Forgive

And Jesus Prayed, “Father Forgive Them…” By Gene Lawley From the cross Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Was He thinking of the Roman soldiers who had nailed Him up there and now were gambling for His clothing at the foot of the cross? Was it that crowd who had yelled, “Crucify Him” and “Barabbas” for their choice of who should be released by Pilate? Was it meant for those religious leaders who had just now rigged a mock trial that defied all principles of justice and legality? Was it meant for that same group who had and would reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah and promised King? Or, was it meant for all mankind, whose sins had brought Him to this place of agony and suffering, to end with that cry of utter abandonment, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” We know that the words of Christ, that Living Word of God, as John identifies Him in that first chapter of his gospel account, are eternal, and as such, they ring out like crashing cymbals down through the ages. So, it is within reason that His prayer was all-inclusive, to sinners of all ages, all generations. This, of course, flies in the face of those who claim that Jesus only died for those who believe on Him. That is the hard-core view of some, which in my opinion, brings into question the true character of God and the nature of the love of God. Is it, then, conditional or unconditional? One has to come to the promises of God with a pre-conceived notion that God’s love is conditional, if it only is available to those who respond favorably. That is, when John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world…,” He only meant that “world” of believers who would ultimately be chosen to follow Him. Yet, that verse also uses the word “whosoever” in connection with “world” and indicates that any person in that “world” has equal opportunity to be saved by believing in Christ. Actually, Christ died and shed His blood before anyone had believed in Him, until after the fact. The disciples had a hard time of it, even when they were told, “He is risen!” (Yes, I know that the saints of old looked forward to His coming and fulfilling the promise that the foreshadowing sacrifices made, and John the Baptist’s alert tells us of that: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And even that statement suggests a broader application of the availability of the blood of Christ for those who could believe.) Do not misunderstand my thinking on this issue! I am not suggesting that if the blood of Christ was shed for all people, so all will be saved. There is the matter of “limited atonement” that comes into the plan. Here is where the division is made—only those who believe in Christ are atoned for, or made right with God. But if the provision is not there for everyone, then God’s love is conditional, and anyone could, conceivably, stand before God and exclaim, “I had no chance!” The problem actually goes deeper in the matter of understanding what is involved. It touches on how the “choosing” issue comes about. It reminds me of an old yarn that I heard as a kid: A fellow who had had too much to drink was stumbling along a trail outside of a foliage covered fence line around a graveyard and heard voices from the darkness inside. “You take this ‘un and I’ll take that ‘un,” and so on. In his befuddled mind he thought surely it was God and the devil dividing up the inhabitants of the graves! He turned cold sober and took off in a terrified run. (Actually, it was only two youngsters dividing up the walnuts they had gathered underneath a tree there.) The matter of God’s choosing those He claims as His own is not done like that, at all. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” That says faith is the gift that is made available by grace, the unmerited favor of God. Not special favor, but unmerited favor of God. Thus, no one can boast, even in pride that he is one chosen of God. In one sense, believers are special to God, but in a broad sense, God is no respecter of persons. That is, He cannot tolerate sin in His presence, either in the lives of believers or in the lives of nonbelievers. Only the blood of Christ splashed on the doorposts of our hearts protects believers from the wrath of God. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8), and Abraham must have, also, for he “believed in the Lord and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). But how did these things happen? (It might be of interest that both Noah and Abram (Abraham) are listed in the lineage of Christ recorded in Luke 3, that scarlet thread from Adam through Seth to Jesus Christ.) However, Romans 2:12-16 holds some secrets to the answer: “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” The mystery of God’s “choosing” does not and cannot contradict the established principles of law and justice that are inherent in His nature. It seems to me that the Spirit of God moves upon the hearts and minds of people throughout the entire world with His job description listed in John 16:8-11, looking for those whose hearts have been searching for answers to life’s issues because their conscience has been stirred with the presence of that imbedded law of God therein. Was that how Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord? Is that how you “found” that unmerited favor of God? John 6:29 says: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” We have seen earlier that “by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,” so the choosing is an inseparable combination of wooing and nudging of the Holy Spirit, the drawing pull of God (see John 6:44 and its preceding context from verse 37), and man’s responding in time, but overshadowed by an eternal God of foreknowledge and predestination. Remember the inquiry that came to Saul of Tarsus while on his way to Damascus, recorded in Acts 9:5, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Earlier, at the stoning of Stephen, “…the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58), apparently for the purpose of stoning Stephen. So Saul stood by, hearing Stephen’s testimony and watching them stone him to his death. In my own experience over 58 years ago, I saw the love and peace in the lives of a Christian family, and I wanted what they had. And, I said, “Yes” when asked if I wanted to accept Christ as my personal Savior. Trying as hard as I could, there was no breaking through that narrow gate of faith for me…until a verse of Scripture I was pondering showed me that I was an ungodly sinner before God, and Jesus was hanging on that cross for me that day, so many centuries ago. That verse was Romans 5:6: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Not me only, but everyone must know that he has sinned against God, not just for what he has done, or will do, but for who he is; otherwise there can be no true repentance nor salvation. The truth of Romans 10:17 is vividly shown in this account: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That Word of God is the tool of the Holy Spirit. It is an intriguing revelation in Psalm 139 that God is always very close by and relentless in His desire for our repentance and turning to Him. The psalmist writes, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10). Even at the point of conception God is there and looks forward to that new person’s life in time: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb… my frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13, 15-16). With that kind of oversight and pinpointed, intense interest in every person (For God so loved the world…), how is it that so many obstruct the work of God in their lives, harden their consciences, and reject His call for their repentance? The Scripture does not say, flippantly, in 2 Peter 3:9, “…God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The forgiveness is available, said often and in so many ways. Yet, that expression of faith must come from a repenting sinner: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). So, believing in Jesus is the operative phrase throughout the New Testament, and even that is the work of God in us! Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com

I LOVE HIS WORD

Job 23:12 Viewing the King James Version. Click to switch to 1611 King James Version of Job 23:12. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Verse of the day

Verse of the Day Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on email Listen to this chapter Subscribe to the Verse of the Day In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Psalm 56:4 KJV

Vanished

VANISHED-TAKEN-CAUGHT AWAY-ESCAPE: BEFORE THEE TIME OF INDIGNATION-WRATH-TEMPTATION-DECREE BRING FORTH March 12, 2012 at 8:39am MICAH 7:2 The good man is VANISHED OUT OF THE EARTH...ISAIAH 57:1 THE RIGHTEOUS VANISHETH, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are TAKEN AWAY, none considering that the righteous is TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO COME...ISAIAH 26:19-21 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they ARISE. AWAKE and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my ppl, ENTER into THY CHAMBERS, and SHUT THY DOORS about thee: HIDE thyself as it were for a little moment, UNTIL THE INDIGNATION BE OVERPAST. For, behold, the Lord COMETH OUT OF HIS PLACE TO PUNISH THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH FOR THEIR INIQUITY: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain...MATTHEW 25:1-2,10 THEN SHALL the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the BRIDEGROOM (JESUS). And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. And while they (foolish virgins-lukewarm-foolish christians) went to buy, the BRIDEGROOM (JESUS) came; and they (wise virgins-wise christians-bride) that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the DOOR WAS SHUT...ISAIAH 54:5 For thy maker is thine HUSBAND; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called... ZEPHANIAH 2:1-3 GOD'S JUDGMENT ON THE NATIONS: GATHER YOURSELVES together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired. BEFORE THE DECREE BRING FORTH, BEFORE the day pass as the chaff, BEFORE THE FIERCE ANGER OF THE LORD COME UPON YOU, BEFORE the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have WROUGHT HIS JUDGMENT; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be YE shall be HID IN THE DAY (time) OF THE LORD'S ANGER...PSALM 27:5 For in THE TIME (not a time, not during times of trouble, but THEE TIME OF TROUBLE) OF TROUBLE HE shall HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION: IN THE SECRET OF HIS TABERNACLE shall HE HIDE ME...PSALM 19:4-6 In them hath he set a TABERNACLE for the sun, Which is as a BRIDEGROOM COMING OUT OF HIS CHAMBER, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the HUSBANDMAN waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until HE RECEIVE the early and latter rain... II THESSALONIANS 2:3,7-8 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come THE DEPARTURE (rapture-harpazo-taken-CATCHING AWAY-translation) FIRST, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE who letteth will let, UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. And then shall that Wicked be revealed...1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18 For the Lord HIMSELF (no mention of angels-just the Lord himself) shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel (no mention of angels-just the voice of the archangel), and with the trump of God (no mention of 7th trumpet of Rev. nor a trumpet, but the trump of God): and the dead in Christ shall RISE first: Then WE WHICH ARE ALIVE and remain shall be CAUGHT UP (rapture-taken-departure-harpazo-translation-vanished) with them in the CLOUDS (AIR, no mention of angels-no mention of the earth-no mention of Jerusalem-no mention of all the tribes of the earth mourning-no mention of all seeing this event-no mention of the Lord and the angels gathering all his elect from the 4-corners of HEAVEN) to meet the Lord in the AIR: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore COMFORT (not discourage) ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS... 1 THESSALONIANS 5:2-4 For yourselves know perfectly that the DAY OF THE LORD so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then SUDDEN (instant) DESTRUCTION COMETH UPON THEM, as travail upon a woman with child; and THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE. But ye, brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief...JOHN 14:1-3 LET NOT your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL ALSO COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF; THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO...1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-53 Behold, I shew you a MYSTERY; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, at the last trump (not 7th trumpet of Rev.-not a trumpet, but the last trump as in hebraic concept as the trump of God and last trump): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be RAISED incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on INCORRUPTION (not possibility to sin anymore), and this mortal must put on IMMORTALITY (no possibility to die)... REVELATION 3 MESSAGES TO THE 7-CHURCHES: REVELATION 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I (the Lord) will KEEP THEE FROM (not through) the time (thee TIME of Temptation, not a time of temptation-not temptations in general), of temptation which shall come upon ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL ON THE EARTH...LUKE 21:32,35-36 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. For as a SNARE shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. WATCH ye therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS, that YE may BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY to ESCAPE ALL (not some) these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Malachi 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make my jewels; and I SPARE THEM, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Noah (10th after Adam), his family (8-total souls), and the chosen creatures-animals were SPARED on the ARK during the judgment-Wrath-FLOOD. They were SPARED-protected inside the ARK-way above the earth-on top of the water, while the judgment-Wrath-FLOOD on the wicked inhabitants on the earth in the year-1656 after the Creation (over 4300-yrs. ago). Just as JESUS SPARES-takes-raptures-catches away-departs-vanishes us (saved-repentful/born-again believers to the chambers-tabernacles of heaven) from the 7-yrs. of Indignation-Wrath-judgment-Trib.-70th week of Years Period of judgments. This is biblical-hebraic-kept in context truth-the way the scriptures were written and meant in its original language-with no contradictions. We're in the final biblical generation of the Age, and the Lord JESUS (Bridegroom-Husbandman-Sun of righteousness) is coming for His saved-repentful/born-again believers-spiritual bride very soon...on the-day-hour-moment the Lord alone knows. COMFORT one another with these words of truth!

Rapture

Jude 1:6 King James Version (KJV) 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day

PERSISTENCE IS HIS WAY

You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t have persistence, you’ll never bring it out. Without persistence, you’ll never see all that God has in store for you. Galatians 6 puts it this way: “Do not grow weary in well doing for in due season you will reap a harvest.” That’s persistence. It means there is some effort involved, but God will reward your effort with success! When I think of persistence, I think of my husband. Joel Osteen is one of the most diligent and persistent people on the planet! Years ago, he didn’t know he would be a preacher. He didn’t know he would a best-selling author. He didn’t know all that God had deposited within him. But he stayed faithful with what he had in his hand. He was persistent, and that persistence paid off. Imagine if Joel would have given up. Imagine if he would have listened to the critics. Think of all the hundreds of thousands of people who would not have heard the good news! Now, think of all the people that God has in your future—the people God wants you to reach. Those people need your persistence. They need you to forge ahead. The thing is that God is not asking you to bring your own victory. He’s not asking you to bring your own progress. He’s simply asking you to not give up! He’s simply asking you to stay in the game. He’s simply saying, “Don’t quit! Don’t faint! Don’t lose ground!” Anytime you feel tempted to quit because you don’t think you are getting anywhere, remember that oftentimes, we grow in the unseen realm before we grow in the seen realm. We grow spiritually, we grow emotionally, we increase in wisdom and maturity before those doors of opportunity open before us. Don’t ever get tired of learning the lessons. Sometimes we have to learn the same ones over and over, but when it sticks, that’s when we are equipped to grow to another level. Remember, you can’t fail if you don’t quit! Stay in the process because your due season of harvest is on the way. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence! “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NIV)

RAPTURE

ames Bible Online FIND A BIBLE VERSE Chapter: Bible Index Bible Verses About The Rapture Bible verses related to The Rapture from the King James Version (KJV) by Book Order - Sort By Relevance Genesis 3:1 - Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Jeremiah 4:23-27 - I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light. (Read More...) Jeremiah 5:30-31 - A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; (Read More...) Daniel 7:8 - I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Daniel 9:24-27 - 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. (Read More...) Daniel 9:24 - 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. Daniel 9:25 - 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. Daniel 9:27 - 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. Daniel 11:31 - And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 12:1 - And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:7 - And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished. Daniel 12:11 - And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Amos 3:7 - Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Matthew 13:30 - Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:39 - The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Matthew 24:1-51 - And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple. (Read More...) Matthew 24:21 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:22 - And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:27 - For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:30 - And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:31 - And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:42 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 25:1-13 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (Read More...) Matthew 26:64 - Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 13:9 - But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. Mark 13:24-27 - But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (Read More...) Mark 13:32-37 - But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (Read More...) Mark 13:32 - But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Luke 12:40 - Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Luke 18:8 - I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 21:16 - And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death. Luke 21:34-36 - And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. (Read More...) Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 14:2 - In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. 1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 15:52 - In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 - And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1 Thessalonians 4:17 - Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 - For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Titus 2:13 - Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Hebrews 2:14 - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; James 1:12 - Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Revelation 1:1-20 - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: (Read More...) Revelation 1:7 - Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 2:1-29 - Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; (Read More...) Revelation 3:10 - Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Revelation 4:1 - After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Revelation 6:1-17 - And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (Read More...) Revelation 6:16 - And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Revelation 7:1-17 - And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (Read More...) Revelation 7:3 - Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:13 - And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? Revelation 7:14 - And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 9:5 - And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. Revelation 11:2 - But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months. Revelation 11:3 - And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Revelation 12:1-17 - And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (Read More...) Revelation 12:3 - And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. Revelation 12:14 - 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. Revelation 13:1-18 - And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Read More...) Revelation 13:1 - And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Revelation 13:8 - And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 15:2 - And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Revelation 17:1-18 - And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Read More...) Revelation 17:8 - The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Revelation 19:11-21 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Read More...) Revelation 20:2-5 - And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Read More...) Revelation 20:4 - And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-5 - And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Read More...) Revelation 22:16 - I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.

Biblical Last Days

http://www.seekingtruth.co.uk/end_times.htm Powered by Translate Bible End Time Prophecy - The Biblical Last Days Jesus confirmed that there wil be a definite end to the present age when He told us to watch for certain signs. Bible prophecy adds many more signs to give a comprehensive view of the state of the world just before Christ returns. This topic is widely debated with various interpretations of prophecy. Here we take a common interpretation that is not in conflict with historical events, or with observed events (reality) in today's world. Summary of Major End Time Signs increasing spiritual darkness across all nations widespread lawlessness increasing famines and plagues increasing persecution of Christians and Jews the return of the Jews to the land of Israel and the re-birth of Israel a false (apostate) church the sudden and miraculous removal of the true church from the earth a godless and ruthless world government with total control over individuals a godless and blasphemous world dictator a seven-year Peace Treaty with Israel, which is then broken mid-term a purely electronic i.e. cashless trading system, with the insertion of an 'ID' on individuals a global financial-economic crash a possible Islamic invasion of Israel, followed by an 'all-nation' invasion of Israel (Armageddon) God's judgement upon nations: cataclysmic events such as severe weather and severe earthquakes Interpreting Bible Prophecy Any prophecy is subject to various interpretations since, as scripture says, we are 'looking through smoked glass' - God has not revealed all the details. However, He has given believers His Spirit to guide them to the truth on such issues (John 14.26). For an End Time or Last Days view to be true it must agree with knowledge i.e. established fact. It must agree with both historical fact and present-day reality - what is observed. The interpretation must also be consistent with many Bible scriptures. Daniel's Prophecy The Old Testament book of Daniel contains one of the most significant and intriguing prophecies of the Bible: "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make an atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place" (Dan 9.24) This prophecy first defines a timeline (70 'weeks') for some of the most significant events in history. It is widely accepted that one 'week' refers to a period of 7 (Old Testament) years. The prophecy then refers to the Jews (Daniel's people) and to Jerusalem ('your holy city'). The final part of the prophecy refers to the plan of salvation for all mankind. It spans from Old Testament times to the time of Christ, or to the Second Coming of Christ, depending upon how we interpret the prophecy. The prophecy is then expanded in Dan 9.25-27. One interpretation of Dan 9.24-27 (which fits observed facts extremely well) takes the present age to lie between week 69 and week 70. Week 70 is still future but, prophetically speaking, very close. Some who adhere to this interpretation believe that the true church will be removed from the earth around the start of week 70. Others believe the true church will be removed 'mid-week' or at the end of week 70. Either way, world events will get dramatic just before the end, especially during week 70. Daniel says the world will see a crushing world government led by a godless world dictator who will persecute Israel in particular. Atheist Investigates Daniel Heard of The Daniel Project? The Daniel Project is a genuine investigative documentary that puts Daniel's prophecies under a journalistic microscope. Presenter and self-confessed atheist Jeremy Hitchen accepts the challenge to investigate the plausibility of such prophecies. The film looks into end time prophecies of rapidly expanding travel and knowledge, a world leader, electronic ID, severe weather events, the restoration of Israel, Middle East war and much more. By examining observable evidence (reality) it finds that prophecies appear to be unfolding one after the other with astonishing accuracy. Over 100 prophesied end time events have already occurred. Is the world as we know it rapidly coming to an end? Warning: this film may change your worldview! See Trailer Big Issues Facing Mankind Many observe the state of the world and ask 'where is it all leading? They see rapid population growth (estimated to be 9.6 billion by 2050) which will put pressure on food, fuel, water and land. They also see less social and financial stability. And then there is the problem of climate change ... more ... HOME END TIMES & PROPHECY End Times - Summary End Time Signs World Government World Church The True End Time Church Electronic ID - Human Implants Lawlessness Middle East War Israel - its Purpose Arab-Israeli Conflict European Union Equality Law & End Times Roman Catholicism - Babylon? Climate Change - IPCC Climate Change - Hoax Prophecy Coming True God Judging Nations Second Coming of Christ End Times - Indepth Study End Times - The Millennium APOLOGETICS Apologetics - Summary Truth - What is it? Truth - The Source Pluralism - Ways to God Entry to Heaven After Death - What? Israel Israel's Legal Borders Israel Goods Boycott The Palestinian Problem Political Correctness Reality - Verify the Bible Morality & Ethics Age of the Earth Biblical Dating of Earth Young Earth Creationism Dawkins Delusion Atheism is Illogical Evolution - the Truth It's God's Weather Homosexuality Same-Sex Marriage A Hurting World Religion Is Bad News THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Steps You Should Take Gifts For You Promises For You Seeking God Adam: real or symbolic? The Persecuted Church Marriage Healing Healing Guidelines False Prophets Authority in Christ Christian Belief The Trinity Bible Origin Bible Numbers The Millennium Browse the Bible God is Shaking the Nations After 6,000 years of steady human progression, the global scenario suddenly seems far less certain. From many aspects, life as we have known it suddenly looks threatened. We see demographic, climatic, environmental, financial, social and political instability. We are even aware of asteroid impact link! The Bible refers to time epochs for this earth; one age comes to an end and another starts. Scholars of Bible prophecy interpret what we are observing as signs of "the end of the age". Referring to the very end of this age, just before Christ returns to Earth (Mat 24.29), God says: "Once more ... I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations ..." (Hag 2.6,7) What we observe today appears to be the start of this shaking. But, no matter what happens, there is hope for those who trust in Jesus. For these believers Jesus promises "an age to come, and eternal life" (Mk 10.30). Hebrew End Time Dating The concept of an end to the present age was readily accepted by Jesus (Mat 24.3). It is also embedded in Hebrew belief, which claims that we are now very near the end of the age. Consider our Gregorian (or civil) calendar year 2012 AD; this corresponds to the Jewish calendar year link 5772 - dated from Adam and the Creation c4000 BC (see also 'A Young Earth' link). Correcting for dating error link in the OT and for the difference between lunar years (Jewish calendar) and solar years (Gregorian calendar) we should add some 240 years to 5772 over a rough 6,000 year period, giving 6012. In other words, some believe 2012 AD actually corresponds to Jewish year 6012. Clearly, this is an approximate calculation! But the significant point is that when the Jewish calendar approaches 6000, Jews believe from the Talmud link (a collection of Jewish laws and traditions) that the world as we know it will end. Jews believe human government will last just 6,000 years and after that they expect Mashiach link - a great political and military leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). Christians believe it is Jesus Christ who returns at this time. Thereafter, many Jews and Christians believe that the earth will experience a 'Sabbatical Millennium' - a new time epoch. Clearly, whatever the exact dating, the world is very close to the end of this age. End Time Signs in the Bible Here we adopt one particular (but common) interpretation of prophecy which is consistent with many scriptures and which seems to explain current world events. The latter point is particularly important because other interpretations fail to accommodate current world events i.e they cannot explain reality. The interpretation assumes that Daniel's prophecy starts from the rebuilding of Jerusalem c445 BC and that the 69th week ends around the time of the crucifixion of Christ (Dan 9.25). There is then an unspecified time period between week 69 and week 70 (Dan 9.26,27). In other words, week 70 is seen as still future, but on an historical scale, very close. The significant point is that, according to the Bible, the events leading up to the 70th week, and in particular the 7-year period itself, are dramatic. In the following sections we highlight end time (last days) prophecies and follow each one by related observations on the world (no attempt is made to attach any time sequence to these prophecies). Worldwide Spiritual Darkness "darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people" (Isa 60.2) Sadly, the governments of many 'Christianised' nations are steadily abandoning biblical truth. Absolute biblical truth on morality link is now replaced by humanistic 'equality' legislation, and the biblical concept of creation is treated as a myth and evolutionary theory treated as fact link. Most institutionised western churches are in decline and biblical faith is being replaced by eastern religions, or no faith at all. The west is being dominated by Satanic blackness - humanism, multiculturalism, relativism, evolutionism, religious pluralism and political correctness link, link. Worldwide Pollution "The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants" (Isa 24.5) There is increasing danger from nuclear and chemical pollution. Examples: 1984: the Bhopal disaster in India was the world's worst chemical disaster. Today in Bhopal, more than 100,000 people remain chronically ill link, and there are over 6,000 high-risk chemical sites across the U.S. link. 1986: an area some 80 km x 80 km around the Chernobyl nuclear plant is still an exclusion zone due to soil pollution by Caesium 137. This was the world's worst nuclear accident and was caused by human error link. Large-scale Soviet nuclear tests, dumping of spent fuel and two scuttled nuclear-powered submarines are a major source of pollution in the Arctic ocean link. 2010: lung cancer resulting from air pollution took the lives of 223,000 people worldwide link. Air pollution now kills more people than AIDS and malaria combined link. 2011: contamination from the Fukushima nuclear disaster link affected an area nearly as big as Cyprus and included some 6,500 villages. Water samples from the Western Pacific region show radioactive Caesium 137 and 134, as well as Strontium 90 link. 2013: air pollution in China reached crisis levels. In the city of Harbin, levels of PM2.5 (the fine air born particulate matter that poses a great risk to human health) reached 40 times the levels tolerated by the WHO link. Carbon monoxide pollution Image source: NASA Earth Observatory, see archive The above image shows the average global concentrations of tropospheric carbon monoxide during March 2013. It reached 300 ppbv over China. In the UK, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emmissions from 30 million vehicles is a major problem. Air pollution fatalities now exceed traffic fatalities 3:1 [Earth Policy Institute]. The view from space is becoming marred by smoke and dust [NASA]. Mercury pollution (from coal-fired power stations) is a huge threat to health [UN]. Knowledge and Travel Increase "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Mat 24.12) Weather satellite Image : Weather satellite Over the past 100 years or so we see an amazing increase in knowledge: In technoloy: satellite communications, radar, motion pictures, recording, TV, telecommunications, cell phones, the internet, electron microscopes, computers, EFTPOS, nuclear power, solar power, fuel injection, jet aircraft ... In medical science: MRI scans, ultrasound, pacemakers, radiotherapy, IVF, artificial hearts, DNA, organ transplants, vaccines against major killers (typhoid, cholera, polio, smallpox)... The US saw a 14-fold reduction in death from infectious disease over the 20th century [University of Maryland]. In space science: rockets, satellites, spaceships, space stations, radio telescopes. NASA has developed technologies that benefit society in health and medicine, transportation, public safety, consumer goods, environmental and agricultural resources, computer technology and industrial productivity. Inventions: US Patents: 1900-1920: 25,000 , 1995-1998: 150,000 [University of Maryland]. Boeing 737 Boeing 737. Image: Copyright-free-photos Annual air travel in the US: 1950: less than 100 miles/person, 1978: 1000 miles/person, 2000: 1500 miles/person. 100 years ago commercial air travel was unheard of; now there are typically 100,000 commercial flights each day! Worldwide, air travel is projected to grow by 5% annually until 2015 [IPCC]. Aircraft fuel consumption: 130 million tonnes in 1992, increasing to 450 million tonnes by 2050. Tourism is the world's largest industry: annual revenue of $500 billion, and is one of the major sources of foreign exchange in 83% of countries. International tourism: 1950: 25m , 2003: 693m , 2020: 1.6 billion [WTO]. Famines and Pandemics "there will be famines and pestilences" (Lk 21.11) Famine is one of the seven seals of judgement of God, and is symbolised by a shortage of wheat and barley in Rev 6.6. Already about 1 in 8 people are already suffering from chronic undernourishment link, and global warming studies estimate that half of the world's population could face severe food shortages by the end of this century link. In Lk 21.11 the Greek word translated 'pestilences' means any sudden fatal epidemic. Epidemics that span across international boundaries are called pandemics. In 1918 the Spanish Flu pandemic killed over 50 million people link. Since then the world has seen SARS, the avian flu pandemic in 2007, and the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic from Mexico in 2009. An increase in pandemics is expected, partly due to increase in air travel. False Christs and Cults "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many" (Mat 24.5,11) Over the past 2000 years there have been dozens of people who have claimed to be the prophesied Christ, or a Messiah under the umbrella of Christianity. To name a few: Aldebert (8th century) Tanchelm of Antwerp (c1110) Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1892-1975) Sun Myung Moon (born 1920) Inri Cristo (born 1948) David Koresh (1959-1993) Worldwide proclamation of the Gospel "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world ... and then the end will come" (Mat 24.14) The Bible describes End Time events Parts of the Bible are now available in more than 2,400 languages, covering some 98% of the world's population link, and this message is available worldwide using various technologies: Local AM and FM radio in towns and cities International shortwave Christian radio, such as HCJB and FEBC Satellite platforms carrying Christian radio and TV The Internet Today some 33% of the world population call themselves 'Christian'. During the 20th century the number of Christians in Africa, Asia and Latin America increased ten-fold, and today Asia has the fastest-growing churches in the world link. Sadly, much of the western world, particulary Europe, is often regarded as post-Christian. Increased Lawlessness "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold" (Mat 24.12) 9/11 - worst ever act of terrorism The 9/11 attack 9/11 was the worst ever act of terrorism. Recorded annual offences in England and Wales: 1920: 0.1m , 1950: 0.5m , 1980: 2.5m , 2005: 10.8m [link]. Total recorded crime in England and Wales in 2009 was about 5,000% above the 1900 level [NCRS]. Aggravated assult per 100,000 people in the USA: 1957: 60 , 1992: 440 [FBI]. For 2000-2009, terrorist attacks against Americans show over 900% increase on 1970-79 levels [link]. Each day 135,000 American children bring a gun to school. Fatal terrorist attacks worldwide: 1972: 200 , 1982: 1000 , 1992: 2000 , 2002: 600 , 2007: 2000 [link] Persecution of Christians "They will lay their hands on you and will persecute you" (Lk 21.12-19) Support 'Release International' Although Christians have been persecuted for 2,000 years, they are now the most persecuted religious group in the world link. Some 26 million Christians were martyred during the 20th century - more than the combined total of all previous centuries. Today, one Christian is killed every 11 minutes! The 10-40 Window: Today much of the persecution occurs in the 10-40 window link (from West Africa and across Asia) where religious liberty is restricted. There are 1.6 billion Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists living in this window link, and in some countries the Church has almost been eliminated as a result of Islamic or atheistic oppression. Westernised Nations: A more subtle form of persecution is now occurring in secular Europe due to EU Equality Directives link - which are void of biblical morality. In the UK for example, Christians are losing employment under Equality Law for simply holding to their Christian ethos in the workplace link. In both the USA and Europe, persecution is growing via the media, entertainment industry, educational authorities, and the police. Eamples worldwide: 1998: 500 Christian churches burned down in Java. 2000: 800 homes and stores owned by Christians destroyed in Poso, Central Sulawesi. 2005: 175,000 Christians were martyred worldwide [Int. Journal of Missionary Research]. 2008: 200 million Christians worldwide in danger of being tortured, persecuted, or killed [Idea, EA]. 2010: Nigerian Christians suffered terror from Muslim extremists. Whole village massacred In China, 60-100 million risk their lives and liberty to worship in underground house churches [Focus on the Family]. Sudden Removal of the True Church Many evangelical Christians believe in the sudden and miraculous removal of the true church from the earth: "Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken the other left" (Mat 24.40,41) The context in Mat 24 is of people working and living normally until something totally unexpected and supernatural happens. Although many dispute this concept link, there is strong justification for such a prophetic interpretation link. A Godless World Government A godless and ruthless world government link with total control over individuals: "and the fourth kindgom shall be as strong as iron ... and crush all others" (Dan 2.40)(Rev 13.1) and a godless and blasphemous world dictator link: "he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God" (Rev 13.6) Albert Einstein said: "There is no solution for civilization or even the human race, other than the creation of world government". By this he inferred that all humankind should be united under one common political authority. Today, many organisations are working towards World Government e.g. NATO, the UN, the IMF, the Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission, the Club of Rome, the Illuminati, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Council of Churches link. A False World Church A false (apostate) world church is emerging link "I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast ... and on her forehead a name written 'Babylon the Great'" (Rev 17.5) Many see this being formed via the Ecumenical Movement and headed by the Roman Catholic church. And, like Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, Bunyan, Huss, Knox, Edwards and Wesley, many identify the Papacy with the Antichrist in Rev 13. Electronic ID for Trading "And he causes all ... to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead ... and no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark ..." (Rev 13.16,17) Cards and Biometrics: Cashless transactions via magnetic-stripe cards were introduced in the 1980's. Today 'chip and PIN' cards are widespread. But cards can be lost or stolen and a way of avoiding this is to link a person's identity to their physical characteristics (Biometrics) - such as fingerprint identification and iris recognition. Whilst the International Biometrics Group link envisaged annual biometric revenue to be $10 billion by 2014, biometric techniques are not 100% accurate. Clearly, a method of identifying each person by number seems less prone to error. RFID: A seemingly attractive trading system would be to number each individual and then detect their number remotely when automatic payment is required. Current technology uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips or tags link, link. An RFID chip An electronic RFID 'tag'. It is the size of a grain of rice and is human implantable. These low-cost chips (the size of a grain of rice) are used to tag animals, but they could also be embedded in people. A scanner energises the chip, which then returns a radio signal containing the person's ID number, which in turn is fed to a computer database. An example of this technology was 'VeriChip' from Applied Digital Solutions. Its marketing was discontinued in 2010, possibly for privacy, health and social reasons (the ability to remotely scan personal data could be a security risk). The most suitable location on a human being would be in the hand or forehead. Clearly, this technology is only a short step from the technology described in Revelation 13. Sudden Worldwide Financial Collapse "the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn ... for no one buys their merchandise anymore ... in one hour such great riches came to nothing" (Rev 18.11,17) The global government (public) debt is rapidly increasing link, leading to sudden global financial meltdown link. "You will never foresee these things - the system is ultimately just too complicated for anybody to really understand" [Martin Wolf, Financial Times, London] link. Extreme Weather "The inhabitants of the earth are burned ... men were scorched with fierce heat" (Isa 24.6, Rev 16.8,9,21) "Climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today" [Sir David King, UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor] Whilst this statement is based on disputed IPCC data link the fact remains that over the last century the climate warmed significantly, by about 0.8°C [NASA]. Severe Storms: Increased temperature brings increased storm severity, and hurricane forecast models link indicate a tendency for more intense hurricanes due to increased energy obtained from warmer seas [RealClimate]. Since the 1970's there has been a marked increase in the intensity and duration of tropical storms, including North American hurricanes. The number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes has nearly doubled since 1970 [MIT]. So, if there is further warming, the world can expect increased storm activity: "There will be ... dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves" (Lk 21.5) Increased Drought: "The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers" (Isa 24.1-4) The area of the earth's surface affected by drought has more than doubled since the 1970's [Nat. Geographic]. Lake Chad in Africa has shrunk to 5% of its size in the 1960's [Nat. Geographic] Partly due to over-exploitation of groundwater, water tables are falling on every continent: 1.5m/yr in China, 1-3m/yr in India. New wells for Beijing now have to reach 1,000 meters [Executive Intelligence Review]. Two out of every three people will be short of water by 2025 [WWI & Tearfund]. Increased aridity may be an natural response to climate warming [The Earth Institue]. Severe Earthquakes "there will be great earthquakes" (Lk 21.11) According to the USGS link, the world experiences about 50 earthquakes each day and can expect about 17 major earthquakes in any given year. "And there was a great earthquake ... and the cities of the nations fell." (Rev 16.18,19) An earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter Scale can totally destroy communities near the epicenter link. Recent Earthquake Data Asteroid Impact "And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea ... and a third of the ships were destroyed" (Rev 8.8,9) Asteroid This appears to be a biblical description of a future major asteroid impact in the sea, and, clearly, such an impact will generate a huge tsunami link. Jesus Himself told us to watch for 'signs in the stars' (Lk 21.25). Asteroid impact is certainly a reality. A Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) has the potential to make close approaches to the Earth and a size large enough to cause significant damage in the event of impact. By March 2014 there were some 1,458 known PHAs link. It only needs one to hit! On 15 February 2013, an asteroid some 45 m in diameter passed the Earth at a distance of just 27,700 km. This is nearer than a geostationary satellite! On 11 March 2014, asteroid CU13, some 190 m wide, passed earth at a distance of 3 million km. A potentially catastrophic asteroid some 410 m wide link has a slim chance that it will impact Earth in 2032, creating a blast 50 times greater than the biggest nuclear bomb. When faced with a potential impact, Americans are advised to 'pray' [Charles Bolden, NASA administrator, March 2013]. Israel - the Nation and the Land "I will take the children of Israel from among the nations ... and bring them into their own land" (Ezek 37.21) By 586 BC the whole of the nation of Israel link had been exiled and scattered amongst the nations. But the Bible predicts that one day Israel will return to her promised land: In the last days, Israel will be gathered from many nations, from the north, south, east and west (Isa 43.6)(Ps 107.3) Israel will be placed in her own land (Ezek 37.12,14) Jerusalem will be placed under Jewish rule (Lk 21.24) The western wall in Jerusalem Western Wall, Jerusalem. Copyright: Free Photos This has been born out in recent history: 1882: first wave of emigration (first 'Aliyah or ascent) to Palestine, particularly from Russia and Romania 1917: General Allenby liberated Jerusalem from the Turks, giving Jews access to the city 1948: State of Israel established, David Ben Gurion became the first Prime Minister 1950: Law of return passed by Israel's Parliament - opening Israel to Jews from over 60 countries 1967: Jersualem came under Jewish rule Israel's Population: 1900: 0.5m, 2012: 7.9m (a 1500% increase since 1900) The Bible also predicts that Israel will have increasing wealth and prosperity (Isa 60.5,17) link. This too is coming true. Today, Israel is particularly advanced in hi-tech industries such as computer science, electronics, genetics, medicine, optics and solar energy. She mines natural gas, potash, magnesium, copper, gold and phosphates. New natural gas finds link could supply Israel for more than 20 years. She also has highly developed banking, health, and University systems. Between 1990 and 2000 Israel's forest area increased by 61%, compared to a world change of -2% [Earth Trends 2003]. Israel's agriculture produces apples, pears, peaches, apricots, bananas, mangoes, dates, olives, grapes etc., and it is well known that Israel has a powerful, technically advanced defence force link. War Against Israel War on Israel "I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem" (Zech 14.2) It is well known that Israel is hated by her neighbours: "The battle has come in which we shall destroy Israel" [President of Egypt, 1967] "Our goal is clear - to wipe Israel off the map" [President of Iraq, 1967] "Israel should be eliminated from the pages of history" [President of Iran, 2006] "Israel is a cancerous tumour that should be cut and will be cut" [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 2012] Many Christians see an Islamic invasion of Israel link, followed by an 'all-nation' invasion of Israel (Armageddon). The following video graphically illustrates many of the above end time signs: The End of the Age and the Return of Jesus Christ Jesus said: "When you see all these things (the end time signs), know that it (the Second Coming of Christ) is near - at the doors!" (Mat 24.33) Entry to heaven through Christ The destruction of the end time World Government link and the judgement of the nations is immediately followed by the return of Jesus Christ to earth link - His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. Many prophecies then point to a 'millennial' age on this earth, where the world is at peace, justice is established, and Christ rules the nations from Jerusalem: "And the LORD shall be King over all the earth." (Zech 14.9)

Verse of the day

Verse of the Day Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on email Listen to this chapter Subscribe to the Verse of the Day But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24 KJV

Brain Toxins

RAIN TOXINS--AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR LIFE AND THINKING---TO COMPLETELY REMOVE BRAIN TOXINS WITH NO RESIDUALS OR SIDE EFFECTS FOLLOW THIS:Philippians 2:5 King James Version (KJV) 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 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. Romans 8:1-39 - [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Hebrews 11:6 - But 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. Philippians 4:8 King James Version (KJV) 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. THESE APPLICATIONS APPLIED ON A DAILY BASIS IS A PERFECT REMEDY FOR BRAIN TOXINS BE BLESSED IN THE MASTERS SERVICE FAITH WALKER

DAYS OF NOAH

Our Days Equal Noah’s Day By Howard Green What if you turned on the Weather Channel this morning and the forecast called for a 100% chance of heavy rain....how would you prepare? You would probably wear your rain coat, hat, and maybe boots or shoe covers. Away from the crowds, the disciples asked Jesus the one million dollar question in Matthew 24:3: “Tell us when will these things will be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age?” Jesus described in great detail what signs we should be on the lookout for. There is one sentence in which he gave us a bright neon warning sign of his soon return: Matthew 24:37: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus’ very own words tell us in vivid detail that the days just prior to His coming will be just like Noah's day. Most people who have even a passing knowledge of Scripture have heard the account of the great flood. Noah was a righteous godly man living in a very godless society. In fact, this godlessness was so rampant that it filled the earth. Every intent of the human heart was evil, and violence was everywhere. God’s heart was grieved and sorrowful because of the people He created had turned to great wickedness. The ark took a long time to build and every decade that passed during its construction was a warning to the people around the huge boat being built in the desert. The forecast was rain and God's judgment. The preparation would have been repentance, walking with God as Noah did, and getting into the ark while the door was open. I’ll touch more on the open door later, but let’s look closer at the conditions of Noah’s day. Violence filled the earth; men were corrupt, the human heart was filled with evil, and even the thoughts and intentions were evil. The Bible mentions violence as a defining trait of Noah's time. It was truly a dark time to be living on the earth. Let’s look across the span of human history. If we are looking for a day that looks like Noah’s, then we must scan history to see if we have a positive match. It’s fair to say that every generation has had its share of corruption, violence, and evil. No era of human history has been left untouched from the scourge of darkness. There was the Roman Empire, the crusades, the Dark Ages, World War I, World War II, the evil holocaust, Mao, Pol Pot, Rwanda, the Balkans, and terrorism. There have been pockets of evil; large areas where great evil was committed and evil leaders have come and gone. Murder, theft, injustice...even these traits have been an unfortunate part of every generation. So where is the distinction? The Bible uses certain words to describe Noah's day, and these words will describe the days just prior to the Lord’s coming. These words are: great, every, and filled. • The Lord saw that the wickedness of Man was great in the earth. • Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was evil. • The earth was corrupt in God’s sight and filled with violence. These words describe the level of depravity in Noah's day and the days we are identifying. Friends, even with all of the evil wrong doings and violence throughout human history, a fair amount of people have always had some sort of moral grounding. The Bible is clearly speaking of a time when evil will be the defining characteristic of people on the earth. Despite the coming time of darkness God will still have people who are faithfully living for Him as Noah did, while most others are living for themselves. We are living in a unique time now. The lines between good and evil are blurred. Behaviors that were once considered unacceptable, abnormal, and just plain deviant are encouraged and even celebrated by a majority of the population now. Kid’s games like baseball and tag are being substituted with Vice City and other violent video games. If reality TV is an indicator of what people find entertaining and the life they long for: the real...reality is that this generation is in trouble. Evil is now being called good and good is being called evil. In centuries past, violent people were run out of town. The perverted person would slink around in darkness from one seedy place to the next. If there was trouble in the school yard, boys would throw a punch, roll around, then usually play a pick-up game later. Now, violence is celebrated. Shows on TV depict the destructive lives of gangsters, the mob, drug lords, and other violent types as glamorous. This is now regular nightly household entertainment. Perversion is everywhere— on billboards, on Super Bowl commercials, and computer screens. What was once considered perversion yesteryear, is today called...men just being men. Violence among young people is rampant. The schoolyard argument has been replaced by stabbings, brutal beatings, and murder. Parents have been observed and filmed “cheering” their child on...very disturbing. There are mobs of angry youth stalking passers-by on the streets to play the “knockout game” which starts and ends with one punch...or death. This so called “game” even targets moms with children, the disabled, and elderly people. What’s worse, much of this vile behavior can be found on videos posted on the Internet for “entertainment.” Every true Christian, any student of history, and anyone who has been alive long enough can see times are much different now and no prior generation has been this depraved on such a wide scale. God’s very existence, the claims of Jesus, and the gospel message are increasingly under fire from the media, Hollywood, and even some so-called...Christians. These same people would never be so bold as to attack the Islamic faith. Christians and the God of the Bible seem to be fair game and the only viable target. Friends, if we aren’t now living in the days Jesus described...we are very close. It is crucial that every believer discerns the times in which we live, and the reason why is obvious if we look at the days of Noah Scripture in context. Jesus is talking to his disciples and believers of today. A few verses later, Jesus says to stay awake, because you do not know on what day (your) Lord is coming. He goes on to talk about the wise and faithful servant found doing his master’s will when he returned. If we look at the time in which we live now, it is looking more and more like Noah’s violent, wicked, and corrupt generation. Since we know the Lord is coming soon, we also know we need to be doing his will. Jesus will judge every believer and test the motive and intent of our work for Him. Christians all over are realizing our time is short. No one knows the day or the hour of the Lord's appearing, but we are getting closer every day. I heard an excellent pastor say this recently: I’m going through life and living in this world as a Christian and I’m feeling more and more like a stranger in exile. (That is the prevailing thought of the believer living for Christ in this generation.) One final thought on the open door: The door of the ark must have remained open for a long time. The people who Noah preached to saw the mammoth construction site day in and day out for years and decades. The ark was wide open for anyone who believed the words of warning the godly man proclaimed. One day without fanfare or notice...the doors shut and the rains came. What followed was a watery hell no one could have imagined just days before. Here we are today and the gospel of Jesus has been preached almost to the point of saturation in the West. Most people have heard the warnings over and over. In Noah’s day they probably said, “Where is the rain...it’s always been this way!” Our time is no different because people say with their lifestyle, attitude, and lack of humility, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:4). Jesus is our Rescuer, our Rock, and our Salvation. If you are a Christian...discern the times. Wake-up and get busy, because we will be held accountable for our short time here. If you don’t know Jesus, please know this: The forecast is: one-hundred-percent that Jesus is coming back. Judgment is coming and God will pour out his anger on everyone who has rejected his free gift of salvation through his Son Jesus who died for our sins. How do you prepare? He is your ark...if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So I’m pleading with you not to rest on your good works, good standing, or good feelings. Only trusting in Jesus will get you into heaven, so repent and put your trust in Him. Time is so short and no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return...but a realistic look at our world confirms it will be soon. Noah would readily identify with our day. All for Him, Howard Green

FALSE TEACHERS

If you are attending church or if anyone is telling you to condone sin to stand with sin to accept sin . They are false. God is clear on sin and it would not be allowed to rule his house and it should not be allowed to take a hold in our lives. God tells us Bad company corrupts good morals. We are to always tell them truth but careful that it never causes us to be tempted to fall with them. WE are to expost false teachings and false teachers.False teachers are free to spread their poisonous doctrines today because there is a conspiracy of silence among many Bible believers. Wolves in sheep's clothing are thus enabled to ravage the flock, thereby destroying many. John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious leaders of his day) "a generation of Vipers" (snakes) (Matt. 3:7). Today, he would be accused of being unloving, unkind, and unchristian. Jesus said to the religious Pharisees, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). To many evangelicals and some fundamentalists, this would be unacceptable language today, but it is biblical language and it came from the mouth of the Son of God. Standing face to face with these false teachers, Jesus Christ the Son of God, called them "hypocrites", "blind guides, " "blind, " "whited sepulchres, " "serpents, " and "ye generation of vipers" (Matt. 23:23-34). Yet, we are told today that we are to fellowship with men whose doctrines are just as unscriptural as those of the Pharisees. Some who say they are Bible believing Christians insist on working with Roman Catholics and other assorted heretics. Yet, according to many, we are not supposed to rebuke them for their compromise. Near the beginning of His ministry, "Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise" (John 2:13-16). Our Saviour is presented today as one who was meek, lowly, kind, and loving, even to false teachers, but this is entirely false. When dealing with false teachers and prophets, His words were sharp and His actions plain. Near the end of His public ministry, Christ found it necessary to cleanse the temple once again. The exposure of false doctrines and practices is a never ending job. At that time He said, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Mark I 1: 17). Is it any different today? The thieves come into the house of God, and rob God's people of the Bible and peddle their perverted Bibles instead. At the same time this den of thieves rob the people off the doctrine of separation and the doctrine of sanctification. Then you can hardly tell God's people from the people of the world. In all honesty, should not these thieves (false teachers) be exposed? We are to TRY them. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4: 1). All doctrine and teachers are to be tried according to the Word of God. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). Every message, messenger, and method is to be judged according to the Word of God. The church at Ephesus was commended because they had "tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars " (Rev. 2:2). The church at Pergamos was rebuked because they tolerated those that held "the doctrine of Balaam, " and "the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate" (Rev. 2:14,15). It is never right to tolerate false teachers, but they are to be tried by the Word of God, and exposed. Of course those who want to disobey the Word of God will seek by every means to avoid this teaching. We are to MARK them and AVOID them. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them " (Rom. 16:17). Those whose conduct and teaching contradicts the Word of God are to be marked and to be avoided. This requires discernment and judgment in the light of the Bible. The ecumenicalists, new evangelicals, and compromising fundamentalists will resist any effort to obey this Scripture. They cannot be marked and avoided, unless they are judged according to the Word of God. We are to REBUKE them. "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith " (Titus 1: 13). This was written to Titus, because there Were those going from house to house and subverting whole houses with false doctrine (v. 10-16). Oral Roberts, Robert Schuller, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson, and others are subverting whole houses with their false doctrine today. Are we to sit silently by, while they do this, without rebuking and admonishing people to avoid their teaching? No, the faithful servant of the Lord is to be "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers " (Titus 1:9). We are to have NO FELLOWSHIP with them. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them " (Eph. 5:11). Reprove means to censure, condemn, find fault, rebuke, and to refute. How can we obey this Scripture unless we try them by the Word of God? We are to WITHDRAW from them. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us " (II Thess. 3:6). We are to withdraw from those whose doctrine and conduct does not conform to the Word of God. The context clearly shows that obedience to sound doctrine is what Paul has in mind, for he says, "if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet, count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (II Thess. 3:14-15). Paul admonished Timothy to "withdraw thyself " from those who "consent not to wholesome words ... and to the doctrine which is according to godliness " (I Tim. 6:3-5). We are to TURN AWAY from them. Concerning the last days, he says that some will have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. from such turn away" for such people are "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (11 Tim. 3:5,7). How can we turn away from them if we do not identify them, and this requires that their message be compared to the Word of God. It is the business of the true preacher to: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine " (II Tim. 4:2). This is usually an unpopular and thankless task but it is the duty of the God-called man. We are NOT to RECEIVE them into our house. "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds " (11 John 10, I 1). There is no doubt about who John is speaking about, it is " Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ... " (v.9). By radio, TV, music and literature, false prophets are brought into the homes of many Christians today. Brethren, this ought not to be! We are to REJECT HERETICS. "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject " (Titus 3: 10). We should reject those who deny redemption by the blood of Christ. There are many who deny this or some other doctrine of the Word of God. If they will not respond to being admonished, then they are to be rejected. We are to look out for those who preach another gospel. Paul warned about those who preached "another Jesus ... another spirit ... or another gospel" (II Cor. 11:4). How can we know them unless we judge their Jesus, their spirit, and their gospel by the Word of God? Paul called such preachers "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" (11 Cor. II: 13). He explains in v. 14-15 that these preachers are the ministers of Satan. The God-called man must be just as faithful today in exposing the ministers of Satan. Paul warned the Galatians about those who "pervert the gospel of Christ." He also said, "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (See Gal. 1:6-9). Multitudes today are preaching a perverted gospel. Those who teach salvation by baptism, or by works, are teaching a perverted gospel. We are to SEPARATE from them. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no the unclean thing; and I will receive you " (II Cor. 6:17). This makes it plain. God's people are to come out of apostasy and religious error. How can any Bible believer remain in the National Council or World Council of Churches? How can they remain among compromising evangelicals and wishy-washy fundamentalists? Many mistakenly believe that it is wrong to expose error and to name the guilty teachers; but they are wrong according to the Bible. Paul named Peter publicly. Peter was guilty of unscriptural practice. "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed ... But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Gal. 2:11-14). The whole issue revolved around salvation by the law or by grace. When the integrity and purity of the gospel is at stake, then we have no choice when it comes to the matter of exposing error and naming names. Paul named Demas for loving the world. "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (II Tim. 4:10). Those who forsake the cause of Christ for worldly living and pleasures should be named and exposed. (Christian Rock!) Paul named Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul told Timothy to "war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some have put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme " (I Tim. 1: 18-20). God's true servants should war a good warfare, and name those who have departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Paul is not here discussing the faith of salvation but the faith as a system of doctrine. These men had made shipwreck of it and Paul exposed them and called their names. Paul named Hymenaeus and Philetus. He told Timothy to "study" that he might be able to "rightly" divide "the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth as canker. of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some " (11 Tim. 2:15-18). False doctrine overthrows the faith of some, so those who are proclaiming it must be exposed. Paul named Alexander the coppersmith. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. the Lord reward him "cording to his works: Of whom be thou ware also, for he hath greatly withstood our words " (II Tim. 4:14-15). It is clear that this is not a personality problem, but a doctrinal problem. Alexander had withstood the words and doctrine of Paul. He was an enemy to the truth. Godly pastors face the same problem every day. They stand and proclaim the truth, then their members go home and hear this truth disputed by radio and TV preachers. Often times these false prophets are sending their publications into the homes of members of true churches. Then the man of God is suppose to keep his mouth shut, according to many. Only a coward will be silent when the truth of the Bible is under attack. John named Diotrephes. "I wrote unto the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not" (III John 9). He related how this man had prated against him "with malicious words " (v. 10). He further said, "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God " (v. I 1). It is not wrong to name those whose doctrine and practice is contrary to the Word of God. In fact, the whole Bible abounds in examples of false prophets being named and exposed. All this modem day talk about love, used as an excuse for not exposing error, is not really biblical love but is really sloppy agape. If your in a church preaching false gospel or listening to one that is not matching the word of God com e out from it, and expose it and do not become lukewarm and follow it to okay what God has said is sin. For you will be accountable. If you are attending church or if anyone is telling you to condone sin to stand with sin to accept sin . They are false. God is clear on sin and it would not be allowed to rule his house and it should not be allowed to take a hold in our lives. God tells us Bad company corrupts good morals. We are to always tell them truth but careful that it never causes us to be tempted to fall with them. WE are to expost false teachings and false teachers.False teachers are free to spread their poisonous doctrines today because there is a conspiracy of silence among many Bible believers. Wolves in sheep's clothing are thus enabled to ravage the flock, thereby destroying many. John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious leaders of his day) "a generation of Vipers" (snakes) (Matt. 3:7). Today, he would be accused of being unloving, unkind, and unchristian. Jesus said to the religious Pharisees, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). To many evangelicals and some fundamentalists, this would be unacceptable language today, but it is biblical language and it came from the mouth of the Son of God. Standing face to face with these false teachers, Jesus Christ the Son of God, called them "hypocrites", "blind guides, " "blind, " "whited sepulchres, " "serpents, " and "ye generation of vipers" (Matt. 23:23-34). Yet, we are told today that we are to fellowship with men whose doctrines are just as unscriptural as those of the Pharisees. Some who say they are Bible believing Christians insist on working with Roman Catholics and other assorted heretics. Yet, according to many, we are not supposed to rebuke them for their compromise. Near the beginning of His ministry, "Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise" (John 2:13-16). Our Saviour is presented today as one who was meek, lowly, kind, and loving, even to false teachers, but this is entirely false. When dealing with false teachers and prophets, His words were sharp and His actions plain. Near the end of His public ministry, Christ found it necessary to cleanse the temple once again. The exposure of false doctrines and practices is a never ending job. At that time He said, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Mark I 1: 17). Is it any different today? The thieves come into the house of God, and rob God's people of the Bible and peddle their perverted Bibles instead. At the same time this den of thieves rob the people off the doctrine of separation and the doctrine of sanctification. Then you can hardly tell God's people from the people of the world. In all honesty, should not these thieves (false teachers) be exposed? We are to TRY them. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4: 1). All doctrine and teachers are to be tried according to the Word of God. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). Every message, messenger, and method is to be judged according to the Word of God. The church at Ephesus was commended because they had "tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars " (Rev. 2:2). The church at Pergamos was rebuked because they tolerated those that held "the doctrine of Balaam, " and "the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate" (Rev. 2:14,15). It is never right to tolerate false teachers, but they are to be tried by the Word of God, and exposed. Of course those who want to disobey the Word of God will seek by every means to avoid this teaching. We are to MARK them and AVOID them. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them " (Rom. 16:17). Those whose conduct and teaching contradicts the Word of God are to be marked and to be avoided. This requires discernment and judgment in the light of the Bible. The ecumenicalists, new evangelicals, and compromising fundamentalists will resist any effort to obey this Scripture. They cannot be marked and avoided, unless they are judged according to the Word of God. We are to REBUKE them. "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith " (Titus 1: 13). This was written to Titus, because there Were those going from house to house and subverting whole houses with false doctrine (v. 10-16). Oral Roberts, Robert Schuller, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson, and others are subverting whole houses with their false doctrine today. Are we to sit silently by, while they do this, without rebuking and admonishing people to avoid their teaching? No, the faithful servant of the Lord is to be "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers " (Titus 1:9). We are to have NO FELLOWSHIP with them. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them " (Eph. 5:11). Reprove means to censure, condemn, find fault, rebuke, and to refute. How can we obey this Scripture unless we try them by the Word of God? We are to WITHDRAW from them. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us " (II Thess. 3:6). We are to withdraw from those whose doctrine and conduct does not conform to the Word of God. The context clearly shows that obedience to sound doctrine is what Paul has in mind, for he says, "if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet, count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (II Thess. 3:14-15). Paul admonished Timothy to "withdraw thyself " from those who "consent not to wholesome words ... and to the doctrine which is according to godliness " (I Tim. 6:3-5). We are to TURN AWAY from them. Concerning the last days, he says that some will have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. from such turn away" for such people are "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (11 Tim. 3:5,7). How can we turn away from them if we do not identify them, and this requires that their message be compared to the Word of God. It is the business of the true preacher to: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine " (II Tim. 4:2). This is usually an unpopular and thankless task but it is the duty of the God-called man. We are NOT to RECEIVE them into our house. "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds " (11 John 10, I 1). There is no doubt about who John is speaking about, it is " Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ... " (v.9). By radio, TV, music and literature, false prophets are brought into the homes of many Christians today. Brethren, this ought not to be! We are to REJECT HERETICS. "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject " (Titus 3: 10). We should reject those who deny redemption by the blood of Christ. There are many who deny this or some other doctrine of the Word of God. If they will not respond to being admonished, then they are to be rejected. We are to look out for those who preach another gospel. Paul warned about those who preached "another Jesus ... another spirit ... or another gospel" (II Cor. 11:4). How can we know them unless we judge their Jesus, their spirit, and their gospel by the Word of God? Paul called such preachers "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" (11 Cor. II: 13). He explains in v. 14-15 that these preachers are the ministers of Satan. The God-called man must be just as faithful today in exposing the ministers of Satan. Paul warned the Galatians about those who "pervert the gospel of Christ." He also said, "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (See Gal. 1:6-9). Multitudes today are preaching a perverted gospel. Those who teach salvation by baptism, or by works, are teaching a perverted gospel. We are to SEPARATE from them. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no the unclean thing; and I will receive you " (II Cor. 6:17). This makes it plain. God's people are to come out of apostasy and religious error. How can any Bible believer remain in the National Council or World Council of Churches? How can they remain among compromising evangelicals and wishy-washy fundamentalists? Many mistakenly believe that it is wrong to expose error and to name the guilty teachers; but they are wrong according to the Bible. Paul named Peter publicly. Peter was guilty of unscriptural practice. "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed ... But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Gal. 2:11-14). The whole issue revolved around salvation by the law or by grace. When the integrity and purity of the gospel is at stake, then we have no choice when it comes to the matter of exposing error and naming names. Paul named Demas for loving the world. "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (II Tim. 4:10). Those who forsake the cause of Christ for worldly living and pleasures should be named and exposed. (Christian Rock!) Paul named Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul told Timothy to "war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some have put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme " (I Tim. 1: 18-20). God's true servants should war a good warfare, and name those who have departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Paul is not here discussing the faith of salvation but the faith as a system of doctrine. These men had made shipwreck of it and Paul exposed them and called their names. Paul named Hymenaeus and Philetus. He told Timothy to "study" that he might be able to "rightly" divide "the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth as canker. of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some " (11 Tim. 2:15-18). False doctrine overthrows the faith of some, so those who are proclaiming it must be exposed. Paul named Alexander the coppersmith. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. the Lord reward him "cording to his works: Of whom be thou ware also, for he hath greatly withstood our words " (II Tim. 4:14-15). It is clear that this is not a personality problem, but a doctrinal problem. Alexander had withstood the words and doctrine of Paul. He was an enemy to the truth. Godly pastors face the same problem every day. They stand and proclaim the truth, then their members go home and hear this truth disputed by radio and TV preachers. Often times these false prophets are sending their publications into the homes of members of true churches. Then the man of God is suppose to keep his mouth shut, according to many. Only a coward will be silent when the truth of the Bible is under attack. John named Diotrephes. "I wrote unto the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not" (III John 9). He related how this man had prated against him "with malicious words " (v. 10). He further said, "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God " (v. I 1). It is not wrong to name those whose doctrine and practice is contrary to the Word of God. In fact, the whole Bible abounds in examples of false prophets being named and exposed. All this modem day talk about love, used as an excuse for not exposing error, is not really biblical love but is really sloppy agape. If your in a church preaching false gospel or listening to one that is not matching the word of God com e out from it, and expose it and do not become lukewarm and follow it to okay what God has said is sin. For you will be accountable.