Posts filed under ‘Religious – Christian – End Times’
Lack of Discernment is Astounding in Some Churches
The pastor seemed to want to instruct us on everything from tongues to healings to other gifts that Christians are supposed to evidence in their lives so that people will know they are Christians. It got convoluted very fast, jumping from John 1, to John 8 to Acts 1, to Acts 8 and then to Romans 12. The emphasis was seeing real change in people as evidence that they were actually saved. I would argue that change only really comes to Christians who enter into and maintain fellowship with God in Christ and while salvation offers this path, not all Christians take it.
Christianophobia? Not Enough Lions? What?
If the world loves us, then we may well be doing something wrong as they may very well see little to no difference between their lives and that Christian’s life. If there is no difference, then the “love” those Christians believe they are evidencing in their lives toward the world may not be love at all, but more of an act of self-survival. It’s simply some nebulous feeling that does nothing more than make those Christians feel good about themselves. That cannot truly save anyone because there’s nothing there beyond feelings. There’s no real truth in it.
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution, Part 4
It is important to grasp the fact that they actually asked Jesus three individual questions here. They wanted to know when the Temple would be destroyed (“not one stone will be left on another”), they wanted to know what signs might be associated with the Second Coming, and finally, they wanted to know what sign(s) might be connected with the end of the age. It is also very important to understand that according to rabbinic sources, there are only two ages: this age in which we currently live and the coming age when Messiah will reign. When this current age ends, it will do so because the Messiah will return and start the new age.
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution, Part 3
I believe Paul speaks of an apostasy from “the truth” here. If we see society now, we see that truth has become quite relative. There is nothing absolute about anything now. Much of what people consider to be “truth” is simply the latest fad or fashion defined solely by how people feel about something. Many to most decisions made today are based largely on emotional virtue, which is nothing more than political correctness or Cultural Marxism. Determining truth based on these things really creates a moving palette of “truth” that changes based on new “information” or “evidence.” Those who refuse to accept this new “truth” are often ostracized and denigrated, pushed to the outer fringes of society and often referred to as “haters.” Whatever will work to silence them is what is done.
Is Jesus Our Heavenly Handyman?
The best thing I can hope for in this life is that God will grant me the ability to see what I can control regarding my own quality of life (health). I can’t eat whatever I want to eat and believe that God is responsible for “healing” me. Poor health can contribute to depression, anger, anxiety, and a host of other things, including the constant pain and inflammation of Fibromyalgia. God is under no obligation to fix these things and they should not necessarily be part of the gospel presentation. Certainly, God wants us as healthy as possible but our health is often in our own hands.
Continue Reading February 29, 2016 at 9:35 AM Leave a comment
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution, Part 2
Aside from mockers who come mocking the idea of Jesus as God returning to claim what is His, there is also the general tone of society that will exist during the end times and we will see it worsen as things lead directly up to the physical return of Jesus at the end of the coming Tribulation period. One thing to remember is that the Bible is a complete book. It must be allowed to interpret itself because even though there are roughly 40 human authors, physically writing their own book within a book over a period of approximately 1,600 or so years, the reality is that God is the main Author. He chose individuals to write down parts of His book, but it was God Himself who oversaw the writing of each book. The Bible is the only book that can claim this. No other comes close.
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution, Part 1
I don’t want to get into setting dates, times, days, or hours. That’s not the point of this short series of articles. The point is for us to understand God’s prophetic timetable in light of society and it appears that it comes together. Can we…should we look for anything? If so, what? Should we become so preoccupied with the subject of the end times that we wind up being so focused on it that we fail to realize when we stop evangelizing and therefore fulfilling the Great Commission? Should our study of the end times cause us to want to be even more involved in the Great Commission? I think so. The way I look at it is that we are all one breath away from death anyway. No one alive now knows when they will die. That’s God’s department. If the study of the end times brings us to a greater awareness of just how close death is to everyone and helps us to lose the “ballast” in our lives that keep us from walking closer to God, then it has served it’s purpose (1 John 3:2-3). If we – on the other hand – tend to study the end times to simply gain “knowledge” and become puffed up, then it would be far better for us to not study that subject. I cannot emphasize how important this is for all to understand.
Portraits of Fellowship, Part 5: Moses
Folks, it is very difficult at times to “see” through the darkness into the future to the point where God actually provides an answer to the situation we are undergoing. We are often surrounded by circumstances that God is using for our growth and His glory. Satan wants those very same circumstances to weaken our faith and destroy our fellowship. We need to be like Moses, not Israelites. We need to trust God in spite of what we cannot see. That is not only how we enter into fellowship with Him but it is how we remain in fellowship with Him.
Continue Reading February 24, 2016 at 7:40 AM Leave a comment
