As I considered the many promises that President Barack Obama reiterated during his state of the union speech this week, I was struck by his disingenuousness. Obama consistently says one thing and does another but he is only challenged on this by the vocal conservatives. One promise stood out to me as being a deception that the coming Antichrist will make: his promise of transparency.
Dictators have to operate is secret without any public accountability because their wickedness can not stand the light of scrutiny. Many will dismiss Obama as being responsible for all the secret deals that Congress is making to get their unpopular health care reform ideas forced on us but he is in lock-step with the majority party leadership in the House and Senate. And Obama promised that such activities would not happen under his watch. Just like he’d do away with run away pork spending also known as earmarks.
Reports are that Team Obama is planning to use Congress’s reconciliation process to resurrect the remains of Obamacare, despite the clear referendum on it voiced in Massachusetts. I’m convinced that something will get passed with more back-room deals appealing to special interest groups and favored constituencies. Making such secret deals is how the Antichrist will secure his power… “he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (Daniel 11:21, NKJ) and “many shall join with them by intrigue” (Daniel 11:34).
The root Hebrew word translated "by intrigue" in the New King James Bible is described in the Lexicon of the Blue Letter Bible as meaning by flattery, slipperiness, fine promises, and smoothness. All these descriptions apply to how Barack Obama was able to rise to power so quickly. There are many things our Leftist government does that foreshadows what we can expect to see in the Antichrist.
The more I see the spirit of the Antichrist exhibited by our governmental leaders, the more I look forward to the Rapture which precedes the Beast’s rise to power. We certainly could turn the tide of our government with the mid-term elections later this year and the next presidential election in 2012. But developments are happening very fast that will overwhelm us like a flood (Daniel 9:26).
This prompts one other observation about Obama’s state of the union speech… he is pretty focused on domestic issues and paid very little attention to the international situation. I think this is very dangerous with the trends that we see in the world today. We are being distracted by our self-contrived national interests while international dangers are growing. This makes us less safe and I would not be surprised to see a major terrorist attack on the U.S. before Obama’s term is up.
There is a lot to be fearful of in this world. I’m sure most people don’t give much thought to what is going on in the world today because doing so only makes their fears grow. That why it is such a pleasure to know Jesus as Lord, “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The best way to deal with what we see going on in the world today is to have a sound, rational mind which is a gift from God as a by-product of having a personal relationship with Jesus.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Christian Scoffers
We shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter Christians who don’t give any thought to the idea that Jesus could rapture us out of this world at any moment. Certainly most of Christendom is in this category. But since I continue to be surprised by such encounters, this topic merits further consideration…
I guess what surprises me the most is how professing Christians view God’s Word. Please note that I’m not making a judgment about a person’s relationship with God when I use the term “professing Christian.” But we can judge the actions and statements people make as to whether they reveal attitudes about how they regard God and His Word. We should expect garden variety pagans to ignore the idea that Jesus will soon return but professing Christians should be challenged when they express these same sentiments.
If God is Almighty as the Bible claims that He is, then He is powerful enough to accurately communicate the truth to us even using His flawed subjects as scribes. Now some will say that it is a circular argument to use the Bible to prove it’s veracity but these are the same who also dismiss all the extra biblical evidence supporting the truth of the Bible. Archeology consistently proves the historical accuracy of the Bible. And fulfilled prophecy proves that the Bible has to be from God. Those who don’t trouble themselves to check this out don’t really want to believe God’s Word.
Likewise professing Christians reveal that they really don’t believe God’s Word if they are not looking forward to “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJ). False doctrine that considers the Rapture to be during or after the Tribulation does not help people look forward to Jesus returning. The Church is the Bride of Christ; what kind of bride does not look forward to her wedding day?
Christians are not immune to worldly materialistic perspectives. But the Apostle Paul called this a carnal mind that could only digest superficial spiritual milk and not the solid food of the deeper truths about God (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Professing Christians who are not growing in their understanding of God need to question their relationship with Him; “because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Another reason we should not be surprised when we encounter Christians who ignore the fact that the Rapture could happen at any moment is that this itself is a sign of the times… “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). The very next verse explains that scoffing about the return of Jesus is ultimately a willful forgetting of the truths in God’s Word. This applies to both garden variety pagans and professing Christians.
It is a shame that Christians allow themselves to be satisfied with milk from God’s Word when they could be feasting on steak.
I guess what surprises me the most is how professing Christians view God’s Word. Please note that I’m not making a judgment about a person’s relationship with God when I use the term “professing Christian.” But we can judge the actions and statements people make as to whether they reveal attitudes about how they regard God and His Word. We should expect garden variety pagans to ignore the idea that Jesus will soon return but professing Christians should be challenged when they express these same sentiments.
If God is Almighty as the Bible claims that He is, then He is powerful enough to accurately communicate the truth to us even using His flawed subjects as scribes. Now some will say that it is a circular argument to use the Bible to prove it’s veracity but these are the same who also dismiss all the extra biblical evidence supporting the truth of the Bible. Archeology consistently proves the historical accuracy of the Bible. And fulfilled prophecy proves that the Bible has to be from God. Those who don’t trouble themselves to check this out don’t really want to believe God’s Word.
Likewise professing Christians reveal that they really don’t believe God’s Word if they are not looking forward to “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJ). False doctrine that considers the Rapture to be during or after the Tribulation does not help people look forward to Jesus returning. The Church is the Bride of Christ; what kind of bride does not look forward to her wedding day?
Christians are not immune to worldly materialistic perspectives. But the Apostle Paul called this a carnal mind that could only digest superficial spiritual milk and not the solid food of the deeper truths about God (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Professing Christians who are not growing in their understanding of God need to question their relationship with Him; “because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Another reason we should not be surprised when we encounter Christians who ignore the fact that the Rapture could happen at any moment is that this itself is a sign of the times… “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). The very next verse explains that scoffing about the return of Jesus is ultimately a willful forgetting of the truths in God’s Word. This applies to both garden variety pagans and professing Christians.
It is a shame that Christians allow themselves to be satisfied with milk from God’s Word when they could be feasting on steak.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What about Our Kids?
I had a conversation with a friend about how world trends show we are close to the return of Jesus. We agreed that most people don’t even want to entertain this idea and her specific concern was for her kids. I responded that I believed children in Christian families would be resurrected with their parents in the Rapture because 1 Corinthians 7:14 says, “for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy” (NKJ).
I think 1 Corinthians 7:14 would apply to kids before their age of accountability even if only one parent is a Christian. The Bible doesn’t give a specific age of accountability; I’m sure this varies from person to person with God being the ultimate arbiter. I tell people that my age of accountability was at 33 years of age when God opened my heart to Jesus. I know that if I didn’t accept Jesus as my Lord when the Holy Spirit convicted me of my condition before God then I was risking eternal condemnation.
It occurred to me later that this Christian mom’s concern might not have not have been so much for the eternal destiny of her kids but for what they’d miss out in terms of their worldly experiences. It is easy for us older folks to look forward to the Rapture but what of kids who will not experience marriage, having kids of their own and other joys of being an adult?
I’m convinced that children will be resurrected as fully grown adults. God created Adam and Eve as adults that would have lived forever in bodies at the prime of their lives if sin had not entered the picture. Ephesians 4:13 says we should look forward to when followers of Jesus “all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Part of being perfected in the resurrection is having a physical body frozen in time in the prime of our life.
It is pretty common to allow the faded glory of this fallen world to eclipse future blessings which we can not see. That is why materialism is so pervasive. But God has promised us that the blessings of heaven are unfathomable. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” God promises us that the glories of heaven will be so great that we will not give any thought to this world… “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
What ever longing God puts in the hearts of believers that we don’t get to satisfy in this world will certainly be satisfied in the new heavens and earth. So we should not think that the Rapture will cause our Christian children to miss out on anything in this world.
I think 1 Corinthians 7:14 would apply to kids before their age of accountability even if only one parent is a Christian. The Bible doesn’t give a specific age of accountability; I’m sure this varies from person to person with God being the ultimate arbiter. I tell people that my age of accountability was at 33 years of age when God opened my heart to Jesus. I know that if I didn’t accept Jesus as my Lord when the Holy Spirit convicted me of my condition before God then I was risking eternal condemnation.
It occurred to me later that this Christian mom’s concern might not have not have been so much for the eternal destiny of her kids but for what they’d miss out in terms of their worldly experiences. It is easy for us older folks to look forward to the Rapture but what of kids who will not experience marriage, having kids of their own and other joys of being an adult?
I’m convinced that children will be resurrected as fully grown adults. God created Adam and Eve as adults that would have lived forever in bodies at the prime of their lives if sin had not entered the picture. Ephesians 4:13 says we should look forward to when followers of Jesus “all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Part of being perfected in the resurrection is having a physical body frozen in time in the prime of our life.
It is pretty common to allow the faded glory of this fallen world to eclipse future blessings which we can not see. That is why materialism is so pervasive. But God has promised us that the blessings of heaven are unfathomable. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” God promises us that the glories of heaven will be so great that we will not give any thought to this world… “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
What ever longing God puts in the hearts of believers that we don’t get to satisfy in this world will certainly be satisfied in the new heavens and earth. So we should not think that the Rapture will cause our Christian children to miss out on anything in this world.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Google in China
As China’s economic power grows, they are testing the limits of what they can do with their power by attacking the Internet search engine company Google. China has a long history of totalitarian control of their people so having a free and open Internet is a threat to them.
The Internet has become an important source of information for us. Yes, there is a lot of junk on it so the consumer must beware but it has emerged as an alternative to the traditional media sources that so easily becomes tainted by government propaganda. So it is not surprising that the Internet has become a target of totalitarian regimes.
There is no guarantee that the Internet will remain free and open. As more people become dependant on it for information, the more potential there is for government to “regulate” it. We have already seen the Internet used to help Islamic terrorists recruit. All it would take is to link such activity to a major terrorist event and governments would take action to control “hate speech” on it. Such control is certain to extend to other areas.
Scripture tells us that a worldwide government is coming. Since the Internet facilitates worldwide communications, it will eventually be used to control people worldwide. So as we get closer to the Tribulation, we can expect to see more cases of governments gaining more control over the Internet. But until the Rapture of the church, I’d expect the Internet to mostly remain free due to the Holy Spirit’s ministry of restraining evil… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7, NKJ).
Until the Antichrist takes over the Internet, most of the world will benefit from it as an important balance to the mainstream media. Indeed, the emergence of the Internet is a significant sign of the times… “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).
The Internet has become an important source of information for us. Yes, there is a lot of junk on it so the consumer must beware but it has emerged as an alternative to the traditional media sources that so easily becomes tainted by government propaganda. So it is not surprising that the Internet has become a target of totalitarian regimes.
There is no guarantee that the Internet will remain free and open. As more people become dependant on it for information, the more potential there is for government to “regulate” it. We have already seen the Internet used to help Islamic terrorists recruit. All it would take is to link such activity to a major terrorist event and governments would take action to control “hate speech” on it. Such control is certain to extend to other areas.
Scripture tells us that a worldwide government is coming. Since the Internet facilitates worldwide communications, it will eventually be used to control people worldwide. So as we get closer to the Tribulation, we can expect to see more cases of governments gaining more control over the Internet. But until the Rapture of the church, I’d expect the Internet to mostly remain free due to the Holy Spirit’s ministry of restraining evil… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7, NKJ).
Until the Antichrist takes over the Internet, most of the world will benefit from it as an important balance to the mainstream media. Indeed, the emergence of the Internet is a significant sign of the times… “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).
Monday, January 25, 2010
No War with Islam
Oliver North made some excellent comments about President Obama’s tepid approach to the Islamic terror threat. Obama said we are at war following the Christmas airline bombing threat but insists on treating the “suspect” as a criminal member of the al-Qaida gang and not a combatant of an evil religious order. I guess this should be no surprise in a post modern world where the only evil is to claim that evil exists.
The political correctness associated with Islam is stunning. Columnist Diana West reported…
Our government makes no acknowledgement that toxic doctrines of Islam is what inspires terrorists in their murderous ways. Our government perpetrates the myth that Islam poses no threat the non-Islamic Free World. Instead, they claim that terrorists like Major Hasan were “self-radicalized.”
Muslims themselves claim that there is no such thing as “moderate” Islam. Diana West also reported on a quote from Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in the article linked above…
This is exceptionally interesting coming from the leader of the country that Ezekiel 38 says will gather a coalition of Islamic nations to attack Israel in the time-frame of the Messiah returning. Indeed, I think it is highly likely that the Antichrist will emerge from the Revived Ottoman Empire.
I predict that our government along with most of the governments of the world will continue to deny the nature of Islamic terrorists up until it is too late to effectively do any thing about them. The growth of Islam is nothing short of spectacular. And it seems there is nothing anyone can do to keep Islam from conquering the world. I believe that this is the religion that will unite the world under the Antichrist… “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4, NKJ).
The political correctness associated with Islam is stunning. Columnist Diana West reported…
“the Pentagon report on the Fort Hood massacre came out. It is 86 pages long and doesn't mention the words Muslim, Islam, jihad, Sharia (Islamic law), Koran -- despite the fact that we know, among other things, that the killer, who initiated his massacre with a cry of "Allahu Akbar," was a Muslim inspired by Islam to perform an act of jihad as sanctioned by Sharia derived from the Koran.”
Our government makes no acknowledgement that toxic doctrines of Islam is what inspires terrorists in their murderous ways. Our government perpetrates the myth that Islam poses no threat the non-Islamic Free World. Instead, they claim that terrorists like Major Hasan were “self-radicalized.”
Muslims themselves claim that there is no such thing as “moderate” Islam. Diana West also reported on a quote from Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in the article linked above…
“Erdogan is particularly interesting as a democratically elected Islamic leader who eschews all word-modifiers of Islam including moderate, the adjective the media often applies to his AKP political party. ‘These descriptions are very ugly,’ Erdogan said in 2007. ‘It is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam, and that's it.’ Erdogan has also bluntly rejected descriptions of Turkey itself as an example of ‘moderate Islam,’ saying last April: ‘It is unacceptable for us to agree with such a definition. Turkey has never been a country to represent such a concept. Moreover, Islam cannot be classified as moderate or not.’”
This is exceptionally interesting coming from the leader of the country that Ezekiel 38 says will gather a coalition of Islamic nations to attack Israel in the time-frame of the Messiah returning. Indeed, I think it is highly likely that the Antichrist will emerge from the Revived Ottoman Empire.
I predict that our government along with most of the governments of the world will continue to deny the nature of Islamic terrorists up until it is too late to effectively do any thing about them. The growth of Islam is nothing short of spectacular. And it seems there is nothing anyone can do to keep Islam from conquering the world. I believe that this is the religion that will unite the world under the Antichrist… “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4, NKJ).
Friday, January 22, 2010
Erasing History
Islamists in Iraq are desecrating the tomb of the Prophet Ezekiel near Baghdad. Hebrew inscriptions and symbols are being removed and they plan to build a mosque on top of Ezekiel’s grave.
Why would Muslims like to wipe out any memory of Ezekiel?
People who follow the Father of Lies can’t stand the truth (John 8:44). “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20, NKJ). Ezekiel prophesied that in the time-frame prior to the return of the Messiah, an Islamic military coalition led by Turkey will be destroyed by God as they prepare to attack Israel (Ezekiel 38). This truth does not fit the world view of Satan’s followers so they reject it and seek to erase any reminder of the messenger.
The Muslims who desecrate the tomb of Ezekiel may not even be aware of the prophecy against them but are motivated by simple blind hatred of anything Jewish. In general, they foreshadow the attitude of the Antichrist who “shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25). Trying to erase history will not change what history tells us about the future. Jesus promised, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
I find it interesting that the tomb of Ezekiel has been singled out by the Islamists in this day which is so full of indications that the return of Jesus is near. Muslims have had hundreds of years to try erasing the memory of Ezekiel, so why now? This has to be more proof of the lateness of the hour; it will not be long before Muslims will be confronted with the truth of Ezekiel.
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)
Why would Muslims like to wipe out any memory of Ezekiel?
People who follow the Father of Lies can’t stand the truth (John 8:44). “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20, NKJ). Ezekiel prophesied that in the time-frame prior to the return of the Messiah, an Islamic military coalition led by Turkey will be destroyed by God as they prepare to attack Israel (Ezekiel 38). This truth does not fit the world view of Satan’s followers so they reject it and seek to erase any reminder of the messenger.
The Muslims who desecrate the tomb of Ezekiel may not even be aware of the prophecy against them but are motivated by simple blind hatred of anything Jewish. In general, they foreshadow the attitude of the Antichrist who “shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25). Trying to erase history will not change what history tells us about the future. Jesus promised, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
I find it interesting that the tomb of Ezekiel has been singled out by the Islamists in this day which is so full of indications that the return of Jesus is near. Muslims have had hundreds of years to try erasing the memory of Ezekiel, so why now? This has to be more proof of the lateness of the hour; it will not be long before Muslims will be confronted with the truth of Ezekiel.
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Love of the Fathers
The story of another suspected case of child abuse has been in the news this week.
Why do we hear of more of these kinds of stories than we used to?
It seems that this kind of story is getting more and more common. Child abuse is a sign of the times. One of the things Jesus said would characterize the Tribulation is love growing cold… “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” Matthew 24:12, NKJ). We would then expect to see more and more instances of love growing cold as birth pangs indicating our closeness to the Tribulation.
There is another passage that very specifically states that there will be both child and parent abuse leading up to the Tribulation… “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). We expect Elijah to return during the Tribulation who will warn the world about the coming judgment of God, see Revelation 11:3-12.
If Elijah is sent to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, then it is clear that in the time leading up to the Tribulation there will be parent-children heart problems. Seeing love grow cold is just one more thing that reminds us how sorely this world needs Jesus to return.
Why do we hear of more of these kinds of stories than we used to?
It seems that this kind of story is getting more and more common. Child abuse is a sign of the times. One of the things Jesus said would characterize the Tribulation is love growing cold… “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” Matthew 24:12, NKJ). We would then expect to see more and more instances of love growing cold as birth pangs indicating our closeness to the Tribulation.
There is another passage that very specifically states that there will be both child and parent abuse leading up to the Tribulation… “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). We expect Elijah to return during the Tribulation who will warn the world about the coming judgment of God, see Revelation 11:3-12.
If Elijah is sent to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, then it is clear that in the time leading up to the Tribulation there will be parent-children heart problems. Seeing love grow cold is just one more thing that reminds us how sorely this world needs Jesus to return.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Massachusetts
Republican Scott Brown won a major upset victory in a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated due to Ted Kennedy’s death. And this is in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 3.5-to-1.
Is this a set-back to the government’s plan to socialize major aspects of our economy?
I predict that the upset in Massachusetts will not change a thing for the party in power. Many of them will see Brown’s victory as simply a referendum on Obama’s health care reform effort not recognizing all the other things that have people upset with our government… only playing lip service to growing jobs, the Federal take-over of private sector businesses, the radical growth of debt, “stimulus” spending that is nothing more than pork-laden political pay-offs to special interest groups, making secret deals to buy votes, their drive to increase taxes everywhere they can, and their condescending arrogance among other things.
By dismissing everything else and just focusing on health care, the Liberal ideologues will rationalize that they can dismiss health care as well because Massachusetts already has a publicly run system. If anything, the upset victory will cause the Leftists running our country to double-down in their efforts to force unsavory laws down the throats of the public. They realize that their time in power is short so they need to get on with making as much “progress” on their agenda as they can before their window of opportunity closes.
The fire that Brown’s victory is likely to light under our government Leftists will heat up the same attitude that Satan and his minions will have during the Tribulation… “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12, NKJ). “This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:3).
I hope I’m wrong about how our government leaders will respond to the Brown victory. But if we are as close to the Tribulation as so many trends indicate, then the government will proceed with their radical plans with no regard to public opinion. This is what has been happening in California where the public has expressed their desire at the polls for marriage to be limited to a man and a woman but government leaders and judges have continually defied the will of the people.
The freedoms we have long enjoyed in this country are slowly and surely being eroded away. So we should have the attitude of Jesus who said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
Is this a set-back to the government’s plan to socialize major aspects of our economy?
I predict that the upset in Massachusetts will not change a thing for the party in power. Many of them will see Brown’s victory as simply a referendum on Obama’s health care reform effort not recognizing all the other things that have people upset with our government… only playing lip service to growing jobs, the Federal take-over of private sector businesses, the radical growth of debt, “stimulus” spending that is nothing more than pork-laden political pay-offs to special interest groups, making secret deals to buy votes, their drive to increase taxes everywhere they can, and their condescending arrogance among other things.
By dismissing everything else and just focusing on health care, the Liberal ideologues will rationalize that they can dismiss health care as well because Massachusetts already has a publicly run system. If anything, the upset victory will cause the Leftists running our country to double-down in their efforts to force unsavory laws down the throats of the public. They realize that their time in power is short so they need to get on with making as much “progress” on their agenda as they can before their window of opportunity closes.
The fire that Brown’s victory is likely to light under our government Leftists will heat up the same attitude that Satan and his minions will have during the Tribulation… “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12, NKJ). “This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:3).
I hope I’m wrong about how our government leaders will respond to the Brown victory. But if we are as close to the Tribulation as so many trends indicate, then the government will proceed with their radical plans with no regard to public opinion. This is what has been happening in California where the public has expressed their desire at the polls for marriage to be limited to a man and a woman but government leaders and judges have continually defied the will of the people.
The freedoms we have long enjoyed in this country are slowly and surely being eroded away. So we should have the attitude of Jesus who said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
How Long?
A common theme for commenting on the news is that this world sorely needs Jesus to return. The earthquake in Haiti has been a distraction from the growing debt that our government is pursuing. No doubt the U.S. solution to the Haiti disaster will serve to pile on even more debt (remember, “never let a good crisis go to waste”). Our national debt will ultimately lead to further depreciation of the dollar, more taxes and inflation causing savings to evaporate. Those who seek to “spread the wealth around” are robbing from people who are productive in order to give comfort to sluggards. A reckoning day for this fatally flawed ideology is coming…
But the coming economic melt-down shouldn’t cause us to be fearful. God has promised to provide for us (Matthew 6:25-26). And we are not yet in the Tribulation though trends revealed in the news indicate that we can’t be far from it. When we consider the growing injustice in this world, we can begin to appreciate the exasperation of the Tribulation Martyrs when, “they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” (Revelation 6:10, NKJ).
We can not set dates for when the Lord will return; Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). So we are to always be ready. It is interesting to note that Jesus did give us signs to watch for to help us know when we are in the season of His return. There are a couple prophecies that help us see that we are in the general time-frame of the Lords return…
Jesus said, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matthew 24:32-34). A study on the symbolism of the fig tree reveals that it represents Israel. Jesus is saying that there will be people who see Him return who were alive when Israel wase re-established in their land. That officially happened May 14, 1948 when Israel proclaimed independence from the United Kingdom.
So how long is “this generation?” Psalm 90 is about generations (see the first verse). Psalm 90:10 says, “the days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” So if this sets the bounds for a generation, then this means that Jesus has to return by 2028 (1948 + 80 years).
There is another prophecy which reinforces this time frame… Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; he has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” When you weigh that prophecy about Israel with 2 Peter 3:8 (“one day is as a thousand years”) which is in the context of the Lord’s return, there will be about two thousand years between the first coming of the Messiah and the second.
Scholars conclude that Jesus was born 7–2 BC and died 26–36 AD. Thus two thousand years from when Jesus died on the cross will be somewhere between 2026 and 2036. The 2028 time frame that we get from the re-gathering of Israel and the length of a generation is in that bracket. Since we know the Tribulation is seven years, backing that out of the 2028 date means it is very likely the Rapture will occur no later than 2021.
This certainly doesn’t mean that we have 10 years to wait… Psalm 90:10 says that the standard measure of a generation is 70 years. In 2010 we are certainly in the zone of a seven-decade standard generation. And who really knows when the “two days” of Israel’s dispersion will be measured from, the Messiah’s death or His birth? This time period compresses even more if you use the 360-day year of the Hebrew Lunar calendar.
We are firmly in the zone for when Jesus will come for His bride! “It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
But the coming economic melt-down shouldn’t cause us to be fearful. God has promised to provide for us (Matthew 6:25-26). And we are not yet in the Tribulation though trends revealed in the news indicate that we can’t be far from it. When we consider the growing injustice in this world, we can begin to appreciate the exasperation of the Tribulation Martyrs when, “they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” (Revelation 6:10, NKJ).
We can not set dates for when the Lord will return; Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). So we are to always be ready. It is interesting to note that Jesus did give us signs to watch for to help us know when we are in the season of His return. There are a couple prophecies that help us see that we are in the general time-frame of the Lords return…
Jesus said, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matthew 24:32-34). A study on the symbolism of the fig tree reveals that it represents Israel. Jesus is saying that there will be people who see Him return who were alive when Israel wase re-established in their land. That officially happened May 14, 1948 when Israel proclaimed independence from the United Kingdom.
So how long is “this generation?” Psalm 90 is about generations (see the first verse). Psalm 90:10 says, “the days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” So if this sets the bounds for a generation, then this means that Jesus has to return by 2028 (1948 + 80 years).
There is another prophecy which reinforces this time frame… Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; he has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” When you weigh that prophecy about Israel with 2 Peter 3:8 (“one day is as a thousand years”) which is in the context of the Lord’s return, there will be about two thousand years between the first coming of the Messiah and the second.
Scholars conclude that Jesus was born 7–2 BC and died 26–36 AD. Thus two thousand years from when Jesus died on the cross will be somewhere between 2026 and 2036. The 2028 time frame that we get from the re-gathering of Israel and the length of a generation is in that bracket. Since we know the Tribulation is seven years, backing that out of the 2028 date means it is very likely the Rapture will occur no later than 2021.
This certainly doesn’t mean that we have 10 years to wait… Psalm 90:10 says that the standard measure of a generation is 70 years. In 2010 we are certainly in the zone of a seven-decade standard generation. And who really knows when the “two days” of Israel’s dispersion will be measured from, the Messiah’s death or His birth? This time period compresses even more if you use the 360-day year of the Hebrew Lunar calendar.
We are firmly in the zone for when Jesus will come for His bride! “It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Lawlessness
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said the earthquake in Haiti is the worst humanitarian disaster the world has faced in decades. The death toll could be as high as 200,000 with 1.5 million people believed to be homeless. A significant complicating factor there is the lawlessness. The Haitian government appears to be bunkered down in their own compound and there are not enough local police or soldiers on the streets.
Why must terrible humanitarian disasters inevitably lead to lawlessness?
When facing death, most people are reduced to their most basic instincts causing all pretenses of civility to break down. Since this response is so common, it is just accepted as the natural order of things. The assumption is that such catastrophes must reverse the progress made through evolution so that survival of the fittest rules behavior.
But what lawlessness out of fear illustrates is the natural depravity of mankind… “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJ). We all have a sin nature that can only ultimately be kept in check by the power of the Holy Spirit. And this power is only available to only those who have yielded their lives to Jesus Christ.
People who have no faith in God are left with only their fears which when left unchecked will drive them to irrational behavior. Jesus said, “do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:31-32). God has promised to supply the basic needs of those who trust in Him. So believers can turn to faith rather let their fear drive them to evil actions like trying to eliminate their competition.
Disasters spawning lawlessness is one more reminder how sorely this world needs Jesus to return. And the growth of lawlessness shows that His return is not far off. He said that during the Tribulation, “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The more lawlessness we see in the world, the closer we are to the Tribulation when “the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Thank God the most literal reading of His Word enables His followers to look forward to meeting Jesus in the air at the Rapture rather than having to dread the coming of the Antichrist!
Why must terrible humanitarian disasters inevitably lead to lawlessness?
When facing death, most people are reduced to their most basic instincts causing all pretenses of civility to break down. Since this response is so common, it is just accepted as the natural order of things. The assumption is that such catastrophes must reverse the progress made through evolution so that survival of the fittest rules behavior.
But what lawlessness out of fear illustrates is the natural depravity of mankind… “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJ). We all have a sin nature that can only ultimately be kept in check by the power of the Holy Spirit. And this power is only available to only those who have yielded their lives to Jesus Christ.
People who have no faith in God are left with only their fears which when left unchecked will drive them to irrational behavior. Jesus said, “do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:31-32). God has promised to supply the basic needs of those who trust in Him. So believers can turn to faith rather let their fear drive them to evil actions like trying to eliminate their competition.
Disasters spawning lawlessness is one more reminder how sorely this world needs Jesus to return. And the growth of lawlessness shows that His return is not far off. He said that during the Tribulation, “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The more lawlessness we see in the world, the closer we are to the Tribulation when “the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Thank God the most literal reading of His Word enables His followers to look forward to meeting Jesus in the air at the Rapture rather than having to dread the coming of the Antichrist!
Friday, January 15, 2010
God Blessed America
During my run this morning the Lord convicted me of having contradictory positions on Pat Robertson’s explanation for the earthquake in Haiti and why God blessed America. How can I say the earthquake in Haiti wasn’t punishment for turning away from God while claiming that America was blessed because of our Christian heritage? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I too had adopted at least this aspect of the prosperity gospel.
We certainly like to think that the blessings we have enjoyed in the United States have been due to our applying God’s principles. America was behind most of the Christian missionary work in the 20th Century. But did God bless us because we did good things or in order to be a blessing to others? To think that our salvation as a nation is in our own hands is akin to advocating salvation by works. America has been blessed because it has served God’s purposes to bless us.
God is in control, “He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21, NKJ). Now I certainly believe that, on an individual basis, God does reward those who are faithful to Him with blessings even in this world. Indeed, “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). But we shouldn’t measure all our blessing in terms of what the world considers to be favorable circumstances; Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
The Bible tells how God blessed Israel when they were faithful to Him and punished them when they disobeyed. So since America has sort of replaced Israel in the role of presenting the gospel to the world, people like to think that the pattern of blessings being directly tied to obedience applies to America as well. But Israel was unique since God used them as an object lesson for His followers. The relationship between God and the nation Israel established principles that help us understand the relationship between the Lord and an individual believer. On an individual basis, there is certainly a more direct correlation between blessings and obedience but we should not expect all our blessings to be material.
I can’t shake the feeling that we are entering a season in which America will not be as blessed as we have been in the past. People are not appreciating that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Perhaps more people will better recognize the hand of God if good gifts become more special. Regardless of what happens to our country, we can still be among the blessed of God if we are personally faithful to Him.
There is a principle for national blessing in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If enough of us repent and cry out to God, he may have mercy on us and intervene on our behalf. He certainly has in the past.
Jonah was sent to alert Nineveh to the coming judgment of God and they responded… “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them” (Jonah 3:10). Of course in that case repentance was, “from the greatest to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). Hopefully God will at least employ the same standard he promised Abraham regarding Sodom… “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten” (Genesis 18:32).
No matter what happens to America, thank God that, “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20, NIV).
We certainly like to think that the blessings we have enjoyed in the United States have been due to our applying God’s principles. America was behind most of the Christian missionary work in the 20th Century. But did God bless us because we did good things or in order to be a blessing to others? To think that our salvation as a nation is in our own hands is akin to advocating salvation by works. America has been blessed because it has served God’s purposes to bless us.
God is in control, “He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21, NKJ). Now I certainly believe that, on an individual basis, God does reward those who are faithful to Him with blessings even in this world. Indeed, “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). But we shouldn’t measure all our blessing in terms of what the world considers to be favorable circumstances; Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
The Bible tells how God blessed Israel when they were faithful to Him and punished them when they disobeyed. So since America has sort of replaced Israel in the role of presenting the gospel to the world, people like to think that the pattern of blessings being directly tied to obedience applies to America as well. But Israel was unique since God used them as an object lesson for His followers. The relationship between God and the nation Israel established principles that help us understand the relationship between the Lord and an individual believer. On an individual basis, there is certainly a more direct correlation between blessings and obedience but we should not expect all our blessings to be material.
I can’t shake the feeling that we are entering a season in which America will not be as blessed as we have been in the past. People are not appreciating that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Perhaps more people will better recognize the hand of God if good gifts become more special. Regardless of what happens to our country, we can still be among the blessed of God if we are personally faithful to Him.
There is a principle for national blessing in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If enough of us repent and cry out to God, he may have mercy on us and intervene on our behalf. He certainly has in the past.
Jonah was sent to alert Nineveh to the coming judgment of God and they responded… “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them” (Jonah 3:10). Of course in that case repentance was, “from the greatest to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). Hopefully God will at least employ the same standard he promised Abraham regarding Sodom… “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten” (Genesis 18:32).
No matter what happens to America, thank God that, “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20, NIV).
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Why Haiti?
It is beginning to look like the quake in Haiti might have killed over 100,000 people. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. It is normal to ask the question, why would God allow such a devastating quake to happen there? Televangelist Pat Robertson says it is because the people of Haiti made a pact with the Devil in order to be free from being ruled by France.
It is clear why it might appear as though the earthquake in Haiti was some sort of punishment from God because the majority of Haitians believe in and practice at least some aspects of voodoo. And there certainly are consequences for sin but citing judgment from God as the specific cause of the Haiti earthquake is false doctrine that harms the cause of Christ. The day will come when God pours out His wrath on earth but we are not yet in the Tribulation.
We have tragedy in this world because it has fallen due to mankind’s original rejection of God. Worldly blessings and suffering occur in varying degrees having no relation to our spiritual condition; as Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (NKJ). Good and bad circumstances happen regardless of a person’s standing with God.
Jesus directly addressed this topic in Luke 13:1-5…
Jesus gave two different examples to make sure we don’t miss the point. People generally are not victims of disasters because of their own personal sin. We are all sinners and all suffer to some extent due to the fallen nature of this world. Bad things happen in this world which is why we sorely need Jesus to return to set things right. The many daily repercussions of our fallen world serve to remind us of the need to repent of our sins. Those who don’t turn to Jesus in repentance of their sins will die in their sins which the Bible calls the second death, “anyone not found written in the Book of Life” (Revelation 20:14-15).
As terrible as they are, God can use tragedies to bless us; “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The greatest blessing in history came about as a result of people conspiring to murder the Messiah. Many of the survivors in Haiti will have been brought to the end of their resources and have no where else to turn except to God. I’m praying that God will reap a great harvest for His kingdom as a result of the disaster there.
Pat Robertson’s comments on the reason for the Haiti earthquake reflect a bias toward the false doctrine of the prosperity gospel. This is a common teaching among American televangelists which promotes the idea that our worldly blessings are directly tied to our standing with God. The prosperity gospel deception can lead wealthy people to think they are in good standing with God when they are not and it oppresses poor people by robbing joy from them when they have a good relationship with the Lord. You only need to read the story of Job or of Lazarus and the certain rich man in Luke 16 to see this is not true.
As truth resonates even with unbelievers, most people can recognize deception. When those claiming to represent Christ seek to deceive, it turns people away from the One who epitomizes the Truth. Those who advocate the prosperity gospel often do so out of greed enticing people to give to them to receive God’s blessing. They actually believe their own deceptive doctrine and think God is blessing them when people send them a lot of money; it’s basically a spiritual Ponzi scheme. Such deception is actually a sign of the end of the age: “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13, NKJ).
Prosperity gospel televangelists ultimately fear insignificance. So they take it upon themselves to heap up more of what the world uses to measure significance. But as many have found, the world’s blessings are fleeting; God’s blessings are eternal. Jesus told us we are not insignificant… “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt 10:29-31).
God did indeed allow the earthquake to happen to serve His purposes. But we can be assured that He will bring good from it that outweighs the bad even if we can not see it in our world today.
Haiti is not known for earthquakes. News reports tell us that the earthquake in Haiti was the most powerful to hit there since 1770. This certainly brings to mind Matthew 24:7 which says, “there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (KJV). A place like Haiti that is not known for earthquakes certainly qualifies as a “divers” place. So one good thing that can come from Haiti is for more people to get on with what Jesus has called us to do upon realizing that it is not long until He returns.
It is clear why it might appear as though the earthquake in Haiti was some sort of punishment from God because the majority of Haitians believe in and practice at least some aspects of voodoo. And there certainly are consequences for sin but citing judgment from God as the specific cause of the Haiti earthquake is false doctrine that harms the cause of Christ. The day will come when God pours out His wrath on earth but we are not yet in the Tribulation.
We have tragedy in this world because it has fallen due to mankind’s original rejection of God. Worldly blessings and suffering occur in varying degrees having no relation to our spiritual condition; as Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (NKJ). Good and bad circumstances happen regardless of a person’s standing with God.
Jesus directly addressed this topic in Luke 13:1-5…
“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’”
Jesus gave two different examples to make sure we don’t miss the point. People generally are not victims of disasters because of their own personal sin. We are all sinners and all suffer to some extent due to the fallen nature of this world. Bad things happen in this world which is why we sorely need Jesus to return to set things right. The many daily repercussions of our fallen world serve to remind us of the need to repent of our sins. Those who don’t turn to Jesus in repentance of their sins will die in their sins which the Bible calls the second death, “anyone not found written in the Book of Life” (Revelation 20:14-15).
As terrible as they are, God can use tragedies to bless us; “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The greatest blessing in history came about as a result of people conspiring to murder the Messiah. Many of the survivors in Haiti will have been brought to the end of their resources and have no where else to turn except to God. I’m praying that God will reap a great harvest for His kingdom as a result of the disaster there.
Pat Robertson’s comments on the reason for the Haiti earthquake reflect a bias toward the false doctrine of the prosperity gospel. This is a common teaching among American televangelists which promotes the idea that our worldly blessings are directly tied to our standing with God. The prosperity gospel deception can lead wealthy people to think they are in good standing with God when they are not and it oppresses poor people by robbing joy from them when they have a good relationship with the Lord. You only need to read the story of Job or of Lazarus and the certain rich man in Luke 16 to see this is not true.
As truth resonates even with unbelievers, most people can recognize deception. When those claiming to represent Christ seek to deceive, it turns people away from the One who epitomizes the Truth. Those who advocate the prosperity gospel often do so out of greed enticing people to give to them to receive God’s blessing. They actually believe their own deceptive doctrine and think God is blessing them when people send them a lot of money; it’s basically a spiritual Ponzi scheme. Such deception is actually a sign of the end of the age: “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13, NKJ).
Prosperity gospel televangelists ultimately fear insignificance. So they take it upon themselves to heap up more of what the world uses to measure significance. But as many have found, the world’s blessings are fleeting; God’s blessings are eternal. Jesus told us we are not insignificant… “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt 10:29-31).
God did indeed allow the earthquake to happen to serve His purposes. But we can be assured that He will bring good from it that outweighs the bad even if we can not see it in our world today.
Haiti is not known for earthquakes. News reports tell us that the earthquake in Haiti was the most powerful to hit there since 1770. This certainly brings to mind Matthew 24:7 which says, “there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (KJV). A place like Haiti that is not known for earthquakes certainly qualifies as a “divers” place. So one good thing that can come from Haiti is for more people to get on with what Jesus has called us to do upon realizing that it is not long until He returns.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Fear of What’s Coming
A massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti with thousands likely to be dead. Earthquakes always remind me of the signs Jesus gave about His return… “there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11, NKJ). The earthquake in Haiti is just one more reminder of how sorely this world needs Jesus to return.
We have always had earthquakes so the one in Haiti is not in and of itself a sign of the soon return of Jesus but it does remind us that life as we know it in this world can change in a moment with no warning. What makes earthquakes a sign of the Lord’s soon return is a dramatic increase in frequency and intensity which Jesus described as “birth pangs” in the parallel passage of Matthew 24:8 (NIV). I don’t expect these birth pangs to be apparent until the Tribulation but, for the spiritually discerning, there are plenty of developments that show the stage is being set for the Tribulation. Since a literal reading of Scripture indicates that the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation, we should be encouraged by these stage-setting developments.
People who are not looking forward to Jesus returning will be quite perplexed by the direction this world is taking. Take Global Warming for example. It is pretty clear by now that we are having a colder than normal winter here on the earth's northern hemisphere. But the Global Warming Faithful will not be deterred. They say, “sure, we go through warming and cooling cycles because of changes in solar radiation but the general trend is that the planet will be warming over the long term.” They hold to their Global Warming Dogma because they don’t know how to otherwise explain unprecedented instances of polar ice melting. If “all things continue as the have from the beginning” for billions of years, visible changes to that steady state must be due to the activities of mankind (2 Peter 3:4).
This fear of what is coming on the earth will come to a head during the Tribulation. Luke 21:25-26 says, “there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken” (NKJ). I’m sure this is why people avoid even considering the idea that Jesus will return… His coming is a fearful thing if you aren’t on the side of the One who controls the “powers of heaven.”
Jesus demonstrated his power over the winds and waves on an occasion when He and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 8:24 calls the storm that suddenly engulfed their boat as “a great tempest.” The original Greek word used for this storm is pronounced “seismos” which refers to a quake, a great shaking. Jesus calmed the storm by rebuking the winds and sea to help his disciples with their fear of perishing. Max Lucado in his book Fearless points out that the use of the word “seismos” here puts the occasion of Jesus stilling the storm on the level of the “seismos” that occurred when Jesus defeated sin on the cross and death at the tomb. So silencing our fears is a priority with God. He uses our fears to turn us to Him.
The world is a fearful place and it is becoming more so today due to the actions of people who don’t know the God of the Bible. Many people were shaken by the terrorist attack on America September 11, 2001 which caused more people to start going to church for a while. We were shaken again by the world plunging into a global recession at the end of 2008. The time between world shaking events seems to be shortening in our day. I’m sure that by the time we get to the Tribulation the world-shaking events will be in rapid succession.
The world shaking events being experienced today is a warning to listen to God. Hebrews 12:25-28 says, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
A healthy fear of God is the only fear that will benefit us because God loves us and is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4).
The best way to deal with the fear of what’s coming is to have a godly fear of the One who is coming.
We have always had earthquakes so the one in Haiti is not in and of itself a sign of the soon return of Jesus but it does remind us that life as we know it in this world can change in a moment with no warning. What makes earthquakes a sign of the Lord’s soon return is a dramatic increase in frequency and intensity which Jesus described as “birth pangs” in the parallel passage of Matthew 24:8 (NIV). I don’t expect these birth pangs to be apparent until the Tribulation but, for the spiritually discerning, there are plenty of developments that show the stage is being set for the Tribulation. Since a literal reading of Scripture indicates that the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation, we should be encouraged by these stage-setting developments.
People who are not looking forward to Jesus returning will be quite perplexed by the direction this world is taking. Take Global Warming for example. It is pretty clear by now that we are having a colder than normal winter here on the earth's northern hemisphere. But the Global Warming Faithful will not be deterred. They say, “sure, we go through warming and cooling cycles because of changes in solar radiation but the general trend is that the planet will be warming over the long term.” They hold to their Global Warming Dogma because they don’t know how to otherwise explain unprecedented instances of polar ice melting. If “all things continue as the have from the beginning” for billions of years, visible changes to that steady state must be due to the activities of mankind (2 Peter 3:4).
This fear of what is coming on the earth will come to a head during the Tribulation. Luke 21:25-26 says, “there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken” (NKJ). I’m sure this is why people avoid even considering the idea that Jesus will return… His coming is a fearful thing if you aren’t on the side of the One who controls the “powers of heaven.”
Jesus demonstrated his power over the winds and waves on an occasion when He and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 8:24 calls the storm that suddenly engulfed their boat as “a great tempest.” The original Greek word used for this storm is pronounced “seismos” which refers to a quake, a great shaking. Jesus calmed the storm by rebuking the winds and sea to help his disciples with their fear of perishing. Max Lucado in his book Fearless points out that the use of the word “seismos” here puts the occasion of Jesus stilling the storm on the level of the “seismos” that occurred when Jesus defeated sin on the cross and death at the tomb. So silencing our fears is a priority with God. He uses our fears to turn us to Him.
The world is a fearful place and it is becoming more so today due to the actions of people who don’t know the God of the Bible. Many people were shaken by the terrorist attack on America September 11, 2001 which caused more people to start going to church for a while. We were shaken again by the world plunging into a global recession at the end of 2008. The time between world shaking events seems to be shortening in our day. I’m sure that by the time we get to the Tribulation the world-shaking events will be in rapid succession.
The world shaking events being experienced today is a warning to listen to God. Hebrews 12:25-28 says, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
A healthy fear of God is the only fear that will benefit us because God loves us and is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4).
The best way to deal with the fear of what’s coming is to have a godly fear of the One who is coming.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Beginning of Fear
The biggest problem in our world today is sin because it will end up causing most people to spend eternity in hell (Matthew 7:13-14). The case can be made that the root cause of our sin is misplaced fear because fear leads to sin. Other things which lead to sin such as pride really are a result of fear. Pride is simply a fear of being insignificant. Overcome the fear of insignificance and pride can not emerge.
People are fearful of changes going on in the climate, our economy, terrorism, and even the government’s solutions to these problems. In our day, these fears seem to be increasing the rate in which people are “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14, NKJ). And the one fear people should have is the one most people don’t allow themselves to develop: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
Fear of God drives us to Him for His mercy. Fear of anything besides God causes us to look to less capable alternatives for our salvation. As we experience the weakness of these alternatives, our fear only grows driving us to take irrational counter-measures… “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). So misplaced fear, if allowed to fester, will eventually lead to sin.
It is helpful to consider how fear led to the beginning of sin. We usually think of sin beginning through mankind’s initial ancestors Adam and Eve but since Satan plotted to deceive them, he has the distinction of being the first to reject God. Ezekiel 28:14 describes Satan as the “the anointed cherub who covers… on the holy mountain of God.” Apparently Satan initially had a key role close to God protecting His holiness. As Ezekiel 28:12 says, Satan had been “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” So what would cause him to reject God? Isaiah 14:12-15 records the prideful mindset that caused Satan to go his own way. Satan feared that that his position in God’s kingdom was not high enough so he parted fellowship with God to pursue his own way.
Blessings can become a disadvantage for us if we forget how we came by them. Adam and Eve had the blessings of Eden yet they let their fears get the better of them. Genesis 3:1-13 chronicles the very first sin of mankind. Eve feared missing out on something God "had to be" withholding from her. So she allowed Satan’s lie to eclipse the truth of God. She also feared being alone in her disobeying God so she lured her husband to join her in eating the forbidden fruit. But Adam was complicit in Eve’s sin because he was with her and failed to stop her from disobeying God.
God gave Adam the truth of the forbidden fruit in Genesis 2:16 before Eve was even on the scene. So Eve had to find out about it from her husband. Thus Adam failed to live up to his God-given role as spiritual leader in their family allowing Eve to influence him. I’m sure he feared losing the affections of his wife who he knew was perfect for him since he had described her as, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” in Genesis 2:23.
Upon eating the forbidden fruit, both Adam and Eve feared being seen in their nakedness. I once had a dream where I suddenly discovered having forgotten to wear any clothes to work; so I have a sense for what Adam and Eve must have felt. My dream no-doubt was an indicator that I needed to put more trust in Christ to overcome whatever it was I feared at the time.
Adam and Eve hid when the heard God “walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” They knew they had sinned against God and feared His reproach. Adam feared God’s condemnation and blamed his moral failure on his wife and ultimately on God himself for giving him a wife that enticed him to sin. Eve also feared God’s condemnation and proceeded to blame Satan who deceived her. This is what fear does; it causes us to blame others for our condition.
Fortunately, as God provided a covering for Adam and Eve’s nakedness, He also provided Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin. As the first blood shed on earth was done by God to cover Adam and Eve; the most important blood shed in history covers the sin of all who trust in Jesus. Remembering that gives us courage when we find ourselves fearing anything that threatens us in this world.
People are fearful of changes going on in the climate, our economy, terrorism, and even the government’s solutions to these problems. In our day, these fears seem to be increasing the rate in which people are “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14, NKJ). And the one fear people should have is the one most people don’t allow themselves to develop: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
Fear of God drives us to Him for His mercy. Fear of anything besides God causes us to look to less capable alternatives for our salvation. As we experience the weakness of these alternatives, our fear only grows driving us to take irrational counter-measures… “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). So misplaced fear, if allowed to fester, will eventually lead to sin.
It is helpful to consider how fear led to the beginning of sin. We usually think of sin beginning through mankind’s initial ancestors Adam and Eve but since Satan plotted to deceive them, he has the distinction of being the first to reject God. Ezekiel 28:14 describes Satan as the “the anointed cherub who covers… on the holy mountain of God.” Apparently Satan initially had a key role close to God protecting His holiness. As Ezekiel 28:12 says, Satan had been “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” So what would cause him to reject God? Isaiah 14:12-15 records the prideful mindset that caused Satan to go his own way. Satan feared that that his position in God’s kingdom was not high enough so he parted fellowship with God to pursue his own way.
Blessings can become a disadvantage for us if we forget how we came by them. Adam and Eve had the blessings of Eden yet they let their fears get the better of them. Genesis 3:1-13 chronicles the very first sin of mankind. Eve feared missing out on something God "had to be" withholding from her. So she allowed Satan’s lie to eclipse the truth of God. She also feared being alone in her disobeying God so she lured her husband to join her in eating the forbidden fruit. But Adam was complicit in Eve’s sin because he was with her and failed to stop her from disobeying God.
God gave Adam the truth of the forbidden fruit in Genesis 2:16 before Eve was even on the scene. So Eve had to find out about it from her husband. Thus Adam failed to live up to his God-given role as spiritual leader in their family allowing Eve to influence him. I’m sure he feared losing the affections of his wife who he knew was perfect for him since he had described her as, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” in Genesis 2:23.
Upon eating the forbidden fruit, both Adam and Eve feared being seen in their nakedness. I once had a dream where I suddenly discovered having forgotten to wear any clothes to work; so I have a sense for what Adam and Eve must have felt. My dream no-doubt was an indicator that I needed to put more trust in Christ to overcome whatever it was I feared at the time.
Adam and Eve hid when the heard God “walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” They knew they had sinned against God and feared His reproach. Adam feared God’s condemnation and blamed his moral failure on his wife and ultimately on God himself for giving him a wife that enticed him to sin. Eve also feared God’s condemnation and proceeded to blame Satan who deceived her. This is what fear does; it causes us to blame others for our condition.
Fortunately, as God provided a covering for Adam and Eve’s nakedness, He also provided Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin. As the first blood shed on earth was done by God to cover Adam and Eve; the most important blood shed in history covers the sin of all who trust in Jesus. Remembering that gives us courage when we find ourselves fearing anything that threatens us in this world.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Fearless
I’m preparing for a 6-week Bible study/discussion of Max Lucado’s most recent book “Fearless.” This is a timely study because there is a lot to be fearful of in our world today. While we have positive signs that the economy is improving, there is still the sense that it wouldn’t take much to plunge us into a deeper recession. Terrorist activity is growing around the world and it is just a matter of time before the Jihadists get their hands on weapons of mass destruction. Governmental elites are preparing us for draconian measures to combat global warming. And we have a government that is in a hurry to burden us with as much debt and impose as much control over the private sector as they can get away with.
But there is no reason for followers of Jesus to fear any of this. God loves those who believe in Jesus as John 3:16 promises and “perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18, NKJ). God does not want us to live in fear but to know Him and trust in His power to deliver us from the worst this world has to offer. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
We should actually have joy in these fearful times because they provide great opportunities for Christians to help others see the practical benefits of following Jesus. God is in control and he has allowed things to develop the way they have to serve His purposes. We benefit from remembering what God has done to show us that He is in control and does indeed love us.
The Bible is full of miracles that reveal God intervening in the affairs of mankind. While this age is not characterized by the kind of spectacular miracles God used to authenticate His spokesmen, miracles are nonetheless abounding in our day. During this Age of Grace, it is especially important to remember that, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The greatest miracles in our day are the many people who are becoming followers of Jesus. this is clearly a miracle because as Jesus said, “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6:65). It is God who breathes live into our human spirits which changes our mind about Him. Jesus explained that, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Being spiritually born is not something we can do for ourselves; it must be done for us by God. Fortunately Jesus also promised, “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
For the discerning, God reveals Himself daily in the miracles of answered prayer. Unbelievers write off circumstances that are beyond coincidence as mere chance but those who know God know better. And we also have the many prophecies about Israel that are being fulfilled in our day which tells us we are close to the end of the Age of Grace. The realization of this does not bring comfort to the unbeliever because all who are outside God’s grace know it. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
The good news in this world is that, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
But there is no reason for followers of Jesus to fear any of this. God loves those who believe in Jesus as John 3:16 promises and “perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18, NKJ). God does not want us to live in fear but to know Him and trust in His power to deliver us from the worst this world has to offer. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
We should actually have joy in these fearful times because they provide great opportunities for Christians to help others see the practical benefits of following Jesus. God is in control and he has allowed things to develop the way they have to serve His purposes. We benefit from remembering what God has done to show us that He is in control and does indeed love us.
The Bible is full of miracles that reveal God intervening in the affairs of mankind. While this age is not characterized by the kind of spectacular miracles God used to authenticate His spokesmen, miracles are nonetheless abounding in our day. During this Age of Grace, it is especially important to remember that, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The greatest miracles in our day are the many people who are becoming followers of Jesus. this is clearly a miracle because as Jesus said, “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6:65). It is God who breathes live into our human spirits which changes our mind about Him. Jesus explained that, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Being spiritually born is not something we can do for ourselves; it must be done for us by God. Fortunately Jesus also promised, “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
For the discerning, God reveals Himself daily in the miracles of answered prayer. Unbelievers write off circumstances that are beyond coincidence as mere chance but those who know God know better. And we also have the many prophecies about Israel that are being fulfilled in our day which tells us we are close to the end of the Age of Grace. The realization of this does not bring comfort to the unbeliever because all who are outside God’s grace know it. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
The good news in this world is that, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
Friday, January 8, 2010
City of Man
I recently read a Newsweek article titled “Red Mind, Blue Mind” which makes the case that personality and other psychological factors influence political ideology. The article attempts to explain why people take the positions they do on issues such as health care reform and global warming as a result of personality factors such as openness to new experiences and emotional stability.
The article brought to mind for me the differences in the cultural divide between rural regions and the cities. This divide is illustrated in the maps showing which counties voted Democrat or Republican in the last presidential election. Why is it that cities are a hot bed for liberals and the rural regions the domain of conservatives?
Cities bring people together to achieve great things. They are centers for culture, trade and usually provide more opportunities for jobs than is possible in rural areas. The critical mass cities provide enable people to be more anonymous yet be associated with something greater than themselves.
Cities are effectively monuments to the achievements of mankind. New York City is the epitome of what all that cities aspire to be. With buildings and pavement everywhere, Central Park is an accommodation to nature and an exception to what NYC is all about. In such a city, it is normal to be surrounded by the creations of men and thus easier to not even consider the creation of God.
In the country, people are much more aware that mankind’s role in creation is insignificant and dependant on God. When you are surrounded by things only God could create, it is much easier to remember that He created us as well. And rural jobs usually make it more clear that one’s livelihood is dependant to God’s help than a city job “working for the man.”
Babylon was the first classic City of Man. Genesis 11:1-9 tells us what happened with this first big city mankind built… “And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4, NKJ). God had to intervene there because the people were thwarting His will for mankind to populate the whole earth and their collective achievements were driving people from a relationship with Him.
At Babel, God limited the degree to which mankind could pursue collective efforts as an alternative to working with Him by forcing them to speak to each other in multiple languages. After Babel, people could only easily associate with those who spoke their language so the resulting parted ways with each other. This is why we have racial differences today, because certain dominant genes emerged among the various gene-pool subsets of people who inter-bred.
Today, the world is hard at work undoing the Babel effect. English has become the universal second language for the world since it has been established as the common language of commerce, technology, culture, and communications via the Internet. Cities are the centers for people coming together to do great things with no thought for God. So naturally it is the people in metropolitan areas who tend to be the most aligned with a world view that has no need for God.
People are drawn to cities for good reason. But we shouldn’t confuse what we long for with the weak substitute mankind builds in this world. Our Creator has made it a part of our psyche to long for the City of God. Revelation Chapter 21 describes the New Jerusalem that God is building as our eternal home. It is the city where God will reside with us and where God will fulfill all our desires that can not be satisfied in this world.
I agree with the Newsweek article that there definitely are different personality and psychological factors associated with political ideology. But is this a cause or an effect? I think a bigger factor is a person’s worldview based on how they regard the God of the Bible. Fortunately, a person’s world view can change from finding their salvation in the City of Man to the City of God.
The article brought to mind for me the differences in the cultural divide between rural regions and the cities. This divide is illustrated in the maps showing which counties voted Democrat or Republican in the last presidential election. Why is it that cities are a hot bed for liberals and the rural regions the domain of conservatives?
Cities bring people together to achieve great things. They are centers for culture, trade and usually provide more opportunities for jobs than is possible in rural areas. The critical mass cities provide enable people to be more anonymous yet be associated with something greater than themselves.
Cities are effectively monuments to the achievements of mankind. New York City is the epitome of what all that cities aspire to be. With buildings and pavement everywhere, Central Park is an accommodation to nature and an exception to what NYC is all about. In such a city, it is normal to be surrounded by the creations of men and thus easier to not even consider the creation of God.
In the country, people are much more aware that mankind’s role in creation is insignificant and dependant on God. When you are surrounded by things only God could create, it is much easier to remember that He created us as well. And rural jobs usually make it more clear that one’s livelihood is dependant to God’s help than a city job “working for the man.”
Babylon was the first classic City of Man. Genesis 11:1-9 tells us what happened with this first big city mankind built… “And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4, NKJ). God had to intervene there because the people were thwarting His will for mankind to populate the whole earth and their collective achievements were driving people from a relationship with Him.
At Babel, God limited the degree to which mankind could pursue collective efforts as an alternative to working with Him by forcing them to speak to each other in multiple languages. After Babel, people could only easily associate with those who spoke their language so the resulting parted ways with each other. This is why we have racial differences today, because certain dominant genes emerged among the various gene-pool subsets of people who inter-bred.
Today, the world is hard at work undoing the Babel effect. English has become the universal second language for the world since it has been established as the common language of commerce, technology, culture, and communications via the Internet. Cities are the centers for people coming together to do great things with no thought for God. So naturally it is the people in metropolitan areas who tend to be the most aligned with a world view that has no need for God.
People are drawn to cities for good reason. But we shouldn’t confuse what we long for with the weak substitute mankind builds in this world. Our Creator has made it a part of our psyche to long for the City of God. Revelation Chapter 21 describes the New Jerusalem that God is building as our eternal home. It is the city where God will reside with us and where God will fulfill all our desires that can not be satisfied in this world.
I agree with the Newsweek article that there definitely are different personality and psychological factors associated with political ideology. But is this a cause or an effect? I think a bigger factor is a person’s worldview based on how they regard the God of the Bible. Fortunately, a person’s world view can change from finding their salvation in the City of Man to the City of God.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Opposing Israel
I recently read a paper titled, “Strategic Implications of American Millennialism” which makes the case that the pervasiveness of those looking forward to the Rapture have adversely influenced US policy. The paper seeks to educate policy makers on this influence so that they would be better equipped to counter its impact.
The biggest policy errors that the author, U.S. Army Major Brian L. Stuckert, says the U.S. has made and is susceptible to are related to the support of Israel. He wrote, “if Israel were removed before the rapture, then the pre-millennialists’ theory of imminent escape from death would be falsified.” Well, I’m a pre-millennialist and that thought has never occurred to me because Ezekiel 37:21-25 says, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land… and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever’” (NKJV). Israel being established back in their land is God’s doing and His very reputation is at stake in maintaining his promises.
Major Stuckert must not have had the briefing I had when I was in the Army. In 1980, the officers in my field artillery battalion had a session with an Israeli armor brigade commander to learn about his experiences going against Soviet weapons during the Yom Kippur War. I guess most would have written off his story of finding multiple Sagger missile guide wires draped over his tank following a battle as the result of incompetent Egyptian operators. But even as an unsaved junior officer, I recognized this as the providence of God; I had witnessed multiple firings of TOW missiles, the U.S. equivalent to the Soviet Sagger, and I had never seen one fail to hit the target. Wire-guided anti-tank missiles are always lethal.
There are multiple reasons I support Israel. But probably the most pragmatic reason is due to the promise God made to Abraham, the father of Israel: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3, NKJ). I certainly don’t want to be counted among the cursed of God.
Major Stuckert’s fear of pre-millennialists influence policy is a theme I’ve heard before but labeled self-fulfilling prophecy. As if we can bring about the return of the Messiah by precipitating certain events. Jihadists actually believe that but not Bible-believers. There is no prophetic event that must precede the Rapture of the Church. Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13, NKJ).
The idea that we can cause the Messiah to return reveals a lack of understanding of the nature of God who is in ultimate control. What is dangerous are those with the attitude of Major Stuckert who feels the need to counter-balance the influence of pre-millennialists. This will lead us down the path of no longer supporting Israel. Indeed the day is coming when this will be the case… “It shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3, NKJV).
The implication of Major Stuckert’s attitude is chilling. If you consider what he is advocating, you will find yourself more in league with the Jihadists who want to see Israel eliminated than with Bible-believers who fear the wrath of God for failing to support Israel. An anti-Israel attitude is growing in our government today and it is this very dynamic that will entice secularized government leaders to yield sovereignty to the coming charismatic leader of Islam. Indeed, the Antichrist will be loved by all who seek worldly solutions to their salvation… “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life” (Revelation 13:8, NKJ).
Major Stuckert’s scholarly work was really well written but it was clear that he did not have a love for God. This brings 2 Timothy 3:7 to mind, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (NKJ). I am praying that Major Stuckert will have a change of heart.
The biggest policy errors that the author, U.S. Army Major Brian L. Stuckert, says the U.S. has made and is susceptible to are related to the support of Israel. He wrote, “if Israel were removed before the rapture, then the pre-millennialists’ theory of imminent escape from death would be falsified.” Well, I’m a pre-millennialist and that thought has never occurred to me because Ezekiel 37:21-25 says, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land… and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever’” (NKJV). Israel being established back in their land is God’s doing and His very reputation is at stake in maintaining his promises.
Major Stuckert must not have had the briefing I had when I was in the Army. In 1980, the officers in my field artillery battalion had a session with an Israeli armor brigade commander to learn about his experiences going against Soviet weapons during the Yom Kippur War. I guess most would have written off his story of finding multiple Sagger missile guide wires draped over his tank following a battle as the result of incompetent Egyptian operators. But even as an unsaved junior officer, I recognized this as the providence of God; I had witnessed multiple firings of TOW missiles, the U.S. equivalent to the Soviet Sagger, and I had never seen one fail to hit the target. Wire-guided anti-tank missiles are always lethal.
There are multiple reasons I support Israel. But probably the most pragmatic reason is due to the promise God made to Abraham, the father of Israel: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3, NKJ). I certainly don’t want to be counted among the cursed of God.
Major Stuckert’s fear of pre-millennialists influence policy is a theme I’ve heard before but labeled self-fulfilling prophecy. As if we can bring about the return of the Messiah by precipitating certain events. Jihadists actually believe that but not Bible-believers. There is no prophetic event that must precede the Rapture of the Church. Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13, NKJ).
The idea that we can cause the Messiah to return reveals a lack of understanding of the nature of God who is in ultimate control. What is dangerous are those with the attitude of Major Stuckert who feels the need to counter-balance the influence of pre-millennialists. This will lead us down the path of no longer supporting Israel. Indeed the day is coming when this will be the case… “It shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3, NKJV).
The implication of Major Stuckert’s attitude is chilling. If you consider what he is advocating, you will find yourself more in league with the Jihadists who want to see Israel eliminated than with Bible-believers who fear the wrath of God for failing to support Israel. An anti-Israel attitude is growing in our government today and it is this very dynamic that will entice secularized government leaders to yield sovereignty to the coming charismatic leader of Islam. Indeed, the Antichrist will be loved by all who seek worldly solutions to their salvation… “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life” (Revelation 13:8, NKJ).
Major Stuckert’s scholarly work was really well written but it was clear that he did not have a love for God. This brings 2 Timothy 3:7 to mind, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (NKJ). I am praying that Major Stuckert will have a change of heart.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Big Government Lies
It is obvious this week that the Houston area will experience a colder than normal winter. As I discussed this with coworkers over lunch, Global Warming came up as a natural adjunct to the weather topic. The consensus was that we don't know what to believe. On one hand you have the government, media, and scientists being paid by the government claiming that our Carbon Dioxide emissions will destroy life as we know it on earth. And then we have our common sense that gives us that nagging feeling that we are being lied to. The question posed to me was, "why would our government lie to us?"
Of course these are the kind of opportunities I live for so I launched into my mini speech that you really can't understand why the government would lie to us apart from a biblical perspective. The government's solution to global warming is essentially an excuse to "spread the wealth around" by bringing down wealthy nations like the United States while bolstering poor third world nations. The hidden agenda is to make the wealthy countries more cooperative in the world community of nations in order to realize their vision of a global government. The problems of climate change, the economy, and terrorism are perceived to be too big for any one nation to solve so a global government is seen by the elites as the solution. Since the Bible says we will have a global government before the Messiah returns, a biblical world views helps us understand these dynamics.
While I thought of it, I did not bring up the classic example of the Nazi government lying to their people. But I didn't have to, one of my coworkers offered this up himself. Hitler outlined the propaganda strategy of the "Big Lie" in his book "Mein Kampf." Big Lies are accepted by the public because they are so audacious that people will not believe their government would be so evil to deceive their own people in such a bold manner. I think that Global Warming is one of the Big Lies that is being foisted on us in order to realize the vision of a global government.
We don't like thinking of our government as being evil but the Bible makes it clear that all the world's governments are under the control of demons. Satan tempted Jesus by offering Him the kingdoms of the world for His worship (Matthew 4:8-9). This would not have been a valid temptation if it wasn't true that Satan had sufficient control of the kingdoms of the world to be able to offer them up. Jesus acknowledged that Satan was the "ruler of this world" in John 14:30. So the less government we have, the better off we'll be though the trend is toward bigger and bigger government.
Certainly some governments are more evil than others and there are some governmental leaders who personally follow Christ and are thus better equipped to resist the temptations of the Evil One. But even then the pressures of the office comes with the need to compromise in order to hold on to their power which insures that Satan still controls them to some extent. It is very true that in this world power does corrupt.
Just because we have an evil government, it doesn't mean our attention should be on resisting it. God has called each of us to prepare for eternity so our time is much better used being focused on our mission. God gives us the government we need to serve His purposes (see Romans 13:1). Indeed, the Lord raised up Hitler for a reason and one purpose most certainly was to bring the Jews back to the land of Israel. So we should pray, "for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NKJ).
Our government needs a lot more prayer than it is getting... pray that our leaders will have their hearts opened to Jesus Christ and will act with godly wisdom. And please vote with godly discernment for the lesser of the evils!
Of course these are the kind of opportunities I live for so I launched into my mini speech that you really can't understand why the government would lie to us apart from a biblical perspective. The government's solution to global warming is essentially an excuse to "spread the wealth around" by bringing down wealthy nations like the United States while bolstering poor third world nations. The hidden agenda is to make the wealthy countries more cooperative in the world community of nations in order to realize their vision of a global government. The problems of climate change, the economy, and terrorism are perceived to be too big for any one nation to solve so a global government is seen by the elites as the solution. Since the Bible says we will have a global government before the Messiah returns, a biblical world views helps us understand these dynamics.
While I thought of it, I did not bring up the classic example of the Nazi government lying to their people. But I didn't have to, one of my coworkers offered this up himself. Hitler outlined the propaganda strategy of the "Big Lie" in his book "Mein Kampf." Big Lies are accepted by the public because they are so audacious that people will not believe their government would be so evil to deceive their own people in such a bold manner. I think that Global Warming is one of the Big Lies that is being foisted on us in order to realize the vision of a global government.
We don't like thinking of our government as being evil but the Bible makes it clear that all the world's governments are under the control of demons. Satan tempted Jesus by offering Him the kingdoms of the world for His worship (Matthew 4:8-9). This would not have been a valid temptation if it wasn't true that Satan had sufficient control of the kingdoms of the world to be able to offer them up. Jesus acknowledged that Satan was the "ruler of this world" in John 14:30. So the less government we have, the better off we'll be though the trend is toward bigger and bigger government.
Certainly some governments are more evil than others and there are some governmental leaders who personally follow Christ and are thus better equipped to resist the temptations of the Evil One. But even then the pressures of the office comes with the need to compromise in order to hold on to their power which insures that Satan still controls them to some extent. It is very true that in this world power does corrupt.
Just because we have an evil government, it doesn't mean our attention should be on resisting it. God has called each of us to prepare for eternity so our time is much better used being focused on our mission. God gives us the government we need to serve His purposes (see Romans 13:1). Indeed, the Lord raised up Hitler for a reason and one purpose most certainly was to bring the Jews back to the land of Israel. So we should pray, "for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NKJ).
Our government needs a lot more prayer than it is getting... pray that our leaders will have their hearts opened to Jesus Christ and will act with godly wisdom. And please vote with godly discernment for the lesser of the evils!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Islam versus Secularism
I have come to the conclusion that the Mahdi who the Islamic world longs for and the Antichrist is one and the same. This means that the Muslim vision of uniting the world under Islam will in fact be realized for a brief period during the Tribulation before Jesus returns (the real Jesus, not the false prophet who will insists that people follow the Mahdi). As amazing as this sounds, I think it helps explain the universal reluctance by European and American leaders to acknowledge we are in a war with Islam.
Bill Bennett was interviewing a conservative analyst this morning who said he thought the reason the British government resisted naming radical Islam as the root cause of the terrorism we are dealing with is that it would admit we are in a religious war. This would make combating an enemy that is out to kill us very messy since it is hard to know who your enemy really is. The analyst went on to say that a religious enemy has principles that their followers can rally around. Even though these principles are detestable, they do give them a strength that the Western world does not have.
I think this pretty much hits the nail on the head for why Islam will prevail in the culture war. Our pluralistic society has apparently irrevocably abandoned the Christian principles that have brought us so many blessings. Western Civilization appears to be totally committed to post-modern Secularism which embraces moral relativism... what is right for one person may not be right for another. Post-modern Secularists have a problem embracing the concept of universal truth. This is actually an age-old problem of those who reject God; as Pilate said before he condemned Jesus to crucifixion, "What is truth?" (John 18:38, NKJ).
A society with the only principle that there are no principles is at a distinct disadvantage against those with principles, even evil principles. And ultimately a secular society is on the same side as Islam relative to the true God as revealed in Scripture since Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30, NKJ). Jesus also said that, "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand" (Matthew 12:25, NKJ). This tells me that our pluralistic secular culture and Islam will eventually have to come together in some sort of compromise.
As Europe and America have had secular societies with principles inspired by the Christian religion, there will need to be a secular society with principles inspired by the Islamic religion (Sharia Law). I think that Turkey is currently at work in forming such a coalition. Eventually the Cultural Christian Secularists and Cultural Islamic Secularists will work together enough to rule the world.
I'm convinced that the only way our nation can prevail against Islamic terrorism is to turn to God. He is the true source of our security. As Psalm 127:11 says, "unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain" (NKJ). This is something I've been praying for since God can intervene and protect us in this country until the Rapture. Psalm 34:17 says, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles" (NKJ). Fortunately, "to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5, NKJ).
Bill Bennett was interviewing a conservative analyst this morning who said he thought the reason the British government resisted naming radical Islam as the root cause of the terrorism we are dealing with is that it would admit we are in a religious war. This would make combating an enemy that is out to kill us very messy since it is hard to know who your enemy really is. The analyst went on to say that a religious enemy has principles that their followers can rally around. Even though these principles are detestable, they do give them a strength that the Western world does not have.
I think this pretty much hits the nail on the head for why Islam will prevail in the culture war. Our pluralistic society has apparently irrevocably abandoned the Christian principles that have brought us so many blessings. Western Civilization appears to be totally committed to post-modern Secularism which embraces moral relativism... what is right for one person may not be right for another. Post-modern Secularists have a problem embracing the concept of universal truth. This is actually an age-old problem of those who reject God; as Pilate said before he condemned Jesus to crucifixion, "What is truth?" (John 18:38, NKJ).
A society with the only principle that there are no principles is at a distinct disadvantage against those with principles, even evil principles. And ultimately a secular society is on the same side as Islam relative to the true God as revealed in Scripture since Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30, NKJ). Jesus also said that, "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand" (Matthew 12:25, NKJ). This tells me that our pluralistic secular culture and Islam will eventually have to come together in some sort of compromise.
As Europe and America have had secular societies with principles inspired by the Christian religion, there will need to be a secular society with principles inspired by the Islamic religion (Sharia Law). I think that Turkey is currently at work in forming such a coalition. Eventually the Cultural Christian Secularists and Cultural Islamic Secularists will work together enough to rule the world.
I'm convinced that the only way our nation can prevail against Islamic terrorism is to turn to God. He is the true source of our security. As Psalm 127:11 says, "unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain" (NKJ). This is something I've been praying for since God can intervene and protect us in this country until the Rapture. Psalm 34:17 says, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles" (NKJ). Fortunately, "to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5, NKJ).
Monday, January 4, 2010
Why They Hate Us
On the drive into work this morning I was listening to Kevin Wall who was filling in for Bill Bennett on his conservative talk radio program. The topic being discussed was the latest terrorist threat revealed by the airline "underwear bomber" and how our government was "failing to connect the dots." Apparently we have not learned any lessons from 9-11 attack on the United States.
Our government is treating the "underwear bomber" incident like a crime and not an attack that is part of a greater war which would justify profiling as a tactic to be more secure. Of course profiling of any kind is not politically correct in our society and this is a weakness that Islamic terrorists will exploit. So we can expect more terrorist attacks against us. Indeed, our government's clueless response to the "underwear bomber" incident will embolden radical Muslims to make more terrorist attacks against the US. I don't know if this is true but it sure rings true what Kevin Wall said about President Obama... that he will not use the term "Islamic terrorist" preferring to label all Islamic terrorists as Al Qaeda instead. President Obama epitomizes a failure to connect the dots.
It is clear that the Leftist Liberals leading our government don't quite understand what we are up against. Our government's failure to connect the dots is more of a systemic failure to understand the nature of the threat. But this doesn't mean that all conservatives fully understand the situation either. Kevin Wall proceeded to speculate on why the Islamic terrorists hate the United States so much and his reasons were: (1) the US was the greatest power in the world and (2) the US supports Israel. By the way, it seems to me that wondering why terrorists hate the US struck me as a pretty Liberal thing to do since they are quick to blame the US for inciting others to hate us.
At least Kevin Wall's "secular conservative" conclusion for why Islamic terrorists hate the US is closer to what is really going on. But it still is only part right and without a biblical world view even conservative philosophers fail to grasp the broader picture of spiritual warfare. A biblical world view gives us the underlying reasons why the US has been the greatest power in the world and why we support Israel. God has blessed the US making us great because we were founded by people who sought the freedom to worship Christ. And followers of Jesus support Israel because Christians have been greatly blessed by the Hebrew people; the Bible was written by Jews, the Messiah was a Jew, the very history of the Hebrew people reinforces that the Bible is the Word of God, and the day will come when Israel will recognize Jesus for who He is.
The real underlying reason Islamic terrorists hate the United States is that we are the greatest Christian nation in the world. And the followers of Satan hate the followers of Christ as 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (NKJ). Certainly the United States is pretty secular and becoming more so all the time but culturally, we have been a Christian nation due to our heritage.
While the Leftists working to control our culture are making great strides in squelching the idea that the United States is a Christian nation, the Islamic world still looks at us that way. And since the Leftist-Liberal mindset is so given to appeasement, our government leaders will eventually capitulate to Islamists which is the dynamic I think will cause all the world to unite under some secular cultural form of Islam (if you can't beat them, join them). I know this sounds incredible but that is the trend we are seeing in the world today and it is supported by Scripture.
There is great comfort in knowing the truth of Scripture. Not only does it help us know the reasons for the trends we are seeing today, it helps us know that the Lord has a wonderful plan for those who embrace the Truth. As John 8:32 says, "the truth shall make you free" (NKJ). It is such a blessing to know that we don't have to suffer the fate of the world.
Our government is treating the "underwear bomber" incident like a crime and not an attack that is part of a greater war which would justify profiling as a tactic to be more secure. Of course profiling of any kind is not politically correct in our society and this is a weakness that Islamic terrorists will exploit. So we can expect more terrorist attacks against us. Indeed, our government's clueless response to the "underwear bomber" incident will embolden radical Muslims to make more terrorist attacks against the US. I don't know if this is true but it sure rings true what Kevin Wall said about President Obama... that he will not use the term "Islamic terrorist" preferring to label all Islamic terrorists as Al Qaeda instead. President Obama epitomizes a failure to connect the dots.
It is clear that the Leftist Liberals leading our government don't quite understand what we are up against. Our government's failure to connect the dots is more of a systemic failure to understand the nature of the threat. But this doesn't mean that all conservatives fully understand the situation either. Kevin Wall proceeded to speculate on why the Islamic terrorists hate the United States so much and his reasons were: (1) the US was the greatest power in the world and (2) the US supports Israel. By the way, it seems to me that wondering why terrorists hate the US struck me as a pretty Liberal thing to do since they are quick to blame the US for inciting others to hate us.
At least Kevin Wall's "secular conservative" conclusion for why Islamic terrorists hate the US is closer to what is really going on. But it still is only part right and without a biblical world view even conservative philosophers fail to grasp the broader picture of spiritual warfare. A biblical world view gives us the underlying reasons why the US has been the greatest power in the world and why we support Israel. God has blessed the US making us great because we were founded by people who sought the freedom to worship Christ. And followers of Jesus support Israel because Christians have been greatly blessed by the Hebrew people; the Bible was written by Jews, the Messiah was a Jew, the very history of the Hebrew people reinforces that the Bible is the Word of God, and the day will come when Israel will recognize Jesus for who He is.
The real underlying reason Islamic terrorists hate the United States is that we are the greatest Christian nation in the world. And the followers of Satan hate the followers of Christ as 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (NKJ). Certainly the United States is pretty secular and becoming more so all the time but culturally, we have been a Christian nation due to our heritage.
While the Leftists working to control our culture are making great strides in squelching the idea that the United States is a Christian nation, the Islamic world still looks at us that way. And since the Leftist-Liberal mindset is so given to appeasement, our government leaders will eventually capitulate to Islamists which is the dynamic I think will cause all the world to unite under some secular cultural form of Islam (if you can't beat them, join them). I know this sounds incredible but that is the trend we are seeing in the world today and it is supported by Scripture.
There is great comfort in knowing the truth of Scripture. Not only does it help us know the reasons for the trends we are seeing today, it helps us know that the Lord has a wonderful plan for those who embrace the Truth. As John 8:32 says, "the truth shall make you free" (NKJ). It is such a blessing to know that we don't have to suffer the fate of the world.
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