You may have heard that it is always a good idea to attend a church that is Bible-based; in other words, attend a church that teaches the Bible and intends to live by the teachings, instructions and commands of the Bible. (Sounds simple enough. Right? Well, maybe you should think again.)
If you live in America, or an English-speaking country, you can have access to over 900 English translations to the Bible and along with that there are over 450 different versions of the Bible in English. (Versions of the Bible refer to different translations and adaptations of the biblical texts into various languages and styles, reflecting diverse theological beliefs, cultural contexts, and translation philosophies.) BibleGateway.com offers a closer look at the versions and how some examples differ. But many good sources suggest that the New American Standard version, the English Standard version and the New King James version are the closest to the Greek and Hebrew languages in which it was written.
Okay. We have over 900 translations, over 450 versions and we also have over 200 denominations identifying as Christian in America (and over 45,000 worldwide). This leads to a wide (and wild) variation of what different translations say, differing versions further say, and denominations are saying what they think, and all of this is man-made or man-influenced!
Let me give you a few simpler examples:
The Presbyterian Church of America (the conservative side, and as opposed to the Presbyterian Church USA known as the liberal side, or the ECO, a covenant order of Evangelical Presbyterians, or the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, among a few others) has an additional book named the Westminster Confession of Faith, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These documents summarize the system of doctrine taught in the Bible and are foundational to PCA beliefs. This denomination also has the Book of Church Order which is commonly referred to as BCO, is part of the constitution of the PresbyterianChurch in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word Of God. All of these additional helps explain how the fathers and leads of the Presbyterian Church PCA believe, live and govern.
The Southern Baptist Church, in addition to the Bible, use the Baptist Faith and Message, which is a statement of their beliefs and doctrines. They may also refer to various confessions of faith and other theological writings that align with their interpretations of Scripture, as opposed or compared to the other 26 Baptist denominations in America. These denominations encompass a wide range of beliefs and practices, reflecting the diversity within the Baptist tradition.
The Nazarene Church has The Manual of the Church of the Nazarene as its official sourcebook for church government, bylaws, history, doctrine, and policy. This manual is updated every four years during the General Assembly.
There are 24 different variations of Catholic Churches, which include the Roman Catholic Church and 23 other “sui iuris” churches that are governed separately but are in communion with Rome. These churches have their own traditions, history, and liturgical practices. The Catholic Church uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a key resource for its doctrines and teachings, alongside the Bible. This comprehensive manual outlines the faith, sacraments, and moral teachings of the Church.
And all of these ‘guiding documents’ which are meant to explain scriptures are man-made or man-inspired, which as we all know, make them suspect and explain the wide and wild variations.
Next, there are those calling themselves Christian but are generally identified as cults, such as Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Science, which all have unique doctrines that differ significantly from traditional Christian teachings, but are luring hundreds, even thousands away from the true Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.
And finally, research studies show that someplace between 50 percent and 73 percent of mainline Christian pastors do not believe the Bible is totally accurate, so it begs the question ‘just what are they teaching’?
Now, who do you believe will accurately and rightly teach you the Bible? Who can you trust for the Gospel? And are you certain you are attending a Bible-based Christian Church? Believe me, it matters.
THE HISTORY:
First, let’s recognize that the Bible didn’t appear all at once—it’s the result of a long, layered process spanning many centuries. To understand how and why it came to exist, it helps to think of it in three stages: (1), events, (2), writings, (3), collection (canon).
Number 1. Why the Bible came to exist.
At its core, the Bible exists because people believed God was revealing Himself in history and wanted to preserve, explain, and pass on that revelation.
In the Old Testament:
Ancient Israel believed God acted in real events—like the Exodus from Egypt.
These events shaped their identity as God’s people.
They wrote them down to:
Preserve their history,
Record God’s laws (like in Leviticus),
Call people back to faithfulness (through prophets like Isaiah),
In short: the Old Testament exists to document God’s covenant relationship with Israel.
In the New Testament:
Early Christians believed God had acted decisively through Jesus Christ.
After His life, death, and resurrection, His followers needed to:
Record what He said and did,
Teach new believers,
Defend against false teachings,
So the New Testament exists to preserve the message about Jesus and guide the early Church.
Number 2. How the Bible was written
The Bible was written over about 1,000 to 1,500 years by many different authors.
Old Testament writing
Written roughly between 1400 B.C. and 400 B.C.
In Hebrew (with some Aramaic).
Includes:
Law (Torah),
History,
Poetry (like Psalms),
Prophecy.
Some material started as oral tradition before being written down.
New Testament writing:
Written between A.D. 50 and 100,
In Greek,
Includes:
Gospels (accounts of Jesus’ life, Gospel of Matthew),
Letters (like those of Paul the Apostle),
Apocalyptic writing (like Book of Revelation).
Number 3. How the Bible was collected (the “canon”):
Not every religious writing was accepted as Scripture. Over time, communities recognized certain books as authoritative.
Old Testament canon.
Gradually recognized by the Jewish people.
Largely settled by around the time of Second Temple period.
New Testament canon.
Early Christians used many writings, but only some were widely accepted.
Criteria included:
Connection to apostles,
Consistency with known teaching,
Widespread use in churches
By the 4th century (councils like Council of Carthage), the 27-book New Testament list was formally recognized.
The Bottom Line:
From a Christian viewpoint, the Bible is not just human writing, it’s inspired by God. It is a good saying. Take for example that
the odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him. But, facts show that the odds are 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, (or 1 to 10 to the 157th power), in favor of something coming to pass, would you bet against it?
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.
A key idea comes from Second Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed.” That means, that human authors wrote in their own styles, but believers hold that God guided the process
The Bible is the infallible, indestructible, inerrant Breathed Word of God; It has been breathed into the hearts, minds and souls of men which inspired them to report and record what they had seen, heard and thought over thousands of years, through trials, tribulations and even under the threats of death, as it came together as a concise and comprehensive Book revealing the Mind of God for all humankind and all of existence. Now we have the final and complete Bible which is prophetic, instructional, creative and causative in all matters pertaining to life, death, the present reality and all of eternity. It concerns you and it pertains specifically to your life presently, your death and your eternity.
HOW CAN I BE CERTAIN?
You cannot necessarily be absolutely certain that a church is actually Bible-based, but you can make a very strong, evidence-based judgment if the church you have chosen or would choose to attend is Bible-based by testing what they teach and how they operate against Scripture.
Here’s a grounded way to evaluate it.
1. Start with the message: What do they teach about the Gospel?
A truly Bible-based church will be clear and consistent on the core message:
Salvation is by grace through faith (see Ephesians 2:8–9),
Christ’s substitutionary death is central,
Repentance and faith are necessary,
Jesus is fully God and fully man (see John 1).
If a church minimizes sin, avoids repentance, or replaces the gospel with self-improvement or prosperity themes, that’s a red flag.
2. Examine how they use the Bible (this is huge).
It is not just that they quote Scripture—but how they handle it.
A healthy church will:
Teach through passages in context (not cherry-picked verses),
Explain meaning before application,
Let Scripture shape the message—not the other way around.
A key model is Acts 17:11, where the Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to verify teaching.
If sermons feel like motivational talks with a few Bible verses attached, be cautious.
3. Look at their view of authority.
A Bible-based church treats Scripture as the final authority, not:
A pastor’s personal revelations,
Church traditions above Scripture,
Cultural trends.
A guiding principle comes from Second Timothy 3:16–17: Scripture is sufficient for teaching, correction, and training.
4. Check their doctrine statement (don’t skip this).
Most churches publish a “statement of faith.” Read it carefully.
Look for clarity on:
Salvation (grace vs works),
The nature of Christ,
The authority of Scripture,
Eternal security vs apostasy.
If it’s vague or avoids specifics, that often signals compromise or internal disagreement.
5. Evaluate the leadership
Biblical churches take leadership seriously.
Compare their pastors/elders with qualifications in First Timothy 3 and Titus 1:
Character over charisma,
Integrity, self-control, faithfulness,
Not domineering or money-driven,
A dynamic speaker is not the same as a qualified shepherd.
6. Observe the fruit (over time).
Jesus’ principle in Gospel of Matthew 7:16: “You will recognize them by their fruits.”
Look for:
Spiritual growth in members,
Seriousness about sin and holiness,
Love that is more than surface-level,
Commitment to truth, even when unpopular.
Do people come to ‘get’ or do they balance that with what they can give or contribute to the life and mission of the church?
7. Watch for common warning signs
Be cautious if you see:
Constant focus on money or “blessings”,
Claims of exclusive truth (“we alone have it right”),
Little emphasis on sin, judgment, or repentance,
Leadership that is unaccountable,
Be certain the church is not ‘pastor led’,
Scripture used out of context to support agendas.
8. Test it personally
Don’t outsource discernment.
Read Scripture yourself daily,
Compare what you hear to the text,
Ask questions—good churches welcome them.
This is exactly the Berean model again (Acts 17:11).
Bottom line:
You gain confidence a church is truly Bible-based when:
The Gospel is clear and central,
The Bible is taught in context and with authority,
The leaders meet biblical qualifications,
The fruit matches the message.
Some of what I have written is from my own words. Much of this is gleaned from other respected and thoroughly vetted resources. All of this is done out of respect and the desire to help us all find the base line and ‘true north’ in our desire to know God and to serve Him with the Holy Scriptures and pray as our compass.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
(If you have any questions or comments, please post them below).
Warning: The following text is of a graphic nature. It is uncompromising in its confrontation and condemnation of the sin that is rampant among us, even in the Church; and it is vigorous in its defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are many who were and will be deeply offended and angered by the words of the Apostle Paul (for which he was murdered). But don’t misunderstand the value and intention of his words. He is not being unnecessarily harsh. His words, in the end, are kind words of warning. He is warning the Gentile world (and anyone who is listening) of the consequences of sin and the coming wrath upon those who reject God and the Gospel message, and upon those who practice debauchery and wantonly pursue sins of the flesh. He is offering a way out of their condemnation into an eternal sanctuary of forgiveness and a purposeful life and peace.
The Gospel Exalted
Romans 1:1,Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, verse 2, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, verse 3, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, verse 4, who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, verse 5, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles in behalf of His name, verse 6, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; verse 7, to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Commentary Break): The opening verses of Romans chapter one are both a greeting and a synopsis of the prophetic coming of the Christ in Jesus and His glorious works of atonement, the scriptural calling of Paul’s ministry to the Gentile world. (I would suggest you re-read these verses in the Amplified version of the Bible for deeper clarity). (End Commentary Break).
Verse 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world. Verse 9. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, verse 10, always in my prayers requesting if perhaps now, at last by the will of God, I will succeed in coming to you. Verse 11. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; verse 12, that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. Verse 13. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles. Verse 14. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. Verse 15. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
(Commentary Break): Paul’s delay in reaching Rome was for good reasons. Paul was unable to visit Rome before his arrest primarily due to his commitment to evangelize unreached areas first and fulfill his obligations in Jerusalem. His missionary work in other regions and the guidance of the Holy Spirit delayed his plans to travel to Rome. (see Bible Hub).
Reasons for Paul’s Delay in Visiting Rome
Commitment to Evangelism
Paul prioritized preaching the gospel in areas where Christ was not known. His ambition was to reach unreached regions before visiting established churches like the one in Rome.
He focused on missionary work in regions from Jerusalem to Illyricum, which consumed much of his time and resources.
Obligations in Jerusalem
Paul had a significant responsibility to deliver a charitable offering to the church in Jerusalem. This task was crucial for maintaining unity among the early Christian communities.
He did not want to pass through Rome on his way west until he had fulfilled this obligation.
Divine Guidance
The Holy Spirit played a key role in directing Paul’s travels. He experienced several instances where he was prevented from entering certain regions, indicating that his itinerary was influenced by divine intervention.
Paul acknowledged that his plans were subject to God’s sovereignty, which often meant delays for broader kingdom purposes.
Summary of Paul’s Circumstances
Factor
Description
Evangelism Priority
Focused on unreached areas before established churches.
Jerusalem Obligations
Needed to deliver a charitable offering to the Jerusalem church.
Divine Guidance
Experienced delays due to the Holy Spirit’s direction.
These factors combined to prevent Paul from visiting Rome until after his arrest, when he ultimately arrived as a prisoner rather than as a missionary.
One lesson to be taken from this explanation by Paul and his reasoning, is that his prioritization is what we, today in America, should consider. We, the Church in America, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars and an incalculable amount of time and human resources to reach far away lands while our own nation and its churches are drifting from our Christ-centered foundation and a majority are falling into apostasy.
Seventy-two percent of churches and senior pastors in the USA do not agree with the Bible and its teachings, indicating a significant trend towards apostasy within American Christianity. (livingeternal.net and themoorings.org).
Apostasy in American Churches – Current Trends
Recent research indicates that a significant percentage of American churches are experiencing a form of apostasy. Specifically, 72% of churches and senior pastors do not agree with the Bible and its teachings. This statistic highlights a troubling trend within the Christian community in the United States.
Implications of Apostasy
The implications of this trend are profound, as it suggests a departure from traditional biblical teachings and beliefs. The following points summarize the key aspects of this phenomenon:
Disagreement with Biblical Teachings: A majority of church leaders are not aligned with the core tenets of Christianity as outlined in the Bible.
Impact on Congregations: This disconnect may lead to a decline in church attendance and engagement among congregants who seek a more biblically grounded faith.
Cultural Shift: The findings reflect a broader cultural shift away from traditional Christian values, contributing to a more secular society.
Conclusion
The statistic of 72% serves as a stark indicator of the challenges facing American Christianity today, suggesting a need for reflection and potential reform within many congregations. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Verse 17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.”
(Commentary Break): If only. If only each and every Christian could confirm these words of Paul for their own lives, one could only imagine the state of the world today. Of course that is not the case and there are as many reasons as there are people who call themselves Christian. The phrase “from faith to faith” could be stated as “from beginning to the end”. Thus, the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel message and through your faith, from beginning to the end. As I have said so many times, the Word of God is instructional, creative, causative and prophetic by its very nature, and so it is when It says “THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH”, for the fully surrender, fully devoted follower of Jesus, it is made possible and is the visible proof and fruit of a Christian. (End Commentary Break).
Unbelief and Its Consequences
Verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, verse 19, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. Verse 20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Verse 21. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Verse 22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, verse 23, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.
Verse 24. Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. Verse 25. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Verse 26. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, verse 27, and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Verse 28. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, verse 29, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, verse 30, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, verse 31, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; verse 32, and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
(Commentary Break): Rather than assigning specific peoples or people groups who are identified as described in these foregoing verses, I will leave that to the reader. You see them plainly and everywhere. Their end is judgment and the severest punishment leads to their destruction – at which they scoff. They, in fact, celebrate and demand more and more rights to parade their indecencies and vile hatred of all that is good.
Live your life as a testimony and a witness of the Gospel before them, but do no entangle yourself with them or their lifestyles – for the scriptures warn that “bad company corrupts good morals”. (End Commentary Break).
(End Romans chapter one).
If the Apostle Paul was running for a popularity contest he would likely fail. I also suspect that if Paul were to preach this way in the contemporary twenty-first century Church, he would not be invited back to very many churches. Yet this is the way and the pattern to which we must return and practice – in love, peace and reverence for all. This must be our testimony and witness to the world. We must not pander hoping we can attract people with false charity and entice them through entertaining methods that do not lead to repentance and holiness.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: If you desire a deeper theological line-by-line commentary, I recommend BibleHub.com.
Next: The Book of Romans, Chapter 2, The Impartiality of God, The Jews Under the Law.
(Please bookmark this page or subscribe for future episodes)
WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS TO DO WHEN DOCTRINAL VIEWS COLLIDE?
My wife and I were hosting neighborhood Bible studies. One particular evening the neighbor across the street from us accepted our invitation to attend. They brought some food and the husband asked if he could play some gospel music on his guitar. (We are excited at their response, especially since the did not go to church and had stepped away from their Catholic beliefs – although they said they believed in God).
The evening was going very well. Great interaction between guests. We at a meal, chatted for a while then went into a time for songs and Bible study. The focus verses were from John 1:1-13. Things were going well and the discussion was lively until we reach verse 12 which reads, “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”, whereupon the neighbor from across the street erupted in protest. “You Christians are all the same! Exclusive bigots”. All in the room were stunned by his sudden outburst. I politely asked him, “Why would you say that?” He angrily responded, “Because you have to believe your way or you can’t be a child of God!” One of the others explained to him that, first of all, it wasn’t our view, it is what the Bible says. And secondly, It is not an exclusive invitation. Everyone is invited to come to Christ Jesus, although you have to believe in Him to become a child of God. But this man was having nothing more to do with it. He grabbed his guitar and stormed out of our house. Wow!
The rest of us began a discussion about what had just occurred. We all agreed that this man got it! He understood, at least partially, that he would have to give up his current worldly views, and surrender his life to Jesus to become a Christian and a child of God. It seemed to enrage him. He apparently wanted the benefits of being a Christian but without the cost.
The discussion that ensued centered around the questions about the inclusiveness and the exclusivity of the Gospel and we ended the evening talking about the doctrines of Election and Predestination, (are some Elected and others not, and are some predestined and other not?)
So, I ask you to take a self-evaluation by review these questions:
Is the Church INCLUSIVE or EXCLUSIVE?
(Your answer goes here) .
Why do you say that? .
Should the Church be INCLUSIVE or EXCLUSIVE?
(Your answer goes here) .
Why do you say that? .
Based on your first two answers, Is God INCLUSIVE or EXCLUSIVE?
(Your answer goes here) .
Why do you say that? .
Based on your last answer, Do you still feel the Church is or should be INCLUSIVE OR EXCLUSIVE?
Why do you say that? .
What do you believe is the reason that the Church is either INCLUSIVE or EXCLUSIVE?
Please explain .
DOCTRINES
Doctrines are official teachings or systems of beliefs established by religious traditions that guide the practices and beliefs of their followers. Each religious denomination has its own unique doctrines.
Doctrines are the codified beliefs or teachings of a religious denomination, outlining their principles and positions on various aspects of faith and practice. Each denomination may have unique doctrines that distinguish them from others, such as the nature of Jesus, salvation, and authority within the church.
Doctrines are theologian’s and Church leader’s codified views derived from the Bible’s teachings outlining their principles and positions on various aspect of faith and practice and the governance of the Church body. Religious (Church) doctrines are man’s interpretations of the Bible’s intent; hence there are approximately two hundred Christian denominations in America alone, and over forty-five thousand worldwide. I.e., there are as many denominations as there are opinions and interpretations of the Bible by men, which has led to schisms, divisions, disagreements and even hostilities within the Body of Christ, which in turn has led to a chaotic weakening and reduced effectiveness of the Word of God in people’s lives.
The most divisive of doctrines are about Election, Predestination, and Eschatology (the study of the End Times); followed by doctrines on baptism, hell, spiritual gifts, complementarianism (women in the pulpit and / or pastoring over men).
Now, to the question, “what should you do when doctrinal views collide”?
Let me give you a prime example: ELECTION. According to the Reformed or Calvinist view (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, some Baptists), the Bible teaches that God chooses some people, that is those who He will save, and will not choose others, based on His own purposes and His desire to show grace to undeserving sinners. Ephesians 1:4–6 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” He chose in love, in accordance with His pleasure and will, so that He would be glorified. God’s election has nothing to do with what the elect would or would not do. According to this view, God’s grace is irresistible to the chosen. (I.e., an individual cannot choose, on their own volition, to be saved. This says that even if I wanted to be saved, unless I have been Elected by God to be saved, I would have no choice in the matter of salvation. I would be sentenced to Hell.)
Overview of the Calvinist acronym, T.U.L.I.P.
TULIP is an acronym that represents the five key points of Calvinism, a theological framework within Reformed Christianity. Each letter stands for a specific doctrine related to salvation and God’s sovereignty.
The Five Points of TULIP
Letter
Point
Description
T
Total Depravity
Humanity is completely affected by sin, rendering individuals unable to choose God without divine intervention.
U
Unconditional Election
God’s choice to save certain individuals is not based on any foreseen merit or action on their part.
L
Limited Atonement
Christ’s atonement is specifically intended for the elect, meaning His sacrifice effectively saves only those chosen by God.
I
Irresistible Grace
The grace of God to save individuals cannot be resisted; those whom God calls will inevitably come to faith.
P
Perseverance of the Saints
Those who are truly saved will remain in faith until the end; they cannot lose their salvation.
Historical Context
The TULIP acronym emerged in the early 20th century but is rooted in the theological debates of the 17th century, particularly the Synod of Dort (1618-1619). This synod was convened to address the challenges posed by Arminian theology, which presented alternative views on predestination and grace. The five points of TULIP serve to contrast Reformed theology with these Arminian perspectives.
Significance
Understanding TULIP is essential for grasping the core beliefs of Calvinism, particularly regarding the nature of salvation and God’s sovereignty. These doctrines emphasize that salvation is entirely the work of God, highlighting His grace and the assurance of salvation for the elect.
God did not choose everyone. If He had, then everyone would come to faith in Christ. He chose some, and He left others to their own desires. Left to ourselves, all of us would continue in our rebellion and reject Christ. God chose to pursue some, convict them of their need, and lead them to faith. It is because of God’s choice that anyone comes to faith in Christ. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44).
Conversely, the Armenian view, (Methodist, Nazarene, Wesleyan, Free Will Baptist), believe in an interplay between divine grace and human choice, asserting that God desires all to be saved while allowing individuals the freedom to accept or reject His offer of salvation. This theological framework stands in contrast to Calvinism, which emphasizes God’s sovereign choice in electing individuals to salvation.
Key Tenets of Arminian Salvation
Conditional Election
Definition: Arminianism posits that God’s election is conditional upon an individual’s faith in Jesus Christ.
Implication: This means that while God’s grace is universally available, individuals must choose to accept it to be saved.
Universal Grace
Prevenient Grace: Arminians believe that God’s grace precedes human action, enabling individuals to respond to the gospel.
Resistible Grace: Unlike Calvinism, which teaches that God’s grace is irresistible, Arminianism holds that individuals can resist God’s grace.
Atonement for All
Scope of Atonement: Arminian theology asserts that Christ’s atonement is available to all people, not just the elect.
Faith Requirement: Salvation is contingent upon faith in Jesus, meaning that individuals must actively choose to believe.
And finally, Provisionism, a more recent development, asserts that God’s grace is available to all, allowing anyone to respond to His call for salvation. This view holds a generally Arminian view of free will and salvation, with notable differences such as positive belief in eternal security. The main gist of Provisionism is the idea that the gospel is the Word of God, which is sufficient in itself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to enable a response in all who hear God’s appeal to be reconciled to Him (John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12).
The main use of the term Provisionism comes from the writings of theologian Leighton Flowers. The term is also meant to describe the general approach to salvation held by most Southern and Independent Baptists. So far as Reformed doctrine is concerned, this means narrow disagreement on the subjects of total depravity and limited atonement, as well as the exact meaning of words like predestined and elect.
Christians have often debated (and sometime vehemently) the finer points of how human will and God’s sovereignty interact when it comes to salvation. Though the nuances of Provisionism may not be accepted by particular believers, its tenets are well within the realm of orthodox Christian theology.
Similar to the TULIP in Calvinism, Provisionism can be summarized with the acrostic P.R.O.V.I.D.E. (see Statement-of-faith for more information): People sin: Which separated all from fellowship with God. Responsible: Able-to-respond to God’s appeals for reconciliation. Open door: For anyone to enter by faith. Whosoever will may come to His open arms. Vicarious atonement: Provides a way for anyone to be saved by Christ’s blood. Illuminating grace: Provides clearly revealed truth so that all can know and respond in faith. Destroyed: For unbelief and resisting the Holy Spirit. Eternal security: For all true believers.
CONCLUSION:
Comparison Table
Attribute
Calvinism
Arminianism
Provisionism
View on Predestination
Predetermined by God
Based on foreseen faith
Grace available to all
Human Responsibility
Limited by God’s sovereignty
Emphasizes free will
Individuals can respond
Atonement
Limited to the elect
Universal for all
Vicarious atonement for everyone
Key Proponents
John Calvin
Jacob Arminius
Leighton Flowers
These theological frameworks shape the beliefs and practices of various Christian denominations, influencing how they understand salvation and God’s role in the lives of believers.
So, why all the debating and all the rhetorical heat between belief system? After all, we are all considered Christians. Right? It is all due to man-devised views of Biblical teachings, their meanings and intents.
What can you do (at least for now) to avoid doctrinal divisiveness within the Body of Christ?
Draw near to God in prayer and Bible reading and study.
Follow the core teachings of Jesus – the ones that are the easiest to understand (even though some may be hard to do because of the sin nature present in all people).
Treat all people, most particularly, other Christians, as you would like to be treated.
The Apostle John explained how to be saved this way: “For God so loved the world (you), that He gave His only Son, so that anyone who would believe on Him would be saved”.
The Apostle Paul said it this way, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Jesus clearly taught how to be saved and demonstrated what it means to follow Him and to be His disciple. Sometime, we as humans, just have differing highly educated albeit personal interpreative opinions.
Just do what Jesus says and does and leave all the difficult and divisive ‘other things’ to the theologians to debate for now. You and I must just follow Him obediently.
Peter’s statement comes from Second Epistle of Peter 3:2, and it’s a compact but powerful summary of two streams of divine authority that believers were to hold onto.
Let’s break it down (collected from ChatGpt):
“The words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets”
This refers to the Old Testament prophetic Scriptures.
Peter is pointing back to:
The writings of prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel
Their predictions about:
The coming Day of the Lord
Judgment on the ungodly
The promise of God’s intervention in history
👉 In context (2 Peter 3), Peter is warning about scoffers denying Christ’s return, so he reminds them: “This isn’t new—the prophets already spoke about these things.”
“The commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles”
This refers to the teachings of Jesus, passed on through the apostles.
The “Lord and Savior” is Jesus Christ
The “apostles” include figures like Peter the Apostle, John the Apostle, and Paul the Apostle
This includes teachings such as:
Christ’s promise to return (e.g., Matthew 24)
Calls to holy living and readiness
Warnings about judgment
👉 Peter is emphasizing that:
The apostles are not inventing new doctrine
They are faithfully transmitting Christ’s own commands
The Big Idea: A Unified Authority
Peter is putting Old Testament prophecy and apostolic teaching side by side.
He’s essentially saying:
“Remember what God said before (through the prophets) and what Christ has now said (through His apostles).”
This shows:
Continuity between Old and New Testament revelation
That apostolic teaching carries divine authority, not just human opinion
Why Peter Says This (Context)
In the surrounding passage, Peter warns about:
False teachers
Scoffers denying the Second Coming
So this verse is a call to:
Anchor yourself in revealed truth
Not be shaken by new, skeptical ideas
Bottom Line
Peter is urging believers to hold fast to:
The prophetic Scriptures (Old Testament)
The teachings of Christ delivered by the apostles (New Testament)
Together, these form a complete, trustworthy witness about God’s plan—especially concerning Christ’s return and final judgment.
Great question—this verse opens the door to both specific prophetic texts and a broader doctrine of how God speaks authoritatively.
1) Old Testament passages Peter likely has in mind
In Second Epistle of Peter 3, Peter is addressing scoffers who deny the future judgment and return of Christ. So the “holy prophets” he refers to are especially those who spoke about:
A. The Day of the Lord (judgment + cosmic upheaval)
Book of Isaiah
Isaiah 13:9–11
Isaiah 34:4
These passages describe:
The heavens dissolving
Stars falling
God judging the world
👉 This closely parallels 2 Peter 3:10 (“the heavens will pass away with a roar…”).
Book of Joel
Joel 2:30–31
Joel 3:14
Themes:
Cosmic signs (sun darkened, moon turned to blood)
“The great and terrible Day of the Lord”
Book of Zephaniah
Zephaniah 1:14–18
Themes:
A day of wrath, distress, and destruction
Universal judgment—not just Israel
B. The destruction of the ungodly
Book of Malachi
Malachi 4:1
“The day is coming, burning like an oven…”
This matches Peter’s imagery of fire consuming the present world (2 Peter 3:7).
C. Creation, Flood, and God’s past judgments
Peter explicitly mentions the Flood (2 Peter 3:5–6), pointing back to:
Book of Genesis
Genesis 1 (creation by God’s word)
Genesis 6–9 (the Flood)
👉 His argument:
God judged the world once (by water)
He will judge it again (by fire)
D. Promise of a new heavens and new earth
Book of Isaiah
Isaiah 65:17
Isaiah 66:22
“New heavens and a new earth”
Peter directly echoes this in 2 Peter 3:13.
Summary of OT themes Peter is invoking
Peter isn’t quoting just one passage—he’s drawing from a well-known prophetic framework:
God created the world by His word
God judged it in the past (Flood)
God will judge it again (Day of the Lord, fire)
God will renew it (new creation)
2) How this relates to apostolic authority and inspiration
Now to the second half of the verse:
“the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles”
This is theologically very important.
A. Apostles as authorized representatives of Christ
Peter places:
“holy prophets” (OT)
alongside
“your apostles” (NT)
This implies equal divine authority in their message.
The apostles speak not independently, but as commissioned by:
Jesus Christ
Compare:
John 14:26 — the Spirit will bring Christ’s words to remembrance
Matthew 28:20 — teach “all that I commanded you”
👉 So their teaching = Christ’s commandment
B. Apostolic teaching is already viewed as Scripture
Later in the same chapter:
2 Peter 3:15–16 refers to the writings of Paul the Apostle
Peter says they are counted among “the Scriptures”
This is huge:
Within the New Testament itself
Apostolic writings are already being recognized as inspired Scripture
C. Continuity of revelation (not contradiction)
Peter’s structure shows:
Source
Content
Authority
Prophets
OT revelation
God’s word
Apostles
Christ’s teaching
God’s word
👉 This supports the doctrine that:
The New Testament doesn’t replace the Old
It fulfills and completes it
D. Inspiration: God speaks through both
Earlier in the letter, Peter defines prophecy:
2 Peter 1:21
“Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”
This applies to:
OT prophets
And, by extension, apostolic teaching
3) The Big Theological Takeaway
Peter is making a bold claim:
👉 To reject apostolic teaching is to reject Christ
👉 To ignore the prophets is to ignore God’s prior revelation
So he anchors believers in a twofold authority:
Prophetic Scripture (Old Testament)
Apostolic teaching (New Testament)
Together, they form the foundation of what we now recognize as the Bible.
Bottom line
Peter likely has in mind a network of prophetic passages—especially from Isaiah, Joel, Zephaniah, Malachi, and Genesis—that describe:
The Day of the Lord
Final judgment
Cosmic renewal
And he uses them to affirm that:
The message of the apostles is not new—it is the divinely authorized continuation and fulfillment of everything God already revealed.
This is where the Devil / Satan began his rage on earth. This is when his raging and final days of destructive efforts are made manifest on the earth; this is where and how Satan is at work now, and where we are now in this cosmic End of Days Battle with him; and this is where we are headed in the very near future.
(First, it is important to note the uses of the past tense in conjunction with the present tense and future tenses, in these prophetic scriptures, all in these same paragraphs in verses, particularly in chapter 11, verse 15 through 17. Why?Because this is a picture of how God exists in the dimension we call ‘time’. He was, He is, and He always shall be. God is pre-existent, currently present and eternal, and this is the correct view of time-related events from God’s perspective in prophecy.
Importantly we must ask how this affects us, our views and our response to scriptures and God’s commands? We are seeing, in our day, what has happened (past) is still happening (present) and will continue to occur (future) until all is fulfilled. I.e., “you are already experiencing prophetic matters that you may have thought were yet to come”. Are you prepared?
The Seventh Trumpet: Christ’s Reign Foreseen – A Past, Present or Future event?
Revelation 11:15, Then the seventh angel sounded; (past tense), and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world has become(present tense) the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign (future tense) forever and ever.” Verse 16. And the twenty-four elders, who sit (present tense) on their thrones before God, fell on their faces (past tense) and worshiped (past tense) God, verse 17, saying,
“We give(present tense) You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, (past tense), because You have taken (past tense), Your great power andhave begun (present tense) to reign.
(Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.)
Verse 18. And the nations were enraged, (past tense) and Your wrath came, (past tense), and the time came (past tense), for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Verse 19. And the temple of God which is in heaven (present tense)was opened (past tense); and the ark of His covenant appeared (past tense) in His temple, and there were(past tense) flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
(Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.)
The Woman, Israel.
Revelation 12:1,A great sign appeared (past tense) in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (past tense); verse 2, and she was pregnant, and she cried out, (past tense) being in labor and in pain to give birth.
The Red Dragon, Satan.
Verse 3. Then another sign appeared (past tense) in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. Verse 4. And his tail swept away (past tense) a third of the stars of heaven and hurled (past tense) them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might devour her Child (past tense).
(Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.)
The Male Child, Christ.
Verse 5. And she gave birth (past tense) to a Son, a male, who is going to rule (future tense) all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God (past tense) and to His throne. Verse 6. Then the woman fled (past tense) into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished (future tense) for 1,260 days.
The Angel, Michael.
Verse 7. And there was war in heaven, (past tense) Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, (past tense) verse 8, and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven (past tense). Verse 9. And the great dragon was thrown down, (past tense) the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down (past tense)to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Verse 10. Then I heard (past tense) a loud voice in heaven, saying,
(Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.)
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, (present tense)for the accuser of our brothers and sistershas been thrown down, (present tense)the one who accuses (present tense) them before our God, day and night. Verse 11. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life evenwhen faced with death. Verse 12. For this reason, rejoice, (present tense) you heavens and you who dwell in them (present tense). Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down (present tense) to you with great wrath, knowing (present tense)that he has(future tense) only a short time.”
(Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.)
Verse 13. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. Verse 14. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly (future tense) into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. Verse 15. And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.(future tense). Verse 16. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth. Verse 17. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments(present tense)of God and hold to (present tense) the testimony of Jesus.
Past tense – Present tense – Future tense.
The point to be made here is that the (heathen) nations and Satan have been raging, are raging and will rage into the near future; and since Satan knows his time is short, he is in his death throes. And like the mortally wounded beast he is, he will wreak as much havoc, destruction and death as possible as far as God will allow.
Revelation chapters eleven and twelve give us a peek into the past, presentand future,from God’s perspective and for our instruction in our current and future days, of what is upon us, what is yet to come and how we are to prepare and respond.
(Note: watching for the signs of these days will do little more than cause your distress and will change nothing – except perhaps to deceive you and to cause you to stand idle. God has given and is giving us clear instructions as to what we are to be doing in these days – “going in His name, making disciples; teaching all that He has commanded us; and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit – and loving one another the same way He has loved us).
For background, here is the lead up to the above verses please read:
THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses –
THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses –
Episode 13
(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, “SO WHAT?”)
We are between the SIXTH Trumpet Judgement and the coming SEVENTH Trumpet Judgement of God. This is the point where no one will any longer repent of their murders nor of their sorceries, drugs, intoxications, nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts. It is now that God’s mercy to salvation is withdrawn, and He orders the release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates which is a great army of two hundred million soldiers who will now kill a third of mankind. We are entering the final three and one half years of the Great Tribulation, The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord and The final judgments, The Wrath of The Lamb are now at hand.
The Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:1, Then there was given to me a [footnote ‘a’] measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “[footnote ‘b’] Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar [of incense], and [count] those who worship in it. Verse 2. But leave out the court [of the Gentiles] which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles (the nations); and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months (which is three and one-half years). Verse 3. And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, (which is forty-two months, or, three and one-half years), dressed in [footnote ‘c’] sackcloth.”
(Commentary Break: We are now at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. There are three and one half years of God’s Judgements, remaining, The Wrath of The Lamb.
John is given a measuring rod like a staff, an implement used to make measurements. In this case, to measure (number 1), the temple of God and (number 2), the altar, and (number 3), to count those who worship in it’. This will inventory, confirm, validate and verify that which has been established by God. The Hebrew language here, tells us that John is, in essence, to lay the facts of this matter to rest; i.e., to bring this message to closure, and to move to a conclusion. A more colloquial way of saying it would be, “we are taking inventory and closing up shop and moving on to bigger and better things”. The end has come and this is the first of the final acts.
The conclusion of ‘these things’ first of all, is that all of the saints of all the ages have now been Raptured, are standing before His Throne, and are eternally with God. (See Revelation chapter 7, Verses 9 and 10,“After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with, palm branches in their hands; and in a loud voice they cried out, saying, “Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity’s to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance].” – These are the Raptured Elect of God.)
Secondly, and conversely, John is told NOT to measure the outer court of the Gentiles because they are the ones bearing The Mark of The Beast and will join the Beast ‘to trample the holy city for forty-two months’, which is the remaining three and one half years of the Great Tribulation. All those who now remain on the earth are doomed to suffer the 7th Trumpet Judgement and the 7 Bowl Judgements of Tribulation, the Wrath of the Lamb and will be sentenced to the eternal lake of fire.
Additionally, God has given authority to His two witnesses to prophesy for three and one-half years. They are dressed in sackcloth which symbolizes a time of mourning. (End Commentary break).
Verse 4. These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. Verse 5. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. Verse 6. These [two witnesses] have the power [from God] to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophesying [regarding judgment and salvation]; and they have power over the waters (seas, rivers) to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every [kind of] plague, as often as they wish.
Verse 7. When they have finished their testimony and given their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss, (the bottomless pit), will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
Verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie exposed in the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Verse 9. Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations [footnote ‘d’] look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. Verse 10. And those who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.
(Commentary Break: Verses four through nine are pretty much self-evident, with the exception of the metaphors of the two olive trees and the two lampstands to describe the two Witnesses. The olive tree as used here, represents the people of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit; The two lampstands represent the eminent prophets who will precede Christ’s appearing with His armies in heaven. His robe has been dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. His armies, which are also in heaven, are clothed in fine linen, following Him on white horses (see Revelation 19, verses 13 through 16).
Please Note: Many theologians and bible teachers say that this appearing of Jesus on a white horse, is His 2nd advent, whereupon He comes to the earth to wage this battle. THIS IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN SCRIPTURES. (Only an Angel descends to the earth.)
It important to note thatthere is a 10 Nation Confederation identified in Ezekiel 38, also in Daniel chapters 7 and 9 and again in Revelation chapter 17, as the armies of Armageddon are from the nations of:
Gog, also known as Rosh, (which is Russia), and Rosh, (also known as Russia),Magog, also known as a region in Russia, Gomer, identified as an Eastern European and Southern area of Russia, Put, now named Libya, Cush, also known as Ethiopia, Persia, also known as Iran, Meshech, also known as Modern Day Turkey, and Tubal, also known as an area in central Turkey.
It is clearly stated in Revelation 19, verses 13 through 21, and Revelation 20 verses 1 through 3, that Jesus and His armies appear in the heavens. He does not come to earth and engage in a physical battle. Jesus supernaturally defeats the forces of the antichrist and of the Beast, then an angel is sent to the earth to complete the work of binding Satan. There are some theologians and bible teachers who suggest the angel may have been Jesus, but if the Bible is nothing else, IT IS ACCURATE AND COMPLETE IN ITS WORDING. It was an angel doing the bidding of The Lord.
Next, there is mention of Sodom and Egypt as a symbolism or an allegory for Jerusalem. See this link for a probable explanation.
Finally, the stage is set to lead the people on earth, who bear the Mark of the Beast, to believe they have been triumphant in the defeat of the two Witnesses. But this is merely a method to amplify their dismay, surprise and terror as the Witnesses to come back to life. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 11. But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear and panic fell on those who were watching them. Verse 12. And the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they ascended into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. Verse 13. And in that [very] hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell and was destroyed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest [who survived] were overcome with terror, and they glorified the God of heaven [as they recognized His awesome power].
Verse 14. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet – Christ’s Reign Foreseen
Verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Verse 16. And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell face downward and worshiped God, verse 17, saying, “To You we give thanks, O Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Who are and Who were, because You have taken Your great power and the sovereignty [which is rightly Yours] and have [now] begun to reign. Verse 18. And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrath and indignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God’s people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth.”
Verse 19. And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. (End of chapter 11).
One might wonder, since the elect of God have been removed from earth, and these events will not affect them, why God is revealing these judgements and those yet to come. Perhaps this can be a deterrent for those who read these words and heed them, before this days comes.
Next, we will read in Revelation chapters 12 through 14 a recapitulation of events past and events yet to come, but this is more akin to a ‘backstory’ of sorts, given with great detail and symbolisms explained.
At any rate, those with wisdom and insight should prepare while there is time.
Now to the main event:
THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 12 – The Woman Israel, The Dragon, The Male Child, The Angel Michael
Episode 14
(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, “AND, WHAT? DOES THIS MEAN TO ME”)
We will now get a deeper spiritual perspective of the unfolding events of the Last Days. Chapter 12 gives us a review and an overview from above, of what was, what is and what is to come.
Please remember and try to understand that “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” This is the perspective of this Chapter twelve.
(And, because of the extensive use of symbolism, metaphors and similes, I will comment more than usual, hopefully to give useful insights.)
The Woman, Israel
Revelation 12:1 And a great sign [warning of an ominous and frightening future event] appeared in heaven: a [footnote ‘a’] woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Verse 2. She was with child (the Messiah) and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
(Commentary Break: It can be quite obvious that the woman clothed with the sun is Israel. The sun refers to Jacob, (who was also called Israel), and the moon is open to many interpretations, but one is that it possibly refers to Rachel, who is the younger daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who become two of the twelve tribes of Israel. The crown of 12 stars upon the woman’s head refers to the twelve tribes of Israel, originating with the sons of Jacob and Rachel.
Verse 2 is, of course, referring to the birth of Jesus, which is very descriptive as “she, the woman Israel, cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth”. This is but another important time marker of the beginning to the Tribulation Period, known as the BIRTH PAINS, as spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24, verse 8.
I am providing a reprint of Matthew 24 verses 3 through 14, below here, to give the full context of (#1), Jesus’ remarks on this matter, and (#2), to show the specific time of the beginning of the BIRTH PAINS segment of The Tribulation, which include the first 5 tribulations, broken at the time of the birth of Christ Jesus! The 6th Tribulation Seal is not mentioned here, as it is the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week, also known as The Great Tribulation and the beginning of the FINAL SEVEN YEARS of the Tribulation!
Matthew 24:3, And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And Jesus answered and said to them, “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. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars, (Tribulation Seals 1 through 2 as described by Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 and Revelation chapter 6). See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,(Tribulation Seals and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
“Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name (Third and fourth Tribulation Seals). And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. (The Fifth Tribulation Seal). But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
To repeat: this is to give the full context of (#1), Jesus’ remarks on this matter, and (#2), to show the specific time of the beginning of the BIRTH PAINS segment of The Tribulation, which include the first 5 tribulations, broken at the time of the birth of Christ Jesus! The 6th Tribulation Seal is not mentioned here, as it is the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week, also known as The Great Tribulation and the beginning of the FINAL SEVEN YEARS of the Tribulation! (End Commentary Break).
The Red Dragon, Satan
Verse 3. Then another sign [of warning] was seen in heaven: behold, a great fiery red dragon (Satan) with [footnote ‘b’] seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven royal crowns (diadems). Verse 4. And his tail swept [across the sky] and dragged away a third of the stars of heaven and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
(Commentary Break: Theseven heads and ten hornscorrespond to the heads and horns of the beast in Revelation chapter 17, verse 3 through verse 17, and to those of the beast in Daniel chapter 7, verse 7 through verse 8 and following verses as well. Daniel’s description reveals that the ten horns are ten kings who temporarily reign with the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. These ten kings, or nations, as found in Ezekiel 38, in Daniel chapter 7 and 9 and again in Revelation chapter 17, as the armies of Armageddon are from the nations of:
Gog, also known as Rosh, (Russia) and,
Rosh, (Russia),
Magog, also known as (Russia),
Gomer, also known as (Eastern Europe-Southern Russia),
Put, also known as (Libya),
Cush, also known as (Ethiopia),
Persia, also known as (Iran),
Meshech, also known as (Modern Day Turkey),
Tubal, also known as (an area in central Turkey),
Beth-Togarmah, also known as(Georgia, Chechnya, Turkey/Armenia).
Next, John sees a sign in heaven: “An enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” John then relates that the dragon was hurled down to the earth and positively identifies it as “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12 verse 9). The dragon is not thrown to earth alone, however: “His angels were cast out with him” (verse 9). The angels that are ejected from heaven with Satan we associate with the “third of the stars” that the dragon’s tail swept from heaven to earth in verse 4. If the “stars” of Revelation 12 verse 4 are indeed a symbolic reference to Satan’s “angels” from verse 9, then what we have is a reference to the fall of a portion of the angels, (the heavenly hosts), who followed Satan in his rebellion. Two thirds of the angels remained loyal to God and are called the “holy angels” in Scripture (for example, Mark 8 verse 38); one third of the original angels joined Satan and are called “unclean spirits” or “demons” today (for example, Mark 9:25).
Verse 5. And she gave birth to a Son, a male Child, who is destined to rule (shepherd) all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was [footnote ‘c’] caught up to God and to His throne. Verse 6. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that she would be nourished there for a thousand two hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; which is three and one-half years).
(Commentary Break: Jesus is born and “was caught up to God and to His throne” is telling us ofthe ascension of Christ to heaven following His death and resurrection.
Verse 6 continues by telling us that the woman, (which is Israel), flees to the wilderness where she had a place to nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, which is 42 months or 3 and one half years. This is a difficult passage, but the woman’s flight into the wilderness for one thousand two hundred and sixty days refers to the future time called the Great Tribulation.Twelve hundred, sixty days is 42 months (of 30 days each), which is the same as 3 and one half years. Halfway through the Tribulation period, the Beast (the Antichrist) will set an image of himself up in the temple that will be built in Jerusalem. This is the abomination that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 verse 15 and Mark 13 verse 14. When the Beast does this, he breaks the peace pact he had made with Israel, and the nation has to flee for safety, possibly to Petra (also see Matthew 24 and Daniel 9 verse 27). This escape of the Jews is pictured as the woman fleeing into the wilderness.
More likely however, rather than a literal place, this is ‘a time of relative peace’ for Israel during the first half of the seven year Great Tribulation period, which begins at the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal and will last until the Sounding of the 6th Tribulation Trumpet.. This is the time that they make the peace treaty as referred to in Daniel 9 verse 27. (End Commentary Break).
The Angel, Michael
Verse 7. And war broke out in heaven, Michael [the archangel] and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought, verse 8, but they were not strong enough and did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. Verse 9. And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the [footnote ‘d’] devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Verse 10. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the [footnote ‘e’] accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. Verse 11. And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Verse 12. Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time [remaining]!”
Verse 13. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male Child. Verse 14. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time (three and one-half years), away from the presence of the serpent (Satan). Verse 15. And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. Verse 16. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth. Verse 17. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went off to wage war on the rest of her children (seed), those who keep and obey the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus [holding firmly to it and bearing witness to Him].
(Commentary Break: Although knowing these things, changes nothing in your life nor in your existence if you have already been Raptured from earth. Nor is there any way you can respond, or need to. But if you have not been saved by faith in Christ Jesus, and do not bear the protective Seal of the Lord, perhaps this is useful. Either way, for your information, Michael the Archangel is described in the Bible, in the books of Daniel, Jude, and Revelation, as a warrior angel who engages in spiritual combat. The word archangel means “angel of the highest rank.” Most angels in the Bible are portrayed as messengers, but Michael is described in all three books as contending, fighting, or standing against evil spirits and principalities (Daniel 10 verses 13 and 21; Jude 1 verses 9; and Revelation 12 verse 7). We do not have a full picture of any angel, and only two are named in the Bible. (Gabriel is the other). Scripture only gives us hints of their movements during human events, but it is safe to say that Michael the archangel is a powerful being (see Got Questions.Org).
We see here that the Dragon and his angels are thrown down but they continue to deceive the whole world for a time. Knowing his time is short he persecutes Israel and the Christ with increasing ferocity, but is overcome and defeated by Christ Jesus and His armies, “by the Blood of the Lamb and because of the Word of their testimony”, and by the fact that they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. This is our example and our response in the days leading up to these events.
Once again we read that the woman (Israel) goes to the wilderness for safety, this time flown away on the two wings of an eagle, These two wings of an eagle are symbolic and used a metaphor of God’s strength and provision to a way of escape. We can see an example of this, which is found in Psalms 34. The Psalmist says, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are toward their cry for help. The face of the LORD is against evildoers to eliminate the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are many, But the LORD rescues him from them all.”
It is also interesting to see that ”the Serpent spews or hurls out water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood”. Three significant floods are mentioned in the Bible.
The first instance of a flood is found in Genesis 6, verse 17, “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish”, in Noah’s day.
The second instance is found in Daniel 9 verse 26, “Verse 26. “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing(see this article on “The Flood in Daniel 9” for details of the 62 weeks), and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood (this flood is a flood of people, of armies); even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
The third instance is found in Matthew 24 verses 38 and 39, “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Each instance refers to a catastrophic judgement instituted by God to bring an end to wickedness and to bring His Chosen Elect to Himself, making and forging us, more into the image of Christ, through tribulation. This changes everything for the earth and the people upon the earth. Take heed. Be prepared.
This section ends with the serpent becoming enraged with the woman, who is Israel, and goes on to make war with her children, (her seed), which are those who keep and obey the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, holding firmly to it and bearing witness to Him. This is saying not only the Jew, but now includes those who have been grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel – all Christians who carry the Name of Christ. (End Commentary Break).
There we have it. Chapter 12. An abbreviated but a complete overview of God’s Plan for His creation, from beginning to end, run in a ‘fast forward speed’ so to speak.
God placed this in His Word, not just for your reading entertainment nor just for information, but it is important for our preparation for what is coming and for our understanding as ministers and witnesses of His Plan to this lost world.
Next, in Revelation chapter 13, we learn about the Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Earth.
WHAT IS DRIVING THIS SPREADING MENTAL ILLNESS PANDEMIC IN AMERICA?
Media headlines report daily on the insane criminal behavior spreading across America, penetrating all social spectrums. (see FBI and other recent crime reports here). I would ask why, and what is going on here?
I asked Chatgpt and Google Search this question, and they similarly reported:
The primary drivers of the mental health crisis and crime in America heading into 2026 are a combination of long-standing socioeconomic stressors and evolving modern pressures. While crime rates actually showed a significant decline in 2025—with homicides down roughly 21% from the previous year—experts remain concerned about underlying factors like economic instability and inadequate access to mental health care. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Drivers of the Mental Health Crisis
The United States is currently experiencing a mental health crisis affecting all ages, but particularly youth. [1]
Economic Distress: Personal finances are the top source of anxiety for Americans in 2026, with 59% reporting significant stress over their financial situation.
Technological Pressures: Rapid AI integration is causing job-related anxiety for 47% of adults, while the “always-on” nature of digital communication contributes to chronic burnout.
Systemic Gaps in Care: Despite record demand, over 122 million Americans live in areas with severe shortages of mental health providers. High costs and insurance barriers prevent nearly half of those with mental illness from receiving treatment.
Social Isolation: The erosion of in-person social connections, often replaced by algorithm-driven digital interactions, has increased feelings of loneliness and “dread,” especially among younger generations. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Factors Influencing Crime Rates
Although overall violent crime decreased in 2025, several structural issues remain highly correlated with criminal activity and community safety. [1, 2]
Socioeconomic Disadvantage: Poverty, unemployment, and housing instability remain the strongest predictors of crime. Communities with high rates of housing instability also report the highest mental health crisis rates (9%).
The “Handcuffs Instead of Help” Cycle: Jails have become de facto mental health facilities. Approximately two in five incarcerated individuals have a history of mental illness, often arrested for non-violent offenses related to untreated symptoms.
Substance Abuse: The ongoing opioid epidemic continues to fuel both public health and public safety challenges, though many states increased investments in 2025 to combat drug trafficking and expand recovery services.
Youth Vulnerability: Disruption in education and limited entry-level career pathways due to automation have increased the risk of youth involvement in crime. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
NPR, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pyschiatry.Org, the Bureau of Health Workforce, CSG Justice Center, and the Behavioral Health News all report on and blame the symptoms of and the sad to disastrous results of mental illness on people and society, but completely fail – or refuse – to address the cause: The absence of traditional standards of morality and ethics. (And by ‘traditional standards’, I am referring to the long-held and thoroughly tested Christian Biblical standards).
I am speaking of a “Traditional Christian ethos” which refers to a set of moral values, habits, and ways of living that developed from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the long history of the Christianity. While it varies across denominations, there are some widely shared core elements:
(From ChatGPT)
Love as the Central Command
At the heart is the idea of love:
Love of God
Love of neighbor
This comes from teachings like “love your neighbor as yourself,” which shape how believers are expected to treat others—with compassion, forgiveness, and goodwill.
Moral Responsibility & Sin
Traditional Christianity teaches that:
Humans are morally accountable for their actions
Sin (wrongdoing) separates people from God
Ethical life involves recognizing faults, seeking forgiveness, and striving to live rightly.
Humility & Self-Denial
Humility is a major virtue:
Avoid pride and arrogance
Put others before yourself
Practice self-control and restraint
This often includes the idea of sacrificing short-term desires for higher moral or spiritual goals.
Charity & Service
Helping others—especially the poor and vulnerable—is essential:
Giving (charity, almsgiving)
Acts of service
Hospitality
This reflects the belief that serving others is a way of serving God.
Sanctity of Life & Human Dignity
Human life is seen as sacred because it is created by God:
Emphasis on the inherent worth of every person
Moral concern for issues involving life, suffering, and justice
Family, Sexual Ethics, and Order
Traditionally:
Marriage is viewed as a lifelong union
Sexual activity is expected within marriage
Family is a central unit of moral and social life
Different denominations interpret these principles with varying strictness today.
Faith, Obedience, and Authority
Believers are encouraged to:
Have faith in God
Follow divine commandments
Respect religious teachings and traditions (such as those found in the Bible)
Redemption & Grace
A key idea is that people are not expected to be perfect:
Forgiveness is always possible
Salvation comes through God’s grace, not just moral effort
Eternal Perspective
Life is viewed in light of eternity:
Earthly life is temporary
Actions have spiritual consequences
Hope in eternal life shapes moral priorities
Big Picture
Traditional Christian ethos emphasizes:
Love balanced with moral discipline
Personal responsibility alongside forgiveness
Individual conduct tied to a larger spiritual purpose
(From Google Search ai)
The phrase “traditional Christian ethos” generally refers to a set of core values and a “way of being” rooted in the teachings of Jesus and historical church doctrine. It’s less about a specific political stance and more about a foundational moral framework. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key Pillars of the Christian Ethos
Sacrificial Love (Agape): The central idea is putting others before oneself. This isn’t just “liking” people, but a commitment to their well-being, even at a personal cost.
Human Dignity (Imago Dei): The belief that every person is created in the “image of God.” This creates an ethical baseline that every life—regardless of status, age, or ability—has inherent, infinite value.
The “Golden Rule”: A proactive commitment to treating others as you would want to be treated, which traditionally translates into charity, hospitality, and service to the marginalized.
Humility and Repentance: A recognition of human imperfection (sin) and the need for grace. This often manifests as a “spirit of meekness”—not weakness, but power under control.
Stewardship: The view that talents, time, and the earth itself are not “owned” but are gifts on loan from God, to be used responsibly for the common good. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Internal “Moral Compass”
In a traditional sense, this ethos emphasizes virtue over autonomy. While modern culture often prioritizes “living your truth,” the Christian ethos prioritizes aligning your life with a higher, objective Truth through discipline and faith.
Would you like to explore how these values contrast with modern secular ethics, or perhaps how they apply to specific social issues?
In a June 2006 speech at the Call to Renewal conference, then president Barak Obama said, “Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.”
He did not declare that Christianity was dead in America but that America would no longer be known solely as a Christian Nation – as she had long been known. It was at that defining moment that Barak Obama gleefully announced that the syncretizing(reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous) of America was now complete.
And the American psyche was shattered. As described in Isaiah 5:20, Good became evil and evil became what is good. Read what the the Bible says is the outcome of this defiance of God:
Isaiah 5:20, Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Verse 21. Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever and shrewd in their own sight! Verse 22. Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are heroes at drinking wine And men of strength in mixing intoxicating drinks, Verse 23. Who justify the wicked and acquit the guilty for a bribe, And take away the rights of those who are in the right!
Verse 24. Therefore, as the tongue of fire consumes the stubble [from straw] And the dry grass collapses into the flame, So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away like fine dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts And despised and discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel. Verse 25. Therefore the anger of the Lord has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and has struck them down. And the mountains trembled, and their dead bodies lay like rubbish in the middle of the streets. In spite of all this God’s anger is not turned away, But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].
Verse 26. He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah], And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth; And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly. Verse 27. No one among them is weary or stumbles, No one slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the belt at their waist undone [as if unprepared for action], Nor is the strap of their sandal broken. Verse 28. Their arrows are sharp and all their bows are strung and bent; Their horses’ hoofs seem like flint and their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Verse 29. Their roaring is like a lioness, they roar like young lions; They growl and seize their prey And carry it off and there is no one to save it. Verse 30. And in that day they will roar against them like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, in fact, there is darkness and distress; Even the light will be darkened by its clouds.
And finally, here is a prime example of allowing false gods taint and influence our belief in and obedience of the One True Living God:
In the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar and King Saul are the most prominent examples of leaders who experienced significant mental instability or “madness” following their drift from God.
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon is the clearest example of a powerful leader being struck with a specific form of insanity as a direct consequence of pride and turning away from God’s authority. [1]
The Drift: Despite witnessing God’s power through Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar’s pride grew until he boasted, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built… by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”.
The Insanity: Immediately, a voice from heaven declared his authority was taken. He was driven from human society and lived like a wild animal for seven years (often referred to as “seven times”).
The Condition: Biblical descriptions say he ate grass like an ox, his hair grew like eagles’ feathers, and his nails became like birds’ claws. Modern scholars sometimes link this to boanthropy, a rare psychological disorder where a person believes they are a bovine.
Restoration: His sanity was restored only when he humbled himself and acknowledged that the “Most High” rules over all earthly kingdoms. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Saul, the first king of Israel, suffered from a gradual mental decline characterized by paranoia and deep depression after he repeatedly disobeyed God’s commands. [1]
The Drift:Saul drifted from God through several acts of direct disobedience, including offering an unauthorized sacrifice and failing to follow divine instructions during battle.
The Insanity: The Bible states that the “Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,” and he was subsequently tormented by an “evil spirit”.
The Symptoms:Saul experienced extreme paranoia—convinced that David was a threat to his throne—which led to violent outbursts, including multiple attempts to kill David with a javelin. Modern psychiatric analyses often suggest his behavior fits the profile of Bipolar I disorder or severe clinical depression with psychotic features.
The Outcome: Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Saul never fully repented or regained his mental and spiritual peace, ultimately leading to his tragic death in battle. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Modern psychiatric analyses often interpret these biblical accounts as early descriptions of severe mental health conditions, using the “medical file” of scripture to apply contemporary diagnostic criteria.
King Nebuchadnezzar: Boanthropy and Clinical Lycanthropy [1]
The transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into an animal-like state is frequently cited as a case of Boanthropy, a rare form of monomania or clinical zoanthropy where the sufferer believes they are a bovine (cow or ox). [1, 2]
Clinical Lycanthropy: Modern psychiatrists often classify boanthropy under the broader umbrella of clinical lycanthropy—a rare subtype of schizophrenia or a psychotic manifestation of a mood disorder where an individual believes they are transforming into an animal.
Alternative Medical Theories: Some researchers suggest the symptoms could also align with Porphyria, a group of metabolic disorders that can cause acute neurological symptoms, including hallucinations, anxiety, and paranoia. Others have proposed paralytic dementia caused by late-stage syphilis, which can lead to severe behavioral changes. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Saul’s erratic behavior, shifting between deep affection for David and murderous rages, is often viewed through the lens of mood and personality disorders. [1]
Bipolar I Disorder: Many psychiatric studies conclude that Bipolar I Disorder is the most likely diagnosis. Saul exhibited clear cycles: manic-like “hyperactive and aggressive” interpersonal reactions followed by periods of “morbid melancholy” and withdrawal.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Recent interpretations emphasize the “combat trauma” Saul would have experienced as a lifelong warrior-king. His paranoia and violent outbursts are analyzed as symptoms of chronic anxiety or PTSD, exacerbated by the extreme moral stress of ancient warfare.
Neurological Theories: Some scholars speculate that Saul may have suffered from epileptic-like fits or even a brain tumor. The description of him falling down and lying naked for a day and night (1 Samuel 19:24) is sometimes interpreted as a “postictal state”—the recovery period following a major seizure. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
The Theological vs. Medical Lens
Modern scholarship also notes a “two-way street” in how these stories are interpreted. [1]
Ancient Context: In the ancient Near East, behaviors like Saul’s were sometimes diagnosed as ghost-induced illnesses or “evil winds,” often treated with musical therapy.
Socio-Cultural Factors: Some argue that medicalizing these accounts removes the cultural and ethical nuances of the original text. For example, Saul’s “paranoia” toward David could be viewed as a rational response to a genuine political threat (a successor already anointed to take his throne) rather than a purely clinical delusion. [1, 2, 3, 4]
(Sadly and alarmingly, we are seeing these same afflictions and maladies in our soceity today – and they are a growing problem).
There is truly only way back from this abyss and that is by way of The One True and Living God. Turn to (or turn back to) Jesus and obediently put yourself under His care. Follow Him, obey Him, serve Him and live.
Your Brother and Friend in Christ Jesus,
Mike Young.
“God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”
1 Corinthians 14:33(b), As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34,the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. Verse 35. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Verse 36. Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?
Pastor John Hagee excuses and dismisses these plain teachings in scriptures when they do not fit his religious-secular worldview. Let me say that it would appear that John Hagee is now teaching heresy. He understands scriptures, but has decided to go his own way. He has now shown himself to be an arrogant blasphemer and sadly looks the fool. But, sadly, most of Pentecostalism and The Assemblies of God have gone this way – choosing man’s ways over the clear teaching of God. (Hagee says the sanctuary was divided by a curtain was by CUSTOM and TRADTITION, is a lie. Women were segregated to maintain purity, safety and order).
Read 1 Corinthians 14:33-26 again: As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34,the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. Verse 35. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Verse 36. Or was it from you (John Hagee) that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only, (John Hagee)?
If Hagee denies and twists these particular scriptures for no good reason except to express and impose his own opinions, then how much more of God’s Word has he distorted?
This edict or teaching about women pastor and women being pastors over men actually begins with “subjection”, one to another in the Body of Christ and specifically about women wives being subject to their own husbands. (see Ephesians 5:21).
Part One – Here what and why the Bible says what it says about women pastoring over men:
Come, Let us Reason
“TIP OF THE SPEAR”
What does that phrase mean to you?
The “Urban Dictionary” puts it this way: “An American idiom commonly used in military operations to mean the first soldiers to go into a war zone. In common usage, it means the first to venture into a new endeavor. A trailblazer.”
The Bible uses a similar term to describe relationships between Christians in general and between husbands and wives in particular. The word is “Hupotasso“.
You will never find that word spelled, as such, in your Bible, though. It is the Greek word ‘hupotasso’ used for “Submit to” or “be subject to”.
The King James uses the word “submit” but, it reads this way in the New American Standard version of the Bible:
Ephesians5:21, “and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
Verse 22. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Verse 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. Verse 24. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
The intention of “submission or subjection” is found in the CONTEXT of the words in this chapter of Ephesians, which encourages us to be wise and moral, kind and pure, gentle and forgiving.
The context is also found in the meaning of the words in these verses.
Specifically, “Hupotasso” comes from a Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”.
These troop formations were called a Phalanx. The Phalanx was the formation, usually in triangular form, in which The hoplite phalanx of the Archaic and Classical periods in Greece (c. 800–350 BC) was the formation in which the hoplites would line up in ranks in close order.
Hoplites were citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greekcity-states who were primarily armed with spears and shields. Hoplite soldiers utilized the phalanx formation in order to be effective in war with fewer soldiers. The formation discouraged the soldiers from acting alone, for this would compromise the formation and minimize its strengths.
The hoplites would lock their shields together, and the first few ranks of soldiers would project their spears out over the first rank of shields.
Those at the front were, what we would call today, THE TIP OF THE SPEAR or the POINT MAN. They presented the first defense against the enemy and were the first to engage the enemy and the first to take casualties.
The phalanx therefore presented a shield wall and a mass of spear points to the enemy. Making frontal assaults against it very difficult.
It also allowed a higher proportion of the soldiers to be actively engaged in combat at a given time, rather than just those in the front rank.
This word, “Hupotasso”, in non-military use, is “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”.
The Bible gives this as an example for husbands and wives to cooperate and to successfully navigate life and in waging wars against ‘their common enemy’, Satan.
The wife is fully engaged in the marriage relationship, but, God says the husband is to be the Tip of the Spear in order to protect and preserve and, if necessary, the first to fall.
Interestingly, Ephesians 5:22, “be subject to your own” uses the word “idios” which means, uniquely one’s own, peculiar to the individual. It is “stronger than the simple possessive pronoun (‘own’). This emphatic adjective means ‘private, personal’ “.
God gives each husband a wife, designed by God, Himself, to fulfill a role specifically for that husband. God gives the wife gifts, talents, abilities and a calling uniquely designed to serve God and to compliment and to complete the husband.
This is why the Bible says “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
“So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself”.
It is also why God says “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord”.
Neither, the husband nor the wife, can be made complete as persons when finding refuge, protection and provision. But as a God given ability, you can mature and sustain one another, until you understand this Spiritual principal and follow it.
Marriage has mutual strength through commitment and cooperation with one another under God’s Steady Hand.
Please take this to heart, dear ones. This message is so important.
The world and the Devil are deceiving the family in to thinking ‘what works for you is OK”. It is NOT OK. God’s design, His plan and His Word is what gives life, and life more abundant. Stop following the world and REASON through God’s Word. Understand it and live!
So, how does this apply to women in the church, and specifically women as pastors in a church? In this instance, it is much simpler to explain from Scriptures and even easier to understand than the first half of this article. Allow me to lay the groundwork:
First, all Scripture is the Breathed-out Word of God, according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The Bible tells us that the Word of God is without any error, is dependable, revealing, powerful, piercing, and eternal. It is the lamp unto our feet and the light upon our path. John 14:14-18 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and that Jesus is the Word! Additionally, Jesus tells us that He came to tell the truth (John 18:37), and that He in fact is The Truth (John 14:6). So, it is safe and wise to believe and to do whatever the Bible says – especially the plain things!
Therefore, when the Bible says, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”
I have read the numerous opinions and commentaries on this matter of women being ordained as a pastor. Reading the pros and cons doesn’t take one long to determine what the varying authors believed before they wrote their opinion. One such opinion, found on Bible.Org, written by a Sandra Glahn, who holds a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and a PhD in The Humanities, Aesthetic Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, tries to frame the Apostle Paul’s words in the context of spiritual gifts, specifically prophecy and speaking in tongues. I find her attempt clumsy and severely biased at best, and the use of eisegesis, a deliberate distortion of scriptures, at worst, connecting dots that don’t align, so to speak.
The context of Paul’s remarks are about orderly worship but come under the heading of submission to authority as a protective covering as described throughout the Bible
1 Corinithians 11:2-3,“Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”
The rebellious and feeble attempts to change the meaning and the context of this matter and these verses, should cause the rebel to remember these words: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say…?
His Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. God sent His Son to seek and to save – to make safe, to make whole, to make healthy and sound, with a great purpose and direction in life! And to as many as received Him by faith, He has given them the right to be the children of God.
For your own sake and safety, don’t change even one letter or iota of His Word! Believe and Live!
I have recently been challenged by someone suggesting that “since the Bible cites women who prophesied in the Bible, and since prophecy can be defined as both ‘forth telling’ and as ‘foretelling’, and since ‘forth telling’ is the same as preaching, the women can be pastors.”
Wow! Wow, wow, wow. Okay. Since A equals B and B equals C and C equals D, there really is no A because it is really a D; or a B or a C?
Seriously, let’s begin by being reminded that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and thereby has established the New Covenant in His Blood. For one (big) example, there is no longer any need for repeated animal sacrifices to atone for sin. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was and is the final sacrifice for atonement (made “at one”, reconciled) with God.
Next, the Apostle Paul explains that the law (the Torah, also known as the “Halakha” which translates as “the path that one walks”, also referred to as the “Mitzvot”, “Mishna” and the “Talmud”, was codified into what we call the Old Testament around 400 to 200 B.C.). Paul was clear when He said, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
This is important to remember when it comes to properly interpreting, reading and understanding Scriptures. We are to consider Scriptures in their original text and context, with the Old Testament as background and the New Testament as its fulfillment.
(Another example is found in Matthew 5: 21-26, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’ But I (Jesus) say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up every last cent.”
The New Testament (the New Covenant) is built upon the Old Testament (the Law and the Old Covenants), and the New Covenant has fulfilled the Law. That Law is now written upon our hearts and minds (see Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrews 10:16), and we have the Holy Spirit as our guide.
This should lead us to consider some misconceptions held by some who would co-mingle or syncretize the old and the new Covenants. Remembering that Jesus warned,“neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Some say it is okay for a woman to hold the office of pastor and to preach in a general assembly of believers, over both men and women. They say the Old Testament says that women prophesied, and since prophesying is a form of preaching, they can be pastors. I am not certain how a person could or even would link those two thoughts, but let me be clear. Number one, the role of a prophet or prophesying has absolutely no direct tie or effect upon the role of a pastor. A pastor might prophesy, whether preaching or foretelling, and a prophet might preach, but the roles are distinctively separate.
FACTS:
Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find a woman as a pastor (although she may have been a teacher. Some say men in leadership was just a cultural norm, and that custom has changed in the modern world. That allegation is never mentioned in scriptures. What is mentioned is that God (and His Word) are the same yesterday, today and forever.
As mentioned above, we live under the New Covenant.
The Apostle Paul and the New Testament teaches that The Spiritual Gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are offices but only the office / gift of pastor is restricted to men.
Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught on differences between the role and office of prophet and gift of prophecy.
The word Pastor is a term derived from a Greek word for “shepherd”, and is reserved for the male in the Bible – a role for men. Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion. A shepherd (i.e., a pastor), is the feeder, protector, and ruler of a flock of men. Figuratively, a pastor is someone who the Lord raises up to care for the total well-being of His flock (the people of the Lord). (Strong’s Concordance). Pastor: This term derives from a Greek word for “shepherd”. Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion.
The term “poimén” primarily refers to a shepherd, one who tends, leads, and cares for a flock of sheep. In the New Testament, it is used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it describes those who care for sheep, while metaphorically, it refers to leaders or pastors who guide and nurture a community of believers, akin to a shepherd with his flock.
The image of a shepherd was deeply embedded in the cultural and religious consciousness of the Israelites, often symbolizing leadership, provision, and protection. This imagery is prevalent throughout the Bible, where God is depicted as the ultimate Shepherd of His people, and leaders are often called to emulate this role.
(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.
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.)
4. In the New Testament, the office of prophet is to equip the saints for the work of service through exhortation, edification, and consolation (1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:3 Ephesians 4:11). The prophet’s corresponding gift is prophecy. Prophecy is “reporting something from God’s Word that God brings to your mind”. Prophecy is addressed to the human understanding “he who prophesies speaks to men,” Corinthians 14:1-25. The prophet “edifies the church” (14:4).
5. Preaching is a role of an Apostle, Apostle: The title apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “a messenger, one sent forth with orders”. It refers to one who has been delegated authority by another in a foreign land. Apostles were the first leaders of the Church; they were commissioned by Jesus to initiate and direct the preaching of the gospel , andthey were all men. No woman has even been assigned as an Apostle in the Bible. And although the OFFICE of Apostle is closed, the gift of bringing the message of the Gospel is still active.
7. Preaching is a role of an Evangelist. Evangelist: An evangelist is one who devotes himself to preaching the gospel. In the New Testament, evangelists preached from city to city, church to church.
8. Preaching is a role of a Teacher: Someone who devotes his or her life to preaching and teaching the Christian faith. When teaching is provided for the Church by God, two gifts are actually given—to the Church is given a teacher and along with the teacher comes a divine capacity to teach.
9. Finally, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:33- 38, speaks to the matter of women speaking in Churches. “As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34, the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. Verse 35. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Verse 36. Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?“
“Verse 37. If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. Verse 38. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.”
This is a matter of authority-covering, protection and authority over God’s Church. There are so many roles and only one is absolutely, by scriptural authority, reserved for men – that of the office of Pastor, his roles, duties and responsibilities.
If someone knowingly links or lumps these offices together, it is both a misrepresentation of scriptures and a claim that the Word of God in incomplete and is malleable, open to personal interpretation. (However, 2 Peter 1:20 clearly mandates, But know this firstof all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation.)
Next, this is also using the method of Eisegesis to make a personal interpretation of scriptures, an interpretation of a text, especially a biblical text, by reading one’s own ideas or biases into it, rather than drawing out its original meaning. This approach is often subjective and can distort the intended message of the text. And although eisegesis itself is not classified as a heresy, it can lead to heretical interpretations of Scripture by imposing personal biases rather than drawing out the text’s original meaning. This practice is often criticized in theological discussions for distorting the intended message of the Bible.
When a church or a pastor decides to do these things, he (and she?) are operating “in the flesh” and outside the boundaries of clearly defined Scriptural mandates. And there really is no need nor a good reason to add one’s opinion to scriptures to achieve a personal result or to suit a personal view – and besides, there would be consequences in the Body.
“The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will notdie!” Yet they died – all of them and trillions more.
Scriptures, from the beginning, have said to wives, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Yet, like Eve and like Sarah, when things did not go their way quickly enough, the acted on their own impulses. And the curse and consequences of sin ensued. And we suffer those consequences to this day.
“And men, you are to love you wives as Christ loves the Church”.
Please ask yourself these most important questions:
Is it possible the “birth pains” of tribulation have begun and if so,
When was the First tribulation seal broken?
Where are we in the tribulation seals (one through seven)?
When do the 7 years of Great Tribulation begin?
When does the “Great and Terrible Day of The Lord” being, and what is it?
And, when does the “midpoint” (3.5 years of the final 7 years) occur?
You may have heard or have been taught in certain denominations that these are future events which, if you are a Christian, you will never have to experience. But what if the Bible clearly is saying otherwise? What if Jesus, the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy say otherwise?
This can be a great mystery. But, it should not be. Remove the denominationalism and read the clear face-value teachings of the Bible:
You will read in Matthew 24:3-8, “And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the [b]end of the age?”
“And Jesus answered and said to them, “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. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains” of the tribulation.
The phrase “the beginning of birth pains” is a statement made by Jesus in or around the year AD 30 and is a translation of the Greek archē ōdin. The meaning of the phrase, translated in the KJV as “the beginning of sorrows” is a direct reference to preliminary birth pangs that ultimately lead to the full-scale contractions and travail, which leads to the actual birth.
Recognizing the Old Testament reference that Jesus was hearkening to is an essential, but often overlooked, key to determining the timing of the prophecy. Jesus was pointing his disciples to two key passages from the prophet Isaiah.
The first passage is Isaiah 26, a portion of Scripture found in the middle of what is sometimes referred to as “Isaiah’s little apocalypse”. There, the Lord speaks through Isaiah, specifically contrasting the expectations of the Jewish people regarding deliverance, redemption and physical resurrection with the reality of the pain, suffering and travail that they had corporately experienced. In verses 16-18, the complaint of Israel is raised that despite having endured the great suffering of labor, the expected “birth” of deliverance, redemption and resurrection had not arrived.
This makes clear that the Last Days and the opening of the tribulation Seals began sometime between 2 B.C., and AD 30. Other references which confirm this date as spoken by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy, are found in :
Section A.2. With the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal we will see that THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 & Revelation 6:12-16).
Section A.3. The Antichrist enters into a treaty with Israel at the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, which is marked by the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal, which is also beginning point of the final seven-years of the Great tribulation, as known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb. This event is prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27).
Section A.4. At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.
Section A.5. At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
Section A.6. During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt, and the earth is restored.
Section A.7. During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
Section A.8. The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).
(Below here is a more complete description of the Tribulation Timeline. Concern yourself with the first SIX SEALS.)
the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.
The First Seal of the tribulation was being broken perhaps sometime just after the birth of Jesus up until just after the death and resurrection of Christ. The succeeding seals (Seals 2 – 5) have been broken at various periods of time sometime since A.D. 1 and that we have now entered a time of the intensification of the Fifth Tribulation Seal. Jesus refers to this period, the breaking of the tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE as “the beginning of the birth pangs”,and He points out that “this is not yet the end”.
The Sixth Tribulation Seal, as described in Matthew 24 we see in Verse 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Verse 30. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Verse 31. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Section B.3. The “7 years of Great Tribulation” (a.k.a. Daniel’s 70th week) begins with the breaking of the Sixth tribulation seal, and, will reach the mid-point of the tribulation period, (after 3.5 years) with the sounding of the Sixth Trumpet of the Great Tribulation.
Section B.4. Then, the Great Tribulation will end with the pouring out of the 7 Bowls of Wrath.
THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS LEAD TO THE END OF THE AGE
The world has endured, and is enduring, the first five tribulation seals, and is now experiencing the intensifying of the Fifth tribulation seal (which will include the appearing of the Antichrist, martyrdom of Christians, the great falling away from the faith,).
Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God
I will continue through the ‘Bowl Judgments’ in part 2 of this article, but, for the Christian, The Rapture will have occurred by this point and Jesus has taken His Spotless Bride, The Church, to the Throne of God, Her eternal home.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and surrender my heart and my life to you. I will trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior the rest of my days.
Eternally In His Grip – Your Brother and Friend
Mike Young
PS: Please don’t be confused or deceived by denominationalism. Trust the Bible. The Pre-Wrath-Tribulation view says that (#1). The first tribulation judgement seals were broken (opened) at or just after the birth of Jesus, and (#2). Tribulation seals ONE through FIVE have been opened sequentially, progressively, overlapping, and the effects have been intensifying to this date.
The SIXTH tribulation seal is still a future event, at which time and Matthew 24, verse 29 “immediately after the tribulation of the previous days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Verse 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His [c] elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
This is not a matter of your salvation if you are already saved, it is a matter of preparation and being ready for what is upon us (see Matthew 24 – Matthew 25).
Far too many Christians have been lulled to complacency having been taught that being saved is all this is necessary. But Jesus says otherwise. Once you have secured His great gift of salvation for your life and soul, then you and I are to join Him in His Great Command and Commission to go and make disciples, telling and teaching them all He has commanded us. Please dear ones, do not be the one who, when face-to-face with our Lord, to hear the words “why did you not do what I asked of you and commaned that you do?”
Perhaps you have read some books on Christianity or read of some people’s testimonies about the benefits and goodness of Christianity. Or maybe you have read some church websites that describe their cultures, goals and offerings. From what I have read, it would seem these would be some of the friendliest, kindest, warmest, happiest, safest, most understanding places on the earth. So why not give it a try?
Typically (which will vary from church to church) you walk into a church and are met by trained greeters at the door. They will seem friendly enough. Then you might even be met by an usher who will help you find a place to sit. At some point during the service, you may be directed by the worship leader or pastor to ‘turn and greet one another’. Then, depending on the denomination and the size of the church, you might be greeted by the pastor or an elder or deacon as you exit the church.
Not all the time, but sometimes this can seem very scripted. Almost like attending a theatre performance or a play.
They were polite, for the most part. But it was like everyone was detached from the present moment and were in a “presentation of another reality”, they were greeting people, but it was just for the program; they may have seemed to be in a hurry so they could move on to the next ‘guest’.
My presence, as a visitor, seemed to make no difference to them after the “job of greeting” was completed. (Even my grocery store will absent-mindedly welcome me. as I walked in. But their intentions were up-front. They wanted to make sure I would make a purchase – help them make a profit. Maybe I should have entered or left the church saying “I plan on giving or I gave to the offering today?”)
On one occasion I ran into some of the greeters from a church I had visited earlier that Sunday at a restaurant. I approached them to say I had enjoyed my visit, only to be met with a distant stare and a nod of approval. “Odd”, I thought.
On a couple of other occasions, I went out of my way to return to a church I had visited to meet the pastor later during the week for a more personal encounter only to be left with a feeling that I might have intruded on his time. (I kept thinking, afterward, that I might have had a friendlier encounter at my local Elks club or at the local bar (although I don’t frequent bars).
During a Wednesday evening service at another church we had been attending, we watched a video on ‘sexuality in the Bible’. Afterward we had a question-and-answer period. A man walked around the auditorium with a microphone allowing those who wanted, to answer questions about experiences of improper responses to sexual situations with Christians and how we handled them. I volunteered to contribute a story. Half was through my story a woman in the back of the church began to shout at me, “you sound like a chauvinist!” She continued to rant stopping me from speaking. I had been at this church less than a year, so I thought it best to go silent. After the class dispersed, many people came to me thanking me for my remarks and lamenting that I could not finish. The woman was not censured – not even spoken to about her ‘lunatic’ behavior. Yep. Just like any old townhall meeting – except we were in church.
Another time during a rather large Sunday School class, I was chatting before class began with a person I was trying to befriend. Suddenly, the ‘teacher’ bellowed across the room at me in an angry tone, “Mike, sit down. I want to get this going”. Both I and my ‘almost friend’ were shocked. This guy is an elder in the church and the teacher – yelling at me to sit down and be quiet? Realizing our shock, he stammered, “he’s a neighbor, so it’s okay”. (Well, we are neighbors, but no, it was not okay).
At another church, (at which I served as an associate pastor) the pastor had been confronted with adultery charges. It had become overwhelmingly plain that there was credibility to the allegations. I asked him privately if a third-party mediator from the district would be a good idea and he shouted at me to mind my own business. Then I suggested a counsellor or a therapist and he suggested I leave the church – which I did, later. (He was eventually found out).
Another time a pastor of another church asked to have lunch. I agreed. He attempted to get me to proselyte members from my current church to his startup church. I refused, whereupon he began to shout at me, accusing me of not being a good person nor of being a good Christian. (Sometimes I think I must have imagined these things. But these are real accounts).
My wife and I had been visiting yet another church for a few Sundays, and at the last minute decided to go to a Wednesday evening service. I did not have time to go home to get my Bible, but went went into this church anyway. As chance would have it, we encountered the pastor in a hallway before the service. I greeted him by saying hello, we are new here. He responded dryly saying “where’s your Bible?” I explained the circumstances and told him we had just moved into the area and told him my vocation. He stared at me and finally replied, “Well, good luck on that”, and walked away.
(These experiences happened at three different Southern Baptist churches, a Nazarene church and a Presbyterian church. I could go on and on, from church to church. But hopefully, you get the idea. We were members of our first church as Christians from 1976 through 1978 during a temporary military assignment in Texas and it was friendly and biblically sound. It was like a big family. Then we became members of a church in Virginia from 1978 through 1987 and it became our family – but things were changing. We moved to a church closer to our home from 1988 through 2005 and it was like a family-business. We relocated to another city and became members of a church – and an associate pastor – from 2005 through 2008, and it had an agenda and a philosophical socio-political worldview. We relocated to Florida and visited a church from 2008 through 2010 and joined as members from 2010 through 2018. We have been at our current church from 2018 to current day).
My experiences and assessment have to be an aberration. Right? I talk to some regular church goers and they say their church isn’t like that. That their church is really, really friendly. (So, I visited some of their churches, and I found them to be polite. I found them to be nice. But no. They weren’t really, really friendly.) So, I am left feeling that maybe it’s just me? I just don’t fit in there…or there…or there? Or am I just complaining? Neither. Or am I just saying aloud, what so many of you have been thinking. But, I am offering a solution – if we are willing.
Many pastors and church leaders will attempt to explain or excuse this behavior saying something like “church is a place for people, and people are sinners (hypocrites, liars, cheaters, etc.) covered by the Blood of Jesus and being sanctified to be like Christ – they are in process”. But many of these folks have been considering themselves as Christians for decades. So how long does this process of “becoming Christlike” take before they stop overt and blatant sinful behavior and actually become “Christlike”? Or is another issue at work here?
Please read this from Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Verse 17. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. Verse 18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Verse 19. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, verse 20, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, verse 23, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Verse 24. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
I believe many are not taking seriously (or just don’t understand) what it means to walk by the Spirit, so that you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. I believe this behavior in the church is becoming or has become the “new normal” in churches across our nation. It would seem that most of us who go to church have just adjusted to this “new normal” and accept it..
We used to say “my church is my family”. Now it is “this is where I go to church – it is where I attend”. (I attend a church now and as long as I stay quiet and speak when spoken to, we get along just great! You know, friends-at-arms-length).
One of the most foreign and socially inept, dysfunctional, and alienating places I have been in the last 10 or 15 years may be church.
Jesus warned that this day was coming. He said, in Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” This verse highlights that during difficult times, especially in the end times, people’s love for one another can diminish due to increasing wickedness and challenges.”
(These examples I have cited are the milder examples. It is getting worse. Much worse. (https://arrestedpastor.com/).
So, let’s move on from this negative approach of “having identified the problem”, and please allow me appeal directly to the Body of Christ – you, the Church, (and yes, I am referring to myself, also):
Having been warned that these things would happen doesnt’ seem to have done much for correcting the problem. But folks, this just ain’t right.
Please read about the CHURCH, according to Strong’s Bible concordance. The term “Church”, comes from the Greek word Ekklesia, and it means “the called; the called-out ones:; these are people called out from the world’s belief systems and to God’s teachings on how to think, act and behave; the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. This is what we, the Body of Christ should begin to focus on and practice until we get it right. Until it becomes not just what we do, but what we believe and are compelled to do by our mind, conscience, will and emotions.
The basics of the Ekklesia is that we, the Church, are called out of this world and no longer part of this world. Please let that sink in. Get the best picture of that in your mind as you are able.
We as Christians, are to be the mystical Body of Christ. We are being made into a peculiar people, made as God’s own possession for His own use.
This is a radical departure or progression from ‘going to church’ to be a better person, to a becoming a peculiarity. We are people who, as Christians, live in this world as resident aliens, foreigners and sojourners, travelers in a foreign nation – we have become citizens of the kingdom of heaven, on mission upon the earth.
Therefore, and thereby, we do not adopt but we must adapt. We do not adopt, copy or resemble this world and its ways but we adapt as we spread the message of the Kingdom of God. (Now, please, stop, and consider how you dress, how you talk, the things you do for entertainment and how you adorn your body. Do you mimic this world’s standards? Please understand that we are not secret agents just fitting in. We are openly and brazenly ambassadors for Christ. This is the litmus test.).
We are not to conform to this world, but we are to have been transformed by the renewing of our minds by the word of God, mirrowing Biblical beliefs and standards, so we may prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God to those around us. (This phrase is from Romans 12:2 in the Bible, which encourages individuals not to adopt the behaviors and values of the world around them, but instead to be transformed by renewing their minds to understand God’s will, which is good and perfect. It emphasizes the importance of inner change and spiritual growth).
1 Peter 2:9, from the King James Bible, tells us, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (from the Greek word, ‘peridoiesis’ – a preserving, saving unto the soul, God’s own property or possession, He has obtained); that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”.
1 Peter 2:9, in the New King James Version puts it this way, “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.
And, 1 Peter 2:9, from the New American Standard Bible say it thusly: “But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.
Also,
Again in
Then
Psalms 135:4. also tells us “For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
Titus 2:14. repeats that, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 Peter 1:1-2., puts it this way, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as strangers, (parepidemos – a resident foreigner, an alien, a pilgrim, stranger) scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen (electos – chosen, elect, favorite).
And Jesus, in John 17:14 makes it clear when He praying to His Father and says, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Verse 15. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. Verse 16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Matthew 5:13, reminds us that“You (followers of Christ Jesus) are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
Verse 14. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; verse 15, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Verse 16. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We are to be counter-cultural to the world and its systems and beliefs. We are to be cultural influencers, agents of change.
Like light is to darkness and salt is to infection.
Light shows the way, stays rot and decay, provides safety in travel and reveals that which is unknown.
Salt is essential for maintaining fluid balance in the body, aiding in nerve function and regulating muscle contraction. It also enhances the flavor of food and is used in food preservation. So is the life and teachings of Christ.
We live in the world, but we are not of this world. We walk, we talk, we eat, drink and breathe the air. We are bipedal, we have sight. On first glance, we look like everyone else, but upon closer observation, we are not like everyone else at all. Not even close.
We may be like the sheep being led to slaughter, but do not be deceived – we overcome the evils of this world mightily by the word of our testimony and by the Blood of the Lamb. And in that we have a message of bad news and of Good News.
The bad news is that this world is perishing and even now is in the throws like a mother in birth pains. However, these pains lead to death and destruction, the final judgements of God on a sinful and decadent world, always and only doing evil.
Just saying these things or saying they are so is not enough. We must live in them because we know it is so. People are watching and waiting and God has chosen us to be that peculiar people as a living example of what it means and what it looks like to be one of His Chosen.
For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17).
(Reaching the Lost and Making Disciples for Jesus)
Family, Individual and Youth Discipleship and Development
Objectives: Reach the lost and gather the straying sheep, build up the Body of Christ, His Church.
We are to be built up into the priesthood of believers, commissioned and sent as missionaries and ambassadors of Christ, to
(# 1), the lost, and,
(# 2), the straying sheep of God, and
(# 3), for the building up of the Body of Christ.
(In other words, we need to tell and show the lost and remind the straying sheep of God, the Gospel message in word, by our behavior and deed. Then, to make disciples, teaching and training them to also become missionaries (disciple-makers) for Christ. By this we establish the Church (Ekklesia, the called out ones) within our Church Body.
Jesus taught that “Foxes have holes and Birds of the Air have nests”. He is saying that we are to go out and make disciples. We are not to retreat to the comfort and safety of our ‘fox dens’ or our ‘feathered nests’. He never advocated a stationary and static church, i.e., a “legacy type of church”.
Everything we do should point to making individuals, families (fathers, mothers and children) integral participants in Jesus’ Mission, in our local Body.
We must change what ‘coming to church’ or ‘attend church’ means. We come to Church in order to GO OUT from the Church to reach our community and world, and that is how we are to GROW!
To accomplish this, we probably need to consider reviewing or changing our attitude and paradigm of “coming to church”.
First of all, research shows that people come to church for specific reasons. And becoming an audience or an adherent is not on the list. But, they will leave if thier initial expectations are not met.
Here are the top 10 reasons given by Americans who attend religious services at least once a month, according to Pew. Survey. (For you information, respondents were allowed to give more than one reason.) The percentage refers to people who said this was a “very important” reason for their decision:
To become closer to God. (81%)
So their children will have a moral foundation. (69%)
To become a better person. (68%)
For comfort in times of trouble or sorrow. (66%)
They find the sermons valuable. (59%)
To be part of a faith community. (57%)
To continue their family’s religious traditions. (37%)
They feel a necessary obligation to go. (31%)
To meet new people or socialize. (19%)
Because the pastor knows my name. (added by author.)
People need to come to church to meet Jesus; to learn about Him, to come to know Him personally and intimately by the Word of God, and by our living example; they need to learn how to follow Him – which is both taught and caught, and learn to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Then, they and we, together, GO and live out our relationship with Him let that be our witness! Go and order to Grow!
We need to understand the demographics and discover ways to become more visible and find UNIQUE ways to serve the community – and that boils down to being like Jesus and doing what He did and taught.
GO OUT with activities: Churches tend to hold ‘events’ in order to attract people to Church. So, we invite people to Chruch on a holiday or a speical occasion, maybe once very few months, hoping we will attract some to come back. But unless there is something to keep them coming back, (about 25% will come back a second time if everything goes just right), it’s a one-and-done matter.
It is God who draws people and saves them. We are simply His Hands, Feet and Voice. We go in His Name. But,
#1. We need “Meet them where they live”. We take the Church to them. It can no longer be “Come Grow With Us”. It has to be “Let’s GO and Grow in Christ Together”. Find ways to keep them coming back, every week.
Many church-growth programs actually pander to the community, so they attract those ‘already saved’ who are shopping churches. That is, I believe, why baptisms are so low. We aren’t reaching a lost world, we are reaching a saved and straying world!
We can continue to do what is working. PLUS, here are some EXAMPLES of IDEAS to go OUT and build:
(1). Build a youth soccer program – Soccer wrapped in the Gospel – A uniquely Christian approach – teach and coach joy, to be peacemakers, kind, good, patient, gentle, self-controlled, yet, proficient, competitive, hardworking, reaching for excellence. Imagine the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Family Youth Soccer Program!
(Just FYI, I have had experience and qualifications as national youth license, 15 + years experience.
Area Demographics known. Here is an examples of another church doing these very things: Shepherds.Org.
(1.a). Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America! Kids love it, Dads and Moms love it and if you try it, you will love it too! It is a perfect FAMILY activity! Build a Soccer Program wrapped in the Gospel – a uniquely Christian approach to this sport and influence our area for Christ!
This is a kid and family magnet. Imagine, the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Family Pickleball Club!!
(And by the way, I have been a pickleball club director and I am currently rated as an advanced player and coach)
(1b.) Bible Quzzing is another exciting and fun ways to get our kids and teens into memorizing the Bible. This is an exciting activity with a purpose! You would be greatly suprised how fun this is and how much the kids love it!
Imagine the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Quiz Team!! (And by the way, my wife has been a Quizzing coach and organizer when our kids were adolescents and teens).
(1c). Offering public neighborhood and citywide conferences on subjects such as
“Is The End Of The World A Possibility?” (Eschatology – End Times),
“Is Peace Possible in this crazy world – And How About Me and My Family?”,
“How Can I Know That God Really Exists – And How Does That Change Things for Me?”
Future planning: There is a plethora of other means and a multitude of ideas, but the main thing is that we build continuity into our Family, Teen and Children’s ministry. Something parents and kids will come back for, week after week, and not just a seasonal or occasional ‘one-and-done’ activity which repeats quarterly or annually.
ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND MORE, TO INFLUENCE AND REACH YOUR HOME AREA AND BEYOND FOR CHRIST!
(2) We must intentionally ADOPT our visitors and new members as “being part of our family”, from day ONE.
(a). Greeting our visitors and getting to know our new members in ways that make them feel at home, can be intimidating for our MEMBERS. So, perhaps we should hold classes and teach, help and train our MEMBERS the “HOW TO techniques and methods” on greeting, creating conversations and making our visitors feel at home and part of our Church Family. (Improve our ‘meet and greet the people around you’ only to go back to ‘sitting in our own little groups, staring forward and listening to the sermon after our greetings.)
(3). Coming to church AS A VISITOR can be uncomfortable, and even intimidating for most people. We must remember that our visitors are just that: visiting us. And we only get ONE CHANCE at making a FIRST IMPRESSION, and that it is a 25-70 deal at best. So, we must turn that around and make it about them. We need to let them know how important they are to us and to Jesus. We need to make them feel as if they are at home, and it is as if we are the visitors in their house! We have to change the paradigm.
(4). Perhaps we could form Parent-children mentoring (discipleship) sessions early in the visitation process or “new member’s class” process. For example: we begin meeting in special orientation sessions as a way to help them integrate.
(4a). Design short discussion games with parents and kids.
(4b). Separate into parent groups and youth groups. Teach from selected scriptures. Then, discuss achievements and needed improvement in behaviors, activities, family environments, etc., in light of selected scriptures.
Form and Technique: What is meant is that we must build the next generation by TRULY making disciples. I.e., “we must decrease in our influence so Jesus can increase through us and the others among us”. It means that we must teach, train, encourage and send; THEN we must begin to replace ourselves with THE NEXT GENERATION – on purpose!
We will be building a Family Ministry to young families and youth as part of the main Body here at (Concealed Name) Baptist Church, yet separate from the routine – think of it as a Missionary Church Plant WITHIN OUR OWN BODY!
Our focus must be on Jesus’ mission, calling, plan, methods and ways. We should minimize our own creativity. We must constantly be on mission, teaching, instructing, training and inspiring fathers, mothers and children to become mature as living examples, teaching, and training in righteousness, so that they, as servants of God are thoroughly equipped for every good work through the Spiritual Gifts God has granted each one for the building up of the Body: (also see Pastor Vern Collins, UMC Boone).
Lead them to Christ; disciple them in His Name, His calling, His mission, His purpose and His ways;
Lead them to become fully involved, inspired, excited, devoted followers of Jesus, and
Teach them to become disciple makers,
Executing Jesus’ mission, His plan, using His method for His purpose.
Then, send them. They, then, ARE the Church. “It is no longer ‘we four, and no more’”.
Encourage and assist them in building His Church (not ‘our church’), and sending His church out (not ‘our church’). WE MUST DECREASE SO HE, JESUS, CAN INCREASE.
We begin with those in our Church whom God has gifted to be disciple-makers. God has alredy Gifted and Equipped them. These will become our Church Planters (Family and Youth Ministry planters) within our Church. This will be and EXTENSION of our Body, new and separate, but fitted together with the Body.
God will provide the gifts and talents necessary, not only for our Church Planters but also for these new believers to – FROM DAY ONE – to become capable of leading the way forward!
God will provide the gifts and talents necessary, not only for our Church Planters but also for these new believers to – FROM DAY ONE – to become capable of leading the way forward! Please take a look at this list of Spiritual Gifts and the linked test below this list.
I am providing an example here, of how new believers become “fitted together with the Body” when establishing a Young Families and Youth Ministry by Planting a church within a Church. (see Boone UMC – Vern Collins link below). My son and his family were living in Boone, NC. Their pastor was a man named Vern Collins. I met him at my son and daughter-in-law’s house during a soccer related cookout. (My son and family were moving). Instead of leaving after the cookout, Vern stayed and helped them pack their moving van. Vern lives with and in Jesus’ Church body. They are his extended family. I visited their church after they moved and got to know Vern Collins just a little better. The Boone United Methodist church needed to attract and establish (grow) a youth group.
They started by building a group within the Church and ended up planting a new church INSIDE the existing Church and eventually they GREW TOGETHER and ‘co-mingled’. They are still doing that to this day! (Please view the LINK at the bottom of this page).:
We say that we are ambassadors for Christ which is just another way to say that we are missionaries for Christ. We are on mission, planting churches – first within our own Church Body, then OUTSIDE our walls in the future!
We say we are missionaries and ambassadors for Christ. So, let’s be that!
(And as an addition to my resume and experience: I have had decades experience working with youth, both in the church and outside the church).
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young (Pastor/Teacher/Evangelist/Church Planter).
Statistics show that we, the Church, are losing attendance, losing members, losing credibility, and we are losing the next generation to the world’s ways and beliefs. Some are dropping out from boredom, some from disappointment, others dont’ see the relevance. They are being influenced and trained by liberal and pagan social media outlets.
We have to engage them in Biblically sound and exciting ways. It has to be exciting, relevant, active, life challenging and life changing. It has to be the Gosple as Jesus taught it. People, families and kids want to be involved and not just an idle audience.
God is calling, and if we are willing, this is going to happen. We will be that “light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden”.
Your pastor, brother and friend,
Mike Young
PS:
I would not be coming here to perpetuate a Legacy Church. I am called to do the will of God by following Jesus
By proclaiming and teaching His Message, His Methods and His Ways;
To execute His Plan by adopting and following his Purpose, Using His Methods.
I have no doubt in my mind that God is calling me, has commissioned and sent me to bring His Good News to the humble and afflicted;
That He has is sending me to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, and to release the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual captive from their confinement, condemnation and bondage and to set those prisoners free by the will and power of the Gospel of Jesus.
I am here to proclaim the favor of the LORD is to come upon this Church.
I am here to comfort all who mourn, to give them a new hope instead of living in the ashes of the past; I am bringing oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
You would become known as oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
We will rebuild the ruins of the postmodern Church, and we will raise up and restore the former ways of Christ Jesus.
We will renew the ruined sanctuary of God, and the memory of the glories our God to this generation and this in this day.
Henceforth, people you haven’t known up until now, will come and will give to you freely, and they will become your laborers in God’s Work here.
You shall be called the priests of the LORD in this place; people will speak of you as the ministers of God.
You will enjoy a new health and new wealth.
Instead of our former embarrassments or shame we will share in a double portion of God’s Spiritual Blessings; And instead of past humiliation we will shout for joy over this new portion from God.
Everlasting joy will be ours – for those who will trust and follow God in all of His plans, purposes, methods and way.
But first, let me ask “Why and how do you read the Bible?”
Do you read it as one would read a novel; looking for interesting stories, mysteries? Or do you read it as a self-help book, looking for moral and ethical lessons? Or perhaps you read the Bible as a “How To” book, looking for instructions on how to pray, how to be saved, how to witness, how to be a better person, how to receive from God?
But what if you read the Bible as if it were factually true? I mean, not only without error, but literally true and factually accurate in ways we fail to recognize? What if the Bible is truly a gateway to an unseen (Spiritual) realm from which all things originate? A place where you can have peace in the midst of the tribulations of this physical world, knowing for certain that “He who dwells in you has overcome this world”?
Jesus was fully human and fully divine – fully God. He could and did experience all the feelings and emotions of humankind, but without sin. And still, He is fully God. And He – God – came to this world for you, to show you the way to an abundant and an eternal life, in heaven with God. Just imagine:
Revelation 22:1, And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Jesus), verse 2, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Verse 3. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; verse 4, they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Verse 5. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever. And Jesus is the only way and the only One Who is able to keep this promise and to lead us to safety.
The Bible gives us examples of how God may come to us in the most unlikely of places at the most unexpected times and yet speak to us in the most relatable of ways to bring us to the most amazing of all Truth.
How is it possible that you could experience such wonders? It is by faith.
You see, the Bible says that God is able to do all things and that He is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and that He has a divine purpose and plan. His plan to find you, bring you back to Himself and give you an eternal home with Him, through His Son, Jesus. (see Luke 19:10).
Let’s look at just one such example found in the book of John, chapter 4, verses 1 through 46.
John 4:1,So then, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John, verse 2, (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing; rather, His disciples were), verse 3, He left Judea and went away again to Galilee.
(Commentary Break): This event or narrative of these verses is often repeated as a ‘story’ about Jesus and the woman at the well in order to observe and to muse about the historical religious significance of the site, insights of Jesus Words to this woman at the well. But little is said about the reason why Jesus followed the route he took, or why He stopped at the well, except that He was tired from His long journey. Let’s step back and look at the larger picture and consider that there is a ‘backstory’ or a larger mission.
It is all by design. There is nothing that humanly happens in this life that is not both divinely decreed and intersected by human free will. The possibilities, mathematically speaking, are humanly incalculable. The Bible says God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. As such, He is never anyplace at any time without a divine purpose and plan. God sees and knows each and every possibility and the outcomes all at once and “His Will is done, on this earth even as it is in heaven”.
Therefore, as it says in verse 1, “the Lord knew”, so He left Judea and went away again to Galilee; (on purpose and with a purpose). Why did He leave at this time? Was it because He knew that because His influence was surpassing that of John the Baptist the Pharisees had taken notice and this was not the time for a confrontation with the Pharisees? Perhaps. But there is a greater reason and cause at hand.
Please remember that Jesus is on earth – He, in fact, has been sent to earth by The Father – to do the will of His Father. Jesus has said in many ways and at many times that He is on a schedule, His time is valuable and is limited because He has a Mission to accomplish – “to seek and save the lost” and “I seek not my own will, but the will of my Father who sent Me”, and “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
So then, when the Lord knew (ginosko, from the Greek language, – a deep, complete, penetrating, intimate and perceptive knowledge), in the aorist tense – i.e., He knew beforehand, He knows presently and He will always know),
He leftJudea (aphiēmi, from the Greek language,– left, abandoned, mission there was finished), in the aorist tense – i.e., He knew He would be leaving, He is certain the time had come, He would never doubt it), and He
Went away(aperchomai – to depart in of an evanescent state of things – vanishing as a vapor, imperceptible),
Again(palin – through the idea of oscillatory repetition; a renewal or repetition of the action).
to Galilee (Galiloea – A circle of gentiles or ‘the heathen circle’, a region of Palestine).
Jesus was ‘invading’ the heart of ‘the heathen circle’. Let’s step back to Matthew 4:12-16 and see a broader view and that the importance of Galilee is that this is the place, when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
Genesis 1:1 tells us that God said “let there be light”; and the Words of God in Matthew 4:16 are no less significant, no less creative and no less prophetic that those from Genesis 1.
Then In Matthew 4 verse 17 we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In Matthew 4:17, the Bible tells us, FIRST that “From that time” what time is this? This can be considered as one of the most important historical time markers in the Bible – it is a line of demarcation.
This is the point Jesus began His earthly ministry as commissioned by God the Father, and This is beginning of the invasion of earth by the kingdom of heaven! The greatest of all spiritual wars has begun!
GOD is announcing that He has come back to reclaim what is His and those who are His! He is here to take His land and to take His kids back from the devil’s captivity – you and me and millions more like us.
This event is a NEW dawn, a NEW beginning – no less fantastic that when in the beginning God said, “LET THERE BE LIGHT”, GOD is now saying “A GREAT LIGHT HAS DAWNED”.
And like we often recite from the “Lord’s Prayer”, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, Jesus is saying that time is at hand!
And He had to pass through Samaria (dei, from the Greek language – is saying it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper).
At first glance it might see that the only pathway from Judea to Galilee was through Samaria. But that is not what this is saying. It is saying that this
Was an ongoing necessity which was lying in the nature of the case.
Was a necessity brought which was on by circumstances or by the conduct of others toward us.
Was a necessity which was in reference to what is required to attain some end.
Was a necessity which was of law and command, of duty, equity.
Was a necessity established by the counsel and decree of God, especially by that purpose of his which relates to the salvation of men by the intervention of Christ and which is disclosed in the Old Testament prophecies.
Represents continual or repeated action. Where the present tense might indicate “He kept on passing through,” (End Commentary Break).
Verse 5. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;
(Commentary Break): For commentary on verse five please see BibleHub.com). (End Commentary Break).
verse 6, and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired from His journey, was just sitting by the well. It was about the sixth hour (12:00 o’clock noon time).
(Commentary Break): For commentary on verse six please see BibleHub.com). (End Commentary Break).
Verse 7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
(Commentary Break): This is not a metaphor nor is it just a story. It is an account of an actual event. However, there is a purpose, a lesson, a teaching and an eternal Truth to be gained from this encounter.
First, let’s consider that The woman of Samaria is “every man and every woman” – the nature of this woman is you and me. Secondly, we can see ourselves in the lives, thoughts and behaviors of Jesus’ disciples as we hurry about tending to our own physical needs. Finally, Jesus’ words and actions are the Words and Actions of God and are the model for every Christian and disciple of Jesus as we are the appointed representatives and ambassadors of Christ.
As the “Samaritan woman”, we all will come to “draw water” (to slack or to satisfy our physical, mental, emotional or spiritual thirst or to thereby nourish ourself) at one time or another. (As a footnote, in this case, although it was sociologically normal for a man to make demands of a woman, it was not acceptable for a Jewish man to condescend to speak to a Samaritan, and especially to a Samaritan woman. They were at least to be ignored. How often are these social or psychological standards imposed on us, today, but in a sense of feeling worthy or of feeling unworthy? (For a more detailed commentary of verse 7, please seeBibleHub.com). (End Commentary Break).
Verse 8. For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food.
Verse 9. So the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Verse 10. Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” Verse 11. She said to Him, “Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water? Verse 12. You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” Verse 13. Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; verse 14, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”
(Commentary Break): The stage is set. The conversation has begun. First, Jesus goes straight to the point by explaining, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Jesus is thinking in His heavenly ‘spiritual language’, so-to-speak, as He translates into the human language of this Samaritan woman. (This is done because, as Isaiah 55:8-11 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”).
The gift of God– dórea – a gift, freely given and hence not acquired by merit or “entitlement” expresses a brand of giving that highlights the beneficent desire of the giver. This “gift of God” refers to the salvation and eternal life offered through Jesus Christ. This phrase emphasizes the grace and generosity of God, who offers salvation freely to those who believe. It echoes Ephesians 2:8-9, which speaks of salvation as a gift from God, not a result of works. The concept of God’s gift is central to the Gospel message, underscoring the unmerited favor bestowed upon humanity.
Who it is– Only God could offer a Gift of God. Jesus is identifying Himself as God. He is God with us, Immanuel.
Living Water– This is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the believer’s life. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11), and regenerates those who believe in Christ, making them new creations (John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5). The Spirit sanctifies believers, helping them grow in holiness and conform to the image of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).
Jesus is telling this woman, as He is telling each one of us who are confronted by Him, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is the evidence and the proof that one is saved– SOZO, (sode’-zo) – in the Bible, means to be rescued from destruction and brought into divine safety”. To deliver or protect— (From Strong’s Bible Concordance).
SAVED: To be made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole (complete with purpose). Delivered from the evil one and from the coming Messianic Judgment of God – NOW and for all of eternity,
Made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole In your body. In your mind. In your soul and spirit.
Made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole In your home. With your family, your children, your spouse and relatives. In your work. With your friends. In every aspect of your life.
Made safe, to be made healthy, to be made wholeeven in times of distress, tribulation, trials, sickness, poverty and chaos. You are made to prosper even as your soul prospers!
(This is not a magic formula or a spell. It is the Word of God through your faithful, submissive obedience in following Jesus.
This is the Good News that God gave John to proclaim.
This is the Good News and the reason God sent us His Son. Jesus.
This is the Good News that Jesus proclaims to the world, then and now. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 15. The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.”
Commentary Break): And still, this woman only understands from an earthly and unregenerate perspective of a lost soul. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 16. He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” Verse 17. The woman answered and said to Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; verse 18, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.” Verse 19. The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
(Commentary Break): Jesus uses the common and what is thought to be hidden to open the eyes of her mind and to bring this woman to the Truth. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 20. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” Verse 21. Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Verse 22. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. Verse 23. But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. Verse 24. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Verse 25. The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Verse 26. Jesus said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.”
(Commentary Break): Please use these links For a full commentary on verse 20, verse 21, verse 22. Verse 23 through verse 26 gives us one of the most profound and amazing statements found in the Bible. Jesus has clearly announced to humanity that He is the One – the prophesied Messiah, the promised King of Israel and of the Savior of the world. “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Verse 26. Jesus said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.” (End Commentary Break).
Jesus is still speaking to us, today. Representative of each time that “Jesus began to preach and say”, Matthew 4:17 tells us thatthe word used there, from the Greek language, is ‘kerusso’. This is NOT a casual statement nor is it just a narration. It is a word of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed; something which has been done, first in the Spiritual realm and to be manifest in the natural. It is not a general statement nor is it a request. It is PROPHETIC command. Kerusso!
Next, let’s notice that Jesus says “Repent”. What is often overlooked but should be glaringly obvious is that Jesus does not tell us WHAT to repent from. We typically assume we are to repent of our sins. But that is not what He actually says. He simply says, “Repent”.
But REPENT from what?
“Repent, (‘metanoeo’), from the Greek, means to change one’s mind – to change one’s mind for the better.
And if it is that we are to REPENT of our sins, it is just as important to know that the word Sin, from the Greek word ‘hamartia’ – literally means to be without a share in; to miss the mark. To miss the mark both of all that God has intended for your life and all that He has for you now, and for all of eternity.
It is commonly accepted that Jesus meant that we are to heartily amend, with abhorrence of our past sins. And it can mean that and it DOES mean that. BUT IT MEANS SO MUCH MORE.
So, when Jesus says to REPENT, the overall meaning, the connotation of this word it to CHANGE AND CONDITION YOUR MIND TO THINK LIKE JESUS, TO SEE THINGS FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE AND TO RESPOND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH AS JESUS DOES.
This requires a radical redefining or our understand. It demands that we turn our minds to what Jesus says and what He means – even if it makes us uncomfortable.
Jesus is saying that REPENTANCE is a radical reformation and shift in our paradigms. It is a change in our attitudes, and of our mindset, our will and emotions from how we naturally see things to HOW JESUS SEES THINGS. It is a change in the all the choices we make in life so WE CAN SEE THEM AS JESUS SEES THEM.
Jesus is saying we must change how see or view and deal with our relationships with others, our families, marriage, and even our disputes. How we react to being wronged, how we give of ourselves, of our time of our resources. How we view work, money, wealth, and anxiety. How we view our community, our country and the world and how we view the lost – from how we see them to HOW HE SEES THEM. We must see the world around us and what Jesus is commanding of us AS HE SEES IT. THAT IS TRUE AND COMPLETE REPENTANCE.
We begin to see that the Words of Jesus are life giving words. They protect us, they guide and direct us. They strengthen us and provide us with purpose and hope.
And finally, in this verse, Jesus says, for the kingdom of heaven is nowat hand(The words ” the Kingdom of Heaven” are so descriptive that you must take the definition of each word and consider the impact and importance.
The Kingdom of God is now at hand, describes the long awaited arrival of the Messiah who is now to establish His Kingdom on earth. As the “Lord’s Prayer” even says, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. A Kingdom of forgiveness, of grace, mercy, justice and eternal salvation. A Kingdom conquering death, disease, sin and darkness.
His Kingdom is a royal power, a kingship, dominion, rule and the right or authority to rule over a kingdom; the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah and the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.” This is our calling and our role as Christians, Disciples of Jesus,
And finally, the phrase, the kingdom is now “At hand.” (“At hand” comes from a Greek word of with a meaning like the ‘crook of your arm’ and with the action like a mounting wave which has the power to knock you off your feet and roll you over and over; indicating a distance which is as close as your hand is to your wrist, AND as Luke 17:21 puts it, “the kingdom of God is now within you”. Romans 10:8 ALSO tells us, that “THE WORD (OF GOD) IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”.
Jesus is saying, today, we are to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”. (End Commentary Break).
John 4:27,And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” Verse 28. So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and said to the people, Verse 29. “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” Verse 30. They left the city and were coming to Him.
(Commentary Break): Look and see: you are at various times do the works of Jesus; at other times you are the woman; still at other times you are the people in the city. At all times, as it says in verse 30, we are to be coming to Him. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 31. Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat something.” Verse 32. But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” Verse 33. So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Verse 34. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
(Commentary Break): What are you looking for? Do you have natural eyes or spiritual eyes? You will only see that of which you seek. The disciples were thinking of earthly matters and that is all they could see – Jesus is speaking of heavenly matters. Let’s pray that God enlightens the eyes of our hearts. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 35. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. Verse 36. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. Verse 37. For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ Verse 38. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.”
(Commentary Break): “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together.” These “wages” refer to the spiritual rewards and fulfillment that come from participating in God’s work. This echoes the principle found in 1 Corinthians 3:8, where Paul speaks of each worker receiving their reward according to their labor. The imagery of reaping suggests a time of joy and completion, as seen in the agricultural practices of the time, where harvest was a season of celebration.
The Samaritans
Verse 39. Now from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” Verse 40. So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Verse 41. Many more believed because of His word; verse 42, and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world.”
And so by these and even greater works the world came to know Jesus. No flashing lights, no stage smoke, no twanging of guitars or banging of symbols. No singers jumping up and down to the rhythmic beat of passions drums. And encounter with the Living Word of Truth.
(These are known as the “Birth Pains” or the Birth Pains phase of the Tribulation (see Matthew 24:3-18 for Jesus’ complete statement). They began at or around the time of the birth of Jesus, and they include (1), great deceptions also called the great delusion (see 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12), (2), wars and rumors of wars, (3), famines and earthquakes, (4), a great persecution of Christians, (5), the Great Apostasy, falling away from the faith in Christ, which leaves only one event to be completed – The revealing of the man of perdition –before the SIXTH TRIBULATION SEAL is opened, marking the beginning of the 7 years of Great Tribulation, also known as the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb.
How can these things be since so many Protestant evangelical churches teach a dispensational pretribulation view (in other words, the rapture occurs, then all 7 years of the tribulation begins)?
The history behind the traditional dispensational pre-tribulation rapture was proposed and promulgated by John Nelson Darby, (1800–1882) a British theologian and a key figure in the Plymouth Brethren movement, known for founding the Exclusive Brethren and for his role in developing modern dispensationalism and pre-tribulation rapture theology? However, critics of John Nelson Darby often point to his teachings on dispensationalism and his views on the atonement, which some argue are inconsistent with traditional Christian doctrine. Additionally, figures like Charles Spurgeon have criticized Darby’s influence on the church, describing it as leading to isolationism and doctrinal errors within the Plymouth Brethren movement.
A slow, careful and studious reading of the New Testament, looking for clues to the events and testimonies of Jesus and His disciples and apostles leading up to Matthew 24:29-31 will give you a much clearer and more accurate picture. (You can do this on your own, and I am giving a synopsis below).
Please read these scriptures and testimonies by other Apostles, confirming that the Last Days and the breaking of tribulation seals one through five had begun in or around the birth of Jesus through A.D. 95:
global conquest and political intrigue (tribulation seal ONE),
wars and rumors of war (tribulation seal TWO),
famines, earthquakes, (tribulation seal THREE),
widespread and global deaths (tribulation seal FOUR),
persecution, martyrs, the Antichrist, the Great Apostasy and falling away from the faith (tribulation seal FIVE);
All occurring since the birth of Jesus, continuing, overlapping and intensifying since their inception:
Matthew 24:4-31, (Jesus), describing a panorama of the tribulation and the Last Days. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, (see Matthew 24:3-4),
(1). Jesus warned that “In the Last Days, there will be a rise of false Christs and false prophets. (This was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5). Do you see these things in our day? This a clue pointing to the “Last Days”.
(2). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be famines and earthquakes”. (This has been a regular occurrence since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:7 and the Fourth Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8). Do you see these things happening in our day? If you aren’t ‘denominationally biased’ could this reasonably be a clue to the timing of the “Last Days”?
(5). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith.” (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).
These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation (see Matthew 24:8), are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals have been broken, and the effects had begun between the time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.
Do you now see the clues to the timing of the first 5 tribulation seals?
Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last daysit shall be…’ (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days?
1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.”(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days here?
1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). A clue!
2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Is this true in our day, also?
If these verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think, now?
1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Could it be any clearer? The Last days began at the appearance of Jesus!
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think?
2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
Would you now think the Last Days began? Want more?
1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).
According to the words and the testimonies of Jesus , His disciples and Apostles, the “LAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION” began with the Birth of Christ Jesus.
With the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal we will see that THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 & Revelation 6:12-16)
Sometime after the rapture of the church, which occurs at the 6th Seal, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation:
Furthermore, it is important to know that the Apostle Paul grappled with a growing apostasy, (tribulation Seal 5), during the early formation of the Church. It is reaching a crescendo now, in the twenty-first century. The only things left to happend before breaking of the Sixth Tribluation Seal and the rapture is the revealing of the “man of lawlessness”, i.e., the Antichrist. He will appearbefore the rapture, according to the Apostle Paul. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4:“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 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. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy,[Which is the falling away from the faith]comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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.”)
Section A.2. With the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal we will see that THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 & Revelation 6:12-16)
Sometime after the rapture of the church, which occurs at the 6th Seal, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation. (see BibleHub.Org).
At the midpoint of the tribulation, which is found at the 6th tribulation trumpet, (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews. (see BibleHub.Org).
According to Daniel 9:27, the tribulation begins with the signing of a peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel, intended to be for one “seven,” that is, a set of seven years. But the “seven” is divided into halves: midway through the seven years, the Antichrist breaks the treaty and sets up in the temple a sacrilegious object (the “abomination that causes desolation”). The phrase “in the middle” indicates that the first half of the tribulation lasts for 3½ years, or at the blowing of the 6th Tribulation Trumpet, (1,260 days, using a “prophetic year” of 360 days). Likewise, the second half of the tribulation lasts another 1,260 days (another 3½ years), for a total of seven years.
At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt, and the earth is restored.
During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3 5–6,).
(Below here is a more complete description of the Tribulation Timeline. Concern yourself with the first SIX SEALS.)
the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.
The 1st Seal of the tribulation was being broken just after the death and resurrection of Christ, and the succeeding seals (Seals 2 – 5) have been broken. Jesus refers to this period, the breaking of the tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE as “the beginning of the birth pangs”,and He points out that “this is not yet the end”.
As witnessed by, 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Verse 31. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
The “7 years of Great Tribulation” (aka Daniel’s 70th week) begins with the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal, and, will reach the mid-point of the tribulation period, (after 3.5 years) with the sounding of the 6th Trumpet of the Great Tribulation.
Then, the Great Tribulation will end with the pouring out of the 7 Bowls of Wrath.
– THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS LEAD TO THE END OF THE AGE –
The 2nd Tribulation Seal – Wars and Rumors of War. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)
The 3rd Tribulation Seal – Famine. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)
The 4th Tribulation Seal – Death. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)
The 5th Tribulation Seal– Martyrs, persecution, Anti-Christ, falling away.(This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying and will transition to the Sixth Seal once the Antichrist has been revealed.)
The 6th Tribulation Seal – Cosmic disturbances, blood moon, darkened sun. (The Opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal is yet to come. It is The BEGINNING OF the 7 years of “THE GREAT TRIBULATION” period, also known as The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord or the Wrath of the Lamb.)
Sealing of the 144,000 – during the 6th Seal. (Revelation 7:1-8).
Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God (Revelation 7:9-17).
I will continue through the ‘Bowl Judgments’ in this article, but, for the Christian, The Rapture has occurred at this point and Jesus has taken His Spotless Bride, The Church, to the Throne of God, Her eternal home.
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and surrender my heart and my life to you. I will trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior the rest of my days.”
Two Views of History – The Past and Present – The Past, Present and the Future.
There are only two credible views of human history and only one view of our destiny.
Science gives us the lens of archeology, geology and biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, sociology, mathematics and logic which looks back in time. The Bible gives us the root of scientific discoveries, their outcomes and the origins and root of the body, the mind, will, emotions and of the soul or spirit of mankind. In other words, science is restating what the Bible has already proclaimed, instructed, created, and caused, but it is unable to see what is coming (i.e., what has been prophesied by the Bible). Science speaks in the vulgar language of humanity. The Bible is the Harmonics of God throughout creation. It is the very Breath of a Holy, Good and Perfect God.
If you want to know where we have been as a human race, both science and the Bible give a perspective into history. One, being science, is a theoretical look back by way of ancient evidential ruins, and the other, being the Bible, retraces our steps by way of an emphasis on the causes, purposes, plans and methods derived the Spirit of God, imparted to our physical abilities, cognitive skills, our psyche and the core of our being also called our spirit.
Science relies on the wit and skills of mankind. The Bible (i.e., God) relies on the unseen Spirit of God and the kingdom of heaven, which tells of what was, what is and what forevermore shall be.
Science is both empirical and theoretical and mankind is fallible and prone to self-destruction by way of scientific advances.
God and the Bible are eternal and lead to abundant and eternal life.
Science attempts to tell when, what, where and why of the past and present.
The Bible tells when, what, where and why of the past and present with a promise of a future and the only way to get there.
People have tried to accuse religion as the cause of most wars. That is an arrogant deflection from the failures of humankind. The cause of most wars is mankind using religion as their excuse for wars.
Christianity clearly teaches and promotes peace among humankind. Humankind subverts that teaching and promotes tyranny and authoritarians rule for all humankind.
God Created
Mankind Fell
God Expelled,
Mankind Rebelled .
God Expunged, Cleansed, Restored,
Mankind Exalted himself.
God Scattered,
Mankind Gathered again.
God showed the way,
Mankind strayed from the way.
God sent a savior to show the way,
Mankind killed The Hope.
God showed mercy and restored hope by raising Jesus from the grave,
Most all of humankind is slapping away the extended merciful Hand of God.
God is Gathering once again,
Most of mankind is scattering.
God is Calling,
The rage of mankind is deafening and is muting His Voice.
God is at the doorstep,
Most of mankind would lock that door.
Revelation 3:8, ‘I know your deeds – (those things you have done and these things you are doing). Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have little power,
Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Verse 21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. Verse 22. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Revelation 4:1, After these things I look, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
Dear Friend,
We are at the precipice. Open your spiritual ears and eyes and hear and see. God has given us instruction over the epochs of time and some have heard His Word and given us that Word. We have (clumsily) acted on His instructions. Our methods and form has changed as time has gone by, and we have strayed once again. We are now at the breaking point – the precipice. God said He was sorry He had created humankind and destroyed all but a remnant.
He has said that, as this cycle repeats and “mankind continually does evil”, He will once again call out a remnant, and He will once again destroy this world, but this time a fervent heat will consume the heavens and the earth.
Then He will provide us who remain, a new heaven and a new earth, and we will live with Him, and He will dwell among us for all eternity.
The time between then and now there is coming a Great Tribulation, an apocalypse, such as the world has never seen and will never see again. That time is at hand.
“Should a Christian defend themselves against verbal harassment or violent attacks?”
The TOP Line
At the top of all this, there have been church bombings, burnings, violent attacks on the people of the church. And as of this date, January 22, 2026, we only need to look to New York City or Saint Paul Minnesota to see the aggressive, often illegal and oppressive tactics being used by Leftists (Marxists). We can also see an example ofhow one church is responding to this harassment.
If we depend solely on our own strength and wit to engage these harassments and attacks, we will fail. You see, scriptures instruct us that “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 heavenlyplaces.
Therefore, we are to take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet 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.
With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.
I askedChaptgpt, “Should a Christian defend themselves against verbal harassment or violent attacks?” and it began by saying, Christians have wrestled with this question from the earliest days of the faith. The Bible gives principles, not a single one-line rule, and those principles need to be held together.
But first, MY RESPONSE (in red and black text):
I am all but certain that my response will evoke a myriad of responses, but I both agree and disagree with the Chatgpt answer to this question (see below).
I believe all that is said (by Chatgpt, below) is correct with one exception, and that one exception is the bedrock of the argument or discussion.
The one exception is that Jesus came to earth and was on the specific Mission give Him by the Father, and He could not and would not waste His time physically engaging His enemies and detractors. His Mission was to save sinners by revealing God, offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin, and accomplishing redemption—according to God’s predetermined plan.
Jesus and His disciples and those disciples that followed, faced the most severe persecutions, harassments, murders, and beatings. They were, at times, hunted down, viciously attacked, cut to pieces, stoned, burned to death and crucified on crosses. Sometimes they fled and hid but they stay true to Jesus’ Mission, even in the face of these perils. We are to do no less.
(CHATGPT response is in this color text – my comments are in black or red text):
In TheMiddle
From the middle ages until this postmodern age, here are the core components of His mission, stated in Jesus’ own words and in apostolic teaching.
1. To Do the Father’s Will (Perfect Obedience
Jesus repeatedly defined His mission as obedience to the Father:
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” — John 6:38
This obedience included His life, suffering, death, and resurrection (Philippians 2:8).
2. To Reveal the Father
Jesus’ mission included making God known:
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” — John 14:9
“No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son… He has made Him known.” — John 1:18
Jesus reveals God’s character, truth, holiness, love, and redemptive purpose.
3. To Proclaim the Kingdom of God
Jesus announced the arrival of God’s kingdom:
“I must preach the kingdom of God… for this purpose I have been sent.” — Luke 4:43
This proclamation included repentance, forgiveness, and the future fulfillment of the kingdom (especially relevant in a premillennial framework).
4. To Seek and Save the Lost
Jesus explicitly stated His redemptive mission:
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10
This frames His ministry as a rescue mission for sinners.
5. To Give His Life as a Ransom
Central to His mission was His sacrificial death:
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:45
“This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” — Matthew 26:28
This fulfills Isaiah 53 and the entire sacrificial system.
6. To Fulfill the Law and the Prophets
Jesus’ mission was not to abolish Scripture but to complete it:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” — Matthew 5:17
Every aspect of His life aligns with God’s redemptive promises.
7. To Secure Eternal Life for Those Given Him by the Father
Jesus links His mission to a specific people given by the Father:
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” — John 6:39–40
This includes resurrection and eternal life.
8. To Destroy the Works of the Devil
His mission had cosmic implications:
“The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” — 1 John 3:8
This includes victory over sin, death, and Satan—fully realized at His Second Coming.
(One-Sentence Biblical Summary):
Jesus was sent by the Father to do His will by revealing God, proclaiming the kingdom, offering Himself as a ransom for sinners, fulfilling Scripture, securing eternal life for His people, and ultimately defeating sin, death, and Satan.
(CHATGPT response is in this color text – my comments are in black or red text):
(1). Although this is still the method and the practices we, as Christians, are to employ in the Great Commission, today, we are not under the time constraints that Jesus was under (His coming and timely crucifixion, resurrection and ascension).
(2). This matter is far from settled. Even the early reformers changed their view over time:
When Christianity became legalized and later dominant, the question changed:
What should Christians do when they are responsible for protecting others?
2. Augustine’s contribution
The Bible had not changed but …
Augustine introduced the Just War framework, arguing:
Violence can be morally permissible to restrain evil
Motivation matters: love of neighbor, not hatred of enemies
Governments bear the sword legitimately (Romans 13)
For Augustine:
Personal revenge is forbidden
Protective force may be necessary to preserve life
This marked a shift:
From martyr church → shepherd society
Again the Bible had not changed, but The Reformers (16th century): Two Kingdoms & vocation
Martin Luther
Luther taught the Two Kingdoms doctrine:
The spiritual kingdom (church): governed by the gospel
The civil kingdom (state): governed by law and sword
Implications:
As private individuals, Christians should endure wrongs
As magistrates, soldiers, or heads of households, Christians may use force to protect others
Luther saw Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as:
Governing personal ethics
Not abolishing civil responsibility
John Calvin
Calvin emphasized:
God ordains civil authority to restrain evil
Self-defense is lawful when life is threatened
Vigilante justice is forbidden
Calvin rejected pacifism as:
Unrealistic in a fallen world
Potentially enabling injustice
The Bible had not changed but Modern Evangelicals: Qualified self-defense
Most modern evangelicals hold:
Verbal persecution → endure patiently
Physical violence → self-defense permitted, sometimes required
Typical reasoning:
Human life bears God’s image (Genesis 9:6)
Jesus forbade retaliation, not protection
Loving your neighbor includes stopping harm
Many evangelicals distinguish:
Persecution for Christ (may involve suffering)
Criminal violence (may be resisted)
And finally, although the Bible had not changed but some subgroups:
Anabaptists / Mennonites – continue early church pacifism
Reformed / Baptist / Pentecostal – defensive force allowed
Christian self-defense advocates – emphasize stewardship of life
1. Verbal harassment: generally endure, respond wisely, or disengage
Scripture consistently encourages restraint in the face of insults:
Jesus: “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39).
Peter: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (1 Peter 2:23).
Paul: “Bless those who persecute you” (Romans 12:14).
This doesn’t mean Christians must be silent doormats. The Bible allows:
Calm defense or correction (Acts 23:1–5; Jesus answering accusations)
Setting boundaries (Proverbs 22:3)
Walking away when words become destructive (Titus 3:10)
Key idea: Verbal harassment is best met with patience, wisdom, and self-control—not retaliation.
Violent attacks: self-defense can be morally permissible
The Bible does not command passivity in the face of physical harm.
Biblical support for self-defense
Exodus 22:2–3 allows defending against a violent intruder.
Nehemiah 4:16–18 shows God’s people armed to protect themselves while doing His work.
Luke 22:36 — Jesus acknowledges the reality of personal danger (though He forbids using violence to advance God’s kingdom).
The consistent biblical pattern:
Preserving life is good
Stopping violence is not the same as seeking revenge
What Christians must not do
Even when self-defense is justified, Scripture sets limits:
No revenge (Romans 12:19)
No hatred or cruelty (Matthew 5:44)
No violence to advance the gospel (John 18:36)
Self-defense should be:
Proportionate (only what is necessary)
Protective, not retaliatory
Last-resort, not first instinct
Jesus as the model
Jesus:
Endured insults willingly
Avoided unnecessary danger at times (Luke 4:30)
Forbade violence to fulfill God’s redemptive plan
Yet affirmed the value of life and responsibility
Christians are called to imitate Christ’s heart, not necessarily repeat every circumstance of His suffering (He died uniquely as the atoning sacrifice).
A balanced Christian conclusion
Verbal harassment → endure, respond wisely, disengage when necessary
Violent attack → defending oneself or others can be morally legitimate
Always → act without hatred, vengeance, or pride
As Paul says:
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18)
How different Christian traditions (early church, Reformers, modern evangelicals) have answered this—or how this fits within Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount:
Below is a historical-theological overview showing how major Christian traditions have handled self-defense, persecution, and Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, followed by a synthesis.
The Early Church (1st–3rd centuries): Radical non-retaliation
Historical context
Early Christians:
Had no political power
Were a persecuted minority
Often faced imprisonment, beatings, and martyrdom
This context deeply shaped their ethics.
Core position
Most early church fathers emphasized:
Enduring persecution
Refusing violence
Imitating Christ’s suffering
Key voices:
Tertullian: Christians should not retaliate or bear arms
Origen: Jesus’ commands were literal and binding
Justin Martyr: Christians had “exchanged swords for plowshares”
Why?
They interpreted Jesus’ words very literally, especially:
“Do not resist the evil person” (Matt 5:39)
“Love your enemies” (Matt 5:44)
Martyrdom was seen as:
A witness to the gospel
Participation in Christ’s suffering
A victory, not a defeat
⚠️ Important nuance:
This was not cowardice
It was voluntary faithfulness, not inability to resist
Augustine & Just War (4th–5th centuries): Love-motivated restrains
The Sermon on the Mount: how it fits
“Turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39)
Refers primarily to personal insult, not lethal threat
A slap was a shame act, not attempted murder
Jesus is addressing retaliation, not protection
“Do not resist an evil person”
The Greek implies:
Do not resist with revenge or vengeance
Not a blanket prohibition of all resistance
Jesus’ own behavior
He did not seek violence
He avoided danger when His time had not come (Luke 4:30)
He rebuked Peter’s sword because it interfered with redemption—not because all defense is sinful
Jesus’ kingdom advances by:
Sacrifice, not coercion
Witness, not force
But this does not nullify:
Civil justice
Protection of the innocent
Responsibility to preserve life
A synthesized Christian framework
Situation: Insults and verbal harassment. Christian Response – Endure, forgive. Harassment – disengage. Personal vengeance – forbidden. Violent attack – defense may be justified. Protection of others – often morally required. Gospel advancement – never by force.
The tension remains intentional:
Christians are called to be cross-shaped
Yet live responsibly in a fallen world
Final thought
The Sermon on the Mount shapes the heart posture of Christians:
Mercy
Humility
Love one’s enemy.
Christian tradition then asks:
How do we live this out without abandoning justice, life, and responsibility?
That tension is not a flaw—it is the cost of following Christ in a broken world.
This question fits very naturally with your futurist, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation framework, because Scripture explicitly connects persecution, restraint, and testimony in the end times. I’ll walk through this carefully and biblically.
The end-times setting: persecution is expected, not accidental
Jesus repeatedly warned that the closer history moves toward its climax, the more intense persecution becomes:
Matthew 24:9–10 – believers hated by all nations
John 15:18–20 – the world treats disciples as it treated Christ
2 Timothy 3:12 – “all who desire to live godly… will be persecuted”
This reaches its peak during the Tribulation, when:
Global political power turns openly hostile to Christ
Religious coercion is enforced (Revelation 13)
Faithfulness may cost livelihood—or life
This context shapes Christian response.
Pre-Tribulation Rapture: why restraint matters before and after
In a pre-trib view, the Church is removed before God’s wrath (1 Thess. 4:16–17; Rev. 3:10). However:
Persecution exists before the rapture
Tribulation saints (those saved after the rapture) still face intense pressure
Key principle:
Persecution is not something the Church is called to defeat—it is something we are called to endure faithfully.
Jesus’ end-times instructions: witness, not resistance
When Jesus spoke directly about end-times persecution, His guidance is striking:
“Do not resist” in testimony contexts
“When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak… for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit” (Matthew 10:19–20)
“This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:13)
Jesus frames persecution as:
A platform for testimony
Not a call to armed resistance
The Book of Revelation: two very different kinds of conflict
What believers do not do
Believers are never shown:
Forming militias
Overthrowing the Beast
Taking up arms against Antichrist
Instead:
They overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11)
They are described as martyrs, not soldiers
Who fights in the end
God fights (Rev. 19)
Christ returns as Warrior-King
Judgment belongs exclusively to Him
This is crucial:
Any attempt by believers to violently overthrow Antichrist would be a theological error, not faithfulness.
The Mark of the Beast: resistance vs faithfulness
Revelation 13 presents a stark choice:
Compliance → temporary safety
Refusal → persecution or death
How do saints respond?
They refuse idolatry
They accept consequences
They do not fight back
“Here is the endurance and faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10)
This is not weakness—it is eschatological obedience.
Self-defense vs martyrdom: the key distinction
Biblical distinction
Criminal violence –
Defense permitted
Religious persecution –
Endurance commended
Gospel coercion –
Refusal, not revolt
State-enforced idolatry –
Obedience to God, even unto death
End-times persecution is:
Systemic
Ideological
Religious
Therefore:
Violent resistance misunderstands the nature of the battle
The battle is spiritual, not political (Eph. 6:12)
Why martyrdom has unique end-times significance
Revelation gives martyrs a special place:
Revelation 6:9–11 – souls under the altar
Revelation 20:4 – martyrs reign with Christ
Revelation 14:12–13 – blessing for those who die in the Lord
Martyrdom is not:
Sought recklessly
Avoided at all costs
It is:
Accepted when faithfulness demands it
What this means practically for believers today
Before the end intensifies
Christians should:
Defend life lawfully
Protect families responsibly
Use wisdom and discretion
When persecution becomes explicit and religious
Christians should:
Refuse compromise
Speak truth calmly
Accept suffering without vengeance
Trust Christ to vindicate
The closer history moves toward Revelation 13–19, the less room there is for violent resistance, and the greater the call to faithful endurance.
The paradox of end-times victory
The Church appears defeated—
imprisoned
silenced
killed
Yet Scripture says:
“They conquered him…” (Rev. 12:11)
How?
Not by swords
Not by revolutions
But by faithfulness unto death
Final synthesis
In end-times persecution:
Self-defense is not the primary calling
Witness is
Endurance is victory
Christ alone brings judgment
Or simply:
The Church does not overthrow the Beast—Christ does.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Although the Bible has not changed in the Twenty-first century, there has been an unforeseen and unimaginable advance of technologies and the prophesied spread of global evil and hatreds. There are assaults by Global Marxist atheist, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian ideologies which are becoming more violent and deadly, and are being justified by its perpetrators. They are able to utilize new technologies to assault their perceived enemies physically, electronically (media and social media), financially (passing laws and using electronic means to track, monitor and oppress).
So perhaps it is time for another “adjustment” to the view of the early Church leaders and reformers when asked,
“Should a Christian defend themselves against verbal harassment or violent attacks” or as when Christianity became legalized and later dominant, the question changed to, “What should Christians do when they are responsible for protecting others?”
(1). We are still to follow the teachings and example of Jesus: Preach and live the Gospel.
(2). We are still responsible to complete the work the He began and commanded (The Great Commission).
(3). Consider adding the framework of the earliest “church model”, the Wilderness Tabernacle.
(4). We may protect ourselves, using only the defensive means necessary to preserve life.
(5). Arrange and keep ourselves in a defensive mode. (obstruct, resist and flee when necessary).
(6). Call on civil authorities for defensive and offensive measures.
(7). Expect some will be martyred.
I think the point is made. However it is often easier to analyze and speculate than to apply principles in a difficult situation.So I will close with these two final remarks:
*“It is not easy to be a Christian, that is, to actually follow Jesus, His model, His teachings and commandments – it is simply impossible. That is, it is impossible unless you are truly His disciple, then it is He who is doing these things through you.”
*“Being a disciple of Jesus means that you are just dying to follow Him.”
the odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him. But, facts show that the odds are 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, (or 1 to 10 to the 157th power), in favor of something coming to pass, would you bet against it?
Because this is a picture of how God exists in the dimension we call ‘time’. He was, He is, and He always shall be. God is pre-existent, currently present and eternal, and this is the correct view of time-related events from God’s perspective in prophecy.
The Red Dragon, Satan
The Angel, Michael
VS 
WARNING – this could be considered controversial.
Matthew 24:4-31,
Middle