Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Chapter 76: Introduction to Knowing Jesus as Coming King and Judge

Eschatology is the doctrine or study of the end times, which includes Christ’s Second Coming. The Bible tells us that it is God’s glory to conceal a matter and our privilege to search things out. (Proverbs 25:2) However, some things are not for us to know but belong only to God himself.

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.  Deuteronomy 29:29 (NLT)

Our Lord has hidden much concerning the future in the Bible, some of which is meant to remain a mystery until it unfolds before our eyes. Then it will make sense to us. If we knew details and times ahead of their happening, we would no doubt somehow get in the way by trying to “help” God work things out. When Abraham tried to assist God in bringing his promised heir into the world, things did not turn out well. Personal prophecy often works this way, too. Trying to figure out what is meant is often frustrating and fruitless, but when the fulfillment comes it is obvious and shows us that we are right where we are supposed to be.

Regarding the Second Coming, one thing God has made abundantly clear is that no one knows when it will take place, not even Jesus, and it will be a big surprise when it happens.

However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!  Mark 13:32–33 (NLT)

There are two major ways of looking at the end times that I will mention in this lesson, the partial preterist and the futurist viewpoints. The first position holds that many, if not most, “end time” prophecies have already been fulfilled; whereas, the futurist way of looking at things takes the position that most such prophecies are yet to come to pass. My personal thinking is that, because we must take into account over two thousand years of church history, the partial preterist position is correct. Each of us will have to come to his or her own conclusion. I hope this section helps each of us in that regard.

Regardless of which position we take, it is wise for us to hold onto our interpretation lightly, realizing that our understanding is limited.

Prepare to be surprised.

The Millennium

The Millennium refers to a one-thousand-year reign of Christ which is referenced in Revelation 20:1-10.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Revelation 20:1–10 (NASB95)

There are three viewpoints regarding the Millennium.

The Pre-Millennial position holds that there be a time of intense persecution on the earth prior to Christ’s Second Coming, after which there will be a literal fulfillment of the 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth. At the end of this millennial reign, the last judgment will take place followed by the introduction to the final state of things, which will include the renewal of heaven and earth. The Premillennial view can be divided into two camps – historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism.

Historic premillennialism was held by some early church fathers and is called chiliasm.

Many of the church fathers such as Ireneaus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and others taught that there would be a visible kingdom of God upon the earth after the return of Christ. Historic premillennialism taught that the Antichrist would appear on earth and the seven-year tribulation would begin. Next would be the rapture, and then Jesus and His church would return to earth to rule for a thousand years. The faithful spend eternity in the New Jerusalem. (Taken from Got Questions – https://www.gotquestions.org/historic-premillennialism.html)

Dispensationalism was popularized by John Nelson Darby (1800-82), an Anglo-Irish theologian who was part of the Plymouth Brethren. It holds that God deals with people based on dispensations of grace and that he will work with Israel very differently than with the church. These dispensations involved a test for mankind, a failure, and then a judgment, followed by a new dispensation. He promoted the pre-tribulation rapture theory. This position holds that the church and Israel are be viewed as distinct and that Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel must be taken literally. Dispensationalism believes that the New Testament builds on Old Testament prophecies but does not transcend or reinterpret them as being fulfilled in Christ or transferred to the church. Ethnic/national Israel will be restored and have a significant role during Christ’s millennial reign to bring blessings to the nations. The church is being used by God to fulfill the Great Commission, but it is through ethnic Israel that the world will be blessed in the end. 

The Amillennial (or realized millennium) view interprets the above passage in Revelation figuratively and believes that Christ’s millennial reign is the time between his first and second comings, during which time Christ rules from heaven along with his saints, and Satan is bound. In addition, his rule is being extended through the preaching of the gospel and discipleship by the church. Just prior to our Lord’s Second Coming, Satan will be released for a short period to deceive the nations, during which time persecution will ramp up significantly. The Second Coming will happen concurrently with the general resurrection, the “rapture” or catching up to heaven of the saints who are still physically alive, and the last judgment, followed by the inauguration of the eternal state – the new heaven and earth. This position holds that the church is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who are one in Christ and receive God’s blessings together based on being part of a new creation. There may be a fulfillment of God’s promises to restore the land of Israel to the Jewish people when Jesus returns, but that is a separate consideration.

The Postmillennial view holds that things will get gradually better as Christ’s rule expands and extends over the earth, ushering in a golden age during which the kingdom of God will be experienced to a wonderful degree prior to Christ’s Second Coming. This view is similar to Amillennialism, and I have lumped it together with it.

The Great Tribulation and the Rapture

The premillennial view holds that the great tribulation will take place during the reign of the antichrist and will last seven years. The rapture or catching up to heaven of living believers will either take place prior to the tribulation (pre-trib rapture), in the middle of the tribulation (mid-trib rapture), or at the conclusion of the tribulation (post-trib rapture). The general resurrection and last judgment will take place later.

The amillennial view believes that the rapture will take place as part of the Second Coming, as taught by the apostle Paul.

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.  1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NASB95)

One of the reasons why I do not believe in a pre-tribulation or any other kind of rapture ahead of the Second Coming is because Jesus never taught anything like that. Instead, he clearly taught that the wicked will be gathered first, then the righteous.

“And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”  Matthew 13:28–30 (NASB95) 

So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.  Matthew 13:40–43 (NASB95) 

In addition, Jesus taught that he will return for both the living and the dead at the same time.

“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:39–40 (NASB95)

Jesus will raise the dead on the “last day,” and Paul said that the resurrected dead will precede the living saints who will be caught up to heaven. Therefore, there cannot be a rapture ahead of the general resurrection which will take place at the Second Coming.

Common sense also informs us that many beloved believers have endured horrible persecutions over the centuries. We in the West have been largely spared since the Reformation. It betrays a grossly self-centered viewpoint to use our persecution-free history as the norm as we look forward to a time of great tribulation.

Finally, a rapture of all believers prior to a time of testing does not seem to fit God’s way of doing things. The Good Shepherd never leaves the weak sheep to fend for themselves. Those who will come to Christ during a time of testing will need seasoned believers to encourage them to be strong.

The Last Judgment

The Last Judgment is the final event of this age. There is debate about how this will take place. Jesus made it clear that the Father has turned over all judgment to him.

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,  John 5:21–22 (NASB95)

Jesus will fulfill this responsibility as the glorious Son of Man prophesied in Daniel.

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;  Matthew 25:31–32 (NASB95)

Jesus understood that he will fulfill this prophecy. He told his persecutors as much when he was on trial before the Sanhedrin.

And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  Mark 14:62 (NASB95)

Jesus also informed us that all those who trust in him will be safe from condemnation at that judgment.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.  John 5:24–29 (NASB95)

Jesus tied the resurrection to the last judgment.

He taught that his followers will be personally raised from the dead by him and escape condemnation at the judgment.

“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:39–40 (NASB95)

Only those who are born again are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:12–15 (NASB95)

The new birth is a type of resurrection in which we are raised through our identification with Christ in his resurrection.

…even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  Ephesians 2:5–6 (NASB95)

In the book of Revelation, this is referred to as the first resurrection. Those who are born again are seated with Christ right now in heavenly places, ruling alongside him. This is part of what it means to have Christ’s authority.

The current reign of the saints with Christ is what Amillennnialists consider to be the millennial rule of Christ.

Those who are raised spiritually with Christ rule with him and will be raised bodily at the Second Coming.

Jesus referred to the two resurrections in John Chapter 11.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”  John 11:25–26 (NASB95)

If we are born twice (naturally and the new birth), we will only die once (bodily). However, if we are not born of the Spirit, we will die twice, physically and in the lake of fire.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:12–15 (NASB95)

Our works (deeds) do not save us, except the good work of putting our faith in Christ.

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)

Those who are born again have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and will do good works from the heart, which will testify to their saving faith. In that sense only will we be judged according to our works.

We will be rewarded according to how well we lived by faith and love through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.  Galatians 5:6 (NLT)
 The Final Resurrected State

Paul taught that we will one day receive spiritual bodies that will reflect the glory of the Lord.

There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.  1 Corinthians 15:40–49 (NASB95)

These new bodies will have properties not currently available to us. Jesus could appear and disappear and pass through walls. Interestingly, he also ate with his disciples; so, some if not all bodily functions will continue, yet without being subject to death. It is quite a mystery.

Another mystery involves the recreation or renewal of the earth.

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.  2 Peter 3:10–13 (NLT) 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  Revelation 21:1–5 (NLT)

It is impossible for us to know what this will be like, but I assume it will be as God originally intended for his creation before the Fall of humanity. Paul wrote the following about this.

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  Romans 8:19–21 (NLT)

Adam’s sin brought down the entire creation, which waits for the Second Coming for it to be renewed.

Beyond that, we really don’t know what to expect except that it will be wonderful because it will fully reflect the goodness and glory of the Creator at last. Even now we see glimpses of his character and power by observing fallen creation. How much more will his glory shine when creation is restored!

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
Share this post...

Loyalty to God’s Word

Satan’s strategy always has been to make us doubt, deny, and disobey God’s words. God’s Word, the eternal Logos, is the second divine person of the Trinity. The Logos became a human being named Jesus (John 1:14), who revealed that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). God’s Word is always true. (John 17:17) It reveals that the only way to experience God’s life is through our Lord Jesus.

Since Jesus is the Logos made flesh, to reject God’s Word is to reject Jesus. Faith in and loyalty to Jesus includes being loyal to his Word. Every person will eventually face a crisis that tests our loyalty to God’s Word.

For Adam and Eve, it happened in the garden when Satan, disguised as a serpent, questioned Eve and cast doubt upon God’s integrity and the truthfulness of his words. Adam and Eve failed the loyalty test. It is important that we pass it.

Satan is a cunning deceiver, whom Jesus called the “father of lies.” Speaking to the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders who resisted God’s truth, Jesus said:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:44–45 (NKJV)

We need to understand that the devil’s lies are still very seductive. Through them he has enslaved most of humanity.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9 (NKJV)

Once enslaved by his lies, we naturally resist the truth. Once a lie sets up residence in our hearts and minds, it is easier for us to accept it rather than God’s truth.

In other words, we will actively resist our own liberation when we are confronted with God’s truth. When lies are repeated to us over and over again, it is called brainwashing, which is difficult to overcome. Such deception is increasing as the age in which we lives draws to a close.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NKJV)

Paul the apostle told us that Satan’s lies work inside us to erect “strongholds” or fortresses that resist the entrance of God’s truth.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV)

The only way to overcome these lie-based strongholds is by believing the truth of the Word of God as revealed by the Spirit of God, whose ministry includes guiding us into all truth. 

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth... John 16:13a (NKJV)

Just as we must choose Jesus above every imposter vying for our hearts, so we must be loyal to God’s Word above every lie that opposes it. We cannot be disingenuous by embracing some form of syncretism. That is, we must not try to blend God’s truth with a lie in an effort to “have our cake and eat it, too.” Syncretism is the first step in a downward slide into idolatry and has always been a temptation for God’s people. The ancient Israelites often were insecure in their devotion to Yahweh and tried to blend worship of other gods into the mix, just to cover their bases, so to speak. What if the other gods were real and their protection was needed? The result was always a disaster. God allows no other gods to come between us and him. (Exodus 20:3) Syncretism will never work for us either. Paul wrote:

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NKJV)

Likewise, it is impossible for us to be completely loyal to God’s Word while simultaneously embracing what fights against it. In today’s world, unless one is involved in the occult, the most likely enemy that invites us to dilute or contradict God’s truth is what is falsely called science.

We have been taught to believe that scientists operate in the realm of fact apart from having any sort of ideological bias, but nothing could be further from the truth. For example, when astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the red shift exhibited by the stars indicated that the earth is the center of the universe, he wrote that such was an  “intolerable” conclusion.

“Such a condition would imply that we occupy a unique position in the universe, analogous, in a sense, to the ancient conception of a central Earth…This hypothesis cannot be disproved, but it is unwelcome and would only be accepted as a last resort in order to save the phenomena. Therefore we disregard this possibility…. the unwelcome position of a favored location must be avoided at all costs…. such a favored position is intolerable…” (Hubble, The Observational Approach to Cosmology)

While some areas of science use what is called the scientific method, other areas, particularly those associated with origins and cosmology, are based on conjecture and assumption cloaked in a facade of certainty. Neil deGrasse Tyson, a well-known spokesperson for such pseudo-science, famously stated that the theory of evolution is a scientific fact. Evolution, however, is at best an unprovable hypothesis and certainly not a fact, but it is taught as truth in our lie-based anti-God school systems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world portrays those of us who adhere to the Bible’s teaching about the origin of mankind as backward religious extremists who resist the advancement of an enlightened scientific view.

To go against the dominant “scientific” worldview is to risk, or perhaps guarantee, being called a fool. This is a price everyone who is loyal to God’s Word must be willing to pay. (1 Corinthians 4:10)

One might ask if gravity is indeed a fact, too, or is it merely an unproven theory espoused by Sir Isaac Newton to support the novel and non-biblical Copernican heliocentric theory? It soon thereafter morphed into the so-called Law of Universal Gravitation, which today is accepted as an indisputable truth despite the fact that it cannot be proven in a laboratory.

Satan uses pseudo-science to obscure the revelation of God.

King David wrote these beautiful words that describe one of the purposes of creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Psalm 19:1–4 (NKJV)

Human beings are supposed to look upon what God made and see clear evidence of the Creator.

Paul wrote:

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:19–21 (NKJV)

When our spiritual eyes are blinded by sin and lies, we cannot see evidence of God in his creation, which has devastating results by alienating us from God and his life. In an effort to shroud the entire world in deception, Satan has used what is falsely called science to spread lies about the world God made. Realizing this ever present danger, Paul warned his protege, Timothy.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV)

Only by returning to the truth found in Genesis and reading it with an open heart and mind can we begin to get back to a proper understanding of creation.

God created this world as the center of everything. It is a protected environment overseen by the Creator personally. His throne is located above the firmament. We are not, as so-called scientists say, an insignificant speck in an incomprehensibly large universe hurtling at incredible speeds toward an uncertain future in which God is nowhere to be found.

Jesus revealed how important it is to be loyal to God’s Word, if we are going to experience freedom from Satan’s enslaving lies.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NKJV)

It is time for God’s people to rededicate ourselves to God’s Word and determine that we will adhere to it no matter how costly it may prove to be. Those who honor his Word will be honored by God.

For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2 (NKJV)
Share this post...

Chapter 75: How to Share Our Personal Testimony

When an opportunity presents itself for us to talk about the Lord with people, often it is easier to begin by sharing our own testimony. This is our personal story describing how God intersected our lives and what has been the result. Sharing our testimony is often less confrontational than relating the gospel, unless we conclude our testimony by giving an invitation to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

We may wish to have short, medium, and long versions of our testimony. Which one we share may depend on how much time we have and the interest level of the listener. The basic ingredients of our testimony might be as follows.

  • Our lives before conversion, including what may have influenced us to seek the Lord,
  • How Christ intersected our lives,
  • And how our lives changed afterward.

Even should the listener discount our words, it is difficult to deny personal experiences. Even existentialists can agree that we experienced something. If they claim it was merely “our truth,” it gives us an opportunity to reply that even though it was my experience, the Lord and salvation are real and have been experienced by countless millions of people.

Paul gave us an example of a way to share a testimony in Acts Chapter 26.

“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 “And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 “And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. 12 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ 19 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. 22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”  Acts 26:9–23 (NASB95)

This two-and-a-half-minute testimony starts with Paul’s persecution of Christians, thinking he was serving God by doing so. This demonstrated that he was an enemy of the gospel prior to conversion, which probably heightened interest in what was to follow. Before his conversion, he was not filled with angst, a feeling of being lost, or in trouble, as is often the case with us. He was convinced he was doing the right thing by persecuting the church. This was Paul’s story.

Whatever route we took on our personal journey to the Lord is our testimony.

Jesus intersected Paul’s life while he was on the way to persecute believers. Few of us have conversions as dramatic as Paul, but however God reached us is an important part of our story and should be shared with as much detail as appropriate. Paul’s conversion included a call to be a witness for Christ, which Paul used to transition to the last part of his testimony – how his life changed afterward. He concluded his testimony by giving the key ingredient of the gospel – the resurrection of Christ.

It is often possible to conclude our testimony with an invitation to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

This requires us to be sensitive to how our words are being received. We may not wish to press the matter. On the other hand, if we think the listener may be open to the gospel, we might ask, “Is there any reason you would not choose to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior right now?” If the answer is affirmative, we can try to address the issues. If negative, we can gently lead them in a prayer to surrender their lives to our Savior and Lord.

It is important for us to keep in mind that we may be merely sowing good seed into their lives. Many people require several exposures to the gospel before they are ready to receive Christ. On the other hand, we may have the privilege of reaping what others have sown by leading them to Christ. Either way, it is a win for the kingdom of God.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
Share this post...

Chapter 73: The Gospel Satisfies Our Thirst for Truth

One of the things that clearly distinguishes God’s people from those on their way to eternal destruction is their relationship with truth. When Adam and Eve believed the serpent in the garden, it created in them an adverse relationship with truth that they passed down to us. Immediately those two were deeply ashamed and tried to hide the truth about what they had done from their Creator. The fear of our shame and guilt being uncovered pushes us away from the truth, too. As Jesus put it… 

All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.  John 3:20 (NLT)

By nature, those whose hearts are hardened against God are also enemies of the truth. Those who love God love truth as well.

Light and truth are related. The light of God’s truth both reveals the glory of God and exposes sin. Without God’s intervention, people hide from God’s truth about themselves. We find it easier to do this than risk being exposed, shamed, and condemned for our sins. We fear that God is a judge who will mercilessly expose and condemn us to death as our sins deserve.

When we find ourselves in a seemingly untenable situation such as this, we tend to resort to denial and perhaps attempt to create an alternate reality.

We may find it necessary to suppress the truth to uphold the lie we create to try to insulate ourselves from God’s judgment.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  Romans 1:18–20 (NLT)

 Even though creation makes God’s existence obvious, we develop and teach as dogma an alternate theory of how we got here called the Big Bang theory and evolution. These lies insist that all matter, energy, and life created or generated themselves through natural processes related to a mysterious force some call gravity. If we got here without help from God, we are masters of the universe who are accountable to no one, Satan’s, Adam’s, and Eve’s goal.

Those who hold power to suppress truth usually strongly defend their lies and attack anyone who dares resist the official narrative.

Nothing is more dangerous to a lie than the truth.

All sorts of truth suppressing alternate realities are being forced upon us, including transgenderism. Anyone who dares to resist is often fiercely attacked. Our news media, in cooperation with the government, Big Medicine, Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, etc., promotes all sorts of falsehoods under the name of truth which is propaganda. Power seeks to intimidate the populace into bowing to the lie, rather than stand up for what is true, thus breaking our will. It is only when the Spirit of truth (John 14:17) begins to work inside us that are drawn away from the lie toward truth.

Jesus, who is Truth in human form, came into this world to testify to the truth and draw to himself those whom God has chosen.

Some who heard Jesus’ words responded by believing in him. Others resisted because they had no love for truth.

Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! 46 Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”  John 8:43–47 (NLT)

Imagine: the Jewish leaders’ hatred of truth propelled them to execute the One sent into the world to testify to the truth. They brought our Lord to Pilate, who heard these remarkable words from Jesus.

Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”  John 18:37 (NLT)

All Pilate could weakly reply was, “What is truth?” The Truth stood right in front of him, but he did not recognize him.

We cannot understand the truth about who Jesus is unless the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and develops within us a love for truth.

The movie entitled The Matrix is a parable about man’s quest to know the truth. The hero is a young man called Neo who is given a choice between having his eyes opened to the terrifying truth about a very high level of deception or continuing to live in the apparent comfort and security of the lie. Neo was offered two pills, a red one that would open his eyes to the truth and a blue one that would allow him to continue in the blissful ignorance that enslaved him.

Most people choose to live in some level of deception, keeping the truth about God at a distance, pretending that they will never die or face him in judgment at the end of their lives.

God does not want people to remain captives of the lie, which is why he sent his Son, who is the Truth, to rescue us.

May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. 5 All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.  Galatians 1:3–5 (NLT)

The eternal Logos, the Word of God, became a human being, the embodiment of truth, who came with a message of truth combined with mercy. God made a way for us to face the truth without its destroying us. That way cost the one who is truth his life.

Jesus took all the guilt and shame associated with serving the Lie upon himself so that God’s truth and light could penetrate our defenses and capture our hearts in a life-giving way.

In our Lord Jesus, mercy and truth came together to create a pathway to God.

 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! 11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.  Psalm 85:10–11 (NLT)

The Law, which is God’s truth without mercy, exposes our sin, but Jesus came to fulfill the Law on our behalf so that we might receive mercy from God.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  John 1:14–17 (NASB95)

 This is the gospel message.

Truth has come to us in the person of Jesus who offered himself as a sacrifice to provide forgiveness for our sins and open the way for us to be reconciled to the God of truth. He is the only way back to God.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  John 14:6 (NASB95)

Those whose hearts are open to truth receive this good news and act upon it and become people of truth and mercy. Those whose hearts remain closed refuse to come to Jesus.

This man [of lawlessness] 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 2:9–12 (NLT)

When people choose deception over God’s truth, they condemn themselves to eternal destruction.

This is because the lie kills. Life is only found in God. When we reject truth, we reject God, thereby rejecting life.

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.  Acts 13:46–49 (NLT)

The ability to love and choose truth is a gift from God himself called repentance.

Without God’s help, we will remain truth haters. With God’s help, we can become lovers of truth, which is an earmark of Christ’s disciples.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

Those who receive a love for truth come to Jesus and love his Word.

Born again followers of Christ have a Holy Spirit derived love for the Bible.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’  John 16:13–15 (NLT)

It is incongruent for someone to claim to be a follower of Christ and not love his Word. There seems to be no middle ground. We will either love his word or hate it. When we see churches veer away from their adherence to biblical truth, it appears that the Spirit does not live inside them.

The Spirit of truth always upholds the Word of truth.

Once God opens our eyes to the One who is the embodiment of truth, and we put our faith and allegiance in him, our quest for truth is satisfied. It is not that we now know the whole truth. Quite the opposite. I suspect that we will be discovering more about God for all eternity, but when we put our faith and allegiance in Jesus, we know deep inside that we need not look for anything or anyone else.

When we come to know the one called Truth, our souls find rest from our restless quest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)

Those who reject the truth of the gospel will never find satisfaction anywhere else. There is no peace or rest for the wicked who hate God and his truth. (Isaiah 48:22) There is no one else who can possibly satisfy us. (2 Timothy 3:7)

As disciples, we have a responsibility to invite others to become lovers of the Truth. It is wrong to keep something so great as our secret.

God commissioned us to share the gospel in the hope that the Holy Spirit may open the eyes, ears, and hearts of our listeners.

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.  2 Timothy 2:24–26 (NLT)

With God’s help, we and others can come to our their senses and awaken to the Truth of God and escape the snares of deception. In the end, nothing can stop the advance of truth.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
Share this post...

Reaffirming Our Allegiance to God’s Word above the Claims of Astrophysics

The Word of God, the biblical account of the sun, moon, and stars differs from what we are taught in school regarding the Big Bang and the heliocentric model. Historians usually pose the church as the villain which resists the progress of science and truth. We are centuries past the introduction of the Copernican heliocentric theory’s general acceptance and the uproar that accompanied it. The church acquiesced, and what was previously debated is now regarded as fact, even though it has not been empirically proven using the so-called scientific method.

The conflict between Scripture and what is called science is age old and tests whether we will esteem God’s Word higher than the theories and pronouncements of men.

The passage of time tends to generate a general acceptance of what was once only a theory. Enormous pressure exists in the scientific community to accept the status quo, but real science and truth only advance when questions are asked and answers tested. The problem is that questions regarding cosmology and origins defy empirical testing.

I have already known a long time that we do not yet have proof for the system of Copernicus, but I shall not take the risk to be the first one attacking it  —Alexander von Humboldt(1769-1859), Quoted in F.K. Schultze’s synopsis and translation of F.E. Pasche’s “Christliche Weltanschauuing

In this article I question some parts of our current reigning cosmology in pursuit of biblical truth.

I humbly ask you to consider what the Bible says in contrast to what so-called science claims and afterward make a decision regarding where you will stand in the matter.

I have come to believe that Satan must experience a perverted pleasure from convincing us to abandon God’s truth and embrace his lies. Jesus was not overstating things when he called him the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and Revelation tells us that he deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). The longer I live, the more my eyes have been opened to the magnitude of the deception and the enormous numbers of people who participate in it.

Satan’s deceptions are always designed to make us question God’s words, hide God’s glory, and enslave us.

The Bible says that the devil’s lies create spiritual strongholds which resist God’s truth. (2 Cor. 10:4-5) Another name for this is brainwashing. When a lie is repeated to us over and over again, we tend to believe it, especially if those doing the lying are esteemed by us. In our culture, I believe that scientists are often the culprits. We have been trained from childhood that their proclamations are true, even if they are based on mere speculation. When a brainwashed person is confronted with truth, he or she initially resists it, thinking that it is false because it runs counter to their programming. Sometimes it takes repeated encounters with truth before we start to open ourselves to it.

My hope is that you will at least consider what I have written here, even if it challenges your own status quo. I hope we can agree that the pursuit of truth is a worthwhile journey.

The Bible vs “Science”

Here is what Genesis teaches us about the heavenly luminaries.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Genesis 1:14–15 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “light” means a luminary, light bearer or producer, or lamp. God gave us these luminaries to “divide the day from the night,” generally to provide light for us, and to be for signs, seasons, days, and years. Our days are regulated by what the Bible calls the “circuit” (Psalm 19:6) of the sun. It has been measured at 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59.99… seconds, essentially 24 hours – the solar day. The moon’s “circuit” is different and has “phases” that have been used for centuries to measure months in 28-day cycles. The stars’ circuit around Polaris, the north star which for centuries has remained fixed over the north pole, is called the sidereal day and lasts 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 41 seconds. Astronomers have developed a complex theory of celestial motion to try to explain why the solar day is a different length from the sidereal one, since both depend on the rotation of the earth, if we use the heliocentric explanation of things. For the average person, this explanation is “beyond our pay grade,” which invites us to lay aside our own reasoning power and rely on the “experts.”

In one year, the stars always return to their same position in the sky, which is quite remarkable (I would say unbelievable.), if we accept the Big Bang tenet of faith that the entire universe is constantly expanding at incredible speeds. If one does an internet search to find out how fast, one realizes that the answers are largely unintelligible for the average person. Some say our galaxy is racing through the universe at over a million miles per hour. This obviously requires us to take a leap of faith that the “experts” are telling us the truth. I find that such thinking is unbelievable, considering that the stars have remained in fixed positions in the night sky through the centuries. The only way that heliocentrists can somehow try to account for this is to say that they are so incomprehensibly far away that there is no observed parallax. This would require the stars to be phenomenally large. The Bible makes no such claim. It says they are in the firmament and are not “sun” but are luminaries.

 Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: ‘Ye must have faith.’ —Max Planck

Theoretical physics is derived from math, not experimentation. Nicola Tesla, generally regarded as one of the most brilliant true scientists of all time, and a contemporary of Einstein, had little regard for the latter’s work.

Today’s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.  —Nikola Tesla

A prominent modern theoretical physicist and string theory proponent, Michio Kaku, agreed with Tesla.

Nobody that I know of in my field uses the so-called scientific method. In our field it is by the seat of your pants, leaps of logic. It is guesswork.  —Michio Kaku, C-SPAN Interview (Source)

After talking with Kaku about string theory and dimensions, William Shatner of Star Trek fame said that he concluded that science and science fiction are the same thing.

A good example of obfuscating the truth behind incomprehensible math is Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which he developed after the surprising findings of the Michelson-Morley experiment. That experiment shot a light beam east-west and north-south, expecting there to be a difference based on the assumed motion of the earth around the sun. The unexpected result was that there was no difference, leading Morley to conclude that the earth was not moving.

The data [of Michelson-Morley] were almost unbelievable… There was only one other possible conclusion to draw – that the earth was at rest. – Physicist Bernard Jaffe, Michelson and the Speed of Light, 1960, p.76.

Einstein was a confirmed Copernican and developed his theory of special relativity to explain away the results. He employed a logical fallacy called “begging the question” by “proving” the motion of the earth by assuming the motion of the earth. Einstein took the “leap of faith” that the metal enclosure contracted because of the earth’s motion, thus accounting for the unexpected results. This gave theoretical physicists an imaginary mathematical solution, which has never been empirically verified, which allowed them to keep the Copernican system intact. I believe that Einstein and others have chosen to “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18) because they are unwilling to consider that what the Bible claims is true: the earth is at rest with the heavenly bodies moving around it. I believe this is another case of the religion of pseudoscience masquerading as the truth.

Personally, if I must take a “leap of faith,” it will be to assert God’s Word is true, even if it contradicts the generally accepted theories of modern astrophysicists.

Returning to our exploration of what God says about the sun, moon, and stars, the Bible tells us that these luminaries are located in the firmament, which I believe is a mysterious firm boundary which separates the waters above and the third heaven where God’s throne is located from what lies below. (See previous article.)

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:16–19 (NKJV)

The exact nature and extent of the firmament is unknown to us, but the Bible affirms that it is the location of the sun, moon, and stars. This seems to preclude that they are “astronomical” distances from us. Since God chose to withhold details from us, we must accept his words without having complete understanding. God created us to operate by faith. (2 Cor. 5:7) Everyone operates by certain unprovable assumptions (presuppositions) and must believe in someone or something because no one knows everything. This is true for the Christian as well as the theoretical physicist.

Whether we choose to believe in God or “science,” it takes faith.

The Bible says that the sun and moon are both light sources, which opposes accepted science that claims the moon is a spherical reflector of the sun’s light. If science is correct, one would expect the moon to reflect light as a sphere would, which would be brightest at the center of sphere and fading toward the edges.

However, the moon is evenly lit across its surface. Something does not add up about this luminary. There are things about the moon and cosmos that we do not yet understand. I believe it is a mistake to dismiss God’s Word as our authority when it comes to heavenly bodies just because it does not agree with accepted theoretical physics.

I believe it is safe to say that the Bible is true not only regarding morality but also the creation.

Does this not seem to be yet another case of “has God really said?” Have we been guilty of bowing our knee to “science” instead of to God and his words?

Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word... Isaiah 66:5 (NKJV)

About now I think I can hear the objection that NASA landed people on the moon, proving that it is a sphere. Did they? There is a vast amount of evidence that the entire thing was a sham. NASA spent billions on the Apollo project, but has quite inexplicably “lost” all the original video, audio, telemetry data, and rocket engine designs, and “destroyed” the technology. Don Pettit is a space station astronaut who has spent months there. Listen to his words.

In addition, more recently other occupants of the International Space Station have said that we have never been beyond lower earth orbit.

Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it, considering our government claims that we landed on the moon several times?

All government agencies lie part of the time, but NASA is the only one I’ve ever encountered that does so routinely. —George A. Keyworth, Science Advisor to President Regan in testimony before Congress, March 14, 1985

And let us not forget that today we have the ability to manufacture a false or virtual “reality” like never before in history. Those of us saw the movie, Gravity, were impressed by the amazing simulations of weightlessness and “outer space” that were produced in a movie studio with a large, but limited budget. From our point of view, it was impossible to tell it from the “real thing.” What could NASA produce with its yearly budget in the billions? If, as more and more people believe, the moon landings were an elaborate hoax filmed by the renowned director Stanley Kubrick, we have no direct proof that any claims made by NASA about the nature of the moon are true. Additionally, there are no true photographs of the earth from space, only computer generated images.

Robert Simmon, NASA’s Lead Data Visualizer and Information Designer, said, “My role is to make imagery from Earth sciences data. I turn data into pictures.” He came up with what is known as the blue marble image of a globular earth that is so ubiquitous today. (Not surprisingly, NASA has removed the video of his admitting that the blue marble rendition of globe earth was photo shopped.) Several versions have been released, which surprisingly show continents having differing sizes. Hmmm…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But we do have God’s unchangeable Word that never lies. (Numbers 23:19)

Psalm 19 supplies us with more truth regarding the sun.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1–6 (NKJV)

Here the firmament is described as a tabernacle or tent for the sun, under or within which it travels a circuit or circular course.

Simply put, the Bible states that the sun moves, not the earth.

That this is the proper understanding is confirmed in the following passage from Joshua.

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua 10:12–13 (NKJV)

Martin Luther, a contemporary of Copernicus, rejected his heliocentric theory based on the verse above combined with other scriptures, such as Psalm 19:6, Ecclesiastes 1:5, and Psalm 93:1, which state that the earth does not move, but the sun does.

Once again we are confronted with a crisis of faith: will we believe what the Bible says or what modern “science” tells us?

Since the Renaissance, the church has felt compelled to compromise the Word of God to make it conform to theoretical physics. We sometimes adopt a hermeneutic that God simply accommodated himself the the limited understanding of the authors of the Bible. Am I the only one uncomfortable with believing that God fudged the truth? My wife and I refused to lie to our children about Santa Claus lest we damage their faith somehow. Surely God would not lie to us, would he?

Personally, I am willing to assume that God is the one telling the truth, even though it requires me to assume others are lying. I certainly do not wish to call God a liar.

The stars, viewed with a powerful optical lens, look quite different than we have been led to expect by NASA. They seem to be shimmering luminaries as might appear if seen through water. Remember: the Bible tells us that there is water above the firmament.

My research leads me to believe that we have been fed a steady diet of CGIs regarding “outer space” instead of the truth?

In our day, I believe that “science” is the government’s religion, and scientists are its high priests.

If we dare question these high priests, we should be prepared to suffer for it in some way, even if it is simply to be dismissed as ridiculous. At this point, I cannot help but remember how Fauci claimed that Covid vaccine opponents were science deniers. We opposed the religion of the state and encountered its push back.

Scientists are not the paragons of rationality, objectivity, openmindedness and humility that many of them might like others to believe. —Marcello Truzzi, Professor of Sociology

It can be argued that Copernicus’ heliocentric theory was more of a religious / philosophical proposition than pure “science.” It elevated the sun to a sort of god status that holds things together; whereas, the Bible states that Jesus created and holds everything together through the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3). Here are Copernicus’ own words. Judge for yourself.

In the middle of all sits Sun enthroned. In this most beautiful temple could we place this luminary in any better position from which he can illuminate the whole at once? He is rightly called the Lamp, the Mind, the Ruler of the Universe: Hermes Trismegistus names him the Visible God, Sophocles’ Electra calls him the All-seeing. So the Sun sits as upon a royal throne ruling his children the planets which circle round him. The Earth has the Moon at her service. As Aristotle says, in his On Animals, the Moon has the closest relationship with the Earth. Meanwhile the Earth conceives by the Sun, and becomes pregnant with an annual rebirth.  —Nicolaus Copernicus , De Revolutionibus, Of the Order of the Heavenly Bodies

Interestingly, the supposed missions to the moon were named after the Greek sun god, Apollo, who stands for Lucifer, the light bearer.

Science cannot be “scientific” without adhering to the scientific method. Modern astrophysics makes empirically unprovable pronouncements which we must accept by faith. This seems more like religion than science.

The motion of the sun, moon, and stars can be predicted without the heliocentric theory, as is proved by centuries of astronomers having accurate knowledge of celestial movements, including eclipses, before the advent of modern astronomy.

People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations, For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.    —Cosmologist George Ellis, in Scientific American, “Thinking Globally, Acting Universally”, October 1995

J.D. Bernal stated:

[Copernicus’] reasons for his revolutionary change were essentially philosophic and aesthetic,” and in a later edition he is more convinced that the “reasons were mystical rather than scientific   —J. D. Bernal, Science in History, 1st edition, London, Watts, 1954; 2nd edition, 1965).

Nevertheless, now, many generations after his death, anyone who disputes his theory is deemed to be a scientific heretic and worthy of scorn. The actual scientific method encourages questioning, however.

Just as the serpent dismissed and scorned God’s words of warning in the garden so long ago, the hiss of the serpent can be detected in the way that which is called science casually and routinely dismisses the Bible’s claims.

Many modern “scientists” haughtily scorn God and the Bible while indoctrinating our society with anti-biblical “truths” with the purpose of pushing people further away from seeing the glory of God in his creation. The more we buy into an anti-God “scientific” narrative, the further we are likely to drift from the Bible’s truth and an appreciation for the Creator.

[Copernicus’] work, published in 1543, was called On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres. It stated that the center of the universe was a spot somewhere near the sun…The scheme met the requirements of philosophical and theological belief in circular motion. In every other respect, however, Copernicus struck at the heart of Aristotelian and Christian belief. He removed the Earth from the center of the universe and so from the focus of God’s purpose. In the new scheme man was no longer the creature for whose use and elucidation the cosmos had been created. His system also placed the Earth in the heavens, and in doing so removed the barrier separating the incorruptible from the corruptible.  —James Burke, The Day the Universe Changed, p. 135

Conclusion

I believe there is an anti-God agenda in full swing on the earth, which influences every area of society and life beginning with cosmology, extending to theology, and ending perhaps with sexuality.

Satan wants us to doubt and dismiss every single word of God.

He starts by telling us that this world, instead of being fashioned by a loving and wise Creator, is random and chaotic, birthed by an explosion and is in danger of being annihilated at any moment by a wandering asteroid, a virus, war, pollution, climate change, or an alien invasion. He tells us that there are too many people and not enough food, even though God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply. He insists that humans are an evil “virus;” even though God says we are his highest creation, made in his image and likeness. He tells us that Christianity is bad; even though we proclaim the truth about the Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer. He tells us that sex outside of marriage is normal, natural, and fulfilling; even though God forbids it, and we can clearly see how it has ravaged society. He tells us that children in the womb are not human at all and should be subject to the whims of the mother regarding being allowed to come to term and be born or not; even though God is involved with our development in the womb and knew us even before we were conceived. He tells us that we cannot be sure of what gender we are, when God says we are male and female. He encourages us to mutilate our bodies in the pursuit of trying to be different from how God made us, instead of humbly acknowledging our Creator in all things.

Would it be out of character for Satan and his minions to lie to us about the nature of the earth, sun, moon, and stars?

Obviously not, especially if doing so will interfere with our being able to recognize the Creator’s handiwork.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

I believe it is time for God-fearing Christians to reaffirm our allegiance to God’s Word as our authority on all of life, including the creation. As the apostle Paul said:

...Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar... Romans 3:4 (NKJV)
Share this post...

The Amazing Firmament

My recent studies of the firmament have left me amazed, filled with joy, and worshipful. Sometimes God’s truth lies right under our noses, but we just cannot see it. Much of our problem in the West stems from our scientific worldview. In this case the problem has been augmented by translators’ bias.

All of us bring our established ways of viewing our world and reality to our study of the Bible. We cannot help this, generally speaking, but students of the Bible are charged with allowing the Bible to say what it means, instead of what we would like for it to say.

Years ago, a friend humorously told me a truth that stayed with me. When God revealed himself to Moses, he told him “I am who I am.” He did not say, as many insist today, “I am who you want me to be.”

Translators’ bias jumps off the pages of most versions when it comes to the Hebrew word “raqia,” which literally means something hard like beaten out metal. In Genesis 1:8, God called the firmament (raqia) heaven (shamayim). God used the firmament to separate the waters (mayim) below from those above. So above the firmament there was and is (Psalm 148:4) water. The shamayim contain mayim.

Therefore, the firmament must be hard and strong enough to support the enormous weight of untold amounts of water, some of which were released upon the earth in judgment during the great flood. (Genesis 7:11-12)

Interestingly, the translators of my beloved New Living Translation, in their attempt to explain difficult concepts in modern language and terms, took the liberty to translate mayim as “water vapor.” Normally I like it when they do this sort of thing, especially when it comes to theological terms such as justification, but in this case they did us a disservice. (That is why I advise people to read the Bible with a dynamic equivalency translation (NLT) in one hand and a literal rendering, such as the NKJV or NASB, in the other.) Mayim means waters or flood, not vapor.

Almost all translators choose words for raqia (firmament) that are more palatable to our scientific worldview pounded into us by our education system. Check it out for yourselves. The NASB, ESV, and NET, my “go to” versions for literal renderings, all use the word “expanse,” which communicates nothing of the hard and strong nature of the firmament. The KJV and NKJV are faithful to the Hebrew and use the word “firmament” to communicate its solidity and strength. This leaves us who have been indoctrinated with the scientific worldview from childhood in a quandary. Do we believe the Bible and go with the literal rending or do we accommodate our scientific bias?

As for me, when I stand before God one day, I would rather he tell me that I took him too literally than have him question why I altered his words.

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. Matthew 22:29 (NLT)

The Bible has some amazing revelations about the firmament besides its strength. I hope you will journey with me as I consider that the firmament is real and not something that is merely symbolic. The first place is in Exodus when God invited Moses and the elders of Israel to dine with him.

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.  Exodus 24:9–10 (NKJV)

Obviously they were no longer on Mt. Sinai. It seems that God pulled them into heaven, much as he did with Ezekiel and John the Revelator later. Below are verses that describe those later occasions.

The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. 26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. Ezekiel 1:22–28 (NKJV)


Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. Revelation 4:2–6 (NKJV)

If you are like me, I tended not to pay great attention to these verses because they seem so otherworldly, impractical, and loaded with unfathomable symbolism.

Once I started taking the existence of the firmament seriously, however, I began to believe that these verses describe a heavenly reality.

Below are some significant insights they give us.

  • God inhabits a place where the hard “pavement” has a clarity like the sky, the color of sapphire.
  • From below the firmament looks like crystal. The Hebrew word here is qerach, which literally means frost or ice. The word for crystal from Revelation 5:6 uses the Greek word krustallos, which means congealed or transparent and is derived from a root word for frost.
  • God’s throne rests on this sapphire-like pavement of the firmament and is also the color of sapphire. John likened the firmament below it to a sea of glass.
  • The one who sits on the throne must be our Lord Jesus himself. In Exodus and Ezekiel this would have been a pre-incarnate theophany of the eternal Logos. We know from our Lord Jesus himself that God is a spirit whom heaven cannot contain, but Jesus acquired a human body and has been given authority to judge. It is he who sits on the throne as the glorious son of man prophesied by Daniel.
  • The rainbow appears at God’s throne, which reveals what a abomination it is that an inversion and corruption of this symbol now represents something quite anti-God. Could it be possible that the northern lights are expressions of God’s glory above the firmament? One day we will find out for sure!

God told us that every matter or word will be confirmed out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. (Matthew 18:16). Therefore, I believe he wants us to accept these verses as describing reality, not some uncertain symbolism. If we do this, we will see other verses in a new light.

When God says he will roll up or split apart the heavens like a scroll, he means he will peel back the firmament to reveal the one who sits on the throne. (Isaiah 34:4 and Revelation 6:14)

At that point in history, every eye shall see him. The one who ascended through the heavens after his resurrection (Ephesians 4:10) will be revealed when the heavens are no more. Then God will create a new haven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Glory to God. What a day that will be!

Share this post...

Chapter 72: The Gospel Opens Blind Eyes

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he were indeed the Messiah, Jesus gave this somewhat cryptic reply.

…“Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.”  Luke 7:22–23 (NLT)

Jesus wanted John to know that he was fulfilling what the prophets said about the Messiah.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.  Isaiah 35:4–6 (NLT)

The people expected the Messiah to liberate them from Roman tyranny, but when it became apparent that Jesus was not going to do that, some, as did John, doubted. But the purpose of our Lord’s first coming was to set people free from sin, sickness, death, demonization, and the devil’s iron rule.

Opening naturally blind eyes was important to those who were healed, but it was more than anything else a metaphor for the deeper work of God in the human heart.

Sin blinds us to God’s existence and glory and to the Messiah’s identity.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

Without the inner work of the Holy Spirit, we are not able to discern who Jesus is.

When Jesus healed the blind man in the ninth chapter of John’s gospel, he was able to see spiritually as well us naturally. The Pharisees had never been physically blind, but they could not see spiritually.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”  John 9:35–39 (NLT)

When Jesus asked his disciples to tell him who they believed him to be, Peter immediately responded that he was the Messiah King of Israel. Jesus declared:

…“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 16: 17 (NASB95)

Jesus knew that those who believed in him could only do so with God’s help. This is why he said at another time:

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.  John 6:44–45 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit must remove our blindness if we are to recognize Jesus, but we have a part to play as well. When the gospel is preached, God’s drawing power is released. It is our responsibility to respond to that message by coming to Jesus by faith.

This means we open our hearts to him in whatever capacity we are able. He said in another place that he stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. (Revelation 3:20) Those who open the door of their hearts will experience his coming into their lives.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)

In my own case, when I heard the gospel, I did not immediately believe but was open to its being true. If only I knew for sure! I did what I could. I prayed to Jesus, not knowing if he were real. I asked him into my heart, if he were there, and requested that he reveal himself to me so that I could believe. It is amazing that God is so gracious with us that he would answer such a prayer! Imagine God’s being asked by a blind, disobedient creature to reveal whether he is real! There is so much evidence all around us that clearly demonstrates God’s existence and power, but we are blind to it because of sin.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  Romans 1:20 (NLT)

But God is merciful to us and responds when his creatures reach out to him in our pitiful condition. He knows what sin did to us and moves mightily in our lives if we move toward him.

This is clearly seen in the parable of the prodigal son. The father ran to meet him at the first sign of his coming home. That is our God!

When we come to Jesus, the Holy Spirit removes the blindness from our eyes. He opens our deaf ears and heals our hardened hearts, enabling us to see and believe.

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 3:16–18 (NLT)

This happened to those two disciples who were walking together after Jesus’ crucifixion making their way to Emmaus. The risen Jesus, in a form which they did not immediately recognize, came alongside them and began to dialogue with them. The things Jesus said about the Messiah’s need to suffer and later be glorified made their hearts burn within them, but they still did not recognize him. It was not until they invited him into their home to break bread with him that their eyes were opened to see him as the risen Lord!

but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!  Luke 24:29–31 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit works inside us to draw us to Christ. When we hear the good news about him, we are able to respond and draw near to Christ in our hearts.

He comes to us, and we must open the door. (Revelation 3:20) If we do this, it is proof that the Spirit is at work in our lives. If we come to him in this way, he will receive us.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:37–40 (NASB95)

If we pursue Jesus, God will not reject us. He receives everyone who comes to him. If we seek him, we will find him! Once we come to our Lord in this way, he removes the veil of blindness from our spiritual eyes, enabling us to properly behold him.

Seeing Christ by revelation imparts eternal life to us as we come to know him. We are born again when Christ is revealed to us.

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 (NASB95) —

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  Matthew 11:27 (NLT)

Right after saying this, is when Jesus issued his invitation for us to come to him. If we come to him, he will open our eyes, ears, and hearts to know God. It is by spending time in his presence that this can deepen. We do this when we pray, worship, and read and meditate in the Word of God. As we learn to “wait on God,” he will show us more and more about himself. If we seek him, we will find him.

Paul pursued knowing God with all his heart.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ  Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

Sadly, many of us are so afraid of God that we deliberately keep our distance from him. We talk about him, but we don’t want to be alone with him. The thought of being face to face with the Creator of the universe can be daunting, unless we understand that Jesus opened the way for us to approach God. Some of us may be afraid of what he may tell us or ask us to do. This all boils down to our having little knowledge of his immense love, which produces this lack of trust. John said that this is because we fear his judging us.

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.  1 John 4:17–18 (NLT)

Because Jesus took our condemnation upon himself, we need not fear that God will judge us for our sins. We can come boldly into his presence.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:20–22 (NLT)

Jesus came to relieve us of all our fears. He revealed the Father’s heart by laying down his life for us. He told us that he is gentle and humble of heart, making him easily approachable. The Holy Spirit works inside people to deliver us from these fears and help us to believe that we can indeed approach God. The moment we do, he runs to meet us and welcomes us home!

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  Luke 15:20 (NLT)
Prayer

Heavenly Father, I have run from you long enough. I have been blind to your love. I open my heart to you and your Son Jesus. Jesus, I invite you into my life as Lord and Savior. I give you myself and thank you for revealing yourself to me. Open my spiritual eyes and ears. Make my heart brand new. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Holy Spirit fill me to overflowing. Amen.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
Share this post...

Chapter 71: The Gospel in Relation to the Passover, Exodus, and Crossing Over into the Promised Land

When Paul preached, he focused on the cross of Christ and the resurrection.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (NASB95)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NASB95)

He taught that our faith must rest on what Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection and not on persuasive arguments that appeal to our reason but bypass our hearts. Faith resides in the heart and is the product of revelation from the Spirit, who is called the “spirit of faith” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Mental agreement is not the same thing as faith. If men persuade us to believe in Christ, without there being a corresponding work in the heart by the Spirit of God, then men can persuade us otherwise with a strong argument to the contrary. This sometimes happens when young people go off to college without ever having a faith encounter with the Spirit on their own. When living at home, they may have been towed along by the faith of their parents, but, once that faith is challenged, they discover that it wasn’t real but just mental assent.

True faith withstands every assault because it is based on what the Bible teaches combined with revelation from God instead of on human reasoning.

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:21–24 (NASB95)

Without the resurrection, the cross would be the epitome of misplaced hope. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the expectations of his followers were dashed. Everything in which they believed and for which they had sacrificed came to an abrupt and terrifying end. When Jesus was with them, his disciples managed to put on a brave face and act courageously, but when he was taken from them and crucified, their courage evaporated.

The two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus expressed their deep disappointment succinctly. One of them said:

But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel...  Luke 24:20–21 (NLT)

There is nothing quite as devastating as having our hopes ripped away, leaving us desolate and confused, but this is exactly what happened at the cross. Jesus laid down his life as the Lamb of God. The cross put to death his hopes, desires, ministry, future, and everything else. It brought everything to a crashing end. But…!

The resurrection cast what happened at Calvary in a whole new light. It turned disaster into triumph and hopelessness into faith.

Passover: The Forgiveness of Sins

It is commonly understood that Jesus died for our sins as the Lamb of God. Using the metaphor of Passover, we understand that his blood had to be shed for God to be able to justly remit our sins. On the night when God brought the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, he required the Israelites to kill a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes to keep the judgment from coming upon them, too.

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  Exodus 12:13 (NASB95)

Anyone inside the blood smeared houses was spared. That was the only requirement for safety. When we put our faith in Jesus and what he accomplished for us on the cross as God’s sacrificial lamb, his shed blood is spiritually applied to us, permitting God’s judgment to pass over us without violating God’s holy justice.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  Ephesians 1:7 (NASB95)
 
Exodus: Deliverance from the Kingdom of Darkness

Just as the Israelites left Egypt in great spirits, having seen God’s hand deliver them from Pharaoh’s oppression, we too are delivered or redeemed from slavery to sin, sickness, death, and demonic oppression. However, when the Israelites set out from Egypt, the crisis was not yet over. Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided it was a mistake to free God’s people. He sent his army to recapture them. The Red Sea blocked their way out of Egypt and seemed to set up a crushing defeat after such a miraculous deliverance. The Israelites panicked, but God told Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea. God parted the waters and allowed the Israelites to cross over in safety. Their exodus or departure from Egypt was carried out by a monumental miracle of deliverance. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters crashed upon them and drowned their army.

Just as the Passover and Exodus effectively removed Israel from slavery in Egypt, the cross of Christ and his subsequent resurrection transferred us believers out of Satan’s kingdom into God’s.

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)

Moses and Elijah talked about our Lord’s own exodus from this world just prior to its taking place.

Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Luke 9:30–31 (NLT)

Jesus exited this world and returned to his Father through dying and rising again, paving the way for us to follow eventually. In addition, he accomplished a spiritual deliverance which we immediately enjoy when we are born again. Just as Israel no longer had to fear the Eqyptian army after crossing the Red Sea, we are freed from the power of Satan, sin, death, sickness, demons, and fear when we make our exodus from the kingdom of darkness. The cross of Christ and his corresponding resurrection accomplished this for us.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.  John 5:24 (NLT)

The Greek word translated “passed from” is metabaino, which means to pass over, leave, depart, or make an exodus. We enter a new kingdom in which the kingdom of darkness has no true power over us any longer. It is true that we still live in mortal bodies which must die, but spiritually we are now free, if we put our faith and allegiance in Christ. When these bodies are raised from the dead, the victory will be complete. Nevertheless, right now we must come to terms with the freedom our Lord has provided for us.

It is necessary for us to know, believe, receive, and act upon what God says is now true about us because of what Jesus accomplished for us, if we are to experience our freedom to the degree that God intends.

Deliverance from the Power of Sin

When Jesus died and rose again, the Bible teaches that we were included in that event through the mystery of identification. Somehow God incorporated us into Christ, which is something beyond human understanding but is nevertheless true. We do not understand completely how the human body works, much less spiritual things!

We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:6–11 (NET)

Dead people do not sin. Our “old man,” the part of us that was spiritually corrupted through Adam and cannot obey God, was put to death when Jesus died. Even though we still retain, at least for now, our physical bodies inherited from Adam – the “body of sin” – with its built-in propensity to sin called “the flesh,” we are no longer controlled or dominated by these things, thanks to our union with Christ in his death.

We are free at last to serve God from the heart as we learn to “walk in the Spirit.” By the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can live in a way that brings glory and honor to God!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.  Romans 8:1–2 (NLT)

(If these are new concepts to you, I encourage you to read my article on my website -www.thirdpeter.com – entitled “Defining Some Confusing Terms”.)

Deliverance from the Law’s Power to Condemn

Once we are free from the tyranny of sin, we also must break free from the Law’s power to condemn us. Ironically the Law which exposes our sin also empowers sin to rule us.

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  1 Corinthians 15:56 (NLT)

This is because the “flesh” is rebellious. We are religious by nature and inwardly believe, or at least hope, that, if we try hard enough, we can straighten out our lives and serve God properly, which entails keeping the Law. When we proceed with this law-based or “legalistic” way of trying to please God, the Law does its work by making it clear to us that we are moral failures and cannot possibly save ourselves.

The purpose of the Law is to act as a guide which leads us to Christ, the only one who can save us.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  Galatians 3:24–25 (NASB95)

Once we come to Christ and receive his gift of righteousness, it is important that we refuse to slide back under the law because that will reactivate sin in our lives.

It is only by believing and accepting that through Christ we are dead to the Law that we can walk in the freedom of the Spirit.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:19–21 (NLT)
 
Deliverance from the Pull of the World

Not only do we need to be set free from sin and the Law’s power of condemnation, but we also need to be delivered from the pull of the world in which we live. The apostle John wrote about this.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  1 John 2:16 (NASB95)

Temptation appeals to our “flesh,” the “unredeemed” part of our souls that is still connected to our mortal bodies.

We experience a battle between the spirit, our born again “new man,” and the “flesh,” which we can win if we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to enforce what God’s Word says is true.

Part of our victory is understanding that we are already “dead” to the world.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Galatians 6:14 (NASB95)

Through the Spirit of God, we can turn our backs on what the world offers and rely upon God alone, just as Moses did so long ago.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.  Hebrews 11:24–27 (NASB95)

When we do this, the world will turn its back on us, too. The New Living Translation captures this idea perfectly.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.  Galatians 6:14 (NLT)

Jesus warned us that to be his disciple we must hate the world.

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  John 12:25 (NLT)

Understanding that we are already dead to the world helps us to walk away from its temptations.

Crossing Over into Victory

Once we know these things, we are challenged to actively believe them or “reckon” them to be true.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,  Romans 6:8–12 (NASB95)

When our faith combines with God’s promises and truth, God’s power is released on our behalf.

Our transformation by the Spirit is a cooperative effort between us and God. We believe the promises and God does the internal work. The truth of the matter is that it is his ability within us that enables us to believe, too. The Lord requires us to participate in the process. We cannot overcome sin, condemnation, and the world by being passive. We can experience Christ’s victory personally when we apply our faith to God’s promises and make the choice to stand for truth and against sin, condemnation, and the world. This means that we say “yes” to God and “no” to what is trying to hold us in bondage.

Our “yes” must be joined to God’s promise to activate God’s power.

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.  2 Corinthians 1:20–22 (NLT)

God wants us to experience what Christ has won for us. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Now we can learn to walk in step with the one who lives in and through us!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:24–25 (NLT)

Our complete experience of Christ’s victory will occur at the resurrection of the dead, when our mortal bodies linked to Adam’s sin will be instantly transformed into glorious spiritual bodies. At that point, the battle between flesh and spirit will cease and death will be conquered completely. Our salvation will be finished! Until then, let us learn to live by faith in God’s promises with complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit in a way that glorifies God and maximizes our joy and peace.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How would you explain the gospel in terms of the Passover and Exodus in your own words?
Share this post...

Repentance from Syncretism

In my previous article, I showed how we can repent from believing the “scientific” lie of evolution as opposed to the Bible creation story. This article will address the sin of syncretism whereby we try to blend two or more irreconcilable ideas or faiths.

God warned the Israelites that they must destroy the idols of the people who lived in Canaan to protect themselves from their deluding influence.

Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. Exodus 34:12–16 (NASB95)

The people of that day recognized what many today do not understand. Demonic “principalities and powers” often gain influence and even mastery over the residents who live in certain areas because of sacrifices made to those evil beings in order to procure favor and blessings. In order to protect themselves, invading conquerors often made an effort to appease the local gods. They would not abandon their own gods but would simply add some new ones. This eclectic religion seemed very practical and revealed that they believed that there was not one supreme God over all, but many gods who vied with one another. This would result in a syncretistic blending of elements from the various religions into something new, a sort of hybrid religion.

Another definition of syncretism is “the attempted union of principles or parties irreconcilably at variance with each other.”

I hope I showed how biblical creationism and Darwinism are hopelessly irreconcilable; nevertheless, many well-meaning theologians over the years felt pressure to try to fuse the two. They did not want to seem “foolish” or “ignorant” of the latest “scientific breakthroughs.” They wanted to have their Christian religion while simultaneously bowing to the gods of science. It created something very different from simple belief in the Bible’s teachings and led people to doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word. This is always Satan’s end game. He uses “science,” otherwise called “knowledge,” to cast doubt on God’s spoken or written words.

When engaging in this sort of syncretism, something has to give, and it always seems to be our adherence and allegiance to the written Word of God.

Instead of God’s creating the known world and everything in and around it in six days, blending evolutionary theory into the mix requires us to drag things out over millions of years using supposedly naturalistic but quite impossible processes to spontaneously generate life. Such syncretism results in a sort of Deism in which God passively steps back and lets things play out on their own.

As is apparent, this compromise results in two things. First, it teaches us to distrust and abandon the literal teachings of the Bible, and, second, it makes God irrelevant and unneeded, which is exactly the goal of every satanic philosophy and “scientific” system of thought.

Followers of Christ should never cave to syncretism. As Joshua said so long ago.

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “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 24:14–15 (NASB95)

Now let us consider the creation story in more detail and examine another form of syncretism that involves the Big Bang theory. Have you ever wondered where scientists got the idea of the entire known universe exploding out of nothing? This idea is found the Kabbalah, an occult form of Jewish mysticism.

All of existence started with an explosion from one point that is continually multiplying, according to Jewish mysticism. Thus, Wolfson sees a distinct relationship between the contemporary Big Bang theory and the Kabbalistic notion that the universe burst forth from a single point, which in mystical terms is the limitless light of the divine, or Infinite, known as the “Ein Sof.” In Hebrew, “Ein Sof” literally means “no end.” So the divine, or god, is just another word for infinity. Kabbalists are people who study the manifestations of infinity. And just as physicists seek a single principle, a so-called “unified theory of everything” that will explain all of life, so do mystics. “For the kabbalists, that one principle is the light of infinity, which materializes into the multiplicity of all beings,” Wolfson says. That light emerging from darkness is both physical and symbolic, the professor explains. As an idea, it shows that things are often much more complex than they appear at first glance, and that the most abstract of notions explain the material world. “Cast in the lingo of quantum physics, we could identify the immaterial light as the particle and the material vessel as the antiparticle, which meet and collide in the zero gravitational energy of empty space, the nothingness that spawns the something that is the stuff of being,” Wolfson says.  (https://qz.com/1375015/jewish-mysticism-offers-a-poetic-explanation-of-the-big-bang-and-black-holes)

This is a perfect example of satanic “science” which weaves its web around the mind, appealing to our desire to have knowledge without getting it from God. It baffles us with the appearance of intellectual brilliance.

In 1927, a prescient [Jesuit] astronomer named Georges Lemaître looked at data showing how galaxies move. He noticed something peculiar – all of them appeared to be speeding away from Earth. Not only that, but the farther away they were, the faster they went. He determined a mathematical way to represent this, and connected his relationship to Einstein’s law of General Relativity to produce a grand idea: That of a universe continually expanding. It was a radical idea then, but today it fits with our conception of a universe spawned by a Big Bang. (https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-jesuit-astronomer-who-conceived-of-the-big-bang/)

Personally I believe that Satan was just as surely behind the Kabbalistic and Jesuit versions of origins as he is behind the Big Bang theory. I think they are one and the same, only the latter is dressed up in the clothes of science rather than religious mysticism.

The Kabbalah was developed during the Middle Ages by a Jewish mystic. Practical Kabbalah is the process of engaging in rituals, summoning angels and demons, uttering incantations and divine names, using amulets and magical seals to actually change the world.

The Kaballah is syncretistic, blending biblical Judaism with witchcraft. One might say the same thing about the Big Bang theory. It seeks to weave a magical spell around our minds to keep us from seeing God’s glory in creation.

The attempt to blend the Big Bang theory and its attendant cosmology with what the Bible teaches is quite impossible, even though its seems as it might be done at first. The Bible says that God spoke the our world into existence out of nothingness. So far, so good.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NASB95)

But, besides refusing to credit the Creator with initiating the process, the Big Bang theory holds that the sequence of events after the initial ‘blast” unfolded is completely unlike what God’s Word tells us. Employing supposed naturalistic forces and assumptions, the Big Bang theory posits that an entire “universe” of exploded matter and energy over vast amounts of time formed into stars, planets, etc., eventually producing what we observe, including all forms of life, without any reference or reliance upon the Creator. The Bible is very specific in how God put things together, dividing his work into six twenty-four hour days. The two simply do not mix.

By giving us a naturalistic, supposedly scientific, explanation of our origins, Satan tries to make those who hold to what the Bible says seem backward, “archaic,” and ignorant. If you want to be mocked or patronized, tell your “educated” friends that you believe the Bible 100%.

The Bible does not always satisfy our curiosity by giving us the “how” or “why,” but it does give us what we need to know. Our problems start with wanting to know more than God chooses to tell us.

This insatiable quest for knowledge that goes beyond and stands opposed to what God has revealed is what got us into trouble in the first place and continues to do so now. Some things relating to origins and cosmos are simply past our comprehension and “need to know.”

When Job virtually demanded to know why God allowed him to be afflicted, God eventually appeared to him, but not to answer his questions. Job’s interaction with his Maker resulted in his gaining a new awe and admiration for God that satisfied every fiber of his being. He no longer needed to know why.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:3–6 (NASB95)

The creation is meant to impress upon us awe and wonder resulting in worship of the Creator. The Big Bang theory is meant to reduce the universe to mere materialistic mechanisms that rob us of knowing God.

King David wrote these words of worship as he pondered the heavens.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NASB95)

God intends for us not only to grow in our knowledge and worship of him. He also wants us to understand that mankind is central to his creation purposes.

The Big Bang theory leaves us thinking that we are inconsequential specks in a vast impersonal universe. Can you not detect Satan’s hand in weaving the witchcraft-like spell of this pervasive lie? Satan hates that we who put our faith in Christ are destined to rule with him forever, seated with Christ at God’s right hand. We are handed what Satan tried to take from God.

In my next article, I will begin to explore in more detail what the Bible says about the world in which we live. It is quite at odds with the lie of the Big Bang theory. We cannot mix the two. We, like Joshua, must decide whom we will serve – modern so-called “science” with its cleverly spun lies or the God of the Bible whose words are always true. He cannot and does not ever lie.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV)
Share this post...

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

In my previous article, I showed why it is hazardous for us to try to blend irreconcilable ideas in a vain attempt to harmonize the Bible with godless philosophies and systems of thought.

We can avoid syncretism by allowing God’s Word to shape our thinking in every area, including our cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the heavens and earth.

Doing so will cause us to reexamine commonly held beliefs in both the natural and spiritual domains to see how faithfully they align with biblical revelation and truth. Not surprisingly, this process will likely challenge whether we trust and revere God’s Word more than what is called “science”.

During the Covid crisis, a mantra was echoed – “trust the science,” which, by the way, is very unscientific. Science is a process that requires and encourages questioning. Notwithstanding, those of us who questioned “the science” during Covid, including the efficacy of lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and an unproven mRNA jab, were ridiculed, censored, ostracized, and sometimes persecuted, as in the case of those who were fired for refusing to trust the science. We were expected to bow to the “high priests” of a new religion called scientism, instead of doing our own research and forming our own conclusions. Blindly trusting “science” is more of a religion than scientific, as revealed by how our leaders handled opposition. During Covid, many of us awakened to the fact that Satan, the great deceiver, is hard at work promulgating falsehoods designed to steal, kill, destroy, and to hold humanity captive, hindering our quest to know God and truth.

For lovers of truth, anything that contradicts the Bible must be rejected.

This will test our loyalty to God and our conviction regarding the truth of the Bible. It might require us to be willing to look foolish to “more enlightened” people who esteem the tenets of faith promoted by what is called science higher than any other source of truth.

God wants to convince us that he never lies. He may not immediately reveal everything we want to know, but he will not fudge the truth to accommodate our ignorance either.

For example, today many scientifically minded people no longer believe that evil spirits or demons exist or are behind some common sicknesses and diseases. People with this view think that God simply accommodated our ignorance of medicine in times past and told us that demons caused such things as epilepsy, instead of telling us the truth, which would have made no sense at that time.

Consider, however, that if we are willing to believe that Jesus either did not know what he was talking about or that he gave us false information, we are claiming that God sometimes gives us bad information that must later be corrected by our own discoveries.

This sounds like Eve’s quest in the garden to me. “Did God really say?”.

However, the Bible is clear on this matter.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

God never lies, but Satan and humans do all the time.

Our government has always lied to some extent, but has taken things to an entirely new level in the last several decades. A former CIA director, William Casey, once told President Reagan: “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” This quote was given by Barbara Honegger, who was in the room.

With the advent of computers, video, and artificial intelligence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate between truth and falsehood. This is part of Satan’s plan to demoralize us to the point we give up our quest for truth.

Satan has been quite successful at pulling the wool over our eyes in many areas for a long, long time. As is usual with all tyrants, however, he went too far, which has awakened more and more people to what he has been doing. During the Covid crisis, it became apparent that a supranational agency or group was manipulating things. All over the world the same sort of policies were adopted that stripped citizens of their freedoms in the name of public safety.

It also became apparent that the truth was the biggest casualty during that crisis as governments censored anyone who did not go along with the party line. This happened even in the USA, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Mattias Desmet coined the phrase “mass formation psychosis” to describe the wholesale brainwashing that took place around the world. Those of us who spoke against unscientific and totalitarian practices were ridiculed, censored, and sometimes ostracized, but, as Desmet points out, the only thing that can prevent such a brainwashed society from descending into totalitarianism is for the unyielding minority to continue to speak up.

The reason that so many people could not accept that the “jab” might be dangerous was because trusted individuals and institutions said it was safe. Surely there could never be a conspiracy so encompassing that it would include our government, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Tech, our education establishment, and supranational organizations such as WHO and the European Union! But that is exactly what happened. In this case, however, the devil pushed too far, causing many people to awaken to the level of evil and deception at work in the world.

Jesus told us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We should not regard this as hyperbole. It is literally true.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

Satanic deception is not limited to religious or moral matters. It extends to every area of life. His goal is to subvert God’s truth regarding creation, the nature of reality, life itself, and God.

Most of us naively think that we are above being brainwashed. Knowing how easily we fall for ideas that appeal to our pride, the devil introduces philosophies and systems of thought that make us think we are smarter than anyone else and do not need to lean on that “crutch” called God or believe in “archaic ideas” contained in the Bible. At the same time, our archenemy tells us that we are insignificant, meaningless, and harmful beings that evolved by chance and need to be removed from the planet or at least significantly reduced in number. Consider the first goal written on the now destroyed Georgia Guidestones: maintain humanity under 500 million in perpetual balance with nature. Who wrote that? Who is trying to accomplish this 94% reduction in the world’s population? Whoever it is, they are in league with Satan.

It’s ironic that in our pride we believe the satanic lie that we are smarter than God but totally insignificant.

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

What does the Bible teach us about the world in which we live? When I took a course in astronomy in college, I was a new Christian. I remember being struck by how the textbook and teacher promulgated mere theories as fact. Our educational system, media, and government does this regularly, knowing that if a lie is repeated often people begin to accept it as true.

From earliest times, men and women have observed the sun, moon, and stars and tried to comprehend or explain their movements. Due to the cosmos being outside our reach, everything was theoretical and philosophical. Philosophy always carries a bias, such the modernist presupposition that any explanation that requires a Creator must be rejected. Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us some us some extremely valuable information, which we should not dismiss as archaic or primitive. Perhaps ancient man, being closer to Adam, had greater insight that we do.

 

If we believe that God’s words are always true and faithful, then we will take them at face value, unless it is clear from the context that we should not.

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)

Genesis and other scriptures tell us several important truths upon which we can and should base our cosmology. It is not surprising that godless “science” tries to negate these words by offering us a contradictory explanation of the nature of heaven and earth how they came into being.

Day 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Genesis 1:1–5 (NASB95)

God created the “heavens” (plural) and the earth out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3) simply by speaking it into existence. Our cosmos did not spontaneously explode into existence, as Big Bang adherents insist. Explosions produce chaos and destruction and are never creative. We learn from John that everything we can observe was brought into existence and is sustained by God’s living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:3)

The “earth” (Hebrew “erets”) was formless and void but consisted of waters and “the deep” over which “face” the Spirit of God hovered or moved. At this point all was darkness. God then created light. It is important that we understand and believe that this light existed without sun, moon, or stars to emit it. Interestingly, Revelation states that in the new creation that will come at the very end of time, there will be no need for a sun because God himself is its light. (Revelation 21:23) Jesus also said that he is the Light of the world. (John 9:5)

The Bible’s declaration that light existed before there being any known source is a “scientific” hurdle we must clear if we are going to honor God’s Word above all contenders.

God excludes certain information or explanations from us in order to see if we will  stick to our guns by trusting him even when we do not understand the “how”. We do not want to be like those followers of our Lord who turned away because he said some things they did not comprehend . (John 6:66) God declared that the light was good and separated it from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. Then the Bible declares that this separation resulted in the first day. As yet there is no sun and no solar day. Are you still there?

Day 2
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:6–8 (NKJV)

The second day of creation challenges our scientific world view again. The English word “firmament” is only used in the KJV and NKJV. The other translations opt for such words as expanse, space, or sky, which is unfortunate. The Hebrew word is raqia, which means something hard such as beaten out metal. The Bible says it is strong enough to support the waters above it and forms a vault over the earth. Here are a couple other verses that use the word raqia.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Ezekiel 1:26–27 (NKJV) 

“Can you, with Him, spread (literally - beat out as with a hammer) out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? Job 37:18 (NASB95)

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

God placed waters above the firmament, which are still there, according to the psalmist.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Psalm 148:4 (NKJV)

God called the firmament heaven, which is another Hebrew word, shamayim. We know from Paul that there are (at least) three heavens. (2 Corinthians 12:2) We also know that when Jesus ascended after his resurrection he rose through the heavens. (Ephesians 4:10 and Hebrews 4:14)

Day 3
Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:9–13 (NKJV)

On Day 3, God separated the waters under the firmament from the land and brought forth plants. This confronts evolutionary theory that all life began in the primordial soup of the oceans. We must decide which will we believe, “science” or God?

Day 4
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14–19 (NKJV)

On the fourth day, God place “lights” or luminaries in the firmament of the heavens. Here once again God’s Word collides with the Big Bang theory head on. The Bible says the Creator placed luminaries in his vaulted heavens, which include the stars, the sun, the moon, and the wandering luminaries science calls planets after he made the earth. If our scientific cosmology has not been challenged before now, this certainly brings us to a crisis of faith. Will we believe what God says or write it off to God’s speaking within the context of an archaic and primitive worldview? If we choose the latter, we have now begun to slide down the slippery slope of deciding what parts of the Bible can be trusted and which need to be revised to accommodate the “insights” of modern so-called “knowledge.”

The Bible presents a geocentric cosmos, in which man is the center of God’s plan and purpose.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NKJV)

The Big Bang theory and its adjunct, heliocentrism, informs us that the earth is an inconsequential speck in a chaotic, exploding, godless, and impersonal universe. It teaches us that earth and mankind have no special significance or purpose. Once again, we are faced with an important decision. Who will we believe? To me, it is clear that one voice comes from God, and the others sounds very much like someone who hates us.

In the Bible’s geocentric view of the earth, the sun and moon are “luminaries” that God placed in the firmament and run a “circuit” over the earth.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:4–6 (NKJV)

Was God here merely conforming his words to a primitive understanding of the cosmos before people “discovered” the heliocentric view? Did God think that earlier people were so ignorant and stupid that he had to fudge the truth? Did he communicate something that we later would find out was not true, thus causing us to wonder if other things in the Bible are false as well? Did God really say?

When our children were very small, Martha and I had to decide if we would go along with the fantasy of Santa Claus and lie to our children about that. We decided that we never wanted to give them a cause for doubting our words or God’s; so we told them the truth. We did not take a “hard line” approach, but we did tell them the truth, without trying to strip all the fun out of the annual holiday gift giving. Being mere humans, we are not very righteous or truthful compared to God.

If we did not not want to give our children cause for doubting the truthfulness about God by telling them a lie about Santa Claus, shouldn’t we think that the God of truth would never do such a thing by lying to us about how the word was created?

Day 5
Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20–23 (NKJV)

On the fifth day, God created sea creatures and birds and gave the command to be fruitful and multiply. This order of things is anti-evolution, which says that life evolved out of the sea. If we believe God’s Word is true and unalterable, we quickly recognize the lie behind evolutionary thinking.

Day 6
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 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. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:24–31 (NKJV)

On the last day of creation, God made land-based animals and man. Man was created in God’s image and is most important to God, not a being that evolved by chance. The command to multiply runs contrary to globalist thinking that there are too many people. God wants us to fill this magnificent earth.

The desire to curtail multiplication through abortion and other means comes from Satan himself.

If we take God’s Word at face value, even when it confronts the “established truths” of modern science, we are well on our way to liberating our minds and hearts from the schemes and lies of the devil. I hope you will take this process seriously and allow yourself to insist on adhering to God’s Word.  As the apostle Paul wrote long ago.

...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)
Share this post...
Share this post...