Deception is the greatest danger to Christians in the end-times.
All four Gospel accounts take great pains to identify Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He is identified in the Gospels by five different prophetic titles: “the Son of David,”1 “the Christ,”2 “the Son of God,”3 “the Son of Man,”4 and “the King of the Jews.” John’s Gospel goes further in clarifying the “Son of God” title by adding, “only-begotten”5 and “only-begotten from the Father.”6 All of these titles come directly from Old…
Most Christians who are “Futurists” regarding Daniel’s 70th Week (7-year Tribulation) place the opening act of the book of Revelation at the beginning of that 7-year period. This is the opening of the first four seals in Revelation 6, releasing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This allegedly takes place immediately after the “rapture.” This timing is not based on any requirements of the text, but due to the pressure of Dispensationalism and its pre-tribulation…
Today, in the heart of “Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots,” the conclave to select a new pope commences. Bishops wearing purple and Cardinals wearing red1 have flocked to Rome for this occasion. The death of pope Francis at this juncture in world history is significant. The Roman Catholic Church has been drifting significantly to the left for some time, but Francis was far more radical than any of his predecessors. The “woman” (Rome) has been…
Last night Diane and I hosted the Passover meal, a sweet time of fellowship around remembering Jesus’ last Passover with His disciples. Rather than celebrating it when the Jews observe their Passover on the 14th or 15th of the month Nisan, this year I decided to observe it on the correct weekday (Thursday night) in order to keep the focus on the sequence of Jesus’ passion week. As I am typing this, around 8:30am Friday…
Revelation 7:13-17 (LGV) 13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me: “Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him: “My master, you have observed.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who emerge out from the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne…
Eph. 5:17,24-27 (LGV) 17 Consequently, do not be foolish, but consider what the will of the Master is. … 24 Therefore, just as the assembly is subordinate to the Anointed One, so also wives [must be] to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Anointed One also loved the assembly and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might set her apart, cleansing [her] through the bath of…
Rev. 19:6-9 (NASB) 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And it was given…
Ephesians 6:10-13 (LGV) 10 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Master and in the power of His strength! 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to withstand the trickery of the Slanderer, 12 because we do not struggle with flesh and blood, but with authorities, with powers, with the princes of the darkness of this age, against spiritual conspirators in the celestial dominions. 13 Therefore take up…
One of the key differences between those who believe in the personal reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years and those who deny it is the question of the resurrection of the dead. Is there only one general resurrection of all of the dead? Or is there a distinct resurrection first of only the righteous? The “pre-millennial” interpretation requires a staged resurrection, the first being separated from the second by a thousand years….
The genuine Christian Faith was founded, expounded, and demonstrated by the Son of God who was and is “the image of the invisible God,”[1] perfectly reflecting the character and purposes of God. The Apostles then mirrored “the mind of Christ,”[2] having been “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son.”[3] They parroted Jesus’ teachings and followed His example of submission to God’s stated purposes and His self-sacrifice. The Apostles were secondary reflections of God’s purposes and…
Since 1947-48, when the modern state of Israel was established by the United Nations, there has been a continuous stream of conflict and violence against Israel by its neighbors. The Six-Day War in 1967 is considered by both Jews and Christians as divine intervention. Against enormous odds, Israel deflected the simultaneous attacks from the surrounding nations, defeated them decisively in six days, and recaptured Jerusalem and especially the Temple Mount which had been denied her…
I am 100% convinced that the earth is slightly less than 6,000 years old. Most Evangelical Christians are also “Young-Earth Creationists,” and take the Genesis creation account literally, as well as the chronological data in the Bible, all of which requires this view. However, Young-Earth Creation ministries often use a particular argument from Romans 5 & 8 in order to counter “Old-Earth Creationists” who claim that the earth itself is billions of years old, some…
The previous post in this series of articles – Deception in the Last Days – dealt with how doctrine affects behavior. Sound doctrine tends to influence Christians towards right behavior, moving us to faith, hope, and love, motivating us that we “may not become lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.”[1] Conversely, bad doctrine provides cover and justification for behavior that is inconsistent with God’s will, and especially hinders…
Sound doctrine is critical for Christians, but not for the reasons most suppose. It is not that holding a particular doctrinal position on the Godhead, free-will vs. election, the exact motions or rituals one must go through to be saved, or any particular eschatological viewpoint are required in order to inherit immortality. God alone decides who His sons and daughters are, not our list of “hoops” someone must jump through to be acceptable to us….
One of Satan’s greatest deceptions which is embraced by many Christians, including leaders, is that they can cruise through the end-times and into an inheritance in the Kingdom of God with divided loyalties, serving two masters. They set out to follow Christ, but they secretly also serve another master, their idol. Serving their idol-master along with Christ causes them to dismiss or water down those commands of God which conflict with the demands of their…
Over the last couple of years I have been horrified to observe seemingly strong Christians, even some who were supposed to be leaders, utterly fail in their spiritual discernment, critical thinking, and commitment to stand on God’s truth alone regardless of personal cost. I have watched men whom I respected as able teachers of the Word set aside the Word, and instead become passionate evangelists for this or that conspiracy theory. Facebook pages that used…
The greatest spiritual war of all time, which has raged continuously since creation and which is coming to its climax in these last days, is TRUTH vs. DECEPTION. Satan’s first sin was lying to Eve. This initiated the fall of mankind, and consequently the death of all mankind. This is why Jesus called Satan both the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires…