The ‘Not Quite Daily’ Devotional Archive
An uplifting 5 minute read that goes great with that morning cup. Get the Good News before you pick up the newspaper and get the bad news.
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4/4/05 |
Are All Religions The Same?
Whenever you hear someone say that "all religions are basically the same"; you can be sure that they have not thought it through for even 30 seconds. Christianity stands unique among religions in its truth claims. Let me give you just one example. The Bible says:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:7.
According to this passage the human death rate is 100%. We all die exactly once and then face God's judgment. We do not die many times over. This Bible teaching is diametrically opposed to reincarnation which teaches that we die many times and keep coming back to this world in other forms. So the Bible is in direct opposition to the reincarnation teachings of Bhuddism and Hinduism. Therefore Christianity and Bhuddism cannot both be true. One of them has to be wrong on the issue of the afterlife. The implications are profound. These religions are in stark contrast to one another. Many other examples could be given.
What Is The Difference Between Jesus, Mohammed and Bhudda? Aren't they all just good men?
The difference is that Jesus' tomb is empty!
Acts 17:30-31:
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Paul delivered this verse in his sermon to the Greek philosophers at Athens. They may have been smart, but they were ignorant of God. In the past God did not send judgment on them as he did on the nation of Israel. Paul explained that now that they had received the gospel, God commands all men to repent.
Furthermore a judgment day is coming. Jesus is the standard of righteousness by which everyone will be judged. And Jesus himself will actually judge the world. God has given everyone proof positive that this day is coming by raising him from the dead. God has proven that he is able to raise the dead. By raising Christ, he has also given assurance of eternal life to all those who trust in him. This should be a great comfort to Christ's followers but a terror to those who reject him.
Mohammed and Bhudda are dead. They cannot save you. Jesus is God in the flesh. He said "I AM." in John chapter 8, showing that he was the one who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Mohammed and Bhudda are mere men, not God. That is the difference. Jesus said "No one comes to the Father, but by me". If you are trusting in anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation your trust is mis-placed. Turn to him for salvation while there is still time and opportunity.
Love Expressed Through Action
There are 2 different Greek words that are translated into the single word “love” in the English bible:
- Agape – Godly love
- Phileo – Brotherly love, tender affection
When most people in western civilization think or speak of love, they think of something that is called “eros” in Greek. We get our word erotic from it.
- Eros – Romantic love
I refer to agape as “Godly love” because it is strictly a Bible concept. The word does not appear in secular ancient Greek writing. Neither does the idea that God is love. Also the word is primarily a New Testament word. In ancient Greek mythology, the gods are angry and need to be appeased. They are not loving.
Agape love is not based on a feeling of affection as most people think of love today. Godly love is not expressed through feelings. Instead it is expressed primarily through action. Feelings may accompany love, but the point is that agape love is defined by commitment and action, not emotions.
Love is evidenced or shown through action. What evidence is there that God loves us?
"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9-11
God's love wasn't manifested through a warm fuzzy. God continued to express his love through actions when Christ died for us:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8
Godly love is a sacraficial love. Love is willing to place the best interest of the object of love before its own interest. Love is what motivated God to give his Son. God expressed his love through the action of giving his Son:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Agape love comes from the intellect, not the emotion. Love does not come uncontrollably upon us with an overwhelming gush of feelings. Love is not an emotion that overcomes you. Instead you make a decision to love. Godly love is a commitment, not a feeling.
The mind is the seat of knowledge. According to Ephesians, with our mind, we can 'know' the love of Christ.
"and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. " Eph 3:19
How can we show our love for the Lord? By applying that same principle of love expressed through action. The action is to keep his commandments:
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15
Count It All Joy
James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Here's What James Is Saying:
- Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations?
- Then be happy,
- For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.
- So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems.
- For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.
Peter said to "think it not strange" (1 Peter 4:12) when we are called upon to pass through "the fiery trial." "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
A day of great joy and glory is coming. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Prosperity is often a mixed blessing: we can become self-sufficient and forget the Lord when things are going well. It affords little opportunity for spiritual growth. And adversity is far from being an unmixed calamity: it build spiritual endurance and maturity.
Peace WITH God
There are 2 types of peace with respect to God mentioned in the New Testament:
- Peace WITH God
- The peace OF God
You have to make peace WITH God before you can have the peace OF God.
Today we will discuss peace with God, and tomorrow Lord willing, the peace of God.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace WITH God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
Before we trust Christ as our personal savior we are God's enemies. We are not at peace with God. I know that this may sound foreign to many of you. You have been taught by the world that everyone is God's child. That is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus told some very religious men "Ye are of your father the devil." John 8:44.
As sinners we are at enmity with God. We are in rebellion to him and his purposes. But God loves us and sent his Son to pay for our sins while we were still his enemies; as Paul went on to explain in Romans chapter 5:
" 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
"9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."
"10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Rom 5:8-10:
Verse 10 says that we were enemies of God.
- There is no neutral stance. You are either with Jesus or against him.
- Jesus also said "He who is not with me is against me."
- On judgment day the sheep will be on his right, and the goats on his left; nobody in the middle.
- Saved from what? God’s wrath.
- We were at enmity with God, but Christ reconciles us through his death.
Have you made your peace with God? If not, do not hesitate. You don't want to die and face God as his enemy. Repent by turning away from sin and turn to Christ for the salvation that he freely provides. Jesus died to pay for your sins. You can claim that payment in your behalf by humbling yourself and calling on his name for salvation. Once you do that, you will have eternal life and will know the peace OF God. How To Go To Heaven: click here .
PEACE OF GOD
Yesterday we talked about making peace WITH God. Today we will talk about the peace OF God that is available to us when we know the Lord as our personal saviour.
“ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7
“Be careful for nothing.” “Take no thought for the morrow.” Both these terms, “be careful” and “take no thought” come from the same Greek word “merimna”. Merimna literally means to be draw in different directions, to be distracted. The term means to be anxious or to have anxiety or worry.
Christians are commanded not to worry about anything. Besides being very unhealthy for you, worry shows a lack of faith. The remedy for worry is prayer. “in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known.” When we are in distressing and perplexing situations we need to turn to God in prayer. Not that God doesn’t already know what we need, but we show our dependence on him in prayer.
Our prayers need to be fortified with thankfulness. This puts our mind in the right frame of reference for comforting. If we can focus on what God has already done for us, that will convince us that he can take care of us again. Then we will have the peace OF God. We will have a sense of comfort and calmness knowing that God is in control.
The peace of God cannot be understood by the human mind. It doesn’t make sense for someone to have peace in the midst of trouble. But we realize that God is working all things out for our good and that nothing can happen to us that he doesn’t allow. The peace of God “keeps our hearts and mind” from anxiety as we trust in Christ.
When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong
"He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me." II Samuel 22:18
Why did God deliver David? He delivered him because his enemies were too strong for him. If we are trusting in our own strength, God will not deliver us. We need to recognize and acknowledge the fact that we are weak in order to tap into God’s strength. It takes humility to acknowledge our weaknesses.
The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians that God gave him a weakness to keep him from becoming too proud. When we recognize our infirmities, the power of Christ can rest upon us. So that when we are weak we become very strong.
2 Cor 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2 Cor 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2 Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Do you want to get strong? Then you need to get weak. This is God’s way. “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Cor 1:27). This is one of those incredible verses that make me know that the Bible is true. Only the mind of God could have come up with this because it runs contrary to the logic of the natural man’s mind. When I am weak, then am I strong?
You see God set things up so that:
- You can’t be real smart and figure out your way into heaven. He chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
- You can’t work your way into heaven by doing good deeds because salvation is the gift of God.
- If you want to save your life then you must lose it.
- You can love your enemies.
- The poor in spirit own the kingdom of heaven.
These concepts don’t make sense from the world’s point of view, but they make perfect sense from God’s perspective.
In Every Thing Give Thanks
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- When things are going well give thanks.
- When things are not going so well give thanks.
- If you give thanks when things are going well you have done the right thing. But even lost people might give thanks when everything is just rosy. "For sinners also do even the same." The true exercise of Christian faith comes when we give thanks under severe testing.
- God uses trials and tribulations to mature us in Christ.
- Remember: It could be worse. You can always find something to be thankful for.
- Look for the small blessings in the midst of adversity.
- As a saved person, you are in God’s spiritual training program and he has a plan for your life, so be thankful.
- All things are working together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Rom 5:8), so give thanks.
- God can even bring good out of what appear on the surface to be total disasters.
- The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?(Ps 118:6).
- Nothing can happen to you that God doesn't allow. No one can do anything to you that he doesn't permit. He will not allow anything to happen that is not working together with all other things for our good. In other words, God takes care of the Christian. This should cause us to be thankful.
- We have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, so give thanks. Think about everything that Christ has done for you. Keep an eternal perspective on things.
- In every thing give thanks.
Assurance: A Christian Exclusive
True biblical Christianity is the only faith that has the concept of assurance. Assurance means that we know for sure that we have eternal life right now and are going to heaven when we die.
Salvation comes as a free gift from God when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you have salvation it cannot ever be lost. Salvation is not dependent on you being good. Rather it is dependent on the Savior’s ability to save. Salvation is based on HIS finished work, not your good works. We trust in the promises of God in his Word. We are NOT trusting in our feelings of worth or good deeds. Salvation comes from faith, not feelings.
Romans 8:1
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
John 5:24
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
In John 5:24, Jesus said that The one who “hears My word” and “believes” HAS everlasting life (right now),
and "DOES NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, but has PASSED". The spiritual birth is a one-time event, not an ongoing process. It is a passing into eternal life, just like the natural birth is a passing into this life. There is a process of growing in Christ that follows, but birth precedes that growth. Just like in the natural world, you have to be born spiritually before you can grow spiritually.
John 10:27-29
27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Jesus holds his sheep in his hand. He promises that they will never perish. Nothing can get to us and take away our salvation because we are held by the hand of Jesus, the mighty Savior.
1 John 5:11-13
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Notice in 1 John 5:13 that you can KNOW for sure that you have eternal life right now if you have the Son as your Savior. This should give us a powerful sense of security and confidence in the Lord.
Would you like to discuss your salvation or other spiritual matters with someone? To send us a secure email with your questions, click here.
The Devil Didn’t Make Me Do It
James 1:13-14:
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Lust here is not just sexual lust. It refers to the desire for any thing that tempts us to sin. And what is the source of this lust? It comes from our own sinful hearts. Satan is called the Tempter, but he is not omnipresent like God. He is a finite, singular being. He did come to tempt the Lord, but he cannot be everywhere at once, tempting everyone at the same time. His demonic hordes can place temptation in our path, but it is the “lust” or desire within us that tempts us. It is our own sinful nature that gives birth to sinful actions.
Notice that there is a progression to sin. There is a sin cycle. First there is enticement. The enticement draws the sinner away from the straight path. Then “lust conceives”. This is an act of the will that justifies the sin by thinking that it will by gratifying. At these first to stages in the sin cycle, we have the opportunity to “escape” or to pull out of the cycle. More on how to escape temptation in tomorrow's devotional. The next stage in the cycle is the actual commission of the sin. The final stage is death caused by sin. Sin causes both physical and spiritual death.
This is consistent with what the Lord taught regarding the source of evil desires as described in the gospel of Mark.
Mark 7:20-23:
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
These verses show that believers are responsible for their own responses to temptation. There is no victim stance that can be taken by the Lord’s people for doing wrong. The Devil didn't "make" me do it. We are not victims of circumstance. We are accountable for our own actions. We are not just products of our environment. There is no temporary insanity plea.
Remember that without the salvation that comes from trusting Jesus as your personal savior, you don't have any hope of overcoming temptation on a constant basis. How to be saved: click here.
Tomorrow: I Can Resist Anything But Temptation!
I Can Resist Anything But Temptation
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I Corinthians 10:13.
The word “temptation” here comes from the Greek word “peirasmos” (pi-ras-mos'); a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity.
In ancient Greece it was used to describe a scientific experiment, for example to “test” a hypothesis. It is used in 2 ways in the bible. The first is in the sense of trials and tribulations that test us. Adversity proves the faith of God’s people. The other sense in which the word is used is the focus of this devotional. In this sense temptation refers to a solicitation or enticement to do wrong. The Bible has a word for this type of behavior and the internal condition that causes the behavior. That word is “sin”.
Sometimes you will hear people jokingly say “I can resist anything but temptation.” The ironic thing about this is the truth it contains.
Here is the main point of this short devotional:
God’s prescribed method for dealing with temptation is avoidance, not resistance.
There are many scriptures that deal with this theme of avoiding temptation, but we will look at just a few of them. The first is in the text for this devotional. Notice above in 1 Corinthians 10:13, that the promise is that God will provide a way to escape the temptation, not that God will provide strength to resist the temptation.
In Matthew 6:13, Jesus told his disciples:
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
When the Lord taught his disciples how to pray in Matt Chapter 6, his model prayer was consistent with the notion of avoiding temptation. In fact, he identifies the ultimate way of avoiding temptation, which is to ask the Father to keep it out of our way. The prayer is not “Bring it on Lord, I’m ready for anything”, but rather to ask God to keep enticement away from us.
Escaping Temptation (cont.)
James does say that “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12-16.
But James is not referring to the method of dealing with temptation, but instead is talking about having victory over temptation. Hence the reference to receiving the crown. Another way of translating this in the NIV and the NASB versions is “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial.” The idea here is to finish the test victorious.
We are told to “resist the Devil”….
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
In reading the 4th chapter of James, it is apparent that the context here in which the admonition is given to resist the Devil is that the Devil wanted to causes divisions and tear up the church. So we are to resist the Devil in spiritual matters such as church doctrine, the defense of the truth and the battle for souls.
Peter also says:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Again here in 1 Peter the context is not personal struggle with temptation but rather Peter is discussing how Pastors should lead the churches. He says that the Devil attacks the church and would like to destroy pastors’ ability to lead and so they are to resist these attacks.
In yesterday's devotional we talked about how temptation comes from within. You might hear the world say about temptation is “The Devil made me do it.”
James says that the Devil did not make you do it.
“13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Lust here is not just sexual lust. It refers to the desire for the thing that tempts us. And what is the source of this lust? It comes from our own sinful hearts.
Now I would like to conclude with a “practical” example from Lord himself in the book of Matthew.
Matthew 5:27-30:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Here I would like to focus not on the specific temptation that the Lord uses in his example, but rather his modus operandi for dealing with the temptation. Notice once again that the method is avoidance, not resistance. Is the Lord using a superlative or an exaggerated example here to drive home his point, or does he really mean that we should go so far as dismembering ourselves in order to avoid temptation? I will leave that for you to decide for yourself. I don’t know. But what I do know is that the Lord is saying that we should get rid of anything in our lives that causes us to sin, no matter how precious or important it is to us. If you are an alcoholic, don’t say “I am going to resist drinking that bottle of booze in my cabinet”. Instead, throw it out. Remove the object of temptation.
Conclusion: Temptation comes from our own evil desires. The sinful nature is rebellious to God and “lusts” to do the wrong thing. Step one is to know the Lord as your personal savior. We cannot fight sin or pay for it on our own. Saved people are to flee from temptation, not resist it. God promises that we will not be tempted beyond our ability to escape. When faced with temptation run don’t walk to the nearest exit. <back to top>
Wisdom From God
James 1:5-8
1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
This wisdom does not come from human cleverness or intelligence. It comes from God.
This godly wisdom is not factual knowledge nor intellectual ability. There are differences between knowledge, intelligence and wisdom.
- Knowledge is simply an accumulation of facts and the ability to recall them
- Scientists are still struggling to define intelligence:
- Generally, intelligence is the ability to analyze and evaluate facts and solve problems
- Wisdom is knowledge and intelligence applied correctly
- With moral rightness and insight
Wisdom is a quality of understanding and insight which enables one to see things from an eternal perspective and to make decisions that are harmonious with God's law:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." Psalm 111:10
Carl Sagan may have been intelligent, but he was not wise because he did not believe in God. In contrast, Solomon prayed for this godly wisdom that we are discussing. Wisdom enables us to discern the proper balance of temporal needs, desires, opportunities and obligations against eternal issues.
Two conditions must be met in order to receive wisdom from God:
- We must ask in faith.
- We must ask unwaveringly, believing that we will receive.
We can’t be on a quest for wisdom one day, and then be bent on folly the next. We must be determined to maintain our testimony no matter what the cost might be. <back to top>
All Flesh Is As Grass
1 Peter 1:24-25
“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 1:24-25
Our life on this earth is very short. And we are in our prime for a much shorter time than that. “The glory of man” is like a flower: we bloom for a brief time and then begin to wither.
What meaning is there in life? What is the purpose? Is life all about eating and drinking, entertaining yourself and having fun? Does the greatest fulfillment come from pursuing career and raising a family? Life stinks and then you die. Is that all there is to it?
No matter how great your accomplishments are in this life, if they are not done for the glory of the Lord, then ultimately, in the final analysis they won’t matter one bit. The human death rate is 100%. If we cease to exist at death, then our short lives here are utterly meaningless. If we go into oblivion and have no memory of others, or ourselves then this life is completely futile.
Chances are that just 80 years from now, no one on this earth will remember you. If you should become famous like Ronald Reagan, you may be remembered longer but 10,000 years from now you will be completely forgotten. The Pharaoh’s of ancient Egypt left behind massive pyramids in memorial to themselves. But time and erosion are grinding down those structures and someday they will be no more. Even the universe itself is getting old and decaying. Nothing on this earth stands forever. Except one thing that is: “the word of the Lord endureth forever.” The Bible does not teach that we cease to exist when we die. Instead, it teaches that there will be a judgment day. Every prophecy in his word will be fulfilled including the final outcome. It "endureth" forever.
You don’t have to be driven by the philosophy of despair. The opposite of despair is hope. Your life can have meaning and be filled with blessed hope. The things that you do can reap eternal benefits. Your accomplishments can produce dividends that multiply forever and ever. In the meantime you will have love, joy and peace in this life. The way to gain this abundant eternal life is by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior . Then you will have the great privilege of serving him as Lord. As someone once said:
“Life is short and soon it will be past. It’s only what you do for the Lord that will last.”
He Made Darkness His Pavilions
II Samuel 22:12
" And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies."
David said that the Lord "made darkness his pavilions", that is his covering or canopy as he saved him from his enemies. You couldn’t see what the Lord was up to with your eyes. He covered what he was doing with darkness. David's foes didn’t perceive that the Lord was against them. But the Lord was working in David’s life to save him from death.
People can see God's creative work in this universe. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handywork." (Psalm 19:1). When we see the creation we should know that there is a Creator. The creation shows evidence of intelligent design. And where there is a design there is also a designer. Intelligent design doesn't happen randomly. So the natural mind can perceive the creative work of God and know that there is a Creator.
However, the natural mind cannot observe the kingdom of God at work. Jesus told Nicodemus: " Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God." (John 3:3). At this point in their conversation, Jesus had not yet mentioned anything about entering the kingdom of God. He merely spoke of perceiving the kingdom at work. It is like the wind: you can see the effects of it, but you cannot actually see the wind itself.
What does it mean to be "born again"? <click here>.
The Mystery of The Will of God Ephesians 3:9-11:
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God...
God's eternal purpose to save unto himself a people from both Jewish and Gentile nations has been a mystery hidden since the beginning of the world. Yet in these last times he has made his manifold wisdom in redemption known through his churches which testifiy of the salvation that is available only through Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to look into God's word, the Bible and see his eternal plan.
The New Birth
Salvation is also referred to in the Bible as “receiving Jesus”. When we receive Jesus as our personal savior we experience the new birth.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
Verse 12 above says that we are not children of God until we “receive him”. Believing on his name means believing on the authority behind his name, his authority as savior and Lord. Notice the reference above to being “born of God”. Recall from 2. above that as sinners we are spiritually dead (separated from God).
When we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our only hope for salvation we experience a spiritual birth as Jesus explained to a man named Nicodemus:
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.' 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:1-8:
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When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we experience a spiritual birth and begin a new spiritual life that we did not have before. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of water (a physical birth), and of spirit (a spiritual birth). |
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In verse 8 above, you cannot see this spiritual birth happen any more than you can see the wind. But you can see the effects of the spiritual birth in the lives of those who experience it. Like newborn babes in Christ, they grow spiritually and you begin to see the evidence of this as their character becomes more like Christ’s. Then good works will follow salvation because we love the Lord and want to please him. <How to Experience The New Birth>
Growing In Christ: The 2 Natures
"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:29
Those who are saved are being conformed to the image of His Son. They are being molded into the character of Christ.
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Cor 5:17 <what does it mean to be "in Christ?">
For those who are "in Christ", the old way of life has passed away in practice. Once saved, we are no longer willful, practicing sinners, but now we have 2 natures in ourselves: one carnal and the other spiritual, warring against each other.
These 2 natures are the “old self” and the “new self”. Saved people will never be perfect during this earthly lifetime since they retain their sinful nature. Our old sinful self is with us until we get new, glorified, sin-free bodies. However, if we grow in Christ, the new self begins to dominate our life more and more.
Rom 7:21-8:1:
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Sometimes saved people will question their own salvation when they see this struggle within themselves. If you know Christ as your personal savior and have this battle going on between your 2 natures, do not think that it means that you are lost. On the contrary, having a war going on between the "law of your mind" (v.23) and the "law in your members" is strong evidence that you ARE saved.
Lost people who do not know Christ as their savior may have a struggle going on, but they only have one nature to struggle with: the carnal. They do not have the new nature that comes with the new birth. So they have no hope of having the spiritual dominate their lives in that condition. They must experience the new birth to have victory over the carnal nature.
Eph 4:22-24:
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Someone told it like this:
A little boy had two dogs who used to fight over a bone. One day an old man saw the two dogs fighting and asked the little boy "Sonny, which one usually wins?" The little boy replied "Whichever one I say 'sick 'em' to!"
So it is with our 2 natures once we are saved. Whichever one we encourage the most will have dominance over our life. " For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal 6:8
Saving Faith And Dead Faith
James 2:14-17
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
These verses by James are complimentary, not contradictory to Paul’s writings on justification by faith. Real saving faith will result in works by the believer. The works do not produce salvation. Instead, the salvation produces works. Good works do not help one to become saved, nor to keep their salvation. Good works are the proof of salvation. How to be saved: click here.
If someone claims to be saved yet there is no change in his or her life, then I might wonder about that person’s salvation. I don’t know who is really saved and who isn’t but God does. We can’t see the condition of the heart but God can.
I know that I’m saved because I was sincere in receiving Jesus and in professing my faith. I am trusting in the promises in God’s word that tell me that if I have faith in Jesus, then I am saved. I can also see the change in my life in my love for the things of God.
But if someone claims to be saved, and then for example, after a long time, they never come forward for baptism, then something is wrong. Can such faith that doesn’t drive them to action save them? That is what James is asking.
How could a saved person not have compassion for someone who is in need, especially a brother or sister in Christ? We may talk a good Jesus, but if we don’t back those pious words up with action, then we are just blowing hot air. More studies in the Book of James: click here.
Meekness, Not Weakness
Meekness is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. In the Bible meekness is charactarized by gentleness or mildness. It does not refer to timidity. Meekness, does not weakness.
The Lord described himself as meek, but he certainly was not weak or timid: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matt 11:29
Christian meekness is expressed first toward God and then toward men.
" But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD." Zeph 3:12
Christian meekness went deeper than the secular meekness in ancient Greek writings. Secular meekness is expressed in outward conduct only and how that conduct is related to mankind. Christian meekness on the other hand describes an inward quality that is primarily related to God.
Meekness is based on humility which is not a natural quality but is the product of a renewed nature in Christ. It is an outgrowth of a spiritual relation to God.
"With all lowliness <humility> and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." Ephesians 4:2
Meekness is also associated with patience and forebearance:
Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meeknes <gentleness> and longsuffering<patience>;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Col 3:12-13
We are to treat others with gentleness and respect when we are telling them about the hope that we have within us, that is when we are sharing the things of God with them:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness <gentleness> and fear <respect>. 1 Peter 3:15
Meekness is that spiritual quality which allows us to see God's dealings with us as good, and to accept them without disputing or reisisting.
Counterfeit Christianity
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" For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ."
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Satan is not a little red devil with horns and a pitchfork who sits on your shoulder and suggests little naughties into your ear. He would like you to have that image of him though so that you won't really know what you are up against.
Satan is in the business of false religion. His mission statement is: "To destroy the work of Jesus Christ." He does this by confusing people with all kinds of spiritual lies and deceit.
Satan is a powerful angelic being who pretends to be one bringing light.
In fact the name 'Lucifer' means 'Light Bearer' and Lucifer pretends that he wants to "enlighten" us. But Satan is really a fallen angel who is in rebellion to God. And he wants to drag down any sucker that he can take with him.
Notice in the verses above that Satan actually has his own ministers. His ministers do not walk around and say "Let me feed you some lies so you can go to hell." They wouldn't fool many sheeple that way. They deceive people by posing as "ministers of righteousness" and "ministers of Christ" in particular. Satan's main trick is to counterfeit the Lord's true churches. People then see the hypocrisy in the false churches and write off all of Christianity as pure bunk. However, Jesus promised that Satan would not prevail against his true churches: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. Jesus has always had true churches in this world. <What does a true church look like?>
So there is a spiritual war going on in the world today! God and his truth are in mortal combat against Satan and his lies. At stake is the eternal destiny of all mankind. Most people can't even see this battle going on. They have been blinded by Satan whom the Bible also refers to as "the god of this world":
" But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor 4:3-4
<More info on spiritual deceit: click here>False Religion
Satan doesn't restrict his spiritual illusion to an impersonation of Christianity. He's got whatever lie you would like to hear. There is a virtual cornucopia of deception for you to choose from.
Feeling the need for some esoteric studies? Satan says the answer "lies" within you.
Oh, so you would like to BE God, eh? Enter the New Age movement. New Ageism is just the ancient false religion of self-improvement re-packaged for modern day consumption. And who started it? I'll give you 2 guesses.
Pop Quiz:
Question #1: Who said "I will be like the Most High"?
Time's up..... Answer #1: Lucifer said it in Isaiah 14:14.
Question #2: Who said "Ye shall be as gods"?
Answer #2: Good guess... Lucifer said it to Eve in the garden just before she took the bite.
Conclusion: wanting to BE god is not a godly thing to want.
Perhaps instead you want to believe that you cease to exist when you die? Let Satan introduce you to Frederick Nietzsche and his anti-theistic Philosophy of Despair.
Do you think that God wants you to suffer through meaningless, repetitive "religious" ceremonies? Then Satan has 7 sacraments for you to take. Step right up! It's all right here. Spiritual snake oil to cure your every ill!
What is truth? Jesus declared that HE is the truth.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." John 14:6
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Notice that Jesus said I am THE way and THE truth; not A way and A truth. According to Jesus, there is only one way to the Father and only one truth concerning that way. The truth is that there are not many ways to God. God has provided the way for us to reach him. That way is Jesus. God is God and we are not. God dictates how we are to approach him. When we reject God's way and insist on our own way, we demonstrate our own arrogance and pride. |
The idea that there are many ways to God is a spiritual lie promoted by Satan. It sounds good to the natural mind, but it is in stark contrast to what Jesus taught.
Can I get to God through Bhudda? Sorry, but no: "No one comes to the Father but through me".
How about through Mohammed? Again the answer is no: "No one comes to the Father but through me".
Whenever you hear someone say that "all religions are basically the same"; you can be sure that they have not thought it through for even 30 seconds. Christianity is exclusive in its truth claims. Let me give you just one example. The Bible says:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:7
According to this passage the death rate is 100%. We all die exactly once and then face God's judgment. We do not die many times. This teaching is diametrically opposed to reincarnation which teaches that we die many times and keep coming back to this world in other forms. So the Bible is in direct opposition to the reincarnation teachings of Bhuddism and Hinduism. Therefore Christianity and Bhuddism cannot both be true. One of them has to be wrong on the issue of the afterlife. The implications are profound. These religions are not the same. Many other examples could be given.
Satan Worshippers: Why Be On The Losing Side?
Your Master is going down! Why follow a loser?
Make no mistake. God will ultimately win the spiritual war as it is written in the Book of Revelation:
"And 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." Revelation 19:20
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10 <More info on spiritual deceit: click here>
The Word Of The LORD Came To Him
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" And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:9 |
I was riding in my car with a Christian sister the other day and we were listening to the story of Elijah on audio Bible. After the passage finished, the sister mentioned "Isn't it amazing that the LORD spoke directly to Elijah and the other prophets back in those Old Testament days?"
I said "Yes, and if Elijah were here today, he would say that the truly amazing thing is that today everyone has the entire Word of God available to them."
Today God does not speak to men by means of miraculous revelation as he did to Elijah. He doesn't need to because we have the entire Bible, the complete revelation of God available to each and every one of us. That is a wondrous thing to ponder. Elijah did not have the whole Bible available to him. He only had parts and what God had revealed personally to him. He trusted in the LORD as his savior just as we do today, but he did not have access to the entire written Word of God as we do.
In his first epistle the apostle Peter told New Testament Christians that the prophets had searched diligently for what they had and that angels longed to look into the gospel which God had revealed to them:
"10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Peter 1:10-12
Jesus also taught his disciples that it was a great blessing for them to experience the prophecies of old concerning himself being fulfilled right before them:
" For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Matt 13:17
Elijah could not see the full Revelation of Jesus Christ that is contained in the completed Bible. We should consider it a blessed privilege that God has loved us enough to share his word with us. Let us treasure it, read it daily and diligently apply it to our lives!
Part I: Beheaded For The Witness Of Jesus
This is Part I of a devotional series on the return of Christ that takes a mid-tribulation rapture viewpoint. The mid-tribulation view is an alternative to the "pre-trib" view which holds that Christ will call his church to meet him in the air before the start of the Great Tribulation. The alternative mid-trib view sees the church being intensely persecuted by the Anti-Christ for 3 1/2 years before Christ returns to rescue it just before all are wiped out.
This lesson does not represent the official position of LMBC. No one on earth knows when Jesus will return. Therefore, I will not assume a dogmatic position on the subject. For this lesson, I hope to encourage you to do your own study of the events related to the return of Christ to this earth. I respect the opinions of my brothers and ask the Lord to lead us in our study. What I hope to do in this lesson is to present a cohesive case for a mid-tribulation rapture as an alternative to the pre-tribulation rapture view.
For a more thorough treatment of this subject please see our study entitled "For The Elect's Sake".
Rev 20:4:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
The recent beheadings in the middle east have made me think about this verse lately. When I first became a Christian, someone gave me a tract about the end times. The tract showed AntiChrist's henchmen going around with a portable guillotine on wheels beheading Christians who refused to take the mark of the Beast. A "beheading" usually implies a single stroke. But when I realized that the terrorists were committing their horrible murders with knives instead of guillotines or even swords that make clean cuts, it made me need to meditate upon and reaffirm my willingness to lose my life for Christ. The murders that the terrorists commited were more like animal slaughters than beheadings.
The prevailing view in Christian circles today is that the church will be raptured, that is taken up to meet Christ in the air before the Great Tribulation. The dominance of the "pre-trib rapture" view has been fueld by the success of the popular "Left Behind" fictional book series. However, there are many verses in the Bible that indicate that the church will go through the 1st half of the tribulation, that is the 3 1/2 year reign of the AntiChrist before God pours out his wrath on the earth. Revelation 20:4 is one such scripture. In this view, not only will the church go through the 1st half of the tribulation, but also the tribulation is for the church. More on that in a later devotional.
This entry begins a short devotional series on the return of Christ. The focus will be on the church in the Great Tribulation. I am not dogmatic on this position, but just want to share an alternative viewpoint with you.
The AntiChrist will have a talent for sorting out the real Christians from the posers. Crystal clarity will be achieved. When it comes time to either take the mark or give up your head, real Christians will be willing to lay down their lives, even if that means being slaughtered like a sheep with a knife. Lukewarm Christians can look forward to this one great opportunity to take a final stand for their Lord.
"35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
"36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Romans 8:35-36
Part II: For The Elect's Sake
This is Part II of a devotional series on the return of Christ that takes a mid-tribulation rapture viewpoint. This lesson does not represent the official position of LMBC. For this lesson, I hope to encourage you to do your own study of the events related to the return of Christ to this earth.
This is the 2nd part in a series of devotionals on the return of Christ. Click here for Part 1.
"For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be."
" And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." Mark 13: 19-20
Persecution Is For Believers
The word translated “affliction” in verse 19 is often translated “tribulation” as it is in Matthew’s account. It is important to define the word "tribulation" and how it is distinguished from God's wrath (anger and judgment).
There are two Greek words most often used to describe tribulation events, and in many instances, they are used together in the same verse. The first word is diwgmos, which occurs 10 times in the New Testament and is translated "persecution(s)" in all major English translations. This word always refers to the persecution of believers by non-believers.
The second word is thlipsis which occurs 45 times in the New Testament and is translated "tribulation(s)," "affliction(s)," "anguish," "distress," "persecution," or "trouble." This is the word used here in Mark.
In 42 of these 45 occurrences, the word refers to the suffering believers received at the hands of non-believers. One of the other 3 refer to the sufferings of Joseph when he was sold into slavery at the hands of his brothers, another to the sufferings of people during the famine of that time, and only one refers to the suffering of those who commit evil.
On this basis alone, one would seem to be on shaky ground in assuming that the great tribulation is reserved only for non-believers; since the word tribulation only refers to non-believers in only 2% of all verses.
Wrath Is For Unbelievers
In contrast, two different Greek words are used to describe the suffering of non-believers at the hand of God. The first word is thumos, which occurs in 18 verses in the New Testament and is translated "angry tempers," "fierce," "indignation," "outbursts of anger," "passion," "rage," and "wrath."
In nine of those 18 verses, the term specifically refers to the anger and judgment of God against the unrighteous (the other 9 refer to the anger of people against each other. The second word is orgay, which occurs in 34 verses in the New Testament and is translated "anger" or "wrath." Twenty-eight of those verses refer to the wrath of God (or Jesus against the unrighteous, one refers to the persecution of believers, and five refer to anger of people against each other.
Therefore, whereas tribulation almost always refers to the persecution of believers, wrath almost always refers to the anger of God against the unrighteous that results in punishment.
The Elect (i.e. believers) will go through the 1 st half (3 ½ years) of the tribulation and experience persecution at the hand of Anti-Christ, then they will be raptured before God pours out his wrath on an unrepentant world.
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Part III: Out Of The Great Tribulation
This is Part III of a devotional series on the return of Christ that takes a mid-tribulation rapture viewpoint. This lesson does not represent the official position of LMBC. No one knows when Christ will return. Whatever view you hold, the proper course of action for the Lord's church is the same: Watch!
Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
A 'great multitude' which no one could number came out of the Great Tribulation. Since they are also from all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues, they cannot be the 144,000 Jews.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Notice that God's saints will serve him in heaven. They will not just sit around on clouds playing harps. Instead they will continue to serve the Lord. The difference will be that they will have glorified bodies that are spiritually animated instead of being blood animated and therefore will not be working for a living (1Cor. 15:44). They will work, serving their Lord for joy, but will not work to survive.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
In our previous devotional, we distinguished between persecution and wrath. That devotional showed that in virtually all cases of persecution in the Bible, the persecution is directed against God's people. The church will be persecuted during the Great Tribulation and will be driven underground. The church will face hunger, burning sun and heat as it hides in the wilderness, unable to buy or sell without the mark of the Beast.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
The church will suffer and cry during the Great Tribulation but now God will wipe away all tears. Jesus comes and rescues the church just before it is wiped out by Anti-Christ.
I’m anxious to stand in front of the throne with the great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, and to stand before the Lamb, clothed with my white robe which is my symbol of righteousness, and having palms in my hands which are symbols of victory.
It will be a great honor to be a Tribulation Saint. The Great Tribulation is a Great Opportunity to serve the Lord in an extraordinary way.
Coming next in our 4th and final installment in this series: "We glory in tribulations" Romans 5:3.
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Part IV: We Glory In Tribulations
"We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience." Rom 5:3
I realize that Paul was not specificially referring to the Great Tribulation of the Book of Revelation when he wrote that "we glory in tribulations". Yet this verse illustrates the Biblical priniciple that God's people must endure persecution at the hand of unbelievers.
The word "patience" in Rom 5:3 does not just mean the ability to wait a long time for something. It means endurance. " 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them..." "10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Revelation 13: 7,10. Here the Anti-Christ is persecuting the saints. Could these be new Christians saved after the rapture or Jewish Christians. Not likely. There is ample evidence throughout the book of Revelation that there are multitudes of saints (i.e. the church) in the 1st half of the tribulation (Rev Ch. 7). Those saints will need to be able to take a lickin' and keep on tickin' as they are taken prisoners by the Anti-Christ and are killed.
Rev 20:4 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
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Many see a parallel between this imagery of the EEU and Rev 17:3 which symbolizes a one-world false religion as a woman that rides upon the Anti-Christ. |
It will be a great honor to be a Tribulation Saint. The Great Tribulation is a Great Opportunity to serve the Lord in an extraordinary way.
It will be a great honor to be a Tribulation Saint. The Great Tribulation is a Great Opportunity to serve the Lord in an extraordinary way. 
The Tribulation will be the Lord’s big finale in redemptive history. Jesus will come back in a very noisy, visible manner to rescue his people who have made it through the Great Tribulation.
When you can’t go on, when the Anti-Christ’s agents are about to overtake you, just like when Saul and his men were about to overtake David, the Lord returns with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and catches you up to meet him in the air.
Since many Christians believe that God will rapture them prior to the Great Tribulation, they will be surprised when they find themselves being persecuted and killed for their faith. Their faith will be severely tested, since they may believe that God has abandoned them and that the prophecies of the rapture are not true. Under such circumstances, many will fall away and deny their faith to save their lives (Mark 13:12).
The Lord's churches have always been persecuted. And in the end his churches go out in a magnificent blaze of intense, unequalled persecution. Yet many Christians are actually hoping that they will miss out on it. Instead of looking forward to the opportunity to take a stand for Jesus, they are hoping that they won’t be “left behind". Instead, think of it as a great opportunity to stand up for the Lord: to take his final exam and pass with flying colors. As Paul said “we glory in tribulations”.
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For a more thorough treatment of this subject please see our study entitled "For The Elect's Sake". |
A Reason Of The Hope: The Rational Nature Of Faith
Sometimes people will try to characterize faith and reason as being mutually exclusive; that in order to have faith we have to abandon all rationality. This is a false dichotomy.
The phrase "blind faith" does not appear in the Bible. Yes, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), but that does not mean that we walk blindly.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). So faith actually improves your spiritual vision. Having faith does not cause us to walk blindly.
For example, speaking of Moses, the writer of Hebrews says "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Heb 11:27).
That is, by faith Moses was able to see the Lord who was invisible during Moses' time.
Our faith is not based on some esoteric feelings that we have about God. Instead it is based on the historical fact of the resurrection of Christ and the overwhelming evidence that it is objectively true. There are reasons to believe.
1 Peter 3:15
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
The word "reason" in 1 Peter 3:15 comes from the Greek word 'logos' which means "a word". It also has the significance of the inward thought itself, a reckoning, a regard, a reason. It is about reasoning with the mind. We get our word "logic" from it.
It makes sense to have hope in Christ. Belief is consistent with sound reasoning and the gospel message is entirely consistent and logical.
There are three established facts, recognized by the majority of New Testament historians today, which support the resurrection of Jesus: the empty tomb; Jesus' post–mortem appearances; and the origin of the disciples' belief in his resurrection. All the apostles were so convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, that they themselves were all willing to die for the truth of the gospel. If the gospel account had been false, it is highly likely that at least one of them would have 'fessed up and blew the whistle.
Let me give you another example. The laws of thermodynamics state that from nothing comes nothing. So everything there is either always existed or it had a beginning. But since nothing comes from nothing, logically nothing can create itself.
So why does the universe exist instead of just nothing? The latest scientific evidence supports the idea that the universe had a single beginning and has been expanding and cooling ever since that beginning. Where did it come from? There must have been a cause which brought the universe into being.
And from the very nature of the case, this cause must be an uncaused, changeless, timeless, and immaterial being which created the universe. It must be uncaused because there cannot be an infinite regress of causes. It must be timeless and therefore changeless––at least without the universe––because it created time. Because it also created space, it must transcend space as well and therefore be immaterial, not physical.That first cause we call God.
The fact that there is so much intelligent design in the universe shows that there is a Designer. There are many good reasons for thinking that a Creator and Designer of the universe exists who is the locus of absolute value and who has revealed Himself decisively in Jesus Christ. And, therefore, I think that Christian theism is a more plausible world view than atheism. It takes a lot more faith to be an atheist than to be a Christian because as we have shown, it is illogical for the universe to create itself, and the probabilitiy for all the right environmental factors to come together to randomly create life is infitesimal.