What Will The Rapture Be Like?

"And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him."
Gen. 5:24

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces."
2 Kin. 2:11-12

"And He [Jesus] led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven."
Luke 24:50-51

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
1 Thes. 4:16-17

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality."
1 Cor. 15:51-53

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
Rev. 11:11-12

The rapture of the church is one of the key elements that set apart true Christianity from other systems of belief. Whereas most other "faiths" aim to make this current world a better place, or strive to make the current condition of man better in ways spiritual and/or physical, the Christian believes that both this time and this world are beyond repair. We know that true healing for this realm can only come when Jesus Christ returns in power, sets up His Kingdom, and takes reign over all mankind.

Before this happens, though, believers are promised that they will be removed from the earth. This happens in order to allow God unfettered access to all the earth as He pours out His wrath on the family of satan. During this time period, the people of Israel will be tried by fire, refining the nation into a people that are dedicated and devoted to their God. This time will also bring about the acknowledgement by the Jewish people that Jesus is, in fact of truth, the Messiah.

Many Christians have wondered what that moment will be like when we are called to be with Jesus, nevermore to be apart from Him, our Savior, our brother in God's family, our King. From the above verses, I believe we can piece together the picture of what it may be like.

At a point in time, very close to now, all the world will be going about it's business, just as it has everyday for two-thousand years. There will be wars, rumors of wars, plans for making wars, plans for making peace. But, all of that will be "somewhere else" involving "somebody else." For us, it is just another day like any other day, full of plans, hopes, dreams and schemes. Weddings, births, funerals...life, death and taxes. Gossip on TV, violence in the streets, corruption in the governments. Same ol' same ole.

But, this day is about to become unlike any other in the history of mankind. Today, an event that God Almighty has had scheduled since before the creation of the universe. This is the day that God the Father has given God the Son approval to go forth and receive His Bride, the collective body of predestined, called out believers known simply as the Christian Church.

As Jesus Christ comes forth from the realm of heaven into the realm of the earth, as the angelic host shout and cheer, as the archangel shouts out the alert to those awaiting Jesus' return, and the trump of God sounds out loud (for it was the custom of Jewish weddings that a member of the groom's party shout, "Behold, the Bridegroom comes!" This was followed by the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn trumpet). At the sound of the horn, the wedding procession would go and retrieve the bride....) Jesus Himself may well shout out, "Come up hither!"

In an instant, two things happen: those that are dead, but who belong to Jesus, are revived into new, incorruptible bodies. The second thing is that we who are alive are changed from corruptible, mortal bodies into incorruptible, glorified bodies. Trailing just a blink of an eye behind the resurrected brothers and sisters, we shall follow them into the sky, into the clouds, into the presence of our beloved Savior, Jesus. To the people that are left behind, the changes will look to have taken place instantly. Our departure will probably be visible, but unbelievable. A thousand excuses will be pondered and debated as to how we have disappeared. Or, perhaps, due to other events taking place at the time, our departure will be ignored at that time. Either way, how many people will dare to even consider that it was the rapture? Hundreds? Millions? We know that, before it is all said and done, a huge number of "tribulation saints" will come forth. As described in Revelation 7:9, the number will be "...a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues..."

And those that DO understand what has happened, and what the truth is, will be presented with two simple, stark options.

Believe in Jesus Christ, hold on to that belief and the reward it will bring--and probably die for that belief. Or....

Believe the delusion that will grip much of the earth and the people therein. Follow the antichrist, be amazed at his beauty, his charm, his talent, his might--and join him in everlasting fire, tormented throughout eternity.

Today would be a great day to understand that "many are called, but few chosen." If you are feeling the Lord knocking at the door of your heart, today is the acceptable day--reach out and grab hold of that which is being given to you. This is the day to surrender to His effective calling, to drop to your knees, and to confess your sinful ways unto the Son of God, the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. You must be born again in order to be adopted into the family of God Almighty.

"Behold! The Bridegroom Comes!"

Grace and Peace....

Four Points Of Prayer

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
1 Tim. 2:1-2

In this letter from Paul to Timothy, the first verse of chapter two gives us four areas that we are called upon to address in our prayers:

• supplications
• prayers
• intercessions
• giving of thanks

As we take a look at each of these, we can get a better idea of how our prayers are seen by God.

Supplications - In Greek, this is rooted in the word δέησις (deesis), which means requests or petitions.

Prayers - προσευχή (proseuche), which means roughly "oral worship."

Intercessions - ἔντευξις (enteuxis) - to interview, or basically, to confer with, as in reference to a certain subject.

Giving of thanks - εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), which means an active display of gratitude.

We are to perform these things on behalf of all men (mankind, if you will.)

In verse two, we are even made specifically aware that we should be doing this for those that are leaders, and those that are in positions of authority. In so doing, we can ask God to provide lives that are "quiet and peaceable", that are filled with "godliness and honesty."

Let's make an effort, even more so now in these end times, to fulfill our obligations and our honorable duties, and pray on behalf of not just our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, but for all those that might be predestined to be part of our heavenly family in God Almighty!

Grace and Peace....

The Problem With Rick Warren's Gospel

Rick Warren, leader of the Emergent Church movement, has recently been pushing for a "common" ground between his christian faith (notice the small-case letters there) and the islamic faith. He has suggested that we should all "love god together" and "find peace" between the two religions.

This whole dialog is based on the teachings that the church should "love God above all and love your neighbors." The problem here is that this is a fine example of D-Con rat poison in doctrinal form.

Now, the statement that we should love God above all and love our neighbors as ourselves is Biblical. See here...

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Luke 10:27

This was the answer the lawyer gave Jesus, when Jesus asked what he (the lawyer) thought the law showed as being the way to inherit eternal life. And Jesus told the lawyer that he got it right:

"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
Luke 10:28

But, as we all know (or at least, as we all should know), man is unable to accomplish even this most simple requirement in order to be found pleasing to God. After all...

"Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
Rom. 8:7

The person that is unsaved, and therefore still of "the carnal mind", cannot love God Almighty, because they are at total opposition to Him. There is only one way that we can approach YHWY, God the Father, the I AM...

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

Muslems do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore, they cannot approach God Almighty. They likewise cannot love God the Father. There love is, by elimination, for their father, satan.

So, one must ask, why is Rick Warren willing to ignore the Bible when it says:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
2 Cor. 6:14

There is a simple answer: Rick Warren and his followers (willful and misled) are NOT followers of Jesus Christ. They do not teach the Gospel as it was given to us through the early church. The garbage they teach is not Christ-centric.

That doesn't mean that there are not some Christians growing in the Emergent Church ranks. It does mean that they who are saved didn't get there because of the teaching of Rick Warren.

So, when I said that this is an example of D-Con rat poison of a doctrinal sense, here is what I meant.

D-Con, if you look at the ingredients listing, is 99.995% non-toxic substances. This includes things like sugars, dyes, filler and the like. Almost 100% safe for rats, even for humans, to eat.

Boy, that last .005% can sure spoil the dinner! That little, tiny bit of poison would put both man and beast either in the hospital, or in the grave. And so it is with the teachings of Rick Warren.

People are being led to believe that the God of all Christians, the Father of Jesus Christ, is the same god that is worshipped by islam. Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam rejects the deity of Jesus Christ. And this WILL be fatal to many, many people. And if we, as Mr. Warren suggests, align ourselves with islam, many, many more people will be deceived into following a path straight into hell.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
Gal. 1:8

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."
1 Cor. 16:22

Grace and Peace....

The Order Of Things

"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

"And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

"Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

"And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, [that] shall ye receive.

"So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them [their] hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

"But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

"And when they had received [it], they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought [but] one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

"But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take [that] thine [is], and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Matt. 20:1-16

Although there are several points that can be taken to heart from this passage, I am going to focus on only one in this post.

As we can read, the basic events that took place are that a householder went out to hire people to work in his vineyards. No matter at what time of day they were hired, each received what was promised to the very first people that were employed. Each person received a "penny" (Greek: δηναριου - denarion, which means "ten asses", which would appear to be a pretty generous day's wages).

Even though there was a sore spot amongst the early hires, the houseman made it clear that they received exactly what both parties had agreed on. There was no unfairness towards them. However, if he wanted to pay the late hires the same thing, that was his own choice and his own right to do so.

But, the key verse to this passage lies in verse sixteen:

"ουτως εσονται οι εσχατοι πρωτοι και οι πρωτοι εσχατοι πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι"

The reason I put the entire Greek verse here is that it carries an important context that might be overlooked in just the English translation. Also, there are several Bibles that don't even have the second part of the verse, which sincerely leads to a total distortion of the verse!

"Houto esomai ho eschatos protos kai ho protos eschatos", which is to say:
"Therefore it shall come to pass that the lowest will be highest and the highest will be the lowest." This is showing that this reversal is something that will happen in the future.

Now, let's look at a couple of verses real quick to see where this "first/last" promise is also seen:

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Matt. 5:9

"Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Matt. 11:11

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me."
Matt. 25:40

"And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."
Luke 9:48

"If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church."
1 Cor. 6:4

"For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."
1 Cor. 5:9

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;"
Eph. 3:8

OK, you get the point. It is a very important aspect in the eyes of God that those who are least in this world are greatest in the Kingdom of God. But, why is that point driven home here? What is it that makes this statement such that it is?

Gar.

Yep, that's right. The next word in verse sixteen is γαρ, pronounced "gar". According to the Strong's Greek Dictionary, it is....

"A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)."

So, we can look at the second part of the verse to tell us the reason that the first will be last and the last will be first.

"πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι"

"...polus gar eisi kletos oligos de eklektos", or in English:
"...the reason being many they are that are invited, far less are those chosen."

The reason that the reversal of positions will take place is because, even though the Gospel of Jesus has been preached to the world as an open invitation to all, very few have been selected (chosen) to be part God's family. Those that are rich, powerful, successful, important, etc.--they will not carry over their wealth to the next world. Those that have given up their lives, property, will and desire in order to die each day so that Jesus can live through them, they will become the royality by adoption in the next world.

The key point here is to remember this:

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
John 15:14-16

Our time on earth is not about success, it is not about wealth, it's not even about survival. It is about being a servant to Jesus, so that He can raise us up to be friends and family. If we, instead, aim to be of importance in this life, we shall find ourselves being reduced in status in the coming kingdom.

Always aim to be the servant.

Grace and Peace....

Brothers And Sisters

"Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity [that is] in me. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence [is] of God, which saveth the upright in heart."
Psalms 7:6-10

To the brothers and sisters of God's family, adopted through the strength and sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

The world today has entered it's final moments. The vast amounts of sin being committed are beyond parallel in the earth's history. Pressures continue to build against the called of God. Financial woes, continuing and expected wars, famines and environmental disasters...the list goes on growing with each passing moment. Our lives, our families, our very existance as a people is threatened by evil, both from outside and within. Yet, we can remain calm, and know that God our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are in total control.

As the passage of Scripture above shows, the judgement that is fast approaching will separate out those that are righteous in God's eyes. The wickedness that surrounds us on all sides will come to an end.

We who have been called out to belong to Jesus are no longer trapped by the evil and sin that once filled every point of our being. We now rest in the knowledge that we are made righteous by the saving grace of God, as delivered through the power of the blood of Jesus. He has rebirthed our spirits--we have been born again. God has provided us with a faith that has pulled us out of the fire, and has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. Our hearts, once at enmity with God, now sing forth His praises. We have been given a renewed soul, that can stand with integrity in the presence of God.

In this final hour, we can stand firm against the trials that lay before us. Our defense is God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because He has made our hearts upright, we can resist all that the world throws against us. He is our strength, our shield, our fortress.

So, let not your hearts be troubled. Hold fast to the gospel that you have received. God has never failed in His promises. Jesus has never lost those that have been given to Him; those that are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Our God is truly an awesome God!

Grace and Peace....

And Know The New You

Blood.

What does the Bible say about blood? Well, several things, including the following:

"But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat."
Gen. 9:4

It was the life-giving substance for flesh.

"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."
Gen. 9:6

It had value in God's eyes, and it was not to be treated lightly.

"And he shall put [some] of the blood upon the horns of the altar which [is] before the LORD, that [is] in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which [is at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
Lev. 4:18

It held a special place in the sacrifices made to God.

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Heb. 9:22

It is used to remove the presence of sins.

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Matt. 26:28

It was what Jesus would use to pay for the sins of His people.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God by their disobedience in the Garden of Eden, they sort of opened up a "bank account" if you will. Their sin put them in debt with the Almighty. However, when they sinned, they lost access to anything and everything that had value to God. Their flesh was now tainted by sin, so nothing of a physical nature could ever be applied against the debt. Their hearts were emnity against Him, so even their thoughts and desires were vile and base. Spiritually, they were dead, having died as they paid the wages earned by their sins.

They owed a million and didn't have a penny.

Yet, God in His mercy, showed them that there was a way to at least make the interest payments against the debt. Blood. It carried a value in the eyes of God.

It couldn't be the blood of another human, because we ALL are of a sinful nature in our flesh. Therefore, human blood was of no value. But, the blood of an animal, while not being able to do anything towards the debt, could at least appease God, in a limited, temporary way.

So, God showed man how to sacrifice animals to Him. The correct methods were recorded in much detail in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. And the Jewish people practiced these things for thousands of years.

But, like so many things in the Bible, this ritual pointed to an even bigger event to come.

Remember, the earth and everything that was in the land, sea and air belonged to Adam. And, when Adam turned from God, satan was able to gain control over the earth by gaining control of Adam. So, until and unless a man were to arise with the ability to "buy back" the rights to earth and all therein, earth would remain satan's by proxy.

When Jesus came to earth, He was fully God and yet fully man. He was fathered by God through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, so the line of inherited sin was broken. He was born of a human, virgin woman. This insured that He was genetically in the lineage of David, and Abraham, which both fulfilled prophecy and made him a legal successor of Adam and Eve.

By living a sinless life, Jesus possessed the most incredible substance ever known on earth: perfectly clean blood! Physically and spiritually, it was of infinite value in the eyes of God. This made Jesus the ultimate sacrifice for sinners.

When Jesus was killed upon the cross, satan probably knew the power of Christ's blood, but was probably thinking that by killing the physical body, there would be no way to go the extra step, and take back the title to the earth. It must have come as a terrible shock when Jesus, after being dead three days, resurrected into a glorified body.

So, when we look at the "new Adam", Jesus Christ, we see:

Physically perfect body, made in the likeness of the original body, but without the limitations placed on the human body since the curse at the fall of Adam.

Heart and soul, attuned perfectly to the will of God the Father, able to see the choice between good and evil, and to choose to do the good.

Spiritually, alive, vibrant and in total control of all things that the Father had given Him. He was, is, and will evermore be God and Savior.

Jesus also now had the capital with which to buy back the title to earth and all that is in it. But, instead of doing so immediately, He returned to heaven. He was going to make a new place for the millions of people that would be His very own people. Where God the Father had chosen the nation of Israel to be His people, Jesus was given a Bride, which is the Church--the whole of the body of those that believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Today, we await the return of Jesus, which is but mere moments from taking place. As soon as the last of His people have been harvested and brought into His house, Jesus will come back to take the Church away from the earth. While we are out of harms way, God's wrath will be poured out on those that remain in rebellion on earth.

And Jesus will take possession of what is His:

"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."

"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
Rev. 5:1-10

From Alpha to Omega, from first to last, the mercy and love of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit remains evident and abiding.

Maranatha!

Grace and Peace....

...Know Yourself

When we left off, satan had been banished to live upon the earth, along with those angels that had followed him in his treasonous uprising. This did not limit him from seeking an audience with God, as we see in Job:

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
Job 1:7

It did, however, put him under the "governorship", if you will, of the being that was in charge of taking care of the earth, Adam.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Gen. 1:26

Satan must have realized that if he could get Adam to turn from God and follow him, then not only would he get Adam, but he would also have control over that which was Adam's to have dominion over--all of the earth, and everything that was in it. As an added bonus, "over all the earth" would also include any and all decendents of Adam. Satan probably thought along the lines that Milton ascribed to him: "It is better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven."

We should stop and take a look at the condition of Adam, in reference to his physical, mental and spiritual being.

Adam was created in a state of maturity. We know this because he was put to work by God as shown:

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
Gen. 2:15

We also know that God has shown that He considers the age of twenty to be the point of adulthood, for performing service to Him. This comes from several passages in Numbers, such as this one:

"From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies."
Num. 1:3

I am of the opinion that Adam was about thirty years old when created. Why? Because, he [Adam] started his work for the Lord pretty quickly after being created. And Adam was an archtype of Jesus, who started His ministry about the age of thirty.

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit."
1 Cor. 15:45

Like wise, both Adam and Jesus were in need of a help meet, a person to share their walk through life and eternity with. Adam was given Eve. Jesus was given the Bride. We will undoubtedly see many more parallels as we proceed.

Mentally (the "heart" and "soul", that which makes us the individual that we are") was pure, for there was no sin by which to spoil it.

Spiritually, Adam was alive and able to communicate directly with God. They were unashamed to stand before God.

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
Gen. 2:25

It is also important to note, that neither Adam nor Eve were "untried" or "untested", and therefore had no opportunity to sin. There was always the opportunity to sin, for there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil standing before them in the garden. Adam and Eve had a free will at this time, and they chose daily to obey and love God.

Satan used this tree as the object for which he would inspire lust in Eve. By twisting God's words and presenting them to Eve, he evoked three different types of lust in her towards the fruit of the tree. In 1 John 2:16, we see the perfect description:

"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."

Compare that to the first half of Genesis 3:6...

"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,..."

As soon as she gave in to these lusts, she had committed to a path that would lead to certain death. As we see in the second part of that verse:

"...she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

Now, we have a bunch of things happening. Let's see what the results were for Adam.

Physically, he has gained wisdom alright. He now knows that he is naked before God. He tries to hide from His sight.

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
Gen. 3:7-8

Adam's soul was no longer filled with peace. He was afraid. He understood that he was no longer worthy to be in the presence of God Almighty.

Adam's spirit died at that moment. We can understand this because:

"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Rom. 6:23

Some might think this just means that the body will someday die because of sin. I don't think this is quite right. Why? Well, if that is the case, how can we Christians be raptured? Our bodies won't die, but they will be changed. If we sinned, something had to die. It was our spirit. As it is written:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Rom. 3:23

Since we have all sinned, either directly, or by inheritance, we all died in our spirit. This is why...

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
John 3:5

(As a side note, this verse is also the keystone for showing that abortion leads to children going to hell, unlike what many people believe. Except we be born of water (out of the birth canal, i.e. physically) and of the Spirit....)

So, Adam and Eve were now spiritually dead, with a soul that was no longer able to be in direct fellowship with God and a physical body that not only was attuned to lust but was cursed to fall apart over time.

Worst of all, they had aligned themselves with satan. And in so doing, they had surrendered their bodies and their hearts to him. Also, along with them came the "title deed" to planet earth, and all that existed on it.

Satan had adopted the family of man into his own.

However, there was a door opened to them. God, again full of love and mercy, with a foreknowledge that only He has, showed them a path. He made them clothing of animal skins.

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."
Gen. 3:21

And, in the process, he shed blood.

Next time, we will see where the path of blood lead us.

Grace and Peace....

Know Your Enemy....

Why was satan cast out of heaven?

And, what does it mean to you and me?

Let's take a look at a passage from the Book of Isaiah:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Isaiah 14:12-14

There are some people that believe this passage doesn't refer to satan, but instead to the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. Some are names of historical importance in the apologetics of Christian Doctrine, such as Calvin and Clarke.

I do believe they are wrong, at least in limiting what the Word of God can express.

There is little doubt that these words could well have been used to describe Nebuchadnezzar, as he was a sore enemy of Israel. However, there are many areas where the Bible presents prophecy that has multiple meanings. The key to discerning these areas is to look for harmony in the Scriptures. If there is a passage that is single-ended, it will be very clear in that limit. And, when there is more than one layer to a prophecy's fulfillment, that too will be clear.

We are given descriptions of satan, and the actions of those that follow him.

"And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel."
1 Chro. 21:1

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
Job 1:7

"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?"
Job 1:9

"But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."
Job 1:11

"And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"
Zec. 3:2

"But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
Matt. 16:23

"And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."
Mark 4:15

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:"
Luke 22:31

There are more, but just in these passages we see satan described as: one that provokes, who has free access to the earthly realm, an accuser, an agent of harm and destruction, someone who is under the command of God Almighty, one who can influence people on earth covertly, a creature that can pervert and hide the influences of the Word of God, a being that can petition God to attack us. As I think you will see, these descriptions show a creature that can be quoted as saying those things we read in Isaiah 14.

So, what we see in the Isaiah passage is an accounting of satan's "Five I Wills."

• I will ascend into heaven
• I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
• I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north
• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
• I will be like the most High

This is an amazing amount of arrogance, considering that satan is just a created being.

In wanting to ascend into heaven, he was displaying a desire to have heaven as his home; his base of operations. This sounds sort of innocent enough, until you realize that heaven is the habitation of God Almighty and His family. By wanting this, satan was wanting to have a part in the royal line, without going through the process that such required (such as being God's Son, or being adopted into the family through God's grace, as delivered by the works of Jesus.)

If satan had gotten his way, he would have had his personal position of status (his throne) promoted to the point where he would have been over the "stars of God." The generally accepted interpretation of this is that satan wanted to be in command of the angelic hosts of heaven. He wanted to be the big boss of all the angels. That was a job that belonged to God. Sure, there's something to be said for wanting to take on bigger responsibilities, but this was just insane. And, it was treasonous.

What about sitting on the mount of the congregation? The word that is translated as "congregation" is the Hebrew word "mow'ed." That word is found in a couple other interesting places:

"In the tabernacle of the congregation [mow'ed] without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel."
Exo. 27:21

"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation [mow'ed]."
Exo. 33:7

When coupled with the "sides of the north", one can derive a possible idea of what satan is after. A "tabernacle of the congregation" that was on the north side of a hill was the temple of God on Mount Moriah, in Jerusalem. Is this satan wanting to be the primary angel over the Jewish people? Is it a desire to sit in the place of God? Is it a lust of his to be seen by God's people? I can't say for sure, but one has to again look at the Bible for harmony with itself. And, this could well be that harmony:

"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
Dan. 9:27

Sound like if satan can't have it, he'll have his man destroy it!

Satan wanted to ascend above the clouds. Now, if he had already desired to ascend into heaven, why is he interested in clouds?

"And then shall they see the Son of man [Jesus] coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
Mark 13:26

Satan was quite possibly wanting a position of glory even above that of Jesus our Savior! In the eye of his ego, satan believed he was worthy of such glory. After all, he was filled with light, beautiful, talented beyond imagination musically. And yet, ego spoiled it all.

Finally, satan gets to the point he was after all along. He declares that he will be like the most High. It appears that his ultimate goal was to be a co-ruler with God Almighty!

With a third of the angels of heaven joining him, satan led a revolt against YHWH. This ended with the rebels being booted out of their positions of service to God in heaven, and having to take up residency on earth. Even here, God showed extreme patience and mercy towards satan by not destroying him.

Next time, we'll see how satan repays the favor....

Grace and Peace....

Psalm 43: Historic Song - Modern Prayer

"Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou [art] the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God."

Psalms 43:1-5

Historically, it is believed that this psalm was written by David, when Jonathan told him of Saul's intent to kill him. If this is true or not doesn't change the fact that it is obviously a passage written while under pressure. Each of the five verses carries a "motive" which can be used to better understand what is the intent of the passage. Let's take a look....

"Plea"

"Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man."

The phrase "Judge me, O God" has been identified in Adam Clarke's Commentary as being "a forensic term, properly enough translated, plead my cause, be my councillor and advocate." David is asking God to stand in his stead.

"...against an ungodly nation" is probably in reference to Babylon, the very nation that would destroy the first temple (Solomon's Temple) on the 9th of Av, 586 B.C.

"O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man." This was thought to be Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.

"Recognition"

"For thou [art] the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

Here, in the first part of the verse, David recognizes God for who He is and that God provides David's strength.


"...why dost thou cast me off?" David is asking why God is ignoring him. He goes on to ask he is being allowed to continue to suffer the attacks from the enemy.

"Request"

"O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles."

David's request is simple: Lead me! He asks God to use His light and truth as guides that will lead him to a point where he can be in the presense of God.

"Response"

"Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God."

Some might say this is trying to bargain with God: You do this for me, and I'll do this for you. I don't think so. Instead, this is more of a "this is what I will do as soon as you allow it" type of statement. When the oppression is lifted, there will be songs and praises of joy sacrificed unto God.

"Renewal"

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.

Notice that David doesn't wait until after God acts before starting the renewal process. As soon as he has presented his case to God, he acts with the confidence that God will hear his prayers and will respond. David says that he will continue to praise God, and that God is the source of his happiness, and that He is his God. Now, no where does it say that God will answer David's prayers immediately. But, David knows God WILL answer, in accordance with God's will and in God's time.

So, how does this become a "modern prayer"? When we read this passage as Christians, we can see how it directly applies to us now.

"Plea"

We ask Jesus, the Son of God, to be our councellor and advocate.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
1 John 2:1

We are under oppression of an ungodly nation.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]."
Eph. 6:12

And we ask to be delivered from a deceitful and unjust man.

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
2 Cor. 11:14-15

"Recognition"

We are aware that we must continue, with patience, for a purpose.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Pet. 3:9

"Request"

What is it that we ask of God?

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
1 Thes. 4:16-17

"Response"

What is it that we will do when God grants us permission?

"Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
Rev. 20:6

"Renewal"

Where can we find comfort while awaiting God's actions on our behalf?

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
Rom. 15:13

Be encouraged by these words. God has heard(and is hearing) the prayers of us, His children. And soon we shall be with our savior, Jesus Christ, forevermore.

Grace and Peace....

You Will Have Heard The Warning Here First....

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth [will let], until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: [Even Him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
2 Thes. 2:1-12

OK, all you folks out there that will either now, or sometime very soon, be reading this post. If you do not belong to the family of God Almighty, if you do not believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, if you are not sealed by the Holy Spirit, the you are being set up even as we speak. There are things taking place NOW, that will lead to the damnation of many, many people, being cursed to burn for all eternity in the lake of fire. Let me warn you now. That way, my warning might lead you into seeking the Lord Jesus, which would lead to being in His family for all eternity, to reign with Him, and to serve Him. And, if you hear this, and are not led into His salvation, then these words will stand against you as a witness to your rebellion against YHWH and His one and only Son, Jesus.

There is a mighty push to validate several ideas that, up until a few years ago, would have landed a person in a rubber room. Such things as UFOs being real.

UFO Bombshell Announcement CNN to Bring forth USG military Officials

More and more, the world is trying to make this out to be a truth. And, people are hungry to believe anything that moves them further away from God.

Lord Maitraya - messiah, coming to save the planet.

New Age folks are gearing up to present what THEY want in a messiah, with lots of environmentalism, social justice and harmonic convergence.

Many people see out-of-body experiences as opportunities to preview heaven.

For those that want the "I am god" experience, there will be no problem finding people to support you.

Whether or not there is a God, or a messiah, "longing for the end" is not an acceptable way to proceed for the world. It is entirely senseless even from a christian point of view.

And let's not forget that there are lots of "unchristian Christians" that will be more than happy to cater to your every whim and want.

Having taken a look at all the garbage that is being flung in people's faces by satan, let's see what the Bible is saying to us.

Verses one and two above say it in a nutshell: The day of Christ is at hand. Yes, people have been saying that for over two-thousand years. But, they were not looking at the various prophecies that had to take place prior to the return of Jesus. Now, there's nothing wrong with having had the great hope of rapture all the way back to the very first day after Jesus ascended into heaven. But, there were things like Israel having to become a whole nation again that had to take place first.

Those things HAVE happened. There is not a single thing left in prophecy that must be fulfilled before the rapture.

In verses three and four, we are told that there must be a falling away before the man that is the antichrist is revealed. The word for "falling away" is the Greek word αποστασια (apostasia - to defect from the truth, although some scholars translate it as 'to be forcibly pulled away'.) So, either Christians (by label only) have to turn away from the truth of the gospel, or the rapture has to happen to "pull us away." Either way, it is (or will very soon be) happening. And the person that is to be recognized as the antichrist is described in ways that should lead a person to flee from him in total fear, if they are left behind.

Verses five through seven explains why things aren't as bad as they could (and very soon will) be. The Spirit of God is holding things back. That doesn't mean that satan isn't hard at work, preparing for his one shot at beating Jesus (which, we know will fail completely...but that isn't stopping the devil from trying!)

In verses eight through ten, we see what the ultimate outcome will be. After satan has made his best play for total world domination, Jesus will return (the second time, and this time to stay) and will destroy all of satan's power, signs and lying wonders.

At this point, though, we hit the motherlode of this passage; the power line charged with a million volts of truth.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
2 Thes. 2:11-12

God is going to let people have exactly what they want. As we've seen above, there will be many opportunities to find the lies that mankind naturally seeks.

When we Christians are taken off the face of earth, the Holy Spirit is going to step back and let satan and man enjoy an orgy of lies. The rapture will be explained by many different stories--all but one of them being wrong:

• Random people taken by UFOs.
• The "unenlightened" having entered a new dimention where we can be "re-educated" into the "cosmic mind."
• Killed in terrorist actions.
• Pulling a "hoax" on the people worldwide.
• Lots of "ect., ect., ect."

However, there is one story that will be totally truthful. That is the one that people will find in the Bible. That story will be how Jesus called us to join Him in the air, and to retire to heaven for seven years while God pours out His wrath on a deserving world.

There will be some that will believe that story. It will be a despised story, hated with a murderous hatred. Most people won't put up with those that believe this way.

Many people will be killed for thinking this way. But, in exchange for giving up their life on earth, they will be given a new, perfect life for eternity.

Our Father in heaven knows how to reward those that love Him and His Son.

So, you all know now what's coming. You've been warned. There is no avoiding the simple fact that every person will do one of two things: Believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as Lord and Savior...or, spend year after year after decade after century after millenium after eon--forever and ever--tormented in the lake of fire.

Decide now! You may not have another chance before the delusion is released upon the people of earth.

Grace and Peace....

Litmus Test

Sometimes it falls upon every Christian to have to deal with self-doubt. We all have asked ourselves if we really are saved, if we really are doing what we are supposed to be doing. These questions are not at all uncommon. And, as long as we see them as the satanic whisperings into our ear that they are, and not some massive flaw on the part of salvation, then we can endure them. They are just fiery darts being cast at us by the enemy ("Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Eph. 6:16)

So, how about I show you a "litmus test" that will prove that the Lord is, in fact, in you, and taking care of you? Take a look at this verse:

"Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled."
Titus 1:15

We see here that there is a complete split between saved and unsaved. The saved amongst us are πᾶς καθαρός ὁ καθαρός (pas katharos ho katharos - "all that is clean is clean".) Everyone that has been justified (been made innocent) from their sins has been made clean. Likewise, those that are clean are completely clean.

On the other side of the coin, you have those that are not saved. These live with hatred toward God. In the unregenerated man, nothing is pure. Because they are spiritually dead, their mind, their conscience, both are driven by the lusts of the flesh. Every aspect of their lives is defiled and unclean before God.

Knowing this split exists, and that the differences are so well defined, we have the basis for our test.

Here is the question I ask of you:

The commandments and statutes of the Lord--do they make you feel...

(A) Happy inside, do they make you feel enlightened when you read and study them?

Or, do they...

(B) Make you sad, or angry, or do they make you feel depressed?

If your answer is (A), please consider the following verse:

"The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes."
Psalms 19:8

One of the nice effects of having been born again spiritually is that the purity obtained seeks it's own. We rejoice in the Word of God, our Savior. Even when we fail to live up to His expectations, we see the commandments of God not as condemnation that threatens, but as salvation that promises.

If you answered (B), then you should consider this:

"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3:18

Those that do not believe in Jesus Christ will find that the Word of God convicts, it presses, it deflates. It will provoke fear in some, rage in others. The defilement formed from the hatred that the unsaved have toward our Father is inflamed in the presence of the righteousness of God.

So, when satan starts pestering you that you are somehow not "making the grade" as a Christian, then remember this little test. And, keep in mind how this applies in view of these parting words:

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
John 3:20-21

Grace and Peace....

Where Hot Air Comes From....

I have recently read an article that shed a lot of light on why the Al Gore-ites of environmental extremism think and behave as they do. Below is that article.

================================

Global Warming and the Definition of Sin
By Bob DeWaay

In early 2006 PBS contacted Jan Markell and asked to send a camera crew to film her radio show if she would do one on global warming. They were looking for her response to the global warming statement signed by evangelicals such as Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, and Leif Anderson. Jan asked me to join her because of my background in science. I studied chemical engineering at Iowa State University and took classes like organic chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, etc. One thing that we worked with was the combustion of hydrocarbons, which is at issue in the global warming debate.

Since there was a possibility that Jan and I would end up on national TV (we did not), I did extensive research to make sure I could speak intelligently on the topic. This research included reading the entirety of Al Gore’s book Earth in the Balance. Now Gore is back in the news because of his movie on this topic and the Peace Prize. I am not interacting with Gore for political reasons, but for theological ones. Politicians from both major parties have gotten involved with the issue of global warming including the Republican governor of California Arnold Schwarzeneger who has been in the news for similar reasons as Gore. But Gore has become the key spokesperson on the issue.

Reading Gore’s book gave me a first hand glimpse at what the world looks like through the eyes of what is essentially a pagan worldview. What I mean by that is that Gore defines sin in such a way that being a normal human being is a sin on par with Hitler and Nazi Germany. Furthermore there is no forgiveness for this sin and no possible redemption.

Let me back up and explain how Gore sees the world and arrives at his conclusions. First we need a short lesson in the combustion of hydrocarbons. Life is possible on Planet Earth because of the unique properties of carbon. It can be bonded with itself and hydrogen (and other) molecules in myriads of ways. For example, when studying organic chemistry, I learned about the heme molecule that makes it possible for the cells of our body to have the necessary oxygen to burn hydrocarbons as fuel. My professor drew a diagram of that molecule and said that if one carbon-carbon bond in this molecule was different we would all be dead because this molecule could not carry oxygen to the cells of our body. The moment I heard that, I rejected evolution and came to believe that God created the world.

The unique properties of carbon are such that combustible hydrocarbons are found everywhere on Planet Earth. When I was studying at Iowa State, the pollution issue (I wrote a paper on air pollution for one of my classes in 1970) was the presence of such things as compounds of sulfur and nitrogen that do not burn cleanly like a pure hydrocarbon does. All hydrocarbons are converted to carbon dioxide and water when they burn. But the impurities in coal, for example, caused byproducts such as sulfur dioxide to be dumped into the atmosphere. Thus when I was studying this in the early 70’s acid rain was the big issue. But this sort of pollution has been largely eliminated through better technology. Cars and coal burning utilities now burn much more cleanly which means that as we approach the pure burning of hydrocarbons, most of the exhaust is carbon dioxide and water. The result is cleaner air.

But now there is a new development. Many in the environmental movement have defined CO2 (carbon dioxide) as a pollutant, a noxious “gas.” They use the phrase “green house gas” because the term “gas” sounds like something poisonous. But oxygen is a gas as well. Having defined a normal byproduct of all burning of hydrocarbons as a noxious gas, those who produce it are deemed guilty of sinning against the natural world. Gore’s book likened those who produce CO2 to the Nazi’s of WWII. He urges that people join a “resistance movement” like some did during that war. He uses WWII analogies throughout his book with “industrial civilization” playing the role of Hitler and environmental activists playing the role of noble “resistance fighters.” Gore writes, “Today, most of the world is looking the other way, pretending not to notice industrial civilization’s terrible onslaught against the natural world.” His book is filled with terms such as “onslaught, siege, evil forces, and terrible, moral consequences.”

But if we step back and more carefully examine the issue, we see that our “sin” as defined by this neo-pagan worldview is that of going about ordinary life. The “evil” that is being perpetrated is that humans have multiplied on the face of the earth and humans, every last one of us, are producers of the “noxious gas” CO2. Every one of the 6 billion people on the earth has to find food, breath air, build some time of shelter, and have transportation. These activities require the combustion of hydrocarbons in one way or another. Humans have been putting CO2 into the environment since they discovered how to light a fire!

The problem, according to Gore, is that we have gotten too good at it. The more “industrialized” we become the more hydrocarbons we burn. So the primitive villager with a small garden, a hut, who cooks with an open fire produces much less CO2 than someone who drives too and from work, has electricity in his house, and lives in a climate controlled environment. Therefore those of us who fit that category are the worse sinners. In fact our evil is even likened to the “holocaust” in Gore’s book. That also shows neo-pagan thinking because something inanimate, earth, elevated to the status of humans created in God’s image. But in that worldview, humans are piling guilt and sin upon ourselves day after day because we go about such activities as driving to work, cooking our food, heating our houses, and breathing air. According to neo-pagan environmentalists, we must be stopped for the sake of Planet Earth.

Gore has been recently called a hypocrite because he lives in a house where he uses 20 times the national average amount of energy. He replied by pointing out that he pays extra for the privilege by buying “offsets.” Debra J. Saunders wrote a column that ran in the March 7th, 2007 editorial page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune entitled “Carbon indulgences for the modern sinner.” She compared Gore’s purchase of “offsets” for his $30,000 a year energy bill for his Nashville home to the type of “indulgences” for sin sold by the Catholic Church before the Reformation. So I am not the only one to notice that Gore has defined the use of energy as “sin.” In his case he is rich enough to offset his sin through paying extra money for the privilege. Saunders followed that editorial with one published in the April 20, 2007 Star Tribune that accused Governor Schwarzenegger of similar hypocrisy: “The gas-guzzling governator is on the cover of Newsweek. The Austrian Oak is now global warming’s jolly green giant.”

But in his mind, Gore and cohorts are the heroes of the world fighting the evil the rest of us are perpetrating:

As individuals, today’s resistance fighters often share the character traits psychologists found in those from World War II. Whether these new fighters live in Africa, Asia, Latin America, or environmentally stressed areas of the industrial world, they are in most cases ordinary people with a deeply embedded sense of right and wrong . . . and a stubborn refusal to bend their principles even when the opposing force appears invincible and even deadly.

These heroes are fighting the sinners (ordinary people who do not sign up for their mission).

Neo-pagans define “sin” as some mass activity that society is doing that results in life that is less than paradise on earth. They decry unhappy circumstances as the result of the sin of “industrial society.” While defending the individual’s right to kill unborn babies, commit homosexual acts, or engage in other behaviors the Bible calls “sin,” they indict the mass of ordinary people as being guilty of unmitigated wickedness. So how do we “repent” of the sin of putting CO2 into the earth’s atmosphere? The only way any individual could stop sinning in this manner is to die!

Some radical environmentalists (not Gore) have suggested that the only hope is for most of the humans on earth to die. Gore, carrying on his WWII analogy, calls for an environmental “Marshal Plan.” He wants to stop population growth. The problem is that 6 billion people cannot survive without producing massive amounts of CO2. The reason so many people are able to live is because of human resourcefulness in using energy to produce food, heat, and shelter. Plus, the information age has made technology reproducible around the world so that countries with huge populations, such as China, are now joining the industrial revolution in a big way. And unlike the United States, China has been relatively unconcerned about any environmental issues.

The irony about Gore and other neo-pagans, is that the reason people in the United States have cared about such things as clean air (CO2 does not make air “unclean” or harmful until about 5000 ppm and even with industrialization the atmosphere contains about 350 ppm and plant life flourishes because of it) clean water, and disposing of waste in a way that harms neither the environment or the beauty of the land, is because we have been heavily influenced by moral values from the Bible. We believe that humans are created in God’s image and are responsible for caring for the rest of the creation. Al Gore erases the distinction between man and the rest of the creation and claims that God’s image is not uniquely in man, but that all of creation is like a hologram image with the whole picture present in each part. His theology emphasizes immanence at the expense of God’s transcendence. Carrying on his hologram analogy, Gore writes, “By experiencing nature in its fullest—our own and that of all creation—with our senses and with our spiritual imagination, we can glimpse, ‘bright shining as the sun,’ an infinite image of God.”[v] Only Jesus Christ could say, “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father.” Gore attributes Christ like attributes to the entire creation.

The problem with the immanent theology of neo-pagans is that once the transcendent is believed to be in the creation (panentheism) and humans are no longer considered uniquely created in the image of God, humans also have no reason to see them selves as stewards of the creation. Why should we be the ones responsible when in fact we are not unique? If God is in all of creation, then evidently God who is in the creation should be able to take care of Himself (creation). Gore even cites James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis approvingly which in the hands of neo-pagans turns the earth itself into a self-regulating goddess.

The result of deifying the creation has historically produced the destruction of creation. Vishal Mangalwadi has brilliantly pointed out that in his native India where the earth has long been considered a “goddess” the environment has been trashed for centuries and that Christian missionary William Carey worked to preserve the environment as well as the rights of abused women. Gore’s idea of adopting a theology that in some way deifies the creation so that we will respect it ignores that fact that this has not been the case where pagan nature cults have held sway.

Holding neo-pagan ideals and then redefining “sin” to cover nearly every aspect of living an ordinary life as a human being is to create ultimate hopelessness. Gore writes, “The struggle to save the global environment is in one way much more difficult than the struggle to vanquish Hitler, for this time the war is with ourselves.” Yes indeed we the evil doers must be vanquished before we drive to work one more time and emit CO2 on the way. Our “sin” is that we have obeyed God’s command to Noah after the flood: “And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it” (Genesis 9:7). Having done so we have become Hitler incarnate and must go to war against ourselves. Furthermore, if indeed producing CO2 is a sin, then God was very pleased with Noah’s sin: “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done’” (Genesis 8:20, 21). Noah was releasing CO2 into the atmosphere and God was pleased!

What is hopeless about the neo-pagan definition of sin is that there is no forgiveness, no redemption, and no way to stop sinning. There is only varying degrees of guilt depending on one’s “carbon footprint.” Since we have already been defined as “Hitlers” and we cannot stop sinning without dying, we can only chose to have a lot of guilt (or buy indulgences as some rich people do) or a little guilt. But since we cannot escape the status of guilty sinners, most of us just keep driving our cars to work. Evidently the only “redemption” in this system is to become a neo-pagan environmental activist.

Either global warming caused by humans producing CO2 is true or it is false. If it is true and a collapse of the ecosystem is thereby at hand, then there is only one recourse—repent and believe the gospel. We are indeed sinners and we are so not because of making CO2, but because of breaking God’s moral law. But Jesus Christ died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust to bring us to God (1Peter 3:18). The earth is indeed facing a cataclysmic end, but that end will be because of God’s judgment against the wicked world that spurns Him and His Savior, not because people breathe, cook, and heat their houses.

If CO2 induced global warming is false, then we are being brow beaten into a guilty state over nothing. But even if the global environment is not about to go haywire and make life on earth a living hell, God’s wrath is still directed against our sins. Therefore we should repent and believe the gospel. The blood of Jesus averts God’s wrath against the sins of those who trust in Him. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news, the “gospel” of enviromentalism produces a permanent state of guilt and hopelessness.

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I hope that this article was informational and educational. If you wish to find out more about this or other writings of this type, feel free to visit this site:

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/

Grace and Peace....

The Essentials Of Romans 8 (Part 9)

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rom. 8:37-39

In these last two verses of chapter 8, Paul is summing up what has been stated thus far. It is noteworthy to look at the Greek that provides the word "persuaded." It is rooted in the Greek πεπεισμαι (peitho), which means "to convince by argument." Paul has been led to deliver a concise presentation of "how we got from the depths of the grave to the audience of God." He has taught us about our state of sin-induced death, and the lusts of the flesh. We've seen how our belief, through the imparted faith that God has given us, is accounted as righteousness. He has led us up the ladder that went from God's foreknowledge of us, through His predestination of our lives, to His active calling of us from our lives of total God-hate. He has shown how, by the work of Jesus on the cross, we have been adopted into God's family, and how this was made possible through our justification through the sacrifice of Jesus. We saw how, at the top of this ladder, we reach our glorification along side our loving Savior.

Paul sent us word that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. We simply can't be fallen away; we can't be snatched out of the hand of Jesus. We have also been warned that, if Jesus was abused by the world, we can expect to follow Him in that way also.

So, what has all of this led Paul to conclude?

That neither death nor life, not angels, not basic governments nor mighty powers, nothing that exists now nor anything that may exist in the future, not any high things nor the deepest, most mysterious things, not even any other created thing, has the ability to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Having said all of this, a person has to see some obvious conclusions.

If a person is called by God, they WILL be saved. It is just simply not possible to resist a true calling.

If a person believes in Jesus Christ, believes that He is God's Son, believes that He died as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of His people, that person is an adopted child of God Almighty.

If that person is such a child, then he will lose this life, but he will gain a new life that will last for all eternity.

That eternal life will be as an heir, a brother (or sister) to the King of Kings.

If that person is of royal adoption, then this life may be a very hard, very rough, very painful one. But, the children of God are promised that they will be victorious.

A blink of an eye that is this life, in exchange for a forever filled with happiness, peace and love as part of an utterly HUGE family.

If you, dear reader, are feeling the calling of God to believe in His Son, Jesus, please, do not resist--do not delay.

This eternity awaits those that will submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and King. It all can start with a simple prayer, where you admit your guilt of having sinned (disobeyed) God. Ask that your sins be washed away by the shed blood of Jesus. Turn away from your sinful ways, and ask that Jesus take your life and make it His own.

There is no better feeling, no more comforting knowledge, than to know that your faults, your trespassess, your sins, are washed away. To know that the man that died for YOU is alive, in control, and awaiting the day when He can welcome His people into His arms forever.

Grace and Peace....

The Essentials Of Romans 8 (Part 8)

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth. Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

Rom. 8:32-37

He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. As we start our studies today, we begin by seeing a perfect picture of God Almighty, and just where He stands in all of these things. God was the one who didn't spare His son. He knew what had to happen in order to redeem to Himself a new family. Because of our sins, we were bound by the requirements of God's law. And according to that law:

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Heb. 9:22

There had to be a sacrifice. And that sacrifice had to be equal to the challenge of covering the sins of an entire body of people. Animal blood was not up to this challenge, or else sin would have been erased from the Jewish people back in the Old Testament days. It had to be human. But, it also had to be unblemished. And every human that was directly descended from Adam had an innate sinful nature passed down from generation to generation. So, the only method of forever releasing people from bondage to sin required a human that was not only part of the human lineage, but separate from that lineage. That required a man to be born of a Jewish woman (part of the human line) yet without a human father (separate from the bloodline of sin.) The only answer to this problem was God's own Son, Jesus.

So, God did not spare His Son. Instead, He delivered Him up. In Greek, the word root that is translated "delivered" is παρεδωκεν, which means to surrender. Jesus was not forcibly taken. He was willfully surrendered to the sacrifice by God. And for whom was He sacrificed? For us all. Now, here is an interesting point for defining our doctrine. Many people use this as a verse showing that Jesus was an atonment for all mankind. But, when we look at the context, we know that this is part of the passage that was talking to those that were adopted into the family of God. In other words, "for us all" is in referrence to those adopted children. And we know from our earlier readings that those children were called out from their existance of hatred towards God. Jesus died for those that are called to be His joint heirs. Every person that is to belong to Him WILL be saved.

The last part of verse thirty-two has an unusual translation. This is because of the tense of the word χαρισεται (Greek: charizomai, to grant as a favor.) Another way to read this verse could well be:

"Along with Him [Jesus], how could He [God] not [now and from this time onward] freely give to us [the adopted children] all things?"

Sometimes, Greek into English just don't go! But, the verse ends by making the point that there's just no way that God wouldn't be just as willing to give to the adopted children everything that He would give to Jesus. And this shows harmony with what we've already seen about us being joint heirs with Jesus through our adoption.

Verses thirty-three, thirty-four and thirty-five are a series of challenges and answers. In verse thirty-three, Paul asks (to paraphrase):

Q: Who can lay a charge against those that were called by God Himself?
A: Nobody can, because it was God Himself that brought about our new innocence from sin.

Here is the first "My Dad is bigger than your dad." There is no creature in all of God's creation that can call us accountable for our sins, because God, through the work of Jesus on the cross, has caused each of His new kids to be reborn as clean, innocent people. And, let's face it, if God makes something clean, it is clean indeed!

Verse thirty-four continues with:

Q: Who is able to condemn the actions of these new children?
A: Nobody can, because Jesus (who died and rose again to stand alive at the right hand of God) will intercede on the behalf of those people.

Even when we do something sinful AFTER we have been born again, Jesus is there, standing up for us in the audience of God Almighty. Let's take a quick look at an example of what goes on in the Audience of God....

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 1:6-12

Even to this day, satan still goes before God to accuse and condemn. But, now satan has to contend with our Most Excellent Councilor, Jesus. In this circumstance, we might well see something along these lines take place:

Satan says, "God, this person, Joe Somebody, claims to be your child. But, he just stole money from his business and cussed out another person on the street. These are offenses that, by Your own law, require him to condemned to eternal death.

Jesus says, "Father, this same person was given by You to me. I shall lose none of my own, because I shed my blood to pay for all of his sins. He is, therefore, justified in Your sight as am I.

God's verdict, "This man belongs to my Son. He is guilty of those charges, but the punishment has already been rendered onto my Son. He shall not suffer eternal death, but because he is not submitting himself to my will, he is not entitled to the peace and life that would otherwise be his.

Now, of course, this is just one way that this could have turned out. But, the example is clear of how Jesus now comes to the defense of His people in the sight of God. Jesus is the ONLY one able to do this. There is no room for Mary to get involved, no old dead saints...Jesus only! As it is written"

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

In verse thirty-five, the question asked is:

Q: Who can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?
A: No one, no thing can! Nothing!

Not even WE can do it. If we are part of God's family, a member of the bride of Jesus, sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, after all the work that God has done to get us into His family, there is not a single thing in God's creation that can take us away. It is more than just an adoption, but a joining of the same type as marriage (since we ARE the bride of Christ). And, it has the same restriction place upon it:

"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
Mark 10:9

That being said, however, doesn't mean that we are going to just skate through this life untouched. Remember, we have surrendered our life to Jesus. And Jesus, even as the Son of God, was yet executed on earth. We are no better than Him, and we must expect that, at any time, we may be called upon to face pain and death.

Paul makes that clear, by showing some of those things that might befall us. But, he instructs us in this as an example of just how powerless those things are to remove us from our God and Savior:

• tribulation - θλῖψις (thlipsis), pressure or burdens
  
• distress - στενοχωρια (stenochoria), calamity, anguish
  
• persecution - διωγμος (diogmos), such as pursued for punishment
  
• famine - λιμος (limos), hunger, scarcity of food
  
• nakedness - γυμνοτης (gumnotes), nudity, either absolute or as in lacking something
  
• peril - κινδυνος (kindunos), danger or threat
  
• sword - μαχαιρα (machaira), either war, or harsh judicial punishments
  

For over two-thousand years, the children of God have endured these things. There is no doubt that, until the rapture, even more of our brothers and sisters will be subjected to such. After all, Paul quotes Psalms 44:22 in the next verse:

"Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter."

Does this mean that we are hopeless? Are we too insignificant to be of concern to God? Is Jesus too weak to protect us? Is there really a sealing of the Holy Spirit in us, or is it just our imagination?

God forbid! The mere seconds that make up this physical life are but an eye blink in the grand scale of eternity. Yes, we may suffer here. But, this life passes. We might be forced to submit to a horrible, tortured death for His name. Or, we might be predestined to live a long, easy life followed by a peaceful death in our sleep. It really doesn't matter. Because, if we are His people, then we will enter eternity as members of the royal family of God! We can rest assured that He will see to it that we will win our victor's crown at the end of this race. So, should we be worried about ANYTHING of this life? I'll let Paul answer that question:

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Rom. 8:37

Conquerors. Let's look at that word in Greek. It's υπερνικωμεν, which means, to vanquish beyond, or to gain a decisive victory. It isn't just winning the battle by the skin of our teeth. It's total victory, where the enemy is in ruins. We don't just cross the finish line according to this, but we shoot across, leaving all others behind, eating dust. And how do we accomplish this amazing, astounding victory over all of our enemies?

Through Him that loved us.

There just really isn't anything more to be said. That covers every single aspect of what Christianity is all about.

Next time, Paul delivers his closing argument.

Grace and Peace....