LIVING IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

To be “in the world but not of the world” is one of those sayings that make sense, but it remains undeniably easier said than done. As Christians, we understand that we are in the world, passing through, on our way to eternity. We also understand that we are not to be of the world in the sense that we submit our lives to Christ, putting off the desires of the flesh, avoiding temptations, and resisting evil. We understand these things, but how can we ensure we’re living them out?

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world,” Jesus prayed. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” John 17:14-16

How do we juggle the balance of loving unbelievers while not condoning their worldliness? How can we navigate discourse between those we disagree with? For many of us, it may be safe to say that we have a sense of needing to find unity where we can with those around us. And yet, in that pursuit, we must not neglect the command to speak the truth boldly and in love. To help us with this endeavour, there are a few goals worth prioritizing.

  1. Put God and His Word first.

No matter what you’re doing, who you’re talking to, where you’re going, or what you’re hoping for, putting God and His word first is the most important task for the believer. Proverbs 3:6 states, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The two greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. These are all in God’s word, and these are all rooted in putting God first. It’s glorifying to God to share His truth. It glorifies Him for us to love others and to be people who bear the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When He is the one our gaze is fixed upon, we see the world differently. We’re quicker to see others (especially those of the world) not merely as obstacles or irritants but as people made in the image of God. We see sinners not so much as stumbling blocks but as people needing saving — just as we all are.

If you want to be a light to everyone around you, then make sure the Source of light is deeply and firmly planted within you. Be engaged in His word. Seek Him daily in prayer. Earnestly seek to glorify Him in all that you do, and you just may find yourself walking in a posture ready to communicate with anyone about anything in a way that is dignified, loving, truthful, and fruitful.

  1. Understand the biblical definition of love.

Jesus said in John 13:35 that His disciples will be known for their love. Of course, what is loving in biblical terms does not align with what the world defines love to be. And so, if we’re to be in the world but not of it, we must come to terms with the fact that we will have conversations with people we don’t agree with that won’t go particularly well. We can do everything in our power to be cool, calm, and collected, but it doesn’t change the fact that the truth is inherently offensive to those of the world. But as Christians, we know there is nothing more loving than to share this truth. A precise definition of biblical love can be found in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” The truth can hurt, and it can hurt badly. But to experience hurt is not the same as to experience harm. The truth is love and freedom, and remembering this will help us hold our ground in conversations with people who are not like-minded. And at the end of the day, their responses are not in our control.

  1. Make sure you know what you believe and why.

This may actually be one of the most crucial steps to finding the balance of seeking unity while holding your ground. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “In your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Ephesians 4:15 talks about being equipped for ministry “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” The point is that we should have conviction about what we believe. We should be able to clearly define and defend it.

  1. Stay humble.

Humility is not only biblical, but it’s necessary for healthy dialogue. Humility helps us approach conversations with the right attitude. It helps us respond better to those who do not behave well. It helps us be more compassionate when we’re dealing with difficult people or having dicey conversations. We are all sinful, imperfect, messy humans. Humility reminds us of that.

Summary: Between the goals of putting God first, understanding what true love is, knowing what you believe, and staying humble, you will be walking a path to success. A great anonymous quote “Jesus sat with sinners; He didn’t sin with them. Know the difference.” And remember the words found in Luke 12: 11b-12: “Do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” He is always with us. And praise be that He gives us the strength, wisdom, and discernment needed to live in and not of this world.

This an abbreviated version of an article in The Washington Stand entitled Living in the World, Not of It: The Balance of Finding Unity While Standing Firm in Truth by Sarah Holliday

OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES ARE DOMINATED BY A CORROSIVE HATRED OF OUR OWN SOCIETY AND TRADITIONS

Why have universities, once the cradle of our civilisation, become such engines of hatred, obscurantism, foolishness and hostility? It is largely because their leaders and professors are godless intellectuals carrying out the commands of the Prince of this world, Satan, who is intent on ridding the world of all Jews, the one nation that God established for His purposes. Moreover, it is another of the Biblical end-times prophecies being fulfilled in our day. The world reports it differently. The following report is from The Australian Newspaper.

Niall Ferguson wrote recently that Western universities have become devoted to “the intellectual organisation of political hatreds”.

When you look at the disgusting, so-called anti-racism conference at the Queensland University of Technology, with all its fevered presentations and gross hostilities, it makes you ask a couple of questions. Why are taxpayers required to fund this rubbish? And why do universities regard their proper vocation now as, in part, the conscious fostering of vile and destructive hatreds?

The Albanese government should hold a royal commission into anti-Semitism at Australian universities. God knows we’ve had countless judicial inquiries into vastly less important subjects.

It would take some time. It wouldn’t solve the crisis of anti-Semitism, now or even in the future. But it would shed light on one of the great contemporary engines of the oldest and worst social hatred of them all.

Ferguson and others have pointed out that Western universities, in their acute emphasis on political hatreds, have become a kind of mirror of the Nazi attitudes to universities.

This is especially so in their anti-Semitism. One of the main breeding grounds of anti-Semitism today is left-wing ideology, especially the noxious mingling of the ideology of “settler colonists”, identity politics and intersectionality. The settler colonist slur can be used against any modern society, for almost every human being occupies a space on the planet where human beings of other races at one time or another predominated. Identity politics is really just contemporary Marxism, in which one class of people – generally people of colour in this ideology – are always victims, and another class of people, so-called whites, are always oppressors. These ideological categories have no regard for history or facts. It doesn’t matter that Jews have been continuously present in Israel for thousands of years. Nor does it matter that plenty of Jews, from Ethiopia or Morocco or Iraq or many other parts, are dark-skinned.

Ideology always has an Alice in Wonderland quality – white oppressor means just what I say it means. Whereas in Nazi universities Jews were irredeemably the villains and could never be “Aryan”, now in many Western universities Jews are again always the villains and can never be the victims. They are associated with “settler colonist” Israel and white privilege. So it doesn’t matter what they do or don’t do as individuals. When the left says someone should be opposed because they benefit from structural privilege, it’s morally and intellectually the equivalent of the Nazis saying a Jew can never be a good German.

The intensity of this perverse belief was a Nazi innovation. German Jews served with distinction and honour in the German army in World War I. The hatred of Jews evident on many campuses in the West today, whether lightly disguised as hatred of Zionism or simply seen in all its naked barbarism as in “F..k the Jews”, is an innovation of contemporary left-wing ideology.

Poster at the so-called anti-racism conference at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Anti-Semitism is so monstrous today partly because it’s fed by three toxic, virulent sources. One is traditional, Nazi, racist anti-Semitism, which demonises Jews for being “other”, for being an alien presence in the West. Though this ideology is insane, and is not now held by any respectable person or group, it persists in the swamplands of conspiracy and personality disorder.

A vastly more powerful source of anti-Semitism is found in left-wing ideology. This inverts the Nazi hatred of Jews. In this ideology Israel is hated in part because it is seen as a central part of the West. It’s seen as a living specimen of Western colonialism.

The left in its attitude to Israel is something like the New York District Attorney in Tom Wolfe’s satirical novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities; too often having to prosecute black offenders he’s always on the lookout for “the great white defendant”.

The left can see in Israel a combination of everything it claims to hate – colonialism, militarism, capitalism, etc. In this demonology Jews and Israel are interchangeable. The presence of Jews in our society, especially on campus, gives the left some actual real human beings to hate. The presence of real, physical human beings to hate and abuse is always deeply satisfying for an extremist ideology.

The ideological left is not remotely concerned with human rights. It’s barely heard of the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Somalia, or North Korea. It holds no demonstrations for LGBTQ rights under Hamas.

The third great source of anti-Semitism is the distinctive Arab and Islamist strain of anti-Semitism. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was notoriously Adolf Hitler’s greatest ally in the Middle East in World War II.

All three of these streams of hatred flow into the crisis of anti-Semitism Australia is experiencing today. At no point has the Albanese government ever understood or acknowledged the depth and importance of this crisis. It’s also politically paralysed in responding to the crisis in another way. Much of the left-wing ideology, which gives rise to distinctive left-wing anti-Semitism, is widespread in the left-activist circles that make up a serious portion of the ALP base, and which dominate the Greens’ base. Lots of these people of course would decry anti-Semitism in the abstract. But they sign up to all the points that lead to hatred of Jews – the wild demonising of Israel beyond anything that is reasonable, the grotesque ideological misinterpretation of Israel, the fixation on Jews in our society as somehow or other responsible for all the alleged sins of Israel, and so on. So to really tackle the crisis of anti-Semitism would involve trying to change the culture of the left.

Bob Hawke and Kim Beazley did this in terms of the culture of the Labor activist class in relation to the United States and the American alliance. Hawke and Beazley repudiated the anti-Americanism that had infected Labor from the disastrous split in the 1950s through the calamitous Whitlam years and was still dominant until Hawke took the leadership of the Labor Party.

Anthony Albanese and Labor’s current generation of leaders, though still living off the Hawke legacy, are not remotely capable of anything similar.

A final reflection. Anti-Semitism is a profound and terrible crisis in itself.

But the role of universities in generating new forms of this ancient hatred underscore the even wider crisis in our civilisation represented by the universities, which in many areas beyond technical subjects have come to be dominated by a corrosive and anti-intellectual hatred of our own society and its traditions. That’s intensely destructive.

THE EUPHRATES RIVER IS DRYING UP! IS THIS A BIBLICAL END-TIMES SIGN?

Euphrates River is prophesied to dry up in the time before Jesus returns. This video shows that it is drying up an alarming rate right now.

Also, the remains of Nephilim are now being revealed due to it being dried up.

What about the fallen angels bound beneath the Euphrates who, according to the Bible, are to be released in the end times? This video shows important end-time signs and gives good advice on how to live in these difficult times, make sure you pass it on.

YEHOVAH FEAST DAYS FOR 2025

The Feasts of Yehovah

Estimated holy days for 2025, based on the sighting of the new moon when the barley is aviv (For the first month of the biblical calendar to be called “the month of the aviv,” the barley must be in the aviv state of maturation). The new moon of March should be visible on the evening of March 30, 2025. This would mean that the Biblical new year would begin at sundown March 30, 2025. If this is the case, the holy days should work out to be as follows (subject to change):

  • Passover (Aviv 14): The 14th day begins at sundown Sabbath, April 12. The Seder will be held on Sunday, April 13 at sundown. All leaven should be removed from households on Sunday before sundown.
  • Feast of Unleavened Bread – Aviv 15: The seven day feast would begin Sunday, April 13 at sundown, and conclude on April 20 at sundown.
  • Firstfruits: The morrow after the 7th day Sabbath after Passover would fall on Sunday, April 20. Start counting the 50 days to Pentecost.
  • Pentecost: June 8, 2025

The September 2025 new moon sighting would start the 7th Biblical month. At this point, the sighting appears to be difficult for the evening of September 22nd (1%  illumination), so the exact dates will remain as estimates until a positive sighting is made. The estimated dates are (subject to change):

  • Feast of Trumpets: Begins at sundown either September 22 (1% illumination) or 23 (4% illumination).
  • Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement: Begins at sundown either October 2 or 3.
  • Sukkot/Tabernacles: Begins at sundown on either October 7 or 8.

LATEST ON GENDER TRANSITION PROCEDURES

President Trump has issued an executive order to take the various state laws on Gender Transition for Minors up to the national level.

“This executive order is beautiful. The language in it is wonderful,” Family Research Council Senior Fellow Meg Kilgannon gushed. “It’s very well written. It’s very clear. And it protects parents. It protects children. It ends the reliance on junk science and will stop the promotion of using the WPATH guidelines. That’s huge. And it directs the federal government to review: what is the state of the science on this? What is the research into the effects of these treatments, so-called treatments on children?”

“This is quite extensive,” Family Research Council President, Tony Perkins agreed. “Not only does it address the issue of transgender sexual mutilation that is taking place, but it shows how much the federal government is involved in everything.” The executive order affects “institutions that get [federal] grants,” he continued, “and that’s almost every institution of higher learning that may have a hospital associated with it.” It also affects the military health care system, and it instructs the Department of Justice to treat some gender transition surgeries as female genital mutilation.

Future

Trump’s executive order also places his administration on the side of those fighting to protect children. “Now we will have the wind at our backs, instead of fighting the headwinds of the Biden administration, which was enforcing all of the opposite of this,” Kilgannon said.

“I love these executive orders — most of them,” said Perkins. “But they’re executive orders. They can be undone four years from now.” He called on Congress and state legislatures “to start seeing policy adopted into law that is anchored to truth, common sense. … Now, with the wind at our backs, this needs to be translated into public policy at the state and even the federal level.”

In fact, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) “has already introduced a bill to protect children against child abuse of these procedures,” noted Kilgannon. “It’s really a wonderful time to think about the possibilities.”

For all the labor expended in fighting to protect children from gender transition procedures, it’s encouraging to see that translate into federal policy under the Trump administration. However, the possibility that some future administration will reverse this policy is a reminder that the fight is not over until there is legislation to back up this order.

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH IN THE END TIMES

The Church, as the body of Christ, is called to be a city on a hill, a light to the nations, and the pillar of truth in a world darkened by sin. However, many denominational/institutional churches have compromised with the world on sexuality, marriage, and gender. They are the apostate church Jesus described in the Olivet Discourse as the end-times church. They are not the church God intended, as described in the Book of Acts.

The Early Church Was Hospitable

People were not only giving their resources or money but were joyfully opening their homes to hold gatherings and share meals. Church didn’t have a specific time or place, it simply was whenever the believers were together; at home or at the temple, at the dining table, or resting in the living room. They shared their lives, their homes, their food, and their time—and they did it all with glad and generous hearts. “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Acts 2:46

The Early Church Was Sacrificial

From their closeness and love for one another, flowed unselfishness that blessed all the church members. People were valued over money or social standing and through the church, the Lord met all the needs of the poor and needy members. They were loved and cherished to the glory of God.

“And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Acts 2:45

The Early Church Was Joyful 

And do you know what the result of living like that was? Joy. A natural, God-given, outpouring of joy. Joy despite persecution, joy despite ridicule. God gave His early church joy. They never stopped praising Him.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47

The Early Church Was Expanding

This radical, miraculous, and joyful lifestyle got the attention of many outsiders, and God, in His goodness, saved many during this time in church history. 

The Early Church Was Gospel-Cantered

The church was made up of people who shared one very specific belief: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). You were not part of the church unless you accepted that salvation is through Christ’s life, His death, and resurrection alone and declared this faith publicly by baptism (being fully submerged in water and then raised out again). Their unity in Christ united them as a group.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:38.41

The Early Church Was Devoted to Learning God’s Word

The early church was excited about their salvation and ready to live lives that honored God, so they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They didn’t have the fully revealed Word of God the way we do today. They were taught from the Old Testament scrolls and from sermons and letters written and sent around by the apostles. This was a trait that continued until it led to the Reformation.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers“. Acts 2:42

The Early Church Was Diverse

This doesn’t seem very profound today, but we must remember that in Bible times, your culture and geographical position largely influenced who and how you worshipped. Until the beginning of the church, that is! Suddenly, at Pentecost, people from all regions with varied languages experienced the miracle of the Holy Spirit who enabled them to understand and speak in different languages that they might hear the gospel and believe. Many were then united in their faith in Jesus Christ. What a great reminder that the gospel is for all people; every tribe, tongue, and nation. The early church was certainly diverse (Acts 2:9-11)!

The Early Church Was United

Something that really stands out about the early church is their intentional devotion to one another. The gospel not only saved their eternal lives (souls) but also drastically changed their everyday, earthly lives, and relationships too! There were no isolated groups within the church, there was no room for pretenders and hypocrisy, they were physically and emotionally close and shared everything they had with each other.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” Acts 2:44

The Early Church: a Reminder for Today’s Christians

As Christians, we are to love God, hold fast to His Word, and serve each other with the same zeal and love that the first Christians had for each other. We’re quick to get comfortable in our neat, quiet lives but the gospel calls us to step out, love hard, make sacrifices, and share ourselves with others. We are His church, He has called us. And He will meet our needs as we serve Him and seek to edify our own churches, particularly in our region, city and nation.

How will you respond?

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.John 5:12-13

TEN COMMANDMENTS: A PATH TO TRUE FREEDOM

The Ten Commandments: A Path to True Freedom by Christian Kahnt.

A Loving Gift, not a Restriction 

The Ten Commandments were given by God as an expression of His love for humanity. Like a parent https://youtu.be/NWcKMQqAZ9Y?si=X0r9k_P6weov5diqgiving guidance to a child, these commands are designed to protect us, bless us, and keep us from harm. They are road signs on life’s journey, pointing us away from danger and toward a life of peace and fulfillment. 

2. Freedom Through Boundaries 

True freedom isn’t about doing whatever we feel like – it’s about living without the weight of guilt, broken relationships, or consequences that harm ourselves and others. The Ten Commandments show us how to live in harmony with God, others, and even our own hearts. They free us from the chaos that comes when we disregard what is good and right. 

3. A Blueprint for Relationships 

The Commandments focus on two essential relationships: 

  • Loving God (the first four Commandments): They teach us to honour and connect with the One who made us. 
  • Loving others (the last six Commandments): They guide us in building healthy, respectful relationships with the people around us. 

Jesus Himself summed this up when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” and “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). 

4. Protecting What Matters Most 

Each Commandment isn’t just a prohibition but a safeguard for something precious: 

  • “You shall have no other gods before Me”: Keeps our hearts anchored in what is eternal and unchanging, rather than fleeting pursuits. 
  • “You shall not make idols”: Protects us from investing in false hopes that will ultimately disappoint. 
  • “Do not misuse God’s name”: Calls us to honour God in our words and actions. 
  • “Remember the Sabbath”: Encourages rest, reflection, and restoration in a fast-paced world. 
  • “Honor your father and mother”: Instils respect for family and wisdom. 
  • “Do not murder”: Safeguards life and peace in our communities. 
  • “Do not commit adultery”: Protects trust and love in relationships. 
  • “Do not steal”: Upholds fairness and integrity. 
  • “Do not lie”: Builds trust and truthfulness. 
  • “Do not covet”: Promotes contentment and gratitude. 

5. A Path to Flourishing 

Far from being a heavy burden, the Ten Commandments are a path to flourishing. They invite us to live as God designed us to live—in harmony with Him, with others, and with ourselves. When we follow them, we experience peace, joy, and a deeper sense of purpose. 

The Gospel and the Commandments 

The Commandments show us God’s standard for holy living, but they also reveal our inability to meet that standard on our own. This is where the gospel shines brightest. 

Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers us forgiveness for our failures and the power to live transformed lives. In Christ, the Commandments are not burdens but blessings. We obey not to earn God’s love, but because we’ve already received it. 

Sharing the Good News 

As we reflect on the Ten Commandments, let’s embrace them as a positive, life-giving framework. Share this perspective with those around you – on social media, in conversations, and in prayer groups. Remind others that God’s commands aren’t about restriction but about love, protection, and freedom. 

By choosing to live within the wisdom of God’s guidelines, we step into the abundant life He desires for us – a life marked by love, peace, and true freedom. 

Pastor Christian Kahnt is the Assistant Pastor at the Parramatta Christian Church NSW Australia

JESUS WILL BE KING OF ALL NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIUM

“The Head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:10

Not many denominations hold to Jesus ruling and reigning on this Earth for 1000 years before God destroys this Earth with fire, and yet many great historians and churchmen can be cited in affirming the early dominance of Premillennialism. Among them is the celebrated church historian Philip Schaff. He penned this oft-quoted passage:

The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius” History of the Christian Church Vol 11, p. 614 Philip Schaff.

Justin Martyr was an overtly premillennial ante-Nicene church father. Justin gave his most famous statement on the Millennium: “For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this [truth] and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians . . . But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalemwhich will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.” Dialogue with Trypho LXXX, p.239

Two of the greatest ante-Nicene fathers were Irenaeus and Tertullian (AD 160-230). Irenaeus grew up in Asia Minor and was discipled by Polycarp, who knew the Apostle John.

Irenaeus had a very extensive view of Bible prophecy in his last five chapters of Against Heresies, which were suppressed throughout the Middle Ages by anti-premillennialists and rediscovered in 1571. The restoration of a more literal interpretation and reading of the early church fathers by many post-reformationists led to a revival of premillennialism in the early 1600s. Irenaeus’ writings played a key role because of their clear premillennial statements. “John, therefore, did distinctly foresee the first ‘resurrection of the just,’ and the inheritance in the kingdom of the earth,” he says, “and what the prophets have prophesied concerning it harmonize [with his vision].” Again, Irenaeus declares, “But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom.”

Tertullian, who gave us the Latin word “Trinity” was also a strong premillennialist. He makes his premillennialism clear when he says the following: “But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, ‘letdown from heaven,’ which the apostle also calls ‘our mother from above;’ and, while declaring that our citizenship is in heaven, he predicts of it that it is really a city in heaven.’’ This both Ezekiel had knowledge of, and the Apostle John beheld.”

Another outstanding premillennialist of the early church was Lactantius (AD 250-330) of North Africa. He wrote an important defence of Christianity that was the first systematic expression of Christianity called The Divine Institutes, which included a section on prophecy. Lactantius said: “But when the thousand years shall be completed, the world shall he renewed by God, and the heavens shall be folded together, and the earth shall be changed, and God shall transform men into the similitude of angels, and they shall be white as snow; and they shall always be employed in the sight of the Almighty, and shall make offerings to their Lord, and serve Him for ever.”

The death of Lactantius in AD 325 marked the end of Premillennialism as a commonly held belief in the church until after the Reformation of the 16th century. No doubt there were some saints that read the Scriptures and believed what they said about the Messianic Age, though their teachings on the matter are few.

Origen and Allegory: It is difficult to overestimate the level of influence Origen and his allegorical hermeneutic had in shaping much of the Christian world’s approach to Scripture. One of his students, Dionysius, strongly opposed the promotion of Premillennialism through exegesis by the Egyptian church bishop Nepos. On what followed, German Lutheran Theologian, Adolf von Harnack (1851-1930) recounted: “Dionysius became convinced that the victory of mystical theology over “Jewish” chiliasm would never be secure so long as the Apocalypse of John passed for apostolic writing and kept its place among the homologoumena (those considered authoritative) of the canon . . . During the 4th century, it was removed from the Greek canon, and thus the troublesome foundation on which chiliasm might have continued to build was got rid of . . . late in the Middle Ages, (God ensured) the Book of Revelation did recover its authority; however, the church was by that time so hopelessly entangled by a magical cultus as to be incapable of fresh developments.” Harnack’s explanation reveals that Dionysius was also motivated by a distaste for Judaism.

Theologian Renald Showers elaborated on the influence of antisemitism of the time. “Gentiles who professed to be Christians increasingly called Jews “Christ-killers” and developed a strong bias against anything Jewish. Because the premillennial belief in the earthly, political Kingdom rule of Messiah in the future was the same hope which had motivated the Jews for centuries, that belief was increasingly “stigmatized as ‘Jewish’ and consequently ‘heretical’” by eastern Gentile Christians.”

Some of the same people who claimed to worship a Jew as God in the flesh and hold up the Scriptures that were written by Jews (cf. Rom 3:1–2), were at the same time eager to separate themselves from what was Jewish. What absurdity! Unfortunately, this attitude is still commonplace in much of the Christian world to various degrees today.

For more on Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom go to my website http://www.millennialkingdom.net

WILL THESE POSITIVE CHANGES BE ENOUGH TO TURN AMERICA BACK TO A SHEEP NATION?

In his first public address since Inauguration Day, Vice President J.D. Vance assured attendees at the March for Life that the Trump administration has their back and will work to make it easier for families to raise their children. Vance’s address makes him the second sitting vice president to appear at a March for Life. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served during the first Trump administration, became the first sitting vice president to address the annual event in 2017.

Vance addressed the crowd gathered at the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday. His speech comes less than a week after he took office as the 50th vice president of the United States. 

Vance reflected on the state of the pro-life movement and the importance of working to “defend the unborn” and be “pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that world possible,” telling the massive crowd that “our country has not yet stepped up in the way you have.” “We failed a generation not only by permitting a culture of abortion on demand but also by neglecting to help young parents achieve the ingredients they need to live a happy and meaningful life,” Vance asserted. “A culture of radical individualism took root, one where the responsibilities and joys of family life were seen as obstacles to overcome, not as personal fulfillment or personal blessings. Our society has failed to recognise the obligation that one generation has to another is a core part of living in a society, to begin with.”

“I want more babies in the United States of America,” he proclaimed. “I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them. And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are.”

He also brought up President Donald Trump’s pardon of 23 pro-life activists convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act during the Biden administration for blocking the entrances to abortion clinics. “No longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly grandparents or anybody else in prison,” he stated.

“It stopped on Monday and we’re not going to let it come back to this country,” he insisted. “This administration stands by you, we stand with you, and most importantly, we stand with the most vulnerable and the basic principle that people exercising the right to protest on behalf of the most vulnerable should never have the government go after them ever again.” 

Vance concluded his speech by thanking the pro-life movement for their work and maintaining that because of their efforts, “America is fundamentally a pro-baby, a pro-life and a pro-family country.” 

Gen Z1997 – 201213 – 28
 Millennials or Generation Y1981 – 199629 – 44
 Generation X1965 – 198045 – 60

Sadly, all three generations, X, Y and Z, have been brought up being taught evolution and the Big Bang, not creation, as the origin of the Cosmos. Also, prayer in the United States, if organised by the school, was banned from public elementary, middle, and high schools by a series of Supreme Court decisions since 1962. Moreover, we now find that due to the woke and transgender curriculum, one-third of children in the USA are racist and not sure of their gender. Even more devastating is the fact that most denominational/institutional churches, including the Episcopal, Anglican, United Methodist, Presbyterian and even the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran church body in the United States, allow for LGBTQ+ marriage and ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. Hence, the apostate state of the church and the younger generations gives us little hope for revival.

Those who study their Bibles know that we are fast approaching the Biblical end-time prophecy of a one-world government and its ruler, the Antichrist. America is not featured at all among the nations that play a role in end-time events.

FASTING MATTERS: THE POWER OF A FORGOTTEN DISCIPLINE

In an era where spiritual exercises are increasingly overlooked, Pastor Ronnie Floyd is urging Christians to rediscover the transformative power of fasting — and how to overcome both the physical and spiritual challenges that inevitably come with the practice. 

Floyd, former lead pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas and the 61st president of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently released his latest book, The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting. He offers a biblical and practical guide to a practice he believes is critical for addressing both personal and communal challenges.

Fasting makes you much more sensitive to the Holy Spirit the longer you go,” Floyd told The Christian Post. “Do I understand all that? Absolutely not. I think it’s a mystery. I think that’s where the supernatural power of God steps in and begins to speak to you in a way that most often is not done.

Though rarely highlighted from the pulpit, Floyd noted that the Bible references fasting 57 times, with 69 mentions of the practice. “The very word means, ‘shut mouth, not eat,'” he explained.

“I believe that fasting is abstinence from food with a spiritual goal in mind. When God places something on your heart, whether it is a burden, whether it is a decision, whether it is a real problem going on right at your job or your family or finances, or whatever it may be, there may be three or four things God has on your heart, and He may choose to use fasting to call you into addressing those things.”

Fasting, the pastor stressed, is an oft-overlooked spiritual discipline that has profound relevance today. He challenged churches and pastors to embrace fasting as a response to societal and spiritual crises.

“In this day and time, I’m convinced, personally, that one of the greatest ways the Church can answer this moment in American history is to pray and to fast and to be the salt and light,” he said. 

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“We know we should pray for our country, but we also … need to fast in our country. I would urge every church, every pastor, every church leader to consider your involvement personally, but also your involvement, collectively as the Church of Jesus Christ.”

The 69-year-old has seen the power of fasting first-hand. His commitment to fasting began during his college years and deepened as he faced significant life challenges, including his wife Jeana’s battle with cancer in 1990. 

“We had two little boys, and Jeana was diagnosed with cancer, and the initial reports of that were really, really difficult for us to understand and very challenging into what may be lying ahead,” he recalled. 

“God put on my heart to pray and fast the very week she was diagnosed, for my wife and for her healing. … I would carry an index card with me, and I would write that Scripture on an index card, and that’s what I would look at every time I was very frightful, every time I was pursuing God. I would just go to my knees, and I would ask God to heal my wife. Through God’s grace, through God’s favour, He chose by His sovereign and providential will, to heal Jeana.”

A turning point in Floyd’s ministry came in 1995 when he undertook a 40-day fast for personal revival, revival in his church and revival in America. The experience, he said, profoundly changed him and his congregation.

That day, God moved so profoundly that the church got a new pastor, and the pastor got a new church, and neither one of us changed our geographical location because God can do more in a moment than we can ever do in a lifetime,” Floyd said.

Floyd said fasting can seem intimidating or even strange to those unfamiliar with it — “people think you’re a little weird when you do it,” he said.

However, he distinguished between cultural trends like intermittent fasting and spiritual fasting.

Our goal is not to lose weight on a spiritual fast,” he stressed. “Your goal is to pursue God in Heaven. … Someone who is walking with Christ could even use intermittent fasting … but make it a spiritual journey for yourself by looking at it in relationship to self-control.

He also emphasized the practicalities of fasting, encouraging people to start small and seek medical advice for extended fasts. His book includes 40 devotionals and five appendices designed to guide readers through their fasting journey.

Beyond personal transformation, Floyd emphasized that fasting can unify and strengthen communities, particularly in times of crisis.

“When we face natural disasters or tragedies, we can call a fast for a day, join together in agreement, and pray over these things as we fast.”

In his book, the pastor describes fasting as both a spiritual and physical battle. He uses Ezra as a biblical example of prayer and fasting.

In Ezra 8:21–23, Ezra exemplified fasting and praying as a powerful spiritual response to dire circumstances, demonstrating humility, dependence on God and faith in His guidance and protection. 

“The enemy is doing everything he can to keep this powerful weapon hidden,” he said. “You’re going to literally be battling with evil in your life over those issues. Let’s say that somebody fasts and prays to save their marriage or fasts and prays because they have a child away from God, and they really need God’s intervention. Some things are so heavy out here that people carry. … But listen, God is with you if you’re pursuing this in a biblical way.”

With The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting, Floyd said he hopes to inspire Christians to embrace fasting as a vital spiritual discipline. 

“Fasting in prayer doesn’t mean that God always is going to answer your prayer in the way that you want that answered,” he said. 

“Fasting and prayer put a peaceful resolve in your heart. Fasting and prayer transform your heart so that you trust in God’s sovereign and providential will for your life; ‘I’m good with whatever God does that I’m fasting and praying about.’ That’s where the peace is, and that’s what fasting and prayer can do.”