Made to be Taken and Destroyed

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.
2 Peter 2:12

I checked another, modern translation to see if it moderated this powerful statement. No luck. The blessed words of Peter are so plain that there is no escaping them.

As for the destruction of these Godless people, most would not have a problem. But mainline churches would substitute for "destroyed" and "perish" (not harsh enough), the idea that God keeps them alive so he can torture them throughout eternity. I'll stay with the original wording.

So some form of destruction is okay with most Christians. It is the concept that those perishing were "made" for such a fate that they cannot except. As long as man's free will is involved, no problem.

According to this fanciful interpretation, the people who died in the flood chose to, including young children and unborn babies. What an odd way to use their free will.

Could an only-loving God create people to be destroyed as cattle are slaughtered? Yes, emphatically. Paul spells it out very plainly in Romans 9:21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Can anything be more passive than clay, or more powerful than the potter who shapes it? Clay has no free will, but the potter does.

Yes, Godless people were made to be destroyed. I am certain my words will offend many. I no longer care.

Consequences of a False Millennial View

Did you know that Jesus returned to the earth and began ruling in 1914? I didn't either, yet many are teaching this. They are not a church, they shun the very word. They meet in "Kingdom Halls".

Of course, I speak of the Watchtower Society. According to their teaching, the return of Jesus was invisible. When confronted with the scripture that says "every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7), they try to correct the Bible, by saying that everyone shall see the consequences of His return, referring to World War I.

This is ludicrous from many points of view. Despite it's title of "world war", this conflict was not world wide in scope any more than the "World Series" involves the entire world.

The Watchtower group is not Christian at all, because it does not believe or teach that Jesus is God. The saying that "Christology is the test of orthodoxy" certainly illustrates how wrong they are.

Two men recently came to my door with their spiel. They seemed like likeable fellows, but the spokesman was like a wind up toy with no pause button. He began to tell me about Lucifer's fall. I tried to tell him that I have known about everything they were going to say, for many years.

I have their own proprietary Bible, the New World edition, and have read their books going back so long ago that they pictured Jesus with a halo. But the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses do not listen. They are programmed cultists.

As far as their millennial views, they share them almost exactly with Covenant churches. Both teach that we are now living in the millennium.

How do you like living in the millennium? Isn't it great? Wars are ended, there is peace on earth, and, according to them, Jesus is on the throne, but invisibly.

Their devilish deception is obvious, yet their numbers grow. Minorities, and the poor, are their main source of converts. They reach out to them in their literature and in person.

So who to blame for the success of this organization? We could say the churches, for not giving basic teaching that would make people immune to this garbage.

Most churches do not teach the truth about the true purpose of the millennium and the subjects of it. Though peaceful, this peace is governed with rod of iron rule. It is the last test of mankind. Even one thousand years with Jesus on His throne does not convert the subjects of this test.

At the end of the thousand years, when Satan is released from his chains, the inhabitants of the earth rebel and God destroys them with fire (Revelation 20:9). Not one goat has become a sheep.

This is all prophesied. Nothing can, or should change it. Anyone who teaches otherwise teaches falsely.

But the cause of the deception is more than false church teaching. It comes from letting someone else do your thinking for you. People will let the "experts" tell them what to think, rather than turning to the pure word of God. It began in Eden, and is still going on.

Mr. Smarty Pants on Paganism

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11

Q: Dear Smarty Pants, As your brain melts like lard in a hot skillet, do you still see evil, all the time, everywhere?

A: I only see evil when my eyes are open. By the way, I am not one who wishes to try to blot it out or campaign against evil. It only really concerns me when it dominates churches and Christians. I think of a man in a boat who does not curse the sea, because he travels on it. But when the water starts leaking into his boat, he needs to start bailing.

Q: About as clear as mud. Your scripture from Revelation is totally mis-applied.

See How I Set Up My Altar.

Difficulties in Interpretation

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15

A young man told me of his experience in Officers Candidate School. He had disassembled his M-1 Garrand rifle and placed it on a table. A great rifle, but containing a lot of small parts.

Before he was told to re-assemble it, the instructor took the parts and threw them into the grass. He hit a stop watch to see how fast the man could gather the parts and put his rifle back together. It was a test of performance under stress.

Sometimes I think that God has done that to us--those who would rightly interpret His Word. There really is a lot of ambiguity in interpreting single verses, a trap for those who do not look at the parallel scriptures--all of them. Many times this separates the men from the boys in Bible study.

It is so tempting to make quick interpretations, especially when they seem to agree with our pre-formed opinions. Often, a verse will be clarified by reading ahead just a verse or two.

There are a bunch of very vociferous, highly energetic Christians, whose minds are as lazy as a hound dog sleeping on the porch. Bible study is fascinating, but it is not a quick thrill. It can take years to perfect--a drag for those looking for instant answers.

Instead of awing people with your amazing, fleshly conclusions, you will spend a lot of time alone, in silence, just you and the Bible and the Holy Spirit. You will be correcting your own wrong ideas, as you learn God's truth.

I believe God has put traps for the lazy in His Word. They mislead some, and discourage many. But others will be inspired to study further. Like the sleeping hound dog, once you wake him up, he will find the trail.

Where Are We?

Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. Acts 15:14, NIV

The famous violinist Fritz Kreisler was once playing with a pianist when he became confused as to where in the composition they were. He whispered to the piano player, "Where are we?" The piano man whispered back, "In Carnagie Hall."

It is possible for some very earnest Christians, who know all the ten commandments and the parables of Jesus, to become lost also. Are we "completed Jews?" Does the Bible show us who and where we are?

Yes. It is as simple and as easy as reading the minutes of the first church council in Acts 15. Luke is considered a very good historian, both of secular and church history. Yet there are denomonations that would rather take a loss on the stock market than to read or teach of this simple meeting.

Once I quoted from Acts 15 in such a church. A young man listened, protesting with his head wagging back and forth like a windshield wiper. How dare anyone declare that the church is not a latter day form of "spiritual Israel". This young man was a victim of Replacement Theology, which totally dominated this church.

Acts 15 makes it all so clear. Gentiles are being brought into the church. The Old Covenant is fading away.

Fighting words in the Presbyterian Church. Only these guys don't fight too well. Rather than fight, using the Word of God they argue with what my Logic 101, course called the fallacy of Argument from Authority. "It's not true because I say so, and I'm the one with the degrees!"

I saw such a one turn beet red as I read from my King James Scofield Bible. I was ignoring years of scholarship! His wife turned to him, as if to calm him down.

Such anger comes directly from the flesh. Christians have debated for millennia without getting mad. It is the unsecure who get mad. Yet, despite the anger, neither the windshield wiper nor the beet tried to refute Acts chapter 15.

I really mean it. If you have a busy schedule and a heavy work load, see if you can spare the time to read this wonderful record of who we are, and where we are in the plan of God. It settled the dispute way back then, and it will now.

Some Useful Words from a Counselor

I just listened to a great program where a counselor was interviewed. Though she was a marriage counselor, this was all about the problems women face, and how to correct them.

First the lady said, in a comradely fashion, "We women are relational beings, starting with our families. Your birth order and how you were treated as a child can last throughout our lives. If this is causing troubles for you, remember, that was then. Now you are dealing with different people who see you differently, so forget the past whenever possible." She dealt at length on the emotions of women that men know little or nothing about.

Can I ever identify with this next one! A good friend of mine tried to explain to his wife about men. "Men are problem solvers," he said. At least good ones are. They feel the need to work on things, often seemingly unemotional things.

Watch a man in a hardware store. Any man who is not fascinated by such a store has a problem! When he thinks of protecting his loved ones by maintaining their "nest", he may say to himself, "If the roof starts leaking, I could use this compound or tool to fix it." This too is relational and loving, just in a different way--a "man way".

The counselor said, "Since we are relational, we respond to the people we hang out with. We need to choose these people with care, because they will change us, for the good or for the bad."

Though I usually avoid programs about feelings and self image, I found this lady fascinating. Her last words were questions. "What is the most important thing in your life? What would you like to be, or to achieve? Then what are you doing about it, starting today?" Aren't these excellent questions?

If the Earth Were a Stock, Would You Invest in it?

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:10

So much for optimism concerning the earth and its works.

Now I know that there are ways to "handle" this verse, to kind of take the sting out of it. The first, and most widely used, is to just ignore it.

This actually has been quite successful. Corporate churches use this technique. When at least 90% of your effort is applied to gain money, real estate, prestige, and power, who wants to hear that your gains will all be burned up?

But let's just say that a member of such a church stumbles upon this verse and asks what it means. Strategy number two may be used--discredit the verse.

First, you can say that it is not literal. It could mean that the earth and its works, great as they are, will be surpassed by the work of the church in its earthly kingdom building efforts.

Anyway, maybe Peter was just having a bad day. People do, you know.

So, don't let this verse put a big nick in your optimism. Think positively! If the whole congregation started accepting these words of Peter as literal, our stock portfolio would crash down to zero, and we've put so much effort into it.

As Plainly As I Can Say it

Seen a lot of items about the Great Tribulation recently? I sure have. It makes for eye catching news to say that we are in this period, or are about to be.

Here is a quick check on this theory. Look at the references to "church" or "churches" in the book of Revelation. After chapter three, they disappear, except as a closure to the book. While Revelation contains the most detailed account of the tribulation, nowhere in it is the church mentioned.

Here is my plain statement. The church is not on the earth during the tribulation. We have a home in heaven which Jesus is preparing for us (John 14:2). We will be there during this terrible time on the earth. Those going through the trials will be Israel and the Gentiles.

I believe in freedom of expression, but many are really using it in a very bad way.

Churches That Help the Devil

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Titus 2:1

A wide range of churches is available. It's a consumer's delight. Just pick one that agrees with you, and is near where you live. The closer the better. Check out the parking lot. Is it filled with cars? That is always a good sign. If lots of people attend, it must be a good church.

Do they have good music? I have heard the hymns of a church where the choir sang without any piano or organ. It was the best such singing I have ever heard.

Now this is probably just a coincidence, but the sermons from this church changed my life. I was already a Christian, and he was not an evangelist; but he hit me with a doctrine--one which I had not heard from a pulpit before--and I took it in.

He told no jokes. There were no church "announcements". No yelling. Nothing like that. Just pure doctrine. And it was contrary to what I had always heard before.

To confirm people in what their fallen natures, and the devil, tells them, is a crime. A preacher should change them--send their minds in a new direction. Else what is he for? Why get dressed up and drive to a church that repeats what you already know? The largest denominations do that, though.

The Pope--any pope--may pronounce his desire for "peace in the Middle East". Social justice is very popular. Then there is a pagan ritual--the same every day--where, completely against the Bible, they pretend to offer--again and again--the blood and body of Jesus.

"But I don't follow that," you may say. So what is your routine that you follow?

A school or university exists to move you forward. In the same period of time given to them, what have you learned (and unlearned) from your church?

This will be a make-believe story, but please imagine with me. A preacher is chosen, or assigned, to a congregation. His preaching is popular. The music and sound system are really great. Soon the place is so packed that there is need for multiple services and there is talk of a much larger building or auditorium. Money rolls in. Then suddenly, this highly popular man is fired! But why? Because his church has not taught sound doctrine.

Ever heard of such a story as this? Think you ever will?

There is a point to all this. If you neglect God's Word--if you comfort or excite--you can make lots of money and be very popular. And you will not be fired. These are, to me, churches that help the devil. Jesus rebukes them in the book of Revelation 3:14-18.

Why the Jesus Parade?

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. Matthew 21:8

A parade for Jesus, "a very great multitude"? Why? The answer is very simple and exact. It is found in Daniel 9:24-27. Here the very day of the coming of the Messiah is given. The link below gives a great review of the 70 weeks prophecy.

You may say that Jesus came three years earlier than the time of the royal parade. But the prophecy in Daniel 9 is for Messiah the Prince, Jesus as king. It was a one day event, and Jesus was rejected and crucified days later.

Amazing how this parade is ignored or misinterpreted. Some would say that it was the beginning of a "spiritual" kingdom. That is not just a different point of view, it is Satanic garbage. The parade was real. The branches and garments were real. The donkey was real. The real, earthly king was rejected, as was his real, earthly kingdom. All this was prophesied by Daniel almost 500 years earlier.

If I could have a very fervent wish fulfilled, it would be that you would read Daniel 9:24-27. It is so powerful and important to understanding the gentile world powers and their very last days, which are yet to come crashing down.

So is the kingdom of David--rejected by the authorities of that day--ended? Where is it now? Will it return? You bet it will. We are living inside the times referred to in Daniel 9. Sixty nine of the seventy weeks have been fulfilled, literally. One 7 year period remains. The book of Revelation covers this period.

After the church is raptured (Revelation 3:10), the time of Jacob's Trouble begins. It ends with the return of Jesus with His saints. The yet to be fulfilled Kingdom of David will be re-established. It will be just as real as the parade of that day.

See What are the seventy weeks of Daniel?

Authorities

I believe in authorities. We should follow them without question. My authorities are The Bible, and Jesus Himself. The writers of the Bible wrote it in the power of the Holy Spirit. These are my authorities.

What about interpretations and interpretors? To me, they are not authorities. They are all suspect. They can be useful, but the final guide to truth is the Bible itself.

I just watched a program about a horrible airplane disaster. It happened because there was a conflict of instructions to the pilots. The lone flight controller, acting with faulty equipment, gave one set of instructions; the on-board instruments gave opposite ones. The pilot followed the controller instead of his instruments and all aboard died. In looking at the mentality of the Russian pilots, one analyst said that he had a mind set to obey human authority, and ignore the proper actions given by his instruments.

I thought of the church and of my father. He was a believer in authorities over the plain Word of God. In this instance, I am like my rebellious mother. She felt that things around her were wrong, as I do. She often went against the flow. Each day proves that she was right.

Test your authorities. If you take a commonly held belief, and look it up, you can listen to the "authorities" disagree. Faulty translations and erronius teachers abound.

The solution is to seek God's word in its pure form. Check out every mention of a word or doctrine in the Bible. It is very rewarding. While religious controllers argue and give conflicting advice, your perfect instrument will never let you down.

Used Judgement, Still Available

How many times have you heard it said that God, in the Old Testament, was a God of Judgement; but the New Testament God is a God of love? One time is too many.

The greatest judgements are yet future. The last book of the Bible shows them clearly. But, except for the letters to the churches in the first three chapters, these judgements are reserved for Israel and the Gentiles.

For His people in the church, there are and will be, chastenings, but no judgements. Jesus has paid for these, on His cross. So why talk about judgements at all? Because they are coming, and God emphasizes them in His book. Let's be sure we assign them to the right people though.

Such an ego-killing shock it would be for many Christians to realize that most of the Bible is not about them! It is about gentiles past and future, and about God's people Israel. These are the subjects of the coming judgements.

I'll include my own nation, the USA, as being ripe for judgement. Our greed and bloodiness, our desire to be #1, make us a candidate on a par with ancient Tyre. Why aren't we in the Bible? Because we have no bearing on Israel, that's why. The modern state of UN-generated Israel does not count.

So, judgment, though older than the Flood, is in store for many. The church will not be here, but for those who will be, the greatest judgements of all time lie ahead.

Let Me See You Die

I've been thinking about dying a lot recently. Not just my own death, but death in general. Frankly, I think too much is made of it. It is seen as the end of everything.

My best friend told me of a study on how many doctors opt against life-prolonging treatments. They should know. But I figured that one out on my own. Life-prolonging--life itself--keeps us from heaven.

So why do we cling so desperately to life? Pardon me if I get a little cynical, but I think we try to hang onto life because we feel that it is all we have. I speak of Christians that can't let go, or don't want to.

For me, I figure all the good things are in heaven, so I want to go there. Simple as that. I am not proud of my life--mostly wasted--but I know God is rich in mercy. I count on that. I rely on Him as my only hope, so I can relax.

As concerns the process of dying itself, I know that death does not hurt. It is life that hurts. I want out of it. Little babies die. Anyone can do it. And most importantly, Jesus showed us the way. He died and came back from the dead.

I remember my mother saying that no one has returned from the land of the dead to tell us what lies beyond. But Jesus did. He had no stories to tell us about people screaming in hell, or of Abraham in a cool part of hell.

Lazarus--the real one--told us nothing of his adventures there. Lazarus was dead, and that would make a dull story. It is his resurrection that is so thrilling.

Young people and the middle aged will surely be raptured alive. As for the old or fatally sick, this is our big chance to show how much we want to be with God.

Let No Man Deceive You

We have talked about what will take place in the last days of Israel. It will be a seven year period, exactly measured out by unmistakable events in Daniel 9:24-27.

Gee, I wonder why certain churches won't ever, ever, teach about these verses? That was a rhetorical question. I know why, and I hope you do also. When people have a giant scheme they are working on, make lots of money, get more real estate, gain more prestige, and things like that, they don't want to hear about anything contrary to it.

The Bible is very contrary to it. So they just don't teach the Bible. Not systematically. They give brief "inspirational" sermons once a week, instead.

But this is omission, not deception, you may say. Right. But being dead churches they cause people to seek life elsewhere, often in cults, or among the misinformed. Amazing how devilish, or just plain stupid, churches can be so full of life. Attract like the moth to the flame.

I have known two ladies who had dull husbands. I mean really dull, as in a neon sign overhead reading "Dull Person". As is done often today, they divorced them. They should have stayed with them, but you can understand their motivation. Some churches are like that too.

There is a very simple remedy--tell the truth. To a Christian, nothing is more exciting than the truth. Only takes one person to do it. Dead authors do it all the time--tell the truth, get people stirred up to learn more. Could it be that money grubbing is not appealing to those not engaged in it--those with very different values?

A Lifetime Project in One Chapter

Really. You could spend a lifetime, very well indeed, on Matthew 24. Each verse has a theology in it. Way too late for me to do it, but I hope somebody does.

I love this great prophecy, not given to the masses, but to the disciples, privately. It brings a whole bunch of prophecies together through the words of Jesus Himself.

So why don't churches and commentators talk about it a lot? They do. So why am I not satisfied? I never am. Because Jesus warned people not to let anyone deceive them, and they do!

Hours ago I heard a very popular man tell folks that we are in the last days described in this chapter. Totally false of course.

Let us look at the setting--Jerusalem's temple mount. The disciples were concerned about the mount and its buildings. Jesus said there would not be one stone left upon another.

Go to Jerusalem today, and you will find multitudes worshiping at a high wall of giant stones and calling it the remnants of the temple. If people fall for false messiahs, should we be surprised if they also believe in a false temple wall? The wall is what is left of the Roman fort of Antonia. There are plenty of stones piled up here.

Matthew 24 is not about the church at all. It is about the last days of Israel. The church has no temple mount and will not be on the earth when these prophesied events take place (Revelation 3:10). So the misguided man on the radio was totally off base by applying this chapter to the wrong people and the wrong times.

Jesus warned about deception, and we are surrounded by it. His warning is part of His prophecy. We are deceived.

I like to watch a program on a team that studies the causes of airplane disasters. Some of the troubles do not end in fatalities, and always the team helps these things not to happen again. Kind of like untangling mistaken ideas about Matthew 24, isn't it?

Don't They Have an App for That?

In the movie "Being There", the protagonist, formerly isolated from the world, is confronted by an armed man demanding his money. Quickly, he begins pushing buttons on his tv remote in an attempt to change the channel. Poor guy, he had been living in a tv world, where unpleasant knowledge could be escaped by just such a tactic.

Audiences laughed at someone so deluded that he felt there was an electronic device that could let you escape reality. But "Being There" was made many years ago. Today we realize that you can escape through electronics. Today we have video games, and perhaps more importantly, smart phones.

I'm not knocking them, they work. Pick a remote place. It's guaranteed that no matter where, even people who live on short rations will be using, at least, primitive phones. How primitive? So basic that you can only use them to talk on!

But soon this will be remedied as the smart phones take over. Since I enjoy humor, I look forward to the universal use of smart phones, even smart phone brain implants.

Much of humor is based on surprise, and I anticipate the day when the world population is finally reduced to the helpless condition of Chancey Gardener, the man with the tv remote. Push the buttons. God's future cannot be altered by them. Reality will eventually have to be faced.

Making the Bible Acceptable

This is a tough one. I mean the job of altering the Bible so that people can accept it. The people who do this one deserve all the money and credit they can get.

My knowledge on the subject of "taming the Bible" is limited. All I can tell you is from my experience and a few things I have read.

The simplest way of dealing with an undiluted Bible is to ignore it. I suppose that this is the most widely used. It works for both believer's and non. For non-believers you just say that the Bible is a bunch of outdated myths and tribal stories, which, if they ever had any meaning, are no longer "relevant".

Back in the 70's I knew a young lady, very "hip" and on to every new trend, who came down with "relevancy fatigue". I was laughing at the term and it's over-use. She told me, "Honestly, I can't stand to hear the word any longer."

In many people's minds, the very term "relevant" has become irrelevant. So we'll just say that to many, the Bible truths, though once perhaps useful, no longer apply.

But for the hard-liners, who believe the Bible is our Creator's book, and is very up to date and even futuristic, there are still ways it can be downgraded.

As above, ignoring works best. My father, though a very devout man, avoided the book of Revelation. The Methodists had taught him not to touch it at all, ever. They told him it was impossible to understand and, therefore, always misinterpreted. What they did not tell him was that the book of Revelation destroys their empire-building, amillennial philosophy.

If the ignoring strategy fails, there is still reductionism. Dissect and over-interpret God's Word with devices such as the Graf-Wellhausen theory until no one is sure who wrote it it or what it means.

Imagine a man's love letter being treated this way! "Got a love letter supposedly from Bill today. But was it written by just one guy named Bill, or by a bunch of guys at different times? Maybe it was from proto-Bill, or deutero-Bill?"

Poor Bill! To authenticate the authorship of his letter, he'll have to show up in person and straighten things out.

That's what God is going to do.

The Great Conveyor Belt

Surely I'm not going to write about conveyor belts! Actually, I'm not. Just about one--the one we're all on. It was built to take everyone and their possessions to the grave. It's extremely democratic, everybody can ride on it. In fact, everyone must ride on it.

So, is it my own circumstances that cause me to think about the grave? Nope, the reality hit me when I was young, way back when my muscles were tuned with tuning forks and I was quick-witted. But what a morbid thought. Everyone and their possessions are headed for the landfill.

Have you noticed that when you think of seemingly terrible things--things you don't want to allow into your mind for one second--that you may get the creepy feeling, the conviction, actually, that they are true?

A few people are willing to trade the diversions they try to hide behind for even a glimpse of the truth. They let go of an induced unreality (now days known as as The Matrix) to look reality right in the face. Unlike people who ride thrill rides to get the excitement of threats and be relieved when the ride ends, some people are drawn to face the reality of life's end.

At this point, Worldly Wiseman gets out his cigar box of standard dodges. Here are some of the most-used.

• "If you can't do anything about something unpleasant, then why think about it?"
• "You might as well enjoy life as much as you can, while you're still alive."

These are Devil-tested and seem to work for lots of people.

Back to the Great Conveyor belt.

Long ago I started thinking about some unpleasant things. Not that I liked them, but because I knew that they were true. I took the Red Pill, trading reality for the attempts at evading it. Makes for a sad person, you might think. I mean, envisioning every person with all their possessions on a great big moving belt headed for destruction.

Years later, I ran into the wonderful truth--or rather it ran into me--that though the big belt keeps moving and cannot be stopped, some people are going to get off of it. I learned that when you begin to apprehend truth, it first seems bad. But when, finally, it is fully revealed, it is full of joy.

For the great majority, the non-elect, they will just lean back in their recliners on the great moving belt. "Believe I'll have another blue pill. It helps me to enjoy the ride."

Made to Be Destroyed

Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour? Romans 9:21

The idea that God makes some people to be destroyed is so offensive to human nature that most won't even consider it. A tip off about their reaction is that it is based on their feelings, not upon the fact that it is plainly revealed in the Bible.

Those who object will use terms like "tyrant" or "dictator" to describe such a God. Soon we are discussing a violation of their idea of God as opposed to how He is plainly revealed in the Word. Their weak little chins will tremble or they may explode with wrath.

"But these are laymen," you may object. Surely theologians can stifle their feelings as they sit in judgement on God. Not only do these birds have strong feelings to consider, but their fame and fortunes are at stake. If they make it too simple, they could lose their positions.

Every major doctrine has at least one chapter devoted to it. So, if you want the plain vanilla truth, just read Romans chapter nine. Then you will understand it. Instead of a tortuous life-long debate, you can quickly resolve this "issue", knock off and watch a Gene Autry movie.

Inviting a Jew into Your Church to Explain What the Bible Really Means

A friend told me of his church doing just that. He listened as a Jewish man lectured on the secret meaning of the Bible until my friend could take no more. There was a time (Luther's day) when the whole incident would never have happened.

The Bible is very clear that during the church age the people of Israel have been blinded to the truth about their Messiah. Some day they will look upon Him whom they have rejected and killed, and they will mourn. But since they are blinded to the truth at present, why seek them out to lecture us on the Bible?

Sounds like a rhetorical question, but in this case I believe I know exactly why. In Malachi Martin's novel Windswept House, he has a great tell-all scene of a Grand Lodge in the Holy Land, where representatives of Islam, Judaism, and nominal Christians, meet for "services". The unity of religions and of the eccumene--the entire inhabited earth--is Antichrist's great goal.

After God's people are in heaven or in the camp of the saints on earth, this goal will be achieved, briefly. Like setting out a piece of jellied bread to attract the flies so you can swat them all at one time, God will allow the evil ones to unite for one brief moment. Like in the wheat and tares parable, first the harvest, then the tares will be burned.

So how does this apply to my friend's church? Though nominally Presbyterian, it was founded by Masons. In its entryway there was a sturdy cage containing the Masonic paraphernalia of its founders, their aprons and trowels. It had been established by Masons and their Godless agendas were still ongoing--unity above all.

When my friend and his wife announced that they were leaving because of such rampant paganism, they were asked, "So what's the big deal? So what?" They finally learned why we cannot worship together.

The Abomination of Desolation

He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. Daniel 9:27, NIV

So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--... Matthew 24:15, NIV

There is talk today that we are in the great tribulation. In my church, about forty years ago, a man announced from the pulpit that we were in it as evidenced by "the persecution of teenagers". I have never seen a scripture that uses such a persecution as a sign of anything. But the man was a music director, and he gained quite a following from young people with his statement.

Before we can prove when the great tribulation begins, a sequence of events must occur. One is the rebuilding of the temple. Next, Antichrist will make a covenant with many in Israel. It will be for seven years. In the middle of this seven year covenant period, he will break it. He will put something in the temple that will cause the great tribulation.

Have any of the above events occurred? If they have not all occurred we are not in the great tribulation. Simple as that. We will not ever be, for that matter. Revelation 3:10 has a promise that we will not be.

Revelation is the book of the tribulation, the one with the greatest details. See any mention of the church there during this terrible period? There is none. We will be in heaven then.

The rebuilding of the temple may be in the first half of the covenant period. It is not said. But we need three things to happen before the tribulation begins--a temple, a seven year treaty, and the placing of the "abominable" thing in the temple.

Paul speaks of what will happen.

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself as God.2 Thessalonians 2:4, NIV

The abominable thing is Antichrist himself, whether in person or in the form of an image. Storms, earth quakes and wars are important, but much more must happen before the great tribulation comes.

Suttle Warfare

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:1

This verse not only shows the methodology of the Father of Lies, but reminds us that God made him, and then allowed him to take the form of a serpent. Since everything that God made was good, the serpent represented a fallen creature.

Imagine God letting the Evil One represent himself as a lion. Instead of being beguiling, the lion could have said, "Eat of the fruit of this tree or I will kill you!"

Could it be that subtlety (the NIV says that he was "crafty") is the most effective form of warfare?

We know that the Devil uses both forms. But it is warfare by deception that I wish to speak of now, because it is the form being used in the worldly churches.

It has long been proven that martyrdom is not an effective weapon against the true church. This was known since early Roman times. Which of two devilish forms of warfare does this leave?

Deception by subtle infiltration is the order of the day. Question, then contradict the Word, the lifeblood of the church.

It is not always easy to resist, but it is simple. If someone told you to lift a heavy weight, that would be a simple order. But it would not be easy. Frankly, we are not able to resist the devil's craftiness alone. But Jesus has showed us the way.

In Luke chapter four, Jesus resisted the Devil with the great weapon of His word. All scriptures were from one book, Deuteronomy. We can use the entire Bible. "Yea, hath God said?" may be answered by "Yea, God hath said."

The Pope's Mother-in-Law

When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. Matthew 8:14, NIV

Now, in no way am I saying that Peter was a pope, first or otherwise. But there is a giant organization that declares that this is true.

I just received an e-mail from a dear lady and close friend, saying that, as a chaperone to a group of Catholic school girls, she was standing in St. Peter's Square. I was not one bit impressed. Not favorably, that is. A chaperone is supposed to keep her charges out of trouble. If St. Peter's Square is a big deal to you, you're in deep trouble already.

The Roman Catholic Church not only claims that the body of Peter is buried in the Vatican, but that Peter was Pope #1. They are faced with the problem that their first pope was married. I am not certain how they handle this. Maybe it is that he was made first pope while he was married and was too kind to leave his wife, or that later popes were improved models, as more rules were adopted?

I mention these things to show how a great Christian--though not the head of the church--has been elevated to this absurd position, which he never would have allowed in his lifetime.

My Favorite Theological Expert, You!

...For a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4

I could have said Luther or Calvin, so why didn't I?

Let me tell you about a tv interview I saw a long time ago. Victor Borge was being interviewed (I think it was by Diane Sawyer), and she asked, "What is the difference between you and...?" She named a pianist of the past.

Victor responded immediately. "He is dead."

So, I choose you over any number of theologians of the past, and a whole bunch of ones still living. Am I trying to flatter you? Yes, in a way. You are so much more important than the others, because you are alive and available to your family, spouse, or church. One who studies or reads can easily instruct those who do not.

One of my all-time favorite people was Ruth Stout, the Quaker and super gardener. She described taking beginning piano lessons and then teaching another child. People were horrified at her audacity. She replied that, though she could not yet play well, she could show others what she did know.

Same with theology of both the experts and general church goers. Though they seem to be well dressed, they are wearing hand-me-downs--ideas and creeds that they inherited. You can, like a beginning piano student, show what you do know, especially by using your home Bible library.

By my introductory scripture, I did not just want to refer to you as any dog. But maybe to an Irish Setter. They are good at tracking things down, and sniffing things out.

There is No Prehistoric Man

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground , and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

What Christian has not read this? So why do any of us believe the lies about man's beginning? I know why the Devils children promote the lies about where we came from, but why do we follow them?

There are two issues that will not go away--evolution and abortion. There are some steadfast believers who are resisting these lies. Bless you, state of Kansas, for example. God will bless you people.

I have seen a pastor, attempting to teach the Bible, try to reconcile the six days of creation with the geological ages. Such a coward he was. You could tell he was in a quandary, but "geology" won out.

If you were a hard hearted critic of the hoax called modern geology, you could spend a rainy afternoon dissecting the so-called geologic ages. They are a complete fabrication. When the great hydrologist, Henry Morris, wrote The Genesis Flood, he destroyed such ideas. He also caused a lot of teachers great torment. Not as much as they deserved, but it was a start.

On the rainy afternoon, you could leaf through this amazing book. Dr. Morris was a leading expert on hydrology and also a licensed Baptist preacher. I admit it, he was a hero of mine. He was modest and patient, and taught the six days of creation.

If only Christians would learn that this Devil's world is full of liars. Many of them, sold-out scientists. It's a war out there, perfect for men who are willing to fight.

Outer Darkness

But many Israelites--those for whom the kingdom was prepared--will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12, NLT

I told a nice lady that the whole idea of hell was bunk, and I did not believe in it. She asked, "What about the weeping and gnashing of teeth?" First, I confess that I have not studied the three scripture references to outer darkness. But I will discuss various ideas concerning it.

That the lady would use outer darkness as a defense of hell is revealing, because that seems to be interpretation number one. A feast is going to be held and those who do not deserve to attend will be bound and cast into hell. This hell is "outer" and "dark".

Sound logical? Is hell--located somewhere in the lower earth--outer darkness? I could criticize the idea of one's soul's teeth being gnashed as ludicrous, but I won't.

For those who insist on the idea of hell, (why Jesus ever used the Norse term "hel" or "hell" is not explained) let me offer an alternative interpretation. A literal feast will be held. Those who thought they would be guests are thrown outside into darkness. The guests are not killed. Where does it say they are? They are ejected, living, into darkness. Being alive, they will gnash their teeth. All literal, nothing added.

I forgot to say that one interpretation of outer darkness is that it is in heaven! A dark region in heaven, where bad potential guests are thrown. This idea is gaining in popularity.

So, if you're up to it, look into interpretations of "outer darkness". You will see the hell boys at work and the"dark region of heaven" people each arguing over their injected falsehoods. What a terrible state of ignorance has befallen the church.

Mr. Smarty Pants on Alexander

Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, about Alexander,
I just read you saying Alexander the Great is a type of Antichrist! How did you come up with that one?

A. By reading all of chapter eight of Daniel, for one thing. I think maybe you have not. Prophets often blend from near events to distant events. Starting with chapter eight, verse nine, we see a world leader emerge from one of the horns of Alexander's broken horn. This is from his lineage of power and influence. Nations that seem to have declined will rise again. In fact, one of them, Greece, will be the beginning of Antichrist's empire. I have a link here, which shows Alexander wearing a helmet with goat horns. That is why I call him "Alexander the Goat" as a memory device.

Q. Do you make this stuff up?

A. If I did, it would be a lot easier than the four years of study which I did to gain an understanding of this wonderful book.

The Diadochi in the Book of Daniel

Therefore the he-goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven. Daniel 8:8

There they are, the four successors of Alexander the Great! These surviving generals are well covered in history, so why rave about their appearance in the Book of Daniel? Because this story of Alexander and his generals was written before it took place.

Those who would relegate this telling of the story to the past cannot explain why Daniel was considered one of the greatest of prophets, and cited by Our Lord Himself. Daniel is one of the most hated of Bible books by unbelievers. Sir William Anderson wrote about this in his book, Daniel in the Critic's Den.

But why would anyone be so excited by the message of Daniel chapter eight? Because it goes beyond Alexander and takes us to Antichrist, that is why. Alexander is a type of Antichrist. When we combine the prophetic information in Daniel with that of Revelation, we find that Antichrist will arise from within the old Greek Empire.

That this "scoop" on the Diadochi was written before it occurred, and is ignored or "explained away" by secular historians, is easy to explain. Daniel's pre-vision of Alexander authenticates God's Word, and they cannot have that!

But why do the corporate churches ignore this wonderful prophecy? Because such churches are extensions and servants of the Devil's world. Do you trust these churches to give you the truth? You could look at events now taking place in the Episcopal Church and in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C, for clues to their corruption.

There are treasures in the book of Daniel, not found anywhere else. If you study it, you will be richly rewarded.

To look into this further, see Alexander's successors: the Diadochi.

Going Up, Going Down? The Elevator of History

In a Chicago museum, there was a display of skeletons, arranged according to size, supposedly to show the slow progress towards the evolution of man. It was very graphic and impressive. It was totally false in the "truth" it was meant to reveal. When I later visited, it had been taken down.

According to those who run our culture, we have been making progress over a period of billions of years, not only physically, but intellectually and morally. This is not a diatribe on evolution, but a commentary on the concept of progress. The ancients believed that civilization has been in decline since the earliest of days. A little conflict of concepts here, eh?

Those in the past believed we are falling. Now we are being told we are rising. The Golden Age was once believed to be in the past, now we are told it is yet to be.

Christians know which way the elevator is going. Except in technology, the last bastion of the progress crowd, we are in a fatal decline. The ancients, being closer to the time of the creation, lament the loss of something we can only dream of.

If only David or Isaiah had had smart phones!

Along with the advances in, and obsession with, technology, comes an "advance" that threatens us all. Strange, but this doom is not widely talked about. I guess it hurts Satan's Progress Theory too much. This is the radiation continuously gushing from several sites into our air and water. We have better radiation and more efficient ways to kill. That is our approaching Golden Age.

See Golden Age, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

It's Easy to Be Elect of God

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

My best friend just told me about John Mac Arthur's latest book. It is called Hard to Believe. Now who am I to criticize MacArthur? He is a super- author and beloved preacher of millions.

Just for fun, Google "John MacArthur's". His wife, his family his home, are all listed as items of interest. He is famous for how-to books. In fact, the only thing he has not written about, so far, is how to breathe.

So why am I concerned about this man's latest book? John has a tendency toward legalism or "hardism". It's possible, reading him, to believe that you must constantly struggle to be a Christian. Perhaps with one of his books you can make it, but it won't be easy.

I once worked with a man who had served in WWII. When his outfit left training and were assigned duties, he was given the job as clerk-typist. As he pursued his job, he started receiving reports about his former buddies. Some had been wounded. Some had died. They had gone through hardships and perils, but he "only" worked in an office.

He told me that he was afraid of guns, even in training. But he was a meticulous worker and served well. Both he and the men who had been wounded and killed were soldiers. Both were needed. Most soldiers never see combat, yet they all serve.

But what about being one of the elect? It is totally easy. The elect were chosen, before the world was made, not on how hard they worked, or how much they suffered. Little babies are chosen before they are born, or even conceived, with no effort on their part.

Being chosen--being a Christian--is easy. Some receive dangerous, even deadly jobs, by their Savior. For others, just leading a decent life and hanging on to the Faith is enough. Shame on you, John MacArthur, for trying to put your burdens on God's elect!

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. I Thessalonians 4:11

See the following reviews for more insights on John MacArthur's writings.

• John MacArthur's "Hard To Believe" And Lordship Salvation
• John MacArthur’s New Apostate Book: Slave

Gifts Soon Taken Away

Which catch or hearts in nets as soft as sky
And bind us with a thread of fragile hours:
Flowers are beautiful because they die.
- from the Sonnet on the Death of the Man Who Invented Plastic Roses, by Peter Meinke

I once had a pet cemetary. It had graves of dogs and cats. It even had a little grave for a turtle. Soon I had the death of people thrust upon me. All this starting at age six.

Death was not talked about much. It was just a terrible part of life. It was as if you had to face it, but not ask too many questions.

I know that when my favorite cousin died, I wanted to go to heaven so that I could be with her. I still do. Since God is all-powerful, we wondered, why does he allow death?

As I said, we tried not to think about it. Maybe death was a way of finally being happy? But a child wondered why all the weeping? Had a person--anyone--spent some time with me, even at that tender age, and read to me from the Bible about this forbidden subject, I would have been their most ardent of pupils.

I learned that the most important things are the ones not talked about. I was instructed--or non-instructed--by people afraid of Truth. They believed, but were under a dreadful cloud. It was whether or not we could be good enough to go to heaven.

So who is the ideal teacher, and what would be his message for a little boy who was aching to know about the meaning of death? A friendly, approachable person who would give me a great overview of how we came to a world of loss through death.

His message: "Have you wondered why God lets us love people, and our pets, then allows them to be taken away by death? Once, in a perfect universe, where there was no death, the greatest of angels became proud and ambitious. He wanted to be above God. He and one third of the heavenly angels were kicked out of heaven. He tempted the first people to join him. God's punishment for this was death. That is how it came into the world. Death is the most un-natural thing in the world. It is a curse. Would you like to live forever where there is no more death?"

My answer would be that this would be wonderful!

My ideal teacher would tell me that this is the way it will be in the future. "First the evil one and his gang will be allowed to run their course. There will be a great conflict. Evil will be tried and punished. God's people will some day live forever. We must have patience until that time. To enter this deathless place requires a payment, though--too much for you to pay. But God's son has paid for your admission. He gave his life so that you could enter in."

My doubts about my behavior would surface. "I have been a bad boy. Could I still get in?"

My patient teacher would explain that Jesus died for bad boys too. He will clean me up so that I can come in. This is what my ideal teacher would have told me.

I never had that ideal teacher, so I wandered all over the place, wasting my life. But I have Him now.