth is often “hard” – something that won’t change no matter how much we wish it would, or how hard we try to make it change.
  • Truth causes conflict. It will make our lives less comfortable, less convenient, and less agreeable to non-truth seekers. It cost Jesus his life.
  • Truth will force us to abandon any of our current beliefs and understandings that are wrong.
  • Truth sometimes will embarrass us by exposing our sinfulness, ignorance, or blindness.
Humility

The pride of man resists God and his truth. It comes up with all sorts of alternate versions of reality that will allow us to dodge truth and continue in our rebellion.

It takes humility to believe in God and in the truth of his words in the Bible.

Humility teaches us that we are created beings, not independent operators. Humility teaches us that unless we admit our need for God, we will be lost in the downward spiral of death and deception. It takes humility to admit we need help, and that help is found in Jesus!

The Terrible Day of the Lord

Imagine how the Nazi leaders felt as they faced charges at the post-war trials in Nuremberg, Germany! Some were unrepentant, but I imagine most were afraid and ashamed as their evil deeds were exposed and their sentences imposed. I imagine that many of them felt horribly guilty. Saying, “I am sorry” did not fix things. Justice was meted out. The Last Judgment will be even more terrifying and severe.

“For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations. Ezekiel 30:3 (NASB95)

At the last judgment our pretenses and shams will be stripped away and everything will be exposed in the clear blinding light of God’s truth.

What will we do on that day? Will there be any place to hide? Will there be any safe place?

The Only Safe Place

Jesus identified himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only way to the Father in heaven. (John 14:6) To him God the Father has committed all judgment. (John 5:27) He sees through all pretext and lies. No one can hide from his gaze. No one can escape his scrutiny. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as everything we have ever said or done. He knows what we did not do, but should have. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Absolute truth is also absolute holiness.

His standards do not bend. His righteousness is inflexible. His justice is firm and fierce. His wrath will be released upon all those who reject the truth and refuse his mercy offered through the Gospel in Christ.

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NASB)
How Will We Know Him?

But that is in the future, and this is now. We still have the opportunity of coming into the light of God’s truth about our sin and finding mercy. We also can know the judge as the one who said:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NASB)

Or we can reject his generous offer of forgiveness and one day meet him as the glorious Son of Man coming in the clouds to judge all people, who will say to us:

…Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; Matthew 25:41 (NASB)

This is the same Jesus speaking to different groups of people. It’s our choice of what we will hear and how we will know him. Regardless, we will all bow before him. (Romans 14:11) Why not do it now willingly? Don’t wait until you are forced to cower before him awaiting his judgment and justice!

The Truth Will Set Us Free

Jesus wants to liberate us from death, destruction, deception, and sin. He said:

…“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV)

Those who humbly and courageously pursue truth, no matter what, will indeed be set free, experience true joy, and know God and his mercy. They will see the God of all truth extend his merciful hand toward them with a smile of favor.

Jesus faced the truth about sin when he went to the cross.

Sin nailed the Truth of God to the cross and put him to death.

Sin resulted in God’s pouring out his wrath on the innocent Lamb of God who willingly took upon himself the just penalty for our sins. The Truth died that day to provide us with eternal life.

The only way for anyone to escape the same God’s righteous judgment against sin is to put his or her faith in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and to pledge our loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus.

This is the only way to find safety. It takes courage and humility and faith. The path to truth is narrow and difficult, but definitely worth it!

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:14 (NASB)

The society in which we live may be hell bent on going down the wide road to destruction, but we don’t have to join them!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I  believe that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the only way to the Father. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I deserve judgment, but I joyfully receive mercy from you, who took my punishment upon yourself. I deserve death, but I gladly receive eternal life from you. I deserve to be eternally cut off from God, but I happily accept my reconciliation to Father God through you. I confess that you are the risen Lord of Lords who is coming back again to judge all people.  I thank you that I now can confidently look forward to that day because you have put me in right standing with God the Father. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit to live inside me forever and transform me on the inside. Thank you for setting me free! Help me to serve you the rest of my days on earth and forever in heaven.  Help me to be a faithful witness to Jesus, a proclaimer of the Gospel, and a discipler of men. Amen.

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The right and wrong way to make judgments.

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The Bible reveals to us the right way to make judgments. No one likes to be judged; yet, it is a necessary part of life, if done the correct way. We have all been judged in a wrong way, being accused of something we did not do or rejected for no good reason. But many of us have profited by being judged in a good way. Everyone who has competed for a prize and won did so because judges deemed him or her worthy. When we are appraised for our work and receive a raise in pay, this is another example of a good kind of judgment. So what is the right way to make judgments, and what is the wrong way?

The kind of judgment that is good and proper and a necessary part of life could be called assessing, discriminating, or discerning.

The definition of discrimination that applies here is the ability to properly discern by seeing and making fine distinctions. We all should make these kinds of judgments every day, unless we naively assume every person has our best interests at heart. When we go shopping we assess products based on quality and price. When meet someone, we try to use good discernment regarding the character, values, and intentions of that person.

Some of us have a finely tuned sense of discernment and are able to quickly assess others, being able to detect things beneath the surface. It may even be a God-given ability. This does not mean that we are always right in our assessments or judgments, but often we are. Others of us may not have such a refined ability to assess others and only really get to know what is in a person until quite a while after we are in a relationship with them. Regardless, we should not be too quick to completely trust someone. Jesus was not.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24–25 (NASB95)

The bad kind of judgment is condemnatory.

If we see faults in someone and immediately reject or condemn them, we may be operating in a wrong kind of judgment. There is an evil kind of discrimination that evaluates people based on skin color, gender, nationality, or other things outside the control of the one being discriminated against. As Martin Luther King, Jr. hoped, we want to be the kind of people who judge people according to their character, not for superficialities.

Only God has the right to condemn people for their behavior, which will happen at the last judgment for all those who reject the gospel. Nevertheless, this does not release us from the responsibility to properly identify sin.

We properly judge when we tell people what is sinful behavior, without being condemnatory.

When we see people aborting their unborn babies, we must properly call it out as being sinful. To be silent in the face of such gross injustice would be sinful. (Proverbs 24:11-12) The “catch” is that while we are supposed to identity and all out sin, we are not to condemn the sinner.

When we condemn people for their sins, we end up condemning ourselves in the process, because we are all sinners.

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. Romans 2:1 (NASB95)

We hate to be judged, but may be comfortable dishing it out. We hate the hypocrisy of people who judge others for doing what they are guilty of themselves, but are we guilty of the same? What makes us prone to see faults in others without realizing we are guilty, too? Isn’t it because we are spiritually blind and full of pride?

Every time we improperly judge or condemn others, it always boomerangs.

As Jesus put it:

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT)

If we want to be able to properly judge, we must learn to operate as Jesus did. He said:

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 (NASB)

Jesus listened to what his Father told him; therefore, he always judged people and situations correctly. He had no selfish personal agenda that clouded his judgment, but he did judge sin, people, and situations. He had to, and so must we. If we operate as he did, listening to God in every matter, we can judge properly, too. Not judging people and situations correctly is naive and can destroy us.

Everyone has to properly evaluate people and things every day. The key is to do it in a way that is constructive, without condemning anyone, even though we may have to reject their behavior as sinful.

Jesus gave us a great example in John Chapter 8, when he showed mercy to an adulterous woman, while commanding her to “sin no more.” Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13), without minimizing the seriousness of sin.

Unfortunately, some of us so identify with our sin that we find it impossible to accept someone’s pointing it out to us without feeling condemned by them. This is extremely unfortunate and sabotages our ability to acknowledge our sin, repent, and find mercy, forgiveness, and freedom.

Anytime we express a judgment against a sinful behavior, we must be extremely careful to acknowledge that we are just as much a sinner as anyone else.

We should seek to come across as sinners who need mercy who want other sinners to receive the same mercy.

Otherwise, we may repel the very people we hope to reach because of the stench of our hypocrisy.

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:4–5 (NASB95)

Church leaders have a special responsibility to evaluate people’s actions and words and render proper judgments. They do this to protect individuals and the church from harm. If they fail to do this, they will answer to our Lord, the Chief Shepherd. In the church setting, every member has a responsibility to confront egregious unrepentant sin, without becoming self-righteous or condemning. It is part of what it means to be a disciple.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2  Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)

To conclude, we are to refrain from condemnatory judgments against one another, especially regarding motives; while, at the same time, we all, and especially church leaders, are commanded to make discriminating functional judgments of those whose unrepentant sinful ways threaten to harm God’s people or lead them astray. In every case, however, the long-term good of the person or persons being so judged must always remain in view. Our hope is always that such judgments will provoke the offender to repent and be reinstated fully to the church and live according to God’s truth. (To read more on the purpose of church discipline, click there.)

We are not called to judge those outside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12), but we must judge their sinful behavior in order to call them to repentance. If they choose to identify with their sin and become offended at us, we cannot help that.

Love should infuse every proper judgment and motivate us to refuse to judge incorrectly.

If we fail to properly judge, people will get hurt. If we judge in a condemning way, people also will get hurt, and it will come back to bite us, because none of us are without fault. The important thing is for each of us to operate in wisdom, courage, faith, and love as led by the Holy Spirit in conformity to the teachings of the Bible. Beyond that, we must trust the Lord for the results. May He have mercy on us all!

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (ESV)
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Abortion: An Evil Sacrament that Empowers Satan

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Is abortion merely a political hot potato or is it something far more substantial? Could it be that abortion is actually an evil sacrament for those who worship and serve the prince of darkness? Could it be that Satan deceives people into offering children to him as a sacrifice that empowers his evil kingdom?

Satan has always derived his authority and power from the consent of those he deceives into following him.

This began in the Garden of Eden but must be renewed in every generation. Therefore, he must continually convince people to chose him over God, lies over truth, and death over life.

We also know from Scripture that idols represent demonic beings that empower those otherwise lifeless objects. Paul wrote this enlightening passage.

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20  No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (NLT)

The devil adapts himself to changing circumstances. The Enlightenment has changed our perception of the spiritual world. Today most modern people would not bow down to a physical object as if it were a god. Nevertheless, we have our idols, too. Anything we serve or honor in place of God effectually becomes an idol. There is a reason some movie stars and other famous people are called idols. A popular television singing competition is called American Idol. If we put more value in money than we do in God, then we serve the idol called Mammon.

All false gods require us to offer sacrifices.

Many have sacrificed their families and souls in the pursuit of Mammon. Likewise, countless people have traded their souls for fame. Satan even offered our Lord the opportunity to gain it all without having to die on a cross simply by bowing to him.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8–9 (NASB95)

In many religions, offerings are required to obtain the favor and protection of local deities. It could be compared to how gangs and the mafia extort protection money from businesses located in areas in which they operate. These sacrifices could be a great as offering children to these demonic spirits. Child sacrifice was integral to the worship of Chemosh and Molech in the Old Testament and has existed in other pagan religions. Sadly, people have willingly sacrificed their children in order to gain some sort of occult spiritual advantage from Satan and these local deities.

The Bible provides us with an intriguing example.

When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom, but they failed. 27  Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land. 2 Kings 3:26-27 (NLT)

In this instance, evil power apparently was released against Israel when the king of Moab sacrificed his son to the devil. This man willingly killed his heir to enlist Satan’s power to defeat God’s people, which was granted.

We may consider child sacrifice to be barbaric, but is it any less gruesome and horrific than modern day abortion of over 60 million of their own unborn babies with complete government approval and support in the United States alone since 1973?

The king of Moab wanted victory over his enemies. What do modern Americans who abort their babies seek? Who can plumb the depths of the human heart? It seems that most of the time mothers kill their unborn babies to out of a desire to avoid the fear of embarrassment, economic hardship, or an uncertain future for the child and mother. Sometimes it is merely an escape from inconvenience or a , career interruption. Some may have more humanitarian reasons, such as protecting their own health in the case of an extremely hazardous pregnancy. Some conceptions are the result of rape, and the mother does not want anything or anyone reminding her of that travesty. Whatever the reason, there is almost always another option – giving birth and placing the child up for adoption.

Most of these women probably have been deceived into thinking that these babies are not really human beings at all, just undeveloped blobs of tissue. They do not understand that God has known all of us before the creation of the world. He knows us when we are being formed them in the womb.

13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb...16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:16 (NASB95)

Unborn infants may be just tissue to these mothers, but to God they are beloved children.

Some deceived women have declared they rejoice in their abortions, but many others rue having taken the lives of their unborn child or children. Thankfully, God offers forgiveness, if we turn to him with a repentant heart.

We are engaged in a spiritual battle between the kingdom of God and the realm of darkness and evil ruled by Satan. We understand that even though Christ dealt a decisive blow to Satan and his kingdom when he rose from the dead, God in his wisdom has permitted us, his people, to be part of the “clean up operation” here on the earth. It is our Lord’s intention that his people have the privilege of crushing Satan under our feet.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20 (NASB95)

This verse references the promise made to the serpent in the garden back in Genesis that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the serpent’s head. (Genesis 3:15) Many consider this to be the very first messianic promise in the Bible. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, but we his people will be part of the final act in this great drama unfolding over the centuries.

All will be concluded when Jesus appears in the clouds with great glory, just as he promised. Until then, we are living through an intense contest between two opposing kingdoms for the hearts of people. Each kingdom is enlisting the consent of people to be governed by their respective kings. Each kingdom has a different leader, goals, sources of power, and ways of doing business.

God’s kingdom employs the gospel to awaken people to his offer of redemption. Jesus will set free everyone who declares allegiance to him and his kingdom.

The only way for Satan’s plan to work is for masses of compliant people to willingly surrender to it. This requires a massive amount of deception, since no one in his or her right mind would choose to follow the lord of death. 

Just as some cultures repeatedly offer animal sacrifices to demonstrate their allegiance to the devil, we also have such a blood sacrifice in our country.

I am convinced that a power source used by the satanic realm is child sacrifice through legalized abortion.

The horror and tragedy of mothers choosing to destroy their own unborn children has to be one of Satan’s greatest deceptions and triumphs and our nation’s saddest legacy.

Since Roe v. Wade was passed, which used the courts to bypass the legislative process and opened the door to legalized murder in this country, some sixty million unborn babies have been put to death legally.

Abortion is sanctioned in the eyes of the law, but it is murder in God’s eyes, the only eyes that count.

Most of this slaughter has been hidden from public view within the confines of abortion clinics and hospitals, but God has seen every last drop of innocent blood that has been shed. This blood cries out to God for vengeance. Thank God that Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy!

The Bible teaches that life is in the blood (Genesis 9:5). God holds people, cities, and nations accountable for the shedding of innocent blood (Numbers 35:33). The guilt for all the innocent blood shed by the abortion industry is shared by those who promote it to gain money and spiritual power. This includes politicians who champion it to gain and maintain political power, providers – doctors, clinics, hospitals, and other medical personnel, who have tapped into the wealth this industry supplies, and those who procure their services for whatever selfish reasons. Our entire nation will be held accountable for what we allowed to happen under our watch. When judgment falls, even those who were not directly involved usually are affected. Sometimes the Lord’s judgment falls immediately, but often God delays judgment, allowing it to accumulate (Matthew 23:35-36). But we can be sure that God will not be mocked: we will ultimately reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). I am understandably troubled, as I hope you are, when I contemplate how much wrath has been accumulating due to the travesty of abortion which has piled up such an enormous death count over almost fifty years.

Thankfully there is hope for those who come to realize the horrendous nature of abortion and ask God for forgiveness.

The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). This is why Jesus had to shed his blood on the cross on our behalf. It was the only way to atone for our sins.  He offers to forgive anyone who comes to him in humility and faith, but unless a person or nation turns to God in repentance and finds forgiveness in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, he, she, or they eventually will encounter God’s judgment.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is has not stopped abortions in this country or around the world. Those who serve Satan must continue to prop up this sacrament of evil because it is a source of evil power. It is also a satanic plot to bring down God’s righteous judgment upon us for the shedding of innocent blood.

May God lift this horrendous weight of judgment from us by enabling us to repent and mend our ways at an individual and the national level. We cannot afford to be passive onlookers in this battle between light and darkness. The least we can do is pray and declare the truth to others.

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It’s Time to Switch Allegiances

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Our founding fathers believed it was time for them to switch allegiances because they understood that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Great Britain disregarded its own laws in its attempt to force the colonies to pay harsh taxes in order to rebuild its treasury following what is known as the French and Indian War, whereby Great Britain expanded its power in North America and worldwide. The colonies believed they were being denied the rights of ordinary Englishmen because they had no representation in Parliament and no voice in what taxes they had to pay. Great Britain resorted to what had always worked before, demanding obedience to the authority of the Crown. When the colonies refused, things gradually escalated into war, one that launched a nation and a great experiment in representative government.

The US Constitution set up a republic in which people could vote into office those who would represent them in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government.

From a biblical perspective, did God intend for government to derive its just powers from the consent of the governed, or is that a purely humanistic concept?

We can start with a well-known passage from Romans.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3  For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5  So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (NLT)

At one level, government is not derived from the consent of the governed but from God. All authority originates and emanates from God. The reason is simple. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who by virtue of his identity has all authority. Even we humans own what we create.

Therefore, any governmental authority that exists among created beings is derived from the Creator, since none existed before he created us nor does any exist outside of what he created.

The Creator delegated great responsibility and commensurate authority over his creation to his first humans, Adam and Eve.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) 

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

Adam was made the governor of the earth to care for it and guard it. This is the purpose of government from the beginning.

The passage quoted from Romans above shows that when government properly represents God, it will care for and protect its people against those who would bring harm. Anything that deviates from this purpose improperly represents God’s purpose for government. Any government that becomes oppressive is operating according to the principles of the kingdom of darkness and should be considered illegitimate. Certainly any government that violates its own laws must be considered as such.

Surely God never intended for us to willingly submit to oppression.

Our founding fathers certainly believed this about the government of Great Britain, when it failed to uphold its own laws or protect the rights of its people.

Satan, who is a created being, has no inherent authority, only that which has been given by God or usurped sinfully. Anyone who aligns himself with Satan in the governmental realm is operating under usurped authority.

Satan uses authority in a completely different way from God. Whereas the Creator imparts life and blessings, the devil only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

Satan told Jesus that he had the ability to place anyone he wished in authority, if only they would bow down to him. (Matthew 4:8-9) History is replete with examples of men and women who took him up on the offer. Thankfully, our Lord did not!

Jesus was determined to obtain governmental authority legitimately by doing things God’s way. As a result, our Lord how holds all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The Bible gives us a clear example of operating with usurped authority when Queen Jezebel used King Ahab’s authority to orchestrate the murder of Naboth and the theft of his vineyard. (1 Kings 21) We also see this in Genesis when Satan conspired to steal Adam’s authority by inciting him to rebel against the Creator. By deceiving him and Eve into disobedience against God, the first couple chose allegiance to Satan over God, ceding their authority to the devil.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 (ESV)

Satan has used his usurped authority malevolently. Jesus refused to submit to it and made a way forus to escape, too.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Colossians 1:13 (NASB95)

We understand that we come under whatever authority we consent to rule over us.

Adam and Eve chose to serve Satan and relinquish authority to him which resulted in their becoming his slave. God operates through truth, but the devil must always resort to lies, since no one would ever choose to serve him otherwise.

Jesus made a way for us to switch sides. The gospel offers us the choice to once again come under God’s authority by surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus.

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NASB95)

Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21 (NASB95)

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40–41 (NASB95)

Those who consent to be governed by Jesus escape the dominion of darkness. Those who refuse the gospel give consent for Satan to rule over and destroy them.

Satan lies to manipulate people to gain their consent to be governed malevolently by him. No one would agree to be robbed, murdered, and generally destroyed; yet, through skillful deception, Satan actually gets people to choose those things. Likewise, corrupt governments skillfully manipulate propaganda to fool people into trading their freedom for slavery. The devil promises to be our benefactor and friend, while actually destroying his subjects. He must laugh at us continually.

Lying or, to use the modern term, propaganda, is the key to Satan’s ongoing usurpation of God’s authority. Jesus taught that the truth will set us free. (John 8:31-32)

Isn’t it time to join the Jesus revolution and switch to the winning side, God’s side?

Prayer

Lord, I repent for serving the kingdom of darkness. I am ready to switch allegiances. Jesus, I declare my faith in you. You are my Lord and King. Help me to serve you faithfully for the rest of my life. Holy Spirit, come into my life and transform me from within. Help me to live for Jesus. Father God, thank you for receiving me into your family. Help me to know and love you more fully. Amen.

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