The most important thing about Jesus is having Him in your heart; inviting Him in, giving Him full access to every room, talking with Him about everything, sharing all your secrets with Him, asking His advice on everything, and letting Him decorate how He wants to. Then constantly working on your private relationship with Him, figuring out how He speaks to you, so that you fully understand each other. This is going to be different for each person. He is not the author of fear or confusion. He will guide you through love if you let Him. The more you grow, the deeper your relationship with Him gets, the more you can share His love…
Whether you support or oppose Trump, this message urges Christians to examine the spiritual realities behind leadership, deception, and the coming judgment.
I wish I could claim credit for this writing, but it is a transcript from a YouTube video we saw.
God has always been in control of human history from the beginning of time. The rise and fall of nations, empires, and individual leaders has never happened by chance. We may see elections, political campaigns, and public opinion polls. But heaven sees providence, judgment, and divine orchestration.
The Bible is very clear. God raises up kings and he brings them down. He appoints rulers for His purposes, whether to bless or to judge, to guide or to expose. That truth should cause every Christian to take a step back and ask, “Lord, what are you saying through this moment in history?”
When we look at the figure of Donald Trump, we are not just looking at a political leader. We are witnessing the unfolding of God’s sovereign hand in real time. Some believe he was raised up to protect the church, defend conservative values, and fight for truth. Others believe he’s a deeply flawed man whose presence has caused division and moral confusion. But the truth lies not in the emotions of the people, but in the plan of God. And if God has allowed Donald Trump to rise, to fall, and perhaps even to rise again, we must ask ourselves what God is doing, not just what man is saying.
Go back to the Old Testament. Pharaoh was raised up not because he honored God, but because God wanted to show His power through Him. God told Pharaoh, “For this very purpose, I have raised you up that I might show my power in you.” Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan king, was called my servant by the Lord, not because of his righteousness, but because he was used to accomplish God’s judgment against Israel. Even Cyrus, the Persian king, was used to free God’s people, though he never truly followed the God of Israel. This pattern continues throughout scripture.
God does not need righteous men to fulfill righteous purposes. He uses whom He wills. So what about Donald Trump? Can God use someone with a morally questionable past, a prideful spirit, a divisive tone, and a strong personality to accomplish His purposes? Of course, he can.
But here’s the danger. Too many Christians mistake God’s use of a man as God’s endorsement of a man. And that’s where we must exercise biblical discernment. The fact that someone is in power or appears to be a defender of Christian values does not mean God is pleased with them. It may mean God is using them as a test for the nation, for the church, and for the individual believer. This is not the time to put blind trust in a man. It’s the time to open our eyes to what God may be doing through that man.
Sometimes God gives a nation the leader it asks for, not as a blessing, but as a consequence. Israel cried out for a king, and they got Saul. He looked impressive, spoke with authority, and won the people’s loyalty. But inside, he was disobedient, proud, and unfit to lead. God allowed it, not because Saul was the answer, but because the people had rejected God as their true king.
Could it be that Trump is not the solution, but the spotlight, revealing the heart of the church and the soul of the nation? The church must not be naive. Just because someone waves the Bible or uses religious language does not mean they walk in the fear of God. The scriptures tell us that Satan himself disguises as an angel of light. That means deception is not always obvious. It can look patriotic. It can sound moral. It can appear strong. But only those who walk close to Christ will recognize whether a leader is being used by God for redemption or for judgment.
We are living in prophetic times. Every headline, every courtroom decision, every election result is echoing what the spirit is already saying to the church.
Wake up.
Discern the times.
Don’t put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save.
If God has raised up Donald Trump in this hour, it is not for us to exalt him. It is for us to examine ourselves. One of the greatest tragedies in the modern church is how easily we exchange the glory of God for the excitement of politics. We are witnessing a generation of believers who are more passionate about defending a politician than proclaiming the gospel. That should deeply concern us. God never called His people to pledge their allegiance to a man, no matter how charismatic, bold, or seemingly conservative he may be. And yet what we’re seeing today is a disturbing shift in the hearts of many Christians where loyalty to Donald Trump has begun to eclipse loyalty to Jesus Christ. This isn’t about whether you agree with his policies or appreciate his leadership. This is about something much deeper, something spiritual.
When a man is talked about more in churches than the cross, when he is praised louder than Christ, when his critics are condemned more fiercely than sin itself, then we are no longer standing on the foundation of scripture. We are standing on the shaky ground of idolatry. And make no mistake, idolatry doesn’t always look like a golden statue or a carved image. Sometimes it looks like a political banner, a campaign slogan, or an unwavering defense of a leader who has become untouchable in the minds of the people. There’s a danger in elevating any human being to a level where criticism feels like blasphemy.
That is not how God has called us to think. The Lord is jealous for His glory. He will not share it. Not with a president, not with a party, not with a movement. And when the church begins to blur the lines between reverence for Christ and allegiance to a man, judgment always follows. Just look at Israel in the Old Testament. Time and time again, they placed their trust in kings and alliances, thinking they were securing peace and protection, only to find themselves under the hand of divine discipline.
Why? Because they forgot the one who delivered them in the first place.
We have to ask ourselves some hard questions. Are we more broken over the condition of our nation or over the condition of our own hearts? Are we more focused on what’s happening in Washington than what’s happening in the pulpits? Are we more committed to winning elections than winning souls? When the church becomes more energized by political victories than spiritual revival, we’ve lost our way.
God does not need a president to accomplish His will. He needs a holy church that fears Him more than it fears losing cultural influence. Let’s be honest. Some of us have defended sin in the name of strategy. We’ve excused arrogance, dismissed immorality, and explained away division because we believe the ends justify the means. But God never operates that way.
He never blesses compromise. He never uses darkness to achieve light without first exposing the darkness. And he never compromises without first exposing the darkness.
We must remember that truth is not optional. It is the sword of the spirit. And when we lay it down for political gain, we are disarming ourselves in a spiritual war. We can’t fight deception with deception. We fight it with holiness, humility, and the unfiltered Word of God. Now more than ever, we need discernment.
The enemy is not always outside the camp. Sometimes he walks right through the gates dressed like a savior. Satan doesn’t mind using someone who sounds conservative if it leads the church into complacency, pride, or blind loyalty.
That’s why God warns us over and over again, do not put your trust in princes.
Our hope is not in who sits in the Oval Office. Our hope is in the one who sits on the throne of heaven. So if God is sending a prophetic warning in this hour, it may not be about Trump alone. It may be about the condition of our worship. In other words, who do we praise? Who do we trust? Who do we follow when the world is burning?
If the answer is anyone other than Jesus Christ, then we have already traded truth for a lie, and God will not leave that unchallenged. It’s essential that we understand the difference between being used by God and being approved by God. That distinction may seem small, but it’s critical.
All throughout scripture, God has used individuals, some righteous, some wicked, to fulfill His divine purposes. But in no way did that usage mean he condoned their character or blessed their behavior. God can work through anyone, including deeply flawed people, but that doesn’t mean he endorses them.
We must never confuse God’s sovereignty with His approval. When we look at the figure of Donald Trump, we see a man who has undeniably shaken the political landscape and for better or worse disrupted the flow of how things have operated in America for decades. His boldness, his resistance to political correctness, and his stance on certain moral and national issues have attracted many Christians who feel like they finally have someone fighting for their values. In fact, we must face the fact that not everyone fights for their values. Some sects of a society have fallen because of it.
But here’s the danger. Just because someone fights for your values does not mean they walk in the spirit. And just because God uses someone to protect certain freedoms doesn’t mean we should blindly follow them. Let’s not forget that God used Pharaoh to demonstrate His power through the plagues. He used Balam’s donkey to speak truth when Balam himself was disobedient. He used Judas Iscariot to bring about the betrayal of Christ, fulfilling prophecy down to the detail. These people were all used by God, but they were not honored by God for their hearts. In fact, many of them were under judgment. And yet, they were instruments in the larger plan. That’s the sovereignty of God in motion. He uses all things, even those opposed to Him, to bring about His purposes. There are moments in history where God raises up a man not to bless the nation, but to expose it. Sometimes it’s not about building but about revealing. That’s what many have missed. We assume that if God is using someone, it must be a sign of divine favor.
But scripture reminds us that even the antichrist will perform signs and wonders. Even he will gather a massive following. Usefulness is not the test of righteousness.
Obedience, humility, and surrender to God’s word. That’s the true test.
And where those qualities are lacking, we must be cautious, not celebratory.
What we are witnessing may be a divine spotlight. Through Donald Trump, God may be revealing the idolatry in the church, the compromise in our pulpits, the shallowness of our discernment. If we support someone because they hold up a Bible, yet we never question how they live, what they promote, or how they speak, then we’ve lost sight of what matters. The enemy doesn’t always work by opposing the church. Sometimes he infiltrates it by offering a counterfeit champion, someone who looks like a defender but lacks the fruit of the spirit.
Now, this isn’t a call to political disengagement. Christians should care about truth, about justice, about the moral direction of our nation. But we cannot do so at the expense of our calling to be a holy, distinct, and Christ-centered people.
We are not here to serve an earthly kingdom. We are here to represent a heavenly one. And our witness becomes compromised when we excuse sin for the sake of influence or when we defend actions that contradict the very gospel we preach.
We need to step back and ask, are we following a man because we believe he is God’s chosen vessel? Or are we surrendering our discernment because it’s convenient?
Has our admiration become blind? Have we silenced the voice of the Holy Spirit in favor of loyalty to someone who, though used by God, may also be part of His judgment?
These are hard questions, but we must ask them because the health of the church depends on our ability to separate spiritual clarity from emotional allegiance. Just because someone is part of God’s plan doesn’t mean they are walking in God’s presence. We have to come to terms with something many don’t want to hear.
The turmoil in America right now is not just political unrest. It’s spiritual judgment. It’s not merely the result of policy failures, cultural shifts, or leadership flaws. This shaking we’re seeing across every level of society is not accidental. It’s not random. It’s divine.
God is not watching from a distance while a nation spirals into confusion. He is speaking through the chaos. And the question is, are we listening?
When you see a country torn in two, when truth is no longer welcomed, when corruption is celebrated and sin is normalized, don’t be fooled into thinking this is just another political season.
No, this is God removing the hedge. This is what happens when a people blessed beyond measure turn their backs on the One who gave them everything. America isn’t just declining. America is being warned. And sadly, many in the church are still asleep clinging to the hope that a politician or a party will fix what only repentance can heal.
There was a time when God would bless a land because of the righteous remnant within it. But there also comes a time when he allows a nation to be ruled by confusion, by lawlessness, by leaders who reflect the very heart of the people. When that happens, it’s not a glitch in the system. It’s a judgment from God. Read Romans 1. When a society rejects God, he gives them over to depraved minds. over to moral blindness, over to the very sins they celebrate. And when you look around at the state of this nation, it’s undeniable we are already under that kind of judgment.
Donald Trump didn’t cause all of this. Nor is he the solution to all of it. His rise to power was a symptom of something deeper, something brewing for decades. His fall from influence and return aren’t just headlines. They’re a divine mirror. Through his time on the world stage, God has exposed more than just political corruption. He’s exposed the hearts of men and women across the nation, including within the church. How quickly many traded conviction for convenience, traded discernment for loyalty, traded the fear of God for the favor of a man.
This shaking is God’s megaphone. And it’s not just about America. It’s about the church. Judgment begins at the house of God. Before nations are held accountable, God looks to His people and says, “What have you done with the truth I gave you?
What did you do with my Word, my spirit, my son?” And right now, the answer many churches would have to give is sobering. We watered down the gospel. We turned a blind eye to sin. We embraced political platforms more than prophetic truth. We got comfortable in Babylon.
We must not miss what God is saying. If we keep interpreting spiritual warnings as political trends, we will miss the whole point. God is not interested in whether America swings left or right. He is interested in whether His people will humble themselves and repent. If you think a better economy or a stronger border or a louder voice in Washington is the solution, you’ve missed the crisis entirely.
The crisis is spiritual. And only spiritual surrender will heal it. It may be that the Trump era, whether past, present, or future, isn’t about a man’s leadership, but about God’s alarm clock to the church.
He is telling us to wake up, to stop idolizing leaders, to turn from sin, to return to Him. Because when God sends judgment, he always sends warning first. And what we’re experiencing right now may be the last call before the collapse.
The shaking in this nation is not a call to fight harder in politics. It’s a call to fall lower in repentance. We are living in a time when the church is being tempted to trade its prophetic voice for political power. The call to holiness, the urgency of the gospel, the clarity of truth.
These things are being pushed aside by a desperate desire to remain relevant, influential, and aligned with whoever promises to protect our interests. That’s not the mission God gave us. The church was never called to be a political machine. We were called to be a light in the darkness, a pillar of truth, a prophetic witness to a fallen world.
But somewhere along the way, we decided that if we just attach ourselves to the right people, the right policies, the right personalities, we can preserve our influence. And in doing so, many have compromised the truth.
Truth is not negotiable. It’s not something we bend or soften depending on who’s in office. The Word of God is not Republican or Democrat. It’s not American or European. It is holy, eternal, and unchanging. And when the church begins to adjust its message so it doesn’t offend the political figures it supports, that’s not wisdom. That’s disobedience.
We cannot afford to soften our preaching just to maintain political access. God doesn’t honor compromise, no matter how strategic we think it is. He honors obedience. And if our loyalty to a candidate prevents us from calling out sin, then we’ve already surrendered our authority.
What has happened in recent years is that many pulpits have gone silent, not because there’s nothing to say, but because speaking would cost them something. Churches are afraid to speak out on issues of integrity, pride, immorality, and division if doing so would reflect poorly on the politicians they support.
That’s not boldness. That’s cowardice. And it reveals where our trust really lies. Are we trusting in Christ or in political figures?
Are we depending on the spirit of God or on the power of earthly influence?
Jesus didn’t die so we could preserve a culture. He died to save sinners. He didn’t come to install a government. He came to establish a kingdom. A kingdom not of this world. And yet many believers are acting as if our mission is to defend a temporary system rather than proclaim an eternal truth.
We have confused preserving Christian comfort with fulfilling the great commission. And because of that, we’ve allowed ourselves to excuse behavior that under any other circumstance we would condemn.
We must be honest. If the same arrogance, dishonesty, or immoral behavior came from someone outside our political tribe, we’d call it out immediately. Because it comes from someone we believe is on our side, we justify it. We explain it away. We say, “Well, at least he’s fighting for us.” But friends, God never calls us to defend sin because it’s politically useful. He calls us to stand for righteousness regardless of the cost. And that’s the challenge in this hour.
Will the church be the church? Will we be a people set apart? Or will we become a religious extension of a political campaign? God has never needed a president to accomplish His will. He needs a people who fear Him more than they fear losing popularity.
He needs leaders who are willing to speak the truth even when it’s not convenient. Even when it offends their own base, even when it costs them influence and friends and maybe even their position.
We are in a moment of decision. Will we uphold the gospel with integrity, or will we dilute it for access? Will we honor Christ with undivided hearts? Or will we keep sacrificing the truth on the altar of political expedience?
Because one thing is certain. If the church refuses to speak truth now, we may find ourselves irrelevant when the culture finally crumbles. Silence in the face of compromise is not neutrality. It is betrayal.
There’s something stirring in the spirit of the age. Something that feels like a final warning. The events unfolding in the world, the chaos in society, the division in families, the upheaval in government. It all points to a deeper shaking.
And many believers sense it. They may not be able to explain it, but they feel it in their bones. We are not living in normal times. We are standing at the edge of something eternal. And the window of God’s mercy is beginning to close.
Donald Trump, for all the controversy and commotion surrounding him, may not be the main character in this unfolding drama. He may simply be one of God’s instruments to wake the church up before it’s too late. His unexpected rise, his unrelenting presence in public discourse. None of this is accidental. It’s part of a divine pattern.
God often uses disruptive figures to shake His people out of complacency. He will sometimes raise up someone who doesn’t fit the mold, someone who turns the system upside down. Not because that person is righteous, but because the people have grown numb to righteousness.
God sent prophets to Israel, not always to comfort them, but to confront them. And sometimes when they stopped listening to the prophets, he allowed kings and rulers to take the stage. Not to save, but to sift. What if the era we’re witnessing is not God exalting a man, but God exposing a nation? What if Trump’s time in power and the reaction to him is meant to reveal what’s truly in the hearts of Americans, especially professing Christians.
Look at what has happened. We’ve seen churches split, not over doctrine, but over politics. We’ve watched believers attack one another, not over sin, but over party loyalty. We’ve seen pastors compromise their message, Christians compromise their character and the world looks on in confusion because those who are supposed to represent Christ have gotten lost in a sea of slogans and campaign rallies.
If that doesn’t tell us something is wrong, we are beyond blind.
This moment is not about Trump. It’s about time. God is not measuring our faithfulness by how loudly we support a candidate. He is measuring our readiness by how urgently we repent, how deeply we obey, and how boldly we proclaim Christ.
The storm we’re seeing isn’t just cultural. It’s prophetic. It’s the sound of God warning His people that judgment is at the door and grace will not be offered forever. We are approaching the midnight hour and what we do in this season will echo into eternity.
If the church continues to sleep through the warning, if we keep arguing over temporary things while eternal souls hang in the balance, we will stand before God one day and answer for our silence. This is not the time to double down on our political strategies. This is the time to fall on our faces in repentance. God is giving us a window, a short one, to turn from idols, to turn from compromise, and to fix our eyes back on the cross.
We are being tested, not by the world, but by the Lord Himself. He is watching to see whether His people will awaken before the judgment fully descends. The shaking in the economy, the moral collapse in society, the hatred, the deception, the confusion. These aren’t just warning signs. They’re acts of divine mercy.
God always warns before He judges.
And this may be our last warning. Whatever happens in the future, it will not change what God expects from His people. He’s not looking for political warriors. He’s looking for spiritual worshippers, those who will not bow to the golden calves of power, comfort, or control, those who will stand for truth, preach the gospel, and live holy lives even when the world burns around them.
When the final trumpet sounds, it won’t matter who led the nation. It will only matter who truly followed Christ.
#1) The Antichrist will come in his own name and be accepted –
John 5:43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
In this verse Jesus told the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, that although they rejected him, someone else would come in his OWN name and be accepted.
The Antichrist will not only arrive on the scene having already achieved worldwide fame, thus coming in his own name, but he will be widely beloved throughout Israel.
And in a dual fulfillment of this verse, many Christian religious leaders will also accept the Antichrist as being chosen by God and even tout him as savior.
_______________________________________________
#2) The Antichrist has the mouth of a lion –
Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
This verse is reinforced by Daniel 7:4, The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it, and the meaning is that the Antichrist will roar like a lion, letting everyone know that HE is the king of the beasts. The mouth of the Antichrist is one of his definitive qualities, and just like a lion, it is used to assert his dominance and defend his territory.
In an ironic twist to this prophecy being fulfilled, 1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as a lion walking about seeking someone to devour.
_______________________________________________
#3) The Antichrist is arrogant, and magnifies himself above others –
Daniel 8:25 “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his [m]rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human [n]means.
This verse is reinforced by Daniel 11:36, “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done,
and both of these verses talk about the Antichrist as being extremely arrogant; someone who is filled with excessive pride about himself, and utter contempt for others.
His arrogance will be on full display whenever he speaks. He will denigrate others in order to elevate himself, and he will view himself as superior to those around him.
_______________________________________________
#4) The Antichrist is extremely boastful –
Daniel 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.
Revelation 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to [c]continue for forty-two months.
_______________________________________________
#5) The Antichrist will throw truth to the ground –
Daniel 8:12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
The meaning of Daniel 8:12 isn’t just that the Antichrist will be a liar, but that truth itself holds no value to him. He casts it to the ground as if it was worthless or irrelevant.
_______________________________________________
#6) The Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son –
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
By asking who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ, this verse is not only telling us that the Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son, but that he will do so not out of ignorance, but because he rejects the truth. He is a liar. He will KNOW that Jesus is our savior, but will deny him anyway.
_______________________________________________
#7) The Antichrist will be a vile person –
Daniel 11:21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
Contrary to the popular belief that the Antichrist will be well-liked and charismatic, the bible says he is actually to be a vile person. Vile is defined as lacking class or decency. He’s simply repulsive – a sordid, crass, vulgar and despicable person.
_______________________________________________
#8) The Antichrist will honor the god of forces –
Daniel 11:38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.
Revelation 9:11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is [c]Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name [d]Apollyon.
This verse is telling us that the Antichrist, in his estate, shall honor the god of forces with gold, silver, precious stones and pleasant things. God of forces is translated as god of fortresses in versions other than the King James. So who is this god of forces? It’s a name we all know well.
During the 5th century BC, Apollo became known as the sun god, the symbol of which was often used in ancient battles to represent the god of forces. Apollo is also a derivative of the name Apollyon, who we see referenced in Revelation 9:11.
_______________________________________________
#9) The Antichrist is connected to gold –
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
This famous verse about the number 666 is actually pointing us to another figure in the bible, and that figure is King Solomon. The reason it does so is because when Solomon was older he became a type of antichrist as his heart turned away from the Lord and toward pagan gods.
King Solomon was obsessed with gold, having hundreds of shields made out of hammered gold, all of his drinking vessels made out of gold, and to directly connect the number 666 in Revelation to Solomon, we read that he received 666 talents of gold in one year.
All of the pagan gods that Solomon worshiped in his later years are themselves variations of and subservient to the one pagan god that nearly every culture in history has placed above the others: the sun god. And over and over again the sun god is symbolized by one specific thing: gold.
_______________________________________________
#10) The Antichrist is called the Little Horn –
Daniel 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.
One of the more descriptive names given to the Antichrist is the “Little Horn”, which we read about in the book of Daniel. This is a reference to a shofar, which is literally a little horn, being made from the horn of a small animal, usually a ram. The shofar was an early version of our modern trumpet.
_______________________________________________
#11) The Antichrist has a covenant with many –
Daniel 9:27 Then he shall confirm a [k]covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the [l]desolate.”
One of the more well-known prophecies involving the Antichrist is that he will put together a 7 year agreement between Israel and her neighbors, referred to as the covenant with many (perhaps even worldwide – peace treaty). Halfway through those 7 years the Antichrist will break the agreement, and enter the 3rd temple.
Incidentally, some teach that Daniel 9:27 is a reference to Jesus, but that is impossible because its covenant lasts for only one week, whereas the New Covenant is everlasting. So the fact that the covenant with many lasts only one week is telling us that it’s the false covenant from the Antichrist.
_______________________________________________
#12) The Antichrist will disguise himself as an angel of light –
2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
For those who believe the Antichrist will be Islamic or an atheist or clearly anti-Christian, the bible says to expect just the opposite. As one of Satan’s ministers, he will in fact be transformed into or disguised as an angel of light.
Thus, rather than being clearly anti-Christian – the bible is teaching us that we should expect the final Antichrist to come on the scene as a strong supporter of Christianity and of Israel. He will masquerade himself as a force for good, and as a defender of Christian values.
_______________________________________________
#13) The Antichrist will love money as it’s the root of all kinds of evil –
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
It’s noteworthy that the Bible doesn’t make such a proclamation about any other sin as being at the root of all kinds of evil. Not murder, not lying, not stealing, not lust, nor anything else. It’s specifically the love of MONEY that’s referred to as the root of all kinds of evil.
This love of money can best be defined as greed – an overwhelming desire to possess more than what we need, especially with respect to material wealth. This greed for money is the root cause of so much sin, and there’s a specific reason why.
You see, the love of money, and all that money brings, is at its heart, a desire for the things of this world. And because of that, the love of money is describing the predominant character trait of the Antichrist. He is all about loving money and possessing the things of this world.
_______________________________________________
#14) The Antichrist is revealed by the falling away –
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
A remarkable and yet often overlooked meaning behind this verse is that the “falling away” – or those that leave the faith – will be tied in with the revealing of the man of sin. In other words, these two events are related, as those who fall away from the faith will fall TOWARDS the man of sin.
Thus, it is the falling away that reveals the Antichrist, as we simply need to look at those who have fallen away from the faith and see WHO they are gravitating towards. It’s not simply a falling away for the sake of leaving the faith, but a falling away FROM Jesus Christ and TOWARDS the Antichrist.
_______________________________________________
#15) The Antichrist has the ultimate ego to call himself God –
2 Thessalonians 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
In this remarkable verse, we are told that the Antichrist will be so full of himself, will magnify himself in his heart to such a degree, and will possess such an out of control ego, that he will actually proclaim himself to be God.
Perhaps this proclamation will come in the form of announcing that he is the savior of the world, since after all, the Antichrist is not only anti-Jesus Christ, but he also looks to replace Jesus Christ.
_______________________________________________
#16) The Antichrist is named the Man of Sin –
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
In this verse we find the Antichrist referred to as the Man of Sin, or to put it another way, sin incarnate. The sins that the Bible refer to over and over again are those are related to vanity, to dishonesty, to lust, to greed, to envy, and to wrath.
The Antichrist will not only live an extremely sinful life by the Bible’s standard, but he will actually brag about his lust, his greed, his desire for vengeance.
The Antichrist will not only be an extraordinarily sinful man, he will even take pride in his sinning. He will seemingly view his character flaws as badges of honor, as if each sin of the Bible were on his personal bucket list waiting to be checked off.
_______________________________________________
#17) The Antichrist is named the Lawless One –
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
In this verse the Antichrist is described as not being constrained by ANY law, whether the laws of man or the laws of God. It’s not that he’s simply a lawbreaker – but that he considers himself to be above the law, or a law unto himself.
_______________________________________________
#18) The Antichrist does as he pleases –
Daniel 11:36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.
In this verse the Antichrist is described as doing whatever he wishes, and it expands upon him being the Lawless One. He will not feel restrained by law.
_______________________________________________
#19) The Antichrist works deceitfully –
Daniel 11:23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.
This verse is reinforced by Daniel 8:25, and these two verses together tell us that the Antichrist’s modus operandi – or habits of working – are filled with deceit. Deceptiveness is simply part and parcel of how he operates.
_______________________________________________
#20) The Antichrist understands dark sentences –
Daniel 8:23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce [k]features, Who understands sinister schemes.
This verse gives us one key insight into the intelligence of the Antichrist: he understands “dark sentences.” Other translations render this verse as “understanding sinister schemes”, and it’s a window into the innate intelligence of the Antichrist.
He is a master of intrigue. Intrigue is defined as machination, which is a scheming or crafty action intended to accomplish some usually evil end.
_______________________________________________
#21) The Antichrist attains the kingdom by flatteries –
Daniel 11: 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
Some translations render this verse as intrigue, reinforcing Daniel 8:23’s reference to “dark sentences”, but the context of this verse goes in a bit of a different direction.
Looking at Strong’s Concordance, we see that the word used for “flatteries” in Daniel 11:21 more closely means smoothness, slipperiness, or fine promises, which tells us that the Antichrist will attain the kingdom because of his scheming with a small group of people, as Daniel 11:23 references.
_______________________________________________
#22) The bible speaks of nationalism –
Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,
One of the more famous bible verses about the end times speaks of nation rising against nation and kingdom and kingdom. Nation versus nation is the inevitable result of nationalism, which has swept the world in recent years.
_______________________________________________
#23) The Antichrist will amaze the world –
Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
This verse tells us that that the Antichrist will be such a unique person, that the entire world will be amazed by him. They will wonder after him, asking who is like he is?
_______________________________________________
#24) The Antichrist will succeed in all that he does –
Daniel 8:24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy [l]fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
This verse gives us background on John 5:43, which says that the Antichrist will come in his own name. In short, it tells us that the Antichrist will arrive on the scene having already been a worldwide success.
_______________________________________________
#25) The Antichrist has a stout look –
Daniel 7:20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [i]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
This verse gives us an intriguing description of the physical appearance of the Antichrist, saying that he looks more stout than his fellows. Stout is defined as haughty, full of oneself, and even heavyset.
Haughty, of course, is an absolutely perfect description for the Antichrist – as it describes someone who is scornfully and condescendingly proud, and also arrogant and overbearing. He is full of himself to an extreme, as Daniel 8:25 also stated.
_______________________________________________
#26) The Antichrist sows discord –
Proverbs 6:14 Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord.
Proverbs 6:12-15 A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth; 13He winks with his eyes, He [g]shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; 14Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. 15Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
Commonly referred to as “The Wicked Man”, Bible scholars generally consider the descriptions in these verses as a reference to the Antichrist.
Verse 14 tells us that one notable trait of the Antichrist is that he will sow discord. The inference being that he is intentionally dividing one person or one group against another for his own benefit. He isn’t simply divisive, but he purposely sows divisiveness to reap the rewards.
_______________________________________________
#27) The Antichrist is a unique, unstoppable force that can’t be fought against –
Revelation 13:4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
This verse tells us not only of how incredibly singular the Antichrist is, “who is like unto the beast”, but it also tells us that he is a literal force of nature: no one is able to fight against him.
The Bottom Line
There’s a reason that the bible has given us this many descriptions of the Antichrist, and that reason is so that we are NOT deluded by him, and we don’t end up following him down the road to perdition.
If we simply pay attention to what the bible says, we may learn that there might be someone on the world scene right now who matches those descriptions.
Youtube has a lot of videos, some good, some not so good. Brandon Robbins is a pastor/teacher who freely shares deep spiritual insights on a myriad of subjects. This video was one that we thought very helpful in learning ways to further study the Bible accurately. Hope you gain something that will encourage you in your study.
It is of utmost importance to pray for discernment from God to confirm what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Then, we should make the habit of keeping our minds centered, through Jesus, and think about those things. If we think of things that are negative, then our minds are not centered on what God wants us to think about. sharinHislove.com
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Genesis 2:16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—
17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (New Living Translation) God gave Adam responsibility for the garden and told him not to eat from the Tree of Conscience. Rather than physically preventing him from eating, God gave Adam a choice, even though Adam may choose wrongly. God still gives us choices today, and we, too, often choose wrongly. These wrong choices may cause us pain and irritation, but they can help us learn and grow and make better choices in the future.
Living with the consequences of our choices is one of the best ways to become more responsible.
Why would God place a tree in the garden and then forbid Adam to eat from it?
God wanted Adam to obey, but He gave him the freedom to choose. Without choice, Adam would have been a prisoner forced to obey.
The two trees presented an exercise in choice, with rewards for choosing to obey or consequences for choosing to disobey.
(Unless otherwise stated, parts of this series of studies on Obedience have been taken from The Living Life Application Bible by Tyndale)
No one likes to learn that there may be errors or falsehoods in their religions, traditions, churches, or personal beliefs. We should find ways to determine the accuracy of our research, use those that we trust, and seek to understand what religions teach or believe to accurately discuss or write concerning those subjects.
—
An article How to Identify Reliable Information, addresses this topic:
“Whether you are a journalist, researcher writer or someone in the professional fields, it is important to know how to identify real information and use it accurately. That is our real challenge in the 21st century – Lee E Krahenbuhl, Communication Studies Program Coordinator
With the infinite amount of information online, it can be difficult to decipher what is true and accurate and what is not. Once you know the trick to identifying reliable information, you can quickly determine if what you are reading is accurate or not.
What is reliable information?
Reliable information must come from dependable sources. According to UGA Libraries, a reliable source will provide a “thorough, well-reasoned theory, argument, based on strong evidence.”
Widely credible sources include:
Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and books
Trade or professional articles or books, magazine articles, books, and newspaper articles from well-established companies
Other sources like websites and blog posts can be dependable but require further evaluation.
You may be asking yourself, “what source is best for me?” Depending on the type of information you need, your sources may vary. Look at journal articles and research-based reports. This is because those types of sources typically include more information on the topic at hand.
How to identify reliable sources
What makes the source reliable?
To determine whether a source is reliable or not, you must look at certain criteria. That criteria are as follows:
Authority:
Who is the author?
What are their credentials?
Do they have knowledgeable experience in the field
What is their reputation?
Accuracy: Compare the author’s information to that which you already know is dependable.
Are there proper citations?
Is the information biased?
If so, does it affect research conclusions?
Coverage: Is the information relevant to your topic and does it meet your needs? Consider what you need such as statistics, charts, and graphs.
Currency: Is your topic constantly evolving? Topics in the news require sources that are up to date.
The importance of reliable information
The Internet is scattered with biased, misleading, and altogether incorrect information and that is why it is important to follow the above criteria. The importance of using reliable sources truly boils down to effective communication. If your knowledge is based on unreliable information, you will not be a trustworthy asset.
Credible communication is key in discussing a subject. That is why you should not just grab any information off the Internet. Using unreliable sources results in negative consequences.
Credibility is especially important because using unreliable data can cause questions that may undermine your reliability and may cause others to rely solely on their own opinions rather than factual data.
Using credible sources for information will increase your reputation and trustworthiness. An article by the Ivy Business Journal supports this idea by expressing that trust is a key factor in building loyalty, increasing credibility, and supporting effective communication. It is important to develop your skills in identifying reliable resources, because it will help you become an effective communicator, reader, and/or writer.
With all that is going on all over the world, listening to others, watching tv, or receiving information from a myriad of sources, it is often difficult to determine what is “truth”.
It is very important to ask God for guidance of our every thought, words, and actions.
If we choose the way of personally accepting Jesus (which is the decision to do everything through love, and as a result gives us a new heart-set), then we don’t ever have to go down the road of destruction that the other decision leads to.
The angel that came to Daniel in the pit did not kill the lions he simply closed their mouths and stood with him in the midst of terrible danger.Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego were not saved from the fire they stood in the midst of it with their savior. Moses and the Israelites did not have the Red Sea removed from in front of them it was simply parted for them to walk through. Silver is refined in the refiner’s fire and it’s only finished once the Refiner’s reflection can be seen in the silver. Grapes are crushed under foot to produce the sweetest wine, and olives are pressed in order to extract the purest oil.What makes you think that we are any different? We will walk through this tribulation, many will fall away because they stand on sand not the Cornerstone, Yeshua and scriptural truth, The WORD.
Once a person is saved are they always saved? Yes, when people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their salvation as eternally secure. To be clear, salvation is more than saying a prayer or “making a decision” for Christ; salvation is a sovereign act of God whereby an unregenerate sinner is washed, renewed, and born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). When salvation occurs, God gives the forgiven sinner a new heart and puts a new spirit within him (Ezekiel 36:26). The Spirit will cause the saved person to walk in obedience to God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:26–27; James 2:26). Numerous passages of Scripture declare the fact that, as an act of God, salvation is secure:
(a) Romans 8:30 declares, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” This verse tells us that from the moment God chooses us, it is as if we are glorified in His presence in heaven. There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed—he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven.
(b) Paul asks two crucial questions in Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? No one will, because Christ is our advocate. Who will condemn us? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the one who condemns. We have both the advocate and judge as our Savior.
(c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away.
(d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be “un-indwelt” and detached from the Body of Christ.
(e) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will “have eternal life.” If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never “eternal” at all. Hence, if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.
(f) In a conclusive argument, Scripture says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved, we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure!
(Forgive typos…Today has been long. Well, this year has been long.) So much is weighing heavy on the hearts of others. This week I listened to those who grieve the loss of identity, the loss of love, the loss of faith, and the loss of purpose. So many questions that have so few answers or at least answers that satisfy and calm their fears. They feel aimless and stuck. Maybe you feel similar. Maybe it is your job, the future, a relationship. You simply feel stuck by not knowing what decision is the “right” decision so you make no decision at all. Maybe you are nursing scars no one see. Maybe you are bleeding from wounds that do not bleed crimson and bandages do not help. The running theme of many who are experiencing this level of pain is that they do not want to burden another person with their “stuff”. Sadly, they suffer in silence and feel totally alone. Think for a moment. Have you ever seen a lone goose? A solitary, Canadian, turd dropping, Christmas goose flying all by their lonesome? My guess is that you haven’t. If you do, that is one lost goose. They are most always in a flock. They take turns with the burden of leading. They encourage by those obnoxious honks. They rest often. They have a destination, but it is often arrived at in the company of others. They will fly despite the clouds and gloom around them. They will fly at times in the rain, but they seek shelter together. They do not feel the need to do anything singularly. Why then do we believe we have to do anything by ourselves? We are called to bear one another’s burdens. So, I’m calling my brothers and sisters in Christ to help those around them. Sit with them. Eat with them. Shelter with them. Listen to their story. Encourage them with hope. But more than anything, fly with them through their clouds of depression, anxiety, abuse, loss, hopelessness, and failure. We all are more likely to fly on, fly farther, and fly with purpose when we have others behind us despite the dark clouds hanging over us. Quit saying, “If you need me, I’m always here.” They will almost never call you. If we want the world to know we love Jesus, we must intentionally bear the burdens of others by vulnerability and loving one another.
I’ve studied prophecy since I was 12 years old, so to find something NEW is very exciting. This video is a fresh and distinct approach. I, personally, am unable to verify the calculations that are revealed here, but they are sufficiently presented in continuity to certainly give pause and reflection to them.
(NOTE) Jesus as the teacher, had the best interests of His students at heart; always, the subject of His teaching was the absolute and unchanging truth of God. We also have the best interests of our readers at heart. However, as we seek to share, we do not claim that we are qualified to be called teachers per se.
Having been given the gift of the desire to teach, doesn’t qualify us to state that we are teaching the absolute and unchanging truth of God. It is our hope, and intention, however, to be as accurate as humanly…
Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club
How do you approach God and people when your faith is small, when you can’t believe and when you wonder if God is even listening?
That’s why I want to encourage you today to pray broken prayers. Consider this passage in Luke:
“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him” (Luke 5:12-13).
There was something about this man that I think you can relate to. He was broken by life because he was a leper. We are not sure how he caught leprosy, but nevertheless he had it and it was a terrible disease. To be a leper in those days was to be an outcast. I will spare you the details of the horror of this disease, but beyond the physical pain and suffering there was the mental pain and suffering because no one wanted to be around you. Lepers were shunned and people thought they were cursed by God and their leprosy was a result of their sin. Some scholars say a leper couldn’t come within six feet of any other Israelite and within 150 feet if there was an east wind blowing (I guess this was the original form of social distancing).
In our story, this leper comes to Jesus. He was sick, probably in pain, and shunned by the outside world. In one word he was broken. In his place of brokenness he cried out to Jesus for help and Jesus responded.
How Does This Apply to You?
There are usually two ways we end up in positions of brokenness or helplessness. In one instance you are doing everything right. You are living right. You are giving right. You are serving. You are following God, obeying his word and doing everything you are supposed to do – and all of a sudden you get hit with life, leading you to a broken place.
On the flip side, maybe you are doing everything wrong. You’ve made a series of bad decisions and choices and your life feels like it’s falling apart. Everything is breaking down around you and you don’t know what to do. You too are in a broken place.
You see, it does not matter how you got there, you end up just like the leper. Whether it’s by your own fault or no fault of your own, you are in this place of desperation and brokenness. What do you do?
The Power of the Broken Prayer
What I love about this story is the way the man came to Jesus. He came and threw himself at his feet. He came humble. He came honest and he came broken. He didn’t even pray what would be considered a faith-filled prayer. He said Lord, if you are willing. In essence he was saying I know you can, I just don’t know if you will.
His prayer was not coming from a place of expectation, it was coming from a place of desperation. In other words, he came to Jesus just as he was. Unclean, rejected, desperate, broken and out of this place he cried out to Jesus. He was offering what I would consider a broken prayer, yet this prayer had much power in it.
Lessons from This Broken Prayer
1. Come to Jesus Just the Way You Are
Too often we make the mistake of thinking we have to come to Jesus with everything right. The same mask we wear into church on Sunday morning we take into prayer and into the presence of God. If I could encourage you with one thing let it be this. Stop thinking you have to always have it all right. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to have your faith right, your worship right, you have to pray the right words and when you do then God will hear you. That is not what God responds to.
You can come to Jesus just as you are, broken and all, with the mask off and pour your heart out to him. Broken prayers aren’t perfect prayers, but they come from a place of humility and honesty and that is exactly what God wants.
Psalm 51:17 – “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
2. God Doesn’t Only Respond to Our Faith, He Also Responds to Our Brokenness
There is something amazing in this story of Luke that if you read too fast you will miss. Before Jesus healed him, he touched him. Remember this was a man who was shunned by society. Who knows how long it had been since someone had touched this man?
Before Jesus addressed his obvious physical need for healing, he addressed the less obvious emotional need to be touched. We already mentioned earlier that this man did not pray a prayer of great faith, yet Jesus responded. This tells me that God not only responds to your faith, he responds to your brokenness as well. Jesus could have healed the man first and then touched him, but he didn’t – he touched him first.
That is why it’s ok to come just as you are. Don’t worry about having everything all neat and buttoned up, God will respond to your broken condition.
3. When You Touch the Heart of God, It Will Move the Hand of God
Luke 5:13b – “’I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”
I believe the reason why Jesus moved in this man’s situation is because this man touched his heart. When you touch the heart of God, it will move the hand of God. You must also be mindful of something. When you pray broken prayers, sometimes God will change the situation instantly which is what happened here. However sometimes the situation may remain the same, but he will change you instantly. At the place of brokenness, you are laying it all down and asking God to move on your behalf as he sees fit. The beauty of the broken prayer is that you may come to God broken, but you will walk away whole.
If you are sick you may walk away healed, but even if God doesn’t heal you, walk away whole.
If you are discouraged you will walk away encouraged.
If you come with no faith you walk away believing God to do great things in your life.
If you come with no joy you walk away with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
If you come with no peace you walk away with peace that passes all understanding, even in the midst of brokenness.
The beauty of the broken prayer is that God takes it, strengthens you and gives you the confidence to know that God is going to bring you through.
Final Thought
I don’t know what feels hopeless, broken, or desperate in your life today. I do know that if you will pour it out humbly and honestly, God is waiting to touch you, heal you and restore you. You are reminded from Scripture to cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you. The situation you are in today matters, and Jesus is waiting with open arms to touch all the broken places in your life. However, it begins when you take the mask off and begin offering up those broken prayers.
New International Version Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
If there was ever a time when we are called to show an extraordinary display of love for God and each other, it is now. I’ve been questioning what we as Christians are doing to show love during these hectic times.
Reading the following scripture, I tried to put a filter in place to determine whether modern-day Christianity actually survives the test of Jesus’ definition of love. Let’s read this together and ask the Holy Spirit to help us answer that question.
The Great Commandment
Matthew 22 (English Standard Version)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
8 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Along with these scriptures, we would be remiss not to read and understand God’s further definition of love.
1 John 4:20 (English Standard Version)
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
So, let’s ask ourselves:
Do we treat everyone with this kind of love? Does it matter whether they have the same color of skin as ours, speak with the same language that we use?
2. Are we prejudiced in any way?
3. Do we encourage hate of any person?
4. Do we support bullying?
5. Do we reach out and pick up the peaceful person that was just beaten down–by fists or guns–or words? Or do we join in?
6. Do we judge a person by whether they are poor, or not?
7. Do we act out, in any way, with disdain, judgmental thoughts or actions, or do we try to understand a person who is different from us? who may have a different religious affiliation? a different way in describing their belief system? Or do we think that we are the only people who have all the answers?
8. Do we agree that requiring servitude by anyone is ok? is loving? is the way Jesus would treat people?
I think this is a somber time in all of our lives when we should quietly sit and reflect on these questions. If we fall short of the definition of love as Jesus describes it, we have an imperative to go to Him and ask forgiveness, turn away from that wrongful attitude, and humble ourselves as we seek God’s guidance in remedying our actions. That way He will be glorified rather than being ashamed of us.
Are we really Christians?
If we don’t display the love and light from our Lord, then we should stop using His name–in vain!
Praying for blessings to all of you around the world. May we all come together to find what is best in each of us. Love surely is better than hate. Working together, standing together, loving together will make the difference. If you are upset about something, find your voice. Go on Twitter, Facebook, start a Website, care and share positive ideas and progressive thinking instead of crying in a corner. We can all light the place where we stand and that light will shine enough to change things.
There comes a time when we heed a certain call When the world must come together as one There are people dying And its time to lend a hand to life The greatest gift of all
We can’t go on pretending day by day That someone, somehow will soon make a change We are all a part of Gods great big family And the truth, you know, Love is all we need
We are the world, we are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day So lets start giving
So happy to be sharing this amazing day with all of you. Hoping you are having a wonderful, blessed, full-of-love day. If any of you are alone today, we reach out to you to let you know you are never alone because we love you and are with you in spirit. Remembering those who are no longer with us and feeling the loss of their presence. Sharon and Erick
When Christ was born, so was our hope! This is why I love Christmas. The event invites us to believe the wildest of promises! He did away with every barrier, fence, sin, bent, debt, and grave. Anything that might keep us from him was demolished.
He only awaits our word to walk through the door. Invite him in. Escort him to the seat of honor, and pull out his chair. Clear the table; clear the calendar. Call the kids and neighbors. Christmas is here. Christ is here. One request from you, and God will do again what he did then. He’ll scatter the night with everlasting light. He’ll be born in you.
Let “Silent Night” be sung! Every heart can be a manger. Every day can be a Christmas. The Christmas miracle—a yearlong celebration! ~Max Lucado
Last week’s blog struck a nerve. I wrote a piece entitled “Decency for President.” The premise was a simple one. Shouldn’t a presidential candidate who claims to be Christian talk like one? When a candidate waves a Bible in one speech and calls a reporter “bimbo” in the next, isn’t something awry? Specifically, when Donald Trump insists that he is a Christian (“a good Christian” to use his descriptor) and then blasts, belittles, and denigrates everyone from Barbara Bush to John McCain to Megyn Kelly, shouldn’t we speak up?
If the candidate is not a Christian, then I have no right to speak. But if the candidate does what Trump has done, wave a Bible and attempt to quote from it, then we, his fellow Christians need to call him to at least a modicum of Christian behavior, right?
Again, I struck a nerve. More than three million of you read the article in the first 36 hours! Thousands of you weighed in with your comments. They were fascinating to read. (Not all of them pleasant to read, mind you. The dozens of you who told me to stick to the pulpit and stop meddling in politics– I get it. By the way, I’d like to invite you to attend our services. My upcoming message is “Kindness”.) Detractors notwithstanding, your comments were heartfelt and passionate.
I detected a few themes.
You have a deep sense of love for our country. Patriotism oozed through your words. You cherish the uniqueness and wonder of the USA. You have varying opinions regarding leadership style, role of government, and political strategy. But when it comes to loving the country, you are unanimously off the charts.
You have an allergy to “convenient” Christians. You resist people who don the Christian title at convenient opportunities (i.e., presidential campaigns). You would prefer the candidate make no mention of faith rather than leave the appearance of a borrowed faith that will be returned to the lender after the election.
You are concerned, profoundly concerned, about the future of our country. The debt. Immorality. National security. The role of the Supreme Court. Immigration. Religious liberty. The list is as long as the worries are deep.
So where does this leave us? When a person treasures the country, but has trepidation about its future, what is the best course of action?
Elijah can weigh in on this question.
He lived during one of the darkest days in the history of Israel. The Northern Kingdom had 19 kings, each one of whom was evil. Hope had boarded the last train and optimism the final flight. The leaders were corrupt and the hearts of the people were cold. But comets are most visible against the black sky. And in the midst of the darkness, a fiery comet by the name of Elijah appeared.
The name Elijah means, “My God is Jehovah.” And he lived up to his name. He appeared in the throne room of evil King Ahab with a weather report. “‘As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word’” (1 Kings 17:1).
Elijah’s attack was calibrated. Baal was the fertility god of the pagans, the god to whom they looked for rain and fertile fields. Elijah called for a showdown: the true God of Israel against the false god of the pagans. How could Elijah be so confident of the impending drought? Because he had prayed.
Eight centuries later the prayers of Elijah were used as a model.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:16-18).
James was impressed that a prayer of such power came from a person so common. Elijah was “a human being” but his prayers were heard because he prayed earnestly. This was no casual prayer, comfortable prayer, but a radical prayer. “Do whatever it takes, Lord,” Elijah begged, “even if that means no water.”
What happened next is one of the greatest stories in the Bible. Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal: You get a bull, I’ll get a bull. You build an altar, I’ll build an altar. You ask your god to send fire; I’ll ask my God to send fire. The God who answers by fire is the true God.
The prophets of Baal agreed and went first.
“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.’
“So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:27-29).
(Elijah would have flunked a course in diplomacy.) Though the prophets cut themselves and raved all afternoon, nothing happened. Finally Elijah asked for his turn.
“Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’ They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, ‘Your name shall be Israel’” (1 Kings 18:30-31).
Elijah poured four jugs of water (remember, this was a time of drought) over the altar three times. Then Elijah prayed.
“LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:36-37).
Note how quickly and dramatically God answered.
“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38-39).
“Pow!” the altar was ablaze. God delighted in and answered Elijah’s prayer. God delights in and answers our prayers as well.
Let’s start a fire, shall we?
If your responses to my blog are any indication, you are anxious. You love this country, yet you are troubled about the future. You wonder what the future holds and what we can do. Elijah’s story provides the answer. We can pray. We can offer earnest, passionate prayers.
It’s time to turn our concerns into a unified prayer. Let’s join our hearts and invite God to do again what he did then; demonstrate His power. Super Tuesday, March 1, is the perfect day for us to step into the presence of God.
Dear Lord,
You outrank any leader. You hold sway over every office. Greater is the occupant of Heaven’s throne than the occupant of the White House.
You have been good to this country. You have blessed us in spite of our sin and guarded us in spite of our rebellion.
We unite our hearts in one prayer. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done. Please, speak through the electoral process to reveal your leader.
Paul reminded the church at Corinth the kind of love Christ offers to us– Agape love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” Don’t we need the same prescription today? Don’t groups still fight with each other? Don’t we flirt with those we shouldn’t? Aren’t we sometimes quiet when we should speak?
Someday there will be a community where everyone behaves and no one complains. But it won’t be this side of heaven. So till then we reason, we confront, and we teach. But most of all we love. Such love isn’t easy. Not even for Jesus. Listen to his frustration in Mark 9:19: “You people have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? How long?Until it kills me! Jesus bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, and endured all things! Even the cross.
Need more patience? Is generosity an elusive virtue? Having trouble putting up with ungrateful relatives or cranky neighbors? God puts up with you when you act the same.
Luke 6:35 says, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Can’t we love like this? Not without God’s help we can’t. Our relationships need more than a social gesture. Some of our friends need a flood of tears. Our children need to be covered in the oil of our love.
But if we haven’t received these things ourselves, how can we give them to others? Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that apart from God, “the heart is deceitful about all things.” We need help from an outside source. A transfusion. Would we love as God loves? Then we start by receiving God’s love!
God wants you to stop being “absorbed with the things right in front of you.
Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—
that’s where the action is.
See things from his perspective”.
(Colossians 3:2 MSG)
If I ever needed to hear this verse, today was the day! I’m having a rough time facing the fact that my sister’s leukemia has now progressed and she will be starting chemo soon. Also, it seems, people who are “supposed friends”, just simply “aren’t”. So I need to look up, and try to see it all in “God’s perspective”.
Judging is the easiest path of resistance. We all do it. Even if we don’t realize that we do. And we may judge BECAUSE we don’t understand. But the goal is to: Never judge what you don’t understand.
No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what it right. O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.
Psalm 84:11-12 NLT
This is what I told them: “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Only do as I say, and all will be well!”
Jeremiah 7:23 NLT
We all live in a web of relationships dependent upon obedience to authority. Like a loving parent, God sets standards for our good and to protect us from evil and harm. God desires obedience motivated not by fear but by love and trust. Ironically, obedience actually frees us up to enjoy life as God intended, because it keeps us from becoming entangled or enslaved to those things that distract us and cause us heartache. Even though God’s command is sometimes difficult, or doesn’t make sense from our human perspective, obedience will always bring blessing, joy, and peace.
adapted from TouchPoint Biblewith devotional commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers, Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 1238
Digging Deeper
For more on obedience, see End of the Spear by Steve Saint, Tyndale House Publishers (2005).
Steve Saint was five years old when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was speared to death by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe. In adulthood, Steve, having left Ecuador for a successful business career in the United States, never imagined making the jungle his home again. But when that same tribe asks him to help them, Steve, his wife, and their teenage children move back to the jungle. There, Steve learns long-buried secrets about his father’s murder, confronts difficult choices, and finds himself caught between two worlds.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Just wanted to wish you all a blessed New Year…full of happiness, love, warmth, encouragement, healing, discernment, wisdom, praise to our Lord, humility, gratitude, forgiveness, grace, mercy, hope, faith, spiritual growth, victory, and all the good things our Lord has in store for each of us.
In Bethlehem, the human being who best understood who God was and what he was doing, is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. As Mary looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His majesty—she can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she’s holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end!”
He looks like anything but a king. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.
God came near!
“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.
Everywhere I turned today, I ran into new tidbits about “Forgiveness”. I don’t believe in coincidence, because I believe in the verse Romans 8:28 which reads . . . And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV
So . . . it seems He is trying to bring home to me a truth that needs to be reexamined!
Forgiveness is an act of love and obedience
It isn’t dependent on who the person is, what the person has done or how many times they have done it.
In fact it really has nothing to do with the person who hurt you.
It is all about you and your relationship with God.
I’m so thankful that He loves me enough to command me to do this. Because at the end of the day I know I can say, “God of second chances and new beginnings … here I am again, Please forgive me…
Daniel 9:18
We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever.
Psalm 44:8 (NKJV)
Here are four reasons why today is your best day.
– Today is your best day because you are here. God has placed you in this moment of time for a purpose, and the things that happen to you today will be an unfolding of that purpose.
– What happened to you yesterday, however easy or difficult, was used by God to help prepare you for what He has for you today.
– God will use what happens today to prepare you for what He has for you in future days.
– God has used your past and worked it all together for the good, and He will use this day to add to the good that He has already worked in your behalf.
If you are in Jesus Christ and your heart is committed to God’s plan for your life, it means that today is your best day.
Today is your best day because you can grow a little more in your faith, a little more in your maturity, and a little more in your intimacy with Jesus.
Today you can take another step higher as He takes you from glory to glory; take another step deeper as you grow in His love; take another step further as you obediently walk with Him.
Today is your best day because it has brought you one day closer to the coming of the Lord.
Devotional excerpt by Roy Lessin, from his new book Today is Your Best Day.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:4
Prayer positions us to receive the peace of God. It is when we seek Him that we see Him. It is when we see Him that we are secure. As we travel across the choppy sea of life’s circumstances, we can become dizzy and fearful if we look down at the water of wonder. But if we keep our eyes fixed ahead on a stable object, we remain secure and feel safe. Jesus is our immovable object of belief. He is our secure Savior who is there for us when fear assaults our attitude and threatens to highjack our heart. When we seek His face He reciprocates by flooding our countenance with His peace. He replaces our furrowed brow of fear with a calm face of faith. He gives the righteous a radiant face that is never to be covered with shame. The Lord hears our prayers by extending His peaceful presence.
No one has ever been sorry for seeking the Lord. It takes time and effort but it is your best investment. Process your problems with prayer and you will be the most productive. We cannot come to the best solutions in our own strength. One dimensional problem solving only leads to average results at best. Why be satisfied with a perspective limited to your experiences, intelligence and giftedness? It is seeking the Lord that unlocks a treasure trove of truth that leads us to possibilities we would never imagine on our own. The fruit that comes from replacing fear with faith is unlimited. We can rest assured as the Almighty leads us down a new path. This is what may happen in the process of seeking your Savior. He delights in determining a better way for you.
This next season of your life is the Lord’s reward for your faithfulness all these years. You have sought Him unashamedly and obediently. Money has not been your motive. Pride has not prodded you. Fame has not been your forte. You have sought Him with your unselfish service. You have sought Him with your humble obedience. You have sought Him by ministering to the needs of others. Because of your faithfulness in seeking Him, He has grown your faith and marginalized your fears. Therefore, see this next season as an extension of His blessings. There is no need to fear because God is near those who seek Him. There is no safer or more secure place to be than in the process of seeking Him.
Moreover, God expects to hear from you before you can expect to hear from Him. If you restrain prayer; He may refrain grace and mercy. The more you think upon the Lord, and less of yourself, the better off you become. Seek Him, lose yourself, and you will discover the best way. Furthermore, there is no need to fear your next transition as your Heavenly Father has your hand and He is guiding you. There is no need to fear the cessation of this phase of your career as He is in control. There is no need to fear the breaking off of a relationship as He is in the business of mending broken hearts. There is no need to fear provision for your family as God is your provider. Seek Him and He will deliver you from your fears. Seek Him and you will be secure in Him. Seek Him before, during and after trouble comes. Then the process of seeking the Lord becomes second nature to your soul. Then fear fails its mission. Indeed, seeking Him fossilizes your fears!
Taken from Reading #23 in the 90-day devotional book, “Seeking God in the Psalms”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
Prayer positions us to receive the peace of God. It is when we seek Him that we see Him.
When grace happens, Christ enters. Christ in you, the hope of glory!
For many years, I missed this truth. I believed all the other prepositions:
Christ for me, with me, ahead of me. But I never imagined that Christ was in me.
I can’t blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to it 216 times. John mentions it 26. No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers.
Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists.
Influence? Instruct? Yes. But occupy? No.
The mystery in a nutshell is Colossians 1:27: “Christ is in you!”
The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening! We sense his re-arranging. He’s turning debris into the divine, a pig’s ear into silk purse. Little by little a new image emerges!
Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth.
Ephesians 6:14 NLT
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” says Jesus (John 8:32). But what will the truth set us free from?
First of all, it sets us free from the snares of deception. When people know the truth, they can’t be taken in by a lie. You can’t convince people to believe in something that they know in their hearts and minds is false.
The truth will also set you free from guilt and shame. When you’ve held tightly to the truth, you don’t have to worry about a lie coming back to haunt you. You don’t spend your nights lying awake wondering what words of deception might trap and ensnare you. You are free to live with a clean conscience and an innocent heart.
Finally, the truth sets you free from judgment. When you trust in the truth of Jesus, you have no more fear of death — physical or spiritual. You know his promises to be true and his words to be life-giving. You can no longer be bound by Satan’s lies.
The belt of truth Paul writes about is the strap that holds together the entire armor of God. Without it, everything else would fall away and Satan would have an open target to your heart. So take the truth of Christ, and latch it firmly around your waist. Let it set you free!
From a devotional by Frank M. Martin in Embracing Eternity(Tyndale House) p 293
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
You stare into the darkness. The ceiling fan whirls above you. Your husband slumbers next to you. In minutes the alarm will sound, and the demands of the day will shoot you like a clown out of a cannon into a three-ring circus of meetings, bosses, and baseball practices.
And for the millionth time you’ll make breakfast, schedules, and payroll… but for the life of you, you can’t make sense of this thing called life. Its beginnings and endings. Cradles and cancers and cemeteries and questions.
The meaning of life! The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: grace! Do we really understand it?
Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you!”
this crazy farmer’s wife putting all that in her bag.
She’s flying with that.
And these 10 Things to Know about Fear:
1. Don’t fear failing.
Fear not obeying.
2. Fear is a fraud.
Nowhere on earth is beyond the reach of God.
3. All fear is but the notion that God’s love ends.
4. Your fears don’t decide your fate — your fears destroy your faith.
5. We must do that which we know we cannot — to prove that it’s our God who cannot fail.
Our God appoints those who will disappoint — to point to a God who never disappoints.
5. Everything your Father has for you — is over the fence of fear.
6. Travel in the direction of your fears — to let God direct your life.
7. Fear doesn’t stop the really bad things as much as it stops you from really living.
8. It’s impossible to simultaneously feel fear — and give thanks.
9.Fear is always the flee ahead.
God is I AM and His presence fills the present moment.
Just. Rest. in. Him. in. This. Moment.
10. Do not feed the ducks, or the bears, or the fears.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”Hebrews 10:36-37
The greatest example of Christian perseverance for me is Sister Alice Yuan from China. Her pastor husband, Allen Yuan, was imprisoned for almost twenty-two years for refusing to join the government controlled church in the middle 1950’s. She says:
“When my husband Allen was sent to prison in April 1958, I was told that I would never see him again. I felt completely miserable and continually blamed God. The future looked so terribly bleak. I had the care of six children and my mother-in-law. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could I keep my family alive on that?
“When it all became too much for me, one night I heard a voice: ‘My child, I have everything in My hands. These things come from Me.’ I replied, ‘If these things come from You, please protect me and my family. Do not allow me to dishonor Your name. I want to serve You and glorify Your name’
“Then I received peace in my heart. I was encouraged by Psalm 68:19, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.In those difficult years, people let me down, but God never abandoned me. But he did put me through trials.
“The first trial was the struggle to survive. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could we get by on that? But God took care of us, in the same way that he took care of Elijah. He promised to be my shepherd and provider.
“One evening, my mother-in-law said that there was no food anymore in the house. The next morning, at five to six there was a knock on the door. ‘Are you sister Alice?’ asked a woman in her sixties, whom I didn’t know. ‘God wanted me to give you this.’ She put a package in my hand and disappeared. When I opened the parcel I found there was rice in it and some other food and a banknote to the value of about four month’s salary of a professor! Praise the Lord. Where man comes to an end, God begins! This was only one of the many miracles which kept us alive all those years.”
RESPONSE: Today I will not complain about discomforts but thank God for all His blessings!
PRAYER: Lord, You desire faithfulness and perseverance. Help me develop these qualities in my life.
“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.Hebrews 10:38-39
“The second trial came from the Communist party. Every day for nineteen years, I had to report to the police station, where for six hours, they put pressure on me. They said that I would never see my husband again, that I should divorce him and that I should give up my faith. With God’s help I kept going. Praying with my eyes closed, I endured the interrogations every day.
“The third trial consisted of the hard work. After I had been pressured by the security police for six hours, I still had to work for eight hours to earn a living. I had to push handcarts filled with building materials. The carts were much too heavy. I was completely exhausted and was already tired before I started. In the winter, it was even worse. Sometimes I had to shovel cement up onto a floor above my head. The work was dirty, hard and cold, but I achieved my quota. The others were surprised and wondered where I got the energy from.
“The fourth trial had to do with my natural desires. I was thirty-nine-years-old when my husband was taken away. The authorities put me under pressure to marry someone else. All my papers would be changed, so that I could start a new life without all the difficulties. I was offered money and clothing. God loved me so much that He gave me the strength to resist all these temptations. When I prayed to God, He gave me everything I needed, and even more than that.
“My favorite text is Psalm 68:6, God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.”
It is a miracle that her husband, Allen Yuan, got out of the labour camp alive. In December 1979, he was released after twenty-one years and eight months. He was then sixty-five years old, thin but still healthy. At an age when many people are enjoying retirement, Allan again took up his vocation as a pastor. He died on August 16th 2005 at the age of ninety-one. Alice joined him in heaven in early August 2010 to hear her own “Well done!”
RESPONSE: I resolve to persevere, with faith in a good God, through all the trials that come my way.
PRAYER: Lord, may all Your children experiencing severe persecution today be filled with faith and refuse to shrink back. Help me to emulate these great examples of faithful perseverance.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks
Too seldom do I hear thunder and think “Is that God?”
I’ve been known to let a day pass, even two days, without a glance to the eastern sky. Let’s do better!
Colossians 3:2 reminds us to “Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.”
Blessings and burdens. Both can alarm-clock us out of slumber. Gifts stir homeward longings. So do struggles. Every homeless day carries us closer to the day our Father will come.
The Bible tells us God will wipe away all tears, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain.
All of that gone forever. Write checks of hope on this promise! With Paul in Romans 8:23, we “wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children.”
As followers of God, you and I have a huge asset. We know everything is going to turn out all right!
Christ has not budged from His throne, and Romans 8:28 has not evaporated from the Bible. Our problems have always been His possibilities.
The kidnapping of Joseph resulted in the preservation of his family. The persecution of Daniel led to a cabinet position. Christ entered the world by a surprise pregnancy and redeemed it though His unjust murder.
Dare we believe what the Bible teaches? That no disaster is ultimately fatal?
In 2nd Timothy 4:18 the apostle Paul wrote his final words from a Roman prison, chained to a guard, within earshot of his executioner’s footsteps. Worst-case scenario? Not from Paul’s perspective.
He wrote: “God is looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to Him, praise forever!”
Paul chose to trust his Father. May we do the same.
And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
John 16:8 NLT
What would you consider the worst sin you could commit? Adultery? Stealing? Murder? You might be surprised by the answer the Bible gives.
The worst sin — and the one with the most far-reaching consequences — is this: to refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts guilty men and women of sin “because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:9) On that final day, it will not so much be the sin question as it will be the Son in question. All sins can be dealt with and forgiven if we believe in Jesus.
We must not forget that knowledge brings responsibility. It is a grave thing to shake off the conviction of the Spirit.
Jesus said the Spirit came to convict us “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11). The ruler or prince of this world, Satan, was judged at Calvary. When Jesus went to the cross and died in our place, Satan lost his death grip on humanity.
The spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but He wants most of all to give us assurance of forgiven sin. Why not let Him do what He really desires to do? Why not come to Jesus? Or if you have already done that, help someone else to follow your example.
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a]
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”[b]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God!He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thes. 4:13-17
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
WHEN TRUMPETS FADE
Intro: These verses that we have read this morning give us a little insight into a future event known as “The Rapture”. While this word itself does not appear in the Bible, the event is real nonetheless. We get the word “Rapture” from the Latin translation of the Greek word arpazw (harpazo). It means just what the King James Bible says it does, “caught up“. The Rapture is that future event when the Lord Jesus Himself will return in the clouds above this earth and will catch away all the saved people of the world. It is a time that is known in the Bible as “The Blessed Hope Of The Believer“, Titus 2:13. This future event will be the focus of our preaching this morning.
While the return of our Lord is spoken of many times in the New Testament, there are only three passages which deal with the Rapture in any detail. I have read two of them this morning. The other is found in Revelation 4:1-2a, “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. And immediately I was in the spirit:…” I want to draw your attention to one common theme that punctuates each of these references. That common theme is the mention of the “trumpet”. We are told in clear language that the Rapture will be a time that will be heralded with the sound of trumpets.
When the writers of the New Testament used the imagery of trumpets, the people to whom they were writing were well acquainted with what they were saying. However, we modern readers need to be educated about the significance of the trumpet.
In the Bible, trumpets were used for four specific purposes.
1. To Proclaim Victory
2. To Call An Assembly
3. To Announce A Warning
4. To Call The Troops To Battle
It is clear to see how the trumpets fit with the idea of the Rapture. All four of these events will take place when the Rapture comes about.
1. Victory over the world will be announced by the church.
2. The saints will be called to assemble themselves in the presence of the Lord.
3. The trumpets will announce a warning of judgment to the world.
4. The angelic troops will be summoned to battle.
Also, in the society of that day, trumpets were heard on a daily basis. The Roman army, which occupied most of the civilized world at that time used trumpets to carry out the movement of their troops. Typically, when a Roman legion moved, there would be three blasts from the trumpets. The first would tell the troop to strike their tents and to prepare to move. The second would alert them to fall in and line up. The last trumpet would be the signal to move out. Notice what Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:52. He tells us that we are leaving at the “last trump”. When the trumpet sounds, it will be the signal to move up to glory!
Folks, when the trumpet sounds, all those who are saved by grace will be leaving this world. It is that event that I want to preach about today. I want you to know that before the sound of that trumpet blast fades from our ears, several great and precious events will take place. Allow me to share them with you this morning as we think on the thought, “When Trumpets Fade.”
I. OUR LORD WILL HAVE RETURNED1 Thes. 4:17
A. In Fulfillment Of His Promise – Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, He promised His disciples that He would return for them one day, John 14:1-3. He later reaffirmed this promise to the Apostle John, Rev. 22:20. Just as sure as there is a blue sky above us He will return as He promised He would! Even as He was ascending back into Heaven, angelic messengers were dispatched to tell the Apostles of the Lord’s impending return, Acts 1:9-11, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
B. In Fulfillment Of His Purpose – While the Lord was making His promise to return some day, He also stated His purpose, John 14:3. The Lord desires to receive His bride unto Himself, Eph. 5:25-27. After all, He paid the ultimate price to redeem her from her sins and to cleanse her from her filthiness! He died on the cross to purchase His Bride and He wants her to be with Him in His heavenly home.
II. ALL DEPARTED SAINTS WILL HAVEBEEN RESURRECTED 1 Thes. 4:13-16; 1 Cor. 15:52b
A. Their Present Condition – 1 Thes, 4:13 tells us that those saints who have departed are “asleep“. This does not refer to “soul sleep“. It refers to the fact that their bodies are asleep. When a saint of God leaves this world, they are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. This was the conviction Paul Held, 2 Cor. 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.“; Phil. 1:23, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” Presently, all those who left this world in a saved condition are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ill. The question may arise as to what manner of body they possess. Certainly they do not have their glorified bodies yet. However, it would seem that they possess some sort of a spiritual body. When Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, they possessed bodies that could be seen and recognized, Matt. 17:3. Whatever form they are in this morning, they are certainly in a place free from the cares, pains and burdens of this world. The Bible is clear when it teaches us that “nothing that defileth shall enter” Heaven, Rev. 21:27.)
B. Their Promised Completion – 1 Cor. 15:52b tells us that the departed saints will be raised “incorruptible“. That is, they will be changed! When they left their body, it was destined for the ground from which it came. However, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will bring their spirits back with Him, He will raise their bodies and glorify them. He will then place the spirits back into those newly glorified bodies!
(Ill. There will be more said about that future body in just a moment!)
(Ill. How will all this happen? Certainly, to our mortal minds it is a great mystery. However, if you take the time to look back at the times our Lord shouted while He was on this earth, you will discover that each time He did so, dead folks got out of their graves.
1. He shouted in Bethany and Lazarus lived! – John 11:43-44
2. He shouted at Calvary and some lived! – Matt. 27:50-52
3. He will shout from the clouds and all the departed saints will live – 1 Thes. 4:16.
There is power is the Word of our Lord!)
III. ALL LIVING SAINTS WILL HAVE BEEN RAPTURED – 1 Thes. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52a
A. The Church Will Leave Instantaneously – Notice the use of words that imply speed and swiftness, 1 Cor. 15:52, “moment” – This word speaks of an “indivisible point in time. A span of time so short that there is none shorter.“; “twinkling of an eye” – Scientists have determined that the blink of an eye is 1/30th of a second in duration. That is fast! However, a twinkling is event faster than that, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000th of a second! Then in 1 Thes. 4:17, Paul uses the term “caught up“. This phrase means “to snatch away, to seize with force, to claim for oneself.” It refers to a sudden event when the saints of God will be “snatched from this world with force and claimed for the glory of God.“)
(Ill. The whole idea here is one of speed! There will be no forewarning. There will be no announcements on TV, on radio, or in the papers. There will be no announcements from the pulpits. God will not proclaim in a booming, Charlton Heston voice that the end is nearing. It will just happen! My friend, if you have ever listened to anything in your life, then listen to this. You need to be ready! Jesus Himself said, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”, Matt. 24:44.
If He were to come today, would He find you ready? Oh friend, do not be deceived, it could happen! Today could be that glorious day when the Lord returns for His people. Will you be in that number that hears the shout, that hears the trumpets and that leaves this world in an instant? Only if you are born again! Be ready, He is coming!)
(Ill. Can you imagine the chaos that will ensue when this event takes place? All babies missing! Most children gone! Some husbands and wives missing. Many Cars, planes, trains, etc without drivers. Television personalities taken right off the air. It will be a time of great hysteria and mayhem. Some of you had better prepare for it, because you may experience it first hand! Why not come to Jesus before that happens?)
B. The Church Will Leave Intact – In 1 Cor. 15:51, Paul tells us that “all” will be changed. The Rapture will not be an event enjoyed by a select few. But, every born again believer will have a part in the Rapture of the church! The body of Christ will not be fragmented! Part will not be taken and part left behind to endure the Tribulation. When the Rapture comes ALL the saints will go together!
(Ill. Because of the lives they have lived, some will not deserve to go, but they will go nonetheless. All the redeemed of all the ages will leave this world as one when the trumpet sounds. There are no second class citizens in the Kingdom of God! Saved is saved and lost is lost! All the saved will go, all the lost will stay behind!)
IV. ALL SAINTS WILL HAVE BEENRECONSTRUCTED – 1 Cor. 15:52b-57
A. Changed Physically – At the moment of the Rapture, all the saints will experience a radical change. These mortal bodies will be changed to immortal ones. The bodies that are destined to perish will be made like the body of our Lord. A body that cannot experience death, decay or disease. A body that will shine with the brilliance of 10,000 suns. What a day that will be!
B. Changed Perfectly – When this change comes, it will remake us into the image of our glorified Lord. 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” We do not know a lot about our Lord’s glorified body, but we do know:
1. It is a body not bound by time or space – John 20:19.
2. It is a body that can enjoy food and fellowship – Luke 24:36-43.
3. It is a body that can never die – Heb. 7:25.
4. It is a body that shines with a heavenly brilliance – Rev. 21:23; Matt. 17:2
All of this is enough to let me know that I want one of these bodies some day. All the saints will wear a glorified body when we arrive in that Heavenly home!)
C. Changed Permanently – The language of our texts tells us that we will no longer be mortal. These new bodies will never wear down or wear out, but they will last throughout eternity. They will be a perfect in 10,000,000 years as they were the day we received them! Notice what Paul says about this body in 2 Cor. 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.“
V. ALL SAINTS WILL BE ENJOYING AREUNION – 1 Thes. 4:17
A. With Our Loved Ones – Notice the phrase “together with them in the clouds“. This indicates that all the children of God will be together forever in Heaven. Imagine being reunited with spouses, parents, children and grandparents. Imagine seeing your departed loved ones in their new glorified bodies in the presence of the Lord Jesus! What a glorious privilege has been given to all the saints of God!
B. With Our Lord – As great as that reunion with our loved ones will be, it will be eclipsed by another reunion. This same verse tells us that “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” My friends, one day, we will see Him Who died for us on the cross! We will look at His face. We will be able to bow before Him in adoration and worship. We will be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ! I can imagine no thrill any greater in this universe than to see the One Who loved me enough to lay down His life in payment for my own. Hallelujah! Just the thought of that is enough to make a Baptist shout! Glory! Glory!
Conc: Well, I’ve done a lot of preaching this morning and I have tried to describe several events that will happen when the Lord returns for His church. But please remember, all this will take place before the sound of the trumpet fades away. Are you ready for that event? Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? If Jesus came back for His church today, and He could, would you go, or would you be left behind? What I am asking is this: Have you ever come to the place where you knew you were lost? Have you confessed your sins to God? Have you placed your faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you received Christ as your personal Savior? Are you saved? If you are, then you have a reason to rejoice this morning! There are exciting things ahead for the children of God! If you are not saved, I beg you to come to Jesus right now! This is the only time you have to be saved! If the Lord is tugging at your heart and is calling you to come to Him, then please come! Don’t delay another minute. It is too dangerous! Jesus may come at any time and you really need to be ready when He does. Will you come to Him right now while there is still time? Will you be saved so that you too can be ready for that meeting in the air? Jesus is coming! Don’t be caught unprepared!
“Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. The Bible can touch hearts, order minds and refresh souls.” Ronald Reagan
“…God’s Word impacts human hearts…” Chuck Swindoll
“The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other Book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality and hope.” Dwight D. Eisenhower
“…the Bible is the best Book in the world…” John Adams in letter to Thomas Jefferson
“The Bible is for the Goverrnment of the People, by the People, and for the People.” John Wycliffe
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” George Washington
“WHEREAS the Bible, the Word of God, has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation and people;…WHEREAS many of our great national leaders – among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson – paid tribute to the surpassing influence of the Bible in our country’s development, as in the words of President Jackson that the Bible is “the Rock on which our Republic rests”; WHEREAS the history of our Nation clearly illustrates the value of voluntarily applying the teachings of the Scriptures in the lives of individuals, families, and societies; WHEREAS this Nation now faces great challenges that will test this Nation as it has never been tested before; and WHEREAS that renewing our knowledge of and faith in God through Holy Scripture can strengthen us as a nation and a people;”
US Congress, in resolution passed to establish year of the Bible.
“The Spirit gives life. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63
“whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.” John 5:24
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalms 119:130
“He chose to give us birth through the word of truth.” James 1:18
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.” 2 Corinthians 6:1
There is a vanity associated with someone who has been saved by the grace of God, but who does not appropriate the grace of God. Ironically, they believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin, but they do not behave like they believe. Pride has a way of working itself back into the good graces of a life that is not governed by God’s grace. Humility, on the other hand, flourishes in the hothouse of a heart that appreciates and applies God’s grace.
We are all in danger of forgetting how faith in Christ changed us and brought us into a place of grace. The flesh forges ahead of faith and facilitates graceless living. Before we know it we are back to bad habits, putting grace on the back burner of our belief. Hence, we need reminders of the transformational work of the Holy Spirit that seizes the heart of a life in submission to Almighty God. Grace empowers a humble heart.
“They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Mark 7:7
Furthermore, grace becomes vain when it is crushed under the weight of loveless legalism. Grace converts knowledge about God into knowing God. You are protected from man-made rules that grasp God’s glory when you use grace as a filter for your faith building. For example, your family may need your financial support, so make sure you do not feed the poor in Africa and ignore your relatives at home. Legalism is hard and inflexible—grace is gentle and moldable. Legalism lacks compassion—grace gives grace.
Graceless living loses Christians creditability. Are you a church member who gossips in the name of prayer or are you a gracious saint who prays with quiet confidentiality? Are you a religious person who holds a grudge or are you a gracious Jesus follower who forgives freely? Are you a proud and self-centered believer or a sinner saved by grace? Praise the Lord, that we the redeemed are a container and dispenser of God’s grace. You are a cherished co-worker with Christ—His grace grows in your humble, teachable heart.
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “ GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” James 4:6, NASB
Prayer: Heavenly Father, by faith I receive Your grace, so I can extend Your grace.
As a group of fishermen relaxed in an old Scottish seaside inn, one of the men gestured widely, depicting a fish that got away. His arm struck the waiter’s tray, sending its contents onto the white wall, leaving an ugly brown splotch.
The innkeeper sighed, “The whole wall will have to be repainted.”
“Perhaps not,” offered a stranger. “Let me work with it!”
The man pulled brushes, oils, and colors out of an art box. He dabbed away at the ugly splotch. An image emerged–a stag with a great rack of antlers. His signature at the bottom read: Sir Edwin Landseer. A famous painter of wildlife. In his hands, a mistake became a masterpiece!
God’s hands do the same. He draws together the disjointed blotches in our life. Ephesians 2:7 says, we become “examples of the incredible wealth of God’s favor and kindness toward us!”
Thou shalt love thy neighbor . . . –Matthew 22:37–39
Here is the answer to the world’s problems today—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” “Thou shalt love thy fellowman.” That teaching is not out-of-date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have a capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service—not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying—but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our heavenly Father.
Prayer for the day
True love demands everything I have. Take all the hidden things in my life that keep me from loving You and my neighbor as I should. Let me obey Your will unequivocally, dear Lord.
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.Ephesians 6:17b
Scripture is God’s Word to us. Get to know it. It is the source of truth, assurance and comfort. Learn its lessons. Let God use it to speak to your heart. Look to it to cut through the enemy’s lies and spiritual deception, and to reveal the truth. Use it to persuade others about God’s love and forgiveness.
When God’s Spirit impresses us with a verse or a passage of Scripture to use in our battle against the enemy in a particular conflict, we are able to defeat our enemy. The Bible calls this taking the sword of the Spirit.
Jesus defeated Satan the three times he was tempted in the wilderness by using the sword of the Spirit. (see Matthew 4).
Ruth’s world changed when she chanced to find a Bible. She was fifteen when she was rummaging through her Muslim family’s library. She found it hidden behind the other books. She says, “I quickly read a few pages and the message immediately touched my heart, even though I understood practically nothing of it. Secretly I began to read the Bible regularly in my room. I knew that I had to do more with this. I wanted to get to know Jesus better.”
She adds, “I don’t remember how it happened, but my family realized that I was showing too much interest in Christianity. My whole family was against me, especially my mother.”
“You’re a Muslim,” she said. “Why are you throwing your life away? Why aren’t you like other girls? You’ll soon be going to university and then you’re going to marry a respected Muslim!”
Ruth’s voice falters and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. “I suffered a lot,” she continues. “But still I kept reading the Bible in secret. The Lord Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Him.”
RESPONSE: Today I take the sword of the Spirit so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.
PRAYER: Lord may the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands today and in the hands of those reading it for the first time.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks
What is “The Great Commission (commandment, instruction)?
It is the instruction and last words Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven. He commanded that we are to go into “all the world” and:
Make disciples
Baptize those who become disciples, and
teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded
These words are called “The Great Commission” (commandment, instruction) and were given not only to the 11 disciples who were with Him at the time, but to all believers from then on.
At first glance, this instruction would seem to be straight-forward and easy to follow. But let’s go a little further and analyze these verses so that we have the tools and understanding that we need.
When Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make other disciples of all the nations, He included “Gentiles” as well as Jews.
Notice Jesus instructs them to baptize other disciples into the name (singular tense) of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can see clearly that the concept of the “trinity” comes directly from Jesus Himself. However, the word trinity well describes the three-in-one nature of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. In researching the word trinity, no results were found in the following version(s) of the Bible: Amplified Bible, New International Version, American Standard Version, King James Version or New American Standard Bible. This one verse emphasizes both the unity and plurality of God (Greek singular). Many passages show that the work of one involves the work of one or both of the other two Persons. There is no hierarchy of persons here. We must be careful that we do not lose either the unity or the diversity in the nature of God. (Part of this exegesis was derived from The New International Version and The New Living Version of the Bible.)
Why is baptism important?
Baptism unites a believer with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection as a symbol of death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism shows submission to Christ and a willingness to live God’s way.
How is Jesus present with us?
He was present physically from His birth until He ascended into heaven.
He is present spiritually with us through the Holy Spirit.
Practical Applications and Understanding our Task
regarding “The Great Commission”
The Great Commission is not an option, but a command given to us by Jesus, so we should obey.
If we don’t obey, then we have failed, or omitted to follow His instruction.
We don’t have to be preachers, or evangelists to teach.
We all have gifts given to us by God that can be used by Him to enable us to fulfill these commandments.
We can:
smile,
love,
give words of encouragement,
or do a service for someone in need like giving them a ride, cleaning their house, mowing their lawn, etc.
The most important part of “The Great Commission” comes from loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves.
Matthew 28:20 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of “always.”
I hope you have enjoyed this Bible Study. Hopefully, it will be only the first of others that I do. Writing doesn’t come easy to me, but I felt led to write anyway.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions. We’ll work through any answers together.
Despite a long list of woes that include being labeled an anti-Semite, having a violent temper and allegedly breaking the teeth of the mother of his youngest child—Mel Gibson has a friend in Jesus—or, at least the actor who played him in 2004’s “Passion of the Christ.”
Caviezel, 42, spoke at the 14,000-member church in a speech the local paper described as “giv(ing) witness to his faith, (urging) others to share it and to sell a new all-star audio production of the Bible that he has produced.”
The staunch Roman Catholic recalled when Gibson first offered him the role of Jesus, he warned that it could end his career.
“(Gibson) said, ‘You’ll never work in this town again,’” Caviezel explained. “I told him, ‘We all have to embrace our crosses.’”
During the 20-minute talk, Caviezel said he was “called” to be an actor, noting that it was no coincidence that “in my 33rd year, I was called to play Jesus.”
He even joked about his initials– J.C. –with Gibson during casting, which “freaked [the director] out a little.”
Caviezel said taking on the role of the Son of God limited his career, saying that he was “rejected in (his) own industry.”
“Jesus is as controversial now as he has ever been,” Caviezel said. “Not much has changed in 2,000 years.”
But Caviezel has no regrets, saying “We have to give up our names, our reputations, our lives to speak the truth,” and adding that he’ll get his reward in heaven.
We are needing guidance on this subject. We have a friend who is an atheist. We’ve explained what we know from the Bible, and from our own personal experience with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because he has done much research and study on the subject of God, creation, the Bible, etc., he doesn’t feel God is real.
The oddity is that he is one of the most loving people we know. That seems to conflict with our thoughts, since we know that God is love, and all love comes from him.
Rather than go into all of the research we’ve done, we’re reaching out to you to give us insight and guidance. Any website addresses, Bible passages, or resources that you feel would be helpful would be greatly appreciated. Your prayers are needed as well as your personal support.
He is 87 years old, has been a professor in college, and is an avid reader.
Despite a long list of woes that include being labeled an anti-Semite, having a violent temper and allegedly breaking the teeth of the mother of his youngest child—Mel Gibson has a friend in Jesus—or, at least the actor who played him in 2004’s “Passion of the Christ.”
sharin' His love & Prophecy Unfolding 