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Halloween Part #4 – The Necromancy Symbols

October 17, 2010 3:10 pm / 6 Comments on Halloween Part #4 – The Necromancy Symbols

With the Halloween holiday just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to take time to study the history and characters surrounding the holiday.

As Christians, we have the responsibility to…

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1Th 5:21-22)

So with this as our motive and the desire of our hearts, let’s look at part 4 of our 5 part series on Halloween:

A Study of The Halloween Celebration (All Hallows Eve)
A Study of The Death Symbols – Skeletons, Ghosts, Jack O’ Lanterns, Frankenstein, Vampires, and Bats
A Study of The Sorcery Symbols – Witches, Black Cats, Spiders, Werewolves, and Full Moons
A Study of The Necromancy Symbols – Séances and Ouija Boards
A Summary of Our Study On Halloween

May the Lord be glorified in our study….

THE SCRIPTURE:

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.(Isa 8:19-20)

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. (Lev 19:31)

And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. (Lev 20:26-27)

Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.(1Sa 28:7-25)

THE STUDY:

The History of The Necromancy (to prophesy using the dead) Symbols:

Séances – Attempts to communicate with dead spirits have taken place throughout history. From rites performed among many ancient religions, to the Biblical account of King Saul consulting the witch at Endor (see below), to the Fix sisters claims of speaking to the dead through the first modern-day use of séances in 1848; the desire to speak to those who have died has been an ongoing pursuit.

The modern Spiritist movement began in 1848 by the Fox sisters of New York. The sisters began hearing strange noises at night. It was believed by the sisters that these noises came from a spirit dwelling in the home. In response to a series of questions posed by the sisters, the spirit began to answer them using a series of knocks. Interest in this phenomenon grew as word of the event spread.

In 1888, one of the sisters confessed that the entire series of events was staged. According to her, the sisters had used joint cracking and apples dangling from strings to create the illusion of the sprit’s responses. Later, the sister recanted her confession, however, most researchers believe that the confession of fraud was truthful.

It was through this series of allegedly fraudulent events that the popular use of modern séances was begun. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Séance

Ouija Boards – The first use of Ouija boards was thought to be in China in the 1100 BC. It is recorded in the Chinese history under the tern “Fuji” or “pointer writing”. Portions of the Chinese text “the Daozang” is claimed to have been written entirely through the use of the Fuji.

Patents for the modern day lettered board were filed in 1891. The first board with the name “Ouija” was produced in 1901. One of the creators claimed the name “Ouija” is Egyptian for “good luck”. However, the more widely accepted translation for “Ouija” is “Yes”. This board reached its peak of popularity in the early to mid 1900’s.

In both the Quija board and Séances, we have the attempt to speak to the spirits of dead humans in view. This easily fits into the Halloween tradition of attempting to commune with, honor and pacify the dead spirits that roam the earth.

Is it possible to communicate with the dead? Is the Lord pleased with attempts to communicate with the dead? Let’s see what the Bible says…

In our texts, we have different aspects of communicating with the dead described by two different terms:

“them that have familiar spirits” – Hebrew phrase “one that speaks in a jar” “one that mumbles”

“wizards (that peep, and that mutter)” – Hebrew phrase “a knowing one” “one that conjures”

As followers of the Lord, we are to seek counsel, wisdom and knowledge from our God not the dead:

“should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony:”

“And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”

We must always judge messangers based upon the Word of God. If a messenger proclaims anything that does not align itself with God’s Word, they are to be recognized as lost individuals and unreliable messengers of God:

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Please notice, that the Lord clearly condemns attempts to communicate with the dead:

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them”

This is a grave sin punishable by death according to the Old Testament law:

“A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”

The account of King Saul going into the witch at Endor is a very important event that we need to address in our study of “necromancy” (to prophesy using the dead)

Please read our text … 1 Samuel 28:7-25.

The two questions that we must answer about this account are:

1. Was the spirit seen by the witch actually the prophet Samuel, or was it a demon masquerading as the prophet?

2. If it was Samuel, does that mean that the Lord used a forbidden act (necromancy) to deliver His message to King Saul?

To answer these questions we must remember some basic, Biblical principles…

King Saul received God’s punishment (death) due to this horrible sin he had committed (1Ch 10:13-14)
Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us that He spoke to mankind using necromancy. In times past, He spoke through His prophets and, later, His Son. His Word is the only reliable record of the messages spoken by His prophets and Christ. (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Nowhere does the Bible say that the Lord used the spirit of a dead man to speak to anyone. Likewise, the Bible does not say that we can speak to those who have died. Conversely, the Bible indicates it is an impossible. (Luke 16:24-27)
Satan is a very powerful deceiver, who can deceive the minds of men. (2 Thess 2:9-10)
Based on our previous study on death (Halloween Part 2) we said that there is no intermediate dwelling place for dead spirits. They immediately enter into the eternal state, from which they cannot depart (Lk 16:25).
Saints are said to be at rest and in glory with the Lord after their death. It is hard to believe that they can be yanked out of their state of peace, at the whim of a medium. (2 Cor 5:, Rev 6:11)
If we say that Samuel actually appeared to Saul and delivered God’s message; in essence, we are saying that God refused to speak to Saul when Saul approached Him. But, when Saul used an illicit method of communication, the Lord conceded and sent His message to Saul. (1 Sam 28:5-6, 28:15-21)
Satan and his demons can masquerade as messengers of God with the hopes of deceiving the listeners. (2 Cor 11:14-15)
Keep in mind, that Saul had not received any new information from “spirit Samuel”. This being had only repeated the very same message that Saul had received previously from God. Compare 1 Samuel 15: with the message “spirit Samuel” spoke to him.
The witch claimed that she saw “gods” ascending out of the earth. This Heb word can speak of angels, or mighty ones. What she actually saw were demons (fallen angels) who have access to this earth. They were seen coming up out of the earth, just as the second demonic beast of Revelation came out of the earth as well (Rev 13:11)
What had taken place was, following his breach with the Lord, Saul entered a state of being open to Satanic intervention. Much like a “reprobate” described in Rom 1:21-32.

To summarize, the story of Saul and the witch of Endor is a story of a man, who, after willfully sinning against the Lord, is separated from God due to his sin. Once separated from God, He continues on his downward path, falling deeper into sin by seeking counsel from the dead through the use of a medium. At this point, Satan intervenes, sending a demonic messenger to Saul, in the hopes of deceiving Him into thinking he is communicating with a messenger from God.

Satan’s purpose? To further deceive Saul and mislead him into a further corrupting of the nation of Israel. This is much like the role that Satan and his demons play in our society today…”Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1Timothy 4:1)

Think of the great deception that has followed due to this sin on the part of Saul… Not only was the witch, and Saul, deceived into thinking this was Samuel, but many people throughout the following generations, have tried to use this account to validate and legitimize necromancy.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For the Christian….

Once again, as before, let me ask each of us the question I asked at the beginning of our series… have we taken the time to prayerfully consider 1 Thess 5:21-22…“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

It is obvious that by participating in the holiday of Halloween in no way makes a Christian guilty of consulting with spirits. However, is participating in the Halloween festival “abstaining from all appearance of evil”? This is what each of us should prayerfully consider.

For those who have never trusted in Christ…

There has been a recent surge in interest concerning the afterlife. The entertainment industry has been fueling this flame with a release of many movies and TV series that deal with the subject of consulting with spirits and other issues of the occult. As we have seen in our study, to get a proper understanding of the afterlife, we should consult the Scriptures alone.

The Bible makes it plain that, through the intervention of Christ into our lives graciously granting to us forgiveness and peace, we can be prepared to enter the afterlife.

Do you know that you are prepared for the afterlife? The Lord gives us clear teaching on the way of salvation:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Joh 14:6)

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Act 4:10-12)

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1Pe 3:18)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Rom 5:1-2)

Turn from your sins and come before the Lord, and trust only in Him for your salvation.

If you would like further information about salvation please refer to the page on my blog entitled “How to have a relationship with God”.

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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

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Who’s On First, Who’s In Space … or What did you say? (Part #1)

October 1, 2010 3:20 pm / 4 Comments on Who’s On First, Who’s In Space … or What did you say? (Part #1)

Abbott and Costello, the legendary comedy team of the 40s and 50s, was the most famous comedy team of their time, and perhaps, of all time. Their performance of “Who’s On First?” has passed the test of time, still being enjoyed by all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfmvkO5x6Ng “Who’s on First” is an example of a failure to communicate clearly to others .

SETI, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, originating in the early sixties, is man’s attempt to communicate with aliens from another planet. After almost 50 years of trying, SETI has, to date, yielded no proof of alien communication with earth, nor the existence of alien life. It seems to be a serious waste of much needed capital, which could be used to fund many other fields of scientific exploration. http://www.seti.org

How about the day to day communication that should take place between husband and wife? Most polls indicate that a failure in communication is one of the top three reasons why marriages end in divorce. Here, a lack of communication causes a rupturing of the family unit and the breaking of marital vows. This is an extremely serious problem that leads to the ruination of lives.

But there is one other type of communication failure that brings about even worse results… a person’s inability to communicate with Christ. In the case of the unsaved, his communication ruptured by his sinful condition. (Isa 59:2) The only remedy to restore that communication is God’s forgiveness. (1 John 1:6-10)

However, the Christian can also experience a loss of communion with the Lord. Christ presents a lesson on communion’s hindrances and remedies for those who are saved and seeking a closer walk with Him….

THE SCRIPTURE:

And when thou prayest, … For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

(Mat 6:5-13)

THE STUDY:

In Part #1 of our study we will be looking at Our Preparation For Prayer. (Matt 6:5-8)

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Here we find our Lord presenting to us five different principles…

Principle #1 – We should prepare our hearts to be sincere in our prayers. We need to be SINCERE.

The Greek word for “hypocrite” is a word that means “to play a role” or “ to be an actor on a stage”. Our prayer life we are not just putting on an act or going through the motions; trying to impress Him or others? True, Scriptural prayer is entering into sincere communion with our Lord.

Principle #2 – We should enter into our communication with Him as a secret act between Him and us alone. We need to be SELFLESS

Our heart prepared to meet with Him and Him alone. This is done by confession of sin and thinking upon His Word. Also we should have His Word open in front of us as we pray, awaiting to hear from Him during our communion time. We should be ready to read His Word during this time, knowing He reveals His will for us through His Word.

Principle #3 – We should prepare our heart making sure our motive for prayer is not personal gain but humbling wanting to seek His face and then submit to the His revealed will for our lives. We need to be SUBMITTED

As His will is revealed to us, we must have a heart prepared to follow His leadership. As His will is revealed we should place any hindrances aside (no matter what the cost) and immediately seek to align ourselves with His desires.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Principle #4 – We should be desiring to communicate with the Lord not impress Him. We need to be SEARCHING

The Lord does not desire for us to be repeating any prayer verbatim, including His model prayer in the following verses. He desires sincere communication that is simply being transparent and speaking the truth from the heart. Which would mean more to our spouse… having a friend of ours write a poem of love that we could read , or for us to simply open our heart and proclaim our love in our own words?

Principle #5 – We should be dwelling on His greatness, His knowledge of all things and His ability to change any circumstance if it is His will to do so. We need to be SEEING

As we enter into prayer our hearts should be filled with a knowledge of His greatness. In prayer, we are coming before the Sovereign Lord of all. We should be in awe and appreciation for His wanting to meet with us. We should be joyful knowing He is the One who can truly meet every need in our life. Nothing is too hard for Him.

As we pray, our heart should be:

Sincere

Selfless

Submitted

Searching

Seeing

In Part #2 of our study we will be looking at The Makeup of our Prayers. (Matt 6:9-13)

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Eureka!, An Ideal City… With A Catch

September 21, 2010 8:33 am / 2 Comments on Eureka!, An Ideal City… With A Catch

Eureka is a TV show currently being shown on the SyFy channel. It’s unique plot line has made it my favorite show currently being aired. http://www.syfy.com/eureka/index.php I would recommend it for all ages, it is an entertaining, and educational, family oriented show. The show is about a city that was created by the US government to house all of the greatest thinkers of the day. You have rocket scientists, brain surgeons, quantum physicists, all the best minds inhabiting one city. You would think if there was one city that had all its problems handled it would be this one. Because it is filled with geniuses, they should be able to handle any problem that comes their way. The interesting thing is this… they actually create their own problems. Many times, an individual scientist goes “rogue” and botches up an experiment that causes problems for the entire city.

And there is a real life lesson that can be learned from all of this…If a group is not unified in their goal… they are not unified at all. How true this is in real life… and how true is it amongst many Christian groups today….

There is a clamoring for “unity” claiming the Bible teaches all Christian denominations (Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Brethren, Presbyterian, etc.) should be unified in spite of doctrinal differences… this is called the “Ecumenical Movement”.

There is another movement called the “Interfaith Movement” that teaches that there should be unity between the different faiths of the world (Christian, Islam, Buddhist, Jewish, etc) to cooperate in promotion of better relations between each group. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism

I would like to examine the Scriptures to see if that is really what the Bible teaches…. Should all religions unify in promoting spirituality, or, should all Christians unify in worship and service in the midst of doctrinal disagreements?

THE SCRIPTURE:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Joh 4:23-24)

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Mat 15:7-9)

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:11-16)

THE STUDY:

There can be no doubt that one of the main goals of Christ’s work on the cross was to create a unified body of believers; note these quotations…

“he should gather together in one” – Joh 11:51-53;

“that they also may be one in us… that they may be one, even as we are one…” Joh 17:20-23;

“for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross… Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” Eph 2:11-22)

Yes, undoubtedly, the Lord desires for His followers to be unified. The question isn’t “Should we all be unified?” The real question is “Can we unify without holding to the same set of beliefs?”

Our set of scripture references addresses this question. Note that our Lord gives the parameters for true, Godly worship to take place….

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Joh 4:23-24)

Here, He clearly states that a sincere spirit must be present with the truth of His Word for true worship to take place. This is a real troublesome passage for those who believe that all denominations or religions should overlook their differences for the sake of unity. The Lord clearly states that “the truth” must be sincerely held to for true worship to take place.

Let me give you two examples of truth versus error:

1. Is it true that the Bible states that salvation can be found in Christ alone? (Act 4:10-12)

If so, every religion that exists, apart from Christianity, is teaching error. Under this truth/error test can all religions gather and share in worship?

2. Is it true that the Bible teaches salvation is by grace and through faith and not by the works of man? (Eph 2:7-9)

Again, let me ask… if this is the case, what about all the Christian denominations that mix works with salvation? Can we all unite in the name of Christ and worship together when there is such great error being taught?

People are dying and going to hell by believing there is salvation in another besides Christ, or because they are relying on their good works to save themselves. How can we be united in the promotion of error? Folks, this should not be.

These are just two examples of many different MAJOR doctrinal issues that I could be presenting to outline the stark differences between the different religions and the different denominations. The issue is clear… when an important doctrine (one that salvation hinges) is disagreed upon, there can be no unity in worship.

What would happen if we tried to unite? Our second passage refers to this by stating….

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. “ (Mat 15:7-9)

This Scripture speaks for itself. This is the end of all who choose to unite without a sincere belief in Biblical truth.

So what is the remedy for this? Everyone must accept the truth first, and then, unite for the cause of Christ. How do we do this? Here’s where our third Scripture reference comes in….

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph 4:11-16)

We are to learn from Godly men who are proclaiming the truths of His Word. As we learn we will come together in doctrinal unity, unified around the Word and not around the teachings of man. This is God’s way of unification. This is the type of unity that pleases our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The next obvious question is this… How can we know who is a teacher of truth and not a teacher of error?

We are to live like the Bereans…

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. (Act 17:10-12)”

By searching the Scriptures in our own personal studies, to affirm what is taught to us by men, the Holy Spirit will lead us to teachers of the truth… This is our responsibility. To compare what our teachers are saying with what the Word says. This is the only way we can discern truth from error.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Any true Christian, when confronted with the truth of His Word, would choose to worship in “spirit and truth” as compared to worshipping the Lord in vain… this is the simple choice that is at hand for us all.

Will we take a stand for the truth and unite with other Bible believing and proclaiming Christians for the cause of Christ… or will we unite with all “religious people” and get unity for unity’s sake?? I’m afraid today, for the sake of numbers of followers, many are compromising the truth for the sake of acceptance and promotion among other groups. Shame on us. May the Lord be merciful to us as sinners.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Go To The Light… and it ain’t the Ghost Whisperer Talkin!

September 17, 2010 11:28 am / 4 Comments on Go To The Light… and it ain’t the Ghost Whisperer Talkin!

Anyone who has watched the TV show Ghost Whisperer, has heard the phrase “Go to the light” at least two to three times an episode. (see more about this here… http://www.youtube.com/show?p=yaJn4TCMqCQ&s=5&clips=1)

Why does she tell them to “Go to the light”? According to the show, it is because it is only “in the light” that those who have died can find final peace, forgiveness and the resulting rest in the afterlife. In the series, however, it is never clearly explained what “the light” is.

Similarly, in the modern day “near death experience”, going to a light, or seeing a bright light during an out of body experience is commonplace. These accounts do not include any explanation of this light with few, if any exceptions.

I’m not going to look at the Scriptural implications of the “going to the light” idea, or all the events that make up a “near death experience;” that is for another day and time. But, I would like to look at the Bible’s teachings on a “light” that will give us forgiveness, peace, and rest; in this life and in the afterlife as well…

THE SCRIPTURE:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (Joh 8:12)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (Joh 9:5)

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:15-16)

THE STUDY:

John 8:12:

Christ describes Himself as “the Light of the World”. He then goes on to explain why He possesses that title. He says that “he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” In other words, if we are a follower of Christ, we will not be spiritually blind any longer, but He will open our blinded eyes, allowing us to be understanding of His words and in receipt of spiritual life now and throughout eternity.

John 9:5:

Christ makes it plain that He will be the Light of the World as long as He is present in this world. But what then?…..

Matthew 5:15-16:

In the context, Christ is speaking to those who have placed their trust in Him as Lord and Savior, and are now followers of Him. He says that, in His absence from the earth, we are now the Light of the World, shining forth His Word as a candle shines forth its light. How do we shine forth that light? Through our words and our works we reflect the light of Christ to this world, which results in His Father being glorified.

The above picture was painted by my wonderful wife, Eva Barkman. Her picture of a lighthouse can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the light of the world, who shines forth for all to see. Her description reflects that thought….. “A lighthouse always reminds me of our great Lord, who is the light of the world to all who will see Him (the saved). When things get dark and depressing, it’s a blessing to have the one true light of Jesus Christ to guide your way.”

(My thanks to Eva for allowing me to use her picture in this posting… Also the “Settled In Heaven” banner at the top of this page is a combination of her “Calvary” painting and her digital captioning.

If you would like a blessing… visit her website for more of her paintings and their Scriptural applications…. http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com/ )

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are saved, is your life reflecting Christ to the world? Or, I could ask the same question in a different way…. When someone looks at our life, do they see Christ? That’s what being a witness for Christ is all about. By bearing the fruits of the Spirit (Gals 5:22-23, Eph 5:8), we are letting our light shine in the world. This light then reveals Christ and glorifies the Father in the eyes of all those around us.

Stop and think about it…if we do not reflect the light of Christ into this world, who will? Since Christ is now no longer physically in this world, it is an ABSOLUTE necessity that we reflect His light, and shine it forth in the midst of a sin darkened world. (Acts 13:47, 1 Ptr 2:9)

Do we have a loved one whose spiritual condition is a burden to us? Have you been praying for an acquaintance to come to a saving relationship with Christ? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions then my next question to you is this… Are you displaying Christ’s light to them through your words and actions? You can do this by telling them what Christ has done for you; then, live a life before them that honors the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no stronger witness than to have a Godly life supporting the Godly message we are delivering… this is our Lord’s way to be an effective witness for Him.

I know in today’s time we have all the “modern” ways of evangelizing the lost around us. All I can say is this…. Our Lord’s way of evangelizing is the ONLY way to be an effective witness for Him…. He made that way clear by telling us to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. To depart from this is to depart from the will and ways of our Father in heaven.

For those who have never been saved, “Go to the light”! Not the way the ghost whisperer means it… but, in the way the Bible means it. We are to experience His gracious intervention in our life, abhor our sin, fall at His feet and humbly seek the salvation only He can give. (2 Cor 4:6, Eph 5:14)

(For much more information on this subject please read, with an opened Bible, the blog page entitled “salvation”. On this page you will find various blog entries dealing totally with salvation.)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Are We Lost In Space? Or Maybe Lost On Earth?

September 12, 2010 5:54 pm / 2 Comments on Are We Lost In Space? Or Maybe Lost On Earth?

When I was a kid, I used to LOVE watching the TV series “Lost In Space’, it is still one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It’s all about the Robinson family of space explorers who are thrown off course and become lost in space (get it…. that’s where they get the name! yuk yuk) Anyhow, the series is about this family traveling from one planet to the next always looking for a way back to earth.

YouTube has many clips of the show (here’s one example … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP-s3OqCGhA) Also, you can watch the entire series at http://www.fancast.com/tv/Lost-in-Space/) I would heartily recommend this show for wholesome family viewing.

The thing about the Robinson family was that they knew where they wanted to go, but they didn’t know how to get there. I am afraid that this is the situation that many of us are experiencing in our lives today. We desire peace, lasting joy, a sense of belonging, a sense of accomplishment, assurance of our destiny in the after life… the list goes on and on. We know what we want but, sadly, many of us don’t know how to attain it. We turn to many different worldly sources of advice to give us guidance in fulfilling our desires, but to no avail. Nothing this side of heaven gives us the peace, joy and satisfaction and assurance that we so greatly desire.

If it were not for God’s grace, none of us would have the know-how or the ability to attain any of these goals. But, thanks to Him, the realization of our goals becomes possible through His Word and His divine intervention in our lives.

Let’s see what God’s Word says….

THE SCRIPTURE:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (1Co 1:27-31)

THE STUDY:

Lets quickly notice in our first set of verses:

1. The Lord makes it plain we should not be surprised at the world’s inability to give satisfaction and peace to man. (vs 27-29)

2. The result of the world’s inability to satisfy is described in the phrase “That no flesh should glory in his presence”. (vs 29) In other words, no earthly human being can stand up and say “I can give you true peace, joy and satisfaction, come follow me and I will fulfill all your desires.” No human can supply to us our life’s needs.

3. The source of true peace and satisfaction and our eternal security is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we have a personal relationship with Christ, His Spirit indwells us. The Spirit, in turn gives us an understanding of His Word and supplies guidance to us as we live our day to day life on earth. It is through Christ, and His Spirit, that we can find true spiritual satisfaction and security. (vs. 30-31)

4. The Godly basis of our life’s satisfaction and security is described by four terms:

A. wisdom – Godly wisdom is the ability to take God’s Word and apply it to the decision we make in life. This is the wisdom that enables us to make choices that honor God and lead a life that is honest, and kind towards man. Possessing this wisdom gives us confidence knowing that our life is pleasing to God and man.

B. righteousness – Godly righteousness is being “lawful” in the eyes of God and also man. To be righteous means to have peace within knowing our Lord has forgiven us of our sins and that we have His innocence placed on our account. Possessing His righteousness also means that we are now living lives that are just and fair to others around us.

C. sanctification – Godly sanctification results in us being “set-apart’ for God’s use. It places us in His family of believers, and takes us out of the dominion of sin. Sanctification also aids us as we submit to His will and resist temptation.

D. redemption – Godly redemption results in us being “purchased” through the death of Christ on the cross. His redemption placed on our account tells us we are loved by God, the price for our sins has been paid, and we are eternally secure in Him.

By knowing the Lord has intervened in our lives in all 4 ways gives us the peace, joy and satisfaction we so greatly desire.

The above picture by Paul Cheng illustrates the stark difference between a life lived with Christ and a life lived without Him.

Paul’s description is a great summary of our need to be sure we have been saved… “As you can see, only in the cross there is life but outside there is no life. It is symbolically a parallel universe where our spiritual destiny is determined by our choice to believe in Jesus or not today (John 3:16).”

(You can see more of Paul’s wonderful art at his website: http://www.certaintyofdrawings.blogspot.com/ Take a look at Paul’s work… it will be a great blessing to you. Also my thanks to Paul for allowing me to use his work on this blog posting. It is greatly appreciated.)

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are saved, let’s be sure to praise and honor the One who has made our life complete. It is only through Christ and His work that we can truly lead fulfilled, contented lives.

For those who are not saved, if you have begun to see the great void that exists in your life, look to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him to intervene, save you from your sins, and fulfill your desires for peace, love and security. It is only then that you will be able to live your life to it’s fullest.

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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Oh, How Good It Looks… Oh, How Bad It Is For You

September 9, 2010 6:33 pm / 2 Comments on Oh, How Good It Looks… Oh, How Bad It Is For You

One of my weaknesses is my desire for a cheeseburger. I love cheeseburgers…. Burger King Whoppers with cheese to be exact. But actually, how can anyone find fault with me? Just take a look at this Burger King Whopper commercial…. (be forewarned, I don’t know how anyone can resist this!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pltp_xNrego

After having a mild heart attack about 5 years ago, it is for my good that I don’t make a habit of eating these babies. It seems as if ever since I was told to “lay off the Whoppers” that I have only wanted them more. We have all experienced something like this… temptation is universal, everyone has experienced it at one time or another.

Sadly, this universal experience is one of the greatest hindrances we face to living a faithful, obedient Christian life. Why does temptation make such an impact in a Christian’s life? How can we overcome such a strong influence? Let’s see what the Bible has to say about temptation…

THE SCRIPTURE:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1Jn 2:15-17)

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Gen 3:6)

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Mat 4:1-11)

THE STUDY:

1 John 2:15-17

Here, we find the three basic areas of attack that temptation takes… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are the three types of sinful desires we all have within us. These are the areas that temptation appeals to and to which we submit, producing sin in our lives. (James 1:13-15)

Genesis 3:6

Here, we read of the very first temptation of mankind. Note the three areas attacked by Satan during his temptation of man:

“the tree was good for food” (lust of the flesh);

“it was pleasant to the eyes” (lust of the eyes);

“a tree to be desired to make one wise” (the pride of life).

This is a consistent pattern throughout the Scriptures. Every temptation that is enacted upon man is aimed at one (or more) of these three types of sinful desires we all possess.

Matt 4:1-11

In this account, we have the temptation of Christ brought into view. Notice that, again, temptation’s attack is in a three-fold direction:

“command that these stones be made bread” – Christ’s hunger after His fasting (this would have appealed to His desires of the flesh)

“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:… lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” – By doing this, Christ would be proving to everyone His divine origin (this would have appealed to His desire to exalt Himself or His pride of life)

“The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, …if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” – This was appealing to the sight of all the kingdoms of the world. (By doing this the temptation involved the desires of His eyes)

In each case, a similar area of Christ’s life was being attacked (just like in the other two examples we looked at.) However, in the case of Christ, we have a perfectly sinless response to these temptations. Why? Christ’s did not have a sinful nature that fallen mankind possesses. This is one reason why Christ was perfectly able to resist these temptations.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For the Christian….

For our benefit, Christ clearly displayed the method in which to overcome any temptation that we may face. Please notice, in each of the three attacks by Satan, the Lord used the Word of God to gain the victory over Satan. “It is written”, “it is written”, “it is written”; was Christ’s constant refrain.

In each case Satan lied (John 8:44), in each case Christ refuted the lie by going to the source of all truth, God’s Word.

Satan can use our friends, our family, even our experiences to lie to us. The only sure source of truth we can rely on is the Word of God. If anything in our life leads us contrary to Scripture, we must put it aside, and follow the Scripture exclusively.

The example of Christ, once again, speaks to us concerning the importance of Bible study and memorization for the Christian. It is truly the only offensive weapon we have to deflect Satan’s attacks against us. (Eph 6:14-17)

Another lesson from Christ’s example is the need to take special care when we see a weakness in any of these three areas in our life. We should be constantly striving for control of our pride, control of our eyes and control of our fleshly desires. When these begin to dominate us, we are headed for defeat.

For those who have never submitted to the Lord…

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: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (Jas 1:13-15)

Without the forgiveness of Christ, spiritual, eternal death is the end result of temptations workings in mankind. The only remedy for this is to look to Christ, the life-giver, who gave Himself on the cross so that we might share eternal life with Him. (2 Tim 1:8-10)

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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

There’s A Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On!

September 7, 2010 3:29 pm / 2 Comments on There’s A Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On!

Author’s Note:

Over the Labor Day weekend, Christchurch New Zealand suffered a 7.1 earthquake. By God’s grace there were no fatalities and only a few minor injuries. (Please be in prayer for the people of Christchurch concerning the expected aftershocks.) It light of this event, I thought it was the right time to post this to my blog. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/04/new-zealand-earthquake-curfew

Jerry Lee Lewis had it right, even though he didn’t know it when he sang” “there is a whole lotta shakin goin on” (his 1957 hit song – You can see him performing the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM)

Back then he had no idea his song would apply to the age we are living in. In today’s time, there is increasing number of earthquakes rocking the globe. In the above chart, you can easily see that there has been a definite increase in reported earthquake activity over the past 18 years. (Above is a chart that clearly shows the increase in the number of earthquakes taking place over the past 18 years…. You can see the raw data that this chart was derived from at the USGS.gov website. Please use the following links to see the data:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/info_1990s.php

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php

Please note the data they have for 2009 and 2010 is incomplete and not included on the chart)

Some scientists look at the data and have come to the conclusion that climate change is the culprit in this issue. They claim that, until climate change (they used to call it global warming until our environment started to cool) is in check, we can expect the number of earthquakes to continue to increase. I do not doubt the earthquake rate is increasing…. But I question the cause in their “theory”.

Then there are other scientists, on the other side of the issue, that say that there really is no increase in earthquake activity but simply an increase in the number of seismographs worldwide. Their reasoning is that what is happening is that there are simply more earthquakes being reported due to the increase in number of measuring devices. In actuality, they say, the number of earthquakes has not increased. I believe, they are denying the obvious.

So what is going on with all these earthquakes? Does the Bible even mention them or explain what is going on? Let’s see what we can find in our study today….

THE SCRIPTURE:

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Rom 8:18-25)

THE STUDY:

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, not only was mankind affected; but, so too, all of earthly creation. This is the meaning of the phrases “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly” and “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption” found in our Rom 8: text.

This principle is a pretty easy one for us to grasp. When man committed sin in the garden, not only did it affect mankind, but it also affected nature. Where once you had peace between all animals, you now have animals feeding on one another. Where once you had animals that were in perfect submission to man, you now have animals that are wild, not easily tamed and dangerous to mankind. Where there used to be no weeds or thistles to harm our crops, you now have them spring up all over the place making an added burden upon man to keep them under control. The cataclysmic change in weather following the flood of Noah’s day is directly attributed to the sinfulness of mankind. (Gen 6:5-8) In these, and in many other ways, nature has changed due to sin.

As we continue on in our text, we find that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (To “groan” has the idea of the noise founded in grief due to great loss. The earth, just as mankind, lost much due to the fall. To “travail” means birth pains. It implies increasing frequency and intensity as time progresses.)

To rephrase our verse… now that creation has fallen with man, creation is slowly decaying and wasting away waiting to be purified for the 2^nd coming of Christ (Rev 19:11-Rev 20:5) and then reborn as the new heavens and earth for eternity (2 Pet 3:10-13, Rev 20:12-Rev 21:5)

One result of the earth’s decaying and wasting away are the increasing earthquakes we are experiencing in today’s time. The Lord speaks of earthquakes in connection with the signs of the last days several times in Scripture (Rev 11:13, 11:19, 16:18, Zech 14:5, Matt 24:7 etc.)

As these earthquakes take place, they are a solemn reminder of sin’s affects on the earth and the coming end of the world, as promised in the Scriptures.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are saved the earthquakes should awaken within us the urgency of spreading the good news of Christ to a lost world. The earthquakes are one proof that mankind truly is fallen and in need of salvation, but it also causes us to reflect on the end of this sinful world and the restoration that the Lord has so graciously promised.

When I think of these things, Romans 13:11-14 comes to mind:

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

For those who have never experienced the saving grace of God in your life. Allow these earthquakes, and their significance, to motivate you to seek the Lord before it is too late. There is no question of mankind’s need of salvation… the Bible is so very clear about this (Rom 3:9,19,23, 5:12, 11:32, Gals 3:22 Etc.) But also, the earthquakes remind us that time is short… we should not delay coming to Christ in submission, placing our spiritual life in His hands, by faith. The Word makes this urgency clear…

“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2Co 6:2)

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jer 8:20)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The Christians Labor Day

September 2, 2010 4:59 pm / 19 Comments on The Christians Labor Day

The US holiday we commonly call “Labor Day” was “dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” (The History of Labor Day”, US Gvt DOL website – http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm) In times past, Labor Day was commonly referred to as the “working man’s holiday”. Specifically set aside in appreciation for the hard work of the American citizen (especially members of the Labor Unions).

Speaking for myself, I always look forward to Labor Day, enjoying an additional paid day off work and much needed time with my family. But as much as I enjoy the US Labor Day celebration, there is a much greater Labor Day in the future for those of us that are servants of the Lord. Let’s take a few minutes and learn more about the eternal Labor Day that the Lord has so graciously promised to us.

THE SCRIPTURE:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Rev 14:13)

THE STUDY:

Here in Rev 14:13 we find one of many references to the eternal rest that the Lord has promised to those who serve Him. Please note the four basic principles concerning this rest:

Principle #1 – “Blessed” This eternal rest we receive is a great blessing from the Lord. It not only is a reward for faithfulness but also a great encouragement as we serve the Lord on earth. What a great blessing it is to know that we someday will enjoy eternal rest with Christ!

Principle #2 – “the dead which die in the Lord” We enter this eternal rest at the completion of our course here on earth. Keep in mind, all who are servants of Jesus will enter into that rest, whether when we die or when He comes back to take us home at His second coming.

Why do we not rest from our labors while we are still on the earth? The Lord clearly explains to us that “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” There is so much work left to do here on earth… now is not the time for rest…. It is the time for service!

Principle #3 – “they may rest from their labors” When the servant’s work on earth is completed, he enters into a very wonderful special type of rest… this rest is described in detail in Rev 21:3-4; It involves a rest from pain, sorrow, and physical suffering. But also, the Christian will no longer have to struggle against sinful flesh, but will now be able to worship the Lord in sinless freedom (Rev 22:3-5; Rom 8:21; ”glorious liberty of children of God”)

Principle #4 – “their works do follow them” What a tremendous blessing! Just to know that when we serve the Lord on earth, our labors are remembered into eternity. The rewarding of the faithful servant of the Lord is a central, widespread theme throughout God’s Word. (2 Tim 4:7-8; Heb 6:10-11)

Keep in mind, the rewards we will receive in heaven will have a wonderful significance. The rewards are not given to faithful Christians to bring praise to the Christian. Keep in mind, any service we have rendered to the Lord is entirely by His grace. Our health, our physical life, our understanding of Scripture, our salvation, EVERYTHING having to do with our service to Him is a gift from Him. This is why when we receive our rewards for service we lay them back down at His feet. (Rev 4:10-11) It is our way of saying “If it was not for you Lord, we never could have served You”.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For the Christian….

On this Labor Day weekend, let’s take a few minutes to give thanks to the Lord for His laborers that are faithfully working the fields that are “white unto the harvest”. Give your pastor, missionary or Sunday School teacher a quick call or email thanking them for their service as well. But above all else, we need to be sure that we are doing what our Lord has called us to do, recognizing our time of rest has not yet come!

For those who have never trusted in Christ…

Take some time out this weekend to read the Bible and see the work that Christ has performed for His people. Here are some chapters to get you started. If you read a Romans chapter in the morning and a John chapter in the evening you can easily finish these this holiday weekend. (Romans chapters 5, 8,11; John chapters 3,4,5;)

May the Lord bless you.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Oh What A Thing Fear Is!

August 31, 2010 6:34 pm / 2 Comments on Oh What A Thing Fear Is!

Ever since I was a you boy at home, I enjoy watching scary movies. John Carpenter’s 1982 movie “The Thing” is at the top of my “favorites” list. It is a movie about scientist’s trapped with an alien in an Arctic research station. The catch is this… the alien can assume the shape and identity of any scientist at the station. You can imagine the basic idea of the movie, the scientists are constantly in fear, not knowing who is human and who is the alien. It is my ideal type of horror movie… not so gross and bloody, but scary. If you want to see a few scenes from this movie take a look on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg You might think that I enjoy being afraid. Well, yes and no. Yes, I enjoy being afraid when I know my fear stems from a movie that is simply entertainment. I know in just a few hours, at the close of the movie, everything will be ok. However, when I face fears that exist in reality, I have an opposite reaction to them… I HATE THEM. One of the most difficult things in life, for me, is to be forced to face my worst fears. The longer I live, the more I am noticing one important truth… my fears are at their worst when I am not thinking about my Lord. Where faith is, fear shrinks away. Within the confines of Scripture, we can find many principles about how a Christian can get through the fearful times in their life… THE SCRIPTURE: And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. (1Sa 12:19-24) THE STUDY: In our text, the Lord had given the nation of Israel judges to rule over them. A judge had been given the authority from God to enforce the laws of the Lord, but they could not make any new laws. Israel saw that the other nations were ruled by kings. These kings had both the authority to uphold existing laws and to write new laws. Out of jealousy, the Israelites demanded that Samuel place into office a king, so they would be like all other nations. (1 Sam 8:) It is easy to miss the horrible sin they were committing… by asking for a King, Israel was saying, the laws of God were not sufficient meet their needs, they needed a King who could add to the laws of God. What a horrible attitude to have! No wonder, when they realized what they had done great fear fell upon them. In our Scripture, we find the basic principles Christians are to follow when faced with fears of any type: “And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.” Principle #1 – At times, we bring fearful times upon ourselves due to the sinful choices we make. By living lives of obedience to Christ we can avoid some of our fearful times. (Exo 20:19-20) “And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness:… For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” Principle #2 – Despite our past failures, by placing the Lord first in our lives (through repentance), we can rest assured the Lord will be with us… He is a great, faithful, forgiving Lord. (Psa 130:4) “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you:” Principle #3 – During fearful times we should be thinking of others and not just ourselves. We should be prayerfully seeking to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those around us. By concentrating on others, the Lord helps take our mind off our fears and trials we are facing. (1 Thess 5:23-25) “but I will teach you the good and the right way:” Principle #4 – The fearful times of our life are great opportunites to present the truths of God to others. This can be done through our words as we tell others about Him goodness to us during fearful times. But also, it can be done through our lives as they watch us handle the fearful times with grace and peace. (James 5:10) “Only fear the LORD” Principle #5 – During our fearful times, as we concentrate on the Lord’s greatness in authority, power, faithfulness, and wisdom. This develops a reverence or “fear” of Him in our hearts and minds. In His greatness we can find comfort, and assurance, knowing He is in control and accompanying us in our daily walk. (Gen 15:1, Deut 20:3-4, Deut 31:6-8, 1 Chron 28:20, 2 King 6:16-17) “and serve him in truth with all your heart” Principle #6 – Fearful times in the life of a Christian should bring us closer to Him. Our service should be greater, our relationship to Him more intimate. This will lead to greater strength and peace during the troublesome times. (Zech 8:13) “for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Principle #7 – We are to be remembering His past gracious acts on our behalf, saying as King David did, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”(1Sa 17:37, Isa 43:1, Joel 2:21) THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION For the Christian…. In these times of economic and political uncertainty, fear is beginning to enter the lives of even the strongest of Christians. During these fearful times, please remember… 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. (Php 4:6-7) (see also Matt 6:25-34) For those who have never trusted in Christ… Your main concern should be on your eternal destiny… And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28) Above all else, please keep in mind, if you are eternally secure in Christ all the events of this world fade in comparison. Just knowing that you are going home to be with the Lord for an eternity, takes the sting out of even the greatest life threatening trials we may face in life…. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Co 15:55-57) Look to Jesus Christ and turn to Him in faith. He will forgive you of your sins and be with you throughout the trials this world may throw your way…. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isa 55:6-7) If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both. Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The True Wonder Of Nature… Ignored!

August 23, 2010 11:00 am / 1 Comment on The True Wonder Of Nature… Ignored!

The appreciation of nature is on the upswing. As time progresses, the value of nature is being recognized and more effort is being made to preserve it. More groups are being formed to help conserve nature and the resources we all hold dear. You can see a partial list of the many of the groups now in existence at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_organizations

What is amazing is this …. Although some of the greatness and awe of nature is receiving more attention, the ultimate purpose of nature is being totally ignored. What am I talking about? The greatest purpose of nature is to reveal the Creator to all mankind. Today we appreciate the creature (nature) without acknowledging the Creator that made and sustains it…

THE SCRIPTURE:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:.. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;… (Rom 1:20-31)

THE STUDY:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; –

The Lord made all nature around us with the ultimate purpose of clearly revealing His greatness and power to all mankind.

so that they are without excuse:

For those who have never received His written Word (Bible) they are still held accountable for the revelation of God that they have received through nature. No human being can stand before God and say…. “I have never received a message of your existence, therefore, you cannot judge me for rejecting you.” Due to nature, they are without excuse.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

These verses describe the process of absolute rejection of nature’s message…

step#1 – When God was revealed to them in nature, they choose to ignore that revelation. Therefore they do not praise, nor thank, the Lord for His creation as they should.

step#2 – They become vain in their imaginations… in other words, they seek to explain the existence of nature using empty, worthless theories to replace the true Creator (evolution, big bang theory, panspermia, etc, etc)

step#3 – Because they rejected clear, obvious truth about the Creator God, God then allows them to enter a state of spiritual darkness. They brought this darkness upon themselves by rejecting the truth they had been graciously given. God simply “stands back” and allows them to continue on in their error (instead of actively intervening on their behalf and turning them back to the truth.)

step#4 – Next they believe their own lies and come to the conclusion, by denying God’s role as Creator, they have become wiser than those who worship God.

In actuality, they have become fools. By proclaiming themselves to be wise they have put creation (themselves) on the same level as the Creator. This manifests itself in idol worship… man worshipping themselves or other members of the created world (sun, moon, stars, rivers, air, fire etc etc etc)

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Following their descent into spiritual darkness, in which they honor themselves and other parts of nature as the truly wise ones… they now begin to abuse their bodies, thinking they know better than God how to use them. They begin to worship their own pleasure and lusts more than the Creator God they have long ago rejected.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

One of the greatest ways that mankind can misuse and abuse their bodies is through homosexual acts. These acts not only seek to fulfill sinful lusts, but they also abuse their bodies by perverting the natural sexual union for which the male and female were intended. Even a cursory look at the male and female sexual anatomy clearly shows they were made for union with the opposite sex. To enter into same sex relations is to pervert the very nature of the male/female creation. It is a grave sin in the eyes of God. It is a mark of reprobation.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Due to their original choice to reject nature’s message of the Creator God, God now turns them over to a “reprobate” (totally worthless for the cause of Christ, shipwrecked, unbelieving) mind which leads to a sinful, socially harmful lifestyle.

Some of the aspects of this type of lifestyle include being consumed with:

unrighteousness, – treating others unfairly;

fornication, – intimacy outside of law of God;

wickedness, – planning wickedness;

covetousness, – to desire possessions of another, greed;

maliciousness; – to spread unlawfulness;

full of envy, – jealousy;

murder, – taking of physical life, abortions, euthanasia;

debate, – enjoy quarreling, stirring up arguments;

deceit, – to group together to plan harm to others;

malignity; – totally consumed by evil;

whisperers, – to tell secrets told in confidence;

Backbiters, – to speak and find fault behind back of others;

haters of God, – reject God and His authority;

despiteful, – to avenge grudge by harm;

proud, – to put self above others;

boasters, – to tell of own supremacy;

inventors of evil things, – originator of plan of wickedness;

disobedient to parents, – rebel against parental authority;

Without understanding, – calling evil good and good evil;

covenantbreakers, – to break contracts, unlawful divorces;

without natural affection, – homosexuality, parents abusing children;

implacable, – cannot be brought to peace, cannot be satisfied;

unmerciful: – unable to forgive, unable to show compassion;

All of these above seem to be on the increase in our nation… remember, these things are the result of purposefully rejecting divine revelation. Aren’t these things to be expected when you think of how our nation has rejected God and is running from Him as fast as it possibly can?

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

To lost and saved alike….

If we were to find a Timex watch lying on a sidewalk, the thought would not occur to us that just by accident it came into being. By examining it’s construction it is plain to see that someone had to engineer the watch, and then manufacture it, according to stringent specifications.

How blind is mankind, when science is consistently revealing complexities within nature and it’s harmonious functioning and still say that it came into being by accident?

The greatness of nature is a continuous witness to the greatness of its Creator. Let us all come to a fresh recognition of our Great Creator God and the need to submit to his will and ways. In doing so, we will be pleasing our God; we will be receiving eternal life; and creating a moral, pleasant society in which to live.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Change We Can Believe In… It’s Not Just An Election Slogan!

August 17, 2010 1:00 pm / 4 Comments on Change We Can Believe In… It’s Not Just An Election Slogan!

In 2008, during the presidential campaign, the slogan “Change We Can Believe In” was brought to our attention… over, and over, and over, and over again! It was the slogan chosen for the Obama presidential campaign in an attempt to capture the desires of the electorate. Apparently, based upon the result of the campaign, the slogan had hit a nerve with the people.

The desire for genuine change applies to many, many people, cutting across all age, gender and race barriers. Talk to almost anyone in today’s time… they are unsatisfied, and wanting change to take place in all aspects of their lives. The problem comes when we impatiently demand change, any change, without considering its end results. Many times this type of change leaves us worse off than we were prior to the change.

The Lord helps us to recognize the most important, beneficial change that a person can experience in their life. Let’s see what type of change will always lead to our benefit and satisfaction…

THE SCRIPTURE:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,… (2Co 5:17-18)

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mar 1:14-15)

THE STUDY:

In 2 Cor 5:17-18 – we read about the greatest change a person can experience in their life… this change is brought about by God in the heart of man:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” – In other words, just as God created us at our conception by giving us our physical life; so too, He can also recreate us, giving us our spiritual life through the work of Christ.

“old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” – This change results in a transformation in our lifestyle and way of living. What we used to love we now hate (sin and rebellion to God) what we hated we now love (Obedience to Him based on His word).

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ” – Finally, our first text reveals the creator of this great change… it is God (“all things are of God”). It is through His will and workings in our life that we experience this wonderful change. He changes us and brings us to Himself (“reconciles us”), through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. When Christ died on the cross, He was paying the penalty of the sins of His Father’s people (John 17:9-13). This payment results in the forgiveness of our sins and adoption into the family of God.

In our second text, Mark 1:14-15 teaches about our response to the Lord’s working in our heart…

“preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:” – This message of Christ was spoken to prepare mankind for His death and resurrection and the reception of a new life in Christ. This message was good news (“gospel”) of Christ.

“repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mar 1:14-15) – Here, our response to His intervention is described as belief and repentance. Remember how we said that we become a new creature when God intervenes in our life? We said that this change brought us a change of lifestyle and way of living.

The terms “believe” and “repent” reflect this change in our life as well:

“To repent” – means to change, especially to change our minds, to think differently about things.

“To believe” – has the idea of accepting something as absolute truth and relying on it.

Why are repentance and belief necessary responses to the Lord’s workings in our life?….

To become a new creature in Christ many of our old attitudes about sin, death, the Bible, and even the Lord Himself must change and we must come to believe a new set of truths. This is what becoming a new creature is all about… it is a life changing experience that revolutionizes the way we look at many different spiritual issues.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those of us who are saved, as “new creatures in Christ”, we should constantly review and reinforce the truths we have come to accept. By doing this, we are constantly reminding ourselves of the true nature of this world, our Lord, His Word, and eternity to come. (Roms 12:2).

For those who have never come to a saving knowledge of Christ, it is necessary to act upon the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… “repent ye and believe the Gospel”.

In other words.…

“Change your mind about your sin…. See your sin as harmful and an act of disobedience to the Almighty God, recognize your need to hate it and rid it from your life.”

“Change your mind about The Lord… See Him as your only hope of salvation, recognize He is the ultimate authority holder, who loves you and desires your worship. Look to Him as your only source of spiritual life.”

“Change your mind about your eternal status before God…. See that without Him you have committed sin and the guilt of your sin remains upon you. You deserve eternal punishment and, without Him, you cannot escape that judgment. But, through His intervention in your life, you can escape that punishment and know that someday you will enter eternity with Him”

“Change you mind about His Word, accept the fact that His Word is true, it can be relied upon, look into its message and see the way of salvation clearly revealed to you. Understand that His Word is a vital part of your daily walk of life and contains “His revealed will” to man in its entirety.”

And finally….

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, rely on His death on the cross to pay the entire sin debt you have built up in your life. Realize He suffered for you so you could escape the eternal suffering of hell. Place your entire being at His mercy and accept that you can do nothing to save yourself… all you can do is rely on Him for your soul’s salvation.” (John 3:14-18)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Do You Believe In Magic ? How About Miracles?

August 13, 2010 10:24 am / 2 Comments on Do You Believe In Magic ? How About Miracles?

In 1965 the Lovin Spoonful band asked the question “Do you believe in magic?” , this became a top 10 song for their group. (Listen to this song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBVOYkhNb1o&feature=related)

Although the “magic” the song spoke of was the magical effect of music on it’s listener… it is still a great question to ask in many different contexts.

One of the areas of today’s entertainment that I enjoy is magicians practicing their craft. David Copperfield, Doug Henning, David Blaine, Penn and Teller, Kevin James the list goes on and on. It never ceases to amaze me how their “magic” looks so real, it almost makes me a believer. And yet, in actuality, it is only an illusion they have created for the benefit of their audience. In other words, today’s magic is complex deception meant to entertain and amuse.

What about the sign miracles performed in the Bible? Were they real, or just deception, that was intended to entertain? Could they be believed in?

Let’s see what God’s Word says….

THE SCRIPTURE:

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: (Jer 32:17)

I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (Job 42:2)

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you…And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; … And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. … And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. (Exo 3:14, 4:1-8)

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? (Heb 2:4)

THE STUDY:

To begin our look at the Scriptures, I would like us to quickly summarize the above passages in the context of our subject “Can the miracles of the Bible be believed?” Basically, we can draw from the verses above the following truths:

1. Our God is able to do all things…. This includes giving His followers the ability to perform miracles, as a sign of their ministries authenticity (1 Cor 12:8-11). If it is His will…. He can do these things! (Jer 32:17, Job 42:2, Heb 2:4)

2. Both in the Old and the New Testaments, God’s motive for bestowing this miracle working power upon His followers was to accredit their message and to prove He was the only true God. This is why these types of miracles are called “sign gifts” from God (Exo 3:14, 4:1-8) A listing of the sign gifts can be found at 1 Cor 12:8-11.

Over the years, studying the sign gifts of the Bible, I have noticed something very interesting. It seems as if these sign miracles of God were basically performed in three “groups” throughout Biblical history. Please notice the following basic, generalized table to help explain my point:

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Miracle Workers: Moses, Joshua Elijah, Elisha, Prophets Christ, Apostles

Worship Accredited: Tabernacle Temple Church

Message Accredited: Law Prophets New Testament

It has been so interesting for me to come to an understanding of the Lord’s motives in these sign miracles that were performed. Note that the Lord, through divine miracles, accredited the messenger, as well as the section of Scripture written, and the worship place used at that time.

In each case, the “sign miracles” were in existance for approximately 70 years. In each case, a “silent time” existed after each group of miracles, where no sign miracles and few, if any, other miracles were performed. Why? Once God established the validity of each of the above segments, there was no need for miracles until another segment was about to take place.

For example, following the accreditation of the tabernacle and the message of the law, there was no reason to accredit anything, or anyone, until the temple and the prophets came on the scene. Likewise, there was an extended period of “miracle silence” after the completion of the Old Testament. It was only when Christ came on the scene that we have a period of sign miracles taking place to validate the message of the New Testament and the church as the new place of worship for God’s people.

We have the end of the last period of miracles being described in 1 Cor 13:8-10…

“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. “(1Co 13:8-10)

This verse is teaching us that the miraculous gifts of prophecies, tongues, and knowledge, shall come to an end. At the time of Paul’s writing this letter, the NT was not yet completed. This is why he makes the statement that “we know in part and we prophesy in part”. However, when the New Testament reached completion, bringing about the perfect Bible (that which is perfect) then the revelation of His Word, bit by bit, (that which is in part) would be finished and no longer needed. The completion of the Word acted upon the sign gifts of prophecies and knowledge, immediately bringing them to an end.

(Note:The sign gift of tongues died out as that generation of gifted men died and went home to their Lord, shortly thereafter.)

Also remember, prior to the Word’s completion, the church had already been established in Jerusalem as the worship place of the True God, through the sign miracles of tongues and healings etc.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

How do we know the church is where we are to worship? We can read all about the wonderful miracles the Lord performed as the New Testament church was being established that proves to us it is His place of worship.

How do we know the Bible is truly His Word? We can look in the Bible and see where all the segments of the Bible have been accredited previously… the Old Testament which is made up of the law and the prophets, and the New Testament. They have all been clearly proven to be the Words of the True God through the sign miracles that were performed.

It is now simply an issue of faith in His Word. In our day, we need no sign miracles to accredit anything… we have the Word that has recorded these previous accreditations for us to rely on today. In the last days, the working of counterfeit miracles will be on the increase, empowered by Satan, performed to mislead even God’s elect (if it were possible). (2 Thess 2:7-10, 2 Cor 11:13-15, Matt 12:38-39)

Does the Lord still perform miracles? Absolutely everyday, spiritual and physical healing, to name a few, are common place in today’s time.

Does the Lord still give men the ability to perform the “sign gifts” listed in 1 Cor 12:8-11? Absolutely not. He used the sign gifts to accredit the ministries He had ordained. There is no longer a need for these gifts to be exercised by men. We have a written record in His Word of the accreditation of these ministries.

As Christians, our responsibility is to be on guard, always watching for the workings of Satan and the deceptions that only he can perform…

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. (Mat 24:23-25)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13 (Part #3)… Or, The King Of Kings Is In The House!

August 3, 2010 6:00 pm / 2 Comments on The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13 (Part #3)… Or, The King Of Kings Is In The House!

In this blog series we’ve been looking at the teachings of Matthew chapter 24.

In part one, the Lord has shown us that no man, nor angel, will know the exact time of Christ’s coming and the end of the world. From this we have drawn the conclusion that the 2012 theory cannot be relied upon, and therefore, must be discredited as pure speculation with no foundation in fact.

In part two, the Lord has taught us the ten groups of signs that reveal to us the general time frame of His coming and the world’s end. We have seen that these signs are present in our world and many of these are increasing in intensity and frequency. This allows us to know that the Lord’s coming is possible at any time.

Currently, we are in the time frame of waiting. As we wait on the Lord to come back and waiting for the world to come to an end. During this waiting period the world is slowly decaying around us. (Roms 8:20-23) The Lord’s second coming will begin the final phase of the world coming to an end. This final phase will greatly accelerate the world’s ending. So now, let’s see what will take place when the Lord actually comes back and the process leading to the world’s end as it enters it’s last stage.

THE SCRIPTURE:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat 24:29-31)

THE STUDY:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken”

The Greek word “tribulation” simply means to be burdened, to be pressured, or to face trials. What is the “tribulation of those days”? It is simply the different signs of his coming that we have already studied (false teaching, wars, famines, persecution of God’s people etc.). In and of themselves, they are tribulation that we face on a day to day basis. After Christ’s coming, however, far greater tribulation will fall upon the world.

In our text, at the coming of Christ, great changes will take place in the heavens. Christ’s glory and power are so great, He will outshine the moon, stars and even the sun. In comparison to Christ, all of these will appear as if they are dark. Or perhaps, the sun, moon and stars will actually be darkened and misplaced at His coming. Remember, this is God, Himself, coming in the heavens to take His people home to be with Him; who knows exactly what effect His coming will have on the created world?

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Please notice that the “secret rapture” of God’s people is not taught in Scripture. Here, we find that when Christ comes back to take us home to be with Him the entire world will see Him (Rev 1:7). Both lost and saved will see Him as He appears in the heavens. Again, when He comes, we see Him coming with “power and great glory” … this is probably why the heavens will grow dark at His coming.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Here is the great purpose for His coming back in the heavens. It is to take the living saved (and the bodies of the dead saved) home to be with Him (1 Thess 4:13-18). This will entirely remove the saved from the world before His wrath falls against sinful mankind. Note, that the angels play a big role in retrieving the Lord’s people from the earth.

This event is the FIRST reaping as described in Rev 14:14-20:

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

The SECOND reaping is the beginning of His wrath falling upon sinful mankind in Rev 14:16-20:

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

The promise of His second coming, and of the saints removal from the earth before His wrath falls, is commonly described as “the Rapture”. This is the event we are talking about in Matt 24:29-31. This is the beginning of the last phase of the earth’s existence. Within a short period of time, immediately after the Great Tribulation, the earth will be totally renovated preparing the way for our Lord’s return to the earth to reign. (2 Pet 3:12-13, Isa 65:17, Rev 21:1-5) These promises are a source of great encouragement and strength to believers everywhere. (2 Thess 2:1-2)

Today, with joy in our hearts, let’s live our lives for Him! ….

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luk 21:28)

In our final part to this study, we will be seeing the end result of these events and what our responsibility is concerning these events.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13… Or, The Signs Of His Coming (Part #2)

July 30, 2010 3:11 pm / 4 Comments on The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13… Or, The Signs Of His Coming (Part #2)

In part number one of this series, we saw that the exact time of Christ’s coming and the end of the world would not be revealed to any man, nor angel, but only to God alone. (Matt 24:3-6, Matt 25:13, 2Pet 3:10) Also, because mankind will not be told of the exact time of Christ’s return, His return is described as if a thief was coming in the night. (1 Thess 5:1-11).

These teachings of God, bring into question the year 2012 theory for His return. According to the most popular version of the theory, the world is coming to an end on Dec 21, 2012. We know the Lord clearly says that He will not reveal the exact time of His coming; because of this the 2012 theory must be labeled unscriptural and, therefore, false.

We will now pickup with our Matt 24: study by looking at Christ’s teachings concerning the signs of his coming and the end of the world (Matt 24:3-28)

THE SCRIPTURE:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? …. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (Mat 24:3-28)

THE STUDY:

Matt 24:3 – The context of our study… Christ is answering the question, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

The 10 great groups of signs pointing to His coming and the end of the world’:

Sign #1 – Matt 24:4-5 – The appearance of men who will claim to be anointed by God, but they will deliver a false message, some will even claim to be Christ Himself. (2 Cor 11:13-15, 2 Thess 2:3 )

Sign #2 – Matt 24:6- Wars will take place, combined with threatening of wars about to take place.

Don’t let these things surprise you, they are a part of God’s plan and must take place before the end. (Luk 21:9)

Sign #3 – Matt 24:7- Nations will oppose nations economically, politically etc. Also, famines will take place with deadly diseases and earthquakes. All of these things will take place in a variety of different, multiple places. (Ezek 14:21, Luke 21:11, 25-26)

Matt 24:8 – All the above signs (vs 4-7) are described as beginning of “sorrows”. The Greek word for sorrows means “birth pains”. The above signs are compared to birth pains, i.e. they will increase in frequency and intensity as the end times grow closer. Much like a woman’s birth pains increase in frequency and intensity before the child is born.

Sign #4 – Matt 24:9 – This speaks of the persecution of the followers of Christ. This includes physical, emotional, social, and economic abuse of God’s people. (John 15:19-20, Rev 2:10, Rev 6:9-10)

Sign #5 – Matt 24:10 – Disagreements, legal disputes, hurt feelings, physical confrontations will take place between individuals. These will stir up hatred for one another. (Matt 10:21,35-36, Matt 13:21)

Sign #6 – Matt 24:11 – Many men will teach a message of error, yet claim it is God’s Word. This is speaking of false religions that teach salvation is received apart from Christ. (1 John 4:1)

Sign #7 – Matt 24:12- Sin will be rampant as love for one another dwindles. Natural types of love will decrease (parents for child, man for woman, child for parents, etc.) Perverted, selfish lust will be on the rise. (Mark 13:12, Luk 21:16, Roms 1:26-32)

Matt 24:13 – One of the greatest marks of those who are saved is consistent service to Him. Perseverance in service to the Lord is one of the greatest proofs of genuine salvation.

Sing #8 – Matt 24:14- Worldwide gospel outreach by ministries of the Lord.

Sign #9 – Matt 24:15 – The Abomination of Desolation is Daniel’s account of the Hebrew temple being

defiled. This was done by the Antiochus Epiphanes in 170 BC when he slew the pig on the Israelite altar. (see for more info – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abomination_of_Desolation) .

This ceremonial defilement of the altar is a picture of God’s worship being defiled today through false teachings and harboring of sin in worship. This sign is about sin and error creeping into the Lord’s assemblies causing the true worship of Him to be defiled. (Daniel 9:-12:, 2 Pet 2:1-3, Rev 2:12-17)

Matt 24:16-20 – All of the above events will be unstoppable and world-wide, causing even God’s people to flee in terror, knowing that these things cannot be overcome by mankind’s efforts.

Matt 24:21-22 – At the completion of these signs, the Great Tribulation will be ready to commence. The Great Tribulation would even destroy God’s people, but the Lord will intervene and take them home before the GT begins.

Sign #10 – Matt 24:23-28 – False accounts of Christ’s return will radically multiply as the end draws near. These false teachings will include Him physically coming back to the earth. These false claims about His return will give support to the rise of false Christs with miracle working powers coming on the scene. They will be empowered through Satanic intervention deceiving virtually all men (with the exception of genuine believers. (2 Thess 2:9-11, Rev 13:13-14)

Only God’s people will reject these false teachings. Christ’s true followers will understand the Biblical teachings about His second coming. They will understand He will come in the clouds and take His people to heaven to be with Him. He WILL NOT return to the earth at this point in time.

(Note: I have included a few extra verses with each sign to supplement this study. There are many, many more verses I could have included but the length of this study restrained me.)

THE SUMMARY:

By looking at the above list of signs of His coming and the end of the world, it is plain to see that we are living in the last days. Every one of these signs has already appeared and many have become much more frequent and intense.

Although there is no way I can know exactly when he will come, I believe it will be soon… in any case, we all can echo Paul’s sentiments in Rom 13:11-14:

In the next part of our blog series we will be looking at our long-awaited event, the second coming of our Lord.

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace”“The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike”http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.

Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13… Or, The End Of The World Revealed (Part #1)

July 26, 2010 6:00 pm / 2 Comments on The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13… Or, The End Of The World Revealed (Part #1)

2012… just four little numbers that in the past few years have become a BIG DEAL! What used to be simply a descriptor, for a 12 month segment of time on coming calendars, has become synonymous with the end of all mankind. How did this happen? Well, to tell you the truth, I think it takes a Mayan scholar and historian to really get the answer straight; there is much controversy over the whole theory. I can’t read the Mayan language, nor do I understand how the Mayans went about creating their calendar; so to be fair to supporters of this theory, I think I’ll leave the explanation of all this to them. If you are interested this link may help you… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon

As far as I’m concerned, the only area of interest for me is … “What does God’s Word say about the world ending in 2012?” From my perspective, God’s Word (made up of 66 separate books, Genesis – Revelation) is the only reliable authority on this whole issue. Therefore, if God’s Word teaches that the world ends in 2012… so be it, then that proves to me that the Mayan’s had it right all along; but, if God’s Word proves the 2012 theory is baloney…. that settles it for me… I’m placing my faith in my Lord, and His Word, and I’m delegating the 2012 theory to my trash can (file 13). (If anyone is interested in why I count God’s Word as the ultimate authority in matters like this, please refer to my previous blog entry on the Bible and Science: http://bit.ly/bYDWbZ for more info)

THE SCRIPTURE:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? … But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (Mat 24:3, 36, 42; see also Matt 25:13, 2 Pet 3:10)

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1Th 5:1-11)

THE STUDY:

Matthew chapter 24 is a record of the teachings of Christ on the subject of His second coming and the events surrounding the end of the world:

Matthew 24:1-3…

If you notice, the question that initiated the Lord’s teachings of Matthew 24 is found in verse 3 …” Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

So clearly, the context of this chapter is the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. To say otherwise is to deny the context of this chapter.

(Please note, the “things” being referenced in verse 3 was the destruction of the temple by Rome a few years later in 70 AD by Roman general Titus. This brought an end to the Hebrew worship of Jehovah in Jerusalem and began the time period we call the “latter days”.)

Matthew 24:4-28

In these verses, the Lord describes the different events leading up to His second coming. An in-depth look at these signs will be presented in Part #2 of this blog series.

Matthew 24:29-31

The coming of Christ is described as he takes His followers to heaven to be with Him. A closer look at these verses will follow in Part #3 of this blog series.

Matthew 24:32-51

Here our responsibility to look for the signs and to be ready for His coming is brought into view. These verses we’ll look at in detail in Part #4

Note in verse 36 and verse 42 …

He clearly says in verse 36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

And then in verse 42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

In the context, watching the signs of His coming, He makes it plain that, as we watch, we should not expect the exact time to be revealed to us! In other words, the signs are to help us know the basic time frame of His return, but we will not know exactly when He is coming.

He explicitly states that no man, nor angel would ever know the exact time of His coming. Even Christ, while on earth, as a human, who did not exercise His divine attributes (Phil 2:5-8), did not know the time of His second coming. (Just a note here…. I believe that since Christ is ascended and has begun to exercise His divine attributes and authority, (Phil 2:9-11) He now knows when the second coming will take place.)

This same principle is also brought out in the Scriptures in our other text, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 …

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

In other words, Paul did not need to write to the believers in Thessalonica about the times and seasons of Christ’s second coming because Christ had already addressed the topic. But even though they already had teachings on the signs, there would be no specific announcement of when He would come. In that sense, He would be coming as a thief, unannounced and unexpected by many.

SUMMARY OF OUR STUDY SO FAR:

So for this blog entry, it is important for us to see that Christ gave us signs marking a basic time frame of His coming. However, the coming of Christ and the end of the world, will not be announced with any exact date. He specifically teaches that no man, nor angel will be shown the time of His coming. It is a truth only known by the Triune God.

By the way, good old “2012 theory” is already rattling around in my file 13, and we are only one-fourth finished with our study!

My next blog entry will answer the question, “What are the signs of His second coming?” from Matt 24:4-28.

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace”“The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Golden Bears Are Everywheres! (Waynedale Golden Bears, That Is!)

July 23, 2010 6:00 pm / 2 Comments on Golden Bears Are Everywheres! (Waynedale Golden Bears, That Is!)

In the mid 70s, I attended and graduated from Waynedale High School in Apple Creek, Ohio. Waynedale had great students and fantastic teachers. I credit the Lord with using Waynedale to give me the tools I needed to further my education and succeed in life. I was blessed to have the privilege of attending Waynedale. Sorry to say, in my younger days, I did not appreciate Waynedale as I should.

For a closer look at Waynedale HS visit their websites:

http://www.southeast.k12.oh.us/school_home.aspx?schoolid=13 http://whsgoldenbears.olinesports.com/

Waynedale’s mascot was a golden bear. Like any high school, you could see golden bears all over the walls of the school building. Why? Because the golden bear represented who we were. The minute anyone stepped into our building they knew they were in Golden Bear Country!

This is also why our school jackets had a golden bear on them… in the neighboring communities, at the sight of the bear on our coat the people immediately knew that we attended Waynedale. By simply wearing a golden bear on our clothing we were making a statement about ourselves.

Did you know that the Lord has given us the equivalent of a golden bear coat that we are to use to declare our relationship with Him? Lets look at what the Bible has to say about our public announcement that we are Christ’s.

THE SCRIPTURE:

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:26-27)

THE STUDY:

In Galatians 3:26-27 – gives us a clear teaching on the role of faith and baptism in our salvation. If you notice, in verse 26 we can clearly see that faith is the entry way to adoption into the family of God. In other words, we must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven of our sins and to become a part of God’s family.

Our Galatians text does not stop there. It goes on in verse 27 to explain the role of baptism in our salvation. Baptism is the “putting on” of Christ. By the way, the term “put on” in Greek means “to put on a suit of clothes”. In other words, baptism is like putting on clothing that publicly declares that the work of Christ has been applied to our account and we are now dead to sin and alive to Christ.

Baptism is the equivalent to my Waynedale coat. I was a student of Waynedale whether I wore my coat or not. But, if I wanted others to know I was a Waynedale student, I would put my coat on. The same principle applies to our baptism. If we have God-given faith in Christ, we are saved. Baptism has no effect on that. However, if we want others to know of our salvation experience, we are to be immersed in water (baptized). By being baptized, we are associating ourselves with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and, we are stating that we have died to sins and are raised to live a new life of submission to Him. (Roms 6:3-9) Once we are baptized, everyone knows we are a follower of Jesus Christ.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are saved, the most important next step in obedience to the Lord is to be immersed in water (baptism). This, in turn, pictures the work of Christ, our changed life, and our association with Him. By being baptized, we are saying to the world… “My Lord has saved me, I now commit myself to living my life for Him and I am so very grateful to be able to be called a child of the living God!”

Once we make this public declaration of our faith in Christ, we should strive to obey Him with our whole heart. For we know that our association with Him is known and we are being watched by others to see if our commitment to His service is genuine.

For those who have never been saved, first, it is vital to grasp the most important need of your life. Above all else, you are in need of the Lord’s intervention in your life and the faith He so graciously gives to those who seek His face.

By understanding the true nature of baptism, you will not be misled by those who will tell you that baptism is a necessary part of your receiving God’s salvation and adoption. Please allow me to repeat once again for clarity… faith alone is necessary for salvation. By trusting in Christ, your salvation is complete.

Baptism follows salvation and is necessary for a public declaration of your faith in Him. For a closer look at salvation and the need for faith please read my blog page on “forgiveness”.

“The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth….neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Act 4:10-12)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Here Comes De Judge!

July 19, 2010 11:45 am

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In was a comedy sketch TV program that aired in the late 60s and early 70s. My parents used to love that show. One of the sketches I remember best was the “Here Comes De Judge” sketch that featured Flip Wilson and later Sammy Davis Jr. In this sketch, you would have an innocent defendant stand before “De Judge” and receive all types of abuse. For a sample of this sketch watch this: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/laugh-in-here-comes-the-judge/2172108200

As funny as it was to watch some poor guy get misjudged and abused at the hands of a judge, we all know, in real life, being misjudged by others isn’t funny at all. How many times have we been falsely accused of wrongdoing, or have our motives for an action totally misunderstood. Think of how painful it was to have to defend yourself when you know you are an innocent victim of wrong headed judgment.

For many well-meaning people, the solution to making wrong judgments is simply to make no judgments at all… This sounds like a great solution, but, unfortunately, there are times when judgments need to be made. Would you feel comfortable leaving your child at a babysitter, without making a judgment about that sitter’s character? Or could you marry someone without ever examining their life to be sure they are a suitable mate for you? Can you standby idly watching a loved one take a life path that would lead to their harm or even death?

Making, or not making, judgments about others are a very complicated necessity of life. The Lord has given us insight into this subject in His Word…

THE SCRIPTURE:

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

(Joh 7:20-24)

THE STUDY:

In a nutshell, our text gives us the Lord’s teachings on the judgment of others… there is a righteous type of judgment and there is an unrighteous type of judgment. Therefore, the core of our study is this… which type of judgment is righteous and what type is unrighteous. Once again, the Lord does not leave us guessing about these things.

Here are the basic principles we are to use to help us render the proper type of “righteous” judgment:

When we judge others without looking at ourselves first, we are judging unrighteously. Matt 7:1-5, Rom 2:1-1. Many times this type of judgment can become a stumblingblock for those being judged. Rom 14:10-13
When we judge other’s motives, by trying to guess what is in their heart, is an unrighteous judgment 1 Cor 4:1-5
We should not be critical of others who choose not to keep the dictates of OT ceremonial laws, they no longer mandatory for us to keep. They were fulfilled, and ended, with the first coming of Christ to earth. These laws were given to teach the OT believers about the first coming of Christ (a shadow of things to come). When Christ came the purpose of these laws was fulfilled and they are no longer to be observed. Col 2:13-17, John 7:20-23
Our judgments should not be influenced based upon the possibility of personal gain. James 2:1-9
Our motives for judging others must ALWAYS be with the intent to help those we are judging. We should never judge others with the intent to find fault so we can justify our own lives or look better in the eyes of others around us. James 4:10-12 As we seek to help others it should be with a humble attitude realizing, apart from God’s grace, we would be in the same shape, or worse, than the person we are judging. 1 Thess 5:14-28, Gals 6:1-6
We must judge others to choose our teachers, leaders and associates in life. To not render this judgment is to open us up to false teachings and sinful practices in our life. Matt 7:15-20, 2 Cor 6:14-18
We must be constantly making life decisions based on the context of God’s Word. We must judge other’s actions and teachings before we follow in their footsteps. Roms 2:26-29, 1 Cor 2:13-16, Luke 12:56-59

(Note: I’ve only been able to summarize the basic teachings found in the above references for the sake of this study. I would suggest that we prayerfully study each of the above references for a much more complete understanding of the principles for Scriptural judgment making.)

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For followers of Christ, righteous judgments should be a daily, habitual action. How many different decisions are we called upon that dictates a judgment be made? How many times do we fail the Lord by making unrighteous judgments concerning our lives and the lives of others? For the Christian, knowing, understanding and applying the above principles is of utmost importance.

For those who are not yet followers of Christ, the first and most important judgment you will ever make is to decide the truthfulness of God’s Word. Does the Bible contain errors? Are the historical accounts of both Old and New Testament fictional or are they factual? Finally, and most importantly, are the Bible’s claims about Christ true; and therefore, can I trust in Christ with my soul’s eternal destiny?

By God’s grace, you will come to an acceptance of the truthfulness of Scripture and the need to trust in Christ and His work on the cross. 1 John 1:1-4

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Alien Sightings and Alien Abductions in the Last Days (Part 2 of 2)

July 13, 2010 5:00 pm / 6 Comments on Alien Sightings and Alien Abductions in the Last Days (Part 2 of 2)

(Please refer to my previous post… “Do Aliens From Other Planets Exist?… A Biblical Perspective” For Part 1 of This 2 Part Series)

Beginning in the 1950s, reports of alien sightings and abductions have been steadily increasing across the globe. Explanations for these events range from misidentifying military/governmental flight vehicles or heavenly bodies, to drug abuse or psychological issues on the part of those making the sightings. However, some experts believe these explanations are not sufficient. There are still reported sightings and abductions that, according to them, cannot be rationalized using earthly explanations. Could they be right?

In my previous blog entry, “Do Aliens From Other Planets Exist? A Biblical Prospective.”, we saw that aliens from other planets simply do not exist. So, from a Biblical standpoint, aliens cannot be the cause of these events. In this study, we’ll try to answer these questions… Is there another possible explanation for these “alien sightings/abductions”? How are “alien sightings/abductions” connected with the end time teachings of Scripture?

THE SCRIPTURE:

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Rev 1:7)

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat 24:30-31)

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Rev 14:14-16)

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. (Luk 17:34-37)

THE STUDY:

To begin a Scriptural study of alien sightings/abductions it is important that we understand a little about Satan and his workings among men:

Satan, throughout both Old and New Testament, is clearly revealed as a Deceiver of mankind (Rev 12:9). Beginning in the Garden of Eden with his deception of Eve (2 Cor 11:3, Gen 3:1-5) and continuing throughout history, Satan lived up to his title Deceiver, Opposer of Mankind (John 8:44, Zech 3:1-2). One way that Satan deceives men is by performing miracles imitating the very works of God. (Ex 7:9-13, Deu 13:1-3, Matt 24:24, 2 Thes 2:7-12, Rev 13:11-15)

Satan was cast out from heaven along with other wicked angels (fallen angels, demons) (Rev 12:7-11)

These fallen angels became Satan’s followers serve him in the pursuit of the deception of mankind about the truth of God’s Word (2 Cor 11:13-15, 1 Tim 4:1-3).

The Bible does not specifically mention Satan’s use of the alien sightings/abduction phenomenon. But after examining how Satan and his demons work among mankind; I believe, it is possible, that some of the alien “events” our society is experiencing could be the workings of the powers of darkness (Satan and other fallen angels). It is very possible they are trying to mislead mankind about Christ’s second coming and the rapture (taking of His saints to heaven)…

First, demons posing as aliens could be Satan’s way of imitating, and explaining away the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev 1:7 and Matt 24:30-31 clearly teach that when the Lord Jesus comes back at the rapture the entire world will see Him. How could Satan “explain away” Christ’s coming? With a foundation of deception (alien visitations) already laid it would be very easy! Satan could mislead a blinded, lost world into believing that what they saw was simply another of many alien visitations.

Secondly, what about alien abductions? Keep in mind, when Christ comes back, He will take His followers to heaven to live with Him eternally (Rev 14:14-16, Lk 17:34-37). You will have millions of people disappearing from off the face of the planet earth when Christ appears. The Bible is not clear, but possibly, the lost world will actually see the saints ascending to heaven. How can the disappearance of millions be explained? Once again, it would be very easy (in the context of alien abductions). When the lost world sees Christ’s return, and the saints taken to heaven, it could be explained as a mass abduction caused by the visiting alien (Christ at His coming).

What would be the result of this demonic deception? Millions of lost men and women will totally misunderstand one of the greatest displays of God’s power and grace that will ever be exhibited to mankind. Instead of viewing the event as a call to submit to the Lord’s authority and power, it would be viewed as a ”call to arms” preparing the nations for an “alien invasion”.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

All Christians are embattled by Satan and his demonic followers and need the spiritual armour that our Lord so graciously gives to us. (Eph 6:11-13). As we understand more of the great ability of Satan to deceive man, we need to heighten our guard against his workings in our life (2 Cor 2:11, Matt 24:23-25)

If you have never been saved you are already under the control of Satan being blinded to the truths of God’s Word (Eph 2:1-3, 2 Cor 4:4) You are entirely helpless to attain salvation of your own ability or works (Isa 64:6-8). But all hope is not lost! If you look to Christ by faith, submitting to His Lordship, and totally relying on His working in your life you will receive the forgiveness of your sin. (John 15:3-7)

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.

Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

The Justification of Lebron James …

July 11, 2010 2:00 pm / 2 Comments on The Justification of Lebron James …

This past week Lebron James made his nationally televised “decision” and left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat of the NBA. As a Christian, I am abhorred by his justification for leaving. During James’ interview on ESPN, he repeatedly stated his reason for leaving the Cavs. There was a two-fold motive behind his decision:

A. So he would be happy

B. So that he would win multiple NBA championships (in doing so, he will supposedly be classed with the greatest players of all time like Jordan, Russell, Bryant etc.)

(In case you missed his ESPN interview please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIw7BakUoTU to see his justification for the move.)

When I was younger, I was always told that my decisions were to be made with the following in mind…

A. Above all else, I was to put the Lord’s will first in all my decision making

B. Next, my immediate family’s welfare was to dictate what my decision was to be.

C. Thirdly, the good of other people around me was to take a third place in my decisions.

D. My own desires were to take fourth place in my decisions.

I have always thought that this was a pretty good way of making decisions and it certainly appears to support Biblical teachings… (Luke 10:27-28, Eph 5:25, 5:28-29). Then along comes Lebron James… what example does he set for all the young people who look up to him as a role model? His entire justification for moving to Miami is basically turning the above list of priorities on it’s head.

He is telling his followers, by his words and example, that putting themselves first, and making their happiness the number one priority in life, they are making the most of their life on earth. This reminds me of the King in Ecclesiates that wasted his life seeking happiness and power in all the world had to offer. (Eccl 1:-12:)

His actions and his words clearly tell us that happiness and lasting fame are the ultimate priority in James’ decision making process. It is enough to make any Christian weep.

My question is this…. “Since happiness and fame take priority in his decisions, does this mean they are his gods?” It is really something to think about and something to warn our children about.

Do Aliens From Other Planets Exist? A Biblical Perspective. (Part 1 of 2)

July 9, 2010 6:00 pm / 4 Comments on Do Aliens From Other Planets Exist? A Biblical Perspective. (Part 1 of 2)

{A note to my readers: This blog entry is the first of several entries answering my reader’s questions. I trust they will be of interest to all of you. I enjoy answering your questions and reading your comments… keep them coming! Finally, thanks to everyone who is reading my blog, you are a blessing to me. }

With the increased number of reports of UFO sightings, comes increased curiosity concerning the legitimacy of those reports. Google “UFO sightings” and you will see a list of over half a million websites, recording multiplied thousands of UFO sighting reports.

We are constantly bombarded with the opinions of scientists and other researchers attempting to prove or disprove alien’s existence. So let’s go to the final Authority, our God.

What does the Lord have to say about the existence of UFO’s and aliens from outer space? I will share with you some of the Biblical teachings on this subject.

(Note for an in-depth scientific answer from a Bible believing scientist please refer to the following link Institute for Creation Research) Dr Henry Morris is director of the Institute for Creation research. He is a dedicated Christian scientist who has contributed to many different areas of scientific thought. I encourage you to make use of his website for Biblically based research.

THE SCRIPTURE:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2Pe 3:10-13)

THE STUDY:

There are several Biblical principles that help us to understand the Lord’s teachings concerning the existence of aliens….

Principle #1 – In all the creation accounts, the Bible never describes God creating life on other planets.

Man is the jewel of God’s creation… God gave man the dominion of all creation – Gen 1:26-28; God made man exalted over all earthly creation – Psa 8:5-9. The earth was given to man, all the rest is possessed by God – Psa 115:16. He gave none of the other parts of creation to alien beings. There is nothing mentioned about aliens or any role that God has given to them to fulfill in His creation scenario.

Principle #2 – Gen 6:17 – describes the flood as destroying “all flesh under heaven”…

in other words, the only flesh that exists “under heaven” (ie the third heaven see 2 Cor 12:2) is the flesh which is on the earth, that was capable of being destroyed in the flood of Noah’s day.

Principle #3 – There is no reason to believe that the Bible records any alien sighting by man.

Every supposed account of men seeing alien beings in the Bible is better interpreted as …

God revealing Himself to man in a vision (Isa 6:1 etc etc) or God symbolically revealing creatures that live in heaven with God (the third heaven see 2 Cor 12:2) (Isa 6:2, Ezek 1:1-28, Rev 1:12-17, Rev 9:3-5 etc etc ) There is NOT ONE account that, due to context, must be interpreted as a man seeing an alien being.

Principle #4 – God’s earthly creation is the central theme of His Word and His eternal plan laid before the foundation of creation itself.

God sent His Son to die on the cross to redeem human beings from their sin. Earth and human beings are in the center of God’s attention and workings. It is extremely difficult to conclude God has other worlds filled with life when everything in His Word points to the earth, and the earth alone, as the cradle of life. (John 3:16-18 – “world” is speaking of this earth, the center of His orderly creation.)

In our text, 2 Pet 3:10-13, the entire creation, including the special universe, are connected to God’s plan for man. As a part of His second coming to earth, all the universe will be remade for His followers to dwell in. Once again, we see how mankind is dominate in the plan and ways of God. All creation (including the heavens) fall under that plan.

Roms 8:18-22 – When Adam fell “all creation” was affected. The sin of one man dictated the state of the entire universe. Once again, we see man as the dominate created being in all the universe.

Gen 1:14-15 – He made the lights in the heavens to give light to man on earth, no where is it said He made the heavens to house other beings.

All 4 of these principles point to man as being at the center of God’s attention and workings in the universe. With no mention of aliens in God’s creative or redemptive plan for the universe.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are saved, understanding the central role of earth and it’s inhabitants in God’s eternal plan is very reassuring…. we can fully trust in the principle that God’s redemptive attention is on those He has chosen to save. He physically made us, He chose to save us, He sent His Son to die for us, and He secures our salvation through His workings in our heart (Rom 8:14-39)

For those who have never accepted Christ as Lord and Savior; understanding His great love and workings on behalf of His people, magnifies the need to look to Him for salvation. If God Himself has sacrificed so greatly for His people, how can we neglect the salvation He so graciously offers? (Hebs 2:1-10)

And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: …(Gen 16:13)

His attention is always upon us… for the saved, it is a great comforting blessing; for the lost, it is an important reminder of the certainty of no escaping judgment apart from His forgiveness of our sins.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

Settled In Heaven Blog

Tag Archives: New Testament

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The Year 2012, The 66 Ancient Books, and File 13… Or, The End Of The World Revealed (Part #1)

Golden Bears Are Everywheres! (Waynedale Golden Bears, That Is!)

Here Comes De Judge!

Alien Sightings and Alien Abductions in the Last Days (Part 2 of 2)

The Justification of Lebron James …

Do Aliens From Other Planets Exist? A Biblical Perspective. (Part 1 of 2)

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