Posts Tagged ‘Second Coming’

Death of Osama Bin Laden, House of War, Israel

Monday, May 9th, 2011
Osama Bin Laden watching himself on TV in his final hideout in Abbottabad Pakistan

Osama Bin Laden watching himself on TV in his final hideout in Abbottabad Pakistan

(May 9, 2011)  With the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden this past week, there are two Islamic concepts that the non-Muslim world needs to understand. Before discussing those concepts I want to comment on the death of Osama Bin Laden.

The Death of Osama Bin Laden

Late last Sunday night, May 1st, I was on the Internet while watching television when I saw the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. I switched to a news channel to find out what had happened. President Obama was in the middle of telling the nation that the American military had tracked down and killed Bin Laden.

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After his announcement, the television  showed images of Americans celebrating in Times Square and in front of the White House. As I watched these celebratory gatherings they did not feel right to me. The first thing I thought of were the images of the Arabs around the Middle East celebrating the 9/11 attacks on America. It also struck me that Osama Bin Laden did not make it to the tenth anniversary of those attacks. From a worldly perspective I can understand the celebrations by Americans as all of our lives have been changed since that September day nearly ten years ago. However, I saw the events of last Sunday night from a biblical viewpoint. God makes it clear that governments are to protect their citizens from evil: “1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” (Romans 13:1-4) Also: “13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” (1 Peter 2:13-15)  The American government and the military fulfilled this mandate by punishing the leader of the Al Qaeda Terror network, Osama Bin Laden. However, Christians are not to rejoice over the death of their enemies: “17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 or the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked; 20 For there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.” (Proverbs 24:17-20) To the contrary, Jesus said that we are to love our enemies: “43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-45)  Understandably, this a hard concept for many people to accept, especially when the enemy has committed great evil. Yet God states, “9 But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life. 10 Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?”‘ 11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live, Turn back, turn back from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:9-11) One of the most revered men in Christendom is the apostle Paul yet before his conversion he was responsible for the torture and death of many Christians. This is why Jesus said to pray for your enemies that they may turn from their wicked ways and be converted to the righteousness of God. A few weeks ago I wrote an article for this blog titled God’s love for Muslims: A highway of salvation. There I discuss the fact that at Jesus’ second coming both Jews and Muslims will accept Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. In the meantime millions of Muslims are converting to Christianity at the present time. Christians are not to rejoice over deaths of their enemies but to pray for them before they die. And governments are ordained by God to protect their citizens from evildoers.

Islamic Terrorism will continue

Even though Osama Bin Laden is dead terrorism will continue around the world because of Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb. In March of 2009 I wrote an article declaring that there would never be a successful peace process between Israel and the fundamentalist Muslims. In that article I wrote:

“There are two concepts in Islam that will never allow Israel to have peace until the Messiah returns. The first is Dar al-Islam which means House of Islam or House of Submission. Its adherents are made up of Muslim extremists. Dar al-Islam refers to countries where the law of Islam prevails and an Islamic government rules. Non-Muslims may live there under subjugation. Dar al-Harb means House of War and refers to those countries that are not under Islamic rule. It also refers to those lands which were once Islamic but were conquered by non-Muslims. The lands that are not Muslim are not legitimate because they are not under the authority of Allah. In the case of Israel those Muslims who subscribe to Dar al-Harb believe that the Jews are living on land that Allah gave to Islam. Therefore it is a disgrace to Islam and can only be rectified by Israel returning to Islamic rule. The Muslims riot over cartoons depicting their prophet Muhammad because it is a dishonor to him. How much more will they fight to regain Israel since it is a dishonor to Allah. No matter how many moderate Muslims may want peace with Israel the Islamic hardliners can never allow Israel to exist. Under Dar al-Harb treaties and truces may be made but only with the goal of eventually retaking the land that once was under Islamic rule. Since Israeli soldiers swear an oath declaring “Never again” will they be brought under the power of another government, they will never stop fighting to keep Israel.” (Why There will never be peace in Israel until the Messiah returns)

Dar al-Harb (House of War) and Dar al-Islam (House of Islam/Submission), although not well known concepts, caught the attention of the writers for a 2008 Hollywood movie about the CIA’s secret war against Muslim terrorists. In that movie, Body of Lies, the Jihadists interrogate an innocent Jordanian whom the CIA framed as the leader of a terrorist group. The interrogator says to this Jordanian, “Allah praises you for your work. The Sheikh praises you for your work. The House of Islam rejoices at the strike you have made against the House of War.” Since many of the Islamic terrorists subscribe to these two concepts, they will never give up until they have destroyed the nation of Israel. The death of Osama Bin Laden will not end Islamic terrorism. Reportedly, Osama Bin Laden’s final video tape confirms this: “In an audio message addressed to US President Barack Obama, [Osama Bin Laden] said: ‘America will not be able to dream of security until we live in security in Palestine. It is unfair that you live in peace while our brothers in Gaza live in insecurity. Accordingly, and with the will of God, our attacks will continue against you as long as your support for Israel continues,’ he warned.” (Bin Laden vows no US security in final tape: website)  As long as the Jews live in the land of Israel peace will not come to the Middle East or the rest of the world until Jesus Christ returns and sets up His earthly kingdom.

Israel: The three most important Biblical Covenants

Of the various covenants or promises that God made to Israel and through them to the world, three have relevance to world events going on today. They are the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant

In Genesis chapters 12, 13, and 17 God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham. God promised him that He would make a great nation out of Abraham’s descendants, that He would bless those that bless Abraham and curse those that curse him,  that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham, and that He would give the land of Israel to the Jews for an everlasting possession. In chapter 17 God confirms that this covenant will be fulfilled through Abraham’s son Isaac. In chapter 25 God further confirms that this covenant will be passed on through Isaac’s son Jacob and his descendants, the Jews. Later on God tells the Jews that if they obey His commandments He will bless them in the land of Israel. Likewise, if they disobey His law then He will remove them from the land which did occur in 586 B.C. but He also promised to bring them back seventy years later. Therefore, the Bible makes it clear that God decides when the Jews live in the land of Israel and when they don’t. However, in the Prophets God declared that one day He would bring them back to the land and they would nevermore be removed from it. This then is the Abrahamic Covenant. (For a fuller discussion of this covenant with the corresponding Scripture references see my article: Christian Zionism: Christians and the Jews)

The Davidic Covenant

King David wanted to build a Temple in Jerusalem for God. However, God only allowed him to purchase the land where the Temple was to be built (where the Temple Mount is today). But He would not allow David to build the Temple but rather ordained his son King Solomon to build it. King David, a man after God’s own heart, wanted to honor God but instead God honored King David with a covenant or promise: “12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish His kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13,16) One of King David’s descendants would rule on the throne of God’s kingdom forever. This will be fulfilled when the Son of David, Jesus Christ, returns and establishes His kingdom on earth. Jesus will reign over the whole world from Jerusalem. Since Jesus has not returned yet the Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled in the future.

The New Covenant

The most important promise God made in the Bible was to send the Messiah to die for the sins of the world and thereby reconcile humanity to Himself. The Old Covenant or Testament gave the Law to the Jews.  It was a set of external laws which sinful humankind was unable to keep.  Therefore God promised through His prophet Jeremiah: “31 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. 33 ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” (Jeremiah 31:31-33)  Under the New Covenant God was going to change human hearts. He declared through the prophet Isaiah that He was going to send His Servant, the Messiah, to die for our sins so that we would be made righteous with God: “4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed…11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:4-5,11-12) At the final Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus referred to His sacrificial and atoning death: “19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.’” (Luke 22:19-20) All the early Christians were Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah and received His atoning sacrifice for themselves. As a nation though, the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah and rejected the New Covenant promised by God through the prophet Jeremiah. However, the apostle Paul declares that one day all Israel will be saved through Jesus Christ: “25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27) When Jesus returns the Jews and the Muslims will turn to Him for their salvation.

Until that time though, evil will continue to cause chaos in the world and the Devil will “prowl around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”.

 

It was an external Law

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Darkness and Deliverance: The first Passover, the first Easter, the Second Coming

Friday, April 22nd, 2011


(Good Friday – April 22, 2011) God has revealed His purposes and His will for Creation in the Bible. The reason He created the universe and humankind is stated in the Book of Revelation: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) We were created because it was God’s pleasurable will to create us in His image and to fellowship with Him. That God has a plan for the universe and humankind is revealed by Him through the prophet Isaiah: “9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:9-10) The plan begins with Adam and Eve in Genesis and ends (or begins again) with eternity in Revelation. Because He gave His human creations free will in relating to Him and because humans chose sin over God’s ways, His plan included corrective measures. There are three great deliverances that God ordained for humankind from before the foundation of the earth because He knew that humans would disobey Him and turn from Him. Two of these have already occurred and the third is yet in the future. Each of these deliverances has a common aspect to them. The darkness of God’s judgment preceded the light which radiated from each of these redemptive acts.

The First Passover

The first deliverance in God’s plan actually has its roots in His choosing of Abraham to bless all nations through his descendants. He told Abraham that he would have a son who would have a son who would become the father of the Jewish nation of Israel. But He also showed him that his Jewish descendants would suffer the bondage of slavery in another country before He brought them back to the land of Israel. As a result of a famine the Jews migrated to the land of Egypt where they eventually were enslaved for a few hundred years. At the time of God’s choosing, He sent Moses to deliver His people from their bondage to Pharaoh the king of Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart was hard even after God had brought ten plagues against Egypt. The eleventh plague preceded God’s final judgment on Pharaoh and his nation:

“21 Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.’ 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.” (Exodus 10:21-23)

This darkness was unlike a natural darkness in that it could be felt! God’s final judgment fell immediately after this plague of darkness when the Angel of Death killed all the firstborn sons of Egypt who were not under the protection of the Passover lamb’s blood which was spread on the doors of the Jewish homes. Out of this judgment came a redemption for the Jews from the dark bondage of slavery to the Egyptians and resulted in their receiving the light of God’s law on Mt. Sinai: “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light.” (Proverbs 6:23) When the Jews obeyed God’s law they lived under His blessing. Eventually though, they repeatedly turned from His law and succumbed to the bondage of sin and suffered His painful judgment. However, the second deliverance God had planned would not only deliver the Jews but also the rest of the world.

The First Resurrection (Easter)

“4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) In God’s plan, at the perfect time, He sent His Messiah to deliver the world from the bondage of sin and in doing so fulfilled His promise to Abraham to bless all the nations of the world. In the law God had ordained the Jews to sacrifice innocent animals to atone for their sins. In reality, these animal sacrifices only covered their sins. His plan was to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world and thereby restore fellowship between humans and God forever. The sacrifice was offered on the cross of crucifixion with His shed blood and death atoning once and for all for the sins of humanity. Once again the darkness of God’s judgment preceded the redemptive light of God’s grace and mercy:

“33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left…44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, Into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:33,44-46)

During this darkness God laid every human sin ever committed or that will be committed on His sinless firstborn Son and poured out His wrathful judgment on Jesus. The veil in the Temple which separated sinful man from a holy God was ripped away because Jesus’ death made a way for humans to once again fellowship with God. In the light of Easter morning, the empty tomb where the crucified body of Jesus had been laid and now was resurrected to eternal life, confirmed that God accepted His Son’s sacrifice on behalf of humanity. The Light of the World redeemed humanity from the dark bondage of slavery to sin: “11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:11-12) However, as John wrote, not everyone receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those who reject Him are still under the power of Satan, the ruler of this world as the apostle Paul wrote: “3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) The third and final deliverance in God’s plan will redeem the world from the power of the Devil and usher in Jesus’ kingdom on earth.

The Second Coming

After Jesus’ ascension to Heaven, God sent His Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus in order to guide them into all truth and to spread throughout the world the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ alone. When the worldwide preaching of the gospel is accomplished, Jesus will return to earth and reign from Jerusalem. Before that occurs however, the world will grow more and more rebellious in its attitude towards God’s authority and in its rejection of Jesus Christ as His Savior. Instead, they will turn to the Devil and his servant, the beast or Antichrist, to be their savior. This demonic leader will try to rule the world through the power of Satan. Initially he will have some success but ultimately he leads the world to destruction and the judgment of God. Jesus said the signs of the End-Times will be like labor pains. This means that at the very end, God’s final judgments, the seven bowl judgments, will occur quickly and close together. Darkness again is at the very end of this horrible time:

“10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11)

This darkness is followed by the culmination of the battle of Armageddon. During that battle the light of Jesus’ second coming appears: “8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonder.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9) Jesus destroys the Antichrist and his rebellious armies at His second coming. At long last the world is redeemed from the dark bondage of slavery to the world’s ruler and his wicked system. What Jesus said during His first time on the earth will once again be true when He walks the earth the second time and sets up His millennial kingdom: “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” (John 9:5) Though the world had been in darkness both literally and spiritually, the true light will reign on the earth.

The Conclusion of God’s Plan

After Jesus reigns for a thousand years the Book of Revelation declares what happens next:

“7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:7-15)

For reasons known only to God, He allows Satan one last chance and once again he leads a rebellion against God which is quickly put down. The Devil is thrown into the lake of fire for eternity. Then God judges those who rejected Jesus’ sacrificial atonement for their sins and they too are judged and cast into the lake of fire. What this eternal fire looks like is not known. However, it seems that this judgment includes darkness of some kind as Jesus stated: “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) This then is the final judgment of God in eternity. After the darkness comes the light of God’s eternal presence:

“1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away’. 5 And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’…21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:1-5,21-23)

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the day we commemorate our Lord’s crucifixion and sacrificial death for our sins. We need to understand that this was part of God’s plan from the beginning to the end. The end of the plan is only possible because “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If we confess our sins and repent of our sins and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior then He gives us the power to become sons of God. Then we will be part of the fulfillment of God’s plan which He made before the foundation of the world. Then as His children we can lovingly declare the final words of His plan:

“20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)

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The Great Apostasy and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

(April 3, 2011) “8 When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) I believe this is one of the most intriguing things Jesus said during His earthly ministry. To whom was He directing this question? Was He trying to motivate the Disciples to spread the faith? No, He knew they were going to preach the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and lead many to faith in Him (Luke 21:12-15). Was He trying to motivate future generations which would include us to spread the faith? No, because in Matthew 24:14 He stated as a fact that the gospel would be preached in all the world and then the end would come. Or was He asking a rhetorical question of Himself? I believe that He indeed was making a statement with this question indicating that true faith would be lacking on earth when He returns again. The context of this question begins in the last section of chapter 17 of Luke where He describes His second coming. He immediately follows this with a parable of the Unjust Judge and persistent prayer in the first seven verses of chapter 18. The meaning of this parable is that His followers should be persistently praying that His kingdom would come without further delay. He concludes this parable by asking if He will find faith on earth when He does come again. The answer to this question lies in biblical prophecy.

The Tribulation Period

The apostle Paul’s first written letters were to the Christians in the Church of Thessaloniki, Greece. He wrote them circa 50-52 A.D. which was about twenty years after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. End-Times prophecy pervades these two letters and reveals that the early Church had a tremendous interest in the second coming of Jesus and the events leading up to it. In chapter four of 1 Thessalonians Paul explains the event that Christians call the Rapture or taking away of Christians from the earth. Chapter five discusses the timing of the Day of the Lord. In chapter two of 2 Thessalonians Paul speaks of the evil ruler (whom Christians call the Antichrist) and the events surrounding his ascension to power:

“1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-13)

Paul states that the Antichrist will come to power and enter the rebuilt third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and will declare himself to be God. Then Jesus will return and destroy him at His second coming. However, before that happens there will be an apostasy or falling away from the Christian faith which will cause the world to look for an earthly leader to rule over them. They will reject the truths of God’s word concerning His Son Jesus Christ and turn to Satan’s son for their earthly salvation. These events are corroborated in chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation which talks about how the beast or Antichrist will deceive the whole world.

Jesus also warned that many would be led astray from Him, the true Messiah, just before His second coming:

“3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many…21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:3-5,21-27)

The Great Apostasy

In his second letter to Timothy and the last epistle he wrote, Paul issues two warnings about the apostasy coming in the last days:

“1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

and:

“1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

Jesus said that the signs of the last days would be like labor pains (Matthew 24:8), meaning they will get more and more intense in nature and come closer and closer together. Thus, the apostasy will also be great with those who turn away from the true faith of Jesus Christ just before His return. Paul described the beginning of the end of true Christianity by stating that people will have “a form of godliness but denying its power”. The Christian Church began its slide toward this final, great apostasy with the Age of Enlightenment beginning in the late 1700s. The world then was declaring that reason should triumph over superstition and religious authoritarianism. This led to the decline of the Church and to the denial of the supernatural aspects of the Bible while at the same time giving rise to secular humanism and liberalism. Although Protestant churches went on having a form of godliness, they denied the power thereof which eventually led to the near extinction of any Spirit-filled churches in Europe by the 21st Century. It appears that Islam is now filling the vacuum left by the exit of true Christianity in Europe.

Elements of the modern Christian Church in America seem to be fulfilling Paul’s final warning that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” There are church leaders who teach that the orthodox doctrine of eternal Hell and torment is false and that a loving God would not punish someone forever. Consequently they support the heretical doctrine of Universalism which states that every human being will eventually experience salvation whether or not they receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Others teach that all religions have good aspects to them and that believing in Jesus is only necessary for those of the Christian faith. Therefore we can be united with those who have chosen to find God through other faiths. If Christians declare that Jesus is the only way to salvation then they are being intolerant of those of other faiths. If Christians state that homosexuality or abortion is sinful then they are narrow-minded bigots and hatemongers who don’t care about or love others. Experience, sentimentality, and relativity dominate the teaching of these modern church leaders while sound biblical doctrine is reinterpreted or dispensed with altogether. All of this leads many in the modern church movement to denigrate and disparage those Christians who maintain a belief in the doctrinal truths of God’s word. Tragically, I believe it will cause many in the future to participate in the great apostasy that is going to occur during the End-Times.

When the Son of Man returns will He find faith on earth?

There are a couple of other prophecies which have a bearing on the answer to this question. The first is the Rapture of the Christian Church. If the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation Period, there will be no Christians left on the earth at that time. However, God seals 144,000 Jews who will apparently lead millions to Christ during that seven-year period of Tribulation. But John sees many of those same millions of new believers in heaven after they had been martyred by the Antichrist and his followers. Thus, after the Rapture and the apostasy and the martyrdom of the Tribulation saints and the devastation of the earth because of God’s judgment, it appears that there will be few left who have faith when Jesus returns at His second coming. There will be more goats than sheep on earth at the time of His return (Matthew 25:31-46).

having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

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2010 Pew Research Poll: 41% of Americans think Jesus Christ will return before 2050

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

(June 27, 2011)  The Pew Research Center released a poll last week which asked Americans their beliefs about what the next forty years may be like:

“These are among the findings of a new survey of attitudes and expectations about the future, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Smithsonian magazine in conjunction with the magazine’s 40th anniversary (see “40 Things You Need to Know about the Next 40 Years”). The survey, conducted by landline and cell phones April 21-26 among 1,546 adults, was informed by a 1999 survey on the future that explored many of the same topics (see “Optimism Reigns, Technology Plays Key Role,” October 24, 1999).”

The questions covered a myriad of subjects such as Science, Technology, Environment, America, Economy, Social Trends, War, Terrorism, and Global Trends. The article (Public Sees a Future Full of Promise and Peril Life in 2050: Amazing Science, Familiar Threats) also asked Americans about Apocalyptic scenarios:

“The public sees the next 40 years as a time of violent conflict, both globally and in the United States. Fully 58% see another world war as definite or probable over the next 40 years. Nearly as many (53%) expect the United States to face a terrorist attack with nuclear weapons…

On a very different subject, the public is divided over whether Jesus Christ will return to earth by 2050. About four-in-ten (41%) expect Jesus Christ to return while slightly more (46%) say this will definitely or probably not happen. Opinions about the return of Jesus Christ are little changed from 1999 when 44% said it would definitely or probably happen.

Most Americans do not expect the adoption of a single global currency in the next 40 years. And while the survey finds that the public sees many potential dangers looming in the decades ahead, there is not widespread concern about the possibility that an asteroid will collide with earth. Fewer than one-third (31%) say an asteroid will definitely or probably hit earth, which is unchanged from 1999.” (Section 3: War, Terrorism and Global Trends)

My first response to this report is a biblical one:

“36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

With that understanding, Jesus did give signs to His followers to look for leading up to His return. Although we won’t know the day or hour I believe the Holy Spirit will stir Christian believers’ hearts as that day approaches. Just before Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection He reproved the Jews of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel for not knowing and recognizing the signs of His (the Messiah’s) coming or visitation to them:

“41 And when [Jesus] was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

There were many prophecies in the Old Testament that spoke of the coming of the “suffering” Messiah. However, the Jewish religious leaders focused on the prophecies that spoke of a “conquering and victorious” Messiah. Thus, as a nation Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus was justified in reproving Israel because they ignored God prophesied plan for humankind’s redemption.

Likewise, God has given many prophecies that speak of Jesus the Messiah’s second coming. He gave these to His followers for a reason as the apostle Paul wrote, “12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:12-13) Paul also wrote concerning the End-Times, “17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:17-18) Christians are to look for the appearing of Jesus and to find comfort and hope in the fulfillment of End-Times prophecies. As I wrote in my previous blog article (As it was in the days of Noah and Lot…) God makes a distinction between believers and unbelievers. Believers will be looking for Jesus’ coming while the world will scoff at and be blinded to the prophetical signs.

As to the date of 2050 I cannot say whether Jesus will return before then. I do find the rebirth of the nation Israel to be prophetically significant. The Jews’ return to the land could only have happened by the will of God. Therefore, I don’t believe that God is going to let hundreds or thousands of years go by before He judges the earth and Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. That is why believers need to keep looking for the signs that God gave so that we won’t miss the “signs of the times” of Jesus’ approaching second “visitation”.

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As it was in the days of Noah and Lot…

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

(June 20, 2010) “22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 “They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 “For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:22-30)

Jesus declared that the days leading up to His coming will be like it was in the days of Noah and Lot. It seems He was telling the disciples they would not see His coming but that when it does happen it will come unexpectedly. The apostle Paul echoes this statement in his letter to the Christians at Thessaloniki, “2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (I Thessalonians 5:2-3)

However, this does not seem to harmonize with what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24:

“33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:33-39)

“All these things” in verse 33 of this passage refers to the previous verses of chapter 24 where Jesus had just finished giving His disciples signs to look for leading up to His return. If Jesus told His followers there would be signs leading up to His second coming how then would it be unexpected? I believe the answer to this apparent discrepancy lies in the distinction the Bible makes between believers and unbelievers. In the same passage in Thessalonians mentioned above Paul delineates this difference:

“1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-11)

It comes down to a matter of belief versus unbelief. Paul wrote, “3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) The disciple John also contrasts those who believe in Jesus with those who don’t, “1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him…5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?…10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (I John 5:1,5,10-13) Those who believe are “children of the light” and will look for the signs that Jesus’ return is approaching. Those who don’t believe will reject the truth of God’s prophetic word and scoff at it, “3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (II Peter 3:3-7) Peter says that some unbelievers are willingly ignorant of the truth of God’s word. It seems that other unbelievers will be blinded to the prophetic signs of the end:

“1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (II Thessalonians 2:1-12)

Therefore, the coming of Jesus and the judgments of God will come unexpectedly to the world as it did in Noah and Lot’s day because the world will be blinded since they rejected the truth of God’s word. The apostle Peter alluded to this when he wrote, “5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an exsample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” ( II Peter 2:5-9) It seems that Noah preached the coming judgment of God but the world didn’t believe him.

Jesus’ mention of Noah and Lot in conjunction with the End-Times begs the question “Why did God judge the world in Noah’s case and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s case?” The Bible answers both of these questions. The flood judgment came because:

“5 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. 6 And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7)

The judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah occurred because:

“20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know…1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” (Genesis 18:20-21,19:1-5)

“49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” (Ezekiel 16:49-50)

“7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude vs.7)

In the case of the flood, God judged the world because it was filled with wickedness and was obsessed with committing evil continually. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah because of pride, gluttony, laziness, oppression of the poor, and the abominable sin of homosexuality.

The prophet Jeremiah declared, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Humans have always sinned against the Lord throughout history. Why didn’t God judge every generation of humanity that has ever existed? The Bible makes it clear that God is longsuffering and merciful to His creation. However, when He determines that a situation’s cup of sin is full then He brings down His wrath. Before the flood wickedness in the earth was “great”. Sodom’s sin was “very grievous” to God. He told Abraham that his descendants would not inhabit the land of Canaan/Israel right away because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Genesis 15:16). Therefore His final judgment of the world will not occur until the world’s cup of wickedness is full. The question is how close are we to reaching the breaking point?

The world’s pride, like Sodom’s, is evident by its rejection of the truth of God’s word. Unrepentant sexual sin in general and homosexual sin in particular is rampant around the earth. Globalization is leading humanity away from reliance on God and more reliance on the world to govern itself. Killing of the unborn and oppression of the poor is widespread. And the world is beginning to curse the nation of Israel. In a prophetic reference concerning Israel (i.e. Abraham’s descendants) God made a promise, “3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” (Genesis 12:3) As I stated above, it would seem that God could have judged the world at any point in its history but its cup of wickedness never crossed God’s judgment threshold. However, it may be that we are either approaching or living in the “Days of Noah and Lot.” Only our Father in heaven knows.

Jesus gave another indication as to the timing of God, “14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14) With modern technology and globalization the preaching of the Gospel has been widespread throughout the earth. How many more people need to hear the Gospel before this prophecy is fulfilled? Only our Father in heaven knows.

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Joyful Firstfruits, Resurrection, and Easter Sunday: “Occupy till I come”

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

Link to Free Wheelchair Mission web site(Firstfruits, Resurrection, Easter Sunday – April 4, 2010) Nearly two thousand years ago God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the world to save mankind from its sins. In doing so God fulfilled many of the prophecies He had given to His people, the Jewish nation of Israel. Not only did Jesus fulfill more than a hundred prophecies concerning the suffering Messiah but He also embodied the Law of God which included the command to observe seven Feast or Holy Days. Jesus fulfilled the first four spring/summer Feasts with His first coming. He will fulfill the rest of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the victorious Messiah and the last three autumn feasts with His second coming.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth He showed His followers how they should live their lives until He comes again. He told a parable that illustrates this principle:

“10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 11 And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” (Luke 19:10-15)

In this parable Jesus is the nobleman, the citizens are the world, the servants are His followers (Christians), and the money represents the gifts and talents that He gave to those who believe in Him. Jesus was stating that He was going to go away but return one day. He was telling His followers that while He was away they were to Occupy or be about God’s business until He returned. I wrote an article about this issue called “Occupy till I come”. In that article I wrote, “For the last two-thousand years Christians have been occupied with spreading the gospel and helping those in need. Until Jesus does return, we still need to be occupied with the work of the Lord. As times get tougher we need to reach out to those who are hurting both spiritually and financially. At no time during Jesus’ ministry did He ever tell His followers to rely on the governments to meet their needs. When His disciples berated a woman for anointing Him with expensive oil He told them to leave her alone because “Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.” (Mark 14:7) Christians are to help and feed and clothe and shelter the poor. Jesus said His followers were to pray for and heal the sick. And He commanded us to lead people to eternal salvation through His sacrificial death and resurrection.”

Currently there are thousands of charitable Christian ministries attempting to meet the needs of a hurting world. Every Easter Sunday for the last twenty years or so our church has taken an offering and given the entire amount to a Christ-centered ministry to help those whose Easter may not be so joyful. Sometimes its a local inner city ministry or Christian mission that helps those who have dire spiritual and physical needs. We also offer free medical clinics to those who cannot afford to get the help they need. There are many other churches around the nation and world who are “occupying” in like manner. This year our church has chosen the Free Wheelchair Mission that provides wheelchairs to developing countries. They believe there are 100 million persons in the world who have to crawl along the ground if they are able to or have to spend 365 days a year inside a hut or hovel or shack without the means to get out. As with all human suffering the stories are tragic. Below is a video from this ministry:

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These wheelchairs were designed by an MIT graduate to be inexpensive and easily repairable in developing countries. They use mountain-bike tires to which most nations have access and plastic deck chairs that should last seven to ten years. They cost $59.20 per chair. So far this ministry has bestowed 500,000 of these wheelchairs on people around the world. A visiting minister to our church shared some stories about the impact this ministry has had on those who are in need of wheelchairs. A family used to take their daughter who couldn’t walk and set her on a garbage dump in order to scavenge for food or anything of value. Free Wheelchair Mission provided her with a chair. When they visited her a couple of years later she got up out of her wheelchair and started to walk. She had strengthened her legs by getting into and out of the chair and was able to walk by grabbing onto the back of the chair. Another story concerned a person who was unable to get out of their hovel for most of the year. With the wheelchair their family no longer had to carry them to move them about. To see a human being crawling along the ground to survive is heart-wrenching. I believe that one way Christians can occupy while waiting for the Lord Jesus to return is to give “legs” to people so they are able to get out and see other people and experience the beautiful side of God’s creation. When they asked the recipients of these wheelchairs what was the best part of being mobile most responded that it was great to feel the sunshine on their face. We live in a sinful and fallen world and Jesus said the poor we will have with us always and that we could help them whenever we wanted. I would encourage you to give the gift of the great outdoors and God’s creation to someone who is unable to experience it because they are physically impaired. May God bless you in this endeavor and may you hear that most coveted saying from the Lord Jesus Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew ch. 25)

Visit Free Wheelchair Mission web site

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Biblical prophecy fulfilled 2000 years ago

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Bethlehem from Shepherd's FieldBethlehem from Shepherd's Field

Bethlehem from Shepherd's Field


(December 25, 2009)  In the Book of Isaiah God declared, “9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)  Throughout the Bible God laid out His plans for the human race. Two thousand years ago He initiated the fulfillment of this plan by sending His Son to earth in the form of a divinely human child in Bethlehem. God stated through His prophet Micah that the Messiah would be born in the little town of Bethlehem, “2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)  Micah uttered this prophecy more than 700 years before God fulfilled it through the birth of His Son Jesus Christ in the town of Bethlehem. God used the most politically and militarily powerful man on earth at the time, the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, to fulfill this prophecy, “1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7) 

 The next stage in God’s plan was that He would redeem humankind from its sins by sending His Messiah to die a sacrificial death for it, “10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11) God spoke this prophecy through Isaiah 700 years before the world crucified Jesus because of its sinfulness.

The final stage in God’s plan calls for the return of the triumphant Messiah to judge and rule over the earth. There are many prophecies that speak of His return. Just as God fulfilled all the prophecies concerning the coming of the suffering Messiah, you may be assured that Jesus will return to fulfill all the prophecies of the victorious Messiah, “19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (II Peter 1:19-21)

May you have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

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