How do I know if I am saved?
If you believe that the whole Bible is completely true and you sincerely pray
a prayer as an eternal promise to God and a covenant with Him, then you are
saved and nothing can take your salvation away from you.
In our covenant
with God we must:
1.recognize that there is one God, who
is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. recognize that the Holy Bible is
the only infallible Word of God.
3. recognize that we are all sinners, and
that sin leads to separation from God, resulting in our own death and
destruction.
4. recognize that the Father sent His only Son, Jesus Christ,
to be born of a virgin, to live as a perfect man, to die by crucifixion and to
be resurrected, then to ascend to glory in Heaven and give us the Holy Spirit,
paying for our sins, defeating Satan, and setting us free, giving us eternal
life with Him.
5. repent of all our sins to the Father, only through Jesus
Christ, and turn away from the sinful nature forever, being born over again into
a new life committed to obeying God.
6. accept forgiveness only through
Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation, which is a free gift through faith that
cannot be earned through works, and then commit ourselves to Him, to serve and
worship Him as Lord.
7. invite the Holy Spirit into our minds and hearts to
dwell in us (spiritual baptism), to guide us and help us grow and mature in
love, faith, holiness, and wisdom.
Here is an example of a simple prayer you can pray for salvation:
Dear
God, I know I am a sinner and need salvation. I believe the Bible, Your
Word, and I know that Your Son Jesus (Yeshua*) died to pay for my sins so I can
have eternal life. Please forgive my sins. I give myself to You and
I turn away from my desire for sinfulness. Please send me Your Holy Spirit
now that I accept Your forgiveness and now that I belong to You. Thank You
Lord. Amen.
*Yeshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus
It is good to do this at any age, but must be done as a fully competent adult who has reached the age of reasoning. Children and incompetent persons are innocent and incapable of fully understanding salvation and are therefore automatically saved. An adult with competency is responsible for making the decision to accept salvation. Accepting Jesus as an innocent child does not preclude the need to make that decision, or continue it, as a fully competent adult. Neither can an adult save a child by making the decision for him! Neither can a child be saved by baptism or be capable of receiving the Holy Spirit's baptism. Children are not mentally capable of making that decision. Children should be raised with a knowledge of and love for Jesus (and they can have a relationship with Him), but that does not guarantee their salvation when they reach the age of accountability. Then they have to make the decision on their own.
None of these will save you:
1. I am a good person.
No one can be good
enough! That is why Jesus had to die and pay for our sins.
2. I attend
church/synagogue.
Your church/synagogue can't save you!
3. I was raised
Christian/My family is Christian.
Your background/family can't save
you!
4. I go to Confession.
No priest/penance can save you!
Admitting your sin is not enough, and you can't pay for it yourself.
5. I
believe the Church.
The Church is not God and cannot save you!
6. I
believe in God.
Satan does too!
7. I believe in Jesus.
Satan knows who
Jesus is too!
8. I believe in the Bible.
So does Satan.
9. I was
baptized.
The water can't save you. You are saved by faith, not works,
and you must make the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior. Baptism is a outward act of obedience to God.
10. Someone laid
hands on me, someone prayed for the Holy Spirit to enter me, I had supernatural
manifestations.
You must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior
on your own. You must be born again, by committing yourself to Jesus,
repenting of your sinful nature, and starting a new life obeying Him and seeking
His will. If you have not done this and have supernatural manifestations,
they are demonic and you are demonized.
But I've sinned too much and too badly for God to forgive me, and I can't change!
Jesus has paid for all sins and if you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, the Father will forgive all your sins, past, present, and future! You will be able to start a new life, changing by the power of the Holy Spirit. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the continual, permanent refusal to answer the Holy Spirit's call to repent and accept salvation through Jesus Christ.
But isn't faith just a license to sin? Can't I just believe in Jesus and knowing I'm forgiven, sin all I want, or maybe repent at the last minute?
You must be born again to belong to Jesus. This means repenting of your sinful nature, leaving your previous life, and giving your life and your will to God. It is a commitment to God to seek His will and have the heart and mind of Christ. Otherwise you didn't really mean it, did you? If you really don't care about this, then you do not have the Holy Spirit in you and you do not really belong to Jesus, because you have not really given yourself to Him. And don't wait until the last minute, because you don't know when that will be!
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Upon the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He gives to you the Holy Spirit to dwell in you to help you mature in your walk with God. The Holy Spirit can be "quenched" - grieved and pushed away, but He will never leave the ones who truly belong to the Lord. Having the Holy Spirit guide you will not cause demonic manifestations or make you act like a madman, as the charismatic cults would have you believe. Nor will you hear a voice from Him. This also does not mean you should rely on your feelings or intuition. This is how the Holy Spirit works - He reveals knowledge and understanding in your mind, He puts motivation and desire in your heart, and He shows you the direction through the Bible and in your life circumstances.
Basic theological questions answered...
What is Heaven?
Heaven is a real physical place in the spiritual dimension, where the host of
angelic beings dwell, and where people who belong to God go after they die,
waiting for their resurrection when the Lord Jesus returns to Earth. It is
the place where God has His throne (read: dwelling place, not a chair) and it is
a state of being perfect and always in His presence. The place name Heaven
must be distinguished from the generic term "heaven" or "heavens", meaning the
atmosphere above the earth, as the place name Earth must be distinguished from
the generic term "earth", meaning the ground or soil.
What is Hell?
Hell (Hades in Greek, Sheol in Hebrew) is not a place of punishment. It is a place of separation from God and a holding cell until judgment. When a person rejects God and dies, God leaves him alone in a prison to wait for his deeds to be judged on Judgment Day. He is then cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death, to be punished eternally according to his sins and his rejection of God. Hell is unbearable torment because the person is separated eternally from his Creator and the Source of everything good. The Lake of Fire is punishment added to that, measured justly according to his deeds. Why fire? Evil is a privation of good (imagine a hole in a piece of cloth). It does not exist on its own, but is the absence of goodness and life with God. The Fall created a partial separation from God, which led to the introduction of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics - entropy, decay. Entropy is a result of heat being discharged as energy is transformed. Fire is simply a fast entropy. Thus, the absence of God creates total entropy - eternal fire and destruction.
How can God be three people and yet one at the same time?
The Trinity, God in three persons, is beyond human understanding. The best analogy is to compare the three in one concept to basic chemistry - liquid, solid, and gas. H2O can exist as water (the Father), ice (the Son), and steam (the Holy Spirit) at the same time, and they are the same substance. The Torah (the Old Testament Books of Law) says: "Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one." (Deut. 6:4 NIV), which states the Trinity - the Hebrew word for God is "Elohim" which is plural, meaning literally "gods".
What about predestination and freewill?
Yes there is predestination. Yes there is freewill. Spiritual freewill is what separates humans from the lower animals and enables humans to have a real reciprocal relationship with God as His children, rather than being His pets. God chose the Elect from the beginning. The Chosen Elect are those God knew from the beginning would answer His call and accept Him out of their own freewill. But no one can say who will and who will not become a Christian - only God knows. See below - Can you ever lose salvation?
So why did He create everyone else?
Because otherwise that would be controlling and unjust and dictatorial, treating His creation like a puppet and not allowing it to develop on its own the way it was created to be. Without the possibility of some people rejecting Him, there wouldn't be a freewill (and possibility of falling). God's peoples would just be like animals, unable to have an intelligent relationship with Him as His sons. He gives the non-predestined a chance - they refuse Him out of their own freewill (and he simply knew they would).
What is the meaning/purpose of our existence?
We were created to be stewards of God's creation, to take care of His animals and tend His garden (Genesis 1:26-29). It could be said that we are His gardeners and pet-sitters ;). He also expected us to reproduce to create more of us, but that will no longer be the case in the next life (Mark 12:25). And of course, first and foremost, as beings in His image (Genesis 1:27), we were created to have fellowship with Him and each other (Luke 10:27). We, as Christians, have such a special relationship with the Lord, that we are even called His Bride (Ephesians 5:22-32).
Can you ever lose salvation?
Once a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, he belongs to God and cannot cease to belong to God. He has made his choice and it is permanent. If he subsequently rejects God, the Holy Spirit will pull him back, or else the person's works on Earth will be burned up on Judgment Day. God's people are called the elect, meaning they were chosen by God to be saved, therefore they cannot become "unchosen" and unsaved. Many people become Christians insincerely and then later reject God. They never really belonged to Him (Matthew 7:21-23). When a person gives himself to God, he is no longer free to take it back, because he has given his freewill to God. God owns him. The Holy Spirit never leaves people in whom He dwells (Deuteronomy 31:6,8, Isaiah 49:16, John 14:16-17, Romans 8:28-30, 9:10-12, 11:7, 11:25-29, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:11--14, 2 Timothy 2:10, Hebrews 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10-11).
What about people who have never had the chance to hear the Gospel (like in ancient South America)? Are they damned?
God judges according to the heart. If a person has not had the opportunity to know about Jesus, God saves them or damns them according to His knowledge of the person's heart. In other words, God knows whether the person would have accepted or rejected Christ if he had had the opportunity to know about Him. God knows whether the person was one of the Elect. Those who have not heard about Jesus or the God of the Bible can see there must be a God through natural revelation and reason (in other words "There must be an all powerful God in charge who created everything") and if the person is destined to be saved, he would not reject that unknown God, but seek Him in his heart (Romans 1:18-25). And remember - Matthew 7:16-20 - anyone who deliberately does evil with an evil heart is not of God.
Where can I find a Biblical church?
Consider a non-denominational church - they tend to be less exclusionary and
more Biblical. The denominations all tend to be either non-Biblical, or
hyper-fanatical about non-essential "issues" which do not involve worshipping
the Lord or evangelism or studying the Bible. If you choose a
denomination, there is a good chance it will be more Biblical if it has the word
"Reformed" in the title of the denomination. When you visit a church,
don't be shy about asking what their beliefs are and if they are Biblical.
Don't let them refer you to a pamphlet or give you pat answers without backing
it up with evidence and intelligent reasoning. Stay away from Catholic
and Orthodox churches where man-made traditions are equal to the Bible.
Avoid "charismatic"
churches where the congregation all seem "programmed" with no minds of their own
and only care about being "joyful" instead of serious and reverent and
intelligent about their faith. Beware of churches where the congregation
checks their brains in at the door and mindlessly believes the minister's own
interpretations of God's Word, without thinking on their own and seeking
guidance from the Holy Spirit. Also, remember that the Church is God's
people, not a building. Wherever you are studying God's Word and
worshipping Him with others is your church. And don't fall into the
shallow trap of thinking other Christians have to accept you personally in order
for you to truly belong to God. What matters is that you belong to God,
not to a church group. Salvation is not a popularity contest and other
Christians don't have to understand you or believe your experiences in order for
you to be saved. It is between you and God alone.
A note on Messianic synagogues: Beware of congregations that only seem interested in partying and being happy, instead of reverently and genuinely worshipping the Lord and studying Scripture with intelligence and maturity, and ones that are repelled from using the term Christian, or the cross or crucifixion, or the name of Christ, and seem more interested in Israel and the Jewish heritage than in God. Such groups are naive, immature, and childish, comparable to charismatic gentile churches, and they represent the simple-minded among Jewish believers. Many Messianic congregations are mind-controlling cults, as attested to by Jews, Christians, and Christian Jews, but some are legitimate. Beware of congregations in which the leader, or "Rabbi" is looked upon as the source of knowledge and truth and guidance, instead of God's Word.
Any church or synagogue which emphasizes in its creed anything other than or in addition to Biblical theology and the Biblical plan for salvation is a cult. Any church or synagogue which follows the guidance or instruction of the leader instead of the Bible is a cult. Any church or synagogue which withholds any Scriptural knowledge from the congregation is a cult. Anyone who adds to or takes away from God's ONLY Word, the Holy Bible, is a cultist (Rev. 22:18-19).
Warning concerning false prophets: Anyone who claims to speak messages from God in the first person (that is, "I the Lord God...") is speaking blasphemy and is attempting to add to God's only Word, the Holy Bible. Also note that God's language is not Old English. Anyone who claims to have messages from God in Old English (that is, "Thy Lord God sayeth unto thee...") is speaking foolishness (and notice the many linguistic mistakes and mixing of Old English with modern English). God speaks in the appropriate language of the listeners' time and place. Beware of anyone who makes generic statements or long fancy speeches that supposedly come from God and yet provide no solid teaching nor insight and contain no practical information. God never gives messages in vain, to speak only for the sake of speaking, without imparting knowledge or real guidance. This is a blasphemous fantasy in the speaker's mind, often influenced by delusions of grandeur, drugs, or demons. Such people are deceived. Beware of so-called prophets whose claims abandon reason and logic and sense and most importantly, doctrine, and are instead based on the catch-all term "revelations in the spirit", which really means "all in their mind" and denotes feelings, intuition, personal ideas, and fantasy, often introduced by demons. Such claims employ circular logic, are completely subjective without any basis in physical reality nor in Biblical doctrine, and could have come from anywhere but God. It is just an excuse to convince people to blindly believe that whatever they say is true. Such "revelations" are all in the deceived person's mind. Beware of their "prophecies" which are nothing but irrational and irrelevant gibberish, or lies from the enemy, in which they pull Scripture out of context or twist its meaning or even change God's Word (according to their spirit's guidance) to prove their claims. Any type of prophecy must be validated by Scripture, not the reverse. Also beware of anyone who claims to prophesy in God's name but exhibits blatant ungodly behavior or motives, and doesn't preach the Gospel or call people to repentance and righteousness. All prophets are evangelists first and testify about Jesus Christ as Lord God and Savior (Revelation 19:10).
Jeremiah 23:16-40 (NIV) -
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.' But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD. "When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' say to them, 'What oracle? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.' If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: 'What is the LORD's answer?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' But you must not mention 'the oracle of the LORD' again, because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. This is what you keep saying to a prophet: 'What is the LORD's answer to you?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' Although you claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' this is what the LORD says: You used the words, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' even though I told you that you must not claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD.' Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace--everlasting shame that will not be forgotten."
Matthew 7:15-23 (NIV) -
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV) -
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
2 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV) -
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
God takes the wickedness of being a false prophet very seriously! Read Jeremiah 28.
Churches to avoid:
Churches which believe in their own traditions and authorities as equal to the Bible
Churches which believe emotional revelations are equal to Biblical doctrine
Churches which teach all religions are equal or valid
Mormon churches (which are not Christian)
The Jehovah's Witnesses (which are not Christian)
Churches that believe the New Testament has replaced the Old Testament
Churches that claim to "prophesy" or interpret End Times prophecies
Churches that preach politics, activism, and/or social issues
Churches that are ritualistic and/or legalistic
Churches that demand money or rituals like baptism by immersion for membership
Churches that don't make evangelism and spiritual growth the priorities
Churches that focus on having entertaining meetings, and "a fun time"
Churches that are unwelcoming and unfriendly and impersonal
Churches that embrace a "new age" tolerance and concern for feelings rather than truth
Churches that display "wax fruit", smarmy empty talk that contains no sincerity
Churches that are flattering and elitist and/or try to control your thinking or your life
Churches that try to demonstrate or test the power of God through "miracles" or supernatural signs
Churches that don't believe in a Triune God (the Trinity)
Churches that don't believe Jesus is the only way to salvation
Churches that don't believe the Bible is the only infallible Word of God
Churches that use non-Biblical material for spiritual instruction
Churches that insist on using only the King James Version of the Bible
Churches that don't preach growing in a personal relationship with the living Jesus
Churches that don't encourage holy living according to the Bible
Churches that believe we are still under the Old Testament law
Why doesn't God just get rid of all evil and suffering
now?
Out of love for us, God patiently waits for every human being to come to Him
who will come to Him. He allows every person to have that opportunity and
will not deny any person who will be born that opportunity. Each
individual human life is infinitely precious to Him. He is also waiting
for every person who will be born to be born. Then God will recreate the
Earth in a state of perfection for His people. While evil and suffering
are in the world, God turns it around for the good of His children, using it to
mature them or reward them eternally, or even to bring about the plans He has
for them. God has promised those who trust in Him that all things will
work together for their benefit (Romans 8:28), and that His plans are not to
destroy them, but to prosper them, not with material or worldly gain, but
eternal spiritual well-being (Jeremiah 29:11).
Suffering is unavoidable in this world, because it has been corrupted by Satan. But what we have to come to realize is that who God is, and His absolute Truth and Love, are not dependent on whether we suffer or how we suffer. Suffering with God is certainly better than suffering hopelessly without Him. How will rejecting God relieve your suffering, and how will it help you to push away the Divine Comforter? The Bible tells Christians to expect trials and tribulation in this world, but to remember that it is only temporary and that their salvation is certain, and the benefits of the testing of their faith are eternal (Romans 5:1-5, James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 1:3-9). Because this world is run by Satan's laws, not sinning and going contrary to his laws, are also going to subject a person to suffering. Sadly, many immature Christians today have not learned from the Book of Job (possibly the oldest Book in the Bible) that sin is not the only cause of suffering and God does not promise faithful and obedient Christians a life free of suffering. He also does not promise that the suffering will be bearable (a verse about temptation is often twisted and pulled out of context to support the erroneous idea that God does not allow suffering beyond endurance).
The hardest thing to come to grips with is that sometimes God allows suffering because it is necessary. Because of our corrupted state, suffering is sometimes the only way to discipline us and spur us to grow and mature. If you observe people who have it easy, you will notice that they are most often the least discerning, the least motivated, and the most mindless and apathetic. An easy life breeds simple-mindedness because of human nature. Suffering forces a person to think and face reality and God.
Suffering is a terrible result of evil and it is truly a bad condition over which God deeply grieves. But suffering is not evil, with the connotation of being sinful or against the will of God. While God doesn't want anyone to have to suffer, suffering is very valuable and beneficial in the development of a person's character. Without hardship and struggling and pain and torment (yes, and especially fear), a believer's faith would not be tested and his character would not be refined and developed. His potential would be lost, his spiritual growth stunted, his eternal position in the Kingdom lowered. In general it could be hypothesized that the more untapped potential a person has, the more he will be tested (allowed to suffer) in order for it to be realized. And the suffering will probably not end until the person's learning from it is completed. Even if the person's development isn't apparent in this life, it will be eternally. In addition, suffering not only benefits the person who is enduring it, but also others who witness it or are in some way helped by it. Christians are not called to live for themselves, but to be imitators of Christ, a living sacrifice for God and for the sake of others. Therefore, though suffering is bad, it is also ultimately a blessing. The end result is a mature and wise person who has a closer relationship with God, and is happier and far more able to care about others and appreciate what God gives him. The result of an easy, comfortable, worldly life free of worry and suffering leads to the creation of immature and spoiled brats. And in such a relationship both parent and child become miserable and hardened. And the more the parent gives, the more the child demands and whines and takes for granted what he has. God does not want a relationship with spoiled children, but children who are disciplined and mature and content and loving, and able to realize their potential and appreciate their blessings. Jesus describes the current Church as spoiled and immature and in need of character-building tribulation in Revelation 3:14-22. He says: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent." Every time Israel prospered in the Old Testament period, they fell away from God and He had to bring calamity on them to bring them back. A loving parent does not give a child an easy carefree life and his own way. A loving parent challenges his child and provides boundaries and structure, and rebukes the child harshly when necessary, for his own good. A loving parent does not shelter him, but allows him to suffer and struggle, while offering the assurance of hope and help and security.
Jesus said about the current Age: "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold." (Matthew 24:12) This is what is happening in today's society. There is so much violence, sleaze, and decadence, people are either giving in to it and becoming wicked, or are reacting against it by becoming angry, hardened, cynical, uncaring, even brutal, in essence, the equally wicked opposite extreme. Jesus describes those who are unprepared for the Great Tribulation as not only lawless and cold, but absorbed in worldly things, and participating in dissipation (indulgence, consumption, and mindless diversions, think: the Fall of Rome), and as intoxicated and asleep. This obviously shows a numbing disregard for calamity - hardship, suffering, and fear. This is the effect of a (materially) prosperous society on the human heart. These are the characteristics that can be observed in a spoiled, immature population:
rebelliousness, childishness, willfulness, irreverence
dissatisfaction, boredom, discontent, lack of appreciation
shallowness, insincerity, frivolity, irrationality
lack of empathy, lack of compassion, cold-heartedness
ignorance, stupidity, naivety, lack of wisdom/discernment
irresponsibility, laziness, apathy, mindlessness
obnoxiousness, selfishness, self-centeredness
arrogance, cynicism, distrust, disbelief
lack of endurance, impatience, faithlessness
greed, worldliness, desire for an easy life, escapism (such as the Rapture doctrine)
In contrast, suffering has the opposite effect on the heart, imparting maturity. Hardship teaches faith and endurance. Pain teaches mindfulness and sensitivity. Fear teaches courage and trust. Without these struggles, a person's spirit is generally weak, dumb, and cowardly.
The ultimate triumph of the human spirit is to be able to praise God and submit to His will in spite of suffering.
Is there then any hope in this life? Why should Christians persevere if they know they are going to suffer? Christians need to remember that God loves them and hears their cries and cares deeply about their suffering and will not prolong it or withhold help. And they need to remember the ultimate outcome of the suffering and the fact that their endurance is a testimony of their faith which will also impact others. "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)
What are Satanism and Demonolatry?
The religion of Satanism has many different factions. The most
prevalent claims to be atheist and not believe in the existence of Satan, but in
the teachings of Anton LaVey and Aleister Crowley, who were
devil-worshippers. Other factions worship the real Satan but twist the
truth about him, or believe that Satan is not the fallen angel of the
Bible. Most Satanists are immature teenagers seduced by the lure of the
occult, hate-groups or scattered individuals who worship the idea of being evil
and powerful, or individuals raised in a Christian or pseudo-Christian
background who are angry at God and go to the other side. The religion of
worshipping demons is called Demonolatry, and is usually paganism based on
mythology mixed with New Age and witchcraft. It is a dangerous lure into
devil-worship which is often depicted as harmless and not evil or satanic.
Real demons are worshipped even though worshippers may deny this or be deceived
and deluded. They often believe demons are something other than fallen
angels and that they are not evil or that evil is somehow justifiable.
Satanism and Demonolatry are in general silly and childish, as can be seen on
satanic and demonic websites, and can hardly be taken seriously, though it is a
seriously evil, nasty religion. It is difficult to understand why any
intelligent person would want to join such a religion. Real Satanism and
Demonolatry would be worshipping the real Devil of the Bible and his
demons. This is rare, as it would be acknowledging that Christianity is
true, ...and if Christianity is true, then the Devil has already lost, and thus
Satanism/Demonolatry is a religion of defeat, powerlessness and failed
corruption against God's Truth and Love.
If a person is involved in a Satanic or Demonic religion, there are demons influencing and/or possessing that person, the degree depending on the individual's spiritual state and level of involvement. These demons will guard that person with two goals: 1. never let that person find out the truth and if he comes across it, harden his heart against it; and 2. make that person think the religion is beneficial and he needs the religion, while affecting his mind and life to make him miserable and mentally disturbed, slowing destroying his personality, with the eventual goal of destroying and killing him. "Graduation" into attaining the highest "degree" is when the demons drive the person to 1. kill himself, 2. kill someone else, or 3. end up in jail or a mental institution. For more on Callisto's experience with Satanism, see Satanism Exposed
How do you know Jesus is the Messiah?
Read the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). If Jesus was not who He claimed to be, then He was either crazy or a liar. From what you read, was He at all nonsensical and incoherent? Reading about His character, can you find anything wrong in Him? Then is He believable?
If you believe in the prophet Isaiah, read Isaiah 7:13-14, 9:1-7, and 53. Who is this Messiah? Now read the Book of Matthew. Coincidence?
Let's look at the gospel of Matthew:
Here is Jesus' genealogy, son of David, son of Abraham: Matt. 1:1-17
Compare these sets of verses:
Matt. 2:1-6 and Micah 5:2-5
Matt. 2:13-15 and Hosea 11:1
Matt. 2:16-18 and Jeremiah 31:15
Matt. 3:1-3 and Isaiah 40:3
Matt. 4:12-17 and Isaiah 9:1-2
Matt. 8:14-17 and Isaiah 53:4
Matt. 10:34-36 and Micah 7:6
Matt. 11:7-10 and Malachi 3:1
Matt. 11:11-14 and Malachi 4:5
Matt. 12:14-21 and Isaiah 42:1-4
Matt. 13:10-15 and Isaiah 6:9-10
Matt. 13:34-35 and Psalm 78:2
Matt. 15:3-9 and Isaiah 29:13
Matt. 21:1-5 and Zechariah 9:9
Matt. 21:9 and Psalm 118:26
Matt. 21:12-13 and Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11
Matt.21:15-16 and Psalm 8:2
Matt.22:41-44 and Psalm 110:1
Matt. 24:29-30 and Isaiah 13:10, 34:4
Matt. 26:31 and Zechariah 13:7
Matt. 27:1-10 and Zechariah 11:12-13, Jeremiah 19:1-13, 32:6-9
Matt. 27:45-46 and Psalm 22:1
continued...
Mark 7:5-8 and Isaiah 29:13
Luke 3:1-6 and Isaiah 40:3-5
Luke 4:14-21 and Isaiah 61:1-2
John 12:37-41 and Isaiah 53:1, 6:10
John 19:23-24 and Psalm 22:18
John 19:31-37 and Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Psalm 34:20, Zechariah 12:10
Coincidence?
Read Psalm 22 which describes His crucifixion and compare it with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Coincidence?
The New Testament is the completion of the Old Testament, not a replacement of it. Jesus came to fulfill the Hebrew Scriptures, not to abolish them (Matt. 5:17). He established a new covenant to bring the original one to fruition.
Read the whole Bible and tell us how it could all fit together so perfectly without any flaws or contradictions, though it was written through so many different people over the course of thousands of years. Could human beings have done this on their own? And the prophecies came true, and are still coming true... And the sciences show more and more how it was historical fact.
Coincidence?
When will Jesus return?
No one knows the specific time of His return, only the Father. Some
people believe in a false doctrine called "Rapture", in which Christ will
return secretly and remove all His people before the Tribulation. But
Jesus says in Rev.16:14-16 that he will return right before Armageddon (compare
that verse to Jesus describing His return in Matt. 24:29-44, Mark 13:24-37, Luke
12:35-40 and also 1Thess. 5:2). He says He will come like a thief. Keep reading now; He is refering to the TIME of His return which is unknown, not to the quiet, secrecy, or stealth of it (see Luke 12:39) Also, God's people are mentioned all
through the Tribulation until Armageddon in the Bible. Note also that in
Luke 21 Jesus describes the Tribulation and says and then (after) He will
return for His Church. In verses 34-35 warns that (because of such
foolishness like the false doctrine of Rapture), people may not expect the
Tribulation and it will come upon them by surprise! In verse 36 Jesus
tells Christians be on the watch and pray to be able to escape (the destruction
and persecution, i.e. survive) to stand before Jesus when He returns. In
Matthew 24 and Mark 13 also Jesus says He will return after the Tribulation for
the "Elect" (the Church). 2Thess. 2:1-3 warns us not to believe the Lord
will return for the Church's assembling to meet Him until the rebellion of the
man of lawlessness, that is, the Antichrist's reign during the Tribulation, and
says not to be deceived by any prophecy that supposedly comes from the Church
saying otherwise. Even in the Old Testament, Daniel was told that the
resurrection of the saints was to be after the time of trouble at the end and
that believers would be refined, purified, and made spotless during the last
half of the Tribulation (Daniel 12:1-2, 8-13). Jesus even prayed for His
people not to be removed from the world (John 17:15) including all the believers
in the future (verse 20).
The Second Coming of Christ is described in the Bible by three different Greek words. Those who believe in the false doctrine of a secret rapture being separate from the second coming, claim that one of these words means "rapture" and that the verses using that word have a hidden meaning about a "third coming" to proceed the second. Those verses however - 1Thess. 4:15-17 and 2Thess. 2:8 describe the Second Coming of Christ as a public event, certainly not secret, and to take place when He destroys the Antichrist at the end of the Tribulation. In 1Thess. 4:18, the Church is told to comfort each other with these words. Why would believers need comforting if they won't go through the Tribulation? Why does 2Thess. 2 encourage believers to stand firm and hold to the teachings of the Word when the "Man of Lawlessness" (Antichrist) comes, if they are going to be raptured away?
The verses using the other two Greek words for Christ's second coming are: 2Thess. 1:6-10, describing it as a public event after the Tribulation and describing Judgment Day, 1Peter 1:7, 1:13, 4:13 which all say that believers will receive their glory and honor at the second coming, contrary to the Rapture doctrine which says they should have already received it long before then at the Rapture, and Titus 2:13, 1Tim 6:14, 2 Tim 4:8 which describe the second coming in the same way as the rest of the verses. The three Greek words used for Jesus' second coming are obviously interchangeable.
Other verses describing Christ's return are: Col. 3:4 says that when He appears, we will be glorified also. Matt. 24:30-31 describes all the Earth watching Jesus' return and the world mourning because this is when Jesus destroys the world leader, the Antichrist, and his False Prophet and army at Armageddon, and it describes how He gathers His people to His glory - the Second Coming, not Rapture (see Rev. 19:11-21). Zech. 14:5-11 predicts that God's people - all believers, not just the Jews, will be fleeing during the Tribulation (proof that believers won't be "raptured away"), and then Jesus will return permanently with His angels to set up the New Jerusalem. Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 all describe the Church throughout the entire Tribulation until the visible, public, and permanent return of Christ, in particular, Christians fleeing Jerusalem and being persecuted when the Antichrist sets up the "abomination of desolation". In Revelation 18 God calls His people out of Babylon when it is to be destroyed by the Antichrist, that exodus also prophesied by the flight described in the Gospels. Luke 17:20-37 is the passage most Christians point to as describing the Rapture. But in it Jesus says that His return will be a public display of His glory like lightning which lights up the sky from one side to the other. What about when he says there will be two and one will be taken and one will be left? One will be taken into a glorified state out of Armageddon to reign with Him and all believers on Earth for a thousand years, and one will be left behind to face Armageddon and remain for the thousand years until Gog and Magog (the final battle) and Judgment. (See Rev. 19 & 20.)
Some people confuse the Tribulation with being damned to Hell. While the Tribulation will be "hellish", it is not a loss of salvation. Here again many Christians believe they will not suffer in this life if they are Christians - a dangerous belief that will cause them to fall away from their faith when they suffer hardship. 1 Thess. 5:3,9 are describing unbelievers suffering the second death, yet believers will be spared (not to suffer wrath but receive salvation). This is not referring to the Tribulation but God's ultimate wrath - judgment and eternal damnation after Christ's return, as opposed to salvation. See for reference 1Cor 1:8. God says he rebukes and disciplines those He loves, and that the Church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22), the Church of the End Times, will be refined by fire, and he who overcomes (he who is truly committed to the Lord and doesn't fall away) will sit with the Lord on His Throne. This clearly describes the Church going through the Tribulation and fits with the rest of Scripture.
Finally, the doctrine of Rapture is irrational. The defenders of the Rapture say the purpose of the Rapture is to spare God's people from suffering the Tribulation. Yet after the Rapture, people left behind will become Christians. (pause for thought) So why won't they be raptured? Why will they suffer the Tribulation? Is there bias between early converts and later converts? That simply doesn't make sense. Some even believe in an anti-Semitic Rapture, in which only the Gentile Church (from the New Testament to the present) will be resurrected and raptured and then when Israel returns, there will be a second resurrection and rapture after the Tribulation for the Jews and Old Testament saints. Another irrational point about a pre-tribulation rapture is the fact that in the true rapture (rapture meaning "caught up"), the Church will meet the Lord in the air (Greek - "aer" - the atmosphere all around us, not Heaven - 1Thess. 4:17), meaning the Church is still on Earth, not taken out of it, and is visible. Such a meeting could only come after the Tribulation when the saints will remain on Earth and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
One single passage completely disproves the whole false pre-tribulation rapture doctrine by explaining very clearly the sequence of events at Christ's (only) Second Coming:
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) -
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. [emphasis mine]
Note that the resurrection of the dead is after the Tribulation and they will rise before the rapture! (Rev. 20:4)
I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND ANY MENTION IN THE BIBLE OF THE CHURCH BEING REMOVED FROM THE WORLD BEFORE THE TRIBULATION.
On a historical note, the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine did not exist until it was invented by J. N. Darby between 1826-1832 out of a personal belief that God's plan for the Gentile Church is separate from His plan for the Jewish Church. It was not accepted by Biblical churches, but as with all other false doctrines and cults, was modified over time and eventually integrated into the churches, becoming more popular and extremist over time.
Beware of people trying to decipher hidden messages and find secret doctrines in riddles in the Bible, of which there are none. And beware of false prophets who try to interpret End Times prophecies and even create time lines, which are not possible to do.
If you have decided to become a Christian just for the Rapture, you'd better think about where your devotion lies and what your motive is - Are you committing yourself to Jesus Christ or to a hope of escaping suffering?
Who are the two witnesses of Revelation 11?
There has been much speculation about who the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11
are and whether or not they are here today. It is the opinion of this
author that the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 represent all evangelical
Christians, according to Acts 1:8, in two groups which are possibly the Jew and
Gentile believers, an interpretation consistent with the context of the New
Testament (Acts 26:22-23, Romans 1:16, 1Corinthians 1:22-24...).
Many think that Moses and Elijah or two other Old Testament or New Testament period prophets will be the two witnesses of the Apocalypse, but they are in Heaven and cannot come back to Earth. How would they come back when they are spirits and their earthly bodies are dust? Spirits can't be killed as martyrs and raised from the dead. Some say Elijah and Enoch were taken to Heaven alive, but no human could enter Heaven until Jesus conquered death and paid for mankind's sins (John 3:13). Before that, believers waited in the righteous part of Hell (called Abraham's bosom - Luke 16:19-31) for Jesus to set them free (Isaiah 42:6-7, Eph. 4:7-10). But if Elijah and Enoch were taken to the righteous Hades alive, they could not be killed because they now are in Heaven and are spirits (and their earthly bodies are gone) until they are resurrected and given eternal glorified bodies upon Christ's return (Rev. 20:4-6). Flesh cannot enter Heaven (1 Cor. 15:50). No human can return from Heaven to live a second life and die again (Hebrews 9:27). That doctrine of the two witnesses being Old Testament/New Testament prophets is another false doctrine created by the Devil to lead the church astray, leaving Christians unprepared for the Tribulation. The common belief that Moses and Elijah can return to Earth because they were with Christ at His Transfiguration is based on a faulty translation of two passages in Revelation 11 and Matthew 17. The NIV incorrectly calls the two witnesses "these two men" in Revelation 11:6, which is neither stated nor implied anywhere in the original text. The NIV also incorrectly omits Jesus stating in Matthew 17:9 that what the disciples saw at His Transfiguration was a vision, Greek horama, a word used throughout the New Testament only to mean a supernatural vision of someone/something not really there, given by God in a trance (Acts 9:10, 10:13, 10:17, 10:19, 11:5 which states this type of vision occurs in a trance, 12:9 which states that this type of vision is not real, 16:9, 16:10, 18:9, 26:19, Rev. 9:17 in which John sees things that could not have been there with him). A vision meaning a literal sight is Greek optasia (Luke 1:22, 24:23). Moses and Elijah were not actually with Jesus on Earth. It was a hallucination from God. The significance of the vision is theological in that Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant: Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the prophets. It should be obvious even from surrounding text and the other Gospel accounts (Matt. 17:4, Mark 9:5-6): How did Peter recognize Moses and Elijah if it was a literal visit and not a supernatural vision from God? He had no way to know what they looked like. How do we account for Peter's disoriented request to build them tabernacles? The passage in Mark even states he didn't know what he was saying. In both passages Jesus goes on to answer the disciples' question about the prophecy of the return of Elijah, to which Jesus responds by saying that Elijah had already returned in John the Baptist, spiritually not literally (READ IN CONTEXT). Those who teach that the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 are past prophets are preaching reincarnation. The cult of Elijah is based on Malachi 4:5-6, when God says He will send the prophet Elijah before the Day of the Lord comes. He is not referring to Elijah himself, but Elijah's spirit of prophecy, which was fulfilled by John the Baptist (Matt. 11:13-14, 17:10-13, Mark 9:11-13, Luke 1:17), which is also spoken of in Malachi 3:1. This cult even extends to Jesus, whom people thought was really Elijah returned (Matt. 16: 13-14, Mark 6:15, 8:27-28, Luke 9:7-8, 9:18-19) and John the Baptist (John 1:19-21). People even mistakenly believed Jesus was calling out to Elijah on the cross (Mark 15:34-36).
This testimony exists solely to glorify God. It maintains the belief that we are in the End Times and on the doorstep of the Apocalypse and the final Great Tribulation. This website is not a cult. It is not a forum for discussion of opinion or gossip. This website does not attempt to name characters of the Apocalypse or interpret Bible prophecies. It will not add to or take away from the Bible, God's only Word. This website holds to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the testimony of His witnesses (Revelation 19:10).
