The Temple of Doom

Though the recent turmoil in Egypt and Syria doesn't bode well for Israel, biblical prophecy reveals that the tiny Jewish nation is not only going to survive, she's going to play a key role in an upcoming global government.

Many folks--even some who claim to be biblical scholars--believe that Israel's days are numbered. But Israel isn't going anywhere. In fact, without Israel, the Antichrist would have no reason or purpose to even appear on earth.

The apostle Paul explained: "He (Antichrist) will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." (2Thessalonians 2:4)

What temple was Paul referring to? A new temple that will be constructed in Jerusalem. God's temple cannot be built anywhere else in the world. The Temple Mount was the location for the two previous temples that existed in Israel. And it will be the location for the third temple that the dreaded Antichrist will defile with his presence.

But how can we be sure that Jerusalem will be the site for this new temple? By studying the ancient biblical prophecies that reveal its location.

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel revealed that during the final seven years on earth directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will "put an end" to the daily sacrifices and offerings in the temple that were mandated under the Mosaic Covenant. Then, "on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27)

Christ confirmed the temple's Jerusalem location with this prophecy: "So when you see standing in the holy place (temple) the abomination that causes desolation, spoken by the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16)

Judea or Judah is part of modern Israel and was known as the southern kingdom. In the ancient times, Jerusalem was located in Judah. So Christ not only qualified Daniel's prophecy, he confirmed the location of the new Jewish Temple. It will be located where the two previous temples were located.

Thus, if Israel is destroyed, then Daniel's prophecy can't be fulfilled. Both Daniel and Christ would be declared false prophets and the entire Bible would lose its credibility. God's integrity is tied to the survival of Israel.

And if Israel survives as a nation, then what becomes of Islam that has historically called for the annihilation of the Jews from the face of the earth? If Israel survives, then Islam can't survive unless it is changed because Islam teaches that its messiah--the Imam Mahdi--can't appear until all the Jews have been removed from the world. The Koran exhorts all Muslims to fight against the Jews to accomplish that.

Some folks who claim to be biblical scholars are erroneously teaching that the dreaded Antichrist is going to be Islamic. http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/118029/

 

But that's not only unbiblical, it's ludicrous. No Islamic Antichrist would ever allow Israel to exist or allow a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque currently exist.

In fact, if the Antichrist turns out to be Islamic, then Israel will certainly be destroyed. And if Israel is destroyed, then why would the Imam Mahdi allow a new Jewish Temple to be constructed on a site that is sacred to Islam? That makes no sense.

Rather, biblical prophecy clearly reveals that the coming Antichrist will be a counterfeit of Jesus Christ who will arise through the Roman Catholic Church. (Revelation 17) And he will come from Russia. (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39)

Daniel and Ezekiel were ancient prophets who lived and recorded long before Christ appeared in the world. Daniel revealed that the Antichrist will be the ruler of a powerful nation he described as a northern kingdom. How does that relate to Russia? Keep in mind that Israel is always located at the center of the Bible's geographical map. And so, Russia is the nation furthermost to the north of Israel and is currently on the rise as a military superpower.

Furthermore, Ezekiel described this nation as Gog which was an ancient name for the tribe of Rosh that many modern Russians are descended from. Ezekiel revealed that at some point in the future, Gog, (Russia) along with a confederation of nations called Magog, will attack Israel in an event that the Bible identifies as Armageddon. That's when the Lord will march out and destroy Russia and its confederation.

But before this happens, Russia will eventually become the dominant political force in the Middle East leading up to the advent of a global government. That spells trouble for Islam because if Russia becomes a dominant global power again, she will begin to spread her religious values across the world.

What are those values? Russia is a predominantly Orthodox Christian nation that has little tolerance for Islam. And Russia's Orthodox Church once belonged to the Roman Catholic Church until it separated about 1,000 years ago because the Orthodox church wanted to serve the Bishop of Constantinople rather than the Pope.

 

However, both churches have been discussing a reunion in recent years. And when that reunion takes place, an important prophetic door will be opened that will link Moscow and Rome, making the Antichrist's appearance possible.

That reunion is important because the dreaded Antichrist will have the authority to order a new Jewish Temple built in Jerusalem. And he will have the power to destroy anyone who tries to oppose the temple's construction.

In order for the temple to be built, the Antichrist will likely coerce Israel into trading her sovereignty for the temple. And he will probably offer Israel military protection from her enemies as well. But that will be a treaty signed in hell.

In fact, when Israel signs that fateful deal, the final seven years on God's prophetic clock will begin ticking down to the return of Christ.

 

That clock began ticking in 445 B.C. when Persian ruler Antaxerxes signed the decree for the Jews to return to Israel from captivity that began in 586 B.C. with Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Jerusalem. That clock was stopped exactly 483 years later when Christ rode a donkey into Jerusalem, (Daniel 9:20-27) just days before His crucifixion.

The Bible calls this final seven year period the Tribulation period. It will culminate a 490 year period "decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In the meantime, before any of this happens, Israel won't be going anywhere, even though her hostile Islamic neighbors and many world nations will try to eliminate her. In fact, the ancient Hebrew prophet Zechariah prophesied that this would take place in the last days: "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." (Zechariah 12:3)  

So, don't fear for Israel. God is going to protect and preserve her until Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom on earth.

Why God Allows Evil

The Twin Towers come down on 9/11/2001

The favorite question that atheists love to ask those who believe in God is this one: "If a loving God truly exists, then why does he allow the existence of evil?"

Indeed, why does God allow evil to exist? That sounds like a reasonable question, doesn't it? 

According to this logic, a loving God isn't supposed to allow bad things to happen. Therefore, if the world is contaminated with evil, then there is no God because he would never permit it if he existed.

For the sake of atheists and their argument, let's assume that no God exists. Then who gets blamed for all the misery and evil that plagues the world?

Human beings. Atheists are then faced with two problems: (1) Why are some human beings evil? And (2) where does evil come from?

Atheists attempt to answer the first question by relying on Darwinian evolution. They claim that some folks are evil because they are born that way. Evolution has programmed evil into their genes.

However, if that's true then the theory of evolution contradicts itself because Darwin's theory of Natural Selection (Survival of the Fittest) teaches that evolution (random, unintelligent forces) is supposed to eliminate the unfit. 

Those who are evil and commit destructive acts against others shouldn't exist if Darwin's theory is true. But evil people do exist as they've existed since the dawn of history. Evolution then--if it's true--provides no explanation for the presence of evil in the world.

Then where does evil come from? The Bible reveals that it comes from the free will that God has given to mankind. Evil comes from sin which entered the human race at the beginning of time when the first couple Adam and Eve defied God by eating fruit they were commanded not to. (Genesis 3)  

Since that time, the sinful nature has infected every human being that has ever lived. That sinful nature is firmly planted in every human heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and has been the cause of all the bloodshed, violence, murders and wars throughout history. In fact, in his epistle to the early Roman Church, the apostle Paul revealed what human beings are truly like in their sinful, fallen state. (Romans 1:18-32)

Still, the question that begs to be answered: Why does God allow evil to exist in the world? Because we are all sinners who "fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) As such, in our sinful state, we live on this earth under God's wrath and unprotected from evil and its consequences.

Nevertheless, God has offered us the ultimate path of escape and protection from evil through His Son Jesus Christ who came into this world in the form of a human being to take away our sins by His death on the cross: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Not only does Christ remove the eternal death penalty for sin when we truly confess Him as Lord and devote our lives to Him, but He also protects us from evil. (Psalm 91)

And so, evil isn't God's choice--it's man's choice. If human beings weren't given a free will by God, then atheists would have a legitimate beef against Him. But they don't. And they never will.

Fascism In America

Craig James

Barack Obama, who's normally right less often than a broken clock, did manage to get something right recently when he stated that America is no longer a Christian nation.

How true. Many Christians are discovering that through the increasing amount of hostility they've been encountering from secular fascists in America who despise their faith and want to eradicate it.

Who are these fascists? They are humanists who are employed in the media, entertainment industry, education and in various levels of government. They are also militant homosexuals who have become a paramilitary wing of secularists.

Does that sound alarmist? Then consider a Christian couple named Aaron and Melissa Klein who recently closed their popular bakery (Sweet Cakes by Melissa) in Gresham, Oregon after militant homosexuals swooped down on them like vultures.

What did the Kleins do to incur the wrath of gay militants? They refused an order from a lesbian couple for a wedding cake. The lesbian couple subsequently filed a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. 

When the complaint was publicized by the media, militant homosexuals organized a boycott of the bakery and threatened other establishments that did business with Sweet Cakes by Melissa. And the Kleins also reported that their children were threatened with physical harm.

Craig James has also become the victim of secular fascists. James was recently employed as a football analyst for Fox Sports Southwest until he was fired because of remarks he made in 2012 concerning same-sex marriage.

A born-again Christian, James made those remarks during an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Here's what James said: "People choose to be gay...I think' it's a choice. I do. Same-sex marriage, if someone chooses to do that, that's done. And God's going to judge each one of us for our actions. And in that case right there, they're going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions." 
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Sports/2013/09/26/Court-Filing-Fox-Sports-Godfather-Ordered-Firing-Craig-James-over-Mainstream-View-on-Marriage

James didn't make those remarks while he was on the air with Fox. Nor did he make those statements on the air with his previous employers ESPN and CBS where he earned accolades as one of the finest football analysts in the nation. He made those remarks on his own time.

As a U.S. citizen whose speech is protected by the First Amendment, James has a right to express his opinions on same-sex marriage. And as a Christian, James has a right to express his worldview that has been the prevailing view of marriage in America since her inception.

But evidently, Christians such as James aren't allowed to share that view publicly anymore. When executives at Fox Sports Southwest learned about James' opposition to gay marriage, they pulled the plug on him. Fox Sports Southwest defended its decision to terminate James with this statement: "We just asked ourselves how Craig's statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn't say those things here."

Ironically, he didn't say those things at Fox Sports Southwest. Yet, he was still fired. Why? Because the network feared the inevitable backlash from gay militants who would've done to Fox Sports Southwest what they've done to other businesses and organizations that have dared to oppose same-sex marriage and the LGBT lifestyle. They would've attacked the network by bullying sponsors who do business with Fox Sports Southwest.

James has retained the Liberty Institute whose attorneys sent a letter to Fox threatening legal action against the network for religious discrimination unless James is rehired.

Most likely, Fox will reach a financial settlement with James because that will cost the network far less money than it figures to lose when sponsors and viewers flee via political pressure exerted by gay militants.

Fox was dead wrong to terminate James. And the network knows that. Fox discriminated against James by violating his constitutional rights.

Why? Because Fox caved in to secular fascists who hate Christians. That's why. And tragically, the persecution of Christians in America is only going to get worse. Far worse.

The Case for Capital Punishment

Brian Dugan and his victims

Many years ago, I met a young man who confided to me that he'd lost his sister to a violent crime. In fact, I was familiar with the incident because it was a hideous crime that drew major media attention at the time.  

The man told me that his sister was returning home one day from her babysitting job when she was abducted by someone who then proceeded to rape and murder her before he dumped her lifeless body in a ditch near a major Chicago expressway.

When I expressed my outrage and stated that I hoped the perpetrator would receive the death penalty if he was caught and convicted of the crime, the young man surprised me with his response. He told me that as a Christian, he didn't believe in the death penalty. And he reasoned that if we executed the man, we'd be doing the same thing to him that he did to his sister.

Although I respect the man's opinion, I disagree. There's a distinct difference between an innocent person who's murdered and the execution of a person who takes away an innocent life. 

A person who destroys another person via murder has forfeited his or her right to live. That's not my opinion--it's biblical. Under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant, the ancient Israelites were commanded by God to administer the death penalty for infractions that we consider trivial today.

For example: "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death." (Exodus 21:17) Here's another example: "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed." (Exodus 22:20) And here's yet another example: "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of a neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10)

I don't like the death penalty and I wish we never had need of it. Unfortunately we do need it because we live in a fallen, evil world where there are those such as Brian Dugan--the man pictured above--who have no fear of God nor any respect for human life. 

Administered properly, the death penalty sends a powerful message--that those who destroy innocent lives will pay the ultimate price by forfeiting their own lives. And if that saves even one life by planting the fear of death in someone's heart by discouraging them from doing what Dugan did to two young girls and a nurse, then it's worth it.

And I'd like to see despicable monsters such as Dugan executed by hanging them in a public place. That's the way societies used to deal with scumbags such as Dugan. When you see someone die a horrible death by hanging, it has a profound effect on you.

Some folks are surprised that a Christian such as myself would support capital punishment. Aren't Christians supposed to be for life rather than death? Yes we are. 

And in fact, I hope people such as Brian Dugan come to realize the evil they've done and confess their sins to Jesus Christ while they're still here on this earth. 

Because if they die in their sins outside of Christ, they will suffer the eternal death penalty in a horrible place called hell. 

And that's a death penalty that I don't want anyone to experience. Ever.

Good and Bad Obsessions

Pope Francis

The leader of the world's largest church has excoriated Christendom for being obsessed with all the wrong issues.

According to Pope Francis, the Christian church spends too much time talking about abortion, gay marriage and contraception and not enough time talking about the things that really matter.

Such as? According to the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, the editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit Journal: "His (Pope Francis) vision is to see the church in the middle of persons who need to be healed. It is in the middle of the world.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/pope-bluntly-faults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html?_r=0

And so, according to Spadaro, Francis believes the church's main mission in the world is to be a "healer."

While that sounds good, that isn't Christianity's main mission in the world. Christianity's main mission in this world is to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:16-20)

That commission mandates that Christians preach the good news of the gospel throughout the entire world. What does the gospel say? It says this: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

Obviously, that isn't what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a lifelong process that begins at birth and doesn't end until after physical death in a place called Purgatory where a person's sins must be burned away by fire before he or she can be admitted into heaven.
http://prophecyreviewtoday.blogspot.com/2013/09/other-gospels.html

Francis and his church are obsessed with all the wrong things. In addition to preaching a false gospel, the Catholic Church majors in the minors. The Vatican's focus upon feeding the poor and being a peacemaker in a war torn world doesn't send anyone to heaven.

In fact, if the Catholic Church truly wants to bring peace and prosperity to a violent world, then she can start by preaching the genuine biblical gospel. There will never be true peace in this world until the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ lives in all human hearts.

That's what Christendom ought to be obsessed with. Preaching the genuine biblical gospel.

Because when that's done effectively, violence, war, strife and poverty go away. Every time.

Strong and Weak Leaders

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama

Barack Obama is a made for Hollywood president. He's cool, tall, well-dressed, good looking and well-spoken.

Not surprisingly, some of his biggest supporters happen to be Hollywood executives, actors and actresses who poured big coin into both of his presidential campaigns. If it wasn't for his Hollywood acolytes, Obama may never have reached the White House.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the exact opposite of Obama. He looks just like what a former KGB agent ought to look like--short, balding, stone-faced and menacing. 

He certainly looks like Hollywood's idea of a Russian special agent. But he's definitely not Hollywood's idea of a president who's in charge of a rising world superpower.

However, leadership isn't about looks or clothes or inspiring speeches. If it was then Barack Obama would go down in history as one of the world's greatest leaders.

But beyond the clothes, looks and charismatic speeches, Barack Obama is a proverbial empty suit. His incompetence was embarrassing and evident yet once again when he recently threatened to bomb Syria only to pull back on his threat and open the door for Putin to solve the crisis.

Obama threatened Syria after he claimed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical gas against his people that resulted in an estimated 1,500 casualties. 

Though no one has yet been able to determine whether Assad or the rebel forces fighting him used the gas, Obama claims that he has irrefutable evidence that Assad used the gas. And so, Obama sent five warships to the Mediterranean Sea to threaten the Syrian dictator.

And the warships sat off of Syria's coast while Obama hemmed and hawed about launching cruise missiles against Assad. Meanwhile, both Assad and the Iranians threatened to attack Israel if Obama followed through with his threat to drop cruise missiles on Syria. 

Obama's actions were intended to save face for his infamous red-line threat he issued against Assad last year if the dictator used chemical weapons on his people. Obama warned Assad not to cross his hypothetical red-line by using chemical weapons. 

Chemical weapons were used recently and Obama claims that Assad used them. By threatening Assad and sending warships, Obama imperiled the Middle East with a major conflagration. Had Putin not stepped in and diffused Obama's mess, the Middle East could have become engulfed in a major war.

Vladimir Putin certainly isn't a nice guy. He's ruthless, coldblooded and he deals harshly with his enemies. Some of his enemies are either in jail or they aren't living anymore. But he understands the world and how it works while Obama doesn't.

Putin's dramatic solution that solved a serious problem Barack Obama created has prophetic implications. The Bible tells us that a powerful world ruler is coming who will be known as the Antichrist. He will come from Russia (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39) and he will initially appear to the world as a peacemaker before he goes on his reign of terror.

Vladimir Putin isn't the Antichrist. I have corresponded with Russians who believe that he is because they loathe him. I understand that. Putin is reviled by many Russians in the same way that Obama is reviled by many Americans. 

But scripture reveals that the dreaded Antichrist will rise in conjunction with the Roman Catholic Church. (Revelation 17) In order for that to happen, the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church must reunite after 1,000 years of separation. And that's going to happen.

In the meantime, ruthless leaders such as Vladimir Putin are giving us a portent of what's ahead in the future. 

Watching Prophecy Unfold

Many Jews continue to view Christianity as a hostile faith that was launched 2,000 years ago by a man they consider a rebel and a traitor to their religion.

That would be Jesus Christ who was rejected by the rabbis as a fraud and a usurper of Judaism. They have historically claimed that when the real messiah appears, he will be a religious scholar who will conquer Israel's enemies and establish his kingdom on earth in Jerusalem.

The rabbis claim that Christ couldn't have been the messiah because he not only failed to establish God's kingdom on earth, he got himself crucified in the process.

Though the rabbis have taught that for 2,000 years, their teaching doesn't line up with scripture. Nor has it ever. Unfortunately, the rabbis don't consider the Bible to be the sole authority concerning the word of God. Rather, they believe that they possess the divine authority to fashion their own messiah in their imaginations.

If that sounds like idolatry, it is. The fallen human imagination is where all religious idols have been incubated throughout history before they were created into clay, wood, metal and stone images. Though the rabbis haven't created a physical image of their mythical messiah--in deference to the Second Commandment--they hold that image firmly in their minds and brand it in the minds of their followers.

Certainly, Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He fulfilled over 300 specific prophecies that are recorded in the Bible's Old Testament. Some of those prophecies include His virgin birth, (Isaiah 7:14) his life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection, (Isaiah 52-53) His birthplace of Bethlehem, (Micah 5:2) and His triumphant ride through the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey just days before He was arrested by the rabbis and handed over to the Romans to be crucified. (Zechariah 9:9)

With all that evidence, you'd think that the Jews would embrace Christ as their Messiah. Tragically, the majority of them continue to deny Christ, mainly out of fear and ignorance. Many Jews secretly believe that Christ is indeed the Messiah, but they dare not confess Him publicly because they fear that they'll be humiliated by the rabbis and ostracized by the Jewish community.

Nevertheless, many Jews are now coming to Christ and publicly confessing Him as Lord. And that's prophetic.

The ancient Hebrew prophet Hosea, who lived during the 8th Century B.C., wrote this concerning the distant spiritual future of his people: "For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward, the Israelites will return to their Lord and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days." (Hosea 3:4-5)

Hosea couldn't have been referring to King David in that prophecy, because David had been dead for two centuries. Rather, the prophet used David as an allegory for the Jewish Messiah.

And the apostle Paul revealed this in his epistle to the early Roman church: "I don't want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:25-26)

Paul clearly revealed that as the Church age drew near to an end, the Jews would begin a spiritual revival that would lead them to Christ.

Are we seeing these prophecies being fulfilled? Indeed, we are. Estimated Jewish believers in Christ now range from 350,000 to one million worldwide, which is up from about 200,000 in the 1990s. Though that number seems small, keep in mind that there are only 12 million Jews in the world.

And so, we are definitely seeing God's prophetic word concerning the Jews being fulfilled in our time.

The Betrayal Of Christ

Pope Francis

When Jesus Christ appeared in ancient Israel 2,000 years ago, he came into the world for one specific purpose; to reconcile mankind back to God.

He accomplished that by shedding His blood on Calvary's cross for all sin. And only He was worthy to do that because He led a sinless life. 

Christ's crucifixion on that cross for the sins of the world wasn't some excuse concocted by His disciples to explain away a mission that had failed to convince Israel's rabbis that He was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. 

Christ was indeed the Messiah and His birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection were foretold by Israel's ancient prophets hundreds and thousands of years before He appeared on earth. The failure of the rabbis to recognize Christ was rooted in their rejection of their prophets, including Moses, who had written of Christ.

And when the rabbis rejected Christ and subsequently handed Him over to the Romans for crucifixion, they fulfilled the writings of Isaiah, (Isaiah 53) a prophet who lived in the 8th Century B.C. Isaiah revealed that the Jewish Messiah would appear in Israel and be rejected by His own people who would put Him to death.

By crucifying Christ, the rabbis unwittingly fulfilled God's will. Had Christ not gone to the cross, there would be no salvation and no hope for anyone. We would all die in our sins and be condemned to hell for eternity.

Now however, in complete betrayal of the Savior he claims to represent on earth, Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has claimed that faith in Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead isn't necessary for salvation. Pope Francis claims that obedience to one's conscience is more important than faith in Christ and obedience to God.

Here's what Francis recently said: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.” 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-atheists-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html

That isn't what Christ taught. He said this: "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the (Heavenly) Father except through me." (John 14:6) And He said this: " For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

And He said this to the unbelieving rabbis: “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24)

Christ never mentioned that obedience to one's conscience is all that's necessary for eternal life. Then why did Francis contradict Christ? 

Because the Catholic pontiff teaches a different gospel not found in the scriptures. And that's a false gospel that can't save anyone. Even those who dutifully obey their own consciences.

Why We Must Never Forget

Doomed victims on 9/11/2001

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ revealed this to His disciples just days before He was crucified: "In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do this because they have not known the (Heavenly) Father or me." (John 16:2-3)

Though Christ was speaking to His disciples, he issued that caveat to all who would become His followers in the future. And certainly, that prophecy has been fulfilled numerous times since Christianity began in the early 1st Century.

The early church in Jerusalem was brutally persecuted by the rabbis who imprisoned many of Christ's Jewish followers and put some of them to death. The Romans also persecuted many early believers who remained loyal to Christ by refusing to worship Rome's pagan gods.

However, Christ's prophecy didn't merely apply to the rabbis or pagan Romans. It also applied to false Christians throughout history such as Roman Catholics who have brutally persecuted and martyred countless true believers who have refused to submit to the Roman Catholic Church. The Waldenses and the Huguenots are two groups that immediately come to mind.

In modern times, Christians have been persecuted in the eastern world by Islamists and in the west by secular fascists. Those secular fascists include President Barack Obama and his Department of Defense that recently labeled evangelical Christians as religious "extremists."

Obama and his Marxist brethren believe that fundamental Christians are every bit as dangerous as Islamic jihadists that belong to terror groups such as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas.

If they truly believe that, then they are some of the most gullible and ignorant people on the face of the earth. For example, the Koran contains approximately 120 war verses that exhort Muslims to wage war against non-believers until they either submit to Islam or they die.

Here are three war verses found in the Koran: "O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." (Sura 5:51) "And if you are slain in the way of Allah or you die, certainly forgiveness from Allah and mercy is better than what they (unbelievers) amass." (Sura 3:157) "And indeed if you die (in jihad) or are slain, certainly to Allah shall you be gathered together." (Sura 3:158)

Concerning the Jews, Islam teaches that they are hopelessly corrupt and must be eradicated from the earth. Here's what the Hadith (Sayings of Muhammad) says about them: "The last hour will not come until the Muslims fight against the Jews and the Muslims will kill them until the Jews hide themselves behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say Muslim; the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him." (Sahih Muslim 5203)

Twelve years ago today, a group of Al Qaeda jihadists obeyed the teachings of their religion by carrying out the worst terror attack on U.S. soil in American history. They flew hijacked jetliners into the two World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. A fourth jetliner--United Airlines Flight 93--crashed in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania when 44 brave passengers sacrificed their own lives by fighting off four terrorists that had hijacked the plane, intending to crash it into the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
 

Unlike the Koran, the Bible contains not one single verse that encourages Christians to conquer the world for Christ by the sword. Christ never taught his followers to use violence as a means to spread the gospel.

However, violence is the modus operandi of Islam. It is the reason why America was attacked 12 years ago. Violence is synonymous with Islam. It is what drives jihadists to do what they do.

And we must never forget that. And we must never buy into the fascist propaganda that Christianity promotes the same thing. It doesn't and it never has.

For to believe otherwise is to insult and blaspheme the souls of those 3,000 people who perished on that fateful day in America 12 years ago.

America and the Middle East

The ancient Middle East

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel received an incredible prophetic vision from God concerning the end times. (Daniel 8)

Daniel received that vision while he and his fellow Israelites were languishing in captivity in ancient Persia. What were they doing there? They had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem.

The Persians later succeeded the Babylonians and the Jews remained in captivity until about 445 B.C. when Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus signed the decree to allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their city and Temple.

Daniel received several visions from God during his time in captivity, including those that revealed specific events concerning the end times.

One of those visions involved the kingdoms of Media and Persia along with a nation that he described as Greece. According to Daniel, Media and Persia would reign supreme in the world for a time until "the King of Greece" invaded those nations and conquered them. (Daniel 8:5-7)

Biblical scholars have long believed that Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled in 331 B.C. when Alexander the Great invaded and conquered Persia. 

But if that's true, then we have some problems. The arch-angel Gabriel, who revealed this vision to Daniel, told the prophet that it concerned "the time of the end." (Daniel 8:19) Alexander's invasion of Persia occurred over three centuries before Christ appeared in the world. So that couldn't have fulfilled Daniel's prophecy.

Secondly, Media and Persia no longer exist. Although Greece still exists, it's a weak nation mired in economic debt with no real military to speak of. It has no power to invade and conquer any nation.

Then how do we interpret Daniel's vision? Is it false? Certainly not. In order to understand this vision, we have to understand that the prophet wasn't talking about the literal nation of Greece, but another nation. In fact, Daniel revealed that this nation traveled to Media and Persia from a distant land, "crossing the whole earth without touching the ground." (Daniel 8:5) That couldn't have been Greece because that nation exists just to the northwest of Media and Persia.

Then why did Daniel refer to this nation as Greece? And who was he referring to? Keep in mind that the Greeks were the most prominent gentile people that existed in the ancient world. And so the gentiles were often referred to as "Greeks." In fact, the apostle Paul often referred to gentiles as Greeks in his epistles to the early churches. (Colossians 3:11, Galatians 3:28)

And so, Paul was referring to a powerful western nation, not literal Greece. I believe that he was referring to the United States. Why? Because consider the nations that now occupy the territory that was once known as Media and Persia.

They are Iraq and Iran. In 1991, the U.S. invaded Iraq (Media) and then returned there in 2003 to finish the job by disposing of its dictator Saddam Hussein. And now, the Iranians (Persia) are developing nuclear weapons for the purpose of destroying Israel and conquering the entire world for Islam.

But Daniel's prophecy reveals that they will be thwarted. If the United States is in fact the nation that conquers Iran, then America's days as a superpower are numbered because Daniel also revealed that after this powerful nation defeats Persia (Iran), it will be "broken off." (Daniel 8:8)

What does that mean? It means that this nation will fall from its status as a superpower, to be replaced by other nations.

And so, the events currently taking place in the Middle East between the U.S., Syria and Iran tell us that we are getting close to the end and the return of Jesus Christ.

Godlessness and Evil

Concerning those who reject God and thumb their noses at His transcendent moral laws, the apostle Paul wrote this: "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

Paul wrote that epistle in the 1st Century C.E. Paul's description of human behavior sans the fear and knowledge of God sounds more like our modern world of today than the world that existed 2,000 years ago.

And if that sort of evil existed 2,000 years ago, then what will an end time world look like that has completely rejected God?

Paul provided the answer in his second of two letters he wrote to fellow apostle Timothy: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Tragically, a growing segment of the world believes that it can achieve peace and harmony by eliminating God and wiping out every vestige of His laws and commandments. That's the world vision of President Barack Obama and his blind followers--the creation of a secular utopia that replaces God with man and crowns him as the highest authority in the universe.

It was Obama's Department of Defense that recently classified evangelical Christians as extremists who are as dangerous as Al Qaeda. That designation wasn't created by some rogue bureaucrat at the DOD. It was created at the behest of the Obama administration that loathes fundamental Christians and wants to drive them out of America.

State atheism isn't something new. The old Soviet Union was an atheist empire that littered its landscape with the corpses of millions of people that it loathed. China and North Korea are atheist nations that deny human rights and persecute those who dare profess a belief in God.

And so, wherever you find godless secularism, you find two maladies: (1) Moral depravity in the form of violence, hopelessness, high crime rates, drug and alcohol addictions, rampant sexual perversion and (2) the encroaching police state that must maintain order by force.

Human nature never changes. Apart from God, human beings become utterly despicable and corrupt. The antidote for that isn't religion--it's the acknowledgment and respect for God and His laws.

As King Solomon wrote 3,000 years ago: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)  

Bad Times for Christians

A Christian bakery that recently closed

If Aaron and Melissa Klein speak Russian, then perhaps they might want to consider moving their business to Russia where they wouldn't have to worry about being persecuted for their Christian faith.

Because in Russia, the Kleins wouldn't be getting the heat they're getting from the LGBT community here in America. The Russian government, led by President Vladimir Putin, aims to stamp out homosexuality by making that lifestyle illegal in that nation.

However, in America the gay lifestyle is not only legal, it's being forced down the throats of bible-believing Christians such as the Kleins.

Who are the Kleins? They're a husband and wife team who own a thriving bakery called Sweet Cakes by Melissa that's located in a town called Gresham, Oregon. 

Their business was doing quite well until it ran into serious trouble recently after a lesbian couple that's engaged to be married, placed an order with the bakery for a wedding cake. 

The Kleins refused the order because they're bible-believing Christians. They explained that while they don't hate gays and lesbians, they don't approve of same-sex marriage. And so, they turned down the order.

Certainly, the lesbian couple could've gone elsewhere for their cake. But they decided to file a discrimination complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. And that generated a lot of grief for the Kleins.

When the local media discovered the complaint, they publicized it. The Kleins were subsequently harassed by homosexual activists who boycotted their bakery and threatened boycotts against other businesses in the area that do business with the bakery. And according to the Kleins, their three children have also been threatened.

Because of the ongoing harassment, the Kleins have since closed their retail outlet and will operate the bakery from their home. So much for the First Amendment and tolerance.

Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Texas, the city council is trying to pass legislation that would bar anyone from employment with the city who opposes homosexuality and same-sex marriage on biblical grounds. Though that's a clear violation of the First Amendment, the city council plans to push the legislation through anyway.

And over at the United States Defense Department, Catholics, Jews, Mormons and Evangelicals have now been classified as "Religious Extremists" similar to notorious Islamic terror groups such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah. That's according to the Chaplain Alliance For Religious Liberty that recently acquired 1,500 pages of documents under the Freedom of Information Act.

This harassment of bible-believing Christians in America is unprecedented. And it's going to get worse.

And it's also a fulfillment of biblical prophecy that warns that Christians will face severe persecution across the world in the last days. We've seen that elsewhere around the world in places such as China, Indonesia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and in Africa.

And now we're seeing it here in America. Concerning the persecution of Christians in the end times, Jesus Christ said this: "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." (Matthew 24:9)

Why are Christians being persecuted? Because they testify according to God's word in the Bible against the evil and depravity embraced by the world. That brings persecution. It always has and it always will.

Other Gospels

Pope Benedict XVI and the Virgin Mary

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"--Galatians 1:8

Many professing Christians get extremely upset with me when I criticize the Roman Catholic Church. They claim that when I do that I'm promoting disunity within the Body of Christ.

Evidently, they're either ignorant of Roman Catholicism, or they don't know the difference between the Roman Catholic gospel and the true biblical gospel. Or, they just simply don't care.

What's the difference between the two gospels? The difference is this: The Roman Catholic Church teaches a gospel of works while the biblical gospel, which predates the Catholic Church by nearly four centuries, proclaims a gospel of faith.

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach? That salvation is a lifelong process that begins with infant baptism and culminates after death in a place called Purgatory where a person's soul must be completely cleansed of sin by fire before that soul can be allowed into heaven.

Does any evidence exist to prove that gospel? None whatsoever. Then why should anyone believe it? Because the Catholic Church claims that it's absolutely true and you must accept it without question. 

What does the biblical gospel teach? It teaches that God offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins on Calvary's cross and then rose from the dead. Here's what Christ said: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)

Here's what the apostle Paul taught: "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:8-10)

And here's what Paul wrote in his epistle to the church at Ephesus: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The biblical gospel is not only backed up by what Christ and the apostles taught, it's backed up by the writings of Israel's ancient prophets that foretold of Christ's life, ministry death and resurrection several centuries before Christ appeared in the world. That's evidence that can't be refuted.

The Catholic Church not only rejects the biblical gospel, it pronounces a curse upon anyone who believes it. For example: If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent: Sixth Session, Canons Concerning Justification Canon XXIV)

The Catholic Church also pronounces curses (anathemas) on those who reject its many other unbiblical doctrines such as the necessity of water baptism for salvation and the Mass as an essential sacrament for sanctification and the remission of sin.

The true biblical gospel teaches that faith in Jesus Christ--rather than water baptism--is essential for salvation. The true biblical gospel teaches that only Christ has the power to remit sin. The true biblical gospel teaches that neither works nor adherence to church mandated traditions play any role whatsoever in our salvation.

And the true biblical gospel teaches that we are to worship only God (The Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ the Son and The Holy Spirit) and not church icons such as Mary or saints. Because if we worship anything other than God, we become idol worshipers. And that's condemned by God in the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6)

The Roman Catholic Church is a cult. It is not true Christianity. And it never was. 

Does that sound harsh? It is what it is. There is no salvation in the Catholic Church. No one who follows the Catholic gospel will be saved. And no one who has ever followed its gospel throughout history since its inception has ever been saved.

Christianity's greatest purpose in this world is to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20) by preaching the biblical gospel to the world. 

And there's only one true gospel. That's found in the Bible. All other gospels are false and should be rejected and condemned. Why? Because we're talking about the eternal destiny of human beings.

Fleeting Heroes

Tim Tebow

For Tim Tebow, the end apparently has arrived.

Who's Tim Tebow? He's a professional football player--or he was until he was recently cut by the New England Patriots. 

For those of you who are familiar with Tebow, he was a quarterback who engineered several amazing comeback victories for the Denver Broncos during the 2011 season. 

Prior to his professional career, Tebow played college football at the University of Florida where he won the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2007. He followed that up with another great season in 2008 when he led the Gators to the national championship.

Besides winning the Heisman Trophy, Tebow also set records for rushing touchdowns and passing efficiency in the Southeastern Conference. When he was drafted by the Broncos in 2010, he seemed destined for greatness in the NFL.

However, that greatness never came. Despite showing flashes of the brilliance that highlighted his career at the University of Florida, those flashes were fleeting. Tebow's brief NFL career was marked by inconsistency and mediocrity. From the Broncos, Tebow went to the New York Jets (2012) and finally to the Patriots this year where he performed poorly during the preseason and was finally cut.

What's so significant about Tebow's disappointing professional career? There have been many collegiate stars who bombed in the NFL. What makes Tim Tebow any different than all the others who failed?

What makes Tebow different is that he's a Born Again Christian. And Tebow's faith deeply offends a lot of folks. When he was on his amazing run with the Broncos during the 2011 season, Tebow attributed his success to his faith in God and Jesus Christ.

That didn't sit well with many people who attributed Tebow's success to luck rather than Divine Providence. What further irritated people about Tebow was the huge amount of publicity he generated by using his professional football career to promote biblical values and Jesus Christ.

And so, when Tim Tebow finally failed, many people celebrated. One of those who celebrated Tebow's demise was Dan Bernstein, a repugnant troll who's the co-host of a Chicago radio sports talk show on The Score 670AM.

Here's what Bernstein recently wrote about Tebow for CBSChicago.com: A terrible passer gained a legion of swooning fans who believed he functioned as some kind of heavenly lightning-rod, chosen to receive divine power and channel it to the gridiron. Successes were acts of god, failures all but ignored.Since his college days, Tim Tebow’s role as religious football soldier has been championed as a cause, with touchdowns serving for many as larger points on the celestial scoreboard. His self-serving, pious poses were offered as evidence of devotional strength, while the true-believers lapped up his “inspirational” speeches that read as if cut and pasted from pamphlets handed out on street corners by glassy-eyed volunteers.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/08/31/bernstein-heres-to-the-end-of-tebow-stupidity/

I don't understand why professional athletes such as Tim Tebow, who openly profess their faith in Jesus Christ, elicit such rancor from folks like Dan Bernstein. Perhaps they just loathe Christians in general. 

With the myriad of criminals, cheats, felons and liars such as Aaron Hernandez, Alex Rodriguez, Lance Armstrong, Ryan Braun etc. setting terrible examples for young people by their contemptible behavior, athletes such as Tim Tebow should be welcomed. But they're not. Instead, they're despised. 

Perhaps Tim Tebow will catch on with another NFL team. He's still young. And he still has that Heisman Trophy on his resume. 

But perhaps his career is over. If it is, then the Lord will surely find something better for him to do because he's a bright young man who's not afraid to share his faith in Christ.

And in a world devoid of good role models, Tim Tebow needs to be seen and heard, whether that's on or off of the gridiron.  

The Judgement Seat of Christ

One of the most baffling scriptures in the Bible is found in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that says this: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad." 

That was written by the apostle Paul in his second epistle to the early church at Corinth. Taken at face value, it sounds as though even professing Christians will have to stand before God on Judgment Day for their deeds.

That bothers a lot of folks. Jesus Christ Himself proclaimed that when we put our faith in Him as God's Messiah, we gain eternal life and have escaped judgment. (John 3:16, John 5:24)  

Why then did Paul proclaim that we must all appear before Christ in judgment? Does the Bible contradict itself? If our eternal destiny depends upon our own good works--which scripture declares as "filthy rags", (Isaiah 64:6) then we're all doomed. Because the Bible declares that "there is no one righteous, not even one." (Romans 3:10)

What did Paul mean? Surely, he knew that salvation is a free gift from God that can't be earned by good works. Paul repeatedly emphasized that during his ministry to the gentiles. To the early church in Ephesus he wrote this: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8)

Then what was the context of Paul's message to the Corinthian Church? Paul was correct when he revealed that we will all appear before Christ in judgment.

However, unlike those who lived before Christ appeared on the earth, or those who never heard the gospel preached, Christians will be judged according to their deeds after they became believers.

Their deeds will determine the type of heavenly rewards they receive--not whether or not they will gain eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. They have already gained eternal life through their faith in Christ. They cannot lose that unless they renounce their faith in Christ.

Some believers will receive great rewards while others will receive practically nothing. Christ made that clear when he declared that those who are severely persecuted and yet refuse to deny Him will be rewarded: "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:12)

And so, Paul didn't contradict the gospel in his second epistle to the Corinthian Church. Some folks who are eager to find anything that appears to be a contradiction in the Bible so they can discredit it, will use 2 Corinthians 5:10 as an example.

But don't listen to them. They pervert the scriptures to deny Christ and prevent the salvation of others. And unless they repent of that wickedness, they'll be condemned to eternal damnation by Christ on Judgement Day.