Reward for Following Jesus

²⁷Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

 ²⁸And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

 ²⁹“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much,[NIV- a hundred times as much] and will inherit eternal life.

^{30 “}But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” (Matthew 19:27-30)

 As a man who follows closely what God speaks to me, I can most definitely appreciate this passage. Being of the character that allows one to step out in faith what one believes he is hearing from God, one comes under scrutiny.

The disciples had good cause to ask this question. They had left their lives to follow a miracle-man, a teacher and a prophet, as far as they knew. They followed Jesus for three years, and had no idea what would eventually come of it. Imagine you are at work, doing your job. Fishermen, tax collectors, Pharisees, and prostitutes. These are just a few of the “careers” Jesus interrupted. What about you- on your next shift? Baristas, nurses, machinists, sales clerks, police, priests, pastors, prostitutes and fishermen. All of these He still calls. What if the next time you are at work a man walks in and performs a miracle, saying no more than, “I am from the Father. Follow me.”? Will you? Maybe He supplies enough food for everyone out of enough for only one, or fills the till to overflowing with dimes. Maybe He has you look at the paperwork and it’s already done, or heals someone right in front of you. Will you follow?

That’s exactly what these people did. Simon-Peter, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. So I wonder how many are actually willing to do what Jesus calls us to, however simple or complex or impossible it may seem. These twelve men did follow Jesus and at the point of the verses in Matthew above, they wanted to know what they were going to get from it.

Take for example the fishermen. Their entire livelihood is their boat and nets. When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He promised nothing. He gave no reason, other than the feeling that there was more to this man than just mere flesh. Sure, He had caught a bunch of fish, but it could’ve been coincidence, couldn’t it? Most assuredly not. So Jesus tells them what is in store. They would sit on twelve thrones and have the honor of judging Israel.

This is great for those twelve men, but it’s the next line that caught me. Everyone who leaves his home, family or farm (I take that to mean property) for the sake of Jesus will be rewarded many times over and will receive eternal life. This is nothing to take frivolously. It is a great promise for a life of difficult decisions and much willful loss.

Case in point- I have heard the voice of God. He first told me I was to go to Africa in 2005. Upon His telling me this, I was in disbelief at what I had heard, but there is something about the presence of God that causes you to check your disbelief. God knows what He says, and to whom He says it. So I went that next year, in 2006, having everything fit exactly as He said it would. There, I went out to a great hill overlooking a distant, picturesque valley. I began to pray, thanking God for this “once in a lifetime opportunity to serve.” Suddenly, I was cut short by the immense feeling of heaviness by what I’d just said, particularly the phrase “once in a lifetime.” The same feeling of a Holy presence was there with me. I knew I was before God Almighty once again. He spoke, telling me that I would return. Foolishly, I was in disbelief, until a Maasai man confirmed the statement. He had been nowhere nearby when this conversation with God had taken place. I was immediately humbled, wondering why God hadn’t just struck me down for my disbelief in His perfect Word.

In 2007, I was married. My wife knew full well God’s call on my life. She, too, was informed by God of my trip, and several other things, in a similar way. In the first few months of 2008, there was great bloodshed in Kenya, my destination, following a presidential election in that country. I asked God to confirm the call for me to go there, as many Christian churches were burned and believers killed. God told me to face my fears and to go to Kenya as Ananias went to Saul, a Christian-killer who later became Paul, the writer of the majority of the Bible’s New Testament. (See Acts 9:1-19) Ananias was afraid to face the man known for killing believers. On top of that, God wanted Ananias to go and pray for Saul, which would reveal Ananias as a Christian. In the same way that God assured Ananias, He did for me.

Trouble is, there are a great number who tell me how unwise it is. This is what I’ve been told:

• Don’t go there alone.
• Don’t go there without a church (which wants membership and/or your tithes).
• Don’t go at all.
• It isn’t economically sound.
• It isn’t practical.
• It isn’t safe.
• It isn’t necessary.
• It’s wrong to leave your family.

Some of these things may be true, but they are not excuses. When it comes to God’s command, there is never an excuse to neglect it. Allow me point out a few details about our Biblical heroes:

• Noah built an ark: Not necessary (there was no rain).
• Lot followed two strangers command to get out of Sodom: Foolish by today’s standard.
• Abraham took his son up to an alter to kill him: Today he’d be arrested and committed.
• Jacob worked 14 years in a field for a woman. Today, I think he’d be accused of all sort of sin, from burning lust to insanity.
• Moses held up a stick several times, each resulting in a miracle. The Israelites still complained, but today I think they wouldn’t have let him get as far as he did. They might wander for 140 years!
• Esther risked her life for an audience with the king. That’s not safe.
• The fishermen dropped their nets, left their boats (their livelihood) and families and followed Jesus. That’s not economically sound and today would show “poor family relationships”.
• Peter got out of a boat to walk on water with Jesus. Not very practical.
• Daniel prayed openly to God, despite a law prohibiting it. Many would say that his prayers weren’t necessary.
• Jesus died for the sins of everyone-for YOUR sins. Even Peter told Him not to. Jesus’ response? “Get behind me Satan!” Jesus pointed out to Peter that that wasn’t God’s will; it was the will of man.

All of these and SO many more are men and women we call heroes. We look upon them in such high esteem, in such regard. Yet, if any of them were a man or woman in a typical congregation, they would be rebuked for their faith, cast aside, insulted, talked down or outright ejected from the church! We no longer hold in high admiration the strong, enduring faith of such believers, but we try to reason them down as the world would. We attempt to explain away the impracticality of the deed they wish to do. With this continuing on, there is little hope for the church.

No wonder the Bible calls for a great falling away of the faith. These people have no faith left, just religion. Religion that is accompanied by lighting, sound systems, meetings, décor, “group activities”, busyness, hyped up music and user-friendly preaching. They have laid aside Spiritual gifts and teaching that rocks the boat. They refuse to offend a sinner, and in result the Holy Spirit is boxed up, gossip is labeled as “keeping informed for the purpose of prayer”, adultery is a simple and often mistake, sin is allowed so long as we pray later, and there are no prophetic words, no deep soul cleansings, no demons cast out, no healings, no miracles, no Jesus. There is no Jesus is these churches, just the use of His Name, powerless by the covering up of sin and the list of convenient excuses.

What a contrast between the Bible’s definition of a believer and the current worldly church. Jesus made a promise to reward those who will leave something behind and follow Him. It seems so simple. Who wouldn’t want to go out in Jesus’ Name and receive an eternal reward? Given the current religious climate, I can see why it is a rewardable and rare practice.

Justin Lessard

May 2009

DENYING CHRIST

Don’t forget to leave your comments below!

 

DENYING CHRIST

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “ –Matthew 10:32-33

Confessing Jesus is a lot more than just saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ” or saying “yes” when asked if you are a Christian. Confessing Jesus is a lifestyle. Confessing Jesus involves every action and word that comes out of you. It involves your thoughts and prayers, your attitudes and your motivations. Confessing Jesus is an all-consuming, cleansing fire that burns away the redundant debris in our lives, leaving only what is worthwhile and useful.

 

There is a magnificent payoff, an unfair one, really. We don’t deserve anything that we will receive. Not only will we live a richly blessed life here on the earth, but Jesus Christ- the very one who lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and rose from the dead- this same Jesus will confess our name before Father God in heaven. Jesus will speak up for us, saving us from the literal hell our sins have earned. Jesus will spare us from judgment, claiming His own sacrifice for our sin-debt. That is a mighty prize, one which we can never truly deserve, and yet Jesus gives it freely to any and all who accept the offer! It is by the gift of His grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

However, many will not confess Jesus’ Name. In fact, more will deny Him than accept Him. (“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” –Matthew 7:14) This is not only an unwise decision, it is downright deadly. To deny Jesus is much more than simply not saying His Name, it is the rejection of Him in your everyday life. You can deny Jesus by misusing His Name, by denying His power, His authority, and His presence. Jesus is denied when we cover up our belief to avoid embarrassment, when we ignore Biblical teaching, when we know better but don’t care. All of these things are a direct rejection of Jesus in your life.

 

Just as there is a reward for confessing Jesus before men, there is a punishment, a consequence, for denying Him before men. This consequence is worse that anything you can imagine. It is a physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, and a literal hell. It is a pit of fire and darkness, screams and pain, demons and evil, and it is eternal. Worse yet, when we sin against the Lord, we reject Him, and so we deserve this punishment. We have earned it. That is what makes the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice so much more wonderful. 

 

There is no else who can do this for us. Jesus is the only one. Only He lived that perfect, sinless life. We cannot go a day without sinning. Only Jesus was a worthy sacrifice. Our good works are measured as filthy rags, and they do not earn us salvation. Only Jesus is seated at the Father’s side interceding for us. He willingly speaks on our behalf, wiping away our sins, allowing us entry into the everlasting peace of Heaven.

 

 “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” -1 Timothy 2:5

In your prayers today, ask Jesus how you can confess Him before others. In what ways can you lift up His Name and presence? And when you are provided that opportunity, do not pass it up. Do not deny Jesus, but glorify Him in anything you do.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below!

BIG Questions- Part 2: “Is getting a tattoo a sin?” “Is it a sin to smoke or do drugs?” and “Is it really a big deal if I sin?”

There are a few questions that trip up just about everybody. But every question has an answer. I have been asked a number of these, and some I didn’t have the answer to at the time. So, I’ve looked up a few and I want to share those, so that you can have the answers, too, and so you can tell anyone else who asks you. This time, we tackle tattoos, smoking, drugs, and comparing sin- is any of it really so bad?

                                       Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!

1. Is getting a tattoo a sin?

This question grows in popularity as the “art” of self-mutilation grows. It has become easier and more acceptable to get tattooed. Many are even risking infection and disease by having them done with needles and pen ink in their own homes. The danger there goes without saying, but is it a sin? The Bible mentions tattoos specifically one time. That is in the book of Leviticus.

Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:28 NIV)

Now, some people have argued against this statement, despite it being perfectly clear. Among the series of commands that this verse is in, we are also told not to eat bloody meat, not to practice divination or sorcery, not to cut our hair at the sides or trim the edges of our beard, and not to make our daughters prostitute. Out of these, the only one we don’t follow nowadays is the trimming of our hair and beards. This command was for the Jews (some of whom still practice it), and was “overturned,” so to speak, later on. Still, some have said that since we cut our hair, we can cut our bodies and tattoo ourselves. This is not a fair comparison at all. We must look at what a tattoo really is, and what it does to our body.

We need to be extremely careful of what marks we put on our bodies. If, for no other reason at all, then for the following.

He [the Antichrist] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that none could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17 NIV)

That is what we commonly call the “Mark of the beast”. It is something that most people will actually want to get, because they are blinded by the convenience and commonality of the world. Still, we can look even deeper into a tattoo’s function. How do you get a tattoo? You let someone stab you with a needle, and while the wound is fresh, they inject foreign ink into your body. Despite some of the beautifully artistic pieces, my view has always been “Hang it on a wall”. So tattooing is not really more than a clever way to mutilate the flesh with a pleasant-looking after effect. What does the Bible say about that?

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19-20 NIV)

Since your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and you are living for God, and your body in fact belongs to Him, what authority do you have to cut, poke, mutilate, inject ink, etc.? Jesus paid a price for your body, for your very life, and God asks that in return you use your body to honor Him. Paul warns in his letter to the Philippians,

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. (Philippians 3:2 NIV)

So let us take to heart the words of Scripture that plead with us to offer ourselves wholly to God, body, mind, and everything that we are. Don’t allow an inch of the devil’s work to touch you or taint you. Allow yourself to be put to unadulterated service, in every capacity, to the Lord. Since God is in control, let His glory be your decoration, and supply yourself to Him.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (Romans 6:13 NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

What about those who already have a tattoo?

Don’t worry if you have one. Many people have gotten tattoos before becoming a Christian, or maybe just didn’t realize the way God felt about it. While the tattoo is difficult to remove, the sin isn’t. Cutting yourself or tattooing is NOT the unforgiveable sin. God will forgive you if you repent sincerely. Many Christians who were previously tattooed use the mark as a part of their testimony of the life they left behind when they accepted Christ. It is never too late.

                               Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!

2. Is it a sin to smoke or do drugs?

This question has a lot of similarity to tattooing, since it involves harm to the body. However, there are a couple other reasons that smoking and drugs are sinful.

One of the biggest excuses is that God made it, so it’s okay to smoke it. This isn’t further from the truth. Although the Bible does declare that God made everything for good, (Genesis 1:31; Ecclesiastes 3:11a) you must also remember that the earth is not now how God originally made it. Because of the sin of mankind, the earth was changed. God allowed thorns and thistles to grow, plants that were not for our practical use; plants that were not in God’s perfect Garden.

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. (Genesis 3:17-18 NIV underline added for emphasis. See also Hebrews 6:8)

Another reason is that it is illegal to do drugs, and to smoke until a certain age. Ask yourself, “Why would such a law be in place unless it was somehow harmful to smoke?” The truth is, the law allows you smoke at such an age because they believe that at that age, you can decide whether or not you want to harm your own body and health. The Bible demands that we not only obey God, but also our governing authorities, i.e. the police, courts, judges, laws, etc. If it is illegal, and harmful to our bodies, you are really committing two sins at once if you smoke.

            Obey your leaders and submit to their authority… (Hebrews 13:17 NIV)

One other thought is this: God has made everything, but for a good purpose. Marijuana plants can be used to make hemp, which is useful and safe. God never said that should smoke the plant. That was sinful man’s idea.

Remember, your body is made in God’s image and is designed for worship. Jesus died to give you life, not so you could slowly destroy yourself. Keep in mind what the Bible teaches about your body:

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19-20 NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

                 Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!

3. I try to be good, but I keep making mistakes. Since everybody sins, is really such a big deal if I do once in a while? 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

To you, it might seem like no big deal. It might even seem that way to the person you sinned against. To God, however, it’s a very big deal; the BIGGEST! Sin is the one factor that separates us from God, even if its what we call a little sin. The Bible tells us that everyone has sinned.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

This is a HUGE problem for us. Even just one little lie; or if we steal a candy bar; or if we misuse God’s Name; all of these make us imperfect. God is absolutely perfect, and so is heaven. If heaven had just one sinner in it, it would no longer be a perfect place. Because of this, we have only two options: Be perfect or go to the only other place we can go- hell. “But,” some would ask, “What about all the good deeds I do?”

            For all of us have become like one who is unclean,

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;… (Isaiah 64:6)

All your good deeds are wonderful, and please God, but compared to our sin, every good deed is like a dirty garment. What value is a filthy, robe? Absolutely none. God doesn’t measure your sins in one pile and your good works in another to determine if you make it. You are either perfect, or you aren’t. The problem is, everyone has sinned,, and there is a price to pay for sin:

            For the wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23)

Because we sin, we die. The punishment for sin is that death, and if we die with that sin still covering our lives, the death continues in hell. That is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sin. We are instructed in how we can have our sin erased, as though it never happened!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Jesus has paid the price for us, but we can choose to accept or ignore this gift. To accept, all we need to do is confess our sins to Him, and He will faithfully forgive us. That is how we can be made perfect! Once God forgives our sin, we have a new start; a perfect record! Of course, we need to try our best to avoid sin in the future, but should we slip up, God is still faithful to His Word. The apostle John continues to urge us on by saying:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Jesus paid the price for the entire world. That includes you. The prophet Joel records God’s words as He urgently calls us to go back to Him in repentance. God beckons us to Him.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“Return to Me with all your heart,

And with fasting weeping and mourning;

And rend your heart and not your garments.”

Now return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,

And relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13)

When you go to God with your sin, it’s serious, yet He is slow to anger. He loves to be gracious and kind to us; He loves to defeat the evil in us. God would be more than thrilled to forgive you of your sin. He wants to erase the sin and one day welcome you into His Heavenly Kingdom. If you need to, confess your sins to Jesus in prayer.

            He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

            But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13)

 What are your thoughts on any of these questions? Do you have questions of your own? Let me know below!

BIG Questions- Part 1: “Who made God?” “What does He look like?” and “Who wrote the Bible?”

There are a few questions that trip up just about everybody. But every question has an answer. I have been asked a number of these, and some I didn’t have the answer to at the time. So, I’ve looked up a few and I want to share those, so that you can have the answers, too, and so you can tell anyone else who asks you.

 

1. If God made everything, then who made God?

“To whom then will you liken Me

That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.

(Isaiah 40:25-26)

God is not something that we can compare to anything. That includes time. God created “time” for us; something measurable by which we can gauge our life. God is not limited by time, space, distance, etc. He is limitless with few exceptions: He can do no wrong, and He cannot be out-done. Other than that, God is limitless. To ask where God came from, you have to assume there was a “where” to come from. If we ask who made God, we are falsely assuming that there was someone to make God, and that God was made. He was not. Before God made the earth, there was no billions and billions of years; there was no time, as we know it.

 

We usually picture time as a line, because it simplifies our explanation. To God, time is more like liquid. Imagine a big bowl of water. You live in one drop of that water; that’s your “time” on earth. Other drops are the Creation of the world, the great flood, the Tower of Babel, the Crucifixion of Jesus, the 1980 U.S. Presidential elections, the moon landing, the last world war, the future rise of the antichrist, the Battle of Armageddon, the final trumpet sounding, the new earth, etc. In that bowl of water, God can see everything clearly, and it is all fluid to Him. He holds the bowl in His hands, and can touch any event or era at once. God can see your sin at the same “time” He is judging you, at the same “time” He watches His Son, Jesus, die on a cross for you. God is not limited to time as we are.

 

So, who made God? No one. He’s always been, for as long as time as we know it has existed.

Where did God come from? There was no “where” for Him to come from, until He made it.

 

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)

 

I realize that this is a concept that is very hard to understand. We think about everything using time. Hours, minutes, dates, ages, anniversaries, and the list goes on and on. You can’t understand God fully; just accept that much- its okay. What is important is that you have faith that God is. Just believe in Him to be in control over time, and over your life.

 

 

2. What does God look like? Why doesn’t He show Himself to us?

So many kids have asked me this question, and “No one knows” is never a satisfying answer. That is the short answer, because we cannot stand face to face with Him and get details, but the Bible does offer us an idea of how God would look. Our first clue comes from the first chapter of Genesis.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

So if you want to see God, you can look in a mirror. Since you and I are made in His image, we are a reflection of Him. God looks like us, each and every person who ever has, is, or will live is made in God’s image.

Daniel had a vision of God, although he did not physically see God, this is the image in Daniel’s vision:

“As I looked,
       “thrones were set in place,
       and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
       His clothing was as white as snow;
       the hair of his head was white like wool. (Daniel 7:9)

 

The truth is that we cannot see God; no one has, except Jesus. John 1:18 says,

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.( NIV)

 

Jesus affirmed these words in John 6:46, and John wrote again in 1John 4:12 that “no one has ever seen God”.  There was also a time when Moses found favor with the Lord. Moses asked God to show His glory. He didn’t want to continue on without the presence of God.

 

Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”

And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you…” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”(Exodus 33:19-23)

 

Following this experience, Moses’ face shone so much, the Israelites put a veil on his face. Just the passing glory of God has such a dramatic effect on a person, it is no wonder we cannot see His face and live. The beauty and glory is far too powerful for our human bodies to stand.

Others have had occurrences with God. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden before their fall into sin. (see Genesis 3:8-13)  God appeared to Abraham (see Genesis 18:2-33), to Jacob (see Genesis 35:7, 9), to Solomon (see 1 Kings 3:5; 9:2; 11:9; 2 Chronicles 1:7; 7:12), to Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-5), and to Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1:26-28)

The Lord has also appeared as a symbol or sign, such as the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), as fire (Exodus 19:16-24) and clouds; He has shown himself by miracles, such as stopping the sun in the sky, setting a rainbow in the sky, tearing the temple veil, parting the Red Sea, providing food where there is none, writing on a wall, earthquakes, and much, much more.

One of the main reasons for God appearing symbolically is established in the first letter to Timothy:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 NIV Underline added for emphasis)

God has what we would consider a physical appearance; He does look like something, but the invisibility is in respect to an audience of humans. God’s invisibility toward us is by His choice. It encourages faith. Rather that showing up and forcing belief, God chose to remain at a visual distance so that we can choose to seek Him and believe. It allows us to decide whether or not we will follow Him, or the ways of the convenient world.

 

 

3. Who wrote the Bible?

Many people who are critical of Christianity or religion in general, argue that we don’t know who wrote the Bible. A little studying goes a long way, as we now know almost every author. Some continue to argue that the Bible is written by mankind, so we cannot trust it as being “from God”. We know, however, that:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16)

So without further ado, here are the authors who penned the words of God-

BOOK	WHO WROTE IT
Genesis	Moses
Exodus	Moses
Leviticus	Moses
Numbers	Moses
Deuteronomy	Moses
Joshua	Joshua
Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Esther, Job	Debated or unknown authors
Lamentations	Jeremiah
Psalms: A composite of many authors’ work. Of the 150 psalms, 116 are provided with a title
Psalms 3-9, 11-32, 34-41, 51-65, 68-70, 86, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 138-145	David
Psalm 42, 44-45, 47-49, 84-85, 87	Sons of Korah
Psalms 50, 73-83	Asaph
Psalm 72, 127	Solomon
Psalm 88	Heman the Ezrahite
Psalm 89	Ethan the Ezrahite
Psalm 90	Moses
Psalm 119	Ezra
Psalms 120-134	Hezekiah
Psalm 137	Jeremiah
Psalms 146-147	Haggai and Zechariah
Proverbs- Again, the book is a composite, so far as authorship is concerned.
Proverbs 1:1-24:22	Solomon
Proverbs 24:23-34	Attributed to “the wise”
Proverbs 25:1-29:27	Attributed to Solomon, but were collected and recorded by “Hezekiah’s men”.
Proverbs 30:1-33	Agur
Proverbs 31:1-31	Lemuel
Ecclesiastes	Solomon
Ezra-Nehemiah	Author unknown, though Ezra’s chapters 7-9 apparently were written by Ezra, since they are in the first person.
Song of Songs	Solomon
The following were written by the person whose name they bear.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai
Zechariah	Chapters 1-8 written by Zechariah; Chapters 9-11 by Jeremiah; Chapters 12-14 are titled “an oracle” and are attributed to no one.
Malachi	Some believe Malachi was the name of a specific prophet, but it is also the Hebrew term (mal´aki) for “my messenger”, used for priests and prophets alike. Thus, based on Mark 1:2-3, Malachi may have been  written by Isaiah
Matthew	Matthew
Mark	Mark
Luke	Luke
John	John
Acts	Luke
Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy. Titus, Philemon	Paul
Hebrews	Possibly Paul
James	James
1 Peter	Peter
2 Peter	Peter
1, 2 & 3 John	John
Jude	Jude
Revelation	John

 

Javier Solana – Candidate for Antichrist

Are you American or Canadian? Ever here of Javier Solana? If not, its not surprising, there seems almost a coordinated effort to not mention him on this side of the Atlantic.

There was so much good info floating around on this man, but what seems to be almost a news blackout of his coming and goings, I thought it deserved its own topic.

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate (Daniel 9:27 New America Standard Bible).

It is commonly believed the passage above foretells the rise of a strong leader from out of a revived Roman Empire who will make, or confirm, a covenant with the many for seven years. Israel will be included in this covenant. As far as Israel is concerned, he will violate his covenant 3 1/2 years later. In other passages from Daniel, we learn this leader will rise from among a 10-nation alliance (Daniel 7:7-8 ) and subdue three of the 10 kings (Daniel 7:24). In the New Testament book of Revelation, we learn that this leader will somehow be identified with the number 666 (Revelation 13: 18 ).

In December of 1998, at their Vienna summit, the EU’s heads created the new Office of High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union. The holder of this Office would direct their common foreign policy toward Russia, Ukraine and the Mediterranean. Out of over 1150 documents they generated at the summit, the document that created this Office happened to be numbered 666.

On June 5, 2000, the WEU adopted its Assembly Recommendation 666. This document recommended keeping the 10 Brussels Treaty Powers together as the EU’s new military wing and giving the EU’s High Representative emergency powers over the whole EU, putting the office holder over the EU presidency.

In March of 2005, one year after the Madrid train bombings, world leaders met in Madrid to discuss the EU’s and the international community’s war against terror. The EU decided the U.S. war was going nowhere, nothing much had been accomplished over that last year. It was noted that the EU member states were reluctant to give Solana what he needed to get the job done. What this really meant was, the EU “big three” — France, Germany and the UK — were still standing in Solana’s way. In other words, in order for Solana to do his job leading the EU’s foreign and security policy, the EU “big three” must somehow be subdued. (See Bible quote above) Interestingly, the EU “big three” leaders were all on the scene in 1999 when the Office of High Representative was first occupied by Solana. And, they were all members of the 10-nation alliance. Could these three super countries be the three kings who are destined to be subdued according to Daniel 7:24?

Since the start of his 7 year period peace and safety initiative, we should see him make some big strides in bringing peace to the middle east very soon. The 3 1/2 year, or halfway point, checkup is scheduled in 2010. I also wonder about some of the other things that seem to be sparked by this same belief of middle-east peace and prophetic fulfillment. The Catholic church for one seems to have come to the conclusion that the start of the Tribulations are just ahead and that the church must now work out its battle plan. You see it in how this latest global war seems to methodically be ramping up with no real way to end it. You see this in how fundamental freedoms we all grew up with, are being locked away for our “safety”.

Please see my previous articles, ‘The Job Title for the Antichrist”  https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/the-job-title-for-the-antichrist/

and “Who Is the Antichrist? How Will We Know Him?” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/who-is-the-antichrist/

For more on possible ‘Marks of the Beast’, see “Mark of the Beast Part 1- Barcode 666”  https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/mark-of-the-beast-part-1-barcode-666/ and “Mark of the Beast- Part 2- RFID Chip” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/mark-of-the-beast-part-2-rfid-chip/ 

For info on signs of the end, to know how things will be and when to expect them, see “The End? Let’s Review” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/the-end-lets-review/

Original Source for bulk of article: “Wassabi; a member of AboveTopSecret.com” in form of message thread called: Javier Solana – candidate for Antichrist or setting the stage for the Beast; http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread183503/pg1#pid1836234.

Links from articles on https://justinlessard.wordpress.com

The Book of Revelation: Jesus’ End-Time Battle Plan for the Church

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER KC – MIKE BICKLE

FORERUNNER CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

The Book of Revelation: Jesus’ End-Time Battle Plan for the Church

 
I.    THE BOOK OF REVELATION: JESUS’ END-TIME BATTLE PLAN FOR THE CHURCH
 

A.    The Book of Revelation reveals the glory of Jesus (Rev. 1:1) and His dramatic plan to transition the earth to the age-to-come. There will be unique dynamics in the generation Jesus returns that are absolutely necessary in preparing the nations for His return. These events require our deep involvement. Thus, Jesus gives us the details which are essential to equip us to fully participate.
 
B.    There are 4 parts in the structure of Revelation. The 4th part has 5 chronological sections in which the events occur in sequential order. There are 7 main symbols in the Book.
 
C.    The main theme of Revelation is Jesus’ return to earth to rule all the nations. His End-Time battle plan is to physically destroy all the evil governments on earth by releasing His judgments on them during the Great Tribulation as described in Rev. 6-19.
 
D.    As the Book of Acts describes the power of the Holy Spirit that was released through the early Church so the Book of Revelation describes the power of the Holy Spirit that will be released through the End-Time Church. I refer to Revelation as the “End-Time Book of Acts”. It is a “canonized prayer manual” that informs us of the ways in which Jesus will manifest His power.
 
E.    As Moses released God’s judgments on Pharaoh by prayer (Exodus 7-12), so the Church will release the Great Tribulation judgments on the Antichrist by prayer. The miracles and judgments in Exodus and Acts will be multiplied and released worldwide through prayer. The greatest demonstrations of power in history will be openly manifest by Jesus and Satan (Rev. 12:9; 13:2).
 
18 I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades (authority of hell) shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Mt. 16:18-19)
 
F.    Revelation is Jesus’ battle plan to allow the sin in man’s heart to fully come to the surface and then to drive evil off the planet through the praying Church. These judgment events do not happen to us as helpless victims of Satan but are released through us as participants with Jesus. Jesus’ judgments are released to remove all that hinders love. He is at war to have His wedding.
 
G.    The 7 main symbols: all events and numbers in Revelation are to be taken in their plain meaning (literal) unless specifically indicated not to (Rev. 1:20; 5:6; 11:8; 12:1, 3, 9; 17:7, 9, 15-18, etc.)
 
1) Dragon: is symbolic of Satan (Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4; 16:13; 20:2)
 
2) First Beast: is symbolic of the Antichrist (Rev. 13; 14:9-11; 17:3-17; 19:19-21; 20:4, 10)
 
3) Another Beast: is symbolic of the False Prophet called “another Beast” just once (Rev. 13:11)
 
4) Seven Heads: are 7 empires from history that persecuted Israel (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
     Persia, Greece, Rome, revived Roman Empire of Dan. 2:41-42; 7:7; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-16)
 
5) Ten Horns: represents a 10-nation confederation that serves the Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-13)
 
6) Harlot Babylon: will be a worldwide demonically inspired religious and economic system
     based in the re-built city of Babylon, near Baghdad in Iraq (Rev. 17-18; Jer. 50-51)
 
7) Woman and Male-child (Jesus): is the faithful remnant of Israel throughout history (Rev. 12)
 

II.    STRUCTURE OF REVELATION: 4 PARTS AND 5 SECTIONS (IN THE 4TH PART)
 

Rev. 1      Pt. 1 John’s CALLING to prophesy about the End-Times: John gave 18 truths about Jesus’ majesty that formed the way he prophesied about the End-Times, which are meant to equip us.
 
Rev. 2-3    Pt. 2 Jesus gave 7 LETTERS to 7 churches: the instructions Jesus gave to these 7 churches about overcoming sin give us practical insight into what we must also overcome today.
 
Rev. 4-5   Pt. 3 Jesus takes the SCROLL: contains the earth’s title deed and His battle plan to cleanse it.
 
Rev. 6-22   Pt. 4 Jesus’ BATTLE PLAN: includes Great Tribulation judgments against the Antichrist. Jesus reveals His main storyline of love to cleanse the earth of evil. His battle plan here is seen in 5 Chronological sections that describe events that unfold in sequential order.
                          Each section is followed by an Angelic explanation to help us understand that section.

 
The 5 Chronological Sections: tell us what happens to the Antichrist’s followers in 21 judgment events (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls). These intensify in severity as they unfold.
 
The 5 Angelic Explanations: function as a parenthesis, putting the storyline on “pause”. They answer questions arising from the chronological sections: Why is God’s wrath so severe? What will happen to us? Angels explain to John what happens to God’s people including what Jesus will do to help us and what the Antichrist will do to persecute us.
 

Rev. 6            Chronological section #1: the SEAL JUDGMENTS against the kingdom of darkness.
Rev. 7           Angelic Explanation #1: we receive PROTECTION from judgments and falling away.
 
Rev. 8-9       Chronological section #2: the TRUMPET JUDGMENTS against the Antichrist’s empire.
Rev. 10-11   Angelic Explanation #2: we receive DIRECTION by great increase of prophetic ministry.
 
Rev. 11:15-19 Chronological section #3: the SECOND COMING PROCESSION and the Rapture.
                         The 7th and Last Trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 10:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16): Jesus replaces all governmental leaders on earth in a hostile takeover. In His Procession, Jesus first travels across the sky to rapture the saints (every eye sees Him; Rev. 1:7), then through the land of Edom (modern day Jordan; Isa. 63:1-6) then into Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. 

Rev. 12-14    Angelic Explanation #3: the CONFRONTATION against the saints by the Antichrist’s system and persecutions requires that all his governments be taken over. Satan is on earth.
 
Rev. 15-16   Chronological section #4: the BOWL JUDGMENTS destroy evil infrastructures in society
Rev. 17-18   Angelic Explanation #4: the SEDUCTION of Babylon’s evil religion will permeate and infiltrate all the structures of society, requiring that Babylon be totally destroyed. 
 
Rev. 19-20   Chronological section #5: Jesus’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY to Jerusalem (Rev. 19:11-21:8 )
Rev. 21-22   Angelic Explanation #5: the RESTORATION of all things Acts 3:21 (Rev. 21:9-22:5)

 

 

Learn more at: http://www.ihop.org

Who is the antichrist? How will we know him?

Facts about the Antichrist:	Verse(s) [italicized are quoted in ‘Key Phrases’ column]	Key Phrase(s)   [NIV unless otherwise noted.]
1. He will rule all nations for a short time.	Psalm 2; Daniel 11:36; Revelation 13:16	“He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed…” “He also forced everyone…to receive a mark…”
2. He will be called “little horn”.	Daniel 7:8	“…there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them…”
3. He will be an intellectual genius.	Daniel 8:23	“…a master of intrigue…”
4. He will make a seven-year covenant with Israel, but will break it after just 3 ½ years.	Daniel 9:27	“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.”
5. He will be an oratorical genius.	Daniel 11:36	“…and will say unheard-of things…”
6. He will set himself up as God.	Daniel 11:36-37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4, 11; Revelation 13:5	“He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
7. He will do everything according to his own selfishness.	Daniel 11:36	“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god…”
8. He may be called the “willful king”	Daniel 11:36	“The king will do as he pleases.”
9. He will disregard the god of his fathers.	Daniel 11:37	“He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers…, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”
10. He may not have the desire for women.	Daniel 11:37	“He will show no regard for… the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.” (NASB)
11. He will honor a false god of power.	Daniel 11:38	“…he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.”
12. He will be a commercial and financial genius.	Daniel 11:43; Revelation 13:16-17	“But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.” (NASB) “He also forced everyone…to receive a mark… so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark…”
13. He will claim to be a type of Christ of Savior.	Matthew 24:5, 23-24	“For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many… At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”
14. He will profane the temple.	Matthew 24:15; Revelation 13:6	“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel…” “He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place …”
15. He will be called “man of sin”	2 Thessalonians 2:3	“…and the man of sin is revealed…” (NKJV) [some manuscripts “man of lawlessness”]
16. He will be called “son of perdition”	2 Thessalonians 2:3	“…the son of perdition…” (NKJV) [some manuscripts “son of destruction” or “doomed to destruction”]
17. He will be a religious genius.	2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:8	“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb…”
18. He will be called Wicked one.	2 Thessalonians 2:8	“And then shall that Wicked be revealed…” (KJV) [some manuscripts “lawless one”]
19. He will be a master of deceit.	2 Thessalonians 2:9-10	“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.”
20. He will be empowered directly by Satan himself.	2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:2;	“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan…” “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”
21. He will be a military genius.	Revelation 6:2; 13:2, 4	“…and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.” “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority….and they… asked, ‘… Who can make war against him?’”
22. He will be called “the beast”.	Revelation 11:7; 13:1-8, 17; 19:19-20	“Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.”  “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”(13:2)
23. He will attempt to destroy all of Israel.	Revelation 12	“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon The dragon and his angels waged war…” [entire chapter explains battles in metaphor]
24. He will be a political genius.	Revelation 17:11-12	“The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.”
25. He will control the Western power block.	Revelation 17:2	“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.”
26. He may destroy false religious systems, enabling him to rule unhindered.	Revelation 17:16-17	“For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule”
27. He will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.	Revelation 19	“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
28. He will be the first creature thrown into the lake of fire.	Revelation 19:20	“The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Verse list: Psalm 2; Daniel 7:8; 8:23; 9:27; 11:30-43; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-11; Matthew 24:15; Revelation 6:2; 12; 11:7; 13:2-8, 16-17; 17:11-12, 16-17; 19;

 

The Bible and Racism: A few points on race and origin

The church, the Bible, and racism.

 

Is the church a help or hindrance when it comes to fighting racism?

The “church” can be defined as:

1.      one particular congregation

2.      one particular or a group of denomination(s)

3.      the body of Christ as a collective fellowship of believers

That makes a HUGE difference in answering our question. Every believer and non-believer alike can and will form their own opinions when it comes to race, color, creed, ethnicity, etc. Similarly, so will each congregation, each denomination, and each region.

 

The question, when it comes to Christianity, is always, “What does the Bible say?” Since we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, this is how we know what God feels on the issue. The first item to understand in this discussion is that there is only one race – the human race. Caucasians, Africans, Asians, Indians, Arabs, Jews, etc., are not different races. Rather, they are different ethnicities of the human race. All human beings have the same physical characteristics (with minor variations, of course). More importantly, all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God.

           

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. –Genesis 1:26-27

 

We must also realize that God loves everyone. (John 3:16) and laid down His life for all (1 John 2:2).

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. -1 John 2:2

 

God is impartial to all (Deuteronomy 10:17), and shows absolutely no favoritism (Acts 10:34) (Romans 2:11).

 

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. –Deut. 10:17

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism. –Acts 10:34

For God does not show favoritism. –Romans 2:11

 

James 2:4 describes those who show discrimination as “judges with evil thoughts”.

 

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? –James 2:4

 

Instead, James reminds us again of Jesus’ teaching; that we must “love one another”.

 

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. –James 2:8 (See John 13:34)

 

In the Old Testament, God divided humanity into two “racial” groups: Jew and Gentile. God’s intent was for the Jews to be a kingdom of priests, ministering to the Gentile nations. Instead, for the most part, the Jews became proud of their status and despised the Gentiles. Jesus Christ put an end to this, destroying the dividing wall of hostility.

 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, -Ephesians 2:14

 

Therefore, any form of racism, prejudice, or discrimination is an affront to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Since God loves us impartially, we should love one another in a similar fashion. If we, as sinners, can be loved so by a prefect God, it shouldn’t be too much for Him to expect that we keep the same high standard and love others. Jesus teaches at the end of Matthew 25 that whatever we do to the least of His brothers, we do to Him. If we treat a person with contempt, we are mistreating a person created in God’s image; we are hurting somebody that God loves and Jesus died for.

 

Racism, in varying forms and to various degrees, has been a plague on humanity for thousands of years. Brothers and sisters of all ethnicities, this should not be! To victims of racism, prejudice, and discrimination – you need to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 declares, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” No, racists do not deserve your forgiveness, but we deserved God’s forgiveness far less! To perpetrators of racism, prejudice, and discrimination – you need to repent and “present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13).

 

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. –Galatians 3:28

 

God created this universe, this world and everyone in it. People exist in their variety because God designed it that way. Put simply, racism is a criticism of His handiwork.

 

 

Where did race originate? Generally, from camps, though eventually through the families of Noah’s sons spreading out over the earth. Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Of Ham:

The youngest son of Noah, from whom sprang the western and southwestern nations known to the Hebrews. His name first occurs in Genesis 5:32, where, as in 6:10 and elsewhere, it occupies the second place. In Genesis 9:18 Ham is described as “the father of Canaan”.

The name given, in Psalms 105:23,17; 106:22 (compare 78:51), to Egypt as a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. As Shem means “dusky,” or the like, and Japheth “fair,” it has been supposed that Ham meant, as is not improbable, “black.” This is supported by the evidence of Hebrew and Arabic, in which the word chamam means “to be hot” and “to be black,” the latter signification being derived from the former. 

Four Sons of Ham (see map below):
    1. Mizraim (Egypt)
   2. Cush (Sudan, Ethiopia)
   3. Put (Lybia)
   4. Canaan (Hivites, Jebusites, Arvadites, Girgashites, Amorites, Arkites, Sinites, Hittites, 
                  Sidonians, Perizzites, Zemarites)

CURSE OF CANAAN
   1. Canaan was cursed, not Ham. (Gen. 9:25, “…cursed be Canaan…”
   2. Genesis 9:25-27 “…servitude to his brothers…”
   3. Exodus 20:5 –” A curse lasts three to four generations…”
   4. Canaan does not exist as a nation today. Other three nations exist — Egypt, Ethiopia 
       and Lybia.

 Of Shem:

The eldest son of Noah, from whom the Jews, as well as the Semitic (“Shemitic”) nations in general have descended. When giving the names of Noah’s three sons, Shem is always mentioned first (Genesis 9:18; 10:1, etc.); and though “the elder” in “Shem the brother of Japheth the elder” (Genesis 10:21 margin) is explained as referring to Shem, this is not the rendering of Onkelos. 

His five sons peopled the greater part of West Asia’s finest tracts, from Elam on the East to the Mediterranean on the West. Though generally regarded as meaning “dusky” (compare the Assyr-Babylonian samu–also Ham–possibly = “black,” Japheth, “fair”), it is considered possible that Shem may be the usual Hebrew word for “name” (shem), given him because he was the firstborn–a parallel to the Assyr-Babylonian usage, in which “son,” “name” (sumu) are synonyms (W. A. Inscriptions, V, plural 23, 11,29-32abc).

Five Sons of Shem (see map below):
    1. Elam (Arabia)
   2. Asshur (Assyria)
   3. Lud (Lydians)
   4. Aram (Aramaic, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria)
   5. Arphaxad (From which Abraham descended)

 

Of Japheth:

This name, in Genesis 9:27, seems to be explained by the phrase “may God make wide (yapht, the American Standard Revised Version “enlarge”) for Japheth,” where yapht and Japheth are represented by the same consonants, but with different vowel-points. The root of yapht is pathach, “to make wide.” 

This etymology, however, is not universally accepted, as the word-play is so obvious, and the association of Japheth with Shem (“dark”) and Ham (“black”) suggests a name on similar lines–either gentilic, or descriptive of race. Japheth has therefore been explained as meaning “fair,” from yaphah, the non-Sem and non-Hamitic races known to the Jews being all more or less white-skinned. The Targum of Onkelos agrees with the English Versions of the Bible, but that of Jonathan has “God shall beautify Japheth,” as though from yaphah.

Seven Sons of Japheth (see map below):
    1. Javan (Greece, Romans, Romance — French, Italians, Spanish, Portuguese)
   2. Magog (Scythians, Slavs, Russians, Bulgarians, Bohemians, Poles, Slovaks, Croatians)
   3. Madai (Indians & Iranic: Medes, Persians, Afghans, Kurds)
   4. Tubal (South of Black Sea)
   5. Tiras (Thracians, Teutons, Germans, Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon, Jutes)
   6. Meshech (Russia)
   7. Gomer (Celtic)

 

 

Sources: http://www.freemaninstitute.com/RTGham.htm

http://www.gotquestions.org/racism-Bible.html

http://www.biblestudy.org/question/racism.html

This is a GREAT video on YouTube. Its 28 min long, but well worth the time. The guy in the video is Ken Ham. He’s a very well studied creation-based scientist, and pretty well knows what he’s talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez_eRihgmJ8 He points out the connection between the induction of Darwinism and acceptance of racist-based theology.

 

 

The Mission- What will you do?

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Now, wasn’t that worth Scrolling down here?

The End? Let’s review.

There are a lot of prophecies about the end. Here I have put together just some of them, broken into categories. You decide for yourself if they have come true yet, either in part or in whole. And don’t forget to comment your thoughts below!

 

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. -2Timothy 3:1-5

9“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” 25“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.–Luke 21:9-11, 25

21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 36“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; -Matthew 24:21-22, 36-38

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. –Daniel 12:1

See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. So will it be on the land among the nations as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest. -Isaiah 24:1, 3, 13

WARS:

6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. –Matthew 24:6-8

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
       Prepare for war!
       Rouse the warriors!
       Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

 10 Beat your plowshares into swords
       and your pruning hooks into spears.
       Let the weakling say,
       “I am strong!” -Joel 3:9-10

9“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. –Luke 21:9-10

DEPARTURE FROM CHRISTIANITY:

3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. -2 Timothy 4:3-4

10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. –Matthew 24:10

1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. -1 Timothy 4:1

…be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. -2 Peter 3:17

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. –Matthew 24:9

Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution… -Hebrews 10:33

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. –Matthew 5:10-12

…they will lay hands on you and persecute you. –Luke 21:12

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. –Revelation 2:10

 

ABORTION (SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENT):

…they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. –Romans 1:31

3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -2 Timothy 3:3-4

Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. –Psalm 22:10

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. –Psalm 127:3

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. –Psalm 139:13

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… -Jeremiah 1:5

 

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY:

…smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. –Revelation 9:2

…There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red. –Revelation 6:12

EARTHQUAKES:

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. -Revelation 11:13

There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven –Luke 21:11

…the foundations of the earth shake. 19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. –Isaiah 24:18-19

Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. –Revelation 16:18

FIRES:

8Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.  9“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 18When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ –Revelation 18:8-9, 18

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.  –Revelation 8:7

TROPICAL STORMS/ HURRICANES & FLOODS:

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. –Luke 21:25

See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. –Jeremiah 30:23

The floodgates of the heavens are opened, -Isaiah 24:18

 

INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE AND TRAVEL:

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” -Daniel 12:4

 

INSTANT COMMUNICATION AROUND THE WORLD:

“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophecy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.  When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.  Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.  And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” -Revelation 11:3, 7-10

 

 

I also reccomend this site. See: (re: end time and “global warming”. Actually makes sense!) http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.globalwarmingandthebible.com/images/EndOfTheWorld.jpg&imgrefurl=http://globalwarmingandthebible.com/%3Fpage_id%3D2&h=139&w=185&sz=41&hl=en&start=62&sig2=DxQpagFQ6NQ3TZ1SUBs_0w&um=1&usg=__owjdJ9bGJ3iibbVwz6CKDZaaLb4=&tbnid=v8fUhFECf7RE9M:&tbnh=77&tbnw=102&ei=s8fVSPWtDpLIhgKf6L3MDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522smoke%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Babyss%2522%2BRevelation%2Bimage%26start%3D54%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4DKUS_enUS272US272%26sa%3DN

 

Verses Used: Joel 3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:1-4; Matthew 24:1-11, 32-38; Genesis 6:1, 11-13; 4:22; Daniel 12:1, 4; Romans 1:31; Revelation 3; 9:1-2, 20-21; 6:2-12; 14:20; 11:13; 16:3, 18, 21; 8:7-9; 18:8-9, 18; Luke 21:25;

“The End?” Bible Study and all images prepared by Justin Lessard. Email: ferventservant1@hotmail.com

Web: https://justinlessard.wordpress.com & http://www.myspace.com/justinlessard

If you wish to use this for a study, all I ask is that you leave the credit info lines, including the name, email, & web address, above. Also, leave me a comment so I know if its useful to you. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

The Will of God

The will of God

By Justin Lessard

Originally written November seventh, two thousand three

 

 

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” –Hebrews 9:27-28

 

The will of God is a powerful thing. It was by the will of God that Jesus, our Great High Priest, offered Himself as a sacrifice. It was God’s will. He actually wanted it to happen, just as it did. Why? — To “make perfect the ones being consecrated.” (New American Bible) The ones who accept the sacrifice and receive the salvation gift. He willed it to end the offerings that only covered sin. Whereas the priesthood of that time offered daily sacrifices, ineffectual in remitting sin, Jesus offered the only single sacrifice capable of taking the necessity of all other sacrifices away. Jesus’ sacrifice didn’t merely cover sin; it has the power to erase it completely. He cleaned us all, all at once.

Notice, however, the Bible says “the ones being consecrated”. This is because it is a process. We won’t, in an instant, become forever perfect the moment we accept Christ into our lives. We are forgiven of all we’ve done, and then the work begins. Since we know that through Christ’s blood and broken body, which was raised from the dead, we will see God’s Kingdom of Heaven, let us approach with a pure, trusting heart, washed of wickedness; let us approach clean.

The entire walk of Christian faith throughout our life cannot be done alone, although at times, loneliness may be necessary. We would do well to remember that other believers may be in that “lonely place”, just as we’ve all been at some point. We are called to encourage one another, that someone doing well in their walk might maintain that wellness, and to uplift one whose walk might need some inspiration. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Christ encourages us to commit random acts of kindness, and acts out of love. (See Colossians 3:12) While remembering that salvation is in Christ alone, not in works, those generosities do much to let others know that there is a difference about you. (See Ephesians 2:8-9) Others should generally be able to tell that you are “different”; or “set apart”; almost anywhere you go in life. If the kindness and love of Christ is truly in us, we will strive to exemplify both of these aspects of His character. Even things as simple as giving a smile and saying, “thank you,” or, “nice job,” can make someone’s day just a little better. There are also those who we know well, sometimes better than anyone else knows them, and we can still assume wrongly about their thoughts, feelings and emotions. This is why we must strive to maintain our “difference”; let that light shine through to everyone we can, anytime we can.

 

“Be imitators of God…For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”—Ephesians 5:1, 8

 

As Christians, we are called to live a life different than that of the world, with a different attitude than we had before accepting Christ into our lives. We are called to behave appropriately and maturely, as is necessary in each circumstance. While all the things of God are important, He still makes an allowance for fun and joking; letting us get “goofy”; but we are not to allow that attitude to consume us or lead to anything sinful. Though the fun may not be the sin itself, unchecked, it could lead us there. In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, God warns us about our lifestyles:

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise… Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” –Ephesians 5:15, 17

            The first twenty-one verses of this chapter could almost be summarized as God saying, “Watch yourself!” (See Ephesians 5:1-21)

            In the light of the Lord, everything becomes visible; every lie; every theft; every impure thought; every selfish motive. This is a part of the reason God beckons us to become children of light, and avoid dark, fruitless works. He even declares it shameful to mention such a thing (Eph. 5:12). So instead these things are exposed, and should be traded in for the work of the Lord, done as a child of His wonderful light.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” –Colossians 3:12-15

           

God wants us to grow up more mature in Him. God has called us to straighten up, stop acting as a child, end foolishness, and to get real! That’s a loose translation, but it is what the Lord desires. And what is real? What is truth? Jesus. Jesus said:

 

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

 

Knowing these things, try, then, to discern God’s will and desires regarding your life. Here’s a clue: it isn’t immaturity, immorality, ignorance or drunkenness. And this is only covering one chapter of one book of the entire Bible, Ephesians 5.

God tells us to be thankful (Colossians 3:15; Hebrews12:28 ). Let us not forget or neglect to thank God daily in our prayers. We have much to thank Him for. But thankfulness should be all inclusive. We should thank the waiter at the restaurant, the cashier at the grocery store, and don’t forget the “thank you” wave when someone lets you into traffic. These simple things can and do make a difference in a person’s day. Even in your greetings: “God bless you,” “Have a great day,” “Nice to see you.” Others should be able to see that “thing” that sets you apart, as you remember to live and walk as a child of light.

So what happens when you get a negative response? Answer: Continue in kindness, mercy and maturity, while remembering to pray for those who persecute you, even in small ways. Romans 10:20-21 states:

 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; … overcome evil with good.”

 

Enemy could mean a rival, opposing soldier, or even the enemy, Satan, who does have a hold on so many. If we feed them, either with God’s Word, or literally, with food, we show selflessness, compassion and mercy. We then have a chance to drive Satan away from our brothers, from the lost, from all of God’s children. They have an opportunity for change, beginning with a single act of kindness. We can overcome evil with good.

Also from Romans chapter twelve, we are told in verse 18 to do whatever we can to live at peace with all. All includes: family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, neighbors, strangers, enemies, and the list goes on. No one is exempt from “all”.

That’s a tall order for us. If there has been no such opportunity to make peace with someone, it becomes our duty as a Christian to make one. But just as our consecration is a process, so also can be making peace. It is unlikely that an enemy of years will become a best friend overnight, though by God’s grace and power it is possible.

Pastor Daniel Greenwell once said, “Be content with modest gain in relationships.” (Pastor Daniel Greenwell, South Side Christian Church, Milwaukee, WI) Gain doesn’t need to be minute by minute, but can you say that this week is better than last week? Or, this month is better than last? Some relationships have so much damage, that they can only be measured by a yearly success.

God and Son are one in harmony. He desires the body of Christ to be this way, too. A lot of people are disconnected. Not only with others, but themselves as well. They don’t have a realistic grasp on their own situations; thereby they can’t connect with others around them. How do you live at peace with others if you aren’t at peace with yourself? Remember that “getting real” is a process. Peace is a process. Consecration is a process.

Is your life perfect today? Of course not. That’s why we continually work toward betterment. Paul writes,

 

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already become perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” –Philippians 3:12

 

If you are being proactive, God is pleased. God wants us to move forward. Don’t be sluggish just because things might be difficult. Don’t put things off, but be as positive as you can be. If you let Him, God will take you out of the low times, and higher than you’ve been before. Don’t sweep the junk under the rug, shake the rug out!

 

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” –James 4:7-10

 

If you submit to God, He is in control. If God is in control, let Him work! As the saying goes, “If God is your co-pilot, swap seats.” God should be the pilot of your life. We have no real cause for worry. With the world as it is today, with instant messaging, texting, drive through pharmacies, fast food, etc, we tend to become upset if anything appears to have an uncertain, detained, or negative outcome. Is this you? If so, what are you so worried about? Isn’t God in control? Let God be the boss and He will not let you become cornered. Not only that, but a “job” with God Almighty as your boss has great, unparalleled benefits! He will command a blessing when we let Him do His will. Remember,

 

 “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:10

 

This does not excuse us to say, “Whatever I’m doing must be the Lord’s will.” If you steal for a living, this isn’t to say that God wants you there. Even in good things, He might have another will. The successful doctor helping hundreds feel better might not be doing what God had planned. What if God wanted that doctor to be a pastor, helping thousands live better, or a lawyer who helped to bring the gospel back to the courtrooms, or other possibilities? Help hundreds feel better, or help thousands live better? If we aren’t completely, wholly and undeniably submissive to God, we will never know His will for us.

God’s will is quite often ignored. The Bible tells us that the Lord’s will is that all be saved and that none would perish (1 Timothy 2:3-5). Sadly, that isn’t happening. As humans, we have a choice, our own free will, and we can still blow it. We can lose the greatest gift ever offered; all because we choose to ignore our Father’s will.

Verses seven and eight (of James chapter four, above) tell us to submit, and draw near, then God will draw near to us. Sound’s like He’s really on our side. And with God backing us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? Submit to God, draw near to Him, and commit yourself to prayer in faith and no one can be against you. When you pray, you are in communication with God; a conversation. That conversation, like any other, is two-way not just one- way. What God does, we are to imitate; God calls us to a task, we are to respond. When we draw near to Him, we have His word that He will draw near to us; and when we pray in faith, God responds to us. Our entire relationship with the Father is two-way, and He has taken the initiative since we drew our first breath.

We know that God has more for us. I present a challenge: If you aren’t praying much, pray. If you aren’t praying enough, pray more. When you’ve said all your thanks and praise and you’ve made your requests to God, instead of just finishing off the conversation with a quick “Amen”, be still and silent for a moment and listen, still in conversation with God. Listen in your heart. This may help, because as you say, “Your will be done,” He may say, “Be still so I can tell you my will.” You have two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as hard as you talk. God has something to say to you.