What Is The "Tribulation" In The Bible?

"Tribulation." What's this about?

Most students of prophecy believe in a time of "trouble". It is well documented by prophets and Jesus and John:

Prophet Jeremiah in his 30th chapter sees a future era he calls "Jacob's Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). The reference is to the father of the Jewish nation, a man also known as Israel. He says that this time will be unprecedented in its devastation, the same thing an angel who appears in the book of the prophet Daniel says about a "time of trouble" coming to the planet, in association with resurrections and judgments (Daniel 12:1-3). In other words, this tribulation period is the beginning of the end of all things as we know them today.

That same line of thought is repeated by Jesus in Matthew 24:21. Here the word is "tribulation", but that is simply another translation of the same Greek word translated "trouble" in other passages. Jesus too is speaking of the end of all things, which he says immediately follows this tribulation. And John's Book of Revelation describes the horrors of God's wrath, leaving no doubt to the reader that the time he describes is also the time of the end.

Now what do Bible teachers mean by "Pre"- or "post"- tribulation?

There is some major trouble coming. Unprecedented. Final. And, there's a "snatching up" , a "catching away", a "rapture" coming too. The whole issue we deal with here is , Which comes first, the trouble, or the flight? If one believes the catching up is first, he is a "pre-tribulation rapturist", whether he particularly likes such a label or not. If he believes the rapture is after the tribulation and in fact a part of the second coming of Jesus,

He is "post-trib."

Sadly, the church is seriously divided on this issue? There are those who will not accept the life or ministry of persons on the "other side" of this discussion. How that came to pass is a fascinating study but must be reserved for another time.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Deity of Jesus Christ - Genesis

There is no question in my mind about the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth. Nor do I doubt the existence of what we have called trinity, a 3-in-one concept of the Godhead. In the case of this study I should speak of two-ness rather than three, for I center on the Son, and His identity with the Father. And in making that statement I am admitting a distinction between the two.

But there is a growing discomfort with the idea of two as we understand that numeral, as the Person of Jesus Christ the Lord is studied in detail throughout Scripture. One graduallly and then fully realizes that "two" just won't do. Yes, the distinction is there. Yes, a Father and a Son. Multitudes of passages point out the difference. But quite a number say the other truth: "I and My Father are ONE." "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." "And His Name shall be called ...the Prince of Peace...the everlasting Father!"

It is this aspect of our marvelous Lord that I wish to trace through Scripture. What a sublime mystery unfolds before us. And unlike some mysteries of Scripture that unfold themselves at last upon careful scrutiny, this one stays intact from start to finish as an enigma that shall not be solved until we have the mental equipment, viz., our glorified bodies, to comprehend it.

This Jesus. This wonderful Jesus. He is indeed a man. A perfect sinless man. He is also the very Son of God. But that phrase can lend itself to interpretations and explanations. After all, are not we sons of God, also? one will be asked. Therefore let us proclaim this other truth: Jesus is GOD. No explanation, no interpretation. Let it stand! Jehovah's true witnesses all agree, Jesus is God. Here is the proof from Genesis:

1:1, the Creator "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," says the Holy Spirit through witness one, Moses. But another witness, John, under that same Holy Spirit says in his Gospel, 1:3, "All things were made by Him (referring to the Word in verse 1) and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Paul chimes in, too, in Colossians 1:16, that the Firstborn, the Head of the body, the church is the One by Whom all things were created! And the writer of Hebrews, in an attempt to show the superiority of Christ over the angels, quotes the Psalmist as though the Father was speaking to the Son: "Thou, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth!"

But wait! Who is "the Lord" who speaks to Job in that book (38:4)? Whoever He is, He challenges Job with the same words: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" God did it. Jesus did it. The Lord did it. And who are the 24 elders worshipping in Revelation 4:11, when they proclaim the worthiness of the One Who "hast created all things"? Although in the very next chapter we see the Lamb interacting with One on the throne, in this chapter we see only the throne. And on that throne the one God. The Creator. The Word. The Firstborn. Truly in creation, Jesus is God.

11:7 speaks of Us as the singular God is speaking. "Let Us go down, and there confound their language," says God to God. But 11:8 reads, "So the Lord (singular!) scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth. Insights like this let us know that our God, though He is One, is more than "one" as we reckon numbers. God the Father speaks to God the Son, Jesus. As a member of the "Godhead", Jesus is God.

and 17:1, Almighty God.We have become comfortable with assuming that everything that happens Divinely in the Old Covenant happens because of God the Father, Jahweh, Jehovah, or some such name. With this title, Moses introduces us to the fact that there is a constant overlapping of Father and Son. One called "the Lord" introduces Himself to Abraham thus: (17:1) "I am the Almighty God..." A quick trip to the other end of your Bible will bring you face to face with Jesus Christ, who appears to John in the book of Revelation, and says in 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord ...the Almighty."

What a presumptuous title for someone to take. Unless that Someone truly is God. What other conclusion can be drawn? In His might, Jesus is God.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Understanding What it is and How to Get It

Receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the infilling of the Holy Spirit or becoming baptized with the Holy Ghost is a vitally important part of successful Christian living.

There is however, a difference between being filled and becoming filled with the Holy Ghost!

The first is a continuous lifestyle and the second is a one-time event.

Some people confuse the two and make a mess of this doctrine when the truth is very simple.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is based on living day-by-day in continual fellowship with Him and obedience to Him.

It is, first of all, saturating your mind with the word of God, nothing draws you closer to the Holy Spirit than the entrance of God's word. Then, it's talking to Him and listening when He speaks, it's cultivating His presence through an attitude of thankfulness, praise and worship, it means obeying Him without hesitation and without reservation.

It's walking in love toward your fellow man, being quick to forgive and releasing hurts easily. It is creating an environment around you that welcomes and cultivates His Holy Presence. Toward this end, fasting also helps.

All this is the process of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

When you live your life like this it harnesses and concentrates the power of God in you, so when you begin to pray, preach or minister in any way the power of God flows out of you much more fluently for effective ministry.

Another effect of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that it draws people to you who are seeking more of God in their lives. People tend to be drawn to you and instinctively look to you for guidance and leadership.

This is one of the unmistakable traits of a successful spiritual leader Cultivating the character and power of the Holy Ghost or being filled with the Holy Spirit!

When I say "spiritual leader" I don't necessarily mean one who leads a congregation or has some title or position in the church. A spiritual leader could be someone who works in a factory, a single mother or a high school student. Being a true spiritual leader has nothing to do with title or position but with manifesting the character and power of Christ in your everyday life.

On the other hand, becoming filled with the Holy Ghost is a one-time experience, which I will explain like this:

The initial out-pouring of the Holy Ghost in the Book of Acts, Chapter Two HAS NEVER STOPPED!

The Holy Spirit began being poured out on the Church and has never stopped being poured out!

Today, if any believer wants to become filled with the Holy Ghost all he needs to do is step under the flow, open his spirit and receive. It's that simple!

I've led many people to salvation and to receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and I always tell them it starts with knowledge and understanding.

You must be assured that God wants you filled with His Holy Spirit and since He commands us all to be filled then that pretty much takes care of that!

The Bible simply commands us in Eph 5:18 to, "...Be filled with the Spirit."

This is NOT a suggestion but a New Testament commandment!

So, we are assured that God wants us filled with His Spirit and we know it's because He wants us filled with His power so that we can become more effective witnesses.

Therefore, when we approach God to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost we must come with complete confidence and boldness before Him.

I teach people to simply ask and receive. It is an instantaneous experience! There is NO waiting involved.

The ONLY reason Jesus told His disciples to wait in the Book of Acts is for the Day of Pentecost to come. They weren't waiting for the Holy Ghost to come, He could have sent Him any time; they were waiting for the RIGHT DAY to come!

The day when ALL the people would be gathered together so that they could ALL hear the Good News of the Kingdom of God at the same time! That's why Jesus told them to wait for the Day of Pentecost to arrive.

So, when you're ready to be baptized with the Holy Ghost there is no waiting involved. I have a short prayer below that you can repeat when you're ready to become filled with the Holy Spirit.

Prayer To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

"Father, according to Acts 1:8 I know that it's your will for me to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and right now I ask You to fill me in Jesus name. I open my spirit and receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit right now and I thank you for it, Father. Amen!

The key to success in this experience is what you do while saying these words and what you do immediately after!

What you do while saying these words is literally, by faith, open your spirit and receive what God is pouring into you. It is your faith that makes it happen! If you know for a fact that God is pouring His Holy Spirit into you then it is happening. If you're doubting whether it's happening or not, then IT'S NOT HAPPENING!

YOUR DECISION and YOUR FAITH makes all the difference!

It's not up to God or the preacher or anyone else, whether you receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit IT'S UP TO YOU!

God has already sent Him as a gift and will not take Him back. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Immediately after you say these words and receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit you must co-operate with the Holy Ghost in order to begin speaking with other Tongues!

Everest John Alexander is a Minister/Writer/Entrepreneur in public ministry for over 16 years Pastoring for 4 years.

He's married to his High-School sweetheart, Loraine and together they have two beautiful children, Andrew and Jade.

He's written five books published online at: http://www.CheapChristianEbooks.com where you can download FREE Ebooks, Articles, Jokes and Quizzes. He's currently working on his sixth book, "Understanding How To Pray Effectively."

To read his bestselling ebook "Understanding The 3 Levels of Salvation: Spirit, Soul and Body" visit: http://www.3LevelsOfSalvation.com

It's Not Cool to Worry

In our world today their is allot to be concerned about. Things like terrorism, crime, racism; or how about taxes, inflation and job loss. Truly we have allot we could be worried about. But I've found out that in order to function in life and overcome the obstacles we face, we need to give our cares,worries and frustrations to someone else. Someone stronger than us. We tend to lean and depend on our spouses or family and friends and that's awesome, but this support system can only take us so far and that's it. I've found on my journey that I really need a relationship with someone who's able to handle my worries and concerns that I face in my daily life. And that person is Jesus Christ.

I've found that through my relationship with Jesus I've been able to overcome some problems that would have taken me out of here if I had not have known Him. The bible says in 1st Peter 5:7 that we should cast all of our cares upon God because He cares for us and that includes worrying. When you worry you sin, and when you sin you miss the mark of God. Worrying about things can have a adverse affect on our body and it's ability to function properly. When improper stress enters the body it breaks down the body's immune system and causes us to become sick. Free radical cells come in when the body's immune system is weak, and worrying and stress help weaken your body's defense system.

To combat this we need to change a few things in our lives. First, we need to change our outlook on life. Start seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. You can always find something positive in a negative situation. Second, fill your mind with good positive and wholesome materials such as: the bible, positive inspirational music, uplifting reading materials like books and magazines and most importantly prayer. Tell God your problems. He will listen and no one else will know about it, and because you pray you will find yourself at ease with what you thought was a problem.

So don't allow life to get you so uptight. Just do the best you can with what you have and give the rest to God through Jesus Christ. And you will find that life isn't that bad when the right person has your back. You think about that, God bless.

It is the Last Hour

Next time someone asks you if we are living in the last days, you can do them one better. Tell them we are living in the last hour. It's time we came to terms with what the Scriptures actually say. We are not in the end time because of that last earthquake or some threatened famine. We are there because the Bible says we have been there for a long time.

Remember Pentecost. Peter quotes the prophet Joel in saying that in the last days God will pour out HIs Spirit on all flesh. Peter uses that quote to explain what is right then happening in 30 A.D. In that early year of the church, the earth was in its last days. The same apostle in his letter frankly states that the end of all things is at hand (I Peter 4:7). That's what the Bible says. Last days? Yes, indeed. Now.

John makes it even more challenging to our faith. In his first letter, chapter two, verse 18, he states without blinking that it is the last hour of history. And he says why. It's because of all the antichrists spreading their poisons. Now, the Scriptures cannot be broken. What the apostles said, came from the Spirit, not human calculation. Let's read them and believe them as they are.

But there is one factor that must be counted when trying to put all this in perspective. Our God never changes His mind, but His mind is forever governed by mercy. Longsuffering. Patience. Compassion for sinners. When God's people pray, the last days last a little longer. When there is heart-felt intercession, the last hour adds a few minutes. God is waiting.

See Abraham stand before a God who has decided to destroy Sodom. Really decided? Definitely. Sodom must go, as all sodoms of our day will go. But Abraham pleads for the staying of the hand of judgment if there are 50 righteous. No, make that 45, 40, 30, 20 ,10. At each change in Abraham, the consistently merciful God says yes.

Who is holding the purposes of God in his hands today? Who has a brother, a nephew, a nation, for which he intercedes with broken heart on his face before God? Saint! Get up! Don't you know it's the last hour? Don't you know I must judge the wickedness of this planet? Yes, Lord, but first, hear my prayer. Don't let Heaven start without Mother, without Sister, without my neighbor. Just a little while Lord!

Oh, the date is circled in heaven, I know. The pre-determined plan of God shall come to pass exactly as it has been seen and known in Heaven before the world began. But built in to that structure of predestination is a man or a woman or a child on his knees begging God to stay the hand of judgment and continue offering, just a little while, the hand of mercy.

God lives in a realm that is not mastered by time, but rather by His love. That's why one day with Him is as 1000 years with us. The day is at hand. These are the last days. It is the last hour. Our last chance to bring souls into His love.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

I Baptize You in the Name

There are those that teach Jesus only, or God only, in their churches, but we see, threw all of our reading, and studding, that these doctrines have major flaws. We teach as we have heard from the Spirit, we understand, by that same spirit.
Many are confused by what was written by Paul, so we are going to look there first before we reveal the truth of the matter.

"For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions(Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest; controversy.) among you.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. (Here we see that many within the early Church, were fighting among themselves, stating that their baptism was the true one, and that the others were wrong.
We must remember, as Paul continues to state, that Jesus died for our sins, and God saves the individual, by the faith of one, on the name of His Son. There is no such thing as; "Jesus only", in the church, also this includes those that teach; "God only", for how can we separate God from Christ?

"I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ."
These statements were the ones confusing the Church, even with one being baptized in the name of Christ only, they also were confused, for they, or should I say, the ministers forgot what Christ had taught them about baptism, and how it was commanded, by Jesus, to be preformed, we will look at this later. This was a common mistake among the early church, and has made a reemergence here in these end days.
Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Paul's name didn't save anyone, for only threw the name of Jesus can anyone be saved, we see proof of this in;

Act 19:13-18; Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Is Christ divided? God forbid, for God, and Christ are one. Many do not believe in a Holy Trinity, but it exist. There is no way that it couldn't, for the Bible states that; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."(This is proof of the Holy Trinity, and cannot be understood as anything else.)
We cannot denigh the word, for the Word is Jesus.

I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other." (1Co 1:11-16)

"I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (They were not able to absorb the full truth, being still of a mind that was on the physical, and not the spiritual.)
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?(This same thing is happening in these end days.)
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (1Co 3:2-7)

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (This is again proof of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Baptism of Fire is a special Baptism for one, that will go threw much tribulation, in preaching, and testifying of, the Gospel.)
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8) (The Baptism of water does not save the individual, but rather is an open show of belief in Jesus Christ being the Son of God.)
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (John 1:33) (This is again proof of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.) (For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Act 1:5)

Now you can see that there are 4 Baptisms, the Holy Ghost, Water, Fire, Father, and Son.

The Baptism of water unto repentance.

The Baptism of Fire is a special Baptism.

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, for the reception of spiritual power, and knowledge.

The Baptism of Father, and Son, for the completeness of the Trinity within all who believe.

How then are we to Baptize?

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
"in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
"in the name of"; These four little words bring about much controversy among the churches. This controversy comes from the Apostolic Churches that refuse to believe in the Holy Trinity, which the Bible proves exists.

This Baptism is not a choice, which many believe is in these statements from Paul; Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Act 2:38)
" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (Rom 6:3) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:27) "Into; Noting the passing of a thing from one form or state to another, inclusion.(Webster.)

These statements were not a contradiction of the commandment of Christ, but rather a vocal statement , showing that only threw Jesus Christ can one be saved. These verses are taken out of context, and must be explored deeper before taking them literally.
We see this in the words of; (Tit 3:4-6) But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost(The Spirit of God.);
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
We see here again that Paul was affirming the Baptism of all with the Trinity of God. God the Father, God the Saviour(Son), and God the Holy Ghost, these three are one, and cannot be separated. Many have a hard time understanding the concept of the Trinity, but it is easy to understand. If you need help in understanding let me know.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" ars.

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Odd Video, You Try and Figure It out

if you don't matter to God, you don't matter to anyone else, that statement doesn't make a lot of sense. If I reversed the phrase, if you don't matter to anyone else you matter to God. Something to think about.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

Hope in Religion

Even Unto Death

As we walk another day, we see many Christians in peril, and even being killed. We see this in India, Africa, and many points around this world. When Jesus spoke of the end days, He spoke of His sacrifice as well, as the sacrifice that many today will, and must make.

Churches burn, Christians suffer and the world speaks not of these things, but rather they speak of governments, leaderships, and the over all good of man. Who then is man that we should speak highly of him? Who is saying that man has the answers, has the wisdom, and the knowledge, to bring peace upon this earth? Do you realize that with each conflict, struggle and war, we approach the end of man as we have know him?

Have you not seen that when a conflict comes between the poor and the rich, many times the poor are the first to suffer. They burn down their own homes, businesses and churches, this is all madness, for the rich are not influenced by these things, but rather rejoice over the destruction that the poor have brought down upon themselves. Are these things new to the Christian or followers of God? No, many things that we suffer today are being suffered by other brothers and sisters around the world. There is nothing strange about these events, for even in the beginning it was accomplished, lets read;

"Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." (Heb 11:35-38)

"being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(Of whom the world was not worthy:)"
We are the Children of the Most High God, we suffer, for Christ suffered, we roam in a world, and a land, that is strange to us, for we have no home as Christ had none. He was from above, and not below, He was from God, and is God, we are to be as He is, and not as we think. This world is not our home, but a place to witness and testify of the Glory of Salvation threw the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Destitute(Not having or possessing; wanting; as destitute of virtue, or of piety; destitute of food and clothing.)
Afflicted(The cause of continued pain of body or mind, as sickness, losses, calamity, adversity, persecution.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Psa 34.)
Tormented;(To tease; to vex; to harass; as, to be tormented with importunities, or with petty annoyances.)

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous."
We are to be harassed and tormented in these end days. Do not think that it is strange that war, murders, conflicts and persecution comes upon you, for as the word has stated that these things shall come about, it has.
These are the times of the end. A countdown was started when Jesus was born and we are almost at the midnight hour, when all this earth will be rocked as a drunkard.

"And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." (Isa 24:18-20)

We are to endure many things, for we are, my brothers and sisters, the terminal generation that shall see great signs, and wonders, in the Heavens, and upon the earth.
"Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Act 20:23-24)

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself." This is what we are to be about. These things that are coming upon this earth shall try our faith and also our patience. For it all comes down to faith and how we handle it.
Can your faith save you in these times of trouble? Yes. Can your faith keep you from these troubles that will come? No. Your faith gives you a weapon that you can rely upon. Many afflictions shall come upon those that believe. Just as with the conflicts that are taking place today, many Christians have their churches, homes and businesses burnt to the ground, and many will be beaten, suffer nakedness and even hunger. This all according to the will of God that must try the faith of this generation. This is not new for it happened even unto our Savior.

Our lives are purposed to be, born and die. There is always a reason for everything that happens to a believer in Christ. Are you unhappy or even disappointed in the life you have? Do you believe that you shouldn't suffer because you have faith? Have you not heard of our teacher of distresses? Read again;
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. (2Co 11:22-30)

"in perils by mine own countrymen." Do you not see this today? Have you not heard of Nations being divided, riots and conflicts? So then we must, as Paul taught, If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
Thank the Lord that we are counted worthy to suffer as Christ suffered. Hold to your faith and hope, look up our redemption draws nigh.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Rev 2:11) ars

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Issues Concerning Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ

Here are some things to ponder as one decides upon the value of the box-office great "Passion of the Christ."

First is the fact that this movie is ecumenical in its scope, and has persons of all religious persuasions working on a common project. While it always seems good to have people put aside their differences to serve Christ together, there is always the danger that many of the converts, as in Graham crusades, will be ushered into Romanist or liberal Protestant churches.

Second is the issue of reliability. The difference of this movie from the ones which have preceded it is that all of the others were billed as imperfect, where this one seems to carry a weight of authenticity that is misleading. How many years will it take even the best of saints to unlearn all the false additions to the life of Christ here portrayed. As is typical of Roman concoctions there is a deadly mix here, portrayed by a powerful medium. One thinks immediately of the Left Behind movies that have people absolutely convinced that Jesus is going to make them bypass the Tribulation, though not one Scripture clearly indicates such.

The following internet article is insightful: "The scholars have had a field day. They say the soldiers of imperial Rome would not have spoken Latin, as they do in Gibson's film, but Greek. Then there is the question of sourcing. Gibson has admitted that his screenplay was based not so much on the Gospels as on the reinterpretation of a 19th century nun... whose hypnotic visions of the Passion included frankly anti-Semitic details missing from the Gospels. According to his critics, Gibson has the Jews clamouring for the death of Jesus in ways that neither the Bible nor the historical record suggest." No one can take blame away from Jews or any Gentile groups either for the death of Jesus. But the Scriptures are sufficient to prove this point.

Third is the unprecedented union of Church and culture, Church and Hollywood. Is Mel Gibson a born again Christian? One doesn't know for sure, so "judging" is not allowed. He seems to be a man of some measure of faith, but is he associated with the spreading of the Gospel in other aspects of his career? And is it not true that the same man who wrote the musical score for Bruce Almighty is writing for The Passion of Christ? This is a world that hates Jesus Christ, by and large. Why is it suddenly in love with Him? Why do we need worldly methods to bring people to Jesus? Recently in my Church, the pastor preached a simple but powerful message exposing the truth of God and the hearts of men. Five people responded to the invitation. Is this not any longer acceptable ?

Fourth is the violence. How bloody is the Bible story? The blood has been saving men for these many centuries, without Gibson's, that is, Emmerich's, blood and guts portrayal. God has gripped the hearts of men with a still small voice about His undying love. As Bill Jackson of Christians Evangelizing Catholics says, "even graphic photography cannot capture the reality of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

Fifth, consider the mysteries associated with this film. What of lightning striking the main character, and his full recovery? What of the healings purportedly associated with the making of this film? I can only answer with another question: What of the healings and other attested mighty miracles associated with the alleged appearances of Mary throughout the world and throughout history?

This is a Romanist event. The Roman religion is no stranger to the miraculous. Is this confirmation of the truth of Romanism? Rather, have we not been warned that the enemy will be working miracles alongside believers? False Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders so as to deceive if possible the very elect (Matthew 24:24). Does not the Lamb-like beast of Revelation 13 perform great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men (Revelation 13:13) ? "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do..."

We must cling to God's Word and let no man deceive us. Saying No when everyone else is saying Yes is not easy, but it is often necessary. One day it may be a matter of life and death. This movie is just another testing ground to see whether God's people are going to start using discernment or are going to be swept along with the flow.

Sixth is an issue that I am not yet qualified to describe. It has to do with whether a human being should ever portray Christ in anything but words. It is a question of the Ten Commandments, and the idea of making anything, even an actor on a stage, in the image of God. I leave this one with my readers to contemplate.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Tragedy in North Korea

Kim Ae-Sang was interviewed at a town that borders North Korea. This withered 32-year-old had been knocking on doors when she finally came to a Korean family that would talk with her. Her story was so typical but still so hard to grasp.

She had left her five- and seven-year-old with the grandfather in Hamhung, NK. She was desperate for food because since the factory where she worked shut down, no food rations were being given out. Her husband went to the countryside hoping to work for food. For some reason he never returned. So she stripped some copper from machinery at her old factory and headed for the border, hoping to sell the metal for food there.

It's 300 miles to the crossing point into China from Hamhung. People have to wait long hours for a train to take them there. Starving and cold, at least 20 of the prospective passengers die every night. When the old train finally took its heavy load of passengers slowly towards China, it took so long that eight of Ae-Sang's fellow travellers died.

She had no ticket. Not even a permit to travel. So the railway guards had beaten her. She got to the border, still hoping to sell her metal. But border guards caught her and confiscated the copper. Still she planned to cross the river, with nothing to take into China but herself and the clothes on her back. Her new plan was simply to beg for food.

After teaming up with a younger woman, she found a guide who offered to help cross the river. His plan was to sell both women upon arrival in China. Then the guide found out that Kim Ae-Sang was married. He took the other girl, and Ae-Sang ran away.

Now what to do? Stay in China where she might find work and survive, or go back and save her children somehow?

We who know Christ believe that humans ought not to be having to make choices like that. Dads should not have to leave homes because there is no food or money or work. Moms should not have to leave children. Men should not be preying on others' misfortunes. And governments should not create conditions whereby only a few have the right to "normalcy."

There are more tragic things, to be sure, like eternal damnation, souls without Christ. Put all those tragedies together and one has the country before us. If ever there has been a nation that collectively said, "Help us!Pray for us!" it is this one.

This story was told ten years ago by Jasper Becker in his classic account of North Korea.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Judgment of God

It is not a popular subject today. The pendulum of preaching has swung far away from hell-fire brimstone to a sentimental reading of Scripture that is just as diabolical as the enemy's first questionings of the truth of God. We have changed, church. The Scriptures have not. Here is what they say about the coming judgments.

Yes, I say the word should be plural. The best historical traditions of church teaching has seen in the Scriptures two very separate events, both called judgment. And in both cases it seems that the purpose of the gathering is to make public the obvious outcome of man's shortcomings, not to have a Perry Mason-like courtroom scene where the outcome is not certain until after the last commercial.

There are many differences between God's judgment meetings and our own. We have laws in abundance in America, for example. But a man can break those laws and still come out innocent. Innocent persons have been found to be guilty. Injustice and perversions of the legal system abound. That's why a trial here can take so long. Not so in the Heavenly Court. In that place God is judge and jury and author of the law. He knows exactly what is right and exactly what is wrong and who did what when, and with what motive. No need to drag this scene out. Unless a sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, mankind is guilty, and our God will make that eternally and painfully clear. Publicly.

But there is this thing of the "judgment seat of Christ," that both Paul and John talk about. It seems to have a different flavor, though it is a judgment. Let's go to the Book of Revelation, chapter 20.

John speaks clearly of a 1,000 year period of time, at the beginning and end of which will be a judgment that follows a resurrection. Jesus referred to this series of events as the "resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation."

At the first resurrection, or the one we refer to now as the rapture, when the dead in Christ are raised, there is a group of people brought forth that live and reign with Christ for the millennium. But not before they must be judged. Yes, the first things John sees in this picture are judgment thrones. Not one negative word is said in this passage. It seems that this is a judgment in favor of the saints. Jesus' parable of the talents, and others, tells us that varying rewards will be given out. It would seem to me that this is the time for that.

Though salvation is secure to those first resurrected, the judgment of little or no reward for service is a serious matter. Saints today should be running a race so as to do well at the finish line, a type of judgment, where crowns of victory are given out. Or withheld. A time of weeping and shame, but not eternal loss.

Far more horrible shall be the judgment of damnation. Men shall be resurrected at this time, also, according to Jesus and John (still in Revelation 20). Here "the rest of the dead", those not included in the first resurrection, shall be given bodies fit for destruction, eternally able to bear shame. Unspecified books will be opened. Will these be the 66 of the Bible, as a testimony against the works of men? Will they be minute details of every sinful action, inaction, and thought of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived? The Scripture does say that all of these people will be judged by their works, according to everything written in the books.

Yes, believers 1000 years earlier will be able to say that Christ bore their judgment on the cross. And that argument will be accepted. But unbelievers, those who never accepted the work that Christ did, will have to offer their own works. An offering that has never been accepted in Heaven.

The only puzzle I find in this passage is the mention of the Book of Life. If what I have concluded above is true, then there will be no one whose name appears in the Book of Life that is represented at that second judgment. Our works cannot justify us before a holy God.

But John says "anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." The way that's worded seems to open the door to some on that day actually being in that special Book, but by what provision I know not.

I certainly want my name to be in the Book now. The question I pose may be interesting enough academically, but as a matter of life and death, I don't want to take any chances regarding that second judgment. I trust my readers and listeners have come to that same conclusion.

Judgment. A very difficult matter to discuss. But a message that must be preached by the church to a world that becomes increasingly ignorant of the things of God. For whether man knows about it or not, God has appointed a day for that judgment, and a Man to supervise the proceedings. Judgment Day is coming. May the Day, and especially the Man, Christ Jesus, be preached.

As always, join me in prayer for the nation of North Korea, a land headed for judgment unless the Word of God is allowed in.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Watching for Jesus

There is evidence in the Book of Revelation, 16:15 to be exact, that the current theory of "imminence" may be a little out of order. In the midst of the worst of the Tribulation days, sores, blood, scorching, darkness, Jesus speaks to His own,(who really are still there!) : I am coming as a thief! Watch! stay righteous before Me. Don't give up now! Here is a context just before Jesus' final return, all will agree. But the

"thief" message is still being given! The warning to "watch" is still there, even though it is clear He will now come at any minute, and very soon.

Let the doctrine of imminence be believed in the light Jesus has given us. No matter how much we know or don't know, we are told to watch! "Watching" and knowing when He is coming do not cancel each other. We are not watching with fear and ignorance, but watching with knowledge and expectation.

Upon our return from a recent trip to Mexico, we were told that within a couple of weeks our Mexican friends who actually live in the States, citizens, would be coming back to America also. Since we love them dearly and enjoy their fellowship, we started "watching" for their coming. We weren't told the exact day of their arrival, for they did not know when it would be. But we knew that some day soon they would arrive. We knew some things had to happen first. They had to purchase bus tickets. They had to go to the bus station. They had to make the long trip. But we were anticipating their arrival, living with it mentally every day.

That's how it works. Antichrist rises, and we know that within a few years Jesus will come. Are we watching any less? Oh my no! The anticipation and excitement grows as we see prophecy so dramatically fulfilled. Those who say that such specific knowledge of the time of His coming would cause us to stop watching are speaking only of wicked servants, spoken of by the Master in Matthew 24:48ff:

" But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants..."

No brothers, we are not in such darkness as this. We will know when He is coming, and we will be rejoicing until the end, knowing that His return is what our life is about.

One final line of thinking about "imminence": Both Peter and Paul knew that the Lord could not come at "just any moment." How? Jesus told Peter he would live to be an old man and die to glorify God, in John 21:18-19. Later Jesus told Peter that soon he was about to die, thus Jesus would not be coming at least until after that death (II Peter 1:14). Paul knew he was a chosen vessel who would stand before Gentiles and kings (Acts 9:15). It is not likely that they wore lapel pins announcing "perhaps today" , but their hope in His return was rock solid nonetheless, and a source of constant comfort and joy.

Bottom line, we look forward to seeing Jesus at any moment, for we know not when He will call us home. Beyond that we search the Scriptures daily to discern the times we are in, and see if we are close or not close. Whatever we find, we keep our eyes toward Heaven, knowing it is the meeting, and not the time, that matters. But to glibly make statements that Jesus never asked us to make and to believe things He never asked us to believe can only be detrimental to us and those who hear us. Let's get our revelations from the Word, and not from popular books and movies!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Anti-Christ In The Last Message Of Daniel

The final message of the prophet Daniel is recorded in the 11th and 12th chapter of the book bearing his name. Now, according to Jesus, there is a specific sign of the beginning of the end of the world. It is the abomination of desolation, albeit it must be the one spoken of by Daniel. Daniel speaks of such an abomination, the surrounding of Jerusalem, and the removal of the daily sacrifices, all followed by desolations as God Himself backs off from the scene. Nothing can be more desolate than this.No less than a messenger from Heaven, Gabriel, is behind all these prophecies. All agree that these things happen in the final days of earth's history. Daniel points out a man behind all the problems: "a little horn", "a king," and "the prince who is to come." He sees him not as a "type" but as the actual perpetrator of the evil.

All of this in the chapters leading up to chapter 11. I tremble as I think ahead to that chapter. For I believe I have identified there the one who will come before Christ. The last prophecy of Daniel is like no other in Scripture. Daniel 8 tells of one whose ancestry goes back to Alexander's kingdom and who later arises as the antichrist. Daniel 11 tells us that the ancestor and the antichrist are the same man. Some preliminary details for study are in order for this chapter also.

First it will be necessary to explain and employ the "gap" thinking that exist in chapters eight and nine. Though a narrative unfolds and takes the reader from beginning to end, first time readers usually need to be told that somewhere in the story there is a huge gap in time. When they see it for themselves they are left with the problem that has had Bible students scratching their heads for centuries. "Closing the gap" is one of the objects of this study. The explanation that is confirmed by reading the book of Revelation and picking up other clues here and there is not comprehensible by the human experience. I will still maintain that this is what the Spirit is saying to the churches in our time and forward. I believe that more and more people will see this as the time for His appearing draws near.

A second concept must be grasped before Daniel 11 can be understood. Put simply, history does repeat itself. We have seen it happen already in the discussions of this book. Consider the ways there have already been repeats of events, just in regards to Jerusalem :

1. Armies encircle the city. 163 B.C. and 70 A.D. to name only two times.
2. In those same years, the Temple is desecrated, then destroyed.
3. The people of Israel are scattered to other nations, by Assyria, Babylonia, Rome.
4 An evil anti-Semitic king or emperor or dictator surfaces and wreaks havoc.
5. Someone seeks to kill all Jews: Haman, Raamses, Hitler etc.

History does repeat itself. Consider also:

1. While a Father looks on, a Son climbs a hill carrying the wood on which he is scheduled to die: 2000 B.C., Abraham & Isaac. But also 33 A.D., Jehovah and Jesus.
2. A man climbs the ascent called the Mount of Olives, crying. His people have rejected him, and are trying to kill him and take away his throne. His best friend has just betrayed him. Yet many of the people walk along crying with him. 1000 B.C., David. 33 A.D., Jesus. Many events can come around to be replayed, proving that the first ones were only shadows and prefigures.

There is a section of chapter eleven that I have struggled with for some time. I am forced to believe that this small group of verses can only be explained in the light of repeated history. To me there is no question that at least most of that portion of the text has already happened. But there seems to be equally strong evidence to support the notion that it will happen again.

And thirdly, it is important for us to understand the concept of the preservation of life. All life is preserved, though most of it is behind the scenes. All human lives have an appointment with death, and then receive a new body that will be eternally with God or suffering apart from Him. There are two men of the Bible account who never died, but have an appointment with death, and will return to the planet as prophets in the end time. Many say they are Elijah and Enoch, and they are prophesied both by Zechariah and John as future "invaders" of our planet. God is able to preserve lives, and cause them to re-appear. They will come, die, leave us again, to meet us in the air when Jesus comes back.

With Antiochus Epiphanes, I believe a similar principle is at work. He already died. But he is scheduled to receive a new body. It is with that "glorified" body that he returns. The pattern for all three of these men is not unusual, but the placement before our eyes is strange. All three die, then are hidden from us, then get a new body and re-appear.

Enough for now. Welcome to the mystery of Daniel 11. Its solution is available only to those who believe every Word of God is true.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Sabbath Before Sinai

One can read the Bible as history or as a living Word with ramifications for his own life, here and now. While not ignoring valid historical methods of communication, I prefer to see this history as ongoing. I want to know, God, does this have anything to do with me, today? Let's walk through the Sabbath Scriptures with that mentality.

1. Following the account of creation are these words in Genesis 2:2-3.

"On the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

a. Who wrote this? Our longest tradition is that it came from the pen of Moses. Since Moses wrote it, some say that perhaps he had in mind the people of Israel before him in the wilderness. Perhaps, they speculate, adding the command just here was a motivation for them to keep this new invention called Sabbath, a gift to the Jewish people. When we take the maybes out, we're left with a statement spoken by God 2500 years before the man Moses lived! I do not doubt Moses' authorship, but I do doubt modern scholarship that speculates about human motivations, and questions authentic words from the Lord, trying desperately to confirm their own theological notions.

b. God had just finished his beautiful work of creation, which included one man and one woman. These humans were neither Jew nor Gentile. The need for calling out a special people to bring in a Messiah for sin did not exist, for at this moment, sin was nowhere to be found. There was only one class of humans, and during their existence He spoke these words.

God made this day holy for His own purposes, to declare to all ages that His work is completed and worthy of praise. This seventh day was to be a time of rest and rejoicing in the work of God. This is not speculation. God said it. Did He say it in the hearing of Adam? I would think it strange that humans never heard such a thing until Moses, but here the text is silent. We speculate that what would later be a 10-commandment practice, along with practices regarding respect for elders (later the 3rd commandment), keeping from adultery (7th) and murder (6th) , and stealing (8th), were somehow written in to the minds of men before being written down at Sinai. How it was written we shall not know for awhile. But that some communication was out there becomes obvious when the notion of the tithe suddenly appears in Genesis, and later this same tithe is incorporated into the legal system of Israel. Something is being said somehow. The point that is important to make here is that the day was set aside, that it was sanctified, long before the law that made it "official."

The question that must follow then is, if God blesses a day and sets it apart from the other days, can any man say that this blessing and sanctification is null and void? Can man either say, there is no day to be so revered, or, there is such a day, but it is not the seventh day? I do not answer this question, at least now, but it seems important that we take the time to try.

2. We must now skip those 2,500 years of history and come to the second book of the Bible, in the days of Moses. For this is the next mention of a special seventh day. Allow me to quote portions of Exodus 16:5, and 22-30.

"And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily... And it was so, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread... Then [Moses] said to them, This is what the Lord has said: Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord... [the next day] Moses said, Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field... The Lord said...See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath... Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day [to gather manna]. So the people rested on the seventh day [from gathering manna]."

a. Here is the historic moment when the Sabbath, for 2,500 years special to God, if not to his created beings, is handed over to the Jewish people. For some, the case is closed here. The Sabbath is Jewish. Next question, please. But first, is this the only spiritual benefit given the Jews? Are we willing to say that everything given the Jews is, therefore, Jewish, and not to be tasted by other people groups? The Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles is not so willing:

Romans 3:2, "Unto them [the Jews] were committed the oracles of God." Oracles are sayings. We're talking about the Scriptures. Not only the works of Moses , but also the histories, the Psalms, the prophets. All of these were first given to Israel. Later in Romans, Paul adds a few more items:

Romans 9:4-5, "...Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh, Christ came..."

We need to re-open the case. It is clear that things given to Israel are not only Israel's. Why, the very idea of one God vs. the multitude of gods in Moses' day and in Abraham's day, was a truth entrusted to Israel, but meant for any who will receive it. Preserved by Jews, but not for Jews alone.

b. Another point to be suggested here is that even at this point in the wilderness, the "law" had not been officially pronounced from the mountain-top. Here are simply the people of God being told of the ways of God, one of which ways included a seventh day rest. This was a teaching that had fallen into oblivion, for sure, but so also was the very idea of one God and only one. The world had gone into madness in its definition and worship of deities. Israel is now raised up to be the guardian of truth.

So before the Sinai experience, before the law of God was oficialized, there was a Sabbath Day.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Why Was Jesus Born?

Why was Jesus born? The Bible provides a number of reasons. God the Father and Jesus agreed from the foundation of the world that Jesus would come and give his life as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind (I Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8). Therefore, one reason Jesus was born was to give himself as the ransom for the sins of mankind.

Another important reason for the birth of Jesus was to be a king. When Pilate questioned him during his trial before his crucifixion, Pilate asked him if he were the king of the Jews (John 18:33). Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). It was not the time for him to establish the Kingdom of God

Jesus did not come the first time to establish his kingdom. He came the first time to suffer for us, to give his life a ransom for many, and to be born into the royal family of David. He will sit on the throne of David and rule in the Kingdom of God.

Pilate asked Jesus clearly if he were a king. Here is how the gospel according to John records Pilate's question and Jesus' answer in John 18:37:

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (KJV)

Jesus here clearly states that he was born to be a king. Jesus came into the world to bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. However, he noted that his kingdom was not of that time. It was to be a future kingdom as he explained more clearly elsewhere.

One of things that the angel Gabriel stated in his announcement to the virgin Mary of the future birth of Jesus is that God would give him the throne of his father David. Here is how the gospel according to Luke records it in Luke 1:30-33.

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (KJV)

God sent the angel Gabriel to tell the virgin Mary that the son she would bear would be the son of God and that he would have an eternal kingdom over the house of Jacob. Jacob was the patriarch whose named God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10).

Many people associate only the Jews with the House of Israel. However, Jacob or Israel had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26). They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

David was a great king over the 12 tribes of Israel. His son Solomon reigned after he died (I Kings 2:10-12). After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. King Rehoboam ruled the Kingdom of Judah, which had its capital in Jerusalem. King Jeroboam ruled the Kingdom of Israel, which had its capital north of Jerusalem in Samaria.

The virgin Mary was a descendant of King David (Luke 3:23-31). She was of the royal family. Today, she would be called a princess. She knew well what the angel Gabriel meant when he said that her son Jesus would reign over the House of Israel. She knew that he would be a king over a literal kingdom just as her forefather David was a king over the House of Israel.

While David's rule was temporary, the reign of Jesus will be forever. As the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's famous oratorio The Messiah says "king of kings forever and ever hallelujah."

Why was Jesus born? He was born to be bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. He was born to be the savior of the world. He was also born to be a king. He will be the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign as the King of Kings forever in the Kingdom of God. That is indeed good news.

Alan D. Campbell lives in Brandon, Florida. For more good news, please see his blog The Good News of the Kingdom of God at http://goodnewsofthekingdomofgod.blogspot.com

The Sabbath and Paul

The apostle Paul, Jewish but dedicated to the Gentiles, weighs in on the quest for truth about a Sabbath in a Christian's life. Here's something from Paul in Romans 14:5. There was a sizeable element of both Jews and Gentiles in this church, and Paul addressed that issue partly by this word:

Romans 14:5. "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."

Is Paul talking about the fact that in Christ, every day is to be holy to the Lord? Is he talking about feast days? How about pagan holidays since this is a largely Gentile bunch? Or is he speaking of first day vs. seventh day? Didn't Paul have a preference? Was he not convinced in his own mind? And if a man is convinced, must he not be convinced of God? And if by God, is there any room for another opinion on the matter? A fair group of questions, I think. I leave the answers for readers. Now ponder this: The following word from Paul seems to imply that the whole set of laws we have been discussing is simply nailed to the cross to be forgotten. The law as a requirement for salvation is gone. Read it for yourself:

Colossians 2:14, 16. "[God] wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross... therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths..."

That seems pretty clear. And that seems to be where Scripture ends its talk about the seventh day! But the law as a requirement for salvation is not the same as the law which we keep because the Spirit within says to. Murder and adultery are still forbidden from within. What about Sabbath-breaking, in that same list?

By using Scripture alone, not just Paul, but the entire Bible, what do we learn about the seventh Day (Sabbath)?

1. The Sabbath is the seventh day. It is never the first day in Scripture.

2. There is no Scriptural basis, so far, for keeping in a rigid sense, any other day but the seventh.

3. Sabbath is a picture of our rest in Christ.

4. The Sabbath is equal in every respect to all the other of the 10 commandments.

5. Sabbath started soon after creation and never officially ended.

6. Not only Old Testament characters but Jesus and the apostles all kept the Sabbath while correcting its abuses.

7. There will be a Sabbath in the Millennium, excitedly foretold by the prophets.

8. The Sabbath was given as a gift to man, to bless him.

9. The first Gentile meeting was on the Sabbath.

10. But, and very importantly, there is no clearly expressed command to Gentile believers to keep the seventh day (unless of course they are fellowshipping with Jews). And no attempt at keeping any law of God can ever save man, because of the weakness of human flesh.

Where does that leave us? With a decision to make, I think, based on the facts of the Word, and not based on human tradition. I offer no easy solution here, but search with my readers to please God in this matter.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Sabbath in Leviticus and Numbers

The third and fourth books of the Bible add details about Sabbath keeping that are significant.

Leviticus 23:3. "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings."

a. Here is the connection between rest, holiness, and meeting together stated plainly. Trying to keep a holy day by one's self is not envisioned here, but a communal effort.

b. However, the Sabbath is not just to be observed at 'church,' but in all the homes.

c. The context of Leviticus 23 is likewise significant. Sabbath is listed here as one of the feasts of the Lord, alongside Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. All of these feasts, and Sabbath itself have a fulfillment in Christ and the life of His people, it is true. They are pictures of the true as were the furnishings of the Temple. But we are left with the question: Are all pictures to be abolished because they are pictures?

Certainly the Lord's Supper is a picture of a greater reality, a mere reminder, yet enjoined upon us by no less than Jesus Himself.

Marriage of two humans is a picture of our marriage to Christ. Should we abandon our mates because marriage is a picture?

Water Baptism is a picture, but a commanded one. Who will tell Jesus it is not important?

But some will say, there are certainly pictures which are no more. Yes, the animal sacrifices are gone for believers in Messiah. The Temple seems to be history. Yet before one says a final good-bye to all these Jewish pictures it is well to visit Brother Zechariah and his future vision of our world:

Zechariah 14:16. "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."

The prophet here sees a worldwide opposition to Israel, followed by a Messianic victory over that world, and then the instituting of Jewish feasts for the Gentiles. Could it be that the Lord would have been pleased had we never stopped celebrating these things, just as he desired for those first 2,500 years to be filled with more obedient servants? He is longsuffering, and eventually He will have His way.

With "Jewishness" in our past and future, why not more of it in our present?

Would God truly enforce this Sabbath rule on His people? He threatens with death. But will a merciful God ever allow this to happen? Move to the next Bible Book.

Numbers 15:32-36. " Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died."

There is no comment on this story, no attempt at justification. God is not to be toyed with. The soul that sins shall die. Let no one talk of little sins but rather of rebellious hearts daring to lift themselves above the law of God.

Not every Sabbath breaker was executed. As in our day not every church gossip, not every angry man, not every lustful heart is brought before the congregation. But Christ died for all these sins, and it is just as essential that they be dealt with in our day as in the days of the wilderness. Forgiveness is full and free, but the holiness of God has never changed.

Still, we have yet to establish that Sabbath-keeping is part of the plan of God for us . We have only heard from the Lord through Moses thus far. There is much more, and I encourage my readers to seek diligently for the rest of the story.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Honest Opinion on the Existence God

Understanding What it is and How to Get It

Receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the infilling of the Holy Spirit or becoming baptized with the Holy Ghost is a vitally important part of successful Christian living.

There is however, a difference between being filled and becoming filled with the Holy Ghost!

The first is a continuous lifestyle and the second is a one-time event.

Some people confuse the two and make a mess of this doctrine when the truth is very simple.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is based on living day-by-day in continual fellowship with Him and obedience to Him.

It is, first of all, saturating your mind with the word of God, nothing draws you closer to the Holy Spirit than the entrance of God's word. Then, it's talking to Him and listening when He speaks, it's cultivating His presence through an attitude of thankfulness, praise and worship, it means obeying Him without hesitation and without reservation.

It's walking in love toward your fellow man, being quick to forgive and releasing hurts easily. It is creating an environment around you that welcomes and cultivates His Holy Presence. Toward this end, fasting also helps.

All this is the process of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

When you live your life like this it harnesses and concentrates the power of God in you, so when you begin to pray, preach or minister in any way the power of God flows out of you much more fluently for effective ministry.

Another effect of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that it draws people to you who are seeking more of God in their lives. People tend to be drawn to you and instinctively look to you for guidance and leadership.

This is one of the unmistakable traits of a successful spiritual leader Cultivating the character and power of the Holy Ghost or being filled with the Holy Spirit!

When I say "spiritual leader" I don't necessarily mean one who leads a congregation or has some title or position in the church. A spiritual leader could be someone who works in a factory, a single mother or a high school student. Being a true spiritual leader has nothing to do with title or position but with manifesting the character and power of Christ in your everyday life.

On the other hand, becoming filled with the Holy Ghost is a one-time experience, which I will explain like this:

The initial out-pouring of the Holy Ghost in the Book of Acts, Chapter Two HAS NEVER STOPPED!

The Holy Spirit began being poured out on the Church and has never stopped being poured out!

Today, if any believer wants to become filled with the Holy Ghost all he needs to do is step under the flow, open his spirit and receive. It's that simple!

I've led many people to salvation and to receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and I always tell them it starts with knowledge and understanding.

You must be assured that God wants you filled with His Holy Spirit and since He commands us all to be filled then that pretty much takes care of that!

The Bible simply commands us in Eph 5:18 to, "...Be filled with the Spirit."

This is NOT a suggestion but a New Testament commandment!

So, we are assured that God wants us filled with His Spirit and we know it's because He wants us filled with His power so that we can become more effective witnesses.

Therefore, when we approach God to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost we must come with complete confidence and boldness before Him.

I teach people to simply ask and receive. It is an instantaneous experience! There is NO waiting involved.

The ONLY reason Jesus told His disciples to wait in the Book of Acts is for the Day of Pentecost to come. They weren't waiting for the Holy Ghost to come, He could have sent Him any time; they were waiting for the RIGHT DAY to come!

The day when ALL the people would be gathered together so that they could ALL hear the Good News of the Kingdom of God at the same time! That's why Jesus told them to wait for the Day of Pentecost to arrive.

So, when you're ready to be baptized with the Holy Ghost there is no waiting involved. I have a short prayer below that you can repeat when you're ready to become filled with the Holy Spirit.

Prayer To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

"Father, according to Acts 1:8 I know that it's your will for me to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and right now I ask You to fill me in Jesus name. I open my spirit and receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit right now and I thank you for it, Father. Amen!

The key to success in this experience is what you do while saying these words and what you do immediately after!

What you do while saying these words is literally, by faith, open your spirit and receive what God is pouring into you. It is your faith that makes it happen! If you know for a fact that God is pouring His Holy Spirit into you then it is happening. If you're doubting whether it's happening or not, then IT'S NOT HAPPENING!

YOUR DECISION and YOUR FAITH makes all the difference!

It's not up to God or the preacher or anyone else, whether you receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit IT'S UP TO YOU!

God has already sent Him as a gift and will not take Him back. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Immediately after you say these words and receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit you must co-operate with the Holy Ghost in order to begin speaking with other Tongues!

Everest John Alexander is a Minister/Writer/Entrepreneur in public ministry for over 16 years Pastoring for 4 years.

He's married to his High-School sweetheart, Loraine and together they have two beautiful children, Andrew and Jade.

He's written five books published online at: http://www.CheapChristianEbooks.com where you can download FREE Ebooks, Articles, Jokes and Quizzes. He's currently working on his sixth book, "Understanding How To Pray Effectively."

To read his bestselling ebook "Understanding The 3 Levels of Salvation: Spirit, Soul and Body" visit: http://www.3LevelsOfSalvation.com

The Speaker of the Church

Will the Speaker of the Church, Please, Stand up, and come forward?
There are many things going on in this life today that Jesus spoke of in the Gospel.
I have heard many things, that are not Biblical, from the so called theologians. They say they speak for the Christian community but they don't.
There is not one single man in this world that speaks for the Church, not one man, not one organization, not one doctrine. The Head of the Church is not physical, but spiritual.

The head of the Church was chosen, ordained, and placed into power over all things concerning the Church, by God.
We are just ministers of the Gospel, sworn and bound into service by the Lord.
Our duty is to preach, explain and interpret the Gospel, all being led by the Holy Spirit.
When any theologian, or any one within the Church body, calls for preemptive strikes, or calls for war against any nation, He does not speak for the Church, that Jesus established.

The Church will not be led by such men, but we must rebuke them, for their inconsistency within the Gospel. Jesus preached love for all men, even our enemies, for how else can we win over the lost, and those that are enemies of the cross, if we are to call for their destruction. Leave world affairs to the world. For isn't it written that; "You are in the world, but not of the world." Can you think of anything greater that would cause hatred of Christianity, than for a man to stand up and desire war for the sake of his religion? Christians are not war mongers, but rather peace makers.

If another nation desires not to believe in Christ, we do not try to cause war, but we do as instructed by Jesus in;
Luke 10:11 "Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."
Also in; Mark 6:11 "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

The very words that we speak will be brought before us at the time of judgment, and we will give account of each and every idle word.
Pastor JOHN HAGEE: "What we are trying to say to them is that a) we want you to continue your support for the State of Israel. Secondly, we want you to recognize that Iran is a clear and present danger to the United States of America and Israel. And we support Senator Joseph Lieberman, that it's time for our country to consider a military preemptive strike against Iran if they will not yield to diplomacy. And if they continue the pursuit of nuclear weapons we must not allow them to manipulate the economy of the world because they have a nuclear weapon."

"it's time for our country to consider a military preemptive strike against Iran." This is madness and not Christ like.
Many theologians today are being accused of trying to manipulate the Gospel, for their own purposes, as trying to hurry the rapture and the battle of Armageddon. Can anyone hurry God, hurry prophecy, or manipulate the end of the world? By no means. Israel is under the protection of God, but at the end of days Israel will be attacked and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it. The Holy City of Jerusalem will be overrun and taken by force. This is a fact of prophecy and again there is nothing we can do to stop it. For these men to try to manipulate the future is madness.
For these men to call for war against Iran or any other country is way beyond common sense.

Lets read a little; Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Mark 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light."

(Zec 14:4-7)

What manner of man will change these things, who among us shall call for war to save Israel, who, within our fellowship, has the power to change those things that will certainly come to pass.
My Brothers and Sisters, Bless Israel and not curse.
Pray for the safety of Israel, stand up for Her, support Her, but do not try to interfere with the Prophecy's of God concerning Her.
Let the world take care of itself, for we have more power in prayer than the world has in all its military might. Do we concern ourselves with the world recognizing Israel? No, for the only thing that matters is that, we do. We are tied to Israel and bound to Her, for we both Share the same Father, the Same Saviour, and the Same Destiny. ars

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Darby, Scofield, And Pre-Tribulation Theology

As one looks through church history, he is astounded at the nearly total silence about a "pre-tribulation" rapture. But in 1830, a single "prophecy" was picked up by one movement leader and began to spread. At about this same time, the one called the "father of modern Dispensationalism" got wind of Margaret Macdonald's dream, and paid her a visit. He listened well, then went home and made some changes, incorporating it into his own theories about the end times.

John Darby was also the father of the Plymouth Brethren movement, a church which was openly proud of what they called this "new doctrine," once they got hold of it. Brian M. Schwertley, in Is the Pretribulation Rapture Biblical? says "The Plymouth Brethren openly admitted and were even proud of the fact that among their teachings were totally new ones which had never been taught by the church fathers, medieval scholars, Protestant Reformers, or the many commentaries."

It is not clear to me about whom "prince of preachers" Charles Spurgeon was speaking in the following quote, but one wonders if it was not the "Brethren" themselves. Spurgeon lived in the day when the pre-tribulation rapture was freshly hatched. It is obvious what he thought of the idea. Hear him well:

"...there is a certain troublesome sect abroad nowadays," said he, "to whom the one thing needful is a perpetual speculation upon prophecy...They plume themselves upon an expected secret rapture , and I know not what vain imaginings beside..."

The creator of the "Scofield Reference Bible" (1917) included Darby's teachings in his notes. Seeing such things "in the Bible" emboldened many other saints to trust this doctrine as though God had said it Himself. There followed the inclusion of pre-tribulationism in the curriculums of well-known and greatly loved institutions such as Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary, and in the 1970's, a book and movie by young people's theologian Hal Lindsay.

There seemed to be no stopping it after that. Today it has permeated much of the western evangelical world. It is far from universal in the church today, and far from historical, as I have shown, but there is as we say a very "vocal minority" of believers, mostly Western/American, who swear by this doctrine.

Thankfully, history is not our final, or even our major appeal when deciding upon the truth of a teaching. History has spoken its clear word, but God Himself has spoken on this and every issue that matters to a believer. Let us hear what His Word says about it, and let all of men's theories be gone.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Does God Exist and If So Who's Right? Religion

Would you stake your life on your beliefs? I'm asking this question, hoping that you have an answer. Would you be gambling with your life or are you that sure about your religion. Do you live your life without a doubt that your religion is right and other religions are wrong or are you one of those people that hopes you are right and hopes that the other religions aren't.

If you are a Muslim and follow Islam, is the Quran the Word of God? Is this text flawless and without error? What's going to be going through your mind when you go to heaven, if you go to heaven, only to find out that the Hindu religion is right. Are you convinced without a doubt, 100% that your religion is right or are their errors and mistakes in your religious text.

Is your God going to be merciful and understanding to other religions or other people who have lived what you would consider to be a good and moral life. Is your god going to let them enter heaven or is he going to turn them away or possibly send them to burn in an eternal lake of fire.

Imagine, if you can, standing near a cliff and there was a long line of people and you were slowly working your way towards the front of the line, watching someone who was glowing with radiant light asking people questions, and pushing some of the people off of the cliff, while others walk away unharmed. You're going to be ready to answer any questions that the glowing person is going to ask you.

When you arrive, he simply says do you believe in your religion 100%. What's your answer going to be? What's going to be going through your mind? Are you that sure, that you're right.

So I ask you again, are you positive and without a doubt, 100% sure that you are right about your religion and the other religions are wrong. If you're not 100% sure, do a little research about your religion and your beliefs will either get stronger or weaker but try to keep an open mind, either way.

Most religions around the world have certain things in common. Seek the truth and the truth shall set you free. You've got to know what you're looking for though, so pay attention.

Choose Your Religion

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.