I thought it would be helpful to be reminded why we should regularly exercise our biblical world view muscles and consider current events from God’s perspective.
Massive cultural shifts are going on in our world today. And it seems as if the pace of change is accelerating. This provides Christians with great opportunities to help others see what the Bible has to say about why all these perplexing developments are occurring. So we need to be prepared to offer a biblical perspective about current events because this may lead to a conversation which helps people grow closer to Christ.
When we have discussions about reasons behind current events, our objective should not be to win a debate but to plant a seed of biblical truth that God can use to lead people to Him. It is useful to point out what the Bible says about something even if the other person does not recognize the authority of the Bible. Such comments are “faith flags” that tell people you are a follower of Christ and plants a seed of truth that God can use to turn their hearts to Him… Isaiah 55:10-11 says, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (NIV).
When we hear news of tragedy or some incident demonstrating the depravity of mankind, it should bring to mind how this world sorely needs the return of the Lord. And then we may be encouraged by recalling that when Jesus returns, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, NKJ).
We may share our encouragement with others by telling them we are looking forward to the return of the Messiah who will bring justice to this world so that there will be only good news. God can use this to attract people to the Savior because they also grow weary of bad news whether they admit it or not.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Doom & Gloom
It concerns me that this blog has me continuously proclaiming doom and gloom. But I really am an optimistic guy. Certainly there will be plenty of doom and gloom during the Great Tribulation when God pours out His wrath on earth. While seeing the stage being set for the Tribulation isn’t pleasant, we can be encouraged remembering that the Lord will remove His followers before the Tribulation begins. “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:9, NKJ).
Most people even dismiss the Rapture as being mere pie in the sky wishful thinking. It is too incredible to be believed. But the Bible clearly indicates that a time is coming when a generation of Christians will be instantly translated into our resurrected bodies and removed from earth. If you need to be convinced of this, study carefully 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
The Rapture of the Church is the next major event that has been prophesied. Paul expected the Rapture to be imminent in his day because he included himself in those who would not face death, “we who are still alive and left…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The doctrine of the Rapture is intended to be encouraging; knowing that we have to die or face the Tribulation before we are resurrected is discouraging (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Another reason we know the Rapture precedes the Great Tribulation is given in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8. This was written to put the Thessalonians at ease that the persecution they were suffering was not the Tribulation which would have meant that they missed the Rapture described in Paul’s first epistle.
Scripture also describes two very different phases of the Lord’s return. Only believers will see Him at the Rapture while all people on earth will see Him when He returns at the end of the Tribulation to set up His kingdom here. We meet Jesus in the air at the Rapture but at His second coming he sets foot on Mount of Olives. And there are many other distinctions like this.
For a through discussion of why I believe that the Rapture must precede the Tribulation, see my PowerPoint Bible study titled “The Rapture of the Church.”
Jesus promised, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3, NKJ). Until that day, “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13).
Most people even dismiss the Rapture as being mere pie in the sky wishful thinking. It is too incredible to be believed. But the Bible clearly indicates that a time is coming when a generation of Christians will be instantly translated into our resurrected bodies and removed from earth. If you need to be convinced of this, study carefully 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
The Rapture of the Church is the next major event that has been prophesied. Paul expected the Rapture to be imminent in his day because he included himself in those who would not face death, “we who are still alive and left…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The doctrine of the Rapture is intended to be encouraging; knowing that we have to die or face the Tribulation before we are resurrected is discouraging (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Another reason we know the Rapture precedes the Great Tribulation is given in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8. This was written to put the Thessalonians at ease that the persecution they were suffering was not the Tribulation which would have meant that they missed the Rapture described in Paul’s first epistle.
Scripture also describes two very different phases of the Lord’s return. Only believers will see Him at the Rapture while all people on earth will see Him when He returns at the end of the Tribulation to set up His kingdom here. We meet Jesus in the air at the Rapture but at His second coming he sets foot on Mount of Olives. And there are many other distinctions like this.
For a through discussion of why I believe that the Rapture must precede the Tribulation, see my PowerPoint Bible study titled “The Rapture of the Church.”
Jesus promised, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3, NKJ). Until that day, “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13).
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Marginalizing Christians
Jesus said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20, NKJ). We have been mostly blessed in this country but I sense that is changing. The media is a leading indicator of how people regard Christians since most people embrace what they perceive to be mainstream ideas. Increasingly Christians have been portrayed as people that should not be emulated in movies and TV programming.
Mark Earley of the Breakpoint radio show observed that the marginalization of Christians is becoming more aggressive depicting Christians as “exotic creatures to be put under the microscope and feared.”
It is a small step from fearing a group of people to physically taking action against them. So the trend we see in our media is one more reminder that the spirit of Antichrist is active and growing in this world. Because we know that the Antichrist will “persecute the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:25, NKJ). Thank God that while today’s followers of Christ are exposed to the spirit of Antichrist, we will not be here when the person of the Antichrist is given free reign.
Mark Earley of the Breakpoint radio show observed that the marginalization of Christians is becoming more aggressive depicting Christians as “exotic creatures to be put under the microscope and feared.”
It is a small step from fearing a group of people to physically taking action against them. So the trend we see in our media is one more reminder that the spirit of Antichrist is active and growing in this world. Because we know that the Antichrist will “persecute the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:25, NKJ). Thank God that while today’s followers of Christ are exposed to the spirit of Antichrist, we will not be here when the person of the Antichrist is given free reign.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Change
Our government is determined to make fundamental changes in this country. Since Barack Obama was elected promising change, our government is acting like they have a mandate to overhaul the foundations of this country.
Congress is in a hurry to institute major changes to the health care system in the U.S. Certainly it does need to be improved but forcing everyone into a government-run system goes way beyond what is necessary to fix its problems and will introduce even worse problems like rationing.
Another massive change in the works is Cap-and-Trade, a way to tax the use of coal and oil. This will effectively tax everyone because over 90% of the energy used in this country comes from oil or coal. It will devastate an already struggling economy. The economic impact of this is so obvious and the global warming reason for it is so dubious that the proponents of Cap-and-Trade must be determined to bring this country down to the level of an emerging nation.
There have been rumors of creative new taxes in the works which will be necessary to pay for all the government debt that has been foisted upon us. This will exacerbate an already bad employment rate by discouraging small businesses which are in the best position to grow new jobs. The people of this country voted for change and we are sure getting it.
The trend toward globalization is getting painful to watch and it promises real suffering to come. While it might be possible to postpone the consequences of globalization, it is beginning to feel like this world is on a runaway train. The spirit of Antichrist is alive and growing in this world. It is interesting to note that the promise of change is what the Antichrist will do; Daniel 7:25 says “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” (NKJ).
Please pray for our country’s leaders to seek God’s wisdom in the actions they take. The U.S. doesn’t have to be on par with emerging nations for God’s plan to come to fruition. Come soon Lord Jesus!
Congress is in a hurry to institute major changes to the health care system in the U.S. Certainly it does need to be improved but forcing everyone into a government-run system goes way beyond what is necessary to fix its problems and will introduce even worse problems like rationing.
Another massive change in the works is Cap-and-Trade, a way to tax the use of coal and oil. This will effectively tax everyone because over 90% of the energy used in this country comes from oil or coal. It will devastate an already struggling economy. The economic impact of this is so obvious and the global warming reason for it is so dubious that the proponents of Cap-and-Trade must be determined to bring this country down to the level of an emerging nation.
There have been rumors of creative new taxes in the works which will be necessary to pay for all the government debt that has been foisted upon us. This will exacerbate an already bad employment rate by discouraging small businesses which are in the best position to grow new jobs. The people of this country voted for change and we are sure getting it.
The trend toward globalization is getting painful to watch and it promises real suffering to come. While it might be possible to postpone the consequences of globalization, it is beginning to feel like this world is on a runaway train. The spirit of Antichrist is alive and growing in this world. It is interesting to note that the promise of change is what the Antichrist will do; Daniel 7:25 says “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” (NKJ).
Please pray for our country’s leaders to seek God’s wisdom in the actions they take. The U.S. doesn’t have to be on par with emerging nations for God’s plan to come to fruition. Come soon Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Attacking the Church
I’m in an on-going debate with a friend on the virtues of conservative versus liberal ideas. So he brought to my attention the efforts to produce a “conservative” Bible.
Those advocating a “conservative” Bible probably do not realize the harm they are doing to the cause of Christ. People who scoff at the Bible being God’s Word would like to make fringe issues like this a big controversy and offer it as proof that the Bible depends on personal bias so it can not be trusted.
This issue is related to those advocating the King James Bible as the only legitimate translation in the English language. I’ve investigated this myself and found it to be much ado about nothing. Thinking people can compare the KJV with other translations like the NIV and see that the meanings of the different translations are effectively identical. The same thing can be said in many different ways.
I believe that those insisting on KJV-only are mostly sincere believers in Christ but are being used as tools by the devil to divide the church over a disputable matter as Paul warned us about in Romans 14:1. That is why we have so many Christian denominations; Christians generally agree on the fundamental issues regarding how people have eternal life, who Jesus is, His virgin birth and resurrection to name the most important.
Satan and his minions have attacked Christ’s followers getting us to divide over relatively minor issues to reduce our effectiveness in the world. While Satan’s activities will result in his taking many people to hell with him, we are encouraged to remember that he can not thwart God’s plan; Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, NKJ).
Those advocating a “conservative” Bible probably do not realize the harm they are doing to the cause of Christ. People who scoff at the Bible being God’s Word would like to make fringe issues like this a big controversy and offer it as proof that the Bible depends on personal bias so it can not be trusted.
This issue is related to those advocating the King James Bible as the only legitimate translation in the English language. I’ve investigated this myself and found it to be much ado about nothing. Thinking people can compare the KJV with other translations like the NIV and see that the meanings of the different translations are effectively identical. The same thing can be said in many different ways.
I believe that those insisting on KJV-only are mostly sincere believers in Christ but are being used as tools by the devil to divide the church over a disputable matter as Paul warned us about in Romans 14:1. That is why we have so many Christian denominations; Christians generally agree on the fundamental issues regarding how people have eternal life, who Jesus is, His virgin birth and resurrection to name the most important.
Satan and his minions have attacked Christ’s followers getting us to divide over relatively minor issues to reduce our effectiveness in the world. While Satan’s activities will result in his taking many people to hell with him, we are encouraged to remember that he can not thwart God’s plan; Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, NKJ).
Friday, October 23, 2009
Turkey Rising
We have been seeing more about Turkey in the news lately. Turkey has not been able to meet the European Unions requirements for membership and the EU continues to make new stipulations. Their bid for membership in the EU comes under review in December but unless Turkey pulls their troops from Cyprus, this is in question. Indications are that Turkey has become weary of trying to build alliances with the West and are now focusing on alliances with other Islamic countries.
Turkey is becoming more belligerent against Israel and friendlier with Israel’s enemies like Syria and Iran. As the two regional superpowers, Turkey and Israel used to be aligned but recent moves by Turkey are changing the political balance in the Mideast.
Turkey is so interested in forming their own regional alliance that they even signed a treaty with Armenia. This is pretty incredible given the historical animosity that existed between these two countries due to Turkey’s atrocities against Armenia in WWI. It seems like there is just no avoiding Turkey becoming aligned with Iran and other enemies of Israel.
Turkey is mentioned as Togarmah in Ezekiel 38:6, one of the countries that will join with Iran, Sudan, and Libya to attack Israel prior to the Messiah’s return. Togarmah was a descendant of Noah through Japheth then Gomer (Genesis 10:1-3). He is known in Assyrian records as Tilgarimmu. The inserted "L" is not unusual and was probably silent. Tilgarimmu was a city state in Eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor) which today is the southeastern part of Turkey near the Syrian border.
We are certainly now seeing the geopolitical shifts necessary for Turkey to be aligned with the nations that will attack Israel prior to the Messiah coming so this shows us we are not too far from Ezekiel 38-39 coming to fruition. Biblical scholars are divided over whether Ezekiel 38-39 happens before or after the Rapture of the Church but either way, “when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28, NKJ).
Turkey is becoming more belligerent against Israel and friendlier with Israel’s enemies like Syria and Iran. As the two regional superpowers, Turkey and Israel used to be aligned but recent moves by Turkey are changing the political balance in the Mideast.
Turkey is so interested in forming their own regional alliance that they even signed a treaty with Armenia. This is pretty incredible given the historical animosity that existed between these two countries due to Turkey’s atrocities against Armenia in WWI. It seems like there is just no avoiding Turkey becoming aligned with Iran and other enemies of Israel.
Turkey is mentioned as Togarmah in Ezekiel 38:6, one of the countries that will join with Iran, Sudan, and Libya to attack Israel prior to the Messiah’s return. Togarmah was a descendant of Noah through Japheth then Gomer (Genesis 10:1-3). He is known in Assyrian records as Tilgarimmu. The inserted "L" is not unusual and was probably silent. Tilgarimmu was a city state in Eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor) which today is the southeastern part of Turkey near the Syrian border.
We are certainly now seeing the geopolitical shifts necessary for Turkey to be aligned with the nations that will attack Israel prior to the Messiah coming so this shows us we are not too far from Ezekiel 38-39 coming to fruition. Biblical scholars are divided over whether Ezekiel 38-39 happens before or after the Rapture of the Church but either way, “when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28, NKJ).
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Fleeting Freedoms
It seems like every day there are new revelations about things our government is doing to remove freedoms that we have enjoyed in the United States. There appears to be an urgent effort to put more and more aspects of our lives under central control. It is amazing that President Obama’s administration has targeted Fox News because they dare to tell stories that do not boost his agenda. If anyone questions that we are accelerating down the slope toward totalitarianism in this country, this development should clear that up.
Fox News is growing because people want to know what is going on that the other news outlets are not telling them. Virtually all of the mainstream media outlets are essentially propaganda channels for the government perspective. Fox is the only major news network that dares to hold our government accountable. Cal Thomas published an excellent commentary outlining a number of things that Fox News brought to light in which other networks have tried to ignore.
Cal Thomas also made a good point that targeting Fox News reveals the ineptness of the White House. He said if they were smart, “they would flood the network with its spokespeople. The administration apparently believes it needs an enemy to avert scrutiny from its socialist agenda, the undermining of free speech and the corruption of the U.S. Constitution. Because Republicans have no credible national leader, the administration has settled on Fox News.”
Our government is also working on schemes to silence talk radio and censor the Internet because they can’t stand the light of scrutiny. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20, NKJ).
The government we have today is our punishment for neglecting God’s principles. The people of this country elected these power hungry rulers, so we really deserve the consequences that will result. But God is in control and prayer does change things. God blesses us despite our unfaithfulness to Him when we turn to Him. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a good illustration of this, see Luke 15:11-24.
As David prayed about evil rulers in his day, a good prayer for us today regarding most of the government officials in this country is: “Let his days be few, and let another take his office” (Psalm 109:8, NKJ). All Christians should be good stewards of their US citizenship and vote knowing that it is a sin not to vote for the lesser of the evils.
Fox News is growing because people want to know what is going on that the other news outlets are not telling them. Virtually all of the mainstream media outlets are essentially propaganda channels for the government perspective. Fox is the only major news network that dares to hold our government accountable. Cal Thomas published an excellent commentary outlining a number of things that Fox News brought to light in which other networks have tried to ignore.
Cal Thomas also made a good point that targeting Fox News reveals the ineptness of the White House. He said if they were smart, “they would flood the network with its spokespeople. The administration apparently believes it needs an enemy to avert scrutiny from its socialist agenda, the undermining of free speech and the corruption of the U.S. Constitution. Because Republicans have no credible national leader, the administration has settled on Fox News.”
Our government is also working on schemes to silence talk radio and censor the Internet because they can’t stand the light of scrutiny. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20, NKJ).
The government we have today is our punishment for neglecting God’s principles. The people of this country elected these power hungry rulers, so we really deserve the consequences that will result. But God is in control and prayer does change things. God blesses us despite our unfaithfulness to Him when we turn to Him. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a good illustration of this, see Luke 15:11-24.
As David prayed about evil rulers in his day, a good prayer for us today regarding most of the government officials in this country is: “Let his days be few, and let another take his office” (Psalm 109:8, NKJ). All Christians should be good stewards of their US citizenship and vote knowing that it is a sin not to vote for the lesser of the evils.
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