Author Archives: Ron Edwards

THE NATIONS OF THE MIDDLE EAST ARE CENTRE STAGE IN GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN

Posted on by

Make no mistake during the End-Times, God will focus His attention on bringing to fulfilment the covenants that He made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.

Most of Daniel’s visions focus on the Gentile kingdoms in history, and on their rule over the people and land of Israel. It was revealed to Daniel that the Gentile kingdoms would have dominion over Israel until the time of the end  and the coming of their Messiah. He was given understanding that the nation of Israel, and their Land, is going to be embattled and fought over until the end. There will come a time, however, when that season of the Gentiles’ dominion will come to an end; a time when the Land will be given back to the people of Israel; a time when they are going to be restored to the Land.

The Bible clearly says that His divine activity will be both “great and terrible” as He zealously works to persuade the peoples of the Gentile nations to turn from their evil ways and accept His “redemptive plan” as it will be expressed in history through the manifestation on earth of the everlasting covenants that He made with Israel. At the same time, God will be working dramatically among Jewish people, and for the nation of Israel, to turn whole-heartedly to Him—accepting the Messiah that He has already sent to make a way for their salvation. We are told that by the end of this age, the surviving Jewish people will believe on and receive Jesus as their Messiah and King!

Throughout the New Testament, the prophecies written about the End-Times and the return of Jesus are focused on Israel and other key nations of the Middle East. The Book of Revelation portrays the cities of Babylon and Jerusalem as the two most prominent cities in the End-Times drama.

The nations of the Middle East will be the “stage” upon which God completes His activity of redemption in this age and ushers in the next age, which will be a time of renewal and restoration that will affect the whole world.

Jesus is Returning

In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness. (Isaiah 16:5)

The way to be righteous for those who would partake of God’s Kingdom is “through faith in Jesus Christ.” 

“But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Righteousness is not through our works. It is a gift that we receive and that we live by through faith in Jesus.

“God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (Corinthians 5:21) Awesome! This verse is one of the most “astounding” verses in all of Scripture.

It is important to emphasise here that there is only “one-way” of salvation; only one-way to become a Righteous citizen of God’s Kingdom.

“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6)

Sadly much of the apostate church believes Jesus is not the only way to God. This is heresy and leads only to destruction.

Also, this issue of “identity” has become a concern for many Jews who are now “Messianic believers;” those who believe in Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah. They struggle with what they should do with the Law—and with the covenant that was made with Moses and with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. They often identify themselves, as Jews, with many of the things that they were taught under the Law, as well as from traditions that have sprung up throughout their history. Paul made it clear that Jews must also submit to God’s perfected way of becoming Righteous, which is only through believing in Jesus, the Messiah:

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1-4)

It is important to pray for the Messianic community, so that they may come to accurately understand God’s heart and God’s Word. This difficult situation, most likely, will only increase in the last days, when the Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem and a revived Levitical priesthood institutes daily sacrifices and offerings again.

Extracts from Tom Craig’s book, Living Fully for the Fulfilment of Isaiah 19: When Egypt, Assyria and Israel Will Become a Blessing in the Midst of the Earth

 

 

TIME TO REPENT AND TAKE GOD’S POSITION ON MORAL VALUES

Posted on by

In an article summarising the results of a recent ComRes poll (Coalition-for-Marriage-Poll-October-2018) , the UK’s Christian Institute concluded that a “quarter of young people favour ‘phone-style’ marriage contracts”. A few key points of this poll are as follows:

Among 18–24-year-olds:

  1. 24 per cent supported the notion of fixed-term marriage contracts (and a much higher percentage want a low-threshold divorce system).
  2. 32 per cent supported polygamy (although this percentage drops with age).
  3. 30 per cent favoured ‘fluid arrangements’, i.e. promiscuity (although, again, this percentage drops with age).
  4. 13 per cent backed bringing incest into the legal definition of marriage (although 84% of all respondents oppose this notion). It’s just as well chapter 8 of The Creation Answers Book explains the ethics behind Cain’s marriage.

While these percentages are for older teens and twenty-somethings, these views are not held solely by that age group. Significant, although lower, percentages are found across the whole gamut of ages. This, to me, means that these ideas do not originate with the younger generation; they exist among older people too. A moral standard will not disappear from society like the flicking of a binary switch, i.e. on/off, but will, over time, be compromised and eroded.  Every journey begins with a small step; likewise, most lies begin with a small negation or dilution of the truth.

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes

The Bible has much to say about what happens when people do what they want, or in other words, what seems right in their own eyes; and here I would like to draw your attention to the book of Judges. This portrays a sad tale of moral decline, interspersed by brief periods of deliverance of the people by ‘judges’, raised up by God. The judges themselves become morally degraded also, as the book progresses. However, that is not the whole story. Shifting the focus from the judges to the people, chapters 17 and 18 detail the decline in obedience to God and an increased focus on self, people only adhering to God’s rules when it suited them, and forsaking those rules that they deemed inconvenient. It is a sorry tale of the people going from bad to worse as “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

Are we heading the same way?

The wise preacher Solomon says, “Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10). Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the beginning (Genesis 3) people have been choosing the path of destruction, the way of self. What is good/pleasant for me? Eve thought it, Adam did not stop it but participated in it, and undoubtedly you and I have often behaved this way too (Romans 3:23). Is it any surprise, then, that as society becomes more and more disconnected from God and His teaching, as shown in the book of Judges, it is becoming more godless and more selfish?

Why should we be surprised at the poll results shown above?

Redefining identity

Elsewhere the ComRes poll includes the following statistics from all age groups surveyed:

  1. 20 per cent believe that young people (under 18) should be able to self-define their gender.
  2. 35 per cent agree with permitting transgender individuals to take part in sports competitions under their new gender identity.
  3. 32 per cent support those who want to self-define their race.
  4. 19 per cent support those who want to self-define their age.
  5. 10 per cent support those who want to self-define their species.

These statistics make alarming reading. Regarding item 5, the Christian Institute’s Colin Hart reported that, “the Equalities Minister [UK Government] Penny Mordaunt has ordered an inquiry into why there has been a more than 4,000 per cent increase in the number of girls seeking support from ‘transitioning’ services in the last decade”.

It is not enough to ‘tut’ at the outcome of these polls. It is time to repent and for Christians to take a stand. Stand on what? Stand on the true foundation of the doctrines taught in Genesis 1–11, that mankind was created in God’s image. Jesus did, so we’ll be in good company, irrespective of what percentage joins us.

adapted from article Marriage and identity crisis – Redefining marriage, gender, age and species by 

JESUS WILL RULE & REIGN THE NATIONS FROM JERUSALEM

Posted on by

I am on the Australian Board of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC). Recently, we had our International Conference in Jerusalem which I attended. The following is my report on the conference. It challenged me, I hope it will do so for you.

The Commonwealth of Israel – Releasing a blessing for the nations

November 3-7th, 2018, Jerusalem

The opening address for the conference was given by Jan Sturesson, Chairman of ICCC International on the evening prior to Day One of the conference.

The hour has come for ICCC to serve in a new way – reformation in practice.

DAY ONE

The Commonwealth of Israel – Releasing a blessing for the nations

What does it mean for Israel, the nations and the body of Christ?

The timing and location of the conference was strategic, Israel is celebrating its 70th anniversary. It is no accident that the USA and other nations are or will move their embassies to Jerusalem. Do their leaders know that God will rule and reign from there in the Millennium? Probably not.  Little do these nations know how important it is for them to support Israel:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats. Then He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left hand.” Matthew 25:31-33

The sheep nations get to live on in the Millennial reign of Yeshua but the goat nations do not.

Will your nation be a sheep or goat nation?

Our International Board were Holy Spirit lead to choose Rick Riding of Succat Hallel as the opening speaker. Aligning with God and His purposes for this time.

Succat Hallel (Hebrew for Tabernacle of Praise) is a dynamic community of worshippers and intercessors from five continents drawn together to stand as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

I will urge all people who want to connect with God’s purposes for these “last days” to connect with and support Succat Hallel. Rick challenged me to do all I can to ensure Australia is not a goat nation.

Recent events in Australia, particularly Scott Morrison’s elevation to Prime Minister and Josh Fryberg to Deputy, indicate God has given us a window of opportunity to get in step with His purposes. The fact our Prime Minister and his Deputy indicate they will consider moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem is another very significant indicator, but requires significant prayer and Holy Spirit led action to become a reality. I will make sure all Prayer Networks in Australia get a copy of this document.

The second speaker, Calev Myers, Founder and President of Arise (Alliance to Reinforce Israel’s Security and Economy) was also a Holy Spirit inspired choice that reinforced the message given by Rick Riding that Israel is on track with God’s plan to be a blessing to the nations with emerging technologies that will change the world. One day of the ICCC conference was devoted to support the first ARISE SUMMIT more on that later.

The rest of the first day of the ICCC Conference was spent on: Leveraging the relationship between business organisations in the body of Christ and the state of Israel. Including Breakout Sessions.

Once again, the choice of speakers was Holy Spirit inspired particularly as Jan shared that he did not think all would turn up. ICCC played a significant role in connecting these men and forming what will be significant relationships – Jews/Christians.

Marian Cohen, Chairman of Israel Federal Bi-National Chambers of Commerce.

Robert Ilatov, Chairman Knesset Christian Allies and Israel Hi-Tech Caucus

Rabbi Tuly Weisz Jerusalem

Leaders of Christian Business Organisations present:

Timo Plutschinski, WEA (World Evangelical Alliance) Business Coalition

Dennis Peacocke, Go Strategic (Strategic Christian Services)

Arleen Westerhof, European Economic Summit

Wim Kater, CMBC (Certified Master Business Coaches) International

Jan Sturesson ICCC International

DAY TWO

Key note: A Commonwealth Future Starts with Prayer

Albert Veksler, Director of Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Movement

The first-ever Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast was hosted at the Israel Knesset (Israeli Parliament) on June 6th by the Speaker of the Knesset Yuli-Yoel Edelstein and Members of the Knesset, Robert Ilatov (Chairman of the Beiteinu party) and Rabbi Yahuda Glick.

More than 550 delegates from 56 countries attended, representing politicians, pastors, leaders, and business people from all walks of life (ICCC was well represented including our Chairman).

At the reception in the Knesset commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the reunification of the ancient city of Jerusalem, Mr Ilatov (as mentioned, a speaker on Day One of our conference) spoke of the need to stand together to promote the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy of Jerusalem as the undivided capital and ‘eternal home’ of the people of Israel. “Now is the time to put prayer into action and to put pressure on our governments to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem.”

Michele Bachman. Former U.S. Congresswoman. And head of the U.S. Allies Caucus, received a standing ovation as she gave her commitment on behalf of the U.S. to stand with Israel, including a reminder that those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3 and Acts 3:25).

After Albert Veksler on “the future starts with prayer”, there was a distinguished panel on:

“How do we stand in the GAP for Israel and Jerusalem?”

Panel speakers:

Dr Jorgen Buhler, Director, International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem (trained physicist and ordained minister (German Pentecostal Federation)

Israel Pochtar, Founder of Voice of Judah Israel and Senior Pastor in Ashdad. Hebrew speaking Messianic Congregation.

Voice of Judah Israel is a voice in the land that proclaims the Good News to the people of Israel; reaches out a helping hand to feed and clothe the poor, plants and cultivates congregations, and raises up a generation of servant leaders.

Dr Naim Khoury, cofounder of Holy Land Missions based in Bethlehem working with Arab Christians (60% of church members unemployed)

ICCC’s participation in the first Arise Summit 2018 (Connecting Businesses, Facilitating Investments in Israeli Industries, Advancing Peaceful Coexistence) in Tel Aviv on the third day of the conference was a major initiative for ICCC in how we can stand in the GAP for Israel and Jerusalem.

ARISE exists to combat such threats to the security and economy of Israel through highly strategic advocacy.

What’s the Impact of BDS on Palestinians?

Well over 100,000 Palestinians are employed, this very day, in Jewish businesses across Israel, Judea and Samaria. Currently, some 70,000 Palestinians possess Israeli work permits, with experts estimating that tens of thousands more are employed illegally by Jewish citizens of Israel. Approximately 30,000 Palestinians are employed in Jewish-owned businesses throughout the West Bank, providing upwards of USD $300,000,000 in salaries to Palestinians per annum.

Each salary earned by them supports an average of ten people, due to the traditional multi-generational co-habitation in Palestinian households. The very businesses which the boycott movement would like to shut down put food on the table for approximately 1,000,000 Palestinians every day. 

Arab Christians: All agreed, ICCC needs to consider how we work with people such as Dr Khoury to help, particularly with training (TWL) and mentoring of Arab Christian business people starting in Bethlehem.

Every ICCC Chapter needs to connect with local, State and National Prayer Networks to participate with prayer for the nation, prayer for Israel and other nations as led by the Holy Spirit.

The rest of the DAY THREE provided “A Taste of the Kingdom in business and working life” with testimonies and excellent choice of Breakout Sessions:

  1. Business Clinic for Israeli Entrepreneurs.
  2. Serving the Body of Christ using the new ICCC training materials – Transformed Working Life.
  3. How to make a Biblical based business/life plan.
  4. Stand in the GAP in prayer (What does it mean in real life).

The evening session “Releasing a blessing from Israel to the nations – Business in the days to come” was the last session of the conference as Day 4 was devoted to the Arise Summit.

The speaker Peter Tsuahira, Director of Or HaCarmel (Light of Carmel) Ministry Centre. It is a residential community to be a demonstration of the love of God to Israel. Since its beginning in 2002 it has become a place for the development and launching of new projects and areas of service for those in need. Peter is also an International Business Consultant.

He reinforced the message we had been getting since the start of the conference. God will rule nations when He returns and He will rule with a rod of iron. Zechariah expresses this well.

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.” Zechariah 14:16-17

For me once again it asks the question; will my nation be a sheep or goat nation and what am I doing now to ensure the truth of where we are in Biblical history is made known.

My calling is to provide resources (power point sermons, podcasts and videos) to equip the “last days” church and to partner with organisations that understand the times and know their calling from God (www.powerpointsermons.net)

I am convinced that apart from its leading role in supporting Israel, ICCC is playing an important role at this time to both train up marketplace leaders and to connect with and support other marketplace ministries.

TIMING OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING

Posted on by

The fifth episode of Dawn of a New Day by Nelson Walters  is about deception within the Church about Rapture timing.

If you’ve been around Christian circles for any amount of time, you are probably familiar with 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and the controversy about it.

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Watch this video to get the latest understanding of this passage as well as learning about the deception that has occurred within the church. Godly and sincere men have been sincerely wrong and misguided much of the church for over 60 years.

Also, once the correct meaning of apostasia is known, this passage eliminates the Pretribulation Rapture theory as a possibility. Is this the reason that teachers have been presenting the false translation for 60 years? There is no question that the original scholar who proposed the mistranslation did so to promote the Pretribulation Rapture theory. The other scholars then just blindly accepted this because it helped support their theory.

I think this should be a lesson for all of to carefully examine theories before accepting them, even theories that support our favoured position. The Berean Christians in the Book of Acts even checked out the teaching of the Apostle Paul against scripture. If even Paul’s teaching was carefully examined, we should even more carefully check out the teachers of our own day.

WHY DOES GOD PERMIT THE COMING GREAT TRIBULATION

Posted on by

More great teaching from Nelson Walters. Nelson is one of the Board Members of our website http://www.powerpointsermons.net where we provide resources for the end times church to prepare them for Jesus Second Coming.

Everyone expects that a time of great distress is coming. But why will God permit a Great Tribulation and will he allow believers to endure it?

A Great Tribulation is coming. Jesus said so, it will be.

In episodes, two and three Nelson presents evidence that Christians will enter and endure that period. But the question must be asked, WHY would a loving God allow this? What could be his purposes? If you missed these two videos – Will Christians Face Great Tribulation? and When Does the Wrath of God Begin? then go to http://www.thegospelintheendtimes.com.

Watch Episode Four in the series Dawn of a New Day to find out:

TRUE FREEDOM IS ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH OBJECTIVE TRUTH

Posted on by

This episode of CHRIST REVEALED introduces you to Sean McDowell, the son of well-known author and apologist Josh McDowell. Sean is an author and professor at Biola University, and he shares an inspiring overview of “Christian apologetics”. Sean describes how he takes classes of Christian students to meet and interact with atheist and Muslim groups, in order to discuss their Christian view and the power behind it. This is an exciting interview that will challenge your confidence in your Christian worldview. Do you really know the truth sufficient to face the coming tribulation leading up to Jesus Second Coming.

The Christ Revealed team  then takes you to the Garden Tomb, one of 2 places that Christ was thought to be buried. This amazing coverage of the ancient site is beautiful and inspiring.

Meet Tisha Michelle, Christ Revealed (CR) team’s expert guide through Israel. Tisha meets CR TBN studios in Jerusalem, with a majestic view of the old city behind her. A beacon of Christian light in Israel, Tisha’s command of scripture matched to key locations throughout the Holy Land is stunning. She turns “black and white knowledge” into a full technicolour experience—and you’ll never forget her compelling personal story!

BALANCING GRACE AND TRUTH

Posted on by

The majority of the churches in America, but not only America, are seeking to please the masses rather than convict. Judgement is never mentioned; repentance is rarely sought and sin is often excused. We want to build a church rather than break a heart, be politically correct rather than biblically correct, coddle and comfort rather than stir and convict. This leaves people confused and deceived because we teach and live a form of Christianity void of repentance … void of truth.

The church and our nation desperately need to hear “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” to awaken, convict and restore. It was not so long ago that we were concerned about the fall of America. America cannot fall because she has already fallen. We are now picking up the pieces of a broken nation reflected in our laws, our personal lives, our families and our children. America’s moral heartbeat has ceased because we cut off the source of life. We need resuscitation, renewal and revival of the truth. Biblical truth.

When people, groups, denominations or movements depart from absolute truth and thus quench and grieve the Spirit of God, they become mechanical in their approach to Christianity and lose the ability to guide. The Word of God is not in their hearts “as a burning fire” (Jeremiah 20:9), but relative, powerless and debatable. This is what we see today.

The “moral” laws in the Old Testament such as killing, stealing, lying, adultery, sexual immorality and so on are all valid today. Jesus referred often to the Old Testament, and said that He didn’t come to abolish it, but to fulfil it. For example, Leviticus 20:13a states, “If a man lies with another man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” To suggest that this verse is invalid today is to advocate the dangerous practice of redefining or deleting what God has said. Not to mention other stories in the Old Testament that highlight the dangers of homosexuality and all sexual sin.

Jesus condemned “all” sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and woman when He said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man” (Matt. 15:19-20). Jesus was implying that all sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman is harmful and immoral. The word “fornication” in the Greek is porneia, where the word “pornography” comes from. We cannot say, “But I was born this way.” I was born to lie, cheat, lust and deceive, but this doesn’t make it right. It makes me sinful and in need of a Saviour.

The consequences of wrong actions may have changed, but the moral implications remain the same. For instance, even though we no longer stone to death those who commit adultery, this does not mean that adultery is acceptable or any less dangerous. Adultery is wrong even though there aren’t legal consequences. The laws of a nation should reflect God’s Word, but they are never above it!

Romans 1:18-32 and 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 tells us that when mankind does not see fit to acknowledge God, and they suppress the truth; God will give them over to a depraved mind—to do those things that are not proper. This should put the fear of God into us all. Homosexual behaviour, and sexual sin in general, is comparable with dishonouring the body and turning from God. John Piper said, “The sexual disordering of the human race is a judgement of God for exchanging Him for the creature.”

Jesus said that since the beginning of creation, God created them male and female in order that they would be joined together and become one flesh. He adds, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mark 10:9). Marriage between a man and a woman is God’s plan since creation. No matter how many laws are passed in favour of gay marriage, it will not change God’s mind.

Jesus would often speak out against sin, but His love and mercy also reached out to those who regretted and hated their condition. Forgiveness is a mark of genuine faith. We should have compassion for those who struggle with same-sex attraction because we all struggle with sin, but at the same time, we should not condone or excuse this type of sin any more than we condone or excuse any other sin.

Taken from an article “Is Being Gay “God’s Greatest Gift to Us”? in Charisma News by Shane Idleman founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship just north of Los Angeles

 

THE SACRED THINGS OF GOD

Posted on by

For us there are many situations in Scripture which seem to involve a punishment that was too severe for the crime.

God kills Uzzah just because he tried to keep the ark of the covenant from falling. Uzzah touched the ark because the cart it was riding on hit a pothole (2 Samuel 6). It seems like a trivial mistake with good intentions. Sure, God had forbidden anyone from touching the ark, but what was Uzzah supposed to do? Let the holy ark of God fall to the ground?

What about Moses, who didn’t get to see the promised land because he struck the rock rather than speaking to it (Numbers 20)? After everything Moses went through, was it such a big crime to be frustrated with the people and strike the rock in anger?

Then there are Ananias and Sapphira. They were both struck dead because they lied about how much money they donated to the church (Acts 5). And this is in the New Testament! Really, who hasn’t exaggerated?

Sadly, we don’t understand what it means for something to be “sacred.” Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer to say “Hallowed be Your name” (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2). Do we really understand what we are saying? Like the high priest entering the holy of holy’s, we are to treat prayer as sacred.

“Guard your steps when you enter the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Do not be quick to speak with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God.

For God is in heaven, and you are on the earth; therefore may your words be few. For a dream comes when there is a great burden, and a foolish voice when there are many words.” (Eccl. 5:1-3).

In all the above situations, people rushed into something sacred and paid the price. We shouldn’t be surprised; we should be humbled. We have all done things more irreverent than those mentioned above. Let’s thank God for His mercy and tread more carefully into sacred matters. Others may treat these things as common, but we cannot. While others quickly judge God’s actions and question His commands, we are to be careful even to speak His name. We don’t carelessly question His actions or inaction.

We are a part of something much bigger than ourselves, something sacred. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have been joined to His church. Because of this, we are not only a part of God’s sacred temple but also a part of the heavenly community.

Take some time to read Revelation 4–5 as it describes the scene in heaven. It begins with a majestic picture of God on His throne. The scene is busy and intense: the four living creatures are declaring His holiness, the seven spirits of God are blazing, myriads of angels are praising Jesus with loud voices and the 24 elders are flat on their faces while laying their crowns before Him. Then in 5:8, we finally appear.

“When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints” (Rev. 5:8).

Maybe you feel a bit insulted by this. You’re thinking, That’s it? My only part is that my prayers are lumped in with the prayers of all other believers to form a bowl of incense? Don’t worry—you’re also mentioned in verse 13 when your voice joins the chorus of billions.

“Then I heard every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that are in them, saying: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and power, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13).

What is a tremendous, unspeakable honour may feel insufficient for those who are used to being god of their own blogs and Twitter accounts. It feels insignificant to those who have erected their own shrines on Facebook and Instagram, filled with beautiful pictures of themselves. They don’t realise that true joy comes from the opposite. Joy comes as we stand among those Jesus has redeemed and get lost in a sea of worship, becoming fully a part of something sacred.

Gathering with the church should lead us to holy ground. We get to come and worship someone else, with someone else. We get to pour out love to Him by serving those around us and considering them more important. It’s not about us. And we should be glad. Because this is something far greater. It is sacred.

Adapted from an article by Francis Chan in Ministry for Today Why These Scripture Passages Deeply Bothered Francis Chan

 

REJOICE AND BE GLAD WHEN PERSECUTION COMES

Posted on by

“Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you.” 1 Pet 4:12–14

Peter does not want Christians to lose hope in the midst of adversity, which is the reason he exhorts them to keep perspective and look ahead and even rejoice of that future day when Christ’s glory is revealed.

Jesus gave the disciples the following warnings about the time of His second coming so we will be prepared for persecution in the “last days”.

“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And many will be offended , will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up to deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:7-13

These are tough words and only those who truly know God, who trust God with all their heart will endure to the end.

We need to be able to say like David: ” You are my strength and shield; My heart trusts in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.” Psalm 28:7

You will be helped by God. He will be with you through the coming times of trouble, persecution. You need to keep an eternal focus. Hence the title of this blog: living eternal now.

ONE OF THE BEST ARGUMENTS FOR CREATION AGAINST EVOLUTION

Posted on by

SEX AND ALL IT ENTAILS IS ONE OF THE MOST TELLING ARGUMENTS FOR CREATION.

I’m referring to everything from that first moment of attraction between a man and a woman, to the complementary anatomical structures and organs that work so well together, to the millions of interactions that happen on the physical/hormonal/emotional levels, to the love and pleasure of two people becoming one flesh, to cells smaller than the head of a pin contributing 1.5 billion letters of DNA each in order to form a new 3 billion-letter blueprint, to the nonstop application of that genome as it rapidly develops into over 20 trillion cells and 200 types of tissue and hundreds of organs and meters of blood vessels all interacting together, to the final moment a fully-functioning, crying, squirming baby emerges from its mother 6,480 hours later. Surely, you would agree that’s mind-boggling.

Of course, it’s only a tiny fraction of what actually goes on with sexual reproduction. Just pick up an anatomy or biology textbook, or a book on pregnancy, and you quickly realise there are a crazy number of interconnections that are infinitely interdependent.

Sex is the perfect example of inconceivable irreducible complexity and design.

According to evolutionary theory, all of it ultimately happened by chance. Sex just came to be through a series of random processes, over long periods of time, without any overarching purpose. However, they just focus on the smaller questions such as the usefulness of splitting the genome between a male and a female, or how certain behaviours developed, or single-cell sexual reproduction.

What they don’t tackle is how sexual complexity originated step-by-step over hundreds of millions of years. In fact, when you actually consider the magnitude of the situation, 540 million years—the conventional date for the start of complex life—doesn’t seem like nearly enough time.

After all, it’s not just humans we’re talking about. It’s millions of species of extinct and living animals that have been, and still are, engaging in sexual reproduction. Each process is almost as complex as that between two humans, although each is also extremely different.

Insects, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals—there are hundreds of thousands of variations of sexual reproduction. From mating rituals to copulation to pregnancy to birth, the complexity just multiples as you examine the diversity of life.

Furthermore, it appears from the fossil record that sea-dwelling trilobites (now extinct) were also male and female. Trilobites are found at the lowest levels of the fossil record, occurring during the Cambrian explosion. In other words, male and female creatures just appear as male and female.

So how did the division of sexes come to be? The question of which came first during this long development, the male or the female, is an impossible question: don’t you have to have both to have offspring?

The truth is that sexual dimorphism—different, unique characteristics between males and females—is also a hard thing to explain from an evolutionary origins perspective. Sure, it’s easy to recognise the benefits of separating and recombining genomes, but how did all the trillions of uniquely integrated processes and parts and systems in all the different species first originate? And why do they all work so well?

Talking about sexual reproduction in cells doesn’t really address the problem. It’s like saying you’ve explained football by pointing to a few blades of grass; everyone knows there’s a lot more going on. If it’s impossible for us even to understand all the aspects of sex, it’s clearly impossible for it to have evolved in a slow, step wise fashion.

Instead, when you stop and think about it, Genesis provides a far better explanation. The immediate, fiat creation by God in a short span of time (just a few days) is a far better reason for all the incredibly complex aspects of sex.

But it’s not just that. Genesis also explains the purpose behind sex. And it’s a lot more amazing than most people realise.

A Divinely Human Experience

Ultimately, sex is about the joyful pleasure of personal relationships.

In this case, the sexual marital relationship between a man and a woman mirrors the spiritual marital relationship between Christ and the church. Paul explains it from Genesis, saying: “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:31-32)

Genesis explains why there is sexual dimorphism in people. We are made in God’s image to reflect His attributes and show forth the divine/human relationship as male and female: “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)

In other words, the man is to Christ as the woman is to the church. Paul explains: “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church” and “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph 5:23,25)

Genesis explains why sex is placed within the structure of marriage. The covenant bond between a man and a woman reflects the covenant bond between Christ and His bride. (Rev 21:2)

Genesis also explains why sex is considered a wonderful, spiritual experience by many people. Unlike evolutionary theory—which sees sex as just a higher animal function—the Bible sees sex as an incredible gift from God, uniquely given to man to show forth His image. In fact, there are numerous Christians who have had spiritual experiences that rival or surpass what they have felt having sex.

Genesis explains why sex has an essential moral nature to it that everyone intrinsically understands. It’s why adultery is considered wrong in almost all cultures, Christian or not. It’s also why those who have had adultery committed against them always feel betrayed. The prophet Jeremiah observes that adultery is the same as idolatry (Jer 3:9), and mirrors the emotions of God when man betrays Him on a spiritual level.

In fact, almost all the sexual sins of our society can be traced back to spiritual issues.

Homosexuality emerges in a society as the result of worshipping the creature instead of the Creator (Rom 1:25-27); it mirrors man worshipping himself rather than worshipping Christ. This looks more like ‘the wife is the head of the wife as the church is the head of the church.’ Created similarities replace created differences.

As well, attempts to change gender are ultimately doomed to failure. The essential sexual dimorphism embedded in every part of the creation points to the essential distinctions between God and man. Just as man cannot truly become God, so too, a woman cannot truly become a man, nor a man a woman. In each of us, our maleness or femaleness is unchangeably stamped on over 50 trillion of our cells.

It is not until we understand the nature of sex, with all its power and complexity and importance, that we can begin to understand its significance both to God and to ourselves.

Talking about Sex

I realise many Christians avoid talking about sex and even get uncomfortable when it comes up. Few have heard it discussed openly in their churches or families.

Considering what’s going on in our culture, that probably needs to change. Sex is one of the essential parts of God’s creation, something only He could create in order to show forth His glory. If He dedicated an entire book of the Bible to it (The Song of Songs), it’s something we should strive to understand from a Biblical perspective.

After all, God put a deep fascination within us toward sex because He wants us to get a sense of the complex relationship He has with us. It’s no coincidence that the Bible begins with a marriage and ends with a marriage.

So when evolution comes up next, start talking about sex, it will lead to a very interesting and unexpected conversation.