Crystal's Blog

The Final Countdown

2015-09-13T14:15:00.018-04:00

I have decided to focus more time on adding content in the End of Times section. I will be doing this by following the guideline from Pastor Billy's Final Countdown series. This series is dated from 2/3/08 - 4/13/08. And even in that short period of time, I feel like so many more things have happened that need to be added with his outline. I will add news articles, video & audio clips to each section. So be sure to subscribe to this site to receive an email notifing you when there is a new post added to this site so you can follow along.

It's an amazing series and I encourage everyone to watch them all. The link can be found here: http://getalifemedia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=30

Series Description: The ultimate sign that you're headed for the worst day of your life would have to be this...You wake up one morning only to realize that you're family has suddenly disappeared. So you run to turn on your TV to see what's happening and there you watch a special worldwide news report declaring that millions of people all over the planet have simply vanished. As you spy the Bible on the coffee table, it suddenly dawns on you that you're family was right after all when they kept telling you about the rapture of the Church. Then to your horror, you realize that you've been left behind and have been catapulted into mankind's darkest hour, the 7-year Tribulation that really is coming upon the whole world. But thankfully, God is not only a God of wrath; He's a God of love as well. And because He loves you and I, He has given us many warning signs to show us that the Tribulation is near and that His 2nd Coming is rapidly approaching. Therefore, The Final Countdown takes a look at 10 signs given by God to lovingly wake us up so we'd give our lives to Him before it's too late. These signs are the Jewish People, Modern Technology, Worldwide Upheaval, The Rise of Falsehood, The Rise of Wickedness, The Rise of Apostasy, One World Religion, One World Government, One World Economy, and The Mark of the Beast. Like it or not folks, we are headed for The Final Countdown. Please, if you've haven't already done so, give your life to Jesus today, because tomorrow may be too late!

For What Did Christ Die
by Paul W. Moreland
Article: http://paulmoreland.com/2009/04/11/for-what-did-christ-die
4-11-09

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." I Peter 2:23-25
Today a carnal gospel is being preached around the world. Time after time I hear people declaring that God wants us to be prospered in that which is disappearing, that He wants us to be rich in that which will be destroyed. Today, Saturday of “Holy Week” here in Colombia, we are awaiting the celebration of Christ’s resurrection which we will have tomorrow. As we transition from remembering how He died and was buried to celebrating His return to life we have time to reflect on the simple question: “Why?”

To hear many preachers today, the “Why?” can be summed up as “Christ died so that you will have an abundance of earthly wealth and never suffer from a cold again.” To hear them preach one is left wondering “If Christ heals all my bodily ills - from what will I die?” Did Christ indeed die on the cross only in order to give us freedom from illness and disease? I think not. A careful examination of the scriptures above gives us a clearer picture of the answer to the question “Why did Christ die?”

In Isaiah the prophet gave clear reference to the healing ministry of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. He said “surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows” and this the Christ did. It is recorded that ALL who came to Him received full healing, unlike those who flock to modern “healers” and yet return home with the same illnesses more often than not. But then Isaiah says “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,and by his wounds we are healed.” The reason Christ was pierce was “for our transgressions” - not for our illnesses. The reason He was crushed was “for our iniquities”, not for our diseases. His wounds were a punishment, of which is written “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him” and “by His wounds we are healed.” The whole purpose of Christ going to the Cross and suffering humiliation, torture and death was to take our place and pay the price for OUR sins. That is the “Why?” we asked before, as in “Why did Christ die?” He died to take our place and to pay for our sins.

That is why the Apostle Peter wrote: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” Christ’s death on the cross healed us of our sin so that we can “die to sins and live for righteousness.”

Does this mean that Christ does not heal our bodies? Of COURSE He heals our bodies!!! But His healing is dealt out according to His will - not ours. And if He were to heal all our sicknesses - of what would we die? This corruptible flesh can not inherit incorruptibility - it must be transformed. Those who die in Christ will be raised up with a new body - one that is not bound up in corruption like the one they formerly dwelt in. Those who remain until He comes will be “transformed in the twinkling of an eye” - because this body we currently dwell in is destined to be destroyed!

However, our soul is the object of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. While our body must be transformed our soul is already ready for eternal life. All that is needed is for it to be cleansed by God’s redeeming power through the washing of Christ’s blood. And that is why He died. He went to the cross willingly - if reluctantly - in order to pay for the transgressions that we have committed against our God and Creator. That, my dear friends, is a far greater benefit than one’s corruptible body being relieved of one of a multitude of infirmities. This body will one day die or be transformed. We should care for it as it is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” - but we should always remember that it is merely a temporary arrangement and that it WILL pass on and be replaced at Christ’s coming.

Sin is what separates us from God - not physical infirmity. In fact, many people have come to God because of their illness. But it is sin that divided Adam from his Creator and it is sin that took Christ to the cross. That is why Christ died - so that we can live in unity with the Father because the Son took our place and was punished for our transgressions.

The Big Question

The big question is if you was to die to today would you go to Heaven or hell?

If you do not know Jesus as your personal savior and want to get saved from an eternal hell and receive the gift of salvation, then I encourage you to watch the video below and see what you can do to have this amazing free gift from God.

Pastor Billy- http://www.niagarafrontierbible.com

Whatever Happened To The Bible?
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE BIBLE?

by Pastor Kirk Romberg, Bellevue, WA
Copyright 2001-2009

Years ago while attending Bible College, a wise professor exhorted me and a room full of other ministry-hopefuls. He warned us, “A lot of fads and trends come down the pike of popular Christianity. They come and they go. They always do.”He continued, “As ministers of the Gospel, you have to be wise. You have to be discerning. You have to avoid the temptation to do something just because it’s popular. And most of all, never forget that the main tools God has given you for ministry are His Holy Word and prayer. If you focus on those basics, you may not please Man. But you will please God, and your flock will be fed and cared for.”I’m not sure how many of us would-be pastors were listening but that was very sound advice! “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

That sounds so simple. But why is it so hard for us to get it right? Whatever happened to a commitment to these basics? For that matter, whatever happened to the Bible?

The preaching of God’s Word today is quickly being replaced by brief self-help messages with a couple of proof texts. The focus is Man and his “felt needs” rather than Christ and His cross. And the aim is to help people feel good about themselves rather than to declare the Gospel. Undiscerning Christians soak it in believing the doctrine to be sound just because the terminology seems familiar enough.

When talking this over with another pastor, his remark to me was, “Kirk, there’s just not room in our society for a direct spiritual message. It’s just not effective anymore.”

But my question is this: from Genesis to Revelation, when has God ever prescribed anything but a direct spiritual message to address the condition of Mankind? Who are we to change the plan? Who are we to assume responsibility for “effectiveness” or even determine what that means?

For nearly a hundred years Noah was a preacher of righteousness, warning of things to come. During that time not a single person, except for those in his own family, received the message of God through His servant. Yet, in Hebrews 11, Noah is commended for his great faith – not because he was effective, but because he obeyed God.

Paul put it this way to his young protege, Timothy. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge. Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

May God fill His pulpits again with preachers who heed those timeless words!

The BIG Question

2015-09-12T15:28:00.002-04:00

The big question is if you was to die to today would you go to Heaven or hell?
If you do not know Jesus as your personal savior and want to get saved from an eternal hell and receive the gift of salvation, then I encourage you to watch the video below and see what you can do to have this amazing free gift from God.

Pastor Billy- http://www.niagarafrontierbible.com

Bring Forth Laborers In the Harvest Field

2010-03-09T12:13:00.001-05:00

This was taken from the Ray Comfort's audio sermon True and False Conversion from The Way of the Master website which was free for download.

This sermon calls for us to bring forth laborers in the harvest field.

True and False Conversions

2010-03-09T12:04:00.004-05:00

This was taken from the Ray Comfort's audio sermon True and False Conversion from The Way of the Master website which was free for download.

This sermon shows that there are indeed false and true conversions. It also helps support the controversy of once saved always saved. There is an eternal security through Jesus Christ for the true converts.

Mark 4 - The Parable of the Sower

2010-03-09T11:30:00.014-05:00

This was taken from the Ray Comfort's audio sermon True & False Conversion from The Way of the Master website which was free for download.

The sermon is on Mark 4 - The Parable of The Sower
And this passage shows that there are indeed false and true conversions. It also helps support the controversy of once saved always saved. There is an eternal security through Jesus Christ for the true converts.

Eternal Security - Once Saved Always Saved

2010-03-09T09:03:00.018-05:00

Sermon notes by Pastor Billy Crone

Psalm 136:1-9 “Give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

When it comes to the issue of God’s love, how long does it last? His love endures forever, right? And folks, I don’t know about you, but I’d say especially in light of our imperfect behavior, that’s some really good news, don’t you think? Well, it should be, but that’s right, we’ve got a problem. You see, there are actually folks out there who think God’s love doesn’t endure forever. And believe it or not, they would tell us we can start out being a child of God but somehow end up being a child of the devil again! Can you believe that? Therefore, the question is, “Why in the world would people say God’s love isn’t eternal especially when the Bible clearly says it is?”

1) The first reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten about the Context

The first passage taken out of context is Revelation Chapter 3

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Uh, oh! Here we have it, folks. A Christian can be spit out of the mouth of God. They could lose their salvation, right? Wrong! On the surface it may seem to say that, but let’s look at the context. First of all, do non-Christians ever go to Church services? And the reason we know these people were non-Christians is because Jesus said you will know a false teacher by their fruit. And how much fruit did these people have? None! They were neither cold nor hot. They were making Jesus want to puke because they were posing to be Christians when in reality they were imposters! Hey, do people do that today? Uh huh. Therefore, this passage isn’t talking about a Christians losing their salvation. It’s talking about people who never had salvation in the first place! Read the context!

The second passage taken out of context is Hebrews Chapters 6 and 10

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

Hebrews 10:26-27 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Uh, oh! Here we have it, folks. A Christian can fall away and losetheir salvation, right? Wrong! On the surface it may seem to say that, but let’s look at the context. First of all, according to the context, we know these people aren’t Christians either because they only “shared in” or literally in the Greek, “partnered with” the Holy Spirit. And people, the Bible is clear. A true Christian isn’t just an external partner with the Holy Spirit, they are an internal possessor of the Spirit. And the point he’s trying to make here is that even though these people have been “enlightened” to “taste” the goodness of the gospel externally, they still weren’t going to receive it internally. The context of both passages are dealing with apostates. And they’ll never repent because even though they know it’s the truth, they still refuse to act on it! No amount of information is going to be good enough for them! Hey, do people do that today? And in case you still don’t see two groups of people here, saved and unsaved, the context clearly says over and over again “those who” “those who” “those who” speaking of the behavior of the apostate but then clarifies at the end in verse 9, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” Not apostasy! Therefore, these passages aren’t talking about a Christians losing their salvation. It’s talking about people who never had salvation in the first place! Read the context!

The third passage taken out of context Galatians Chapter 5

Galatians 5:3-4 “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace”

Uh, oh! Here we have it, folks. A Christian can fall away from grace and lose their salvation, right? Wrong! On the surface it may seem to say that, but let’s look at the context. According to the context, some of the Galatians believers were being enticed by false teachers to make a fatal error. And that error was to go back to the Old Testament system of rules and regulations as a means of living the Christian life. And Paul was desperately trying to get them to see that if they start obeying God out of
legalism instead of love, it will cut you off from the grace of God. Or in other words, short-circuit their power to live for God. Hey, do people do that today? Therefore, this passage isn’t talking about a Christians losing their salvation from God. It’s talking about Christians losing their power to live
for God!

And people, the point is this. Based on the context of Scripture, I’d say there really is no reason to assume a person can be a child of God and somehow end up being a child of the devil again. Are you kidding? People, the Bible is clear! God’s love for His children endures forever. And if you
don’t think so, then maybe it’s a sign you’ve forgotten the context.

2) The second reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten about the Counterfeits.

Just because people say they’re Christians, guess what? That doesn’t mean they really are! In fact, they might be a counterfeit just like Judas of Iscariot. Remember him? In fact, the Bible says in John Chapter 6 that Jesus knew Judas was a phony believer all along. He wasn’t seeking God for God. He was only seeking God for the money. Hey, do people do that today? Slightly! So what are some other signs to indicate a person’s a counterfeit likeJudas seeking God for money, morals, or some other false motive?

The first sign to indicate a person might be a counterfeit like Judas is when they Seek God with Their Head.

James 2:14-17 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

James 2:19 ”Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

Now folks, according to our text, the Bible is clear. Not all faith is a saving faith, is it? Nope! What did the text say? If a person’s so-called faith is not accompanied with action, then it’s not only fake, it’s what? It’s dead, right? And you can believe in a God in heaven all you want. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to exist with God in heaven. Why? Because even the demons believe in God but are they saved? I don’t think so! Therefore, if all you got is a head knowledge of God instead of a heart knowledge, it might be a sign you’re a counterfeit, just like Judas was!

The second sign to indicate a person might be a counterfeit like Judas is when they Seek God with Their Lips.

Titus 1:15-16 “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

Now folks, according to our text, the Bible is clear. Not everyone whoclaims to know God really belongs to God, do they? No! What did the text say? If all you do is give God lip service instead of life service then your so called faith is not only not worthwhile, it’s what? It’s worthless! Therefore, you can claim to be a Christian all you want, but if you refuse to live like one, it might be a sign you’re a counterfeit, just like Judas was!

The third sign to indicate a person might be a counterfeit believer is when they Seek God with Their Thoughts.

1 John 2:18-19 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

And folks, it’s this passage that single handedly stops dead in the tracks the hypothetical scenario of those who say you can lose your salvation where they cite some supposed occurrence of some supposed Christian but supposedly walked away from their supposed faith. And so somehow this is supposedly proof that God’s love is not eternal. But what did our text say? Not everyone who goes to a Church service really belongs to the Church, do they? No! Why? Because if you walk away from the truths in the Bible and start following a lie that contradicts the Bible, then it shows you probably weren’t even saved in the first place, right? People of God, the Bible is clear. If a person who professes to know Christ walks away from Christ, then they never really knew Christ. They didn’t lose their salvation. Are you kidding! They never had it in the first place. Why? Because a true Christian remains in the faith. The people who leave the faith show they never really belonged to the faith! Therefore, you can think you belong to the Savior all you want, but if your thoughts don’t line up with the Savior, it might be a sign you’re a counterfeit, just like Judas was!

The fourth sign to indicate a person might be a counterfeit like Judas if when they Seek God with Their Religion.

Matthew 7:21-23 “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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Now folks, according to our text, the Bible is clear. Not everyone whosays, Lord, Lord really belongs to the Lord, do they? No! What did the text say? If your faith is based on pious religious deeds instead of a personal relationship, then you not only don’t belong to Christ, but what? Christ never knew you in the first place! And notice He didn’t say, “I knew you once but you blew it so I don’t know you anymore.” What did he say? He said, “I never knew you!” Therefore, you can be as religious for Jesus all you want, but if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you’re a counterfeit, just like Judas was!

And people, the point is this. Based on the counterfeits in Scripture, I’d say there’s no reason to assume a person can be a child of God and somehow end up being a child of the devil again. Are you kidding? People, the Bible is clear! God’s love for His children endures forever. Therefore, the issue isn’t in losing your salvation but in making sure you got saved in the first place. And people, the point is this. Knowing that God’s love is eternal should be one of the biggest comforts to our souls. Why? Because stop and think about it. If our salvation was ever based upon our performance, what would happen? Not only would none of us ever get saved but none of us could ever stay saved, right? Stop and think about it! If it were the other way around, it would be bad news, right? But people we’ve got the gospel, the good news and that is this. We’re not saved on the basis of our performance. Are you kidding? We’re saved by the performance of Jesus Christ. And therefore God not only save us from our sins, but He save us from our sins forever. Why? Because have you not read? God’s love endures how long? Forever! You’ve got it!

3) The third reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten the Corruption of Man.

Romans 3:9-18 “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now folks, in light of our text, I know this might be a tough question, but how many people are righteous like God? And how many understand the things of God? How many seek God? And how many are as good as God? Therefore, gee whiz folks, I’d say mankind’s just a little bit corrupt, how about you? And people, the point is this. Unless we understand the corruption of man, we’re never going to understand the salvation of man, let alone realize how secure it really is. For instance, the first thing we learn about the corruption of man is that salvation is offered as a gift.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Now folks, according to our text, the Bible is clear. There’s no way in the world we could ever earn our salvation, right? What did the text say? Because of the corruption of man, we’ve earned what? We’ve earned death! We deserve to die and go to hell, right? Therefore, in light of our condition,salvation’s offered as a what? A gift, right? It has to be! And so the question is this. If salvation’s offered as a gift regardless of our behavior, then how could there be a behavior to cause us to lose it? Stop and think about it. If there was, it would no longer be a gift, would it? Absolutely not! Therefore, I’d say since salvation’s offered as a gift from God, it must also be secure in God, how about you?

The second thing we learn from the corruption of man that salvation is obtained by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Now folks, according to our text, the Bible is clear. Once again, there’s no way in the world we could earn our salvation, right? What did the text say? We are saved by the grace of God through faith in God, right? Why? Because of the same reason. The corruption of man. We have nothing to boast about in our behavior before God, do we? No! Are you kidding! Therefore, in light of our condition, salvation’s obtained by what? By faith, right? It has to be! And so the question is this. If salvation’s obtained by
faith regardless of our behavior, then how could there be a behavior to cause us to lose it? Stop and think about it. If there was, it would no longer be by faith, would it? Absolutely not! But not only that, if you could work yourself out of your salvation, then how is that any different than working for your salvation? Isn’t that just the flip side of the coin? Of course it is!
Therefore, I’d say since salvation’s obtained by faith in God, it must also be secure in God, how about you? And people, the point is this. Based on the Corruption of Man, there’re no reason to assume a person can be a child of God and somehow end up being a child of the devil again. Are you kidding? People, the Bible is clear! God’s love for His children endures forever. And if a person doesn’t think so, then maybe it’s a sign they’ve forgotten the Corruption of Man.

4) The fourth reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten the Atonement of Christ.

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Now folks, in light of our text, I know this might be a tough question, but when Jesus said His atoning work on the cross for our sins was finished, how many of you think He meant finished? Hey, good answer! Therefore, that means His work is over, isn’t it? It’s a done deal, right? Well, you’d think so but here’s the problem. You see, when a person says you can lose your salvation they are in essence saying that Christ’s atonement is not finished because they’re assuming there’s certain sins we can still commit and lose our salvation. And one of the sins they bring up is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. And they say if a Christian does this, they will lose their salvation. Let’s take a look at the text.

Matthew 12:30-31 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

And people, what’s creepy is that passage does say plain as day that’s one sin that’s not forgiven. But the point is this. Notice to whom this passage is addressed to. It’s to people who were claiming that the works of Jesus were being done by the devil. Therefore, of course it’s not forgiven because these people aren’t Christians in the first place! A Christian wouldn’t do that! That’s what’s called a straw man argument. But even more importantly is the timing of this sin. No one today can commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit even if they wanted to. Why? Because it was when Jesus was here during his earthly ministry that people accused Him of doing things under the devils’ power instead of the Spirit’s power, hence the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But since Jesus is no longer here in His earthly ministry but is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, how can somebody commit this sin? Answer, they can’t! It could only be committed during His earthly ministry, not today! People, the Bible is clear. Once you accept Christ’s atonement for your sins, He will take away all your sins, once for all, forever. Why? Because it is finished! And that’s exactly what the writer of Hebrews says.

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Now folks, I don’t know about you but I’d say if Jesus forever cleansed us from our sins even to the point of being considered “perfect” in the eyes of God, then there’s no way in the world we can we do something else to make us “imperfect” again, right! It is finished! Therefore, I’d say since salvation’s based on the atonement of Christ, it must also be secure in Christ, how about you?

5) The fifth reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten about Common Sense.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Now folks, in light of our text, I know this might be a tough question, but what does a person have to do in order to see the kingdom of God? They got to be what? Born again, right? Hey, good answer! Anybody with common sense could figure that one out, right? Well, you’d think so but here’s the problem. You see, those who say you can lose your salvation, in essence, are not applying common sense to what they’re saying. Let me give you some examples.

The first place they don’t apply common sense is right here in our text.

Once again, what did it say? If you’re going to be saved you have to bewhat? Born again, right? And this is precisely the problem. If you say to can lose your salvation, then aren’t you implying you can unborn yourself?

Precisely! But what does common sense tells? Once something’s born, it can’t be unborn, right? In fact, one guy put it this way. “When one is born of the Spirit, it is something that can never be undone.
Some things can never be reversed once they are done. You cannot unscramble eggs. Neither can you unhatch a chicken. You could not get your leg back if you had it amputated. Even so you cannot be unborn after you are born. Jesus did not say you had to be born again and again. No! Just once is enough if you let God do it.”
Now gee whiz folks, I’d say that guy’s applying some common sense, how about you? Therefore, the point is this. If something born and cannot be unborn, then how in the world can we lose our salvation? Isn’t that what common sense tells us? Exactly!

The second place where common sense is not applied is in this text. Let’s take a look.

1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Now folks, in light of our text, I know this might be a tough question, but Christians can know beyond a shadow of doubt that we have what? Eternal life, right? Hey, good answer! Anybody with common sense could figure that one out, right? Well, you’d think so but here’s the problem. If you say you can lose your salvation, then aren’t you implying eternal life is not eternal after all? Precisely! But what does common sense tells us?

That which is eternal can never become uneternal, right? Therefore, the point is this. If we receive eternal life that lasts forever, then how in the world could we ever lose our salvation? Isn’t that what common sense tells us? Exactly!

The third place where common sense is not applied in this next text. Let’s take a look.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Now folks, in light of our text, I know this might be a tough question, but when we get saved, we become a new what? A new creation, right? Hey, good answer! Anybody with common sense could figure that one out, right? Well, you’d think so but here’s the problem. You see, even after sharing all this information we’ve gone through for two studies on the security of our salvation, there’ll still be those who say something like this. “Well, maybe one day a Christian will no longer want be a Christian. Maybe
one day they’ll decide not to follow God anymore and lose their salvation.” But people, what did we read in our text? When you become a Christian you no longer act or think like you used to, right? Everything is changed. Why? Because you’ve been transformed into a new and different person, a new creation, right? Therefore, doesn’t common sense tell us a true follower of Christ would never even think of forsaking Christ? Of course!

For instance, how many of you guys want to go straight to hell right now, forever?” Exactly! That’s my point! Doesn’t common sense tells us no true Christian would even think of giving up their salvation even if they could! Exactly!

Therefore, the point is this. Based on usage of common sense, there’s no reason to assume a person can be a child of God and somehow end up being a child of the devil again. Are you kidding? People, the Bible is clear! God’s love for His children endures forever. And if a person doesn’t think so, then maybe it’s a sign they’ve forgotten to use some common sense.

6) The sixth reason why some people say God’s love is not eternal is because They’ve Forgotten the Clear Passages.

Now folks, believe it or not, I have yet to even address the clear passages in the Bible that declare it’s utterly impossible to lose our salvation. Therefore, to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak, let’s see what God has to say about the security of our salvation.

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Romans 38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:8 “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

Ephesians 1:14 “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

2 Timothy 4:18 “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”

1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Therefore, the point is this. Based on the context, the counterfeits, the corruption of man, the atonement of Christ, the use of common sense and especially the clear passages in Scripture, I’d say there’s no reason to assume a person can be a child of God and somehow end up being a child of the devil again. Are you kidding? People, the Bible is clear! God’s love for His children endures how long? Forever! You’ve got it!

__________________________________________________________________________
To find the way to God, to understand the truth of God’s Word, and to
received the gift of eternal life, begin by repentance and faith through a
prayer like this:
“Dear God, I understand that I have broken Your Law and sinned
against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank You that Jesus suffered on
the cross in my place. I now place my trust in Him as My Savior and
Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
___________________________________________________________________________

Signs Of The End Of Time

2009-10-12T17:37:00.000-04:00

"And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them."
Luke 21:7-8

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
Matthew 24:4-5

I have decided to focus more time on adding content to this section. I will be doing this by following the guideline from Pastor Billy's Final Countdown series. This series is dated from 2/3/08 - 4/13/08. And even in that short period of time, I feel like so many more things have happened that need to be added with his outline. I will add news articles, video & audio clips to each section. So be sure to subscribe to this site to receive an email notifing you when there is a new post added to this site so you can follow along.
It's an amazing series and I encourage everyone to watch them all. The link can be found here: http://www.niagarafrontierbible.com/sermons/finalcountdown/finalcountdown.php

The Final Countdown takes a look at 10 signs given by God to lovingly wake us up so we'd give our lives to Him before it's too late. These signs are the Jewish People, Modern Technology, Worldwide Upheaval, The Rise of Falsehood, The Rise of Wickedness, The Rise of Apostasy, One World Religion, One World Government, One World Economy, and The Mark of the Beast.

Click on the links below to view them.

Here are some more signs of the times:

testing video

2009-09-28T16:44:00.001-04:00

Thousands pack D.C. to protest spending, taxes

2009-09-12T20:40:00.008-04:00

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;"
2 Thessalonians 7:8 NASB version

Things are getting very bad in our country, we can all see that. When I seen this video, it made me think about these scriptures and how true they are. I believe to understand in the scriptures above "he who now restrains" is referring to us christians & the "lawless one" is the antichrist. This passage is so very important because the christians are holding back the antichrist from being revealed while we are here on earth. But once we are removed from the earth (raptured) then he will be able to come into full power. Seeing all of them people standing up in this rally made me think of the signifigance of them passages.

God is and always will be in control but when we are raptured, God will allow the antichrist limited powers for a short time and that is when things will REALLY be bad.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

WASHINGTON - Thousands of people marched to the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, carrying signs with slogans such as "Obamacare makes me sick" as they protested the president's health care plan and what they say is out-of-control spending.

The line of protesters completely filled Pennsylvania Avenue for blocks, all the way to the capitol, according to the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. People were chanting "enough, enough" and "We the People." Others yelled "You lie, you lie!" and "Pelosi has to go," referring to California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Read more of the article here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32811199/ns/politics-more_politics?GT1=43001

Sharia Law

2009-09-10T14:45:00.001-04:00

A must see video!!!
What is it and what does sharia mean for Christians and others forced to abide by it? First Gary Lane looks at Islamic law. Then Pat Robertson interviews author Nonie Darwish.
For the ones who have not watched this, you need to. Watch all of it because this will affect us too eventually!
Notice the part in there where it says a muslim has a duty, a MUST, a commitment to lie about who they are or what they do for the good in Sharia Law. Raised my eyebrow........

A Call for Discernment Exposing the Word of Faith Movement

2009-09-10T13:54:00.001-04:00

Trish from FishWithTrish.com interviews Justin Peters of JustinPeters.org to talk about the dangers of the Word of Faith Movement.

Whatever Happened To The Bible?

2009-09-09T21:08:00.000-04:00

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE BIBLE?
by Pastor Kirk Romberg, Bellevue, WA
Copyright 2001-2009

Years ago while attending Bible College, a wise professor exhorted me and a room full of other ministry-hopefuls. He warned us, “A lot of fads and trends come down the pike of popular Christianity. They come and they go. They always do.”He continued, “As ministers of the Gospel, you have to be wise. You have to be discerning. You have to avoid the temptation to do something just because it’s popular. And most of all, never forget that the main tools God has given you for ministry are His Holy Word and prayer. If you focus on those basics, you may not please Man. But you will please God, and your flock will be fed and cared for.”I’m not sure how many of us would-be pastors were listening but that was very sound advice! “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

That sounds so simple. But why is it so hard for us to get it right? Whatever happened to a commitment to these basics? For that matter, whatever happened to the Bible?

The preaching of God’s Word today is quickly being replaced by brief self-help messages with a couple of proof texts. The focus is Man and his “felt needs” rather than Christ and His cross. And the aim is to help people feel good about themselves rather than to declare the Gospel. Undiscerning Christians soak it in believing the doctrine to be sound just because the terminology seems familiar enough.

When talking this over with another pastor, his remark to me was, “Kirk, there’s just not room in our society for a direct spiritual message. It’s just not effective anymore.”

But my question is this: from Genesis to Revelation, when has God ever prescribed anything but a direct spiritual message to address the condition of Mankind? Who are we to change the plan? Who are we to assume responsibility for “effectiveness” or even determine what that means?

For nearly a hundred years Noah was a preacher of righteousness, warning of things to come. During that time not a single person, except for those in his own family, received the message of God through His servant. Yet, in Hebrews 11, Noah is commended for his great faith – not because he was effective, but because he obeyed God.

Paul put it this way to his young protege, Timothy. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge. Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

May God fill His pulpits again with preachers who heed those timeless words!

Reject Word of Faith

2009-08-29T21:35:00.005-04:00

Ten Reasons to Reject WORD-of-FAITH Teachings
by Tricia Tillin
Be sure to check out the rest of the article to see the 10 reasons why to reject the WOF: http://www.intotruth.org/wof/tract3.html

It focuses on self and the world instead of God and Heaven.
The emphasis in Word-of-Faith doctrine is all on success, prosperity, advancement, gain, health and strength. There is little compassion for those who fail to come up to these exacting standards. Any adversity is said to be a 'lack of faith' to confess the appropriate Word. This is a great misunderstanding of the wisdom of God, and His plan to bring his children to glory, for if we refuse to share in the trials, setbacks and persecutions of Jesus, we are not ready to share His glorification. [Rom 8:17]

Some of the Word-of-Faith teachers and ministries have been the worst offenders in bringing the Name and the cause of Jesus Christ into disrepute. Ministries that emphasise prosperity have ended up in greed, manipulating believers into giving money they can little afford. Over-emphasised teaching about God's healing has led to extravagant claims for miracles that have been exposed as hyperbole and sham. Doctrines about man's godhood and superhuman abilities have led to arrogance, self-will and the use of psychic powers to perform miracles instead of a simple dependency on the Holy Spirit. Also, teachings about faith have become rituals and formulas for producing instant result; and many who could not or would not go down this road were derided and rejected as "having no faith".

Legions of hurt people have testified to their bad experiences, both personally and corporately, with Word-of-Faith extremes and excesses. Indeed, the very root of this teaching is bad, coming as it does from Christian Science and the metaphysical schools of thought.

Visits the links below for some additional articles on the Word of Faith movement:

How the Health and Wealth Gospel Twists Scripture
The Word-Faith Movement By Gary E. Gilley
Benny Hinn and His Anointing
A List of the Word of Faith Teachers

Exposing Word of Faith

2009-08-29T21:30:00.012-04:00

CALL FOR DISCERNMENT: a Fair Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Prosperity gospel with Justin Peters Ministries http://justinpeters.org/
Justin Peters travels across the country speaking to members of the churches to education them on what the word of faith teachings are about and warns them of the dangers. On his website is a demo of one of his seminars that I found very helpful. In case you could not find this, I took this link from Justin Peter's website:
Watch a demo of Justin's Seminar

Video Interview Joel Osteen

2009-08-29T20:00:00.002-04:00

I took this from Pastor Billy's sermon on Revelation Series Chapter 2:10b which is warning we are living in the last days. One of the word of faith movement teachers, Joel Osteen a video interview on his teachings.

Clips on Kenneth Copeland

2009-08-29T19:58:00.002-04:00

I have taken this from Pastor Billy's Revelation study chapter 2:9 e. This shows the dangers of the word of faith teaching. There are some video news clips about some well known word of faith.

Eternal Security

2009-08-29T19:11:00.001-04:00

One of the most comforting truths in the Bible is to know that God doesn’t give His children a part-time or even a temporary kind of love. God's love for His own endures forever! However, some people would tell us we can somehow start out being a child of God but then end up being a child of the devil again! Therefore, this series, Eternal Security, takes a look at the 6 Reasons why people come to the faulty conclusion that God’s love is not eternal, or in other words, that you can lose your salvation. It's simply because they've forgotten The Context, The Counterfeits, The Corruption of Man, The Atonement of Christ, The Use of Common Sense, and The Clear Passages in Scripture that clearly state there's no way a true Christian can lose their salvation. This is why the Gospel is called the Good News and that is this. We are not saved on the basis of our performance. We’re saved by the performance of Jesus Christ. If we can't work our way into Heaven, what makes us think we can work our way out of Heaven? And that’s why we can have Eternal Security!

God's Higher Purpose

2009-08-29T19:10:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it is hard to understand why we have suffering and sickness in our life. But this sermon helped me to understand a little better why we might be going through the things that we go through sometimes. Below are 4 different audio clips of a sermon from Charles Stanley's God's Higher Purpose Sermon.

Part 1 & Part 2

Part 3 & Part 4

Antichrist, Jewish Temple & More!!!

2009-08-29T19:09:00.001-04:00

Great video to watch that explains about the antichrist, the peace treaty, the rebuilding of the Jewish temple & the 7 year great tribulation.

Christian Teen Battle Skit

2009-08-29T19:08:00.002-04:00

A wordless script depicting a young woman seperated from Jesus by the temptations of life performed to Lifehouse's "Everything"
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Great Stuff!

2009-08-29T19:07:00.002-04:00

This is great stuff! I saw this on my friend Roxeanne's blog and just HAD to post it!!! Tim Hawkins puts his own twist to the FreeCreditReport.com song.

Interview with Pastor Billy

2009-08-29T17:05:00.002-04:00

Billy Crone played in the supporting role of Pastor Billy for Standing Firm.
It wasn't hard for Billy to slip into the role required of him. Little did he know that the message he would give in the film would be the very thing the Cast / Crew needed to comfort them as filming progressed.

Standing Firm - Teaser Trailer

2009-08-29T17:00:00.006-04:00

Teaser Trailer for the upcoming Christian film from Praise Pictures! Visit StandingFirmMovie.com for details.
The Story
"My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life."
(Psalm 119:50)
STANDING FIRM is a story of forgiveness and finding peace in times of suffering.
Dave, a widower, is working himself to death. Late nights doing paperwork and running on fumes is the norm. Bills are piling by the week, and foreclosure looms on the horizon. Dave's attitude towards the church and God are of anger and resentment. Blaming God for his wifes death, he ends his relationship with the church. Steven, the only remaining Christian of the family has been watching his fathers unhealthy lifestyle with great concern.
God moves on Steven's heart to stop complaining about his fathers situation and help him instead. With the help of his best friend Maggie, they work to reach Dave in anyway they can.
As Dave begins to move in the right direction, he searches for the ultimate question about his wife's death.....WHY?

Run Church!!!

2009-08-29T15:51:00.003-04:00

Do not be deceived christians of this day and time we live in. Stay close to God and His word and ask for discernment. A great little video warning you of these things.

Satan Big Deceiver

2009-08-29T15:49:00.002-04:00

I took this from a sermon from Pastor Billy Crone's Part Series "Modern Technology" on The Final Countdown. Please watch it, even if you are not a Christian this will get you to think what is really going on today in your life. You will see that this makes so much sense.

Pretribulation Rapture

2009-08-29T15:30:00.000-04:00

By Todd Strandberg
article found here:
http://www.raptureready.com/rr-pretribulation-rapture.html

What is the Pretribulation Rapture?
The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess, 4:16-18).
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning--something Jesus used quite frequently--I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.
The word "rapture" comes from Paul's "caught up" remark in verse 17. The words "caught up" are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to carry off," "snatch up," or "grasp hastily." The translation from harpazo to "rapture" involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word "rapture."

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it's time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14).

What They Didn't Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I'm at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.

The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.

The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?

"Come Up Hither"
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, "come up hither," as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to "come up hither," the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.

Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army's members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.

The Time of Jacob's Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people" (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.

"He" That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain "He" must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the "He" that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.

War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He's rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.

The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn't fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they'll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.

God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.

The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.

God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn't need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, "We're already in heaven."

Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.
Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture
The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, "Do you believe in the rapture?" If you answered "yes," your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.

That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don't Jehovah's Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don't know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.

We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist's mother's maiden name isn't the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-31).

Don't Blink!

2009-08-29T15:29:00.002-04:00

Check out the very end of this video, be careful not to blink while watching it, you might miss the rapture! As ironic as it sounds, this is how the rapture will happen, make sure you aren't the one left behind in a flash!

As Iraq runs dry, a plague of snakes is unleashed

2009-08-28T16:54:00.008-04:00

The significance of this article is that it may play a key role in the end of time scenerio. Let's keep an eye on this one!
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and it's water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East. Rev 16:12

Article found here: As Iraq runs dry, a plague of snakes is unleashed
An unprecedented fall in the water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has left the rural population at the mercy of heat, drought – and displaced wildlife. Patrick Cockburn reports.

As Iraq Runs Dry, A Plague Of Snakes Is Unleashed

An unprecedented fall in the water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has left the rural population at the mercy of heat, drought – and displaced wildlife. Patrick Cockburn reports

Monday, 15 June 2009

The Desert Horned Viper lurks in sand, only eyes, nostrils and horns above the surface.

Swarms of snakes are attacking people and cattle in southern Iraq as the Euphrates and Tigris rivers dry up and the reptiles lose their natural habitat among the reed beds.

"People are terrified and are leaving their homes," says Jabar Mustafa, a medical administrator, who works in a hospital in the southern province of Dhi Qar. "We knew these snakes before, but now they are coming in huge numbers. They are attacking buffalo and cattle as well as people." Doctors in the area say six people have been killed and 13 poisoned.

In Chabaysh, a town on the Euphrates close to the southern marshland of Hawr al-Hammar, farmers have set up an overnight operations room to prevent the snakes attacking their cattle.

"We have been surprised in recent days by the unprecedented number of snakes that have fled their habitat because of the dryness and heat," Wissam al-Assadi, one of the town's vets said. "We saw some on roads, near houses and cowsheds. Farmers have come to us for vaccines, but we don't have any."

The plague of snakes is the latest result of an unprecedented fall in the level of the water in the Euphrates and the Tigris, the two great rivers which for thousands of years have made life possible in the sun-baked plains of Mesopotamia, the very name of which means "between the rivers" in Greek. The rivers that made Iraq's dry soil so fertile are drying up because the supply of water, which once flowed south into Iraq from Turkey, Syria and Iran, is now held back by dams and used for irrigation. On the Euphrates alone, Turkey has five large dams upriver from Iraq, and Syria has two.

The diversion of water from the rivers has already destroyed a large swathe of Iraqi agriculture and the result of Iraq being starved of water may be one of the world's greatest natural disasters, akin to the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest. Already the advance of the desert has led to frequent dust storms in Baghdad which close the airport. Yet this dramatic climatic change has attracted little attention outside Iraq, overshadowed by the violence following the US-led invasion in 2003 and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

The collapse in the water levels of the rivers has been swift, the amount of water in the Euphrates falling by three-quarters in less than a decade. In 2000, the flow speed of the water in the river was 950 cubic metres per second, but by this year it had dropped to 230 cubic metres per second.

In the past, Iraq has stored water in lakes behind its own dams, but these reservoirs are now much depleted and can no longer make up the shortfall. The total water reserves behind all Iraqi dams at the beginning of May was only 11 billion cubic metres, compared to over 40 billion three years ago. One of the biggest dams in the country, on the Euphrates at Haditha in western Iraq, close to the Syrian border, held eight billion cubic metres two years ago but now has only two billion.

Iraq has appealed to Turkey to open the sluice gates on its dams. "We need at least 500 cubic metres of water per second from Turkey, or double what we are getting," says Abdul Latif Rashid, the Iraqi Minister of Water Resources. "They promised an extra 130 cubic metres, but this was only for a couple of days and we need it for months." His ministry is doing everything it can, he says, but the most important decisions about the supply of water to Iraq are taken outside the country – in Turkey, Syria and Iran. "In addition there has been a drought for the last four years with less than half the normal rainfall falling," says Mr Rashid.

Large parts of Iraq that were once productive farmland have already turned into arid desert. The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture says that between 40 and 50 per cent of what was agricultural land in the 1970s is now being hit by desertification.

Drought, war, UN sanctions, lack of investment and the cutting down of trees for firewood have all exacerbated the crisis, but at its heart is the lack of water for irrigation in the Tigris and Euphrates. Farmers across Iraq are being driven from the land. Earlier this month, farmers and fishermen demonstrated in Najaf, a city close to the Euphrates, holding up placards demanding that the Iraqi government insist that foreign countries release more water.

"The farmers have stopped planting and now head to the city for work to earn their daily living until the water comes back," said Ali al-Ghazali, a farmer from the area.

"We pay for our seeds at the time of the harvest, and if we fail to harvest, or the harvest has been ruined, the person who sold us the seeds still wants his money." Najaf province has banned its farmers from growing rice because the crop needs too much water.

The drop in the quantity of water in the rivers has also reduced its quality. The plains of ancient Mesopotamia once produced abundant crops for the ancient Sumerians. From Nineveh in the north to Ur of the Chaldees in the south, the flat landscape of Iraq is dotted with the mounds marking the remains of their cities. There is little rainfall away from the mountains of Kurdistan and the land immediately below them, so agriculture has always depended on irrigation.

But centuries of irrigating the land without draining it properly has led to a build-up of salt in the soil, making much of it infertile. Lack of water in the rivers has speeded up the salinisation, so land in central and southern Iraq, highly productive 30 years ago, has become barren. Even such rainfall as does fall in northern Iraq has been scant in recent years. In February, the Greater Zaab river, one of the main tributaries of the Tigris, which should have been a torrent, was a placid stream occupying less than a quarter of its river bed. The hills overlooking it, which should be green, were a dusty brown.

Experts summoned by the Water Resources Ministry to a three-day conference on the water crisis held in Sulaimaniyah in April described the situation as "a tragedy".

Mohammed Ali Sarham, a water specialist from Diwaniyah in southern Iraq, said: "Things are slipping from our hands: swathes of land are being turned into desert. Farmers are leaving the countryside and heading to the city or nearby areas. We are importing almost all our food, though in the 1950s we were one of the few regional cereal-exporting countries."

The experts recommended that, in addition to Turkey releasing more water, there should be heavy investment to make better use of the waterways such as the Tigris and Euphrates. But this year Mr Rashid says that his budget for this year has been cut in half to $500m (£300m) because of the fall in the price of oil.

The outcome of the agricultural disaster in Iraq is evident in the fruit and vegetable shops in Baghdad. Jassim Mohammed Bahadeel, a grocer in the Karada district, says that once much of what he sold came from farms around the Iraqi capital. "But today, the apples I sell come from America, France and Chile; tomatoes and potatoes from Syria and Jordan; oranges from Egypt and Turkey. Only the dates come from Iraq because they do not need a lot of water."

Rightly feared: Iraq's deadly reptiles

*Saw-Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) About 2ft long, this viper is blamed for more deaths than any other species in the world. Its bite causes extensive internal haemorrhaging in its victims. Recognisable by an arrow-shaped marking on the head.

*Desert Horned Viper (Cerastes cerastes) The Desert Horned Viper is typically found in sandy terrain and is a common sight in Iraq's southern deserts, identified by the bony horns over its eyes. It lurks in sand, only eyes, nostrils and horns above the surface.

*Desert Cobra (Walterinnesia aegyptia) Like most cobras, it is easily adaptable to various habitats. But locations occupied by humans are a particular favourite where shelter and rodents are on offer. Whilst this glossy snake does not actively seek confrontation, it can move with lethal speed when provoked.

Contact Me

2009-08-28T14:04:00.000-04:00

The Jewish People

2008-09-12T19:42:00.000-04:00

Great video to watch that explains about the antichrist, the peace treaty, the rebuilding of the Jewish temple & the 7 year great tribulation.

Worldwide Upheaval

2008-09-12T19:38:00.001-04:00

Modern Technology

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The Rise of Wickedness

2008-09-12T19:37:00.001-04:00

The Rise of Falsehood

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One World Religion

2008-09-12T19:35:00.002-04:00

The Rise of Apostasy

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One World Government

2008-09-12T19:34:00.000-04:00

One World Economy

2008-09-12T19:33:00.000-04:00

The Mark Of The Beast

2008-09-12T19:29:00.000-04:00

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