SALVATION, SONSHIP, AND AN INHERITANCE

According to Ephesians 2:8, salvation is offered as a free gift to those who are willing to accept it.  Romans 10:9 tells us that when a person believes in, and calls upon Jesus as his resurrected Lord, he is saved.  John 1:12 says that those who accept Jesus, are saved and become the children of God.  And, as a child of God, we will receive an inheritance from God, according to 1 Peter 1:3-12!  Like salvation is a gift from God, so also is our inheritance; neither is earned, but both are provided by Someone who love His children!

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold, though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

⁸ You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. ⁹ The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. ¹¹ They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when He told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and His great glory afterward.

¹² They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.  (1 Pet. 1:3-12)

TWO BIRTHS? TWO DEATHS?

"Jesus answered and said unto (Nicodemus), 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'  Nicodemus saith unto Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?'  Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit'" (Jn. 3:3-8).

There are some similarities between one's physical birth and one's spiritual birth as taught by Jesus.  Both births are the result of the actions of others.   Our physical birth, described as being "born of water," happens due to the actions of our mother and our father.  Nicodemus asked Jesus how a man could re-enter his mother's womb; in the physical birth, the womb is basically a "balloon of water."  In order for a physical birth to take place, that "balloon" must break:  hence, one is born of water. 

Our spiritual birth happens due to the actions of the members of the Trinity!  The Word of God tells us that the Father draws lost mankind to Jesus (Jn. 6:44).  It also tells us that, because Jesus would be "lifted up" (Crucified), Jesus would draw all men unto Himself (Jn. 12:32-33).  And finally, Jesus taught His disciples the Comforter (Holy Spirit) would draw man to Jesus, by convincing them they were sinners, in need of a Savior.  The Holy Spirit would reprove the world (convict them) of their sin; of Jesus' righteousness; and of the judgment to come (Jn. 16:7-15).

So, just as with our physical birth, spiritual birth happens to us!  We, in turn, have the power to reject both births.  We can refuse to live, and end our life via suicide.   And we can also refuse to accept God's gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8).  The first refusal ends in physical death, and the second refusal ends in spiritual death.  The Book of Revelation calls the spiritual death, the "second death" (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8)! 

There is an old saying that sort of sums it all up: 

"Born once, die twice; born twice, die once!"

 

 

CONSEQUENCES

Have you ever noticed how a careless, or inconsiderate, or hateful word, can snowball into World War III?  The progression goes something like this:

*     The speaker has a lack of respect for the hearer.
*     The speaker shows disrespect with his words.
*     The hearer is grieved by the obvious lack of love on the part of the speaker.
*     The hearer begins allowing the hurt to accumulate.
*     Finally, in anger, the hearer confronts the speaker.
*     The speaker retaliates, adding to the wounds of the hearer.
*     The hearer breaks all contact with the speaker.

This kind of thing happens millions of times every day!  If it is simply two neighbors, they can cease to speak with each other.  However, if it is two family members, the consequences have a much greater effect; the conflict tends to cause family members to choose sides, and the battle lines are drawn!  If the conflict is between a husband and a wife, the resulting divorce even splits the "family tree."  Especially if there are children involved! 

This happened in the Bible.  In Genesis 16:1-16, a barren Sarah suggests Abraham "short cut" God's plan to give him a son, by him "taking" Hagar, Sarah's maid servant.  Abraham, lacking faith that God would produce a child from his wife, probably had little resistance to "lying with" the younger Hagar.  As soon as Hagar conceived, she began displaying a disrespectful attitude toward Sarah.  Later in Genesis 21:9-14, Sarah could stand it no longer, she demanded Abraham send Hagar and her son, Ishmael, away.  As a result, nearly four thousand years later, the children of Sarah and the children of Hagar, are still fighting!

The writer of the Book of Hebrews warned about allowing "wounds to fester."  He wrote:  "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Heb. 12:14-15).

 

As Barney Fife used to say, "Nip it in the bud!"

SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES

Most people understand that there are consequences for saying or doing the wrong thing.  The world says:  “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You receive from the world what you give to the world” (Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul).  Beware of Karma:  "Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future" (Kia Stevens).  And of course, there is "What goes around, comes around" (A Proverb). 

Man's problem is that he thinks he knows what is best, and he leaves God out of the equation!  The Bible says it this way:

 

*     "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 16:25).

*     "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee" (Prov. 23:7). 

*     "Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes" (Deut. 12:8).

*     "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jdg. 17:6).

*     "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise" (Prov. 12:15).

*     "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts" (Prov. 21:2).

*     "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" (Ps. 14:1).

*     "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:22).

*      "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7-8).

 

But God warns us; we can trust in Jesus and go to heaven, or we can reject His Lordship, and suffer the consequences:

 

"That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (Jn. 3:15-18)!

 

 

Choose you this day whom ye will serve!

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SEVEN

The Bible is beyond amazing - it is supernatural!  Authored by God and written by at least forty souls (2 Pet. 1:21) over a period of hundreds of years, its message remains constant:  God wants to share Himself in fellowship with man (1 Cor. 1:9).  However, God is holy (Ps. 99:9), and man is not (Rom. 3:23)!  So, God, motivated by His own nature (God IS love! - 1 Jn. 4:8), sent His Son who willingly exchanged His own righteousness for our sin (2 Cor. 5:21), so that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8)!

It is interesting how a book, written by so many, over so long a period, can be studied for a lifetime, and still provide new and incredible things to its students!  For instance, today as I was preparing to write, I discovered the word "seven" appears fifty-four times in the last book of the Bible:  the Book of Revelation.  That is more times than all the rest of the New Testament books combined!  And ironically, it is the exact same number of times it appears in the first book of the Bible:  the Book of Genesis! 

"Seven" is the number of wholeness; it always relates to something that is entirely complete.  God's Word begins and ends with two identical settings:  a perfect, complete home for mankind (the Garden of Eden - Gen. 1-2; the New Earth - Rev. 21-22)!  With that in mind, I wanted to look at what all the "sevens" in Revelation represent; here they are:

*     Churches/Candlesticks - 1:4, 11, 13, 20; 2:1.
*     Spirits - 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
*     Lamps - 4:5.
*     Stars/Angels - 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1; 8:2, 6; 15:1, 6, 7, 8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9.
*     Seals - 5:1, 5.
*     Horns/Heads/Crowns/Mountains/Kings - 5:6; 12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 9, 10, 11.
*     Eyes - 5:6.
*     Trumpets - 8:2, 6.
*     Thunders - 10:3, 4.
*     Thousand - 11:13.
*     Last Plagues/Vials - 15:1, 6, 7, 8; 17:1; 21:9.

Before you read the Book of Revelation again, you might want to study each of these "sevens" in order to better understand what God is saying through the Apostle John.  Revelation is filled with symbolism, but the vast majority of the symbols are explained or identified within the book itself.

Revelation was written to be understood (Rev. 22:6, 7, 10, 16, 18)!!!!!!!

HEADLINES: BILLIONS DIE

I know that by the time the Tribulation begins (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18; etc.), there man not be seven billion people living on this orb.  The Psalm 83 War, and the Ezekiel 38-39 War may reduce the population some before then, so for the purposes of this discussion, let's say there will be six billion people living at the beginning of the Tribulation [a.k.a. "Daniel's Seventieth Week" (Dan. 9:24-27), and "the Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7)].  That is 6,000,000,000!

Revelation 6 tells of war (v. 2-4); famine (v. 5-6); sword, hunger, death by disease, and by wild beasts (v. 7-8); saying that the carnage will kill one fourth of the world's population!  That reduces the total population to 4,500,000,000.  That is not counting the massive earthquake and the falling "stars" which follow (v. 12-13)! 

Who knows how many are slain between Revelation 6, and Revelation 9, but we are told that, following months of being tormented by demonic creatures (v. 1-14), one third of the world's remaining population dies when an army of 200,000,000 troops attack from the East (v. 15-19)!  That third reduces the total population to 3,000,000,000!

Of course, this is all hypothetical, because the world's population may actually be less at the beginning of the Tribulation.  In Revelation 6:17, John wrote, "For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"  Notice that the day of God's wrath began in Revelation 6:1!  That is very significant because, according to Bible's teaching on the Rapture of the Church, declaring it to be prior to the day of the Lord's wrath (Jn. 3:36; 14:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:9; Rev. 3:10; etc.), millions of born again believers in Christ will have been removed.  God has not appointed His adopted children to experience His wrath; Jesus took our place, suffering His Father's wrath when He exchanged His righteousness for our sin (Rom. 1:18; 5:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Thes. 1:10; etc.)!

Regardless of the gigantic numbers involved, there is one person living today who needs to make a decision:  YOU!  Jesus came and took the place of all those who would trust in Him.  He died for you!  He was buried and rose again, according to the Scriptures, to be your Lord and Savior!  It is up to you whether or not you are saved from the wrath to come; you can accept Jesus Christ, or you can experience the most horrific seven years of man's history! 

If you believe and trust in Jesus, you will escape God's wrath (Rom. 10:9-10)! 

EITHER WATCH, OR WATCH OUT!

I served twenty years in the U.S. Navy, and over those years, I "stood watch" innumerable times.  And while I assumed it was my job to protect something from someone, no one ever told me exactly what I was watching, or for whom I was supposed to watch.  Mostly, I just watched the clock tick, and prayed for someone to call on the phone! 

A little over eleven years into my "career," I believed the Gospel, trusted in Christ, and was born again.  All of a sudden, I was "on watch" twenty-four/seven!  You see, the Gospel told me that although I was a sinner deserving God's "capital punishment," Christ died in my place (Rom. 5:8; 6:23; etc.)!  He was buried for three days, and He was raised from the dead by God, my Father (Mt. 12:40; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 4:6; etc.).  Then in Acts 1:9-11, Luke wrote of Jesus' Ascension, and said, "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."  I have been watching ever since!

Much of Bible prophecy deals with the Second Coming of Christ.  And, if one does not carefully and rightly divide the Word, he will fail to realize that His Second Coming actually has two phases.  Yes, Jesus will return to establish His Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20), but He will also come to gather His Church seven years or so earlier, in what is commonly referred to as the Rapture.  Jesus promised he would return to remove us prior to the wrath of God being poured out on those who rejected Him (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:9; Rev. 3:10; etc.)!  And so, believers long for His return.

Unbelievers are repeatedly warned to repent and be saved, because the Lord fully intends to return and to destroy those who oppose Him (Rev. 19:11-21)!  2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  That is why we read Christ's warning to the lost that His return will be sudden, and when they least expect Him; He will come as a "thief in the night" (1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15; etc.)!

So, the bottom line is this:  if you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you should be looking for what Titus 2:13 calls "that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!"  If you refuse to believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you should be "on the lookout" for the coming of the "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16)!

 Those who believe in His First Coming, look forward to His Second Coming!

A WARNING TO RUSSIA, IRAN, AND MUSLIMS EVERYWHERE

About twenty-seven percent of the Bible is prophecy, and of that twenty-seven percent, one hundred percent of those prophecies already fulfilled, were fulfilled literally.  One need only read Matthew's Gospel to find many examples; in fact, the word "fulfill" appears sixteen times, fourteen of which refer to an occurrence that was the literal fulfillment of something predicted in Old Testament prophecies (Mt. 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9, 35)!

Dr. Hugh Ross wrote:  "Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events-in detail-many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur.  Approximately twenty-five hundred prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about two thousand of which already have been fulfilled to the letter—no errors."  One site, (http://bibleprobe.com/365messianicprophecies.htm), lists three hundred sixty-five verses that were literally fulfilled with Christ's First Coming!  What God declares will happen, HAPPENS!

In light of this fact, I have a warning for Russia, Iran, and any of the dozens of nations which want to do Israel harm:  you do so at your own peril!  The Word of God says:

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2-3).

"Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee" (Gen. 27:29). 

"He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee" (Num. 24:9).

Following Christ's Second Coming, He will judge the nations to determine which will be permitted to live on in His Millennial Kingdom, and which will be cast into hell.  His basis for deciding is found in Matthew 25:31-46.  Jesus will bless those who blessed His brethren (Israel), and He will curse those who cursed His brethren!

 

Let no man among you, when you stand before Jesus Christ, say you were not warned!

WARNING! LOOK UP!

The Word of God says that prior to the Second Coming of Christ, there will be evidence that His return is close.  In the Book of Daniel, Daniel was told to seal up the prophecy until the end times (Dan. 12:4).  The Bible describes civilization at the time of the unsealing of Daniel's prophecy as when "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."  For the first time in the history of mankind, transportation exceeded the "speed of the horse," with the invention of the railroads circa 1830.  That was the same time in which a man named John Darby discovered the dispensational approach to interpreting Scripture.  His discovery made it clear that the Bible needed to be "rightly divided" with regard to Israel and the Church.  And, with the invention of the computer, man's ability to access limitless amounts of information, increased knowledge as never before!

There has been much discussion of the end-times in this century.  The Mayan Calendar ending in 2012 got people talking.  The sudden resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis, added to the speculation; it seems that St. Malachy had prophesied nearly a thousand years earlier, that our new Pope would be the last, and that he would rule the Roman Catholic Church during the Tribulation.  Because the Bible describes the Church as "luke-warm," with Christ on the outside knocking to get in (Rev. 3:14-22), and with it being inundated with apostates (pro-abortion, pro-homosexuals, prosperity preachers, replacement theologians, and an epidemic of scoffers, etc.), the Church is no longer fit to serve as light or salt (Mt. 5:13-14; 2 Pet. 3:3)!

Recently, a fellow named Mark Biltz discovered there will be a "Blood-Moon Tetrad" occurring in 2014-2015, in which there will be a total Lunar Eclipse on the Feasts of Passover and Tabernacles (4-15-14 and 10-8-14; 4-4-15 and 9-28-15).  The last two times these occurred (only seven since the birth of Christ), Israel was fighting to keep control of the new nation, and Israel was fighting to capture Jerusalem!  Could the Tetrad beginning in about two weeks be associated with the Daniel 11 War, or the Ezekiel 38-39 War?  Stay tuned!

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And 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" (Gen. 1:14-16).

"And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:30-31).

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come" (Acts 2:20).

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" (Rev. 6:12).

Too many signs occurring to be ignored; trust Jesus while you still have time!

OUR SIN KEEPS US HUMBLE

I have never met a born again believer who questioned the authenticity of the salvation experience of Saul of Tarsus.  While the three accounts given by Paul vary, they do not contradict (Acts 9:1-20; 22:1-15; 26:12-18).  In addition to healing the sick and raising the dead, he wrote half of the New Testament!  If any man was save, born again, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, or whatever terminology you want to use, Paul was!  And yet, Paul remained a sinner by practice.  Note the present tense in the following passage of Scripture:

"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Rom. 7:14-25).

The obvious reason why born again believers still sin, is because God is not finished making us into His Son's likeness.  Here are some passages that indicate believers still sin:
*     Romans 8:28-29 say:  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
*     Philippians 1:6 says:  "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." 
*     James 5:16 says:  "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
*     1 John 3:2 says:  "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."

I thank God my salvation does not hang upon my ability to be sinless!

ONCE SAVED; ALWAYS SAVED

For the life of me, I cannot understand why born again believers need to continually defend the Bible's teaching on the preservation of the saints!  What part of ETERNAL and EVERLASTING do folks not understand?  Webster's New World Dictionary states the following definitions for both:

ETERNAL - "without beginning or end; existing throughout all time; everlasting."

EVERLASTING - "never coming to an end; lasting forever; eternal."

While Webster does use the words as interchangeable, there is a slight difference.  Something that is eternal, such as God, has no beginning; He has always existed, and hence, His name is "I AM!"  On the other hand, something that is everlasting, possibly had a beginning in time.  For example, the Man called Jesus, began His earthly life when He was born of the virgin Mary.  His human life had a beginning, but we know that, even though He was crucified and buried, He rose from the dead, never to die again!  Peter wrote:  "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:11).


But in the case of Jesus, the Bible declares Him to be God (Jn. 1:1, 14)!  And as God, He is also eternal.  When believers speak of the Incarnation of Christ, we are declaring that the eternal God sent His eternal Son to become a human being.  John wrote:  "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (Jn. 3:15-18).

The words "eternal life" and "everlasting life," appear a total of thirty-seven times in the New Testament!  The born again believer possesses both!  How is it that we have both everlasting life and eternal life?  The answer lies in the fact that we are baptized into Him, that is, the Holy Spirit places us into the Son of God; hence, we are partakers of His eternal life (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; etc.).  Because we are born again, that is, we have the eternal Spirit of God living within us from the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord, we also are partakers of our own everlasting life!  We will live forever with Christ!

What God has begun (Phil. 1:6), and what the Spirit has sealed (Eph. 1:13; 4:30),

Jesus will keep with Him forever (1 Thes. 4:17)! 

FROM RANDY LOUDENSLAGER MINISTRIES

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NATIONS WHO WILL INVADE ISRAEL. EZEKIEL CHAPTERS 38 & 39

This map follows present day national boundaries. Ezekiel's prophecy named tribes and peoples descended from Noah's sons, Shem, Japheth and Ham. This map is to show Ezekiel's prophecy only. This map does not take into account that all of the nations of the earth will take part in Israel's invasion. It must be noted that the passages of Ezekiel 38 display a composite of the last 3.5 years. The initial plundering and occupation of Israel and the last day invasion that is halted by the coming of Jesus Christ. Daniel 11:25-12:3 presents a more detailed account of those events.

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Copyright 2001-2006 Randy Loudenslager Ministries

RUSSIA, THE UKRAINE, CRIMEA, AND TURKEY

Many students of God's Word, especially of the Bible's teachings on prophecy, have been discussing the Blood Moon Tetrad which is about to begin next month.  Briefly stated, a "Blood Moon Tetrad" is the name given to an extremely rare phenomena, which happens when there is a full Lunar eclipse on the Jewish Feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, on two successive years.  I have previously written about this topic on 8/24/13; 9/14/13; 12/5/13; and 3/12/14.  For a multimedia presentation of this information, I recommend Scottie Clarke's YouTube site:

 

  youtube.com/user/eternalrhythmflow   

As I have said, the first of the four "Blood Moons" will occur on Passover this year (April 15th). The other three will occur on Tabernacles (October 8, 2014), Passover (April 4, 2015), and Tabernacles (September 28, 2015).  

I noticed that the 1949-1950 Tetrad happened FOLLOWING the Independence of Israel in 1948. I have also noticed that the 1967 Six-Day War (June 5 - 10, 1967) occurred DURING or within the 1967-68 Tetrad. Is it possible that the war which will accompany the 2014-15 Tetrad will occur PRIOR to the next Tetrad? Could the Ezekiel 38-39 war begin between now and April 15th?  There is one thing that is absolutely certain:  we will know within the next eighteen days!

Most scholars believe that Gog, Meshach, and Tubal, refer to Russia (Ezek. 38:1-39:11), and with Putin "annexing" Crimea, putting the Ukraine in a vise that is sure to result in her surrender, the stage is set for Russia to swoop down through Turkey on its way to Israel.  It is interesting to note that the nations which will align with Gog (modern day Iran, Sudan, Libya, and Turkey), are all Muslim nations.  For a great presentation on this war, I recommend:

middletownbiblechurch.org/proph/ezek38.htm

 

I am a mere novice when it comes to explaining these things, but I am smart enough to know they are extremely important for born again believers to understand.  We need to warn the lost of their pending Tribulation and God's wrath which is about to be poured upon this cursed orb!  We will not have an opportunity once we are caught up to be with the Lord at the Rapture!

 

Today may be the last day we have to share the Gospel! 

 

BLESSED TO BE; MORE BLESSED TO SEE!

As a born again believer, I awake each day with mixed emotions.  On one hand, I am pleased that my work of spreading God's Word can continue, but on the other hand, I am very disappointed that I am not "present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8)!  A few years ago, I was hospitalized with dozens of blood clots in my lungs.  At first, I thought they would just "give me something" and send me home.  Four days later, I remained "a prisoner" of Clark County Memorial Hospital! 

Shortly after they admitted me, a task that required much convincing, a Pastor came to visit and pray for me (I have no idea who he was, or from what church).  By that time, the doctor's "scare-tactics" had been successful, and I realized I may not even survive the night.  When the Pastor asked me if he could pray for me, I remember telling him "yes, on one condition."  I told him that I only wanted prayer for healing IF he would pray that the Lord would provide me with some ministry; there wasn't much use for me to live, if I could not be useful to Him!  He agreed; he prayed; and here I am!

Later, when my Pastor came, I told him of the condition, and he, too, prayed that God would use me in His service.  A few weeks later, Pastor Brian called me and asked if I would be interested in writing a blog.  To this day, I am not sure what a "blog" is, but it sounded like a good idea.  After about an hour, he had helped me design "skipslighthouse," and with the very rare exception, I have "posted" something each day since then.  I praise the Lord for the time, the resources, and the desire God has given me to study and share His Word. 

That being said, if I am honest, I would prefer that I was finished with this temporary existence, and was dwelling where I will have just begun to sing after ten thousand years!  There are so many aches and pains in this worn-out body, that I cannot wait to be pain free, and healthy forever!  At seventy-one (and a half, as the teens like to say), the wear and tare on this "temple" indicates it's time to "rebuild!"  LOL. 

I will close this "self-pity" diatribe with my favorite verse of Scripture, 1 John 3:2:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."   

SO YOU REALLY WANT TO PLEASE GOD?

The Word of God repeatedly tells us that God does not want us to rely upon our sacrifices for sin; He wants our obedience! 

*     "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
*     "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (Prov. 21:3).
*     "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6).
*     "Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Mic. 6:6-8).
*     "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mt. 9:13).
*     "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless" (Mt. 12:7).

This is quite understandable!  When one considers the agony God suffered when He saw His Son offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind!  Unfortunately, we do not obey Him, and even more unfortunate is the fact that all the sacrifices in the world can not adequately pay our sin debt!  So, God offered the ultimate sacrifice; He gave us His Son as our Savior.  So what does God want?

On one occasion, some men asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him (Me, Jesus) whom He (God our Father) hath sent'" (Jn. 6:28-29; cp. Jn. 3:16).  In the Book of Acts, a jailer asked, "'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'  And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...'" (Acts 16:30-31).  The Apostle Paul wrote that salvation is a gift that one must believe in, in order to be received, or better yet, believe in the One offering the gift.  His actual statement was:  "For by grace (unmerited favor) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:9).  Paul also wrote speaking of salvation:  "...the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

You really want to please Him?  Accept Jesus as your risen Lord!

THE NEW BIRTH CHANGES PEOPLE

On January 31, 1971, I knelt in my living room, and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  The day before, I had been an atheist, an alcoholic, and a man capable of committing every vile sin there is.  But on that morning, I became aware of three things:  the Bible was the truth, my sins were paid for, and I would become a preacher of the Gospel.  Although it took twenty years, I was called to be the Pastor of a small Baptist Church in Kentucky. 

But this post is not about me.  It is about my precious wife, Judy (it has taken me years to realize what a wonderful wife she is, and for that, I am truly sorry)! 

About six weeks after I accepted Christ, my wife realized that what had happened to me was different from any experience she had ever had.  She was raised a Roman Catholic, but she did not understand what had happened to me.  Don't get me wrong; I was still the same idiot she had tolerated for nine years, but the change in me had been significant enough to want the same in her life. 

On March 17th, she invited the Pastor of West Pensacola Baptist Church, David Shoffner, to come to our home to talk about what it means to be born again.  David showed Judy a penny.  He asked, "Whose penny is this?"  She said it was his.  Then he said, "I want you to have this penny."  He held it out to her, and she took it.  Then he said, "When did that penny become yours?"  She said, "When I took it."  Then David said that salvation, being born again, is like that.  Jesus offers to give us His righteousness, in exchange for our sin (2 Cor. 5:21).  Then he asked her, "If Jesus is offering to save you from your sins, and He is offering you eternal life, when do they become yours?"  Judy said, "When I accept them." 

That St. Patrick's Day, there in the same living room where I had knelt but weeks earlier, Judy placed her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.  She had always believed in Him, but she had never placed her full trust in Him.  That day, Judy changed.  When one is truly born again, he changes!  Oh, we don't become perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but God begins the process of changing us into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6), a metamorphosis that culminates in our total transformation when we are finally face-to-face with our Lord (1 Jn. 3:2)!  I can't wait!!!!!!!

Today, I celebrate Judy's new birth with praise for the One who changes us!

IT IS SO SIMPLE, IT HAS TO BE WRONG; RIGHT?

The Apostle John wrote his Gospel to declare that Jesus is the Son of God (Jn. 1:34).  In fact, as the Son of God, Jesus actually IS God (Jn. 1:1, 14).  Even His enemies recognized Jesus was claiming to be God.  John wrote:  "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (Jn. 5:18).

John's declares the reason God sent Jesus:  "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:15-17).

In order for us to be cleansed from our sin, and be made the righteousness of Christ, God sacrificed Jesus to save us.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).  Jesus became our Passover Lamb, so that we might be saved by trusting in Him (Jn. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7)!

So, how does one become a born again child of God?  You have heard the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."  Well, this is the greatest exception to that.  Read what Paul says in Romans 10:

[3] For they (the religious) being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.  [8] But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach;  [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

JESUS, ISRAEL'S MESSIAH, WILL REIGN FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS ON EARTH

REVELATION TWENTY:  [1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  [2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, [3] and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  [5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  [6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

[7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [8] and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  [9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  [10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

[11] And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Those who believe in Him now, will rule with Him then!

THE SEASONS ADDED TOGETHER MAKE A YEAR

Some view Winter as the starting point in the circle of the seasons; our calendar year starts in Winter.  But in "God's calendar," the Jewish year begins with Spring.  In fact, His first month, Nisan, is the month in which Jews celebrate the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits; it occurs about the same time the Church celebrates the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus:  it begins with Spring.  And, in a sense, most cultures view Spring as sort of the "beginning of life."  It is when the trees begin to bud, the flowers begin to bloom.  The world is resurrected from the dead of Winter!

SPRING:  Many have written of their observation of a parallel between the four seasons in a year, and the four stages of one's life.  We can see the same thing in the pages of the Scriptures.  It describes spiritual life as one being born again (Jn. 3:3-8), and encourages "babes in Christ," to hunger for the nourishment of God's Word (1 Pet. 2:2).  Newborn children of God may not know much Scripture, but they do know what God did for them; He provided them with a testimony (Lk. 2:20; Acts 3:8-9; 8:39; etc.).

SUMMER:  Because the vast majority of temptation comes during one's youth, the period between being a childhood and being a mature adult, the heat of Summer best describes the passions of the second stage of a believer's life.  Our hunger for God's Word should increase!  Paul wrote of God's provision of leaders in the Church, to bring to maturity, those who belong to God (Eph. 4:11-15). 

FALL:  Fall is the season when the young men assume their role as spiritual warriors.  Having strengthen one's self by eating the "meat of the Word" (Heb. 5:12-14), they put on their armor and defend their brethren (Eph. 6:10-18)!  It is the young men who John describes as being victors over Satan (1 Jn. 2:13-14). 

WINTER:  It is the proven warrior who not only survives life's many battles with the enemy, but is viewed as qualified to instruct the young.  Elders were considered equal to the Apostles when it came to decisions in the early Church.  In the discussion which took place over the need for born again believers to be circumcised, the phrase "apostles and elders" occurs five times (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23)!  Elders, as they were in the Jewish tradition, were typically men of age.  The qualifications for elders indicate they were to have a "proven track record" (1 Tim. 5:1, 17-25).

Regardless of which "season" you are in:  hungering, studying, fighting, or leading; one does not cease when the next begins; they continue together. 

Those in the "Winter of their lives," should be characterized by all four!

WHERE ARE THE SOULS OF THE DEAD?

Much of what Christians know about where the souls of the departed go after death, is found in Luke 16:19-31.  Some view this passage as a parable, and as such, they say it is not to be taken literally.  The following arguments explain why the passage is a description of reality:

 

1.  It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes certain things that are outside of the realm of human experience. All the other parables talk about things with which we are familiar, such as birds, seed, fields, pearls, wheat, barns, leaven, fish, etc. (see Mt. 13).  This passage is different because it talks about what happens to two men after death, and this is a realm where none of us have had any personal experience. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual significance but Luke 16 transcends the realm of the earthly.

 

2.  It would be the only parable in the Bible that uses a proper name (Lazarus).

 

3.  It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes mention repeatedly of a historical person: Abraham. Moreover, this historical person actually carries on a dialogue with the rich man! Indeed, mention is also made in this parable of  Moses, another historical character.  What other parable speaks of real, historical persons?

 

4.  It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes the places where the dead go.  Hades is a divided place, with the two sides being called "Abraham's bosom" or "Paradise," and "Hell" or "the place of torment."

 

5. It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes mention of angels.  Compare Matthew 13 verses 24-30, 36-43, 47-49 where angels are mentioned in the explanation of the parable but not in the parable itself.

 

6. If Hades is not really a place of torment, then this would be the only parable in the Bible where the Lord Jesus taught error instead of truth. GOD FORBID!

 

Born again believers "by-pass" Paradise, and go straight to heaven (2 Cor. 5:8)!

 

 

THE TETRAD IS COMING; WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

John Kerry, President Obama's current Secretary of State, has been working feverishly to get a peace agreement signed, which is described as the "Two State Solution" for the Palestinians and Israel.   According to the Jerusalem Post headline dated March 12, 2014, Kerry made a speech in 2012, in which he stated that the window for a peace agreement would only be open for about two more years; he has recently stated that the cut-off date is April 29th of this year.  My question is, what is going to happen which will prevent the talks to continue beyond April 2014?

It is my guess that Kerry knows about the Blood Moon Tetrad which will commence on April 15th of 2014!  A Blood Moon Tetrad occurs when four successive Lunar eclipses, with the first and third falling on the Jewish Passover, and the second and fourth falling on the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.  This is a rare occurrence, happening only seven times since the Incarnation of Christ (A.D. 162-163; 795-796; 842-843; 860-861; 1492-1493; 1949-1950; 1967-1968).

I have no data on the first four, but the last three occurred following significant events in Jewish History:  1492-1493 followed the Spanish expulsion of all Jews; 1949-1950 followed the Jewish War of Independence; and 1967-1968 followed the Six Day War.  If the pattern holds true for 2014-2015, there should be a significant event prior to Passover of this year!  Since Passover falls on April 15th, is it possible that the "significant event" could be following Antichrist's "confirming of a covenant between the Palestinians and Israel (Dan. 9:27; Kerry's "Two State Solution)? 

The stage is set.  St. Malachy's 113th Pope, the last Pope, rules in the Vatican, and according to his prophecy, Pope Francis will rule during the Tribulation.  The Church is inundated with "tares."  Anarchy reigns in the streets of many nations.  There is a strong and concentrated effort to create a "one-world government"; a "one-world religion"; and a "one-world bank/currency!"

It is easy to be a scoffer; it is prudent to be aware of the signs of the times!  

TRUST IN THE LORD

The exact phrase, "trust in the Lord," appears only nineteen times in the Bible, but God's Word teaches man to place their trust in Him, from cover to cover!  God does not lie; He keeps His promises (2 Cor. 1:20; Tts. 1:2)!  Here are some examples to encourage us to trust in the Lord:

*  Israel trusted in the Lord, and the Assyrian army perished (2 Kg. 18:22, 30; 19:35)!
*  Sinners who trust in the Lord will be made righteous (Ps. 4:5; 1 Jn. 1:9)!
*  Those who trust in the Lord, hate hypocrisy (Ps. 31:6; Lk. 12:1)!
*  Those who trust in the Lord, do good works (Ps. 37:3; Eph. 2:10)!
*  The testimony of those who trust in the Lord, saves souls (Ps. 40:3; Jn. 17:20)!
*  God is not partial with those who trust in the Lord ("clergy" Ps. 115:10; "sheep" v. 11)!
*  Those who trust the Lord, live forever (Ps. 125:1; Jn. 3:16)!
*  When we trust in the Lord, He guides us (Prov. 3:5-6; Jn. 16:13)!

In addition to the nineteen verses which include the exact phrase, there are twenty-five others which include the word "trust," and "the Lord."  Here are some excellent examples:

Ps. 37:40 - "And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him."

Isa. 26:4 - "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Nah. 1:7 - "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him."

2 Cor. 1:9-10 - "But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us."

Phil. 2:11 - "...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...."

SALVATION REQUIRES BELIEVING IN JESUS

The Gospel of John might well have been entitled "Believe."  Of the 131 verses in the Bible which contain the word "believe," John's Gospel contains 46 of them!  There are only two other Bible writers whose books employ the word in double figures:  Mark with 11, and Acts with 10!  According to John, when one believes in Jesus, something happens:

     *  He will become a child of God (1:12)!
     *  He will receive the Holy Spirit (7:39)!
     *  He will see the glory of God (11:40)!
     *  He will be a child of the Light (12:36)!
     *  He will know Jesus came from the Father (16:30)!
     *  He will be a witness to others (17:20)!
     *  He will have life (20:21)!

In fact, John stated his purpose in writing his Gospel:  "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book:  but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name (Jn. 20:20-21).

John was consistent in his epistles as well; he wrote:  "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 Jn. 5:13).

Salvation is a gift; it cannot be earned (Eph. 2:8-9).  But in order for us to be saved, we have to believe God is offering it to us.  Like the two travelers on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:13-31), we must believe God sent His Son to die for our sins, to be buried, and to rise again, according to the prophetic Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4)!  That is called the Gospel, and it is the power of God which produces salvation (Rom. 1:16)!  In Romans 10:9-10, the Apostle Paul wrote:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

ONLY FAITH IS NECESSARY TO BE SAVED

When it comes right down to it, there are seven things I must believe in order to be saved (be forgiven; be born again; and go to heaven when the Lord calls me "home").  They are:

     1.  GOD IS THE CREATOR - (Gen. 1:1).

     2.  I AM NOT GOD -  (Gen. 1:27).

     3.  I AM SEPARATED FROM GOD BY SIN -  (Isa. 59:2).   

     4.  GOD LOVES ME - (John 3:16). 

     5.  GOD SENT JESUS TO SAVE ME - (John 3:17).

     6.  JESUS DIED FOR MY SIN - (Rom. 5:8).

     7.  GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD - (Acts 13:30).

If I believe these seven things, there is one thing I must do in order to be saved:

     1.  I MUST CALL UPON JESUS - (Rom. 10:13).

A WORLD OF ANARCHY AND APOSTASY

Have you ever wondered how evil mankind must have been in order for humanity to have worn out the patience of God?  It must have been pretty bad, right?  Well, it was; here is how the Lord described Noah's world:

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them" (Gen. 6:5-7).

The word "wickedness" is translated from the Hebrew רַע (ra`), which appears 663 times in the Old Testament; the same word is translated "evil" 442 times!  In other words, Satan, the god of this world, was successful in his "recruitment of souls" (2 Cor. 4:4).

I know what some of you are thinking; "thank God things aren't that bad today!"  Well, I hate to disappoint you, but that is exactly how things are today! 

*  Consider the millions of unborn children who are literally ripped apart in their mother's womb. 
*  Consider the fact that terrorism has become a world-wide epidemic, with the vast majority of "soldiers" bent on destroying everyone and everything in the name of their god! 
*  Consider the multi-faceted attack on the family, that has resulted in more than fifty percent of marriages ending in divorce; more children born out-of-wedlock than to married couples; and homosexuality being supported by governments as an acceptable life-style, even to the point of endorsing marriage between same-sex partners.
*  Consider the legalization of narcotics (marijuana) by states to increase revenue.
*  Consider the states encouraging gambling through lotteries for the same reason.
*  Consider the fact that some states are actively seizing guns from citizens, "to make our cities safer," while the highest murder by gun rates in our nation, are in cities that have the toughest gun laws (Chicago, Detroit, New York, Washington, D.C., etc.)!

Of course, I could go on and on about the evil that permeates our world, but I think I have made my point.  And, just in case you think I am just another nut crying "the sky is falling," here is how Jesus described the world in its last days: 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all" (Lk. 17:26-29).

Jesus is coming back when the world is in chaos; look around!

ROMANS 10:8-17: THE LORD SAVES BELIEVERS

⁹ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

¹¹ As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.”

¹² Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him.

¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

¹⁴ But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?

 

¹⁵ And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring Good News!”

 

¹⁶ But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

 

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

 

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.

THE LOGOS

The following is an adaptation of an article written by Pastor Brian Tibbs, Pastor of Charlestown Independent Church, Charlestown, Indiana.

THE LOGOS:  Not Legos! I’m not writing about the kids movie!

"Logos" is the Greek word from which we get our word “Logic.” The Greeks saw the “logos” as the underlying order of the universe. They thought:
     *  Why does math work? The logos.
     *  Why do formulas define things? The logos.
     *  Why do stars and planets move like they do? The logos.
     *  Why do physical laws make things react in predictable ways? The logos.
     *  Why is reasoned communication possible? The logos.
     *  What is the bases for the laws of life itself (bio-LOGY)?— THE LOGOS.

The cosmos is a widely diverse place, yet all this diversity is unified by the basic laws of math, science, and logic, all of which apply everywhere. Thus, the diverse cosmos is unified. Unity + diversity = UNIVERSE: diversity united by an omnipresent Logos. But why? Why are there four forces (gravitational, electro-magnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear), governing planetary motion, gravity, thermodynamics, irrational numbers, geometric proofs, etc.? What is this ‘logos’ that holds everything together?
The answer:  “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And the Word (Logos) was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten (Son) of the Father), full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:1-5, 14).

Jesus, the Logos, created the Universe:  "For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together” (Col. 1:16,17).

 Things are logical, because Jesus Christ, our Creator, is logic personified!

THE WORD PREDICTED OUR HEADLINES

Have you ever recognized a similarity between the evening news, and how the Bible describes things during the last days?  Jesus told His disciples that the last days would be pretty much the same as the days leading up to Noah's world-wide flood, and as it was where Lot lived (Lk 17:26-29)!  Today, children are suing their parents for "stuff"; the new Pope says there is no hell; it is hate-speech to preach against homosexuality; the "Arab Spring" continues long into the harshest winter in many years; gambling and drugs are legalized to increase state income; abortion kills more than a million children every year in the U.S.; more than fifty percent of marriages end in divorce; births to un-wed mothers out-number those of married couples; pastors of mega-churches suggest joining up with Islam to form "Chrislam"; and, every American President since Truman, has bullied Israel to trade land for peace.  I am sure I have missed many of the equally depressing news items, but these are enough to make my point.  Compare these things with the Bible's picture of the last days:

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1-5 KJV).

Just to make sure there is no mistake due to the seventeenth century English, here is a modern version:

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Tim. 3:1-5 NLT).

Regardless of all the Bible prophecies concerning the "signs of the times,"

one thing is absolutely clear:   the events predicted will come to pass

due to the character of men in the last days!

GOD IS NOT MOCKED: HE KNOWS!

Some theologians believe the seven churches of Asia, found listed in Revelation 2 - 3, represent literal churches of John's day.  Others believe they are symbolic of seven distinct periods of Church History, from Pentecost through the time of the Tribulation (the church in Philadelphia will be saved from the Tribulation, but the church of Laodicea will not (Rev. 3:10, 15-17).  Still others believe the seven describe the state of various churches at any point of time since Pentecost.  To be honest, I suspect that all three views are correct, although I cannot prove it.  Nevertheless, there is one thing I do know for sure:  God knows what we are doing!  John's address to each of the seven churches:   

"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works..." (Rev. 2:1-2).

"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works..." (Rev. 2:8-9).

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works..." (Rev. 2:12-13).

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass; I know thy works..."
(Rev. 2:18-19).

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works..." (Rev. 3:1).

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works..." (Rev. 3:7-8).

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works..." (Rev. 3:14-15).

Born again believers, those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are guided in doing the Lord's will (Jn. 16:13; Heb. 12:5-11).  Those who claim to be Christians, but live according to their own will, they may be religious, but their churches operate with "Jesus on the outside lookin' in."

BEWARE:  God knows our thoughts, our words, and our deeds!    

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

The phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven," appears thirty-two times in King James Version, and all are in the Gospel of Matthew.  While some have tried to differentiate between "the Kingdom of Heaven," and "the Kingdom of God," the two phrases are interchangeable; we know this because the other Gospels, which record the same quotes from Jesus, have Him saying, "the Kingdom of God."  Many have speculated as to why Matthew chose to use "heaven" in place of "God," but to be honest, "speculation" is basically nothing more than guessing, and I prefer not to do so.

According to the Word of God, there are three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2):  God's location (Deut. 4:39; Dan. 2:28; etc.); the place we know as "Outer Space" (cp. Gen. 1:1-5 w/ 1:14-19); and Earth's atmosphere (cp. Gen. 1:6-8 w/ 1:20-23).  Matthew's "Kingdom of Heaven" is "the third heaven."

Here is what we do learn about "the Kingdom of Heaven" from Matthew:

*     Heaven is the location of the Father - (5:16, 34, 45, 48; 6:9; 7:11; etc.).
*     Heaven is God's kingdom - (6:10; 11:25; etc. - it is declared such 32 times).
*     Heaven is the location of God's angels - (18:10; 22:30; 24:31, 36; etc.).
*     God's will is done in heaven - (6:10; etc.).
*     Jesus prayed to heaven - (14:19; etc.).
*     Jesus offered access to heaven to all - (8:11; etc.).
           - Those accepting Jesus' offer, are described as:
                - Being child-like - (19:14; etc.).
                - Being righteous - (7:21; etc.).
                - Being obedient - (18:18; etc.).

All who put their faith in Jesus, are born again and adopted into the family of God (Mt. 12:50; Jn. 1:11-12; 3:3-19; Rom. 8:15; etc.).  According to Matthew, as children of God, we will be:

*     Rewarded in God's Kingdom - (5:12; 6:1, 20; 19:21; etc.).
*     Rewarded according to faithfulness - (5:19; 11:11; 18:1-4; etc.).

Jesus made it quite clear that many would not be going to heaven; He said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Mt. 7:13-14).  He said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees, if we hoped to be accepted (Mt. 5:20).  He also said that it was HIS righteousness that we needed, and not our own (Mt. 6:33)!

"And be found in (Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Phil. 3:9)! 

      
              

OPENING ONE'S MOUTH AND PROVING ONE'S IGNORANCE

In John 5:18, the religious leaders and so-called experts on the Word of God, clearly displayed their absolute ignorance of the Scriptures!  When Jesus said, "...My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (v. 17), this was their response:  "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God."  They clearly made two errors in their interpretation of what Jesus said: 

1)  by calling God His Father, He did not necessarily make Himself equal to God.  The Old Testament makes it clear that to God, the children of Israel, were His children!  In the following five examples, none teach that being a child of God makes one equal to God: 
*     Deuteronomy 32:6 - "Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise?  Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee?  Hath He not made thee, and established thee?"
*     Isaiah 63:16 - "Doubtless Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not:  Thou O LORD, art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting."
*     Isaiah 64:8 - "But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we are the work of Thy hand."
*     Jeremiah 3:19 - "But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations?  And I said, Thou shalt call Me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from Me."
*     Malachi 2:10 - "Have we not all one Father?  Hath not one God created us?  Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"

2)  Here are some that recognized Jesus:  Satan (Jn. 13:2), Demons (Mt. 8:29), a Roman Centurion (Mk. 15:39), His disciples (Mt. 14:33), and, of course, we have Peter's famous statement, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16)!  There is irony in the fact that common fishermen recognized Him, while the religious leaders, either did not, or they refused to accept His as such.  The High Priest knew that the Messiah would be the Son of God (Mt. 26:63), and even Pilate recognized Jesus as to be the "King of the Jews" (Jn. 19:19-22)!

There are none so blind, as those who will not see!

DOES GOD SPEAK TO US TODAY?

The phrases "God said unto," and "God spake unto," appear only thirty times in the Scriptures; here are the names of those to whom the phrases are addressed:  Adam and Eve - Gen. 1:28; Satan - Gen. 3:14; Noah - Gen. 6:13; Abraham - Gen. 17:9; Abimelech - Gen. 20:6; Jacob - Gen. 35:1; Moses - Ex. 3:14; Balaam - Num. 22:12; Solomon - 1 Kg. 3:11; Jeroboam - 1 Kg.13:8; David - 1 Chr. 11:2; Hosea - Hos. 1:6.  (Note:  the other eighteen address the same individuals).

Of course, the Scriptures tell us that the LORD spoke to individuals thousands of times, and He also spoke to mankind through His angels, and the prophets.  Once, He even spoke through a donkey!  On two occasions, God was heard speaking to men in the New Testament:  by John the Baptist (Mt. 3:17), and by Peter, James, and John (Mt. 17:5). 

But what about today?  Does God still speak to people today?  If you listen to radio, or watch television, you frequently hear someone say, "God told me...."  And while many simply take the word of those "special enough" to hear from God, the vast majority of folks do not believe them.  For one thing, literally billions do not believe in the God of the Bible, and therefore, refuse to accept the person's testimony of such events. 

Christians, for the most part, do not believe such "tales," because they, themselves, have never experienced God speaking to them.  Many skeptics point to the introduction to the Book of Hebrews which, they say, teaches that God no longer speaks directly to man.  It reads:  "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds" (Heb. 1:1-2).  They often point to the Book of Revelation, which warns not to add to the Scriptures (an argument that lacks validity, in that, I have never heard anyone testify that what he or she heard was equal to, or to be added to Scripture).

In my forty-three years as a believer in Christ, I have heard the Lord speak to me on five occasions.  All five were at times when I was severely depressed.  Because the Holy Spirit is the "Comforter," it is quite likely that it was His voice I heard, and not the Father's.  What I heard was for me in my time of need.  I am not special; what He has done for me, I suspect He will do for you! 

I serve a living God, who loves me, and I am so very grateful!