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No matter how we LOOK or ACT right now...

We have a GLORIOUS and marvelous Destiny to which to look forward...

We're A BUNCH OF JESUSES waiting to happen.

Wednesday April 13, 2016

CROSS OR CRUCIFIX

This is something I’ve been hearing FOR YEARS, and should have addressed long ago.

For those who may not know the difference, A CROSS is just A PLAIN cross. A CRUCIFIX is a cross with the figure of Jesus nailed to it.

While most “protestants” and Evangelicals favor the plain cross, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists generally use the crucifix.

For years, I’ve been hearing the LAME and FALSE accusation that Catholics use the crucifix because they believe that Jesus is still dead and hanging from the cross.

Being raised Roman Catholic, I can TESTIFY – FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE – that that IS A BLATANT LIE.

As steeped in religion, tradition, and man-invented rituals as we were, I distinctly remember KNOWING from age 6 (perhaps a bit earlier) that Jesus died for our sins and ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

I NEVER heard any priest, nun, or Roman Catholic person say, or even HINT, that Jesus is still nailed to the cross.

I NEVER heard any of them DENY Christ’s Resurrection.

NEVER!!!

I was taught Catechism at age 6 and did First Communion at age 7.

Catechism CLEARLY TAUGHT that Jesus had RISEN FROM THE DEAD, is God, and IS ALIVE.

That is why Roman Catholics, along with most other Christians, CELEBRATE CHRIST’S RESURRECTION, as we did just a few Sundays ago.

My biggest problems with Catholicism have always been that it DID NOT TEACH the born-again experience, at least not when I was growing up, and that it DID NOT teach the Bible or encourage its study.

Fortunately, many Catholic congregations today TEACH BOTH.

As far as the cross and crucifix are concerned, I don’t have a problem with either one.

And neither one violates Scripture.

The plain cross reminds us of Jesus’ triumphant Resurrection.

Of His CRUSHING VICTORY over satan, sin and death.

The crucifix reminds us OF THE UNSPEAKABLE SUFFERING HE ENDURED FOR OUR SAKE, and the INCALCULABLE PRICE HE PAID to redeem us.

And may I remind religious bigots that the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord WERE BOTH NECESSARY for our Salvation?

It’s a SAD, SAD DAY for Christianity when we CAN’T EVEN UNITE IN SPIRIT to appreciate THE VERY SYMBOL OF our faith.

Yes, there’s been A LOT of abuse of power and excess in Roman Catholicism. I’ve written about that extensively.

Yes, Roman Catholicism has quite a bit of FALSE, UNBIBLICAL doctrine.

And, yes, Roman Catholicism has committed some terrible atrocities in its long, tortured history.

Denying the Resurrection of Jesus HAS NEVER BEEN ONE OF THEM.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

 PRETERISM

Preterism is the belief that ALL Bible prophecy was fulfilled by 70 A.D.

That includes all prophecies about the Rapture, the tribulation, the Antichrist, the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennium, the White Throne Judgment, and the New Heavens and New earth.

While 70 A. D. WAS a significant prophetic year in which the Roman 10th legion under Titus' command destroyed Jerusalem, one has to be a blind fool to believe that Jesus RETURNED and ESTABLISHED HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH in or around 70 A.D.

Yet THAT IS PRECISELY what Preterists believe.

Furthermore, preterism believes that this putrid hell hole in which we live is the New Earth promised in Revelation 21:1; that Hades/Sheol no longer exists, and that upon dying Christians immediately receive new resurrected, glorified bodies.

Apparently, they've never read 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 or 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 which plainly state WE SHALL NOT ALL DIE but will be TRANSFORMED into immortal beings in a moment and WITHOUT DYING.

Preterists also believe that satan and his demons have no influence over Christians who live in this "new earth" today.

If they don't, then man is purely evil ON HIS OWN, and not due to satan's deception in the Garden of Eden. How is that possible when man (male and female) WAS CREATED IN THE VERY IMAGE OF the Most High, MOST HOLY God?

Preterism is largely responsible for "replacement theology" which postulates that the Christian Church has replaced natural Israel, something which is NOT SUPPORTED by either the Old or New Testaments.

However, preterism’s most egregious and damning doctrine is the belief THAT SIN IS HERE TO STAY: That sin IS ETERNAL and cannot be remedied, thus making the Blood of Jesus INSUFFICIENT AND INCAPABLE OF removing sin FOREVER.

That FALSE DOCTRINE also VIOLATES at least half a dozen Scriptures that say Jesus has removed ALL SIN FOR ALL TIME (Psalm 103:12; John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Hebrews 9:12,26; 10:14; 1 John 3:5).

Preterism is a DAMNABLE HERESY.

This heresy spawned in the 4th century by Eusebius and others, and deeply rooted in anti-Semitism, is based on selective passages in the New Testament that speak about Christ's "soon" return, TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER BIBLICAL PASSAGES THAN DEBUNK IT:

Romans 13:12:
"The night is far spent, THE DAY IS AT HAND"

1 Corinthians 7:29:

"This I say, brethren, THE TIME IS SHORT"

1 Corinthians 10:11:

"They were written for our admonition, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ARE COME".

Philippians 4:5:

"The Lord IS NEAR".

Hebrews 10:37:

"For yet A LITTLE WHILE, and he that shall come will come and WILL NOT DELAY".

1 Peter 4:7

"THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND"

James 5:8:

"For THE COMING OF THE LORD IS NEAR"

1 John 2:18

"Little children, IT IS THE LAST HOUR; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE LAST HOUR".

It's safe to say with regards to Jesus' return, that the apostles were not thinking in terms of the distant future, let alone 2,000 years later.

Clearly, when the New Testament was written in the first century A.D., they believed that the Rapture, end of the world, and the return of Christ were NEAR.

It's also clear that THEY DID NOT KNOW PRECISELY WHEN such events would take place.

Didn't they ask Jesus that SPECIFIC question before His Ascension?

And didn't Jesus answer (at the time) "it is not FOR YOU to know"? (Acts 1:6-7)

Had Jesus not told Daniel that such things were "sealed" and would ONLY be FULLY UNDERSTOOD - EVEN BY HIS OWN PROPHETS LIKE DANIEL HIMSELF - at the VERY TIME OF THE END? (Daniel 12:4, 9)

If these passages are to be construed to mean that 70 A.D. was THE FINAL FULFILLMENT of all Bible prophecy, I have a question for preterists:

Why, then, did the Apostle John write some 26 years LATER in 96 A.D.:

"Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND" (Revelation 1:3).

"Then he told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because THE TIME IS NEAR" (Revelation 22:10).

If John wrote in 96 A.D. that "the time" for the things written in the Book of Revelation (which covers the Church Age, the Rapture, the Antichrist, the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennium, the White Throne Judgment and the New Heavens & New Earth) was STILL "NEAR", THEN HOW CAN ANYONE BELIEVE that all these things were fulfilled by 70 A.D.?

Ooops!

"Oh well, maybe not by 70 A.D., but certainly they were fulfilled by the END OF the first century".

Really? So all the SPECIFIC PROPHECIES given in Revelation were fulfilled WITHIN 4 YEARS?

When DID AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE SHOW UP IN HEAVEN IN GLORIFIED BODIES? (Revelation 7:9-16).

And, in order to appear in heaven, WOULDN'T THEY HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THE EARTH FIRST?

When was ONE THIRD of the earth's surface burnt to a crisp? (Revelation 8:7)

When did ONE THIRD of the sea and, later, THE ENTIRE SEA, turn to blood? (Revelation 8:8; 16:3-4)

When have people EVER been required to receive a mark on the right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell? (Revelation 13:16-18).

Who was the Antichrist? Hint: It WASN'T Nero.

And when was there A STATUE OR IMAGE OF ANTICHRIST WHICH COULD SPEAK? (Revelation 13:14-15).

When did he mass armies at Armageddon to impede the RETURN OF Jesus? (Revelation 16:12-16)

When did Jesus cast him into the lake of fire? (Revelation 19:20)

When did satan spend 1,000 in the abyss? (Revelation 20:1-3)

When did Jesus reign for a thousand years? (Revelation 20:4-9)

When did NEW JERUSALEM DESCEND FROM HEAVEN? (Revelation 21:2)

I could go on and on.

The ONLY way that Preterists can make a REMOTELY "believable" case for their CULTIST HERESY is to ALLEGORIZE.

Of course, if we allegorize GOD'S WORD, then we turn God's Word into a joke, and can “MAKE” the Bible say ANYTHING WE WANT.

But EVEN IF it's all to be understood as allegory, WHEN has the earth EVER been ANYWHERE NEAR an era of peace as described in Isaiah 2:2-4 or 11:6-9?

EVEN IF WE ALLEGORIZE, it's still IMPOSSIBLE for any HONEST, Truth-seeking, Christ loving individual to buy into preterism's pack of lies.

I have a question for religion-filled, UNSAVED Preterists:

Where, exactly, is the "Good News" (Gospel) in THEIR MESSAGE?

If ALL to which we look forward is "more of the same", WHAT HOPE is there for mankind?

If God is God, He simply CANNOT ALLOW this nightmarish, miserable "AS IS" earthly existence to go on forever.

Monday, April 11, 2016

BEHIND THE DECEPTION

The love of money, root of ALL evil, is a major motivator behind the sale of RELIGIOUS FICTION.

However, there are also an ALARMING number of people who use mass media TO MISINFORM ABOUT THE BIBLE on subjects ranging from Salvation (the MOST IMPORTANT DOCTRINE OF ALL) to Church history, the origin of Scripture and, of course, Bible prophecy.

They DON’T DO IT for commercial reasons.

What, then, motivates them TO DECEIVE?

1. Ego (SELF-exaltation)

2. Ignorance

3. A combination of the two.

They want TO BRAG about “how much” THEY “KNOW”.

I’VE actually had people PLAGIARIZE my work, pass it off as their own, WITHOUT SO MUCH AS GIVING JESUS ONE SPECK of glory.

And the more that Jesus, by His Grace, and for His eternal glory, has revealed, THE MORE I'VE COME TO REALIZE HOW LITTLE I know.

They want to IMPOSE THEIR religious agenda.

They want to be “right”, and prove everyone else wrong.

They care VERY LITTLE, IF AT ALL, about God’s will and purpose.

And, in most cases, they lack the biblical foundation, training, intelligence and HONESTY needed in order to research a topic exhaustively and discover the Truth.

A perfect example is the guy I mentioned two messages ago with the Facebook page who said Antichrist can’t be European because the divisions of the Greek Empire were all in the Middle East.

Yet he conveniently forgot the most important “division” of the Greek Empire, Greece itself.

THAT is shoddy research.

THAT is a half-truth.

They use the Bible “selectively”, meaning ONLY the portions they like and fit their predetermined agenda, while TOTALLY DISREGARDING the portions of Scripture that DO NOT SUPPORT IT.

And they NEVER ask the Holy Spirit, SINCERELY, for guidance.

They never say: “Lord, I just want the Truth: Whether I like it or not. NOT as I will, but AS YOU WILL”.

And the VERY FEW that may say it -- DON’T REALLY MEAN IT.

We can’t fool God. If the prayer doesn’t emanate FROM THE HEART, it won’t work.

That’s why the internet is filled with moronic prophecies and teachings based on ALLEGED “dreams” and “visions” someone had.

I’ve yet to see ONE of those dreams or visions pan out.

That’s why it’s crammed full of idiotic conspiracy theories.

The Antichrist doesn’t rise to power because of any conspiracy, but BECAUSE GOD HAS PREDETERMINED THE END since the beginning.  (Isaiah 46:10)

The “down side” of free speech is that ANY NITWIT can say WHATEVER pops into his or her mind, WITH IMPUNITY.

…At least here on earth...

They WILL, however, answer TO GOD for their lies.

Jesus warned that “EVERY IDLE (USELESS) WORD that men shall speak, THEY SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT THEREOF IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.” (Matthew 12:36)

And James said:

“My brethren, NOT MANY OF YOU SHOULD BE TEACHERS, knowing THAT WE SHALL RECEIVE THE SEVERER JUDGMENT.” (James 3:1)

Mass media can be a wonderful tool for evangelism and teaching.

Unfortunately, it can also be used FOR GREAT EVIL, as terrorists have demonstrated; and to SPREAD LIES, DECEPTION and religious propaganda, as so many “Christians” are doing.

We all make mistakes at some point.

Not everyone spreading falsehood in the Name of Jesus is doing it intentionally.

Some actually MEAN WELL. They just aren’t called by God to do what they’re doing.

They are, therefore, UNQUALIFIED to teach.

That is why we MUST BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL about what we allow to enter our eyes and ears.

That is why EVERYTHING must be measured and discerned by the Word of God, and by the Holy Spirit.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2016

GOT YOUR REFUND YET?

It’s tax season in the United States. However, I’m not asking about income tax refunds.

I’m referring to the MILLIONS of dollars SQUANDERED on UTTERLY WORTHLESS DVD’s and books by “Messianic Jews” and “Christians” (I use the terms VERY loosely) about so-called “blood moons”.

Last year we had a “Christian” and a “Messianic Jew” suing each other about who coined the term “blood moon” and who INVENTED THE FALSE TEACHING.

Now that the so-called “blood moons” have come and gone without pain or glory… I presume they’ve dropped the lawsuits.

And that you were refunded THE MONEY YOU THREW AWAY by falling for their scam.

I’m being facetious, of course…

You’ll never get a nickel back from the prophecy traffickers.

You have a better chance of getting an INTEREST FREE LOAN from El Chapo.

You won’t even get AN APOLOGY.

It will all be CONVENIENTLY SWEPT UNDER THE RUG and forgotten.

Booksellers KNOW that dumb Christians DON’T REALLY MIND.

If BEING TAKEN FOR THE FOOLS THEY ARE bothered them, dumb Christians would have stopped reading THAT UNBIBLICAL GARBAGE LONG AGO.

Fact is, they just LOVE their “Christian” ENTERTAINMENT, NO MATTER HOW FALSE and UNBIBLICAL it may be:

Don’t bother us with the Truth. Don’t bother us with Scripture. We’re content and ENTERTAINED hearing and reading these LIES.

Even though we KNOW, DEEP DOWN INSIDE, it’s all a bunch of B.S.

Natural lunar eclipses have been occurring since the dawn of time.

NEVER, until recent days, have natural lunar eclipses been called “blood moons”.

NEVER!!!

And NONE of the eclipses looked EVEN REMOTELY like blood.

Unless you think that blood is COPPERY ORANGE in color.

And even though I said AT LEAST 50 TIMES that the moon turning RED AS BLOOD in Joel 2:31 and Revelation 6:12 IS NOT a natural lunar eclipse, but rather the moon LITERALLY (and supernaturally) TURNING the color of DEEP, CRIMSON-RED blood – my LONE VOICE got drowned in an ocean of LIES and religious propaganda.

Even the news media got caught up (no pun intended) in all the hoopla.

Makes me wonder, should our Lord tarry, WHAT THE NEXT PROPHECY SCAM WILL BE.

Makes me wonder which “prophecy expert” will be the first to write a book “proving” that Donald Trump is the Antichrist.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016

TRUTH PREVAILS

A personal friend recently contacted me about a Facebook page he had encountered:

It said among other things that Antichrist CANNOT BE European. The man based his false statement (supposedly) on Daniel 8:9-12 where the “little horn” emerges from one of the divisions of the Greek empire.

His “point” was that the divisions were all in the Middle East.

While it is true that THREE OF THE DIVISIONS into which the Greek Empire split, after Alexander’s death, were in the Middle East (Turkey, Syria and Egypt), he CONVENIENTLY FORGOT the FOURTH PART, that being Greece itself, the VERY CENTER and SEAT OF the empire (Daniel 8:8).

Greece was ruled by Cassander, one of Alexander's 4 generals, after his death.

Last time I checked, Greece IS IN EUROPE.

So much for THAT silly CONJECTURE…

He also conveniently IGNORED Daniel 11:2-30 that says, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, that Antichrist emerges from the Greek Dynasty; Daniel 11:28-31 that say Alexander will return and set up the Abomination of Desolation, and Revelation 13:2 which clearly identifies the beast (Antichrist) as the “leopard” used in Daniel 7:6 to describe the former Greek Empire and its infamous king.

The Facebook page also listed some of the common Bible prophecy myths, with which I’ve been dealing for the past 11 years, non-stop.

After I quickly debunked several of them, my friend asked WHY is all this misinformation circulating in mass media?

I promptly reminded him of Jesus’ warning TO HIS OWN DISCIPLES who had seen miracles, performed miracles themselves, who had LIVED WITH HIM for 3½ YEARS, during which they were virtually INSEPARABLE:

“SEE that NO ONE DECEIVES YOU. For MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME… and WILL DECEIVE MANY.

The deceivers would NOT come in satan’s name: they would come IN JESUS’ NAME saying that He (Jesus) IS the Messiah. (Matthew 24:4-8)

That is PRECISELY what would make the deception SO EASY TO FALL FOR.

And, Jesus warned, that THOSE “Christian” and “Messianic Jewish” DECEIVERS would DECEIVE MANY, even His own disciples, if they weren’t careful and didn’t stay focused on Him and ON HIS WRITTEN WORD.

Even a casual observer would agree that Jesus’ warning has turned out to be a huge UNDERSTATEMENT.

Religious deception in Christendom and mass media is SO RAMPANT that one could easily feel OVERWHELMED by it.

For the many who are so confused by all the speculation and false teaching that they DON’T KNOW WHO OR WHAT TO BELIEVE, here’s a list of common LIES about Bible prophecy.

If you want a full explanation, go TO OUR HOME PAGE and scroll down to the MYTH # given after each one:

1. The Antichrist is NOT ALIVE, nor will he be born.

The Bible has taught FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS that he already lived, died, and will rise FROM THE ABYSS (Revelation 11:7; 17:8). MYTH #1

2. There is NO MUSLIM Antichrist. MYTH #2

3. There is NO 7-YEAR PEACE TREATY. MYTH #8

This is pure FABRICATION. There isn’t A WORD about a “7-year peace treaty” from Genesis to Revelation.

4. There is NO 7-YEAR TRIBULATION

Again, THAT is UNBIBLICAL. EVERY SINGLE instance where the tribulation is mentioned in Scripture it says it lasts 3½ years (Daniel 7:25; 9:27; 12:7; Revelation 11:3; 12:6, 14, 13:5).

That’s 7 Scriptures to ZERO. MYTH #43

5. THERE IS NO “CASHLESS SOCIETY”

MYTH #19

6. 666 is NOT the NUMERICAL VALUE of the Antichrist’s name. MYTH #18

7. The four horses of Revelation are NOT in our future. MYTH #34

8. “NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY”

Wrong: EVERYONE WILL KNOW. MYTH #39

9. THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE IN AN INSTANT

Sorry, but it WON’T. MYTH #40.

10. THE RAPTURE IS POST-TRIB, MID-TRIB, or PRE-WRATH. Not a chance! It’s PRE-TRIB!

MYTH #47

Or you can also watch our “slam dunk” 4-minute video:

The Rapture: Quick & Easy:

These are ONLY the “top 10” lies. There are MANY, MANY MORE, just like Jesus predicted.

But NO MATTER HOW MANY LIES satan, who is the father of lies and of LIARS, FABRICATES… NO MATTER how many lying “Christians” and “Messianic Jews” he enlists… (blood moons, anyone?)

There’s ONE consoling thought:

TRUTH (as in Jesus) will ultimately PREVAIL.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

RAPTURE THOUGHTS

When the Rapture finally happens, it should not take any of our regular readers by surprise.

It is important that when the signs begin we all remain FOCUSED ON THE INNER CHRIST (inside of us in the stomach-kidney area).

We won’t be raptured from without, but FROM WITHIN.

It’s also important that we DO NOT PANIC.

Fear is NOT of God.

He has NOT given us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

We must retain our composure and OUR TRUST (COMPLETE CONFIDENCE) in Jesus, and that He will get us OUT OF HERE safely, just like the Israelites CROSSED OVER Jordan safely.

If you don’t have that confidence, and SINCE FAITH (TRUST, CONFIDENCE) is A GIFT of His Grace, then ASK HIM to give you His peace and His faith.

Just like God dried up the waters of the Jordan so that natural Israelites could CROSS OVER on dry ground, SO WILL JESUS MAKE THE WAY to heaven easy and safe for us spiritual Israelites. (Joshua 4:1, 19-24).

Glory to His Name!

While our TRANSFORMATION from mortal to immortal takes place IN AN INSTANT (1 Corinthians 15:50-55), there’s a 10-day period (Revelation 2:10) FROM THE MOMENT THE SIGNS (hence the TRIBULATION) BEGIN and that moment when we’re instantly transformed and cross over:

The clear teaching in Matthew 24:29-31, Luke 21:24-28 and Revelation 6:12-17; 7:1-9) is that THE SIGNS BEGIN (sun turns black, moon blood-red, sky rolls up, etc.), sometime after Jesus appears in the sky, then God sends His angels to gather His elect from “one end of heaven to another”.

 “IMMEDIATELY WITH THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS SHALL THE SUN BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON SHALL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, and THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN, AND THE POWERS OF THE HEAVENS SHALL BE SHAKEN:

30And THEN (sometime after) SHALL APPEAR the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and THEY SHALL SEE the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31And HE SHALL SEND HIS ANGELS WITH A GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET, AND THEY SHALL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER.” (Matthew 24:29-31)

“And there SHALL BE SIGNS IN THE SUN, AND IN THE MOON, AND IN THE STARS; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking toward those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers ofHEAVEN SHALL BE SHAKEN.

27And THEN (sometime after the signs begin) SHALL THEY SEE the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28And WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN… then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption DRAWS NEAR.” (Luke 21:24-28)

It DOES NOT SAY when these things begin your redemption IS INSTANTANEOUS: it says when they begin YOUR REDEMPTION IS NEAR.

Whether you prepared for the 10 days or not, Jesus will keep you safe.

ALL WE CAN DO AT THAT POINT IS REMAIN FOCUSED ON HIM, AND TRUST, TRUST, TRUST, TRUST, TRUST, TRUST, TRUST Him.

Don’t worry about earthly things: DON’T WORRY about your home, pets, relatives, or anything else -- REMAIN FOCUSED ON HIM.

He will also take our pets safely to Paradise, as I have shared on many occasions, and as SCRIPTURE says repeatedly.

And many UNSAVED will come to faith in Jesus, even IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF this Age, and be caught up God’s Throne along with us.