Welcome Message - Rules & Guidelines
This board is for things related to Christianity, Jesus Christ, fellowship, devotionals, study & prayer requests etc…
Questions by non-believers are welcome & encouraged but obvious trolling is not welcome. Remember to share this board with others!
My motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”
Guidelines:
1. Christians who follow and believe Jesus Christ died, rose again and are saved by faith are welcome.
2. Non-believers who are interested in Christianity are welcome, but this isn't a Christian/Atheist/Islam debate club.
3. Try to be civil.
Rules:
1. SFW & PDF & MP4 files can be uploaded.
2. Obvious trolling is deleted and will result in a ban, but you are welcome to come back if you want to make constructive posts.
Links:
1. http://8ch.net/christ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship
2. http://8ch.net/christian - Christian Discussion and Fellowship
I am personally a Baptist and Pentecostal/AOG and will defend my views as a poster, but dialogue and points made from other perspectives won't be deleted.
Welcome to /bibles/
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Please take a look at my new board:
It contains bible collections from all regions and many countries of the world, all for free download. Please distribute these all over the world also via the internet, so that the peoples of the world may have access to the Word of God!
"Go into all the world, and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations." -Jesus Christ
Mormonism: Yay or Nay?
Mormonism: Yay or Nay?
On Patting Birds
On Patting Birds
Read | Hebrews 6:10
In a cartoon strip some years ago a little guy was taking heat from his sister and friends for a newly found "calling"—patting birds on the head. The distressed birds would approach, lower their little feathered pates to be patted, sigh deeply, and walk away satisfied. It brought him no end of fulfillment—in spite of the teasing he took from others. "What's wrong with patting birds on the head?" he wanted to know. "What's wrong with it?" his embarrassed friends replied, "No one else does it!"
If your niche is encouraging, please don't stop. If it is embracing, demonstrating warmth, compassion, and mercy to feathers that have been ruffled by offense and bruised by adversity, for goodness' sake, keep stroking. Don't quit, whatever you do.
I think many Christians are dying on the vine for lack of encouragement from other believers. Proverbs 15:23 says, "A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!" Isn't that true? It's a delightful thing to receive a good word just at your time of need. Encourage someone today.
If God made you a "patter," then keep on patting to the glory of God.
Daily Devotional - The Centrality of the Cross (16/08/2015)
The Centrality of the Cross
Read | John 19:17-22
In Jesus’ day, crucifixion was used by the Roman government as a method of executing criminals. God transformed the cross into a symbol that unites Christians everywhere. It stands at the heart of what we believe and serves as a central focus of the gospel message. When we consider the cross, we will think about . . .
Jesus and His perfect life. Our Saviour left heaven to dwell on earth and become one of us. While here, He obediently accomplished the work His Father had given Him (John 5:19). Because of His perfect life, He alone was qualified to be our substitute and bear God’s judgement for our sins.
Crucifixion. Christ went to the cross in order to reconcile us to God. He suffered a painful death on our behalf, and through His sacrifice, our sin debt has been paid. God’s justice was fully satisfied at Calvary. Nothing else is required for our salvation.
Resurrection and ascension. Three days after Jesus was buried, God raised Him from the dead. The Saviour’s sacrifice on the cross was accepted as payment for our sins, and the way to heaven was opened for all who trust in Jesus. Our resurrected Lord, having appeared on earth to many people, ascended to live forever with His Father. Jesus conquered death and made it possible for us to dwell in heaven with Him someday.
Every Sunday I invite people to place their faith in Jesus Christ. Because of the cross and what happened there, such an invitation has great value to the hearer. In fact, the events of Calvary continue to be relevant to Christians of all ages. Take time today to thank the Lord for the cross.
Regards, Admin
Question
Why did you start this board when there are already Christian boards? You must have your reasons, what are they?
A Daily Word by Admin
The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places. - Habakkuk 3:19
A rookie cowboy was assigned to take cattle to high pasture. “You can’t go up there,” said an old cowpoke, pointing to a high ridge. “I can ride as well as anybody,” said the novice. “But the problem is your horse.” The experienced cowhand explained that to ride the ridge, a horse had to track, like deer. Rather than flaying out, the back feet had to fall in the exact tracks as the front feet. When our feet track with God’s, when we walk where He walks, we find strength.
Read | Revelation 3:14-22
Read | Revelation 3:14-22
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Thoughts on today's verse
It has always fascinated me that this verse has often been cited by those calling others to conversion when clearly in its context it's written to lukewarm Christians needing to rekindle their love relationship to the Lord. As believers, we need to ask the Lord Jesus into our hearts, our home, and lives. It's not that he's not there, it's just that he awaits our invitation – he will not barge in. He only inhabits hearts into which he has been invited!
Prayer:
Holy Lord and Savior, I know you long to share your presence and fellowship with me. I know you are nearby as I draw each breath. But I confess that I am often unaware, and even sometimes unappreciative of your presence. I ask you this day to come into my heart and fill my life with your presence and comfort and power. I want my life to be lived for you and with you. Amen.
The Fruit of the Believer
Daily Message:
The Fruit of the Believer
Growth is a normal part of life. If growth doesn't happen, we know something is wrong. For instance, if a twenty-five-year-old came home and went, "Dada!" like a little baby, you'd be appalled. You don't expect children to stay children—you expect them to grow up.
As we grow older, we mature, and in our spiritual lives, we should become spiritually mature. The Bible calls it being fruitful. Spiritual fruit is the indication that we're truly connected to Christ. In John chapter 15, Jesus used the metaphor of fruit growing on a grapevine to describe Christian growth. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:1, 4-5). Spiritual fruit has three characteristics: it's noticeable, natural, and nourishing.
First of all, fruit is noticeable. If you walk by a plant, you can tell it's a grapevine if it has a bunch of what? Grapes. You don't need an advanced degree in botany to determine that. And so it is spiritually. You don't have to guess if a person is a believer or not. Though the output of fruit will vary from person to person (see Matthew 13:8), there has to be something at some point that identifies a person as a believer.
What is the fruit Jesus was talking about? "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). These things should mark your life as a follower of Christ. There are other things the Bible calls fruit: people you win to Christ (see Romans 1:13), holy living (see Romans 6:22), giving (see Romans 15:26-28), and praise (see Hebrews 13:15). All of these things are the visible manifestation and demonstration that spiritual growth is taking place.
Second, fruit is natural. A fruit tree doesn't have to work hard to produce fruit; it's just a natural unfolding of life. All you need is a root system in the ground, a trunk tied to the root system, and branches connected to that main stem, and fruit will happen. It's the product of a connection. What does a branch need to do to produce fruit? Just hang in there. What do you need to do to produce fruit? Just hang in there. Abide in Christ. The natural result of being connected to and abiding in Christ is growth and fruit.
The third thing about fruit is that it's nourishing. Fruit trees don't produce fruit for themselves; fruit is produced to nourish and bless other people. If the life of God is flowing in you, then the life of God will flow through you and from you, and this is where life gets exciting. Some of you have gotten bored in your Christian experience, and I would venture to say that's because it's all been inward up to this point. The real excitement is when you start looking outward and see that what Christ produces through your life can actually nourish other people.
I love how Jacob described his son Joseph. "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall" (Genesis 49:22, NIV). He was saying, "My son is so fruitful that he just doesn't stay confined; he blesses people outside of where he's at. His branches go over the wall."
That's fruit: It's noticeable. It's natural. It's nourishing. Take a moment today to examine your walk with the Lord, and ask Him to help you abide in Jesus Christ that you may bless others and be fruitful in Him.
by Admin
Who dis?
Scott, you're the cool charasmatic/pentacostal/non-denominational-wants-to-become-mainline-protestant dude from the main board, right?
Just wondering, because if so, you're cool in my book.
Introduction
I'm new here and would like to know more about this board and its users.
Would you mind presenting yourselves and how you got here? I'm very curious. Names are of course not required, unless you're a trip, but denominations and personal path would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Psalm 102:25
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands (Psalm 102:25).
The great truth that we are taught here is that God is unchangeable.
This means that He is ever reliable. He is the Rock, the One on whom we can always depend.
One of the problems with human beings is that sometimes we can change for the worse. Sometimes even the most reliable people can let you down—they can fail to fulfill what they've promised. There can be many reasons for this, but basically it's because they've changed. As we get older our memories begin to fail and sometimes people forget about their promises. Sometimes we get sick and are unable to fulfill our word. Sometimes they die and thus they're totally unable to fulfill what they promised. Sometimes a person's attitude toward you will change and they fail to carry out their word. Change affects every one of us.
But we should understand that our God is not like that. He is unchangeable. It is very important that we properly understand this attribute of God because this knowledge can be a great source of strength to us in times of trouble.
Light
Light
Jesus said that people prefer darkness rather than light because people don’t want their sinful deeds exposed (Jn.3:19-20). Of course this is an analogy. Your willingness to sit in the sun or your desire to dim the lights in the family room has nothing to do with your sin or righteousness. Christ meant that one’s readiness to embrace him and his message constituted a willingness to step into the exposure of the “light” of God’s truth.
On the other hand, one’s avoidance of him and his message was depicted as a selfishly motivated retreat into the “shadows” of one’s own opinion. On the surface, it is easy to read Christ’s words about sinners loving darkness with feelings of immunity. After all, every reasonable person loves the “light”. Right? Not actually.
Consider some of the avenues through which the “light” of Christ’s truth shines today. The Bible is the brightest record of that light. A biblical sermon aimed at life-change can feel like a laser of concentrated truth. Christian friends who are quick to speak of Christ’s commands can be bright reflectors of God’s light. But how do most people respond to those conduits of God’s light? Most avoid their Bibles for days on end. Many look for excuses to miss church and those “convicting” messages. And who hasn’t heard the “Bible-thumping” Christians dismissed as “holier than thou”? We must see that simply imagining that “Christ would agree with me” while avoiding the avenues of Christ’s light, constitutes nothing less than hiding in the darkness of one’s own opinions. Jesus said “whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (Jn.3:21).
So then, it behooves us to give attention to how we are interfacing with accurate conduits of Christ’s light. Avoiding them is never a good sign. Eagerly and regularly diving into them is indicative of those who are actually living by the truth.
The Grace To Overcome
The Grace to Overcome
Read | 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The Lord declares that His grace is sufficient for every painful situation we will ever encounter. Because of His abundant goodness, kindness, and love for us, we do not have to succumb to discouragement, give up hope, or walk away from His plan. We will know God’s grace is working in us when . . .
We have the strength to persevere. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God releases His supernatural power into our life so we might endure (Acts 1:8).
A spirit of confidence in Him is ignited within our hearts and minds. Grace helps us believe that God will bring good from our troubles (Rom. 8:28).
We sense His presence with us. When grace is at work, we will be conscious of the Spirit’s abiding support.
Our focus shifts from our trials to the Lord. Grace helps us shift attention from our situation and emotions to God’s sufficiency.
We trust that God will bring us through this — and not just barely through, but with deeper intimacy and greater faith at the end.
We are assured of God’s sovereignty. The Lord knows our frailties. So He has promised to limit our trials to what our weaknesses, strengthened by His power, can bear (1 Cor. 10:13).
The apostle Paul had been through shipwrecks, imprisonment, and beatings—difficulties far worse than what most of us face. Yet he didn't quit, because he drew on God’s grace and found it sufficient for every circumstance. Where do you need an infusion of grace in order not to give up and walk away?
Regards, Admin
The Power to Change
How would your life change if you committed to meeting with God everyday?
The writer of Hebrews tells us the Word of God “is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
God’s Word is power. God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). His Word is His plan, and His plan is something He makes happen. And so He promises, “So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God’s Word never fails! The writer of Hebrews says the Word is “active” (energēs: energy, power, Hebrews 4:12).
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, God’s words are “God breathed” — not in-spired, meaning some kind of vague power or ghost breathed into man’s preexisting words, but literally breathed or spirited out of the mouth of God. So these words did not originate in the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
God’s Word is precious, valuable, a treasure. Psalm 138:2 says, “Thou hast magnified thy Word above [KJV; modern translations read the Hebrew al and Septuagint Greek epi as “according to,” but both roots mean “upon” or “above”] all thy name.” That means God ranks His revelation of Himself above His name. (It’s interesting that Jehovah’s Witnesses reverse this order with their low view of the Word as “a god” [John 1:1] and their high view of the name “Jehovah.”)
A clear, uncompromised, persuasive proclamation of the Word is the essential ingredient in effective evangelism. Think of how this was demonstrated time and time again in Billy Graham crusades. So it has been demonstrated, too, in Jesus’ life and in the early Church. God regenerates by His Word of truth!
The Word sanctifies (purifies, cleanses) — “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). No wonder the apostles gave themselves to undistracted prayer and the Word of God (Acts 6:4).
Take time this month to read Psalm 119 and mark every occurrence of word and its synonyms. You’ll see the truth, power, life, and treasure aspects of God’s Word shine forth. It’s a lamp for our feet, a restraint on our sin, a sustainer, a comforter, a reviver; it’s wisdom in our mouth for answering those who reproach us. Just think, Beloved, what would happen if we breathed the Word, lived it, and proclaimed it when we were jostled, stabbed, or shot at by the world. It would make a lasting difference, a difference that can stem our nation’s Word crisis!
There are several things you can do to become part of this lasting difference that can alter the destructive course of our nation:
First, commit yourself to reading and passionately learning the whole counsel of God, book-by-book, and live in accordance with it, no matter the cost. I say “book-by-book” because that is the way God spoke, not in random verses without contexts. If we do this together, we will lay a foundation that can’t be shaken, a foundation that will give us a biblical understanding of God and His ways. We will understand true, biblical prayer, experience deep spiritual revival, introduce the world and reintroduce our nation to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Technology can actually help you in this endeavor. I don’t play video games or watch a lot of television. But I do take every opportunity to listen to the Word of God. I listen when I put on makeup in the morning. I listen when I cook. I listen during extended car trips. I constantly practice feeding myself on the Word. If you haven’t been doing this, I urge you to start. Take every opportunity to plug in to the Word to learn about God’s character — His thoughts and intentions, His will — to discover His ways. Apply this knowledge of God, this wisdom, to every part of your life — your church, your marriage and family, your job and career.
Second, make pursuing God your number one, daily priority. Set aside some time from each day to study and pray in a place with minimum distractions. Take it slowly and savor the Word as you study it; let it seep into your mind and change you. It’s best to proceed slowly and meditate. You’ll miss a great deal if you read quickly.
Beloved, I exhort you to make knowing God and His Word the top priority of your life so that you will have the wisdom and courage to be His spokesperson wherever He places you. This is the hour for the Church; we must not miss it. As children of the day (1 Thessalonians 5), we must not sleep, but be about our Father’s business — the redemption of mankind. Remember that wherever you are, you are God’s salt for that place, His light to dispel darkness and bring hope.
Rekindle the fire of God’s Word in your life, and don’t be dismayed by the opposition. And remember: those who oppose us the most usually have the most desperate needs.
Beloved, the God of the universe wants you to know Him. Won’t you join us in the pursuit of Him through prayer and His Word? You — and our world — will never be the same.
Regards, Admin
hvn
Is there a spot in heaven for non-christian girls who are good, kind and righteous?
Daily Devotional - The Grace To Keep Going (11/08/2015)
The Grace to Keep Going
Read | Romans 16:17-20
“I can’t take it.” “I give up.” “I quit.” These are powerful words which, when we act on them, deeply impact others’ lives as well as our own. Let’s look at three key things that could cause us to express such sentiments.
First, Satan and his fallen angels’ influence can be a factor in our choice to walk away from God’s plan. Their involvement in our goings-on can tempt us to stop waiting on the Lord for solutions and instead seek a more immediate way out. But running ahead of God is the same as declaring that His promises don’t hold true. This is what the devil wants—he tries to redirect our focus away from hope in Jesus Christ and onto our negative emotions. His tactic is to make us feel discouraged and helpless so we will be less effective for the kingdom.
A second reason we stop following God’s plan is the influence of our culture. Ungodly people are always ready to give believers advice, and too often we find the world’s methods and “wisdom” attractive. Divine direction is needed if we are to set ourselves apart from nonbelievers’ thinking and yet stay close enough to be able to share God’s viewpoint and message of hope with them.
The inclinations of our natural self—known as “the flesh” (Rom. 8:8)—conflict with our new nature, tempting us to abandon God’s way. Sacrifice isn't comfortable; our innate tendency is to do what feels good and benefits us or those we love.
God declares that His grace is sufficient to keep us going in every situation. That means we need never give up. How does this apply to your life today?
Regards, Admin
Dr Charles Stanley - 'Meditating On The Word of God
Watch Dr Charles Stanley preach on his sermon, 'Meditating On The Word of God'. http://intouch.org
God knows exactly what we need and will lead us to the right passage of scripture. Then it’s up to us to meditate upon it. Dr. Stanley shows us how, by walking us through four disciplines: priority, place, purpose, and plan.
Key Passage: James 1:1-4
Supporting Scriptures: Joshua 1:8-9 | Psalms 63:6 | Psalms 119:148 | Isaiah 9:7
Summary:
As Christians many of us read our Bibles and pray, but are we meditating on God’s Word? And do we even know what this means? When the Lord called Joshua to lead Israel after Moses’ death, He told him, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Josh. 1:8). The Lord wanted to fill Joshua’s heart with the Word so he would know precisely what to do and how to lead the people according to God’s standards and commands. And that’s exactly what He wants to do in our lives as well. If we’ll meditate on Scripture, the Lord will unfold for us His truths and instructions.
Sermon Points -
Meditation involves three activities.
Shut out the world. That means no television, phone calls, or other outside distractions.
Shut ourselves up to God. Meditation is not a group activity but a private time alone with the Lord.
Focus our attention on a passage of Scripture. This is not just a casual reading of God’s Word before heading out the door, but a private conversation with the Lord. We begin by asking Him to reveal what He wants to say to us. Then we listen for His instructions and guidance while reading, thinking, and praying about the passage.
Effective meditation has four requirements.
Priority. The devil will try to thwart our efforts to focus on God’s Word because he knows we are absorbing it into our souls. If meditation is not a priority in our lives, we probably won’t do it.
'Place. We need a private place to meet alone with God.
Purpose. The purpose of meditation is to hear from the Lord. When we concentrate on His Word and seek His guidance, He sometimes uses very specific passages of Scriptures to answer our requests. Once we’ve understood what He’s told us, our trust in Him increases and our worries lessen.
Plan. We must set aside a time to meet with the Lord privately to read His Word, ask for direction, and listen for His voice. This opportunity to be alone with Him will soon become the most precious part of each day as we learn to know almighty God more intimately and hear Him speak to us personally through Scripture.
Meditation includes three steps.
Using James 1:1-4 as an example, we can learn how to meditate on a passage of Scripture by following three steps.
Observation. Begin by asking these questions: Who is the writer? To whom is he writing? What is the passage saying?
Verse 1 says the letter was written by James, who was probably Jesus’ half brother. He wrote to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad. Although these people lived a long time ago, Scripture was written for every generation, including ours. James gave clear instructions regarding what God desires to accomplish through our trials and how we should respond to them.
Interpretation. What does the passage mean, and what can we learn from it? By focusing on these verses, our entire perspective regarding trials will be changed. Instead of being consumed by the hardships, we will understand what God is trying to achieve in our lives through them.
Verse 2, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” In the midst of difficulties or suffering, we want relief from pain and a way out of hardship, but James says the solution is a change of attitude. Instead of becoming bitter or resentful, we are to count it as joy, not because we enjoy the experience but because we know God is sovereign over it and promises to walk through it with us. Our joy is in the Lord and His purpose, not in the situation.
Verse 3, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” The reason we can consider trials joy is because of what we know to be true. Whatever God sends or allows in our lives is not a random event but a test of our faith. His purpose for testing is approval not defeat. This is how we become strong and are able to endure. We’ll never develop this quality if life is always easy, and if we lack endurance, we may quickly yield to temptation or give up and walk away from God’s will. This verse teaches us that God is up to something good even when our circumstances look bad.
Verse 4, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” If we refuse to endure our trials, we short-circuit God’s purpose for allowing them. He has a perfect result in mind—that we may be perfect and complete. The word perfect does not mean sinless but complete, strong, and mature. The Lord loves us so much He doesn’t want us to lack any of these qualities.
Application. Based on what we’ve just learned, how should we respond? How does God want us to think about our trials? The following are a few specific practices to help us rejoice even in trouble or suffering: Continue meditating on this passage until it becomes real in our thinking and belief system. Once we truly believe this, we’ll be able to confidently face whatever we’re going through.
Continually affirm that God loves us unconditionally. Knowing that He always does what is best for us increases our trust in Him.
Ask the Lord to show us what specific areas of our lives He’s targeted for spiritual growth. Each trial is designed to strengthen us in a particular area of weakness.
Agree with God that the end result is worth the pain. Whatever He allows us to go through is for our benefit.
Meditation is a gratifying and rewarding experience that increases our intimacy with the Lord and our fascination with the Bible as we hear Him speak to us personally through His Word. God has also given us His indwelling Holy Spirit who enables us to interpret Scripture rightly and empowers us to apply it to our lives.
Response:
If you consistently meditate on Scripture, how has it affected your relationship with the Lord? Your trust in Him? Your perspective on life? Your thought patterns?
If meditation on the Word is new to you, what changes do you need to make in your life to make it a reality? How do you think it will affect your life and your relationship with God?
How has meditation on James 1:1-4 changed your perspective regarding trials? What have you learned about God and His purposes? How does He specifically want you to apply this to your life?
Should Homosexuality Be Accepted as a Healthy Lifestyle?
Homosexual activists claim their lifestyle, which in some cases includes thousands of sexual partners, should be sanctioned, protected, and granted special rights by society. Their rationale is that since their sexual nature is inherited, it is involuntary and therefore should be considered morally neutral. Would you critique this stance?
Let me answer that question by asking two of my own: "What if?" and "So what?"
What if it could be demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that homosexuality is, as activists claim, genetic, biochemical, and neurological in origin? We would still want to know, so what? The homosexual activist community would have us believe that because their behavior is genetically programmed and beyond their control, it is morally defensible. That is not supportable. Most men have inherited a lust for women. Their natural tendency is to have sex with as many beautiful girls as possible, both before marriage and after. Abstinence before marriage and monogamy afterward are accomplished by discipline and commitment. If men did what they are genetically programmed to do, most would be sexually promiscuous from about fourteen years of age onward. Would that make such behavior any less immoral? Of course not.
What if a pedophile (child abuser) could claim that he inherited his lust for kids? He could make a good case for it. Certainly his sexual apparatus and the testosterone that drives it are creations of genetics. Even if his perversion resulted from early experiences, he could accurately claim not to have chosen to be what he is. But so what? Does that make his abuse of children any less offensive? Should society accept, protect, and grant special civil rights to pedophiles? Is it blatant dis- crimination that they are tried, convicted, and imprisoned for doing what they are "programmed" to do? No! The source of their sexual preference is irrelevant to the behavior itself, which is deemed to be immoral and reprehensible by society.
What if it could be demonstrated conclusively that alcoholics inherit a chemical vulnerability to alcohol? Such is probably the case, since some races have a much higher incidence of alcoholism than others. But so what? Does that mean alcoholism is any less a problem for those families and for society in general? Hardly!
I hope the point is apparent. Being genetically inclined to do immoral things does not make immoral behavior right. There are many influences at work within us, but they are irrelevant. I know of no instance in Scripture where God winked at evildoers because of their flawed inheritance or early experiences. In fact, the opposite is implied. In the book of Genesis we are told that an angel informed Ishmael's mother that the child she was carrying would be "a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers" (Genesis 16:12). In other words, Ishmael was genetically inclined toward violence and rebellion. Yet there is no indication that he enjoyed a special dispensation from God that excused his sinful behavior. Each of us is accountable for what we do, without excuses and rationalizations. That's why we all need a Savior who died to eradicate our sins, regardless of their source.
There is one other "so what" with which we must deal. If homosexuals can claim to be genetically predisposed to lust after their own sex, why does that make their circumstances different from unmarried heterosexuals? Single individuals are certainly programmed by heredity to desire fulfillment with the opposite sex, but they are called to a world of purity. I know that is a tough requirement–especially for those who will never marry–yet this is my understanding of Scripture. Promiscuity for unmarried heterosexuals is the moral equivalent of promiscuity for homosexuals. Liberal ministers who are revising church standards to sanction sexual expression by homosexuals must, I would think, extend the same concession to heterosexual singles. But before they do, some scriptural justification should be found to support the "new morality." I think none exists.
by Dr. James Dobson
>anon, do you want to talk about Jesus? Me neither.
Response:
How each person responds to the truth God has revealed is an issue of eternal significance. To reject and rebel against the truth of God results in darkness, folly, sin, judgment, and the never-ending wrath of God. To accept and submit to the truth of God is to see clearly, to know with certainty, and to find life everlasting.
An obvious corollary of what I am saying is that truth means nothing apart from God. Truth cannot be adequately explained, recognized, understood, or defined without God as the source. Since He alone is eternal and self-existent and He alone is the Creator of all else, He is the fountain of all truth.
Regards, Admin
When It Comes to Truth, Tolerance Is a Travesty
Q: Why are Christians so judgmental and unloving?
A: Because we live in an age of tolerance where almost anything goes, openly questioning or criticizing other people's belief systems can quickly get you labeled as judgmental, narrow-minded, bigoted, hateful, and even ignorant. With regard to Christianity, Matthew 7:1 is often quoted (or should I say "misquoted") as discouraging Christians from putting other religious teachings and practices to the test: "Judge not, that ye be not judged."
This interpretation of Scripture, however, is simply mistaken. The Bible clearly speaks out not against passing judgment in general, but against rendering inaccurate and unfair judgments (John 7:24). In 1 Corinthians 2:15Paul tells us that Christians are called to make "judgments about all things." Our judgment, though, should not be based on what God has not revealed; but rather, on what He has revealed (v. 13).
God's revealed Word, the Bible, tells us that Jesus Christ is the only way we can possibly reach God and that there's no alternate route (Acts 4:12). It stands to reason, therefore, that other beliefs offering alleged alternate pathways to God only lead to dead-ends. And if we as Christians really want to follow our Lord's teaching to love our neighbors, we can't escape our responsibility to warn them about spiritually destructive roads paved by non-Christian belief systems (Prov. 14:12). True love and compassion should move believers to sound warning cries, even in the face of opposition, to avert countless lives from heading toward eternal separation from God.
Let's realize that when we call teachings into question, it's only because we're concerned about the eternal destinies of people. Let's also keep in mind that Scripture doesn't command us to simply rail against false teachings; rather, it encourages us to offer biblical reasons with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15). Always remember that when it comes to personal relationships, tolerance is a virtue; but when it comes to truth, tolerance is a travesty.
Daily Devotional - Our Casual View Of Sin (10/08/2015)
Our Casual View of Sin
Read | Romans 6:1-7
Believers recognize the depravity of sin, but many continue to have a careless attitude about it. We hear people argue, “Everyone sins at times, so don’t worry about it. Confess, and God will forgive.”
If we are honest with ourselves about the nature of disobedience, we know the issue isn’t that simple. God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9), but His gracious provision isn’t designed as license to transgress. Commandments are in place to protect us from enslavement, which is the natural result of persistent wrongdoing. Each choice to break God’s rules, even for “little” sins, adds another link to our slavery chain, which eventually is long enough to wrap tightly around our heart. When that happens, it hinders us from enjoying the Lord’s blessings.
Any sin, no matter how insignificant it seems, is rebellion against the Lord. God didn’t come up with the idea of scales for wrongdoing; we did. We think a lie weighs only a little, whereas stealing is heavy; we view adultery as hefty but less substantial than homicide. Likewise, we reason that a lie needs only a small bit of forgiveness and grace, while murder requires generous amounts of both. Yet God’s perspective differs from this man-made notion. Jesus still had to die on the cross to forgive a lie. Though different sins cause different amounts of damage, it takes the same sacrifice to pay the penalty for theft as it does to pardon murder.
We are privileged to have a Father who breaks our human chains. However, we are not freed so that we can disobey; rather, God offers us freedom from the domination of sin.
Hello!
Hello, Chris Hansen here, just checking in to make sure this isnt just a front. Well, looks good here. Im on my way, may god be with you!
Christians: It's High Time We Sharpen Our Swords
Fellow believers, it is high time that you take your swords out and get them nice and sharp, because you will need them more than ever in the coming days. We most certainly are in a war.
Now before you ask me, “What about our guns?” let me make it perfectly clear that I’m not talking about physical swords or a physical war.
I’m talking about ideological swords – swords of truth; swords that defend the faith; swords that destroy false arguments; swords that cut through the lies; swords of irrefutable reason.
And I’m talking about an ideological war – a war of moral values, of societal standards, of the very meaning and purpose of life.
Tragically, while this war has been raging for years, many Christians are late coming to the battle, and when they do engage, they are often ill-equipped, thinking that a cute little slogan will turn the tide or that quoting one verse from the Scriptures will overwhelm their ideological foes.
Well, here’s a breaking news alert: Our halfhearted, content-lacking approach is losing badly, which is one reason so many are defecting from the faith. (Yes, it is true that many others are coming to real faith in the living God, but too many others are being picked off.)
It might bless our socks off to say, “God says it, I believe it, and that settles it,” but that’s not going to do much to convince our skeptical neighbor, nor will it help our college-age kids during their first serious crisis of faith.
We might think that quoting Leviticus 18:22 in all caps and, of course, from the King James Version (as in, “THOU SHALT NOT LIE WITH MANKIND, AS WITH WOMANKIND: IT IS ABOMINATION”) will settle the issue, but the moment someone says, “But do you eat pork?” our only answer is to quote it again and say, “The devil has blinded you!”
Surely we can do better than this. No, we must do better than this.
Personally, I’m 100 percent sure that the Bible is God’s Word and that, rightly understood and applied, it is binding on our lives as believers.
And I live my own life with that old-time philosophy of “God says it, I believe it, and that settles it,” explicitly trusting the faithfulness of my heavenly Father and the truth of his Word.
And I am convinced that homosexual practice is sinful in God’s sight, along with many other behaviors, attitudes and practices, and I believe that Jesus died to save us from our sins and give us a brand new life.
He did that for me almost 4 years ago, delivering me almost overnight from partying, drinking, rebellion, immorality and pride.
I can preach “Jesus saves” with the best of them. On the one hand, my life had been so wonderfully transformed that I could not be turned away from what I believed. But I needed answers, and I was committed to following God and his truth wherever that led – meaning, away from Jesus as Messiah or even deeper into Jesus as Messiah – and the more I studied, the more answers I found, all of them confirming the truth of the gospel.
I say all that to encourage you that there is an intellectual side to our faith along with a spiritual side (actually, the spiritual and the intellectual overlap when our minds are renewed) and when we’re dealing with an increasingly non-believing society, especially one that is hostile to our moral values and angrily rejects the idea of an absolute moral Judge, we had better have our gospel swords sharp and ready. Otherwise, we will lose the battle before we start.
That being said, here are a few helpful pointers.
•Don’t be a hypocrite. If you practice what you preach, you’ll gain respect.
•Don’t stop praying and citing Scripture – prayer and the Word are our ultimate spiritual weapons – but be ready to back what you say.
•Be nice. Nasty Christians on the Internet are a terrible plague, doing real damage to the faith.
•Focus on an area that interests you and take advantage of the many apologetics tools that exist online. Become an armchair expert.
•Be determined to put 1 Peter 3:15 into practice, having solid answers for those who ask you about your faith.
Our Lord deserves nothing less than this.
Regards, Admin
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Sunday Bible Sermon - 'Anything But Secret: God's Warning'
Hi Everyone, every Sunday I will continue to deliver a bible sermon on this board. Hope you enjoy reading God's Word.
In the early 1500s, the Aztec empire was one of the most powerful and sophisticated civilizations in the western hemisphere. However, within one year's time this mighty nation of over 2 million people was conquered and enslaved by just 600 men. How did it happen?
The Aztecs had a prophecy about Quetzalcoatl (kèt-säl´ko-ä-tal), a legendary feathered god-king who was light-skinned and bearded. It predicted that he would return to Mexico from across the sea and that he would come in the clouds from the east to save them.
Well, in 1519 Spanish galleons arrived in Mexico carrying a group of conquistadors led by Hernando Cortez. When the Aztecs saw these ships, they thought their billowing sails looked like clouds. Cortez heard about the Aztec legend from some Indians who lived on the shore and decided to try to use it to his advantage. By assuming the mantle of deity, he hoped to befuddle superstitious King Montezuma II.
While the king was waiting to receive the light-skinned visitor with honor, Cortez marched his army right into the center of the Aztec capital. By the time the people realized that Cortez was not the savior they were expecting, it was too late. The conquistadors proceeded to plunder, enslave and kill the Aztec people. An entire nation was deceived and destroyed - in part because the prophecies of their god's return were so ambiguous that almost anyone could have served as a counterfeit.
In the near future, satan will attempt to personate Jesus and counterfeit His return to earth. But God's people need not be deceived. When the disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming and the end of the world, the very first thing He told them was to be on guard against impostors. He said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:4, 5).
Christ then proceeded to give His followers a wealth of information about His second coming so there would be no doubt as to how He would return. Jesus wants us not only to know that He is coming and that He's coming soon, but also to understand the manner of His coming.
The reason this is so important is that satan will soon attempt to personate Jesus and counterfeit His return. To pave the way, satan has introduced a strong delusion to the Christian world that has been almost universally accepted in mainline churches. I am referring to the popular teaching regarding a "secret rapture." The secret rapture theory was designed to lull God's people into a false sense of security and to prepare them for this final master deception.
The devil knows that Jesus is coming back and that his remaining time is short (Revelation 12:12). He has been sharpening his skills of deception for 6,000 years, and his last masquerade will be his masterpiece.
In fact, God warned that satan will do such a convincing job that, if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. Jesus said to His disciples, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:23, 24).
Satan is not an ugly, grotesque, bat-winged creature wearing a red leotard. He's an angel - a beautiful, powerful angel. And the Bible makes it clear that he is able to transform himself and appear in different forms. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:13, 14). We must not underestimate how convincing and overpowering satan's final deception will be. I'm sure he will even quote Scripture, as he did while tempting Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-6). The devil also has the ability to create the illusion of miracles. You will remember that when Moses went in before Pharaoh to plead for the children of Israel, the magicians of Egypt were able to duplicate the first few signs from God (Exodus Chapters 7, 8). Satan is in the business of deception, and we know that he is saving his greatest deception of all for the last days. We need to know how Jesus is coming, or we will be deceived.
The Bible is very clear that when Jesus comes back, His feet never touch the ground. It says the righteous will be caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This is why Jesus emphatically warns us, "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the desert!' do not go out: or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:26, 27 NKJV).
Satan cannot replicate a worldwide, cataclysmic event the magnitude of the real second coming. However, if he can seduce Christians into believing the secret rapture theory, he won't need to. He can simply show up around the world in various places, perform great miracles, make television appearances, and thereby deceive the entire world.
Every general knows that the key to victory in battle is to maintain an element of surprise. Many battles have been won because of a clever diversionary tactic. While one army was distracted and looking at the diversion, the enemy came up from behind to conquer them. In the devil's final assault, he will do the same thing. The archdeceiver has always wanted to be God. Now he knows that he is doomed, but his last taunting gesture against heaven will be to personate Jesus and receive the worship of a lost world.
Satan's deceptions will be strong and convincing, but Christ has given us ample information in order to help us discern truth from error.
* Not a Secret *
Will there be a rapture? Yes. Will it be a secret? NO!
Rapture means "to be carried away with power," and it is true that when Jesus comes the living righteous will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). But many have come to believe that this rapture will take place quietly - that faithful Christians all around the world will suddenly disappear and that life here on earth will continue for a seven-year period of tribulation. During this time, they say, many will be converted and have a "second chance" at salvation before Christ's final coming. Although the secret rapture scenario may appear comforting at first glance, there is absolutely no scriptural support for it. The Bible plainly teaches that when Jesus comes again, every one of our senses will be bombarded with evidence!
* His Coming Will Be Literal *
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven". (Acts 1:9-11)
Heaven-sent messengers told the disciples that Jesus would return to this earth in the same manner He left. Christ left in the clouds, and He will come back in the clouds. He was visible when He left, and He will be visible when He comes again. He had a real body when He left, and He will return in the same way.
* His Coming Will Be Visible *
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him". (Revelation 1:7)
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:27).
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30).
When Christ comes, it will not be merely a local sighting or an isolated event. It will be visible across the entire world.
* His Coming Will Be Audible *
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
"The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout." (Jeremiah 25:30).
"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." (Psalm 50:3).
As you can see from the preceding Scriptures, Christ's second coming will be loud! There will be shouts and trumpets and all kinds of noise. No one will accidentally miss it or be able to read about it in the newspaper the next day.
* His Coming Will Be Emotional *
"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:26, 27).
"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." (Isaiah 25:9).
When Christ returns, it will be an emotional day for the wicked and righteous alike. The lost will experience indescribable fear and anguish, while the saved will experience the perfect joy of eternal salvation.
* His Coming Will Open the Graves *
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40).
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (1 Corinthians 15:22, 23).
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
This is the Bible's description of the rapture. The dead in Christ will rise by His power and will meet Him in the air. Afterward the faithful who are still alive will also be caught up. It will not be a secret!
* His Coming Will Destroy the Earth *
"The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." (Isaiah 24:19, 20).
"And the heaven [sky] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." (Revelation 6:14).
"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." (Revelation 16:18-20).
This world will be uninhabitable by people after Christ comes. His coming will shake the very foundations of the earth.
* His Coming Will Mean Final Judgment *
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16:27).
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12).
It is at Christ's return that we will receive our final reward. Each person's decision will have already been made; there will be no second chance to convert. The time to make a decision to follow Christ is now!
* Basis for Confusion *
With so much evidence in the Bible as to the manner of Christ's coming, how did people get the idea that the rapture will be a secret event?
As with most deceptions, the secret rapture theory is based on a few texts that have been taken out of the context. Two main concepts in Scripture have been used to substantiate a "secret" rapture.
The primary one is that Jesus will come as "a thief in the night." The secret rapture theory assumes this means that Christ will come secretly to steal away the righteous and carry them quietly to heaven.
Christ's coming is described as "a thief" several times throughout the New Testament. Let's look at one of these passages and see if it describes a secret rapture. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10). That doesn't sound like a secret event, does it?
In describing His return as a thief, Christ did not intend to show that it would be quiet, but that it would be sudden and unexpected - that the wicked would be taken by surprise. He said, "If the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not". (Luke 12:39, 40). Likewise, Paul told the Christians in Thessalonica, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 5:4). God does not want His followers to be surprised. He wants us to be watchful and ready.
To further illustrate this truth, Jesus said, “No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house" (Mark 3:27, NKJV).
Can you picture a homeowner being oblivious to a robbery if the thief just broke into the man's house, tied him up and threw him in a closet, and then ransacked the place while searching for valuables? Of course not!
In the same way, the day and hour of the second coming is a secret, but when the glorious event transpires, all will know!
The second concept used to support a "secret" coming is found in Luke 17:34-36: "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Secret rapture proponents say this passage proves that the saints will suddenly disappear from the earth when Jesus returns. But let's take an honest look at the evidence and see what these verses actually teach.
In Luke 17:34-36, Jesus employs some of His favorite symbols to illustrate a simple point. At the end of time, there will be just two groups of people living upon the earth - the lost and the saved.
"Two Men in One Bed."
A bed generally connotes sleep, and Jesus used sleep as a symbol of death. He said to the disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." (John 11:11, 14). In the resurrection at the last day, there will be two kinds of people sleeping in the grave - the lost and the saved.
"Two Women Grinding Together."
In Bible prophecy, a woman is a symbol of a church (Jeremiah 6:2). Grinding grain represents working with the Word of God. When Christ comes in glory, there will be two kinds of churches - the false and the true. Both will be outwardly doing the same thing, but only one will be redeemed.
"Two Men in The Field".
The field represents the world (Matthew 13:38). When Jesus comes again, there will be two kinds of missionaries laboring out in the field - the false and the true. This is why He said, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22, 23).
* Not Left Behind *
Another common misconception contained in the secret rapture theory is that people will continue to live here on earth for several years after Christ's return. However, the Bible clearly teaches that when Jesus comes next, there will be no one left alive on this planet.
For example, in his prophecy about the end of the age, Jeremiah wrote: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger" (Jeremiah 4:23-26, emphasis added).
In another place he declared, "And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground" (Jeremiah 25:33).
The prophet Isaiah describes the same dismal conditions in his prophecy of the state of the earth following the second coming. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word" (Isaiah 24:1, 3 emphasis added).
Last but not least, consider the following passage of Scripture: "And as it was in the days of Noe [Greek for 'Noah'], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:26-30 emphasis added).
Notice that the wicked were destroyed on the same day that the Flood came to Noah and on the same day that the fire came to Sodom. Jesus emphasizes at both the beginning and the end of this passage that these earlier judgments, which destroyed all of the wicked, were examples of what would happen at His second coming. The Bible is crystal clear that life on earth does not continue for either man or beast after Jesus comes.
* Through the Tribulation With Christ *
The idea that the righteous will all be raptured out of the world just before the time of trouble and that only the wicked will be left behind to endure seven years of tribulation can be very appealing. Perhaps that is why this doctrine has gained such widespread acceptance. But the Bible clearly teaches otherwise.
The phrase "seven years of tribulation" does not appear anywhere in Scripture. However, Jesus did say that a terrible time of trouble would come upon the world just before His return and that it would be more intense than any other in the history of this world. In His great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives, Jesus made the following statement: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21, 22).
If the elect were not in the world during the great tribulation, they would not need the days to be shortened!
All throughout Scripture we see examples of the Lord saving His people through tribulation, not from it.
•Noah was not saved from the Flood, but through it.
•Daniel was not saved from the lions' den, but through it.
•Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not were not saved from the fiery furnace, but through it. In fact, Jesus went through it with them, and He will go through the great tribulation with us, as well!
•The children of Israel were not saved from Egypt before the plagues fell, but afterward. God demonstrated His love and power by preserving them in Egypt through the 10 plagues. In the same way, the righteous will be in the world when the seven last plagues fall (Revelation 16), but God will preserve them.
God never promises that our lives will always be easy. Christ prayed to His Father for His disciples, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil [one]." (John 17:15) Likewise, in 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul declares, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Paul also told a group of disciples that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22).
In His parable of the two home builders, Jesus taught that the storm comes to the wise man who builds on the rock just as surely as it comes to the fool who builds upon the sand (Matthew 7:24-27). The storm comes to all.
The good news is that God's children will survive the coming tribulation. They will endure by practicing some of the same survival skills used by the Great Basin bristlecone pine. Believed to be one of the oldest living trees on the planet, it can live more than 4,000 years. Found on lonely mountaintops, some of these ancient evergreens have weathered thousands of years of intense freezing wind, pounding rain, scorching sun, and violent electrical storms.
How do they manage to survive such harsh, adverse conditions? They send their roots deep, wrap them tenaciously around a solid rock, and hang on.
In the same way, the saints will have to sink their roots of faith deep into the Word of God and cling tenaciously to the mighty Rock of Ages. Remember that even though God does not always provide an escape from tribulation, He does promise to give us the power and strength to get through it. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
* Times of Trouble *
As we discuss the great tribulation to take place just before Jesus returns, keep in mind that there have been several other "times of trouble" for God's people in the past.
For example, the children of Israel endured 400 years of tribulation just before the Exodus (Acts 7:6). The early Christians also passed through a time of trouble immediately after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). From A.D. 303-313, during the era represented by the Smyrna church (Revelation 2:10), God's people suffered a 10-year period of tribulation. But perhaps the most notable time of trouble was the 1,260 years of intense persecution waged against true Christians during the Dark Ages. "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days."
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child" (Revelation 12:6, 13). As dark as each of these times was for God’s people, none will compare with the final, great tribulation that is yet to take place. The great tribulation corresponds with the time during which the seven last plagues of Revelation 16 will fall. "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God" (Revelation 15:1).
God's wrath will be directed against the ones who disobey His law, distort His truth, and oppress His people. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).
The great tribulation also coincides with the Battle of Armageddon. Both take place immediately before Christ's second coming. "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done" (Revelation 16:16, 17).
It is my belief that the great time of trouble will last only a month or two. Here are a few Scriptures that indicate it will be a short period of time.
Revelation 18:8 tells us, "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day." A "day" in Bible prophecy represents one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34; Luke 13:32). So when Revelation says that “her plagues come in one day,” it means within, or less than, one year’s time.
Furthermore, the very nature of the seven last plagues - the rivers and seas turning to blood and the planet being scorched with great heat - would render it impossible for the human race to survive more than a month or two. This is why Jesus said, "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22 NKJV).
* Just Before the Plagues *
Since the experience of the children of Israel just before the plagues fell on Egypt is a type, or symbol, of what will happen to God's people before the seven last plagues described in Revelation 16, let's examine that story more closely.
After 400 years of slavery, the Israelites had become influenced by the religion of Egypt and had lost sight of God's law. So before Moses and Aaron met with the Pharaoh, they first met with the leaders of Israel to encourage a revival of commitment to God's law - including the Sabbath of creation (Exodus 4:29-31). The people responded wholeheartedly, which is why the Pharaoh got angry and said to Moses and Aaron, "You make them rest from their labor!” (Exodus 5:5, NKJV). Remember that the children of Israel knew the Sabbath was part of God's law before they ever came to Mount Sinai (Exodus 16:22-28).
Likewise, before the onset of the great tribulation, special attention will once again be called to the subject of worship and the Sabbath commandment. In Revelation 14:7, an angel calls God's people to "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The angel is clearly quoting from the Sabbath commandment, which says, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:11).
A widespread rediscovery of the law of God, including the Sabbath truth, will be the alarm that wakes the dragon to fury. The devil hates the Sabbath because he knows that all love relationships are built upon time. If he can destroy the day that was set apart for God's people to spend quality time with their Creator, he can destroy the relationship. We see this happen over and over again between husbands and wives or between fathers and sons. If two people stop spending quality time together, soon the relationship will fall apart.
When the children of Israel responded to God's call to keep the seventh-day Sabbath holy, the Pharaoh became furious. He knew that as long as the people focused only on work, work, work, they would have no time to think about freedom. The devil is using the very same strategy today. His goal is to keep people so busy with work and so preoccupied with the cares of this life that they have no time to worship their Creator. He knows that if he can cause people to neglect the Sabbath rest, they will never have time to think seriously of salvation.
Looking down through history to the end of time, the Lord knew that His faithful people would keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. That is why, in connection with the tribulation, Jesus advises His followers to "pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day" (Matthew 24:20).
Another way in which this small time of trouble will resemble the period of time just before the plagues fell on Egypt is that God's people will be called upon to endure a period of bitter hardship. In Moses' day, the angry Pharaoh tried to turn the hearts of his Israelite slaves against their God by forcing them to produce the usual quota of bricks without providing the necessary straw.
In the same way, before the tribulation the government will use political and economic sanctions to pressure God's end-time people into receiving the mark of the beast. During this time the saints will be called upon to share their faith in the face of stiff social, political and religious opposition. "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:17).
When this fails to deter the people of God from obedience, there will be a final death decree. The Bible says, "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Revelation 13:15). At this time, the great tribulation begins and the seven last plagues start to fall.
The time of trouble begins with the wrath of the devil against God's obedient children (Revelation 12:17) and ends with the wrath of God against the ones who obey the beast (Revelation 14:9, 10).
* No Second Chance *
The main reason this last period of time will be so intense is because it will come after probation closes for the lost. God gave the very first prophecy about it to His servant Daniel, who wrote, "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1). Notice that when the great tribulation begins, the cases of all people will have been forever decided.
The door of salvation and grace will close for the world - just as the door on the ark closed seven days before the Flood began. At that time Jesus will declare, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:11, 12).
For the first time in the world's history, God's Spirit will be completely withdrawn from the lost. The unsaved will be given wholly over to demonic control. The saved will be forever sealed and the lost forever lost. No more changing teams!
* God on Trial *
If no one is converted by the plagues, then why does the Lord allow them?
For thousands of years God’s Spirit has worked in the hearts of men. But He has warned that this would not always be so (Genesis 6:3). Satan must have an opportunity to demonstrate what a world that is completely under his power would be like. And so God will finally allow the winds of strife to blow unhindered - but not before His servants are sealed (Revelation 7:1-3). The great tribulation will prove to the universe that nothing - not even the worst conditions in the history of the world - would change the characters of those still alive upon the earth. God's people will trust Him no matter what, and His enemies will rebel against Him no matter what.
Sometimes adversity brings a lost soul to repentance, but as the seven last plagues are being poured out, the wicked will reveal that there are no longer any redeemable threads in their fabric. The following three verses prove this point:
"The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory" (Revelation 16:8, 9).
"They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds" (Revelation 16:11 NKJV).
"Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" (Revelation 16:21).
* No Need to Fear *
Perhaps your picture of the great tribulation has always resembled this terrifying recipe:
"Pour the entire contents of Armageddon into a pressure cooker, then slowly mix in the seven last plagues with one full bottle of Jacob's trouble and one whole crushed Babylon. Next, evenly stir in two full boxes of wrath - one from God and one from satan. Cover securely and cook on high."
In John 16:33, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
God does not want us to live by fear, but rather by faith. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18).
During the world's darkest hour and greatest trial, God will supply the greatest peace and faith. We need only to remember that Jesus is in the boat with us. Though the furnace be heated seven times over, we can pass safely through it if Jesus is at our side.
Psalm 91 contains special promises for those living during the last great tribulation. It says, "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked" (Psalm 91:5-8, NKJV). The Psalmist makes it clear we will be in the midst of the world during the plagues, yet remain untouched, if God is our refuge. "No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (Psalm 91:10, NKJV).
* Rescue From the Skies *
On Friday, June 2, 1995, Captain Scott O'Grady was flying his F-16 over Bosnia when the jet was cut in two by Serbian anti-aircraft fire. He quickly ejected and parachuted to the ground. Suddenly he found himself in a different, hostile world with the entire Serbian army combing every inch of ground in search of him.
For six days he prayed, often hiding with his face in the dirt to avoid being seen by enemy soldiers passing within a few feet. For six long days he survived - cold, wet, tired, hungry, eating bugs and drinking dirty water, calling every night on his little radio for help from above, running from enemies, and hiding under bushes.
Then came a daring rescue from the skies. Forty airships, hundreds of soldiers, satellites, and the combined technology of all NATO were all engaged to rescue one hunted soldier.
Will God do less for His people? When Captain Scott O'Grady returned to the United States, he was hailed as a hero. Why? Because he had come out of great tribulation. We, too, may have to endure a brief time of trouble, but it will fade into insignificance when compared with the glorious moment when Jesus comes crashing through the skies with His angelic armies to rescue His children.
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
© Doug Batchelor
Regards, Admin
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This Package Of 6 Cds And 2 Books Provide Inspiration For Those Who Are Troubled By Enemies. It Is Based Upon A Unique Look At Psalms 23 ==> http://bit.ly/1EficHM
Buy a Baby's Liver For Just $24K!
The ad on the StemExpress website is bright, professional, and clear. Underneath a typical web menu, with links to standard features like “home,” “products & bioservices,” and “about stemexpress,” the ad appears, positioned next to the image of a bright, shining sun.
Fetal Liver – CD1133+Stem/Progenitor Cells
$2,425-$24,250
It’s a bright, sunny day at StemExpress!
And make no mistake about it.
Whatever the humanitarian goals of this company, it is a business nonetheless, as emphasized in the URL to the baby liver ad: http://stemexpress.com/shop/fetal-liver-cd133-stemprogenitor-cells-2/ (Make note of that word “shop,” positioned immediately next to “fetal-liver,” surely an unintentional reminder that organs of tiny babies, slaughtered in the womb, are being sold for profit – or is the $24,250 merely a shipping charge?)
Last week, Breitbart.com identified StemExpress as a company to which Planned Parenthood sold aborted baby parts. (Oh, I forgot again. Planned Parenthood didn’t sell the parts or, God forbid, make profit on the death of the unborn. They just covered the shipping costs.)
Since then, StemExpress has doubled down, making it clear that they are proud of their work:
“We are proud of the role we play in helping the global research community as they strive to achieve medical breakthroughs to stamp out global disease and improve quality of life. Everything we provide is solely at the request of the nation’s and the world’s great research institutions.”
So there’s the justification: We are saving lives in the process, so what we’re doing is good.
Really? That’s justification?
Aside from the obvious question of how many lives have been saved through the use of baby livers (as opposed to livers donated from those who died outside the womb), even that question begs a larger question, namely: How does the allegedly humanitarian use of a barbarically obtained item justify (or, even minimize) the barbarous practice? And since Planned Parenthood makes more money the more babies it aborts, and since StemExpress is surely a for-profit company, doesn’t that mean that the more abortions, the more profits for all?
Someone posted on a friend’s Facebook page: “No babies are aborted for the purpose of harvesting organs or tissue. You can fully condemn abortion as evil and still believe, supposing it were possible, that it is better to use an aborted baby's organs to save a life than to let them rot and allow a preventable death to happen.”
I suggested he reply as follows: “The abortion industry encourages abortion for profit, and some of that profit includes the selling of baby parts. Also, would this person give the same argument for using the body parts of Jews killed in the Holocaust?”
To give a graphic (and utterly repulsive) example, which abortion advocates will protest vigorously, would we all feel better if ISIS sold the severed heads of its victims for medical research to help understand the brain?
Defenders of Planned Parenthood kept sinking their ship deeper last week, first claiming, “That undercover sting video was heavily edited to give a misleading impression!” In response, The Center for Medical Research, which filmed the video, posted the entire footage, 2 hours and 42 minutes long. They even released a full transcript more than 60 pages.
Next, the defenders claimed, “Well, Planned Parenthood didn’t sell the baby parts. They simply donated them, but shipping costs have to be covered.”
But of course! Like everything Planned Parenthood does, it’s all about saving lives, not making a profit.
When everything began to unravel, the accusations became harsher, with accusations like, “This is what rightwing extremists will do to bring a good company down,” or, more extreme still (I saw this one on Twitter), the accusers blamed the video on “Nazi Republican propaganda.”
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Eventually, Planned Parenthood issued a formal apology, again, defending its practices but apologizing for the inappropriate tone of their highly-positioned doctor, who sipped wine and munched on her meal while casually talking about the taking of innocent lives in the womb and the trafficking in their limbs and livers.
And are we to believe that when the leaders of Planned Parenthood get together to discuss their still-thriving abortion trade, they weep in pain as they talk about the precious little lives that they exterminate in many horrifying ways?
As this video of the apology indicates (it was put together by one of my staff members), Planned Parenthood encourages promiscuous behavior (if you think that’s an overstatement, watch this video too, with graphic content), and promiscuous behavior leads to more abortions, and more abortions lead to more money.
The moral of this story is very simple: It is evil to kill babies in the womb (other than to save the life of the mother, in which it is an agonizing choice) and it is evil to traffic in their body parts.
As Senator James Lankford said on the Senate floor last week, “You can’t say in one moment that’s not a human and then sell it for the next moment as a human organ and say now suddenly it is. It was a human all the way through. There was never a time that wasn’t a child, never a time that wasn’t a human, and it seems the ultimate irony to me that we spend time talking about humane treatment of animals being put down… and we completely miss children being ripped apart in the womb and their body parts being sold.”
Planned Parenthood and StemExpress should be ashamed of themselves, and our government needs to take swift and decisive action against them, even if that means changing some current laws.
Now is the time for action.
(For all those who have had abortions or participated in abortions – it may have been an agonizing choice for you as well – there is mercy and forgiveness in the Lord if you will turn to him with a sincere heart.)
© Michael Brown 2015
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This Package Of 6 Cds And 2 Books Provide Inspiration For Those Who Are Troubled By Enemies. It Is Based Upon A Unique Look At Psalms 23 ==> http://bit.ly/1EficHM
Mystery Babylon is Jerusalem
http://searchinsany.hubpages.com/hub/Babylon-the-Great-the-Mystery-has-Already-been-Revealed
I don't know what you guys think, but mainstream Zionist Christianity would probably damn me for this.
Jerusalem is listed as one of the cities built on 7 hills.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_claimed_to_be_built_on_seven_hills
7 hills of Jerusalem
- The northern summit (hill) is called Scopus (Hill One)
- The middle summit (hill) was called Nob (Hill Two)
- The highest point of Olivet itself, and the southern summit (hill) was called in the Holy Scriptures the "Mount of Corruption" or "Mount of Offence" (Hill Three)
- On the middle ridge between the Kedron and the Tyropoeon Valleys there was (formerly) in the south "Mount Zion" (Hill Four)
- The "Ophel Mount" (Hill Five)
- To the north of that the "Rock" around which "Fort Antonia" was built (Hill Six),
- The southwest hill itself (Hill Seven)
Jerusalem - killer of saints and holy men
Jesus himself said of Jerusalem…
Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets
-Matthew 23:29-31
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
-Matthew 23:35
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
-Matthew 23:37
Jerusalem - Adorned in scarlet and gold / Killed by her lovers
And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful; Your lovers despise you; They seek your life. I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child-the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, "Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers."
-Jeremiah 4:30-31
And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality
– Revelation 17:4
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
– Revelation 17:16
Jerusalem as Sodom and Egypt
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
- Revelation 11:8
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 1:8-10
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
- Jeremiah 23:14
I would like to know what your opinion is? If I'm in grave error, please rebuke and correct me.
I believe we should pray for the Jews to open up to Christ and become believers. We have Jewish brothers and sisters in the Lord, so it's sad to hear mainstream evangelists like John Hagee calling it a waste of time.
Calling out the Jewish believers in Christ out of Jerusalem.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
- Revelation 18:4-5
Daily Devotion - Failure To Listen To God (09/08/2015)
Failure to Listen to God
Read | 2 Timothy 4:1-4
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul solemnly charges him to preach the Word and to reprove and rebuke with great patience (2 Tim. 4:2). A pastor could hardly have a more difficult assignment than this, because few people respond well to correction. What you do when you are criticized is a good indication of the maturity of your faith. The Bible tells us that “he who neglects discipline despises himself” while “he who listens to reproof acquires understanding” and “will dwell among the wise” (Prov. 15:31-32).
Every time criticism comes our way, we stand at a crossroads of possibilities for good or evil. We can either embrace correction and grow up or reject it and start down the slippery slope described in 2 Timothy 4. In this passage, Paul outlines the behavior of those who become tired of reproof. He says they will reject sound doctrine and instead embrace the teaching of those who “tickle” their ears (v. 3). This means they’ll hunt for churches or religious teachers who fail to apply the whole counsel of God. Then they “will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (v. 4). Most people in this state probably couldn’t trace how they went from truth to myths, but it may have started when they rejected some hard saying from the Bible or ignored good advice from a critic.
We can’t afford to “turn away our ears”—not even from critics who are immature, ignorant, or evil. Remember, if God spoke through Balaam’s donkey (Num. 22:28), He can speak through anyone. Be mindful to keep your ears open to God’s voice, regardless of the form it may come in.
Regards, Admin
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This Package Of 6 Cds And 2 Books Provide Inspiration For Those Who Are Troubled By Enemies. It Is Based Upon A Unique Look At Psalms 23 ==> http://bit.ly/1EficHM
Ministries
Every believer is a part of the body of Christ, so what have you been called to do?
Share it ITT.
This is a video series I started a couple months ago, all scripture with piano/violin music and clips from nature and scenes of biblical movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-v3UgRppmA&list=PLD55-_hROlQhCFcNc2VbdQ2PC0VJSy2sh
Assemblies of God
AOG here, raised and grown! Good to see I'm not the only one on imageboards. I figured most /christians/ here were Catholic and Orthodox.
I'm glad to see this diversity, because I've been called out for a being a heretic, just because of my denomination and for speaking in toungues, while I know what I've experienced and know the Holy Spirit has granted me that gift.
I honestly pray that this board can grow! I'd love to see some Protestant brothers on here and hopefully we can get together here and do some great things for Christ!
JESUS IS LORD!
God's Answer to the Moral Insanity of the World
What is God's answer to the moral insanity of the world? Jesus the Messiah, crucified and risen. Jesus the Messiah, the Lord of all.
God's answer to human rebellion remains the same as it has always been: the cross of Christ. That must be the answer we proclaim to the world, without shame or doubt.
It is true that we are in the midst of an unprecedented moral and cultural decline in our nations, and it is true that there is no political or social solution that can turn the tide.
But it is also true that the world has been crazy since Adam's fall, in a constant state of alienation from the Lord (Eph. 2:1-3; remember that Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, was guilty of fratricide, murdering his younger brother Abel).
Why should it surprise when sinners sin and when the ungodly commit godless acts? Why should it surprise us when the darkness resists the light?
John wrote that the whole world is under the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), the god of this age, whom Paul tells us has blinded the minds of those who do not believe (2 Cor. 4:4).
Is it any wonder that the world hates God and His Word?
Certainly, it is right for us to be grieved over the sin of the world, and it is right for us, as children of light, to expose it (Eph. 5:11-14). But it is wrong for us to expect a political leader or party to turn your country to God or even to expect the secular media to report righteously.
We alone have the antidote to our nation's moral malaise. We alone have the solution, and it is found in a person, the Lord Jesus, and in a message, the gospel. Transformation comes through Him.
I'm all for proper political involvement and righteous social action, and these do play a role in cultural transformation. But that role is small compared with the role played by a fresh outpouring of the Spirit on the church accompanied by the preaching of the cross and resurrection, the message that is foolishness in the eyes of man but represents the very power of God in action.
That alone is the path to a national awakening, and without the fearless and compassionate proclamation of the gospel, there will not be a holy counterculture revolution, a pushing back of the tide of godlessness.
So let us seek God earnestly with prayer and fasting, knowing that revival comes from Him, let us conduct ourselves as true followers of Jesus, not being conformed to the pattern of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2), and let us share the good news about our Savior whenever and wherever we can: Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, rising from the dead to declare His victory, and ascending to the right hand of the Father. He is the Lord of all.
Regards, Admin
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This Package Of 6 Cds And 2 Books Provide Inspiration For Those Who Are Troubled By Enemies. It Is Based Upon A Unique Look At Psalms 23 ==> http://bit.ly/1EficHM
The Folly of Denying God
Beyond a doubt, the most significant question to ever penetrate the human mind is that of the existence of God. More consequences for humanity hinge on the denial or affirmation of God's existence than any other issue.
Countless numbers of Christian families have sent their children off to schools across Australia and other parts of the world, only to see them return as strangers robbed of their faith in God and of the basis for morality and ethics.
Many of these children have attempted to fill the vacuum in their lives through aberrant sex, drugs, and alcohol. Others have sought to fill this void with material success, which can never satisfy the spiritual needs of one created in the image of God.
"Is there really a God?" Though there are a variety of possible responses to this question, there are three traditional responses that predominate in Western society: (1) God does not exist — atheism; (2) we cannot know whether God exists — agnosticism; and (3) a personal God does exist — theism. This article will demonstrate how, in witnessing to an atheist, one can move from atheism to agnosticism, from agnosticism to theism, and from the concept of an impersonal God to the personal God of Scripture.
To begin, atheism involves a logical fallacy known as a universal negative. Simply stated, a person would have to be omniscient and omnipresent to be able to say "there is no God" from his own pool of knowledge. Only someone capable of being in all places at the same time — with a perfect knowledge of all that is in the universe — can make such a statement based on the facts. In other words, a person would have to be God to say there is no God. Hence, the assertion is logically indefensible.
By using arguments like this, you will often find that an atheist quickly converts to agnosticism and is thus making progress rapidly in the right direction.
This leads us to the second possible response: agnosticism. In dealing with an open-minded agnostic, an approach I have found effective is to point out that the universe is an effect which requires a sufficient cause, and the only sufficient cause is God. As Scripture says, "the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Ps. 19:1).
It is helpful to clarify that there are only four possible explanations for how the universe came to be. The first is that the universe is an illusion. This ultimately reduces to solipsism — the theory that "self" is the only reality, that "I alone exist." This view is unacceptable in an age of scientific enlightenment. (Even a full-blown solipsist looks both ways before crossing the street.)
The second possibility is that the universe is eternal. This possibility flies in the face of the second law of thermodynamics, which says that everything in the universe is running inexorably downhill from order to disorder, from complexity to chaos. If the universe was eternally old, it would have died a heat-loss death an eternity ago.
The third "possibility" is that the universe emerged from nothing. Little needs to be said about the absurdity of this option. Reason tells us that out of nothing comes nothing. This position militates against the first law of thermodynamics, which says that energy can be neither created nor destroyed; it can only change forms. To say an effect can exist without a cause, one must deny the basis for all scientific investigation and rational thought.
The fourth (and only tenable) possibility is that the universe was created by God. Clearly, theism — the belief in a personal God who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe — is the only viable option on the question of God's existence. Once this is established, it can be pointed out that only a personal God can account for human personality, thought, and morality. Furthermore, this personal God has manifested Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, who demonstrated His deity through the undeniable fact of the Resurrection. Additionally, God has provided His written Word which can be shown to be divine rather than human in origin.
Although we cannot talk atheists and agnostics into the Kingdom of God, God can use our answers to open their hearts to receive the gospel. Scripture therefore exhorts us to "always be prepared to give to every man an answer" (1 Pet. 3:15).
Regards, Admin
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This Package Of 6 Cds And 2 Books Provide Inspiration For Those Who Are Troubled By Enemies. It Is Based Upon A Unique Look At Psalms 23 ==> http://bit.ly/1EficHM
pope
“Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit by which is soars to the truth.”