What is Life?


1Cr 1:18What is Life?  That is a question, I have asked myself many times over the last few years.  Now that I’m a bit more advanced in age, this question becomes more frequent.  What is Life?  Why am I here?  What is the purpose of Life?

 

I have seen some of my friends pass on in the last few years and one begins to wonder, why and what happened to them? I remember those who have passed, when they were younger, full of life and energy, vibrant and driven. Some of my friends were taken by cancer or some other illness. Death is something most people don’t think about in the younger years.

 

In our youth some of us thought we are invincible and the thought of maybe one day ending up with something like cancer really never entered  the mind.  Who wants to think about death, or which way we may die? Death is so final. Everyone of us will have to face death one day,  sooner or later.  The statistics on death are pretty overwhelming, one out of one will die.  No exceptions made.

 

There are those, who believe, that when a person dies, they cease to exist. Those who believe that, are those who also believe, that mankind came to be by chance, by accident. Humans came to be as part of a long process, known as evolution. Some 4.6 billion years ago,  some cosmic event, aka the big bang, caused the universe and the earth to be formed. Every plant life and every living creature slowly started to evolve, into what we see today. All this happened through the process of natural selection, according to the theory of Darwin.

 

Personally, I can not buy into the theory of evolution.

To evolutionist, life came about by chance. They do not believe in creation, or that there is something after death. They believe, once a person dies, there is nothingness and nothing more. We simply cease to exist.

 

I believe that life is precious and that we were wonderfully made by a loving Creator. I believe in a God that created the universe and everything in it. We are no accident or just here by chance. We are here for a purpose and we were created for Him and by Him.

 

Atheist, state that there is no God. Atheist believe in themselves and mankind. They believe that all the problems in the world can be be fixed by man. They don’t need or want God. For them there is no higher authority, no deity, no one that will hold them accountable on the day they die. They don’t believe that there is a thing like heaven or hell,  judgment or eternal life.

 

A life without God, makes no sense to me. A life without a future or hope.

 

I believe that somehow, we all have eternity written on our hearts. No one, wants to grow old and eventually die, if given the choice. We long for life.

Am I to believe, that I am here for 70 to 80+ years and then nothing?

 

Was I just born, to live a life that is filled with trials and tribulations, a life of laughter and tears, a life of happiness and sadness, to one day just die?

 

I am no accident and you are no accident. You and I were created by a loving God. When God first created Adam and Eve, he created them as eternal beings. Death came about when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden. This one-act of disobedience resulted in death, a spiritual death, a disconnect from God. It also brought forth physical death, and from that day on, all of creation was and is subject to death and decay.

 

I believe in the afterlife. I know that when this physical body, that is the flesh, of mine dies, my spirit will live on. The Bible teaches, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

 

That is the glorious hope that every believer in Jesus Christ has. Jesus defeated death on the cross and he has promised eternal life to all who believe in him by faith.

By believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior he has reconciled us to God the father through his death and resurrection. He closed the spiritual gap that existed between mankind and God.

Because of what Jesus did for us, we once again can have fellowship with God, as it was in the beginning before the fall.

 

Unfortunately, there are many who do not believe in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. They refuse to believe and to receive the free gift of life, that Jesus promised to all those who believe.

They rather buy into the theory of evolution, discarding creation and God. They are what the Bible calls, “the natural man” who live after the desires of the flesh, having no understanding of spiritual things.

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1Corinthians 2:14.

Of course I cannot prove that there is life after death and neither can they disprove it. I believe by faith, just as atheist or evolutionist believe by faith that there is no God.

Frankly, I do not have enough faith to be an Atheist or to believe in evolution.

 

What is life? That is the question that Atheist and those who do not believe in the promises of God should ask themselves. What happens after they die, will there be darkness or is it not possible that there is more?

What if all we believers in Jesus are right, when we talk about eternal life? What if we are right, about Jesus and what His death on the cross has accomplished for those who believe by faith?

Life is nothing but a fleeting moment and there will come a day when we will face death. As a believer, I do not fear death, because I have already received eternal life, because of my faith in Jesus.

 

What about you?  Do you believe that when you die, that you cease to exist?  If so, you better be right.  Believing that there is no afterlife, means to deny what Jesus said before He went to the cross.  Those who do not believe His words, make Him a liar.   Something to at least think about.  Here is what Jesus said:

 

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,    that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:14-21

 

Destination Unknown?


1Cr 1:18I received the sad news, that a friend of mine past away in Germany. From what I know, it was a heart related issue. I have lost several family members and friends in the past couple of years, and whenever I hear of someones death, several thought go through my mind about death, eternity and the destination of people.
The first thought that went through my mind, when I learned of his death was, did he believe in Jesus as his Lord and Savior? From what I know, he was not a believer the last time I saw him. Neither was I until 2006. Growing up in Germany is pretty much being secular. People in Germany have lost touch with God. That saddens me quite a bit, knowing what I know now. There is however a remnant and many think that Germany will see a revival.
The second thought that went through my mind, was, what happened to him, after his death?  What happened to his spirit after it left his physical body? Where did he go?
The word of God is pretty clear about what happens to people who are not saved by the blood of the lamb. They will be eternally separated from God. Something the Bible calls Hell. An eternity without the presence of God. That is not an easy thought, even as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Nobody wants to think that a friend or family member is in Hell, because they didn’t believe in Christ. But, that is what the word of God teaches, and I believe it. They have either rejected Christ or didn’t give any thought towards God. They lived a life without thanking God for all the blessings they received, even as unbelievers. The air that we breathe, the food and water and so many other things that sustain us throughout our lives. God created every one of us and we are wonderfully made.
As a believer, I believe in creation, in a God, Who created all things. I can’t adhere to the theory of evolution or people who believe that we are here by accident or natural selection. Darwin was wrong and people who follow his theory are misguided and deceived by his teachings. Darwin led many people astray from the belief in a Creator.
But, back to my friend.  What happened to him, now that his spirit passed on into the spiritual realm? What if he did not believe in God and the finished work of Jesus on the cross? If he was not a believer, will he spent eternity in Hell? As I stated before, that is not an easy thought. I don’t want to think of my friends or family member, who did not believe, being in Hell.
I think that’s where many people who are not believers i.e Christians, take issue with. The say, how can a loving God, send people to Hell. What kind of cruel God is that?
Are you telling me that everybody that does not believe in Jesus goes to Hell? What about the Muslims, Hindus and people of other faith, they all go to Hell. That’s crazy.
To be honest, I don’t know how Hell feels or looks like, but I know that I don’t want to end up there. Neither do I want anyone else to end up there. God Himself does not want people to go to Hell. That gives me comfort and hope, to know that God will do anything, for people to come to know Him.
I believe that God will reveal Himself to people facing death. They may not have worshiped Him all their lives, but I truly believe that God will somehow show His love, maybe even in a split second before death arrives. I can’t prove it, but somehow it makes sense to me, knowing that God does not want anybody to perish, but have everlasting life. I believe that God reveled Himself to my friend and to my father, who died in 2005 and was not a believer.
God is a loving God and He has sent His Son to reconcile us to Him. God does not want people to end up in Hell. God does not send people to Hell, they send themselves to Hell, because of their unbelief. They either rejected God, or they just did not want to believe in Him. That is a choice that everyone has to make. He does not force Himself on anyone, but He is long-suffering and patient. He wants all to come to the knowledge of truth and in to His marvelous light.
That is what sets Christianity apart from many other religions. We as Christians believe in the true and living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Who send His only begotten Son, to die and shed His blood for us on the cross. Jesus is our propitiation, the passover lamb. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He laid down His life for us, forgiving us of our sins and giving those who believe by faith, eternal life.
The message of the cross is foolishness to many. They believe that all roads lead to God and that they can work out their own salvation, either by good works or religious practices. That is what I like to call, a fig leaf religion. Just as Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leafs to cover their nakedness, to hide their sins. God, however did not approve of that man-made idea and covered them in animal skins, signifying the first sacrifice and that blood was needed to cover their disobedience in the Garden.
God made only one way to be reconciled with Him, and that is through His Son, Jesus the Messiah, Who is a stumbling block to many. Jesus is the only way to the Father and eternal life. Something that many reject and do not believe. They believe that there are many ways besides Jesus. It is not me saying this, it was Jesus Who said it. People can either believe what Jesus said, or reject it and call Him a liar. That is a choice. I would highly recommend to learn about Jesus and seek Him. Eternity apart from God, is a very long time.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:16-20.
I hope and pray, that if you are not a believer to at least read about Jesus and what He has done for you.  Start with the Gospel of John and read about Him, the only One that can truly save you and give you eternal life. Maranatha Lord Jesus.
https://media4lifeministries.com/2011/11/18/eternal-life/
https://media4lifeministries.com/2013/01/04/jesus-christ-our-propitiation/
https://media4lifeministries.com/2014/01/06/the-exclusive-club/
https://media4lifeministries.com/2013/07/29/i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life/

“The Exclusive Club”


iam_wayThere have been times, when I turned on the News on TV that they interviewed prominent Christian Pastors  about the Christian faith and what Christians believe. They ask some general questions and then there is the one direct question that the host will ask the Pastors:  “Do you really believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven?”

When I hear that question, I cringe. What answer will this Pastor give and will he tell the truth or trying to avoid a confrontation with the host and the audience?

Sadly, I must say that most of these prominent Pastors failed miserably and danced around the question. Why? Are they afraid to speak the truth, or are the afraid that some people might get offended by the truth?

Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.”  John 14:6

This statement alone by Jesus would make Christianity very exclusive.  Jesus is plain and simply saying that there are no other ways to be reconciled with the Father but through Him. Was He lying when He made that statement?

Disciples and followers of Christ know this to be true, but there are of course many others that do not agree with that statement. There are for one those of a different faith that would not agree either. Than there are those who have no faith or “religion” at all and lastly those who call themselves Christians, who have become lukewarm and departed from the truth and follow the doctrine of men.

People of a different faith sometimes call Christianity the  “exclusive Club” and it is not surprising when they post the question: “What makes you think that you as Christians are the only once that have a relationship with God and we are not? We believe in a god, just not your God.

Was the Apostle Peter lying when he said: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Muslims claim that Allah is the true god and that all other people of faith are infidels. I have heard Jewish people say that they will automatically go to heaven just because of their Jewish faith.

Hindus worship over 3.3 million gods and Buddhist, which is really not a religion but more of  a philosophy,  believe that they can reach Nirvana if the follow certain steps and the teachings of Buddha. Buddhist also believe in re-incarnation. A do over if it didn’t work out as they had hoped in this lifetime.

What is the truth and who is right?  Christians are not the one that made the statement about the only way to heaven, it was Jesus.  So, those who have a problem with what Jesus said have to ask Him.  Jesus, Who is God (2nd person of the triune Godhead) is the only One that came to reconcile the world to God, by laying down His life on the cross so that those who believe by faith will find forgiveness,  salvation and eternal life. He was the Passover lamb, the promised Messiah.

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1John 2:2

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1John 4:10

All other religion are man-made and there is only One true and living God. Christians believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Creator of all things, Who created us  for His pleasure and to fellowship with Him just as Adam and Eve did before the fall. When sin entered the world, mankind was spiritually separated from God.

Jesus bridged that gap by going to the cross to die for our sins. It is through His blood that we can be reconciled with the father. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they tried to cover themselves with fig leafs to hide their nakedness. God clothed them in animal skins, signifying the first blood sacrifice. He did not accept a fig leaf religion i.e man made. Later at the time of Moses, God in the law required animal sacrifices for the sins of the people. The passover lamb which took place once a year was a picture of Jesus our propitiation. The blood of the animals could only cover the sins, the blood of Christ on the cross took away the sins once and for all. ”

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

God gave His only begotten Son and He paid a very costly price by having Jesus hang on the cross to be the substitute, the propitiation for our sins. Through His blood we are healed because He did what we could not do for ourselves. God the Father looks at the believers through the blood of Christ and he does no longer see our sins, He sees Jesus, Who’s righteousness was imputed onto those who believe by faith, just as Abraham did when he believed God.

So when Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one will come to Father but by Me, I have absolutely no problem believing the words of Jesus.  He died for my sins and the sin of the world. Because of Him, we can come boldly before the throne of God and we have once again a relationship with God through faith and not of works.  All man-made religions are works based, man trying to reach God on their own merit i.e a Fig Leaf Religion. All other religions are trying to reach God, in pure Christianity, God is reaching down to man.

Not everybody will agree with what I wrote because they will argue that there are many other religions with good people who seek and love God, so why would you even think that only Christians know the real God and are the only once that go to heaven because of Jesus? My answer is that I believe Jesus and I believe that He died and rose for me so that I may have eternal life. No one else can claim that. No Muhammad, no Krishna, or any one else.

If you are of a different faith, you have to ask yourself this question: Does my god love me as a loving father or is my god angry at me because I can’t live up to his/her expectations?  Do I have assurance of my salvation? Are my sins forgiven? Can I be sure that I will go to heaven when I die? If you have any uncertainties, you may want to at least learn about Jesus. Jesus said, seek and you shall find. If you feel empty or a void in your heart, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. He loves you with all of His heart and He does not want you to perish. Many people will perish because they have either rejected the free gift of salvation or they do not want to come to the truth. People make their own choices because of the free will given to us by God. Many people have heard about Jesus, but are not willing to listen or surrender. Bad choice. The following verses are also the words of Jesus:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:16-21

By having a close and personal relationship with my Lord Jesus instead of religion, I am very pleased to be a member of the “Exclusive Club.”

“I am the way, the truth and the life…


JesusHere is something that amazes me every time. I posted a statement that Jesus made in the Gospel of John on my Twitter.

I quoted John 14:6 which is in case you may not know right off-hand is, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one shall come to the Father but by me.”

As soon as I posted it, it was not Christians that responded, but Atheist. They were all over me, calling me a liar and other things.

When I posted it, I didn’t even have atheism on my mind. I posted it as an encouragement and as biblical truth.

The Atheist came out of the wood works ready to attack.

I engaged with them for a little while and was amazed as always with their talking points.

Makes one wonder what it is about Jesus and Christianity that sets them off. Another funny thing is that Atheist spend a whole lot of time arguing with people about something they believe does not exist. Books have been written, seminars and debates are held worldwide for something they do not believe in.

I believe that deep in their hearts, there is a stirring going on. A spiritual warfare. They already belong to the evil one without even realizing it.

It’s sad really, to deny God’s existence which they have no proof of. This denial of God and His existence is by faith and I don’t have enough faith to be an Atheist.

Please pray for them, they are too blind to see or refuse to see. They refuse to come to the light which is Jesus.  Jesus Himself said so: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3 :19.

Jesus is the only way, not a way as many want to believe and teach. Even among Christians and some denominations, this statement of Jesus is being disputed. It’s a movement called “Religious Pluralism” Our God is not a Burger King, we can’t have it our way. God has provided us with only one way to be reconciled with Him and that is through Christ Jesus and His precious blood.

Forgiven


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We are a new creation, the old things that we once loved and worshiped have passed away.

All things have become new. The old man is dead and we are now made alive in Christ.

It is not by our righteousness that justifies and reconciles us to God the Father. It is His righteousness that was imputed onto all those who believe by faith.

Abraham was declared righteous before God, not by his work, but because of his faith in the Creator of all things.

We as true believers have already received eternal life because of our faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. He has done it all.

I am thankful to know Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Thanks to Him, I am forgiven of my sins, past, present and future.

His blood did not just cover my sins as the animal sacrifices did under the law in the old covenant, He nailed them to the cross once and for all.

God has forgotten our sins as far as the East is from the West and He will remember then no more.

Don’t let Satan remind you of your past. Remind him of his future.

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phl 3: 7-11.

A farewell to my Friend


Vaughn Butterbrodt
Vaughn Butterbrodt

I lost a good friend just yesterday, Saturday July the 6th. Vaughn Butterbrodt went to be with the Lord after a long battle with cancer.

Please pray for his wife Mary and his son Beau, pray that the Lord may comfort them both for their loss of a wonderful husband and father.

Personally, I will miss Vaughn a lot. We were both in a small group together that met every Saturday morning to study God’s word. I have come to love and respect Vaughn over the years and I can say the same with absolute certainty for all the other men in the group.

Vaughn attended Maranatha Chapel, which is my home church, before attending  Olive Branch Christian Fellowship, led by my friend and Pastor Scott Gehrman, who just lost his wife due to pancreatic cancer.

I’m sure that many of my Maranatha friends remember Vaughn very well. Vaughn has touched many lives, not only people at church, but lives all over the country because of his bout with cancer. It was because of his cancer that Vaughn became involved with a network of people who have the same disease. People that did not know each other, but were brought together to love and  support each other because they had one common denominator. They would be praying for one another and share their testimonies and daily struggles with this terrible disease.

I remember Vaughn telling me about some of the guys that he met through this network. How he became friends with many, exchanging e-mails, lifting people up in prayer and encourage each other.  A circle of people who became friends, just ordinary people who would not have met, if it were not for the same disease they shared. Vaughn also lost some of his friends during that time. Some of them were believers in Jesus and some were not.  Those who were not, never said no when asked by those who were believers if they could pray for them.

I am truly convinced, that the Lord used Vaughn’s affliction to minister to those who needed a word of encouragement and a word of comfort. Vaughn, despite of his illness, thought of others rather than himself. He helped those that needed someone to lift up their spirits; Vaughn was that man. God used Vaughn’s character and strong faith to minister to others who needed a word of hope and comfort in a time of grief and suffering.

We may not always understand why people have to suffer from various diseases and illnesses and why some people get healed and some people not. We may ask ourselves, why does God allow all this suffering?  My answer to that, I don’t know. I don’t know why God allowed  Vaughn and others  to suffer from cancer or why He allows so many other terrible things happening to people all over the world. One thing I know for sure though, all things have a purpose. Nothing is by accidents or coincidences. There are reasons beyond our comprehension. God is in control and He knows why. God’s ways are not our ways and there are things that our finite minds cannot comprehend or understand.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55: 8, 9.

The Lord took Vaughn home, to a place of peace and joy. One day we will understand why things were the way they were. God, Who sees the end from the beginning, had His purposes and who knows, what God worked for good through Vaughn’s afflictions. Whatever Vaughn had to go through, it had a purpose and was not in vain. Whatever we may face in the future, will be for a purpose and to glorify God.

I will miss you buddy, but one day Vaughn,  I will see you again. One day, when the Lord will bring us all back together into a new world without pain and suffering.

Vaughn, we who remain will keep on fighting the good fight and run the race as you have my friend. I can’t wait to see you again. Until then, farewell my friend.

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Cr 5:8.

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

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

Coming Soon: Media 4 Life Ministry Apps


1Cr 1:18

Media 4 Life Ministries is exited to announce that  our new apps will be available for download this fall.

At no time in history has it been easier to be a true Christian as today. We all want convenience and we here at Media 4 Life Ministries have made that possible with our new apps soon to be released for the iPhone.

(Sorry Android users, you may have to wait a bit longer.) We are working hard, so you don’t have to. Here is a preview of what’s to come. We are getting great reviews from the public. Don’t miss out on this new way of doing church.

iRepent
Need forgiveness? No problem, with our app you can ask God for forgiveness without even talking to a Pastor or Priest. This app will give you a 100% assurance that you are forgiven. Monthly subscription fee and registration are required.

iConfess
Done something wrong? Use this app to confess your wrongs and they will be erased. This app comes with a monitoring dashboard which can be used to keep track and lets you see the history of your past wrongs. Easy to use and never fails.

iFaith
Want to  know how much faith you have if any?  This app gives you an easy way to monitor and test your current  faith level. Is you faith at an all time low?
For a monthly subscription we can show you how to increase your faith and keep it that way. No more worrying and sleepless nights.

iSaved
Not sure if you are saved? Answer a few simple questions and this app will show you whether you are  saved  or not.  100% guaranteed results. If you are not saved, use the iRepent app.

iSinned
Are you an habitual sinner? No problem, with this app you can check your progress with an easy instruction manual that will help you to forsake your habitual sins, step by step, one day at a time. Free with the purchase of complete app package.

iWorship
Are you tired of coming to the church early for worship? No problem this app will let you worship in the car while you on the way to church.

iChurch

Tired of getting out of bed on Sunday mornings? This virtual church app lets you attend church anytime you want, without  getting out of bed. No shirt or shoes required. This is a free app and our love gift to you.

iHeaven

Not sure if you are going to heaven?
Our apps lets you monitor your progress. Media 4 Life  Ministries wants nothing more than to make sure that you to go to heaven. That’s  why we are  making these apps available at a low-cost to you.

This is the day the LORD has made.


Palm Sunday Sunset

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. Zech 9:9.

Today we celebrated the triumphant entry of Jesus into the City of David, Jerusalem. His arrival was not any arrival, He had gone to feast of Passover before, but this was the day the Lord had made.

It was God’s divinely appointed day. Jesus would be crucified a few days later on Passover, the sacrificial lamb of God, the One that Abraham spoke of when he was asked to sacrifice Issac. “The Lord will provide a sacrifice.” Gen 22:8.

Jesus was that lamb on Mount Moriah 2000 years later. Our propitiation. By His stripes we are healed. By His blood we are cleansed and forgiven and have eternal life. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps 118:24

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Israel and the Gog Magog War


End Times Tribulation Watch

Israel-Islam-World-Map-Crop1

The map above reveals how surrounded Israel is by its sworn enemies.
Israel is the key piece in the prophetic puzzle. War has surrounded and pursued them since their reemergence as a nation-state back in 1948.

They were attacked in that first year when the nations of the world helped to fulfill Bible prophecy and helped to seemingly bring the nation back to life again after nearly 2000 years of being scattered across many nations. It was an amazing feat all on its own, the fact that the Jewish people remained a distinct people and didn’t just merge with the people groups among whom they lived for all of those years.

It was also amazing that the hatred of the Jewish people remained so strong toward this small and outcast people. Such a small amount of people and yet so hated by so many people. Why such strong hatred for Jews? It’s spiritual in…

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Study thyself…Mr. Bill O’Reilly (Revised/Updated)


BillOoriginalNote to the reader: This is a revision of my original post. Please read the original article, which follows the video link to the Factor Video.

Since the airing of the Factor with Bill O’Reilly, there has been somewhat of an outrage about his statement that the Gospels have contradictions and that many of the stories in the Bible are allegories. Many of his viewers and myself do not agree with his view and interpretation of the Bible.

On March 6th, Bill interviewed Robert Jeffress  the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. O’Reilly  in his own words admitted that he personally does not believe in the story of Adam and Eve, Noah and Jonah who was in the belly of the great fish for three days. He said that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that those and many other stories in the Bible are allegories to teach us spiritual lessons.

Pastor Jeffries did not agree with Mr. O’Reilly on those points such as Adam and Eve and Jonah. The Pastor pointed out to O’Reilly that Jesus confirmed those stories and that He did not look at them as allegorical stories but real people and that they are true stories in the Bible.Unfortunately, O’Reilly also believes in evolution rather than a six day creation of all things by Almighty God.

I am attaching the video link of that conversation between Jeffries and O’Reilly. You can judge for yourself. I have come to the conclusion that Bill O’Reilly has absolutely no spiritual understanding of the Bible and what it teaches. He even wants to separate the Old Testament from the New Testament, which is absurd. The Old Testament is all about Jesus and without the OT we would not have the full picture of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind.

Every single book of the Old Testament points to Jesus. The New Testament reveals what the Old Testament concealed.

Bill O’Reilly is exactly the kind of person Paul wrote about: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Here is the link: http://youtu.be/bcAZm4_LLnA

My original article before the above revision/update:

Bill O’Reilly did a segment on the factor about the new documentary  series, “The Bible” on the History channel. He stated in this segment that there are many contradictions in the Gospels, which led me to respond, because I couldn’t believe my ears that evening, that a statement like that would be made by a so-called Christian.

Since I wrote this article, some people wrote Bill  via e-mail, which he reads at the end of the factor. One of the viewers responded by writing that Jesus confirmed Jonah, creation i.e Adam and Eve, to which O’Reilly responded that the viewer was absolutely wrong and that he should read his new book Killing Jesus to find the truth. There are many people who disagree with Mister Bill O’Reilly.

Mr. O’Reilly, there are no contradictions, the four gospels compliment each other, each from a different viewpoint.

It’s like 4 people, standing on a different corner of an intersection, watching an accident. All four saw the same event, but from a slightly different perspective.

Each Gospel gives us a unique look at the life of Jesus and we get the complete picture by studying them. There are no contradictions.

Every time someone claims that there are contradictions in the Bible, they have been refuted by various true Bible scholars and people who have studied the Bible in-depth.

As followers and disciples of Jesus, we all need to know and study the word so that we can defend our faith.

Bill O’Reilly comes from a Roman Catholic background. I don’t doubt his faith, but when it comes to the knowledge of the whole counsel of God, I have to question that. I have heard him many times speak about faith and Jesus, but I am certain that he hasn’t done any expository studies of any books in the Bible.

The Roman Catholic Church is not known for teaching the word of God to the people verse by verse, book by book in an expository fashion. I don’t mean to offend any of my Roman Catholic friends, but in my opinion, most Roman Catholics around the world do not have a comprehensive understanding of the written word of God.

When it comes to Mr. O’Reilly, I wish that he would just stick to politics, where he has an opinion, but please Mr. O’Reilly do not make statements like you did tonight and presenting them as factual.

God’s word does not contradict itself. God’s word is the absolute truth.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

The Fear that I have is , that once the new book is coming out that many weaker or liberal Christians in the faith will believe the views of O’Reilly, just as many of these weak unlearned Christians believed Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.”

I hope that many will see this error of O’Reilly and realize that he is not a strong and studied Bible believing Christian. His tip of the day the other day was to at least spend one hour a week thinking about spiritual things. One Hour? For a true disciple and follower of Jesus Christ we are or should be in the Spirit 24/7 365 days a year. Everyday we commune with God not just once a week to atone as he said it on his show.

Personally I view Bill O’Reilly as a very opinionated and arrogant person, that acts like he is above others. I do not see the humbleness Jesus Who is God displayed while He was walking the earth in Bill O’Reilly. Even-though scriptures tell us to become more and more like Christ, conforming into His image.

I don’t like judging people, but I believe strongly that O’Reilly is wrong on this and I will not read his book, because I have the feeling that it will have many inaccuracy in it that stem from his Roman Catholic View rather than from a born again view.

If he had the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, he would never say the things he says, because it is the Holy Spirit Who bears witness to the truth found only in the Word of God.

I would like my readers to understand that these opinions are mine and I am not out to offend anybody, but I as believer need to speak up when someone makes a bold statements by people like O’Reilly. Please pray for Bill Reilly and many other Roman Catholic believers that have the same views, that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and see the truth.

Video courtesy of Fox News Corp.

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