Archive for March, 2010

Unholy Christianity

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 27:  Jael Phelps a membe...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Since the escalation of Islamic terrorism, we have often heard that true Muslims do not believe in violence. Why then didn’t so-called moderate Muslims stand up and condemn the atrocities that their radical brothers perpetrated? It has been rare indeed to find an Islamic spiritual leader who will point to passages in the Koran and say publicly that those who practice hate are not true Muslims.

Now we Christians are faced with a similar situation. We have so-called Christians in the news doing things that are completely contrary to the teachings of the Bible, and especially of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What about the Hutaree Christian militia group that planned to kill policemen in the hope that their rebellion would bring down the government. Are they Christian just because they say they are, when everything they stand for is contrary to the teachings of the Prince of Peace?

And what could be a worse representation of Christianity than the hateful picketing and heckling of the perverse Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church at the funerals of servicemen who have died protecting their countrymen?

Here is just one of many places in the Bible that show that these are false Christians:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. – 1 John 4:7-12 (NIV)

Christians everywhere need to rise up and condemn these hateful misrepresentations of our faith. Christian leaders must take a stand against these and other unbiblical practices. If we don’t, we will deserve the persecution that the media and the Devil want to bring against us.


Apostasy – Prophecy Central

Why America Is Not Mentioned In Prophecy

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Prophecy students often notice that America does not seem to be mentioned in last-days prophecy. Of course Israel and her neighbors are central to the predictions of future events. A renewed form of the Roman Empire is seen in Daniel. In Ezekiel’s war of “Gog and Magog” Russia is prominent, along with an Islamic alliance including Iran and Libya. But where is the mighty superpower of the 21st Century, the United States of America?

Some have thought we are mentioned in Ezekiel 38:13 as one of the “young lions” of what might be the old British Empire. But that is not convincing today since Great Britain is not all that powerful and the United States is obviously no longer a British colony.

Others have thought America could be equated directly with Babylon the Great at the point of her future destruction in Revelation 17 and 18. But that is too great a stretch, and there are far better explanations of Babylon in the last days.

So, what happens to the United States between now and the likely near-future unfolding of the end times scenario?

There are several possibilities. One theory is that the war of Gog and Magog will take place before the rise of Antichrist’s final world empire. It could be the war of the Second Seal of Revelation 6:3-4. That series of events, described in Ezekiel 36 through 39, includes the rebirth of the nation of Israel and an attack against her once she is living in peace and safety. Israel was reborn in 1948 in magnificent fulfillment of this prophecy, but she has not yet enjoyed peace. That peace could be achieved any time now, setting the stage for the attack of Russia and an Islamic force against Israel. Ezekiel’s prophecies about this war say that Israel’s enemies will be destroyed by fire and brimstone. This, of course, could describe a nuclear exchange. What if Iran were to use a nuclear weapon against Israel? Wouldn’t the response also threaten to involve the United States in an unwanted nuclear exchange? If that did happen, it is not likely that the United States would still be a powerful world-player after that war.

Another likely scenario would be that America will have suffered a financial collapse by the time of the last days, and would still exist, but not be a super-power. That is exactly what many political and financial analysts are saying about our current course. The unconscionable spending of recent legislation, with its inevitable tax burden on future citizens could easily be the real reason for the demise of America as anything more than another cog in the European socialistic machinery that Antichrist will use for his economic dictatorship (Revelation 13).

In either of these cases, The United States will not be gone in the last days. We will just not be worth mentioning.

Precursor of the Mark of the Beast

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

NEW YORK - MAY 20:  In this photo illustration...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666. – Rev 13:16-18

The Bible predicts that there will come a day when every person must be registered in a world-wide economic system. This will be a permanent universal credit device without which no one can buy or sell anything. It will be imposed by “the beast” (Antichrist), and will be accompanied by a physical “mark.”

That day just got a little closer with the proposal of a senate bill that would require all American workers to have a National ID Card that could not be used by someone else. That means that the card would contain biometric information – probably digitized fingerprints. Americans have always been reluctant to have this kind of registration since it is seen as an invasion of their privacy. It might start, as in this proposed bill, as a permit to work, but it would undoubtedly be used for tracking individual health, purchases, travel, voting, and anything else “big brother” would like to know.

The legislation is a result of President Obama’s desire to see Congress enact immigration legislation this year. To give the bill a bipartisan start, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham will cosponsor the measure.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind here. First, the mark itself is not our individual identification number. The Bible says it is “the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Antichrist will be energized by the Devil, who always wanted to be worshipped as god. Wearing his “mark” would be the equivalent of a Christian wearing a cross. But this mark – probably a visible or invisible tattoo, will be his name or his distinctive number. There are many possible numbering systems that could be used, but no one knows yet what it will be, and the Bible says we can not know who Antichrist will be until the Holy Spirit ceases to be the restrainer of sin. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). This would be during the Tribulation when true Christians have been taken away by the Rapture of the Church. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

The second thing to remember is that the actual device could be like a credit card or smart card, but in order to keep people from losing it, it could be an implanted radio-frequency identification device (RFID) similar to the ones already being placed under the skin of pets and some humans.

All of this means we are getting closer than ever to Our Lord’s return for His Church!

ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan – Wall Street Journal
The Mark of the Beast - Prophecy Central
The Rapture – Prophecy Central

The Blessed Hope

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

For the past several weeks at Solid Ground Church we have been considering a series of messages from Jesus, taken from the Gospel of Luke, on the theme: “Hope in Uncertain Times.” Jesus’ teaching was filled with hope for all people, whatever trials they might face.

Because of His love for us, He provided forgiveness of sins by dying in our place. He promised direction, protection, provision, and much more to those who would follow Him. In normal usage of the word, a “hope” is something one wants to have happen, which may or may not come to pass. In the Bible, a hope is based on the promises of God. It is therefore something that is sure to happen, but its fulfillment is still future. The Bible is full of promises, and each one gives reason for a believer to expect some positive outcome.

One of the greatest promises in the Bible is the return of the Lord Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth. It is known in Evangelical circles as “The Rapture of the Church.” In Titus 2:13, the Apostle Paul called this “The blessed hope.”

We don’t believe in setting dates, but that great event is certainly getting closer all the time!

Visit the Rapture page on Prophecy Central.