Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
If you ever wondered how you could increase your discernment, JD lays it out very well this week as he explores why we believe what we believe.
By studying the Truth, Gods word, you get so familiar with the Truth that any deception placed before you, leaps out at you as untrue.
On the flip side, I think this is why so many are deceived today. No one reads their Bibles, God’s word. Or they read these watered down interpretations of God’s word. Versions that have been made “PC” and hip with today’s culture. Supposedly covered with sugar to help the medicine go down.
Studying God’s word is medicine for what ails us, but it shouldn’t need sugar to take it, it will turn our lives right side up and free us from our captivity. The Truth will set you free!
God’s word keeps our minds sharp and on guard against the overwhelming deception we are surrounded and taken captive by today. You must know the Truth, to know when your being fed the counterfeit.
In the second half of JD’s sermon on getting back to the basics, he puts forth Revelations as the place to start. Some would call this odd but after listening to his sermon, I am in 100% agreement, I believe that is exactly what God wants us to do, and why this world tries to make Revelations seem so scary and forbidden.
God spoke to John and told him to write about what he had seen (past), what was currently (present), and what will come (future).
Revelation 1:1-3
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
JD breaks out the book of Revelations brilliantly as follows:
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
I do not know for sure what he is but I do know he is not a Christian in any shape or form.
Christ told us we would know them by their fruit.
Matthew 7:15-17
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. [b]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 7:16 Or recognize
b. Matthew 7:16 Lit They do not gather
I know of very few men that have done more against the Christian faith and ideals. The deception is breathtaking to watch.
My gut just wretches at the thought of how much we have slide as a nation, a culture, and how fast we are currently sliding.
If you haven’t seen it, I would recommend highly checking out the movie Time changer.
It really puts into perspective how far we have fallen and the state we are in.
The Obama administration is asking the Supreme Court to strike down the federal law defining marriage as a union between only a man and a woman.
The request regarding the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was made Friday in a brief by Solicitor General Donald Verrilli that argues the law is unconstitutional because it violates “the fundamental guarantee of equal protection.”
The high court is set to hear two cases next month on the issue: the constitutional challenge on Proposition 8, the 2008 California that allowed same-sex marriages in the state that two years later was overturned, and United States v. Windsor, which challenges DOMA.
Edith Windsor, a California resident, was married to her female partner in Canada in 2007 but was required to pay roughly $360,000 in federal estate taxes because the marriage is not recognized under DOMA.
The law “denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to legally married opposite-sex couples,” Verrilli’s brief in part states.
House Republicans also purportedly filed a brief Friday, arguing for the right to defend DOMA.
Obama’s move comes as no surprise, considering he said during his first term that he personally is in favor of gay marriage. And he ended the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, opening the way for gays to serve openly.
More recently, during Obama’s second inaugural address, he hinted at further action.
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal,” he said.
The court is taking up the California case March 26 and has several options. Among them are upholding the state ban on gay marriage and saying residents of a state have the right to make that call.
The nine justices also could endorse an appeals court ruling that would make same-sex marriage legal in California, but it would apply only to that state.
Twenty-nine other states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while nine states and Washington, D.C., recognize same-sex marriage.
Public opinion has shifted in support of gay marriage in recent years. In May 2008, Gallup found that 56 percent of Americans felt same-sex marriages should not be recognized by the law as valid. By November 2012, some 53 percent felt they should be legally recognized.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Since this issue first arose last week, I have been pondering why it has impressed upon me such a sense of evil. All my insides shout out NO! Stand Firm, you are on the side of truth. Bill’s article below really nailed it for me. This is the perfect example of how upside down our society has become. Why on earth would we be against what the Scouts stood for. And there is the answer. Why on earth. See as an Eagle scout I grew up trying to embody the Boy Scout Motto and oath. It was, in my youth, the bedrock in which I developed as a man. I thank the Lord that it was so closely grounded in the Rock of Christian faith, Jesus Christ. But that a side, who in their right mind would have an issue with the things spoken of in the motto and oath.
Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
What is reflected in this oath is exactly what is wrong with our society. We do not want to make an effort to be mentally awake, instead we are rocked to sleep by mind numbing TV shows and video games, more reality TV. Tough problems to be solved?, let someone else think about those, let alone try to solve them, I need to make level 50 in my MMO Game (massively multiplayer online game).
Morally straight? What is that? It’s uncool to be straight, they never have any fun. Not with condoms for free in our schools and sex education in kindergarten.
God and country? What duty to I have to them? It is all about me and how I can get ahead. How can I be entertained? How can I be happy through seeking pleasure.
Scout’s Law? I need to obey anything but my own hearts desire? Instant gratification.
Scout Law
A Scout is:
Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful,
Friendly, Courteous, Kind,
Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty,
Brave, Clean, Reverent
So are these bad things? Trustworthy, I know that one gets stretched these days, oh sorry, spun, the “no spin zone”. Courteous and Kind, we have certainly lost these, rarely do you see men holding doors for ladies or letting them on the elevator first, even if it means taking the next one. Helpful and Kind, go along with that. How many times have we seen someone in trouble on the tracks and no one helps, they just snap pictures.
Thrifty. Now there is something we have certainly lost in our disposable society of “its cheaper to buy a new one than fix it”.
Clean and Reverent could also be on trial as new fashion has brought in tattoos, piercings, torn cloths (that you bought that way) and a bed head hair style. While we are at it, I think many of our mouths need to be cleaned out with soap.
So yes, I guess you could say the Scouts were from a time that is out of step with today’s society. Yes, they haven’t changed. They are still anchored on the Rock of faith, Jesus Christ. Their moral position, ethics better put, have not changed. And that is a good thing. You don’t want your foundation to move or shift. God also promised us that He will not change, He is the same today, tomorrow and yesterday and until the end of time.
It saddens me greatly, that the Scouts would even consider detaching from the Rock, their foundation.
The Boy Scouts of America got front-page ink, as we say in the newspaper trade, for their currently postponed meditations on the topic of admitting avowed gays to membership.
Word had leaked out that the Scouts were considering a local option solution to the vexed question of their supposed right to determine who can become a member and who can’t. At a top-drawer meeting in Irving, Tex., the topic proved too vast and complex for immediate resolution. Consultation and deliberation will take place prior to May meeting of Scouts’ national council.
I spoke of the Scouts’ “supposed” right to oversee their membership rolls. A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that right in the Scouts’ case, in response to court challenges seeking the overthrow of policies that “discriminate” against gays. That might have settled matters, but for restlessness and motion in the larger society whose present values sometimes cause the Scouts, with their old-fashioned devotion to God and country, to look more and more like outliers.
What courts can’t accomplish, social pressures sometimes bring about. The up-tilted eyebrow, the sneer, the lordly putdown in elite journalistic commentary — such events and occasions collectively have the power to overwhelm.
The oddness of the Scouts’ situation has to do with the oddness — the bizarreness, really — of efforts to overwhelm an organization whose core principles, you might think, were beyond impeachment.
“On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” So goes the Scout oath — the pledge that millions of boys have conned and recited. What is wrong with it? A Scout promises to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. There is something the matter here? We’d prefer disloyal, boorish, mean, disobedient, and cowardly and so forth?
It could be so. The war against the Scouts has about it a littleness of spirit, an un-generosity that should be unthinkable. That it no longer seems unthinkable is among our modern blights. That the Boy Scouts of America are bidden by the intellectual-political community to roll over, bark cheerily, and change their practices and thought patterns along lines improvised by the enlightened is further, scarier testimony to the cultural mess we’re in.
If an ex-Scout of mediocre attainments may speak — on his honor, naturally — I wish to observe that society’s increasing spite against scouting is likely bigger than the gay members thing. With non-heterosexual marriage winning acclaim in some states, the topic of gay rights and privileges indeed comes up constantly. Nonetheless, the flap over scouting’s membership requirements reflects modern America’s weariness with norms of any kind. That is the larger point.
Norms — e.g., do my duty, keep myself thus and so, to this or that end — look down from a towering height onto the squiggling mass of personal tastes, outlooks, biases, caprices, humors and moods that make up modern life. A norm counsels or reproaches: this is right; this isn’t. A mere mood sticks out its tongue: shut up, lemme alone, none of your business. Guess which mode we lean toward in 2013.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
A pretty common question and an extremely relevant one for those of us that live in the U.S.
JD does a good job this week laying out the where and why.
But having pondered this myself, it just points to how amazing God really is. That He could raise up a nation to be the most successful and powerful in the world in a mere 200 years. One that has aided in spreading God’s Word throughout the world and helping the less fortunate while bringing them the Word of God! It also glorifies God to see how quickly once we moved away from Him as a society things headed south. It really was not us building the nation but God through us and through His blessing. This revelation is why books like “The Harbinger” ring so true in our heart. God’s blessing is important and as soon as you stray and turn from God, the key ingredient in success is removed.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
We’ve probably said those words a thousand times, be it in prayers, hymns, or scripture reading. But did we ever stop to think of what they really meant? Especially with all the calamity these days. I hadn’t until I read the article below. It is very timely with all of the talk about the end of the world, first the Mayan’s now the Pope. The end of the world is on people’s minds. God’s word has a lot to say about it if we would take the time to read it.
The end of the world is scheduled for this Friday, December 21, 2012, according to the Mayan calendar, as analyzed by some. Many scenarios of what supposedly will happen on that date have for months–even years— been predicted by the purveyors of doom for Planet Earth. The Mayan “prophecy” goes basically as follows.
The Mayan civilization was extremely advanced in mathematics, engineering and astronomy. They also had an incredible understanding of time and space. Various calendars were in use to track time in linear progressions within cycles. The “Great Cycle” of the “Long Count” calendar equates to 5,125.36 years. The Current Great Cycle is due to be completed on the winter solstice of 2012, December 21. So, it has been interpreted that on this day, the Great Cycle ends, Time ends, so the Earth must end as well. (2012endofdays.org).
The Mayan “Long Count” concludes on the very day the sun lines up with the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is said that Continue Reading »
I am really taken a back at how many are still asleep given all the signs we are seeing daily. You really would need to be blind to not put two and two together.
In thinking about how I could better wake them up, God placed on my heart that it is probably due to one or multiples of three things:
1. They do not know God’s word through either not reading it or they read it, but it is the watered down interpretation of God’s Word (i.e. Message bible or others).
2. They are so distracted by things of this world: entertainment, new technologies, pursuit of money, etc. That they are unaware of what is going on around this world.
3. Lastly, I think there are some that fall into Paul’s description in Romans 1:21-32. They know what God asks of us but purposely do the opposite and take great pleasure in it.
People that fall into #1 or #2, I think we may be able to awaken, but I am fearful the majority left may fall into #3. With everything going on in the world, it is hard to believe that they haven’t seen something that would shake or nudge them awake.
The real question is once they awaken where do they turn? Is there a clear path to someone who can ramp them up? Or do they go back to sleep? Both sides are feverishly battling for these souls.
I just haven’t had many souls recently come back to me wanting to know more about what is going on. Instead I am getting a strange sense of distance growing between me and those of this world that have yet to awaken.
Crises and potential crises surround us during every waking moment. Except for those who are oblivious to what is going on in this nation and world today, the cultural and societal pathway ahead disappears into the anxiety-laden darkness of the unknown. Rather than take on the entire world and its problems in this regard, I will, for our purposes in this commentary, stick to analyzing the fearful future of this nation I love.
Most in America–and sadly, in the church (born-again believers)–falls into that category of the oblivious. Therefore, the crises, from their perspective, don’t exist. All the forewarnings of coming disaster seem issued to ears that will never hear and presented to eyes that will never see. Yet, at the same time, the crises, themselves, do create undercurrents of worry. Even the otherwise diverted masses notice, at least for fleeting moments, when societal dangers disrupt their world of shopping and entertainment–for example, the murder of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Then, it is back to buying, selling, building, marrying, and giving in marriage, and the thousand and one other things that matter most to them.
Crises dominate the horizon politically, economically, and morally. As a matter of fact, they intertwine in such convolution as Continue Reading »
Todd did a great job laying out one of the current delusions covering the world. God warned that in the last days He would pour out strong delusions on the unbelievers so that they would be mislead. We are ripe for the picking, this world we live in, and I feel the harvest is very close.
I had already concluded that America had made one of the greatest political mistakes by reelecting Barack Obama. Last Monday, I had to shield my eyes and ears from watching that error being played out. The good news–if you call it that–is that we are at the halfway point of his administration.
It is rather spooky to see how the liberal media has applied labels to Obama that offend the core biblical values of most Christians. Newsweek’s May 21, 2012, issue caused a stir when it declared Obama the country’s “first gay president.” The president lived up to this title when, while speaking about civil liberty accomplishments, he gave the first ever shout-out to a gay bar in an inaugural address.
The far worse classification being used by people are ones that directly compare Obama to God. They are becoming so numerous, he could just as well be called our first deity president. Here are some examples:
A Florida A&M professor named Barbara Thompson published a book titled, The Gospel According to Apostle Barack. In this book, Thompson likens Obama to Jesus Christ.
Street vendors and souvenir stores across Washington D.C. are selling posters depicting President Obama as Jesus Christ.
Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx recently called Barack Obama “our lord and savior.”
“This president has brought us out of the dark and into the light.”–Michelle Obama, at a campaign rally on April 17, 2012.
In a cover story for the inauguration, Newsweek had a side image of Obama with the title “The Second Coming.”
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
JD did a great job unpacking the coming Psalm 83 / Isaiah 17 conflict a few weeks back. He lays out the players and headlines they tie the current enemies of Israel to the enemy’s mentioned in the Bible.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
I read a statistic recently that really jumped out at me. Americans on average spend about 140 hours each month in front of the TV. Now I knew it was high but had no idea it was that high. (There are 168 hours in a week!)
My heart really sunk when a couple of days later I read another article about how much time do we spend in God’s word. Can it even be counted in hours for the week? or month? We are jammed packed with one minute devotionals. But do we spend anytime reading Gods actual word, and pondering it, studying it.
It hit me last week how far we have strayed from God’s actual word. On Sunday our worship leader read the scripture from “The Message” translation (interpretation) of the Bible. My wife turned to me and stated: “why do we need to recite an interpretation of God’s word when we have God’s actual word!” I must say it was a brilliant observation, one I think we quite often overlook. We spend so much time and money on interpretations, and none in God’s literal word.
So getting back on track, you have totaled up your hours for the week, how many of those are from God’s literal word? (I Continue Reading »
Amazing sermon. It really rings true, both in the Glorification of God and the conviction I feel in my heart. I actually jumped in my seat when around the 11:50 min mark he talks about our reaction to God’s commandments in our life. It rang so true.
Another quote by Paul that stood out is when talking about the shocking truth about Christianity and the Bible.
“There really is a God and this book really is true.”
That’s only a few of many great truths and plainly spoken.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
I heard this audio again recently and was just taken back by how true it is.
If you are interested in just how bad it is or how pervasive it has gotten, watch the movie Agenda – Grinding down America there are also some links to portions of it on you tube (here or here or inserted below), but it is so worth the $11 to get the full version on DVD.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Wow, what a great article and reminder for those of us that are wading into the muck as watchmen. The first paragraph is so loaded with the concise truth. And it gets even better from there…
A casual observation of the news headlines any day of the week can cause a person to feel overwhelmed. It seems as if “everything” is coming at us from every direction at the same time. As a Christian, we are to be ever-watchful; putting our faith and trust in the Lord. The times in which we live are evil and wicked. The changes in our society are enough to not only cause us to feel overwhelmed, but also surrounded and helpless at times.
A verse from Proverbs was also quoted later on by Lea that really has had a profound effect on my over the last few months.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5.
It is the next verse that really solidifies my comfort with letting go of my own will. It is the promise that God gives us if we take the leap of faith and hand over control.
“Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take.” – Proverbs 3:6
A casual observation of the news headlines any day of the week can cause a person to feel overwhelmed. It seems as if “everything” is coming at us from every direction at the same time. As a Christian, we are to be ever-watchful; putting our faith and trust in the Lord. The times in which we live are evil and wicked. The changes in our society are enough to not only cause us to feel overwhelmed, but also surrounded and helpless at times.
Never fear! We have the blessed assurance that come what may, we need only look to our Lord. If we are absorbed with every news story (which all seem to be “bad” or “worse” or “even worse than we imagined”) that comes across the news in whatever form we might receive it, are we focusing on God? Of course, we are not to put our heads in the sand and act as if nothing is wrong. Everything seems to be wrong! But, these are the times which will separate the “men from the boys,”so to speak.
To begin with, perhaps we need to be reminded that we were not given the spirit of fear. II Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” We have all the “tools” we need in order to keep our proper perspective of this life.
This scripture tells us that instead of fearing [anything], we have other ways to deal with situations. We look at anything Continue Reading »
This is a great set of mini articles on the Rapture text we find in the Bible. The thing I have grown to love about the Bible is the limitless layers that it has. The more I pray for discernment and study the Bible (God’s word) the more that is revealed. The connections and foreshadowing is simply breathtaking. It is brilliant and divine. There are so many good revelations about the Rapture that I have read over the years, I hope to consolidate them to a new page this weekend. there are a lot of them, which is amazing for something which the critics say is not found in the Bible.
Over the years, I’ve read close to a thousand articles pertaining to the Rapture of the Church. I’ve watched hundreds of videos of speakers expound on this topic. I don’t know where to begin on how many sermons I’ve listened too…and to many of those teachers and preachers…we (those of us who benefit from their diligence) are indebted. God has blessed many Godly men in putting to terms things many of us have missed or maybe not understood. And just when I thought I’d heard them all, God reveals something new about this subject to me.
The Marriage
First, the Rapture must be distinguished from the gathering by the Angels that is found in Matthew 24:31 “Olivet Discourse”. The Olivet Discourse was given in three of the four Gospels because of their intended audience. It is not given in the Gospel of John, which many experts understand is the Gospel written to the Church. The Church does not go through the Tribulation, hence instead of an Olivet Discourse; we have the Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17).
In Paul’s epistle to the church in Thessalonica, Christ Himself descends in the same manner in which He ascended (Acts 1:9-11) and gathers the Church unto Himself…He doesn’t have the angels gather His Bride. Since we can model Christ’s return for His Church along the lines of a Jewish wedding, would a Jewish groom send his servants to gather his bride…or would he do it himself?
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means Continue Reading »
Wow, Ben Stein cuts right to the truth, bold truth of the matter. What hypocrites we are.
The only thing I will add is that I recently heard about how in England, they are letting babies/children with disabilities and elderly starve to death by withholding food and water as part of “managed care”. Man is evil, which is why we need a Savior, Jesus Christ!
Sunday I learned about the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school while we were setting up at Fox News to tape Cavuto on Business. The news was so horrible that we all felt as if we had lost our legs and could no longer stand. It was such horrible news that it simply turned the world upside down.
It still is that kind of news, and it’s incredibly depressing about the nature of humanity. And my wife and I pray all day for the souls of those dear children and for the peace, if there ever will be peace, of their families… and for the souls of the adults and the peace of those who knew and loved them.
As usual, the smartest comment about the whole subject came from John R. Coyne, Jr. “There is evil in the world. It’s beyond mental illness, beyond gun control. It is evil.”
I thought the Pope was supposed to be a Biblical man? If he is he should know that there won’t be true peace between Israel and the Palestinians and believing in some UN pipe dream for the sake of peace is fruitless. But even more than that he’s revealed that he also doesn’t understand Islam, which at its core wants to destroy Israel. And this is exactly what the Palestinians want.
Sheesh. I’m not trying to dis the Pope, but this is a problem:
TIMES OF ISRAEL – Pope Benedict XVI told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Monday that he hopes the Palestinians’ upgrade to nonmember observer state at the UN will hasten the international community into finding a solution to its conflict with Israel.
The Palestinian leader is visiting Europe to thank countries that voted for the upgrade. Abbas met with the Pope to praise him for supporting the Palestinians’ recent bid. All European Union countries except for the Czech Republic either supported the motion or abstained from the vote.
The Holy See is the only other entity to hold the status of nonmember observer state at the UN.
The Vatican had warmly welcomed the vote, and a Vatican statement said that “it is hoped that this initiative will encourage the commitment of the international community to finding a fair and lasting solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Abbas chatted privately with Pope Benedict for 30 minutes and then met with the Vatican’s top diplomats. Continue Reading »
It is astonishing to see people deceived and the deception spread. We have seen what happens when our world detaches from the truth/reality, God’s word.
When everything is relative and a different shade of gray, black and white thinking is discouraged and punished until it is like a scarlet letter, and dare I say called “un-caring” and evil.
We are living in an “Up is Down”, “Black is White” (or not even White but a shade of gray), and “good is evil” world.
God said we would see these times, and when we did we were to look up, and lift up our heads for our salvation draws neigh!
Just as Barack Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage last year, calculating that the time was now right culturally, so too do Israel haters now feel emboldened to put their hands tightly on the lever of the hangman’s scaffolding.
An article this week from Jerome Slater from the Christian Science Monitor was quite instructive.
Many of us pro Israel activists have asked for a long time, “Why didn’t Israel get credit for pulling out of Gaza? After all, now it can’t be said they are ‘occupying’ the Strip anymore.”
Slater has answered that for us: It doesn’t matter.
By Slater’s reasoning—which is leftist worldview—Israel is still occupying the Gaza Strip, since the IDF maintains a perimeter presence. This of course is because Hamas (and, presumably, the larger Palestinian population, since they elected the terror group) likes to murder Jews. Yet, again, notice the chilling irony:
Israel no longer occupies Gaza, except that it does.
I met Ron Nachman once, during my first trip to Israel. David Lewis took me to the city of Ariel to visit with his old friend. Nachman was a fixture in Israeli life, having been born in Tel Aviv and then later becoming a semi-famous mayor of Ariel, the largest of Israel’s “West Bank” communities. The world called him a settler.
Today, he was buried in the land of Israel. He succumbed to cancer last week, and Israel lost a visionary leader.
In his Ariel office, Nachman rolled a cigar in his mouth and chatted easily. He liked evangelicals. He said with some force—not to us, but to the enemies of the Jewish state—that when the U.S. gave back Texas, Israel would talk about giving back land won in the Six Day War.
It was a good point.
For 10 years after the Six Day War, Israel attempted to negotiate with the Arabs, but were always rebuffed by the gang leader, Yasser Arafat, and his handlers. So, in 1977, led by Ariel Sharon, the Israelis began populating the largely barren territory in Continue Reading »
A great article on something all parents will face, especially in the age we live in where kids are bombarded with secular believes from before preschool on up. The message has been woven into their cartoon shows (Dinosaur Train) and in the children’s books and in the classrooms. I have found it everywhere. It can feel suffocating.
How can we protect our little ones from this world?
First, we need to call for reinforcements not of this world, for we can not succeed on our own. We need to pray daily for God’s protection and wisdom. We need to start early laying the foundation of the Truth and build that essential trust. Trust in us and trust in God!
“Lord, what can I do to help her understand the truth of your Word?” A tear fell onto my Bible as I thought of my pre-teen daughter’s words and prayed for wisdom. At eight, she was voicing questions about faith. “How can a book written so long ago have anything to do with me today?” “How can I believe in a God I can’t see?”
The first time those words rolled off her lips, I thought my heart would shatter. How could my child be asking such questions? Aren’t we raising her to trust the Bible as her compass? Didn’t she accept Jesus as her Savior? Fear and anxiety preyed on my mind for months.
Yet questions are natural and proper. As her questions have continued through the years, four important principles have helped my husband, Jim, and me.
Prayer
I assumed that because our family had daily devotions and attended church, and we laid a strong biblical foundation, our daughter would trust the Lord. When I realized that faith was the work of the Holy Spirit, I began to pray for her like never before that she would know the Lord and grow strong in her own faith. Interceding in prayer is our privilege and our responsibility.
Open Communication
An atmosphere where children feel they are being heard and understood is vital. It’s sometimes difficult to answer questions without getting defensive or emotional, but asking questions isn’t wrong. We may not always know the answers, but we can Continue Reading »
God created us all equal, yes, we are all equally born into sin and can only be saved by accepting the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, where he bore God’s wrath for us to pay the price for our sin.
Homosexuality is a sin, pornography is a sin, adultery is a sin, murder is a sin, hatred is a sin…
None of us can escape sin, we are human, which is why we need a savior.
This is deception and many have been lead astray into believing the lie.
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama opened his second inaugural address by quoting the statement from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”
He then went on to say that if men were in fact created equal, then homosexual “love” must be equal as well.
“What makes us exceptional, what makes us American,” said Obama, “is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’”
“Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time,” said Obama. “For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they’ve never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.”
A bit later in his speech, Obama returned to the theme of God creating all men equal, and this time tied it directly to his belief that the “law” should extend equal treatment to “the love” of homosexuals.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
It is deception and it is leading up to the fulfillment of the seven-year peace agreement. Maybe this round, maybe not, but it will be signed, you have God’s word on it.
Now that he has secured his second term, President Barack Obama has already secretly pledged to the Palestinians he will press Israel into a new round of so-called land-for-peace negotiations, a top Palestinian Authority negotiator told KleinOnline.
The negotiator said top members of the Obama administration told the Palestinians the U.S. president will renew talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state in the so-called 1967 borders—meaning in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and, notably, eastern Jerusalem.
Obama to Push for New Talks in Second Term
The negotiator further revealed when it comes to dividing Jerusalem, Obama wants to rehash what is known as the Clinton parameters.
That formula, pushed by Bill Clinton during the Camp David talks in 2000, called for Jewish areas of Jerusalem to remain Israeli while the Palestinians will get sovereignty over neighborhoods that are largely Arab.
KleinOnline previously reported how Palestinians are building illegally in Jewish-owned areas of Jerusalem, changing facts on the ground and resulting in Arab majorities on certain neighborhoods.
This is not the first time the Palestinians are claiming Obama will push for new talks during a second term.
Just before November’s presidential election, a senior PA negotiator claimed to KleinOnline if Obama secures another four years in office, he will use his second term to target Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the main party to blame for the collapse of Mideast peace talks.
The negotiator further claimed Obama quietly pledged to the Palestinians a campaign at the United Nations to renew U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for a Palestinian state in the “1967 borders.”
The negotiator further said Obama had promised the PA that the establishment of a Palestinian state will be one of the main priorities for a second term.
“We were told that the negotiations for a Palestinian state will be a main goal for Obama,” said the negotiator. “Netanyahu will be declared the main person responsible for the collapse of the peace process.”
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
It is outrageous what we have become. It is insane how we are allowing ourselves to lose all common sense and be bullied through political correctness.
This tool of Satan (political correctness) has been allowed to go way to far. Unfortunately, I think at this point we are beyond the point of no return on reigning it back in and returning to common sense.
I am sorry for venting a bit here but it just frustrates me so to see these feigned acts of outrage. How thin skinned are these people? When did we become so thin skinned as a society? I know it has been something that has built up over time but oh my how silly it looks if you take a second and step back. This is a kids toy. Lego’s? Based on a movie from the 1970’s? Outraged? Really?
As a Star Wars and a Lego’s fan, I never once thought of a mosque when viewing Jabba’s palace through my 30+ years of enjoying these films literally hundreds of times. (Side note: It is not really even a mosque originally, but a converted Christian basilica. Converted after Istanbul was conquered. Check out the reference toward the end of the article.)
Lego has been accused of racism by the Turkish community over a Star Wars model that supposedly resembles one of Istanbul’s most revered mosques.
By Matthew Day, Warsaw
3:18PM GMT 23 Jan 2013
Austria’s Turkish community said the model was based on Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul and that the accompanying figures depicted Asians and Orientals as people with “deceitful and criminal personalities.”
The Turkish Cultural Community of Austria released a statement calling for Lego to apologise for affronting religious and cultural feelings.
The anger was provoked by “Jabba’s Palace”, a model of the home of Jabba the Hutt from Lego’s Star Wars product range based on the blockbusting series of science fiction films.
Oh 2013 is going to be an exciting year for signs in heavens.
The article below is a must read with lots of fascinating facts of what we will be seeing this year, when we have seen these things in the past, and what they usually meant.
But “Signs in Heavens” never seems to get the correct billing these days. When ever I bring it up, I always get a shoulder shrug or a so what.
Here are some of my theories for why that is.
First off I think the sky’s are simply not as spectacular these days due to all of the light “pollution” we have from man-made lights at night. Have you ever been out in the country at night and looked up at the sky or maybe on a beach away from cities and towns. It is breath-taking all the wonders that are up there.
Second, man-made light has some what taken the “shine” off the stars. Back in biblical times we did not have any glowing/twinkling light sources. Just fire (candle-light) which looks a lot different from stars.
Third, we are much more of an indoor society these days and rarely spend anytime outside, let alone after dark.
Fourth, we through our technology generate all sorts of “unbelievable” effects in our movies, TV, games, etc. We lose track of what is real and what is fake.
Finally, we are so busy as a society that we rarely take the time, to stop and breath, lay down (many miles away from light sources) and gaze at the stars for a couple of hours (not just a minute or two). This was a common pass time back then, like we have video games or TV today. Star gazing was a top night-time entertainment activity.
I think because of one of the above four factors or maybe a combination of all of them, most people are missing out on how spectacular these events are going to be.
Actually, I don’t think they will miss them, but they will underestimate them leading up to the event. God is going to put on quite a show to get man’s attention.
Later this year, Comet ISON will pass through the asteroid belt, enter the Inner Solar System and sidestep Mars on its way past Earth, putting on what scientists expect will be a spectacular heavenly show that is not to be missed.
Comets offer one of the most spectacular celestial scenes the unaided human eye can see. By November or December, ISON is expected to be brighter than a full moon. Some believe it will be up to 15 times brighter.
While ISON may prove to be brighter than any other comet of the last century, this trip may also be its swan song, as it is projected to end its flight in a fiery death in the sun.
Read about the solar flares that are forecast to hit at the same time, in “A Nation Forsaken – EMP: The Escalating Threat of an American Catastrophe.”
Comets are made of several parts. The core, or nucleus, is a solid snowball of dust and ice. As the comet nears the sun, the nucleus heats up, releasing the mixture of gas, called the coma, and dust, which forms the tail. There is also a plasma ion tail, which can be several hundred million miles long.
Occasionally, a comet is dislodged from its orbit and makes its way toward Earth.
Comet ISON, currently in the vicinity of Jupiter, was discovered by two Russian amateur astronomers, Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok, using a 16-inch International Scientific Optical Network Continue Reading »
We are seeing Ezekiel 38 play out right in front of us.
Have you noticed we have completely forgotten the Iran threat due to the distractions of Benghazi, US Election, Sandy Hook, US debt ceiling and Mali Attacks?
The distraction has worked as Iran continues push unabated for Nuclear weapons and now Russia has formalized its alliance with Iran. We are also sending F-16 fighters and Tanks to Egypt, arming Israel’s enemy…
Iran, Russia sign security agreement
Iran and Russia have signed a joint security agreement today in Tehran, Mehr news agency reported. The agreement was signed by Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Kolokoltsev. Kolokoltsev arrived in Tehran on Sunday, leading the Russian delegation of official diplomats.
Russia warns Israel, West against attack on Iran
Russia warned Israel and the West on Wednesday against any military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities but suggested Tehran should be quicker to cooperate over inspections of its nuclear sites.
Russia ‘Flexes Muscles’ in Mediterranean Amid Syrian Crisis
Russia has started the largest naval exercises in the past few decades in the Mediterranean and Black Seas as a civil war in Syria continues to gain momentum. The drills involve task forces from Russia’s Black Sea, Northern and Baltic fleets, strategic bombers, tactical aircraft, air defense units, paratroopers and naval infantry.
US ex-commander: We can’t stop Iran’s nuclear program
Admiral William Fallon, the former head of the U.S. Central Command (which covers the Middle East) said that Iran was a big concern for the U.S. and for Israel, but voiced hope that the nuclear issue could be resolved through diplomatic efforts. “If the U.S. were to put a full-fledged strike campaign in there, that would probably take several weeks, it could put this program back for several years” – “The bottom line is, it’s not going to be a one-time shot. It’s not going to be like ’81 or even 2007,” Fallon said, referring to reported Israeli strikes on an Iraqi nuclear reactor and Syrian nuclear facility respectively.
Report: U.S. policy goal was to retain military ties with Cairo’s new Islamist government
The Congressional Research Service asserted that the administration of …Obama and Congress have been closely monitoring the massive protests against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood. In a report, CRS said Washington has set military cooperation as a priority in relations with Cairo.
Israel’s top priority is stopping Iran gaining nuclear weapons says Netanyahu
THE top priority of the new Israeli government will be to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after his Likud-Beitenu list won a narrow election victory. In a stunning setback, Mr Netanyahu’s hard-line bloc fared worse than expected in a parliamentary election, exit polls showed, possibly forcing the incumbent Israeli leader to…soften his line toward the Palestinians.
Israel leader says Iran key issue, not settlements
Two days before Israeli elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is shrugging off international criticism of Israeli settlement construction, calling Iran’s suspect nuclear program the real threat to regional security. Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said he told a group of visiting U.S. senators that “the problem is not building … The problem in the Middle East is Iran’s attempt to build nuclear weapons … This was, and remains, the main mission facing not only myself and Israel, but the entire world.”
Islamists executed 9 Japanese in Algeria: witnesses
Islamists holding foreigners hostage at a gas plant in the Algerian desert executed nine Japanese captives during a 72-hour stand-off with the military, Algerian witnesses said on Sunday.
‘I am told I will hang for my faith in Jesus’: American pastor faces death sentence in Iran
An American Christian pastor faces a possible death sentence in Iran after prosecutors accused him of harming national security on charges he and his supporters claim amount to religious persecution. Saeed Abedini, 32, who is Iranian born, is expected to go on trial next week before a revolutionary tribunal in Tehran in a hearing presided over by a judge blacklisted by the European Union for handing down harsh verdicts.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Dale really hit the nail on the head with the article below.
All the nations problems, ALL of them, would be solved by turning back to God. Not just giving it lip service, but reading His Word (The Bible) every day (twice a day) and bringing our issues and problems to go through prayer daily, starting every meeting with prayer to guide us.
It would only take one action to change course. A leader to lead by example, not simply words. What ever happened to the saying “actions speak louder than words”. We have forgotten these simple truths as a nation.
One statement jumped out at me in Dales article about halfway through.
Nothing pleases Satan more than every time he can place a ‘wall of separation’ between God and people.
When we separate ourselves from God through turning away or succumbing to sin, not only do we miss out on the joy of our closeness to God (since he must pull away) but we also open ourselves up to Satan’s advances to gain more power and control over our lives by filling the void.
That is what we have seen as a nation when on that pivotal day in the 1960’s we expelled God from our schools. It was the Continue Reading »
I was reading a blog entry discussing how much control God has over this world, the selection of our leaders and bad things that have happened throughout time. There was a lot of back and forth between two main sides: God in complete control and Human free will.
I lean toward the side of God is in complete control and that all things are used for fulfillment of His will for this world.
The argument for those that feel Human free will elects our leaders and drives events was mainly: How could a loving God allow the millions of deaths and suffering that certain leaders have committed in this world?
The rebuttal was quite good. God has always had death as a result of worldly events. And every one of those events is part of his plan: Noah and the flood, Pharaoh and Moses, etc.
But one comment really struck me to the core, and solidified my position that we do not know the will of God, nor are we on the same level of his thinking. A poster by the alias CaisonJ posted:
Praise God that even the greatest evil ever committed, the crucifixion of His Son, was according to His will and for His purpose (Acts 2:22-24). How unsearchable are His ways… they are not our ways, which I think is why we often don’t accept God’s sovereignty over every situation. – by CaisonJ
What a powerful statement? Truthful, concise, God’s word…
But it was that last line that really struck me:
How unsearchable are His ways… they are not our ways, which I think is why we often don’t accept God’s sovereignty over every situation.
How true is that in my life. How about yours?
We too often strive so hard to make God “real” and approachable that we humanize him and bring him down to our level.
We do not know His ways, they are not our ways (which we know well). Sure we can get a glimmer by reading His word but it is really just that, a glimmer.
We need to Fear God! Not in the “fear” that we throw around these days but Fear = Reverence. Respectful. Holding up in the place of honor that we are not worthy to go… Holy!
Something to think about… Do you “Fear” God? Whose way are you following? Who is in control of your life?
Obama’s Inaugural: If God ‘Truly’ Created Us Equal, Homosexual ‘Love’ is Equal as Well
Obama opened his second inaugural address by quoting the statement from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” He then went on to say that if men were in fact created equal, then homosexual “love” must be equal as well.
Hope starts to re-emerge at the 2013 Davos World Economic Forum
The Davos World Economic Forum is gearing up with, apparently, more world leaders attending than in recent years: there are some 50 heads of state and gov’t expected. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is to open the forum, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian PM Mario Monti and British PM David Cameron are all said to be coming. – the mood this year is a little more optimistic. Setting the tone a few weeks ago, Professor Klaus Schwab, the founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, published an e-book entitled, “The re-emergence of Europe.”
Is martial law imminent?
A somewhat disturbing ad recently appeared on internet employment sites, the ad in question was placed by the National Guard. Apparently, the Guard is now looking for people to work at internment camps. Here is the ad as it appeared: “As an Internment/Resettlement Specialist for the Army National Guard, you will ensure the smooth running of military confinement/correctional facility or detention/internment facility, similar to those duties conducted by civilian Corrections Officers. This will require you to know proper procedures and military law; and have the ability to think quickly in high-stress situations.
Inauguration posters liken Obama to Jesus
Street vendors and souvenir stores across Washington, D.C. are selling posters depicting President Obama as Jesus Christ — and one national news publication called him the “Second Coming.” The poster, which does not have the official endorsement of the White House, features an image of the president in prayer with the headline, “Prophecy Fulfilled.”
40th anniversary: Remember the children
On this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, the Republican Coalition for Life is sending people to abortion clinics to remember the day in a special way.
Report: U.S. policy goal was to retain military ties with Cairo’s new Islamist government
The Congressional Research Service asserted that the administration of …Obama and Congress have been closely monitoring the massive protests against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood. In a report, CRS said Washington has set military cooperation as a priority in relations with Cairo.
Merkel and Hollande dream of EU ‘utopia’
The leaders of Germany and France encouraged young people to be “utopian” and dream of a European federal state with common taxation, on the eve of festivities on Tuesday (22 January) marking the 50th anniversary of the Elysee peace treaty. “When the Elysee treaty was signed, 50 years ago, we were both eight years old. I was in East Germany at the time and who would of thought we will be here one day,”
Gimpel has said Dome of the Rock ‘doesn’t belong there,’ but not that it must be blown up
Fending off a frenzy of political criticism over a 2011 speech in which he appeared to speak with relish of the theoretical prospect of the Dome of Rock being “blown up” and a new Jewish Temple being built in its stead, prospective MK Jeremy Gimpel claimed in a TV interview on Sunday that he had actually been telling a joke meant to “parody” the extremists who want to destroy the 1,300-year-old Muslim shrine.
Pastor Leads ‘Forward’ Chant at Obama Pre-Inauguration Church Service
it wasn’t enough to compare Obama with the founder of Judaism and the prophet of the Bible. Braxton added that Obama’s opponents were like the Biblical enemies of Moses, and that Obama would have to enter the battle because “sometimes enemies insist on doing it the hard way.”
NY Democrat pleads with Republican not to share document proposing confiscation of guns
Republican Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin… has shared the information of a ‘secret’ Democrat proposal not simply to make the purchasing of the crudely monikered ‘assault weapons’ illegal in New York, but also to engage in a mass confiscation programme, removing Americans’ weapons from their possession. This bill was an attack on the 2nd amendment and the Democrats clearly wanted to dismantle the work of the Founding Fathers.
Snowpocalypse Russia: ‘Snow tsunami’ swallows streets, cars, buildings
While the snowstorms have caused inconvenience for large population centers in western Russia, they have been life-threatening further east in the country. The polar circle city of Norilsk has been buried under 10 feet of snow – entire apartment blocks, markets, stores and offices were buried under snow overnight. Banks of snow were as high as two people put together, reaching the second-story windows of some apartment buildings. Cars, stores, garages were blocked. Norilsk metropolitan workers were forced to dig passageways through the snow banks to create access between the outside world and the barricaded city.
Disarming Americans, Arming Terrorists
While the White House was busy drafting proposals to ban assault rifles, the last of the regulations imposed on Saudi travel to the United States after September 11 were being taken apart. While some government officials were busy planning how to disarm Americans, other officials were negotiating the transfer of F-16s and Abrams tanks to Muslim Brotherhood-run Egypt.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Imminent. We hear it mentioned quite often but what does it mean and what is it like to live with the feeling of someone’s imminent return?
The article below is a good summary of what that means, what the Bible has to say about it, and how we should be living our lives as believers in Christ today in anticipation of His return for his bride.
While the Mayan Calendar’s prediction that doomsday was on Dec. 21, 2012, was wrong, the Bible has a lot to say about Christ’s return – his return is mentioned in no less than 318 times in the 260 chapters in the New Testament, Laurie said in his message, titled “Things to do before the end of the world.”
What if we knew somehow that Jesus Christ will be back for us at 3 p.m. tomorrow? The pastor asked. “I’m sure we’d all be saints at 2:45 … We’ll be wearing our Sunday morning smiles and our come-quickly-Jesus attitude.” Though we do not know when Jesus is returning, “shouldn’t we have that same smile and that same attitude every day as if that were the day that Christ could come?”
Those who doubt Jesus’ promise to return due to the delay must read 2 Peter 3:9, Laurie suggested. The verse reads: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The pastor went on to say he prayed in 1970 that Jesus should come soon, “but isn’t it good that he didn’t?” Many among the audience received Jesus after 1970, he pointed out.
The summary done below by Thomas Ice steps back to view the work of the Bible as the amazing work that it is. Once you begin to study it both in-depth as well as tying together the story you see the promise of the “rapture” or snatching away told throughout.
One of the knocks against the Rapture is that it is escapism. I have never understood this as I feel it prepares the believer for the exact opposite. Procrastination is not an option with imminence.
Peter and John both admonish their audience to fix their eye on the future return of Christ, resulting in Godly living in the present. (1 Peter 1:13 and 1 John 3:2-3)
1 Peter 1:13
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [c]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit gird the loins of your mind
b. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit be sober
c. 1 Peter 1:13 Or which is announced
The Rapture, “…my blessed hope…” (Titus 2:13), is one of the major reasons why we gladly live for Christ today and prioritize our life in view of eternal values.
Please take the time to read through the article below in full. It is a blessing and thought provokingly wonderful.
When one sits back and contemplates the great truths contained in God’s plan for history as revealed in the Bible, it is truly amazing to contemplate such reality. A partial list would include the following: God’s creation out of nothing; God’s creation of angels and their role in history; man’s fall into sin; Noah’s Ark and the Flood; the tower of Babel; the call of Abraham; the Exodus and foundation of the nation of Israel; the up-and-down history of Israel, Christ’s first coming; His death, resurrection, and ascension; the founding of the church; and Christ’s promise to return to take His bride to heaven with Him at the rapture. These real, historical events are greater than any fictional account that the most creative moviemaker could conceive. So one day the Father will tell the Son to go and get His bride and at that moment every living believer, no matter where they may be, will be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord, in order to be taken to heaven. This will truly be an amazing event.
The Impact of the Rapture
Romans 11:25 indicates that the trigger point for the rapture will be when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The leading Greek lexicon of our day says the noun translated fullness in this passage means “that which is brought to fullness or completion; full number.” [1] Also, Acts 15:14 says, “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.” Thus, when that last Gentile convert comes to faith in Christ, the Church, the Body of Christ, will be complete and the rapture will take place. The full number of Gentiles will have come in and then our Lord will turn His attention to the salvation of all Israel (Rom. 11:26) during the subsequent tribulation period.
The rapture of the church will be a truly amazing event that will confound the world. Just think about it for a moment. How will the world who rejects the possibility that a God who does miracles is out there, explain the sudden disappearance of hundreds of millions of people all over the world in an instance of time? People that are left behind will generally not be open Continue Reading »
Great observation by Terry in his Nearing Midnight Column this week. I have been (and will be) posting a lot of articles about Israel recently and there is a reason.
Matthew 24:31-33
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
Israel is the Fig Tree. It is the sign Christ told us to look for. As soon as we see events occur surrounding Israel we will know the season, the quarter or the month that we are in. We will not (can not) know the day or the hour but we will know the season according to Jesus Himself. We are to be watching. The world is oblivious as well as most of those around us. It is not because they could not know, but I think at this point, it is mostly because they do not want to know and that makes my heart heavy. We are to busy chasing after the things of this world, to worry about the next.
Prophetic beliefs are not tied to salvation. It is separate and a gift from God. So I am sure many that are asleep may be saved but what a disservice it does to Christ Church, His bride, to not be awake and eagerly anticipating His return for us. We are all, myself included, way to attached to this world. We need to live in this world but not be of this world.
Israel should be a sign for us to wake up and look up as our redemption draws nigh…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, amazingly, being viewed as a moderate in the politically right-oriented Likud party these days. This fact shouldn’t go without considerable notice by those who look at Bible prophecy from the futurist viewpoint. Eschatologically speaking, this otherwise strange development as of late makes sense. Here’s what I mean.
Israel must somehow–for now–be kept in the world diplomatic loop. The Jewish state cannot afford to be totally marginalized to the point the nation has no one with whom to negotiate, or at least to talk with on the negotiating front. At the same time, elements within the present make-up of the Knesset and the government as a whole have reached the point they, in order to show resolve, have to adhere to a hard-line approach to Israel’s enemies, who pressure them to give in at every point of the international community’s demands. This resolve translates into intransigence in the thinking of most Israel-hating diplomats of the U.N.–i.e, Israel’s resolve is propagandized by diplomats and the world’s mainstream journalists as deliberately disruptive stubbornness in doing harm to the peace process.
Netanyahu currently wears his moderate, right-winger, actor’s mask effectively. This is to keep the channels open in dealing Continue Reading »
I think a lot of bible prophecy is ignored or demeaned simply due to differences in language. It is not understandable or allegorical. We have been so dumbing down our kids over the last 4-5 generations that they don’t understand what the word mean and how to relate them to our language today. (Side note: I couldn’t believe it recently when I read an article that they are working to take the “classics” out of our schools. That they just were not relevant any longer. It is all part of us dumbing down our language so we can distance ourselves from our founders and foundation.)
To get right to the point:
Propaganda = deception
Spin = deception
Partial Truth = deception
Little White Lie = deception
All of the above is of course only deception if you believe the Lie, Propaganda, Spin, or Partial Truth.
Our Church, Christ’s Bride, has been infected by the above. It is insidious and very dangerous because it comes from a space which is suppose to be safe.
Unfortunately, this is why discernment is so important. How many times did Christ warn us to be on “watch” so as not to be deceived. Yes, sometimes it may feel like we are paranoid having to check everything and question everything. But Paul admonished the Berean’s for taking everything back to scripture to check for themselves if it was true. It takes effort and I know how tiring it can be to be on guard but we must because there are wolves in sheep’s clothing amongst us.
At the Catalyst East conference in Atlanta, I listened to Lynne Hybels give a talk about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. One of her concluding slides was an image of the security fence Israel erected to keep out terrorists. It’s worked quite well, and that seems to bother critics of the Jewish state, who can’t bring themselves to simply say that it’s good Jews are not being murdered anymore.
Instead, the critics refer to the fence as a “wall,” or, more provocatively, an “apartheid wall.” This is a complete inversion of the truth, since Israel is the most open society in the Middle East, and grants far-reaching rights to Arabs.
An interesting lie being peddled is that the fence completely surrounds Bethlehem. It does not.
Yet, by alleging that the fence encircles the town—this even by members of the Religious Left who have been there and know better—they succeed in portraying Israel as the “warden” of the “prison” the Palestinians are kept in.
Hybels chose to include an image in her presentation that showed a simple message written on the fence:
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Bill does an amazing job below pointing out how we are being conditioned as a society to accept a new set of rules: The Rule of Lawlessness.
The Antichrist when he comes on the scene will be the ultimate “man of lawlessness” as Paul called him. The people of this world will be so conditioned that it is the norm. To those that are awake to the times that we are living in, it is disturbing but we should not worry, we will not be here when he shows up as we are removed with the “Restrainer”, our blessed hope. And ironically, that may just be one of the many catastrophes that the executive orders spoken of will allow our “all-knowing” government to address.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.
In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile. He writes:
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5
What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law. But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved. It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.
I think the article below is very eye opening into how the “Grand Delusion” that is spoken of in the Bible will work. My initial thought was “Who in their right mind would label 2012 as the ‘best year ever’?” It must just be a hook to get you to read but they are serious. Sure they will elude to some negatives but are quick to minimize them for the bright side assessment.
Sure costs are rising, Brussels sprouts cost 70% more now than in January but who wants to eat those? Really!!! A 70% increase in food costs and we spin that positive. I can see it in 2013, food prices are up 400%, but it has allowed us to keep all those new years resolutions to loose weight and we have a much more sustainable society now!
A few other key highlights: (my comments in italics)
It always amazes me how the same themes and models of Christ , the Trinity, and the God Head are worked throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament. I have never understood people who say the New Testament is the only book for Christians. It does layout our “history” as a church and the covenant we have with God through Christ Jesus, but it certainly does not stand alone. There is so much pointing going on between the books through prophecy and direct reference that we would miss so much if we only studies one or the other.
It is through these prophetic references that we gain so much reassurance of how solid the Rock is that we found our faith on. Jack Kelly does such a great job systematically stepping us through verse by verse how the different prophecies connect, how the translations impact our interpretation, and How the context/audience impacts that interpretation.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (Micah 5:2).
Everyone who has ever received a Christmas card is familiar with Micah 5:2. But here’s something you might not know about it.
Beyond the common understanding that it’s a prophecy of the Messiah’s birth place, the way Micah described Him is unique, to say the least, and contradicts the Jewish thought prevalent at the time of His birth that he would be an ordinary man. The English phrase “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” is remarkable in itself but only tells part of the story. A literal translation from the Hebrew shows that the promised ruler of Israel existed before time began, and would continue to exist forever. He wouldn’t just be a human descendant of King David with a human life span, but would be a man like no other. A man from eternity.
Later John would say the following about Jesus. Calling Him “The Word” He wrote,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
So we wouldn’t misunderstand who “The Word” is, John followed up with,
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
And Jesus Himself made the point that if the Messiah was just a son (descendant) of David’s why did David, speaking through the Holy Spirit, call Him Lord? For David said,
The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under under your feet” (Matt. 22:43-44)
In our English translation the meaning isn’t clear, and even if you look up the Greek text of Matt. 22:43-44 you can miss it. Continue Reading »
As I read Todd’s article several additional thoughts came to mind. He brings up some excellent “root” causes for why we find our nation in the state it is today and especially why we are not able to reach the younger generations. I believe they have become so “distracted” (deceived) with life and the things of this world that they are not even aware of what is happening in it, let alone prophecies of what is to come. It is probably one of the most discouraging points for some one dedicated to waking others up to God’s word, but we must remember that with God all things are possible!
I am also reminded of the Days of Noah & the Days of Lot prophecy by Jesus in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24). The turning point on Gay marriage and drug use sure do point to this prophecy.
Even with us living through these events I am amazed at how people, even fellow Christians, still do not make the connection between the Bible and the events. Most just write it off to coincidence or something that has always occurred. The rise of evil, Continue Reading »
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -- Ephesians 2:8-10
By Aaron Klein
By Dr. Thomas Ice
myBlessedHope 