Pages

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Ho, Ho, Halloween

Why spend so much time, funds and effort celebrating these two terribly expensive holidays when they are based on bad information and manipulation of the masses?

Ho, Ho, Halloween says it all.

Christmas and Halloween are the two biggest consumer spending seasons of the commercial year.

For decades the Christmas season devoured huge percentages of each year's consumer retail spending, running close to half a trillion dollars. In the recent years Halloween has dramatically ballooned to be one of the highest spending holidays behind the winter season—at least in America.

Question: Why should you spend so much of your hard earned wages on soon-to-be broken or obsolete gifts or on obese amounts of candy, in Halloween's case? Come to think of it, dentists must love Halloween.

People spend all this money to celebrate festivals about what?

Well, about ancient myths reworked to market the birth of Christ—at the wrong time of the year. And, about more ancient myths designed to market conciliation and worship of the Devil on one dark night in the fall.

But here's the odd part…

You yourself already know that both days were ancient idolatrous festivals, and that 300 or 400 years after Christ traditional Christianity re-packaged them into quasi, and I mean quasi-Christian holidays. You already know that in effect these are sham festivals.

Now if this commentary has caught you unawares, then you have my sincere apologies. But please consult the nearest encyclopedia—in print or online for verification.

We live in an incredible instant information age. So if you did know this, then you and I also know that untold numbers of our fellow-citizens know it too.

This line of reasoning still begs the question: Why spend so much time, funds and effort celebrating these two terribly expensive holidays when they are based on bad information and manipulation of the masses?

Bottomline: There is no good mythological, theological or even logical-logical reason to "Ho, Ho, Halloween" your way through the year. You wouldn't be missing any of the warmth and glow of family togetherness—because waiting in the wings there exists already a full set of annual festivals, based on truth.

The good news is that Jesus Himself created, taught and kept that set of actual, non-mythological holy days.

And by the way, they're a whole lot less expensive to keep than Ho, Ho, or Halloween!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Should Parents Protect Their Children From Halloween?


The human mind is very precious in God's eyes, since man was created "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). Parents carry the awesome responsibility of bringing up children properly, using the Word of God as their moral yardstick. "Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord," the apostle Paul admonished guardians of the young (Ephesians 6:4).

Christian parents rightly recognize their obligation to protect their children from the evil influences the world throws at them. They are eager to shield them from mind-destroying drugs, premarital sexual behavior, drunkenness and many other illicit activities.

Should the activities most kids participate in on Halloween fall into this forbidden category as well? Or is your child's participation in this custom nothing more than engaging in a bit of fun? If you think it's okay, then I would suggest finding out more about the dark origins of its observance.

Halloween is the strangest of customs prevalent in Christian-oriented societies, yet it is engaged in by an ever increasing number of children and adults. For most people, dressing up as goblins or witches may seem like harmless fun, not realizing what lurks behind the scenes on this evening and what spirit is behind it all.

Halloween's pre-Christian origin

What about the origin of Halloween and the purpose it serves? Its origin is certainly not Christian. Halloween had its beginnings in a world of sinister forces condemned in God's Word, the Bible. A Christian should have nothing to do with it. Consider the reasons.

The ultimate authority in a Christian's life is God's Word (Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4)—not religious traditions that come to us from sources outside the Bible. Bearing this in mind, let's take a closer look at Halloween.

What's in a name?

The word Halloween itself is an abbreviated form of All Hallow's Evening. Hallow was the old English word for "making holy." Of course there has never been anything holy about Halloween.

Alexander Macgregor, referring to the Celtic people in early Britain, states in his book Highland Superstitions: "It was the night for the universal walking about of all sorts of spirits, fairies and ghosts, all of whom had liberty on that night."That liberty was often used in pursuing destructive goals. The superstitious inhabitants in pre-Christian Britain considered it a night of freedom to do mischief, and it's all too often the case today among the young on Halloween night.

Oct. 31 was also an annual time to commemorate the dead whose spirits would wreak havoc on the living if they didn't provide them with food.

James Napier, in his book Folklore, wrote that the practice of leaving food outside was directly linked to the belief that "at death the souls of good men were taken possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise, but the souls of wicked men were left to wander in the space between the earth and moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living…but there were means by which these ghosts might be exorcised" (p. 11).

To exorcise these spirits and to free yourself from their evil sway (tricks) you would have to set out food (a treat). If the spirits were satisfied with your treat, they would leave you in peace. If not, they were believed to cast an evil spell on you.

No wonder the Bible speaks against involving oneself in observing days that have a sinister origin and are based on superstition. Notice the strong wording from God's Word: "There shall not be found among you anyone who…conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead" (Deuteronomy 18:10-11).

Decision time

What about your children? What comes to mind on the evening of Oct. 31? No doubt weird and frightening masks, youngsters dressed as witches and demons, pumpkins and turnips hollowed out in the shape of demonic faces, etc.

If you as a parent want God's Word to have the final say on how children should be brought up, why would you allow them to participate in this "strangest of all customs"?

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Harmless Halloween?

Could it possibly be pleasing to God to see us celebrate Halloween? And are you sure you want to get involved?

It's about that time of the year again—the time when ordinary front lawns are transformed into skeleton-filled graveyards, sinister orange heads appear glowing on front porches and small bands of witches, demons and goblins roam the streets in an insatiable hunt for their chocolate-coated prey.

We're talking, of course, about Halloween. It's a well-established holiday whose roots reach back some two thousand years, when the Celts, clothed in animal skins, would gather around enormous bonfires as the Druid mystics called upon the spirits of the deceased to tell fortunes.

The holiday was later re-packaged by the Roman Catholic Church in a bid to absorb these pre-Christian groups under the thinly-veiled guise of "All-Hallows Eve," a time for honoring the saints of the church. The title was the only part of the festival to show any noticeable change—the customs, traditions and superstitions have mostly survived in some form up to the present day.

The idea that the spirit world merges with our own physical realm on Halloween prompted those who left their homes to wear masks, in the hope that malicious ghosts would confuse them for a fellow spirit. Over the years, that tradition has morphed and mixed with others to create the trick-or-treating we know today.

No one has attempted to cover up the origins of Halloween. And they're not difficult to trace—if anything, they are almost common knowledge. But what most people don't understand is that the demonic world we treat so lightly on Halloween is very real. Not only is it real; it is both malicious and active.

Throughout the Bible, we find descriptions of Satan—a fallen angel who leads his demonic legions—as our adversary "who deceives the whole world " (Revelation 12:9), and as "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

And yet every Halloween, we find a huge crowd taking part in a seemingly harmless holiday that has its roots firmly planted in satanic practices. Little children parade through their towns dressed as demons, unintentionally imitating the servants of a murderer, the father of lies and the unabashed enemy of all mankind.

Could it possibly be pleasing to God to see His creation celebrating a day so steeped in these traditions? And are you sure you want to get involved?

Ruling Your Spirit

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28

A man whose spirit has no restraint is like a city without defenses. His convictions will deplete and his moral values will break down. In Luke 15, the prodigal son descended by stages to a level below that of animals. The first stage of his rebellion was a desire for independence. He didn’t want to live by his father’s standards or be subject to his father’s will. No longer restrained by the presence of his father, his conscience was also no longer guarded by any moral standard. The result was a descent into a degraded life.

True love has restraints. It does no evil. If we are people of love, serving a God who Himself is love, the love of God within us will result in restrained behavior. Our self-discipline as believers is born out of our love for God. We discipline ourselves to study the Word of God because we love God. We discipline ourselves to exercise because we love ourselves and want to have a healthy body. We discipline ourselves to make a living because we love the family we’re supporting.

Lust, on the other hand, has no limits to doing evil. Paul warns us not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Gal. 5:17). Instead, we are to develop the fruit of the Spirit—self-control (5:23). Paul himself declared, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). Discipline builds consistency and a consistent person is dependable.

We are living in a time where the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) are manifested in a level of intensity that is unprecedented—the world is plunging into moral degradation. There is a demand for believers to ruthlessly discipline themselves. Strong men and women who will discipline themselves to study the Word of God, to pray, to fast when needed, to obey God’s will; they are the ones the world can depend on. They are those whom others would run to in tough times. Make a decision today to be a person of discipline.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Why No Nobel Peace Prize for the Greatest Peacemaker?

You might like to meet the great One who will never win any Nobel Prize. But first, why not read His book—it's called The Bible, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Recently US President Barack Obama was awarded the much vaunted Nobel Peace prize. Liberal and conservative commentators in America and Europe were either appalled by or applauded the award.

For example, Lithuania's daily Lietuvos Rytas wrote: "To put it in a nutshell: it is unclear just which successes Obama is being honored for, above all when we compare him with other laureates … it's very strange to award someone the Nobel Peace Prize just because they're more popular than George W. Bush. Many call Bush the worst president of all times. But is just being better than the worst enough to win the Peace Prize? ... In addition it is regrettable that for years now the decision makers in Oslo have given the Prize to people further and further on the left of the political spectrum."

Wow—makes you wonder what they really think!

Now consider a great person who wasn't nominated and would not win anyway in any of Nobel's fields of Peace, Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, Economics or Literature.

The non-Nobel-nominee is a great peacemaker. Yet unlike even our best intentioned want-to-be peacemakers, this person actually knows the way to peace!

He is religious—typically a quality of a great peacemaker. In fact He's the Founder of a great religion—but in today's apologetic culture it's the wrong religion—not politically correct, shall we say.

He's a great healer and understands the path to good health like no one else but will never win the Nobel Medicine award.

His contribution to literature is nothing less than inspiring. His work has been quoted more than any other, and His book is a bestseller every year—but he'll never get the Nobel Literature prize.

He's the greatest economist the world has ever seen. He developed a economic system brilliant in its basic simplicity and amazing in how, if followed, it would completely prevent recessions and depressions. Apparently the Nobel committee didn't notice.

What about Chemistry and Physics—not a problem. Our non-nominee is the master of both fields of study. In fact the best that all the other Nobel Physics and Chemistry winners could ever do is merely study what this master scientist already did.

He's a leader of messianic proportions. That quality seems to have been valued in some Peace Prize awards recently. Problem: our never-to-be Nobel winner is not just a "messiah-like” leader—He is the true Messiah!

Go figure.

You might like to meet the great One who will never win any Nobel Prize. But first, why not read His book—it's called The Bible, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Discerning This Time

On Oct. 2 the European Union took another step toward a larger role in world affairs when Ireland ratified the Lisbon Treaty. Poland followed a few days later leaving only the Czech Republic as the lone holdout on approving a plan that will create a potentially larger role for Europe. The treaty when implemented will create the post of a European president and give the EU the ability to create a unified foreign policy.

Europe has a long way to travel in becoming a power to rival anything like the United States has been in recent decades. But it is clearly on the ascent, and Bible prophecy shows us Europe will play a key role in the events leading to the end of this age.

The second item of news also connects to Europe's rise. The talk about the decline of the dollar as the world's reserve currency continues. Rising levels of American debt have created fear among lender nations that their investment in dollars will one day collapse. Reports say that China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and others have begun laying the groundwork for a currency arrangement that would supplant the dollar as the key currency in trading. Should this occur, and many experts say it is inevitable, it would make it extremely difficult to finance the U.S. debt. America would have to borrow euros or another currency to buy oil from OPEC nations.

The decline of the dollar is a critical national security issue. It would cripple the nation's economic foundation and limit its military capability around the world. Like Great Britain in its days of imperial decline, the far-flung navies and armies would have to retreat, leaving a power vacuum that others would rush to fill. The result would be something far different from the Pax Americana of recent years. I find that many are blissfully unaware of the consequences of the decline in the dollar on world financial markets.

The third issue of recent days is the growing menace of a nuclear Iran in the Middle East. Time is running out, as many believe it is only a matter of months before Iran has a nuclear weapon and the ability to deliver it, with Israel as the likely target. Diplomacy has not worked to end Iran's development program, and so the talk of economic sanctions or a military strike continues.

Israel is the most likely nation to intervene militarily to destroy Iranian facilities, and should this occur, an all-out war of retaliation would be launched. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz would be disrupted and prices would skyrocket, creating another round of financial crisis. A nuclear arms race among other Middle Eastern countries would be ignited. A nuclear Iran would destabilize the entire region and have a worldwide impact.

Events this month remind us of Christ's warning to "discern this time" (Luke 12:56). Our world is rapidly changing, and there is no guarantee things will continue as they are at present. Christ's insistence that His disciples watch and understand their time in history is rooted in a need to repent and believe in the gospel of the Kingdom of God lest we perish (Luke 13:5; Mark 1:14-15). Our world is changing before our eyes, and God is gracious to give us warning if we only have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. It is time we turn to the Bible for the understanding that can convict us it is time to awake and prepare our lives for what lies ahead.

Do Conditions From the Historic Decline of Rome Foretell America's Future?

From time to time able historians have drawn anxious comparisons between the notorious decline of the Roman Empire and the current amoral path of the United States. During the last four years, eight major books have been published about ancient Rome's demise. First consider these seven:

* The Ruin of the Roman Empire
* The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
* The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization
* Barbarian Tides: The Migration Age and the Later Roman Empire
* Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West
* Attila the Hun: Barbarian Terror and the Fall of the Roman Empire
* The Fall of the West: The Death of the Roman Superpower

All of these titles are modern additions to Edward Gibbon's classic late 18th-century work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. One of the most compelling reasons for writing historical accounts of past civilizations is to learn from their tragic mistakes—seeking not to repeat them today. Alas, for the most part modern Westerners behave like "now people" who do not read much history in spite of the tireless efforts of concerned historians.

Current global and national trends have made some insightful observers predict that we are now sailing into very dark and troublesome waters. No wonder these knowledgeable academic authors have recently focused on the fallacies of the ancient Roman Empire. It lasted for more than 400 years (roughly from 27 B.C. to A.D. 395), swallowing up much of the known civilized world at that time. Four of these seven modern writers express their concerns about the current decline of our Western world and to some extent relate the causes with those that severely disabled Rome—eventually bringing it down.

Painful parallels

The eighth author, Cullen Murphy, puts it much more explicitly. He asks the crucial question in his title: Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America. He draws obvious comparisons between our very questionable behavior and that of the inhabitants of ancient Rome. The parallels are painfully obvious.

Our current moral conduct, particularly in societal relationships like marriage, should cause us the kind of deeply concerned anxiety that hopefully would lead to a radical reform in our individual and national behavior. Rome started out with reasonably stable marriages and disciplined sexual conduct, but deterioration set in as the decades slipped by and conditions came to resemble our modern version of illicit sexual behavior, both inside and outside of the marriage relationship.

The demise of the Roman home is well documented. Such sources as E.B. Castle's Ancient Education and Today show that "the consequent easy attitude to the marriage tie, the increasing frequency of divorce, and growing freedom and laxity in women's morals" guaranteed that the once stable Roman family unit did not endure (p. 15). Another writer spoke of an epidemic of Roman divorces.

Plain warnings

Learning critically important lessons from secular history has a parallel in our spiritual need to heed the plain warnings of biblical history. The apostle Paul wrote: "For whatever things were written before [in the Old Testament] were written for our learning" (Romans 15:4). He was much more specific in his first epistle to the Corinthian Church. "Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell... Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:8, 11, emphasis added).

Death of a Computer

What has all the technology done for our lives? Are we really better off for it? And are we better human beings as a result of it?

Well, it's finally beginning to happen. That old clunker, a 2002-vintage desktop in my home office, is beginning to show its age. In fact, I think it's close to requiring a requiem.

I shouldn't complain. It's served me well, and, after all, seven years is an eternity in techy-land. Sort of like owning a 1957 Chevy, except that the Chevy appreciates in value, while the computer ends up worthless in almost no time.

It began to send me messages. Messages comprehensible only to a person well trained in a second language—tech-speak. I couldn't understand the messages, much less act on them, and I got very frustrated. Eventually I ran to one of our office "geek department" men and pleaded for help. He interpreted the messages, told me what to do, and rescued me from a bad attitude. Thank you, Richard!

It may well last a while longer; after all, it's not quite dead yet, though it seems techy dementia is beginning to set in. For one thing it has forgotten the meaning of the word "fast." Alas, I fear it's now inevitable I bite the bullet and invest in a new computer, replete with the latest software, sure to be up-to-date for at least two weeks, and many new adventures to test my attitude. I'll try to enjoy my new toy.

All of these computer trials have led me to a more important question: what has all the technology done for our lives? Are we really better off for it? And are we better human beings as a result of it? All the Blackberry's, laptops, cell phones, individual music machines and the like; have they made the world a better place?

It seems we're awash in electronic information. This reminds me of a passage in the Bible that says of these days that "knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). In another place it talks of people who are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7).

Lots and lots of information—but little real benefit. Is that what we've come to? The worldwide web is full—of everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. Messages that build us and edify us, information that wastes our time, and material that tears down and preaches hatred.

I suppose I'll be investing in that new piece of technology soon, before I have to conduct a funeral service for the old one. It's inevitable. But one thing's for sure: I plan on using that new computer for the good stuff, and hopefully for the benefit of others. That's the right use of our technology, don't you think?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

How did Halloween come to be considered a "Christian" celebration? Does the Bible say anything about All Hallows' or All Saints' Day?

Originally Halloween was a pagan festival oriented around fire, the dead and the powers of darkness. How did it become accepted in the "Christian" world?

Most people know that Halloween takes place on Oct. 31. Far fewer understand the connection between Halloween and the next day on the calendar, the festival of All Hallows' or All Saints' Day, celebrated by some churches and denominations Nov. 1.

One author concludes that All Saints' Day was established to commemorate the saints and martyrs of the Roman Catholic Church and was first introduced in the seventh century (Man, Myth, and Magic, Vol. 1, 1983, p. 109). Oddly enough, history shows that Halloween—this ancient, thoroughly pagan holiday with its trappings of death and demonism—is inseparably tied to All Saints' Day.

Pagan festivals have had a curious way of worming their way into Christianity over the centuries. The Encyclopedia of Religion explains that "the British church attempted to divert the interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as the Samhain [the ancient Celtic name for the festival that we call Halloween].

"The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as the Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities" (1987, Vol. 6, p. 177).

How did this strange turn of events come about? How did the Catholic Church transform an ancient pagan festival into one to supposedly honor dead saints?

The 1913 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia says this about All Saints' Day: "In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighboring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration.

"In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. [Eventually] Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November" (Vol. 1, p. 315).

Pope Gregory's choice of Nov. 1 for this celebration was significant. Author Lesley Bannatyne explains: "That the date coincided with Samhain was no accident: the Church was still trying to absorb pagan celebrations taking place at this time...

"Villagers were also encouraged to masquerade on this day, not to frighten unwelcome spirits, but to honor Christian saints. On All Saints' Day, churches throughout Europe and the British Isles displayed relics of their patron saints. Poor churches could not afford genuine relics and instead had processions in which parishioners dressed as saints, angels and devils. This religious masquerade resembled the pagan custom of parading ghosts to the town limits. It served the new church by giving an acceptable Christian basis to the custom of dressing up on Halloween.

"In addition, the Church tried to convince the people that the great bonfires they lit in homage to the sun would instead keep the devil away" (Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, 1998, pp. 9, 11).

Later a second celebration, All Souls' Day, was instituted on Nov. 2. Eventually these two holidays merged into the present observance on Nov. 1, which was also called All Hallows' Day. The name of All Hallows' Even (evening) for the night of Oct. 31 evolved into the name Hallowe'en, or Halloween as it is called today.

This is a brief history of how men rationalized taking an ancient pagan festival rooted in death and demonism and adapting it for use as a "Christian" celebration. Regrettably, it flies in the face of God's explicit instruction to not use pagan practices to worship Him.

He clearly states in Deuteronomy 12:30-32: "Do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods... Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Not By Might

Living by the laws and principles of the coming Kingdom of God can make all the difference in your life today.

The world recently marked the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II.

World War II sprang from failed ideologies of nations. Hitler wanted a world based on Nazism. Stalin desired a rule based on the totalitarian views of communist socialism. Both men created monstrous systems of evil that led to the death of tens of millions of humans.

No system created by man has brought about the utopian world promised by God through the prophets of the Bible.

Isaiah's vision of the wolf living with the lamb and the leopard lying down with a goat and a little child in the midst of this pastoral scene is one of the most beautiful and hopeful in the entire Bible. Venomous snakes are rendered harmless as children interact safely with them. Isaiah says, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9)

This scene stands as the ideal hope for mankind. Yet no one has been able to permanently create this scene. Reading through the prophets you must conclude that only God can bring about the "millennium", the thousand year long reign of Christ on the earth as the long foretold messiah.

Reading the scriptures there is only one conclusion you can draw. It is that if you believe in God and His word, the Bible, you must believe it is in His power to bring about the conditions of the messianic age. The words of Zechariah 4:6 remind us such realities must come from God. "…This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,' says the Lord of hosts."

Living by the laws and principles of that coming kingdom can make all the difference in your life today. The reign of the Kingdom of God on this earth is more than a dream. It is a living reality that can lift your life beyond anything you can imagine for yourself. Seize it now and begin to live it today.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Alfred Hitchcock's Mrs. Froy and Vanishing Mankind

I just finished watching Alfred Hitchcock's humorous thriller "The Lady Vanishes."

Set in the late 1930s, the plot features Mrs. Froy, a spry little old British lady spy who tries to get her secret message back to the Foreign Office.

She enlists the assistance of two young, engaging countrymen, Iris and Gilbert, as they travel by train from the remote Balkan enclave of Bandrika. On the train, Mrs. Froy vanishes.

Could mankind also simply vanish?

The recession is bad, but we're okay…right?

Well, maybe! But consider these similarities between the 1930s and today.

They had the Great Depression. We have a worldwide recession.

Many hope it won't match the Depression in severity. Recently the government reports our economy is "turning around."

Maybe! Maybe not! The crash of Great Depression launched in the fall of 1928. The full weight of the stock market crisis didn't hit until 1932.

Maybe we shouldn't count our eggs just yet!

Furthermore, the Great Depression led to other serious international problems.

Forms of government now in flux

During the Depression the "two great democracies"—as Sir Winston Churchill dubbed Britain and America—suffered challenging political attacks from within. Unwisely, some in the working class were attracted to Joseph Stalin's pie crust rhetoric about Soviet communism. "Pie crust" because that form of government actively employed the principle that promises are like pie crusts, made to be broken.

Next, Adolf Hitler launched his fascist dictatorship in 1933. As that decade aged, a predictably gullible element of the Anglo-Saxon intelligentsia hailed Der Führer as a sort of governmental messiah.

Then in 1937, the same year that Hitchcock's film was made, these two frighteningly similar, yet politically opposing forms of government faced off—literally—across the parkway in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris at the International Exposition. The Soviet and the Nazi pavilions were designed for each to trumpet the vast superiority of their respective governmental systems, Communism and National Socialism.

Political steadiness—or instability?

You'd have to live in a sound-proof room to not hear the aggressive liberal versus conservative political debate during this past year in the United States (and elsewhere)! In the United States these two factions are faced off over the future form and shape of the American government and society.

This heated debate threatens to abdicate the stability of the decades old mushroom-cloud dynamic in world politics.

Couple this with the constantly increasing, running battle of America and Europe against the brazen guerilla forces of radical Islam. The dust of the Twin Towers falling in New York City on September 11 eight years ago still swirls in the minds of all involved in this terrorist-centered conflict.

With economic, political and military instability on a worldwide scale—the end of the 21st century's first decade and the 1930s appear to be eerily similar!

The Great Depression's baby

What did the "bad economy" give birth to at the end of the 1930s?

The depressing answer: World War II, with casualty estimates as high as 70 million men, women and children.

Could World War II have been any worse? Oh yes, it could have been fought with thermal nuclear and chemical-biological weapons from start to finish!

Thankfully, nobody knew how to do that in the 1930s.

Fat cities

What if our "bad economy" ignites the modern fireworks of another world war?

Our world is considerably more urbanized than the largely rural 1930s. Our cities are much fatter targets. So casualty rates from nuclear or bio-chemical warfare in the 21st century would be enormous. They would far surpass the 70 million who vanished by the time the Nagasaki fallout exacted its toll in 1945.

These depressing possibilities are at stake in today's national and international problems!

Has hope vanished?

Can the U.S., European and other governments find a way to exit our modern economic, political and military crises peacefully? How well did they do in the past?

We need a happy parallel with Hitchcock's spritely spy in "The Vanishing Lady." She was rescued and reappeared at the British Foreign Office with her secret message.

Mercifully, we have somebody powerful who can prevent mankind from vanishing. Jesus Christ has forecast His own intervention in humanity's mess: "And except those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22).

Mankind will suffer, but not vanish.

Monday, October 5, 2009

The-Beast-The-Dragon-and-The-Woman - Part I

I. THE BEAST AND HIS BACKGROUND

A Fearful Warning

The most fearful warning of punishment found anywhere in the Bible is contained in Revelation 14:9, 10: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

This description is so alarming and so very unlike all other verses which deal with God’s character that we almost recoil in horror. But it points clearly to a time when God’s mercy will be withheld from those who have persistently rejected the authority of Heaven. It will be an unparalleled performance on the part of God in His relationship to the human family. For almost 6,000 years, His punishing judgments upon the most wicked men have been tempered with mercy. But now the measure of rebellion reaches a point which makes it necessary for God to intervene and to expose the terrible extent of man’s treason against God’s government.

Right here we are curious to know more about the sin that provokes God’s strange act of fiery punishment. Notice that the final issue involves a false allegiance to the beast power, so often referred to in Bible prophecy. At last, the world shall stand divided into two great camps: those who worship the true God, and those who worship the beast of Revelation 13. But what issue leads to this massive division of the world’s people? After describing the fate of the false worshipers in Revelation 14:9-11, John has this to say in the very next verse: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” We see here a startling contrast between those who follow the beast and those who follow the Lamb.

Please note that the issue revolves around the keeping of God’s commandments. Those who do not have the mark of the beast are described as obedient to those commandments, and the rest suffer the wrath of God. This agrees perfectly with Paul’s statement in Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

The highest allegiance is accorded through the act of obedience. At last, the majority of earth’s inhabitants will accept the authority of an antichrist counterfeit power, in disobedience to God’s great ten commandment laws. Every individual will be on one side or the other. The Bible makes it very clear that life or death revolves around the final decision concerning the beast of Revelation 13.

Strangely enough, modern theologians have simply ignored the warning message of Revelation 14, relating to the mark of the beast. The interest of multitudes has been destroyed by the influence of pastors who would not take seriously the solemn words of John’s prophecy. Often it is dismissed as a confused, insignificant letter, applying only to a local problem in the early church. For some reason the book called Revelation is counted a sealed book, instead of the obviously revealed truth that its name implies. But please note the promise made to those who search out the truth of this wonderful book, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3.

Before delving into John’s vivid account of that final clash between Christ and Satan, let us take time to examine the contestants in the conflict. When and how did it get started, and how will it end?

Two Powerful Contenders

Even though the climax in the great struggle takes place in the very end of human history when all the world is arraigned in two opposing camps, the controversy between Christ and Satan has been going on for almost 6,000 years. It started in heaven with the rebellion of Lucifer against God’s rule of the universe. The story of that beautiful angel who coveted the position of God Himself is revealed through a number of Old Testament prophetic writings. Isaiah says in reference to this glorious being: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12-14.

The seeds of that selfish revolt of one leading angel spread rapidly to affect the loyalty of other angels. Soon one third of the heavenly host had joined the disaffection of Lucifer, and the great controversy was under way—a controversy that was to rage for over 6,000 years, and which would finally demand the decision of every living creature in heaven and on earth.

The immediate result of the discord was war in heaven that climaxed in the complete expulsion of Lucifer from the presence of God and the loyal angels. John describes it this way: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9.

No more was the fallen angel to be known as Lucifer, signifying “star of the morning,” but Satan which means “adversary.” The conflict had now been transferred from heaven down to this earth. Here it will continue until it reaches a desperate climax in the division of earth’s multitudes for or against the commandments of God. Just as the rebellion began by disloyalty to the authority of God, so it will end by a defiance of His authority as vested in the law of His government.

Satan has been here with his evil angels from the time he was banished from the regions of light. With devilish cunning, he has experimented with successive forms of warfare against God and His plan for this world. Through various insidious approaches, he has continued his efforts to overthrow the authority of God. The purpose of this booklet is to expose the massive assaults that have been made, and are being made, by Satan against the foundations of truth.

Every generation has witnessed a new manifestation of that evil power in its untiring warfare with Heaven’s program to save the world. The final form of the enemy opposition will be that of the beast of Revelation 13. That counterfeit power will be set up in deadly conflict with the commandments of God. The whole world will be called to take sides. The confederation of evil will consolidate for a desperate last-ditch struggle to engage the loyalty of earth’s inhabitants. The issues will be clearly revealed, and no one can remain neutral. Obedience to God or to Satan, as manifested through the beast power, will be the only alternatives open to man.

A Life or Death Issue

Now, with this little background of the contenders, let us look closer at the biblical setting for the last decisive engagement in the great controversy. Please note that the beast of Revelation 13 symbolizes a gigantic antichrist power that attempts to displace God entirely. Here is the description of that power in the language of Revelation 13:1-7: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon that gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

We cannot fail to see here an unprecedented scale of opposition to God and those who follow Him. Later in this same chapter, we read that this beast power will exercise so much influence over the earth, that it causes men to receive a mark in their foreheads or hands (Revelation 13:16). Finally, those who have the mark will suffer the terrible wrath of God as described in Revelation 14:9, 10. The wrath of God is further defined in Revelation 15:1 in these words, “Seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”

The awful nature of those plagues and the extreme sufferings they visit upon those who receive the mark of the beast are fully revealed in the sixteenth chapter of Revelation. We will not dwell on them at this point in detail, but let us remind ourselves again that this issue will involve eternal life or death for all. How earnestly should we seek to understand who the beast represents and how we might avoid that mark! There must be no guesswork or speculation on this vital subject. We must know exactly where the danger lies and how to avoid it.

The average Christian has scarcely even heard about the urgency of this subject. He has not the faintest idea about the beast or his mark, even though his destiny hinges upon the issue. Multitudes of preachers comfort the people in their ignorance of this point. They say, “Don’t worry about the beast. It is too complicated to understand. As long as you love the Lord, you will be all right. You can’t really know who the beast is.” Listen, will God warn us about the fearful danger of this beast—a danger so deadly that it will mean life or death—and then tell us it is impossible to know what it is? Would He say to us, “You will be cast into the fire if you have the mark, but I’m not going to tell you what it is—it’s just too bad if you have it”? No, that is not like God. He warns us of a danger that can be avoided. We can know that we are safe from the beast only if we know who the beast is. We can know we are free from the mark only if we know what the mark is.

A Symbolic Animal

Is it possible to understand the mark of the beast? Without fail, we can know and must know. But first we must understand the identity of the prophetic beast itself. Let us establish that this strange, composite animal is not to be taken literally. No one ever saw a creature with the body of a leopard, the mouth of a lion, and the feet of a bear. The prophetic books of the Bible usually deal in types and symbols. This beast represents something. But what does it symbolize? There must be no guessing here. The Bible does not leave any room for doubt. It serves as its own divine commentary and provides the key for understanding the prophecies.

Everything in the Bible description of the beast is symbolic. Consider the water, for example, out of which the animal arises. What does it represent? Read the answer in Revelation 17:15, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest … are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” There can be no quibbling over this point. God clearly explained the meaning of water in prophecy. Once the symbol is interpreted in any prophecy, the rule will apply in every other prophecy. Water will always symbolize people in biblical prophetic imagery.

Now, what about the other parts of the strange, apocalyptic beast? What do they represent? In order to understand the beast we must go back to the Old Testament book of Daniel and compare Scripture with Scripture. The books of Daniel and Revelation explain each other. They fit together like a hand and glove. Please notice that Daniel had a vision very similar to that of John. It is described in Daniel 7:2, 3: “Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” He saw the prophetic water just as John did, but Daniel saw four beasts arising instead of only one.

We have already found out that water symbolizes peoples or multitudes, but what do the animals represent? The answer is found in verse 17, “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.” There it is. So plainly worded that no one can question or doubt! God says that animals in prophecy represent nations. Just as we have the American eagle and the Russian bear in our modem political vocabulary, God used animals long, long ago to represent countries also. Then, to be more explicit, God added this in verse 23, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth.” If the fourth animal represented the fourth empire of history, then the first three would have to represent the first three empires.

This explanation becomes more simple and clear when we remember that there have only been four world empires in the earth since the days of Daniel. These kingdoms are referred to often in Bible prophecy and are called by name in some related prophecies of Daniel. Refer to Daniel 8:20, 21 and Daniel 11:2 for examples of this. In the second chapter of Daniel the same four world kingdoms are symbolized by four metals in the great statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Those four empires are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.

Four Empires of History

Will you take a closer look at these animals, one by one, as they arose in the prophet’s vision? The first was “like a lion and had eagle’s wings.” Daniel 7:4. Here we have represented that grand empire of Babylon, so well symbolized by the king of beasts. It was one of the wealthiest, strongest nations ever to exist on the earth. Notice that this animal has wings. Wings are used in prophetic terminology to symbolize speed. And sure enough, Babylon arose very quickly to take its place as a ruler of the entire world.

From 606 B.C. until 538 B.C. Babylon continued to exercise her extensive authority. But a change was to take place. Daniel saw the second beast, “like unto a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it.” Daniel 7:5. After Babylon came the kingdom of Medo-Persia in 538 B.C., the second world empire.

The bear is raised up on one side to represent the fact that Persia was stronger than the Medes. Those two powers were allied together in their domination of the earth. The three ribs probably symbolize the three provinces of that kingdom—Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt.

Then in 331 B.C. Medo-Persia went down, and the third world empire arose. According to the prophecy, “dominion was given to it.” Verse 6. It was “like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads.” Verse 6. Any schoolboy who has studied his lessons carefully in ancient history will know that Greece arose as the next world ruler. Alexander the Great came marching from the west, laying the world at his feet in a very short time. The four wings of the leopard denote the exceeding speed with which Alexander subdued the nations. Within eight years, he had completely subjugated the world and sat down to weep because there were no more worlds to conquer. But he could not conquer himself; he died as a young man of thirty-three at the height of his power. At his death the kingdom was divided among his four leading generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. The four heads of the beast represent those divisions of his empire. This brings us to the year 168 B.C. and the downfall of the Grecian empire in that very year. So far, every detail of the prophecy has been fulfilled exactly.

The Terrible Fourth Beast

Now let us notice the rise of the fourth beast, which is “the fourth kingdom upon earth.” Verse 23. Although Daniel had seen living wild beasts like those portrayed in the first three prophetic symbols, he had never seen anything resembling the fourth terrible beast. This is the way the Bible describes it: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it … and it had ten horns.” Verse 7.

As we have already learned, this symbolizes the fourth world empire, which was the iron monarchy of Rome. The extension of its cruel domination of the earth has been well documented in the pages of ancient history. But this powerful nation was also to be divided, as verse twenty-four indicates, “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.” Please notice that this is God’s interpretation of the ten horns on this animal. Rome would be divided into ten distinct areas.

By following the course of history we discover that the exact fulfillment did come in the year 476 A.D. Fierce tribes came sweeping down from the north country, and overwhelmed the territory of Western Europe, dividing it finally into ten parts. Those parts, of course, correspond to the ten toes of the great image of Daniel 2.

All students of history are well acquainted with the names of those tribal conquerors of Western Europe in 476 A.D. They were the Anglo-Saxons, Alemanni, Heruli, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Suevi, Lombards, Burgundians and Franks. Seven of those tribes are still in existence to this very day, having grown into modem nations. They survive on the map of Europe as significant twentieth century powers. Three of them disappeared from the stage of history, as we shall learn in just a moment.

The Little Horn

Now we are prepared to read the next verse of the prophecy and find out the meaning of the little horn in the vision of Daniel. “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Verse 8. Here we must be very, very careful, indeed. We must not make the mistake of falsely identifying the little horn power, because it will prove to be the great antichrist power of history.

In order to avoid all mistakes of identity, it would be well first to consider the nine characteristic marks described in the prophecy itself. These marks of identity will enable us to be absolutely sure of the interpretation. We dare not guess or speculate concerning the historical identity of this “little horn” of prophecy.

First of all, the little horn came up among the ten. This places it geographically in Western Europe. Second, it came up after the ten arose, because it came up “among them.” Since the ten arose in 476 A.D., the little horn would have to begin its reign some time after that date. Third, it would uproot three of the ten tribes as it came to power. The eighth verse says that before the little horn, “there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots.”

Fourth, the little horn would have “eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Verse 8. This indicates that a human being would be at the head of the power represented by the little horn. Fifth, “he shall be diverse from the first (horns).” Verse 24. This means that the little horn would be a different kind of power from those purely political kingdoms that preceded it. The sixth characteristic is revealed in the first part of verse twenty-five, “And he shall speak great words against the most High.” Another verse says, “speaking great things and blasphemies.” Revelation 13:5.

At this point, let’s define from the Bible the meaning of blasphemy. In John 10:3033, Jesus was about to be stoned for claiming to be one with the Father. The Jews who were going to kill Him said, “For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” According to this text, it is blasphemy for a man to be accorded the place of God.

Now let us read another definition of blasphemy. Jesus had forgiven a man his sins, and the scribes said, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” Mark 2:7. Clearly, Jesus was not a blasphemer, because He was God and He was able to forgive sin. But for a man to make such claims would constitute blasphemy, according to the Bible’s own definition.

Now we come to the seventh point of identity, found also in verse twenty-five, “and shall wear out the saints of the most High.” This tells us that the little horn is a persecuting power. It will make war with God’s people and cause them to be put to death. The eighth mark is also given in verse twenty-five, “and think to change times and laws.” Apparently, in its bitter opposition to the God of Heaven, in speaking great words against Him, this power also seeks to change the great law of God. This move of the little horn could only be an attempt to make a change. Obviously, man can never alter the moral law of God.

A Rule of 1,260 Years

The ninth, and final identifying mark, in verse twenty-five, tells us exactly how long this little horn would exercise authority in the earth, “and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Here we are faced with a strange expression. It is actually a prophetic term that the Bible itself explains. In Revelation 12:14, we read these words concerning the same time period, “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” Now read verse six, which describes the same event. Instead of saying, “a time, times, and half a time,” it says, “a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” Thus we see that the two periods of time are exactly the same. By comparing these Scriptures, we understand that a time is a year in Bible prophecy, times is two years, and half a time is half a year. This gives us a total of 3 1/2 times, or 3 1/2 years, because 3 1/2 years is exactly equal to 1,260 days. We are using, of course, the Bible year of 360 days.

We are now ready to apply another great principle in the interpretation of prophecy. Please notice that always in measuring prophetic time, God uses a day to represent a year. In Ezekiel 4:6 we read the actual rule, “I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Further support of this is found in Numbers 14:34. This method of reckoning time must always be applied in the study of Bible prophecy. This means, then, that the little horn power would rule for 1,260 years, instead of merely 1,260 days.

An Exact Fulfillment

We have before us now a list of nine specific characteristics, which have been lifted out of the seventh chapter of Daniel in description of the little-horn power. There is only one power in all history that meets the description given here. In other words, God closes every other option, and forces us to the only possible conclusion: the Catholic Church alone fulfills all the points of identity established in Daniel 7.

Let us take a quick look and notice how clearly this is done. First of all, the papacy did arise in western Europe, at the very heart of the territory of the pagan Roman Empire—in Rome itself. Second, it did come up after 476 A.D. It was in the year 538 A.D. that a decree of Emperor Justinian went into effect that assigned absolute preeminence to the Church of Rome. These are facts of history that can be verified by any authoritative historical source.

Third, when the papacy arose, it was opposed by three of the tribes that had taken over at the collapse of the Roman Empire. The Vandals, Ostrogoths and Heruli were Arian powers that strongly opposed the rise of the Catholic Church. The armies of Rome marched in to uproot and completely destroy these three tribes. The last of the three was destroyed in the very year 538 A.D., when Justinian’s decree went into effect.

Fourth, the Catholic Church did have a man at the head of its system. Fifth, the papacy was a diverse kind of power from the other political kingdoms before it. It was a religio-political system quite unlike anything that had been seen in the world before that time.

Now we take a look at the sixth characteristic—the speaking of great words and blasphemy against the Most High. Does the papacy meet this description? We need only to be reminded that the Catholic Church has ever attributed to itself the power to forgive sins. As to the great words, let me quote from an article by F. Lucii Ferraris, contained in the book Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica Juridica Moralis Theologica. This book was printed at Rome and is sanctioned by the Catholic encyclopedia. Listen to these claims: “The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted, that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the Vicar of God. The Pope is, as it were, God on earth, chief king of kings, having plenitude of power.” Volume VI, pp. 2529. These are only a few of the words that the Bible defines as blasphemy. Thus, the papacy meets the marks of identity as the little horn power.

Coming now to the seventh point of identity, we find that history supports the prophecy concerning papal persecution. Everyone who has any knowledge of the Middle Ages is acquainted with the fact that millions of people were tortured and killed by the Catholic inquisitions. From a book written by a Catholic cardinal, which also bears the sanction of the Church, we read, “The Catholic Church … has a horror of blood. Nevertheless when confronted by heresy … she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture. She creates tribunals like the Inquisition. She calls the laws of the state to her aid. … Especially did she act thus in the 16th Century with regard to Protestants. … In France, under Francis I and Henry II, in England under Mary Tudor, she tortured the heretics.” The Catholic Church, The Renaissance and Protestantism, pp. 182-184.

We could multiply statements like this from historians, both Catholic and Protestant, that describe the horrible tortures of the papal authorities upon Protestants. Thus we can see the complete fulfillment of this description of the little horn.

The eighth mark, as given in verse twenty-five, concerns the attempt to change God’s laws. Does this apply to the papacy? Please note this: the Catholic Church has removed the second commandment from her doctrinal books and catechism, because it condemns the worship of images. The tenth commandment is then divided so that they still have ten commandments. But two are against coveting, and there is none against idolatry. In this way, the papacy has thought to change the law, but unsuccessfully. God’s law cannot be changed.

Finally, we come to the ninth identifying mark, which tells us exactly how long this papal power would exercise its authority in the earth. We discovered that it would be for a period of 1,260 years. Is this according to the record of history? Remember, that we have noted how the papacy began its reign, by order of Justinian, in 538 A.D. By counting down 1,260 years from this date we are brought to the year 1798. In that very year the French general, Berthier, marched his armies into Rome and pulled the Pope off his throne. He was carried away into exile, and all the properties of the Church were confiscated.

The French Directory government decreed that there would never be another Bishop of Rome. As far as the world was concerned, and by all outward appearance, the Catholic Church was dead. After exactly 1,260 years, in fulfillment of the prophecy, she lost her control of the world. Thus, the final point is clearly fulfilled in the papacy, and in it only.

The Beast and Little Horn Identical

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with the beast of Revelation 13. We are now ready to identify that strange, composite animal described in the book of Revelation. Let us read the description of that beast once more, which has the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.” Verse 5. Notice, please, that this beast is doing exactly the same thing as the little horn of Daniel. Verse five continues, “And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” How long is forty-two months? Exactly 1,260 prophetic days or years—the same as the 3 1/2 times of Daniel’s prophecy.

Concerning the beast, we read further, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.” Verse 7. This beast is also a persecut- ing power. In other words, the beast of Revelation 13 is the very same power as the little horn. Both are symbolic of the papacy. This is God’s graphic illustration of the papal power, as it came up to exercise arbitrary authority over the earth for 1,260 years.

Further similarity is found by reading Revelation 13:3, “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” As we have already established, the deadly wound was given in the year 1798 A.D., when the French armies carried the Pope away into exile. But that wound was to be healed, and finally the whole world would give its allegiance to the papacy again. That prophecy has been fulfilled very, very vividly before our eyes.

It was in the year 1929 that Mussolini executed the Concordat of 1929 with the Pope, restoring the properties that had been taken away from the Church. At that time, the Pope was actually made king once more, and the Vatican City was set up as a political sovereign power. From that day to this, the strength of the papacy has been advancing with tremendous strides.

At this present time most of the countries of the world have political representatives at Vatican City. The incredible influence of the papacy in world affairs is attested to by the headlines in today’s newspaper. Almost every utterance of the pope is published to the ends of the earth, and millions and millions of people look to the papal power as the greatest influence in politics today. Yes, the wound has certainly been healed, and the world continues to follow after the beast.

Grieving

2 Corinthians 1:3-4…….. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles…..
Grieving is a gift from God to help us to cope with loss and bereavement. If we allow the grieving process to run its course our lives will return to normal and we will retain our health and our sanity.
This process for some will take only days, for others it could be weeks, months or even years. It is helpful for us to understand what the process is.
Normally, after the loss of a loved one or perhaps a major lifestyle change, we will initially be overwhelmed by a sense of great sadness. This sadness can lead to confusion and anger and we ask, why did this happen?
This anger can often become self-focused and we begin to blame ourselves and question if it was our fault. This can lead to regrets that we did not do enough to prevent it.
Though prayer and the word of God we discover that it was not our fault and we are not to blame. God brings solace and He comforts us and this leads us into peace. From there we are able to make the necessary adjustments, pick up the pieces and get on with our lives.
Our faith in God brings order back into our personal crisis. He was not to blame and neither were you. Acceptance and trust help us to build our shattered life and we now grieve as one who has hope. We can see light at the end of the tunnel and the future begins to look brighter.
I have no idea how people who do not know Jesus, non-Christians, manage to cope in the midst of a trauma. We do not grieve like those who have no hope.
Lord Jesus, thank you for being our saviour and our peace. Amen.

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUarwp4wbj0&feature=channel_page

Growing as a Christian

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form..” Colossians 2:9

Growing as a Christian. What does it mean to grow as a Christian? When you first accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you are like a little baby spiritually. You may be 60 years old — you may be 20 years old — but you may be like a little child as a Christian.

So how do you grow? We have identified 6 key areas you can grow as a Christian.

  1. Know God — Be sure you are a Christian; know about God; know about Jesus Christ
  2. New Life — Be filled with the Holy Spirit; have your life changed by Christ in you
  3. Prayer — Talk with God daily; spend time with Him and worship Him
  4. Bible — Learn and study God’s word; be changed by its transforming power
  5. Community — Be a part of a good church; spend times connecting with other Christians
  6. Share — Tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ; see others come to Jesus Christ

God will help you grow as a Christian, but you must take the first steps. Spend time with God; learn about Him; study His word; talk with Him; be filled with His Spirit; join a good church; tell others about Jesus. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. At Global Media Outreach our goal is to help you grow strong and mature as a Christian.

So, this week, let us pray that

  • God will help you grow into maturity as a Christian
  • God will protect and bless our staff at Global Media Outreach
  • God will help you reach others for Jesus Christ

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. Your prayers provide spiritual power that helps us reach people around the world for Jesus Christ. Every day, over 200,000 people are coming to our websites.

May God bless you for the key part that you play as you join with us in prayer.

Abiding Trust

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1
In one sense, the path to heaven is very safe. Yet in other respects, there is no road as dangerous. It is wrought with difficulties. You could be just one step away from God’s grace and mercy, and still slip down a path leading to destruction. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14, “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. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who fi nd it.” How many times have we exclaimed with the psalmist, “My feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped” (Ps. 73:2).
Yet there are those who are like Mount Zion, steadfast and immovable. They are those who trust in the Lord, because the Lord is dependable, loyal, stable and faithful to us. He is known as the faithful God who keeps His covenant (Deut. 7:9), the faithful High Priest who makes atonement for the sins of His people (Heb. 2:17) and His name is called Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11). He is faithful to His children because He is first of all faithful to Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).
God’s faithfulness is the sure foundation upon which we can build our Christian life. His faithfulness gives us:
  1. Deliverance from temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
  2. Assurance of salvation. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
  3. Forgiveness of sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Though the devil may try to push us down, or lurk in ambush and temptations to attempt to cut short our destiny, God alone is able to make us stand. Jude 1:24-25 (KJV) declares, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Don't Be Disqualified

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7
In Revelation 21, we are introduced to the heavenly Jerusalem. The purpose of the New Jerusalem is to be a habitation for the Lord; a place for God to dwell with His people. All the promises of God are reserved for those who overcome. Therefore, by the grace of God, we must cry out for grace to have victory over the flesh, the world and the devil. The Lord says to the overcomers that He will be their God and they shall be sons (21:7). “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (21:8). Who are those who will be disqualified from the New Jerusalem?
  1. The cowardly: those who consider God to be unworthy of their trust. They refuse to exercise faith in Him, but would rather lean on their own talents and abilities. They are ashamed of Jesus and are afraid of what family and friends would think of them being identifi ed with Christ.
  2. The unbelieving: those who doubt what God has said. They refuse to believe His promises and His Word.
  3. The abominable: Those who are unclean. Titus 1:16 talks of them who “profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
  4. Murderers: those who break the sixth commandment by committing murder. This includes those who hate others in their hearts (Matt. 5:21-22).
  5. Sexually immoral: those who habitually commit all kinds of sexual impurities outside the holy bounds of marriage.
  6. Sorcerers: those who practice and condone witchcraft in whatever form.
  7. Idolaters: those who worship people and other objects of affection rather than God.
  8. Liars: those who don’t love or speak the truth. While one might summarily dismiss these groups of people as those who are non- Christian, a careful study shows that they are those who are in the Church. Remember the solemn warning of Paul to the Christians in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.” Let us walk in true liberty and not be entangled by the works of the flesh.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Five Crowns

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Revelation 22:12
When Jesus comes, He is going to reward every Christian according to the works they have done. Part of the rewards the Scripture describes is in the form of five eternal crowns.
First of all, there is the crown of life. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). This reward could also be called “the lover’s crown.” You find strength to overcome temptation and endure trials through God’s love and your love for God. All believers have eternal life, but not all believers will be rewarded with the “crown of life.”
Secondly, there is the imperishable crown. “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Cor. 9:25). Paul makes use of the Greek games to illustrate the spiritual race of the believer. To win, you must deny yourself of anything that would weigh you down and hold you back, and by faith, refuse anything that would impede your spiritual progress (Heb. 11:24-29).
Thirdly, there is the crown of rejoicing. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 says, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” This crown is the soul winner’s crown. The greatest work you are privileged to do for the Lord is to bring others to the knowledge of Christ as their personal Savior.
Fourthly, there is the crown of righteousness. “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). The “crown of righteousness” is a reward and is not to be confused with the “righteousness of God” which you receive when you become a Christian. If you look for and love the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, it will affect your whole life.
Fifthly, there is the crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:2-4 says, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the fl ock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” The “crown of glory” is a special reward for the faithful, obedient God-called shepherds who feed the flock and take spiritual oversight of the church faithfully and diligently.

Friday, October 2, 2009

The Annual Festivals of God

2009
Passover: April 8 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 9-15
Pentecost: May 31
Feast of Trumpets: September 19
Day of Atonement: September 28
Feast of Tabernacles: October 3-9
Last Great Day: October 10

2010
Passover: March 29 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: March 30 - April 5
Pentecost: May 23
Feast of Trumpets: September 9
Day of Atonement: September 18
Feast of Tabernacles: September 23-29
Last Great Day: September 30

2011
Passover: April 18 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 19-25
Pentecost: June 12
Feast of Trumpets: September 29
Day of Atonement: October 8
Feast of Tabernacles: October 13-19
Last Great Day: October 20

2012
Passover: April 6 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 7-13
Pentecost: May 27
Feast of Trumpets: September 17
Day of Atonement: September 26
Feast of Tabernacles: October 1-7
Last Great Day: October 8

2013
Passover: March 25 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: March 26 - April 1
Pentecost: May 19
Feast of Trumpets: September 5
Day of Atonement: September 14
Feast of Tabernacles: September 19-25
Last Great Day: September 26

2014
Passover: April 14 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 15-21
Pentecost: June 8
Feast of Trumpets: September 25
Day of Atonement: October 4
Feast of Tabernacles: October 9-15
Last Great Day: October 16

2015
Passover: April 3 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 4-10
Pentecost: May 24
Feast of Trumpets: September 14
Day of Atonement: September 23
Feast of Tabernacles: September 28 - October 4
Last Great Day: October 5

2016
Passover: April 22 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 23-29
Pentecost: June 12
Feast of Trumpets: October 3
Day of Atonement: October 12
Feast of Tabernacles: October 17-23
Last Great Day: October 24

2017
Passover: April 10 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 11-17
Pentecost: June 4
Feast of Trumpets: September 21
Day of Atonement: September 30
Feast of Tabernacles: October 5-11
Last Great Day: October 12

2018
Passover: March 30 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: March 31 - April 6
Pentecost: May 20
Feast of Trumpets: September 10
Day of Atonement: September 19
Feast of Tabernacles: September 24-30
Last Great Day: October 1

2019
Passover: April 19 (Observed evening before)
Feast of Unleavened Bread: April 20-26
Pentecost: June 9
Feast of Trumpets: September 30
Day of Atonement: October 9
Feast of Tabernacles: October 14-20
Last Great Day: October 21

In biblical reckoning, days begin in the evening (Genesis 1:5), when the sun goes down (Joshua 8:29; 2 Chronicles 18:34; Mark 1:32), and are counted "from evening to evening" (Leviticus 23:32). Thus, all God's festivals begin the evening just before the dates listed in this table. For example, in 2008 Passover is observed Friday evening, April 18, after sundown, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins Saturday evening, April 19. The festivals end in the evening on the dates given.

First Resurrection

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
Those Christians who will rule and reign with Jesus in the millennium are called “blessed” and “holy.” These saints will be kings and priests with the Lord. Most of all, they will qualify for the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6). The apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:10-11, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” The deepest cry in Paul’s heart was to qualify for the first resurrection. There are two specific resurrections in the Bible:
  • the first resurrection, which takes place at the second coming of Christ, and
  • the general resurrection, which takes place after the 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth. In Philippians 3:10, Paul gives us four qualifications that must be worked out in our lives in order for us to have a part in the first resurrection:
  1. That I may know Him. To really know the Lord, you have to know what He is like. This involves knowing His attributes. Five of God’s attributes are mentioned in Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’” In Matthew 11:29, Jesus mentions two more of His attributes—gentleness and lowliness: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will fi nd rest for your souls.” For you to really know these attributes, they must be worked out in you experientially. The more the nature of God is worked out in your life, the more you can know Him.
  2. That I may know the power of His resurrection. Ephesians 1:17-22 says that we need to have a revelation of “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.” When it comes to such glorious power, mental assent will not do. You need to experience it tangibly in your life.
  3. That I may know the fellowship of His sufferings. The Bible tells us that if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Jesus suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He suffered reproach in the area of His reputation. He experienced betrayal and was forsaken by His loved ones. In the same measure that you suffer with Him, to that same degree you will reign with Christ.
  4. That I may be made conformable to His death. This means to experience the crucified life. We must carry our cross and, as Jesus says, “die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31) to ourselves.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Beast - Who Will Worship It?


Who Will Worship It?

In the past few years we’ve seen a remarkable fulfillment of several apocalyptic prophecies. It has been exciting, thrilling, and faith-building to witness. But it also is sobering, for fulfilled prophecies indicate that the remaining last-day prophecies are soon to follow.

Unfortunately, some Christians do not want to face the coming reality of the prophecy of Revelation chapter 13. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy, . . . and all the world wondered after the beast . . . . as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:1-3,15-17). This is a frightening prophecy indeed. It predicts that a coalition of religious and political powers will align under the leadership of the Antichrist beast to cast the world into a boiling caldron of affliction. There will be a great time of trouble unlike the earth has ever seen before (Daniel 12:1). Some students of Bible prophecy have even suggested this tribulation will be worse than we can imagine.

With the future so bleak, we can easily appreciate why some have chosen to remain ignorant about last-day events. Many of those who have sought to learn about it are so fearful of living during the beast’s reign of terror that they have become easy prey for false doctrine. The prevalent false teaching that promises a pre-tribulation rapture appears attractive against the backdrop of Armageddon and the mark of the beast. But ignorance and false doctrine will leave their victims destitute and lost as these fig-leaf garments dry and crumble under the withering blast of the final tribulation.

The desire to live in peace and security is understandable. Few of us, in our introspective moments, feel capable to stand for God and His truth when demons will overrun the earth. But despite these natural fears and aversions, we must not chase after promises of peace and safety that are not founded upon the sure Word of God. While we should focus on the love of God for sinners and the true security that comes from making Him Lord and Savior of our life, we should also give attention to the warnings of the Spirit concerning the last days.

The Scripture injunction we should heed most is that which warns us against worshiping the beast. Consider these sobering facts. All who worship the beast will forfeit the precious experience of eternal life with Jesus in a glorious new world (Revelation 13:8). They will be inflicted with the extremely painful and fearsome seven last plagues (Revelation 16:2). And finally, they will suffer utter destruction in the fires of hell (Revelation 14:9-11). Without question, we do not want to be found worshiping the beast in the days to come.

But what assures us we will not be in this group? Mind you, it is no small group. Revelation 13:3 says that “all the world wondered after the beast.”

Although helpful, mere knowledge of the beast’s identity will not guarantee escape. Judas knew Jesus as the Messiah, yet he betrayed Him. Similarly, many of those who understand last-day prophecies will ultimately find themselves on the side of the beast. Knowledge definitely isn’t enough. So how can we be on the winning side when all the dust settles? Who will worship the beast? And what can we do now to keep from being part of that group.

The Final Conflict

First, we must understand that the final conflict will be over worship. All inhabitants of earth will be divided into one of two camps before the end—those who worship the beast and those who worship the Creator. Creature worship versus Creator worship will be the issue to divide the world. Everyone will have to make a choice regarding whom they will worship. How will the whole earth be brought to make this choice between the creature and the Creator? The Bible predicts a time when the beast will gain immense political influence. From this position of authority, he will force people to worship him. Those who refuse will be economically boycotted and eventually sentenced to death. “And he had power to . . . cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all . . . to receive a mark . . . that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:15-17).

As the beast seeks to enforce worship through force, God mercifully warns people against the beast and urges them to worship Him as Creator. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. . . . And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:6-10).

The scenario is clear. In the last days, the entire world will be squeezed between the two cosmic forces. There will be no neutral ground, no demilitarized zone. Everyone will have to make a decision whom they will serve and worship.

The Battle Over Worship

This last conflict over worship is actually the grand finale to a long drama that began in heaven before man was even created. The author of rebellion inaugurated this “creature versus Creator” war when he coveted the Creator’s throne. Lucifer, a created angel, decided his superior beauty and intelligence qualified him to better rule the universe than his Creator. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, . . . For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Working with stealthy deceit, he launched his campaign for the affections of the angels and was successful in attracting one-third of them (Revelation 12:4-9). Demanding the adoration due only the Creator, these created angels tried to bully their way onto God’s throne. This forced God to take drastic measures. Revelation 12:7 records, “There was war in heaven.” To protect the existence of the universe, God forcibly removed Satan and his angels from heaven.

But this was only the beginning of Satan’s campaign for worship that would last thousands of years and cost millions of lives. Cast to earth, Satan next solicited Adam and Eve’s worship and service. And it is by understanding our first parents’ test over worship that we learn how to keep from worshiping the beast in the last days.

Why did Eve eat the fruit of the forbidden tree? Simply because she lacked trust in God. She trusted the serpent’s word more than her Creator’s. Adam also distrusted God, but unlike Eve, he was not deceived _(1 Timothy 2:14). Adam’s decision to eat the forbidden fruit was a conscious, deliberate choice. He couldn’t dream of life without Eve. Worse yet, He didn’t trust God to come up with an acceptable solution to deal with Eve’s disobedience that would leave him happy throughout eternity.

Our first parents’ distrust led them to disobey. And their disobedience became an act of worship of the serpent. You see, worship and obedience are synonymous. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey” (Romans 6:16). When tempted by the devil to bow down and worship him, Jesus revealed that the act of worship is married to service and obedience. “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10).

When Adam and Eve trusted the lies of the serpent above the command of God, they entered into creature worship. They truly worshiped the beast. The last conflict in the world merely brings man full circle to retake Adam and Eve’s first test. Will we obey and worship the beast or obey and worship the Creator? Both the first and last tests of this world’s history contain the same elements: the serpent and his lies, worship, obedience versus disobedience, and the penalty of expulsion from the kingdom of God. Mankind’s path back to the tree of life ultimately retraces the steps of our first parents and passes through the corridor of the same test: will we trust God enough to obey Him? Only those who trustingly obey God will enter the pearly gates. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).

Adam and Eve’s worship of the beast laid the foundation for all false worship. Examine any false religion and you will find it is based upon distrust and disobedience of God. Paul makes this point in Romans 1:21-25, NKJV: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but . . . exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” Whenever we know a Bible truth and refuse to obey it out of thankful hearts, we worship the creature instead of the Creator. We have put our own opinion and feelings above the revealed will of our Creator God.

Secular Humanism

The age in which we live has normalized this false religion of self-worship. We even have a name for it—humanism. Thousands of years ago, God predicted this humanistic movement. It is symbolized in prophecy both as the king of the south (Daniel 11:40) and as the beast from the bottomless pit (Revelation 11:7-10). When the French Revolution fulfilled this prophecy it deified man’s reason and established the foundation for the pseudo religion of secular humanism. The belief that man’s reason is sufficient to answer life’s most profound questions and needs, and that there is no God or moral absolutes, forms humanism’s axis. This belief system has largely controlled the affairs of man from the 1790s to the present day. According to Revelation 11:8, it has two key characteristics—Egypt’s atheistic unbelief in the true God, and Sodom’s immorality.

Secular humanism’s atheism and immorality have gained a strong position in the United States. Humanism also controls most of America’s government programs, institutions of higher learning, the training of grade-school children in public schools, the homosexual movement, etc. Consequently, America is now reaping the same whirlwind of degradation that France did in the wake of its Revolution. For lack of moral fiber, the United States is unraveling at the seams.

The current epidemic of homosexuality, adultery, crime, and other debasing actions should not surprise us. The Bible states this as the inevitable result of exalting man’s reasoning above God’s truth. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, . . . without natural affection, . . . Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:28-32).

Religious Humanism

Neither has the Christian church escaped the permeating influence of humanism. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in its document “Human Sexuality and the Christian Faith” (December 1991), challenges its members to evaluate prejudices against homosexuals, insisting that “what we personally find offensive is not necessarily sinful.” Furthermore, it says, “We must distinguish between moral judgments regarding same-sex activity in biblical times and in our own time.”

The task force formed to make this document said upon release of the 1993 edition, entitled “The Church and Human Sexuality: A Lutheran Perspective” (October 1993), that “it recognizes that many Lutherans take literally the biblical condemnations of homosexuality . . . But the task force urges Lutherans to challenge such attitudes. It argues that ‘responsible biblical interpretation’ strongly supports the acceptance and even blessing of same sex unions and emphasizes what it says is the preeminent biblical command—to ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” 1

The United Methodist Church has also had panels convene to decide whether homosexuality is a sin. Though the proposals to loosen church strictures on homosexuality were rejected, the 1991 panel did agree that biblical references to sexual practices should not be viewed as binding “just because they are in the Bible.” 2

The church that has probably departed furthest from God’s Word on this topic is the United Church of Christ. It allows homosexuals to be ordained to ministry. 3

This issue is only one among many for which churches are placing their own reasoning above God’s commands. Although they have many sincere and dedicated members, these church organizations are as guilty of humanism as are the secularists. They are simply following “religious humanism” instead of “secular humanism.” Unfortunately, people who continue to support humanism under the guise of Christianity will be part of that group who will say to Jesus in the judgment, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” Sadly, Jesus will say to them, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” They will learn too late that religious humanism is insufficient to save the soul. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Another area in which the Church has unashamedly followed humanistic principles is in the choice of Sunday as a day of worship. The Bible clearly says that the seventh-day Sabbath, Saturday, is the day upon which God’s people are to gather for weekly worship and rest from their work. Interestingly, the Catholic Church says that Saturday is the true biblical Sabbath and that Sunday worship is based not upon God’s Word, but upon the traditions of men. In his book Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, Monsignor Segur admits Sunday-keeping “not only has no foundation in the Bible, but is in flagrant contradiction with its letter, which commands rest on the Sabbath, which is Saturday.” 4 Other Catholic writers concur. “The word, ‘Sabbath,’ means rest, and is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Why, then, do Christians observe Sunday instead of the day mentioned in the Bible?. . . the infant Church changed the day to be kept holy from Saturday to Sunday . . . it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible.” 5 “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” 6

Of course, non-Catholics have their own reasons for keeping Sunday. But the facts of history and Scripture are stubborn things. They unquestionably testify to the accuracy of what these Catholic authors assert. The Catholic Church did change the day of worship, and the Bible doesn’t authorize it. With all due respect to Sunday-keepers churches and pastors who spin fine-sounding arguments for why the fourth commandment doesn’t need to be obeyed are following faulty reasoning as flimsy as spiders’ webs. All reasons for disobedience which man can amass have one thing in common. They are founded upon humanism. They place the reasoning of men above God’s plain commands.

The Humanistic Little Horn

God wants us to flee from humanism. Repeatedly, He has warned us against its deadly influence and shown how it would infiltrate the church. Using the symbol of a little horn in Daniel chapter 7, God predicted the Antichrist would be humanistic. “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, . . . and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8, 9). Notice that it is not the eyes of the Spirit that are on this little horn, but “the eyes of man.” Here we see that Antichrist lacks true spiritual discernment and sees life only through human eyes.

His criterion for truth is “What do I think?” instead of “What does God command?” This is anti-Christian. Jesus taught that our will is to be held in subjection to God’s will. He prayed to His Father, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).

Christians seek to look at things from God’s vantage point (2 Corinthians 4:18). They do not base their decisions purely upon earthly considerations, but rather upon the eternal foundation of God’s truth and sovereign will. Christians ask only two questions—“What is God’s truth?” and “What are His promises?” Then they obey the one while claiming the other.

Because the Antichrist looks at things through humanistic eyes, he is led to some fearfully bold actions. He makes declarations that are counter to God’s truth. “And he shall speak great words against the most High . . . and think to change times and laws” _(Daniel 7:25). The ultimate expression of his humanism is to make people think God’s law has been changed.

He has especially attacked those laws which exalt God as Creator—laws such as the second and fourth commandments. The second commandment forbids the making of graven images and bowing down to them. The devil’s age-old war against the Creator has used the little horn to target this commandment. During the Middle Ages, the papal church compromised the second commandment and introduced graven images into Christendom. Today, Catholic catechisms omit the Bible’s second commandment, thus turning people away from their Creator.

Another law that has been “changed” by the little horn is the fourth commandment, which also exalts God as Creator. It establishes a weekly memorial to the Creator by commanding worship and rest from secular pursuits on the seventh-day Sabbath, Saturday. As we’ve already seen, the papacy readily admits it initiated this bold act. Amazingly, the papacy has been very successful in accomplishing the objective of making people think times and laws have been changed. Much of the Christian world has accepted the change of the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week, Sunday. The apostle Paul also understood the humanistic foundation of the Antichrist—“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the second coming] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4).

The man of sin, the Antichrist, assumes God’s place over the church. He declares himself to be God and that he has the power to institute doctrine, even if it is contrary to the Bible. This again is humanism—humans setting themselves up as a higher authority than God.

God’s True Believers

Fortunately, God still has people in all churches who trust their lives implicitly to Him in obedience. In fact, He has a message tailor-made to warn everyone of these compromises of truth and attacks against His Creatorship. This warning, known as the three angels’ messages, is found in Revelation 14:6-12.

The first angel’s message commands people to worship God as the Maker of “heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Verse 7). God wants people to reverse the compromises of the Middle Ages. He wants us to obey all His commandments—especially those that honor Him as Creator. But obedience cannot come from our own strength. It must be rooted in faith in Jesus.

Let’s face it—Saturday is one of the busiest days of the week. Consequently, it takes a special faith relationship with God to obey Him and keep it holy. Because true obedience can be accomplished only through faith in Jesus, the three angels’ messages are called the “everlasting gospel” (Verse 6).

This threefold message calls all to be righteous by faith. Righteousness simply means “right doing”—doing what God has commanded. This righteousness must come from Christ through faith. And faith is an active ingredient. Faith works. “But wilt thou know 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:20-22).

Faith works by love. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). What God really wants to produce in response to the everlasting gospel of the three angels of Revelation 14 is righteous people who have learned to love and obey Him. The love of God must shape their lives and become the controlling influence in all of their decisions. They will obey God as Creator because they know He loves them and is worthy of their worship and obedience.

This experience of righteousness by faith is what God requires in this hour of earth’s history—the judgment hour. The first angel’s message announces, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:7. We live in this judgment hour that was prophesied to take place right before Jesus returns.

Notice that God wants us to worship Him as Creator during the judgment hour. Just what does this mean in a practical, everyday sense? Peter makes the answer obvious. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God . . . Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” _(1 Peter 4:17-19).

The experience God wants His people to have in the judgment hour is one of truly trusting Him as Creator and committing themselves to Him by doing His will. He wants them to be convinced of His faithfulness and to obey Him based on this conviction. Such persons God calls “saints” in Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” God’s saints have learned by experience that He keeps His promises. They’ve learned that He loves them unconditionally. He accepts them where hey are and gives them His power for victory and obedience. God’s saints have settled into the truth that God is a faithful Creator.

Just how might we demonstrate such faith and trust? In everyday life, we are all faced with choices where we understand God’ s will but are tempted to do the opposite. Let me illustrate in very practical terms how a person might reveal a lack of faith and trust. Let’s say a person is offered a job doing something that is not in harmony with Christian standards. Under temptation, he reasons: “I need a job, and this one is available. Should I take it? If I don’t, my bills won’t get paid. My house may be repossessed. It will put undue strain on my marriage if I’m unemployed. I can’t make it without this job.”

This type of thinking doesn’t factor the Almighty God into the equation. It focuses on the problem instead of God. Like Elisha’s servant, it sees only the enemy and not God’s host of angels who are all around, ready to help and deliver (2 Kings 6:8-17).

Unfortunately, many of us are tempted to make the same mistake. Even though we worship God on the weekend, we live according to the dictates of our own reasoning during the week.

Here is a point that is often stumbled over in this humanistic age—it is never acceptable to compromise truth. Why? Because compromise means we don’t believe God is adequate to take care of us. It means we think He is untrustworthy. What a statement we make about what we think of God when we compromise His truth!

God is calling for a different order of things. We must remember that He will provide a way for us to obey if we wait patiently for Him. With faith, even when we are severely tested we will be able to say: “I will wait upon my God to provide a way whereby I can obey Him. In the meantime, I will not compromise truth.”

Can our Creator provide jobs for the unemployed that will not require them to compromise truth? Can He provide a Christian companion for the single? Can He heal damaged marriages and relationships? Yes! Our Creator is not limited. He is infinite in power and resources. But sadly, all too often we limit Him. We are impatient. We do not wait upon the Lord to provide His solution in His own time. In some situations, His solution may not become tangible until Jesus comes. But the person with real faith in God’s infinite goodness can be satisfied even with this.

The Seal of God

This brings us to a crucial point that is absolutely vital for all who desire to avoid worshiping the beast to understand. The question of who will worship the beast is not simply a future issue. Daily we make decisions based upon whether or not we trust and obey God as our Creator. The cumulative effect of these decisions forms our characters. And the final conflict between the beast and God will reveal what character we have developed.

Did you catch this all-important point? It is so very practical and vital that I want you to fix it firmly in mind. Daily we make decisions based upon whether or not we trust and obey God as our Creator. The cumulative effect of these decisions forms our characters. And the final conflict between the beast and God will reveal what character we have developed. This is what the seal of God and the mark of the beast are all about.

The mark that we receive in the last days, whether it be God’s seal or the beast’s mark, will be the outward evidence of the type of inner character we have chosen to develop. Those who receive the seal of God have “set to their seal that God is true” and trustworthy _(John 3:33). They’ve learned to trust God as their Creator and Ruler in the little things of everyday life. Therefore, they are ready to face the larger tests of life. On the other hand, those who receive the mark of the beast _have lived lives of self-sufficiency and disobedience. Day by day they have brushed aside the still, small voice of God’s convicting Spirit as inconsequential. Little did they realize they were forming their ultimate destiny by choosing to disobey what they considered at the time to be “little things.” Because they have followed the beast’s principles of self-sufficiency it will be an easy matter for them to receive the mark of the beast.

Make no mistake about it. We are now living in the time when our daily decisions are no small matter. We all have a date with destiny when we will reap the character our choices have sown. Right now we all need to set ourselves on a path to consciously and deliberately settle into the truth that God is love and can be obeyed. If we neglect to gain this experience, we will find ourselves worshiping the beast along with most of the world.

The ultimate end-time expression of our having been sealed with God’s seal or marked with the character of the beast will be manifested in whether or not we keep God’s seventh-day Sabbath. The devil has especially contended with God’s Sabbath because it proclaims God’s rights and authority as Creator. Therefore, the Sabbath will become the visible line of demarcation between those who take God at His word and those who follow humanism to rationalize into oblivion God’s claims upon their lives.

Sabbath-keepers Forsake God?

Unfortunately, even among God’s current commandment-keeping people are those who will ultimately forsake the God of the true Sabbath that they now observe. How can this be? It will happen because they’ve not made God the Ruler of their entire life. Yes, they currently keep the Sabbath. But there is more to honoring God as Creator than simply going to church on the proper day. Those who live for self, whether they attend church on the Sabbath or not, will eventually find themselves opposed to the Sabbath when world conditions heat to a boiling point and bring them to the very last moments of time.

The large majority who will forsake God’s commandment-keeping remnant in the last days won’t come to this point overnight. They will have followed their self-will down this path for some time. Are some being deceived right now to think that since they know the objective truths of the gospel, the Sabbath, the sanctuary, and of man’s nature in death, etc., that this is going to be sufficient to save them? It certainly will not be if at the same time they are imbibing anger, bitterness, jealousy, or disobeying God in something that He has revealed to them. What is truly humbling is that we all are prone to make this fatal mistake. How important it is that we seek the Lord with all our hearts for His mercy and grace to give us a supreme love for Him and a faith which will obey implicitly!

Right now, we live in a time conducive to following God in all things. Relative peace and security still are ours. Revelation 7:1-4 says that this time of peace is for the sealing of God’s people. As we’ve already seen, the seal has everything to do with whether we trust and obey God by faith. Now is our day of opportunity to settle into the truth that God is trustworthy. We can obey Him, and He will take care of us. Each day God is giving us opportunities to develop godly character. But, eventually, the winds will blow. The time of trouble, such as no man has ever seen, will arrive. Then we will reveal character—not develop it. Let us praise God for the daily test and trials that try our patience and faith in God. These are the greatest blessings He can send us when we consider what He is preparing us to face. Never resent God’s providences. Seek Him with your whole heart and walk in faithful obedience, no matter how trying the circumstance. Remember that the journey from following God to following the beast takes more than just one step. Slowly and almost imperceptibly is this road traveled. Nearly everyone would balk at the suggestion that he or she might someday worship the beast. But in the end, many will find it an automatic response to worship the beast. It will be the inevitable fruit of their cumulative daily choices.

On which side will we be in the end? Will we worship the beast or the Creator? The answer depends upon the daily decisions we make regarding the place of God in our life. Today is the day to commit 100 percent to Jesus and to gain, through obedience, an experience in trusting Him as Creator. Will we worship the beast or the Creator? It’s our choice. Today.