DID GOD PROMISE TO PROTECT CHRISTIANS FROM PERSECUTION?

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The title is very relevant in a time like this when many Christians are lamenting and asking questions about why God allows them to go through pain, persecution, and suffering after they have given their lives to Christ.

Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. He writes; “Many of us in Nigeria are finding it difficult to comprehend why God is not protecting Christians from terrorists. Did God really promise to always protect us from attacks? Throughout the entire New Testament, Jesus made clear assertions that Christians should be ready to endure persecutions and attacks (John 15:20, John 10:28, Revelation 2:9-10).

The confusion is that the messages that we are hearing in churches contradict the words of Christ and the reality on the ground. I have heard pastors preach that Christians are not born again to suffer again and that anyone who remains poor or sick after becoming a Christian is a disgrace to Christianity. This is the rhetoric that prompts Christians to feel that God is reneging on His promises. Is it not obvious that God allows trials, troubles, and pain so that we can be partakers of the suffering of Christ in order to be qualified to reign with Him? (2 Timothy 2:12).

A look at the foundation of Christianity will help us to understand why God is not protecting us from persecutions and trials that are faith-based. Christianity was borne on the cross where the blood of Christ was shed for the remission of the sins. The cross is the centerpiece of Christianity and anyone who becomes a Christian is automatically grafted into the cross-journey. Jesus was emphatic about this: “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me” Matthew 10:38

Paul wrote the following Scripture bound in prison knowing death was imminent.

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:8-12

God is not the author of confusion. He cannot call us to partake in His suffering and arise to protect us against the same thing that He has called us into. Our inability to understand the plans and purposes of God is the root cause of our disappointments. We expect things that are simply not promised in His Word. There is no doubt that there are biblical promises of divine protection, but whether they are for persecuted Christians is what we really need to critically look at. Claiming all scriptural promises in the Old Testament and neglecting all that Christ has told us misses the broader picture. Jesus told us to be prepared because persecution is inevitable.

“Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” John 15:20

Instead of asking “Why, God?” We should count it all joy that Christ has found us worthy to be partakers of His experiences.

Jesus encouraged us to brace up and endure the suffering and pains associated with the cross. Important for us who are living in the last days prior to Jesus’ return, He gave us a great deal of information about the tribulation, even the great tribulation that believers will endure during the last seven years.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22

George Bernard, the author of the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” understood the mystery of the cross and was convinced that he would one day exchange the Cross with a crown. Jesus assured us of the safety of our salvation (John 10:28-29). He promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He also promised to finish the good work he has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). He promised to guard us against the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3). But never did He promise to protect us from persecution and trials.

Let us pray that God will wake us up from our complacency and give us the grace to stand firm and endure the hazards of Christianity with the understanding that He who called us is able to fulfill His promise of everlasting life.

GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON’S ROLES IN ESCHATOLOGY

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Psalm 2 is just one of many End Times prophecies. It shows sinful nations in their rebellion against the Father and His Messiah (the Son). We know that God’s King is Jesus the Son since later portions of Scripture apply Psalm 2 to the Messiah and His reign (Revelation 2:26–27). Also, Psalm 2:12 speaks of the necessity of paying “homage to the Son,” an act of worship that is only true of a divine person and not a mere man. Thus the picture of Psalm 2 includes both God the Father and God the Son. The nations of the earth do not want God to rule over them (Psalm 2:1–3). But God the Father laughs and scoffs at these rebellious nations from heaven and lets them know that He will establish His “King” and His reign on the earth (Psalm 2:4–5). The realm of their rebellion will be invaded with the reign of the righteous Messiah. It is the Father’s desire to give the Son the nations as an inheritance and the Son will rule over them with authority (Psalm 2:7–9). Thus, the nations should stop their foolishness and submit to the Son because His wrath is coming (Psalm 2:10–12). Psalm 2 reveals two important things. First, God the Father intends to establish His Son as King over all the earth and the nations. And second, the Son will come with wrath and reign over the nations with authority.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalms 2:1-12

We can know that the fulfillment of Psalm 2 is future since Jesus uses this passage as motivation for the church for faithful service now in Revelation 2:26–27:

“He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father.” Revelation 2:26-27

Psalm 110 has much in common with Psalm 2, as it also discusses the Father’s plan to establish the Son as King over the earth. It starts with David being privy to a conversation between the Father (Yahweh) and the Son (Adonai) who is also David’s Lord (“The LORD says to my Lord”). The message from the Father to the Son is that the Son, who is David’s Lord, the Messiah, is to have a session in heaven at the right of the Father. But this session is only for a limited period of time (“until”). When His session at the right hand of the Father is over, God the Father will give the Messiah (the Son) victory over His enemies from Zion in Jerusalem: The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies” (Ps. 110:2). The Son will shatter kings in the day of His wrath and will judge the nations (Ps. 110:5–6). So again, as was the case in Psalm 2, it is the Father’s plan for the Son to reign over the nations of the earth. This will occur with Jesus’ second coming to earth as described in Matthew 24–25 and Revelation 19–20.

Daniel 7:9-14 describes an important eschatological scene involving the Father and the Son. Daniel 7:9–10 describes a glorious scene of God the Father who is called “the Ancient of Days.

”We are told His vesture “was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool” (9). His throne is ablaze with flames and thousands were worshiping Him. Then verses Daniel 7:13–14 describe the Son, who is referred to as a “Son of Man,” coming before the Father:

“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Here we see the Son before the Father, for the purpose of a kingdom being given to the Son. This passage has many parallels with the throne room scene of Revelation 4–5 and again emphasizes the plan of the Father to have the Son rule the earth with “an everlasting dominion.”

A New Testament passage that discusses the relationship of the Father and the Son to eschatology is 1 Corinthians 15:24–28. Here Paul discusses the Father and the Son in relation to the coming kingdom:

“Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. FOR HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

The immediate context of this passage is Paul’s discussion of the order of God’s resurrection program. After the third stage of the resurrection program at the time of “the end,” Jesus will hand the kingdom over to God the Father (24). This shows that Jesus’ messianic reign has a termination or transition point to it. When it is over He “hands over the kingdom” to the Father. But this will not occur until Jesus reigns over His enemies and abolishes death. Thus, Jesus’ kingdom ends or transitions with a crushing, dominating reign of the Son. When “all things are subjected” to the Father, “then the Son Himself also will be subjected to” the Father (“the One who subjected all things to Him”). The picture here is beautiful and presents Jesus as God’s trusted and chosen instrument to restore the fallen creation to the will of God. Verse 27a links the Son’s reign with the creation mandate given to man––“FOR HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” Jesus as the ultimate Man fulfills the creation mandate. Man was created to rule and subdue the earth (see Genesis 1:26–28), yet this mandate was scorned when Adam decided to do things his way and disobey God. Neither Adam nor any mere human being could fulfill this mandate, but the Father chose Jesus, the ultimate Man, to do this. It is as if the Father told the Son, “Bring this sinful world back into conformity with My perfect will,” and the Son does it. And not only does the Son succeed splendidly, He presents this kingdom to the Father so that the Father may have the glory.

SUMMARY: These four passages teach us that the purpose of the Father in eschatology is to make sure the rebellious creation is brought back into perfect conformity with His will. And the purpose of the Son is to make sure the Father’s desire happens. He is sent as the Father’s instrument with full authority and power to rule over and restore all of the created order. As we survey Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Dan 7:9–14; and 1 Cor. 15:24–28 we see that it is God the Father’s intent to establish a kingdom reign of the Son (Jesus) on the earth to bring this fallen planet back into conformity with the will of the Father.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6

IN TIMES OF TRIAL, WHAT IS YOUR FOCUS?

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The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Christians in times of trial. Considering the increasing persecution of Christians even in the West it is helpful to look at what it teaches.

It does so by focusing on the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. While God spoke in the past “many times and in many ways,” he has now spoken to us “through his Son,” Jesus Christ, who is the “exact imprint” of God’s nature and who “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus accomplished complete salvation for all who trust in him (Hebrews 1:1–10:18). We dare not “neglect such a great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3; 5:12–6:20; 10:19-39). Rather, in our faith and in our everyday living, we should imitate the example of Christ and of those on the honor roll of faith (Hebrews chapts.11–13).

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

WARNING AGAINST APOSTASY

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

The following Scripture gives us a sobering message.
​”Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” Hebrews 6:1-6

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell the spirit of every believer to be their Counsellor, Teacher, and Comforter. The Holy Spirit enables us to live the Christian life as long as we say, as Jesus did, not my will but yours be done today and every day. We are told that we can grieve the Holy Spirit and quench His work in our lives. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. If these are not evident in your life then you are grieving the Holy Spirit and you need to get on your knees and repent.

We are in the prophesied last days before Jesus returns and restores righteousness on this Earth and ushers in His Millennial reign. Probably the most significant end times prophecy was Israel being re-established as a nation in 1948. The spiritual battle then escalated. Israel is surrounded by hostile nations intent on its destruction. Just look at the intensity and horrific nature of the recent attack by Hamas with over 1000 Israelis killed and 2000 injured. As well, many Israeli women and children have been taken hostage. As a result, Netanyahu has declared the nation is at war. Wars and rumours of wars are end times signs as are earthquakes.

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:6-8

A magnitude-6.3 earthquake and strong aftershocks have killed more than 2,000 people in western Afghanistan, according to Taliban officials. It’s one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades.

MOST AMAZING JORDAN PETERSON VIDEO

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Love this video. Piers Morgan is outstanding in interviewing Jordan and Mikhaila Peterson. He asks Jordan and his daughter Mikhaila penetrating questions. I have been a long-time fan of Jordan Peterson, the combination of his intellect and authenticity is irresistible.

The relationship between Jordan and his daughter is captivating – the respect and love is palpable. I had no idea how hard life had become for the Peterson family – they had so much to contend with but their unconditional love for each other got them through. It is an amazing God story as well, particularly how his wife Tammy was healed miraculously from an incurable disease.

A GOOD REASON TO MARRY

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The decline of marriage over the last several decades is causing the decline in happiness or at least most of it. As Sam Peltzman, lead researcher behind the University of Chicago paper told The Atlantic in statistical hyperbole: “The only happy people for 50 years have been married people.”

After all, marriage is God’s design for man, woman, and family.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

Olga Khazan, who wrote the Atlantic piece and has been cohabiting with her partner for 15 years, says these stats also struck her as counterintuitive. However, she then admits that “this is a fairly consistent finding dating back decades in social-science research: Married people are happier. Period.” 

Of course, happiness isn’t the sole or even the best reason to get married. Many things in life carry deep meaning and significance that don’t necessarily make us happy. A life lived only for happiness is a futile “chasing after the wind.” Enduring suffering, overcoming trials and tragedy, or sacrificing time, energy, or even our lives for others are all richly worthwhile pursuits that yield rewards in eternity. Certainly, loving someone and raising godly children is worth it, even if it’s not always fun.  

And we should note, that “happiness” is a malleable word. When survey participants say being married or having children made them “happy,” they may often mean that these permanent connections give them lasting joy, something more profound than fleeting happiness, which surveys seldom quantify.     

Still, these consistently stark results are unmistakable. They should challenge the entire way of thinking in sitcoms, movies, and editorials. Marriage is one of the chief sources of well-being and satisfaction in life. The fact that marriage rates have declined so dramatically over the last 50 years has had real, population-wide consequences. 

Because the reasons people are not marrying at the same rates are so complex, different solutions will be required to raise the marriage rate. According to Wilcox and Bass, one of the most important reasons is the fact that, for many Americans who are living together and may already have children, getting married incurs a tax “penalty.” The federal government needs to, in their words, stop “making marriage a bad financial bet for lower-income families.”  

That would be a good start. Ultimately, however, our bad laws are reinforced by a low view of marriage that has infected hearts and minds via entertainment, media, culture, and individual choices. We have a worldview problem, which has led to a conflict between the values and priorities of millions of people and the way they were actually created to live.  

Marriage is part of God’s plan for humanity and for His creation. No other human institution forges such lasting and consequential bonds. So, it should surprise no one — least of all Christians — that our nation’s 50-year experiment with alternatives to marriage has left huge numbers of people deeply unhappy. Repent and get back into a relationship with your Heavenly Father through the sacrifice Jesus made our your behalf.

 ” Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ John 14:6

CRITICAL RACE THEORY – MORE HARM THAN GOOD

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Racism, discrimination, and prejudice are a sin issue, it’s not a skin issue. Dividing people up into categories based on how they look and then making them feel bad about themselves or what they perceive has been directed toward them will never truly solve the issue. It’s only a biblical worldview and the true history of the human race and the gospel that give us the answers we need!

You see, from a biblical worldview we understand every person is descended from Adam and Eve and therefore has the same ultimate problem—we’re sinners! Our Spirit was designed to be the lamp of the Lord which requires oil (Holy Spirit) to function as God intended. Adam and Eve lost the Holy Spirit when they disobeyed God and likewise all their descendants. Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to live a holy life pleasing to God.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

All the societal evils in this world exist because of sin, not because of diversity in skin shades! And the answer for everyone is the same: salvation through Jesus Christ. When we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, God forgives our sins and sends the Holy Spirit to indwell our spirit to enable us to live a holy life in relationship once again with our Heavenly Father. We are born again by the Holy Spirit.

If we want to address the issue of racism, we must start by understanding the biblical truth that we’re all one race, made in God’s image, but we’re also all sinners who desperately need our Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Oh, and if your church or group would like training on this topic from a biblical worldview, check out the small-group curriculum One Race, One Blood: A Biblical Answer to Racism available from Answers in Genesis. This curriculum starts with God’s Word and is a powerful tool for dealing with this issue.

THE DAY OF THE END AND THE APOCALYPSE

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Most Christians are entering the end times clueless about what will happen. One of these upcoming end-time events is Judgment Day or Yom Kippur. All of Israel’s feast days have a prophetic end-times meaning. Watch this Nelson Walters video for 7 things Christians need to know about Yom Kippur which is both D- Day for the unrighteous and Victory Day for Christians.

This is another helpful video by Nelson Walters. It provides valuable information on both the timing of the Rapture and the Judgment Day of God, Yom Kippur. After you have watched Nelson on Yom Kippur then watch Jonathan Cahn to get a more Jewish look at the same prophetic event, Yom Kippur – The Day of the End.

THE FOUNDATIONAL BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

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The Bible’s first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are known as the Torah, Law, or Pentateuch. The Torah has long been ascribed to Moses. Indeed, the books’ internal evidence points to Moses, claiming his authorship, e.g., Exodus 17:14; 24:4–7; 34:27; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:9, 22, 24.

Other Old Testament books affirm Moses’ authorship, e.g., Joshua 1:7–8; 8:32–34; Judges 3:4; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; 2 Chronicles 25:4; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 8:1; 13:1; Daniel 9:11–13. New Testament writers likewise with John 1:17; Acts 6:14; 13:39; 15:5; 1 Corinthians 9:9; 2 Corinthians 3:15; Hebrews 10:28.

Finally, Jesus cited Moses as the author, frequently speaking of Moses’ writings or the Law of Moses without any disclaimer, e.g., Matthew 8:4; 19:7–8; Mark 7:10; 12:26; Luke 24:27, 44; John 7:19. Indeed, Jesus stressed the seriousness of denying Moses several times, including:

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5:46, 47

Similarly, today’s liberal theologians who doubt Moses often doubt what Jesus said (aside from selective and twisted use to support their agreements with politically correct causes).

In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus relates how a rich man in hell begged someone to return from the dead to warn his brothers. But as Jesus explains further:

He [Abraham] said to him [the rich man], “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16;31

This is extremely serious. Jesus said that rejectors of Moses would not be persuaded even by a resurrection. Not surprisingly, churches and seminaries rejecting the historicity of Moses’ writings often also reject the Lord Jesus Christ’s literal bodily resurrection.

Indeed, Jesus affirmed the absolute authority of Moses’ writings in Matthew:

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18

Jesus affirmed Scripture’s inspiration even down to the smallest letter—“jot” (Greek iotaι the equivalent Hebrew yod י) — or a letter — “tittle” (e.g., the smallest stroke of a pen differentiating between beitℶ kaphℶ, daletℸ, reshℸ

MOSES AS EDITOR OF GENESIS

Although included in the Torah as a ‘Book of Moses’, Genesis is a special case. While Moses eye-witnessed the events of Exodus to Deuteronomy, Genesis’ events occurred long before his time. Moses is not named as the book’s author; the best explanation is he was the editor of Genesis.

Internal evidence includes many editorial comments (e.g., Genesis 26:33, 32:32), to explain events to his readers living centuries after the events of Genesis. (Moses often uses Egyptian reference points in the Pentateuch (Genesis 13:10, Numbers 13:22), strong internal evidence that he wrote for people who had just escaped Egypt and were unfamiliar with the Promised Land.) But highlighting how Genesis preserves events from long before Moses, sometimes the ancient sources were left alone. For example, Genesis 10:19 states: The territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomor rah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

Note, “as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah”. Consider a New York City guidebook providing directions “as you go towards the Twin Towers”. The natural conclusion is that the guidebook was written when these great landmarks were still standing, i.e., before the terrorist attack on 11 September 2001. Similarly, the internal evidence of Genesis 10:19 points to it being written before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), at or even before Abraham’s time. These two wicked cities had been lost under the Dead Sea for centuries by Moses’ time.

11-TOLEDOT STRUCTURE

Genesis’ real sources are eleven family documents headed by toledot. The phrase ‘ēllĕh tôləḏôṯ (אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת) is usually translated as “these are the generations of …”. This takes the preceding section’s results and propels it forward in the narrative. Genesis’ toledots tell us what followed from the named person.

There is also a repeated historical pattern moving from blessings to curses. For example:

  1. Toledot of the heavens and earth, Genesis 2:4–4:26. ‘What followed from creation’, particularly what became of creation’s crowning point (man and woman), their fall from perfection into sin, and the curse on the cosmos.
  2. Toledot of Adam, Genesis 5:1–6:8. ‘What followed from Adam’ continues the further degeneration of man into utter wickedness. We see the two main lines of descendants: Cain’s and Seth’s. This toledot starts in 5:1–2 with blessing but ends in God’s intention to blot out mankind in 6:7.
  3. Toledot of Noah, Genesis 6:9–9:29. ‘What followed from Noah’. God’s curse on the wicked earth in the Flood, but the blessing of saving Noah’s family on the Ark. But then the righteous Noah becomes drunk, leading to Canaan’s curse.
  4. Toledot of Noah’s three sons, Genesis 10:1–11:9. ‘What followed from Shem, Japheth, and Ham’, the descendants of these patriarchs’ founding nations. This account starts with the blessing of the population expansion and ends with the curse of the confusion of languages at Babel “in the days of Peleg” (10:25). This confusion led to the dispersion into nations.

BIBLICAL PROPHECY PROOF OF THE BIBLES INSPIRATION

Even before the Israelites went into the Promised Land, Moses told them their entire future checkered history, including their being cast out of the land and dispersed throughout the nations but also the end of the story when God would regather them and their Messiah will rule the nations and they will be a people, “holy to the Lord your God”. Could this be the reason there are still Jews in the world today? They are hanging onto God’s future promises.

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:1

“And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them.” Deuteronomy 28:13

“And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that He will set you in praise and in fame and in honour high above all nations that He has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as He promised.” Deuteronomy 26:18-19

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.“ Deuteronomy 30:1-3

“And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:5-6

“On the day that I cleanse you (House of Israel) from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:33-36

IS YOUR CHURCH BUILT ON A SOLID SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION?

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I believe the end times church will be as described in the Book of Acts: it will be a House Church Movement largely due to the persecution of Christians that will be prevalent at that time. Very similar to the underground churches in China during the time of Chairman Mao and the house churches in most Muslim countries today.

Our beliefs are the framework in which faith and values exist. God is holy and He created humanity for relationship with Him. His ways are higher and His principles are flawless.

Because of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience, the Holy Spirit departed their spirits so all of their descendants lack the Holy Spirit to enable them to live a holy life pleasing to God. The penalty for Adam and Eve’s disobedience was death, first spiritual death when they lost the Holy Spirit and then physical death. The good news is that God through His son Jesus was prepared to become a man, live a sinless life, and by His death pay the price for mankind’s rebellion/sin. When we repent of our sin and are prepared to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour then God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to indwell our spirit enabling us once again to be in fellowship with Him and live a holy life. We are a new creation.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Notice that all of us have been given the ministry of reconciliation to bring others to Jesus Christ.

Our beliefs must be based on the following scriptures.

“We believe in one holy, perfect, and eternal God, self-existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable but indivisible.” Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14

“We believe the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God – accurate and applicable to our lives.” 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 Corinthians 2:13

“We believe that God created the world and everything in it just 6000 years ago. He created it in six days and rested on the seventh solely as a pattern for how we are to live: we will work six days and the seventh day will be a sabbath rest. We believe that humanity was created in the image of God to know him and to enjoy him, that God gave every human being free will, and humanity’s choice to sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives whereby we are completely unable to attain right-standing with God on our own merit.” Romans 5:12, 18-19

We believe God judged the earth with the worldwide flood of Noah’s day just ten generations after Adam. Only eight people survived, Noah’s family, to repopulate the earth. The flood resulted in billions of dead things being buried quickly all over the earth and created the fossil fuels that we use today. Evolutionists deny there was a worldwide flood and try to justify evolution by adding billions of years to Earth’s history.

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch...” Genesis 6:11-14

Less than two hundred years following the worldwide flood God had to step in and confuse the languages and create the nations so that once again a disobedient people would do as He instructed them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.“

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower (Tower of Babel) with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4

“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.” Genesis 11:7-8

God established His nation, Israel from one man Abraham to represent Him on Earth. One of the greatest miracles that proves God’s existence is the Exodus and God establishing Israel in the land God gave them. It is amazing that even before they entered the promised land God told them through Moses that they would be driven out by God into other nations but He would regather them at His prearranged time. In 1948 the miracle of Israel’s restoration began which is the most significant prophesied end times event signaling Jesus’s soon coming return.

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.“ Deuteronomy 30:1-3

“We believe that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ changed history BC and AD. He is the only one who can reconcile us to God; who, though fully God, became both God and man through conception by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary. His sinless life made possible His death as perfect atonement for all humanity. This is entirely by means of God’s grace offered to us.” Romans 5:12, 18-19

“We believe that Jesus Christ gave up His life on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He defeated death by resurrection power, appeared to many including His disciples, ascended to heaven, and will come again to establish His Millennial Kingdom with the resurrected Saints, prior to the White Throne judgement and creating a new Heaven and new Earth where only the righteous will dwell. We believe this is the Biblical way of seeing the whole world which empowers us to live every day as Jesus did in subjection to the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 7:1; Romans 4:25; John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Ephesians 5:18

“We believe that water baptism by immersion is an outward act of obedience, and a public demonstration of faith and discipleship, by everyone who chooses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.” Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:34-36, 19:1-6

“We believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience given by God. Speaking in unknown languages is significant evidence of this experience and is available to every believer. The key to this event is not simply the gift of tongues, but rather empowerment to operate in every gift the Spirit gives us including miracles, deliverance, healing, freedom, and all manner of excessive generosity as a part of bringing the reality of God to our world.” Acts 2:1-4, 4:30, 8:14-17, 10:44-45; Galatians 3:14; Jude 1:20; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 12:9; James 5:14; Mark 16:17; Ephesians 4

“We believe in the reality of the spiritual realm – angels and demons, heaven and hell, the existence of the devil, and God’s ultimate judgment upon him and his fallen angels. We believe in the eternal life of believers and eternal separation from God for unbelievers with a second death.” Matthew 25:41; John 3:16, 3:36, 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 2:11, Rev. 29:6, Rev. 20:14, Rev. 21:8, Rev. 20:10–15

“We believe all human life is a gift from God and that life is sacred from the moment of conception. Each person has a divinely ordained purpose, irrespective of the circumstances and we uphold the sanctity of human life from conception. We believe God’s intention for marriage is one man and one woman and that all sex is reserved for marriage, as God intended it.” Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24; Psalms 139:13-16; Proverbs 5:15-19; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:1-9; Luke 1:15; Ephesians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 7:1-4; Galatians 5:16

“We believe that because of our sinful nature and the brokenness in our world, we all struggle with varying issues, but the heart of God is to bring forgiveness and restoration to those who seek it. Through grace and truth, personal healing and reconciliation to God are available to all.” Psalm 23:3; Jeremiah 29:11-14; Luke 4:18; John 1:14,17, 8:31-32; Acts 3:19-21; Romans 6–8; Galatians 6:1; Hebrews 4:16; 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

NO GOD LEADS TO NO HOPE: YOUR WORLDVIEW MATTERS

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Testimony of Michael (‘Mike’) Dooley, pianist, composer, song and hymn writer, producer, and music teacher, who studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Canberra Institute of Technology (AdvDipMusA, AMusA).

Pursuing music as a career, Mike’s acceptance into the elite Sydney Conservatorium was exciting. However, his enthusiasm was short-lived. He explained: I became quite disillusioned; the music we were studying was very depressing. There was no sense of hope. It was basically reflecting the very grim state of the world … I was led into a sense of real despair.

Mike continued: Something very significant happened when I went to a concert of J.S. Bach’s St John Passion. I was reading along with the English translation of the associated German text. The music was profoundly beautiful, but also, the story of the Crucifixion deeply touched my heart.

Mike walked into that concert as an atheist but he walked out saying under his breath, “I believe”, without really knowing what or why.

Music and worldview

At the time, he was studying with one of Australia’s most prominent composers. I asked him, “Why did Bach create such beautiful, harmonious, and meaningful music? And why do we today create this very dissonant-sounding avant-garde music?” He looked at me, I think somewhat sadly, and said, “You know, they had God in those days, but we don’t have God anymore.” That was his answer! To me, that was like a bit of a light going on.

This led him to a further realization: Your worldview influences the music. So, someone with a worldview that has no hope—we came from nothing and we’re going nowhere—will write despairing, hopeless music. Someone with a hopeful, positive worldview about a purposeful Creator will create purposeful and hopeful music. And that is what you see in the great Christian composers. There would always be triumph and hope at the end because that’s reflective of their worldview.

Sometime after the Bach episode, Mike said, his best friend from high school told him he had become a Christian. I was rather shocked, because we’d been on this journey to find out the truth together. He shared the Gospel with me, and very quickly, I took the step of to Jesus—a very big change for me.

Mike recalls the incredible, unforgettable joy he felt at that moment. He no longer thought of himself as a random assortment of molecules caused by a series of cosmic accidents. Instead, he realized that he was a loved creation of a purposeful and living Creator:

But then a couple of days later, he said, “So, do you believe in the theory of evolution?” and I said, “Well, yeah.’ He replied, “Well, I’ve got something to read to you”, and he read from one of the very early creation books, before there was the sort of high quality apologetics we have now in creationist ministries. But there was enough good science in there, and enough truth from the Word, that I completely accepted the Genesis creation account as being true. And I completely rejected evolution at that point.

It was an incredible life-changer for me, and at that point I said, “I want to serve this God.”

So, that’s what he did. He spent around thirty years overseas doing humanitarian missions work while performing—a fascinating experience for him:

Music opened doors to travel to various countries that would normally be quite closed to the Gospel. Doing music allowed us to bring a message to people and personally share the Gospel with them in closed and difficult situations.

Believing that music is a gift from God has also presented opportunities to tear down evolutionary, anti- Christian thinking. Mike noted that music is a uniquely human ability and doesn’t really make sense within evolutionary theory:

What would be the survival advantage of being able to play a harmonic and melodic instrument? If you think about how musical ability supposedly evolved, or look up the literature on it, evolutionists are really clutching at straws. They try to explain why and how we would develop such fine acoustic appreciation, and the motor skills to be able to perform music.

Amazingly, researchers are uncovering how the design of our inner ear ‘receiver’ coupled with the brain’s computational ability allows humans to distinguish the pitch and timing of notes in a way that greatly exceeds a theoretical mathematical limit. It is bordering on absurd to think that such advanced technology could come about from the selection of random but somehow advantageous mutations.

Mike said he found the writing of creationsit Professor Stuart Burgess on engineering and design particularly helpful, especially on human design in relation to creativity:

A quarter of our brain’s cortex, the surface where most of the processing is done, is devoted just to the hands, which are such an important part of our creative equipment. But hands would be useless if it wasn’t for the complex software controlling them.
Spreading biblical truth
Composing is something Mike especially loves doing. He spoke of Perpetua, his recent classical choral work about the Christian martyr of that name. He called it one of the favourite things he has done, because of the strong messages he was able to give: It’s about standing up for faith in difficult times and living for heavenly values rather than worldly success or values— and about supporting the persecuted church.
A piece Mike wrote for string quintet and piano was used as the theme for the graduation ceremony of a large Australian university, and is called One Human Family. Mike said:
It was inspired by Creation Ministries International’s (CMI’s) book of the same name. I actually made a melodic line from a section of the human genome and arranged it in the styles of different cultures.
Mike is currently working on a large classical choral work called The Redemption which tells the story of creation, the Fall, Jesus’ redemptive act on the Cross, and the coming restored creation. Well aware of the importance of the creation message in today’s world, since 2013 he has been part of a volunteer CMI ‘Friends Group’—people supporting the ministry’s speakers at events. Mike said:
What it’s really about for me is the authority of Scripture. It’s the fact that when God says what He says, He means it and He is able to communicate that to us. God can create the universe in six days. We humans can wonder how that could be possible, or doubt that God could do it, but He is omnipotent—all-powerful.
We read Genesis Chapter 1, and read the genealogies in Chapter 5, there’s a clear history there. God is a clear communicator: He told us what was true, and when Jesus came, He said to His Father “..your word is truth” (John 17:17b).
If you start eroding either the efficacy of God as a communicator, or the historicity of the Bible, you start losing many Christian convictions. These include the key facts that we are depraved sinners and need the Cross—we need Jesus as our Saviour.
That’s one major thing I love about CMI—that it kindles that reverence for God’s Word, and its authority in our lives.
Asked for a final word to readers, Mike said: To me, humanity’s musical ability is a witness to the genius of the Creator. We should use that music to glorify and thank Him for His gifts, and to spread His message of salvation far and wide.

Extract from the article Music Man Declares His Masterful Maker in Creation Magazine, 2023, volume, 45, issue 4.