1.       Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of Man

The believer believes that Jesus is the Son of Man who divested himself of his divine glory and became a man possessing the same human nature as other human beings. For it is written; “Inasmuch as the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

The believer believes that Jesus Christ was both God and man, and it was necessary that he became flesh because, as God alone he could not have died to save mankind, and as man alone he could only pay the penalty of death for one man. He had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do; He sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering, and so he condemned sin in sinful man, by not succumbing to sin, and becoming a perfect sacrifice for sin.

He was tempted in all points as we are being tempted, but did not sin, and because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 4:15;  2:18; 5:7-10).

The believer believes that Jesus Christ as the Son of Man suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps, and that he committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

It is stated that everyone that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and may receive eternal life. As it is written; “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

This Eternal life is Jesus Christ the foundation on which every one has been granted the opportunity to build his/her spiritual house, and the source by which one comes to know the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ whom God has sent. Believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of Man becomes the way, the truth, and the life by which one comes to the Father, and the golden opportunity for one to choose the best indestructible material to build his/her spiritual house. This level of belief will not guarantee everlasting life.

It is everyone’s individual responsibility to be careful on how he /she builds on this foundation, for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Therefore if any one builds on this foundation using gold, silver, or precious stones, his work which will be tested by fire will survive and will receive a reward. But if anyone builds on this foundation with wood, hay or straw, his work will be burnt up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, only as one escaping through the flames.

God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and who rejects the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

2.       Believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior

The believer believes that Jesus Christ took our place and became sin for us. For, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken (wounded) smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way: and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors, for he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:4-6;10-12).

The believer believes that while we were still weak, at the right time Jesus Christ died for the ungodly and that God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He took our place in death, and we are therefore convinced that, if one has died for all then all died, and he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

The believer believes that Jesus Christ became our Savior by becoming;

1. Our Wisdom from God

This wisdom for ages past was kept hidden in God who created all things. God’s intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm (Satan and his demons), his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. This mystery is how in Christ Jesus and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Jesus Christ is God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

2. Our Righteousness

Jesus Christ is our righteousness because it is, “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared he saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing and rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:17-19).

3. Our Sanctification

Jesus Christ is our sanctification because, “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once we were alienated from God and were enemies in our minds because of our evil behavior, but now he has reconciled us by Christ’s physical body through death to present us holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:19-22).

4.  Our Redemption

Jesus Christ is our redemption because, “God the Father has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1: 13-14).

Jesus Christ saved us by his death on the cross, and continues to save us by being our righteousness as being our High Priest, our sanctification through partaking of his flesh (unleavened bread), and our redemption through partaking of his blood (wine). This responsibility has been given to us as a church to demonstrate to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms the manifold wisdom of God.

Living By Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, (human effort) so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body (alive) we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:5-7 

Through him (Jesus) you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  1 Peter 1:21 

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,  Hebrews 12:28 

AMEN!!!

We all need nuggets of wisdom. Pick up a copy! 

About this image: A beautiful new image of two colliding galaxies has been released by NASA’s Great Observatories. The Antennae galaxies, located about 62 million light-years from Earth, are shown in this composite image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue), the Hubble Space Telescope (gold and brown), and the Spitzer Space Telescope (red) Credit: NASA, ESA, SAO, CXC, JPL-Caltech, and STScI

I came across an article that is a dangerous example of how people can be led astray from the truth of God.  Quoted portions are from the article, except for scriptural references.

Article - 

Jews, Christians And Muslims Are Cousins In Religion

FOR OyeTimes.com JACOB K. LUPA  - WRITER “The problem seems to be the adherents of the three religions who create problems through greed, marginalisation and humiliation of fellow human beings.”

Basically, those who adhere to the laws and doctrines of their faith are considered to be greedy, narrow minded, and alienate our fellow man.  As I can not speak for any other faith, as a greatful believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches that there is only one true Word of God, and the laws that are given there-in are to be followed unquestioningly, unerringly, or retribution will follow :

Deuteronomy 28:57-59 “⁵⁸ If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- ⁵⁹ the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses.”

This is what God has spoken, and who am I to argue with God. He instructs and rewards obediance, conversely, He punishes the wicked :

Proverbs 10:16 “The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.”

I can’t say what Mohamad teaches in the Qur’an, but the Deuteronomy and Proverbs verses are both from the Old Testament, out of Mosaic Law, which is of God via Moses, and the foundations of the Jewish doctrines.  Jews and Muslims perhaps may be cousins, to use the term loosely, and I’ll explain why, but Christianity is rooted in Judaism, the difference is Jesus Christ.  The Jews do not believe that He is Messiah, Christians do. The point is God’s law is definitive.

“Judaism, Christianity and Islam have the same concept of God. With regard to this in Judaism, Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”. In Christianity according to the Gospel of Mark (New Testament) 12:29-30 “when asked what was the most important commandment Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one Lord: Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”. In Islam when the faithful are called to prayer they hear, “God is great. I bear witness that there is no deity but God”.

To put correctly, Judaism and Christianity and Islam all have the same God. The main difference here is that the Old Testament(Judaism) and the New Testament(Christianity) of the Bible are written by many authors directed and inspired by God and compiled into one book, although there is still the Jewish Torah. There is still debate as to who authored the Qur’an be it God, an illiterate self-proclaimed prophet, or a group of Arab poets.

As to why Judaism and Islam are related in origin, the Jews trace their beginnings from Sarah and Abraham, while Islam claims birth right to Abraham and Hagar, a bonds-woman.

Genesis 16:15 “So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.”

Having the status of bonds-woman, the Jews view the Arabs to be of an inferior lineage, thus the reason for the hatred between the two.

“Sudan needs a Christian Islamic Council to work on issues that divide Christians and Muslims for development of concepts that promote mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and peaceful-co-existence. This is important for equality of religions for people who believe in the same one God held as loving, merciful and compassionate. Probably that could have saved the unity of Sudan as religion could not have been politicised that too far where the concentration would have been on equitable development in the country.”

See the problem here is, in the Old Testament, Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s purpose is revealed in many books of the Bible, this verse from Isaiah being the most notable:

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.

God confirms this in the New Testament :

Matthew 3:17 “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.

Matthew 17:5 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Jesus explains that there is only one way to God:

John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

For whatever reason, the Jews do not believe the Messianic prophecies that are in the Old Testament, that through ritual fasting, prayer, and repentance, one will enter the Gates of Heaven.  The Qur’an says all you have to do is believe in the One True God, and repent of your sins, that you are pretty much free to do what you would like, as long as you do not deny Allah as the only god, and repent fastidiously.

The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus is the only key that is found on earth to unlock the gates of Heaven.  Without Jesus, salvation is unattainable.   The Jews may have missed the prophecies, but there will come a time when there will be a mass conversion from Judaism to Christianity.  There will be Muslims who will be come believers.  Sadly this will not take place until after the rapture, when realization of what is happening begins to settle on the world.

It is my opinion that Judaism and Islam is nothing more than a centuries old sibling rivalry.

Genesis 21:9 “But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking.”

Jesus can trace his lineage back to Abraham and Sarah

Genesis 21:12 “But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”

Isn’t that interesting? God reveals to us here that the child of Hagar will be a nuisance to Christianity, and God then tells Abraham to not worry about Ishmael, but listen to Sarah because through Isaac, Jesus will be born.

Always study the scriptures, know the truth.  Do not be fooled by silver tongues and pretty speeches.  Never take anything at face value always reference the bible and ask God for revelation, for the scales to be removed from your eyes so that you will not be deceived.  Even the devil can mimic God.

Search Technorati.com – Salvation Islam Judaism Christianity

I just wanted to post a theory and see what the response is.

I have a blog that studies current events in relation to biblical scripture to bring awareness to the possibility that we are closer than ever to the Rapture of the Church and the return of Christ.  While doing some research for an article, I came across a theory that states UFO sightings could be nothing more than the physical manifestation of  demons and angels.

I guess another thought that needs testing is this: What if the universe is not as infinite as we think.  Researching for a different article, I came across an interesting story about Pioneer 10, the NASA exploratory craft that was launched in the ’60′s to take photo’s of Jupiter and Saturn.  Sometime in the 1980′s it passed up Pluto and is heading for the Asteroid Belt outside of our Solar System.  It is currently in a portion of space that is unaffected by orbital plants, and strangely eonugh it’s forward propulsion has been decreasing to a point where it is almost stopped. Keep in mind, this is a space vehicle that travels at around  1M Kilometers per hour. To date, NASA scientists have no clue why, and state that the craft is functioning properly, save that it’s not moving.

So then, has Pioneer 10 reached then end of space? We know that God is not one for gluttony and waste.  He is a God of moderation. Perhaps He, in His infinite wisdom only created what He needed, after all, the expanse of space, while seemingly infinite, could be nothing more than equal to the volume of a match box.  Or maybe we are actually witnessing His intervention. Perhaps Pioneer 10 has gone beyond what God will allow us to discover, for what ever reason.  Who knows.

I know that this isn’t exactly about Success, failure or happiness, but I thought it would be a good place to get a wide variety of Christian opinions on the subject.  Although I am a bit of a Sci-Fi fan and up until recently believed in the possible existance of extraterrestrials, I’m not so sure now.  I know that the Bible says angles and demons can appear and disappear, and that they have been described as brilliantly shining figures.  It just has a ring of truth to it.

So then fair readers, what are your thoughts?

Especially with today’s much more mobile society, where people don’t have as much time to know each toher, many couples consider living together before marriage – which some studies say doesn’t increase the divorce rate much. However, others say it does..

Instead of looking at studies which go back and forth, can be read any way one wants, and can be flawed, it’s better to look at the truth. After all, if I have a rule that says I get the last cookie for some reason, and you have a rule that says you get the last cookie for a different reason, we can’t both get the last cookie. God’s Word, however, has spelled out rules that we can live by, however, for our benefit, so there is peace. That’s far better than all the drama and bickering of today’s world.

There are people, of course, who take the extreme that it’s just a euphemism for fornication. However, that isn’t necessarily the case. The Bible clearly says intercourse is to be only between a husband and a wife in marriage. They should treasure and enjoy sex only with each other.

There are people who have strong enough will power to avoid it. Such people will always make sure one leaves the bathroom before the other enters. They will avoid seeing each other in the buff or anything else that will tempt them to have sex with each other, and so on. They will do whatever they need to avoid the temptation to have sex before marriage, including, of course, having separate bedrooms. I know people look back longingly to “Leave it to Beaver” and other shows where a married couple had separate beds, but I believe this hurt the notion of family. A married couple should be shown enjoying each other, though it doesn’t need to be the intimacy level of “The Cosby Show.” And, even it wonderfully taught the idea “One man, one woman, one life,” especially with something like that the final line in one special episode. But, that’s another topic, and I can understand others’ views on married couples on TV, too.

Or, is it another topic? A couple that is living together before marriage, even if they do all of the above, and pretend to be like Ward and June Cleaver except not married, is still going against other rules, rules which God established to help us.

There are good reasons not to do it, not counting what the Bible says, but here are 4 good Biblical reasons why the Bible says it’s wrong, even if living arrangements aren’t specifically mentioned:

1. We should *never* tempt a weaker brother to sin. (1 Corinthians 8 ) Paul writes speaking of eating meat sacrificed to idols, but let’s put this in a omdern context. Person gets saved from a life of alcoholism. She can’t go into a restaurant with a bar in it without being tempted to go back into her former lifestyle. Her friends may be able to go to such a place easily, but if they drag her in there, they are sinning. Why, she is a weaker sister. (This is a true story of a woman I know who taught Sunday School 44 years after being saved, and never went into a restaurant with a bar, for the reason given.)

If a weaker couple, who can’t avoid giving in to their hormones, sees a stronger couple living together before marriage, they may try it. Unwatned pregnancies can result, or STDs, or just very broken hearts, because they were tempted to do what they saw that stronger couple do. When that stronger couple should have avoided living together to show a good example.

1.5 Yes, kids, adults must also show a good example, too. This reason is especially important because we are being watched by our children all the time. While this could have been listed as a separate reason, it is here because children are looking at our lives.

Children need to see consistency. Anytime they see people moving in and out, it creates more chaos, which leads to problems, as noted in <a href=”“>this blog, also linked above.

2. Living together tempts God. Jesus says that it is writtent hat we shouldn’t tempt the Lord to let us go off into our sinful lifestyle. And, as much as a strong couple tries, just one slip can lead to that sin of fornication. Look at King David with he just saw Bathsheba bathing one night. Instead of turning away, he just let his desires get the best of him.

3. We should abstain from all appearances of evil. Instead of being like the world’s system, which says to do our own thing, we should strive for individuality within the rules. Because, we are all unique, and have special traits, but these traits should be used to help others, not for our own selfish reasons. They should be used to help us accept each other in the things which aren’t important (like leaving the toilet seat up) while striving to follow those absolute truths which God created for our benefit.

This uniqueness leads to my final point:

4. We must put our faith in God, not in ourselves.

Let’s face it – feelings change all the time. A couple should put their whole trust in God, including for the right mate. Living together to see if it works means you trust your changeable feelings. Trusting only in your own thoughts and feelings is also false pride. We can feel we love someone one minute and not the next.

Indeed, we can feel we love someone’s looks one minute, and in 50 years, they’re all wrinkled up like prunes, they have serious medical issues, and we may have to go so far as to stay home and provide around the clock care.

When you look at your crush, you need to ask yourself, is this really someone you can see being with your whole life, even if they’re old, fat, and ugly? If you’re caringfor them around the clock?

Couples who stay together despite these obstacles do so becuase they are such close friends they’ve discussed all their ins and outs. They have no secrets. They know they’re the only one for each other; they wouldn’t accept *any* other, no matter how lovely.

They let their love for each other grow once they marry if they missed one of those little things – if one squeezes the toothpaste tube from the center all the time, for instance.

that’s where faith in God comes in. The above would actually make pretty much sense int he secular world, too, but think about it. God has a plan for your life. A plan which may or may not include a perfect mate. But, He has provided that perfect one for you becuase he loves you more than you can imagine. He wants you to experience that joy that comes from someone who truly completes you. That’s why Eve was taken from Adam’s side. A true mate should complete us. Until that time, we should trust God to do that for us. And, even afterward, God must be at the head of a marriage for it to work perfectly.

If we trust in ourselves, though, we can easily find ourselves witht he wrong partner. Yes, it’s more difficult in a more mobile society, if we go by man’s reasoning. But, not if we go by God’s. Because, god knows everything, and knows all about you. He knows what each of us needs; He just wants us to be humble enough to accept we can’t do it on our own.

Of course, the biggest thing that humbling ourselves must be with is our own sin. See, we all sin, and come short of the glory of God. His perfect love is mingled with His perfect justic, which says He must punish sin. The wages of sin is death – eternal separation from God forever in a place called Hell. but, the gift of God is eternal life through jesus Christ our Lord.

It’s a free gift. It’s one He wants you to have. And, you only have to receive it by faith. For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How do you do that? Simply believe ont he Lord Jesus Christ – heart knowledge – and thou shalt be saved. that means to put your whole turst that Christ died for your sins, taking your punishment, according tot he Scriptures, that He was buried,a dn that He rose again the third day, according tot he Scriptures.

He did that for you. He paid the whole price to not only get you to His perfect Heaven, but also to let you have a great life with Him on earth. He will live inside you once you receive Him as your Savior and turn from your sins, inviting Him into your heart. he lives in you through the Holy Spirit, guiding you lovingly in the right way. Including, possibly, to that one true love. And, He will provide everything you need to now that mate without having to live together to do it. Just seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

If left to our own devices, we would fail miserably, every time. Yes we may think that we are successful: a fat bank account, a house, cars, good social life, but these are all empty rewards. They will fade eventually. Sadly they will also serve as a distraction from what our Father in heaven would have us do. At first, we may see these things as blessings, especially if we have been down for sometime, and have prayed earnestly for God to intervene in our lives, and rightly so, they are. The new job, a car, a home, even a small windfall that helps to catch up your debts.

Eventually the want for more will begin to consume us as we enter the race to keep up with the Joneses. We become dissatisfied with what we have striving for more to build our mountains of wealth and gain. We forget where these gifts come from and perhaps begin to pride yourself on your gains. Subsequently, you forget about thanking He from whom all this comes from, and you begin to see yourself as the creator of your fortune. You credit your skills, talents, and intelligence, and rightly so, they have helped a great deal. But don’t forget where you obtained those attributes. God is our Father, because He is our Maker, and he alone is the credit for all of our possessions. He will allow you all the freedom you want, but be prepared, He will pull the rug out from under you, and you may lose all, like Job. He is only trying to get your attention though. Not to hurt you, but to show you how fragile these material things can be.

God loves us, and He doesn’t want us to suffer, but He will allow you some heartache, if you have strayed too far. Just read about the people of Jerusalem in the Old Testament, and they were His chosen.

Jeremiah 29:11-”I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future.”

These words mean so much, “I know the plans I have for you..”  He knows what will become of your life. He knows when you will succeed, He knows when you will fail. Can you say that of yourself? We all make plans, long term, short term. But these are only hopes and dreams. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, much less next week. Only God, who is omniscient, knows from day to day. He knows because it’s His plan.

Isaiah 14:24 - ”The Lord [has] sworn ”Surely as I have thought, so it will be, and as I have spoke so it will stand,”

Indeed we are given free will, but really that is a misnomer. We are free to live as we see fit according to our lives and lifestyle, but isn’t “as we see fit” being disobedient to Him? We are not living as He would like, according to His will for our lives. He wants us to listen to Him, to ask of Him, to connect with Him and in turn, He will provide for us:

Matt 7:11 – “if you being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven, give good things to them that ask?

All He asks of you is an obedient relationship with Him.

God bless you all.

Become the man God intended you to be with the excellent book by Dr Tony Evans that addresses some of the pitfalls Christian men face today

For OpEdNews: Dana Gabriel – Writer““In order to ever realize the creation of a one world government, it only makes sense that there would need to be a one world religion. It will be much easier to control us if we are all the same, therefore there is a push for the globalization of religion.”

“Those who have called for a new world order include the late Pope John Paul II and the current Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his papacy, John Paul II preached a message of peace, hope, and the bringing together of all religions.”

“In the year 2000, the United Nations held its first ever Millennium World Peace Summit. It brought together thousands of the world’s preeminent religious and spiritual leaders, thus marking a major step towards the creation of a global religious body. This was the first time such an event had taken place through the UN.”“

 Article: About one out of every eight adults is an “ex-Christian,” a new survey reveals.

For ChristianPost.com: By Audrey Barrick|Christian Post Reporter“These include those who left the Protestant or Catholic tradition that they were a part of as a child and who now report being atheist, agnostic or some other faith, according to the Barna Group.

According to the Christian research group, the most common reasons for leaving Christianity included life experiences, such as gaining new knowledge or education; feeling disillusioned with church and religion; feeling the church is hypocritical; having negative experiences in churches; being in disagreement with Christianity about specific issues such as homosexuality, abortion or birth control; feeling the church is too authoritarian; wanting to express their faith outside of church; and searching for a new faith or wanting to experience other religions.

The top motivations for becoming a Christian, meanwhile, were going through difficult life events; getting older and seeing life differently; wanting to connect with a church and grow spiritually; discovering Christ; or wanting to know what was in the Bible.

The median age at which respondents changed their faith was 22. Sixty-eight percent of respondents had a major faith change before the age of 30.“

So why are so many people turning away from their fatih?  Jesus tells us many times throughout the Gospels to beware of false messiahs, that many will turn from God and be led astray:

Matthew 7:15-16 “15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”

Matthew 24:11-14 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.“

Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Mark 13:22 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect“

This truth is becoming alarmingly clear as more and more people are leaving their faith and following self-help leaders, gurus, mystics, and even those who claim to be Christ.  Here is an article that lists the top 10 self-appointed messiahs, interestingly they are all from the past century.  Is this the beginning of the “many false prophets..” Jesus refers to?  I’m sure many still remember the Sedona sweat lodge incident that claimed 3 lives and injured 10 during a ritualistic ‘spiritual cleansing‘.  Led by self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray rented the facility as part of his Spiritual Warrior retreat that began on 3 October and promised to “absolutely change your life.”  It certainly did for these 13 people. Ray also collected around $9k a head for these ‘cleansings’.

There have been those who lead people from God since the day of Man.  This is nothing new. The Bible refers to magicians and sorcerers, fortune tellers, mystics, false prophets, false messiahs starting in the Old Testament and in to the New Testament. What Jesus is warning us about however is similar to what is happening in our current age.  There are so many half-baked religions and many who distort the Word of God and incorporate it into their own beliefs,  worse still there are those who claim to be the returned Christ.  We all need to be aware of what is Truth, and what is not, and the only way to ensure that is to put on the whole armor of God:

Ephesians 6:10-18 “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: while using your loins of defeating the devil 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and hi watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

Remember my friends. The only way to become immune to the lies and deception is to know the Truth in your heart.  If you do not have God’s Word in your heart, your eyes will be just as blind as one who does not know God at all.  Study the scriptures, be aware of what is happening.  We are not at war with flesh and blood, as Paul states above in verse 12: “We are at war against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Furthermore, it is our duty to spread the Gospel to every living creature (Mark 16:15). This is the Great Commission of Jesus.

Stand up and be counted.

I pray friends that your eyes are opened to see the lies of the enemy for what they are. I pray that God will take the scales from your eyes so that you can see the wonder and mystery that He is.  I pray that you will put on the full armor of God, that you will be battle ready for when He sounds the trumpets.  In the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

God Bless You.

Note: I wrote this article after finding a website that I came across that is for ex-christians to discuss why they left the faith, and why they do not believe in God anymore.  There are literally thousands of posts.  It is sad. We, as Christians should be helping those who are having trouble in their faith.  Help your brothers and sisters, this is after all, their eternal souls at stake.

Search Technorati.com: Apostasy, False Prophets, Christianity

Anger is a sneaky one…

He likes to sneak in on the coat tales of other emotions. Maybe more so with men, or maybe it’s just me. I know anger isn’t always bad, it can get adrenalin going and help with the fight or flight situations. But I used to be way more comfortable with anger, I know its “personality”, its symptoms. But I think we are trained(by the world) that anger is OK in men and other emotions are not. hurt? cover it with anger. Sad? cover it with anger. worried, confused, embarrassed, etc? cover it with anger. All those other emotions are not masculine and we don’t know how to deal with them, but anger we are used to that, the power, the high…there is a song by Disciple called…

Dear X

Dear hate, I know you’re not far
You would wait at the door of my heart
I was amazed at the passion in your cries
Dear anger, you made me so high
You were faithful to show up on time
Such a flame that was burning in your eyes
I let you go
But you’re still chasing

There all these painful emotions, sadness, rejection, humiliation, we are trained to turn them to hate. The problem is pain, sadness, rejection, humiliation, all suck, but they fade. Anger and Hate… They like to stick around & provide their own fuel for the fire, and when they become your default emotion, it’s even harder, and it always seems like they are chasing you.

Looking back over the past couple years and realizing that no matter how much I am becoming the man I want to be, sometimes the Man I didn’t want to be shows up.

It’s the awkward touchy feely things that make me uncomfortable around some situations, so when I’m standing on the side of the road hugging a homeless man after somehow I get him to voice his anger at God.  He cries/better yet/ wails into my shoulder.  The thought in my head “what the frell am I doing here?”

Earlier that year a Woman organizes a “prayer drive though” Corporate prayer is not my thing (please leave it at that) So I’m in the side of I 35 holding the signs, “Jesus Loves you”, and “free prayer”.  Again the thought in my head “what the frell am I doing here?”

The most shocking was early in my walk I was on mission to Biloxi. We were invited to join a small southern baptist church for wed night service, I did not want to go, I heard there was another church that played rock & more contemporary music.  I decided to got to the smaller church with the rest of my team. it was beautiful we walked in and they were all singing songs, no music or “hymnals” a lady sitting in front would sing a verse the rest of the people would follow.  It was beautiful so I just opened my bible and enjoyed the songs.  Then…. they stopped singing, the lady leading the worship looked over at our group and said “y’all…sing something”.  I jumped up in front of the whole church and sang “your love is amazing” 1 verse and the chorus, solo, a’capella, when I finished singing my Mission team looked like deer in headlights, I sat down and said to my team “that never leaves this room”.

Sometimes being worried about appearing to be one of those “wierd” people may deter us from experiencing something great or doing something great.

There are those who would “berate” people with the message “God loves you”. But I’ve been in in a bar talking to someone, and at the right point in the conversation I told a person just that. the reaction while still a little awkward was also met with gratitude.

Maybe it’s not so much what we say or do that turns people off.  But how we say it, why we say it, and what actions go with our words.  Is there meaning in it or is it just platitudes.

Not really sure how to tie this one up.   I guess there are 2 points… I think if we are living out our faith …to the full, there should be some “aw crap what am I doing here” type moments.  The second part is up for a longer debate.  Do we seek out these moments or allow them to be truly Spirit led… or do we constantly chase the wild goose (what Celtics (not the NBA Celtics) called the Holy Spirit), and thus mix the line between intentionality and spontaneity?

THE GUARDS OF REMEMBRANCE

Before the era of written language, pen and ink or the printing press, mankind passed along what was to be remembered. Sometimes all there was a painted picture on a cave wall. Then there was recitation of family lineage, the how-tos of life, and much more was shared by remembering or memorization. We see this practice documented over and over again in the Old Testament. These memories were sometimes used as sources of pride, sometimes as sources of knowledge, sometimes of warning and other times as sources of protection. God many times told His people, “Remember Do not forget and other similar admonishments.”

Honoring the memory of our loved ones is wonderful and healing. We place pictures up at home, work, the car or wherever we want to bring the memories of who they were and our times together. Some people choose to fill their homes and every room. Others dont want to be reminded of the loss or pain and nothing is displayed anywhere. Some have nothing they want to remember. We carefully choose which picture or memorabilia we want in view. I doubt any of us would gleefully hang or place the belt or tree branch used for paddling our behinds when we were naughty.  Nope. I doubt that very much!

One day I found something out.  It never crossed my mind that remembering could be used for the wrong reason(s) until I had an encounter with the Lord a few months back.

I was having a discussion with a friend who was telling me about a certain person that I had had a bad experience with on many occasions. Needless to say, I had a very strong opinion that I could have spit out from my mouth with great justification. This person, it seemed, had finally managed to (in my judgmental opinion) get themselves into a position of authority and recognition that they had sought after for many years. In order to not sin with my mouth, I listened to my friend as she spoke about this person. I sat motionless and tried not to speak or show anything on my face. My friend knew this was not like me. She knew something was going on. Finally she pressed me to say something. I responded with the most controlled thing I could think of, but still managed to not pass the test with my response. I eventually conceded and said I have no right to judge this person. They could have changed. Lord knows the Lord has changed me. I am not the person I was a year ago let alone before I accepted Jesus as my Savior. If this could happen to me, then I knew God is powerful enough to change anyone.

Whew! Brilliant come back I thought. I felt I had redeemed myself and at least got a semi-passing grade.

As I was driving away, I heard the Lord say You’ve been using your memories of people to protect and guard yourself from getting hurt by them and others ever again. I am your Protector. Not your memories. I repented as fast as I could. I had no idea. You see, He has been cleaning up my past enough to allow me to be ready to hear about where else we need to go together. I already had learned so much about how and when to trust HIM. I had no idea I had retained this little corner of control. After all, I learned how to never forget from my parents and other family members. It was a badge of honor – a chain of commonality, so I thought.

I knew the Lord calls us to forgive. I thought I had learned how to do this. He went on to explain to me that If I hang on to these memories, unforgiveness would always have ripe soil for continued growth. A deep sorrow came over me and I cried out,  “Lord, I don’t know how to not do this. Its all I’ve known. You’ll have to wipe away the memories. I can’t. I don’t know how. Help me. I only want YOU to protect me.”

 I didn’t know how to begin. He told me, “As each memory comes up, pray for the person or situation you see and don’t dwell on what they did or did not do. Change the subject in your mind immediately and think on Me or something else. I will wipe away the pain. I will teach you and be your protector.”

Even though this lesson happened several months ago, I have not perfected my assignment but I keep working on it instance by instance – opportunity by opportunity.

I’ve had the occasion to spend more time with one of my siblings lately. I hear the memories of painful experiences flowing from his mouth. He doesnt know what the Lord has shown me. He also has not had the opportunity to walk down the road the Lord has taken me. Am I better than him? Absolutely not! He has achieved many things that I have not. It’s just that our paths have been different. But I am truly grateful the Lord reminded me of my lessons that I’ve learned from Him. I don’t have to have those little pain pockets in my heart anymore. The only thing I want to remember is the One I can trust to be the Protector, Healer, Teacher and Advocate.

And my hope is someday I can share this awakening with my brother. I know one thing. I won’t bring it up to him until the Lord tells me to and he is ready to hear. After all, the Lord waited graciously until He knew my heart was ready. I’m no spring chicken as they say but in God’s timing is never too late and we’re never too old. My ears may not hear as well but I pray that my heart and spirit will always remain open to receive these life lessons.

I pray that the Lord will continue to teach all of us the right time to remember, the right time to forget, and the ability call out to Him to learn the difference at all times.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, (the book of Revelation) and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  Revelation 1:1-3 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8 

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  Revelation 1:5b-6 

“Nuggets of Wisdom is available in paperback. Pick up a copy! 

www.nuggetsofwisdom.us

Praise God for answered prayers. Here is a testimony from the Lord (and a great lesson) – It’s all about Faith and Obedience = Blessings. I pray this edifies the Body -

(more…)

Key #11 to Happiness - Making Friends and Meeting New People!

We humans were never meant to be alone.  We are made to interact with other people and are much happier when we do.

I can sure relate to this one.  I had the pleasure of working from home for almost 20 years, which, at the time, I truly enjoyed.  As the years went on, however, I realized I wasn’t meeting new people – and thus, not making many new friends.  Being isolated 8-5 Monday through Friday wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  My wife worked from home too and we really began to long for opportunities to make new friends and rub elbows more often with interesting people.

People who are isolated have more of a tendency to be depressed and not feel good about themselves.  I know this was true for me.  Sure, spending quiet, private time daily with the Lord is essential, but overall, it is important that we resist the urge to avoid others and spend most of our time alone.  For most, it leads to serious disillusionment and loneliness.

Some of you who are reading this article might think that no one likes you and therefore you are hesitant to meet new people.  There are some people who seem to make new friends very easily.  For others, however, it seems impossible.  If this describes you, I want you to know that this is a lie straight from hell.  First of all, Jesus likes you and made you just exactly the way He wanted.  He loves you no matter what you have done…or haven’t done. 

God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1: 9

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  James 2:23

Others will like you too once they get to know you.  We all have good and bad qualities, including the new people you meet.  Only one Person is/was/and ever will be perfect…and His initials are J.C.   All of the people you will meet have their own set of insecurities and challenges.  They want to make friends too but feel uncomfortable about allowing themselves to be seen by new people. 

Will you get along with everyone and have everyone like you?  No way.  At the same time, why not make an effort?  When you do, you will meet some great people and some will even turn out to be true lifelong friends.

Here are some Bible verses:

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. Proverbs 17: 17

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.   1 John 4:11

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart. Proverbs 27: 9

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27: 17

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”  Romans 12:9-10

Reaching out to meet people:

As I said before, most people have their own issues and often will not approach you.  You’ll need to make an effort.  In fact, most likely, you’ll have to make the first move.  I know it can be scary.  Heck, I’d rather everyone reach out to me too.  But 99% of the time, they’ll even tell you how much they appreciate your effort!  You might want to invite people from work to a barbeque at your house, or give them your business card and ask them to have lunch sometime.

Where to meet people:

We’ve met some great friends going to the dog park or at a church picnic when you’re standing around eating food.  Just get out.  Go places where people are.

How to meet people:

This isn’t really deep but…just say “hi, my name is…!”  Give them a compliment on something you like about them or something they’re doing.  Also remember, people like to talk about themselves.  Be interested in them…pretty soon you will discover an interest or something you have in common.  Focus on them and you’ll make lots of friends.  If you hit it off, invite them out for coffee or lunch, arrange to get together or just give them your card or phone number.

Once you get to know people, make an effort to cultivate your friendships.  Get together with at  least a friend once every week or two.  You might have to initiate these invitations, but remember, you’ll be the one that will be more fulfilled and happier for it.

I recently practiced what I’m preaching as my wife was out of town visiting family for a week.  It can get pretty lonely when we’re by ourselves, so I decided to invite several people over that have not seen for a while.  All of us were blessed by this outreach with a good time and great conversation, plus we got to know each other just a little more.

Keys to happiness exercise:

• Ask God for help and courage (ask Jesus into your life if you have not done so already.  He’s the best friend you’ll ever have)
• Look for a church that you can meet people.  Stick around after service and introduce yourself.
• Go to some events or places where people are and start conversations.  If you have a dog, visit the dog park.
• Make a plan to call and invite current friends you would like to spend time with.
• Pray to God that He will help you make new friends.

Previous Happiness Lessons:

How to find Happiness – 15 Lesson Series – Overview

How to find Happiness – Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being thankful

How to find Happiness - Key #3 – Forgive yourself

How to find Happiness - Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

How to find Happiness - Key #6 – Overcoming fear

How to find Happiness - Key #7 – Giving of your money

How to find Happiness - Key #8 – Giving of your time

How to find Happiness - Key #9 – Putting God first

How to find Happiness - Key #10 – Setting Goals

May you find happiness by making new friends and spending more time with people you already know! 

Check in next week for another key to happiness.  Get notified via e-mail here.

The bread of life

Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  John 6:31-32

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.  John 6:35

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”  John 6:57-58

Praise the Lord!!!

“Nuggets of Wisdom” is now available. Pick up a copy today!

www.nuggetsofwisdom.us

… spread the Word

Introduction

One of the ways that God chooses to reveal Himself is through prophecy. Some prophecies have been fulfilled and some prophecies have not. In this particular case, a prophecy that has not been fulfilled will be looked at in detail. The unfulfilled prophecy that this paper concerns itself with is the identity of the beast in Revelation 13:1-10. There are many points that will be addressed within this theological paper. They include the following: 1.) The Beast Revealed, 2.) The Components of the Beast, 3.) The Beast’s Wound, 4.) The Beast’s Agenda, 5.) The Mark of the Beast, 6.) The Beast’s Religion, and 7.) The Beast’s Destruction. All of these points and more will be discussed in detail, and different viewpoints will be examined until the best possible interpretation in light of biblical evidence is revealed.

The purpose of this paper is to educate people on the importance of the Beast. This writing is not designed to be polemical. This paper will look at each view objectively and determine the best objective interpretation. This paper is important to believers and non-believers. It is important to believers because it shows believers that now is the time to witness to the lost, because today is the day for salvation. It is just as important for lost people because if a person were to live during this period of time, then they would have a ravaging Beast with which to deal. If anything, this paper when all said and done, should be used as an evangelistic tool for the lost as well as a treatise that will bring enrichment to the believer’s life. This paper is important to eschatology, the doctrine of the last days, because what a person believes about the Beast, especially whether he is in the future or not, indicates what an individual believes about the entire book.
One delimitation of this study would be that when dealing with the Antichrist it would take an systematic theology to write everything there is to know about the Antichrist. Because of this, Revelation 13 was chosen because it deals only with certain aspects about the Beast as discussed in Revelation 13. It also has to be noted that the sources that are going to be used will consist of books, commentaries, and journal articles. It also has to be noted that this topic is beyond the scope of this paper. This paper will not discuss all the passages in the Bible concerning the Beast, only certain ones in Revelation, Daniel, Matthew, and in the books that Paul writes. With that being said, by no means is this treatise taken lightly, because this is a very deep topic. It is with hope that as this paper is read that the paper will be so enlightening that it will be as if the individual is actually there experiencing the horrors talked about.
This paper will be written from a pre-millennial viewpoint. The paper will account for the other views but in the end it will affirm the pre-millennial position. It is with anticipation and hope that as this paper is read, people will grow to enjoy and even love eschatology. It has to be said outright that this treatise is written from the view that everything mentioned is yet future.
This paper will show that there is a coming conqueror that will appear on the earth and deceive the masses into believing that He is God. He will be a man of intelligence, a man of oratorical skill, a man of war, and man who will at first bring peace to Israel. He will be resurrected satanically in the middle of the tribulation period and he will cause Hell to break loose on the earth. He is known in Revelation 13:1-10 by one title: He is the Beast.

The Beast Revealed

Since the beginning of time, there has been a war raging in the cosmos. It is a war that starts in heaven when Lucifer decides that he wants to be God. Lucifer was God’s most beautiful creation. He walked before the throne room daily and was considered an archangel. But Lucifer became jealous of God, and it was out of that jealously that Lucifer convinced one third of the angels to join his efforts to overthrow God and become God himself. It was at this point He ceased being an archangel and became the Prince of Darkness. The Devil’s revolt resulted in him being cast out of Heaven by God and ever since Satan and God have been enemies.
In our time we look forward to the day that evil will no longer hold sway in the world. We long for a heaven on earth. And one day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. But until that day comes when evil is finally no longer, evil still remains and causes much pain on the earth. John the Revelator knew of the evil on the earth and thought that it could not get any worse than it already was. But John quickly found out that is not the case. John found out that great tribulation is coming, the day of Jacob’s trouble. John saw the world being judged by God and the things he saw were horrific. He saw stars falling from the sky, water turning to blood, large chunks of hail falling to the earth. John saw many things but perhaps the most dreadful thing he sees is people selling their soul to the Devil and paying homage to a Beast, the Beast which rises out of the sea.

Is The Beast Revealed Before Or After the Rapture?

Revelation 13 introduces the reader to the beast. Arthur Bloomfield says that Revelation calls the Antichrist the beast out of the sea. Here is a symbol used for a name. The symbol is a beast that rises out of the sea, the sea being the symbol of the masses of the people. The question that must be asked concerns the revealing of the beast before or after the rapture. It is important not to leave out the doctrine of the rapture. The rapture has been one of the most debated topics in churches today. Why mention it when this paper discusses Revelation 13:1-10? What a person believes about the rapture has an impact on what they will believe concerning Revelation 13:1-10. There are those that believe that the beast is revealed before the rapture, and there are those that believe that the beast will be revealed after the rapture. There are two views that will be discussed concerning this issue and they are the following: Preterism and Futurism. These two views are completely opposite in nature. That is why they need to be looked at in detail.

Preterism

Preterism is a view that states that the book of Revelation for the most part happened in the past under the old Roman Empire nearly two thousand years ago. The preterist’ interpretation of the beast in Revelation is worthy of examination. Preterists believe that the beast … portrays the Roman Empire generally and Emperor Nero Caesar specifically. So the beast of Revelation 13 is not some future world dictator but he has already been. According to preterists he is none other than Nero, the emperor who led Rome from A.D. 54-68. and was responsible for murdering many Christians during his reign. The Nero Redivivus View is gaining steam among many preterists, The Roman Empire was the most dominant empire on earth at the time, and it is easy to see why those that hold to this method of interpretation interpret this passage of Scripture the way they do.

However, there are some inconsistencies that need to be looked at in detail concerning this view. The first inconsistency about believing that Nero is the beast of Revelation 13 is one of duration. Craig Keener says that none of this is to say that Revelation predicts a literal return of Nero from the dead- at least not before the resurrection of the damned. In Revelation 13:% it is made clear that the beast’s reign will only be approximately forty-two months. Now history tells us that Nero reigned for approximately fourteen years. One cannot overlook this fact. Secondly, Revelation 13:4 says that they worshipped the beast and everyone worshiped him with awe. The reason why this has to be mentioned is that the beast of Revelation will rule the entire world and it is only logical to conclude that the worship the beast will receive will be worldwide. Even though Nero does receive worship from Rome, he did not receive it on a worldwide scale like the beast will. These inconsistencies are hard to overlook because Scripture makes it clear that Nero does not meet the requirements according to the Word of God.

Futurism

The second view that needs to be discussed is the futurist view. This view is also known as classical dispensationalism. Marvin Pate in the book Four Views on the Book of Revelation says that classical dispensationalism believe the teaching about a two-fold return of Christ which accounts for Revelation 1:1-3. Thus the Rapture can occur at any moment, which will then set in motion the prophecies of the Apocalypse and the revealing of the beast. Those that hold to this view believe that after John talks about the seven churches everything following is future and has not happened yet. Thus Revelation 13 would have to be future making the beast also future. This view is the most consistent among evangelicals today. The futurists believe that the beast will be revealed after the rapture and they get this view from different places in Scripture.

The primary place where futurists go for support of their view is found in Daniel 9 and it is in this chapter that it refers to the prophecy of the seventieth week. In order to understand why this is so important and why this has relevance one must look at this prophesy in detail. One very important piece of information that should be discussed while interpreting the full scale of this prophecy is the doctrine of the rapture and how it relates to Daniel’s seventy weeks. What people believe about the rapture impacts what people believe about the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy. Sir Robert Anderson points out that History contains no records of events to satisfy the predicted course of the seventieth week. Most post-tribulationists believe that the seventieth week has already been fulfilled. One question to this interpretation is how can they explain that the tribulation will be started with a seven year peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel. If the seventieth week has already been fulfilled then where is there in history documented proof of a peace treaty that was signed between the beast and Israel for seven years? This is not possible because Christ would have already come back and this world would be over if the Posttribulationist’s interpretation of the seventieth week is true. One simply cannot ignore that these events are yet future. Even Christ said in His famous Olivet Discourse that there would be wars and rumors of wars. These things can be seen before our very eyes.

Is The Beast An Individual Or is the Beast A World System?

Within the eschatological ranks, there is a question that is permeating among theologians. It is the question, is the beast an individual or is the beast referring to a world system? Revelation 13:1 starts out by saying, And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. There are those out there that believe that Antichrist is an individual. Many attempts have been made to identify who the Antichrist is. Some say he is Nero, some say he is the pope, and others even say that he is Judas Iscariot reincarnated. The point is that many of history’s theologians such as Tertullian, Hippolytus, Irenaeus, and Jerome believed in a personal Antichrist that would wreak havoc on earth at some point of time. Whether he has already existed or is a future world ruler does not take away from the fact that in each case he is looked upon as an individual. There are at least two reasons why people look at the beast as an individual and the reasons are scriptural.

First, the apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians writes in 2 Thessalonians 2 that Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Paul clearly refers to his beast as the man of sin, the son of perdition. He also states that this individual will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped. If he was just an entity or a force then why would Paul refer to him as a man?

Second, it has to be pointed out that what John says in Revelation 13:6 and what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2 correlate. In Revelation 13:6, it is evident that this beast is opening his mouth and blaspheming God. The same is going on in 2 Thessalonians 2. So by making this correlation it is evident that the man of sin and the beast are the same individual.

There are also those who believe that the concept of the beast is just a world view, or a way of thinking that is contrary to the things of God. The apostle Paul clearly said that in the last days there would be a great falling away from the truth. According to Samuel J. Andrews, to apostatize means to fall away from the faith. Andrews points out that in this case, apostasy means falling away from the true standing of the Church as appointed by God and in its culmination, as represented in the man of sin and in his adherents, it is undoubtedly a total denial of the Christian faith. He denies both the Father and the Son.

The apostle distinguishes two forms of the apostasy, one being the corruption of Christianity, the other its absolute rejection. With the rise of all the worldly philosophies that permeate the earth, it is easy to see the spirit of Antichrist at work. Anyone that denies Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is Antichrist, and it will be this attitude that coerces people to worship the beast. So with the philosophies of the world, and the church falling away, beginning with the loss of love, it is not to be confined only with doctrine, it embraces the whole spiritual life; and therefore the whole external order of the Church. There cannot be a loss of or a falling away without a corresponding decay in the entire ecclesiastical constitution, its ministries, its sacraments, its activities, and also, in practical godliness. This apostasy which according to Andrews is already happening will lead to the beast receiving worship in Revelation 13. This apostasy can be traced back all the way to the book of Genesis where Satan told Eve that when she ate the fruit her eyes would be opened and she would be like a god, knowing good and evil. Man from this point on has desired to be like God, and one day there will be a literal beast who will declare that he is god and demand worship.

The Components of the Beast

Within this section several questions will be looked at in detail. The first question that will be looked at is what are the seven heads and the ten horns? The second question that will be looked at is what does Daniel seven have to do with Revelation thirteen concerning the appearance of the beast?

The Seven Heads and the Ten Horns

Revelation 13:1 says that the beast has seven heads and ten horns. What does it mean? Well, in Revelation 17:9 it says that the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sittteth. The city of Rome was known in ancient times as being the city that sits on seven hills or mountains. However, the Rome that historians are talking about no longer exists. It was wiped off the map. Could knowing this provide problems with this view? No because, scripture says that in the last days a world empire will arise and rule the world. So if that is the case then it is not preposterous to believe that the Roman Empire will rise again from the ashes to rule the world again in complete dominance.

Daniel Two And Daniel Seven’s Relation To Revelation Thirteen’s Message Concerning The Appearance of the Beast

The literal interpreters believe that the head of gold that Daniel saw in Daniel 2 symbolizes the Babylonian Empire. The breast and arms of silver Daniel saw symbolize the Medes and Persians. The thighs made of brass symbolize the Greeks, and the legs of iron and feet and toes of iron and part of pottery symbolizes a future empire. The name of the final empire Daniel does not give. However, there has been much speculation as to what this empire is. Most literal interpreters such as John Walvood believe that the Roman Empire is the future empire that is symbolized.
The non-literal interpreters agree that the first four empires are Babylon, the Medes and Persians, and even believe that the fourth is Rome. Where they differ is concerning the interpretation of the stone. The non-literal interpreters such as the amillenialists and the postmillennialists interpret the stone as meaning the Lord Jesus Christ. They say that the meaning of the stone is evident when Jesus came to earth the first time and introduced the gospel, assuring the ultimate victory of the saints over the evil powers of Gentile political rule. However, the premillenialists say that this interpretation is not correct. The literal interpretation is that this vision stretches forward in time to the second coming of Jesus Christ. They believe that the image that Daniel saw has for the most part been fulfilled. However, the feet stage, including the implied ten toes, is yet future and is related to a period just before the second coming of Christ. The point is that the Roman Empire in some form or fashion will be revived and therefore the ten toes representing a ten-nation confederacy are yet to be fulfilled.

Secondly, the vision of Daniel 7:7-8 is depicted and shows that this chapter does correspond with Daniel 2. The difference is that in Daniel 7 he sees four beasts. These four beasts represent the same empires as in Daniel 2. The lion represents Babylon, the bear represents the Medes and the Persians, the leopard with four wings on the back on four heads represents the Greeks, and the beast with ten horns represents the revived Roman Empire. Walvood points out that this vision is more detailed than the one of Daniel 2. Daniel 7 tells the reader that the four beasts are four kings or kingdoms. Daniel 2 does not go into detail, however on the fourth empire. Daniel 7 does. It tells us that a little horn will arise and will uproot three of the kings or horns. There is a question that one can postulate. Has the little horn appeared? Walvood sums it up by saying that any reasonable literal interpretation of this prophesy requires the expositor to take the position that this is yet future from the standpoint of the twentieth century. If this vision is to be viewed as prophetic then people have to ask themselves, has the ten-nation confederacy ever been on earth? The answer is no. So then it requires a future ten-nation confederacy as a key to the political and international situation in the days just preceding the second coming of Christ and his kingdom.

Finally, two more important passages must be looked at in detail, and they are Revelation 13:1-3 and Revelation 17:3,7, 12-18. Revelation 13:1-3 describes a beast rising out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns. The description of the beast is very similar to the one prophesied hundreds of years before by Daniel. The beast John saw was like a leopard, and the feet were the feet of a bear, and his mouth the mouth of a lion. The fact that it mirrors the beast in Daniel 7 confirms that it is the same beast, and the ten horns and ten crowns suggest ten kings who rule ten kingdoms. What is different from Daniel’s prophesy is John’s mentioning of the seven heads. One possible interpretation that Walvood points out is that the seven heads represent seven successive rulers in the Roman Empire which are succeeded by a ten-nation confederacy which has ten simultaneous kings.

Revelation 13 makes it clear that this prophesy is yet future. The beast is given power to rule for forty-two months. The forty-two months describes the future great tribulation, and appears to be the last three half years of the tribulation. Revelation 17 says the same thing as Revelation 13, only this time it adds a wicked woman to the equation. The visions that each prophet had were alike and that is amazing. The ten-nation confederacy will come in the last days. It is not to be taken allegorically, but it is to be taken literally. All of the evidence that the Bible gives indicate a coming world ruler, the little horn, who will rule the world with the help of these ten kings.

The Beast’s Wound

In Revelation 13:3, the verse tells the reader that one of the heads was wounded unto death, and then this wound was miraculously healed. Within this section, questions will be answered concerning this issue. The first question that will be answered is will the beast be resurrected from the dead? Finally the last question that will be answered is how will the world react to this resurrection? All of these questions are important and if the best possible interpretation is to be expounded then these questions need to be looked upon with detail in order to understand this issue.

Will The Beast Be Resurrected From The Dead?

There are several viewpoints that must be looked at concerning this issue. First there is the reincarnation view which postulates the wound of the beast refers to the reincarnation of some individual such as Judas Iscariot.

First there is the reincarnation view which postulates that wound of the beast refers to the reincarnation of some individual such as Judas Iscariot. There are several reasons why some people think that when the wound is miraculously healed that the spirit of Judas Iscariot will enter into the body of the beast, and thus the beast will be Judas reincarnated. The reason people ascribe to this view can be found in the book of Acts. In Acts 1:25 it says that Judas went to his own place. It is not clear what that means. Die he die and go to Heaven or did he die and go to Hell? A.W. Pink argues for Judas Iscariot when he says that the Antichrist is Judas Iscariot reincarnated. However, it can be said that this view can not be scriptural because the Bible says that when a person dies, then the only thing that is left is judgment. Second there is the Revived Roman Empire View. This view means that the great Roman Empire which fell would be revived in the end of days. Thus the wound of death that will be healed refers to the revived Roman Empire, and not the beast. Third, there is the Antichrist View. This view states that an individual yet to appear on the world scene will arise and receive the wound. Then after he receives the wound he will die and then be resurrected from the dead. After all, Satan is the imitator of Jesus Christ. However, it is not clear whether Satan will have the power to resurrect him from the dead unless God gives him the power.

The wound of the beast in the Tribulation, when it is truly dissected should never lean toward an allegorical interpretation. Instead, it should be taken as literal, and in the context of Revelation 13, it refers to an individual man, ( the beast out of the sea), who will receive a wound and will miraculously be resurrected. The only other plausible view is the Revived Roman Empire View, but again context is very important in Revelation 13 and will all the facts out there, it is with the utmost certainty that an individual man that has not been revealed on earth is the one who receives the wound and not the Revived Roman Empire.

How Will The World React To The Resurrection Of The Beast?

Before, it was mentioned that the doctrine of the rapture is important. Based on biblical study there is enough evidence to suggest that the Church, the collective body of Christians as a whole will be snatched away before the tribulation and before the beast is revealed. This view is known as the pre-tribulation view. In other words, all the Christians will be in Heaven with Jesus before the beast takes center stage. There are other views out there.

There is the Mid-Tribulation View which states that Christians will be caught up into heaven in the middle of the tribulation period, just before the worst part of the tribulation starts, the last three and a half years of the tribulation. There is also the Post-Tribulation View which postulates that the Christians will have to go through the tribulation and thus experience all the horrors that everybody else will have to experience during the tribulation, including the reign of the beast. J. Dwight Pentecost thinks that the reason why the pre-tribulation rapture theory stands out is because of the role of the restrainer, the Holy Spirit. Pentecost says that explanations as to the person of this restrainer such as human government, law, the visible church will not suffice, for they will all continue in a measure after the manifestation of this lawless one. He goes on to say that as long as the Holy Spirit is resident within the church, which is His temple, this restraining work will continue and the man of sin cannot be revealed. Thus, this ministry of the restrainer which will continue as long as His temple is on earth and which must cease before the lawless one can be revealed, requires the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, for Daniel 9:27 reveals that the lawless one will be manifested at the beginning of the week, or the tribulation. Why is all of that important? It is important because Christians will not be present on earth during the reign of the beast. That is why the whole world will be in awe of the beast when he resurrects from the dead. Those that are left behind will be those that do not believe in Jesus and will be blinded from the truth. They will think that the Antichrist is the long awaited Messiah and they will worship him. If Christians were left on the earth then they would be able to discern then that the Antichrist was not the Messiah. Even the Jews for a period of time will think that he is their Messiah until he desecrates the temple and declares that he is God.

There are two reasons why people will worship him. First, they will worship because of all the miracles he will do, and then they will worship him out of fear for their lives. If one does not worship him then a certain death is awaiting them. There will be people saved, but there will be many more during the tribulation period that will not get saved because the beast will be the master of deception. People are being deceived today by various cults, but compared to what will happen in the tribulation when the beast rules the world it will fail in comparison.

The Beast’s Agenda

Now, we are on to a very important part about the beast, and it is the beast’s agenda. What will his agenda be during the tribulation period, which is forty two months. Approximately seven years? What are his characteristics? Will he be a military genius? Will be he a peacemaker? Will he be a Jew? Will he be a religious person? These are all questions that need to be answered, and it is with hope that they will be answered according to what Scripture says.

The Characteristics Of The Beast

According to Revelation 13:6-8 it says, And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The one thing that should be noticed is that the beast is in direct defiance against God and against the Lamb, Jesus Christ. In fact, the beast and Jesus Christ contrast in their nature. Here are some ways in which they contrast. Christ came from above (John 6:38), whereas the beast will ascend from the pit (Rev. 11:7), Christ came in His father’s name, and the Antichrist will come in his own name, Christ humbled Himself, the Antichrist will exalt himself, Christ was despised, the Antichrist will be admired, Christ will be exalted, the Antichrist will be cast down to hell, Christ came to do His Father’s will, the Antichrist came to do his own will, Christ came to save, Antichrist will come to destroy, Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Antichrist is the idol shepherd, Christ is the true vine, the Antichrist is the vine of the earth, Christ is the truth (John 14:6), the Antichrist is the Lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11), Christ is the Holy One, The Antichrist is the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:8), Christ is the man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), the Antichrist is the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3) , Christ is the Son of God (Luke 1:35), the Antichrist is the son of perdition, Christ is the mystery of godliness, God’s manifestation in the flesh, the Antichrist will be the mystery of iniquity, Satan manifested in the flesh (2 Thessalonians 2:7). One can clearly see that the Bible makes it clear that the beast and the Lord are two different people. They are opposite and contrast in everything they do.

The Military Genius

Revelation 13:7 states that the beast will be given power to make war against the saints and he will be given charge over the whole world. How will he be able to do this? The answer is that he will be a conqueror. He will literally conquer the world and establish a one-world government. He will have help in establishing this one-world government. He will have help from ten king who are the ten horns that are spoken of in Revelation 13:2. These ten kings will help the beast achieve world domination. These kings will not rise up against the beast. Instead, they will pay homage to him and worship him like the rest of the world.

The Peacemaker

Everyone in the world wants peace. Politicians have been trying to make peace for years. There will be a man that will rise on the scene (the beast) who will convince the leaders of the world that world peace can happen. The beast will make a covenant with Israel for seven years and within that covenant the beast will promise Israel peace, but it is a false peace. After the first three and a half years of the tribulation the beast will break that peace treaty with Israel and will enter into Jerusalem and proclaim to the world that he is god. When he does this then Israelites will see his true colors and will flee to the mountains, possibly to Petra. So in reality, although he promises peace, true peace never happens in the world.

The Jew

Why will the Jewish people at first believe that the Antichrist is their long awaited Messiah? The reason is because he regards not the God of his fathers. This is found in Daniel 11:36-37. The beast will not regard Jehovah as his father. The only god he has is power. He is not a religious person. He desires worship for himself. So in this way he is a humanist. He believes that he is god. Humanists believe that man can control his own fate. Ed Hindson says that the New Age philosophy has an paradigm. Its logical paradigm is, All is god, God is all, man is part of all, therefore man is god. The Romans borrowed this philosophy from the Greeks. Caesar was worshipped as God. In the twentieth century after Darwin’s theory of evolution, humanism had all it needed. The beast will reinstate emperor worship and he will receive worship. The beast is a humanist. Of course the Father of Lies, Satan himself is behind this. When the beast resurrects from the dead he will get the worship he desires, and the Jews will believe that he is the Messiah because the Old Testament tells the Israelites that the Messiah will rise from the dead and that he would rule the world. For three and a half years the beast will be the Jews political Messiah because he will bring peace to the land and all will seem to be going well. They will be duped by the master of deception himself, Satan.

The Beast’s Destruction

Within this section it will briefly be discussed how the beast will be destroyed and what is the beast’s final destination? When it comes to how the beast will be destroyed, the beast will gather his armies, all the armies of the world, and they will meet at a place called Armageddon, which is in the valley of Megiddo. There the final battle will be fought, and it will be between the armies of Christ and the armies of the world. Revelation 19:11-20 best illustrates this battle: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Conclusion

This paper has shown many different viewpoints. This paper has shown that the Antichrist is an individual who is the head of the revived Roman Empire. This paper has shown that the beast will be given a wound and he will resurrect from the dead. It has also shown that his agenda is that of complete world domination, and to establish a false peace with Israel. The beast has not appeared on the earth yet. He is waiting for the Lord to rapture the Church before he comes on the scene. He will be the embodiment of evil let by Satan himself. He is the beast. This paper was written to Christians because it will show them that there is a time coming on earth that is much worse than it is now. It reminds Christians that they should witness to a lost and dying world. This was written to lost people, people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is with hope and anticipation that many people will be saved before it is too late. If people are saved then they will be in heaven during this time, and if not then they will have to experience a ravaging beast and worst of all they will have to face the Great Tribulation.