Maranatha's Blog

I am a born again, Bible believing, and God fearing Disciple of Christ.

I believe every word in the Bible to be true and that the only way to Heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. (John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.)

To argue about the differences of Creation and evolution would be pointless with a non-believer, because no matter what you say they still don’t believe you.

The Word of God is actually written on a 5th grade level, but unless you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you will not be able to make sense of it. (1 Corinthians 2:9-14 – But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. {10}But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. {11}For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. {12}Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. {13}Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. {14}But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.)

[footnote: Natural man (lit., “unspiritual man”) is unreceptive. He does not admit the truth into his heart (cf. Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; James 1:21). As spiritual discernment is generated only by the Holy Spirit, the capacity to know spiritual truth is beyond the innate powers of the natural man. Spiritually discerned: The fundamental idea of discerned is that of “examination” or “scrutiny.” It is used only by Paul and Luke, and mostly of “judicial examination” (cf. Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; 1 Cor. 9:3; 10:25, 27). On the spiritual plane, the natural man does not have the ability to sift the facts.]

Here is a web site that can answer the questions of Creation and evolution for better than I could ever try to explain:

www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v22/i1/creation.asp

As for the hard science, there is plenty of archeology evidence to prove the accuracy of the Bible and more and more are being uncovered everyday. It is the “Christians” that don’t take the Bible literally that will have the problem when their day comes and they have to answer to Jesus himself. (Matthew 7:21-23 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  {22}Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  {23}And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.)

[footnote: Not everyone professing Christ is genuinely saved. Even the outward verbal acknowledgment of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith. A genuinely saved person is on that doeth the will of my Father, the Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.]

Did you know? That 85% of Americans call them selves “Christians”. The difference is not what church you belong to or religion that you claim you are. The difference is in the way you live you your life and the love for you neighbors that you show. I am by no means perfect, but I try to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Not all is lost though. Even I was a skeptic until 5 years ago until someone told me how I could be 100% sure I was going to Heaven.

Are you 100% Sure?

Here is how you can be 100% sure that you are going to Heaven…

1. Realize and acknowledge:

“all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

Yes, all men and women, including you, have come short of Heaven because of sin.

2. Realize and acknowledge:

“the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23

All men die physically, but all men do not die spiritually. You can be born again through Jesus Christ and be saved from the penalty of sin, which is an eternal Hell, a place of “fire and brimstone: which is the second death” Revelation 21:8

3. Realize and acknowledge:

“Christ died for our sins” 1 Corinthians 15:3

Jesus Christ paid the entire price on the cross for your sin. God set the price on sin, which was a perfect sacrifice, and then God Himself gave His own Son to pay the price.

4. Realize and acknowledge:

“the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23

God offers you freely His gift of eternal life. This gift is yours by believing in a risen Christ who arose on the third day and is alive forever more.

5. Realize and acknowledge:

“whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13

whosoever means you. If you by simple faith will trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your soul’s salvation, you can be 100% sure that you are going to Heaven. Nothing else will do…not church membership, not baptism, not confirmation, not communion. None of these things can save us from sin. Only Jesus Christ.

6. Confess and ask:

Why not pray this prayer… “Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. Forgive me for my sin and come into my heart and save me. Thank you for saving me. Amen”

It is never too late to trust in Jesus and see the “Light of the world”. With out Him you will truly never see how dark it really is. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6 – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  {4}In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  {5}For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.  {6}For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

www.notreligion.com

All Creatures . . .

Genesis 1:20-23

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.  {21}And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.  {22}And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.  {23}And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Psalm 104:24-30

O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.  {25}So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.  {26}There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.  {27}These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.  {28}That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.  {29}Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.  {30}Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

          It’s great to know that God not only created animals, but He cares about them as well. What’s even more incredible is the truth that God cares more about us than animals. Jesus said, “Not even a sparrow . . . can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to Him than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31 [NLT]).

          Next time you see an animal, let it be a reminder of how much God loves you. You are His special creation! So special that the number of hairs on your head is no secret to God. You might even say, “Not one hair can fall into the bathroom sink without God knowing about it.”

Now, that’s concern!

footnotes:

       1:20. Let the waters bring forth is better translated and understood as, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” so as not to misleadingly suggest that the waters themselves produced marine life. This text also implies that aquatic life and fowl appeared simultaneously, denying the evolutionary sequence of reptiles before birds.

          1:21. Great whales is not the best translation; better is the term “great sea creatures” to include the great fish as well as whales. Taninim is used elsewhere to describe the serpent (Ex. 7:9; 10, 12) and the dragon (Ps. 148:7; Is. 51:9; Exek. 29:3). There is no evidence whatever, either from paleontology or genetics, that whales or great sea monsters could have developed from land animals. The theory of evolution claims that the first animals in the oceans were microscopic, single-celled creatures, and that whales (sea cows) had to evolve from four-legged land mammals, which in turn evolved from cold-blooded marine creatures. Thus, they would have devolved!

PERSONAL note:

       Tell me, which takes more faith to believe? We were created by a all knowing and powerful God, or we simply came from some ooze that was left after the “big bang”. I’d like to think it is easier to believe that we were created and we actually have a purpose. Wouldn’t you?

Matthew 10:31

Fear ye not therefore,

ye are of more value than many sparrows.

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CREATION: Sun, Moon, and Stars . . .

Genesis 1:14-19

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  {15}And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  {16}And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  {17}And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,  {18}And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.  {19}And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Revelation 21:22-27

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.  {23}And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.  {24}And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.  {25}And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.  {26}And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.  {27}And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Weird or What?

          The word lamb is used in the Bible 138 times – 93 of those refer to Jesus. A lamb was one of the main animals used for sacrifices. Jesus received the name “Lamb” because of His ultimate sacrifice – death on the cross. Do you understand what that means? He gave up His life so we can share eternity together – and that’s a long time! His sacrifice paved the way to heaven. To get there, we have to follow in His steps.

footnotes:

       1:16. And God made two great lights refers to the sun and moon. They did not appear (a different verb and stem) as the dry land did in verse 9, but were actually made (‘asah, synonymous with bara’ ) at this time. God makes it clear that He, not the sun, is the earth’s Creator, and that God is not dependent upon the sun either for the earth’s material substance or for the sustaining of life. From the standpoint of astronomy, the sun and the moon are obviously not “the two great lights” of the universe. This is the language of appearance, as seen from man’s viewpoint. Genesis is written in geocentric (rather than heliocentric) terms. “Signs” in verse 14 might refer to unusual sights in the heavens, such as eclipses of the sun, rather than suggest that God designed the celestial bodies to determine the destinies of individual men as modern astrologers proclaim (cf. 2 Kin. 23:12; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5, where God condemns such practice).

          21:22, 23. There is no temple in the city, since both the Father and the Son will be present in their fullest manifestations. Its light will be provided by the Shekinah glory of God and of Christ.

          21:24-27. The glory of God in the New Jerusalem will light the earth. Whether this is the new earth (v. 1) or the millennial earth is not clear. Perhaps the New Jerusalem will give light to the earth during the Millennium as a satellite city (cf. Is. 60). The nations, ruled by various kings and levels of earthly authority, will honor the heavenly city as the dwelling place of God. The clause of them which are saved is found neither in the oldest nor in the majority of manuscripts, but clearly expresses the sense of the passage. The open gates show that security measures are no longer necessary (cf. Is. 60:11). Day is continuous since darkness never comes. Only redeemed and glorified people will have access to or dwell in the New Jerusalem. No sinful thing that defileth will enter God’s presence.

Proverbs 4:18-19

But the path of the just is as the shining light,

that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is as darkness:

they know not at what they stumble.

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Creation: Land & Seas, Plants & Trees . . .

Genesis 1:9-13

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.  {10}And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.  {11}And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.  {12}And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.  {13}And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Jeremiah 5:22

Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

In other Words . . .

       Fear: To fear God doesn’t mean to be afraid of Him or fear some type of unknown punishment or terror.

          To fear God means to respect Him, to honor Him, to be amazed by His greatness, and to admire all He has done for you and this world. When you have nothing to say but “WOW” when describing God, you’re on your way to fearing Him. An attitude of fear and AWE is pleasing to God and is the first step toward gaining wisdom.

          When you close the Bible, take a minute to say “WOW” to all God has done for you.

footnotes:

       1:11. Contrary to the modern evolutionists (who insist that all plants and animals developed over hundreds of millions of years from a single speck of life in the ocean) and theistic evolutionists (who claim the Bible allows for such processes by the use of such phrases as Let the earth bring forth), Genesis not only dates the creation of marine life (v. 20) as being after the creation of plants and fruit trees, but also reveals that fruit trees were created already bearing fruit whose seed is in itself. God produced a functioning and mature Creation. Plants were created full grown, as mature and adult organisms, with a superficial appearance of age. Similarly Adam and Eve were created as adults. The phrase after his [or their] kind is repeated 10 times in this chapter, and demands that adults of each “kind” would have to be created supernaturally to begin the life cycle. Moses uses the word kind 30 out of the 31 times it appears in the Old Testament. The word may not require the separate creation of each species by God, but it does require at least the separate creation of families within orders.

Psalm 104:14-15

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,

and herb for the service of man:

that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,

and oil to make his face to shine,

and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

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Creation

Genesis 1:6-8

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.  {7}And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.  {8}And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Psalm 19:1-3

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  {2}Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  {3}There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Jeremiah 10:12-13

He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.  {13}When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

        If God is powerful enough to create this huge play-ground we call Earth, don’t you think He’s mighty enough to have created you exactly as He intended?

footnotes:

       1:6. Firmament is an “expanse” between the waters suspended by God in vapor form over the earth. Most likely, approximately half of the waters upon the earth were supernaturally elevated above the atmosphere, perhaps in the form of an invisible vapor canopy. This would have trapped the earth’s heat with a “greenhouse effect” and would have provided a uniformly tropical climate everywhere, until it collapsed upon the earth during the universal rainfall at the time of the great Flood (7:11). This might explain the longevity described in Genesis 5, in addition to providing a water source for the Flood of chapters 6—9.

Psalm 57:9-11

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people:

I will sing unto thee among the nations.

For thy mercy is great unto the heavens,

and thy truth unto the clouds.

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens:

let thy glory be above all the earth.

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Let There be Light

Genesis 1:3-5

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  {4}And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.  {5}And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

2 Samuel 22:29

For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.

Psalms 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

          The Bible uses the term “light” on many different occasions. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus used the illustration of light to challenge and remind Christians that their lives are open books. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world . . . Don’t hike your light . . . Let it shine for all to see . . . so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” [NLT]

          Being a light to the world is a high calling! It’s pretty wild to realize that you may be the only Christian your friends will ever meet.

          Are you shining brightly? If not, what are a few things you could do to become a stronger light for God?

footnotes:

       1:3. And God said: This is the first of a highly structured series of succinct and formulaic sentences expressing the creative commands of God. Thus, Creation is accomplished by His word. Each command consists of (1) an announcement, “God said”; (2) a creative command, “Let there be” (3) a summary word of accomplishment, “And it was so”; (4) a descriptive word of accomplishment, “The earth brought forth”; (5) a descriptive blessing, “God blessed”; (6) an evaluative approval, “It was good”’ and (7) a concluding temporal framework, numbering each day.

          1:4. Light: Not the sun which was created on the fourth day (v. 16), but some fixed light source outside of the earth. The earth passed through a day-and night cycle in reference to this light. Good: The word contains less an aesthetic judgment than a designation of purpose and correspondence to God’s will, indicating the moral goodness of the Creation.

          1:5. God Called: This act demonstrates His sovereign dominion over His Creation. In the Semitic world the naming of something or someone was the token of lordship. Reuben changed the names of the cities of the Amorites after he had conquered them (Num. 32:38). Likewise, Pharaoh Necho changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim after he defeated the Judean king (2 Kin. 23:34). Day (Heb. yom): Apart from the use of the word day in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, where it describes the days of Creation, it is used in at least four ways in the first two chapters of Genesis: (1) the 12-hour period of daylight as opposed to night (vv. 14, 16, 18); (2) a solar day of 24 hours (v. 14); (3) the period of light that began with the creation of light on the first day (v. 5); and (4) the entire, six-day creative period (2:4). Everywhere in the Pentateuch the word day when used (as here) with a definite article or numerical adjective means a solar day or a normally calibrated, 24-hour day. Thus, the biblical account of Creation clearly indicates that God created the world in six literal days (cf. Ex. 20:11).

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

I am the light of the world:

he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.

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In the Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  {2}And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  {2}The same was in the beginning with God.  {3}All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  {4}In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  {5}And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

          These few verses sure cause big debates in science class. Unfortunately, there are no quick or easy answers in the creation and evolution controversy. Believers in evolution claim our world suddenly exploded into existence billions of years ago-pits of slime somehow sprouted legs and started growing chest hair. It’s a good story for those who don’t believe in God or the Bible. The Bible informs us that God created the earth, and through Him all things were made – including us.

          Actually, it takes less faith to believe God created this world and us than it does to believe our complex minds and bodies evolved from a “big bang” and a drop of ooze.

          God created each of us in His image. Try thinking about that the next twenty-one times you look in the mirror. Our uniqueness is no accident!

Psalms 148:1-6

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.

He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

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Who Will Go to Hell?

Revelation 20:11-15

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  {12}And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  {13}And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  {14}And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  {15}And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

          The event described in this passage is the final judgment of humankind, also known as the Great White Throne Judgment. The standard by which you will be judged is simple. If you have accepted God’s wonderful gift of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, your name will be found in the Book of Life, and you will spend eternity in heaven with God. If you have chosen to reject Christ, then your final destination will be the lake of fire. No arguments. Case closed.

          Sadly, many people will unwittingly choose the latter option. They do so, not because they want to spend their eternity in agony, but because they just “go with the flow.” They do what everybody else does and don’t think for themselves. Jesus called this choice the “easy way.” In describing the way to heaven and the way to hell, Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 [NLT]). The only way to get off this broad road and “cancel” your reservation for hell is to make sure your name is entered into God’s reservation book for heaven – the Book of Life.

footnotes:

       20:11. The throne depicts divine government and judgment (cf. Dan. 7:9, 10, 26, 27). The judge may be Christ Himself (cf. John 5:22). The throne is great or huge (contrast v. 4) and is white or shining in appearance (signifying glory, purity, and holiness). The judgment will take placed neither on earth nor in the atmospheric heaven (contrast Matt. 25:31-46), since the present universe will be dissolved (cf. 21:1; Is. 51:6; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10-12).

          20:12, 13. The dead are the unbelieving dead of all the ages – the “rest of the dead” mentioned in verse 5. They are judged from two sets of books. The books contain the record of every unsaved person’s life. Each unsaved person is judged in accordance with his works (cf. Rom. 2:6, 16), which clearly show that each one is a guilty sinner (cf. Rom. 3:9-19) deserving of eternal death (cf. Rom. 3:23; 6:23). The book of life contains the name of every person who has received eternal life through faith alone (cf. John 20:31; 1 John 5:11-13). These unsaved people are shown that they did not take advantage of the offer of eternal life through faith (cf. Rom. 9:23; 10:3). Death and hell (Hades) are the temporary holding places of unsaved men’s bodies and souls, respectively (cf. Luke 16:19-31).

          20:14, 15. The second death is eternal punishment in the lake of fire, experienced only by the unsaved. Once this final judgment occurs, there is no further need for either death or hell (Hades) (cf. 1:18; 6:8; Is. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:26, 55). An eternal separation is now made between those who have life and those who have “death” (cf. Dan. 12:2; John 5:29).

          20:15. Death: The Scriptures never refer to death as the mere cessation of life, but instead as the unnatural separation of something from that to which it belongs. Therefore, a body without the spirit suffers physical death (Gen. 35:18). The expression second death defines the separation of a man fro God. Illustration: Human consciousness is conveyed in the biblical description of second death, suggesting that the beast and the False Prophet will both remain alive for a thousand years after being cast into the lake of fire (19:20; 20:10). Application: When a person is saved, he has passed from death to life, and can be assured he will never come into condemnation (John 5:24).

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said unto him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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What Role Will Angels Play in the End Times?

Revelation 14:6-13

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,  {7}Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.  {8}And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.  {9}And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  {10}The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  {11}And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.  {12}Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  {13}And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

          The Bible tells us that the last days are going to be spiritually dark. Many people will be deceived into believing “teachings that come from demons” (see 1 Timothy 4:1), and people will become increasingly immoral, proud, and disobedient (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5). We already see this beginning to happen. There is a fresh demand for psychics, an increasing amount of violent crime on the streets, and a blatant lack of values in much of entertainment today.

          This text shows that during the Tribulation, which is generally recognized as the last seven years on earth before Christ’s return, the demons will not be the only ones at work. The angels of God will fly through the heavens preaching the everlasting gospel to make sure that everyone throughout the world is aware of the upcoming judgment of God. In essence, it will be the final “wake-up call” for people to turn to Jesus Christ.

footnotes:

       14:6-8. The everlasting gospel is the “Good News” that Christ will win and the Beast will be judged. Positively, it focuses on redemption through Christ and the coming of His kingdom. Negatively, it has three parts: (1) the hour of . . . judgment is come (v. 7); (2) Babylon is fallen (v. 8) and (3) those who “worship the beast” will be punished “for ever” (vv. 9-11). The whole world is commanded to fear and worship God and to give glory to him. The identity and destruction of “Babylon” is described in chapters 17 and 18. The announcement here anticipates later events.

          14:9-11. Unbelievers during the Tribulation will receive the mark of the beast and worship him. They will all receive God’s eternal punishment in the lake of fire (cf. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:15). The wine of the wrath of God is God’s righteous anger (cf. Job 21:20; Ps. 75:8; Is. 51:17; Jer. 25:15-38) Poured out in full strength (without mixture or undiluted) on those who reject Him. The cup of his indignation symbolizes the place of God’s punishment of sinners. The fact that this torment will take place in the presence of Christ and His angels makes the punishment even more intense and shameful. They will pay the eternal price of having chosen Satan and evil over God and righteousness.

          14:12, 13. Patience here is perseverance or endurance. The assurance of the judgment of God’s enemies is a basis for the perseverance of the Tribulation believers to continue following Christ. The perseverance of genuine believers in the faith and in the commandments of God is assumed and guaranteed. The dead which die in the Lord from henceforth are Tribulation martyrs; they will be blessed through rest, resurrection, and reigning with Christ during the Millennium (cf. 20:4-6). They will receive a reward for their works of obedience.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers

shall wax worse and worse,

deceiving, and being deceived.

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We Serve a Risen Savior!

Luke 24:1-9

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.  {2}And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.  {3}And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  {4}And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:  {5}And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  {6}He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,  {7}Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  {8}And they remembered his words,  {9}And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

          Two blind men who found themselves near the presence of Jesus shouted to Him to get His attention when He passed by. When the Lord asked, “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” (Matt. 20:32), the men who recognized Him as Christ pleaded earnestly, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” (v. 33).

          Blindness afflicts many people within all races, cultures, languages, and socioeconomic classes throughout the world. Those who have their sight wince in near-agony when they merely contemplate what adverse effects could enter their lives should they for some reason lose their sight. They imagine stumbling through life trapped within cerebral darkness that suffocates personality, creativity, and all hope for their future. They fear that the worst effects might be the helplessness and the humiliation that would come with their loss of independence.

          Today, billions of people suffer from blindness for worse than any physical blindness so innately feared by mankind. Yet these same people scarcely turn a thought towards their terrible disability, a much more profound, inherited affliction, curable only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ (see Eph. 2:8-9).

          Because Adam, the flesh-father of the human race, succumbed to temptation in the garden of Eden, all of us are fallen; that is, we were born into sin. Therefore, we can be saved from that sin curse only by “being justified freely by his [God’s] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). The same Jesus who healed the two blind men is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). He alone has the power to instantly and forever heal the poor, wretched, blind soul who confesses with his mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in his heart that God has raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9).

          When Jesus opens the eyes of the spiritually blind through the “new birth” experience (see John 3), the child of God begins a phenomenal journey that is limited in its vistas only by that person’s willingness to obey his heavenly Father (Prov. 3:5-6).

          Mankind’s attempts throughout the centuries to predict the future have not only been futile but often destructive. When God opens the spiritual eyes of His children through salvation by grace, they can know a great deal about the future and rest assured He is in complete control. Yet, for the time being, God has chosen to keep to Himself many stupendous wonders with which He apparently plans to one day thrill believers (see 1 Cor. 2:9).

          Even the vilest of sinners can be saved from the wrath of God, which ultimately must fall in judgment on all who will not repent. God’s salvation by grace freely and unconditionally covers all of His children’s sins from the past, present, and future (see 1 Thess. 5:9). Christians of the Church Age will be kept out of the Tribulation of Revelation 6—19 (see Rev. 3:10). What a glorious prospect waits just ahead for those who have opened spiritual eyes and ears (see 1 Thess. 4:13 – 18; 1 Cor. 15:51 – 55; John 14:1-6).

--Author: William T. James

PERSONAL note:

          May this year be the year that your eyes are opened, and that you believe the Word of God. For the time is drawing near, when it will be too late to accept God’s free grace. For it is written: “For God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Because He lives, we too can live through Him. Amen!

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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Who Can Thwart Satan’s Agenda?

Revelation 12:10-17

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  {11}And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  {12}Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  {13}And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  {14}And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  {15}And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  {16}And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.  {17}And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

          God uses his faithful followers to ruin Satan’s plans. Here we see three significant ways these martyrs for the gospel overcame the Devil’s attacks:

1)    They Overcame Him by the Blood of the Lamb. The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 [NLT]). It is only through what Jesus did for us on the cross that we can approach God. These people knew that they could never go to heaven or overcome Satan’s accusations on their own merit or ability. They realized that they had fallen short of God’s ideal, but they also knew that the blood of Jesus “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

2)    They Overcame Him by Their Testimony. The believers described in these verses had come to understand what God had done for them and were proclaiming it to others. They not only realized that they had unconditional access to God, but they also sought to “invade enemy territory” by reaching out to others with the message of the gospel.

3)    They Overcame Him by Their Attitude toward Life. These believers did not love their lives more than Christ. They endured execution for their faith because they realized that a better life was awaiting them in heaven with Christ. As the apostle Paul said, “For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is ever better” (Philippians 1:21 [NLT]).

History relates the story of a Christian who was persecuted by Rome for his faith. As he stood before the emperor, he was told, “Give up Christ. If you don’t, I’ll banish you.”

The Christian replied, “You cannot banish me from Christ, for God says, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’_”

The ruler said, “I’ll confiscate your property.”

The Christian patiently responded, “My treasures are laid up in heaven. You can’t touch them.”

The emperor shot back, “I’ll kill you!”

The Christian answered, “I’ve been dead to the world in Christ for forty years. My life is hid with Christ in God. You can’t touch it.”

The emperor turned to some of the members of his court and said in disgust, “What can you do with such a fanatic?”

May God give his church more men like this man.

footnotes:

       12:10-12. The words salvation, strength (Gr. dunamis, “power”), kingdom, and power (Gr. exousia, “authority”) all refer to the coming of the millennial kingdom of Christ. With reference to believers, Satan is most commonly a tempter and the accuser of the brethren before God (cf. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5; Rom. 8:33, 34). Believers can and will overcome him through the blood of Christ and their witness (testimony) about Christ. The last half of the Tribulation will be a time of terrible trouble on earth (cf. Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Zeph. 1:15; Matt. 24:15-22). It will be Satan’s final attempt to prevent the return and the reign of Christ. He has only a short time to try to prevent the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Therefore he has great wrath and intensifies his persecution of Israel, God’s chosen nation (vv. 13:1-17), while setting up his own counterfeit kingdom through the Beast, the false messiah (13:1-17).

          12:13-14. Satan’s persecution of Israel is apparently an attempt to exterminate God’s chosen people, thereby preventing the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David in the messianic kingdom. But God protects Israel (cf. v. 6). The wings of a great eagle represent swift escape from persecution. The wilderness symbolizes the Gentile nations of the world (cf. Matt. 24:16-20, 31), where believers will help to hide Jews from the Antichrist’s persecution. According to Zachariah 13:7-9, however, two-thirds of the Israelites will die first. The time, and times, and half a time equals thre