Sometimes, I like to do odd things. How about you?
I like to browse houses for sale. I just like houses. I have no intention of moving, but house browsing stirs my imagination.
I also like nature. Some may think it odd that I especially like the little ones in nature. I live in Florida, so we have lizards known as Anoles.
I love these little creatures. They live in our flower beds, under our patio furniture and on our walls. They will scurry about, darting from their hiding places to grab a gnat or a small flying bug and then run back to the sanctuary under an umbrella stand, or they lounge about in the hot sunshine.
Maybe not as weird, I like to watch the little rabbits that inhabit our shrubs, and birds of all kinds, from bald eagles to egrets to mocking birds and the smallest of sparrows. I love watching them play and discover their food. It entertains me and gives me a certain peace.
Moving away from nature, I like to read want ads. Now that is odd, because I am retired. Still, it is an interest to me. Odder yet, I especially like to read “pastor employment ads”. It fascinates me to read an ad placed by a small rural or semi-rural church detailing a lengthy ‘job’ responsibility list and their educational and previous experience requirements, typically a seminary degree and five or more years of experience, then offering a poverty-level pay range. I like the irony and sometimes a good laugh.
In addition to what I have already listed, many church ads will give a long list of ‘responsibilities’ which should, in effect, tell any potential applicant “we don’t really care about your education or experience or calling by God unless you can give us the rest of what we want in a preacher-pastor, and precisely the way we want it”.
You see, I love to be surprised, amazed, astounded and entertained. It reminds me of a verse from 1 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires.”
Interestingly, the very Bible these churches preach, says “But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12).
The church, according to several polling and statistical surveys from reputable organizations, tell us that the post-modern Church is in serious decline (see “Is Church membership really in a serious decline?”)
Could it be because most people are not living on ‘blind faith’ alone, and are smart enough to see through the hype, entertainment and words of appeal to “Come join us”, and realize that something isn’t squaring up?
The Bible warns against this type of hypocrisy and disobedience. It also warns that this day was coming.
Take heart, though. There are many good and faithful Churches with good and faithful servants of God, also known as pastors. “You will know them by their fruits”.
One last odd thing I like. I really like going to Church. I say odd, because it is something that most people don’t do anymore, but I love it. You see, I have found a Church, a fellowship of believers, that really strives to live out the life of Jesus and to do His bidding (follow His commandments).
Matthew 13:24, “Jesus put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, Verse 25, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. Verse 26. So, when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. Verse 27. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ Verse 28. He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So, the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ Verse 29. But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Verse 30. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
This is a prophetic and instructional warning given by Jesus to His disciples (and all future disciples, i.e., Christians). Jesus spoke these words in or around 29 C.E. Matthew recorded this event in or around A.D. 60. These dates are especially important when considering the timing of the tribulation periods as this is a reference to the coming 5th Seal of the Tribulation. (Read to the end to see how Jesus explains this parable of the weeds.)
The Apostle Paul says this (of the coming 5th Tribulation Seal):
2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering togethertoHim,
(First, please note that this is a direct reference to the time just after the 5th tribulation seal and the instant of the 5th tribulation seal:
Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Verse 31. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”)
Continuing with 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 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. (“The Day of the Lord” is the Great Tribulation which is a 7 year period which begins with the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal).
Verse 3. “No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless theapostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, verse 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.”
Paul makes a direct mention that BEFRORE the Day of the Lord, the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal and during the 5th tribulation seal, the Apostasy is completed.)
Outlined, verse by verse, makes this easier to understand; just read slowly and take it at face value.
1. With regard to the coming of our Lord and the gathering together to Him
2, Do not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
*5. For the day of our Lord and the gathering together to Him will not come unless the man of lawlessness is revealed
6. The man of lawlessness is the son of destruction, (verse 4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,
7. He takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
WHAT IS THE APOSTASY: In Christianity, Apostasy is the rejection of Christianity by someone who formerly was a Christian.
The title of this article might suggest that misbehavior and apostasy is a recent malaise of the church. Apostasy, from the Greek word, “apostasia”, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.”
The term apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia, meaning defection, departure, revolt or rebellion. It has been described as “a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christianity.
Revelation 6:9, tells us, that, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; Verse 10, and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Verse 11. And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”
Matthew 24:9, also tells us that one sign of the 5th Tribulation Seal is being broken and reason for a ‘falling away from the faith’ is, “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Verse 10. And at that time many will fall away from the faith, and they will betray one another and hate one another. Verse 11, And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. Verse 12. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.”
Even now, before the great persecution of Christians has reached the Western world, Pew Research and Barna Research, both, are revealing what the corporate Church is unwilling to admit, that many are leaving the church and are not returning. But, the other half of this ‘equation’ is that many are LEAVING THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS – that is, they are falling away from the faith – but they are staying in the church .
This “falling away from the faith”, as told by Pew and Barna research, alone, may not signal what prophetic scriptures has foretold regarding the “Great Falling Away” (The Great Apostasy) but, considering everything that has already come to pass (the breaking of the first four Tribulation Seals) you can be confident this is what is prophesied.
Just prior to this falling away from the faith, Jesus warns, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people”, (Matthew 24:4-5). False teachers may not say the exact words, “I am Jesus”, but they will claim to represent Jesus and His Gospel, and will mislead many people. Institutional deception is our greatest threat.
I have personally experienced pulpit bullies, false teachers, apostates and heretics in our postmodern church. Many of these men seem to have started right, but, over time, their ‘true selves’ emerged, and they are the ravenous wolves which scriptures warn about:
Matthew 7:15-23says, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
This is being seen in the Church of the 20st and 21st centuries. Please review this timeline progression of the Church falling into apostasy:
AD 1 The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth. The Church was a Movement.
Although the penalty for becoming a Christian was often death. The Church grew exponentially.
AD 49. The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. The Church grew and size and influence.
AD 313. The Church expanded into Rome and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380. The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607. The Church reaches America.
AD 1681. The Church became corporate. It had became a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777. The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
AD 1894. The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954. The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
AD 1968. The church ordains homosexuals as clergy.
AD 1972. The United church of christ ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2010. The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2012. The Presbyterian church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2021. The church is losing and has lost influence. The church in 2021 is losing members and adherents. (George Barna research; Pew Research)
AD 2023. Much of the current-day church is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles.
JESUS EXPLAINS THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS OF THE FIELD
Matthew 13:36, “Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” Verse 37. He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Verse 38. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, Verse 39, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Verse 40. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. Verse 41. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, Verse 42, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Verse 43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
FAITHFUL AND WISE
Matthew 24:45, “Who then is the faithful and wiseservant*, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
The Reward of the Faithful Servant
They were all called ‘servants’ but only the ones who did what the Master said are rewarded. The wicked disobedient will be cut to pieces and put with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
THEY ARE ALL CALLED VIRGINS
Matthew 25:1, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves. ’And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The Punishment of the Wicked
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
THEY ARE ALL CALLED SERVANTS
Matthew 25:14, “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of thoseservants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Rewards of the Faithful and the Punishment Fearful Servants
They were all called ‘servants’ of the Master. But only the faithful are rewarded and the fearful are counted as worthless and are cast into the outer darkness.
THE SHEEP FROM THE GOATS
Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Final Judgment
The faithful sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The sheep who showed compassion, mercy and servanthood are welcomed into the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world.
The unfaithful goats on His left are told to depart from Him, and are called cursed, and sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels
WHO SHOULD HEAR THIS AND HEED HIS WORDS?
Pastors: Prepare those in your charge. Teach this to them. Remind them. Warn them. Encourage them. You are to watch over and to care for the flock of Jesus. It is not yours to judge or to remove them. Please remember that you are being held to a higher accountability.
If we are to consider ourselves as followers of Jesus, that is as Christians, then let’s check ourselves to insure that our faith is not without works, otherwise that faith is dead. Let’s be found doing what Jesus teaches in the way and in the spirit He commands. Otherwise, we may be deluding ourselves and will be found out at the time of the judgment as being among the ‘tares and weeds’, counted amount the ‘foolish’ and of the ‘goats’ to be separated and ‘sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’.
In case you might have doubted how far the Church has drifted from her holy moorings of the Gospel, please read the following by Pastor, Dr. A.W. Tozer, (1897 – 1963), an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor, who, for his accomplishments received honorary doctorates from Wheaton and Houghton colleges.
(This article first appeared in the Alliance Witness magazine in 1946)
ALL UNANNOUNCED AND MOSTLY UNDETECTED, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.
From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and
from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique, a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.
The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam’s proud flesh it
meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by
the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is
a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good
clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His
life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he
takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of
singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.
The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach.
The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life
can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key
into public interest in showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level.
Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.
The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a
cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the
self-assertive, it says, “Come and assert yourself for Christ.” To the egotist, it says, “Come and do your boasting in the Lord.” To the thrill seeker, it says, “Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship.” The Christian message is
slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.
The philosophy behind this kind of thing may be sincere, but its sincerity
does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses
completely the whole meaning of the cross.
The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of
a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.
The race of Adam is under a death sentence. There is no one to commute it and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.
That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and
the ways of men are false to the bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The
faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to
Christ, we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the
cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.
We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations
agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not
imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out
of death. It always stands on the far side of the cross. Whoever would
possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God’s just sentence against him.
What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he
must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake
himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God’s stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.
Having done this, let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Savior, and
from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that
ended, the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.
To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of
truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul’s day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God’s approval.
Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we
with our stubby pencils, erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern
shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross, and we will know the old power.
SOURCE – The Alliance Witness magazine.
End Note:
I, and some of my friends, have been personally attacked by many pastors and ‘church leaders’ over the years, for pointing out the spiritual and moral drift of the postmodern Church. The Bride of Christ is being sullied by the teaching and example of these same pastors, preachers and Bible teachers, who willingly and enthusiastically teach and encourage following a false gospel. But far worse, the Bride is being soiled by the Christians who endorse these false teachers by their own lackadaisical and errant attitudes and behaviors, which are defiantly on full public display.
The day of our Lord’s return is near – it could happen at any time. Please, let’s set our course to return to the ways of Jesus, so the watching world can see. No more compromising. No more self-serving. Let’s work out our salvation with holy fear and trembling before His Cross.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts; There is no one who does good. (Psalm 14:1)
I am talking with a ‘friend’ and an acquaintance who claims to be a Physicist. In fact, he has a Ph.D. in Economics, an M.S. in systems engineering and a B.S. in Physics. He hails from Bolivia but has resided in and is a citizen of the United States since his youth. He is a staunch Socialist and a democrat, and although he claims to be a trained scientist, his life work has been in economics.
During one conversation, he asked me if I believed in an afterlife? I answered that I am a Christian and that I firmly believe in an afterlife, for good or for harm, depending on what one believes. I told him that If you believe in Jesus as the Christ, then for good, if not then an eternal darkness of torment in the fires of hell.
He smiled, slyly, and scoffed. He then added that he was a Catholic at one time, but now he doubted that teaching. Still, it seems he has concocted a belief system of his own. One based on the influences of Catholicism and on his physics training, I suppose, which hast led him to believe in an afterlife. “After all,” he said, “Look at the magnificence of the universe of even the impossible complexities of the human eye.”
I asked him if, if that were true, if he believed in God? He shook his head in the negative, but said he believed in science and that the universe, in some magnificent way, preserved the essence of the soul of each human being after death.
I asked him where he got this idea, and if it came from his understanding of science, that he would please explain that to me. He said he could not.
I asked him if he had ever read anything by Paul Davies, specifically his book “The Mind of God”. (Davies is a British theoretical physicist with a doctorate in theoretical physics, and an astrobiologist who contributed to scholarly and popular debate on issues such as the origin of life and extraterrestrial intelligence. Davies became interested in quantum field theory and curved space-time, and focused much of his research in that area. He published The Physics of Time Asymmetry, the first of numerous books directed to his professional colleagues and to the public, in 1974. Davies then joined physicists Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, who were researching the thermodynamic properties of black holes.)
My friend had heard of Davies but had not read that book.
I explained that the book was hard for me to read and fully understand, but after a couple of tries, I got the idea that Davies believes that God is actually a cosmic harmonic and a math equation of sorts. In fact, Davies startling conclusion is that the universe is “no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces, and that the universe is a kind of gigantic computer. He says, “We are truly meant to be here.” By the means of science, we can truly see into the mind of God.
My friend, again, smiled wryly as if I had fallen into his line of thinking and ‘knowingly’ (and annoyingly) shakes his head in the affirmative while stroking his chin to project Stoic wisdom, I guess.
Then I asked him, “To what end?”
His eyes widened, and he asked me what I meant.
“So what?”, I asked. “If you have an afterlife, so what? Are you going to drift about the universe as formless, useless ‘stardust’ (as his hero Carl Sagan would say, we are all products of the stars)?”
I continued, “Can you imagine the horror of having consciousness, an awareness, but being trapped in an eternity with no purpose, no ability to think or reason or to interact with your surroundings? Just aimlessly drifting, forever”
I continued, “You scoff at the teachings of the Bible, the existence of God and of Jesus the Christ as being ‘unprovable’ religious fantasies, yet you make up a story about an afterlife that has no basis in fact, not even one scientific theory to support your self-made idea? Doesn’t that sound a bit, well, hypocritical for a scientist – and dangerous?”
“Dangerous?”, he queried?
“Yes, dangerous”, I replied. “You are, in essence, telling me that ‘your life choices and your core beliefs will determine your afterlife’. Imagine, further, if what you are saying is true. If so, and if the Bible is correct that your life choices and your core beliefs will determine your destiny, then your essence, that is your soul, will either go to be with God in a tangible spiritual paradise, (heaven), or you will be condemned to drift aimlessly in torment, darkness and hell. How do you reconcile that?”
My friend looked at me and had no answer. So, I prodded him, “Well, what do you do with that?” I asked. Still, just a blank and silent stare.
Finally, he defiantly repeated his earlier claim, “You can’t prove religion”.
“You are right that I cannot prove the mechanics of religion, or of Christianity in particular.” I said, “But, I can point you to the empirical evidence and the observable, tangible outcomes in changed lives through Jesus. There are millions upon millions of people’s lives that have been positively changed for the better – I am speaking, of course, about those who honestly gave their lives to God through faith in Jesus and truly followed Jesus and His teachings.
The Bible clearly teaches that if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; that is made safe, made spiritually healthy and made whole; rescued from perishing (into an outer darkness of torment, loneliness and pain) and delivered out of the dangers of the result of sin and faithlessness and brought into the safety, the light, the provisions and privileges of the presence of God.
And, if that isn’t proof enough, my friend, then you will have to stick with your ‘idea’ that God is a giant cosmic 3-D computer.”
My friend guided us away from our conversation with a closing (and a very un-scientist-like, close minded) remark, “I am a scientist and I believe in science. The universe will work things out to an end”.
I like and care about my friend, but the Bible says, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Unfortunately, my friend is a nihilist. I pray for him. He is close to knowing, but he is blinded to the Truth by science and Satan. He has no hope, at this point, except for an eternal end with no destiny and no purpose.
My friend, and most in our world are turning away from the God of the Bible, in record numbers, just as the Bible said it would happen in these last days. (see the Great Apostasy). The Bible also warns that God’s judgment – The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord – will soon follow.
Perhaps this will help the rest of us to see why our world, which has come to depend almost solely on science, technology and government as our saviors, has lost its civility and morality and is spiraling out of control.
Friends, if you choose, you can see that this world age is hurtling toward its cataclysmic end – that is if you believe the Bible – and I do believe it. The Bible provides us with ample evidence through prophecies and the corresponding historical events (which have come to pass with exacting accuracy), to lead us to the undeniable and inevitable conclusion that The End of the Age is near.
Let the Light of Christ shine through your life and your lips proclaim His mercy and His Great Gift of Salvation. Jesus has told us that anyone who will trust in Him, can have His peace to protect them. Peace, and not as the world gives, but His peace and security. He has overcome this world.
(It is sweeping America and Influencing the church)
(Please note: It is not enough too just to know what you are about to read, but you need to know how it affects you, your family and our world – AND HOW TO RESPOND. I am providing information about ‘Woke-ism” and “Paganism”, how to protect yourself and your family and what you can do about it).
It may seem strange to use the word, “Pagan”, to describe someone or an entire group of people. It is such a misunderstood and archaic term. But it is exactly the right word to use here.
Pagans are diverse and varied people. The term Pagan comes from the Latin word paganus, which means “country dweller”; paganism can refer to polytheism, (the belief in many gods), or the worship of more than one god, such as in ancient Rome. A pagan is also considered to be one who, for the most part, has no religion and indulges in worldly delights and material possessions; someone who revels in sensual pleasures; a hedonistic or self-indulgent individual.
Another, more modern term is neo-paganism, which refers to some of the contemporary forms of paganism such as Wicca, and Druidry.
Modern “pagan” practices are actually similar to their ancient counterparts in that they rely heavily on hedonism—sensual gratification and self-indulgence, and the pursuit of happiness and pleasure to the exclusion of everything else. In ancient times, sexual ceremonies were a major part of pagan religions. The Old Testament references these perverted religions in such passages as Deuteronomy 23:17, Amos 2:7–8, and Isaiah 57:7–8.
Though they are numerous and varied in their practices and beliefs, pagans do hold to some similar beliefs. For example:
The physical world is a good place, one to be taken pleasure in by everyone.
• Everyone is considered to be part of this Mother Earth.
• Divinity reveals itself in every facet of the world.
• Every being, man and animal, is a derivative of the Divine. As such, all are gods and goddess.
• Most pagan religions do not have gurus or messiahs.
• Doctrine is superseded by one’s own responsibility.
• Solar and lunar cycles are significant in pagan worship.
From a Christian viewpoint, pagans are generally characterized as those who are caught up in any religious ceremony, act, or practice that is not distinctly Christian, whereas some argue that a pagan can be anyone with no religion at all.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Furthermore, since they, (pagans), did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done”(Romans 1:28).
In spite of common assumptions, most pagan ‘worshipers’ claim they don’t believe in Satan. However, there’s no question that Satan is their chief source of influence and control. Though they will deny it, they deify him in their worldly and sensual practices. Paul tells us plainly how Satan works in the lives of people without God, through his power, his signs, his deceit, and his lies.
Finally, Pagans can seem to be good guys, too, (but don’t let appearances fool you. And, a lot of those who appear to be ‘good guys and gals’ won’t escape God’s coming wrath).
However, let’s remember, as Christians, our quarrel is not with the flesh and blood person. Our quarrel is with “the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” that directs their thoughts and actions.
(It can be a tough distinction to make when you are face-to-face with a quarrelsome and antagonistic person, or when interacting with a ‘free spirit’ type who lives only for fun and pleasure and finds any discipline too restrictive. It helps to relax and remember, “IT IS GOD’S JOB TO SAVE THEM”. You and I are just the messenger.)
Generally, paganism, as it appears in politics, religion, education, science, medicine and in society has the following opinions or policies as opposed toBiblical teachings:
Paganism advocates for the legalization of same-sex marriage – God created males and females, alone, to be married.
Paganism advocates for the abolition of the death penalty – The Bible allows the death penalty for certain crimes.
Paganism advocates for open and unrestricted immigration – The Bible allows for ‘borders’ but calls on believers to care for the foreigner and alien.
Paganism advocates for increased taxation on the rich – The Bible encourages and teaches reliance on God and equal treatment, including taxation.
Paganism advocates for Globalization and a One World Authority (Government) – The Bible warns of a coming, deadly, One World Authority (led by the anti-Christ and another beast-of-a-man).
Paganism advocates for the reordering of society modeled after Marxism-Communism and Socialism – The Bible teaches a God-reliance government and rejects elitist authoritarianism (See the Tower of Babel).
Paganism advocates for an Elitist Central governance – The Bible teaches and strongly suggests a representative style of government.
Paganism advocates for a Marxist-Communist-Socialist government control of the economy – the Bible teaches personal responsibility and suggests a free market style of economy.
Paganism advocates for a strong and powerful welfare state – The Bible teaches that the Church and Christians are primarily responsible for the widow, the orphan and the needy.
Paganism advocates that there should be no free trade – The Bible encourages Free trade and entrepreneurialism.
Paganism advocates for ‘Religion’ separate and abolished from government – The Bible teaches a system of representative government that relies on Biblical principles and reliance on God.
Paganism advocates for free and unrestricted abortion – The Bible teaches protecting life, especially children and babies.
Paganism advocates for government control through a heavy and progressive tax system – The Bible sets standards of fair and equitable taxation.
Paganism advocates for the abolition of capitalism – The Bible teaches the rejection of Socialist style economies.
Paganism advocates that the government should shape all aspect of life – Individuals, families and the Church should influence and shapes all aspects of life.
Paganism advocates for restricted personal freedoms as dictated by government officials – The Bible teaches Jesus came to set us free for freedom’s sake.
Paganism advocates for the abolition of religion or restructuring of religion through ecumenicalism with government oversight – Rejection of all false religions (those outside Christianity).
Paganism advocates for minorities populations to be shown unbalanced favor to amend for perceived past inequities (reparations) – The Bible teaches true equality.
Paganism advocates that the private sector reports to government to restrict private equity growth – Government should have no part in private sector matters.
Paganism advocates for LBGQT and transgender rights superior to personal rights – The Bible teaches loving the sinner, but that those who practice LBGQT and transgenderism will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Paganism stands diametrically opposed to Christianity on almost each and every issue. Although the Bible teaches Christians should be at peace with all people whenever and wherever possible, it is easy to see why the Pagans among us have declared war on Christianity. (See “The Global March to Marxist-Communism, a.k.a., Paganism”).
Finally, here are two great articles and videos from The Fuel Project to help inform you and to guide you in a Biblical Christian response to the very real and present threat.
Together in the Bonds of Christ – Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Please see the articles and videos below:
“Know Your Enemy”
Exploring The New World Order From A Christian Perspective
The name Babylon occurs in the Bible almost three-hundred times. The majority of those references are in the Old Testament – and with good reason. It was the first great city of the world. However, Babylon is much more than this. The Bible clearly and intriguingly states that “Mystery Babylon” is also the source of all abominations of the Earth (Revelation 17:5) – a fountainhead of evil that began flowing through history thousands of years ago and which profoundly impacts the world today…in ways many don’t realize. Indeed, Revelation tells us that “Mystery Babylon” will survive until the end of time, when God finally judges it with terminal violence.
This series is a walk-through history that follows the threads, exposes the idolatry, the symbolism and thought-processes that originated in Babylon. We discover its influence in all false religion, astrology, freemasonry, world-famous landmarks, the theory of evolution, philosophy, the United Nations, the European Union and much more. We discover that ever since God scattered the Babylonians from the Tower of Babel back in Genesis 11, it has been Satan’s intention to reverse the process and bring the whole world back together again under a single world system, ruled by the Antichrist. Above all we learn how to recognize our enemy so that we will not be deceived and instead live with faith, hope, love and courage in the face of Babylon’s demonic schemes.
TRENCH – A Christian Guide to the Culture War
Covid. Globalism. Cancel Culture. Gender and Transgender Confusion. Cultural Marxism. Authoritarian Government. The Rise of China. Climate Change. Black Lives Matter. The Great Reset. Feminism. Migration Crises. Immorality. Safetyism.
In this book and series we unfold a Biblical theory by which to understand all these issues and more, explain why the political left and right are so divided, and help Christians navigate the times in which we live.
The preachers said, “Everybody close your eyes. Nobody looking around. If you want to be saved today, just raise up your hand and put it right back down. I see that hand. I see that hand too. Anyone else? (after a short pause). Okay, pray this prayer after me, ‘I am a sinner. I confess my sins and turn away from them. I will follow Jesus and obey Him from this day forward. Amen’. Congratulations, you are now part of the family of God. Pick up some free literature we have for you and meet me up here for a few minutes so we can talk.”
How could it be easier?
I heard a well-known and beloved pastor speak on being ‘saved by grace through faith in Christ’. He used the example of the thief on the cross, next to Jesus at His crucifixion. He mocked the idea that anyone need to know anything more than Jesus to be saved. But he neglected to emphasize the difficult conditions for the thief that brought him to his spiritual senses. He was at death’s door, hanging publicly on a crucifixion cross. It is true that he could have chosen to die and perish. But his circumstances were a world away from sitting in the comfortable church pew. He was clear in his mind that he was face-to-face with eternity as he made his choice. The fact that others saw him publicly make his choice meant nothing to him. His life and eternity were on the line.
It is absolutely true that one is ‘saved by God’s Grace through their faith in Jesus’, but the road to that truth, to that reality, is often paved with difficulties of trials and great tribulation. And the cost was, is and continues to be a supreme factor.
Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, gave up His life so you could live free from the effects of sin, condemnation and shame.
The price of this salvation is that you surrender your life to Jesus, in return – no matter how shattered or how secure your life is, you must surrender all you know, all you have and all that you are to enter into this most sacred covenantal relationship with God – and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
You must follow and obey Him, reaching and teaching others to do the same.
It can be a little more difficult to see your own mortality and the urgency of preparing for an eternity when you are sitting in a safe, comfortable church than having been tortured and left hanging on a pole, to die. And it is made even more questionable when the pastor urges you to ‘keep it a secret’.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Bible says, “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” – that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach– because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous–being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
“For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED [in his expectations].” For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer]. For “WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [in prayer] WILL BE SAVED.”
Notice in each of the Biblical examples of salvation, all were public in nature; all were in difficult circumstances; each admitted their inability to save themselves; they repented of their current life and confessed and believed in Jesus.
The salvation of Zacchaeus
Jesus Christ entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man called Zacchaeus. He was a rich chief tax collector. And he wanted to see who Jesus was, but because of the crowd, he could not, for he was small in stature. So, Zacchaeus ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree (very public) to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So, he hurriedly came down and received him with joy. And when the Jews saw it, they all grumbled (gladly endured or ignored ridicule), “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to Jesus, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (repented of his former life and paid a price) And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)
The salvation of the criminal on the cross
Two others, who were criminals, were led away (faced with the reality of death and eternity) to be put to death with Jesus. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there the Roman soldiers crucified Him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. One of the criminals who were on the cross railed at Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him and said, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; (confessed his sins, publicly) but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he also added, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (called on Jesus).” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-43)
The salvation of the jailor
While in prison, about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, such that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself (The jailer came face-to-face with his fate), supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (The jailer made his choice of either death or of life)” And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of God to him and to all who were in his house. And he took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and gave them food. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (Acts 16:25-34)
The salvation of Sergius Paulus
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Paul went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they preached God’s word in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet called Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who invited Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas (Bar-Jesus) the magician opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said to him, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand.(he paid a price; made a choice) Then the proconsul believed in Jesus, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the word of God. (Acts 13:4-12)
The salvation of Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
Saul was a Judaizer who was hell-bent on persecuting the disciples of Jesus Christ. His passion was to keep the Mosaic law and make sure no other way of worship contends with it.
“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord [and relentless in his search for believers], went to the high priest, and he asked for letters [of authority] from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there belonging to the Way [believers, followers of Jesus the Messiah], men and women alike, he could arrest them and bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem.
As he traveled he approached Damascus (Very Public), and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him [displaying the glory and majesty of Christ]; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?” And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him [were terrified and] stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; (Saul paid a price) so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.
Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he answered, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for he is praying [there], and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him, so that he may regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, especially how much suffering and evil he has brought on Your saints (God’s people) at Jerusalem; and here [in Damascus] he has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call on Your name [confessing You as Savior].”
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a [deliberately] chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will make clear to him how much he must suffer and endure for My name’s sake.” So, Ananias left and entered the house, and he laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came [to Damascus], has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit [in order to proclaim Christ to both Jews and Gentiles]. (Saul repented of his old life) ” Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized; and he took some food and was strengthened.
Your experience may differ, you may escape the torture of a criminal’s crucifixion, the ignominy of climbing a tree in public to see Christ, or being struck blind by the Light of God, but the cost of such a great salvation is always the same:
Being saved is a public covenant with God.
Being saved requires coming to grips with sins and your mortality.
Being saved requires forsaking your old life and humble submission to God through faith in Jesus.
Being saved requires you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, publicly.
Being saved requires that you follow Jesus in humble obedience.
(‘Slipping you hand up and right back down’ in secret, probably won’t get it done.)
Nothing in life or death which is cheap or easy carries any lasting value. And, there is nothing easy or cheap our God’s grace and offer of freedom through salvation which comes from your faith in Jesus’ Work on the cross, on your behalf.
God’s Salvation is the greatest Gift of all times. It is of inestimable value – and it is free to all who will accept it.
Let’s pray for one another as we go, and make disciples in Jesus Name, teaching them to do all He has taught us, and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – AMEN!
Spiritual gifts, (charismata) are an endowment or extraordinary powers given by the Holy Spirit.
These supernatural graces, are given to individual Christians by the Holy Spirit with the purpose of building up the Body of Christ which is The Church and are needed to fulfill the mission of the Church. Spiritual Gifts enable Christians to serve the Lord and His Church.
Two important Truths have been lost over time, and this loss is rendering God’s Church as less effective in Her mission and, is in fact, soiling His Bride:
Truth #1. Many in the Church have become grossly “self-serving”.
It is through Spiritual Gifts that God empowers and enables us to serve Him and to serve His Church, which is His Body. We are, as Christians, to serve the Lord and His Church.
Jesus, Himself, said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
That is our calling also. We are not here to be served, but we are here to serve.
Truth #2. You and I are The Body of Christ, that is, we are “The Church”.
We have become accustomed, over the last two millennia (beginning with Constantine) with the idea that we ‘go to church’, but that is impossible in God’s Kingdom and in His economy because we are The Church (see ‘The False Church Emerges’).
Jesus created His Church, His Body, and made it so the whole Body fits together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
The Holy Spirit guides us, convict us, defends us and empowers us.
Jesus transformed the practice and attitude of ‘going to church’. He also teaches about not allowing external things to convict or to defend us. We are to depend on and call upon the Holy Spirit for those things. Jesus has told us that His laws are now written upon our hearts and in our consciences.
We must BE the Body of Christ, that is, The Church, and be striving to behave as such – or you must realize that you simply are not following Jesus.
No matter what we say we believe or tell others, if we are not at least trying to serve Him through our obedience, we are not His follower. Yes, you are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and called to serve. But, we don’t GO to church – we ARE God’s church, alive, active and on the move!
With this in mind, one of the first things Jesus’ said to His disciples was, “Repent”, Then, we are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded you.
These foregoing things are the ‘main things’ taught by Jesus. How often does your pastor teach and demonstrate these things?
The final question is how often do you do what Jesus and the Bible teaches? I know you must be a good person, a nice person, a Christian person, but are you doing what Jesus and the Bible teaches or what your denomination, preacher and church teaches, and are they one-and-the-same?
“OUR PASTOR TEACHES and OUR DENOMINATION TEACHES”
Your pastor probably teaches the Bible. There is a way to tell for certain. First, answer these questions:
Question #1: And when Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him…then, in Matthew 21:28-30, Jesus asks, “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
Question #2: Are you practicing, (that is doing), what Jesus and the Bible teach or are you practicing the culture, doctrines and practices of your pastor and your denomination?
Question #3: Next, tell me how you and your church members practice what is taught in the Bible? For example, tell me about the ‘normal year’ in your church.
You go to services on Sunday (and/or another day or evening)?
You have Sunday school classes?
You have special holiday services?
You have mission trips for the laity?
You have special speakers (evangelists, etc.) or special singing groups at your church?
You visit those who visited your church?
You give offerings and tithes?
(Now, please, find each of the foregoing items in the Bible being taught as ‘The Main Things’ Jesus commanded us to be doing. If you cannot…….).
Question #4: Finally, what is/are your spiritual gift(s)? And, how, when and how often do you use them? (This is THE critical question in this process).
Not all of us have the spiritual gift of evangelism or teacher or that of a pastor, but we all have spiritual gifts, and we GO and make disciples, teaching them under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit through our spiritual gifts. We are enabled by the Holy Spirit through His spiritual gifts to us to fulfill our role in the Great Commission.
(If you do not know or do not have a Spiritual Gift………..?)
We, the Church, are fitted together through these Gifts to serve and go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded you.
Here is a list of the Gifts which God gives His Body. See if you can find which gift or gifts are yours. Can you imagine how different things would be in The Church and the world around us if we engaged and used these Gifts, daily?
Prophecy Word of wisdom Apostle Apostle
Serving Word of knowledge Prophet Prophet
Teaching Faith Teacher Evangelist
Exhortation Gifts of healing Miracles Pastor
Giving Miracles Kinds of healing Teacher
Overseer Prophecy Helps
Mercy Distinguishing spirits Administration
Tongues Tongues
Interpretation of tongues
(Again, we were not given these gifts to serve ourselves, but to serve God, His Church and complete His Mission.)
Each person uses his or her Spiritual Gift(s) to lead others to Christ, and to teach them what He has taught to you.
Now, in answer to the question “who did their father’s will, “They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”
Let’s pray for one another that we not be found lacking on that day.
Half of Christians say casual sex – defined in the survey as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship – is sometimes or always acceptable.
Six-in-ten Catholics (62%) take this view, as do 56% of Protestants in the historically Black tradition, 54% of mainline Protestants and 36% of evangelical Protestants.
Among those who are religiously unaffiliated, meanwhile, the vast majority (84%) say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable,
including roughly nine-in-ten atheists (94%) and
agnostics (95%) who say this.
The religiously unaffiliated, also known as “nones,” are those who describe themselves, religiously, as atheist, agnostic or as “nothing in particular.”
Today, 176 million Americans claim to be Christians—69% of the population. Yet, only 6% of U.S. adults—which is 9% of those identifying as Christians—possess a biblical worldview, believing the Bible to be accurate and reliable, among other convictions.
That’s according to a new study by researcher George Barna and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona.
Large majorities of self-identified Christians also report many beliefs “not in harmony with biblical teaching,” according to the survey. These include:
72% argue that people are basically good
66% say that ‘having faith’ matters more than which faith you pursue
64% say that all religious faiths are of equal value
58% believe that if a person is good enough, or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven
57% believe in karma
By contrast, the survey cohort termed as Integrated Disciples—a small subset of those claiming to be Christians—are noted as being consistent in their beliefs and integrating those convictions into their behaviors.
99+% believe that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful and just Creator of the universe who still rules the universe today
99+% believe that the Bible is the accurate and reliable words of God
96% claim that every moral choice either honors of dishonors God
However, Barna’s survey finds that even some believers classified as part of this highly discipled cohort hold to some views that “challenge biblical principles.” Those “shocking” beliefs of Integrated Disciples include:
52% argue that people are basically good
39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity
33% believe in karma
“There is a remarkable level of self-deception (even among) born-again Christians,” said Barna, commenting on his recent worldview research. “It represents a huge educational challenge for those responsible for biblical worldview development.”
Many postmodern churches are teaching a type of gospel that does not conform to the Bible and, in fact, reveals many of the traits and teachings of Paganism. Likewise, a majority of people claiming the name of Christian may not be Christians at all. Many postmodern Christians don’t fully believe the Bible and practice aspects of Paganism.
Pagan comes from the Latin word paganus, which means “country dweller”; paganism can refer to polytheism, (the belief in many gods), or the worship of more than one god, such as in ancient Rome. A pagan is also considered to be one who, for the most part, has no religion and indulges in worldly delights and material possessions; someone who revels in sensual pleasures; a hedonistic or self-indulgent individual. Another, more modern term is neo-paganism, which refers to some of the contemporary forms of paganism such as Wicca, Druidry, and Gwyddon.
Modern “pagan” practices are actually similar to their ancient counterparts in that they rely heavily on hedonism—sensual gratification and self-indulgence and the pursuit of happiness and pleasure to the exclusion of everything else. In ancient times, sexual ceremonies were a major part of pagan religions. The Old Testament references these perverted religions in such passages as Deuteronomy 23:17, Amos 2:7–8, and Isaiah 57:7–8.
Though they are numerous and varied in their practices and beliefs, pagans do hold to some similar beliefs. For example:
• The physical world is a good place, one to be taken pleasure in by everyone.
• Everyone is considered to be part of this Mother Earth.
• Divinity reveals itself in every facet of the world.
• Every being, man and animal, is a derivative of the Divine. As such, all are gods and goddess.
• Most pagan religions do not have gurus or messiahs.
• Doctrine is superseded by one’s own responsibility.
• Solar and lunar cycles are significant in pagan worship.
From a Christian viewpoint, pagans are generally characterized as those who are caught up in any religious ceremony, act, or practice that is not distinctly Christian. Correspondingly, Jews and Muslims also use the term pagans to describe those outside their religion. Others define the term paganism as any religion outside of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity; whereas some argue that a pagan is anyone with no religion at all.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Furthermore, since they, (pagans), did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28).
In spite of common assumptions, most pagan worshipers claim they don’t believe in Satan. However, there’s no question that Satan is their chief source of influence and control. Though they will deny it, they deify him in their worldly and sensual practices. Paul tells us plainly how Satan works in the lives of people without God, through his power, his signs, his deceit, and his lies:
“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).
That Satan is alive and well is powerfully evidenced in these pagan practices. This was not only clear in the times of the first-century church, but also in today’s postmodern world. To the faithful believers who know the Lord, pagan worship is what it appears to be—the power and deceit of the prince of this world, Satan (1 John 5:19), who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). As such, paganism should be avoided.
CHRISTIANITY
According to Wikipedia, Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world’s largest religion, with about 2.5 billion followers. Its adherents, known as Christians, make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament in Christianity) and chronicled in the New Testament.
According to CARM (Christian Apologetics And Research Ministry), Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus. Jesus is the Christ. The word “Christ” means anointed one. Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Jesus is the anointed one from God the Father who came to this world, fulfilled the Old Testament laws and prophecies, died on the cross, and rose from the dead physically. He performed many miracles that were recorded in the Gospels by the eyewitnesses. He is divine in nature as well as human. Thus, He has two natures and is worthy of worship and prayer.
According to GotQuestions.Org,, the term Christianity seems to imply a religious system in the same way that Islam and Buddhism are religious systems. Within religious systems are core beliefs, along with codes, rules, and standards that must be mastered in order to achieve a desired end. Christianity does not fit that definition and therefore the term can be slightly misleading.
Jesus did not come into the world to start another religion. There were already plenty of religions (see Acts 17:22–23), including Judaism, which had begun as a relationship with Almighty God (Leviticus 20:12) but had deteriorated into another religious system on par with idol worship (Matthew 15:8). Jesus came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37), to seek and to save the lost—those separated from God by their sin (Luke 19:10)—and to “give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:32). With that said, those who follow Christ do share some core beliefs.
Biblically speaking, Christians are those who are forgiven of their sins and who have entered a personal relationship with Almighty God through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 10:9–10). In order to become a Christian, a person must fully accept as part of his or her own personal worldview the following core beliefs:
The physical world is a good place, one to be taken pleasure in by everyone.
The physical world is fallen and, for now, is ruled by Satan. (1 John 5:19)
There is pleasure to be found in the world, but as Christians we are strangers to this world, scattered about, being distressed by various trials for the proving of our faith until Jesus returns. (1 Peter 1:1-9, Matthew 24:29-31)
Everyone is considered to be part of this Mother Earth.
Divinity reveals itself in every facet of the world.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun. (Psalms 19:1-4), but the Bible says we are to worship only God, and not to worship His creation (Romans 1:25).
Every being, man and animal, is a derivative of the Divine. As such, all are gods and goddess.
We are made in the image of God but with a flaw and afflicted by the curse of sin and condemned to eternal damnation. It is only by being born again by the Spirit of God by His grace and great mercy and through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, are we to be saved from destruction.
Some false religions and cults teach that we are ‘made in his image’ and that we become like gods. This is a twisting, a misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the Bible which says ‘we will become like Him’.
Most pagan religions do not have gurus or messiahs.
Again, scriptures say, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but ends in death.” Proverbs 14:12).
The Apostle Paul emphasizes “the whole counsel of God” as a way to affirm the completion of his duties toward the Ephesians and to remind them of the Truth, WHICH IS ALSO OURS TO AFFIRM TO THE WORLD AROUND US. Paul warns, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:29–31).
The whole counsel of God includes some things that are difficult to hear—the fact that we are dead in sin and deserving of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1–3) and the fact that we cannot save ourselves through works (Ephesians 2:8–9). The gospel is a call to repentance and faith. Believers will face persecution (John 16:33) and likely be considered foolish. But none of these things can dissuade us.
We should follow Paul’s example and also preach and live the whole counsel of God. All Scripture is inspired, and all of it is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). We must preach it and live it in its entirety and allow the Holy Spirit to use His sword as He sees fit (Ephesians 6:17). Paul did not share half-truths or only parts of the gospel; rather, he shared all of what God has revealed. We must do the same. (see GotQuestions.Org)
The Bible warns us of this ‘Deluding Influence’,“the mystery of lawlessness which is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He, (The Holy Spirit), is removed.Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thesslonians 2:7-12)
In these Last Days, as the Bible says, the spirit of antichrist is present. False christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, eventheelect. We must hold fast to the example of sound words which we have heard and in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Jesus says, “Iamthe way, and thetruth, and thelife, no one comes to theFather except through Me.” John 14:6
Let’s not forget to pray for one another as the Day of our Lord draws near.
The foregoing photo has great eye appeal when trying to describe a New Age One World church. But it is just a pictural metaphor. The REAL THING, however, is this:
Introducing themselves as a “Human Fraternity”, Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, issue and sign the Document on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is jointly bestowed on His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
Their stated mission is “to inspire all people to live the values of human fraternity.” Their statement goes on to say that, “we believe the values of the Document on Human Fraternity are key to promoting peace on all levels: between individuals, organizations, nations, and even between humanity and the environment. As our increasingly fragmented world continues to suffer from extremism and intolerance, our innovative initiatives aim to put human fraternity values into action by inspiring leaders and empowering youth, women, and vulnerable communities, to pursue and realize a more peaceful future.”
Granted, on the surface, these are worthy sounding goals. Problems emerge when you realize the endemic differences between Christianity, Islam and the Judaism in matters of faith and God and how those matters are played out in daily life. Most will say those differences are irreconcilable.
Inspired by the meeting between His Holiness Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, allocates a plot of land on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi to build an Abrahamic Family House – a concrete implementation and physical manifestation of the Document on Human Fraternity. These three religions will be represented in the construction this Abrahamic Family House, which is suggested be a ‘beacon of mutual understanding, harmonious coexistence, and peace among people of faith and goodwill’.
Three religions, Catholicism (1.2 billion), Islam, (1.9 billion), and Judaism, (15.2 million), are represented. What is glaringly absent is (non-Catholic) Christianity, (1.3 billion).
This cooperation or merger of religions is more than an a ‘document on human fraternity for world peace and living together’. This is a merging of three of the world’s most populous religions who, in one way or another, are historically in opposition to, or hostile to, the Superiority and Supremacy of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Lord and Savior of the World.
Catholicism clearly states supremacy and superiority lies within the Catholic Church. Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism are two different religions that practice and believe different things about how one is saved, the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of believers, the nature of man, the work of Christ on the cross, etc. The list of irreconcilable differences between what the Bible says and what the Roman Catholic Church says make any joint mission between the two impossible. Those who deny this are not being true to what they say they believe, no matter which side they are on. Any Catholic who is serious about his faith will reject what a serious evangelical Christian believes, and vice-versa.
Likewise, Judaism rejects Jesus as God and Savior or the world. Islam stands in opposition toward Christ and Christianity and advocates for the destruction and eradication of Israel.
It has begun. Governments and religions merge into a One World system. This is a “must watch” twenty-seven-minute video by David Rosenthal of Zion’s Hope Ministries, titled “The Mystery of Babylon” which highlights and explains the rebuilding of Islam’s Mecca as a leading shipping port, entertainment center and the premier Muslim religious site in the world with the intention of drawing millions of young people to Mecca.
Jesus tells us that He came into this world to testify to the truth, (John 18:37), and for that ‘crime’, He was spit on, mocked, criticized, hunted down, condemned, beaten and murdered.
Jesus was and is, to this very day, a threat. He is a threat to false religions including Gnosticism. He is a threat to a rebellious, stubborn, perverted and unbelieving world. He is a threat to paganism to hedonism, to all forms of Marxism including Globalism. Jesus is a threat to all forms of illnesses, diseases, sickness, poverty, loneliness and depression.
Greater yet, Jesus is the greatest Hope and Friend to the orphan, the widow, the oppressed, the lonely and the lost. He is The Merciful, Kind, Loving, Forgiving Savior offering His life to redeem a lost and perishing world.
Despite the fact that Jesus was a demonstrable threat to the rulers of this world, a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Gentile, His Church grew.
AD 1 The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth. The Church was a Movement.
Matthew 16:18, says, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. verse 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” verse 20. Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.”
Jesus said to “make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.”
Although the penalty for becoming a Christian was often death. The Church grew exponentially, creating the greatest threat ever to the rulers of darkness and of this world. But then, in or around AD 49 something began to change.
AD 49. The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. Still, the Church grew and size and influence.
The seeds of distortion were sown. Satan and the world knew they could not overcome Jesus directly, so the enemies of Christ appealed directly to the hearts and minds of sinful men with money, influence and power.
AD 313. The Church expanded into Rome and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380. The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607. The Church reaches America.
AD 1681. The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
But that was not enough. There are those who doubted that Jesus’ ways and methods could fulfill His Great Commission, so they would stop and nothing to make the Gospel and Jesus more palatable, more entertaining, more sensual.
The Corporate Church continued to grow but it needed money. Money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777. The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
The state sponsored 501(c)(3), ‘government leash’ was introduced and the Church willing submitted to this tether.
AD 1894. The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954. The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three-line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors began quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
The Bible tells of the beginnings of the idea of a One World Government and warns this system is coming again – in the Last Days.
“They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’
“The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
“The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” Genesis 11:4-6
DON’T BE DECEIVED
The agenda of this “migration” and Globalism or One World Government is not the stuff of just any book. It is stuff of THE BOOK, that is The Bible.
THE TOWER OF BABEL REEMERGES – ONE WORLD?
Genesis chapter 11 gives us the prophecy, the foreshadowing of the coming One World Government.
The Tower of Babel, built around 2242 B.C., was a post-Flood rebellion against God by Noah’s descendants. As told about in Genesis 11:1-9, it is meant to explain why the world’s peoples speak different languages. According to the account, a united humanity in the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar (שִׁנְעָר). There, they agree to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach heaven.
(NOTE: “tall enough to reach to heaven” can be a metaphor for “man reaching to heaven, making himself god, to accomplish his own desires. This is the ‘Utopian dream’ of the Socialist and Communist manifestos; the State being our god – from cradle to grave)
This effort of uniting in a global community has been underway for about 4,200 years, about 100 years after ‘The Flood’, but before Abraham was born.
This is ‘forecast’ or what is Prophesied in the Bible. Is it underway? Should we PREPARE? (More on this, later).
These are exciting times in which we live! But we must be prepared to ‘endure to the end’, most likely the end of the 5th Seal of Revelation, as Jesus said in Matthew 24. And by all accounts, it would seem we are at that stage!
AD 2010. The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2012. The Presbyterian church ordains homosexual clergy
Millions of people(approximately 52 million) “attend church” in one of the 300,000+ churches in America, at least once a week each month. However, when people were asked the topic of the “sermon” they heard after 24 hours, only about 10 percent could tell you. When asked to cite the most important lesson they received, most just shrugged.
An estimated 1.2 million hours each week (1) are spent in sermon preparations; it takes about another 300,000 hours in delivery of these sermons (2) at a staggering potential cost of over $750 millions dollars nationally, each week (3). Yet, only 5% of those hearing these sermons, remember anything about them after 72 hours.
SCANDALS IN THE CHURCH
A quick Google search for scandals just in the ‘mega church’ shows 1,910,000 hits. Omit the words ‘mega church’ and you’ll get 39,200,000 hits. What is going on?
In order to save space here, I am giving you a link to an article “SHIPWRECKED – Enemies Within the Church”, detailing Satan’s invasion of and work within the postmodern church.
AD 2019. The church is losing and has lost influence. In addition to church scandals, false teachings, drift and malaise, fueled and aided by the ‘Covid-19 pandemic’ the church in 2019 is losing members and adherents. Much of the church is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles. (George Barna research; Pew Research). When confronted with their sins, the church erupts in finger pointing, denials and blame-placing rather than demonstrating a humble self-evaluation and repentance.
AD 2020. Agenda 2030, is the completion of Agenda-21. A One-World Socialist movement, grounded in Marxism, merging all nation’s governments and consolidating all forms of technologies, food production, healthcare systems, banking and financial systems, currencies and more.
The breadth, depth and complexity of this once-covert operation is breathtaking. This is dealt with in great detail by clicking THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT EMERGES – 2022. The only matter standing in the way of the completion of Agenda 2030 and complete global control is Christianity and that final obstacle is being effectively neutralized and transformed into a New Age One World Church.
THE TAMING OF JESUS?
If you were to visit most of the postmodern churches around America or the western world, you might wonder if you wandered into a religious night club or a media event. Tattooed preachers with the latest haircuts, hip jeans full of holes, giving elaborate speeches, accompanied by flashing lights, and a crowd swaying in time with adrenaline producing music.
Church leaders, production managers and CEO’s may have been tamed and transformed into the likeness of this world, but don’t be deceived. Jesus is untamed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He is returning soon, as the Lion of Judah, to collect His redeemed, to rapture His Church and to exact judgement on a wicked and rebellious world.
OUR RESPONSE?
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”James 4:7
Gird up for War!
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH
John 18:37“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose, I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
TO BRING A SWORD
Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35, For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; verse 36, and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
TO FULFILL THE LAW
Matthew 5:17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”
TO CALL SINNERS
Mark 2:17 “And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
TO SAVE THE WORLD
John 12:47 “If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH
Luke 12:49 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51, Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division; “
“WHAT HE REALLY MEANT?”
Jesus has told us, in John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
I have heard so many preachers, bible teachers and detractors alike, try to justify or explain away these Words of Jesus because they just cannot fathom the gentle and sweet ‘dashboard Jesus’ saying such things as we find in the verses cited. These same confused preachers really get tied in a knot over John 14:12. They will begin their commentary of teaching it with, “what this really means is…”.
Jesus said what He meant and meant exactly what He said. He is our model for our counter cultural resistance to the growing global threat of Communist-Marxist-Globalism, And we need to get on with it.
Jesus had a divine appointment with a cruel Roman cross. Read what He said when Peter proposed to get in the way of His mission:
Matthew 16:21- 23, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
We do not literally have an appointment with a crucifixion, but, the Bible is clear in Galatians 5:24, that “Those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” and again in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” which must be true for all who follow Jesus because we are on mission with Jesus. Our ‘old self’ must die so our new selves can follow and serve Him.
Jesus always, taught the Will of His Father, then, demonstrated what He taught. He expects us to do the same. Ephesians, chapter six, gives us a clear teaching and picture of the type of preparation and resolve we are to assume.
Ephesians 6:10-17,tells us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Stand, i.e., continue safe and sound, stand unharmed: Acts 26:22.
Stand ready or prepared: Ephesians 6:14. One who does not hesitate, does not waver, of one who vanquishes his adversaries and holds the ground, also of one who in the midst of the fight holds his position against the foe, to persist, continue, persevere: (so as not to fall from thy faith).
Jesus’ example of steadfast, unmovable courage which is our example and our command to be and to do the same:
CONFRONTING THE STORM
Mark 4:35-41, “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
CONFRONTING DEMONS
Luke 8:26-33 “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
“Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
CONFRONTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
John 19:8-12 ”Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So, Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason, he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
BEFORE THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
Matthew 24:57-67, “Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on, two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless, I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him.”
This is our model, our method and our calling in these last days!
Jesus did not draw back. (He proceeded boldly to the Cross and secured our salvation!) We must not draw back. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on the earth and is with us until the end!
Remember, Jesus came to earth for these stated reasons – and these same reasons are our method and our calling:
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. We are to testify to the truth!
TO BRING A SWORD. We are to bring the sword of the Word of God!
TO FULFILL THE LAW. We are to fulfill the same law!
TO CALL SINNERS. We are to call sinners!
TO SAVE THE WORLD through Jesus. In a very real sense, this, too, is our calling, by lifting the Name of Jesus, telling others and leading them to Him
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH. This, too, is our calling! The Word of God is a stumbling block to those who do not believe, dividing A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; (Matthew 10:35-36)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, this is not hyperbole, a philosophy or metaphor. Now is the time to gird ourselves up with the full armor of God and follow our Lord, the King of Kings into battle.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places and must be fought with Spiritual Armament!
At the risk of being impolite or seeming to be downright rude, I have a strong and stern ‘Bible inspired message’ for pastors for 2023. The Church has gone through a transitional period over the last thirty years in an apparent effort to remain or to become ‘more socio-politically relevant’.
Social norms have changed dramatically over the last fifty years, and sadly, instead of leading this change, the church has adopted the ‘new social normal’.
I’d like to present three Bible mandates as expressed by Jesus, that demonstrate that the model of the church, as taught and presented by Jesus Christ, are no longer being followed by most mainline Christian denominations. The time of His Coming is short, and we have to get this right. Here are three example of the main failures that must be correctly in 2023.
#1. Coming to Serve and not to be served.
#2 Teaching Beliefs and Practices;
#3. Making Disciples of the kind and in the likeness of Jesus.
Example #1.
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”Matthew 20:28
You are not to be a visionary. You are not to be a CEO of a 501-c-3 religious organization. You occasionally fill the role of an elder, a preacher, or bible teacher, you are a pastor, first and foremost. And above all, do not act like a ‘hireling’ or a ‘gleaner’. The Old Testament describes a “hireling” simply as a hired laborer, perhaps a mercenary, or someone who hires oneself out to earn wages.
The New Testament, however, contrasts the “hireling” with the Shepherd. See John 10:11-13
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.”
There are those who tend to the sheep for commercial purposes (such as for a paycheck or for recogntion) . Their intentions may be good and they offer a good service. But, they, too, are nothing more than “hirelings”.
Jesus says, in John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
Jesus’ use of the word “shepherd” could be used interchangeably for overseers, pastor, elders, and presbyters. But the role of a pastor is specific and unique.
The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust. This is an apt description of a pastor.
During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact. This, too, is an apt description of a pastor.
Many “hirelings” like to use the moniker of pastor. Such a title may bring them status, respect, influence, income or even power over others. But, these kinds are just “hirelings”. Beware. Wolves are also lurking under the cover of such names.
Remember, unlike a “hireling”, Jesus tell us He requires we complete His Works as His servant as the cost for being His disciple, among His sheepfold. Besides the benefits, there is a requirement.
Don’t be fooled, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”Flee from the “hirelings”.
GLEANERS
Leviticus 19:10says to the vineyard or landowner, “Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.”
We see that a “gleaner” is someone who picks up, or gathers up or collects. The Bible describes them as the “needy and the stranger” and notpartofthefamily of the landowner.
The book of Ruth tells us of an account of Ruth, a Moabite, the widowed daughter-in-law of the widow Naomi. To prevent starvation, Ruth gleaned the fields of Boaz: “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.’ Naomi said to her, ‘Go ahead, my daughter,’” (Ruth 2:2).
Ruth was a widow and had no husband to provide for her. She took the initiative and went out into the fields to take care of herself and Naomi. She made this effort as a foreigner among Naomi’s people.
In Chapter 4 of the book of Ruth, we read that Boaz takes Ruth as his wife. She is no longer a “gleaner” but is now part of the family, entitled to all Boaz has. The contrast between being a “gleaner” and a family member is stark.
The Bible says that you and I were once like the “gleaner”, not part of God’s family. Gleaning what we could from generosity of others.
There are many in the church and Christian organizations going by the title of “pastor” who are actually little more than “gleaners”. They are not like Ruth. Their mind is set to get what they can get from God and from others, whether it is material goods, money, recognition, status or influence.
GLEANERS ARE NOT GOD’S “CALLED OUT ONES”
You can tell the difference. “Gleaners” focus on themselves and their needs . They feign interest in others, but, cannot actually humble themselves before God or others. They aren’t sure how. They don’t consider “repentance” as an ongoing matter for their own lives, and they tend to pursue the “spiritual gifts” over spiritual disciplines. They usually don’t witness (tell or teach) the Gospel, and are usually unwilling servants.
They can act humble but crave recognition and leadership roles. The tip-off is how they act if they cannot get what they want. They may get angry and become manipulative. They will marginalize people who do not agree with them or will not follow and obey them. And at times they will criticize them as being ‘rogue’ our ‘lone ranger christians’, among other things.
A Believer and Follower of Jesus can also be identified by their behavior. A disciple of Jesus is a son or daughter in the family of God, a brother, sister and friend of Jesus. A joint-heir, entitled to all God has for His own children.
You cannot be a “hireling” if you are truly to serve God and feed His Sheep.
Be kind to “gleaners”, just don’t BE a “gleaner”. If you are going to come near to the House of God, stop acting or behaving as if you are needy or a aloof stranger. Become a child of God and a Joint-Heir with Jesus Christ and brother and a pastor to God’s flock.
TEACHING BELIEFS AND PRACTICES. A survey by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research, reveals some not so-surprising results about the state of churches in the United States which springs primarily from the behavior, attitudes, beliefs, teaching and preaching of thier pastors:
64% of Americans agree that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam.”
Only 52% agree that “the Bible alone is the written word of God.”
Only 58% agree that “God is the author of Scripture.”
65% agree that “everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
44% agree that “the Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.”
51% agree that “the Bible was written for each person to interpret as he or she chooses.”
Only 47% agree that “the Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches.”
59% of Americans agree that “worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.”
Only 45% agree that “churches that do not preach from the Bible should not be considered a Christian church.”
Only 49% in churches agree that “sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin.”
Only 49% agree that “abortion is a sin.”
42% agree that “the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.” 38% agree that “gender identity is a matter of choice.”
45% agree that “modern science discredits the claims of Christianity.”
52% agree that “by the good deeds that I do, I partly contribute to earning my place in heaven”
Only 60% agree that “Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.”
Only 52% agree that “it is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.”
Only 54% in churches agree that “only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.”
Pew Research on casual sex among professing ChristiansHalf of Christians say casual sex – defined in the survey as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship – is sometimes or always acceptable.
Six-in-ten Catholics (62%) take this view, as do 56% of Protestants in the historically Black tradition, 54% of mainline Protestants and 36% of evangelical Protestants.
Among those who are religiously unaffiliated, meanwhile, the vast majority (84%) say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable,
including roughly nine-in-ten atheists (94%) and
agnostics (95%) who say this.
The religiously unaffiliated, also known as “nones,” are those who describe themselves, religiously, as atheist, agnostic or as “nothing in particular.”
From CNS News A study released by the Rasmussen Reports polling firm on Good Friday found that only 64% of Americans believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
From the Cultural Research Center – George Barna Research Today, 176 million Americans claim to be Christians—69% of the population. Yet, only 6% of U.S. adults—which is 9% of those identifying as Christians—possess a biblical worldview, believing the Bible to be accurate and reliable, among other convictions. That’s according to a new study by researcher George Barna and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona. Large majorities of self-identified Christians also report many beliefs “not in harmony with biblical teaching,” according to the survey. These include:
72% argue that people are basically good
66% say that ‘having faith’ matters more than which faith you pursue
64% say that all religious faiths are of equal value
58% believe that if a person is good enough, or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven
57% believe in karma
Many if not most Christian pastors and preachers are getting a failing grade in the teaching of the Gospel! By contrast, the survey cohort termed as Integrated Disciples—a small subset of those claiming to be Christians—are noted as being consistent in their beliefs and integrating those convictions into their behaviors.
99+% believe that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful and just Creator of the universe who still rules the universe today
99+% believe that the Bible is the accurate and reliable words of God
96% claim that every moral choice either honors of dishonors God
However, Barna’s survey finds that even some believers classified as part of this highly discipled cohort hold to some views that “challenge biblical principles.” Those “shocking” beliefs of Integrated Disciples include:
52% argue that people are basically good
39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity
33% believe in karma
“There is a remarkable level of self-deception (even among) born-again Christians,” said Barna, commenting on his recent worldview research. “It represents a huge educational challenge for those responsible for biblical worldview development.”
Many postmodern churches are teaching a type of gospel that does not conform to the Bible and, in fact, reveals many of the traits and teachings of Paganism. Likewise, a majority of people claiming the name of Christian may not be Christians at all. Many postmodern Christians don’t fully believe the Bible and practice aspects of Paganism.
THE OUTCOME? Look at the history of the Church since… AD 1 The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth. The Church was a Movement. Matthew 16:18, says,“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. verse 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” verse 20. Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.
Jesus said to make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.
Although the penalty for becoming a Christian was often death. The Church grew exponentially.
AD 49. The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. The Church grew and size and influence.
AD 313. The Church expanded into Rome and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
AD 380. The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
AD 1607. The Church reaches America.
AD 1681. The Church became corporate. It had became a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government. The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
AD 1777. The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
AD 1894. The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
AD 1954. The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax exempt status. The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model. Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (2 Timothy 3)
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
Record numbers of pastors quitting because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
AD 1968. The church ordains homosexuals as clergy.
AD 1972. The United church of Christ ordains homosexual clergy
AD 2010. The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
Millions of people(approximately 52 million) “attend church” in one of the 300,000+ churches in America, at least once a week each month. However, when people were asked the topic of the “sermon” they heard after 24 hours, only about 10 percent could tell you. When asked to cite the most important lesson they received, most just shrugged. An estimated 1.2 million hours each week
(1) are spent in sermon preparations; it takes about another 300,000 hours in delivery of these sermons
(2) at a staggering potential cost of over $750 millions dollars nationally, each week
(3). Yet, only 5% of those hearing these sermons, remember anything about them after 72 hours.
BUILDING MOREAD 2021. The church is losing and has lost influence. The church in 2021 is losing members and adherents. (George Barna research; Pew Research)
AD 2022. Much of the church is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles.
Example #3
MAKING DISCIPLES. The Church is failing to making disciples of the kind and in the likeness of Jesus and this often falls on the pastor. Go into just about any Christian church, (or any Christian church website), and look for any evidence of discipleship training and you will either find no mention of disciple making or you will likely find a heavy emphasis on learning about various subjects or things such as ‘music ministry’, learning-luncheons, senior citizen outings, soup kitchens, but you will find little-to-no actual practical ‘disciple making’. These may be ‘good things’ but, it is not what Jesus taught and commanded His disciples to do. According to Jesus and the Bible, what is Disciple Making? Here is an abbreviated but concise example of the steps Jesus uses to make disciples:
JESUS SAYS THE WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES – Pastor, do the same. “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
“Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
JESUS SHOWS THE WONDERS TO HIS DISCIPLES – Pastor, do the same.
“Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
“And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”
JESUS SENDS HIS DISCIPLES – Pastor, do the same.
“Jesus summoned His disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.Jesus sent them out, instructing them, as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.
And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting.If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.”
Jesus’ ‘discipleship training’ is a necessary evidence that a person has become a practicing Christian – not a gleaner and not a hireling – but an actual devoted follower of Jesus. It was not optional then and it is not optional now. Upon calling one man to follow Him, the man replied, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, come and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
These sound like, and in fact are, harsh words which reflect the seriousness, the urgency and the importance of the role of being a pastor and a disciple of Jesus and of making disciples. But they are no harsher than whipping men and turning over tables in the temple, calling Peter, ‘Satan’ or allowing Oneself to be crucified for the sake of all who would believe! There is only ONE WAY to get this done. In fact, the Word Of God tells us this very thing in many ways.
“I am the way, the truth and the life”, (John 14:6).
“Be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.”, (Joshua 1:7-8).
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”, (Ephesians 2:10).
“IfyouloveMe, you will keep My commandments.”, (John 14:15).
Pastor, you should focus on emulating Jesus as the perfect balance between justice and judgement, peace and travail, love and enmity, acceptance and rejection. Submit yourself to Him now, before the coming judgment. Accept and emulate His perfect love while He is the Lamb of God, for soon He will return as the Lion of Judah!
This is the model and method of Jesus’ command, for pastors to get out of your ‘comfort zones; let’s leave your self-imposed postmodern pastoral roles and “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you.” THIS IS YOUR METHOD AND WAY.
Don’t lead.
FollowJesus.
It removes all the 501(c) (3) and organizational stresses and puts you on the adventure you have been looking for!
There is a song popularized by Rufus, an American band from Chicago, Illinois, “Tell Me Something Good”. The beat is rhythmic, I would say it appeals to our ‘baser nature’ and the lyrics are quite suggestive. The chorus goes this way:
Tell me something good, Tell me that you love me, yeah, Tell me something good, Tell me that you like it, yeah.
Those who might be uncomfortable or uneasy with some of the lyrics, such as,
“Got no time is what you’re known to say. I’ll make you wish there was forty-eight hours to each day. The problem is you ain’t been loved like you should. What I got to give will sure ’nuff do you good”.
We might tend to overlook the sexual innuendos because the rhythm, the beat and the sexy guitar and bass play are so appealing as to make you ‘move to the beat’, even if just a little!
Now, don’t get me wrong here. I am no prude, (although I suspect those who know me would probably say otherwise), but there are many in churches around America demanding the same thing from sermons and ‘worship music’ as Chakakhan gives us in this song – it stirs our emotions.
It’s not always been this way. In fact, it’s only in the last 40 years that the religious landscape, attitudes and appetites have shifted. But, the Bible tells us this time was coming!
Read 2nd Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires”.
I could give you hundreds and thousands of examples of the worldly excesses found in our church services and church cultures now-a-days. But to save time, just click on this one link for just one example: Prestonwood Baptist Church.
I think the church and their Christmas production, I am citing, would be wildly fun. I would go see the show. Wouldn’t you? I would probably overlook the cost, attention and effort required, which could go to better Gospel causes because it would
Tell me something good, Tell me that you love me, yeah, Tell me something good, Tell me that you like it, yeah.
You think I’m kidding? Not at all!
Am I saying churches shouldn’t have fun and do entertaining things? No, I am not saying that at all. So, where do you draw the line?
The Bible. That’s where you draw the line. Go to the Bible and see what kind of holiday presentations you find there.
I was on staff at a small church in Virginia when the youth pastor recruited a young lady to be the lead singer for the ‘worship band’. The problem was that she liked to wear short skirts (not a good idea on an elevated platform) and see-through blouses. I suggested she either be replaced or told how to dress. The youth pastor suggested ‘she spiced things up’ and the senior pastor chuckled. (Not a good sign, folks). I went to some ladies in our church and asked if they would politely and kindly counsel this young woman and talk with her parents. That went well, and she reformed her dressing style. But the root of the problem was still there, and over the next few years proved to be the undoing of the credibility of that church. (We left what had become a ”religious 501-c-3 organization”.)
Or, how about Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church? Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, remains the largest church in America, with a weekend attendance totaling 52,000 people.
Those that go there will readily tell you, ‘IT IS FUN! It is uplifting’. And honestly, I would like to go see this performance, at least once.
GotQuestions.Org, a para-church ministry helping people find answers to their spiritually related questions, says however, that:
“Osteen’s message is sweet, attractive, and pretty. It comes with the million-dollar smile, a heaping helping of the feel-goods, and all the motivation of the best self-help gurus.
“What Joel Osteen pushes is a shell of legitimate biblical Christianity, at best, and a dangerous counterfeit at worst. When all you have to offer is materialism and emotion, you’re not an evangelist. You’re a motivational speaker who borrows religious terminology. Nothing Osteen says is going to help a person with legitimate questions about faith and salvation.
“His message won’t build real disciples; there’s no more substance for the believer than for the unbeliever. Nor is his message going to sustain faith in a crisis. When things go bad, people quickly realize God’s blessings don’t come merely because they think happy thoughts. And if personal prosperity is the measure of their success as a Christian, then Osteen’s teaching has merely set them up for a fall.”
What often happens and what this can and often leads to is many being SHIPWRECKED with regard to their faith. What is this world is going on? And how is this happening? It seems so many preacher and churches start out so well and end up veering away from the Gospel of Jesus. Oh, they still use the images and many of the ideas and the words of the Bible, but sooner or later people wise up for a while. Then, sadly, these same people forget these events as time goes by – and the offenders of the Gospel count on that forgetfulness, and they continue with their worldly ways and evil deeds, unimpeded. (See this article: Shipwrecked.)
THE REMAINING FACTS:
The Church has always possessed the moral compass for America and the world.
Most people in the Western world have replaced the desire for prosperity that comes from goodness of the soul, strength of character and knowing right from wrong for the things that give temporary self-pleasure, spontaneous entertainment and immediate gratification (endorphins, adrenaline and dopamine).
There is no power inherent in positive thinking, and we do not create our own realities. God is not our servant, standing by and waiting for us to fire up our imaginations, so He can lavish us with material goods and/or an easy life. Jesus told His followers to “give up everything you have” (Luke 14:33), not to seek to get more.
Jesus did say, in John 10:10b, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” “More abundantly” means to have a superabundance of a thing. “Abundant life” refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body. “Abundant life” signifies a contrast to feelings of lack, emptiness, and dissatisfaction, and such feelings may motivate a person to seek for the meaning for their life and a change in their life as described in the Bible.
Abundant life for a person begins with a new birth, a new relationship with God, new motivations, and a new relationship with mankind. The process of Christian maturity for that person continues with learning to live abundantly, being cleansed from sin, and learning to fight spiritual battles. Christian salvation and maturity is not reliance on the self-efforts of rituals, devotion, meditation, good works, asceticism, and self-control over desires, but by believing in the redemption from sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24, 1 Cor 15:3–4). Through faith in divine agency, the working of the Holy Spirit, God transforms a person’s desires to be more in conformity with God’s will (Ephesians 2:8–10, Romans 12:1–2).
Abundant life teaches prosperity and health for the total human being, including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, material needs, and eternal life. The Bible, the good news (Christianity), and salvation are essential elements of those teachings. Other elements are faith, prayer, evangelism, and concern for human worth in the areas of spiritual oppression, poverty, disease, hunger, injustice, and ignorance. In order for these teachings to affect a person’s fullness of life, it is essential for that person to align their goals with God’s goals.
Abundant life teachings may include expectations of physical and material prosperity and good health and well-being, but may also include other forms of fullness of life, including eternal life, when persecuted or suffering. For a Christian, fullness of life is not measured in terms of “fun” and “living large”, or in terms of wealth, prestige, position, and power, but measured by fulfilled lives of responsibility and self-restraint, and the rewards and blessings that accrue over a lifetime of pleasing God. According to the abundant life interpretation, the Bible has promises of wealth, health, and well-being, but these promises are conditional promises.
The source of abundant life is identified as the Spirit of God in Galatians 5:22-23, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”. A Christian is a person who has the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9) received according to Acts 2:38.
Becoming a Christian means a change to a different way of life with a different purpose. Fulfilling this purpose and experiencing abundant life go together, as described by Matthew 6:33, “But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
There is no greater adventure than to go on this Spiritual Journey to Perfection with God at the helm and no greater satisfaction than to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” afterward!
Whether the questions and decisions with which you are faced are personal, local or global in nature, knowing and doing the Will of God is of greatest importance.
The world is changing from what we have known for the last 250 years into something we could not have imagined even 75 years ago. It is frightening for those who are aware the ramifications, the breadth and depth of these changes and it may leave you with many questions.
The entire world is being or has been swallowed up and is being transformed by a One-World cabal, headed by the United Nations through U.N.E.S.C.O. and the World Economic Forum into a Global Socialist-Marxist One World Government implementing a set of what they call ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) or Global Goals.
“FOREIGN TO AND IGNORES IDEAS PRECIOUS TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE” (In Their Own Words)
“The commission made a standard definition of global governance, stating that “Governance is the sum of many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and co-operative action taken. It includes formal institutions and regimes empowered to enforce compliance.”
The Commission on Global Governance has publicly stated that when their Agenda is fully implemented, “it will bring all the people of the world into a global neighborhood managed by a world-wide bureaucracy, under the direct authority of a minute handful of appointed individuals, and policed by thousands of individuals, paid by accredited NGOs, certified to support a belief system which contains ideas that are foreign to the American experience, and ignores other values and ideas that are precious to the American experience.”
The United Nations Conference on Environment & Development claims far-reaching global goals, while hiding or obscuring their Marxists methodology. They are organizing international cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies at the cost of personal human rights and freedoms, the dismantling of democracies around the globe and other goals which are anti-Christian and malevolent to the Jewish Nation and people.
This come at the loss of personal freedoms and subjugation of every person on earth by a global political elite. The early results can be seen in Brazil, Argentina, Cuba and China, among others who suffer under the heavy boot of Socialism-Marxism. Failure to cooperate or submit is met with global sanctions, economic and social marginalization and even political brutality.
Their own statements:
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly (UN-GA) and are intended to be achieved by 2030. They are included in a UN-GA Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is colloquially known as Agenda 2030.
This movement is truly Biblical in its proportions as the U.N. and the Agenda 2030 turns every longstanding social norm upside down. They are truly Marxist in their worldview and doctrines, which explicity marginalize and eliminate Christianity and Judaism as direct threats to thier objectives and world dominance goals.:
“Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Isaiah warns of this day, saying, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
The Bible has prophesied that this day would come and it is here. So, what does God have to say about how we are to respond, which leads me to also ask, do you ever wonder about ‘God’s Will’ when you have decisions to make? Or perhaps you even wonder about God’s Will for the direction of your career or your life in general?
Whether your decisions are global, local or personal, know and doing the Will of God is of the greatest importance.
I hear many sincere Christians pray, make requests and end with “IF it be your Will”. It leads me to believe they don’t really know what God will do. It also leads me to ask, “Where is your faith?”
It’s like living in a wonderland, and I don’t mean like a Christmas wonderland, I mean like Alice in Wonderland, where nothing makes sense and you are always wondering, “what’s next?”
I have good news for you. You can know God’s Will, and as many Bible teachers like to put it, ‘both practically and positionally’.
(Simplify: Practical is ‘you are doing it’’; Positional is ‘God said it is true for you, but you just aren’t doing it yet’. Example: Positional vs. Practical righteousness. The fact that they still do sinful actions after they were born again, bewilders believers. On the one hand, the Bible says that Christians ARE ALREADY righteous, but on the other hand, in reality, they don’t see that righteousness MANIFESTING YET completely. This explanation is a nice escape route from a religious conundrum, but it is weak.)
It is comforting (or discomforting) to hold the idea that God deals with each and every person according to their own personal needs, flaws, circumstances and tastes, i.e., He micromanages every believer.
The Truth, simply put, GOD IS. This is the bedrock of thought and existence. He is saying, “I AM the Pre-existent One. There is none other.
I AM the cause and creator of all things that follow”. God established His dominion and sovereignty over all things created and yet-to-be-created.
He established both natural, physical laws and spiritual laws that determine the course and the end of all things. Nothing and no one can escape this inevitability.
However, God gave the power of choice to humankind, alone. We can choose to abide in Him and His in ways and live in eternal perfection with Him or choose to rebel and go our own way which ends in eternal destruction.
He says, “I AM THE GREAT I AM”. This sets the paradigm and the parameters of existence for all things living and non-living. Everyone and everything ever created abides by God’s design, plan and method. So, no matter what you or I think of a situation or circumstance, for good or for bad, if you are a believer and a follower of Jesus, then “We know that for those who love God, all things work together for their good, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30.
The Truth is that GOD has created all things, human, animal, plants, all the elements and everything made from them. He also set the physical and spiritual laws that govern them.
The Truth is that GOD has explained these laws as well as the function of all His creation.
The Truth is that God clearly explains His Will in the Bible, and He explains it explicitly in just a few short understandable phrases. He explains it otherwise by His presence, through His creation, through the prophets and in these last days, through His Son, Jesus, Who is the exact representation of Him.
The Truth is that all things, with the exception of humankind, obey God. God gave man and woman the power of choice.
So, what’s the point? The point is that if you want to know GOD’S WILL for your life at any time, in any circumstance, regarding any question you might have, you have to KNOW GOD and HIS WORD. Too much to know? Too much to deal with, especially in a crisis?
Simplify: Everything manifest (everything you see or will encounter) is the creation of God, except for sin and rebellion toward God. Sin and rebellion toward God is a choice of humankind allowed by God but initiated by humankind.
Everything else is in order – in God’s Order. If you ‘join God in what He is already doing, you will find the perfect answer for your questions, for your life, as well as the perfect conclusion.
Disclaimer: You may have your own idea of what you want, what you should receive, about when and how you should receive it, and thereby, at the very least you will be dissatisfied with what comes about in your life; and at worst, you will reject what happens after you pray, questioning that anything troubling or hurtful could possibly come to you from God. (After all, you have always thought that since God is a loving God, He would never allow bad things to happen to good people. Right?)
The truth is that God’s plan for your life is to transform and conform you to the image of His Son – regardless of the direction of the world. Anything and everything else is incidental. God’s plan to bring you to perfection through His methods and trials can often be difficult and unpleasant. The Apostle Peter explains this very well when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7.
TRADTIONAL DENOMINATIONAL TIMELINE OF THE “END OF DAYS”
– VS –
THE PRE-WRATH RAPTURE – SIMPLIFIED.
It is important, as a Disciple of Jesus, to know where you are on God’s historical and prophetic Timeline so you will not panic, or faint from the faith as the End of Days come upon you We will explore what it means to you to ‘endure to the end to be saved’; what is required of you and what it means to be ready and how to prepare for these Last Day.
The 5th Seal is broken. The Great Apostasy begins,the falling away from the faith,The Antichrist is revealed. After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:20)
The rapture of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture is imminent; The only things that mus yet happen are, (#1), the revealing of the anti-Christ, (#2), the Great Apostasy and, (#3), the breaking of the 6th Schroll Seal of the Tribulation.
The Breaking of the Sixth SealThe Great tribulation, Daniel’s 70th week begins. A period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). The Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulationon earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6–10).
The Battle of Gog and Magog. In the first part of the tribulation, a great army from the north, in alliance with several other countries from the Middle East and Africa, attacks Israel and is defeated by God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel 38–39). (Some commentators place this battle just before the start of the tribulation.)
The abomination of desolation. At the midway point of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 12:17).
The Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns with the armies of heaven (Mark 14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
The judgment of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew 25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell.
The binding of Satan. Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).
The Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Himself will rule the world, and Jerusalem will be the capital. This will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity on earth (Revelation 20; Isaiah 60–62). Memorial sacrifices will be offered in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40–48).
The last battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never to reappear.
The Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity is cast into the lake of fire.
The new creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him (Revelation 21–22).
There are multiple views of the chronology of the Biblical End Times. I do not want to pursue or repeat what has already been written. The following outline is a generally accepted chronology and is from the pre-tribulation view.
Almost every such outline or chronology of this sort, is the same. They begin with the rapture of the church and go from there. They usually ignore the prophecies about the coming End of Days, the events which foreshadow the coming Day of the Lord (a.k.a., End Times) and the most recent first century warnings which are leading up to the tribulation and the Great Tribulation periods.
It is difficult to imagine that God planned the entirety of time. We cannot go back far enough to discover when this began, because there is no beginning with God. In so few words, such an incomprehensible statement: “God has always existed”.
It is equally difficult to imagine “a world without end”, but God is eternal, even beyond “the new heavens and a new earth”. (Revelation 12:1)
But, God has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, and in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. And it is by these ways that we can know.
2. THE PROPHECIES
First, God has spoken to us through the prophets in various ways. God’s warnings are warning of coming judgment for His people’s rebellions and disobedience. God’s judgments followed His warnings, and each of these events, known as The Day of the Lord, are a foreshadowing of what is yet to come. A time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation. (Daniel 12:1)
The words and the imagery of the destruction during the great and Terrible Day of the Lord would be difficult for most to accept or to understand.
(The good news is that God’s people, everyone who is found written in the Book of Life, will be rescued.)
… the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the LORD’s
fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon …
for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. …
Each of these prophecies tell us what is past, what is present and what is yet to come. This is important because in order to look forward, we must look back. This is how prophecies work.
3. FORESHADOWING OF THINGS TO COME
Besides the prophecies in the Old Testament, we can foreshadowing of what is to come. It is as if we “see through a dark glass dimly”.
1. Genesis 6– The Flood shows us God’s judgment on a global scale. A catastrophe for mankind. God judged the world because (Genesis 6:5) “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
*MISSING FROM THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES”of thing to come: The rapture of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the rapture happens.’
*MISSING FROM“THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES” of things to come: Prior to the rapture of the church. We are told by Jesus and some of the Apostles that the End of Days, also known as the “times of distress” had begun as early as AD 1, but more likely between AD 60 and AD 100.
(1). Jesus called this period the LAST DAYS or the END OF THE AGE inMatthew 24:3-8.
(2). The Apostle Paul called this period the LAST DAYS in Hebrews 9:26.
(2). The Apostle Peter called this period the LAST DAYS in Acts 2:14-17.
(3). The Apostle Paul called this period THESE LAST DAYS in Hebrews 1:1-2.
(4). The Apostle Timothy called this period the LAST DAYS in 2 Timothy 3:1.
(5) The Apostle Peter called this period the LAST DAYS in 1 Peter 1:20.
(6) The Apostle Peter called this period the LAST DAYS in 1 Peter 4:7.
(7) The Apostle Peter called this period the LAST DAYS in 2 Peter 3:3.
(8) The Apostle John called this period the LAST DAYS in 1 John 2:18
The Bible tells about the END OF DAYS and the Tribulation. It is important to know that the Tribulation period actually is called by three prominent, although variant names:
(a) The beginning of Sorrows, Birth Pangs, The End of The Age or the Last Days
(b) The Tribulation also known as The End of Days
(c) The GREAT Tribulation also know as the Wrath of God or the Wrath of the Lamb.
(4). *MISSING FROM“THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES” of things to come: The Denominational Outline says His Return is IMMINENT. BUT,
1.2 Thessalonians 2:3“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”
There are two events that must take place before the day of the Lord can come. First, the apostasy must come. Second, the man of lawlessness must be revealed.
2. The rise of the Antichrist. After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist. (Revelation 19:20).
3.MISSING FROM “THE DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINE”:
First, as has already been stated from 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “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”
There are two events that must take place before the day of the Lord can come. First, the apostasy must come. Second, the man of lawlessness must be revealed.
Secondly, a simple face value reading gives you a timeline. That timeline is deliberately blurred by denominational bible teachers who have to make the Bible fit their doctrinal statement. This can be confusing for the Christian Bible student and dangerous for those preparing in earnest.
4. The tribulation. A period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). The Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulation on earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6–10).
5. The Battle of Gog and Magog. In the first part of the tribulation, a great army from the north, in alliance with several other countries from the Middle East and Africa, attacks Israel and is defeated by God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel 38–39). (Some commentators place this battle just before the start of the tribulation.)
6. The abomination of desolation. At the midway point of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 12:17).
7. The Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns with the armies of heaven (Mark 14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
8. The judgment of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew 25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell
9. The binding of Satan.Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).
10. The Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Himself will rule the world, and Jerusalem will be the capital. This will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity on earth (Revelation 20; Isaiah 60–62). Memorial sacrifices will be offered in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40–48).
11. The last battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never to reappear.
12. The Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity is cast into the lake of fire.
13. The new creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him. (Revelation 21–22)
Finally, here is a table showing the alignment of World History, an historical overview of Daniel’s 70 Weeks and a Biblical Historical outline:
I know that this is a long read and study, but, (#1), it is important for you, as a Disciple of Jesus to know where you are on God’s Timeline so you will not ‘faint’ when all this comes upon you, (#2), what it means to you, (#3) what is required for you to be ready, and, (#4) what it means to be ready for what is at hand and (#5), how to prepare.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT:
He began with the imperfect and created the Masterpiece, first in the heavens and then on the earth. His work completed in just seven days; He would allow His Masterpiece to mature for a millennium until it became His Perfection.
This is a journey of discovery and revelation of God’s Grand Plan and Design, from creation through the End of the Age, then into a New Heaven and a New Earth.
This is a thesis on the reasons for WHAT God is doing in these Last Days and WHY He is doing it this way. My prayer is that, after reading this, everything you’ve wondered about the reasoning behind God’s Plan for the world and your life, will fall into place.
We are being told that Christianity is under attack. We can see these attacks in the mainstream media and through the legislative actions by many in our government.
But, the most insidious attack is coming from within the church. There are movements that look and sound like the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible, but they are counterfeit and dangerous. BEWARE.
Here is a video by David Wilkerson with such a warning:
(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links for important teaching details, the resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and page references.)
What do all these have in common? They all say that Jesus is not enough. They all say “Jesus, plus these other things”. The Bible says Jesus is the only way to life, both now, and later in heaven.
Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7
“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me; just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:7-18
From the day Jesus spoke these words, until not, those who heard these words are divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds of 1 to 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 is 1 to 10 to the 157th power.
These are the odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him.
In order to give you some perspective, electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long. 19 MILLION YEARS!
Read that again, please. Why is that significant?
It is significant because it gives us evidence that the Bible is true and correct when it says that Christ Jesus came to earth and is the Savior of the world.
It gives YOU evidence, if you choose to pay attention, that your life can be eternal with the only LIFE source which gives eternal Peace, Safety, Security, Joy and fulfillment the universe has ever known or ever will know.
Just think about it: It is a scientific and a mathematical impossibility that HAS COME TO PASS!
No odds can defy the REALITY of Jesus Christ.
NOW, WHAT ABOUT THE ‘OTHERS’?
Gnostics
Gnosticism is a collection of religious ideas and systems from the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) above the orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. They view material existence as flawed or evil; Gnostic cosmogony generally presents a distinction between a supreme, hidden God and a malevolent lesser divinity who is responsible for creating the material universe. Gnostics considered salvation to be direct knowledge of the supreme divinity in the form of mystical or esoteric insight. Many Gnostics do not deal in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment. There are those who call themselves Christian, but practice forms of Gnosticism, which are heretical to the Christian faith.
The “Emergent Church movement” has been a recent variety of Gnosticism, approving of abortion, mysticism, new age idealism, homosexuality and more, both in their ordination practices and in their personal lives.
The Prosperity Gospel, although claiming to hold to a form of the Christian Gospel, is a form of Gnosticism.
Judaizers
In the early church, those who taught a combination of God’s grace and human effort for salvation, were called “Judaizers.” The word Judaizer comes from a Greek verb meaning “to live according to Jewish customs.” The word appears in Galatians 2:14 where Paul describes how he confronted Peter for forcing Gentile Christians to “Judaize.”
A Judaizer taught that, in order for a Christian to truly be right with God, he must conform to the Mosaic Law. Circumcision, especially, was promoted as necessary for salvation. Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes first, and then they could come to Christ. The doctrine of the Judaizers was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). This false doctrine was dealt with in Acts 15 and strongly condemned in the book of Galatians.
The Catholic church, oddly enough, is a form of Judaizers. It is a mixture of grace through Christ and works through keeping the doctrines of the laws and rituals of the church.
False Teachers
Matthew 7:15–16, warns us to, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” The word beware means all of us should be alert, but especially shepherds, to identify not just false teaching, but false teachers, whose ways are subtle. They’re clothing themselves with lamb’s wool while they’re wolves.
The Apostle Paul used the same Greek word for beware in Acts 20:28–29 when he said, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
False Teachers
2 Peter 2:1, warns us, “But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Verse 2. Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; verse 3. and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Verse 4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; Verse 5, and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; Verse 6, and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; Verse 7, and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), Verse 9, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, verse 10, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority.
Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, verse 11. whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. Verse 12. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, verse 13, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, verse 14, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; verse 15, abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; verse 16, but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.
Verse 17. These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. Verse 18. For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, verse 19, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. Verse 20. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. Verse 21. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. Verse 22. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”
Many in the contemporary Pentecostal movements practice the ways of Balaam, the son of Beor, and claim a type of hyper-grace to justify their sins and to escape the coming punishment. They claim “God loves us so much, He can love us no less”, a nonsensical adage to soothe a guilt ridden soul and to satisfy the lusts of the rebellious.
Hypocrites & Pharisees
Matthew 23:1, says, ”Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, verse 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Verse 3. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. Verse 4. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. Verse 5. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. Verse 6. And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, verse 7, and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people. Verse 8. But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Verse 9. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Verse 10. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. Verse 11. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Verse 12. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Verse 13. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…”
I like to browse houses for sale. I just like houses. I have no intention of moving, but house browsing stirs my imagination.
I love these little creatures. They live in our flower beds, under our patio furniture and on our walls. They will scurry about, darting from their hiding places to grab a gnat or a small flying bug and then run back to the sanctuary under an umbrella stand, or they lounge about in the hot sunshine.
In addition to what I have already listed, many church ads will give a long list of ‘responsibilities’ which should, in effect, tell any potential applicant “we don’t really care about your education or experience or calling by God unless you can give us the rest of what we want in a preacher-pastor, and precisely the way we want it”.
Could it be because most people are not living on ‘blind faith’ alone, and are smart enough to see through the hype, entertainment and words of appeal to “Come join us”, and realize that something isn’t squaring up?
The Apostle Paul says this (of the coming 5th Tribulation Seal):
Even now, before the great persecution of Christians has reached the Western world, Pew Research and Barna Research, both, are revealing what the corporate Church is unwilling to admit, that many are leaving the church and are not returning. But, the other half of this ‘equation’ is that many are LEAVING THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS – that is, they are falling away from the faith – but they are staying in the church .
Internationally, churches that have ordained openly lesbian or gay clergy include the 
The OLD CROSS and THE NEW 
I asked him if he had ever read anything by 
I explained that the book was hard for me to read and fully understand, but after a couple of tries, I got the idea that Davies believes that God is actually a cosmic harmonic and a math equation of sorts. In fact, Davies startling conclusion is that the universe is “no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces, and that the universe is a kind of gigantic computer. He says, “We are truly meant to be here.” By the means of science, we can truly see into the mind of God.
My friend, and most in our world are turning away from the God of the Bible, in record numbers, just as the Bible said it would happen in these last days. (see 
Jesus said to “make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.”
“HEY, PREACHER, IT’S ALL ABOUT …
Don’t lead. 
Whitestone Fellowship 