The Victims of the Oklahoma Tornados Need Our Prayers and Support!

 

 

My friends, as I write this, its being reported that at least 51 people died, including 20 children, in the devastating tornado that hit Moore, OK yesterday. Its also reported that over 100 people are missing - including children. And of course, I'm sure those numbers will continue to rise. Its also being reported by many meteorologists that the tornado was an F5 , that is, winds of 200 mph or greater.

 

First and foremost, my friends, and contrary to what the unbelievers may say, those devastated by this tornado -with more expected through tomorrow - need our collective and sincere prayers. The power of prayer is demonstrated throughout the Bible. Psalm 55:22 tells us; "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

 

The power of prayer is, quite simply, the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. God Almighty hears the prayers of His children. He commands us to pray, and He promises to listen when we do. "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears."  (Psalm 18:6).

 

Another popular idea is that the amount of faith we have determines whether or not God will answer our prayers. However, sometimes the Lord answers our prayers in spite of our own lack of faith. In Acts 12, the church prays for Peter’s release from prison (v. 5), and God answers their prayer (vss. 7-11). Peter goes to the door of the prayer meeting and knocks, but those who are praying refuse at first to believe that it is really Peter. They prayed he would be released, but they failed to expect an answer to their prayers.

 

The power of prayer does not flow from us; it is not special words we say or the special way we say them or even how often we say them. The power of prayer is not based on a certain direction we face or a certain position of our bodies. The power of prayer does not come from the use of artifacts or icons or candles or beads. The power of prayer comes from the omnipotent One who hears our prayers and answers them. Prayer places us in contact with Almighty God, and we should expect almighty results, whether or not He chooses to grant our petitions or deny our requests. Whatever the answer to our prayers, the God to whom we pray is the source of the power of prayer, and He can and will answer us, according to His perfect will and timing.

 

That said, we, as Christians should provide financial support as well to those victims. However, we should be sure to give to only those organizations, churches, and individuals who we know and trust will use the money for its intended purposes - the victims. Sadly, there are many who will use Jesus' name in attempts to deceive well-meaning givers. Personally, I give online directly to the Red Cross, which has earmarked a fund specifically to help those tornado victims. To ensure you give to legitimate organizations, I highly recommend you go to KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City for the various ones, as I did. They have dedicated a page at: http://kfor.com/2013/05/20/how-to-help-okla-tornado-victims/ on how we can all help the tornado victims.

 

For those who live in and around the OKC areas, I appeal to them to see what they can do to help the victims in other ways. Perhaps you may have some clothes and other items you can donate. Call the local OKC authorities and see if they have a drop off point where you may be able to donate various food items, as well as other items such as baby formula, diapers, hygiene items, blankets, etc. Ask them what it is they are in most need of.

 

It will no doubt be a long recovery process for these tornado victims who have literally had their lives changed in an instant. But, one thing that must never be lost or destroyed, as one victim stated on tv last night, "This tornado took our home and our possessions, but it could not take our faith in God." God bless that person, as well as all those torn apart by this tragedy.

 

So, again, please, lets all do whatever we can to support and aid these victims. Remember, "There but for the grace of God, go I."

 

May God bless and keep you all -

 



Revelation of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel

 

 

My friends, Daniel 9:24-27 speaks about the seventy weeks, and here I will explain key words and phrases that Daniel speaks of in those verses in hopes of giving you all a better understanding of them.

 

We'll start with verse 24: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."

 

"Seventy weeks": The word for "weeks" is actually "sevens"; in the context, it obviously means "seven year periods." Daniel has been meditating on God's promise that the captivity of his people would be 70 years, but then Gabriel brought the message that, not just seventy years, but seventy sevens of years, were determined on his people. That is, God would be dealing with Israel as His covenant people for a period of 490 years. The events prophesied for these 490 years are critical for the proper understanding of eschatology and prophecy. Furthermore, the remarkable fulfillment of the key portions of the prophecy of the 70 weeks is certainly one of the strongest evidences for the supernatural inspiration of Scripture.

 

"finish the transgression": Much of the prophecy has been fulfilled, but not all. Its complete accomplishment (e.g., "an end of sins," "everlasting righteousness") awaits the second coming of Christ. Consequently, since far more than 490 years have already passed, there must be at least one significant gap implied in its development. This seems to be clear in the following verses. However, many eminent expositors have understood it as an unbroken sequence, terminating in the first coming and death of Christ.

 

Now, in verse 25, we read: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

 

"commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem": The 490-year period begins with the commandment to rebuild the holy city. Some have taken this to be the decree of the emperor Cyrus, in about 536 B.C., recorded by Ezra. This is unlikely, because that commandment only decreed the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:3). Evidently there was no formal commandment to rebuild the city itself until the time of Nehemiah, when a later Persian emperor, Artaxerxes, did make such a decree (Neh. 2:4-8). This was in about 446 B.C.

 

"seven weeks": The 490-year period is divided into three components, 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years, respectively. The first was evidently to be occupied with the actual completion of the streets and walls of the city in "troublous times," as described in the Books of Nehemiah and Malachi. Perhaps most significantly, the 49-year period did terminate with Malachi's prophecy, which marked the close of Old Testament revelation.

 

"threescore and two weeks": After the 49-year period was to be another period of 434 years before Messiah would come as Prince of Israel. This period between the two Testaments was marked by the fulfillment of some of Daniel's other prophecies - the fall of Persia, the rise of Greece, then of the great Roman Empire and, in Israel, the conflicts with Egypt and Syria and the wars of the Maccabees. In all, there would be 69 weeks, or 483 years, "unto the Messiah the Prince."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, moving into verse 26: "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

 

"Messiah be cut off": If the 483-year period began in 446 B.C., its end would seem to be in A.D. 37. However, there is much evidence that what might be called a "prophetic year" was 360 days instead of 365. The original created year was apparently twelve 30-day months (compare Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3-4). Also, the year associated with the end times seems to be the same (Rev. 11:2-3). If this factor were applied to the 70-week prophecy, then 483 calendar years would only be 476 prophetic years. Allowing for the fact that Jesus was actually born about 4 B.C. (this was the date that King Herod died, soon after Jesus was born), then the terminal date of the prophecy becomes sometime in A.D. 30, the year when Jesus was between 33 and 34 years of age. This, of course, is the year of His crucifixion, when He was "cut off, but not for himself." This prophecy was given in about 536 B.C., well over half a millennium before its fulfillment. The probability that Daniel could guess the date of the manifestation and crucifixion of the Messiah is essentially ZERO! Only supernatural inspiration can account for fulfilled prophecies like this. In fact, these events were fulfilled almost two centuries even after the date assigned to Daniel by liberal scholars who deny that such prophecies can be valid!

 

"prince that shall come": The "prince that shall come" is obviously not "Messiah the prince," for He will have been "cut off." In the context of the previous prophecies given by Daniel, this prince can be none other than the "king of fierce countenance" of the preceding chapter (8:23).

 

"the sanctuary": The city and sanctuary were destroyed by the Roman general (later emperor) Titus in A.D. 70. This would indicate that the coming evil prince would be a great leader from one of the many nations which eventually developed out of the old Roman Empire.

 

"a flood": The "flood" marking the end of the destruction of Jerusalem can also be translated "overflowing," probably referring to the great dispersion of the Jews into all nations, enforced by the Romans in A.D. 135.

 

"desolations are determined": A better translation might be, "and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." When Messiah, the Prince of Peace, was "cut off," peace was permanently cut off from the world as well. This is another remarkable prophecy. In the 1,900-plus years since, there have been "wars and rumours of wars" (Matt. 24:6) in one part of the world or another practically every year! Look at now (2013) how many local wars are still raging in various parts of the world.

 

Lastly, we look at verse 27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

 

"he shall confirm": The antecedent of "he" must be the person last mentioned, that is, "the prince that shall come" (v. 26), the one whose "people" had destroyed the city. The context in these verses seems clearly to preclude any reference to Messiah. This can be none other than the future Antichrist.

 

"one week": Finally the 70th week begins, with a treaty made by the Antichrist with the Jews, apparently allowing them to reestablish their temple and its ceremonies in Jerusalem. But note that this "week" of seven years only begins after the following events have taken place after the 69th week was finished: (1) The Messiah has been cut off, or put to death (A.D. 30); (2) Jerusalem and its temple have been destroyed (A.D. 70); (3) The Jewish people have been exiled into all the nations (A.D. 135); (4) Wars and desolations persist in the world to the end (at least from A.D. 135 to the present, and beyond).

 

"midst of the week": The future 7-year period will be divided into two halves. The first 3 1/2 years will see the ancient temple worship restored in Jerusalem, under the protection of "the prince that shall come," who will have achieved sufficient power by this time to make such a treaty. The last half will begin when he breaks this treaty, and demands worship of himself and his satanic master, setting up his own image in the holy place (8:9-12; Matt. 24:15-21; 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Much of the Book of Revelation is occupied with the details of this climactic 7-year period of world history.

 

"overspreading of abominations": The "overspreading of abominations" can be paraphrased as the "ultimate in blasphemous idolatry." "Abomination" is a word often used in Scripture for an idol, and "overspreading" refers to wings. Replacing the mercy-seat in the holy place in the temple will be the image of the beast, and the wings shadowing his image will replace the outstretched wings of the cherubim. Christ called this "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" (Mark 13:14). In citing this event as still future, Christ acknowledged that Daniel was, indeed, a prophet!

 

Until next time, may God bless and keep you all -

 

 



The Book of Daniel

 

 

My friends, the Book of Daniel has been subject to more criticism and rejection by critics than any book of the Bible except Genesis. This is essentially because of one reason only; the many remarkably fulfilled prophecies in the book. Critics who refuse to believe in God's ability to reveal future events through His prophets have gone to great lengths to deny the traditional authorship. They have charged historical errors and linguistic inconsistencies, but the real reason is its prophecies.

 

The other supposed arguments have been well refuted. Its main historical "errors" were references to Belshazzar and Darius the Mede, who were unknown to secular history - until they finally were identified as real rulers in the annals of Babylon and Persia. Its supposed linguistic problems have been refuted by identification of foreign words in Daniel, which would have been obsolete at the late date critics would like to ascribe to Daniel.

 

Daniel was recognized as a great, wise, and righteous man of God by his contemporary prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:14, 20; 28:3), and almost all the ancient authorities, both Jewish and Christian, accepted that Daniel was the author. The question is conclusively settled, however, by the fact that Jesus Himself attributed one of the book's most important prophecies to "Daniel the prophet" (Matt. 24:15).

 

There is every reason, therefore, to accept the authenticity of the Book of Daniel. Its histories are valid histories and its prophecies are genuine prophecies, many of them fulfilled already and the others awaiting the closing days of the Gentile age.

 

As far as Daniel himself is concerned, he was among the "king's seed" (1:3, 6) - that is, of royal blood - who were carried away from Judah into Babylonian captivity with King Jehoiakim in the first wave of exiles. Daniel, with his three friends (1:6), took a strong and uncompromising stand for God in this pagan environment, and God greatly used and honored him as a result.

 

Daniel served as a high official in Babylon under several kings, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar (2:48-49), followed by Evil-Merodach, Nergal-sharezer, Labashi-marduk (none of whom are mentioned in Daniel) then under Nabonidus and Belshazzar, who was son of Nabonidus and co-regent with him in Babylon, at the time of the fall of Babylon to Persia (5:29-31). He then continued under Darius the Mede and finally under Cyrus of Persia (6:28). All of this seems to have occupied a total of almost 70 years (compare 9:2).

 

The book was written in the first person, Daniel asserting several times that he was the author (8:1; 9:2-3). A substantial part of the book, from Daniel 2:4-7:28, was written in Aramaic, presumably because that was the court language in Babylon and because those portions of his book dealt mostly with events centering in the Gentile kingdoms of the world, as distinct from those portions focusing especially on the nation of Israel and therefore written in Hebrew. Among the Hebrew portions is the great prophecy of the 70 "weeks" (9:24-27), giving a prophetic chronology anticipating the coming of Messiah, and then for the climactic events coming at the end of the age. The 70th week is essential to the understanding of the Book of Revelation in particular, which I will explain in a future post.

 

Until next time, may God bless and keep you all -

 



Update About Myself and This Blog

 

ABOVE: Me, hospitalized for my most recent heart condition and stage 3 emphysema

 

 

My friends, my apologies for not having posted here in quite some time, but my life - both spiritually and physically, have been on a proverbial roller-coaster the past several months.

 

Ever since I gave my life to Christ on July 13, 2007, I talk to Him every morning after waking up (as well as reading Scripture), and do the same each night before going to sleep. How do I talk to Him? I talk to Him in the exact same way I'd talk to anyone who was physically with me. For example, this blog. Although I can't see any of you reading this, I know that you are reading it - and therefore, I'm 'talking' to y'all.

 

When a Christian talks to the LORD, that is just having a conversation with Him, telling Him of your fears, worries, emotional battles, etc, and even telling Him when things are going great in your life with no worries or problems and so on, and thanking Him for His blessings - regardless of your current situation - that is the real definition of prayer.

 

Now, as I said, personally speaking, it seems that in the past several months my medical problems, specifically, my emphysema, is getting progressively worse (now at a stage 3), this despite meds and having to take breathing treatments with my home nebulizer and portable PROAIR HFR inhaler every 2-4 hours as opposed to every 4-6 hours just 5 or 6 months ago. There is no cure for emphysema - it's progression can only be "slowed down," as my doc told me. He also mentioned that it's more likely than not that I will be on 24/7 portable oxygen within a year. Additionally, I have diabetic neuropathy in my left leg and feet, and have now developed a diabetic ulcer on my left outside toe as a result of an ingrown toe nail that got infected. Presently I am treating it with antibiotics. However, if those fail to heal it within a couple months and/or if the ulcer gets worse, my endocrinologist says I will have to undergo a diabetic amputation of the toe before the ulcer spreads to my entire foot - or left leg.

 

Couple those problems with the fact that it may still be another year or more before my SSD is approved as well as the balance of my individual unemployability (IU) claim that I have with the VA (I am currently service-connected disabled at 70%), and the IU will boost me up to a 100%. Will our 'nest egg' be deleted before either of them are approved? Only God knows.

 

Now, I tell you all this not to gain sympathy - or even empathy - but to explain my Christian faith. Now, I'd be less than honest if I told y'all that I have not been worried about all this. I'd be less than honest if I said I get so damn depressed at times that I actually pray the LORD would just call me Home. Maybe also being diagnosed with clinical depression has something to do with it also - or more likely than not - it's SATAN!

 

You see, Satan tempts us, as opposed to God - who tests us, that is, He tests our faith in Him. The way I look at it, is, He gave me ten toes - if he wants a few of 'em back - He has that right. Ditto with my feet or legs - or my entire body.

 

Now, as I said, I talk to Him as well as read Scripture every day. At times, however, I will concede that I can't help but feel He isn't listening, isn't there when I talk to Him, or just doesn't give a hoot. But then, I recall the story of Job, where God, in order to prove to Satan that Job's love, faith, and trust in Him was genuine and not based on all of Job's riches that God blessed him with (as Job was a very wealthy - and healthy - man) - God allowed Satan to take away Job's health, his riches, and even his family! When all these tragedies came upon Job, his own wife told him, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die" (Job 2:9). But Job replied to her, "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" and, "In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (v. 10).

 

And, in the end, Job's faith remained intact, Satan lost, and God fully restored Job's health and family, as well as giving him TWICE as much wealth as he had before, for his faith in Him!

 

My friends, believe what you will, but there have been too many times in my life where it seemed as I was in a downward spiral, and just before I felt like I was going to 'splatter on the ground,' God swooped me and my family up with His Hands. Because although with our finite minds, we saw absolutely no way out - God does have a purpose for what He allows in our lives - and I can personally attest to the fact that what He may take away with His left hand, He will replace with something better with His right hand - IF, we are true believers and do not allow Satan to crush our faith in God - and God alone!

 

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

 

As I talked about my worries with one of my counseling profs online via a private student chat, he reminded me that perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as "belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof." It also defines faith as "belief in and devotion to God." The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb 11:6). Faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. It is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory!

 

I was also reminded by my prof that God designed a way to distinguish between those who belong to Him and those who don’t, and it is called faith. Very simply, we need faith to please God. God tells us that it pleases Him that we believe in Him even though we cannot see Him. God loves to bless those who are obedient and faithful. We see a perfect example of this in Luke 7:50 ("And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.") Here, Jesus is engaged in dialog with a sinful woman when He gives us a glimpse of why faith is so rewarding. In 1 Peter 1:8-9 we are told,  "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

 

So, without demonstrating faith and trust in God, we have no place with Him. We believe in God’s existence by faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is but lack the reverence necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These people lack the true faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves them. Yes, our faith can falter at times, as mine has, but because it is the gift of God, given to His children, He provides times of trial and testing in order to prove that our faith is real and to sharpen and strengthen it. This is why James tells us to "count it all joy" when we fall into trials, because the testing of our faith produces perseverance and matures us, providing the evidence that our faith is real (James 1:2-4).

 

Now, as I just mentioned, I'm as guilty as the next Christian of lacking faith in times of trials. But here again, that's Satan at work in our lives, planting the "fear" seed, and to take our eyes off of Jesus in order to completely eliminate our faith in Him.  But, my friends, faith and fear cannot exist together! It's like mixing oil and water. Paul exhorts Christians to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). What we see here is a contrast between truth and perception—what we know and believe to be true and what we perceive to be true. This is where the Christian struggle with a lack of faith finds its basis. The main reason why so many Christians struggle with a lack of faith is because we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true by faith.

 

Now, before going any further it may be helpful to come up with a working definition of faith. Faith, contrary to popular opinion, is not “belief without proof.” This is the definition that many unbelieving skeptics give for faith. This definition reduces faith to mere fideism – i.e., “I believe despite what the evidence tells me.” Skeptics are right to reject this concept of faith, and Christians should reject it too. Faith is not belief without proof, or belief despite the evidence, rather faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. That trust or confidence we have in someone is built up over time as they prove themselves faithful time and time again. It is based on faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided us with His Word, the Holy Bible, as a testimony of His faithfulness to His people all throughout history.

 

So, the main reason we struggle with faith is that we don’t truly know the God in whom we profess to have faith. In our daily lives, we don’t trust complete strangers. The more intimately we know someone and the more time we have had to see them “in action,” the more likely we are to believe what they say. But if God is essentially a stranger to us, we are less likely to believe what He has said in His Word. The only cure for this is to spend more time in God’s Word and simply talking to Him and getting to know Him.

 

And, not to sound redundant, but the world, the flesh, and Satan (as well as his demons), often distract us. By “the world” is meant the accepted “wisdom” of the unbelieving world and the culture in which we find ourselves. For those of us living in Europe and North America, that dominant worldview is naturalism, materialism, skepticism, and atheism. “The flesh,” refers to our sinful nature that still clings to Christians and with which we struggle on a daily basis. Satan and his horde of evil spirits who excite and entice us through the world and our senses. These things all afflict us and cause us to struggle with faith.

 

Again we are told by the apostle Paul, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Our faith is built up as we continually read and study God's Word.

 

Lastly, recall when I said that faith and fear cannot exist together. Well, faith is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief. We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in ourselves. The Christian's faith is a confident assurance in a God who loves us, who knows our thoughts and cares about our deepest needs. That faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of His amazing character. The more we learn about God, the more we can see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith grows.

 

I know that God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. It's through the hearing, reading and meditation in the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong, confident faith that excludes worry and fear. Spending time in prayer talking to God and quiet worship develops a relationship with God that sees us through even the darkest of nights. In the Psalms we see a picture of David, who, like us, experienced times of fear. Psalm 56:3 reveals his faith with these words: "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Psalm 119 is filled with verses expressing the way in which David treasured God's Word: "With my whole heart have I sought thee" (v. 10); "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways" (v. 15); "Thy word have I hid in mine heart..." (v. 11). These are revealing words which speak wisdom to us today.

 

My friends, God understands our weaknesses and concerns, but He requires us to go forward in faith, and the Bible is clear that faith does not mature and strengthen without trials. Adversity is God's most effective tool to develop a strong faith. That pattern is evident in Scripture. God takes each one of us through fearful situations, and as we learn to obey God's Word and allow it to saturate our thoughts, we find each trial becomes a stepping stone to a stronger and deeper faith. It gives us that ability to say, "He sustained me in the past, He'll carry me through today and He'll uphold me in the future!" God worked this way in David's life. When David volunteered to fight against Goliath, he said, "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee" (1 Sam. 17:37). David knew the God who had sustained him through dangerous situations in the past. He had seen and experienced God's power and protection in his life, and this developed within him a fearless faith.

 

So, in my specific case and with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, I was directed to God's Word, and reminded that the Word of God is rich with promises for us to take hold of and claim for ourselves. When we face financial trouble, Philippians 4:19 tells us, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." If we are anxious about a future decision, Psalm 32:8 reminds us that God "will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." In sickness we can remember that Romans 5:3 says, "but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience." If someone turns against us, we can be comforted by the words in Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

 

Throughout life we will continue to face various trials that will cause us fear, but God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

 

So, when y'all are facing personal trials in your lives as I am, and Satan starts to put that "fear factor" in you - tell him to go back to hell with his minions! And start talking to your Father - GOD - and immerse yourself in Scripture. What God's plans are for myself and my family regarding my medical, financial, and other concerns, I don't know. But...I do know that my faith in Him, although it may still be attacked from time to time by Satan, he will never take it away!

 

"Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done" (JESUS CHRIST - Matthew 21:21).

 

Until next time, my friends - May God Bless and keep you all



Guest Article

"Born-Again"-ism

 

by Richard R. Ochs

There is much talk these days about the rapid growth of the cults. Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Mormonism, the Unification Church, and a host of lesser-known groups are making converts at astounding rates. Yet, the combined effect of all these groups is overshadowed by a movement that in the last few years has grown to include over 30% of the U.S. population. The amazing development of what might be called "Born-againism" is affecting all sectors of our society. In fact, if the latest figures presented in the religious polls are accurate, the current Born-again phenomenon could well be viewed as the fastest growing cult in America. Born-againism has permeated fundamentalist denominations as leaven in dough, and expanded into the culture at large. Candidates espouse it in order to get votes, entertainers use it to attract crowds, pro-football players proclaim it to give respect to their Sunday afternoon brutality, and the business world promotes it in order to make money. Even the secular press, radio, and T.V. have found it fashionable to occasionally slip the little words "born again" into their speech and print.

That the world has jumped on the Born-again Bandwagon in order to exploit it is sad but not surprising. We really shouldn't expect anything else from the spiritually blind worldling. The real tragedy is that the whole mess was spawned and spread by the "Church" and is now lauded as a great revival of Christianity.

The truth is that much of contemporary evangelicalism, like the church of Sardis, appears to be alive, but actually is dead. (Rev. 3:1) And we can't blame the athieists, the agnostics, or the liberals for this condition. No, the fault lies with the supposed "Bible believers." Error has been preached as truth and propagated with cultish zeal. As a result multitudes have believed a lie and are headed for hell from fundamentalist church pews with a Bible in their hands and a prayer on their lips. Many others have become disillusioned with all the hypocrisy and false "fulfillment", and have concluded that there is really nothing to this "born-again" stuff after all.

Truth turned to error

But doesn't the Bible teach that we must be born again? Was this not an absolutely fundamental teaching of our Lord, His apostles, and the Church down through the ages? Yes, of course it was, and without this there is no true Christianity. But error cloaked in Biblical terms is still error. In the case of the current born-again movement, Scriptural terminology is being used to teach just the opposite of its original meaning. The great doctrine of man's need for regeneration (i.e. miraculous new birth) is being presented in a way that denies the very point it is supposed to teach. Stated simply the error is this—that men are born again as a result of something they do. This something may be "going forward" at the close of an evangelistic message, making a "decision" for Christ, or "repenting" and "believing" the gospel. Whatever the requirement that is put before the sinner, the impression is given that sinful man himself is the one who brings about regeneration.

The sad results of such a teaching can be seen all around us. Evangelists who believe that men dead in sin can and will turn to God if the right kind of emotional and psychological inducement is presented, push and pressure lost people into making "decisions." Whatever is necessary to get people to come forward, or raise their hand, or sign a card, is tried by today's "soul winners." Highly emotional meetings, prolonged appeals, repeated musical choruses, and even the deceitful tactic of having counselors strategically placed in the audience to come forward at the time of the "appeal"—all smack of the techniques of crowd psychology.

Those who do come forward (or raise their hand, or sign a card) are then coached into believing that God has come into their lives, and that they are now "saved." Deep down, though, they know that nothing has really happened. The evangelist has done something, the lost person has done something, but God has done nothing. There has been no miracle. The person may give mental assent to the doctrine of the new birth and try to rejoice in it, but there has been no supernatural passing from death to life. (Eph. 2:4-51 This is why most of the "converts" of this kind of "born-againism" show no real zeal for God, and many fall away completely after a month or two.

That some people are brought into the kingdom in these situations is no doubt true. But it is in spite of these methods, not because of them. If we turn to the section of Scripture most often quoted regarding the new birth we find the Lord teaching just the opposite of the modem "soul-winner."

You must be born again

In the third chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "You must be born again." What did the Lord mean by this statement? First of all, it should be noted that Jesus said nothing of any action or decision that Nicodemus must make, nor did He even tell him to repent and believe the gospel. As a matter of fact, Jesus was not telling Nicodemus to do anything! "You must be born again!" was not a command Nicodemus was to obey, it was simply a statement of fact. Nicodemus, in his blindness, misunderstood this statement and asked how anyone could do such a thing as that—a man "cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" To this Jesus said in effect, "I'm not talking to you about you doing anything, I'm talking about God doing something." "I'm talking about the Spirit of God coming and miraculously generating life, in you. You being flesh can only produce flesh. Only the Spirit of God can produce the spiritual birth you must have in order to enter the Kingdom of God, and God's Spirit blows where He wishes." (John. 3:1-8)

The modern evangelist's techniques and teachings are conspicuously absent in this account. The Lord gave Nicodenius no "Four Spiritual Laws," nor any instructions on "How to be Born Again," and He certainly used no manipulative tricks. He was concerned to emphasize just one thing. Regeneration is a miraculous work of God's Spirit.

We can, and must, tell men to turn from their sins and believe the Gospel, but in doing this we should realize that when a man does repent and believe, it is the result of God's prior regenerative working within him. If this were not the case, if man must actually initiate his own salvation, then it would be impossible to escape the conclusion that men do not need regeneration at all, but possess in themselves an innate goodness which causes them to seek after God. Though it be ever so slight, this goodness is then the ultimate reason why one man is saved and another is lost. But the apostle Paul clearly teaches the contrary when he writes:

There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God...
There is none who does good,
There is not even one. (Rom 3:10-12)

Here Paul states plainly that there is no "spark of goodness" in man that causes him to respond to the gospel. In fact, man, blinded by sin and Satan, does not even understand the gospel. He is in total rebellion against God and His truth. If regeneration were contingent upon man first desiring God, no one would ever be born again, for "there is none who seeks for God." Moreover, if man must ultimately be given credit for coming to God, Christianity is turned into just one more of the world's man-centered religions or cults which teach salvation by works. And such man-centered systems offer a false hope, for it is simply impossible for sinful man to make himself different than he is—he needs a new heart, he needs to be "Born again!"

Again, it should be stressed that we are certainly to tell men to seek God. We must tell them to believe and receive Christ. But these commands will fall on spiritually deaf ears unless God first generates life through the inward workings of His Holy Spirit.

You may protest that this makes God the ultimate determiner of who is saved. To this the apostles and prophets with one voice cry, "Amen!" "Salvation is from the Lord." Christians, as John puts it in the opening chapter of his gospel, are people, "who were born not...of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (Jn. 1:13) That's why we give thanks to God when someone is converted. We know that God has graciously wrought a miracle— the sovereign, supernatural miracle of the new birth.

This truth should give us confidence to present the pure gospel, knowing that it is not up to us to somehow maneuver and manipulate men into Christianity. It should also bring us to our knees before the God Who is sovereign in salvation. Only He can remove the heart of stone and give a new heart. Only He can give life to the dead. Only He deserves the blessing, glory, and honor.

Did Samson Commit Suicide?

"And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport." ( Judges 16:26-27 )

My friends, many people ask, "If suicide is wrong, why did God bless Samson for doing it?"

Well, Samson never took his life; he sacrificed  it for his people. There is a big difference. Jonah prayed, "O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live" ( Jonah 4:3 ). But he never took his own life. Suicide is acting "for one's self." What Samson did was to lay his life on the line for others - his people. Samson's act was no more suicide than Christ's, when He said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep"..."I lay down my life" ( John 10:11, 17 ). In fact, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" ( John 15:13 ).

Of course, not every apparent death "for others" is really an act of love. Paul made this plain in his great love chapter: "...though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" ( 1 Cor. 13:3 ). Even a martyr may not be dying out of love, but in an obstinate commitment to his own self-centered cause. Saul took self-death "...lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me..." ( 1 Sam. 31:4 ). Abimelek sought death for himself  "...Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him..." ( Judges 9:54 ). Samson by contrast asked God for permission to die, praying, "... Let me die with the Philistines..." ( Judges 16:30 ). God granted his request, "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life" ( v.30). Paul also was willing to be "...accursed from Christ for my brethren..." ( Rom. 9:3 ). The soldier who falls on a hand grenade to save his buddies is not taking his life by suicide; he is giving his life for others. Likewise, Christ did not commit suicide when He came to "...give his life a ransom for many" ( Mark 10:45 ).

Can Demons Perform Miracles?

"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." ( Rev. 16:14 )

My friends, the problem many people struggle with in Revelation 16:14 (above), is that the Bible sometimes uses the same words ( sign, wonders, power ) to describe the power of demons as those used to describe miracles of God ( see also 2 Thess. 2:9 ). However, a miracle is a supernatural act of God, and only God can perform such acts. The devil is a created being and has only limited power.

Although Satan has great spiritual powers, there is a gigantic difference between the power of the devil and the power of God. First, God is infinite in power ( omnipotent ); the devil ( and demons ) is only finite and limited. Second, only God can create life ( Gen. 1:1, 21; Deut. 32:39 ); the devil cannot ( cf. Ex. 8:19 ). Only God can raise the dead ( John 10:18; Rev. 1:18 ); the devil cannot, though he gave "breath" ( animation ) to the idolatrous image of the Antichrist ( Rev. 13:15 ).

The devil has great power to deceive people ( Rev. 12:9 ), to oppress those who yield to him and even to possess them ( Acts 16:16 ). He is a master magician and a super scientist. And with his vast knowledge of God, man, and the universe, he is able to perform "lying wonders" ( 2 Thess. 2:9; cf. Rev. 13:13-14 ). But true miracles can be performed only by God. The devil can do the supernormal, but not the supernatural. Only God can control the natural laws He has established, though on one occasion He granted Satan the power to bring a whirlwind on Job's family ( Job 1:19 ). Further, all the power the devil has is given him by God and is carefully limited and monitored ( cf. Job 1:10-12 ). Christ had defeated the devil and triumphed over him and all his host ( Heb. 2:14-15; Col. 2:15 ), thus giving power to His people to be victorious over demonic forces ( Eph. 4:4-11 ). Thus, John informed believers: "Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" ( 1 John 4:4 ).

Why Did Jesus Tell the Dead to Bury Their Own?

"But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." ( Matthew 8:22 )

My friends, in the coming weeks, I'm going to be discussing the "hard questions" that many have regarding various parts of Scripture, as well as many "contradictions."

Today I'll start with Matthew 8:22. The question many ask here is: "Wasn't it absurd for Jesus to tell the dead to bury their own dead?"

You see, the problem here that many have is, a man wanted to follow Jesus but first asked Jesus if he could go and bury his father. Jesus responded, "let the dead bury their dead." But, they ask, "The dead can't bury anyone! This doesn't seem to make any sense."

Now, this disciple was not asking permission to go to his father's funeral, as we are told in verse 21 ( "And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer [ "allow" ] me first to go and bury my father" ), but rather to put off following Jesus until his elderly father died. Perhaps he was the firstborn son and wanted to be sure to claim his inheritance. Perhaps he didn't want to face his father's wrath if he left the family business to follow an itinerant preacher. Whether his concern was financial security, family approval, or something else, he did not want to commit himself to Jesus just yet. Jesus, however, would not accept his excuse.

Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow Him. He made sure they counted the cost amd set aside any conditions they might have for following Him. As God's Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Even family loyalty was not to take priority over the demands of obedience. His direct challenge forces us to ask ourselves about our own priorities in following Him. The decision to follow Christ should not be put off even though other loyalties compete for our attention. Nothing - or no one ,  should be placed above a total commitment to living for Christ.

Additionally, Jesus was not speaking of those who were physically dead, but of those who are spiritually dead ( cf. Eph. 2:1). Jesus requested that the man follow Him ( Luke 9:59 ). The man responded saying he wished to take care of his family first. So the issue is, who comes first - one's family or Jesus Christ? The answer Jesus gives indicates the spiritual state of this man's family. They were apparently not believers, and the Bible says that those who are not Christians are "dead in trespasses and sins" ( Eph. 2:1, 5 ). Jesus was telling the man that his spiritually dead family should take care of the burial. Jesus wanted this man to follow Him! Christian discipleship calls for high commitment.

TIMOTHY

My friends, painful lessons are usually doorways to new opportunities. Even the apostle Paul had much to learn. Shortly after his disappointing experience with John Mark, Paul recruited another eager young man, Timothy, to be his assistant. Paul's intense personality may have been too much for John Mark to handle. It could easily have been the same for Timothy. But Paul seems to have learned a lesson in patience from his old friend Barnabas. As a result, Timothy became a "son" to Paul.

Timothy probably became a Christian after Paul's first missionary visit to Lystra ( Acts 16:1-5 ). He already had solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother. By Paul's second visit, Timothy had grown into a respected disciple of Jesus in his hometown. He did not hesitate to join Paul and Silas on their journey. His willingness to be circumcised as an adult is clearly a mark of his commitment. ( Timothy's mixed Greek/Jewish background could have created problems on their missionary journey's, because many of their audiences would be made up of Jews who were concerned with the strict keeping of this tradition. The circumcision helped to avoid that potential problem. )

Beyond the tensions of his mixed racial background, Timothy seemed to struggle with a naturally timid character and an over-awareness of his yourthfulness. Unfortunately, many who shared Timothy's character are quickly written off as too great a risk to deserved much responsibility. By God's grace, Paul saw great potential in Timothy. Paul demonstrated his confidence in Timothy by entrusting him with important responsibilities. Paul sent Timothy as his personal representative to Corinth during a particularly tense time ( 1 Cor. 4:14-17 ). Although Timothy was apparently ineffective in that difficult mission, Paul did not give up on him. He continued to travel with Paul.

Our last pictures of Timothy comes from the most personal letters in the New Testament: 1 and 2 Timothy. In them, the aging apostle Paul was near the end of his life, but his burning desire to continue his mission had not dimmed. Paul was writing to one of his closest friends - they had traveled, suffered, cried, and laughed together. They shared the intense joy of people responding to the Good News and the agonies of seeingthe Gospel rejected and distorted. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to oversee the young church there ( 1 Tim. 1:3-4 ). He wrote to encourage Timothy and give him needed direction. These letters have provided comfort and help to countless other "Timothy's" through the years. When you face a challenge that is beyond your abilities, read 1 and 2 Timothy, and remember that others have shared your experience.

STRENGTHS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

- Became a believer after Paul's first missionary journey and joined him for his other two journeys
- Was a respected Christian in his hometown
- Was Paul's special representative on several occasions
- Received two personal letters from Paul
- Probably knew Paul better than any other person, becoming like a son to him

WEAKNESSES AND MISTAKES:

- Struggled with a timid and reserved nature
- Allowed others to look down upon his youthfulness
- Was apparently unable to correct some of the problems in the church at Corinth when Paul sent him there

LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE:

- Youthfulness should not be an excuse for ineffectiveness
- Our inadequacies and inabilities should not keep us from being available to God

VITAL STATISTICS:

- Where: Lystra
- Occupation: Missionary, pastor
- Relatives: Mother: Eunice. Grandmother: Lois. Father: a Greek.
- Contemporaries: Paul, Silas, Luke, Mark, Peter, Barnabas

KEY VERSES:

"For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel." ( Phil. 2:20-22 )

NOTE: Timothy's story ( he is also called Timotheus ) is told in Acts, starting in chapter 16. He is also mentioned in Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10-11; 2 Cor. 1:1 , 19; Phil. 1:1; 2:19-23; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1-10; 2:3-4; 3:2-6; 1 and 2 Timothy; Philemon 1:1; Heb. 13:23.