 
Biblical Perspectives - Issues of Life

Volume 1

By Jon Peasey

Published by Peasey Publications

at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jon Peasey

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Table of Contents

Preface

About the author

Welcome to Biblical Perspectives

Is there an afterlife?

Heaven or Hell

Noah's Ark - Fact or Fable?

The Rapture - What is it?

Armageddon - Could it impact on you?

Revelation Chapter 13 - The Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Land

Israel - The Time of Jacob's Trouble

Israel- Salvation from the Great Tribulation

The Origin of Languages

The Origin of Sin

The Origin of Hell

The Big Bang \- Theory or Not?

The Sanctity of Marriage

Divorce - The Biblical Perspective

Divorce- A Christian Perspective

Salvation - By faith or by works?

Salvation - Saved then lost?

Vessel of Wrath or Vessel of Mercy?

Crucifixion did not kill Jesus Christ!

Broad is the way that leads to destruction

Xmas or Christmas?

God was in Christ

No Condemnation

Which thief will you follow?

Therefore being justified

The Good Seed

He delights in mercy

And the door was shut!

I don't know what the world is coming to!

Alphabetical list of blog posts

About the Author

I am a retired male nurse, married with three sons, who have grown up and left home. I live with my wife at Innisfail in tropical North Queensland, Australia. The main agricultural crops of the region are sugar cane, bananas and paw paws (papaya). Innisfail is situated at the confluence of the Johnstone and South Johnstone rivers; adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The closest major city is Cairns about 88 km further north.

I am a committed Christian and I fellowship with like minded Christians at a Gospel Hall in Innisfail. I enjoy writing and reading my Bible and Christian books. I enjoy gospel preaching, bible teaching and sharing the knowledge I have gained over many years studying the Bible. I also enjoy reading other non-fiction books in my spare time, particularly biographies and autobiographies. Other interests are family, walking, riding my bicycle, car touring and holidaying with my wife.

I also blog on my two blogs:

Biblical Perspectives blog http://www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

Words of Life blog http://www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com

Email: mailto:jon.peasey@gmail.com

You are invited to check out my other current ebooks.

'Port Robe' http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/208837

'Iron In His Soul' http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/217935

'The 1950's - A Time To Grow' http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/222328

'Closed On Tuesdays' http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241665

Preface

The following blog posts are the result of a personal exercise to comment on issues of life from a Biblical perspective. I make no apologies for getting to the 'nitty gritty' of matters. There are many voices in the world today seeking to draw the attention of men and women away from the Creator God and the revelation of His dealings with mankind. Some of these matters may appear to be 'in your face'; but if they draw your attention to the truth in God's words in the Holy Bible then they will have achieved their purpose.

As you can see from the title this is Volume 1. My intention is to publish further volumes as the blog posts roll out, over time. The blog posts are listed in the Table of Contents in the order they were originally published on the web. The reason for this is that some of the posts refer back to earlier posts. An alphabetical list of the posts is included at the end of the book for your convenience.

Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Holy Bible. Words enclosed in square brackets [ ] are inserted for the sake of clarity. Any words outlined in bold type emphasise a point.

Welcome to Biblical Perspectives

Hi, welcome to Biblical Perspectives. For some time now I have been thinking about starting a blog about issues of life that affect us individually and collectively. As the title suggests I want to consider these issues from a Biblical perspective. The Christian's Bible has been around for 2000 + years. Its messages are for every individual on the face of the earth; regardless of whether you follow any particular religion, or not. The word of God is universal in its scope.

I make no apology for mentioning the word God in a world that increasingly denies His existence. For anyone who does not believe in God; the moment you die you will believe! But, then it is too late! Do you consider yourself to be a fool? "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'..." (Psalms 14:1)

Why must we die? All around us every day of every week of every year people die. What does the word of God reveal to us? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Now there is no getting away from the word 'all'. All have sinned – the wages of sin is death! All sin is against God. This is the Biblical perspective; death is the reward of sinning. Thank God we are not left with this hopeless situation. The rest of the verse clearly tells us that "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." You may say, "I am not a sinner." Who's fooling who? The only person you are fooling is yourself! The word 'all' includes you!

God gives the gift of eternal life, but it is only available in one particular person. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ; the One who is truly God and truly man. How does He give me this gift of eternal life? "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame'. " (Romans 10:9-11)

The moment you are saved, you have the gift of eternal life. You now belong to God for all eternity; and have "...an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:4)

The gift has not cost you anything – it is a gift. But, it cost the Lord Jesus his life as a man, when He died on the cross at Calvary to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. Through His sacrificial death; by Him paying the price demanded by God we are reconciled to God. His blood that was shed at Calvary cleanses us from all sin. When God raised Jesus from the dead; He proved that the risen Man had the power of an endless life. This eternal life is available in Him, and only through Him.

So the choice is ours; either eternal life, or eternal damnation. God did not create man as a robot or a machine. He created us with the ability to make our own choices in life.

Is there an afterlife?

The Christian's Bible clearly shows us there is an afterlife. In my previous blog post 'Welcome to Biblical Perspectives' we saw that death is a result of sin in our lives. Sin amongst mankind is universal and so death is universal.

Romans 5:19 tells us, "For as by one man's disobedience [Adam] many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience [Jesus Christ] many will be made righteous. How were many made sinners? When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden they became sinners. They now had the knowledge of good and evil. This placed them in an invidious position. They had the knowledge of good but could not fulfil God's requirements. On the other hand they had the knowledge of evil and could not stop themselves from sinning.

You may say to me that only applies to them. Does it? You know automatically when you do the wrong thing - your conscience condemns you. The sinful nature has been passed down via Adam through the male offspring. So both male and female are born with a sinful nature; passed on to them by their biological father. This is the gist of what the Psalmist is bringing before us in Psalms 51:5, "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me." We are born with a sinful nature. The Psalmist is not saying his conception was a sinful act, or that his being born was a sinful act. However he is saying that he was born with an indwelling sinful nature. It is in our very nature to commit sin!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden their punishment was physical death. It did not happen to them immediately when they sinned; but it eventually came to each of them. 'The wages of sin is death.'

We already know there is physical death. What does the word of God reveal to us about events after we die? Before we look into this we need to establish what sort of a being man is. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 gives us the answer. "...may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." From this verse we learn that we have a human spirit, a human soul and a human body. Take careful note of these facts.

In Genesis 1:27 we read, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." In Genesis 2:7 we read, "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 being [soul]." What is physical death? It is the complete absence of life! We see a dead body, but what has become of the life i.e. the soul and spirit that was in the body?

Ecclesiastes 12:5-7, "...For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken...Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." The body has died, but the spirit and soul of the person return to God to do with at His good pleasure. In Hebrews 4:12 we learn that the only thing that can possibly divide the soul and spirit is the word of God.

Physical death is primarily a condition i.e. a body without the soul and spirit. It is not the end of the matter. From the Scriptures we learn that the soul and spirit of the person goes to a place of departed spirits called Hades. Hades has two locations. One location is in Paradise, which is in the presence of God. The New Testament places it in Heaven. The other location, for people who have died in their sins is in Hell.

The Lord Jesus gives us a very instructive incident in Luke chapter 16 about a rich man and a beggar at his gate called Lazarus. Lazarus died and his soul and spirit was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom [in Paradise]. The rich man died and was buried. Verse 23, "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." The rich man appeals to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue. Verses 25 and 26, "...'Son, remember in your life time you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us'."

What is the position of a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 tells us, "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

When a true believer in Christ dies, he leaves his body behind, but his soul and spirit is immediately in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven. When a sinner dies in his sins; he leaves his body behind; but his soul and spirit is immediately in Hell. It is too late for salvation; that can only take place while we are here in our bodies.

I will conclude by saying if we end up in Hell it is because we have chosen to go there. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Next blog post we will look further into what the Scriptures reveal about this afterlife.

Heaven or Hell

Having established in the last blog post there is an afterlife; let us consider the two places of departed souls i.e. heaven or hell. You may say to me "I don't believe in either place. I don't believe that there is a heaven or a hell." Ignorance is not bliss! If I tell you that the main street in Sydney, Australia is George Street; and you choose not to believe me, it does not alter the fact that George Street is the main street in Sydney.

Whether you believe there is a heaven or hell does not alter the fact that there is a heaven or hell. The real crux of the matter is whether you believe God, or not. I repeat ignorance is not bliss. God has informed us in the Bible of both places. There are numerous references in both the Old and New Testaments to heaven and hell (Hades).

What do the Scriptures tell us about hell? What sort of pictures does it create in our mind's eye? Luke 16:23 reveals it is a place of intense heat. Luke 16:26 reveals it is a place of no escape. Mark 9:43, 44 describes hell as a place where, "Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Dig up soil and watch a worm; it is always moving. It signifies the constant, unceasing torments. The unquenched fire signifies the heat and intensity of the torments. Matthew 8:12 describes hell as a place of outer darkness. 2 Peter 2:17 tells us of the blackness of darkness forever. Matthew 8:12 also tells us it is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Weeping can be a sign of pain, or anguish, or remorse. Gnashing of teeth can be a sign of anger, or pain, or anguish, or frustration.

Whichever way you look at it; hell is not a good place to be. You sometimes hear people flippantly say, "I'll have plenty of friends in hell." That may be so, but they won't be having a good time; and neither will you if you end up there!

In John 5:28,29 the Lord Jesus Christ told the Jews, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation [judgement]." Two resurrections are clearly foretold. Let's consider the resurrection of judgement for those who have done evil; in other words the resurrection of those in hell.

Revelation 20:12-15 gives us a clear picture of this event. "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

What an awful, solemn scene! This is the end result of dying in your sins. This is the end result of rejecting God's offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is resurrection? It is our spirit and soul reunited with our body. This is the explanation of Death and Hades delivering up the dead who were in them. The resurrected sinner stands before God to be judged. Consider carefully verse 14, "Then death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

Physical death (of the body), and the soul and spirit in Hades (Hell) have been reunited in resurrection. After judgement of the resurrected sinner has been passed on them; the sinner is cast into the lake of fire. That is how Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire; in the person of the sinner! The Lake of Fire is the second death. It is absolute – for all eternity! It is irreversible! There is no parole or pardon!

Can you grasp the enormity of this?

What do the Scriptures tell us about heaven? The very first verse in the Bible tells us, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). In Genesis 14:19 Melchizidech, King of Salem blesses Abram and reveals that God Most High is the Possessor of heaven and earth. The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 tells us that, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows – such a one was caught up to the third heaven." From this verse we learn there are three heavens.

The first heaven is the sky above us. The second heaven is the vast universe beyond us. The third heaven is the dwelling place of God. Psalms 16:11 states, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures evermore." Jude verses 24 and 25 "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Saviour, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

There is great joy in heaven, in the presence of God. That is the portion of all the redeemed of mankind; those who take part in the resurrection of life, theirs' is an eternal joy. They will live forever in the presence of God.

The alternative is truly horrendous!

Noah's Ark – Fact or Fable?

This is a subject that arouses disbelief and incredulity. Many adults consign it to the realm of children's stories. They believe it is a fable; but you and I, let's get down to the nitty gritty. Why do people want to disbelieve the account of Noah and his ark? What they really don't want to believe is that God sent a universal, worldwide flood to destroy mankind; except for Noah and his family. The flood was judgement for the evil, wicked lives the people of that time lived. You can read the account for yourself in Genesis chapters 6 to 8.

We will now look at a few significant verses. Genesis 6:5-7, 11, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them'...The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence."

Genesis 6:8-10 tells us, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth." Noah was given instructions by God to build an ark of gopherwood, make rooms in it and cover it inside and out with pitch. It was to have a window; and a door in the side of the ark. It was to have three decks; a lower, second and third storey.

Genesis 6:17, 18 states, "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you." Verses 19 to 21 tells us how he was to bring the animals, male and female, into the ark. Noah was also to take all types of food to feed his family and the animals. Verse 22 tells us that Noah did as God commanded him.

Let's go back to Genesis 6:3 for a moment. "And the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years'." God's patience with Noah's evil generation would run out in 120 years. Noah had 120 years to build his ark.

There is a common misconception that the ark was pointed at both ends. If we look at the instructions given to Noah we will see that the ark was rectangular in shape. Genesis 6:15 states, "And this is how you will make it; the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits."

A cubit measured 18 inches, or one and one half feet in length.

300 cubits =450 feet =137 metres

50 cubits=75 feet=23 metres

30 cubits=45 feet=14 metres

Noah's ark was 137 metres long, 23 metres wide and 14 metres high. If each storey was evenly divided it would be approximately 4.5 metres high.

The ark built by Noah and his sons was not a small vessel! It was covered inside and out with pitch (tar). The ark was completely black inside and out and completely waterproof. Let's try and put the size in perspective. The ark was longer than an American football field and nearly as long as a rugby football field. It was approximately half as wide as an American football field.

Try to imagine it, longer than a football field, half as wide, and three stories high! It took Noah and his sons 120 years to build the ark. The people of his generation did not listen to Noah's message that God would send judgement on the earth.

When the ark was finished God said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation."

(Genesis 7:1). God then determined another seven more days grace while the animals entered the ark. Genesis 7:4 states, "For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."

Verse 10 to the end of the chapter gives us a graphic account of the flood that prevailed 15 cubits (6.9 metres) over the highest mountains. Every living creature that drew breath died! Verse 23, "...Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive."

In Genesis chapters 8 and 9 we read the account of the aftermath of the great flood; and how God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants to never again bring a universal flood in judgement. The rainbow in the sky was given as the sign of this covenant.

What is the significance of this to you and me? God continued the race of mankind through Noah and his sons. Every man, woman and child on the face of the earth is a descendant of Noah! You are living proof that he existed!

Since the 1850's, there have been numerous sightings of Noah's ark on Mt Ararat, in north eastern Turkey. For centuries Mt Ararat has been known as the forbidden mountain. The ark rests in a glacier. On rare occasions when the ice begins to thaw out some of the ark becomes visible.

So do we believe God, or those who consider Noah's ark and the great flood as a myth? Strange isn't it that sea shells and marine fossils are found high up on mountain sides; all sorts of theories are postulated as to how they could have gotten there. The Scriptures give us a very clear indication as to how this came about.

Let's be very clear as to why the great flood came. God saw the "...wickedness of man was great." Although the word man is in the singular, the context shows us that God is speaking of mankind in general; except for Noah. Are we better than that generation? Job 5:7 tells us, "Yet man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards." Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6: 23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Out eternal destiny is in our hands, each one of us has freedom of choice; to be safe like Noah, or perish in the coming judgement of God.

The Rapture – What is it?

You can look through the New Testament and you won't find the word 'rapture' mentioned. Yet Christians often refer to The Rapture.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines the word rapture as:

1. The state of mind resulting from feelings of high emotion; joyous ecstasy

2. An expression of ecstatic joy.

3. The act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another.

This third definition gives us the contextual meaning of what Christians refer to as The Rapture; 'The act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another.' In my blog post 'Heaven or Hell' we considered what resurrection is. It is our spirit and soul miraculously reunited with our dead body. The born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ however takes part in the resurrection of life; not the resurrection of judgement.

Let's consider some verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 15; we will look at verses 51 to 57.

(51) "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed -

(52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, and we shall be changed.

(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.

(55) 'O death where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'

(56) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

(57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The apostle Paul is telling the Corinthian believers that not everyone has to die to take part in the transformation. This transformation takes place instantly. Those believers who have physically died and whose soul and spirit are in the Hades part of Heaven are all resurrected at the same time. Those believers who are alive on earth are transformed a split second after those who are raised from the dead.

Verse 53 tells us that, 'this corruptible must put on incorruption.' It is my belief this refers to the dead believers whose bodies have been in the graves. Their bodies have decayed and corrupted away. The verse also tells us that, 'this mortal must put on immortality.' This refers to the living believers.

What has taken place? God has given every New Testament believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and every Old Testament believer in the True and Living God a brand new spiritual body. This body cannot be destroyed; it is incorruptible! The believer cannot die; he has put on immortality. This spiritual body has been designed by God for us to spend eternity in Heaven; in His very presence. It is a body designed for Heaven; not planet Earth.

Philippians 3: 20, 21 states, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may conform to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 tell us, "For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

The rest of the world won't be aware what is happening. The transformation (rapture) will take place in a micro second. One moment the born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will be here; and the next moment meeting the Lord Jesus in the air! Millions of people will suddenly vanish! The world will not see what takes place! All the true Christians will be gone.

If this was to take place today, would you be part of it? What will it be for you – the resurrection of life, or the resurrection of judgement?

Only you personally can make this choice.

Armageddon – Could it impact on you?

Armageddon the very word strikes fear into the hearts of men and women worldwide! It is a symbol of God pouring out His fury on a sinful world. It is a time when the armies of the world will gather into the land of Israel for a great battle. All nations will be represented. It is a time when God intervenes directly in the affairs of men.

How does it come about? Daniel 11:36-45 gives us details of events leading up to Armageddon. In verses 36 to 38 the character of the Ruler of Israel is given to us. He exalts and magnifies himself above every god. He blasphemes against the God of gods. He has no regard for the God of Israel and His Messiah. Verse 40 reveals that the king of the South (Egypt) will attack him. The king of the North (Syria and her allies) also attacks him and conquers the land; then passes on to Egypt and conquers Egypt. But, the king of the North hears bad news from the east and from the north which troubles him and he returns to Israel in great fury.

Zechariah 13:8 tells us, "And it shall come to pass in all the land." Says the Lord, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third will be left in it." This gives us the state of the nation of Israel just prior to Armageddon.

In Daniel 9:24-27, Daniel is given a time line by the angel Gabriel for God's judgement on the nation of Israel. Seventy weeks of seven years (490 years) are determined by God. In verse 26 we read, "...And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and sanctuary..." This refers to the ancient Roman Empire. Take note, it refers to the people of the prince who is to come. Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Roman General Titus in 70 AD. There will be a revived Roman Empire, led by the 'the prince who is to come'. Verse 27, (the prince who is to come) "...He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week." (Seven years). But he breaks conditions of the covenant in the middle of the week (3 ½ years).

Europe will be brought into the conflict at Armageddon by its covenant (treaty) with Israel; via 'the prince who is to come'. It is easy to see how treaties among nations will bring the armies of the world to Israel for the battle of Armageddon. The whole thing will be energised by Satan, in his endeavour to completely destroy Israel.

Revelation 16:13, 14, 16, tells us, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty...And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon."

Note the symbolic language used – The dragon, the beast and the false prophet. The dragon is a symbol of Satan – the Devil. The beast is the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire. The false prophet is the Anti-Christ, the son of perdition who rules Israel. It is a satanic trinity in complete opposition to the Triune God.

Joel 3:12-14 state, "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations... for their wickedness is great...Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!"

Zechariah 14:12 gives us their end. "And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths..."

Verse 12 is almost a repetition of what happened to the victims of the atomic bomb blasts at Nagasaki and Hiroshima; at the end of World War 2. Men want to play with nuclear weapons of mass destruction. God will pay them back in kind.

Revelation 19:20, "Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone."

Revelation 20:1, 2, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit..."

Let's get back to our blog post heading. Armageddon – Could it impact on you?

We live in troubled global financial times. Natural disasters are on the increase. The Israelis are hated by the neighbouring nations. The world is looking for a leader to lead them out of the global financial morass. The USA once a mighty super power is now the world's largest debtor nation; and was responsible for the global financial crisis in 2008.

European nations have for decades banded together to form the European Economic Union with its own Parliament. It doesn't take much brain power to see Europe could provide a super power based on the old Roman Empire. It doesn't take much brain power to see how a strong leader could arise from the troubled global financial situation. The world is crying out for such a man.

While we can see conditions are ripe for this to take place; Armageddon can't take place until another event on God's time line takes place. What is this event? It is what Christians' refer to as 'The Rapture'. It is the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ into the air; and all the born again believers in Himself, transformed with new spiritual bodies, meeting Him in the air. All the true Christians will be gone forever. Those left behind could very well be involved in the events leading up to Armageddon, or involved in Armageddon.

When the true Christians are gone; God will focus His attention back on the nation of Israel. Christianity as such will be over!

But what about you? Will you be one of those who meet the Lord in the air? The Philippian prison keeper in Acts 16 asked this question of Paul and Silas. "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." These three men will meet the Lord in the air. Will you?

Revelation Chapter 13 – The Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Land

In the last blog post we looked at the battle of Armageddon and its possible impact on people living today. We especially considered the trinity of evil; Satan (the Devil), the beast (Ruler of the revived Roman Empire and the false prophet (Anti-Christ). We also considered their downfall.

In this blog post we will take a look at Revelation chapter 13 where we get a more detailed description of the beast and the false prophet of Revelation chapter 16. It is important to note the symbolic language used in the book of Revelation. If we want to understand this book we need to understand the symbols God gives us in this book. For the sake of brevity I will touch on some relevant points in chapter 13.

Revelation 13:1-7

"(1) Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

(2) Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

(3) And I saw one of his heads as it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. All the world marvelled and followed the beast.

(4) So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?'

(5) And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

(6) Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

(7) It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation."

The Beast from the Sea

The beast rises from the sea (nations of the world).

Verse 1: This beast is the revived Roman Empire. The seven heads are seven Rulers. The ten horns are ten kingdoms. The seven heads (Rulers) carry a blasphemous name. One of the seven Rulers controls three kingdoms; he is the Chief Ruler of the revived Roman Empire.

Verse 2: The Leopard refers to the ancient Grecian Empire. The Bear refers to the ancient Medes and Persian Empire. The Lion refers to the ancient Chaldean Empire. The beast from the sea contains all the older world empires within itself i.e. the ancient Roman Empire. The Dragon (Satan) gives the Ruler of this revived Roman Empire 'his power, his throne and great authority.''

NB. It is important to distinguish between the Beast from the Sea in verses 1-3 and the Beast who is the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire. The Beast from the sea is the Empire itself, in verses 1-3. In verses 4-8 it is the man, the Ruler of this Empire who is given authority by Satan.

Verse 3: The Beast from the Sea, one of its heads was mortally wounded and now it is healed; this shows us that the ancient Roman Empire will be revived in the end times.

The mortally wounded head occurred when the ancient Roman Empire was defeated. The wound being healed is the reviving of the Roman Empire in the end times; which will be in a modern guise.

Verse 4: The world worships the Dragon (Satan) and also worships the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire. There is no one in the world of mankind as powerful as the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire.

Verse 5: The Ruler of the revived Roman Empire speaks great things and blasphemes. He is allowed to continue for three and one half years (until Armageddon).

Verse 6: He blasphemes the True and Living God.

Verse 7: He makes war with the true believers in God and overcomes them. He is given authority over every nation.

The Beast from the Earth

Verse 11: Another beast is seen rising from the earth (Israel). He has two horns like a lamb (Jewish Anti-Christ). He appears to be lamb-like but speaks like a dragon (satanic).

Verse 12: The lamb-like beast (Anti-Christ) in Israel is given the full authority of the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire. He causes the Israelis to become idolaters.

Verses 13 & 14: The Anti-Christ performs physical wonders and deceives Israelis into making an image to the beast (Ruler of the revived Roman Empire).

Verse 15: The image of the beast is given life. Those Israelis who do not worship the image of the beast are killed.

Verses 16 & 17: All have to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead. No one can buy or sell unless they have a mark, or the name of the beast; or the beast's number. The beast, the Ruler of the revived Roman Empire, his number is 666.

Let us look at this in its Scriptural context. True Christianity is finished. God has turned His attention back to the nation of Israel. This is why Israel is so prominent. The Anti-Christ, that false prophet, the one who claims to be their Messiah but isn't; he turns the nation away from the True God to worship himself. They believe the lie! They become a nation of idol worshippers and that is why the nation of Israel is punished by God in the Great Tribulation.

The Lord Jesus told the Jews in John 5:43, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me: if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."

I want to close with the solemn warning given in Revelation 13:8, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (Ruler of the revived Roman Empire) whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Is your name written in the Book of Life? The slain Lamb is a direct reference to the cross at Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins. Eternal life and your name written in the Book of Life are found only in Him!

Israel – The Time of Jacob's Trouble

Jeremiah 30:7 tells us, "Alas for the day is great, so there is none like it; it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." The time of Jacob's trouble corresponds to the events leading up to Armageddon. It is the time of 'great tribulation' spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:21, 22, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened."

Jacob, otherwise known as Israel is of course the Father of the twelve tribes of Israel. His twelve sons became the heads of their own tribes. In Jeremiah chapter 30, Jacob the man, becomes the symbol of the nation of Israel. 'Jacob's trouble' is the nation of Israel's trouble.

In my blog post 'Armageddon – Could it impact on you?' the Ruler of Israel at this time is the same Ruler of Israel who rules Israel in the time of 'Jacob's trouble'. This very same Ruler of Israel is the 'two horned beast' of Revelation 13:11; mentioned in my blog post 'Revelation 13 – The Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Earth'.

He is also the 'lawless one' mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 9, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders."

In Matthew 24:15, 16 the Lord Jesus Christ foretelling the events to come says, "Therefore when you see the 'the abomination of desolation' spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place...then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Daniel in Daniel 11:31 foretold of the time when Antiochus Epiphanes in about 167 BC captured Jerusalem and set up an image to the pagan god Zeus. This came to pass, as did the desecration of God's altar, when he ordered unclean animals (pigs) to be offered on it. Daniel's prophecy actually had a dual purpose.

Since the events that occurred in 167 BC had already come and gone the Lord Jesus is therefore speaking of a future event when another 'abomination of desolation' occurs. Daniel 11:31 tells us, "...then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation." We know this happened in 167 BC. It will happen again! Next time it occurs it will be 'the image of the beast' spoken of in Revelation 13:15.

How does this occur? 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4 give us the necessary information, "...for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing that he is God."

The Jewish Anti-Christ is 'the man of sin, the son of perdition'. He deceives the nation of Israel into believing he is their Messiah. If he tells them to worship the 'image of the beast'; they will do it. He will cause the sacrifices to the True and Living God to cease. He will cause the Israelis to sin by worshipping 'the image of the beast'.

From the information before us we can deduce that there will be a Jewish temple in operation on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. There will be animal sacrifices offered to God again. The coming Anti-Christ will sit in this temple as God; and he will cause the sacrifices to the True and Living God to cease. He will cause the Israelis to worship an idol, 'the image to the beast'.

This idolatry by Israel will bring about the terrible time of 'Jacob's trouble', the 'great tribulation'. Let us not underestimate the seriousness of this situation.

Matthew 24:22 states, "...unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved..." In other words, unless God shortens the length of the tribulation period, all the Israelis would perish. God has to intervene to save the nation; by the personal appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to save them.

Next blog post we will look at what the Scriptures reveal about this marvellous salvation of the nation of Israel.

Israel – Salvation from the Great Tribulation

In my last blog post Israel – The Time of Jacob's Trouble we looked at the time of 'great tribulation' the Israelis will pass through in the end times. We considered the Jewish Anti-Christ who will rule Israel at this time; how he will cause the Israelis to worship 'the image to the beast'. Thus, he makes the nation of Israel into idol worshippers.

In my blog post Armageddon – Could it impact on you? We saw that the king of the South [Egypt] attacks the Anti-Christ; provoking the king of the North [Syria and her allies] to also attack the nation of Israel. The king of the North conquers the nation and passes on to Egypt.

This is the time of 'Jacob's trouble' in Israel when "...two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third will be left in it." (Zechariah 13:8).

The Lord Jesus Christ foretold this time of tribulation in Matthew 24:15-21, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation', spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."

Let's return to Zechariah for his prophecy about this time in Israel. Zechariah 14:1, 2 tells us, "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil shall be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city."

Israel is in extreme peril! There is no possible way any human intervention can save the nation! Only God can save them out of this terrible situation. Zechariah 14:3 states, "Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle." Matthew24:27 tells us, "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the Son of Man be."

The Lord Jesus Christ will suddenly appear as quickly as a flash of lightning. Let's read on in Matthew 24:29, 30, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Let's pick up the time sequence from Zechariah 14:4, 5, "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you."

Jerusalem will be saved by a great miracle; a huge earthquake will occur when the Lord Jesus Christ stands on the Mount of Olives. A huge valley will be formed for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea to flee to safety.

Zechariah 14:12, 13 give us the judgement on the invading nations. "...Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbour, and raise his hand against his neighbour's hand."

Revelation 19:19-21 tells us, "And I saw the beast [ruler of the revived Roman Empire], the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet [Anti-Christ] who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. All the birds were filled with their flesh."

From verse 16 of Revelation 19 we see that the One who sits on the horse is 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS'. The Israelis will be saved by their true Messiah; the One whom they had crucified on a cross at Calvary; on the outskirts of ancient Jerusalem. In that day they will learn that this great Saviour is indeed Jesus of Nazareth; the One who was crucified, voluntarily died, was buried and rose again triumphant. They will learn that He is the King of the Jews – the true King of Israel!

Zechariah 12:10, 11 state, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem..." Verses 12 to 14 show us that the whole land of Israel (the survivors) will mourn for their Messiah; when they will acknowledge they crucified their true King and He it is who saved them from total destruction.

Let's close this blog post with verses from Romans 11:33-36.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out. 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counsellor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

The Origin of Languages

Ever wondered about the origin of languages? The Scriptures give us the answer! Ever wondered about how the different nations came about? The Scriptures have the answers!

Does it seem strange to you that the answers are recorded in God's Holy Bible? Why should it be strange? God is an eternal God; He knows the end from the beginning!

In my blog post Noah's Ark – Fact or Fable? We considered the universal flood that God sent as judgement on the wicked, evil people of Noah's generation. Noah and his three sons, his wife and his sons' wives were all saved through the ark God ordered Noah to build. God started again with Noah and his family.

Genesis 9:1 tells us. "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth'." Genesis 10:3 states, "Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood."

The rest of Chapter 10 gives us a long list of their descendants. In verse 32 the chapter ends with these words, "These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided after the flood."

The nations of the Earth are divided according to their descendancy from Noah's sons; Shem, Ham and Japheth. Broadly speaking, the Israelis are descendants of Shem, the African nations and parts of the Middle East are descendants of Ham and the remainder are descendants of Japheth.

Genesis chapter 11 gives us the answer to the origin of languages. Let's have a look at verses 1 to 9.

(1) "Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

(2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.

(3) Then they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks, and bake them thoroughly.' They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

(4) And they said, 'Come let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'

(5) But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

(6) And the Lord said, 'Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.'

(7) 'Come let Us go down and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'

(8) So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

(9) Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth."

Let's pause for a moment to consider what has been before us.

Noah's family spoke the same language. This language was the universal language.

Their descendants spoke the universal language.

The descendants' desire was to build a city and a tower reaching up into the heavens. They wanted to stay together so they would not be scattered over the face of the earth.

There is no thought of God and His purposes in their minds. God's judgement upon them is to confuse their language. All of a sudden they could not communicate with everybody else! This is the beginning of distinctive languages and nationalities.

The building work ceased and God scattered them abroad. The very thing they desired not to happen occurred! The legacy of that time remains with us today. Look at the United Nations meetings. How many interpreters are required to translate when a delegate gets up to speak? Nations are suspicious of each other. How many problems occur in the World today due to language difficulties?

There is one positive in all this mess. Since God created all the languages; He understands every individual's speech no matter where they come from.

This means that whoever you are, no matter what language you speak, God understands you!

John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

2 Corinthians 6:2 states, "For He says...Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation." Not yesterday – it is too late! Not tomorrow – you may never see it!

Today – now is the accepted time!

Noah believed God, built an ark and saved himself and his family. Do you believe God? Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ can save you? Then do something about it!

The Origin of Sin

Would it surprise you to learn that Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden was not the first occurrence of sin? Sin was already in the universe before Adam and Eve were created!

What is sin? Collins Concise Dictionary defines sin as:

1. (a) Transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this. (b) The condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgressions.

2. Any serious offence, as against a religious or moral principle.

3. Any offence against a principle or standard.

To put it bluntly, sin is disobedience against God in any shape or form! All sin is against God! When we sin against our fellow men, we are sinning also against God.

So having established that sin is against God, who made the first act of disobedience against God?

Satan, the Devil is the originator of sin!

The Scriptures again give us the details. Isaiah 14:12-15 tell us about Lucifer (Satan). (12) "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground. You who weakened the nations! ( 13) For you have said in your heart: (14) 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I also will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest side of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' (15) Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depth of the Pit."

Ezekiel 28:12-15 states, (12) "...'You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering; the sardius, topaz and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emeralds and gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. (14) You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. (15) You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you'."

Lucifer, the anointed cherub of God committed the first sin against God. Ezekiel 28:17 gives us the beginning of his downfall. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour..." Lucifer, the anointed cherub became Satan, the Devil. In his pride and disobedience he caused other angelic beings to sin and follow him.

2 Peter 2:4 states, "...God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgement."

Jude verse 6 tells us, "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgement of the great day."

Now it is apparent that not all of Satan's minions are in Hell at this present time. God in His sovereignty has allowed this.

It is Satan using the serpent in the Garden of Eden who beguiles Eve into sinning.

Genesis 3:4-6, "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruits and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

See Satan's lie, "You will not surely die..." Adam and Eve died!

Romans 6:36 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Sin, disobedience against God brings judgement; whether you are a human being or an angelic being.

Matthew 25:41 tells us about, "...the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

In Revelation 20:15 we find that, "...anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Romans 10:9, 10 states, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

The Origin of Hell

What is hell? Collins Concise Dictionary defines hell as:

1. (a) [Christianity] The place of or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death.

(b) Forces of evil residing there.

2. [In various religions and cultures] the abode of the spirits of the dead.

The Old Testament uses two words to describe hell, Sheol and Gehenna.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines the words as:

Sheol

1. The abode of the dead.

2. Hell.

Gehenna

1. {Old Testament] The valley below Jerusalem, where children were sacrificed, and later unclean things were burnt

2. [New Testament] Judaism. A place where the wicked are punished after death.

A place or state of pain and torment. (From the Hebrew Ge Hinnom: The valley of Hinnom – a symbol of hell.)

The Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel of Matthew gives us a very clear indication of hell.

Matthew 10:28 "...fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell."

Matthew 13:42 "...the furnace of fire...wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 18:8 "...cast into the everlasting fire."

Matthew 18:9 "...to be cast into hell fire." [the hell of fire].

Matthew 23:3 "...the condemnation of hell..."

There are references to hell in the gospels of Mark and Luke. For instance in Mark 9:43, "...to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched." [unquenchable fire].

Obviously, hell is the place where souls await eternal punishment. This fact gives us the basis of our quest for the origin of hell. Punishment is usually the result of transgression and disobedience. This leads us to the question. Who was hell first designated for?

In my last blog post The Origin of Sin we established that sin was in the universe before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives us the answer in Matthew 25:41, "Then He will say to those on His left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels'." Hell was originally prepared for Satan and Satan's angels! God is in control of hell, not Satan or Satan's angels! When Satan is in hell he will be completely stripped of all power!

But be warned! Isaiah 5:14 tells us that, "...Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure..." I always picture a snake dislocating its jaws in order to swallow something much larger.

Are Hell and the Lake of Fire really where you want to end up? If your name is not found in the Book of Life; this is where you will spend eternity. Why has God warned us about hell and the lake of fire? Because He doesn't want us to end up there!

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord...is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." Acts 17:30, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent."

John 3:16-18 tell us, (16) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (18) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

You know the origin and purpose of hell. Don't end up there!

The Big Bang – Theory or Not?

First let us consider what a theory is. Collins Concise Dictionary gives us the following definitions.

1. A system of rules, procedures, and assumptions used to produce a result.

2. Abstract knowledge or reasoning.

3. A conjectural view or idea.

4. An ideal or hypothetical situation.

5. A set of hypotheses related by logical or mathematical arguments to explain a wide variety of phenomena in general terms.

6. A non-technical name for hypothesis.

Now looking at these definitions, I see a theory (not reality) is based on assumptions, conjecture and hypothetical arguments. So where does reality come into the picture?

Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia tells us, "The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model of the early development of the universe. The major premise of the Big Bang theory is that the universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state that expanded rapidly (a "Big Bang"). This rapid expansion caused the young universe to cool and resulted in its continuously expanding state."

So according to the scientists that hold this theory as being true; the universe somehow was in a primitive form and suddenly there was a "Big Bang" resulting in a rapidly expanding universe. Sounds a bit farfetched to me!

Let's get down to the real crux of the matter. This is another attempt of mankind to explain away God as the Creator of the universe. It's the blind leading the blind into a ditch.

God's word revealed to us in the holy Bible starts with these words, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). God does not leave us in the dark; the first words in the first book of the Bible clearly state that God is the Creator of the universe! It does not leave room for error; "In the beginning God..." God was there in the beginning of our Space – Matter – Time universe. He created it!

What does the book of Romans in the New Testament reveal about early mankind?

Romans 1:17-25, (17) "...the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, (19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (21) because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, (23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man – and birds and four- footed animals and creeping things. (24) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, (25) who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." [Words in bold type for emphasis only.]

Is modern man any better? Of course not! You can believe that you descended from apes if you like. You can believe that you die and come back as a fly or a mosquito if you like. You can believe that when you die you go into oblivion. That's what Satan wants you to believe! "Professing to be wise, they became fools." Psalms 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'."

You know the Bible tells us about a Big Bang, but it is not theory, it is reality.

2 Peter 3:10-13, (10) "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

God sent a universal flood in Noah's time in judgement. Next time it will be the real "Big Bang". Noah and his family were safe because Noah obeyed God.

What about you? Are you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Saviour? Will you be safe for all eternity? Will you be part of the new heavens and the new earth? Or, have you decided to go to hell and the lake of fire?

There is no such thing as 'sitting on the fence' waiting to decide. You are either saved, or you are not saved! There is no guarantee that you will see another sunrise!

The Sanctity of Marriage

Collins Concise Dictionary defines marriage as:

1. The state or relationship of being husband and wife.

2. The legal union or contract made by a man and woman to live as husband and wife.

3. The ceremony formalising this union; wedding.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines sanctity as:

1. The condition of being sanctified; holiness.

2. Anything regarded as being sanctified or holy.

3. The condition of being inviolable: the sanctity of marriage.

Where do we find the origin of marriage? Where else, but in the Bible!

Genesis 1:27 states, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them."

Genesis 2:21-24 tell us, (21) "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. (22) Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. (23) And Adam said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.' (24) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

The very first marriage union was between Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:20, "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." God instituted marriage at the commencement of the human race! Adam and Eve were husband and wife before they sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Let's consider verse 24 again. If a man desires a wife we are told he "...shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife..." In other words he is to start his own family unit. "...and they shall become one flesh." God no longer sees a man and his wife just as individuals, but as "one flesh". In God's sight the married couple are inseparable. They are one; two parts of one whole.

Monogamy is God's order; one man with one wife, until death breaks the marriage bond.

Polygamy, a man with more than one wife, is not God's order.

Polyandry, a woman with more than one husband, is not God's order.

Many instances of polygamy, a man with more than one wife, can be found in the Old Testament. These are all instances of man doing his own thing with no regard to the will of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 19:4-6 answers a question on divorce. (4) "And he answered them and said to them, 'Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning, "made them male and female," (5) and said "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh".' (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

When a man and a woman legally become husband and wife they become "one flesh" in God's eyes. He blesses that marriage union; it is now inviolable in God's sight.

Any children of this marriage are recognised as legitimate heirs of the parents.

Next blog posy we will look at the Biblical perspective on divorce.

Divorce – The Biblical Perspective

In my last blog post The Sanctity of Marriage, we learned that 'Monogamy is God's order; one man with one wife, until death breaks the marriage bond.' Divorce also breaks the marriage bond between a man and a woman. It is legally binding.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines divorce as:

1. The legal dissolution of marriage.

2. A judicial decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved.

3. A separation, esp. One that is total or complete.

Matthew 19:5, 6 tells us, (5) "...'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Divorce, the legal dissolution of a marriage is not God's will.

The Pharisees in Matthew 19:3 asked the Lord Jesus Christ this question.

"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? We already have the answer in verses 5 and 6 above.

The Pharisees then asked Him another question. Matthew 19:7, "...Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"

The Lord Jesus' answer is found in verses 8 and 9. "(8)...Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (9) And I say to you whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."

What is adultery? Collins Concise Dictionary states that it is, 'Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and partner other than the legal spouse'

1. The act of adultery breaks the marriage bond. It is illicit sexual intercourse. The person creating a sexual union with someone who is not their spouse has in effect dissolved their marriage. This illicit act is in violation of God's "one flesh" union of the married couple. It is a breakdown of the family unit.

2. The Lord Jesus informed the Pharisees that if they divorced their wife for any other reason than adultery; and they married another woman – they were committing adultery! If the divorced wife married again – her new husband was guilty of adultery!

3. So even if the married couple were not unfaithful to each other; if they were divorced and subsequently married new partners – they would commit adultery!

This is a solemn and serious warning! "...what God has joined together, let not man separate."

In Deuteronomy Chapter 24 more instructions are given about divorce. If a man divorced his wife, he gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. If she then marries another man; her original husband was not allowed to remarry his former wife if her new husband died or divorced her.

Deuteronomy 24:4, "Then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord..."

Divorce is a breakdown of the family unit. This is not God's will, nor is it in the best interests of any society, or nation. It is always the children of divorced parents who suffer! Look at the mess we have in our so called Western democracies. High divorce rates everywhere. People don't even bother to get married, and just live together out of wedlock. Governments, in attempts to find quick fixes often make the situation worse. Sexual morals sink lower and lower.

Don't think that God has turned a blind eye to all of this. Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Hebrews 9:27, "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement."

Are you caught up in any of this morass? Are you involved with sexual immorality? Such things as pre-marital sex, casual sex, one night stands, adultery, same sex liaisons, or other even more debasing and degrading acts; God will judge every single defiling occurrence!

God is willing to forgive you and save you from your wicked ways. If you are willing to take God at His word; if you are willing to turn your back on your way of life – you can be saved! The very fact that you are a sinner qualifies you for God's offer of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:14, 15 states, "(14) And as Moses lifted up the servant in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." The Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up on a cross at Calvary on your behalf to pay the price of your sins.

He is willing to save you just as you are, just where you are – right now!

Divorce – A Christian Perspective

In my last two blogs posts we considered The Sanctity of Marriage and Divorce – The Biblical Perspective. We established that God ordained marriage, beginning with Adam and Eve, at the commencement of the human race. Divorce is not God's will and the only exception given is for sexual immorality; which in effect breaks the marriage union.

In this blog post I want to look at the Christian aspect on divorce found in 1 Corinthians Chapters 6 and 7. The apostle Paul is writing to fellow believers at Corinth. His first letter to these Corinthian believers covers a wide range of topics. In chapters 6 and 7 the subject of marriage and divorce comes up.

1 Corinthians 6: 13, 16, 18 states, (13)"...Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body... (16) Or do you not know that he that is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two', He says, 'shall become one flesh'... (18) Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body."

Verse 13 is quite explicit "...the body is not for sexual immorality..." which is illicit sex outside the marriage union. God has sanctified the marriage union. Sexual relations within a marriage union are sanctified and blessed. Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

Verse 16 gives us the result of an illicit relationship. The marriage bond has been broken in God's eyes!

Verse 18 clearly defines sexual immorality as a sin against your own body.

In 1 Corinthians 7:1-3 we are given godly instructions. (1) "Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (2) Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (3) Let the husband render to his wife the affections due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband."

Let's have a closer look at verse 1. This does not mean that a man cannot touch a woman. In our everyday lives there are often occasions where we meet and great people, or assist people. In the context of verse 2 we can deduce it means to touch a woman in such a manner as to lead into a situation where sexual immorality could be a consequence.

In 1 Corinthians 7: 10-13 we have some interesting instructions for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. (10) "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. (11) But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. (12) But to the rest I, not the Lord say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. (13) And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him."

From the context of the above verses; it is quite evident that to have an unbelieving spouse is not an acceptable reason for divorce. If the unbelieving spouse leaves the believing spouse it is not grounds for a divorce! The way must be left open for reconciliation. The departing spouse is to remain in an unmarried state. The separation does not give them the right to seek a new partner.

1 Corinthians 7:14-16 gives us the reasons for remaining married. (14) "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. (15) But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart, a brother or a sister [in Christ] is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. (16) For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"

God considers the marriage between a believing spouse and an unbelieving spouse to be an ordained marriage in His eyes. The unbelieving spouse is sanctified within the marriage union by the believing spouse. The children of their marriage union are considered to be holy because of the marriage union.

I repeat, 'The unbelieving spouse is sanctified within the marriage union by the believing spouse.' The unbelieving spouse is not considered, in themself, to be holy in God's eyes. They are indeed a sinner who needs God's salvation in order to be holy. The marriage union with a believing spouse does not confer holiness upon them. However, the children of this union are considered holy because of the marriage union. But as they grow up they will become accountable for their own actions before God. They too will be in need of God's salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To sum up what we have learned:

1. Sexual immorality breaks the marriage union.

2. Sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

3. Sexual relations within the marriage union are sanctified and blessed.

4. Having an unbelieving spouse is not grounds for divorce.

5. If a spouse departs they are to remain in an unmarried state, or be reconciled to their spouse.

6. The unbelieving spouse is sanctified within the marriage union by the believing spouse.

7. The children of the marriage union are considered to be holy

8. The unbelieving spouse and any children of the marriage union will individually be held accountable for their own actions.

9. Lastly, divorce is not God's will.

As a parting remark, it would be good to read this blog post in conjunction with my previous blog post Divorce – The Biblical Perspective for an overall perspective.

Salvation – By faith or by works?

This is a question that has baffled many people. If you were to ask the man in the street this question, the general consensus would be – salvation by works.

Some of the answers might be:

1. I live a good life and don't do anybody any harm.

2. I go to church regularly.

3. I give money to charities and help out with volunteer work.

4. I believe in God.

5. God is a God of love and will forgive me.

6. I hope I have done enough good in my life to get me into heaven.

Take a close look at these answers. None of them have a note of certainty about them. If you have to work at being saved you definitely don't have any assurance that you are saved.

What do the Scriptures say about salvation?

Ephesians 3:8, 9 tell us, (8)"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast." Now this is very clear cut. The apostle Paul told the Ephesians believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that they were saved "through faith" and "not of works".

Let's have a closer look at these verses.

1. It is by grace we are saved.

2. We are saved through faith.

3. It is God given faith.

4. We are not saved by our works.

5. There will not be anyone boasting to God that they have achieved salvation by their own efforts.

6. This salvation by faith is a gift from God.

You don't earn a gift! You don't pay for a gift! A gift has not cost you anything. All you have to do with a gift is receive it and then it becomes yours.

It is the same with God's offer of salvation. The penalty for your sins was borne by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. God punished His Son upon a cross for your sins. There is no cost to you – the price has already been paid!

In Acts chapter 16 we read of a Philippian prison keeper awaking from sleep about midnight by an earthquake. The earthquake's tremors opened all the prison doors. The keeper thinking that all the prisoners had escaped, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. The apostle Paul stopped him and reassured him that all the prisoners were still in the prison.

Acts 16:29-31, (29)"Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) And he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' (31) So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved and your household'."

Acts 16:34, "Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household."

The prison keeper could not point to his good works before God – he was a pagan! He asked Paul and Silas what he had to do to be saved. The answer is simple and very clear cut.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."

He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and was saved there and then. In verse 34 we read, "....and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household."

When a man or woman comes face to face with the realisation of their sins before God, it is a dreadful moment in their life. They have a choice to make:

1. Accept God's offer of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, or

2. Carry on in their wicked ways and die in their sins; later to stand with all the wicked dead before the Great White Throne of judgement (Revelation 20:11, 12).

I sincerely hope that you are not trusting in your good works to enter into heaven. Salvation does not occur when you get to heaven, it occurs here and now before you die! Once you are dead it is too late to be saved!

Don't let your pride stand in the way of your salvation.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."

Salvation - Saved then lost?

There is a belief in some sections of the Christian faith that you can be saved from your sins and then be lost again. This comes about from not "....rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).

At best it is confusion and at its worst it robs a soul of their assurance of salvation; with a consequent loss of peace in their heart. To put it bluntly it makes salvation dependent on a soul's good works.

In my last blog post Salvation – By faith or by works? We saw clearly that salvation is by faith and not by works "....lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 3:8, 9). Now to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ can save me and then allow me to be lost again is a lie of the Devil.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 states, "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him."

God's salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is forever! John 3:16, "....whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Is this true? Yes, it is not only true but a reality in my life and in millions around the world!

How do I know it's true? Ephesians 1:13 tells me, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." 2 Corinthians 1:21 22 tells me, (21)"Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, (22) who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

What do these verses reveal to us?

1. We hear the gospel of salvation, the word of truth.

2. We trust in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ).

3. We believe the word of God.

4. We are sealed (instantly) with the Holy Spirit.

5. The Holy Spirit in our hearts is God's guarantee that we are saved for eternity.

6. We are anointed by the Holy Spirit in our lives, and set apart for God.

Now someone may say that is all well and good but what about verse 12 in Philippians chapter 2 "....work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."? Let us be careful not to pull this verse out of the context it is set in.

In verses 1-4 the apostle Paul gives the Philippian believers instructions on how to conduct themselves in their daily lives. In verses 5-11 the supreme example of the Lord Jesus is brought before us. His humility, His obedience – even unto death, His exaltation by God and His supreme authority are brought before us.

The apostle Paul is speaking to believers in Philippi – those who are already saved! So when we get to verse 12 he is talking about their obedience in the things of God; not only when Paul is present with them, but also when he is not with them.

The salvation Paul is referring to here is not their eternal salvation – that is already secure! They are to work out on a daily basis how to keep themselves going on in the ways of God.

Verses 12, 13, (12) "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

Can you be saved and then lost again? No, you cannot!

John 10:27-30 [Jesus answered them] (27)"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (28) And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. (30) I and My Father are one."

Here is an anchor for your soul!

In this parable of the Shepherd and His own sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ gives us double assurance.

1. No one can snatch a believer out of His hand.

2. No one can snatch a believer out of the Father's hand.

I like to think of this as two cupped hands; the Father's hand underneath and the Son's hand over the top. Resting securely inside are all the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing or no one can snatch any believer out of God's almighty hands!

Vessel of Wrath or Vessel of Mercy?

This seems a strange question to ask.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines a vessel as:

1. Any object used as a container, esp. for a liquid.

2. A passenger or freight carrying ship, boat etc.

3. (Rare) a person regarded as a vehicle for some purpose or quality.

Where in the Scriptures do we find reference to vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy?

Romans 9: 22, 23 states, (22)"What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, (23) and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for His glory."

If we look at the definitions of a vessel above, we can see that a person can be regarded as a vessel for some purpose or quality. If this is the case, in God's eyes, a person is either a vessel of wrath or a vessel of mercy.

Now I don't think any of us would want to be a vessel of wrath; for the vessels of wrath are prepared for destruction. Who are they for whom the wrath of God is prepared? Obviously, it would have to be people who have disobeyed God in their lives.

Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Now you may say to me, "Look at verses 22 and 23 above. God has already made up His mind, so why should I bother? What a miserable excuse this is! This shows the true state of your heart. You have the power to decide! You make decisions about matters every day.

Jeremiah 17:9, 10 tells us, (9)"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (10) I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."

If this is your condition before God, you are in need of God's mercy. In other words you need God's compassion, pity and clemency. You can't help yourself – but God offers you mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. That's why He sent Him to pay the penalty for your sins on the cross at Calvary. His life for your life!

By receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord you become a vessel of mercy.

Only you can make that decision!

God already knows your answer; but it is you who has made the decision!

Are you a vessel of wrath or a vessel of mercy?

Crucifixion did not kill Jesus Christ!

Does this statement shock you?

Secular history, and the Holy Bible, both reveal that Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, the Messiah, the King of the Jews died on a Roman cross outside Jerusalem. This is an established fact. The Scriptures record His birth, His public ministry, His mock trial, His crucifixion, His death, His burial and His resurrection.

Why then make a bold declaration that crucifixion did not kill him? The Scriptures give us the answers.

First we need to establish that death is a result of sin. Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death..." Death is the inevitable consequence of sin and its fruit sins. The penalty for sin is death!

Now we need to establish the very fact that Jesus of Nazareth was not a sinner.

John 8:46, "Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me."

1 Peter 2:22, "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth."

1 John 3:5, "And you know He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin."

Here is a very important fact; because Jesus of Nazareth was not a sinner – He was not subject to death! Therefore, He could not die unless He deliberately chose to die!

John 10:17, 18, (17)"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. (18) No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Let us look at the record in John 19:30, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head He gave up His spirit." He literally dismissed His spirit and voluntarily died to pay the price of your sins and mine. Crucifixion did not kill Jesus of Nazareth! He chose to die for you and me on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The Lord Jesus Christ had power to lay down His life at Calvary! He had power to take it again when He rose from the dead; three days later!

Broad is the way that leads to destruction

Let's have a look at the verses that this heading is set in. The words are spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:13, 14, (13) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few that find it."

There are two gates; a narrow gate and a wide gate. There are two ways; a way to life [eternal] and a way to destruction.

The way to destruction is broad and spacious, lots of room for lots of people. All these are heading along life's journey; some are happy, some sad, some careless, some fearful, some high-minded, some low-minded, some rich and many poor.

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

People of every nation are caught in the throngs heading to destruction. It is a one way street! They entered in through the wide gate. The way ahead looked good and there was plenty of room. If so many people are doing it; surely it must be OK? There are plenty of friends and relatives to keep you company along the way.

The narrow gate on the other hand is hard to find. The way to [eternal] life is difficult. Satan does not want you on this pathway, your unsaved friends and relatives don't want you on this pathway. Obstacles will be put in your way. But, it is your choice and your decision to choose either life or death. God wants you to enter into life [eternal] via the narrow gate.

God has not made us as robots, or programmable machines. He makes everyone with the ability to make our own decisions; to make our own choices in our own lives. Sure there are often pressures and constraints placed upon us; but ultimately we make our own decisions in each circumstance.

So which will you choose; eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ, or eternal judgement in the Lake of Fire?

Xmas or Christmas?

There has been an ongoing trend for many decades to change the spelling of Christmas to Xmas. Why has this occurred? In reality it is a subterfuge of the Devil to erase the name of Christ from people's minds.

The angel that spoke to the shepherds, as recounted in Luke 2:11 did not say, "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is X the Lord." What he did say was, "...a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."

Now some people might say, "What's all the fuss about? When we see Xmas we know it means Christmas." That may be so for them, but it means the more the word Xmas appears, the less number of times the name Christmas appears.

What is Christmas really about? Surely it is for us all to celebrate and remember the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord.

What is Western society turning Christmas into? Billions and billions of dollars are spent at Christmas time. For the majority of retailers in these countries, Christmas shopping brings in the best profits for the year. Manufacturing industries have been set up to cater for the colossal demand by consumers for Christmas presents. The food industries also receive a huge boost from sales at Christmas time.

What does the average child in Western societies think about at Christmas time? They think about getting presents from a stocky, bearded gentleman in a red suit. Many of these children could not care less if it is Xmas or Christmas.

For many people it is a time to sing Christmas carols and be entertained. The stocky, bearded fellow in the red suit has become the theme of Xmas. How many movies are out there utilising this theme?

Will the Saviour, Christ the Lord be missing from your Christmas this year? Will it be a 'X'mas for you?

I would rather have Christ in my life than a big "X".

God was in Christ

Let's look at these four words. God, the Supreme Being, the Creator of the Universe was in Christ.

So who or what was Christ?

The Scriptures reveal that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. So then what is the Christ? The Christ of the New Testament is the Jewish Messiah of the Old Testament.

Crudens Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments explains Christ as, "The anointed one. The Greek name Christos from the word anointed. The Hebrew word was Messiah; the expected king and deliverer of the Jews, who expected a strong and glorious earthly king to deliver them from oppressors and form again a great independent kingdom of the Jews. He was to be a descendant of David, and bring the whole world under his sway."

Matthew 16:13-17 states, (13) "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples saying, 'Who do men say that I, the son of Man, am?' (14) So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremias or one of the prophets.' (15) He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' (16) Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' (17) Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven'."

Now let's look at the verses in Scripture where we find the title of this blog post 'God was in Christ'.

2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 reveals to us, (18) "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them..."

God was in Christ, because Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly man. By His sacrificial death on Calvary's cross, Jesus Christ atoned for our sins and reconciliation and forgiveness are ours as a result.

The Jews expected Jesus to deliver them from Roman bondage and reign gloriously. They forgot that redemption is first by blood and then by power. The sins of the Jewish nation had to be atoned before the Messiah [Christ] could reign. But the nation rejected Him, and had Him crucified on a Roman cross as a failed redeemer. However, that was not the end of the matter.

1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 states, "(3) That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..."

Redemption is by blood and by power. The shedding of Christ's blood for the forgiveness of our sins, and His resurrection power over death for our eternal salvation, gives us a home in heaven.

Where do you stand? Are you saved?

The mighty reconciling power of God in Christ is useless to you if you are not saved!

No Condemnation

What is condemnation? Condemnation is a state of being condemned. Collins Concise Dictionary defines the word condemned as:

1. To express strong disapproval

2. To pronounce judicial sentence on

3. To demonstrate the guilt of

4. To judge or pronounce unfit for use.

We usually think of a condemned person as one who is guilty of a crime and is unfit to be in normal society. A prison sentence is the usual outcome. A condemned building, on the other hand, is unsafe and is unfit for normal use and/or occupancy. A condemned building is usually knocked down and removed.

Let's take a look at the Scriptures in John 3:16-19.

(16) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (18) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil."

Does this mean that if I don't belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, I am condemned? The answer is simple - Yes!

Romans 8:1 states, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

What is this verse telling us?

1. Those who are in Christ Jesus are now not in a state of condemnation.

2. Before they were in Christ Jesus they were condemned.

3. They no longer walk in former sinful ways.

4. They now walk according to the directions of the Holy Spirit.

What's your present state, condemnation or no condemnation?

Which thief will you follow?

This seems to be a strange question to ask. Why would you want to follow any thief?

I want to look at some events in the New Testament Scriptures that lead me to ask the title question. The Gospels give us the account of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. In that account we learn that two thieves were crucified alongside of Him.

Matthew 27:44, "Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him..."

Luke 23:32, 33, "(32) There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. (33) And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left."

From the gospel records we can see that the two thieves had been caught and sentence had been passed on them – death by crucifixion. They were already hanging, crucified on their crosses. There was no possible way of escape for either of them. The end result of crucifixion was a slow, tortuous, agonising death.

The rulers of the Jews and the watching crowd reviled Jesus of Nazareth saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." (Luke 23:35). The verse we looked at in Matthew's gospel reveals that both thieves also reviled Him. But, something happened to one of the thieves because he changed his mind.

Let's look at Luke 23:39-43, "(39) Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, 'If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us.' (40) But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?' (41) 'And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.' (42)Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' (43) And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise'."

One thief, angry and bitter that he had been caught and was now paying the price of his wicked ways, lashes out verbally at Jesus of Nazareth. The other thief has reconsidered his own position and realises that the man on the centre cross is indeed the Christ, the true Messiah, and the rightful King of the Jews.

He rebukes the reviling thief and turns to Jesus and asks Him to remember him when He comes to reign. His reward is, "today, you will be with Me in Paradise."

One thief went to Hell still in his sins, to await the Great White Throne judgement. The other thief went to Paradise to be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever.

Which thief will you follow?

Therefore being justified

Let's have a close look at these three words. Therefore pre-supposes that an action of some kind has taken place. As a result of that action the person or persons are in a condition of being justified; these words on their own leave us up in the air. There is not sufficient information for a satisfactory explanation.

The three words come from a verse in Romans in the New Testament Scriptures. Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (KJV).

Note, we are justified by faith and this brings "peace with God". The justification and the peace with God come through "our Lord Jesus Christ".

What are we justified from? Romans 3:21-26 gives us a clear answer.

"(21) But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.

(22) Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

(23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

(24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

(25) whom God has set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith...

(26) to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

How can a person be justified, that is be righteous, if they have sinned and are therefore a sinner?

The answer is in verse 24, "being justified by His [God's] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." So, the sinner becomes justified as a result of the grace of God; shown to him or her in redeeming that sinner, by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

But, note carefully verse 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is to all and on all who believe.

It is to all. Everyone can have this righteousness; but the righteousness comes only to those who truly believe God and act upon His word.

It is the redeemed sinner who is justified by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

God is just and the sinner is condemned by his or her sins. But, God is also the justifier (verse 26) of the sinner who receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Redeemer. Why? Because the Lord Jesus died on the cross at Calvary to bring it all about!

Where do you stand – condemned or justified?

The Good Seed

Luke 8:5-8, (5) "A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. (6) Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because of lack of moisture. (7) And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. (8) But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."

The story in these verses is what is known as 'The parable of the sower'. A parable in the Scriptures has two meanings. There is the initial meaning we get as the story unfolds; plus the hidden, divine meaning in the parable.

Let's look at the four things that occur to the seed.

1. Some of the seed fell by the wayside and the birds of the air ate it.

2. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground and it started to grow; however due to the harsh conditions it withered and died.

3. Some of the seed fell into the ground among thorns. It grew into plants, but the thorns overpowered the young plants and choked their growth and they also died.

4. The rest of the seed fell in good ground, grew up and produced an abundant crop.

What do we learn from this? If we want a good crop it needs to be planted in good ground!

Now let's look at the second, hidden meaning. This parable was spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ to a great multitude (Luke 8:4).

Luke 8:11, "Now the parable is this; the seed is the word of God." In verses 12-15 the Lord Jesus explains the hidden meaning in this parable.

1. The seed by the wayside represents people who hear the word of God, but the Devil comes along and takes away the word of God from their hearts; just in case they believe it and are saved.

2. The seed on the rocky ground represents people who hear the word of God with joy. However, the word of God is not able to root deeply in their hearts; and when trials and testings come along in their lives they find it too hard and give up.

3. The seed that falls among the thorns represents people who start out well, but soon the "cares, riches and pleasures" of life choke the word of God in their hearts.

4. The seed that falls on the good ground represents people "who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

Where do you class yourself? Which category do you fit into?

Be honest with yourself!

Romans 10:9, 10 states, (9) "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

He delights in mercy

Who delights in mercy? Micah 7:18, "who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in mercy."

In verse 19 we find these words, "...You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

What can we learn from the above verses?

1. God pardons iniquity and passes over transgressions.

2. He does not retain His anger forever.

3. The reason He can pardon iniquity and pass over transgressions is because "He delights in mercy."

4. You can only obtain pardon if you are guilty.

5. An innocent person does not need a pardon.

Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The word all includes you and me!

Ezekiel 18:32, "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies" says the Lord "Therefore turn and live."

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

A guilty person justly deserves whatever sentence is passed on them. The Scriptures point out that all of us have sinned; therefore all of us have the sentence of death upon us.

Now if God delights in mercy and has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; there must be a means whereby He can show His mercy to us. The answer lies in the latter part of Romans 6:23, "...The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God clearly and irrevocably showed His mercy at Calvary. God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sins on a Roman cross at Calvary. He died that you and I could have eternal life.

God wants all people, everywhere to turn from their sinful life and live. He wants us all to have eternal life. Yet many people don't want to give up their ungodly lives, preferring to forget about God and His offer of mercy. They don't want the Son of God to be their Saviour.

Revelation 20:11-15 give us the final end for those who die in their sins. It is a solemn scene.

(11) "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away. And there was found no place for them."

(12) "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."

(13) "The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works."

(14) "Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

(15) "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Is your name written in the Book of Life? That is the ultimate mercy.

And the door was shut!

Are you curious?

What door was shut? Why was it shut? When was it shut?

What does a closed door signify? It signifies that you cannot enter because the entrance is blocked by the closed door. Only those who have the necessary authority or permission are allowed to enter.

Matthew 25:10, "...the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut."

It is obviously a wedding scene. When the bridegroom arrives, those guests who were waiting and ready went in with him. Then the door was shut. Only invited guests have the authorisation to be at the wedding and the wedding feast. Anyone else is not allowed to enter.

Let's look at the verses in Matthew chapter 25 that refer to the above scene.

Matthew 25:1-13,

(1) "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

(2) "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

(3) Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them

(4) "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

(5) "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

(6) "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'

(7) "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

(8) "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'

(10) "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

(11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'

(12) But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

(13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

As this story unfolds we learn that five virgins were fully prepared for the wedding. They had brought additional oil for their lamps; in case the oil in their lamps ran out. The other five were not prepared; they only had the oil that was in their lamps. The upshot was when the bridegroom arrived at midnight the foolish virgins had to leave the wedding scene to buy oil for their lamps.

They consequently missed out on the wedding; and were locked out!

The oil used in the lamps was olive oil. Olive oil in the Scriptures is a type of the Holy Spirit. The wise virgins had an abundant supply of olive oil for their lamps and went into the wedding with the bridegroom.

The foolish virgins did not have enough olive oil and their lamps were going out. They had to leave to buy more oil. When they came back it was too late; they were locked out.

How does this wedding story apply to us?

Only those who have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them will be in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb of God (the Lord Jesus Christ).

Will you be locked out of heaven?

Revelation 19:7-9, (7) "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

(8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

(9) Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."

I don't know what the World is coming to!

Have you ever heard this saying? If a person says this they are expressing concern at the current state of matters. At the same time, they are letting us know that they don't have the answers.

I can tell you what the World is coming to. It is heading for judgement!

Luke 17:26-29,

"(26) As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the son of Man:

(27) 'They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

(28) Likewise as it was in the days of Lot; They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

(29) But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all'."

These words were spoken by the Son of Man, The Lord Jesus Christ. They are not just intended for Jews and Christians. They are a solemn warning to all the inhabitants of Planet Earth.

What is the prelude to this?

Matthew 24:4-8,

"(4) And Jesus answered them and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.

(5) For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ", and will deceive many.

(6) And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars...for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

(7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

(8) All these are the beginnings of sorrow'."

We have wars; we have famines; and we have deadly plagues such as AIDS and the HIV virus. Earthquakes are on the increase around the world and seem to be increasing in severity.

What does the Lord say? "All these are the beginnings of sorrows." There are clear warnings in the Scriptures of impending worldwide judgement.

If mankind continues to disobey God and flout His sovereignty then judgement must follow!

Where does this leave you? Does it leave you in danger of impending judgement? Or are you safely abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Be warned – the wheels of justice turn slowly – don't be crushed under one when justice reaches you!

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Alphabetical list of blog posts

And the door was shut

Armageddon - Could it impact on you?

Broad is the way that leads to destruction

Crucifixion did not kill Jesus Christ!

Divorce - A Christian Perspective

Divorce - The Biblical Perspective

God was in Christ

He delights in mercy

Heaven or Hell

I don't know what the world is coming to

Is there an afterlife?

Israel - Salvation from the Great tribulation

Israel - The Time of Jacob's Trouble

No Condemnation

Noah's Ark - Fact or Fable?

Revelation Chapter 13 - The Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Land

Salvation - by faith or by works?

Salvation - Saved then lost?

The Big Bang \- Theory or Not?

The Good Seed

The Origin of Hell

The Origin of Languages

The Origin of Sin

The Rapture - What is it?

The Sanctity of Marriage

Therefore being justified

Vessel of Wrath or Vessel of Mercy?

Welcome to Biblical Perspectives

Which thief will you follow?

Xmas or Christmas?

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