The followers of Islam want to do what their founder did. Implement Sharia Law. They love death.
The followers of Christianity want to do what their founder did. To be like Jesus Christ. They love life.
There is NO comparision.
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This blog is devoted to a Biblical world view. Conversations are encouraged with anyone seeking God to discover grace by faith in the glory of the face of Jesus Christ.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Don't be Left Behind. Trust Christ Jesus Today. Jesus is coming soon for his Saints.
The Pan-Tribulation is something many Christians I know think about when discussing the Scriptures about the Rapture. 'It will all pan out in the end.' they say. I am so disappointed that they are not eagerly watching for the return of Jesus Christ to catch away his body, the Church, before the Tribulation. There is a movie coming out called 'Left Behind'. It will hopefully provide an opportunity to take out friends who need salvation to see it and discuss it. I hope you are ready for the Rapture.
The Anti-Rapture
Pete Garcia
With the upcoming re-release of the Left Behind movie due out next month, you can rest assured that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture haters will come out in droves. The secular world, Hollyweird in particular, seems fixated on this idea with the return of Christ, but not in a good way. It has in recent years released a number of films mocking it, or turning it into some kind of bizarre horror spectacle. Granted, what follows after the Rapture will be a horror show on a “biblical” scale, but the Rapture in and of itself is not anything to fear for the believer in Jesus Christ.
But as Left Behind gets released into theaters, there will be a growing chorus of Bible teachers and expositors who will become more vocal in refuting it. They are seemingly convinced that the church is destined to go thru either part, or all of the Tribulation. I suppose that is a relatively normal reaction, given the perilous times we are increasingly finding ourselves living in.
After all, the signs are all there for an impending economic and societal collapse, as well as an increase in: wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, earthquakes, and strange natural phenomenon. And since the Rapture didn’t pan out in 2011, 2012, 2013, and thus far into 2014, a natural tendency occurs in our minds to think that if the Rapture doesn’t occur by 2018 (70 years from 1948), then all bets are off.
The supposed “delay” in our Lord’s coming, has given rise to a number of biblically incompatible eschatological theories. I confidently call them “biblically incompatible” because they are. They are in a sense, Anti-rapture and attempt to pervert or change what God’s Word says on the subject. On the surface, some of these views might appear to have theological legs to stand on, but if you drill down just a little bit into what actually “supports” their arguments, it falls apart very quickly.
Most recently, there is the Pre-Wrath position, which posits that we go through at least the first five Seal judgments, but not the Trumpet or Bowl judgments. (They attempt to distinguish between Man/Satan’s wrath, from God’s wrath) Then there is a Mid-Tribulation position that has us being raptured at the 3.5 year mark of the seven-year Tribulation. There is the Post-Tribulation position that states the church must endure through all of the Tribulation. And finally, there is the Pan-Tribulation position (which is the predominant position in Protestant churches here in the west) in which it will all work itself out in the end, so why bother teaching it.
The one thing that all these positions have in common, is that they neglect the Word of the Lord, in that the church (i.e.…the Body of Christ) has no place, position, or purpose for entering any part of this highly specified time period. There is also a fundamental misunderstanding of who and what the church is.
The truth of the matter is that while we are still here and the Lord has yet to return, we will be on earth until either death takes us or the Lord catches us up. But that reality does not in anyway, diminish what God’s Word promises. If the church were destined to go through the Tribulation (i.e. the 70th week of Daniel), I think that the teachings in the New Testament Epistles (both General and Pauline) would be abundantly clear. There are mentions in the gospels, but the gospel’s weren’t written to the church specifically. They are a recording of Christ’s birth, life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection…and Christ lived and died, under the age of the Law.
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Assessment
Aside from Christ’s discussion on building the church in Matthew 16:13-20, the church was all but a mystery. Even in Acts 1, the disciples were still under the impression that the Kingdom promised to Israel was about to be ushered in.
But instructions for the church to endure and maneuver through a period of time specifically set aside for Israel in the last days, is seemingly absent from the pages of Scripture…and that would be because they do not teach that the church goes through any part of the Tribulation. Follow my logic here:
§ Christ is the Head of the church (Colossians 1:18).
§ The church is the Body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23).
§ Corporately, we make up one new Man, who is Christ. (Ephesians 2:14-16).
§ The only One found worthy to even open the first seal, is Christ (Rev. 5:3-5).
The seventh Seal Judgment, triggers the blowing of the seven Trumpet Judgments, in which the seventh trumpet triggers the pouring out of the seven Bowl Judgments. So Christ opening the seven Seal Judgments, triggers all the rest.
ALL the Judgments, are divinely appointed wrath. The only difference between the first four Seal Judgments, and the last three, is that the first four are not “supernatural” in nature, but rather, are God’s removal of any kind of restraint from the world…and the effects are devastating.
But the Judgments (all 21) cannot begin, until Christ has removed His Body from the earth, back to Heaven, to be where He is (John 14:1-3).
Since the Holy Spirit permanently seals and indwells those believers who are baptized into the Body of Christ via the Holy Spirit, it stands to reason, that if the Holy Spirit’s role of restrainer is removed, so too will those bodies in whom He seals and indwells (Eph. 1:11-14, 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:21-22).
The Restrainer (2 Thess. 2:7), is definitively a “He.” That leaves you with three options:
§ Satan
§ Michael the Archangel
§ Holy Spirit
The Restrainer ‘restrains’ lawlessness, and has been, so that pretty much rules out the “father of lawlessness”…Satan (John 8:44).
The Restrainer “restrains” lawlessness, which is not another individual, but a condition. Michael is a finite being and is NOT omnipresent, therefore, cannot be everywhere at once. Thus, he does not qualify as one who can restrain lawlessness. Besides, he has a job already (Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Rev. 12:7).
This leaves the only One capable, of restraining the condition of lawlessness, and that is God the Holy Spirit, who existing before Creation (Gen 1:2), was given in a particular role at Pentecost to the church. (John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7) until that time is complete.
The Church Age had a beginning, Pentecost (Acts 2), and will have an ending (Rev. 3:10).
This is why the apostle Paul even wrote 2 Thessalonians in the first place…because someone had come along, pretending to be an apostle, telling them they were now in the Day of the Lord (the time of the Tribulation). The Thessalonian church were deeply shaken by this, (2 Thess. 2:1-2) and Paul had to reassure them, that THAT day could not happen, until three things occurred first:
§ The falling away happened.
§ The Restrainer is taken out of the way (God the Holy Spirit is not removed, just His role as the restrainer is done away with (Gen. 6:3).
§ And then the lawless one will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:7-9).
If the church is to endure, ANY portion of the Tribulation, is Christ now going to unleash the judgments (Rev. 6:1) upon Himself, if the church is His body?
Conclusion
The clear, biblical answer, is a definitive no. Not only does the Bible NOT teach the church will endure God’s wrath, (1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9; Rev. 3:10), and that we are NOT looking for signs inside the Tribulation, but that we are too be looking eagerly, for the Blessed Hope, which is the appearing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The rhetoric is heating up, along with the scoffing and turning away, even from those who profess Christ, mocking the promise Christ made to us (2 Peter 3:3-7), that He will come again, and receive us unto Himself (John 14:1-3). Don’t let anyone steal your joy, or your hope, in that promise, because one day soon, Christ will break back into human history, and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, transform both the living, and the dead, into our glorified bodies, so that we can dwell with Him forever (1 Cor. 15:51-56; Romans 8:28-30).
As with Adam, all men die. But Christ is the ‘last Adam’, and through Him, all men live, forever. And as Eve was taken out of the side of Adam, as a help-mate, so too was the church, born out of Christ’s side to be His helpmate (1 Cor. 15:45; John 19:34). Paul explains this “mystery” in Ephesians 5, echoing the spiritual reality of Genesis 2:23-24, that the two shall become one. We are brought into Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) at the moment of belief (Eph. 1:11-14).
The church is unique in its role and nature in God’s administrating over Creation. The Church was in God’s mind, before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and we are not Plan B or an afterthought with Israel’s rejection of Christ. We serve the purpose of bringing about God’s purpose for making a people for Himself into one, new Man (Eph. 2:15).
When you come to understand who and what exactly the church is, then you will see the ludicrousness of the idea, that the church must then be “purified” by the Tribulation in order to become “acceptable” to God in any form or fashion. Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law (Gal. 4:4-5) perfectly in His life and death, paid it all on the Cross…and then said ‘It is finished’ (John 19:28-30). If we are truly the Body of Christ, then what more can WE add to what Christ has already done?
Nothing.
Furthermore, it’s not even tribulation that purifies us…
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).
http://www.raptureready.com
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Apologetics 315: Interview: Former Atheist Richard Morgan
Apologetics 315: Interview: Former Atheist Richard Morgan: Today's interview is with Richard Morgan , a former atheist who found salvation in Jesus Christ. His testimony is fascinating, as part...
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
Lost in a Hot Air Balloon
Something to cheer you up.
A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him,
"Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes south latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Liberal Coalition supporter”.
"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Labor supporter."
"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are -- or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."
Posted by: Dave | Thursday, 06 December 2012 at 09:21 AM
michaelsmithnews.com
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Something to cheer you up.
A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him,
"Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes south latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Liberal Coalition supporter”.
"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Labor supporter."
"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are -- or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."
Posted by: Dave | Thursday, 06 December 2012 at 09:21 AM
michaelsmithnews.com
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Camping for Blokes
http://www.squidoo.com/camping-for-blokes
I want to camping! So I looked up what Aussie blokes should do when they go camping.
I found this site helpful.
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Leprosy Of The Soul
Leprosy Of The Soul
Many today think they're "okay" with God. They and God have worked out a special deal. They want to "do it their way," but God says it isn't up for debate. It's His way, period. There is no other way.
Multiplied thousands are following false preachers and teachers, because they tell them just what they want to hear. By doing so, they have become calloused to the Truth and think it's a joke. "Everybody lives this way, so it must be alright." Have you ever checked it out to see what God says about it? You can find His response in His Book, the Bible.
Anyone with leprosy of the body would naturally want to be cured. We examine our body, and we're okay, but have we examined our soul lately?
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
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Many today think they're "okay" with God. They and God have worked out a special deal. They want to "do it their way," but God says it isn't up for debate. It's His way, period. There is no other way.
Multiplied thousands are following false preachers and teachers, because they tell them just what they want to hear. By doing so, they have become calloused to the Truth and think it's a joke. "Everybody lives this way, so it must be alright." Have you ever checked it out to see what God says about it? You can find His response in His Book, the Bible.
Anyone with leprosy of the body would naturally want to be cured. We examine our body, and we're okay, but have we examined our soul lately?
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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