I AM SO TIRED!

                This world is not my home, I'm just passing through
                My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
                The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 Oh Lord, You know I have no friend like You
                 If Heaven's not my home then, Lord, what will I do?
                 The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know
                 My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go
                 I know He'll take me through though I am weak and poor
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 Oh Lord, You know I have no friend like You
                 If Heaven's not my home then, Lord, what will I do
                 The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 I have a loving mother just up in Gloryland
                 And I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand
                 She's waiting now for me in Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 Oh Lord, You know I have no friend like You
                 If Heaven's not my home then, Lord, what will I do
                 The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 Just up in Gloryland we'll live eternally
                 The saints on every hand are shouting victory
                 Then songs of sweetest praise drift back from Heaven's shore
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

                 Oh Lord, You know I have no friend like You
                 If Heaven's not my home then, Lord, what will I do
                 The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
                 And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!

THE FLOOD AND THE PYRAMIDS

I would like to share part of an article written by Bodie Hodge in Answer Magazine, dated September 27, 2012:

"I’m surprised how often I am asked about the age of the ziggurats and pyramids, in particular the Great Pyramid of Giza, located in modern-day Egypt.  One of the main reasons for this question is that secular literature commonly dates the Great Pyramid around 2550 BC.  If this date is correct, then the Great Pyramid existed before the Flood of Noah’s day, which occurred around 2350 BC and destroyed everything on earth!  Obviously, something is askew " ( See 2 Pet. 3:5-6).

Did this pyramid survive the Flood? Consider three points:
*     First, the Great Pyramid of Giza lacks significant water damage. The Flood was incredibly destructive. Researchers point out that the entire surface of the earth was radically changed. The surface of every continent was destroyed and new mountains formed. Thousands of feet of mud and sand were dumped on every continent, burying and fossilizing creatures and plants. Nothing man made could survive such a catastrophe.
*     Second, the pyramid is built on the fossil-bearing rock layers from the Flood of Noah’s day. Clearly, the Flood had to predate a pyramid built on top of the Flood layers.
*     Third, the Hebrew word translated “Egypt” is Mizraim. Mizraim was Noah’s grandson, born to Ham after the Flood. So Mizraim’s descendants could not have built the Great Pyramid of Egypt (Mizraim) until after the Flood, and for that matter, after the events at the Tower of Babel that caused Mizraim’s family to move to the region of the Nile River.

With all this evidence, the Great Pyramid is clearly post-Flood.  So, why the older date for the Great Pyramid in secular literature? Many of the accepted dates for events in ancient Egypt came from an ancient list of pharaohs and the lengths of their reigns recorded by the historian Manetho, who lived in Egypt about 200 BC.  Manetho assumed the pharaohs’ reigns had been consecutive and so tallied them up sequentially to arrive at a very long Egyptian chronology. The problem, it appears, is that some of these pharaohs were reigning at the same time in different Egyptian kingdoms—the Upper Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, or Lower Kingdom. Sometimes fathers and sons seem to have reigned together for a long time, too. So the dates for the pharaohs are grossly inflated...."

The best source I have found for the chronology of time since Creation, is that of Bishop Ussher, who dated Creation at 4000 BC; he based his timeline on the ages of biblical characters.  Sounds good to me!

LORDSHIP SALVATION

There has been some negative feed-back over my insistence that unless one acknowledges Jesus as Lord, he or she is not saved.  They view believing in Jesus as Master, Lord, or King, as "works," while believing in Him as Savior is somehow different.  As I have repeatedly pointed out, "saving" is what Jesus does; Son of God, Master, Lord, King, etc., is who He is.

In reality, what my critics are saying, is that there is a difference between being saved, and being a disciple.  As though, somehow, one can be saved by acknowledging what Jesus did on his behalf, but have no clue as to His true identity.  Might I point out that unless one views Jesus as more than just a man who died, was buried, and raised from the dead, He was no different than Lazarus! 

The main differences between Jesus and Lazarus are:
*     Jesus created Lazarus (Jn.  1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.)!
*     Jesus was sinless; Lazarus was a sinner (Heb. 4:15; Rom. 3:23)!
*     Jesus was the Savior; Lazarus needed a Savior (Acts 13:23; Rom. 3:10)!
*     Jesus was not bound; Lazarus was bound (Jn. 20:6-7; Jn. 11:44)!
*     Jesus was resurrected; Lazarus was brought back to life (1 Cor. 15:20)!

It is interesting, at least to me, that of the twenty-four times the word "Savior" appears in the New Testament, it is connected to the word "Lord" eight times; to the word "Christ" thirteen times; and to the word "God" thirteen times!  The name of Jesus appears 179 times with the word "Lord!"

The Word of God declares that it is the Gospel which has the power to save (Rom. 1:16).  The Gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which says, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."  Notice that the word "Christ" is another word for "Messiah"; Israel was expecting their King to establish His Kingdom (Jn. 1:41; 4:25; Acts 1:6)!  There was no doubt that the One promised was to be obeyed!  He was to be Lord!

Salvation is for Christ's "followers," "disciples," and "servants!"

After all, Jesus is Lord!     

THE SOURCE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

In 1918, Clarence Larkin's Dispensational Truth or God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages was published.  In 1920, a revised and enlarged version was published.  I point this out because most of us tend to read a book written by some great theologian, and think we know what he or she believed the remainder of their lives.  Calvinists are certain that Calvin believed what he wrote midway through his life, even until his death.  I believe that a born again believer in Jesus Christ is a student of God's Word until his last breath, and that the very fact he is still learning, proves he cannot be "labeled" by some earlier tome. 

A good example of this is Hal Lindsey's Late, Great Planet Earth published in 1969.  Today, Lindsey will admit that his theory concerning the time of the Rapture, Tribulation, and Millennium, was wrong.  Lindsey is still teaching Bible Prophecy and has quite a following, even though it is clear that his Eschatology has changed considerably since 1969.

There are examples of this found in the Scriptures.  Perhaps the greatest example is that of the Apostle Peter.  If you do a Bible study on his life, you will find that the crude, impetuous, self-proclaimed leader of the disciples, becomes a humble, or more accurately, a humbled servant of the Lord.  The man who, when told by Jesus to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit, decided to hold a "business meeting" to replace Judas (Acts 1:4-8; 1:15-26).  The man, Matthias, chosen by lots of all things, is never heard of again in the Scriptures, while Saul of Tarsus, chosen by Jesus, ended up writing half of the New Testament, as witnessed by Peter himself (2 Pet. 3:15-18).  Based upon the fact that it is James who makes the final decision at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:15-21), and the fact that Peter was a travelling missionary to the Jews, most scholars believe that James was the leader of the early Church.

What can you and I learn from this?  First, I believe God's children are just that, children.  We begin by hungering for the "milk of the Word" (1 Pet. 2:2), and hopefully will grow into maturity, desiring the "meat of God's Word" (Heb. 5:12-13)!  Unfortunately, I have found that the vast majority of God's children either stay "babes," or they feed on "meat" other than that found in the Word of God.  It seems most of God's children, at least those who want to understand God's Word, tend to "feed at the table of great theologians."  We read the "experts" instead of the Word itself.  We have become followers of theologians instead of following Christ.  Instead of using Scripture to declare God's truths, we quote Walvoord, Calvin, Wesley, Graham, Lindsey, Hagee, Schuler, Rogers, etc.!

If you want to reach the lost for Christ, quote the book He authored! 

 

JACOB AND LABAN (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)

²⁵ Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. ²⁶ Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”

²⁷ “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
²⁹ Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. ³⁰ You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”
³¹ “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.
Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. ³² Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. ³³ In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
³⁴ “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” ³⁵ But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, ³⁶ who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
³⁷ Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. ³⁸ Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. ³⁹ And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.
⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. ⁴² But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. ⁴³ As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys.  (Genesis 30:25-43)

Moral:  Men who tend sheep, know more about them than men who own them!

THE BIBLE: THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.   

 

 

Remember, our Lord Jesus Christ clearly stated that God's Word is truth (John 17:17).  There are no contradictions in the Bible, because God does not contradict Himself.  The problem is not with God and not with His Word, but with man and his faulty understanding.  Even when we do not have the answer, God does.  When there may seem to be contradictory statements and someone claims that the Bible contains errors, keep in mind that the burden of proof is on the critic.  Let the critic prove it.  He must:

 

a.  Show that the statement was in the original God-breathed text.

b.  Show that the translation he uses is absolutely correct.

c.  Show that his interpretation is the only possible one.

d.  Show that the present state of our knowledge, with respect to the passage, is final.

e.  Show that the task of reconciliation is impossible.

 

Remember, the words of our Lord, "The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35) and "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

THERE IS ONLY ONE GOSPEL

Recently, someone suggested that there is more than one Gospel.  He said that the Apostle Peter preached a different Gospel to the Jews, than did the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles.  He supported this by quoting Galatians 2:7-9, which says:

"But contrariwise, when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."

Unfortunately for him, the Bible clearly indicates there is but one Gospel.  Mark 16:15 reads, "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach THE Gospel to every creature."  Galatians 1:6-7 states, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert THE Gospel of Christ."  Again, in Romans 1:16, Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of THE Gospel of Christ: for IT is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." 

Our English word, "Gospel," is translated from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euaggelion), which, according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, means:

"the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the Kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the Kingdom of God; the glad tidings of salvation through Christ; the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ."

While there are seven Greek words which are translated "Gospel," all have εὐαγγέλιον as their root.  The single Gospel appears as:  "Gospel" 46x, "Gospel of Christ" 11x, "Gospel of God" 7x, and "Gospel of the Kingdom" 3x.

Jesus "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;
And that He was buried,

And that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures!"

THE POPE AND THE PRESIDENT

I have noticed that when I write something about the Pope or the President, my readership is way up.  But when I write about spiritual things, such as the Resurrection of believers, soul-winning, etc., my audience doesn't seem to be interested.  I wonder why that is.  These two men have become greater than the institutions they represent.   

When people are impressed by the Pope and the President, they actually reveal the true nature of our hearts:  they respect power!  In fact, the Pope is so powerful that nearly two billion people believe his statements are equal to the Scripture, to the Word of God!  They believe his words are binding on them, and partly determine where their souls will spend eternity.  Pope Francis has publicly stated that the "church" must change its rigid stance on abortion, homosexuality, and how one can go to heaven.  The New York Times wrote: 

"Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics."

Pope Francis has also stated that one does not have to be a Christian to go to heaven.  He stated that even atheists can achieve "salvation" by faithfully following their conscience.  In other words, if a person who denies there is a God, never does anything that is wrong in his own eyes, he will spend eternity with the God he says does not exist!   The Independent wrote:

"In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences."

The President, at least our present President, has demonstrated he is not bound by the Constitution, and he has stated his "Executive Orders" are the "law of the land."  His administration has broken laws that guarantee privacy of communications, has used the I.R.S. to "punish" those who oppose him, has ignored laws regarding illegal immigration, etc.  His "instruments of rebellion" have covered-up several instances of criminal and/or unethical behavior, including Benghazi.  He has appointed members of the Muslim Brotherhood to high positions in his administration, even though their organization has publicly stated their goal is the annihilation of Jews and Christians.  The list goes on and on. 

So what do these two have in common?  They both ignore the documents that are the basis for their power:  The Bible for the Pope, and the Constitution for the President.  What does that mean?  The world has elected to power those who are by their very nature, LAWLESS!  They are a "LAW UNTO THEMSELVES!"  They do whatever they want; they do what is right in their own eyes!

The world is excited by men who see themselves as greater than God Himself!

When people call good evil, and evil good, know that the end is near! 

Repent and believe in Jesus Christ while there is still time!   

THE RESURRECTION OF BELIEVERS

1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-58

[35] But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
[36] Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
[37] And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
[38] But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
[39] All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
[40] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
[41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[43] It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[45] And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
[46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
[48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  AMEN

BELIEVE THE POPE OR BELIEVE THE BIBLE

Recently, Pope Francis made the statement that as long as an atheist lives true to his conscience, he will go to heaven.  His statement was so radical that even the secular media was astonished.  Here is an article from a tract published by the American Tract Society:

One of the most widespread but unsound religious teachings of our day is that there are many roads to God. If men are sincere, we are told, it does not matter which path they travel—in the end they will all reach the same destination. Speaking to a large audience on God's eternal purpose in relation to man, a nationally prominent educator quoted an Old Testament declaration that God created man for His own glory, and said that this purpose cannot be defeated. All men, he said, are brothers, and at the last great gathering not even the most erring ones will be missing.

The speaker depicted a beautiful palace standing in a delightful garden. There was only one entrance to the castle, though there were many roads that led to it from all directions. On these roads throngs of pilgrims traveled. Many climbed over tortuous mountain trails; others followed less rocky paths; some, with songs and laughter traversed smooth and flower-bordered ways. But all, finally arrived at the palace gates, and then it mattered not that some had found the journey hard and painful, for all the sufferings of the way were forgotten in their complete and perfect joy.

A pretty picture, this—but not a true one! Since by divine revelation alone we can discover the way to God, we must turn to the Bible, rather than to man's imagination, for our guidance. Jesus, the Christ, describes but two roads open to men. One is a straight, narrow pathway leading to God and eternal life. The other is a broad and easy road leading to final destruction. On this broad road are many travelers, enjoying the fellowship of their comrades and thinking little about their destination. On the narrow way are fewer pilgrims, but a heavenly radiance lights their pathway.

Our Lord stated it this way: “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).

            Jesus is THE WAY (Jn. 14:6); THE ONLY WAY (Acts 4:12)!

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE TARGET

www.livingwaters.com
A lighthouse keeper gained a reputation as being a very kind man. He would give free fuel to ships that miscalculated the amount of fuel ne...eded to reach their destination port. One night during a storm, lightning struck his lighthouse and put out his light. He immediately turned on his generator, but it soon ran out of fuel, and he had given his reserves to passing ships. During the dark night, a ship struck the rocks and many lives were lost. At his trial, the judge knew of the lighthouse keeper’s reputation as a kind man and wept as he gave sentence. He accused the lighthouse keeper of neglecting his primary responsibility—to keep the light shining.

The Church can so often get caught up in legitimate acts of kindness—standing for political righteousness, feeding the hungry, etc.—but our primary task is to warn sinners of danger. We are to keep the light of the gospel shining so that sinners can avoid the jagged-edged rocks of wrath and escape being eternally damned.
From, The Evidence Bible -> http://bit.ly/1bEnd2s

 

THE DAY OF THE LORD

Isa. 2:12  "For the Day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low."
Isa. 13:6  "Howl ye; for the Day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty."
Isa. 13:9  "Behold, the Day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it."
Jer. 46:10  "For this is the Day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Him of His adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates."
Eze. 13:5  "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the Day of the LORD."
Eze. 30:3  "For the day is near, even the Day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen."
Joe. 1:15  "Alas for the day! for the Day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come."
Joe. 2:1  "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the Day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand."
Joe. 2:11  "And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His Word: for the Day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?"
Joe. 3:14  "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision."
Amo. 5:18  "Woe unto you that desire the Day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the Day of the LORD is darkness, and not light."
Amo. 5:20  "Shall not the Day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"
Oba. 1:15  "For the Day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head."
Zep. 1:7  "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the Day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests."
Zep. 1:14  "The great Day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the Day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly."
Zec. 14:1  "Behold, the Day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee."
1 Cor. 5:5  "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus."
2 Cor. 1:14  "As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the Day of the Lord Jesus."
1 The. 5:2  "For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
2 Pet. 3:10  "But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Twenty verses warn the lost to turn to God before it is too late: 

TRUST JESUS TODAY!

  
   

THE PIECES ARE FALLING INTO PLACE!

In Matthew 24:3, we read, "And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these things be; and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the (age)?'"  Verses 4-32 lists those things that will be occurring when Jesus returns.  And then in Matthew 24:33, we read, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."  In other words, the generation alive when all of these signs occur, will also see the Second Coming of Christ.  So what are "all these things?"

1)  Perhaps both those claiming to be Christ, and those who claim Jesus is the Christ (v. 4-5).
2)  Modern communication:
     a.  Hear of wars and rumors of wars around the globe (v. 6-7).
     b.  Hear of famines around the glove (v. 7).
     c.  Hear of pestilences around the globe (v. 7).
     d.  Hear of earthquakes around the globe (v. 7).
     e.  The Gospel will be preached world-wide (v. 14).
3)  The fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 - the Abomination of Desolation (v. 15).
4)  The beginning of the persecution of the Jews (v. 16).
     a.  The persecution of those at home (v. 17).
     b.  The persecution of those working outside the home (v. 18).
     c.  Those around the globe experiencing Winter, or the Sabbath (v. 19).
     d.  Those who are pregnant and those nursing infants (v. 21).
5)  The persecution spreads against all who will not bow to Antichrist (v. 21).
     a.  God mercifully shortens the time of persecution (v. 22).
6)  While in hiding, false claims of Christ's Second Coming will abound (v. 23-28).
7)  His Coming will follow the budding of the fig tree (Israel) (v. 32-33). 
      a.  Israel is symbolized by the fig tree repeatedly throughout Scripture:  Jud. 9:10-11;
           Jer. 24:1; Hab. 3:17; Mt. 21:18-20; 23:1-3; Mk. 11:12-14; Lk. 3:7-9; 13:6-8; 21:29; etc.
      b.  Israel was recognized as a nation on May 6, 1948. 
8)  Mankind will be totally corrupt and evil when Jesus returns (v. 37-39).  That cannot be said of the world at this moment, because even though born again believers are far from perfect, we are not as bad as Genesis 6:5 describes ALL of humanity then:  "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."  For me, that factor, apart from where Jesus and Paul spoke of the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:48-53; 1 Thes. 4:13-18), is the most significant proof of the Rapture of the Church!

The born again believer looks forward to Christ coming for us.

The lost either don't believe it will happen, or they dread it!

Which are you?  

SEVEN PASSAGES MISSING FROM CALVIN'S BIBLE

John 1:6-9  "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

John 1:29  "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

1 Timothy 2:1-6  "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

Titus 2:11-14  "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
Hebrews 2:9  "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

1 John 2:2  "And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Separate and Sensual

                                             Separate and Sensual

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” (Jude 1:17-19)

 

Jude had previous contact with the apostle Peter and was aware of Peter’s observation “that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking... after their own lusts” (2 Peter 3:3). Peter describes the lusts of these scoffers by pointing out that their derision is focused on the second coming of our Lord Jesus—they deny the very possibility of the creation itself and, therefore, the omnipotent and omniscient authority of God Himself (2 Peter 3:4-6).

Jude, however, focuses on the core character of these mockers, noting that they “separate themselves” and are “sensual.” They are “soulish” (the Greek word is the adjective form of the noun for soul). That is, these kinds of people are driven by their “natural man” and cannot receive “the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14). James is even more intense: These people are “earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:15).
 
Furthermore, they consciously separate themselves from the godly. The apostle John speaks to this phenomenon: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19). Jesus simply notes that “every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:20).
 
It is therefore an absolute—these people do not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). HMM III-ICR

EVER SAY, "I HATE MYSELF?"

For years, I have struggled to stand strong against my "thorn in my side."  I have studied the Word; I know it says that God is faithful and will not allow me to be tempted above my ability to endure (1 Cor. 10:13)!  I have been prayed over!  I have repeatedly told myself that no one is perfect; every born again believer is, and will remain, imperfect until we are face-to-face with Jesus (1 Jn. 3:2)!  I know that until this corruption puts on incorruption, and this mortal puts on immortality, I am going to fail (1 Cor. 15:42-54)!  And yet, I continually find myself humbled by my inability to resist the Tempter! 

This morning, I turned on my faithful computer, clicked on Facebook, and I found this.  Pamela Edwards had printed it, and whether or not anyone else is blessed by it, I certainly was.   

"Before you quit and give up in discouragement, consider the long and difficult process by which a butterfly emerges from its cocoon.  If you try to rush God’s purpose and process in your life, you’ll produce something deformed, something that can’t get off the ground and fly. Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘I can’t wait for this to be over.’  That’s understandable.  Job couldn’t either.  He said, ‘All the days of my hard service I will wait, ’til my change comes.’  But by God’s grace he... survived, and ended up with twice as much as he lost.

So hold on, your change is coming!  God won’t give up on you, so don’t give up on Him! There’s a work going on in you right now. Something is dying that has to die, so that something better can be brought to life.  Let it happen.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told a king, ‘We will not bow down to your gods’ (Dan. 3:18).  Don’t bow to temptation, or to manipulation, or to ungodly persuasion.  Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses, or surrender to selfish ambition or self-promotion.  Don’t bow to the spirit of anxiousness and impatience.  Continue to walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that ‘…[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we are able to ask or think…’ (Eph.3:20)

They say, ‘Good things come to those who wait.’  The determining factor is, for Whom are you waiting?  God says there’s a purpose for all these things (Eccl. 3:1).  Wait, God will make the pieces fit together.  He won’t disappoint you.

FROM SALVATION NOTES.

BOTH THE FEW AND THE MANY NEED SALVATION

There is an age old debate which distracts many Christians from obeying Christ's command to proclaim the Gospel, to then baptize the converts, and finally, to teach new believers to enlist in the Lord's campaign to reach a lost world for Him (Mt. 28:19-20).  Actually, there are dozens of doctrines that fall into that category, but the Doctrine of Election (whether a man can choose to believe and be saved, or that only those who are arbitrarily chosen by God can be saved), is the topic of today.

Perhaps the solution to the two main views of election can be found in the words, "For MANY are called, but few are chosen" (Mt. 22:14).  One can better understand the word "many" as it is used in Romans 5:19, which reads, "For as by one man's disobedience MANY were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous."

The same Greek word is used in both verses:  πολύς (polys), which means, wait for it, wait for it..."the many, as in the opposite of the few."  Since we KNOW that Adam's sin "contaminated ALL of humanity," then the MANY called, should be viewed as ALL are called.  It is God's prerogative as to whom He chooses to become His child, but knowing He wishes NONE to perish (2 Pet. 3:9), we can therefore KNOW that He "at least" calls ALL to come to Him; otherwise, could Paul have written: 

"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that THEY (ALL) ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom. 1:19-21).

Since Jesus died for ALL sinners, and ALL have sinned, His death was therefore the "...propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 Jn. 2:2 - see also:  Jn. 1:29; 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:28; etc.).

Preach the Gospel which glorifies God!  Arguing Scripture is counter productive!

EVICTED FROM ALL THE THREE HEAVENS





The first chapter of Genesis indicates there are three "heavens"

1) The Third Heaven - where God abode during Creation - see also 2 Cor. 12:2.
2) The Second Heaven - created day one, filled day four - Outer Space - v. 1; v. 14-19.
3) The First Heaven - created day two, filled day five - Earth's atmosphere - v. 6-8; v. 20-23.

Satan cast out of The Third Heaven

We know from Scripture that Lucifer was originally in God's Throne Room (Job 1:6; 2:1; Ezek. 28:14).  Because of his pride, he was cast out of God's presence.  "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Lk. 10:18).  The first stage of his downward spiral was earlier described by the prophet Isaiah:  "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isa. 14:12).

Notice that after Satan is cast out of God's presence, he is "cut down to the ground."  It is then that he declares his goal of returning to the The Third Heaven, and overthrowing God.  "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isa. 14:13-14).

Satan rules The Second Heaven and Earth

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor. 4:4).  "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2).  "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:9).

Satan is cast down below the Earth

With the Lord Jesus' victory over death, and at His Second Coming, Satan's descent continues:  "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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" (Rev. 20:1-3).

Satan's final "resting place!"

"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" (Rev. 20:10).

THOUGHTS ON MARK 10 VERSE 50

Mark 10:46-52 - "And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto Him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."

Why did Bartimaeus cast away his garment?  There must be a significant reason for Mark to include this, the shortest sentence in the passage.  Matthew Henry's Commentary had this to say:

"The poor man, hereupon, made the best of his way to Christ; He cast away his loose upper garment, and came to Jesus (v. 50); he cast away every thing that might be in danger of throwing him down, or might in any way hinder him in coming to Christ, or retard his motion. Those who would come to Jesus, must cast away the garment of their own sufficiency, must strip themselves of all conceit of that, and must free themselves from every weight, and the sin that, like long garments, doth most easily beset them" (Heb. 12:1).

I believe Matthew Henry was using his human logic, in trying to explain it.  On the other hand, I believe C. H. Spurgeon was seeing the event through spiritual eyes (pardon the pun), when he wrote concerning Mark 10:50:  "Who is that man who has lost his upper garment? See he wears the dress of a beggar. Who is he?" 

Spurgeon is suggesting that there was a garment which identified those begging for alms.  It would certainly be consistent with what followed.  There is a spiritual reason that Bartimaeus discarded the "I.D." before he was healed:  to me, it screams "FAITH!"  Bartimaeus believed that Jesus could heal him, and upon hearing that Jesus was calling for him to come, he KNEW he no longer needed to be identified as a beggar!  He was about to receive his sight!

Are you "wearing something" that identifies you as a beggar, or are you "wearing something" that declares you faith?  The world should see your light, your works, your fruit, and KNOW that you belong to the CREATOR, the MASTER, the LORD Jesus Christ!

 

MATTHEW 1:21 - IT IS THE SON OF GOD WHO SAVES

Recently, some missionary organizations have decided that, in order to reach Muslims with the Gospel, they would call God Allah.  In addition, the "Bibles" they hand out no longer contain the identity of Jesus, as the Son of God.  While some have no problem with these changes, saying that there is really only one God, and that different cultures call Him by different names, I strongly disagree!  By comparing the character of Allah from the pages of the Islamic "holy book," with the character of Jehovah of the Bible, it is clear to see that we are not speaking of a mere difference in His name!  Jehovah does not desire that any perish (2 Pet. 3:9), while Allah is described as ordering the slaughter of all who refuse to convert to Islam.

As for Jesus being identified as the Son of God, there is ample evidence in the Scriptures that He was and is!  First, before I discuss that evidence, I want to point out that "the Son of God," is God.  Just as the male offspring of a duck is a duck, a giraffe is a giraffe, an eagle is an eagle, etc., so the Son of God is God (Cp. Gen. 1:1 w/ Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.).  The Bible is clear:

*Satan, the prince of devils, believes Jesus is the Son of God (Mt. 4:1-11; Jam. 2:19; etc.).
*The demons believe it (Mt. 8:29; etc.).
*The high priest knew Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Mt. 26:63-65; Jn. 10:36; etc.).
*Jesus said so (Mt. 27:43; Lk. 22:71; Jn. 9:35-37; etc.).
*The Centurion said so (Mt. 27:54; etc.).
*Two Gospels are dedicated to Him as the Son of God (Mk. 1:1; Jn. 20:31; etc.).
*The Angel told Mary (Lk. 1:35).
*His genealogy declared it (Lk. 3:38).
*Nathanael declared it (Jn. 1:49).
*His ability to heal proved it (Jn. 11:4).
*Martha declared it (Jn. 11:27).
*The hostile crown accused Jesus of saying He was (Jn. 19:7).
*The Ethiopian Eunuch believe it (Acts 8:37).
*Paul declared it (Acts 9:20; Rom. 1:4; 2 Cor. 1:19; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:13; etc.).
*The writer of Hebrews said it (4:14; 6:6; 7:3; 10:29; etc.).
*It is stated in First John (3:8; 4:15; 5:10, 12, 13, 20; etc.).
*Revelation 2:18 declares Jesus to be the Son of God!

How important is it that a person acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God?  It is how one becomes an overcomer; how one is saved (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7; etc.)! 

 

"Who is he that overcometh the world...

he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Jn. 5:5)!"

OUR ADVERSARY

An "adversary" is, according to Webster's Dictionary, "One who is turned against another with a design to oppose or resist him; a member of an opposing or hostile party; an enemy or a foe."  The Bible lists several "adversaries":  God acting on Israel's behalf (Ex. 23:22); the Angel of the LORD acting against Balaam (Num. 22:22); Peninnah against Hannah (1 Sam. 1:6); David as potential adversary against the Philistines (1 Sam. 29:4); Haman against the Jews (Est. 7:6); those surrounding Jerusalem (Amos 3:11); etc.  Solomon, at one time, had no adversaries, and it was during that time he built the Temple (1 Kg. 5:4).  However, because he was guilty of idolatry, God stirred Hadad and Rezon to be his adversaries (1 Kg. 11:14, 23, 25).  God Himself, for a time, has been an adversary to Israel (Lam. 2:4; 4:12; Amos 3:11).

In the New Testament, the word "adversary" occurs only five times.  In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells of a widow appealing to the town judge for justice to prevail between her and her adversary.  We are not told the identity of her adversary, but one could make a case for the fact the judge, by ignoring her plea, was complicit in the situation. 

Two of the references are clearly referring to Satan.  In 1 Peter 5:8, we read, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."  Paul concurs as to the identity of our adversary:  "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.  For some are already turned aside after Satan" (1 Tim. 5:14-15).

The last two are usually understood to be referring to a person whom you have offended (Mt. 5:23-26; Lk. 12:57-59).  My Pastor spoke on this Sunday, and he pointed out something I have never heard anyone say; he said the "adversary" in these passages was referring to Satan!  Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and when he goes before God with his accusations, he knows better than lie, but he uses "every little piece of dirt" he can to get God to discipline us, His children (Heb. 12:5-11).  Brian said that because Satan uses our sins against us, when we "agree with our adversary," we are, in effect, acknowledging our sin.  In so doing, we repent, and are made right before The Judge (1 Jn. 1:9)!

The only time we need to agree with Satan, is when he is right about us!     

THE LORD IS SEEKING SERVANTS

Following Israel's four hundred year Egyptian captivity, the LORD chose Moses to lead His people to freedom.  Moses served as God's messenger to Pharaoh, and God made him to be His steward of the people for their forty years of complaining, contention, and continual sinning.  In addition to Moses, their political leader, the LORD appointed Aaron, Moses' brother, to serve as the chief priest, or religious leader of His people (the Book of Exodus). 

Sixteen generations later, following Israel's seventy years of bondage in Babylon, after the Medes and the Persians defeated Babylon, the LORD, once again, chose a member of Moses' and Aaron's blood line to serve as His spiritual leader.  The LORD led Ezra to return to Jerusalem, and gave him the task of rebuilding the Temple, and reestablishing Israel's worship and sacrifices (Ez. 7:1-10).  Not long after Ezra left Babylon to rebuild the Temple (445 B.C. - thirteen years - cp. Ez. 7:8 w/ Neh. 2:1), the LORD chose Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city's walls. 

In the case of Moses and Aaron, one a murderer (Ex. 2:12), and the other an idolater (Ex. 32:4), one has to wonder why God chose them to lead His people.  On the other hand, in the case of Ezra and Nehemiah, God chose men of character, spiritual men, to lead in rebuilding Jerusalem.  Ezra, facing much opposition, completed his task, re-dedicating the Temple and reestablishing Israel's holy days (Ez. 6:13-22).  Not only that, the Word reveals his commitment in one of my favorite Bible verses:  "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments" (Ez. 7:10).  I particularly like the order given:  1) he prepared his heart to study the Law; 2) he committed himself to do what it said; 3) then, and only then, would he share its teaching with his people.       

In the New Scofield Reference Edition of the Bible, the introduction to the Book of Nehemiah said this about him:  "Eleven times in the text, it is recorded that Nehemiah was engaged in prayer."  In addition, Nehemiah read the Scriptures to the people (Neh. 8:3, 8, 18; 9:3).  Nehemiah 9:3 says, "And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the Law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God."

From these passages, we see that God uses those who are available.

Their past does not matter; their spirituality does not matter.

He wants to use you!  Are you available to the LORD?

 

THE PERFECT MOTHER

Let me begin by saying that there is not now, nor has there ever been, a perfect mother.  Mothers, just like the rest of humanity, are sinners.  The closest to a perfect mother one can have, is a born again, Spirit-filled woman; but unfortunately, just like the rest of us born again, oft Spirit-filled human beings, mothers "leak"; that is, they grieve and quench the Spirit, and in so doing, cease to be "filled."  They, like the rest of the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, groan while waiting to be made like their Creator.  Born again mothers long for that day when they finally are transformed into the perfect likeness of Jesus, and finally, deserve the "best mother in the world" Hallmark cards.

That being said, members of the Body of Christ can learn a lot about what it means to be a Christian from observing mothers.  As I look back over the fifty plus years my wife and I have been married, I have come to not only respect my wife for all she has and is doing, but for the example she has set for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and me!  Let me tell you a little about Judy.

Judy was sixteen when I, an eighteen year old sailor, asked her to marry me.  Because she knew I loved and respected her, she said yes.  It takes a brave girl, one whose relationship to her future husband was mostly via mail and an occasional long-distance phone call.  We were engaged one year to the day, prior to our wedding; a year she spent as a Senior in High School!  Judy graduated, and I snatched her off to Washington, D.C.; the Philippines; San Diego; Pensacola; and D.C. again to finish out "our" Navy career.  I say "our," because without her support, I would never had made it.  As most of you know, military pay was pathetic between 1959-1978; Judy always earned extra money by taking baby-sitting (what they called "daycare" then).  She managed to feed a growing family on very little money budgeted for food; we did not have the advantage of food stamps, food pantries, etc.  She made do.  She made clothing for our three daughters, and even though she didn't have nice clothes herself, our girls always were clean and neatly dressed.

As our daughters married, and began having their own children, Judy was there to help each "new mother" with her "addition."  The same is true for our granddaughters.  I do not recall a single child born into our extended family, that was not greeted by Judy's loving arms!  She would do, and still does, anything within her power to help her family!

I must add in closing, that during the first nine years of our marriage, I was an alcoholic.  When I became a born again believer in Christ, I stopped drinking, but I have never totally stopped being a jerk.  I wish that were not the case, but I too am waiting for that day when I will be like Jesus!

So, this Mother's Day, I want to honor the best mother I have ever known:  Judy!

THE IDENTITY OF THE WHORE OF BABYLON

The whore, described in Revelation 17 & 18, is most often described as the Roman Catholic Church by the majority of Protestant theologians. They believe that John described her as being named "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (17:5), because he did not want to anger Rome who had exiled him on the Isle of Patmos (1:9). And, we do know that "she" is described as "that great city, which reigneth (John's present tense) over the kings of the earth" (17:18). We also know that the Roman Catholic Church killed many of the early Protestant leaders during the Reformation (17:6).

In order to determine the identity of the whore, it is important to first identify the Beast upon which she is riding (17:7-11). He is described as having seven heads, which represent seven empires (17:9). The first five, which had fallen, were Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece; the one that existed, of course, was Rome (17:10). The seventh, I believe, is the Beast upon which John sees her riding; it is the Antichrist indwelt by Satan, as the description matches both (12:3; 13:1). The Antichrist, described as "the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is (17:8), is very likely the "seventh head" which received a mortal wound, and his body will be re-animated (not resurrected, but indwelt by Satan).

John wrote: "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the Beast. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast: and they worshipped the Beast, saying, Who is like unto the Beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months" (13:3-5). Notice Satan empowers the Beast, and he then is allowed to complete the seven-year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18). I believe it is at this time he commits the Abomination of Desolation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15). It is during the second half of the Tribulation that the whore, who rides upon the seven-headed Beast, shares in his blasphemies (Rev. 17:4).

Because the Beast consists of the seven heads (kings or empires), and because the Roman Catholic Church did not exist during all of those empires, it is more likely that "she" should be identified as a world system of power and greed that has existed from the very beginning. Note that in Revelation 18, "she" has both a connection with government, and with the economies of the world (18:1-24). The fact that "she" is responsible for ". . . all that were slain upon the earth," it is not possible that "she" is the Roman Catholic Church!

 

Who is the whore of Revelation 17 & 18? Sorry, I do not know!

TRUMPETS, ATONEMENT, AND TABERNACLES

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS

[Lev. 23:24-25] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.  [25] Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 

 

THE FEAST OF THE ATONEMENT

[Lev. 23:26-32] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  [28] And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.  [29] For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.  [30] And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.  [31] Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  [32] It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

[Lev. 23:33-44] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  [34] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.  [35] On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  [36] Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.  [37] These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:  [38] Beside the Sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.  [39] Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.  [40] And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.  [41] And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.  [42] Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:  [43] That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.  [44] And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

TRUMPETS GATHER - TRIBULATION - MILLENNIUM

SIX DAYS - REALLY!

If a small nation like Israel could defeat its enemies in just six days (June 6-10, 1967), why is it so hard to believe the Creator of the Universe could create all that there is, in just six days? Ironic, isn't it, that the longer man believes the Universe has been "perculating," the "smaller" their opinion of God! Either the Bible is literally accurate, or its "Author" is a deceiver, and that just cannot be!  God's Word says:

“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11).
God says that His work of creation happened in six days. Does He really mean what He says? Does He mean “six days” or does He mean something else? Can we take Him at His Word?  How would a child understand this verse?

Today many teach that these six days of creation cannot refer to literal 24 hour days, but instead must represent long ages of time which would then correspond with the vast geologic ages theorized by evolutionary scientists and scholars. 

But does normal interpretation allow for such a non-literal approach? How would Moses and the people of his day have understood Exodus 20:11 and Genesis chapter 1? The rules of language and word usage demand that we understand these as literal 24 hour days.

Dr. John C. Whitcomb, a pioneer in the modern creationist movement, has mentioned the following significant points among others:

1)        When a numerical adjective is attached to the word “day” (and there are two hundred known cases of this in the Old Testament) the meaning is always restricted to twenty-four hours (i.e., “first day,” “second day,” etc.). See a precise parallel in Numbers 7:12-78.

 

2)        When the plural form (“days”) appears in the Old Testament (over seven hundred times) it always refers to literal days. See Joshua 6:14 (“six days”) where it is quite obvious that literal days are in view.

 

3)        A creation “week” of six indefinite periods of time would hardly serve as a valid or meaningful pattern for Israel’s cycle of work and rest, as explained by God at Sinai in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:9-11). How inconsistent to say that God worked six long ages (Exodus 20:11) to serve as a pattern for man to work six literal days (Exodus 20:9)! I’m not sure most men in the work force would want each work day to be equivalent to a long period of time, though this non-literal way of understanding “days” might appeal to them when it comes to their vacation weeks! [John C. Whitcomb, The Early Earth (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids:, revised edition, 1986), 28-30.]

A PRAYER REQUEST

I will not be posting on my blog today, as my wife is having major surgery.  This is at least the doctors’ third attempt at this particular operation, and prayerfully, "the third time is a charm." 

We have been married just a month short of fifty-two years, and my prayer; especially in light of the geological events, weather tragedies, saber-rattling in Russia, Syria, N. Korea, Iran, etc.; that Judy’s Mom, Judy, and I will be leaving this old world via the Rapture any day now.  Of course, many of my family, church members, and you readers, will be accompanying us should that take place today!

For all those who are not born again, who have never responded to the Gospel by calling upon Jesus as your Lord, those of you who may be church members, deacons, or even pastors, if you are reading this, I beg you to acknowledge your sins, recognize that Jesus died for your sins, and was raised from the dead by His Father, and turn your life over to Him while there is still time.  Should you choose not to, I am afraid the next seven years will be "hell on earth," followed by an eternity of misery and regret!

Please pray for my wife, the doctors, and more than anything, God’s will be done in all our lives this seventh day of May, 2014! 

THE FIRST CHURCH SERMON

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

'And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:  And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.  For David speaketh concerning him,

'I foresaw the Lord always before My face, for He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved:  Therefore did My heart rejoice, and My tongue was glad; moreover also My flesh shall rest in hope:  Because thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou hast made known to Me the ways of life; thou shalt make Me full of joy with Thy countenance.'

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of is loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne;  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption.  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on My right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:14-38).

DIVORCE: IT IS NOT AN OPTION

God hates divorce (the putting away of one's wife - Mal. 2:16)!  The Book of Hosea uses Hosea's marriage to Gomer, as a picture of His relationship to Israel (Hos. 1:1-3:5).  Just as God repeatedly forgives Israel for their spiritual adultery, and takes them back under His wing, He tells Hosea to do the same thing with his unfaithful wife.  Unfortunately, mankind is not like God (1 Jn. 3:2)!  When challenged by the Pharisees on the subject of divorce, Jesus clearly stated that God permitted divorce in the case of adultery, not because of the spouse's unfaithfulness, but because of the unwillingness to forgive the offender. 

"The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, 'Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?'  And He answered and said unto them, 'Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.'  They say unto Him, 'Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?'  He saith unto them, 'Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery'" (Mt. 19:3-9).

That was the Lord's instructions to Israel.  One could send the other away.  In the Church, however, that is not the case.  Born again believers are not to send their spouse away, but are to forgive, and to remain married, even in the case of adultery.  Notice, in the Church, an unbelieving spouse is free to leave their believing husband or wife, but not a believer.  Should the unbelieving spouse leave, the Word says that the believer is then free from their relationship.

"And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord:  If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases:  but God hath called us to peace" (1 Cor. 7:10-15).

Thank God there is nothing I can do that would cause God to "divorce" me!

TRUTH ALWAYS AGREES WITH GOD

We often think of things in the context of them being opposites (Males and Females; Black and White; Day and Night; Rich and Poor; etc.).  However, there is one "pair" that should never be thought of as extremes on a single continuum:  Truth and Lie.  Even though we like to call it "fudging the truth," "exaggerating the story," or even call it "telling little white lies," we are, nevertheless, lying.  That is why, when taking an oath in a courtroom, we are asked to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Missing facts, or adding untruthful statements are not acceptable.  Scripture records this same thing with regard to John's testimony as given in the Book of Revelation.  He wrote:

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:18-19).

Truth is always accurate, it always includes all the facts, and it is always in line with what God says.  The Scripture even calls Jesus "The Truth" (Jn. 14:6).  Other passages describe His that way, as well (Jn. 1:14, 17; 5:33; etc.).  God cannot lie, according to Titus 1:2 and Numbers 23:19.

Again, when our words are in harmony with the way God views things, we are telling the truth.  All other speech is untruthful, inaccurate, and basically, sin!  When we lie, whether by omitting facts or exaggerating them, we are acting like Satan!  Jesus said,

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (Jn. 8:44).

 

Let every word that comes out of your mouth be truthful.

      That way, when you witness for Jesus, people will listen!