Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I am not a Biblical scholar. All my posts and comments are opinions and thoughts formulated through my current understanding of the Bible. I strive to speak of things that can be validated through Biblical Scriptures, and when I'm merely speculating, I make sure to note it. My views can be flawed, and I thus welcome any constructive perspectives and criticisms!

Friday, July 29, 2011

What is a Fundamentalist Christian?


The Norway Shooter Is No Fundamentalist Christian

from the July 26, 2011 eNews issue
http://www.khouse.org (visit our website for a FREE subscription)



When Anders Behring Breivik shot and killed 68 people at a Labour Party summer youth camp on Norway's Utoeya island and killed another eight in a bombing in Oslo on July 22, the media immediately began bellowing that a right-wing Christian fundamentalist had just committed the most deadly attack in Norway since WWII. The slaughter of dozens of children under any banner is not simply tragic, but abhorrent. Media outlets spoke too quickly when they asserted that Breivik was a fundamentalist Christian, however. Regardless of what Breivik's Facebook page might have claimed, his actions and words demonstrate no relationship with fundamental Christianity, "right-wing" or otherwise. He in fact supports Darwinism and human logic, demonstrating a rationalist worldview rather than a Christian one.


As we consider the Norway shooting, we first and foremost must pray for the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones. We especially grieve for the families of the teenagers - unarmed kids - whom Breivik murdered in the name of freeing Europe. This man did not come upon armed enemies. He came to an island filled with children, dressed as a police officer to gain their trust. He called them to himself and then began to shoot them down at close range, following them to where they hid in tents and where they fled to the lake to escape. The grief felt in Norway right now is unimaginable, and our hearts and prayers go out to all the living victims of the rampage.


It is a horrific shame that the news outlets immediately began proclaiming that Anders Behring Breivik, the Norway Shooter, is a Christian fundamentalist. Breivik has willingly admitted that he has no personal relationship with God or Jesus, and his actions have nothing to do with what Jesus Christ taught.


What Breivik Believes: On Friday, Breivik released a pdf file describing his beliefs and motivations for his attacks. His major complaint is against the Muslim invasion of Europe, along with the Marxists and multiculturalists he believes are letting it happen.


Breivik's stated goal was to, "cause maximum amount of damage to the Labour Party to stop its recruitment" and to stop "a deconstruction of Norwegian culture and mass-import of Muslims."


Breivik is not pro-Christianity. He is simply anti-Muslim. He possesses a desire to preserve the historical Christian culture of Europe, as though he were preserving apple pie and baseball in America or wieners and schnitzel in Germany. In fact, while the papers declared Breivik to be a Christian fundamentalist, he specifically placed himself against a government based on Christian fundamentalism.


He writes. "It is therefore essential to understand the difference between a 'Christian fundamentalist theocracy' (everything we do not want) and a secular European society based on our Christian cultural heritage (what we do want)."


Breivik's version of Europe's Christian culture has nothing to do with faith in God at all. It's all about the non-Islamic cultural legacy of Europe. He says:


"So no, you don't need to have a personal relationship with God or Jesus to fight for our Christian cultural heritage. It is enough that you are a Christian-agnostic or a Christian atheist (an atheist who wants to preserve at least the basics of the European Christian cultural legacy (Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter)). The PCCTS, Knights Templar is therefore not a religious organisation but rather a Christian 'culturalist' military order."


While seeking to preserve Europe's cultural heritage, Breivik envisions a perfect Europe coming about through 'Logic.' He states, "'Logic' and rationalist thought (a certain degree of national Darwinism) should be the fundament of our societies."


Ah. Rationalist thought. That's just it.


Breivik did not kill those kids because of any verse in the Bible or because he believed God told him to. He's a believer in the human mind. He killed those teenagers and set off a car bomb in Oslo because, according to his rationale, it was the first step in achieving his purposes. He used his perfectly decent, albeit twisted, reasoning ability to justify the slaughter of dozens of unarmed human beings.


Many will argue that Breivik is insane, but Breivik's writings are not the ravings of a lunatic. His writings are lucid and practical. He has simply taken the human ability to make logical choices and has removed from his equations all morality and the value of individual human life. Breivik, like the Nazis or Communists or any other group that justifies mass murder, demonstrates where human logic can lead in the absence of moral absolutes.


Fundamentalism:
Islamic fundamentalists have been repeatedly guilty of using violence in their efforts to bring humanity into submission to Allah, and there is a general world assumption that religious fundamentalism always eventually leads to violence in God's name.


True Christian fundamentalism, however, would never lead to the shooting of teenagers. It couldn't, because true Christian fundamentalism bases itself on the teachings and person of Jesus Christ. The real problems we Christians sometimes cause do not come from obeying Jesus, but from notobeying Jesus.  Joshua took over the Promised Land, and David killed Goliath, but Jesus Christ never told his disciples to go out and commit violence in his name.


Jesus said:
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise," (Luke 6:27-31).
That's what Jesus taught.

Jesus told his followers he would send them the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13), and the Holy Spirit truly sets those who love Jesus apart from the members of all of the world's religions. The Spirit of God does not promote evil and destruction.  As Paul the apostle told the Galatians, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law," (Galatians 5:22-23).

The problem we Christians have is not that we are too filled with the Holy Spirit or too in love with God. If we were, we would obey God. We would be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, full of the wisdom and love of Christ. We Christians cause problems not when we stick to the fundamentals, but when we are not fundamentalist enough.

Norway shooter Anders Behring Breivik is definitely not a fundamentalist Christian, and his justifications for murdering 76 people on Friday should give pause to any who think that human rational thought will ultimately lead to utopia.
Related Links:
  •   Is the Norway shooter part of a movement? - Global Post 
  •   Norwegian killer probably insane, his lawyer says - Reuters 
  •   An Interview with a Madman: Breivik Asks and Answers His Own Questions - Time 
  •   A European Declaration Of Independence - Anders Breivik aka 'Andrew Berwick' 
  •   Norway Shooting: Nation Turns to God, Prayer After Massacre - The Christian Post

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Genesis Code

Manna Fest by Pastor Perry Stone 

The Genesis Code


It has been said that everything that is going to happen in history is documented in the book of Genesis, if we know how to break the code.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
“… there is no new thing under the sun.”

Prophetic parallels found in Genesis:

Genesis 22 represents crucifixion of Jesus.
Genesis 23 depicts the death of Sarah, representing how God would bring in Gentiles through the unbelief of Israel after the crucifixion of Jesus.
Geneses 24 shows Isaac marrying a Gentile bride, symbolizing Jesus having church of Gentiles that devotedly follows Him.
Genesis 25 shows Rebekah giving birth to two boys that are two nations: 1) nation of Israel; 2) the holy nation, aka, the Church.

Genesis 22:2
God instructs Abraham:
1. Take your only son Isaac; Isaac was Abraham’s only son under God’s covenant; Jesus is God’s only begotten son
2. Get to the land of Moriah; Soloman built a temple in Moriah, foreshadowing where Jesus would be crucified
3. Offer Isaac upon one of the mountains which I will tell you

Genesis 22:3
Isaac cut the wood, carried the wood, and laid down on the wood, ready to be sacrificed, just like Jesus would carry His own cross and be slain as a sacrifice for our sins.

Genesis 22:4
On the 3rd day, Abraham lifted up his eyes to Heaven, just as Jesus was resurrected from death 3 days after the crucifixion.

Genesis 22:5
Abraham ascended the mountain with two men, one on his left, and one on his right, just as when Jesus was crucified, there was a man on His left and a man on His left (Matthew 27:38)

Abraham said he and his son were going to the top of the mountain alone but they shall return, just as Jesus would return for His people after His crucifixion.

Genesis 22:7
Isaac spoke of the fire, the wood, and the burnt offering. Years later, Jesus would die at the exact place where Abraham set up all this, as an offering to cleanse us of our sins.

Genesis 22:13
God told Abraham He would provide the lamb. However, a ram showed up instead. That is, God did not provide a lamb at that moment in time. God provided the greatest Lamb of all at a later time point, when Jesus, who died on the cross for all of us (John 1:29).

Genesis 22:14
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the Mount of the LORD It Shall Be Seen.”

Genesis 24:10-14
Abraham has his chief servant (Eleazar) to go find Isaac a wife in the land of Gentiles. Eleazar rides on one camel and brings 9 other camels baring gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, we learn that the Holy Spirit bares 9 gifts.

Abraham represents God, the Father
Isaac represents God, the only begotten Son
Eleazar represents God, the Holy Spirit

Eleazar was instructed to find Isaac a virgin bride. That means, we have to be a virgin in the spirit to be Jesus’ bride. Jesus is looking for a faithful bride, not someone who thinks this is one way to Heaven, this is another way to Heaven. If that were true, why would God send His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins?

Genesis 22:22
Eleazar found Rebekah to be the virgin wife for Isaac. He thus proceeded to mark her on the ears and the hands. Why? In Matthew 11:15, we learn that he who has ears, let him hear. So here, Eleazar marked Rebekah so that she could hear the voice of her husband. Eleazar also marked her hands, symbolizing that we need our hands to do God’s work.

Genesis 24:60
Rebekeh was told: “… be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.” This is a reference to the church. And in Matthew 16:18, we learn that “… upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Genesis 24:64
Isaac is in the harvest field, just as Jesus came to harvest souls of those who fear God.

Genesis 24:67
“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

This illustrates how Jesus was comforted by the Gentiles who chose Him and comforted Him.

Furthermore, Rebekah, representing the Gentiles, was brought into Sarah’s tent, symbolizing the Gentiles are engrafted into the Abrahamic covenant.

More Archeological Finds Correlate with Bible

An article published by the Koinonia House:

More Archeological Finds Correlate With Bible

from the July 19, 2011 eNews issue

Archeology in the Middle East consistently confirms the history of the Jews in Israel, for better or for worse. The following archeological sites are offering more information about the history of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, including more confirmations of the history found in the Bible.

Solomon's Wall:
A 70-meter-long, 6-meter-high wall constructed during the time of King Solomon has been opened to the public just outside the Old City in Jerusalem. The Ophel Wall offers archeologists artifacts that date clear back to 1000 years before Christ, during the time that Solomon was doing expansion work. Visitors can now walk through and touch these walls.

The entire site includes what is thought to be a gate house, a royal edifice, a section of a tower and the 70-meter long wall. Archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar finished exposing the Ophel site in Jerusalem, and the Israel Antiquities Authority Conservation Department did the conservation work necessary to open the site to the public.

Mazar believes the complex forms part of the fortifications that King Solomon had built in Jerusalem according to 1 Kings 3:1: "...until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about."

The plan of the gate house is similar to other gate houses from the First Temple Period found at Megiddo, Beersheba and Ashdod, and Mazar suggests that the gate house might be the "water gate" mentioned in Nehemiah 3:26: "Moreover the Nethinims [temple servants] dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out."

This find is incredibly important in offering evidence of the Bible and the reality of Jerusalem as a place of importance to the Jews 1000 years before Christ.

Bathing Pool:
According to history, after the Roman Tenth Legion destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70 they plowed under portions of Jerusalem so that it could not even be recognized as once inhabited. Later, in AD 130, Emperor Hadrian decided to build the Roman city Aelia Capitolina on top. That, along with his prohibiting Jews from entering the city and his banning of circumcision eventually led to the Bar Kochba revolt. After the revolt, the province was renamed Syria Palaestina - named after Israel's enemies the Philistines as a supreme insult to the Jews.

The Romans specifically singled out Jerusalem for this treatment because it rebelled against the Empire.

No Roman buildings had been found in excavations in the Jewish Quarter, and archeologists had concluded that Aelia Capitolina was very small in area. However a Roman bathing pool has been uncovered in Jerusalem, demonstrating that the scope of Aelia Capitolina was larger than previously thought.

"This discovery continues to prove that Israel is unlike any other place on earth; every stone in Israel tells a story," said Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner of Tourism, North and South America. "We encourage you to visit for yourself, because once you visit Israel- you’ll never be the same."

These ancient Roman bathhouse remains will be integrated into the ritual bath that is to be built in the Jewish Quarter.

The prophet Micah declared that Zion would be one day plowed, saying, "Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps…" (Micah 3:1).

Later, Jesus himself foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, explaining it was because they didn’t recognize that the Messiah had already visited:
"For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation," (Luke 19:43-44).
Digging Up Gath:
David famously killed Goliath, who came from the city of Gath on the frontier between Israel and the Philistine territory on the Mediterranean coast. Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University has been digging on a site at Gath since 1996, and every year volunteers swarm in to dig at Gath to help excavate a wealth of artifacts.

Recently, several 3000-year-old Philistine jugs were found with art that showed hints of the Philistines’ Greek history in the Aegean. Gath is an important site for revealing information about the Philistines, especially during the 10th and 9th centuries BC, the time that David and Solomon were ruling. Other Philistine sites give information about earlier and later periods, but Gath is useful for that particular history slot.

There's evidence of Gath's destruction in the 800s BC, which corresponds with Hazael, king of Syria's destruction of the city in 830 BC (2 Kings 12:17).

"Gath fills a very important gap in our understanding of Philistine history," said Seymour Gitin, director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and an expert on the Philistines.

Nebuchadnezzar invaded Gath in 604 BC and the city shows no history of ancient habitation after that.

Maeir noted that the story of David and Goliath does give an accurate portrayal of the geopolitical temper during that time period. There was intense fighting between the Philistines of Gath and the Israelites of Jerusalem on the other side of the frontier.

"It doesn't mean that we're one day going to find a skull with a hole in its head from the stone that David slung at him, but it nevertheless tells that this reflects a cultural milieu that was actually there at the time," Maeir said.

Related Links:

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Revelation 6: The 7 Seals

Commentary on Revelation by Dr. Hal Lindsey

The 4 horsemen are the first 4 seals:

1. The White Horseman: the conqueror, the Roman Anti-Christ, the Beast. He has a bow, which means he can use it, but he won't need to. He has a crown because the world will crown him as king. This seal will last 3 1/2 years before the next seal takes over.

2. The Red Horseman: representing war, he comes to takes peace. This seal will take place in the middle of the Tribulation. Up until this time, there is a pseudo-peace led by the Anti-Christ. Pseudo-peace, as Hal Lindsey puts it, "Can't take peace where it ain't!"

3. The Black Horseman: He brings economic catastrophe because of the war brought on by the Red Horseman. Famine hits, food prices jack up, e.g., a quart of wheat will sell for a danarius (day's wages). The Anti-Christ comes in and sets up his system, the mark, to force everyone to trade through his mark.

4. The Ashen, sickly pale Horseman: He brings forth death that hits particularly the unbelievers, because Death has no hold over believers. The world's 1/4 population will die by diseases and beasts. This horseman holds also a sword, a symbol of warfare, showing that through war, people would die. The rider is Death, Hades. Hence, those who die goes to Hell, suggesting those who die, die as unbelievers.

5th Seal
Souls die in Christ during the Tribulation, and there will be many! God holds off His judgment so that as many as possible can be saved during this period--many Christians, if not all, will die as martyrs.

6th Seal
This seal predicts the use of weapons of mass destruction, such as an ICBM holding multiple MIRVs. The use of these weapons can take out multiple cities with one missile. This theory is consistent with the events seen, felt, and heard by John.

Amos

Dr. Chuck Missler on the Book of Amos

Below is a compilation of background info to note prior to understanding Amos:
Prophets to the people:
Northern Kingdom(fell first): Hosea, Amos (They are of the same period)
Gentiles: Obadiah (to the Edomites), Jonah (prophet to the Gentiles, aka, Ninevah, which later conquered the Northern Kingdom), Nahem
Southern Kingdom: Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Isaiah
Post-Exile: Haggas, Zachariah, Malachi

Daniel 5:35 details the "Silent Years", which makes it not so silent...


Amos 9:1

The tabernacle of David is not to be confused with the temple of Soloman

There are many covenants mentioned throughout the Bible. There are 4 that are unique because they are unconditional covenants--unconditional because God just provides. Otherwise, a covenant is like a contract; "if you do this, then I will do this"--each side has a condition.

Each of these 4 unconditional covenants has an adversary:
Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12)--adversary: the world, aka anti-semitism. The holocust was the world's response to the plight of the Jews
Lamb Covenant (Genesis 15)--adversary: Israel's rights to the land is combated by the Islams
Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7)--adversary: the church, who often ignores the literal meaning of the Bible and interprets it only allegorically; e.g., many churches do not believe in a literal millennium and think it's only an allegorical event without realizing that the millennium is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant
Everlasting Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31)
  
Each of the 4 Gospels reveal different aspects of Jesus
Mark: servanthood of Christ
Matthew: kingship of Christ
Luke: humanity of Christ
John: deity of Christ

12s in the Bible:

The Kingdom of Heaven is always in 12s
12 tribes
12 apostles to rule over the 12 tribes (Matthew 19, Luke 22)
12 kingdom of Heaven parables
12 kingdom mysteries (God, Heaven, manifestation of the flesh, salvation by faith, ultimate unity of God, Gentiles in the same body, bride of Christ, Rapture, inequity, 7 churches, Israel's blameless, Babylon--by Revelation 10, the mysteries are finished)
12000 sealed from each of the 12 tribes
The New Jerusalem has 12 gates, 12 foundation stones, and it's 12000 x 12000 furlongs

Monday, July 18, 2011

Paganism Revels On

Below is an article by Dr. Chuckler and the Koinonia House on Paganism:


Paganism Revels On

from the July 12, 2011 eNews issue
http://www.khouse.org (visit our website for a FREE subscription)

"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." - Romans 1:21-25
An estimated 18,000 Neo-Pagans gathered at Stonehenge on June 21st to celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.  Jonathan Jones at The Guardian complains that this midsummer revelry is actually misplaced.  There's no known historical pagan connection to Stonehenge, and if there were, the worshipers should be out at the winter solstice instead.  On June 21, the days begin to shorten again.  It would make more sense for northern hemisphere pagans to celebrate the "rebirth" of light in late December.  If modern pagans resist freezing to death out at Stonehenge, though, we can hardly blame them.

In our civilized, scientific culture, we tend to think of paganism as something distant, lost in the world of developing nations. In those places, ignorant medicine men seek to chase off disease through spiritual rituals when they would find better results with a tub of bleach water and penicillin. The word "pagan" often brings to mind half-clothed natives dancing around the missionary in the pot, human sacrifice, and barbarism in general.
However, today there is a form of popular paganism that looks surprisingly modern and has followers among intellectuals. While Judeo-Christian morality is increasingly seen as outdated and 'puritanical' in our Western World, the human need for spiritual fulfillment has not disappeared. Instead, updated forms of the old pagan religions are spreading once again. Neo-Paganism embraces a wide variety of religious traditions, including Wicca, Druidism, Asatru, Shamanism, and neo-Native American beliefs, mixing a variety of the ancient pagan beliefs about nature and the universe, fitting them to modern society. College professors, screenplay writers and the leaders of many ecological movements have delved into modern Paganism, and their ideas come home to us through our college students and our children's movies.
Many people dive into Paganism innocently - out of a desire to find out more about God and the spiritual.  They love nature, or they are weary of dry, boring church services.  Many do not know the Bible well enough to recognize red flags, and a large number of people consider themselves "Christian" pagans.  It is important that we recognize when Neo-Pagan beliefs come in conflict with Biblical Christianity and not confuse being "spiritual" with being led by the Holy Spirit.  With a better understanding, we can help prepare our families to deal with the lure of modern Paganism.
What Do Pagans Believe?Paganism in general, no matter which local flavor, is characterized by reverence for nature and usually involves a number of gods, goddesses, or spirits. Shamanism, Druidism, and the local religions of hundreds of cultures can all be considered pagan. The most prevalent form of modern Paganism is Wicca, or witchcraft, which is an occult form of Paganism that includes casting spells and seeking 'hidden knowledge'.
Modern Paganism is a religion that reveres Nature as divine. Pagans see every plant, animal, man and woman as part of that divinity. Unlike the God of the Bible, who is separate from and greater than His creation, the natural world itself is considered divine and holy. While the God of the Bible created us in His image, the god and goddess are made in our image - in the image of created things.
To the Pagan, the divine is both female and male, so that Pagans worship both the goddess and the god; loving, wise figures who are seen as completely equal. There are also other lesser gods and goddesses called pantheons. Since Nature is seen as female - Mother Earth or Gaia - the goddess tends to be emphasized. She is seen as our mother, the creator and sustainer of life. Since she is responsible for all living things, the other creatures on our planet are seen as our brothers and sisters. For this reason, Pagans are highly environmentally conscious people - sometimes to the extreme.
Pagan rituals and celebrations follow the cycle of life through the year - birth, maturity, aging and death, spring, summer, autumn and winter - in a continual, never-ending cycle. Even the universe is in a continual cycle. When this world ends, another will begin. The God of the Bible calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8). However, Pagans deny any beginning or end, but see a constant cycle of death and rebirth. For this reason, they tend to affirm some form of reincarnation.
Sex and nudity are seen as part of nature, and Pagans have no qualms about sexual activity outside of marriage. In fact, Pagans have much in common with the ancient fertility religions and the high place worship that was done in groves of trees thousands of years ago (Ezek 6:13, Jer 3:6).  In that respect, it is interesting that on May 1 Pagans celebrate Beltain, the marriage of the goddess and god, when the god becomes Oak King.
Pagans do not believe in sin or Satan. They are often upset when they are seen as Satanists or satanic, since Satan does not enter into their worldview. Rather, they accept concepts of karma and positive and negative energy. They have no rules or guidebook and no leader. Each pagan follows his or her own spiritual path. The single solid rule of Paganism is: "If it harms none, do what you will."  They seek to do 'good' according to their individual understanding of good, to help their communities and take care of the environment and create positive energy. They are responsible to themselves alone, and have their own values and ethics.
Paganism offers spirituality without any rules or regulations, and connection with the spiritual world without requiring submission to the will of the one true God. Paganism teaches that the individual is god, free to choose his or her own path, his or her own boundaries for morality. This is very appealing to those wanting to throw off what they see as oppressive patriarchal religions in favor of the more 'compassionate' female goddess of Paganism. It has had a great deal of influence in the intellectual world, as well as among teenagers. Teens who love nature anyway, and who don't want to be told what to do, find Paganism an attractive form of religion.
Unfortunately, while Pagans see their religion as harmless and good for the environment and community, they do not know the spiritual forces that are truly at work behind it (Eph. 6:12, 1 John 4:1-3). Denying the problem of sin is self-deceptive and dangerous (1 John:1:8). And by denying sin, Pagans reject their need for a Savior. Whether or not Pagans believe in Satan has no bearing on the reality of his existence and his ability to influence their lives. Paul warns that even Satan can be transformed to look like an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). A good con artist never looks like a con. Instead, he offers you what you want, in a most appealing package, so that when you buy into his lie and accept what he offers, he can pillage you and strip you bare.

God wants us to seek Him with all our hearts, and He said we would find Him when we do so (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13).  We need to make sure that our seeking Him is according to truth, and the Bible is God's Word to us, His own revelation of who He is.  We must always be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily" to make sure the things they were being taught were so. 
Related Links:
  •   Save Stonehenge From Midsummer Madness - The Guardian
  •   New Agers Gather at Stonehenge For Summer Solstice, Sun Shows Up Late - MSNBC
  •   "Christian Wicca"? - Spotlight Ministries
  •   Articles On Christianity v. The Occult - Spotlight Ministries
  •   Christian Answers for the New Age (By a Former Occultist) - CANA
  •   In And Out Of Wicca - A Former Wiccan Speaks - The Spirit Watch

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Revelation 6-19

Commentary on Revelation by Dr. Hal Lindsey

Below is an overview of Revelation Chapters 6-19

The following chapters in the book of Revelation records the events that would unfold during the seven years of the Tribulation in a chronological order: 6, 8, 9, 16, 19

Those chapters are separated vignettes:

Revelation 4-5: introduce the church in Heaven and that Jesus has the right to bring judgment to earth

Revelation 7: explains God's grace and calls on 144000 Jewish evangelists to save the left behind Christ-rejecting world--showing God's grace even amidst great judgment


Revelation 10: explains God's judgments, allowing mankind to repent during the brief break between the trumpet judgments


Revelation 11: predicts Israelites will build a false temple; explains God's grace through His sending of two great Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Moses, to preach during the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation--God then removes them from earth; what happens when a country removes its ambassadors from a foreign land?


Revelation 12: explains the mystery of anti-semitism and why God judges anti-Christians


Revelation 13: prophetic biography of the careers of the roman anti-christ and the false prophet


Revelation 14: explains the ultimate victory of the 144000 and their special connection with Jesus because this shows them standing on the top of Mt Zion, on earth, with Jesus at the end of the Tribulation. It also shows how Jesus protects the 144000 throughout the Tribulation; not one of them will die


Revelation 15: talks about the victory of the martyres who die during the Tribulation for their faith; God's grace is exhausted. After this point, God will show no more grace


Revelation 16: shows the greatest judgment that will hit earth


Revelation 17: explains the mystery of Babylon and the religious aspects of the anti-christ system; shows Babylon began a long time ago and reaches its zenith under the rule of the anti-christ


Revelation 18: explains the mystery of Babylon in the economic aspect


Revelation 20: shows immediately what happens when Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation; introduces the kingdom under Jesus that have been discussed throughout the Old Testament, which here we find out that it would last 1000 years


Why is the Tribulation 7 years?

 
Daniel 9:24-27
Revelation 11:2
Matthew 24:15
Israelites never kept any one of the 70 sabbatical 7 years
 
Order of events:
The Church will be snatched
Immediately, the anti-christ will be revealed and mesmerize the world (the world would be in such desolate time that they would be desperate for a great leader)
War begins in the middle of the Tribulation, when the abomination that causes desolation is set up and the sacrifices are stopped.

2 Thessalonian 2

Paul explains what the abomination that causes desolation is: the man of lawlessness, the Roman anti-christ will take his seat in the temple of God and declare himself as God, to Desecrate the Holy of Holies

Jesus says when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the Holy place as prophesied by Daniel, RUN. Don't go back for anything but RUN FOR YOUR LIVES. Run to the mountains to an ancient banking town of Petra. Everyone east of that mountain range will be protected, as prophesied.

Ezekiel 38: the children of Ammon, the area east of the mountain range in Jordan, will be spared.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Misunderstandings about the Rapture

Commentary by Perry Stone addressing common misunderstandings about the Rapture

Misunderstanding 1: There is only one appearing of the Lord.
Revelation 11:18
2 Thessalonians 2:1
2 Timothy 4:1
Daniel 7:22
Matthew 13:37-43
Joel 3:12
These verses show that the Bible is very clear that there are two comings of the Lord. First, the coming of the Lord when we are gathered to Him. The second is the coming of the Lord to reign on earth.

Misunderstanding 2: The coming of Jesus will be preceded by a major warning before it happens.
Luke 17:26-27
Just like in the days of Lot and in the days of Noah, they knew NOT UNTIL THE DAY that judgment was coming, we will not know UNTIL THE DAY of the Rapture.

The return of the Lord is secretive because of the following reasons:
1. Freedom to choose. Jesus wants people to do things out of love, not out of necessity.
2. Reward for those who have faith
3. Only the Father know the time when the place for the bride is adequately prepared by the groom--This is very well illustrated in the Jewish wedding: the point is the groom surprises the bride, so the bride must be ready, always, for the coming of his groom.

Misunderstanding 3: We will have time to repent because the Scripture says right before the Rapture, there's going to be a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. The moment I hear the shout, I can immediately repent and be saved!

Yes, these things will happen, but...

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
"... we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye..." That is, these events happen in 1 in 6 billionth of a second.

John 5:25
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live."
John 5:28-29
"....all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."
1 Thessalonians 4:14-15
John 12:28-29
"... The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: other said, an angel spake to him."
These passages suggest that there are 3 types of people:
a. Outer court people: those who live by flesh. Hence, God spake, but they heard only thunder
b. Inner court people: those who have the Spirit of God but are more spiritual than intimate with God. Hence, God spake, but they could only feel it spiritually and could not completely understand. They aren't close enough to God to fully understand.
c. Holy of Holies people: those have an intimate relationship with God. Hence, God spake, and they heard and understood God.

It's been said, he who has an ear, let him hear. This means we need to have our ears in-tuned to God in order to hear Him. For if we are not in-tuned to the Holy Spirit, if we are not in-tuned to God, we will not hear God's call, and we will miss the Rapture.

Misunderstanding 4: There is no proof that God is coming back.
The Bible states it clearly that certain prophecies must be fulfilled prior to the return of the Lord, and many of which have already been fulfilled:
1. Israel must be a Jewish controlled nation (Ezekiel 11:7): fulfilled in 1948
2. Jerusalem must be the capitol of Israel (Psalms 102:16): fulfilled in 1967
3. Jews must return from Gentile nations (Jeremiah 16:13-16): fulfilled in 1973
4. Israel will blossom like a rose (Isaiah 35:1-7): fulfilled 1988
5. Israel will be surrounded by enemies trying to seize the land (Ezekiel 38): up to 2010
6. There will be weapons of mass destruction (Ezekiel 38 & 39)
Hence, for those who doubt the lack of proof, study the Bible harder. God has given us all that we need to understand the times.

Hosea

Commentary by Dr. Chuck Missler

Hosea used his own marriage to an adulterous wife to compare to God's adulterous wife--Israel, who chose consistently chose idolatry over God.

Book of Hosea is to point out that Israel has not been living up to the contract between God and Israel.

Hosea is written in 3 parts

Ch. 1-3: Hosea's married life
Ch. 4-13: Israel's unfaithfulness and the coming judgement as a consequence
Rest of the Booke: Israel's ultimate conversion and renewal

Background reading
to understand the times of Hosea:
2 Kings 15-17

Sins listed in Hosea:

Social injustice
Violent crime
Religious hypocrisy
Political rebellion
Foreign alliances that God had discouraged
Selfish arrogance
Spiritual ingratitude

Hosea's whole message is therefore to warn Israel of its sin, prophesy its coming judgment, and encourage the Israelites of its coming restoration and salvation, as promised in Deuteronomy.

 
The meaning of "Hosea" means salvation.

Hosea speaks about many different aspects of God:
First few chapters (1-3): God is a sovereign God
Next few (4-7): God is a holy God
Next few (8-10): God is a just God
Last few (11-14): God is a loving God
 
God's charges for Israel's prosecution:
Lawlessness
Immorality
Ignorance of God's Word
Idolatry

Penalties of ingratitude: man forsakes God, God will forsake man
Death of Joy (Hosea 9:1-2)
Exile from the land (Hosea 9:3-6)
Lose spiritual discernment
Declining birth rate
Being cast out

Hosea 10
Review of Israel's sins
1. Gross corruptions in the worship of God
2. Corruptions in the civil government which leads to social injustices
3. Imitating sins of their fathers
4. Asked to repent and was warned that punishment would ensue if they don't, and yet they still don't repent!

On a separate note based on the writing style of Hosea, the Bible should be taken literally with the knowledge that it also has metaphoric, allegorical connotations.

For example:
In Numbers 21, a bunch of snakes are killing people, Moses went to God, and God told Moses to construct a brass snake on a pole, have the people look at it, and the people were cured of the snake attacks.
 
What does this mean?
 
It isn't until the New Testament that we learn that the brass snake is an anticipatory symbol that foreshadows another event that would occur thousands of years later. In, John 3, we learn from Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus that just as Moses raised the brass snake so shall the Son of Man be raised up.

Using the same example, the people of the Old Testament couldn't understand why God had Moses raise a brass snake to solve the problem and even went as far as to worship the brass snake. My insight from this is that the Bible is easy to read, but at the same time, it is difficult to read. It's easy to read because it can be taken literally. Hence, it's been said that a 3rd grader can understand the Bible. However, some parts of the Bible, especially prophesies, are very difficult to read, mostly because of the allegories and the mysteries that are part of the deeper meanings that can only be uncovered with diligent studies. It's worth to keep this in the back of our heads as we continue to explore the Word.