Can You Prove God Exists? -Part 3-Circumstantial Evidence

January 4, 2023 Eddie Leave a comment

Logical thinking would conclude that proof of God’s existence would only be possible if one searched for truth. Therefore, there must be some motivation to do so. I was one of those oddballs who started my search for the truth about God on a dare from my wife to prove her wrong. But many people begin the search for answers from God when they have no place to look but up!

The Creator God has not chosen to reveal Himself physically except through Jesus. Jesus told doubting Philip:

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
John 14:9

One of the many descriptive names given to Jesus by the Hebrew writers was Immanuel or “God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14). This reveals to us the divinity of Jesus.

Therefore, the most reliable and logical place to discover God is to study the life of Jesus through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus and His disciples used what we know as the Old Testament ( before the New Testament was ever written) as proof that Jesus was all He and His disciples claimed Him to be.

In Part 1, I listed many barriers to belief in God. No doubt, you could probably add to the list. Just one or two of these reasons would discourage most anyone from believing in a God who knows the end from the beginning. These reasons provide good excuses never to start a search for truth. Sadly, therefore, many won’t move forward or will believe a lie that fits more with their own human worldview.

In addition, a search will never happen if someone has had an unhappy, negative religious experience with humans. But, an open-minded search will produce sufficient evidence of God, especially if someone has been compelled for some reason to search. God promises that if our investigation is not casual but consistent, He will be found…and there will be plenty of evidence provided that He is pulling you towards Him!

One writer described our search journey in very plain language:

God never asks us to believe without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, and the truthfulness of His word are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason, and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have the opportunity, while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.
Steps to Christ, p. 106 E. White

This same author highlights the value of sincerity or the desire to know the truth.

In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it. And all who come in this spirit to the study of the Bible will find abundant evidence that it is God’s word, and they may gain an understanding of its truths that will make them wise unto salvation.
Steps to Christ p. 110, 111 E.G. White

Jeremiah said it this way:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29: 11-13

The results of this journey for truth will succeed if we understand it is not a casual search. The determination of its success also includes a willingness to follow the truth. Jesus said,

If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me.
John 7:17

Last time, we looked at the hard evidence that would be viable in any court of law. Eyewitnesses of Jesus and prophecies regarding Him leave no doubt that God can see the future. The conclusion is that there must be an omnipotent God who is more innovative and intelligent than we are.

Because of this, we have reason to believe the gospel story of Jesus in all the books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. See Part 2

Often, in a court of law, there is no hard evidence such as eyewitness DNA, a murder weapon, etc. But there is a preponderance of other types of evidence, such as motive, opportunity, and character. This circumstantial evidence can be just as convicting as hard evidence. Therefore, attorneys will combine the circumstantial with the hard evidence to convince a jury.

Circumstantial Evidence-Creation and Life

Paul describes evidence we can see that will lead us to a conclusion about God.

For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Romans 1: 20

This passage points out that the world was “created.” Then God gave the laws of nature to pro-create or reproduce themselves by looking at the creation in this world and life. There are things that remain as evidence of God’s creation and His original purpose. Things like blue skies, soft wind, rivers, oceans, majestic trees, flowers, animals, the sun, the moon, and the stars all minister to life and sustain it. All are intertwined to bring the reality of life surrounded by beauty. It all points to a loving, caring God who created it all. All this can be seen regardless of your station or place on earth.

The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature, itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.
Steps to Christ, p. 10 EGW

As we consider our dependence upon the things we had nothing to do with creating, we are without excuse about the existence of God. His character (invisible attributes )are clearly seen in creation, even His unending (eternal) power and divinity (Godhead). Can you look at the complexity of life and feel sure there is no Creator? Paul tells us we have “no excuse.“

“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.
Steps to Christ, p.10 EGW

In this dangerous and crazy world, our eyes are coxed to look upon negative and disturbing scenes of everyday life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to do otherwise. Think how refreshing it is to see kind humans at work; what a change in humanity would occur if our time were spent directing our eyes to good instead of evil. Again, Paul suggested the following:

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

By observing these things, we become changed.

To see love expressed to the unlovable. This is the nature of God. John described God as love:

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4;16

The writers of God’s inspired word were amazed at the works and complexity of God’s creation.

David asked this question twice in the book of Psalms.

…what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:4 and Psalm 144:3

The Apostle John stated the truth about God’s creation.

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

A close look at Scripture reveals something about Jesus that many either overlook or find too incredible. Nevertheless, it is a Biblical truth that all creation came through Jesus. Here are just a few passages:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (The Word), and without Him, nothing was made that was made.

John 1: 1-3

This “Word,” who was with God in the beginning, made everything. This Word is Jesus! John confirms this several verses later.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 14

Paul says the same thing in both the letters to the Colossians and the Hebrews:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1: 15-16

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.

Hebrews 1:1-3

Summary and Conclusion

If you want to search, you will find the invisible God through Jesus Christ. You will find truth, understanding, and peace when you find God. God is discovered only in Jesus. “No one ever spoke as this man” (John 7:46) . Nor have as many prophecies been fulfilled to the letter as were in Jesus’ life. This is how God the Father has chosen to disclose Himself. Over 40 prophets pointed to a coming Messiah, the woman’s promised seed (Genesis 3:15) who would restore fallen mankind through teaching, example, and sacrificial death to pay for the unchangeable law of sin and death.

The existence of the “invisible” God is plain to see through hard evidence of the life of Jesus and the complexity of life around us. Perhaps this is why David said,

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalm 53:1a

The Hebrew word for foolish is nāḇāl. It combines the English words “stupid” and “corrupt.” as evidenced by the last part of the verse.

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 51:1b

This, in a small way, demonstrates why the world is so corrupt; a majority of the world does not search for God nor follow His ways:

Today if you will yield to God’s pull to turn to Him and reason with Him, you will find…

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

In future articles, we will discover, through God’s word, the reasons for the world’s death, dying, and suffering. God, through giving angels and mankind free will and choice, planned for it.

We will understand why love does not include force. God provides reasons for love and caution against evil. True love must be based on the freedom of will and choice. You can’t be forced to love, nor can you fake it.

God the Father made Himself known as a way of escape through Jesus. This is why this author recommends a study of Jesus through the Bible as the most effective way to discover the reality of God and the plan of salvation. Unlike other books, your journey doesn’t have to start at the beginning, i.e., Genesis.

Almost any place in the Bible will lead you back to Jesus and the words, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I recommend starting with the book of John and his other letters (1, 2, and 3 John). Won’t you begin today? Contact me if you need some guidance on starting your journey. If you want to find a simple guide to beginning your journey, click here. Blessings as you begin your search.

Reasons to Believe

Babylonian Tablets Unearth Insights into Judean Life in Exile

December 2, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

Beyond what the Bible says, mentions of Judean life during the Babylonian exile have generally been scarce throughout history. All of that changed in 2014 when archaeologists discovered about two hundred tablets written in cuneiform script that reveal aspects of the life of Jews who lived in Babylon at the time of the exile.

On November 16, at the 2022 Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, United States, Assyriologist and expert in Mesopotamic archaeology George Heath-Whyte discussed what the ongoing translation of the tablets reveals, what it doesn’t say, and what conclusions we can and cannot derive from those findings.
The Tablets

The tablets, known as the Al-Yahudu Texts, were acquired from a seller, so the specific place and background of the discovery have been lost. They have been dated between 572 and 477 BCE. This means that the oldest seem to have been written about 15 years after Babylon’s invasion of Israel.

The translation of the cuneiform script on the tablets shows that they are legal documents written in the Babylonian language. Some of them are promissory notes — one party is required to transfer goods to another party on a specific date. There are also receipts, marriage agreements, and other personal documents. Most come from the time of Darius’s reign, Heath-Whyte explained, and reveal the existence of a Jewish community living in the countryside, in a town southeast of Babylon.

“There is much we can learn about how life was for that particular community living in Babylon,” Heath-Whyte said. “They give us a glimpse into the Judean working the land … in the land-for-service scheme. [They show that] some Jews were quite entrepreneurial. Some secured jobs in the Babylonian administration.”

Heath-Whyte said that what the tablets show fits nicely with God’s message to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:4-7, which reads, “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

A Mismatch with the Bible?

Some scholars have been using the findings in the tablets to point out what they call a mismatch with the Bible record. They say, for instance, that even though the Bible talks about the exile as a horrible period, the tablets show the overall situation of the Jews in exile was pretty good.

Heath-Whyte doesn’t think this is an either-or situation, however. “The evidence of the Babylonian sources is being misused. It is a false dichotomy,” he said. “Were Jews living in Babylon able to advance? Yes. Were Jews living in Babylon free people? No. They had to work in a land they didn’t own and render service to a foreign king. They were not entirely free.”

Assyriologist and Mesopotamic archaeology expert George Heath-Whyte shared what the Al-Yahudu Texts reveal and what they do not. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
At the same time, Heath-Whyte explained, the Bible is clear that even though most of the Jews living in exile longed to return to their homeland, when they in fact had the opportunity, some of them decided to stay. Also, we know that Mordecai, Nehemiah, and others achieved relatively high positions in the kingdom.

Critics also point out that no tablet mentions that the Jews knew about Pentateuch and the Sabbath. But those are not things you would expect to find in a Babylonian legal document, Heath-Whyte explained. “The sources do not allow us to determine whether the Sabbath was observed,” he said, “even though one name that appears in one tablet is Shabbataiah.”

Others have pointed out that no tablet mentions the Jews returning to their homeland. Again, Heath-Whyte said, that is not something Babylonians would necessarily include in a legal document. “We have tablets that talk about sale of property, of paying of debts, but we can’t tell if they are connected to the Jews selling their properties before returning,” he said.

Limitations of the Sources

At the same time, Heath-Whyte acknowledged, there are many details these sources can’t tell us. The first has to do with the nature of the sources.

“People imagine they are letters, or fragments of the Psalms. But this is not the case,” he said. “These documents were written by Babylonian scribes in Babylonian legal jargon. There are large areas of the exiles’ lives that these documents do not mention.”

Also, the sources available are insufficient. “We don’t have many of them. Or not enough to paint a whole picture,” Heath-Whyte said.

Regarding the context of the sources, Heath-Whyte reminded his audience that the tablets were found and then sold. “We don’t know where they were found, or in what circumstances,” he said.

Their Given Names

What the tablets do reveal is the names of many of the Jews living in exile. According to Heath-Whyte, who studied the topic extensively, most of the names are not Babylonian but seem to be related to the biblical text and the God of Israel.

“The contents of a person’s name do not tell us what they believe, but it can show the connection with the belief in one God. You can see a sense of identity with God through their names,” he said. And, he added, “just like the Bible said, some Jews prospered in Babylon, and for at least some of them, the God of the Bible seemed to be their only and true God.”

In conclusion, Heath-Whyte emphasized, when we come across claims about these texts, we need to test them. “We must be careful not to assert what the texts don’t say, but we can be modestly optimistic,” he said. “Most of what these sources tell us fit with what the Bible says.”

Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review December 1, 2022

Church

THE CHURCH LADY SYNDROME

November 21, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

Elitism is a word we hear often in today’s society. It paints a picture of people, or groups of people, who consider themselves superior based on one or more factors such as education, position, philosophy, privilege, wealth, race, politics, etc. You name it. Sinful, selfish, narcissistic humans can find many reasons to raise themselves above others and snub their noses at those they consider inferior.

Religious people are not exempt from this practice. The comic, Damon Carvey, made fun of the religious snobs as the Church Lady in Saturday Night Live. His character of the ultra-conservative religious woman was forthright when she bragged, “I’m just a little bit more superior than you.” Then, to the audience’s delight, she would do her “superior dance.”

I have fun with my wife, imitating the Church Lady. When I do something a little bit better than her, which is not very often, I’ll ask her if I should do my “superior dance.” If she calls me out and makes me dance, I feel a little embarrassed because the movements resemble a combination of Mick Jagger and a proud goose!

While Christians may not be as obvious, we can feel it and exhibit it in subtle forms. The feelings of superiority are fueled by the fact that there are over 300 denominations. Those affiliation differences split us off from other Christians resulting in some form of feeling “just a little bit more superior,” particularly over doctrines and church traditions.

The largest split occurred in the “dark ages” between those who protested against the large and powerful Catholic church. Then Protestants began to split off from each other as the Bible came out of seclusion and became available to the public to read, including priests such as Martin Luther.

Some of these splits were probably necessary. An example would be over the authority of Scriptures vs. the authority of a pope and the Catechism. This is the most obvious and well-documented split in Christianity. But, there are many splits in both Catholic and Protestants congregations. These divisions have often been used as ammunition for the unbelievers. They point to this family dysfunction as proof that Christians are all delusional in their beliefs and therefore are deceived. It makes them feel “a little bit more superior.”

But, overlooked in the reasoning of the unbeliever is the prediction of division. Paul warned the followers of Christ for three years of coming divisions. The ultimate objective of the “savage wolves” was to “draw away” people and make their own disciples.

For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years, I did not cease to warn everyone, night and day, with tears. Acts 20: 29-31

To this day, spin-offs within religious congregations continue to occur, and the idea of superiority maintains its course. When congregations become disciples of a particular preacher or leader and depend upon him or her completely for spiritual guidance, the relationship becomes cultic regardless of the denomination and how charismatic the speaker is. It doesn’t have to be a David Koresh type to be a cult. It is much more subtle and accepted if it is a controlling pastor in a large mainline denomination.

What makes a denomination feel superior to others? It can be based on the same things as those in politics. But religious reasons come into play: the size of church buildings and the number of members, ancestry, tradition, theology, etc. Included in this segregation process is the idea of staying away from “sinners.” Sinners can include people of other denominations and families. Religious people can feel ‘just a little bit more superior” because they don’t do certain things: smoke, drink, do drugs, watch TV, movies, pornography, dance, have music in their church, worship on the “right” day, etc., etc., etc. But sadly, religious superiority can destroy families.

To the delight of the enemy, all of these divisions cripple the work God gave His followers to do in these last days before His return:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;..” Matthew 28:19-20

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into the entire world, then shall the end come.

Matthew 24:14.

God is a merciful God who doesn’t want any to perish! Dying forever is serious business! That is why the proclamation of the good news of Jesus must be given by every church and to every person on the earth. That is our primary objective!

Instead of reaching outward confidently in the Lord, we turn inward and begin to focus on the weak sheep within our congregation. Not a bad thing, but after a while, progression in outreach can be diminished in its effectiveness due to the seed sown on the shallow ground!

By not making new members disciples through patient teaching on how to lead people to become disciples, we bring even more division. Our usual process to fertilize division starts with a powerful emotional sermon followed by an appeal/ alter call and a few denominational bible studies so the new convert can learn the denomination’s view of scripture. it is followed by baptism so they can become members of the denomination and become good “church-going” members. Then we indoctrinate them on the weekly church service order and routine, being careful not to introduce anything different. Our work is done! Or is it?

While this process can be beneficial in some ways, the Church service can become formal, prohibiting progress toward discipleship. Discipleship (as commanded by Jesus) should be dynamic and through progressive patient teaching of personal service and evangelism led by mature born-again teachers.

The addition of people to church membership is a weak objective. Multiplication is a better goal, where new disciples create new disciples. The new convert must learn to grow daily in the body of Christ, which has no denominational name on the front door of the church. The new Christian is often left to figure this out on their own. Sometimes, Jesus is left in the dust, and religious humdrum and ceremony set in.

Jesus prayed for unity. The question is this: Was His prayer answered? I believe it was, but not in the way you would think. For more on this, please see this article. “Was Jesus’ Prayer For Unity Answered.” Let’s continue with the superiority problem among us…

Are We Repeating Israel’s Mistakes?

God recorded their journey and their failed mission so that we would learn from it. But have we? It would appear that we haven’t. There is still segregation in modern Christian churches. Our denominations feel superior to the others. The idea is that we have it right theologically, but others do not. We are more concerned with political and theological correctness than letting our light shine to a world in deep darkness and dying on our watch!

Jesus prayed that we might be one even as Jesus and the Father are one! Wow! What an objective and prayer of Jesus!

“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:21

But the key is being “in” the Father and “in” Jesus! This is such an intimate relationship! It is not a surface or casual experience but “in” the follower of Christ! Wow!

Did you catch the other vital part of the prayer? The world “may believe” that God the Father sent Jesus if we are one! If we are unified via being “in” Him!

But many will rightly say, “Unity can’t come at the sacrifice of modifying or watering down the word of God. ” If we do this, we become just like the world and politics who want us to be politically correct. Where we can, we need to ensure we don’t rebuild those walls of perdition over elitism or segregation ideas just because someone is not at the same level of theological education or in their journey with Jesus. We must love people where they are and make adjustments! Paul hinted at this when he said,

“…to the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some. Now, this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1

Corinthians 9: 22-23

There must be some flexibility in reaching people without the stiffness of religious ceremonies and even beliefs. The opposite of superiority is humbleness. This is what God calls us to be: humble.

The Lord taught us to put others before ourselves. This is the first step in humbleness;

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Can you keep this commandment? Only through Jesus!

It can be said with confidence and certainty that God’s people are in every denomination. Their theology may not be the best, or they may even believe differently on certain doctrines, but what puts them in the body of Christ is that they are “in” Christ.” Because of this, they are members of God’s one true church with no label on its marque. They love and follow the lamb wherever He leads them. Some are still in Babylon but are called out!

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

Romans 12: 3-5

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Colossians 3:11

These passages above are all written to the followers of Christ! The point is: The differences are all united for those “in” Christ! These are those who are truly born again and not just religious!

If only we could find our common ground in love for one another and stop this feeling of superiority! This love towards one another is the great litmus test given to us by the word of God concerning true discipleship! It separates the true follower of Christ from the false.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35

Are you the disciple of Christ or the Church Lady?

Three Last-Day Messages of Final Warning

The focus in these last days is to warn people of the coming destruction associated with the second coming of Christ. We should be unified in proclaiming the gospel to the entire world, which includes the rescue of God’s people when Jesus returns and takes us to where He is now.

Please read these three angels’ messages in Revelation. This is the last warning for planet earth: Revelation 14: 6:11. It is not limited to one denomination. It is the message of Christ’s followers!

Sadly, more division is to come, but it will be just one split in the end: The sheep and the goats. Also, a split between those who keep the commandments of God and those who will accept the mark of the beast. there will be no other divisions by denomination. It will be only two groups: The group that belongs to Jesus and those who belong to the counterfeit, i.e., the beast of Revelation 13. The enemy of God.

The confirmation of unity, in the last days, centers on loving obedience and love for each other through the heartfelt keeping of God’s royal law of liberty (James 1:25), The Ten Commandments. It comes at the next verse of the three angels’ messages:

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

Conclusion

There is no separation, no superiority, in the body of Christ, although there are differences. That is why we can trust people who are “in” Christ regardless of their denominational name. You can see it in their faces and in their actions. They follow the lamb wherever He goes.

These are the ones who were not defiled with women (denominational churches?), for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 14:4

No one will have reason to feel superior. All those who love Jesus will understand their unworthiness, and within their hearts will be placed a desire to reveal Jesus so He can save the lost who are headed to eternal death. This desire is where common ground is found.

But the final message to earth will be one of warning, and it will be loud and with the power of God’s Spirit. It is found in the three angels’ messages in Revelation. These messages are not limited to one denomination. It is the cry of all Christians who know Jesus. In the end, it is not what you know that matters as much as who you know. But knowing Him will cause you to want to know more and more. This itch will not go away for those who are “in” Christ!

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

In these last days, It is the second coming message that will unify God’s people as it did with the sincere seekers of Christ at His first coming. it has been said that the ground at the foot of the cross is level. No one is taller or better than the other there. No one is “just a little more superior” than the other. We can learn from each other wherever we may choose to congregate.

Jeremiah said it best:

all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags

But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.; Isiah 64:6,8

Inspiration, Reasons to Believe

THE THREE MOST POWERFUL STATEMENTS EVER MADE

November 13, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

“IT IS FINISHED”
Jesus-John 19:30

These last words of Jesus nullified Satan’s plan to take the place of God and rule according to the laws of selfishness. Christ’s prophesied death on the cross ensured that the price of sin (death) had been paid for everyone through the sacrifice of God Himself. Even though the law of sin required death for everyone. The way to eternal life was solidified for any who would accept God’s gift of life.

Summary Verses:

Isaiah 14:12-14-Satan’s plan to replace God

John 3:16-God’s character of love and sacrifice to give eternal life to all who would believe (trust)

John 6:37, 45-All that come to Him will not be cast out.

“He Is Risen!”
An Angel and the women at the empty tomb Matthew 28:5-8

”Satan and a Roman guard of one hundred men tried to secure Jesus’ tomb, but they were struck down by the brightness of only one angel who rolled back the stone.

An angel, at the empty tomb, told the women, who came to prepare the body of Jesus for burial, that He was not there. They left with different work and mission. Their new goal in life was to tell the disciples and the world that “He is risen!” They were some of the first human eyewitnesses. The guards were the first to understand the power of the risen Savior.

Many, including Thomas, doubted the women, but Jesus appeared to them while they were gathered behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” They had not assembled on this first day of the week to worship but rather because of fear for their lives. Thomas was not with them. Perhaps he was grieving alone. But eight days later, he was with the disciples, and Jesus appeared to the disciples again. This time doubting Thomas was invited to touch the nail scars on Jesus’ hands and touch His side to feel where the sword had pierced His side. He fell at the feet of Jesus and proclaimed, “My Lord and My God.” John 20:28

Jesus asked the disciples for something to eat. This indicated that our resurrected body would be real (not a spirit). It will desire food and drink. It is at the marriage feast after Jesus comes again that we will eat bread and drink the vine’s fruit. Jesus has not touched the fruit of the vine since that Thursday night before his death, promising not to do so until he returns and takes us where He is now. Matthew 26:29.

Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is futile, those we love that had died have perished, and the cross would mean nothing.

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15: 17-19

Summary Verses:

Matthew 28: 1-4-Guards struck down at Jesus’ tomb

Matthew 28: 6-He is risen!

John 20:19-Doors shut for fear of Jews.

John 20: 24-28– Thomas with disciples after eight days.

John 20:29-Blessed are those who have not seen but believe.

Luke 24:39-43-Jesus showed He was not a spirit. He ate broiled fish and honeycomb.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55 When Jesus returns, we shall be resurrected like Jesus…very real bodies

“I have the keys to death and the grave.”
Jesus-Revelation 1:18

The entire Christian faith and eternal life rise or fall on the resurrection of Jesus. As shown in Paul’s argument for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, if Jesus was not resurrected, neither will we be. But, praise God, Jesus returned from the dead and will do the same for those who accept His gift of salvation.

Jesus told John that He has the keys to unlock the grave and destroy death forever. He will bring this reward of eternal life when He returns. Like Paul, “those who love His appearing will be given the crown of life when He returns.”

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Jesus will resurrect everyone who ever lived and died on planet earth. In the first resurrection, it will be those who died knowing Him. The second resurrection of condemnation, He will raise all who have ever lived and rejected Him 1,000 years after the first resurrection. But, this lost cursing group stands before the descending New Jerusalem with all the saints therein. They will be deceived by Satan to take the city with the Tree of Life inside. If they can get do that, they will live forever. Satan has so deceived himself to think he can actually do this! What madness!

All of mankind will be together simultaneously to understand their fate: Either eternal life or eternal death. Then, because of the reality of the situation and the beauty of God’s presence, every knee will bow and every tongue of those in heaven and those on earth confess that ” Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“

Summary Verses:

Revelation 1:18-He has the keys!

2 Timothy 4: 7-8 The crown of righteousness will be given only to those who love his appearing.

Revelation 22:12–He brings His reward with Him!

Phillippians 2:10-11-Every knee will box and every tongue confess.

Revelation 20:5-6–Blessed are those who are part of the first resurrection. You will never die again! Those who die after being resurrected in the second resurrection 1,000 years after the first resurrection will die forever (The second death).

The Complete Gospel

The revelation of Jesus Christ, given to John in vision, is not just scary symbols and beasts but the complete gospel and revelation of Jesus Christ.

The complete gospel is in the outline of these Three Most Powerful Statements Ever Made. It is the good news of the many prophecies of His first coming; His sinless life; His death for our sins that would have led to eternal death; His resurrection: His ascension to mediate for us; and finally to resurrect us (if sleeping in the grave) and lift us all to Him in the air. Then He will take us to where He is now (John 14: 1-3).

Conclusion:

All three of these powerful statements rise or fall together. If one is not true, then all is lost, but they are true! Eyewitnesses, time, history, and testimony have provided more than enough proof.

Won’t you believe Jesus today? Confess your sins and weakness and begin to learn of Him through the Bible and other sincere believers. Seek Him every day, and let your requests be known to Him. He will give you rest and peace now and forevermore.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Remember: When Jesus comes with all of heaven emptied to rescue us. He will do the following as we begin eternal life. Lord, we will need it as we consider those we loved who chose the temporary pleasures of sin for a little while rather than eternal life.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Reasons to Believe

BELIEVING THE UNBELIEVABLE

November 9, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

Anthony Bosman
A universe of miracles

If you have struggled to believe in the miraculous, you are not alone. Even the great heroes of faith wrestled with unbelief. Abraham was sensible enough to realize his barren wife would not produce offspring and questioned God’s promise to make a great nation out of him. Rather than rebuke Abraham’s doubt, God instructed him: “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them” (Gen. 15:5).1

To the naked eye, several thousand stars are visible. If you have been privileged enough to escape the light pollution of the city and see the sky on a clear night, you know how breathtaking it can be. Yet the incredible images of the James Webb Space Telescope remind us that what we see with our naked eye is only the smallest glimpse of the richness of the cosmos. For instance, the first publicly released image of Webb, SMACS 0723, surveys a portion of sky that is about the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length.2 When Webb peered into that tiny dark region, it revealed the light of thousands of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. I like to imagine that when God commanded Abraham to number the stars, He took him on a similar visionary experience throughout the cosmos.

Our best estimate is that there are around 200 billion trillion stars in the visible universe, though this is likely to increase. There are far too many stars for anyone to count, but that was the point of God’s exercise: Abraham needed to be reminded of God’s infinite creative power. As he looked to the heavens and tried to number the innumerable, Abraham’s objections subsided, and “he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (verse 6). Perhaps it is providential that at a time when it’s easy to doubt, we have been gifted images of the heavens through the Webb telescope to help us believe again.

How Did We Get So Skeptical?

Our modern skepticism can be traced to the Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. Hume argued that “a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature,” but as “firm and unalterable experience has established these laws,” we should reject the miraculous. But this argument is circular, for it rules out miracles by defining them to be violations that cannot be violated, failing to account for the possibility that God can act in the world contrary to our ordinary experience. Indeed, in his two-volume work on miracles, Craig Keener documents the long history of well-attested miracles throughout the world.

Nevertheless, Hume’s skepticism was widely embraced. It fits with the popular myth that now that we are scientific, we know better than the ancients who superstitiously believed barren women could conceive and dead men rise from the dead. But of course, the ancients well knew old women did not become pregnant and dead men rotted away, which is why they made such a big deal when something so out of the ordinary occurred.

Many scientists have recognized that the existence of the laws of nature is itself miraculous. In his essay “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences,” the mathematical physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner observed: “It is not at all natural that ‘laws of nature’ exist, much less that man is able to discover them.”5 Wigner uses the word “miracle” to characterize the ability of mathematics to describe the natural world. The history of science testifies to the fact that people were bold enough to look for the laws of nature precisely because they believed in a divine lawgiver. Neither under polytheism, where the cosmos is ruled by many competing gods, nor atheism, which denies any Intelligence behind the universe, would one expect to be able to discover universal mathematics laws.

A God Who Creates

Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation, for example, naturally arose from his belief in a God who created the heavens and the earth. And rather than think that it explained away God, Newton saw it as evidencing “an intelligent and powerful Being”6 who created and actively sustains the universe, believing that behind the force of gravity was “an agent acting constantly according to certain laws.”7 Newton’s view is well reflected in Ellen White’s description of God’s relationship to the laws of nature: “God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through them, using them as His instruments. They are not self-working. God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies to the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all His works according to His will. . . . The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet.”

Granted, Newton’s understanding of gravity was incomplete, and we continue to develop richer accounts—from Einstein’s vision of mass warping spacetime to hypothesized graviton particles that are conjectured to mediate the gravitational force. Yet as science advances, God’s power is not diminished. Every such theory is, after all, a mathematical model describing how the universe behaves, for equations have no creative or sustaining power. God alone governs the cosmos; “in Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

As such, the Bible does not treat natural explanation and divine intervention as mutually exclusive. Rather, it often blends these two kinds of explanations, portraying God as sovereign over nature and free to use His laws to accomplish His purposes. During the plagues of Egypt, Scripture records that God brought locusts by a wind from the east, and when God relented, they were dispelled by a strong wind from the west. And when Israel was trapped by the Red Sea, “the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land” (Ex. 14:21). The strong wind explains Israel’s deliverance on one level, and God’s activity explains it on another.

Thus we should not think that just because someone has offered a natural explanation of something, it rules out God’s hand in it. Nor is God constrained by what we deem the laws of nature.

Ellen White forcefully made this point when she observed, “As commonly used, the term ‘laws of nature comprise what men have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the field in which the Creator can work in harmony with His own laws and yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!”9

Events such as creation, the Incarnation, and resurrection are all singular occurrences that are exceptional to God’s typical governing of the world. Just as ordinary physics breaks down at singularities such as black holes and the first moments of the universe, we should not be surprised that God’s mighty acts are beyond our explanatory power. As Blaise Pascal reminds us: “The last proceeding of reason is to recognize that there is an infinity of things which are beyond it. It is but feeble if it does not see so far as to know this. But if natural things are beyond it, what will be said of supernatural?”10

If there is one lesson we should take away from the stunning images of the James Webb Space Telescope, it is that the universe is a much bigger, grander, and more miraculous place than we often imagine. This ought to teach us that just because something is incomprehensible to us does not mean that it is impossible for God. Rather, as we struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible, might we learn once more to believe that which we had mistaken as unbelievable.

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1 Bible texts are from the English Standard Version.

2 https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webbdelivers-deepest-infrared-image-of-universe-yet

3 David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, ed. L. A. Selby Bigge (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902), p. 114.

4 Craig S. Keener, Miracle: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011).

5 E. P. Wigner, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences. Richard Courant Lecture in Mathematical Sciences Delivered at New York University, May 11, 1959,” Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 13 (1960): 1-14.

6 Isaac Newton, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687); Scholium Generale (1713; 1726).

7 I. Bernard Cohen, ed., Isaac Newton’s Papers and Letters on Natural Philosophy and Related Documents (Boston: Harvard University Press, 2014).

8 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 8, pp. 259, 260.

9 Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 114.

10 Blaise Pascal, Pensées, p. 267.

Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/believing-the-unbelievable/

Hell, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus, The Truth About The Fate of The Lost, Truth About the Deceased

FINAL FATE OF ALL ON PLANET EARTH

November 5, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

God will not allow us to destroy the earth. He will destroy the planet while we are nearing self-annihilation.

And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18 b

The preceding verses here in Revelation 11:18 describe the earth’s condition when we are near destroying ourselves through atomic weapons. John had to write this verse in faith because he could probably not imagine such power man would possess to literally destroy the entire earth. But we have arrived just in one generation.

The nations are angry, and so is God!

The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, Revelation 11: 18

God has reserved the destruction of the earth for Himself.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7

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Before we move along, let’s review a key component of this coming destruction. It begins with the return of Christ.

In the last article, we clearly answered the following question from the Bible, “Doesn’t Matthew 24:37-41 Say One Is Taken (Raptured) and the Other Left Behind?”

God’s word precisely describes the following about the second coming when Jesus appears in the sky and “every eye shall see Him.” Note: I am not addressing the tribulation in this article. That topic will be for another time.

The Literal Return of Christ Summary:

1.) It is not a quiet or secret event. It is a powerful rescue of God’s people! Every person alive (whether lost or saved) sees Him coming (Rev. 1:7)

2.) It is a destructive event. God destroys the earth and its contents by fire. (2 Peter 3: 10-13)

3.) There are two different responses to the second coming: The response of God’s people and the response of the wicked. The wicked run and hide (Revelation 6:16). The redeemed rejoice! (Isaiah 25:9)

4.) All can hear it! He descends with a shout and a loud trumpet. (1 Thess 4:16)

5.) Jesus’ literal return is the keeping of a promise He made and is the hope of His followers. I go and prepare a place…I will return again. His rescue is not in two parts. (John 14: 1-3)

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To this point in this review, we have primarily shown that when Christ returns, there are two classes of saved people:

1.) The saved alive who will not see death.

2.) The saved of all ages who are “dead in Christ.”

Both classes are given immortality here and rise from the earth to meet the Lord in the air. It is here that eternity begins. There are two very clear verses that support this clearly:

For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. *Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Notice the key statements:

1.) Lord Himself comes down with a shout, voice, and a trumpet (you can hear it). So can the lost, as we will see.

2.) The “dead in Christ” rise first. Graves open up, and out come the saved of all ages.

3.) Then those who are alive who were protected by the Lord during the tribulation rise to meet those who were resurrected and the Lord in the air. Notice the word “remain.” Some translations use the word “left.” This alludes to the fact that they were left or remained after the plagues that hit the earth. An example: If a house burns down that has a full library. There might be some books that were destroyed and some that were in a safe which were “left” or untouched by the fire.

4.) From this point forward, the redeemed will spend eternity with the Lord

*These are the words (as described in 1 Thess 4: 16-18) where we are to find comfort. Why is this verse hardly ever mentioned at funerals? Instead, the pagan idea of the bodiless soul going immediately to heaven is described, yet there is no biblical evidence of this. That falsehood contradicts both 1 Thess 4: 16-18 that we just read and Paul’s further details found in the 15th Chapter of 1 Corinthians:

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54

Again, notice the key statements:

1.) Not all will sleep (die)

2.) The saved are “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Note: it is the change that is very fast…not the second coming.”

3.) The dead (in Christ) are raised incorruptible (No longer subject to decay)

4.) God gives (puts on) the redeemed incorruption and immortality to their resurrected bodies in a flash.

5.) When this change to our bodies is made, it is then that the saying “Death is swallowed up in victory.” can be made. It cannot be made at the grave site or at a funeral. It is only when Jesus returns.

Somehow, we have made dying the gateway to immortality, but without the return of Christ and our resurrection, we are all lost. We might as well live it up, for tomorrow, we die forever.

For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable…If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

1 Corinthians 15: 16-19, 32b

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What Happens to the Lost at the Return of Christ?

We have already seen “that every eye” will see the return. The wicked cannot stand to see Jesus when He comes. They run anywhere to hide from the face of the Lamb:

They Can’t Stand the Sight of His Coming

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6: 15-17

The key points are:

1.) Every person who does not love Jesus’ appearing on the earth, (regardless of their economic status) cannot stand the sight and try to flee to dark places. They ask a question that is answered in the next chapter of Revelation: “Who is able to stand?”

a.) The sealed of Israel. This is not literal Jews, but those who are “in Christ. A study for another time.

b.) The vast multitude of those who are alive and survived the great tribulation through the power of God. “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7: 14

Some have suggested that the 144,000 and the vast multitude are the same group of people. Another study for another time.

They Are Destroyed By The Brightness of His Coming:

As far back as the Old Testament, the fate of the lost has been described. Here is a clear example:

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.…You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4: 1,3

Key Points:

1.) That day will be like an oven

2.) All who do wickedly will be like stubble and will be burned up

3.) Burned up means nothing left (neither a root nor a branch left)

4.) They shall be turned to ashes

Paul describes the same event in 2 Thessalonians:

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2: 8-11

Key Point

1.) As shown earlier, Christ’s return is destructive. God destroys the “lawless one” (aka Antichrist) and those who perish with “him” because they did not love the truth. They chose the convenience and selfishness of a lie.

What are the Second Death and the Second Resurrection?

Both Jesus and John talk of two resurrections:

Jesus clearly states that all who are in the graves will be resurrected. But the resurrections have two different results: life or condemnation.

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. John 5: 28-30

John, who recorded Jesus’ statement above, adds more detail about the timing of the two resurrections. They are separated by 1,000 years:

And they (the saved) lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20: 4-6

Key Points as we compare with previous verses:

1.) When Christ returns, those in the grave are resurrected. They are in the “first resurrection.”

2.) Those in the first resurrection (along with those who were alive at the return of Christ) live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years. A lot of our questions are answered during this time.

3.) The second death has no power over those who are reigning with Christ for this 1,000 years.

4.) Those who were wicked and dead when Christ returned were not resurrected until the end of the 1,000 years. Those who were wicked and alive were destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s return. Both the wicked dead and the wicked destroyed are raised at the second resurrection at the end of 1,000 years.

5.) The wicked at the return of Christ die twice! One on earth and again for eternity after their judgment. The second death is forever with no hope. Fire comes down and devours them. “And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9

6.) The ultimate fate of the unbelievers is “perishing,” as John described in that famous verse John 3:16 “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.” Notice the fate of the lost: “Perish.” It is contrasted with the believers’ gift of everlasting life. The lost do not have everlasting life in a burning place.

For more on hell, see these two articles:

1.) Hell-Let Us Reason Together

2.) Lord Teach Me About Hell Part 1

3.) Did Jesus Really Teach More About Hell Than Heaven?

Christian, Do you really want to believe in a God who so loved the world that He would burn the lost or quad trillions of years without mercy? This is a horrible picture of burning people in some corner of the universe. Do you really know Jesus if you believe this pagan picture?

At the end of the 1,000 years, John describes (in the next Chapter 21) the “New Jerusalem” coming down out of heaven. It is at this point that God creates a new heaven and a new earth. The saved of all ages spend eternity with sin and death destroyed forever. God dwells with His people in the new dwelling place of God…with His people who have been redeemed

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21: 1-4

Key Points

1.) Like John, the redeemed will be witnesses to God creating a new heaven and a new earth! Praise God! What a sight!

2.) The New Jerusalem, currently residing in heaven, will come to this new earth!

3.) God will reside with us here on the new earth!

4.) All tears, sorrow, crying, and pain will be eliminated…gone forever. Praise our Holy God!!

One last picture. Each month and each week, we will be worshiping together. Congregating will be continued on the new earth!

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
²³And it shall come to pass
From one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:22-23

Just as the Sabbath of the 10 commandments commemorated the creation of the earth, this “new” Sabbath will honor the new earth…a new creation. And as on the first earth, we will work six days and then worship on the seventh day.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65: 21-22

Heaven, as we call it, will be a real place on a real earth.

Summary of the Fate of all People

In this simple chart, we see the fate of everyone who has ever lived on this planet. There are only two places: eternal life on a new planet or eternal death. You can have the promise of eternity today through Jesus. Will you repent of your sins and turn to Him? He will gladly save you from yourself and the wiles of the enemy.

Redeemed	Lost
Both dead and alive, go where Jesus is now at His second coming.	Destroyed by the brightness of His coming
Spend 1,000 years in New Jerusalem-A Honey Moon of sorts	Lay in the grave for 1,000 years
At the end of the 1,000 years, the redeemed come down in the New Jerusalem with Jesus	Are resurrected in the resurrection of the condemnation.
	Resurrected and then try to attack the New Jerusalem. God sends fire down from heaven. This is the second death for the wicked. They died once on earth and once at the end of the 1,000 years. They perish for eternity.
The redeemed enjoy eternity without any more pain or death. They build houses and plant vineyards and enjoy the work of their hands in immortal bodies. They worship on the Sabbath.	Like Satan, never shall they be anymore. Ezekiel 28: 18-19

Questions About Bible Text, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus

Doesn’t Matt. 24: 37-41 say one is taken (raptured) and the other left behind?

October 22, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

In a previous article, I wrote regarding the Second Coming made simple. This question came up regarding the rapture and those left behind. We will examine this passage closely, comparing it with Luke’s parallel passage of the same event. But, first, a quick review of just a few clear passages from the Bible about the return of Christ.

The disciples of Christ understood the clarity of the events of Jesus’ return. They never contradicted each other. They only added clarity. So it is with the question today. Taking each disciple’s description into account, we can get a clear picture. Today’s Bible passage (Matthew 24:40-41) is often used to support the secret rapture and left-behind theory. Books and even movies have built a picture that is not entirely accurate. We will examine the question of the day from two different disciples and find out exactly what is being described.

As we study the return of Christ, we begin to understand that,

1.) It is not a quiet or secret event. It is a powerful rescue of God’s people!

John described the brightness of the event that is seen by all who are alive at that time, including the wicked and those who are ” dead in Christ.” As John describes it,

“He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7

2.) It is a destructive event

Peter describes this very clearly. heavens pass away with a great noise. Even the elements (including the earth) melt with fervent heat.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up… the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:10, 12

3.) There are two different responses to the second coming:

The unprepared or lost cry for the rocks to…“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Rev. 6:16

The prepared cry out,

“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.“

Isaiah 25:9

4.) All can hear it!

Paul described the event as loud (shout and voice of an archangel, and a trumpet of God). All can hear it! Even those who died in Christ!

For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thess 4: 16

5.) Jesus’ literal return is the keeping of a promise He made and is the hope of His followers

The hope He gave you and I was that He would go away and prepare a place and then return to take us where He is now. This does not happen at death but when He returns.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14: 1-3

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Let’s take a look at the passage today and see if it supports the “left-behind” theory of the rapture despite the clear picture painted by the disciples regarding Jesus’ return.

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

Matthew 24: 37-41

Here is a list of the key components of this passage:

Matthew compares the second coming of Christ to the days before the flood. This context helps us understand the events of the second coming.
He states that the flood came and took the unprepared away. Notice it is not the saved (i.e., Noah and his family) that were taken away.
Matthew says it will be the same on the day of Christ’s return, i.e., The unprepared are going about the routine of life, not expecting the end of time and the return of Christ. But on that day, the unprepared die in the flood waters. You would have to really add to this passage to say, they are left behind to endure the tribulation.

So Matthew is saying that those unprepared at the second coming will be like the unprepared of Noah’s time, who were “taken away” by the flood waters and died.

Luke’s account adds clarity to this in his description by not using the “took away” phrase but rather the clearer word for modern ears, “destroyed.”

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 24:26

Matthew and Luke describe the exact same thing but use different words (“took away” is the same as “destroyed.”)

So this fits perfectly with the other disciples who described the second coming as a “destructive event” for this sinful earth and the wicked who have turned their back on God.

Please notice that there are 4 classes of people at the return of Christ mentioned in our passages today:

1.) Those who are alive and saved (they meet the Lord in the air.)

2.) Those who are dead in Christ and saved (they are resurrected and meet the Lord in the air.)

3.) Those who are alive and lost. (They are destroyed by the brightness of His coming.-See 2 Thess 2:8)

4.) But the 4th group, those who were already dead and lost; what happens to them?

The simple answer is they are resurrected too, but not for a thousand years. This we will study next time.

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished….Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power.

Revelation 20: 5, 6

Jesus said there are two resurrections which John also described here in Revelation. This we will examine next time:

John 5:28-29

What is this second death, and what happens to the lost who were destroyed at Christ’s return and the lost dead that come up in the second resurrection after the thousand years?

Hell, Truth About the Deceased, What is God Like?

Halloween and Evil: Are the Wicked Given Eternal Life in Hell?

October 16, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

“A young mother discovered that her little boy had lied to her. Utterly shocked and desperate to correct his wayward behavior, she sat him down and said to him, ‘Listen-you can’t lie to Mommy! If you do that again, a big tall man with red eyes and horns (will) come and take you away. He’ll make you work for a hundred years in the coal mines just for telling one little lie!’ The look on the boy’s face told the mother that he was listening carefully. Encouraged that she was getting through to him, she said, ‘Now you’ll never lie to Mommy again, will you.’

He thought for a moment, then blurted out, ‘No ma’am, I wouldn’t dare-’cause you tell them better than id do!”-From the book, Draining the Styx-Boonstra p. 90

Many churches and pastors have taken the scare-tactic to “soul-winning.” Like this mother, they picture a place so bad that people will accept Jesus out of fear rather than repentance and love. This place is called hell, where the fallen and wicked will be tortured in flames for eternity.

Life Eternal is for the Saved Only

Eternity for the saved begins when Jesus returns. Perhaps the clearest single passage in the Bible to confirm this is found in Paul’s writing in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

We are to comfort ourselves about those who have died in Christ this way: Jesus will return, and those who are alive then and those who died “in Christ” will gather around Jesus in the air for the first time. Here is where eternity begins for the saved. What a reunion day that will be!

Jesus confirmed the importance of His return in the following words. His words, like Paul’s, give comfort to those who fear death or have lost loved ones to the enemy of death.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14: 1-3

Notice what these verses do not say. They do not say that eternity for the saved begins at death. It begins at the return of Christ. It is because He has the keys to the grave and death (Rev. 1: 18) that we can be resurrected from decayed bodies, perhaps that are dust, to receive immortality and new bodies. Paul describes the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15: 41-44

Without our resurrection, there is no immortality; there is no heaven. All those who have “fallen asleep” are lost, and we have no hope or comfort for those who have died and for ourselves. Paul described it this way:

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. …For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have allen asleep in Christ have perished.

1 Corinthians 15: 13-14, 17-18

The resureection of Christ demonstrates God’s plan to resurrect the saved for eternity. While death is an enemy, Jesus and the Bible describe this period between the grave and the second coming of Christ as a unconscience sleep. When He returns after a nano-second nap, the saved of all ages will meet Jesus in the air after receiving immortal incorruptuible bodies. Eternity will begin for His people.
Author-Eddie Armstrong

But What About the Lost?

Did you notice in the passages above that there is no mention of the resurrection of the wicked and the lost? What happens to them? Modern theology has these people burning in hell after they die or at a later time, e.g., after the White Throne Judgement. But is that what the Bible teaches?

Unfortunately, traditions absorbed from pagan philosophers have created a God that is sadistic that His anger against the wicked is so great that it is never satisfied. A God of mercy and love who loses it and shows absolutely no mercy for those screaming for death to escape the licks of flames on their flesh.

“…Consider a nineteenth-century account of the fate of the wicked, which a children’s author named John Furniss (no pun intended-that was his name!) wrote to scare children into behaving.

Come into this room. You see it is very small. But see, in the midst of it, there is a girl, perhaps about eighteen years old. What a terrible dress she has on–On her head, she wears a bonnet of fire. It is pressed down close all over her head; it burns into the skin; it scorches the bone of the skull and makes it smoke. The red hot fiery heat goes into the brain and melts it…There she will stand forever, burning and scorched! She counts with her fingers the moments as they pass away slowly, for each moment seems to her like a hundred years. As she counts the moments, she remembers that she will have to count them forever and ever.

Look into this little prison. In the middle of it, there is a boy, a young man. He is silent; despair is on him. He stands straight up. His eyes are burning like two burning coals. Two long flames come out of his ears. His breathing is difficult. Sometimes he opens his mouth, and a breath of blazing fire rolls out of it. But listen! There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling! It is really a kettle boiling? No; then what is it? The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in the head. The marrow is boiling in these bones. Ask him why he is thus tormented. His answer is that when he was alive, his blood boiled to do very wicked things.” Rev. J. Furnis, Tracts for Spiritual Reading (New York – P.J Kenedy, 1877, page 19

Draining the Styx-Boonstra p. 91 and 92

This tract by Rev. Furniss is often quoted by atheists as an argument for throwing out Christianity. When I was 8 years old, attending Vacation Bible School along with other children, an elder of the church described hell in this same manner to all of us boys and girls. He was prepping us for the Sunday Service. He wanted us to come forward at the altar call and be baptized…trophies for him and the vacation Bible School program. This was the beginning of my atheistic beliefs. But, praise God, I discovered the love, mercy, and compassion of the God who loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me so I could have eternal life. For my testimony, start here:

The Biblical Fate of the Lost

There is no story in the Bible like Rev. Furniss’s. Some will point to the Rich Man and Lazarus as proof that the lost are tortured in a place that burns forever, But in this parable, Jesus takes the pagan beliefs that had infiltrated Jewish theology to make his point which is at the end of the parable. The point of the parable was about the resurrection and belief in Jesus. It was not a description of a place of torture. To learn more about this parable, click on this link regarding the Rich Man and Lazarus: Lord Teach Me About Hell-Part 1 (Rich Man & Lazarus) – Answers From Scripture – A Jesus Journey (answersfromscriptureonline.com)

The fate of the lost has always been eternal death. In that famous verse that everyone can quote, Jesus tells us that the fate of the lost is that they “perish” If their fate were eternal life in burning flames, we would have to rewrite it:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not live for eternity in hell- a burning place of firey torture

The operative word here is “perish.” It is different from the death that all must experience. It is eternal.

The Lost Have A Resurrection Too!

Jesus taught there were two resurrections:

John 5: 28-29

These two resurrections are confirmed by the Apostle John in Revelation. John also gives more detail about the vision given to him of the end times:

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Revelation 20: 5-6

It is very easy to see from these passages the two resurrections are separated by one thousand years. The first resurrection occurs when Jesus comes. This was described above in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15: 50-55. This is the starting point for the one thousand years of the honeymoon of the bride (church) and the groom (Jesus). But the rest of the dead don’t come alive until one thousand years have passed.

The lost are resurrected. Satan gathers them together to attack the Holy City coming down out of heaven. This Holy City was where Jesus and the saints were in heaven for one thousand years. The lost of all ages are convinced by Satan to attack the heavenly city, and then God sends fire out of heaven, and this fire devours them.

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Revelation 20: 7-9

Thus all the enemies of God are forever turned to ashes. Nothing left of them, they are devoured! And never shall they ever be any more. This is the way a merciful God deals with those who want no part of Him. Their reward was living on earth and enjoying their 70 or so years. They don’t receive eternal life, as do the saved.

For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4: 1

Satan shares the same fate after watching his people destroyed. He is saved for last:

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14

“You (Satan) defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. Ezekiel 28:18 (See entire chapter for context)

If you want more information on confusing passages that seem to support eternal life in hell for the lost vs. what the Bible teaches about eternal death, click here for more information: The Fate of The Lost-Difficult Verses.

The Fate of The Lost (Part 3)-Difficult Verses – Answers From Scripture – A Jesus Journey (answersfromscriptureonline.com)

My friends, let us lift up Jesus as the only source of eternal life and pray for those in our circle of friends and family who can be saved from eternal death. This is scary enough.

Death and Resurrection

ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN AND LIFE AFTER DEATH

October 10, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

Pagan Roots

The origin of Halloween and its customs likely had their origins in an ancient pagan Celtic festival called Samhain, which celebrated “summer’s end.” It marked the conclusion of the harvest and the beginning of the colder, darker season.

It was at this time that the pagan Celts saw an opportunity to commune with the dead believing the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest.

Catholic Church’s Adoption

In the 11th century, at the height of the suppression of God’s word and the control of people by the Roman church, the papacy sought to adopt or claim the pagan tradition of celebrating Samhain and turn it into a Christian festival called “All Hallow’s Eve.” The papacy sought to make a purse out of a sow’s ear through the modified inclusion of pagan philosophies in Christian rituals. Many of Samhain’s traditions continue in the Catholic church to this day.

According to Encylopedia Britannica, Pope Gregory III pronounced November 1 as ‘All Saints Day.” aka “All Hallow’s Day,” a day to honor all the saints of the church who have attained heaven. The papacy proclaimed it to be a holy day. Thus the religious side of the annual event mixed in with a pagan holiday.

Combining church traditions with the ancient philosophers such as Hermes, Socrates, and Plato, who believed the souls wandered in a disembodied world, gave a path to communication with the “dead” for both the pagans and Christians.

These spooky activities only work if there is a soul separate from the body, and that soul is immortal. This is a trick hidden in a treat of Satan that goes back to the beginning of creation and the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan contradicted God and said,

“You will not surely *die.”

Genesis 3:4

This lie continues to this day…no one ever dies. Their souls live forever in one of two places.

Death now comes with a footnote in many people’s beliefs:

*except for the soul, which is immortal.

But let’s go to the source and only reliable authority on the soul and life after death, God’s Word, to discover what a soul is. Is the soul immortal? Who are the spirits people talk to when Mediums call up the “dead” spirits of people to converse?”

What is a soul?

Soul’s Origin

The soul originated with God, as shown in this passage in Genesis

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7 KJV

Notice the formula here. It is simple addition:

Dust of the ground + breath of life = soul

Noticed what it doesn’t say, “Man has a soul. ” No! he is a soul. Before he was created, there was no incorporeal soul in Adam.

Death is also a formula. This time it is subtraction:

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Death= Dust -(minus) the spirit (God’s breath).

The person is dead, their body turns to dust, and their thoughts and plans cease that very day.

His spirit departs, and he returns to his earth; In that very day, his plans perish. Psalm 146:4

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10

So unlike the pagan philosophers, death is not a promotion to a world of knowledge and existence. It is compared to sleeping more than 70 times in the Bible, including Jesus.

The Hebrew word for the soul, as shown in Genesis 2:7 KJV above, is nep̄eš. It literally means “that which breaths.” This is our identity. We are a creation of God “that breathes.” Most of the other translations use the phrase “living being” as opposed to the often confusing word “soul.” “Living being” makes more sense and is in the context of the Word of God about death.

We can see many examples of how the Bible uses the word “soul” for people who are living beings instead of separated, wispy entities. Here are just a couple:

And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. Acts 27:27

This simply means “living beings” or people were on the ship.

Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:20

Noah and his family were comprised of eight souls or people that were saved from the drowning waters of the flood. They were living beings who were walking around in the flesh but called souls.

The term soul has been used this way in modern society. When the Titanic made its maiden voyage, it was said to have 2,240 souls or people on board, of which more than 1,500 souls lost their lives.

This leads us to the final question of the day.

Are Souls Immortal?

Let’s start with this easy question. If a soul can die, then is it immortal (i.e. not subject to death)? Of course not! You can’t die and then, at the same time, be no longer subject to death or immortal. They are opposing conditions.

Remember the lie of Satan, “You will not die,” but God says, “you will die.” Paul said that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). An asterisk is not used here to say, “except for your soul. ” In fact, the Bible writers say things to indicate that the soul is not immortal. No place in the Bible does it say that the soul is immortal. However, the opposite is true, as shown here:

“…The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekial 18:4

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:28

If God can kill the soul, can it then still be immortal? Of course not! it is impossible to be both dead and immortal!

God can (and does) destroy completely forever the entire living being for some, but not the redeemed! At this time, only God has immortality:

He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,

1 Timothy 6:15b, 16a

But there is good news! No! Great unimaginable news! God gives immortality at the second coming! Let’s end with Paul explaining the mystery of death and resurrection:

Praise God! When Jesus comes, He will change the redeemed (both those who are sleeping (dead) and those living. What is included in this package of change?

Corruptible to incorrpution (Subject to decay to no longer slowly decaying with the passing of time)

*Mortal to immortality (Subject to death, but then no longer subject to death)

Eternity will Be Real for the Redeemed

Until that time, death is like taking a nap (sleeping), where the passage of time is a microsecond. You lay down on the bed of death, and in the twinkling of an eye, you rise to see Jesus and receive your package of eternal life. There is no pain, no conscience waiting room while you are sleeping. This new life on new earth is real! It includes eating, building homes, and talking with real bodies that have been glorified just as Jesus was when He appeared to the disciples after He arose. He had skin and bones and even ate some food! He was not a disembodied whispy spirit.

Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

Luke 24:39

Jesus must have been a little hungry. He asked for food and ate!

“Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.

Luke 24: 42-43

Our bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body! Real and not wispy.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,

Philippians 3:20-21

We will have access to the tree of life that was forfeited at the time of sin. It will perpetuate eternal life.

“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. …In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. ” Rev. 2:7, 22:2

We will be doing things we enjoy for six days, then every month and every Sabbath, the redeemed will join in a universal church service of worship together on the new earth without denominational differences.

Our existence will not be incorporeal and wispy. We will be using our mouths, hands, and all the other things of a glorified “living being.”

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit…And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.. Isaiah 65: 21, 22b

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass.
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 66: 22-23

What a life God has planned for those who love Him and keep His commandments! But even so, we cannot imagine. It is impossible until we actually experience it!

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

But what about those who were not redeemed? Are they given immortality to be tortured forever? This we explore next time.

Death and Resurrection

Halloween, Spirits, Death, Jesus, and Resurrection

October 3, 2022 Eddie Leave a comment

Halloween is approaching…that great holiday of celebrating ghosts, spirits, and gore. Get out the candy, costumes, and crazy thoughts about ghosts and wispy spirits from the dead. Why does this fascinate us? It may be because there are so many unreliable ideas about death, spirits, and the afterlife. Subconsciously, perhaps, we want to be able to communicate with the dearly departed.

Mystery of Life and Death

Probably the greatest mystery about life is death. It falls upon all rich, poor, blind, healthy, black, white, tall, short…you name it. It will get everyone regardless of their culture or color. It does not discriminate! This we understand, albeit reluctantly. We push back against dying, we try to postpone it, but eventually, it will win.

What happens at the moment of death and beyond remains a mystery to most people despite the subjective, anecdotal experiences of people who claim to have seen the great beyond (light, heaven, or hell). They write books and give TV interviews. Are they giving false hope to everyone about communicating with the dead and their soul living forever regardless of the life they lived on this planet? Is eternal life for everyone? Is it true, as the scary preacher warns, that everyone will live forever in one of two places-heaven or a place of torture called hell?

These are questions that often run through the minds of human beings, but firm answers seem to be impossible to know.

There has been a multitude of books, movies, ancient philosophies, and personal experiences on death and beyond, but somehow, they fail to give a consistent description of the other side satisfactorily. How can we put stock in those people who “died” for only a few seconds or minutes before the defibrillator jumped-started their hearts, returning oxygen-deprived brains? Or the preacher who wants to scare and threaten you into a saving relationship with Christ? Isn’t death scary enough?

The only people who know about death and then live again are those described in the Bible. They were not dead for just a few seconds or minutes but extended periods:

1.) Jesus- 3 days; (John 2: 19-21)

2.) Lazarus- 4 days; (John 11:17)

3.) Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter- the Bible doesn’t disclose the time she had been dead. (Mark 5: 21-43), but Jesus walked to Jarius’ house and stopped to heal a woman, so it had to be more than a few minutes.

4.) Widow of Nain’s son-(Luke 7: 11-16). He was already in the casket!

5.) Many of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51). They had likely been dead for some time.

But, all of these did not write a book or have their words recorded by other writers about the “afterlife.” Why? The answer is revealed by Jesus and His disciples.

Opinions and Philosophy

Human beings have varying opinions and philosophical reasoning about death; but how does that compare with God’s word? Do we believe the great philosophers about death as a “friend”(Socrates 470 BC – 399 BC, dead at age 71) or his student Plato (427 BC – 347 BC-dead at age 80) who taught that the grave is a step to a higher existence? A promotion, as it were, from the pain of physical presence to the carefree joy of a spiritual reality. Or do we believe Paul, who said that death is the last enemy and it will one day end? (1 Corinthians 15:26)

How about reincarnation or the nihilist’s view? A nihilist proposes that our existence has no particular reason or purpose. Their approach to death would be pretty different from that of Plato or Socrates. Nihilists don’t expect to move up to another plane of existence. They don’t expect to go anywhere at all. Their mantra would be,

“Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

This seems to be the attitude of most people, including atheists. But in our hearts, we feel this is just not right. Death seems to be an unplanned invader of life. There must be more.

Vain Philosphoses have entered the Christian church. It is as subtle as the often-used words,

“He is in a better place,” or those who say,

“we will never see them again.”

Even the idea that we have an immortal soul that will live somewhere forever comes from ancient Egyptian teachings.

It is sad to hear a preacher describe what the dearly departed are doing in heaven at this very moment. They don’t know. With good intentions, they attempt to comfort the bereaved by saying that they are looking down on them. I’m not sure how that is heaven to the one looking down. Where is the Biblical evidence? This idea of immortal souls opens wide the door to Spiritism and unclean deceiving spirits (Revelation 16:13). The idea that we can talk to the dead has its roots in the first lie of the Bible…”You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)

God forbade His people from such people who claim to have this power. Instead, He asked them to seek Him.

‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God…..And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God?

Leviticus 19:31 and Isaiah 8:19

Interestingly, the phrase “immortal soul” is not found in the Bible. Actually, it says the opposite:

“…the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23

“The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4.

God can (and does) destroy the soul of the unrepentant and lost (Matthew 10:28).

Nevertheless, Jesus gave hope of eternal life with a real body, God has the best plan. “He doesn’t want any to perish…”2 Peter 3:9. Perish is the operative word here that is also included in that famous passage of John 3:16, where “perish” is the penalty for unbelief. One last question before we turn to the Bible for answers: How does the second coming of Jesus fit into all this? Does it, as some suppose, reunite the body with their spirit/soul?

Comfort About Death

The comfort for the living over the loss of a loved one is found in the Bible in the words of Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples. In their united context, they give satisfaction and consistency to the truth of death and the afterlife. God’s revealed truth about death is troubling. But there is comfort and hope in God’s word, unlike any philosopher or skewed religious thinking.

Death and the Resurrection

While living a decade in Mississippi, I attended a few funerals. They are included comforting words for the bereaved. Most were not Biblical, and most excluded the resurrection and the second coming of Christ. They ranged from a combination of truth and untruths to the ridiculous.

“They are resting peacefully. They are watching over you.”

How can that be? Resting in peace and actively observing all your movements?

“Old Uncle Harry is up there right now enjoying his favorite cigar and hunting with his best dogs.”

While people laughed, it was a poor attempt to comfort the family of a man who never indicated a desire to know Jesus, much less follow Him. Heaven has become a place where any person can indulge in the human activities of worldly happiness. This raises the question of what the saved will be doing in eternity. Playing harp on a billowy cloud forever is not very interesting to me. Next time, we will explore the Bible to understand a few things God has revealed about activity in heaven, the new heavens, and the new earth.

Biblical Comfort for the Bereaved

The Apostle Paul gave words of comfort and hope to a group of mourning believers in the Corinthian church. They were concerned that the brothers and sisters in Christ, who were dying, would miss the second coming. He told the truth about those deceased followers and ended with this phrase: “comfort one another with these words.”

It all centered on the return of Christ and the resurrection. Paul recorded letter to the Thessalonians gives us one of the most straightforward descriptions of the return of Christ as found anywhere in the Bible. Listen closely and imagine the scene of Christ’s return. It is plain, simple, and addresses their concerns.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring (raise up) with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until 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 one another with these words. 1 Thess 4: 13-18

Paul wants the brothers and sisters to be informed. This would mean they didn’t understand the return of Christ and the condition of those who had died. He encourages them not to grieve like those who go to funerals with no hope of ever seeing their loved ones again. Then he begins to describe that glorious scene of Jesus’ return found many places in the Bible (another study for another time).

Then he uses an interesting phrase, “…will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” “Precede is an interesting word. It answers the Corinthian believers’ questions about the timing of eternity for everyone. The Greek word (phthanō) has been translated as “precede” or “prevent.” It means “to come before.”

This answers the implied question about some getting to heaven before others. Paul describes a grand reunion of the dead (those fallen asleep) and those alive when at Jesus’ promised return. Both groups are “harpazō,” translated as “caught up” or lifted up and carried off to meet in the air and be with the Lord!

What a great reunion day that will be! No one “precedes” or comes before the other; we all go to the Lord and eternity at the same time….” We will be with the Lord forever!” starting then.

Another interesting phrase not often discussed is “we who are still alive and are left.” The coming of Christ is destructive (See especially 2 Peter 3, especially Verse 7). The lost are being “kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” So those who are “left” are similar to a library fire. Some books are burned, and there are those remaining (KJV) and those “left” or left over…not left behind as some would try to teach.

If a pastor wants to comfort those who have lost a loved one, use the words of Paul that he told would give comfort in 1 Thess. 4:18.

“Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

Jesus said it too! He doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled, so he describes the many rooms and points us to the fact that he is preparing a spot for each of us, and He is coming back to get us in the future at His second coming! Those mansions must wait until He returns, but what a glorious hope we have!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14: 1-3

The return of Christ is the comfort and hope of all Christians! No other imagined words can comfort like the truth of Jesus’ return to unite both the living at that time and the dead of all ages and take us as one group to where He is now.

Rest in Peace. Death and Sleep

Both Jesus and Paul describe the dead as “asleep.” This is radically different from the ancient philosophers who saw the soul leaving the body to a higher plane…an ancient serpent’s lie. Sleep seems to be Jesus’ and the disciples’ favorite description of death. This, my friends, should comfort us to know that death is like an unconscious state where the passage of time is a mere wisp of a second, and then Jesus takes us out of our graves to be with Him. Below are some of the Bible references to death:

Matthew 9:24, Luke 8:52- The little girl that had died, Jesus described as sleeping
Matthew 27: 51- The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
John 11:11- Jesus describes Lazarus as sleeping, then He plainly says, “he’s dead.”
1 Corinthians 11:30- Paul describes the sick and those who sleep (dead)
1 Corinthians 15: 6- Over 500 hundred who had seen Jesus were still alive, but some had “fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15: 18- Those who have “fallen asleep” have perished if there is no resurrection.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13- Paul doesn’t want us to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 and 15. Those who sleep waiting for the return of Christ
Acts 7:60- Stephen was stoned and fell asleep
1 Corinthians 15:20 -Jesus has become the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

In 2004, I had to have open heart surgery. When they wheeled me into the operating room, they hooked up the anesthesia that would put be asleep during the procedure. Just before the nurse injected me, she said,

“Good night Mr. Armstrong.”

In what felt like a nanosecond, I heard,

“Wake up, Mr. Armstrong,”

I asked,

“When are you guys going to start the procedure?”

The nurse replied,

“Honey, you have been asleep for over two hours!”

This is what death is like for those who have died, regardless of how long they have been dead.

The After Death Experience of A Man Dead Four Days

The story of Lazarus, Martha, and Jesus in John Chapter 11 gives us insight into the state of the dead and what transpired for Lazarus for those four days he had been dead (sleeping). It also provides us with the hope that Jesus gave Martha. Jesus had told the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and that he would wake Him up. They were confused, and Jesus finally told them He was dead. Verses 11-14. Again, Jesus’ favorite description of death, i.e., sleep.

Let’s focus on the comfort Jesus gave Martha starting at verse 21:

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.” Verse 22

Martha was so glad to see Jesus. If He had been there, Jesus could have healed her brother. Martha also had great faith and hinted that God could bring Lazarus back to life if Jesus asked God the Father. Then Jesus pointed her to the great resurrection day at the end of time as a source of comfort:

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Verse 23

Martha understood, from the teachings of Jesus, about the resurrection at the end of time.

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Verse 24

Her theology was correct. There is a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ on the last day.

Jesus then reminds her that He is the one who will give life to the dead on the last day:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Verses 25 and 26

Look closely at Jesus’ words. It almost seems like a contradiction. Even though they die, they will live again, but then He says if you believe in Him, you will never die. So what is it? Die or never die? This becomes clear when you understand that we are all subject to death, but for those who don’t believe, they die forever (the second death) after their resurrection of the condemned that Jesus spoke of in John 5:29. John makes it even clearer when He was inspired to write these words:

There are two resurrections! You are blessed if you are in that first one because you will live forever. But in the second one, you die twice. The second death is eternal.

Now back to our story…

Martha then acknowledges her belief in the identity of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and the power of Jesus to raise people back to life:

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Verse 27

Jesus looked upon the people weeping and felt their sorrow for the dead and rotting Lazarus. Jesus called out with a loud voice.

“Lazarus, come forth!”

Here is what Jesus did not say: Lazarus come down or back from heaven. If Lazarus was in heaven, how cruel would that be to snatch him out of paradise back to a sinful, dying planet? If Lazarus was in heaven, we should have a book of Lazarus describing the place of angels and the throne of God. But Lazarus is silent, as were the others raised from the dead during Christ’s time on earth. Why? Because they were in an unconscious state of sleep. They knew nothing as one of the wisest men in the Bible (Solomon) stated:

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten….Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

Ecclesiastes 9: 5,10

In Peter’s sermon to the Jews about the Messiahship of Jesus and His resurrection, he told them this:

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day… “For David did not ascend into the heavens,

Acts 2: 29, 34

Peter didn’t say David was in heaven…and he was not on the throne that Jesus now occupies because He had been resurrected, and the disciples were eyewitnesses of it. (verse 30:31)

Our Faith is Futile Without the Resurrection

Paul argues that if we don’t believe that Jesus was resurrected, we are wasting time with our belief in Him. His resurrection gives us hope in our resurrection when He comes. Follow Paul’s logic to the Corinthian church and group of Sadducees) who say, “there is no resurrection” (See Matthew 22: 23).

“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if, in fact, the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15 12-19

So, here are the consequences of what Paul is saying if there is no resurrection:

Paul’s preaching is useless, as are all preachers
Our faith is useless
The Apostles and disciples were all liars
Your faith is futile
You are still in your sins (lost)
Those who have fallen asleep (dead) are lost for eternity.
This type of Christ (non-resurrected) means He is dead, and we should be pitied for our belief!

Sadly, the resurrection is hardly mentioned in our churches anymore. In many churches, Easter is the only time to talk about the power of resurrection, and the emphasis is only on Christ’s resurrection. Our own resurrection through the power of Christ at the end of time is minimized, at the least, or ignored at the most.

Instead, churches have adopted the pagan idea that the soul is separate from your physical body. They claim the soul is immortal and goes to one of two places when you die (heaven or hell). These are the teaching of that ancient Serpent who lied when he said, “thou shall not surely die.” This theme has been around a long time and promoted by Greek philosophers like Hermes Trismegistus, Socrates, and Plato.

The Bible clearly teaches the opposite of Satan and those misguided philosophers who ignored the truth of the Bible.: You will surely die:

From Dust, We Were Taken

“For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

“All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” Job 34:15

“You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” Psalm 104:29

All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Eccl 3:20

But praise God, He can take the dust of the ground, rebuild that which was lost, and give that person immortality at the second coming. Even the oldest book of the Bible acknowledges this great hope. Hope in the coming of the Lord.

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 26-27

Here is my hope, joy, and comfort. God has a crown of eternal life waiting for me, not just me, but all those who love His appearing.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Eternal life cannot be separated from the second coming of Christ. He is the life giver. At His return is when we receive immortality and not before. The mystery of death is solved. We sleep, awaiting Jesus’ return.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible (not subject to deay), and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (subject to decay) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (subject to death) must put on immortality (no longer subject to death). So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54

We can never say, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” until Jesus returns. But hallelujah! Glory to God!.. Jesus has demonstrated the power and given us the proof that He will bring us out of the dust of the ground and breath into us the breath of life when we are resurrected. He will not forget you! Then we will be with Him forever and countless others who have put their faith and life on the line for Jesus. What a day that will be!

Next time, we will talk about what the Bible says we will be doing for eternity on the new earth that the meek inherit.

Circumstantial Evidence-Creation and Life

Summary and Conclusion

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A Mismatch with the Bible?

Limitations of the Sources

Their Given Names

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Are We Repeating Israel’s Mistakes?

Three Last-Day Messages of Final Warning

Conclusion

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How Did We Get So Skeptical?

A God Who Creates

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The Literal Return of Christ Summary:

What Happens to the Lost at the Return of Christ?

They Can’t Stand the Sight of His Coming

They Are Destroyed By The Brightness of His Coming:

What are the Second Death and the Second Resurrection?

Summary of the Fate of all People

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1.) It is not a quiet or secret event. It is a powerful rescue of God’s people!

2.) It is a destructive event

3.) There are two different responses to the second coming:

4.) All can hear it!

5.) Jesus’ literal return is the keeping of a promise He made and is the hope of His followers

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Life Eternal is for the Saved Only

But What About the Lost?

The Biblical Fate of the Lost

The Lost Have A Resurrection Too!

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Pagan Roots

Catholic Church’s Adoption

What is a soul?

Are Souls Immortal?

Eternity will Be Real for the Redeemed

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Mystery of Life and Death

Death and the Resurrection

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"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28