(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." (ESV)
Many modern evangelicals claim these verses teach a pretribulation rapture of the church. This belief teaches that before the great tribulation the church will be raptured and taken out of this world. Then the rest of the people will continue on this earth in the period known as the great tribulation. This is the teaching you will usually find with the television preachers as well. People who hold to this teaching are known as dispensationalists or dispensational premillenialists.
But does this passage actually teach a pretribulational rapture? The rapture is said to be a secret thing yet we have the voice of an archangel and the sound of the trumpet. The trumpet signified the Lord's presence and was also associated with battle, the Day of the Lord, and the resurrection.
This does not sound anything like a secret rapture. We also find in the passage that the dead will rise first and those living will then join them to meet the Lord in the air. Dispensationalists see this as Christians being taken away, but is this interpretation correct? The phrase "to meet" was often used as an important dignitary's reception by a city when the people would come out to greet the honored guest with a celebration. They would then accompany him into the city. Thus the correct interpretation would be that Christians after meeting Christ in the air would then return to the earth with him.
Christians will recieve resurrection bodies and their bodies and souls will be united. There will also be a new heaven and new earth. Heaven will be merged with the earth because after Christ returns sin and evil will be eliminated. Those who have rejected Christ will face eternity in hell.
So the plain and obvious interpretation of this passage is that it refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Dispensationalists are simply reading into the text their preconceived idea of the rapture. In fact the Bible no where teaches a pretribulation rapture. We should all take a step back and ask ourselves what does the Bible actually say?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
A Look At Gun Control
So what does the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution actually say? It says, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." It should be obvious from reading the second amendment that it is not really about hunting and shooting for sport.
It's reason is to provide self defense for people and protection from the government. The threat of government tyranny is real and the people need to be able to provide a check against the power of the government. President Obama and many liberals would like to abolish the second amendment altogether. But they cannot accomplish it at this time so they propose various gun control laws. The gun control laws do not work and they do not deal with the real problems.
In fact many gun control advocates from Hollywood to Washington D.C. seem to be hypocrites. Many of them have bodyguards who use guns to protect them. And of course Hollywood and the news media glorifies the culture of violence we have in our country.
But the real problem is not guns, they have been around for a long time and we have not had a history of gun violence especially among children. The real problem is that the Biblical foundation of our country is gone. There is no longer a respect for life and the restraint and control of the people has been taken away. This is where the road of secularism lead us. As with so many things in our modern culture the problems we face actually have spiritual roots.
It's reason is to provide self defense for people and protection from the government. The threat of government tyranny is real and the people need to be able to provide a check against the power of the government. President Obama and many liberals would like to abolish the second amendment altogether. But they cannot accomplish it at this time so they propose various gun control laws. The gun control laws do not work and they do not deal with the real problems.
In fact many gun control advocates from Hollywood to Washington D.C. seem to be hypocrites. Many of them have bodyguards who use guns to protect them. And of course Hollywood and the news media glorifies the culture of violence we have in our country.
But the real problem is not guns, they have been around for a long time and we have not had a history of gun violence especially among children. The real problem is that the Biblical foundation of our country is gone. There is no longer a respect for life and the restraint and control of the people has been taken away. This is where the road of secularism lead us. As with so many things in our modern culture the problems we face actually have spiritual roots.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Why Abortion Is Wrong
Psalm 139:13 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (ESV)
Jeremiah 1:5a "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (ESV)
Luke 1:41 "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb." (ESV)
We can see from these Biblical passages that it is a baby in the womb, an actual person. Life begins at conception and even before that we are already planned by God (Psalm 139:16). From this we can conclude that abortion is murder. This is not a politically correct statement in our modern culture but it is the truth. And God commands us not to murder (Exodus 20:13).
Abortion is pushed by feminists in our society and it often seems they consider it a good thing. Abortion is called a woman's right by them. But is it really a woman's right to murder an unborn baby? There are others who say they consider it wrong themselves but do not want to enforce their beliefs on anyone else. This position is nothing but a cop out because many are unwilling to stand for the truth. One assumes that the only reason to think abortion is wrong is because it is murder. So how can you have the position that murder should be legal?
The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in America in 1973 with the Roe VS Wade decision. This was a bad decision because the U.S. Constitution says nothing about abortion. It should be overturned and the decision of whether to have abortion legal or illegal should be decided by the states.
But what about abortion in the cases of rape and incest? This is where it gets really tough because of the horrible situation in which it happened. In these cases the woman is not at fought. But does the horrible way it happened then justify taking the life of the unborn baby? I think it does not because it is still a baby, an actual human being. So what about in the case of the mother's life being in danger? This is another tough situation. Does it justify taking the life of the baby to save the life of the mother? On the one hand you could make the case for self defense and on the other you could make the case for sacrificing your life for that of another. I think it would be justified in order to save the life of the mother.
But the root problem with most cases of abortion is actually sexual immorality. God created sex to take place between a man and woman who are married to each other. When we violate this we cause ourselves many problems, the abortion issue being one of them.
Jeremiah 1:5a "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (ESV)
Luke 1:41 "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb." (ESV)
We can see from these Biblical passages that it is a baby in the womb, an actual person. Life begins at conception and even before that we are already planned by God (Psalm 139:16). From this we can conclude that abortion is murder. This is not a politically correct statement in our modern culture but it is the truth. And God commands us not to murder (Exodus 20:13).
Abortion is pushed by feminists in our society and it often seems they consider it a good thing. Abortion is called a woman's right by them. But is it really a woman's right to murder an unborn baby? There are others who say they consider it wrong themselves but do not want to enforce their beliefs on anyone else. This position is nothing but a cop out because many are unwilling to stand for the truth. One assumes that the only reason to think abortion is wrong is because it is murder. So how can you have the position that murder should be legal?
The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in America in 1973 with the Roe VS Wade decision. This was a bad decision because the U.S. Constitution says nothing about abortion. It should be overturned and the decision of whether to have abortion legal or illegal should be decided by the states.
But what about abortion in the cases of rape and incest? This is where it gets really tough because of the horrible situation in which it happened. In these cases the woman is not at fought. But does the horrible way it happened then justify taking the life of the unborn baby? I think it does not because it is still a baby, an actual human being. So what about in the case of the mother's life being in danger? This is another tough situation. Does it justify taking the life of the baby to save the life of the mother? On the one hand you could make the case for self defense and on the other you could make the case for sacrificing your life for that of another. I think it would be justified in order to save the life of the mother.
But the root problem with most cases of abortion is actually sexual immorality. God created sex to take place between a man and woman who are married to each other. When we violate this we cause ourselves many problems, the abortion issue being one of them.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Jesus, The Only Way To Heaven
(John 14:6) "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)
It is unpopular and politically incorrect to proclaim that Jesus is the only way to heaven. You will no doubt be accused of being intolerant and narrow minded. We often hear that all religions are the same and that all will be well if a person is sincere in what he believes. Others tell us that most people are basically good and will just end up in heaven.
But all religions are not the same. They all do not believe in the same God. Christianity believes in a triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), three persons of one essence. Christianity holds that Jesus is God while all other religions deny this. So if Christianity is true then all other religions must be false. Jesus cannot be God and not God, it has to be one or the other.
Also people are not basically good deserving to go to heaven. We are all sinners who actually deserve to go to hell. All people have sinned and rebelled against God. This separates us from him and brings the wrath of a holy God on us. We can only be saved from our sins and the wrath to come by Christ alone. Through his death on the cross and resurrection Christ paid the penalty for the sins of his people and was victorious over sin and death. A person must repent of his sins and place his faith in Christ alone. One must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
It is unpopular and politically incorrect to proclaim that Jesus is the only way to heaven. You will no doubt be accused of being intolerant and narrow minded. We often hear that all religions are the same and that all will be well if a person is sincere in what he believes. Others tell us that most people are basically good and will just end up in heaven.
But all religions are not the same. They all do not believe in the same God. Christianity believes in a triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), three persons of one essence. Christianity holds that Jesus is God while all other religions deny this. So if Christianity is true then all other religions must be false. Jesus cannot be God and not God, it has to be one or the other.
Also people are not basically good deserving to go to heaven. We are all sinners who actually deserve to go to hell. All people have sinned and rebelled against God. This separates us from him and brings the wrath of a holy God on us. We can only be saved from our sins and the wrath to come by Christ alone. Through his death on the cross and resurrection Christ paid the penalty for the sins of his people and was victorious over sin and death. A person must repent of his sins and place his faith in Christ alone. One must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Liberals, Progressives, Secularists, And Socialists
Liberals, progressives, secularists, and socialists are now in control of American society and culture. They control the government, the news media, the education system, and pop culture. Their great enemies are capitalism, traditional America, and Biblical Christianity.
Big government has become entrenched and socialism in now being embraced by many in our society. Government is now involved in retirement, health care, welfare, and many other things. Government elites know best and they think they should have our money to redistribute as they see fit. Because you see your money actually belongs to the government (apparently the worker does not deserve his wages). The ultimate goal of progressives is to replace capitalism with socialism. But capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than socialism ever will.
Secularists seek to eliminate the Biblical foundation of our country as well. They want to get rid of the Christian influence in our country and replace it with secular values. Currently there is a major push for the acceptance and normalization of homosexuality. They seek to redefine marriage as no longer just between one man and one woman. But where does the redefinition stop? If marriage is not defined by God and is just defined by people then things such as polygamy would also have to be allowed. Seeing our society come to this point shows us how morally insane we have become.
Secular liberals obviously control pop culture. Just watch movies, television, or listen to popular music and it will be apparent to you. Immorality, profanity, violence, and rebellion against God are promoted by the pop culture. Also it tends to focus on the foolish and the trivial instead of the serious and meaningful.
Secular liberals also control the news media and education. There you will find Christianity and conservatism presented as foolish and extreme. While secularism and liberalism are promoted and seen as rational and normal.
But secularism and socialism will lead our country to destruction. It will eventually collapse because we have set ourselves against God and that leads to his judgement. Christians must stand for Biblical truth and freedom and hope our country repents and turns to God.
Big government has become entrenched and socialism in now being embraced by many in our society. Government is now involved in retirement, health care, welfare, and many other things. Government elites know best and they think they should have our money to redistribute as they see fit. Because you see your money actually belongs to the government (apparently the worker does not deserve his wages). The ultimate goal of progressives is to replace capitalism with socialism. But capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than socialism ever will.
Secularists seek to eliminate the Biblical foundation of our country as well. They want to get rid of the Christian influence in our country and replace it with secular values. Currently there is a major push for the acceptance and normalization of homosexuality. They seek to redefine marriage as no longer just between one man and one woman. But where does the redefinition stop? If marriage is not defined by God and is just defined by people then things such as polygamy would also have to be allowed. Seeing our society come to this point shows us how morally insane we have become.
Secular liberals obviously control pop culture. Just watch movies, television, or listen to popular music and it will be apparent to you. Immorality, profanity, violence, and rebellion against God are promoted by the pop culture. Also it tends to focus on the foolish and the trivial instead of the serious and meaningful.
Secular liberals also control the news media and education. There you will find Christianity and conservatism presented as foolish and extreme. While secularism and liberalism are promoted and seen as rational and normal.
But secularism and socialism will lead our country to destruction. It will eventually collapse because we have set ourselves against God and that leads to his judgement. Christians must stand for Biblical truth and freedom and hope our country repents and turns to God.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Atheism And Morality
Atheism has become popular and cool in our modern society. But does it have any basis for morality? In atheism there is no outside standard or greater authority than ourselves. Everything becomes simply a matter of opinion and moral relativism takes hold in society. We here, who are you to judge whenever anyone says something is right or wrong. No one can make a truth claim because there is ultimately no truth. In atheism each individual tries to become his own god (it is kind of ironic).
But most atheist do live with some kind of moral standards. When the atheist lives with a set of moral standards he is being inconsistent. An atheist also has no basis for love or human dignity. If humans are not created in the image of God then there is no basis for humans to be valued or loved. In order to have moral standards the atheist must borrow from a Biblical worldview and live inconsistently.
The atheist also has the problem of evil. He cannot explain evil and he has no basis to categorize good and evil. Atheism cannot consistently say that anything is wrong. To be consistent it would have to remain neutral on things such as murder. The atheist has no consistent way to stand against anything. Once again the atheist must borrow from a Biblical worldview.
So why do some people choose atheism? It is because they do not want to submit to God. They do not like his authority and morality imposed on them. They want to be their own god and do whatever they want.
Are there any true atheists? I think all people actually have a sense of the divine down deep inside. They suppress the truth because of unrighteousness. It is actually because of God's moral standards that they embrace atheism. There is undeniable evidence for the existence of God in creation itself. People are without excuse in denying God because it should be plain to everyone.
Is it reasonable to believe that creation just happened? Could something just come from nothing? Could complex humans just appear and evolve with no Creator or intelligent design? No, it is only reasonable to believe that God exists and that he created us.
But most atheist do live with some kind of moral standards. When the atheist lives with a set of moral standards he is being inconsistent. An atheist also has no basis for love or human dignity. If humans are not created in the image of God then there is no basis for humans to be valued or loved. In order to have moral standards the atheist must borrow from a Biblical worldview and live inconsistently.
The atheist also has the problem of evil. He cannot explain evil and he has no basis to categorize good and evil. Atheism cannot consistently say that anything is wrong. To be consistent it would have to remain neutral on things such as murder. The atheist has no consistent way to stand against anything. Once again the atheist must borrow from a Biblical worldview.
So why do some people choose atheism? It is because they do not want to submit to God. They do not like his authority and morality imposed on them. They want to be their own god and do whatever they want.
Are there any true atheists? I think all people actually have a sense of the divine down deep inside. They suppress the truth because of unrighteousness. It is actually because of God's moral standards that they embrace atheism. There is undeniable evidence for the existence of God in creation itself. People are without excuse in denying God because it should be plain to everyone.
Is it reasonable to believe that creation just happened? Could something just come from nothing? Could complex humans just appear and evolve with no Creator or intelligent design? No, it is only reasonable to believe that God exists and that he created us.
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