Subject by Subject Deep Dives into God’s Word
Welcome to my Bible study page. If you’re not a Christian, you’re still absolutely welcome here—free to read, reflect, and meditate on God’s Word. I know some may stop by just to mock or scoff at things they don’t understand. But I urge you: open your mind to possibilities. You don’t have to take my word for anything. In fact, I encourage you to be like the Bereans—Christian or sinner alike. Receive these words with gladness, as the Bereans did, but then search the Scriptures for yourself to see whether these things are true.
Real Freedom Is Not Only Possible, It’s Guaranteed
Are You Struggling Leaving Sin Behind? You Already Have
I think it’s time we address a very important area: Are we failing God because we keep sinning? It’s time we take Paul off the pedestal, a take a closer look at his writings.
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25
I have sat through many a sermon, listening to a preacher claim that this was Paul contrasting his life before his conversion and his life after his meeting Jesus Christ that day on the road to Damascus.
But I have another theory: What if Paul was an actual, real-life Christian who wasn’t afraid to take off his mask. That mask we all wear, the one that struggles to portray us as wonderful Christians who have overcome all the challenges the world can offer us and successfully came through all those trials. What if Paul was saying, ‘this is what I’m going through right now’?
Paul’s Inner Struggles: The Real Man Behind the Mask
Paul said the exact same thing I’ve thought a million times. “How do I overcome this?” Let’s take a look at verse 15 in the New Living Translation:
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. – Romans 7:15 NLT
If we’re honest, that is the condition we all face on a daily basis. Knowing what we should do, wanting to do what is right, but instead taking a walk down that dark alley again, and again. Sin has a way of grabbing that part of our flesh that we’ve never quite learned to say no to. Again, verse 18 as written in the New Living Translation:
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. – Romans 7:18-19 NLT
Take a good look at this: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway”. People! Let’s wake up to the reality that is all around us! The truth of the matter is, by ignoring these struggles, by secretly admitting failure to our flesh, we actually hinder that spiritual part of us that is ready, willing and able to overcome the world.
As a person who doesn’t rely on his own self to heal his problems, Paul wisely does exactly what the rest of us should do: He relies on Christ for his salvation.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:24-25 NLT
According to the New Living Translation, Paul describes his situation as miserable. As he pleads for deliverance from this condition, he answers his own plea with a simple revelation: “The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Permission to Sin? Not Even Close
No, rather than this being Paul’s permission to sin, Paul is telling us that he has come to the realization that the problem is temporary: As long as he’s alive, he’s going to have to come to the realization that in his mind, he wants to obey God, but his flesh is a constant hinderance, because it is born in sin, and to sin it is a slave.
But does that mean we are to simply indulge our desires? No, the clear and obvious message in this is Paul is upset by his actions. As I stated, Paul describes himself as miserable over his actions. He is in the grips of a dilemma; he wants to do right, but in spite of that his flesh is doing things he doesn’t approve of. This isn’t a case of “do evil so that good may come.”
What Paul is telling us is that we are delivered from such trials. Remember, the Bible wasn’t written in chapter and verse. Chapter 8 is just a continuation of what Paul was writing in chapter 7, and the chapter separations came much later.
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2 NLT
Your Deliverance Is Already Here
Paul tells us that right now, not tomorrow, not after we’ve begged for forgiveness, but right now, we have deliverance from the power that holds our flesh captive. As many Christians have seemingly forgotten it isn’t our actions that God cares about, it is our heart.
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV
In this scripture, Samuel is looking to anoint the next King of Israel. He has gone secretly to the house of Jesse, and he is looking at the sons of Jesse. As he sizes the men up, he thinks to himself, ‘Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.’ But God swiftly reminds Samuel that while a man’s appearance might impress men, God looks at a man’s heart.
Just as He does to this day.
God doesn’t look at the things we are doing in as much as he looks at our hearts. Are we truly striving to do our best for Him, living a life attempting to imitate Christ? If so, we do not suffer condemnation; Jesus has already delivered our spirits from sin, and our bodies will receive an upgrade at the rapture of the church, one way or another.
First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NLT
We, the thing that makes us who we really are, has already been delivered from the power of sin. Then on that day when Jesus returns for us, our physical bodies will receive their upgrade, and it too will be free from sin. Do not allow Satan to heap condemnation on you when you mess up. Do allow him to chase you away from God, just like Adam did in the garden when he hid from the Lord because he was naked.
Instead, confess your sins. Just like the Apostle John told us,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 ESV
Most of all, never, ever let the devil think you are unqualified to receive the promises and blessings of God due to your iniquity. You never earned God’s blessings and promises on your own and you cannot lose them due to your own actions. They are 100% dependent on the finished work of Jesus Christ. And it’s by faith that you received them to begin with, and there is nothing on this earth, no power of Satan, able to take them away from you.
You are already blessed; you have already gained all the promises of God. Nothing can or will take them away. You are already delivered.
Babylon The Great: Clearing Up The Mysteries
Is New York City Babylon the Great?
Just today a trusted friend of mine gave his reasonings why he believes the Mystery of Babylon is in fact the city of New York. With due respect for my friend, we have to start, continue and end with Scripture. Speculation is fine, there isn’t anything wrong with speculation, but when searching out a mystery, we must search the Scriptures to the exclusion of anything or anyone else.
The first thing anyone must remember concerning the last days: The Bible tells us there will be false teachers and prophets in the last days, and it’s really not a very healthy act to listen to dreams of visions that others have. We have to remember that the Bible teaches us not to believe every spirit, but test those spirits to see if they are from God. The Bible goes as far as telling us not to believe in angels or spirits unless they proclaim “Jesus is LORD”. But how many of us would remember to question a spirit should it appear to us?
It is that unreliability that forces us to move from the speculations, and retreat to a solid foundation, that is the Word of God.
The City of Seven Hills
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. – Revelation 17:8-9 NIV
Ancient poets like Virgil, Horace, and Propertius specifically referred to Rome as the city on seven hills. For many, the fact that a major world power was famously known by this exact phrase during the time the Book of Revelation was written is not a coincidence, but a deliberate identifier. The text says, “This calls for a mind with wisdom,” which suggests the reader is intended to solve a riddle. Because the “seven hills” were a household name for Rome in the first century, many argue that John was providing a clear clue for his original readers to recognize the power that was persecuting them.
I cannot take sole credit for these discoveries: I learned these things from a Bible teacher long ago. Dave Hunt, the author of “A Woman Rides The Beast” provided one of the best researched books on this subject I have ever read. The book is titled A Woman Rides the Beast: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days, first published in 1994.
In that book, Dave Hunt goes into detail about the prophecies in the book of Revelation, and painstakingly covers every detail to paint a photo of the Roman Catholic Church as the woman who rides the beast in the book of Revelation, and who bears the mark “
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. – Revelation 17:5 NIV
Even this moniker points us away from any modern US city. Unlike the ancient city of Rome, any city here in the USA, would be no more than 500 hundred years old. The city of New York was founded in the early to mid 1600’s depending on your definition of founded. At first called “New Amsterdam”, the most widely known founding was the purchase of Manhattan, in 1626, marking its 500 year anniversary this very year. However, the actual incorporation of the city was 1653. In 1664, the name was changed to New York.
However the moniker points to something more nefarious, something with a much deeper history than simply the last 500 years. How can something be the ‘mother’ of abominations, at the relatively young age of 500?
Rome on the other hand is much older than any city here in America, not by decades or even centuries, but millennia: The most famous date for the founding of Rome is April 21, 753 B.C. This is the date established by the ancient Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro. Hunt then focuses on the activities of the Roman Catholic Church and their depravity, corrupt doctrines and spiritual infidelity to make the same comparison of harlotry that God did toward Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:33-34).
Rome = Babylon?
There is a long standing tradition of Rome having the nickname of Babylon. In fact, that is even mentioned in the Bible.
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:13-14 KJV
Peter obviously wasn’t in Babylon when he wrote this: It was well known that Peter was in Rome when his first epistle was written. From the late second century onward, the unanimous testimony of the early Church fathers (such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Eusebius) placed Peter’s later ministry and eventual martyrdom in Rome. In this tradition, “Babylon” in 1 Peter 5:13 is consistently interpreted as a code name for Rome—a city that, like the ancient Babylon, was the imperial center of a power that had subjugated the people of God.
As we discussed, using “Babylon” as a symbolic name for Rome was common in early Christian circles. If Peter was writing under the reign of Emperor Nero, using a code name for the seat of the empire would have been a prudent way to protect the letter from being intercepted by Roman authorities. This helps explain why he might have used the term without providing a map or specific location—his original readers likely already knew exactly what (and where) “Babylon” was.
The Current Mindset and The Bible
It is very easy to look at cities like New York and Los Angeles and believe either one of these cities is the prophesied Babylon of the Bible. To look at New York for example, and see the complete lack of morality, the sheer worship of self, the complete narcissistic attitude of the modern socialist movement in this country. To take the scripture and compare that to New York is like comparing apples and oranges. But first, let’s take a look at that passage.
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’
11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore — 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ – Revelation 18:10-17 NIV
It’s easy to look at any modern city and see shades of Revelation. But the important thing here is not the city’s wealth, but the city’s sins that cause the destruction. That is what brings judgement on Babylon, not the long descriptions of the things that they coveted.
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.’
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. Revelation 18:2-3, 7-8
The history of Babylon the Great is not one of wealth and luxuries, but a city who early on became full of unclean spirits and demons. A city that from the outset became the home of anything that was unclean and detestable. This isn’t about wealth and debauchery, this is about the corruption of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic Church very early on became a home for every demon, every false Gospel and every form of depravity. This is the reason God has selected her for judgement. If it was just a modern corruption of values and obscene wealth, many places in the world would qualify more than New York.
Furthermore, we have another clue to the actual city in the verse above. “In her heart she boasts, ‘I am not a widow’“. This is an obvious reference to Lamentations 1:1, where Jeremiah calls the city of Jerusalem a widow:
“How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow is she, who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces has become a slave!” – Lamentations 1:1 NKJV
In John’s vision, the woman who rides the beast boasts ‘she is no widow’, in an obvious mockery of the city of Jerusalem. Just like the Vatican who on many occasions has commented that Jerusalem has no special status as belonging to Israel. Even more, this reference to not being a widow is specifically backed in Isaiah 47:7-8 where God Himself makes reference to Babylon’s attitude of not being a widow:
“You said, ‘I shall be a mistress forever,’ so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end. Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow; I shall not know the loss of children.’” – Isaiah 47:7-8 ESV
For further study on this subject, I would most definitely recommend Dave Hunt’s book “A Woman Rides the Beast: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days.” The book is widely available where ever books are sold. In addition, Dave Hunt’s website is still up and available with a wide variety of his teaching library available. The Berean Call.org
Bishop Says The New Testament Isn’t The Word of God
Ignorance of Scripture Prevalent Among Churches
In This Teaching We Answer:
- Does the title of Bishop mean a person cannot make a mistake?
- How can I increase my faith?
- Does the Bible condone slavery?
- Are women required to stay silent in church?
Her name is Bishop Yvette Flunder. And this title, Bishop was bestowed upon her by The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). This is a multi-denominational coalition of over 100 Christian leaders and churches. She was given this title in June of 2003. What does that mean? Apparently that anyone can become a Bishop regardless of their knowledge of Scripture.
She is the founder and senior pastor of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland, California, and the Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. In the video, she expresses her opinion that the Bible has become “problematic” and suggests the need for a “third testament,” stating that certain texts are “words about God” rather than the “word of God”
Why We Need Understanding Instead of Criticism
To be honest, my first inclination was to be extremely critical of this lady instead of understanding the true problem here. The truth of the matter is that this woman has allowed a title to become authority to her rather than the Word of God. This is told to us by the Bible and prophesied about the end times:
1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. – 1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
There is nothing wrong with questioning what someone read in the Bible. In fact this is what leads to faith. When a person questions something they read, and then prays to God for wisdom, and God gives that person a revelation into His word, that produces faith.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17 KJV
How Can I Increase My Faith? A Quick Lesson
For years, I wrestled with this verse. I have heard preachers, teachers and evangelists misquote this verse. Because on the face of it, this verse is a walking contradiction. In most every University in America, there is a professor who teaches Old Testament and New Testament studies, despite the fact they are professed atheists. So if everyone who simply heard the Word of God developed faith, we’d have no atheists. So clearly, this isn’t what the scripture refers to. I once asked God what this meant, and I got resounding silence.
To me, that meant either I already knew the answer, or had the means to get the answer on my own. So I thought to myself, ‘break this verse down piece by piece and take it literally’. Faith comes by hearing: Ok, what? What is it I need to hear in order to develop my faith? And hearing by the Word of God: Well, this cannot be taken literally. There aren’t nurses who walks around in the nursery of hospitals reading the Bible to newborns, so they will be able to hear. Clearly, literal hearing doesn’t come by the Word of God.
So what does this mean? How else do we use the word hearing? Let’s say your children are playing ball in the house again. You’ve told them time and time not to play ball in the house. One day, a throw goes haywire, smashes into a painting on the wall and destroys it. You say to your children, “You play ball in this house one more time, and I will take your ball, your glove, your bat away from you permanently. You hear me?”
Of course your child heard you, he or she was 3 feet away. But what did you mean by that? You meant understanding. You were saying, “You understand me?”.
That’s what brings faith. That revelation knowledge that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Not just reading the Bible, but meditating, and praying for wisdom over what you read.When you get that ‘ah-ha’ moment, and something you’ve never understood until now becomes clear, that is how faith comes.
Back to the Bishop
But when you don’t pray for wisdom and understanding in God’s word but instead value your own opinion of what God said, that is when you open yourself up to the demonic; and the first thing they do is quickly try to get you to question God’s word. This Bishop lady literally fell for the oldest trick in the book:
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: – Genesis 3:1-4 KJV
Just as he did to Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan caused the Bishop to question God’s word instead of looking for wisdom. And this kind of pridefulness leads to a fall. So let’s take a moment to see what her complaints were.
Does The Bible Condone Slavery?
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. – Ephesians 6:5 NIV
Now, let’s explain this in context shall we? According to Jewish law, if a person owed a debt of money that they were unable to pay, they could enter into what is called ‘Indentured Servitude’. This was a form of voluntary slavery. Let’s say you owed a person $1 million dollars: you went to that person and offered to be their servant for 10 years, in order to pay off the debt. At the end of 10 years, you would be set free, and the debt would be cancelled.
This is nothing like the slavery that occurred in the 1700 and 1800’s. This was not a type of slavery where someone was sold like some sort of animal and had to serve their entire life. That kind of slavery didn’t even exist in Jewish society when this Scripture was written.
Keep in mind this book was written to Christians; they were people who had a certain level of independence. They were allowed to choose to be slaves or not; and even though they voluntarily attached themselves to a person to whom they owed a debt, they retained the right to choose their religion, to take time to study that religion, and even to attend service. These are liberties that no slave according to the definition of slavery that we’re familiar with would have.
So in answer to the Bishop, yes, this is the Word of God and it is relevant even to this very day. If a person gets a job, and they agree to work for another person or a company, they are required by the Word of God to do their job as if they were serving God himself. That is what this Scripture really means.
Does The Bible Require Women to Remain Silent in Church?
“Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” – 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 NIV
What law? What law is Paul referring to? It certainly isn’t a law written in the Old Testament. As someone who has spent over 40 years studying the Bible, I don’t recall an Old Testament law requiring women to be silent in the assemblies.
What most scholars believe is this was referring to some type of local law or ordinance in the city of Corinth. In the Roman colony of Corinth, “decency and order” were highly valued. If women were shouting questions from the back of the room to their husbands in the front (a common theory due to the seating arrangements of the time), they would be violating the Lex Julia or similar Roman social codes regarding public behavior. And, since most of the churches Paul ministered to was under the jurisdiction of Rome, this would apply to all of Paul’s churches, not just Corinth.
Paul wrote to us in Romans chapter 13 already telling us our duty as Christians is to be obedient to the laws and rulings of the land in which we live. As Christians we have an obligation to obey the law.
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. – Romans 13:1-2 NIV
Timothy’s Dilema
Now Paul gives some special requirements to Timothy regarding the women in his church:
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. – 1 Timothy 2:11-15 NIV
Now, as you study the books of Timothy you will realize Timothy was dealing with a very unique problem. Not only was my namesake a young pastor put in a very difficult situation, but he was dealing with a very special set of problems.
For whatever reason, probably due to war, but Timothy had a lot of young widows in his congregation. Now Paul had instituted a social program within the church that widows were to be cared for by the church. This means a collection was taken up, and monies were distributed to the widows at regular intervals. This caused idleness among these young widows who were receiving money, and had nothing constructive to do with their time.
This was causing strife in and among the church, and apparently several of the married women as well were siding with these young widows. There was actually a power struggle happening in Timothy’s church and the women were trying to strip Timothy of his authority and move him out of the church. In response to that, Paul gives some very stern rules to the women of Timothy’s church. Unfortunately, as time went on, some people reading the books of Timothy tried to apply those rules to women in general.
That is to say this: A woman is subject to her husband and must learn to be respectful of her obligation to her husband as determined by the Word of God. However, whatever role that God places her in within the church should also be respected. As long as these positions are given by the church and received in a spirit of humility, they should not be dismissed simply because of the sex of the person to whom they were given. This is God’s commandment for any church and any person, not just females. No one should try to usurp authority in a church, nor should authority be given in strife.
In Conclusion
I sincerely hope this teaching has enlightened you and gave you a better perspective. Remember that anyone is capable of failing their calling, and any those people have a right to repent and welcomed back into the church of God.
Christians and Voting: What Does The Bible Say?
Going Beyond Opinion To Actual Fact
Questions We’ll Be Answering today
- What Are the Scriptural Duties of A Christian?
- Are All People In Power Placed There By God?
- Is Jury Duty a Biblical Requirement for Christians?
- Do Christians have a Biblical Obligation To Vote?
This is an election year, and as what usually happens, pundits and commentators take to the media in order to talk about whether or not Christians should vote. Some are pretty draconian, stating that Christians ideally shouldn’t vote because it represents a violation of Separation of Church and State, something that doesn’t even appear in the Constitution, but is alluded to in the First Amendment. Oddly enough, the phrase “separation of Church and State” appears in a book written by Karl Marx.
But what does the Bible have to say about voting. Is voting a right? Is it an obligation? The Bible gives us clear instructions when it comes to our role in earthly society. Now, let me make something clear at the outset: Who you vote for is your business. I am not advocating that you vote for one person or another, or one party over another. But I am going to give you the truth about your role as a Christian in the society in which you live.
What Are the Scriptural Duties of A Christian?
It is not the duty of a Christian to be completely useless on this earth while sitting in your easy chair and waiting for the return of Jesus. Let’s just make that clear. You have several duties, and by duties I mean obligations. These are things that you are obliged to do as a Christian.
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; – Mark 16:15-16 KJV
This is for you. Not the pastor of your church, not for the evangelist, but for you. While you may not have the opportunity to stand in a church behind a pulpit, you are to do your part to take the Gospel to the world. As God once spoke to me and said,“Ye means him; ye means you”.
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. – Romans 13:1-7 ESV
This is a Scripture that many people stumble over, or sadly cause other people to stumble. But as I have often pointed out, the best way to interpret Scripture is to simply read it and take it literally. So in verse one, when it says “let every person be subject to the governing authorities”, it means simply that. As a Christian, your obligation is to submit yourself to the government of whatever authority applies to you.
Now, if you live in the USA, of course you have several jurisdictions over you. If a lower power orders you to do something, or places a restriction on you, you have the right to appeal that authority, as long as you do it within the boundaries of the law. You do not have the right to stand up and thumb your nose at authority, as we see much of the heathen world doing in this day and time.
If you have a grievance against the government you are to go through proper legal channels to resolve that grievance. The only exception would be that if your government has attempted to prevent you from exercising your Christianity, such as in Ireland where in some cases prayer even within your own home is prohibited, you have no obligation to follow that law.
But here is a good rule of thumb: Corruption breeds corruption. In other words, if the government over you is corrupt, then eventually that corruption is going to spread until it affects you. In that case you are no longer refusing to obey the governing authority, because the authority has become corrupted and is in violation of the law itself. You cannot be obligated to obey a governing authority that is ordering you to break the law. But as long as that government is acting within the legitimate authority of the law, you have an obligation to obey.
Are All People In Power Placed There By God?
Of course not. This is a highly misinterpreted part of this passage. The Bible is not saying that, for example, when Adolf Hitler came into power he was placed there by God. God is saying that there is no authority except himself. And when laws are enacted by a lawful group of people, that authority extends from God Himself. To put it plainly, here in the USA, we have a President of the United States. God has given authority to that position: But He hasn’t necessarily chosen that person to be in office.
A few years ago, former President Joe Biden completely ignored the Easter holiday, and instead decided to acknowledge some type of LGBTQ Day. Christians all over the world were highly offended, as they should be. But God didn’t put Joe Biden into office, we did. We did, by either voting for Biden, or not bothering to vote at all. When a Christian refuses to vote, that is just as good as voting for someone you oppose. So no, God did not institute Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mussolini, or any of the long list of tyrants, lousy Presidents or corrupt officials. God may have instituted their positions, but our votes determined directly or indirectly to their appointment of power.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Why some Christians claim they are not subject to taxes because of their religious belief is beyond me. Here we have the final passage of Scripture and it is here we see our duties clearly spelled out for us as defined not by man, but by the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind what you are reading is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore constitutes God’s intentions for you as a Christian.“Pay to all what is owed to them”. I honestly don’t see a need for elaboration, but we’ll do it anyway.
Is Jury Duty a Biblical Requirement for Christians?
You have an obligation to do your duties as a citizen of the country in which you reside. Non Christians who live in the United States may have rights: Something they can choose to exercise or not. But not you: If you claim to be a Christian you have obligations to serve your country in whatever ways it asks of you. You do not have the luxury of getting out of jury duty for example, unless you have a real, valid reason for being unable to participate. It is absolutely unthinkable that all over this country, people’s fate is being determined by groups of 12 people who couldn’t even get out of jury duty.
Christians have no right to refuse jury duty: this is something we do because we are to pay our obligations to the government. And the same is true with voting. A non Christian may decide to skip voting altogether. But you, as a Christian have a demand from the Holy Spirit to pay whatever is due to your government. If you owe taxes, pay them. You are to pay respect to your government when respect is due. And that means when your government calls on your participation, you do it. Sinners’ rights are Christians’ obligations.
Do Christians Have a Biblical Obligation To Vote?
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room shall we? You are to honor those in office whether you agree with them or not. You are not honoring the person: You are honoring the office they hold. This is easily proved; let’s say that an office is being held by a very evil, very corrupt person. Does that mean the office itself should be disbanded? Of course not. What it means is, you have the obligation to vote and do your part to make sure the right people are elected to the right offices. Again, who you vote for is between you and God. But it is your obligation to vote.
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. – 1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV
Jesus said that “in the mouths of two or three witnesses, let everything be established”. This means that if something is true Bible instruction, you should be able to find the same doctrine in other parts of the Bible. So here we have the Apostle Peter,through the Holy Spirit, giving us the same exhortation that Paul gives us in Romans.
So, Christian, let me be the first to congratulate you on the most important step of taking a role in your government’s leadership. As a voter, you are fulfilling the duty placed on you and you are shaping the future of the country, state, county or parish and finally the city in which you live.
How To Deal With the Death of a Loved One
The Difference Between the World and the Christian
This is a most important Bible study. Out of all the people I minister to, the most frequent thing I find troubling Christians is the loss of a loved one. Their grief is real; their pain is evident. But what makes Christian grief so different? What does the Bible say about grief?
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NLT
Separation, Not Loss
Both my parents are dead; but I don’t use euphemisms like ‘lost’ and ‘loss’ when it comes to addressing the death of my parents. They are dead; their bodies have been buried in a cemetery. But those bodies were not my parents. Those were the containers, the clothing of their spirit. No, I don’t use the word ‘lost’ because they are not lost. I know where they are, they know where I am. That is not lost, that is called separation, and separation is a temporary condition.
I cried more when my dog died than my parents. While that may sound callous, it is because I know I will see my parents again, but I’m not so sure about my dog. That is the reality of the situation. If your loved ones died as Christians, then it is only a matter of time before they are back with you again.
That doesn’t mean you are not allowed to miss them. The Bible doesn’t say we can’t grieve, it says we don’t grieve without hope. That while we may experience grief, our foundation will keep us from grieving as the world grieves. The world grieves without hope. Once a love one is gone, they have no hope of ever seeing that person again. But not us: Separation is a temporary condition; it might be painful, but not as painful as knowing that someone in your life is gone forever.
Isn’t This Just a Comfort Placebo?
This is an argument that is often made when it comes to religion. Are all these nice platitudes just to make us feel better about the loss of a loved one? No! Do you believe in Jesus? Because he told us in no uncertain terms we do not have to face the death of a loved one as if that is the end!
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” – John 14:1-4 NKJV
Jesus’ Promise of Home
This is the foundation stone of the Gospel. The word Gospel means good news! This is the good news that Jesus came to this earth to bring us. The comfort of knowing that when we die, or when our loved ones die, that is not the end. We know where Jesus went after he rose from the dead. We know that just as he rose again, so someday we shall rise again. And we know that any separation that happens when someone dies, it is simply a temporary condition.
Once a person asked me to describe death. I said, “think of a coat. As long as you’re wearing your coat, it has life inside it. You move your arm, it moves, you walk from one place to another, it goes with you. It mimics your upper body movements, because it has life in it as long as you have it on. But imagine you slide out of the coat and it falls to the ground. It no longer contains life, so it simply lies there on the ground. Does that mean life is destroyed? No, it simply means it no longer contains life.”
That is what happens to you. You simply slip out of the present body. You become the real you. You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. This is why the grave can’t claim the whole being that trusts in Christ. The spirit and the soul can be divided, and that is what literally happens when you’re born again. You cast off the earthy, sinful self, which is you mind, your will and your emotions, and you put on God’s nature. For some that process in instantaneous, but for most of us, laying down that old selfish nature takes time.
There are plenty of verses in the Bible offering comfort to the grieving Christian. But getting a realization of where your loved ones are right now is a comfort that can help you today, right this moment.
Absent From the Body, At Home With the Lord
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NLT
So remember, your loved one is finally home. They are finally in a place where they can experience true rest. Their days of journey are over. Now they rest with the Lord Jesus in heaven. We’ve all heard it said, and it might even sound a little mean to those left on this earth. But if they had a choice, they probably would choose to stay right where they are.
So when you’re thinking of that parent, brother, sister, spouse; remember you haven’t lost anyone. You’re only separated, and separation is a temporary condition.
Which Bible is Best?
As Publisher Crank Out Modern Versions of the Bible, Which Ones are Best?
It’s a very valid question, especially in this day and time. False prophets, false teachers are everywhere. We have people intentionally bastardizing the Bible, tearing out and removing scripture having to do with gender, traditional family roles, and homosexuality. It is sad think how people hold nothing sacred any more. But are all translations bad? Or can we trust alternatives to the King James Version?
First of all, let’s dive into the origins of scripture. Even here, there are modern theologians who are actively tearing apart the Scriptures. These completely heretical teachings, such as 3 people actually wrote Isaiah, 4 people Ezekiel. I’ve even heard Catholic Priests who believe such dribble as the book of Mark was probably the only Gospel written, and Matthew was just a rewritten version of Mark, with ’embellishments’.
So the question is, who are you going to believe? God, or man? Hasn’t this been the same argument repeated over and over again? Man stepping up and telling us that something God said, or something God did was incorrect. They have suddenly developed the superior knowledge to challenge God himself. Even if your church is teaching this heresy, you need to find a better church.
The Torah
Traditionally, the first 5 books of the Old Testament are called the books of Moses, or the Torah. But the word Torah means “to guide” or “to teach”. The term is derived from the Hebrew root y-r-h (ירה), which means “to guide” or “to teach.” Interestingly, this root also relates to the idea of “shooting an arrow” or “pointing a finger.” In this sense, Torah is seen as a way of pointing the way or hitting a target, providing a moral and spiritual compass for life. The entire Hebrew Bible, or the complete Old Testament is called the Tanakh.
The Bible as a whole was written in three languages; Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. There was nothing written in English. In fact, English wasn’t even invented until many centuries later. So any English translation, even the King James Version has been interpreted from these three languages.
The Types of Modern Translations
Bibles today follow two types of interpretations: Thought-for-thought and word-for-word. And while this may seem an obvious choice, both versions have merit. The King James Version is a word-for-word translation: That is the translators restricted themselves to focusing on the words in a sentence or paragraph, only allowing for variation on the different meanings of words for variability. This has a unique benefit for deep study.
Knowing the scriptures were restricted to word-for-word translation puts you closer to the original meaning of the Scripture without having to learn the language yourself. Four very good word-for-word translations that I use are the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), New American Standard Version (NASB) and the English Standard Version (ESV). But even among these are very significant differences that I’ll explain shortly.
Now the new thought-for-thought translations are the real new development of our age. Translators became more interested in capturing the essence of what the idea of the passage is, the interpretation of the sentence or the paragraph as a whole. This opens great opportunity to explain the passage itself, without the restrictions of holding to a particular word that may not even be used in today’s language. The benefit is a readable translation that just makes more sense, without having to research word meanings for yourself. But as I’m sure you’ve realized by now, this leave the interpreters a lot of room to interject their own thoughts, which can sometimes discourage independent research.
Some of the thought-for-thought versions I like are the New Living Translation (NLT), and the New International Version (NIV). In some rare circumstances I also use the Amplified Bible.
Under no circumstances should a new believer be turned loose in a book store to choose a translation on their own. In fact, I wish churches would make a more concerted effort on instruction new believers which translations would encourage their spiritual growth. Given that, I’d like to give my suggestions on which Bibles would be best for the believer.
New Christians: A new Christian would do best with either the New Living Translation (NLT) or the English Standard Version (ESV). These are great versions for those with little experience reading the Scriptures. In fact, I still use both these versions to this day. This gives a new believer a good, reliable translation in English that matches the modern language we use today.
Intermediate Christians: For those who feel like they’re ready to dive in a little deeper into God’s word, I would recommend the New King James Version (NKJV) or the New International Version (NIV). The New King James Version has been rated by many to be the closest to the original King James Version, but in a language that is more closely matching today’s English. The New International Version has been around since the 1980’s, and despite widespread criticism when it was first released, has weathered the storm to become widely accepted as an excellent thought-for-thought translation.
Advanced Christians: For those who just love to dive into the Scriptures to search out meanings, there is nothing better than the King James Version (KJV). While this language is archaic, still relying on words long since abandoned in modern English, it stands as the most reliable translation matching the original meaning of the original texts. For those who would prefer a more modern translation, the New King James Version (NKJV) or the New American Standard Bible (NASB). The NASB is a very good word-for-word translation, offering deep insights into God’s word like few other translations. It is an excellent complement to the KJV as well.
Is the King James Version “Perfect”?
Many denominations preach a controversial doctrine that excludes any other version other than the KJV. Now, if you want to stick exclusively to the KJV, you go right ahead. I would rather see you come to heaven, than miss it. And the Bible says, “To him that knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin”. But, it is never a good thing to misinterpret Scripture.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. – 1 Corinthians 13:10 KJV
This scripture has been punished enough and it’s time to put it to an end. This is one of the worst examples I’ve ever seen of One Verse Doctrine. Taking one single verse out of the Bible and building an entire narrative around it. Especially among Baptists, this verse is their explanation of why the gifts of the Spirit, (according to them, that is) has been done away with. Ridiculous! They put forth the idea that the King James Version of the Bible is the “perfect” that the verse speaks of. So let’s find out:
9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” Matthew 27:9-10 ESV
Now, if we’re talking perfect, that is a high bar! The definition of perfect:
As an Adjective (The State of Something)
- Flawless: Being entirely without fault, defect, or blemish.
- Complete: Lacking nothing essential to the whole; having all necessary parts or qualities.
- Exact: Precisely accurate, correct, or strictly according to fact.
- Ideal: Exactly right for a particular purpose, situation, or person.
- Absolute: Used to emphasize a noun (e.g., “a perfect stranger” or “a perfect fool”).
Flawless, entirely without fault: However, that verse above says the prophet Jeremiah says: But in fact, this was written in the book of Zechariah. Clearly this is a flaw, this is a mistake, this is incorrect. Therefore, it is not perfect. In some context, one might say that perfect actually means ‘Complete’. They would argue the it does not mean absolute perfection, but the word just means complete.
When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” – Revelation 10:3-4 ESV
It seems the King James Version falls short in that context as well. Here we see that John heard 7 thunders sound, but when he was about to write down what they said, a voice tells him not to write it down. What does that mean? Honestly, I have no idea and we won’t know until the 7 thunders sound. But why mention it at all, if we are not to know? Because God wanted to remind us, that someday a false teaching would come along, and say the King James Version of the Bible was perfection or complete.
In Conclusion
Choosing Bibles to help us learn is not a bad thing. I often wonder if people think that reading another version is better than reading no version at all. If it were a member of my family, I would much rather see them reading a version such as the NIV than stop reading the Bible altogether. Be very careful about any other versions: I personally would stay away from any version of the Bible that labels itself as ‘gender neutral’, or ‘inclusive’. But for someone who is serious about learning the principals of the Bible, any of these translations should provide a solid foundation for the believe to grow their faith.
Replacement Theology: Has the Church Replaced Israel?
Are God’s Promises Revokable?
For the first time ever, I actually feel the need to give my qualifications. I was born in 1963, and I was a bit of a miracle baby. My mother and father had wanted children since they married in 1945. For years, they tried and tried but had no result. Then when my mother was 39 years old, and my father 43, they got the news they had waited on for nearly twenty years: I was on the way!
My mother was a devout Missionary Baptist: Stricter than a Freewill, but not as strict as an Old Regular. But one thing Mom believed in was the verse in proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I was literally taken to church and placed in a crib in one of the Bible Study classrooms. And from then up until I was too big to be made to go, we went to church three times a week: Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.
At the age of 19, I was saved. Not into a Baptist Church, no I’d learned my lesson: I got saved in a Full Gospel Church. One thing they both had in common, Replacement Theology. So at the age of 19 I actually became interested in what the Bible had to say. That was over 40 years ago. So, like I tell people when discussing the Bible, don’t argue with me over things I’ve had 30 years to think about.
Yes, we believed in replacement theology. So why am I suddenly writing a Bible study against it? Because it’s WRONG! And just recently I came across a video of someone, in this day and age of in-depth Bible teaching, why are people still clinging to old, long since forgotten beliefs? We’ll cover that subject as well.
The Lack of Firm Biblical Foundation
First of all, the proliferation of this belief has not only been overlooked by pastors and teachers, but by the scholars themselves. Most systematic theology books overlook Israel’s role, even though it spans nearly five-sixths of the Bible. It genuinely seems like a huge part of theology is missing: the role of Israel within the context of the Bible’s writing has been largely ignored. This has given way to largely personal interpretation, and more importantly misinterpretation.
Even when as a child, when I questioned the role of Israel in the modern world, my mother would explain to me that because Israel had rejected their Messiah, God had rejected them. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be further from the truth.
The Integration of Antisemitism Into the Church
I can tell you this from my own first-hand knowledge: There was a lot of antisemitism in those little Baptist churches. Among the teachings we were told is that the Jews were the ones who crucified Christ: While they may have called for Christ’s crucifixion, the final decision was up to Pilot. But we’re missing the biggest piece of the puzzle here, Jesus came to this earth to die! That was his mission, that was his goal. Anything else would have meant the failure of the mission God had ordained for him! I don’t mean to sound condescending, but sometimes I wonder how people can miss such obvious truths.
Jesus himself told his disciples:
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” – John 10:17-18 ESV
Jesus himself makes it crystal clear: Did the Jews kill Jesus? No. Did the Romans kill Jesus? No. The Romans may have performed the crucifixion, the Jews may have demanded the crucifixion, but Jesus told us HE voluntarily laid down his life of his own accord. For anyone to say that God rejected his people because they crucified Christ is ignorant not only of history, but ignorant of the Scriptures themselves.
Paul specifically admonishes us not to receive this spirit of superiority. And that is exactly what this replacement theology fosters!
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. – Romans 11:17-21 NIV
I personally have come to understand that this entire false doctrine of Replacement Theology revolves around a nefarious plot: Antisemitism. The rejection of the people known as the Jews on this earth today, and the same superior notion of the Christian as a superior figure that has replaced them are at their very core, rooted in hatred. And I fail to see how any doctrine, rooted in hatred, can come from God. Just today, I was confronted with someone who believed in Replacement Theology. And almost immediately he started spouting hateful language about the Jews, and when I wouldn’t agree with his ridiculous reasoning, called me an idiot. This is NOT a Godly doctrine.
Israel’s Unique Role in Today’s Times
Israel was chosen by God himself to bring the knowledge of God to the world. Israel is known as the “apple of God’s eye” and in no way has or can the Church replace their role in God’s plan for the last days. If the Church replaced Israel as they claim, then what happened in 1948? Is this not exactly what the Bible predicted?
“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God. – Amos 9:14-15
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” …21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. Ezekiel 37:11-14, 21-22 ESV
Open your eyes! It shouldn’t require explaining! In the last days, God brings his chosen people from the nations and gathers them back together again in their own land! How can anyone say the Church has replaced Israel!?!
Are we to believe that somehow these Scriptures have changed and now point to God’s NEW Chosen ones? What are we to believe then? Are all of these things are mere coincidence? That the Scripture are irrelevant? Replacement Theology demands just that. We must suspend what we believe the scriptures say, and instead we must listen to someone who tells us that the Bible actually means something other than it says. Which brings me to my TWO RULES
RULE #1: If someone ever tells you the Bible actually means something other than what it says, run away, don’t walk.
RULE #2: If you have found a contradiction in the Bible, you have done something wrong
This is a universal rule that in my 40 years of Bible study has proved itself time and time again. #1, the times I’ve made the biggest mistakes in Bible interpretation was when I decided the Bible couldn’t mean what it says. And 2, I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God. As such there are no, absolutely no contradictions of doctrine.
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. – Romans 11:1-6 NLT
This should be all the evidence we need. Verse two says, “NO, God has not rejected his own people whom he chose from the beginning”. And for someone to try to add this unsubstantiated doctrine.
The Church’s Mission Shouldn’t be Confused with Israel’s Mission
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. – Matthew 24:14 KJV
The Church throughout its entire history has been focused on one mission: To share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This has nothing to do with Israel in the last days. Israel has a mission of its own to carry out. And that is a witness to the world that God is real. Nothing proves the existence of God like the Jewish people. Their history was written in advance, from the beginning. To simply dismiss the Jewish people, and say the Church has replaced them, is simply highlighting a lack of understanding of the continuity of the Bible. This is a lack of understanding of the full plan of God.
Throughout history, the Jews have been a constant target of persecution. Even the holocaust was predicted in the Bible!
24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;
instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;
instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle. – Isaiah 3:24-25 NIV
Further Reading Background: Ezekiel 36:24, Jeremiah 31:10, Isaiah 11:12, Deuteronomy 30:3-4
Three Distinct Groups
Paul identifies three categories of people: Jews, Gentiles and the Church. Nowhere in the Bible does it make any indication that these groups are interchangeable. In fact, it tells us just the opposite. It tells us that Israel’s temporary ‘blindness’ will continue until the fullness of the Gentiles is complete, then Israel will be restored. It is so ironic that Paul goes into such depth giving us a case as to why God has not replaced the Church with the Jews, yet this false teaching persists.
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. – Romans 11:11-16 NIV
The Bottom Line
Replacement theology is a doctrine based on error, a lack of understanding of the continuity of the Bible, and an overall feeling of jealousy and pride. There is no such thing as good pride, because it ultimately leads to negative feelings and a desire to feel superior over another group of people. This is the most dangerous type of false doctrine, but nothing will separate you from the presence of God quicker than harboring feelings of hatred, pride and superiority in your heart.
Remember we are living in the last days. The Bible specifically tells us that in the last days false prophets and false teachers will arise and will deceive many. It is important to stay on your toes. Never take a human’s word for anything, including me! Be as the Bereans, who receive the word with gladness, but searched the Scriptures themselves to see whether these things are real.
The best advice I can give you is to remember the nature of God, no matter what the teaching. What do these teachings promote? Are they promoting the nature of God? Or are these evil motives behind the doctrine. A long time ago, God kickstarted my understanding of the Scriptures with a revelation to me: Pray for discernment. Ask God to remove any false teaching you cling to. Ask Him to bring clarity into your heart by exposing the things that are in error in your life. It literally worked miracles for me, and it will do the same for you.
These are The Last Days
My Thoughts While Watching the News Unfold in Stockton, California
It is all coming to pass, just as the Bible predicted. The Bible has predicted all these things long ago. The President has called Tim Walz a ‘retard’ because of his senseless policies. Don’t criticize Trump too harshly, because Walz is the guy who put tampon dispensers in the boy’s bathrooms of public schools. But this is part of a larger pattern of bizarre decisions made by democrat leaders all over the USA.
In the book of Romans, it says people will be ‘without excuse’ for not knowing God. It says that people can see the things God created, and the proof of his existence is all around us. Yet what do these so-called scientists say? TIME. That’s right the magic ingredient, time. You take nothing, and add a few billion years of time, and voila! We have a universe, stars, galaxies, and most of all, LIFE. That’s right, “we don’t need God to explain anything, because we have TIME”. What does God think of their ‘brilliant’ conclusions? “Professing themselves to be wise, they have become fools” – Romans 1:22.
Thank you for reading this far. I appreciate your interest. The Bible tells us that when people repeatedly reject the knowledge of God, their minds become twisted, and eventually, their minds are debased, depraved. The King James Bible calls it a Reprobate Mind, but whatever you name it, what you see happening in the world all around us is a direct result of that. I urge you to read and study Romans 1:18-32. That will tell you why the world is as it is. It will literally explain EVERYTHING that’s happening in the world today. And now you know. Over 1,900 years ago, a man named Paul sat down to write a letter to the church in Rome. He called it Romans, and a window opened to him and he sat down and explained 2025. Right now, I’m watching a breaking news story about someone who walked into an Ice Cream shop in California, and shot up a birthday party, including children. How could someone do that? Read Romans 1:18-32. IT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
So, let’s take some time to explain this passage. I’m going to be using the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible, because I feel it can talk to people who have never read the Bible, as well as people who are very familiar with Scripture:
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – Romans 1:18-20 NLT
God here is making one of the most revealing things in Scripture. People will not be able to claim they were atheists or weren’t convinced of the reality of God. Because God from an early time, begins to knock on the heart of a person. When a person takes time to appreciate nature, or to ponder their existence, God is trying to get their attention. And if they continue to refuse that call, they start down a path that leads to destruction. And most importantly, they have no one to blame but themselves.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:21-23
It says here that people in their hearts know the truth but refuse to acknowledge it. Rather than come to God and acknowledge his existence, they begin to make up foolish ideas of a universe without God. Some give supernatural powers to the most ordinary of things, such as “Mother Earth” or “Mother Nature”. Others may engage in Wicca and fantasize that all sorts of things have spiritual powers. Still others reject anything and call on science for answers. But even science can’t help but obey Scripture, because scientists have given Time all these magical powers. They boasted of their intelligence, but in fact they spouted foolishness.
Instead of worshipping the true living God, they worship the things their feeble minds create. And because of this, the minds start to become darkened and confused. This is the beginning of the decent into depravity.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. – Romans 1:24-25 NLT
As people continue to ignore the call of God in their hearts, he has no choice but to abandon them to their own desires. Men and women have their own free will. As a result, they began turning their attentions on one another. They began sharing their bodies with one another, rather than giving themselves fully to one partner. In that way, they became slaves to their lusts and desires, instead of following God’s plan that every man have his wife and every woman have her husband.
26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Romans – 1:26-27 NLT
Eventually, their desires for one another grew tiresome. God had no choice but to let them fall into the depths of lust. At first, the women turned away from normal relations with a man and began using one another for pleasure. And quickly the men followed suit, burning with lust for each other. They did unthinkable things with one another, even though their bodies weren’t made for such depravity. They suffered pain and injury in their bodies because of their activities, which was suitable for their sins.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. – Romans 1:28-32 NLT
By now, the fullness of their rebellion bore fruit. God gave them over to a complete depraved mind, and they unleashed their wickedness in every way possible. Their lives quickly descended into madness, as they embraced every type of evil imaginable. They took joy in their depravity, and began thinking up new and more perverse things to engage in. Their entire lives became focused on nothing other than their own selfish desires and ways to obtain those desires. The whole time, they knew God’s law condemned them to death, but instead of fearing God, they celebrated their sentence. And even worse, they encouraged others to join them in their abominations.
Check and Mate
My friends, this is why the world is the way it is. Because people began decades ago to follow the leading of their father the devil. They began throwing God out of every area of their lives. And still to this day, the refuse to acknowledge the result of their actions. Even though we as Christians can take the Bible and easily point to why they behave the way they do, they are blinded to the truth of their own condemnation. They behave exactly, and I mean exactly the way Scripture predicted they would. And now their depravity is full. And just as Jesus told us, these last days will mirror the days of Noah. And here we are.
End Time Government According to Revelation – Downloadable Paper
I have finished a paper on the Government structure described in the book of Revelation, and how that structure compares with what we see taking place today. This is a fascinating subject, and I hope to get more time to dive into this subject deeper in the future. But for now, I am very glad to be able to share my thoughts with you.
Download End Time Government According to Revelation (PDF)
Tithing: Old Testament Law or New Testament Command?
Does the Tithe Pertain to New Testament Christians?
This has become a very touchy subject for many. Pastors, Evangelists, TV Preachers have feared the day someone would take up the notion of whether or not the tithe is applicable for today. Let me start by saying this: I have no dog in this fight, as we would say in Kentucky. I do not solicit donations, nor do I have a group of people who support this blog. If you want to help this project, I don’t want your money: I want something more valuable; I want your time. Pray for me. Take time out of your day to actually pray for me. That would be much more valuable than your financial contribution.
But what about the tithe? Are we as Christians obligated to give 10% of our money away to churches, charities, or tele-evangelists? The short answer is no. There is no, and I repeat no mention of the tithe anywhere in the New Testament. A long time ago, when I struggled with questions about the Old Testament laws and rules, God gave me a simple word: “Learn from the Old Testament but live by the New”. But I’m not going to teach this from a standpoint of a personal word I received from the Lord.
But before we dive in too deeply, let’s put something into perspective: Just because the tithe is not relevant for today, doesn’t mean you’re let off the hook from supporting your local church. In fact, if anything, Paul himself lifted the 10% cap. He instructed us to help our churches “as we are able.” There is no 10% restriction here. If you go to a church and you know that church is in financial need for something, you are instructed to help that church as you are able. If the church needs a new roof, and you can help with a donation that is greater than 10% and your personal financial situation would not be jeopardized, God asks you to do your part. Not just drop in the required 10% and think you’ve done your part.
1 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. – 2 Corinthians 8:11-12 NLT
Now in contrast the tithe was a first-fruit offering. In fact, the word Tithe simply means ‘tenth’. Some say it is relevant today because it was given before the law of Moses, which is quite a lame argument once you think of it. Abraham sacrificed animals before the law of Moses, but does that mean we are to sacrifice the family dog or cat? Don’t be ridiculous. It is obvious that before Moses had come along people were already familiar with the practices of the law. So, it is only logical to conclude that part of those things included a tithe, or first-fruit offering. Even Cain and Able practiced first-fruit offerings.
But the one simple, overriding truth is the one most often overlooked. It is amazing how some Bible teachers can so easily grasp the intricate, complicated, nuance of the Bible and miss the most basic of truths. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law for us. We have no obligation whatsoever to try to fulfill the law, because it has been done. And to those who would say, ‘yes, but you can receive a financial blessing for tithing.’ No. Not at all. When will people learn?
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” – Matthew 5:17 NIV
Now I want you to think of this: No works, none can save you, no works can make you earn God’s blessings. In fact, there is only one work and one alone that God requires of us.
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” – John 6:28-29 ESV
Again, I urge you to remember the scripture:
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 ESV
Turn that scripture around! If it is impossible to please God without faith, then what is the thing that pleases him? Faith. Not tithes, not offerings. These are instruments that were used to please God in the Old Testament. But Jesus specifically told us NOT to follow the Old Testament. In fact, he warned us against attempting to combine the Old Testament law with the New Testament:
“Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” – Matthew 9:17 ESV
Jesus wasn’t a winemaker by profession, and this is not instructing us how to store wine. Jesus is telling us that we cannot wrap the New Testament in a cloak of the Old Testament. If we do, then both are destroyed. You can actually destroy your faith in God by attempting to please God. That is why Galatians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Galatians reminds me that I don’t have to earn my salvation, nor do I earn my blessings from God. God blesses me, through the work of what Jesus did, not what I myself do.
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? – Galatians 3:1-3 NIV
This needs no explanation. This is straight-forward talk about straight-forward doctrine. You do not perfect your walk with God by means of the flesh. And this is quite the dangerous proposition. Once you begin to believe that your salvation and even your blessings from God come not from the finished works of Christ, but on your own works, you are in essence turning away from the message of faith and putting your faith in your own works.
On a personal note, I was in this trap of the Gospel of prosperity for years. I honestly believed that if just gave enough, that God would finally have no choice but to repay me. God is under no obligation to act on the Old Testament, if you are trying to fulfill it for yourself. Because if you’re going to obey the law, you must obey the whole law. And that’s not even taking into account what God thinks of our righteousness.
As Christians, we literally have the best of both covenants. We benefit from the blessings of the New Testament, because of our faith in Christ, and we benefit from the promises of the Old Testament, through the finished work of Christ. There is absolutely no obligation for anyone who claims to be a Christian to give a tithe, or tenth of your income to anyone.
Christianity & Self-Defense: Two Incompatible Ideas, or Godly Provision?
Let me give you a background to this: I am getting very angry at people in this country who seem to want to be bullies. As a kid who was severely bullied when I was in school, I harbor this simmering rage against bullies. So when I see groups like Hamas, Antifa, Democrats who want to use fear and intimidation as a means to silence others, including Christians, it just doesn’t sit well with me.
But did Jesus teach pacifism? Did he really oppose even the idea of defending oneself, or one’s property, or even one’s family? Let’s start with one of the very most famous verses in the Bible, and the words of Jesus:
“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” — Matthew 5:39 (NKJV)
Yes, the famous verse of ‘turn the other cheek’. But is this an admonishment not to defend yourself? Even my Ai knows the meaning of this verse. Ladies and gentlemen, my newest Ai friend, Perplexity.
Jesus taught this as an example of radical non-retaliation and humility. Instead of seeking revenge or responding violently when wronged or insulted, followers are encouraged to respond with patience and forgiveness, even to the point of enduring further mistreatment. – Perplexity Ai
Jesus was not talking about self-defense here. He was talking about seeking revenge. To understand this we have to understand the meaning of a slap on the face. A slap on the face was not considered the start of a fight in the past, nor is it seen that way today. Back then a slap on the face was considered an act of humiliation. Recently I saw on TV this emerging new sport, slapping. I saw something very interesting. A good slap is more dependent on speed, rather than power. There were these big, powerful men who line up. We’re talking body builder meets blubber seal big. And they line up to slap one another, and no matter how powerful they are, its the faster of the two that win.
When Jesus was being crucified, the guards would take turns slapping him. Why? What is the point of a slap? Surely not to cause pain, he was being whipped with a cat of 9-tails. No the slaps weren’t meant for pain, they were meant to humiliate.
“Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.” – Mark 14:65 NKJV
So what we see is not an act of aggressiveness, but an act of symbolism. Think of it like this. Think of it as a spit in the face. How humiliating, how angering. That’s the modern equivalent of the slap. Jesus wasn’t telling us not to defend ourselves, he was talking about revenge.
God has made it clear when it comes to revenge: don’t take it into your own hands. This isn’t about bowing down to our enemies but about showing true strength.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” – Romans 12:19 KJV
The Bible tells us not to seek our own revenge for two very specific reasons. One, we do not want to become our own god. That’s right: by seeking your own revenge you are in effect, taking the right of vengeance away from God and keeping it for yourself. Two, you aren’t nearly as good at vengeance as God. The worst, the very worst thing you can do to a person is kill the flesh. After that, nothing. But as we know from the book of Matthew:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28 NKJV
We let God take revenge for us for a few reasons. First, we don’t want to put ourselves in His place. Second, He’s far better equipped to deliver complete justice than we are. And third, most importantly, God’s divine sense of justice ensures the punishment always fits the crime.
But Does God Actually Allow Us to Defend Ourselves?
For this question let’s start with the story of the night leading up to the crucifixion of Christ:
36 “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! 37 For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”
38 “Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”
“That’s enough,” he said. – Luke 22:36-38 NLT
In this passage, we see Jesus preparing himself and his disciples for the confrontation that is about to face them. Soon, Jesus will face an angry mob, so let’s pause for a moment to explain what’s happening. Jesus came to this earth to die on a cross. That is his mission, that is what he came here to do. He did not come here to die in some back alley of Jerusalem in the middle of the night, by some band of thugs. So now, Jesus is preparing to go meet the angry mob.
Do not let the significance of that pass you by. Jesus knows that his time is drawing near. He knows the fate of mankind itself rests on his completion of his mission, and he knows man has a free will to do whatever they choose. So, he tells his disciples to arm themselves. Not because he is looking for a confrontation, because he knows it is imperative he makes it to the cross the very next day.
Our Enemies: How Should Christians Treat Our Enemies?
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” – Matthew 5:44 KJV
Jesus gives us a way of dealing with our enemies, and Satan has done his level best to make us forget it, because he knows we have a weapon that for which, he has no defense. Prayer. Instead, he fills our minds with anger, fear and desires of retribution.
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” – Romans 12:20 KJV
The Apostle Paul instructs the church in Rome not to deny your enemies their basic necessities. In fact by showing your enemies kindness there is a chance that you may shame them into repenting. But whether your enemies repent or not, God will reward the act of mercy and kindness.
In Summary: Does God Allow for Self-Defense?
We are told in no uncertain terms, to treat our enemy with kindness and respect. We are to feed them, give them water, and pray for them. We are not to seek revenge for anything done to us. But the Bible doesn’t say anything about self-defense. In fact, the example of Jesus tells us the opposite is true. Apparently, his followers, the disciples already were armed before the night before the crucifixion. A sword was the ultimate self-defense weapon of its day. Much like the modern day pistol or rifle.
If a person feels they’re in danger, if they feel a danger to themselves, a danger to a loved one, or even a danger to a complete stranger, God has not placed any limitations on defending one’s self or another to the point of lethal force. If a person is at a public event, whether that event be a protest, or a memorial, or a celebration; you have the God given right to protect yourself, your family members, even the strangers with you. While local governments might place restrictions on what they mandate you do. But as the old saying goes, it’s better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.
Rise of British Islam: A Prophetic Alarm
Jews Are Confined for Their Safety, While Islam Flexes It’s Disregard for the Law
A God Unlike the God of the Bible
The Qur’an says: “He guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills” (Qur’an 14:4). This is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is not the God who sent His Son to die for sinners. This is a god who offers no covenant, no relational intimacy, and no guarantee of salvation—except, notably, to those who die in Jihad.
Yes, Jihad can mean “struggle.” But in the context of Islamic theology and global history, it has become synonymous with holy war—a war often waged against Jews, Christians, and any who refuse to convert.
The Religion and Its Fruits
If a religion’s sacred texts call for the subjugation or destruction of those who do not submit, then the ideology itself must be examined—not just its practitioners. To call such actions “radical” implies deviation. I argue they are not deviating—they are demonstrating.
This is not an attack on Muslims as individuals. Many live peacefully and reject violence. But the theological framework deserves scrutiny, especially when it fuels hostility in public spaces.
The Event That Shamed Britain
On November 9, 2023, Maccabi Tel Aviv played Aston Villa in Birmingham as part of the UEFA Europa Conference League. What should have been a sporting event became a flashpoint for ideological unrest.
Protesters gathered outside Villa Park, waving flags of Palestine, Lebanon, and Kashmir. Chants included anti-Israel and antisemitic slogans. Police reportedly confined pro-Israel supporters to a fenced area for their safety.
Let that sink in: a football match became a stage for ideological aggression. The Israeli team came to play. The crowd came to protest. And Britain’s institutions bent under the pressure.
The Legacy of Ishmael
“He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” – Genesis 16:12 ESV
To understand this pattern, we return to Genesis 16. Hagar (pronounced HAY-gar) was the Egyptian servant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. In that era, foreign slaves were considered property, obligated to fulfill the will of their owners. Because Sarah had not conceived, she offered Hagar to Abraham so that a child might be born through her.
After Sarah mistreated Hagar out of jealousy, Hagar fled into the wilderness. There, the angel of the LORD found her and instructed her to return and submit. But the angel also gave a prophecy:
“Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael… He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him…” — Genesis 16:11–12 ESV
This passage is often interpreted as a spiritual forecast—not of ethnicity, but of disposition. A pattern of conflict, resistance, and restlessness.
Peace Redefined: From Prophecy to Practice
There’s an old saying: “Arabs have four words for peace—so they can talk about it without ever practicing it.” While clearly hyperbolic, it reflects a frustration with cycles of conflict and diplomacy that seem performative rather than transformative.
Consider the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988):
- Estimated 500,000 to 1 million deaths
- Millions more wounded or displaced
- One of the deadliest conflicts of the 20th century
This wasn’t a war between East and West—it was internal, tribal, and theological. It reflects the Genesis pattern: alliances formed, enemies fought, and then former allies turned on each other again.
Hudna: Tactical Peace in Islamic History
Many historians cite the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah (628 CE) as a pivotal moment in Islamic diplomacy. Muhammad agreed to a 10-year truce with the Quraysh of Mecca. But when conditions shifted in his favor, he broke the treaty and conquered Mecca.
This event gave rise to the concept of hudna—a temporary truce used strategically, not as a permanent peace. Critics argue that this redefinition of peace has influenced modern Islamist tactics, where ceasefires may serve as pauses for rearmament rather than steps toward reconciliation.
Britain Has Fallen
In recent months, Britain has seen a marked increase in Islamic demographic and cultural influence, prompting some commentators to describe the nation as “fallen” in terms of its traditional identity and public order.
📈 Rapid Demographic Growth
- As of the 2021 Census, the Muslim population in the UK reached approximately 4 million, or 6.0–6.5% of the total population.
- In England alone, Muslims now make up 6.7% of the population—up from 2.7% in 2001 and 4.4% in 2011.
- The growth rate of the Muslim population has outpaced all other groups, increasing by 44% over the last decade.
🕌 Infrastructure Expansion
- The number of purpose-built mosques in the UK is now between 1,887 and 1,947.
- Including temporary prayer spaces, the total rises to over 2,150 active Islamic worship sites.
🗳️ Political and Cultural Shifts
- The Muslim voting bloc is growing, with over 2.8 million registered Muslim voters as of mid-2024.
- Public institutions have faced pressure over blasphemy laws, Sharia-based arbitration, and cultural accommodations that some argue undermine British legal norms.
Why Some Say Britain Has “Fallen”
The term “fallen” is used by critics who believe:
- British identity is being diluted by policies that prioritize multicultural appeasement over national cohesion.
- Law enforcement appears uneven, with some protests (especially pro-Israel or Christian) facing stricter policing than Islamist demonstrations.
- Public order is compromised, as seen in events like the Birmingham football protests, where Jewish supporters were fenced off for their safety while anti-Israel slogans dominated the streets.
These concerns are often framed within a Psalm 83 worldview—where alliances form against Israel and its allies, and where spiritual deception masquerades as peace.
Psalm 83
1 O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
3 They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5 For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. – Psalms 83:1-8 New American Standard Bible
There is a good deal of controversy surrounding the meaning of Psalm 83. Some people believe that this points to an ancient war of long ago. But this is hard to support. This is known as the Psalm of Asaph, who was a Levite musician and seer (prophet) appointed by King David to lead worship. This psalm was written in the 9th Century B.C., during the reign of Jehoshaphat, who was king of Judah. But here’s where it gets interesting: At the time, the kingdom of Israel was divided; the northern tribes lived under the name Israel, and the southern tribes lived under the name Judah.
But pay close attention to verse 4: “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.” The name of Judah isn’t mentioned, only Israel, which is pointing to the fact that this was written for a time in the future when the two were reunited. Now let’s address the elephant in the room. The battle described in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. While the confederacy mirrors the list of nations given in Psalm 83, however this confederacy that attacked Judah, not Israel
Modern Day Comparisons
Psalm 83 is a plea for divine intervention against a coalition of nations conspiring to “cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4). The listed enemies include:
- Edom (southern Jordan)
- Moab and Ammon (central and northern Jordan)
- Philistia (Gaza)
- Tyre (southern Lebanon)
- Assyria (modern Iraq/Syria)
- Ishmaelites, Hagrites, Amalekites, Gebal—tribes historically linked to Arab regions
No historical record confirms that all these nations attacked Israel simultaneously in the way Psalm 83 describes. All these nations are currently enemies of Israel, and some of them are currently engaging in hostilities with Israel. It is also important to mention that this coalition is nothing like the Ezekiel 38 coalition, which includes distant powers like Russia, Iran and Turkey. Bible prophecy is coming to pass! Such a comfort to see nations lining up exactly as predicted.
In Conclusion
The Bible gives us a glimpse into the modern world and its workings. Through the Bible we can actually decipher the world and what is happening in it. When Palestinian protestors say, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” we can see Psalm 83 verse four in their words: “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.” Psalms 83:4 NASB
Likewise, the Bible has given a clear timeline on the origins of the conflict between Islam and Judaism. The religion of Islam which some scholars claim it has its origins in Nanna and Sin, the worship of the moon god. While Muslim emphatically deny this, one cannot help but notice, just as the worship of Nanna and Sin, their symbol is the crescent moon.
Only Christianity shows a completeness to the Bible. In the fulfillment of Bible prophecy does the Bible reach a harmonic conclusion. For example, in the earlier mentioned event, where Abraham was told to sacrifice his son on Mt. Moriah. To Judaism, the entire Akedah (that’s the name given to this story), they see it as Abraham’s final and greatest test—his willingness to obey God even when the command seems incomprehensible.
From a Muslim perspective, the Akedah (the near-sacrifice of Abraham’s son) is a profound symbol of submission (islām), obedience (ṭāʿah), and trust (tawakkul)—with Ishmael, not Isaac, as the son involved. It is commemorated annually during Eid al-Adhā, one of Islam’s holiest festivals.
But only to the Christian perspective does the event truly come alive. Abraham took his son, Isaac up to the top of Mt. Moriah* and prepared to sacrifice him, in order to give God authority to do the same thing: Because many centuries later, God allowed his son Jesus to be sacrificed as an offering for sin for the entire world, atop of that very same mountain*. Had not Abraham took Isaac and was fully prepared to sacrifice him, then God would have had no basis to send his son into the world and sacrifice him. But because man was willing to sacrifice a son for God, God was willing to sacrifice a son for man.
*Some scholars argue that Golgotha and Mount Moriah are not geographically identical, citing differences in elevation and location. Others maintain that Moriah is a ridge or mountain system, and that Golgotha lies on its northern extension—making the crucifixion a prophetic fulfillment atop the same sacred mountain where Abraham offered Isaac.
British Islamism is flexing its muscles more and more openly as it rises to power
Preparing For the Rapture
Confirming the Biblical Teaching of the Rapture, and Getting Ready of the Event
In this article, it is crucial first to establish the biblical foundation and accuracy of the rapture, and then to address what steps every Christian should take to prepare for this event. For more than 100 years, the debate over the rapture has raged on, with heated debate and even mockery. It is not my intention to insult anyone; however, the very nature of this article is going to confront those who do not believe in the rapture of the church. This is not meant to offend anyone but hopefully shine a light on the truth of the Word of God concerning the rapture.
The first argument that is frequently brought up is that the word Rapture itself does not appear in the Bible. This is perhaps the weakest of all arguments. While technically true, this has nothing to do with the teaching of the rapture itself.
The argument about the word “rapture” usually centers on whether the term itself appears in the Bible and what its historical origin is. Here’s a detailed explanation:
Greek Origin (“harpazo”): The critical New Testament passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we who are alive… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The Greek word used here is harpazo (ἁρπάζω), meaning “to snatch, seize, or take away by force.” This verb shows up several times in the New Testament:
Acts 8:39, when Philip is “caught up” by the Spirit
2 Corinthians 12:2–4, when Paul describes being “caught up” into the third heaven
Latin Translation (“rapturo” or “rapiemur”): When the Bible was translated into Latin (the Vulgate), the Greek harpazo in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 was rendered as rapiemur (from rapio: “to seize, snatch”). The related Latin word raptura means “a carrying off” or “seizure.” Other forms like rapturo are sometimes used in theological discussion. Over time, raptura—the event of being caught up—became a recognized theological term.
English Word (“rapture”): The English word “rapture” comes directly from the Latin raptura or rapio. While “rapture” doesn’t appear in most English Bible translations, it became the popular term in eschatology for the “catching away” described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The term carries the meaning of a sudden, irresistible removal—just as the Greek and Latin suggest.
One could argue there is no original English word in the Bible, as it was first written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, then translated into Latin before English. For instance, “rapture” comes from the Latin translation.
A Biblical Foundation
The core roots of the rapture are found in 1 Thessalonians. While most people simply quote the relevant verse, I think it is important to look at the surrounding passages for a complete explanation of what the Apostle Paul is trying to teach.
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV
The Thessalonian church was confused about the fate of believers who had died. Paul had taught them about the rapture, but since some members had passed away, many feared they were lost forever. Paul is easing their fears, letting them know that when the “catching away” or rapture occurs, those who have died will be raised from the dead first.
Paul refers to the “Word of the Lord” in a reference to what Jesus had spoken about the very same subject.
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. – Matthew 24:36-42 NKJV
This is much different than the judgement, as many people try to claim. The judgement does not come suddenly, to catch people unaware. The first judgement, the judgement seat of Christ, comes after the 7-year tribulation period, and specifically says everyone will be gathered together in one place. This will be not a judgement of God, commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgement, but this will be a separating the wheat from the tares, or the separation of those who accepted Jesus as Lord and those who did not. Then people will be told to stand either on the Lord’s right hand or the Lord’s left hand. Those on the right will be welcomed into the kingdom of God while those on the left will be turned away, cast into darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What Jesus is mentioning here is exactly like what Paul echoed in 1 Thessalonians: we will be caught up in the air to be with Jesus, literally, one taken, one left.
Confirming the Rapture in the Word of God
The Bible unmistakably records the coming “catching away” of the faithful. Paul writes, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). The Lord Jesus Himself alludes to this event, teaching His disciples to remain vigilant: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).
Believers’ hope in the Rapture is not rooted in date speculation, but in the certainty of Christ’s return and the suddenness with which it will come—”like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). The image of the five wise virgins who kept their lamps filled (Matthew 25:1–13) is a vivid call for spiritual preparedness—those ready with faith and the Holy Spirit will partake in the Rapture.
The Dangers of False Teaching
Now let’s talk frankly about the rapture. The heart of the teaching is this: Watch and be ready. There is a popular theory that suggests those who are not ready for the rapture will miss it. And I would point right to Matthew chapter 25, and the well-known 10 virgins parable. So, I would tell you this right now if I could see you face-to-face. If you adopt this point of view and it turns out to be wrong, you lose nothing. There are no negative consequences of following this advice; on the other hand, if you were to ignore this and I turn out to be right, you could find yourself left behind. I’m not saying you would lose your salvation, but I am saying that you could be one of the foolish virgins who missed the coming of the bridegroom.
So, let’s take this parable apart and look at it closely.
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. – Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV
The first thing to notice is the word Then. The first word of the chapter shows us that Jesus is still talking about his return. Chapters were added later during translation into English. Jesus is continuing the teaching of Matthew 24. Weddings during those days were much different affairs, but just like today, they were full of ceremony and tradition. In those days, once a marriage agreement was made, the groom would go to his home to prepare for the wedding. Various things were done, include preparing a feast for the guests of the families, the wedding parties and the families themselves. Also, the groom had the responsibility of making sure there was a home for his bride.
Once everything was prepared and ready, the groom would go for his bride. This could be morning, noon or night. In this parable we see 10 virgins who are waiting for the return of the groom. It is very important to make this point: All ten are virgins. There are not 5 virgins and 5 girls pretending to be virgins. As I often make the humorous point, these are not 5 virgins and 5 girls who knew how to have a good time; all ten are virgins. The difference is subtle, 5 simply did not take their duties seriously.
All ten knew there was a chance that the groom could come at any time, morning or night. Yet they didn’t take their duties seriously enough to bring extra oil. Many people try to make the point that oil represents the Holy Spirit. Now, I don’t have a problem with that, I just believe they are missing the point: The point being that they were caught unready when the groom came for the wedding party, these 5 girls weren’t ready to go. They tried to go and prepare, but before they were ready, the groom came.
This is not a works mentality; the work that they were required to do was to watch. To be ready; to live your life in fellowship with God and be ready for his return. And that is the message for us today. There are no merits or brownie points, this is simply turning away from the world, keeping your mind focused on that things that actually matter. As I said, if you listen to me and I’m wrong, nothing happens. But if you decide to be foolish, and not take your duties seriously, then you could be left behind.
Instructions For Pastors
One of the Most Important Roles in America today is the Church Pastor
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full1 respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) – 1 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV
Increasingly, the role of the pastor in the modern church must be someone who is able to handle the responsibility of a modern role model for his flock. This isn’t something to be taken lightly, nor is it something to allow to fill your mind with pride. Above all, the pastor must, above all else, see himself as human and capable of making bad choices. And this is the first lesson: mistakes are not bad choices. A mistake is when you miss your exit, a bad choice is something that you knew better than to do, but temptation lured you in anyway.
It’s these bad choices that can ruin your ministry, ruin your church and the flock you lead, and even ruin your family and your life. These are the type of things that as a pastor, you need to make a top priority.
Rule Number One: Avoid the Very Appearance of Evil.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV
In today’s world, an over-abundance of caution is considered a good idea. There is an old saying that may not be very polite, but it is absolutely true. It’s only paranoia if no one is out to get you. Remember, these are the last days we’re living in: as the Bible says, Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Don’t think every member in your church is a devout, dedicated member of the body of Christ. Maybe you have a small church, and you know each and every member. Even then, remember not everyone has the dedication, or the close relationship with God as you do. Some members of your church might have opened themselves to temptation.
Making simple, no exception rules can go a long way to protect you. Never allow yourself to be alone with a woman who is not your wife or a close relative. Never go behind closed doors with a woman who is not your wife or close relative. There is no reason to trade texts, private messages, email or any other type of correspondence with women who are not members of your family. Keep this in mind: even if you do nothing wrong, you are not immune to accusations if you keep private conversations with other women.
But these things are common sense; you shouldn’t need anyone to tell you these things. The days of extreme wickedness and lawlessness are here. And at this time, your role as a local pastor is needed more than a mayor, a city council member, or even the governor of a state. In your neighborhood, community, town or city, you need to make associations with other pastors in order to make sure every single person has access to a friendly ear, godly advice, and a message of love. Above all, make associations with other pastors in order to keep everyone accountable. If you are taking your temptations to your fellow pastors, you will see how you’re not alone with what you are facing.
Another thing to keep in mind is money; the most tempting thing on earth is money. I was once praying about money to God, and he spoke to my heart and said, “Money is the most dangerous thing to your soul that you will ever have anything to do with.” The point was that while we wouldn’t even consider other temptations, money is something that we must deal with and it’s the worst temptation of all. Again, the best defense is a good offense. Avoid the very appearance of evil. Even if it purely innocent, consider how things might look to someone else. Always have a system of checks and balances that means no one has individual access to money. Whether it’s you as a pastor, or your church secretary, or your church treasury. No one, should be solely responsible for money.
What is Good News?
That’s what I ask myself sometimes when I hear pastors preach. Remember, your job as a pastor is to build your church. The Gospel means good news; and I have to say, what I’ve heard coming out of the pulpits doesn’t sound like good news to me. You may be a master at getting the Amen corner fired up, but are your words good news? Every blue-haired, face pierced teenager is a boy or girl who is looking for love and acceptance. Every alcoholic who often is found lying asleep on the streets and comes to church only to get out of inclement weather is a man that was born on the earth and is someone that God wants included in his family. Remember it is not your job to convict the world of sin!
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. – John 16:8 NKJV
Be a Master of Faith and a Beacon of Hope
Right now, you need to be, as Benjamin Franklin once said, “a jack of all trades, but master of one”. Now is the time for you to make up your mind. The days are here when people are going to look to you for guidance and hope. It’s not the time to have doubts yourself. Know what to say when someone asks you ‘How could a loving God…” Be ready to pray, with faith, when someone needs prayer. The time for empty prayers that offer false hope is gone. Now is the time for you to demonstrate God’s power.
Faith begins with a decision, one you should have made a long time ago, but this is not about condemnation, this is about getting you up to speed. Right now, I suggest you make two prayers and make them from your heart. First, pray for God to cleanse you of all ‘sacred cows’. I’m talking about things you believe about God, about the Bible that aren’t true. Trust me, this is something you don’t want to do unless you’re ready to face a lot of errors in your life. But the time is now for you to make sure that what you believe is based on solid, Bible teachings. Let God show you your errors, your false beliefs and move on to the Bible’s truth.
I was raised a Missionary Baptist; Missionaries are a strict sect of the Baptist church. But when I was born again, I was in a Full Gospel church. So as a member of the Full Gospel church, I had a lot of Baptist doctrine to unlearn. Unfortunately, those Baptist teachings were replaced with a whole lot of Full Gospel teachings, that I later had to also unlearn. And that day began when I first asked God to show me teachings that were not based on Bible doctrine.
While I don’t believe in this idea of simply repeating prayers other people wrote, I will give you a basic outline of how to pray. “Heavenly Father, I ask you to expose any beliefs I have that don’t line up with the word of God. I don’t want to have any false doctrine in my mind or heart. And especially those things I believe that are hindering my walk with you, expose the truth to me. Your word says that if I ask for wisdom, you will grant it to me and not hold my ignorance against me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”
The second prayer you need to make is a confession of a decision you have made. Don’t pray without making this decision. What you need to do is crucial; pay close attention. For me, my faith really began to grow with a decision I made. Now this needs to be yours; you don’t need to imitate me and think this is going to work for you. You should make a quality decision, one that is a ‘line in the sand’. Something that you are going to have to remind yourself day in and day out. And that decision is that you are going to put the Bible’s teaching first and foremost in your life. For me, it was the day I said, “From now on, I’m going to believe the word of God over and above anything I see with my eyes or hear with my ears.”
That is not an easy decision to make, and I completely understand how hard this is going to be for you, because it was equally hard for me. In fact, demons came on a daily basis to challenge me. I’d see some video about evolution, or some scientist talking about how some or other is a product of years of whatever, completely contradicting what the Bible says. Or I’d see some well-meaning Christian, who had made a comment about how the bad things going on in your life is serving some greater purpose you just have yet to understand. And a demon would whisper to me, “look at this: what do you think about that statement you made yesterday?” But I would meet it out loud: “I believe the word of God over and above what I can see with my eyes or hear with my ears.”
And over time, it started to take root. And then I started to see the power of God in my life. Now let me get something straight, right here, right now. There is nothing special about me. In fact, you could call me the poster child, that is if a man 62 years old can refer to himself as a child, I am the poster child that proves if God will do something for me, he’ll do it for anybody. I have tried more ways than I can count to completely screw my life up: and every time, God sets me back up on my feet and says, sigh… “Let’s try this again.”
I have seen miracles with my own eyes. I’m not talking about things that someone else told me that happened to them. I have seen things with these two eyes that defy earthly description. I have seen things happen to myself and my family that were much, much to unique to be called coincidence. God has fixed things for me; he has told me what to do in circumstances where I hadn’t a clue. I have searched for things for an hour before asking for God’s help only to find them with one or two minutes afterward. I have seen my family members avoid traffic accidents; receive good news from doctors when we had been told not to expect good news. And the list goes on.
This is what you, as a pastor need to be demonstrating. Your flock is going to be coming to you for help, and you need to be able to pray in faith and get answers. And that quality decision will be the key you use to get things done. One time a family member of mine has a medical test that was done and some serious things were found. These were not the type of things where doctors tell you ‘just in case’ or ‘just to be on the safe side’: these were follow-up biopsies.
I prayed as soon as I heard the news. And immediately, Satan came to test me. “Are you sure about this? This isn’t like praying away a cold, this is the big leagues. Are you sure you got what it takes?” I answered out loud out of my spirit before I even thought about it: “The only thing I’m sure about is that I believe the word of God over and above anything I can see with my eyes or hear with my ears!”
That came out of my spirit because that was what I had put into my spirit for over a year. My faith boiled up and spilled out in abundance. Needless to say, those biopsies were all benign. When a member of your church needs prayer, they are crying out for help. One of the best prayers you need to make use of is the Matthew 18:19 prayer, better known as the prayer of agreement.
Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 18:19 NIV
This prayer in particular is a good prayer because it allows you as a pastor to ‘prop up’ someone else’s faith that may be lacking. Also, this type of prayer makes use of two people’s combined faith that causes things to happen. But the most wonderful thing of all is that this prayer is a prayer of agreement. So, the combination of the two minds, coming together to agree on something, gives God a right to intervene in things that normally might hinder him.
Be a Reader of the Word
It is absolutely imperative that you develop and obsession for God’s word. This isn’t as tough as it sounds. You can absolutely become obsessed with God’s word and want to read it more and more every day. Just make a quality decision to read 6 – 10 chapters a day. Eventually, you’ll find those chapters flying by and a great desire to read more.
The Bible you learn will be key to growing your faith, having the right answers in order to counsel someone, teaching in depth study to your flock. You will get to a point that when you open your mouth, scripture flies out.
I have often said I can tell how people spend their free time by how they react to the unexpected. The person who yells, cusses, engages in name calling is the person who has no anchor in themselves at all. They are blown by every gust of wind, every whisper in their ear becomes a delight. Whether they get to carry off some tasty piece of gossip, or they are ready to make someone else’s life miserable. More than once, I have told the wrong thing to the wrong person and found my most personal of moments openly talked about in the staff lunchroom.
But you, pastor, should keep God’s word so filled inside you that whenever your faced with a question, or a situation, you can be confident that God’s word is going to give you the answers you need. You need to understand, we may have a few weeks, or a few months, or maybe a year or two. But beyond that, I personally cannot see how the world can continue on in its present form. Too many nations talk peace while preparing for war. There are too many evil people out there who have lost all humanity. They behave like evil robots, willing to kill, rape, beat, rob, set fire and do whatever else they evil minds crave.
This is the time in your life when you are going to be a target. We can already see that in many places around the world, including right here in the USA, pastors have become targets. In Michigan, a Muslim mayor is doing his best to run a Christian preacher out of town. In Tennessee, a city has an ordinance that doesn’t allow Christians to hold events within certain areas of the town. Across the world, pastors are being imprisoned, harassed, beaten and even killed. In India, a pastor was jailed for simply being a Christian in the city he lived.
Be Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves
If ever there was a time when you are to remain on your toes, this is it. Satan knows his time is running out; he can see the signs as well as we do. And he is bringing his converts out into the open. No, they won’t claim to be satanists, they will claims to be Socialists, liberals, high school chums, old girlfriends, and neighbors. But no matter what they call themselves they will have one thought on their minds: finding some way to trip you up, and thereby shut you up.
Make a regular habit of praying that God will give you the mind of Christ when you face Satan’s traps. Ask for wisdom to see them coming, discernment to see through their deceptions and wisdom on how to escape their traps. Pray that God would publicly expose the truth to everyone.
Be ready to pray, always. Show God’s power in the laying on of hands, teach your flock on the necessities of being a Christian under persecution. Remind people of the fact that even though persecution may seem random, in fact God blesses those he deems worthy with allowing them to suffer like Christ did. Never back away from persecution; this is God’s way of honoring you.
Finally, never forget you are to be an example to your church. You should be like Christ to them: Always held in the highest esteem, teaching by both instruction and example. Never give your congregation reason to be Ashamed!
Taking Comfort in Psalms (9 Oct. 2025)
11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelters of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. – Psalm 31:11-24 NIV
In the world we live in today, there are plenty of reasons for the world to fear. However, we are not called to be afraid. In fact, we are promised a peace that passes all understanding. In these days we are told by Jesus that we are hated of all nations because of his name. And just as Jesus warned us, it is happening in the day and time in which we live.
At first glance, it would seem that we Christians of all people, are to be pitied the most: The world hates us, our friends and family mock us, people discriminate against us, and on occasion, they even kill us. But little do they understand. People whose biggest fear is death, never understand the peace we have. We have no reason whatsoever to fear anything any man can do to us. In fact, the very thing that they dread the most is the very thing we count as gain.
Just how does someone deal with an enemy as that? You can’t, that’s the point. It is the wicked that flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. God’s promises are not hit and miss. These promises in the Old Testament are completely ours; not because we follow the laws of the Old Testament, we don’t have to. But because Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law of the Old Testament, every one of these promises, are automatically ours. Because as the New Testament tells us, we are joint heirs with Jesus and heirs according to the promise.
So we speak the word in boldness, we are ready, in season and out, to give an account of what we believe and are ready to rebuke evil that stands in the way of our witnessing of Jesus. So don’t just read the scripture, open your heart and let it in. Say those words out loud, imagine God telling you those things as if you were listening to his voice speak to you. Take those words as promises made to you personally. This is called meditation on the word. You do this and you’ll start to see your faith grow, you’ll start leaning on God more and worrying less.
Most of all, make a decision, right here, right now. Make up your mind that from now on, you are going to believe the Bible with uncompromising faith. Faith isn’t some goose-pimply feeling that comes at odd times and leaves just as quickly. Faith is a quality decision you make that you refuse to abandon when you face trials. Make a decision: for me it became a line in the sand: “From now on, I will believe the Word of God over and above what I can see with my eyes or hear with my ears.”
And when you read a Psalm like this one, don’t wish, ‘if only it were true’. IT IS TRUE and it will work for you. If you will simply make up your mind to believe it, it will happen for you!
The Rapture Date? (1 Oct. 2025)
Recently many Christians were deceived into believing that the rapture was coming near, because of the date of the Jewish celebration, The Feast of Trumpets. I will be the first to admit that parallels are quite remarkable. In fact, I would go as far as to say the Feast of Trumpets might be a type, or analogy of the rapture. But that never translates into setting a date.
That morning my daughter came to me before she left for work and asked me if I had heard anything about this rapture occurring on September 23rd. And I told her, rest assured, today you’re safe. I may not know when the rapture will occur, but I can tell you it won’t be today. I knew that because of the teachings of the Jesus himself.
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” – Matthew 24:44
Date-setting is completely meaningless. I’d venture to say that many who claimed to have visions and dreams were deceived—often because they knew so little of the Bible, they didn’t even know to test the spirits to see whether they were from God. At the same time, I believe many honest Christians were swept up in the hope we all share: to hear the trumpet blast and our name called.
As for me, I often find comfort in these troubling times through the words of Jesus.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. – Matthew 24:37 -41 NIV
This passage has stirred endless controversy. Some deny the reality of the rapture, claiming it refers to judgment. But that kind of confusion often stems from cherry-picking verses. The first rule of Bible understanding: if you’re struggling with a verse, read the surrounding context. Ask: Who is speaking? Who is listening? What is the setting?
Here, Jesus is making a direct comparison between Noah’s time and the last days. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I believe we’re living in the very last of the last days. That doesn’t mean the earth ends tomorrow. If the rapture were to happen right now as you read this, there would still be at least 1,007 years before the final end. And even then, it’s not the end. Scripture promises a new heaven and a new earth.
Whether that means this earth will be destroyed and replaced, or cleansed and remade by fire—I don’t know. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. Rule number two: quit worrying about things that won’t affect you either way.
We live in a time where ‘street preaching’ can get you killed, jailed, mobbed or beaten. Glory to God! The Bible is coming true in the smallest of details! How could anyone deny we’re living in the end times? He is comparing that to Noah’s time.
“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” — 2 Peter 2:5, KJV
Noah didn’t spend all his time building an ark. He warned the people for 120 years, “a flood is coming to destroy the world, Repent and be saved.” But how many entered the ark? Eight. Not one single person believed his report. That is the time we’re living in today. It is so hard to get anyone to stop and listen.One would think the signs happening all over the world would spark curiosity. But many days, this blog sees only 10 or 20 visitors. If I get 100, I count it a blessing.
Truly the days that Peter predicted through the Holy Spirit are here:
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. – 2 Peter 3:3-6 NIV
And here is yet another example of Bible prophecy coming to pass. The scoffers mock us, they yell and scream, the mock the very idea Christ is even alive much less his return. And they don’t even realize their actions were predicted 2,000 years ago.
one will be taken and the other left.
This is not what we’ve been told about the judgement of God. The judgement of the world will not happen like lightning out of the sky. People will be gathered together; they will know what is taking place. No, there is only one event where people will be unaware of what is happening; that event is the rapture. Two people working together, one is taken, one is left. Hallelujah! That day draws closer each and every day. Every day, I wake up and the first thing I do is go to my favorite news sources. I am not exaggerating when I say every day something is happening that brightens my day.
Contradicting Jesus
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. – Matthew 24:36 ESV
One of the most stunning verses in scripture I have ever seen. Jesus Himself admits He doesn’t know the time of His return. That’s a conundrum—and a rebuke to anyone claiming to know the date.
I’ve seen people twist this verse, insisting they knew the rapture would happen on September 23. Now they know they were wrong. But let’s dive deeper.
So, Jesus himself doesn’t know the day of his return. This by its very nature is talking about the rapture. We know for a fact that from the time that the ‘covenant with the many’ is agreed upon, a timer begins ticking. This is the 70th week of Daniel, the Time of Jacob’s trouble. The period of Revelation. We know that from that time, the Holy Spirit has spelled out to the day how long this period of time will last – seven years. We may not know when the seven years begin, but when it does, we can predict to the day what time it ends.
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. – Daniel 9:27 NIV
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. – Revelation 11:3 NIV
This tells us that the mid-point of the tribulation is 3 1/2 years (1,260) days. So once the 70th week, or the 7-year tribulation period begins, we know the ending to that very day. So when Jesus tells us that he doesn’t know the day nor the hour, he is talking about the rapture of the Church.
I know that many times in my own life, I’ve tried to find ways to excuse it when my personal beliefs contradicted the Word of God. From experience, I can tell you—that’s a pointless exercise. It’s a marker of pride: that stubborn determination not to admit I’m wrong. But lately, I’ve learned that my newfound ability to admit I’m wrong is actually a strength. Because when I acknowledge my weakness, it gives God the opportunity to be strong in me.
The Reaper Has Overtaken the Plowman
So pay close attention to what I’m about to write. There are so many things, and I have so little free time, that I can’t begin to cover all the signs coming to pass. For example, as I write this, it is October 1st. The big news today is the possible agreement in the middle east of a peace plan that will finally stop the violence between Hamas and Israel.
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:3 KJV
So yes, every day is a new adventure. The biggest adventure of my life; every day I literally watch and wonder if this is another prophecy coming to pass. So, would you like to take an adventure as well? Then open your Bible and begin a serious Bible study. When I tell you the Bible is a treasure like none other on earth, 40 years of study has taught me that. I have read other so-called holy writings, and I can tell you this: As I read the Bible I can feel the witness inside my spirit.
But any other writings are like reading a book of fiction. No witness. No Life.