Sheila Walsh sits down with Dr. David Jeremiah, and asks him pertinent questions about how prophecy in the Bible points to the End Times. He shares the signs that lead to the return of Jesus Christ.
Enjoy this video entitled:
https://www.davidjeremiah.org/television/weekend?date=2022-03-05
I wholeheartedly suggest going to the link and reading it all! And, view the videos!
Here is an excerpt:
“Loving your enemy doesn’t mean to allow them to reign terror over you. And when harmed, we are not to go out seeking revenge…but instead we are to love those who trespass against us and pray for them. When you love them, you don’t want revenge, you won’t even think of doing that. You will want them to change their evil into good. Pray they find the Lord and do no more harm.
Loving your enemy is praying they repent and do what is right. It is not enabling them to do more evil. No one has the right to touch what belongs to God in an evil way. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord and he has made a place for them. Defense is a different subject. You have the right to defend yourselves.
Remember, the Lord told Peter as they left the upper room, in Luke 22: 36, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buyone.”
So what is this Agape love Paul spoke of that we are to have?
Agape love is supernatural love. It is spiritual love. It is not a natural love and does not have a natural expression.
With agape love you are able to love the person without any expectations of what they will do for you or prove their love for you. It is loving in the spirit and not of the flesh and what things are expected to be done to prove your love in the flesh. It does not mean you are meant to be a whipping post for anyone. It has no natural connection to the fleshly things. It is a heavenly love for all without those having to perform or earn, or do certain things to receive it.
Imagine taking a walk in a beautiful garden. You see and feel the presence of the beauty of the life of the plants flowering. It fills your heart with love for the beauty of it. The flowers don’t have to do anything for you to love them. If they wilt… you are sad for the wilting ones. But you know they were once beautiful flowers and you still see it as part of the beautiful garden. Now, imagine walking in a thorn patch, do you still feel the love for the thorns? If you can see the beauty in God’s creation of thorns…you have agape love for all creation. If you don’t have that…you are seeing the thorns in the natural. The natural is imperfect and not pretty, it is not perfection. If you are able to love the imperfect things, you have agape/supernatural love. If you can love the beauty in a round common stone the same as you love the shiny gem…that is supernatural love.
Agape / spiritual love feels the presence of the soul, not the imperfection of the fleshly body. It loves the person in spite of the bad things it does. But, this does not mean it approves of the bad things, nor does it allow those with natural love the right to harm you. That is NOT what spiritual love is nor asks you to do. Spiritual love is what drives a fireman into a burning house to rescue even a bad person. There is no good or bad in supernatural / spiritual love. It is supernatural love that gives the person the inner love to risk their life to save another, or to fight to save their family, their city, their nation!
Many have taught partial truths of this supernatural spirit filled love, and many have twisted the meaning by lack of knowledge of the truth.”
Another excerpt:
“We are imperfect in an imperfect world striving to serve God in our natural body. It is having the heart of David.
What is impossible with the things seen which are in the flesh, is possible with the things unseen which is the spirit. The Holy Spirit is supernatural and when we are filled with the Spirit we can begin to move in the supernatural spirit of love.
That type of supernatural love, doesn’t expect anything and provides everything.”
Hat tip: The Marshall Report
A comment at that video link said, “I can’t stop listening to this song. The message it brings is just so wonderful. I just can’t explain it.”
I thought that I should try to explain what the message of the song brings to me. But first, who am I?
I’m a Christian female and lover of my Savior Jesus Christ ✝️. I’ve been married to my dear husband ❤️for 37 years, two adult children and two sweet grandchildren 💕and I love my family!
I’m white, from the Boomer generation, conservative, 67, an occasional blogger, homemaker, dog owner, motorhome enthusiast…and unvaccinated. It is that last description of me that has, unfortunately, led to some grief and heartache in my life. I’ve been kept from visiting my 97 yr. old mom, kept from seeing my grandchildren for 1/2 year (which thankfully recently ended), criticized by some relatives because of my unvaxed choice, (thankfully supported by some friends who made the same choice). Unfortunately I’ve been criticized and sneered at by some because I’m a patriot and President Trump supporter, and as I’ve aged, I’m sometimes treated differently because I’m a senior citizen…except for the nice military men I come across in grocery stores who are always respectful and quite kind to me.
Please don’t take what I wrote the wrong way. I know that I’m FAR from being discriminated against like so many other people for race, religion, creed, politics…any divide can be overcome when the decision is made to do so! It takes love, kindness, faith, understanding, and even agreeing to disagree…minus the hatred.
I truly believe that faith in God can unite people of all backgrounds, colors, creeds…you name it. For me, it’s my faith in Jesus Christ that has gotten me through the bad times, scary times, health issue times, and the times meant to cause us to fear… and the witnessing of evil in this world.
We are told how to walk by the spirit in Galatians 5!
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gal/5/22/s_1096022
Jesus told us in Scripture that “in this world we will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.” He did that on the cross at Calvary! And His resurrection from the dead proved Who He is – the Son of God, Savior and Lord!
This song represents my hope. It’s the hope for all eternity, no matter what transpires during this brief life here on this earth!
“One Day”
One day there’ll be no more waiting left for our souls
One day there’ll be no more children longing for home
One day when the kingdom comes right here where we stand
We will see the promised land, mmm
One day there’ll be no more lives taken too soon
One day there’ll be no more need for a hospital room
One day every tear that falls will be wiped by His hand
We will see the promised land, mmm
Hallelujah, there will be healing
From this heartbreak we’ve been feeling
We’ll sing in the darkest night ’cause we know that the light will come
And there will be healing, hallelujah
One day there’ll be no more anger left in our eyes
One day the color of our skin won’t cause a divide
One day we’ll be family standing hand in hand
And we will see the promised land, we will see the promised land
Hallelujah, there will be healing
From this heartbreak we’ve been feeling
We’ll sing in the darkest night ’cause we know that the light will come
And there will be healing, hallelujah
Oh, yeah
I believe there will be healing, hallelujah
One day every knee will bow, every tongue will confess
One day when our tired and weary bones find their rest
One day when the power of evil is brought to an end
We will see the promised land, we will see the promised land
Hallelujah, there will be healing
From this heartbreak we’ve been feeling
We’ll sing in the darkest night ’cause we know that the light will come
And there will be healing, hallelujah
And there will be healing, hallelujah
And there will be healing, hallelujah
Did you know that you can know for sure that when you die, you will go to heaven? Here is what the Bible says:
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
The brilliant scientist, Michael Faraday, the discoverer of magnetism, was asked on his deathbed, “Sir Michael, what speculations do you have about life after death?”
He replied in astonishment, “Speculation! Why, I have no speculations! I’m resting on certainties! ‘I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.'” Only in Christianity is there such certainty, and this certainty is based on the veracity of God’s Word. (fn2)
I have been studying the Bible for 26 years. Each and every year of study has solidified my certainty that Jesus Christ is whom he claims to be. The Messiah, Son of the living God, Savior, King of kings, and Lord of Lords.
Biblical Christian faith is a reasonable faith, based on an historical person named Jesus Christ whose death, burial and resurrection is a proven fact of history. God’s Word points to the coming of the Messiah in the Old Testament, and the New Testament reveals Him. Most of the over 300 prophecies written about the coming Messiah in the OT were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The rest will be fulfilled at his Second Coming. The odds of one Man fulfilling such a large amount of prophecies is astronomical and the revelation of all of these prophecies is unique only to the Bible.
Jesus performed many miracles (the miracle of the resurrection to life being the point and destiny of his mission) during his three year ministry on earth. Over 500 people saw the risen Lord over the course of 40 (I think) days.
I think that 500 witnesses to someone’s resurrection from the dead would stand up in any court testimony no matter how many years ago it happened.
The life of Jesus Christ proves that God exists. Christ also had surprising character witnesses, including, some secular detractors who could not negate the reality of his existence, life, death and resurrection to life eternal. Several wrote about his life after the resurrection.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world. He overcame the problem of evil, sin, pain, and death; pointing to life eternal with God in heaven for those who believe in Him. He is the only way to be reconciled back to God the Father.
The History Channel has a series this Spring entitled, “Jesus, His Life.” I was excited about it because I first heard about it on my favorite radio station, KLOVE. The announcer stated that The History Channel financially supports (along with listeners who donate) KLOVE.
It was during the second episode where I found some assumptions made by the narrators that were not biblically accurate. During Jesus’s baptism by John the Baptist, the claim was made that up until that time, Jesus didn’t really know who he was. Well, that is definitely not true! Recall the account in the Bible when Jesus (age 12) was in the Temple (reading and commenting on the Torah – to the amazement of the listeners), and his parents were frantically looking for him? What did Jesus say?
Luke 2:49 – And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?
The historical information included in the series is interesting. However, I wish that they had done more research in the Scriptures and/or gotten input from biblical scholars.
I recently ran across a new blog entitled Eye Of Prophecy…watch and wait. Underneath, was a quote from Rev. 19:10 – For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
I found the post entitled, “Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born” quite fascinating and Biblically solid teaching! I was reminded of my studies in Bible Study Fellowship years ago that covered Jesus’ pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament. The post is very long, but worth reading!
Excerpt:
In one of several spectacular visions that John recorded in the book of Revelation, we read this bout Jesus Christ and his remarkable redemption for mankind that is truly universal in scope.
“…You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth. Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels…And they sang in a mighty chorus:
‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered–to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing'” (Revelation 5:9-12)
This powerful passage is looking back with deep indebtedness to Messiah’s First Advent (appearance); and looking forward triumphantly to his Second Advent (return appearance). Both Advents are the heart and soul of the Christian faith — a New (and better) Covenant birthed from a Judaic Old Testament heritage which also experienced appearances of the Messiah.
(Jesus came first as the sacrificial Lamb of God for redemption. He will return as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah to rule and reign on the earth)
Read more at link above!
I saw the following post over at Truth2Freedom’s blog back on Dec. 1st (the day after my birthday!) and thought that I should share it here at Talk Wisdom.
Christmas can mean many different things to different people. That’s OK, I suppose, because there is a mix of pagan activities attached to the day, as well as the true meaning of Christmas. The following list expresses what Christmas means to me, as well as many other born-again Christians.
Copy of post:
The primary purpose for observing Christmas is remembering Jesus’s birth. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’s birthday, not the little drummer boy or Santa Claus!
Jesus’s birth as a baby in a Bethlehem manger doesn’t mark the beginning of his existence. Rather, as John’s Gospel teaches explicitly (John 1:1
, 14) and the other Gospels imply, Jesus took on human flesh in addition to existing eternally as part of the Godhead.
Jesus’s coming occurred in fulfillment of messianic expectations including his birthplace, virgin birth, and other details surrounding his advent. Later, during his earthly ministry and particularly in his death on the cross, Jesus fulfilled many more messianic patterns and predictions.
We must separate fact from fiction, and historic, biblical truths from mere Christmas traditions. This includes Santa Claus, presents, reindeer, Christmas trees, and other paraphernalia. Not that these customs are necessarily harmful or unhelpful but they are unhistorical. Jesus’s birth, however, isn’t a legend; it’s historical fact.
Jesus wasn’t only born as a baby, he grew up as a young man who knew the Scriptures. Then, when he was about thirty years old, he began his public ministry, healing many, exorcising demons, raising the dead, and commanding the forces of nature. In keeping with his own predictions, he died, was buried, and after three days rose from the dead. While at Christmas we celebrate Jesus’s birth, we should remember that it is part of a life unlike any other that brought us salvation and forgiveness from sins.
At the heart of Christmas is a biological and theological miracle that requires supernatural faith. Skeptics scoff at the notion of God conceiving a child in a virgin’s womb, calling it a biological impossibility and dismissing it as mere legend. Believers will recognize that only a sinless human being could save humans by dying for them, and that such a sinless human being could only be conceived by God himself.
Andrew Lincoln, in his book Born of a Virgin?, has argued that the virgin birth is unhistorical while asserting that the incarnation could still be true in a spiritual sense. This, however, is contrary to scriptural teaching, which keeps the virgin birth and the incarnation together as two sides of one and the same coin. Only a virgin birth allows Jesus to be the God-man who combines two natures—human and divine—into one person as the early church councils went on record as affirming.
Herod tried to kill Jesus (Matt. 2:16). There was no place for Jesus in the inn (Luke 2:7). Even though the world was made through Jesus, the world didn’t recognize him (John 1:11). Many didn’t welcome the birth of the Christ child. The reason for this was primarily that Jesus threatened people’s self-interest. Sinful people love sin more than God and refuse to come to the light lest their sin be exposed (John 3:19–21).
As Charles Wesley affirms in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” Jesus was “born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.” John writes, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (1:12–13). Later, he tells the story of Nicodemus, whom Jesus told that he must be born again (3:3, 5). Anyone can be born again spiritually by repenting of his sin and placing his trust in Jesus. Those who don’t experience this second birth aren’t believers but Christians in name only (Rom. 8:9).
He left the glories of heaven to enter the world—a dark place—naked, vulnerable, and defenseless. He exposed himself to the human condition and took on “the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3). He became weak, humbled himself on a cross, and died for our sin (Phil. 2:5–8). That—not gaudy commercialism—is what Christmas is all about.
This is a guest article by Andreas Kostenberger, co-author of The First Days of Jesus: The Story of the Incarnation. This post originally appeared on crossway.org; used with permission.
— Read on servantsofgrace.org/10-things-you-should-know-about-christmas/
Hat tips to all links.
HT graphic: gbcdecatur.org
That’s a question that Ligonier.org – The teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul answers in a video presentation. There is also a transcript to read.
Excerpt:
He actually answers that question Himself, or gives one answer to it, when He tells the parable of the sower and the soils and His disciples don’t get it. They come to Him and say, “What was that all about?” and He explains it to them.He says, “I’m giving these explanations to you because you’re my disciples. But one of the reasons I tell these parables is because when I tell the parables it actually makes clear whether people really grasp the meaning of the kingdom or not.” (See Matthew 13:11-17, Mark 4:10-12, or Luke 8:9-10.)
I don’t know if it’s said so often these days, but there was a time when people constantly said to ministers, “You should tell more stories like Jesus so that we can understand.” But Jesus didn’t tell these parables so much so that people would understand. They were really test cases of whether they understood the gospel that He preached in other words. When you think about it, that’s the case.
The Parable of the Sower is the gateway to all of the parables of Jesus.
This explains why people can be at different levels of belief in their lifetimes. It explains why people can “fall away” from faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible is an honest book, telling us the truth about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, while also informing us about the sins, errors and failings of mankind.
Personally, I have gone through several “crises of faith” in my 64 years on this earth. A person who once loved (the agape kind in Christ, no less!) my husband and I made a sudden and devastating decision to abandon us. Why? Over a simple argument that could have easily been resolved. In addition, he also rejected any family members, friends, acquaintances that he perceived as “siding” with us. This occurred over a year ago, but when it first happened I cried day and night for three months. I thought, how could this person do such a drastic, painful and heartless thing? Where is the forgiveness? Where is the reconciliation? I asked and prayed, “God? Where are you in this?” Now, I realize that it is a situation that needs to be resolved in the life of this person. We are just the “collateral damage,” so to speak. If this person is supposed to be a true Christian, then why this rejection, even after apologizing and asking for forgiveness?
Apparently, a person can reject those that he used to love unconditionally; and be totally indifferent about it.
Last Christmas, the pastor mentioned to pray for those who are in estrangement situations. Much weeping and sniffling could be heard from the congregation. I never knew how prevalent the act of disowning family members was until I did some research on it. Rejection hurts – terribly! But with faith and love in Jesus Christ, we can overcome. Why? Because He has “overcome the world” through His death and resurrection to life! In eternity, there will be no tears, pain, hate, indifference, warfare, sin, or rejection. Why? Because the imperfect world we live in now will be gone, and a new life of love, peace, joy and worship of God will replace all of those negative and painful things that we endure while on this earth! That is why the lovely list (love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, goodness) in “the fruit of the Spirit” also contains the term longsuffering.
As Jesus told us in Scripture, there will be those who will reject Him – and the Gospel. Then, why would we ever expect to never be rejected by people who have obviously been negatively convinced against us? I really don’t know how this person can live with himself. It’s very sad. However, people make bad choices all the time and then need to live with possible regret and future consequences.
Moving on with this post.
One of the more popular posts here at this blog is entitled, The Importance of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares.
Within that post, we also read about the Parable of the Sower:
Jesus told us that there will be those who will reject the Gospel in the Parable of the Sower
Mat 13:18
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
Mat 13:19
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
Mat 13:20
“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Mat 13:21
“yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Mat 13:22
“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Mat 13:23
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
As Christian evangelists, we are to “plant the seed” through spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God does the rest! The verses in Matthew reveal the many ways that a person who hears the Gospel either “goes by the wayside,” or, “receives it with joy but only endures for while and then stumbles because of persecution,” or, “allows the word to be choked out because of the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches.” All of these can cause a person to become unfruitful.
We may inquire further to discover what Jesus meant when he stated (in Matthew 13:23) “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it.”
David Guzik has a good commentary about that verse:
d. Good ground: As seed falling on good ground brings a good crop of grain (Matthew 13:8), so some respond rightly to the word and bear much fruit.
i. This soil represents those who receive the word, and it bears fruit in their soil – in differing proportions (some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty), though each has a generous harvest.
e. Therefore, hear the parable of the sower: We benefit from seeing bits of ourselves in all four soils.
– Like the wayside, sometimes we allow the word no room at all in our lives. – Like the stony places, we sometimes have flashes of enthusiasm in receiving the word that quickly burn out. – Like the soil among thorns, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are constantly threatening to choke out God’s word and our fruitfulness. – Like the good ground, the word bears fruit in our lives.i. We notice that the difference in each category was with the soil itself. The same seed was cast by the same sower. You could not blame the differences in results on the sower or on the seed, but only on the soil. “O my dear hearers, you undergo a test today! Peradventure you will be judging the preacher, but a greater than the preacher will be judging you, for the Word itself shall judge you.” (Spurgeon)
Guzik goes on to reveal another aspect of this parable, and it has to do with “good soil” and ultimately asking ourselves, “what kind of soil am I?”
ii. The parable was also an encouragement to the disciples. Even though it might seem that few respond, God is in control and the harvest will certainly come. This was especially meaningful in light of the rising opposition to Jesus. “Not all will respond, but there will be some who do, and the harvest will be rich.” (France)
iii. “Who knoweth, O teacher, when thou labourest even among the infants, what the result of thy teaching may be? Good corn may grow in very small fields.” (Spurgeon)
iv. Even more than describing the mixed progress of the gospel message, the parable of the sower compels the listener to ask, “What kind of soil am I?”
The Ligonier essay continues:
Think about the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). We all know what the answer is to the question “Which man went down justified?” but that’s only because we don’t really grasp the parable. Nobody listening to Jesus thought it would be the tax collector who went away from the temple justified.
I sometimes say to people, “Just think about these two men. You’re an evangelical Christian. Which of these two are you more like? Don’t you say to God, ‘I thank you that I’m not like other men’; ‘I thank you that you’ve helped me to discipline my life’; ‘I thank you that you’ve helped me to give away money rather than hoard money’? When you begin to think of those things, actually you sound more like the Pharisee.” And that’s very, very uncomfortable: to discover that, even though you trust in Christ, there’s a Pharisee deep down inside you.
Jesus tells these parables to probe inside us to see whether we really understand the gospel and whether the gospel is really beginning to transform our lives.
They’re not just stories. They’re weapons in spiritual warfare.
Hat tip: Ligonier.org
While scanning my reader feed this morning, the phrase “amidst a hostile world” jumped out at me. It was mentioned in a post regarding the political, social, and even religious climate here in the United States. There is no doubt about that fact. There seems to be no end to the hostilities.
But before I get to that post, I wanted to share a text conversation with my daughter that includes sadness about one of the prevailing social ills that plagues us more and more as the years go on.
She wrote:
“I’m so sad today over this news (the killings at the CA country music club). I’m so scared for my babies to grow up in this world. It’s just so horrible. You aren’t safe anywhere.”
My response:
I know, honey. I’m sad too and I worry about our family – especially the children.
You are a wonderful mom! You keep Lucy close and safe. You never take chances and I’m so glad you are smart about that. You all are always in my prayers for protection.
It’s especially unnerving because it happened so close to your home.
She wrote:
Thank you mama. Being a mom is so wonderful but it also fills you with worry. You just want to protect your little ones! Thinking of all the moms who lost their college-aged children. I can’t even imagine how they feel.
You’re right it is especially unnerving because it’s so close. Tyler said he grew up going there all the time.
My response:
I know that kind of worry so well. When you went off to college, it was really tough. But I didn’t want to hover over you so you could grow.
So sorry to hear that Tyler knew the place and went there years ago. Terribly sad!
I think there are too many people (ex military too) with mental disorders not getting treatment and help.
Too much killing and violence is glorified on TV, in movies, video games etc.
Personal relationships suffer because of devices and social media being substituted for genuine interaction.
Too much hate is being spewed at people who disagree politically and/or otherwise.
In my early years, there weren’t so many fears as today. But I’ll never forget when it started – it was when President Kennedy was killed (I was 9 yrs. old), then Martin Luther King Jr., then Bobby Kennedy. America went downhill from there, IMHO.
She wrote:
You’re so right! It just continues to get worse. I think it’s gotten much worse since I was a kid. I remember Columbine but don’t remember any other school shootings when I was a child. And then it seems like after 9/11 we just have tragedy after tragedy. The last 5-7 years have been insane. So much violence and hatred. Everyone just needs love. Love is the answer! Love and God!
My response:
You’re attitude is wonderful! God is love so keep believing and sharing your love.
It’s tough when we only see the here and now. But in eternity, all will be made right and understood. (Hope I’m not too preachy today.)
Here’s a quote I recently read:
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
She wrote:
That’s one of my favorite quotes!
My response:
You gave me an instant smile!
She wrote:
Love you mama.
There is a bit more to add to that conversation, but I’m waiting until a proper time to share it.
*******
Lately, the political divide has been ratcheted up between the differing beliefs (mostly political) of leftist Christians vs. Christians on the right.
Here’s a good (but sad) example:
Religious Left Thinkers: “No Middle Ground” with Nationalists
I suggest reading it all. These excerpts do give us an idea of why the “religious left thinkers” think the way they do.
Snyder and Burton condemned a form of nationalism that Snyder in his book labeled “Christian Fascism.” Advocates claim their nation is part of Christendom, and then assert, “We just are a Christian country no matter what we do,” said Snyder. He said this ideology is used to justify attitudes and actions that are anti-Muslim, anti-Mexican, and anti-immigrant. Snyder warned that these ideas have become ascendant in Russia, Poland, and Hungary, but now, “there’s an awful lot of that going on in the U.S.”
While Snyder and Burton never precisely identified the agents of Christian Fascism in America, they referred to them variously as the Christian right, Christian nationalists, white nationalists, people who listen to Fox News, and “people like Mr. Trump.” They spent less time discussing the opponents of this group, but usually referred to them with the labels “we” and “us.”
So, those of us who believe in protecting our borders from illegal immigration should be accused as being “anti – (fill in the blank)”?
So, born-again Christians are now being re-labeled as “Christian Fascists?”
I think that what the “religious left thinkers” are missing are some very important facts! The term “evangelicals” can (and does) include a myriad of people who profess to be Christians. Some have very different political views. Sadly, not all of them may hold to the truths of the Bible; especially those truths that have been taught to us by Jesus in God’s Word.
[For a good example, please read Evangelicals Earn “F” on Beliefs about the Trinity]
Excerpt:
In Hebrews 4:14 and 10:23, Christians are exhorted to “hold fast our confession” amidst a hostile world. Evangelicals across the U.S. need to engage more deeply with the theological truths of Christianity, so we will recognize false doctrines when they come.
The book of Jude warns us that the closer we get to the end times, the more that all different types of people will “have crept in unnoticed” in order to “turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God[fn] and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Christianity Today shares even more from the survey. I appreciate this conclusion:
Snyder blamed the overall lack of orthodoxy on the fact that “most evangelicals churches have largely abandoned catechesis (or a functional equivalent). … Theologically informed discipleship is mostly absent from churches.”
“The survey underscores our desperate need for sound doctrinal teaching in the local church,” agreed Jones. “I fear that we’re spending too much time in cults of personality around charismatic superstar pastors, who often focus more on their personal theological idiosyncrasies and pet ideas than on basic Christian orthodoxy.”
She found the results of the survey to be a call to action: “People are hungry for orthodoxy. Church leaders need to feed them.”
I would add that the importance of studying the Bible will help Christians to discern truth from error.
Hat tips to all links.
Graphic: newriversinternational(dot)org
How do I get to heaven? The story of the thief on the cross makes the answers to this question crystal clear—this man had no works to offer, either before or after his salvation. His salvation was only by grace of God. A. W. Pink asks:
What could he do? [The thief] could not walk in the paths of righteousness for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for there was a nail through either hand. He could not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.[i]
Truth can always be twisted by perverse people. The wonderful truth that God saves by grace, through faith and without works is no exception. A man said to Spurgeon, “If I believed that, I would carry on in a life of sin,” to which he replied, “Yes, you would!”[ii]
But the redeemed heart loves Christ. The forgiven sinner has a desire to please his Lord.
If the thief had been rescued from the cross and lived another 30 years, he would have lived a new and different life, but he did not have that opportunity. The fact that he entered paradise shows us with great clarity where our salvation lies.
Our salvation in Christ involves three marvelous gifts—justification, sanctification and glorification. Justification is the gift by which our sins are forgiven, sanctification is the gift by which we grow in the likeness of Christ, and glorification is the gift by which we enter into the everlasting joy of heaven. If you get that, you get the Christian life.
Graphic: wordblessings(dot)com
Now think about what happened to this man. He was justified and glorified on the same day! He completely bypassed sanctification! This man missed out on the entire Christian life—no battles with temptation, no struggles with prayer. He was not baptized, he never received communion, and he did not become a member of any church.
Let’s return to our question: How do I get to heaven? Here’s what this story tells us: Entrance to heaven comes through justification, not through sanctification. You enter heaven by forgiveness and through the righteousness that Jesus gives you. You do not enter into heaven by the Christian life.
The New Testament repeats this theme again and again:
A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 2:16)
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:5)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
It’s always true that where faith is birthed, works will follow, but salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the good news that your acceptance with God does not depend on your performance in the Christian life.
Where would you be if Christ said, “I forgive you, but I’ll be watching to see how you do from now on.” What kind of love is that? “I forgive you, but make sure you don’t mess up again.” When you read the words “not by works,” rejoice. If it wasn’t for this, you’d be sunk because your Christian life is not what you want it to be and neither is mine.
“Today, you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Don’t you just hate the business of waiting for exam results? You do the test, hand in your paper, and then you have to wait. Can you imagine living your whole life waiting for the results? Imagine praying every day, serving every week, and then wondering, “Will I make it into heaven? Or will I spend eternity in hell?”
When the man says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Christ does not say, “We’ll have to wait and see.” He doesn’t say, “It’s rather late in the day for you to think about repentance now. Look at all the years you’ve wasted!” No, Jesus says, “Today, you will be with me in paradise!”
The Son of God brings the declaration of the last day forward for all who put their trust in him. Do you see how the gift of assurance flows from Christ saving us by grace, through faith, and without works? If our works were in any way involved in our gaining entrance into heaven, assurance would be impossible.
If salvation rested on our works in any way, all assurance would be arrogance because it would be saying “I’ve done the necessary works.” Salvation depends not on your works for Christ, but on Christ’s work for you. His work is finished. It’s perfect and complete. You can rest your life, death, and eternity on him with complete confidence.
Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Christ is the Lord of paradise. He holds its keys. There can be no higher assurance than his promise. That’s why the apostle Paul says, “It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” (Romans 8:33-34).
Graphic: pinterest(dot)com
Death does not lead to a long period of unconsciousness. Nor does it lead, for the believer, to a long process of being prepared. For a Christian believer, death is an immediate translation into the joys of life at the right hand of God. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Christian, heaven is much nearer than you think. “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
How Do I Get to Heaven? — Unlocking the Bible
Graphic: thereshope(dot)org
Hat tip: Truth2Freedom’s Blog
In the past here at Talk Wisdom, I have often mentioned the need for Christians to be “Berean” in their beliefs regarding discernment while examining the Scriptures and also when sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My previous posts are listed at this link.
Today, I found a great blog written by a Christian woman named Michelle Lesley. Her recent post entitled Basic Training Being Berean: 8 Steps for Comparing Teaching to Scripture is one of the best I have ever found on this topic!
The post is excellent and very thorough in describing exactly why we, as Christians, need to follow the “Berean Way.” It is also a guideline on discernment when evaluating churches, the pastors that lead them, the teachings that are given at churches as well as the various teachings one may find through all of social media online. The importance of utilizing discernment and the “plumb line of Scripture” is that which establishes what we are to deem as truth vs. error by those who claim to be Christians.
Excerpt:
How do you know if what your pastor, you Sunday School teacher, your favorite podcast preacher, or your favorite Christian author is teaching you matches up with what the Bible actually says?
Did you know that you’re supposed to examine what you hear and read by the measuring stick of Scripture and reject anything that conflicts with it? Or do you just take for granted that if someone is a pastor, teacher, or Christian celebrity, he must know what he’s talking about, and what you’re hearing or reading must be biblical Christianity?
If you didn’t know you need to examine what you’re being taught, or you’ve always just assumed that if someone calls herself a Christian teacher what she’s saying must be biblical, sadly, you are not alone. In fact, you are in the overwhelming majority of the visible church. I’ve been a faithful church member all my life and, to this day, in the churches I’ve attended, I’ve never heard a pastor or teacher proactively preach or teach this biblical concept. I was nearly forty when I “stumbled across” the concept of being a good Berean – through a para-church ministry.
What does it mean to be a Berean, or discerning, or to “test the spirits”?
The term “Berean” comes from a little story in Acts:
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
Acts 17:10-12“Testing the spirits” comes from 1 John 4:1:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Some Christians have an extra measure of discernment – “distinguishing between spirits” – as a spiritual gift:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;…to another [is given] the ability to distinguish between spirits,
1 Corinthians 12:4,10bBut all of these passages have the same foundational concept. All Christians are to believe what rightly handled, in context Scripture teaches, and reject whatever contradicts it. Although it is the responsibility of our pastors and church leaders to teach and lead us to distinguish between true and false doctrine, we are not to depend solely on others to “do discernment” for us. We need to learn how to be good Bereans ourselves.
How do we go about that?
Read the rest HERE.
Hat tips to all links and graphic sites.
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