When Did the Church Start?

When Did the Church Start?
David J. Stewart

Eleven Reasons Why Jesus’ Church Was in Existence Prior to The Day of PentecostSome Scriptural reasons why the Church was not established on the day of Pentecost, but rather, began with the first family back in Genesis:

1. It had a rule of discipline before Pentecost (Matthew 18:17).
2. We read that Jesus sang in the Church (Hebrews 2:12). The only time that Jesus ever sang, so far as we have any record of it, was at the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:26). This was before Pentecost.
3. They had a business meeting before the day of Pentecost and elected a successor to take the place of Judas (Acts 1:15-26).
4. The Apostles were in the Church before the day of Pentecost (1st Corinthians 12:28). The first ones who were put in the Church were the Apostles, and this was at least three years before the day of Pentecost.
5. The Church had its commission to preach before Pentecost (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).
6. The Church had its authority to baptize before Pentecost (John 4:2).
7. The Church had the Lord’s Supper before Pentecost (Matthew 26:30).
8. The keys of the Kingdom were given to it before Pentecost (Matthew 16:19).
9. It had a church roll before Pentecost with names on the roll (Acts 1:15).
10. To this church there were about 3,000 “added” on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:42). If I were to tell you I was going to “add” $200 to my bank account, this would imply that I already have a bank account to begin with. In view of the fact that 3,000 were “added” to the Church on the day of Pentecost, then we are led to believe that the Church was in existence before Pentecost.
11. And perhaps the strongest evidence of all that the Church DIDN’T begin on Pentecost is found in Acts 7:37,38 where we read about the “church in the wilderness” in the Old Testament…
    

    “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.”

Let any other man who believes that the Church was founded on the day of Pentecost, answer these eleven reasons. Until such an answer is forthcoming, accept only the Word of God, and not the words of men.

Certainly, the debate over “when” the Church started is not a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. Many good preachers, such as Oliver B. Greene and M.R. DeHann believe that the Church began on the Day of Pentecost. I disagree. I personally agree with Pastor Jack Hyles that the Church began back in Genesis with the first Christian family. The local church today is a surrogate family. In the Old Testament, the eldest in the family was the spiritual leader, who provided guidance for the rest of the family. Due to urbanization and the migration of the family, churches became a necessity to provide a surrogate family. Howbeit, the Church has been around for thousands of years, going back at least 4,000 years to the “church in the wilderness”. The Church could not have begun on the Day of Pentecost.

Is God Male or Female?

Is God Male or Female?

In examining Scripture, two facts become clear: First, that God is a Spirit, and does not possess human characteristics or limitations; second, that all the evidence contained in Scripture agrees that God revealed Himself to mankind in a male form. First of all, God’s true nature needs to be understood. God is a person, obviously, because God exhibits all the characteristics of personhood: God has a mind, a will, an intellect, and emotions. God communicates, has relationships, and God’s personal actions are evidenced throughout Scripture.

As John 4:24 states, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, God does not possess physical, human characteristics; however, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to mankind, a physical being. Since man is a physical being, man is limited in his understanding of those things beyond the physical realm, and anthropomorphism in Scripture helps man to understand who God is.

Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that man is created in God’s image.  Genesis 1:26-27 says “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

What this means, is that both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect, emotions, and moral capacity.  Animals do not possess a moral capacity, and do not possess an immaterial component like mankind does.  Genesis tells us that when man was created by God, God breathed the “breath of life” into man.  No other creation is described this way, and that “breath of life” is the spiritual component that man alone possesses.  God created man to have a relationship with Him; man is the only creation designed for that purpose, and that “breath of life” is evidence of that.

That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not tiny “carbon copies” of God, and the fact that there are men and women does not require that God have male and female features, or that God be a woman.  Remember, being made in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics.

We know that God is a spiritual being, and does not possess physical characteristics.  This does not limit however, how God may choose to reveal Himself to mankind.  Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to man about Himself, and so is the only really objective source of information about God.  In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to mankind:

To begin with, Scripture contains almost 170 references to God as the “Father.”  By necessity, one cannot be a father unless he is male.  If what was meant to be communicated was that God chose to be revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in these places, not “father.”  In the Old and New Testament both, masculine pronouns are used over and over again in reference to God.

Deuteronomy 34:10 has this to say about Moses, who wrote the first five books of Scripture, the Pentateuch: “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”  This verse describes how close Moses’ relationship with God was.  Since Moses walked so closely with God, we can be assured that Moses has probably recorded the nature of God and the means by which He revealed Himself to Moses accurately.  Moses referred to God with masculine pronouns and with masculine titles in all of his writings.

Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times, and in other cases used masculine pronouns in reference to God.  In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times.  Of particular interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30.  He says here, “I and [my] Father are one.”  Obviously Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world, and like God the Father, was revealed to mankind in a male form.  Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.

The New Testament Epistles (From Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900 verses where the word “theos”—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct reference to God.  In most cases, this is rendered “God” in English versions.

In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of Him being referred to with masculine titles, nouns and pronouns.  While God is not a man, but is a Spirit, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to mankind.  Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns and pronouns took a male form while He walked on the earth.  The prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles.  God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who God is.  To assert that God chose a female form to be revealed to man is not consistent with the pattern established by Scripture.  Again, had God chosen a feminine form, there would be more evidence in Scripture of that.  That evidence simply does not exist.  While God makes allowances in order to help mankind understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to the nature of who He is.

SOURCE

Salvation is of the Lord

Salvation is of the Lord

By David J. Stewart

“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly… Salvation is of the LORD.” —Jonah 2:9

I was reading the Old Testament Book of Jonah the other day and stumbled across a truth that I never saw before. We often hear the Biblical story about Jonah and the Whale; but I’ve never heard anyone address the prayer which Jonah cried out from the whale’s belly.

Some critics of the King James Bible has quarreled over the word “whale” in the Bible. Matthew 12:40 in the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New International Version (NIV) errantly change “whale” to “fish”. The Greek word used in Matthew 12:40 is ketos. The scientific study of whales just happens to be – CETOLOGY – from the Greek ketos for whale and logos for study! The scientific name for whales just happens to be – CETACEANS – from the Greek ketos for whale! So “whale” is the correct translation, which the King James translators faithfully preserved.

Jonah’s Desperate Prayer from the Whale’s Belly

Here is what Jonah prayed to God from the inside of the whale’s belly:

“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” —Jonah 2:1-10

Jonah said something remarkable in his prayer to God. Jonah stated that people who trust in “lying vanities” for their salvation literally “forsake their own mercy”. That is to say, they forfeit the free gift of eternal life which God in His loving mercy has made available to all mankind through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. This would be equivalent to the Apostle Paul’s statement in Galatians 5:4 “Ye are fallen from grace.” There is ONLY one way to Heaven and that is through the precious redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18,19). Anyone who tries to merit Heaven some “other way” has fallen from the saving grace of God, and has forsaken the mercy which God has bestowed upon them through the gift of eternal life found only in Christ Jesus (Acts 4:10-12; John 10:1,9).

God’s Merciful Gift of Eternal Life Versus the Lying Vanities of a False Gospel

As I read Jonah’s plea to God, I couldn’t help but immediately think of all the religious people in the world today who trust in “lying vanities” to get them to Heaven. They have forsaken the very mercy that God has bestowed upon them through His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the wrath of God abideth upon them (John 3:36).

Jonah knew that “SALVATION IS OF THE LORD” and pondered over it in the whale’s belly. I find it very interesting that Jonah was thinking about the merciful gift of God, and of those who trust in “lying vanities” which lead to Hellfire. You see, when Jonah was fleeing from God he was only thinking about himself; but now that Jonah is in woe and desperation, he is thinking about what is important to God—SOULWINNING!!! I believe Jonah was thinking about the unsaved inhabitants of Nineveh (where God had told him to go preach the Gospel). Jonah promised God to obey His will if his life was spared. God caused the whale to spew Jonah forth on dry ground. Interestingly, Jonah made a 3-day journey in just ONE DAY. Jonah ran all the way to Nineveh after God delivered him from being entangled in weeds in the whale’s belly in the depths of the sea. That’s quite a testimony.

Many religious people today have a false sense of peace, like the calm in the eye of a hurricane, because they’ve been lied to by some unholy priest or arrogant minister. Death and destruction await them after the calm is gone, i.e., when they enter into eternity in their sins without the Lord. The most dangerous thing you’ll ever do it trust what men say. You’d better do what Jesus commanded in John 5:39 “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!” You’ll never go wrong listening to the Word of God.

The Bible is filled with warnings about listening to people:

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” —Psalm 118:8

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” —Proverb 16:25

“Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” —Jeremiah 7:8

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” —Jeremiah 17:5

“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” —Romans 3:4

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” —Matthew 15:8,9

Jonah knew that SALVATION IS OF THE LORD, and that those who trust in “lying vanities” are traveling on a highway to Hell. Phooey on what El Papa over in Rome says. Phooey on what your priest says (who’s saturated with sins himself). Phooey on that Lutheran minister who arrogantly and falsely claims to have power to forgive your sins—NO HE DOESN’T. The only One Who can forgive anyone’s sins has nail-scared hands and feet—Jesus Christ. Believe on Him!!!

What Will It Take?

Jonah was your typical person who forgets about God until tragedy strikes. It’s sad, but true, that most of us don’t think about what pleases God until we’re in the back of an ambulance or in a dangerous situation. Whereas Jonah was stubbornly fleeing from the will of God before; now he is in the morbid belly of a whale facing imminent death, crying out in repentance for God to deliver him. Whereas Jonah wasn’t concerned about fulfilling the will of God just days earlier; now he is desperately desiring to do God’s will and preach the Gospel to lost sinners who trust in “lying vanities.”

What will it take for us to surrender our lives to do God’s will? Why does God always have to send a whale to devour us, fiery serpents to bite us (Numbers 21:6), an evil spirit to afflict us (1st Samuel 16:14) or a thorn in the flesh to humble us (2nd Corinthians 12:7). Mankind is sinfully proud and stubborn. Deuteronomy 6:12 warns, “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” It is so easy to become ungrateful for all the wonderful things that God has done for us. So often as believers we forget about the very God Who brought us forth out of darkness (bondage to sin) and gave to us new life in Jesus Christ.

Trust Upon the Lord Jesus Christ and Simply Say, “Thank You.”

Jonah said that he would sacrifice unto the Lord with “a voice of thanksgiving.” Mankind has no part in salvation other than to receive it through faith in Christ Jesus and say, “Thank you.” Salvation is receiving; not giving. We have zero righteousness of our own. Even our own self-perceived goodness is “filthy rags” in the sight of Almighty God (Isaiah 64:6). The very reason why God sent His Son to pay the price at Calvary for our sins is because we cannot save ourselves. If there are any sins at all on our eternal record, no amount of good can expunge them. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse our sins away forever (1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; 7:14).

Jonah had a spirit of thanksgiving because he knew that salvation is based upon GOD’S MERCY and not upon man’s own self-righteousness or any other “lying vanities.” Salvation is of the Lord Jesus Christ. We just receive it and say, “Thank you.”

Another Gospel?

ANOTHER GOSPEL?

By Dr. Harry A. Ironside

HERE is only one Gospel, only one true message of good news from heaven. But there are many substitutes offered in place of the Gospel. It was so in the beginning. It is so now. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians:

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians1:6-9)

THESE are intensely solemn words. They come bubbling up from the steaming heart of the indignant apostle in righteous wrath as he learns of pretentious carnal legalists deliberately seeking to mislead eternally-bound souls with a false message which could only, like a will-o-the-wisp, lead to ruin and destruction at last. He would have us know it is a fearfully wicked thing to trifle with the sacred heaven – sent message that has come to a needy world declaring the grace of God to poor lost sinners.

WHAT then is this Gospel of which the apostle was so jealous? He tells us plainly in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4,

“… I declare unto you the gospel… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Note carefully: The Gospel is God’s wonderful story of His beloved Son. It is a message of grace to be received in faith. It is not a code of laws to be obeyed or good advice to be followed. It is not a system of ritual observances or a call to submit to certain ordinances. It does not set forth the claims of any human church organization, however venerable, nor does it exhort men to seek after experiences, however remarkable, though a blessed experience follows its acceptance. It simply sets forth Christ crucified and risen as the Savior of all who believe in Him.

WHEN THE MORMON elder comes declaring that an angel revealed a gospel of salvation through a restored church and renewed ordinances, he is preaching another gospel, and angel and man are alike under the curse.

WHEN THE LEGALIST comes insisting that salvation is by obedience to God’s holy law (which in itself is just and good), he is preaching another gospel, for the Word of God declares, “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight.”

WHEN THE REVIVALIST comes promising salvation to those “who make a full surrender” of all that they have to God, and who “pay the price of full salvation,” he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary’s cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender, when He yielded Himself unto death for us that we might be redeemed from the curse of the broken law and forever saved from the judgment to come upon all who refuse His grace.

WHEN THE MODERNIST prates in glowing terms and honeyed phrases of salvation by character, salvation by altruism, salvation by ethical culture, he, too is proclaiming another gospel, for if character could have saved, Christ need not have died; if altruism would have fitted sinful men for heaven, the Lord Jesus would surely have told us so; if ethical culture could deliver from the wrath of God, what place would Gethsemane, Calvary and the Empty Tomb have in the Divine economy?

WHEN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST (falsely so-called) denies the reality of sin, disease and death and lulls sinners to sleep by telling them that “God is all and all is God,” even going so far as to declare the death of Christ was unreal, and His resurrection simply spiritual, and that the blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sins when shed upon the accursed tree than when it was flowing in His veins, he, or she, is promulgating another gospel, which is not another, for it is a baseless dream, a weird and blasphemous “error of mortal mind” that will leave its votaries at last without God and without hope.

THE SOLEMN FACT IS THERE IS NO OTHER GOSPEL. Every pretended substitute is but a Satan-devised delusion meant to turn men away from the strait gate which alone leads into the narrow way, and make them contented as they crowd down the clear side of the broad way to eternal perdition.

BEFORE there can really be another gospel there must be another savior and another Holy Spirit, and this can never be. Nor is any other gospel needed, for the grand old Gospel of the grace of God is all-sufficient to save “whosoever will,” and has demonstrated its power throughout the centuries by transforming lost miserable sinners into happy joyous saints. Paul says,

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith” (Romans 1:16,17).

THE Gospel needs only to be preached in the power of the Holy Spirit to hold its own against every imitation and substitute that the mind of the natural man energized by Satan can devise. Like the Bible itself it is divinely inspired and, therefore, preeminently fitted for the needs of mankind. It convinces the mind and satisfies the heart, if men but take the place of repentant sinners and accept it by faith. It is the dynamic of God unto the deliverance of all who believe it. To refuse it is to be lost. To receive its message is to be saved.

IT reveals the righteousness of God, making known how He “can be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.” Satan’s false gospels all pretend to show how man can establish his own righteousness. The Gospel of Christ comes to unrighteous men and tells them of a righteousness that is divine which is imputed to all who believe.

ANOTHER gospel, whatever its outward form, will always be found to center in something that man can be or do in order to obtain merit. The Gospel of God declares what Christ has done in order that the salvation purchased may be justly offered to sinners.

ANOTHER gospel presupposes some strength, some ability to please God, in the natural man. God’s Gospel declares that when “we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

ANOTHER gospel will land you in hell! God’s Gospel, believed, will bring you safe to heaven.

TURNING from every false hope, I beseech my unsaved reader to rest in what Scripture declares concerning Christ, and thus be able to sing in faith:

“Upon a life I did not live, Upon a death I did not die, Another’s life, Another’s death I hang my whole eternity. None will ever be confounded who put their trust in Him.”

***Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951), a godly Fundamentalist author and teacher for many years, served as pastor of Chicago’s Moody Memorial Church from 1930-1948.***

Should Christians Support Abusive Government? – What Does Acts 23:1-5 Mean?

Should Christians Support Abusive Government? – What Does Acts 23:1-5 Mean?

Compiled by David J. Stewart

Many Bible scholars and pastors ignorantly use Acts 23:1-5 in an attempt to teach that Christians ought to obey even abusive government; but nothing could be further from the truth.

“And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.”

The following is a lengthy, but thorough exegesis of Acts 23:1-5 by Carson C. Day, and is the best I’ve read.

Most Christians have read Romans 13, which commands obedience by all to the authority of the state. But it leaves them wondering just how we are supposed to relate to it in this or that situation, since no state, and no minister of any state is perfect. Many are given to abuses, and even when they do carry out the law as the law dictates, since no legal code but one is perfect (the Law of the Lord), this leaves many injustices committed.

Particularly, here Christians need to know that Romans does not require absolute obedience to any authority except to that of the Lord Jesus directly — the Word of God. The Bible is replete with examples of Christians who disobey the state faithfully, as with the case of Daniel, who refused to stop praying to God, and with his three friends who would not bow to the state idols. Christians to whom the apostles wrote in fact died by the thousands for their unwillingness to burn a pinch of incense to Caesar and swear, “Caesar is Lord.” Instead, they made their public baptism formula a direct insult to this requirement, commanding all novices to violate this precept, uttering instead, “Jesus is Lord.”

Given that that canon of Scripture qualifies its claims found in any part, how then are Christians supposed to relate to their authorities? In this article, I will consider only one small part of an answer to this question, having given a broad overview, and then I will move on to dispel a common misunderstanding regarding the command, “Do not speak evil against the ruler of your people.”

First, Christians must disobey the state when it commands them to do what God forbids (e.g. bow to our idols or else).

Second, Christians must not do what the Bible forbids but the state allows (e.g. abortion).

Third, Christians must disobey the state when it forbids them to do what God commands them (e.g. Do not pray to God; do not preach the gospel. Hate crime legislation in effect forbids the preaching of the Gospel, and thus violates the right to freedom of religion in the first amendment. Ministers should preach the law of God and Gospel — and Christians must always speak the relevant truth in society from the Word — without fear of any man.

Fourth, Romans 13 treats in effect only the executive branch of government, speaking in particular of the “minister” (KJV) or in Greek “Deacon” of the state. The law of this land has built-in protections against tyranny which the Bible invites Christians to use to protect themselves from abuse. Paul did this when he was unjustly whipped by civil magistrates who did not bother to find out in advance whether Paul was a Roman citizen or not. He used Roman law to compel the magistrates to do their duty to make up (publicly) for the injustice by escorting them in broad daylight safely out of the city.

The other two branches of government allow for the use of authority — which is ALSO given by God — to all U.S. citizens to leverage against abuses for the cause of justice — the redress of just grievances. This means you can sue those who take advantage of you or your situation unlawfully. You can make petitions to courts, start referenda to have incompetent or corrupt officials removed and the like. You can also file complaints, make phone calls to higher-ups, and find out what your rights are online even.

In other words, In the U.S.A. citizens have rights (authority) too, not just civil magistrates — though they have more rights in the commission of their duties than the average citizen does. They have to in order to do their jobs without undue interference. Criminals cut corners on rights (which is what makes them criminals), so the police, for instance, have to have greater leverage against them to cause them to “cease and desist” their criminal behaviors.

But onto the topic of specific speech-acts, one of which the Bible plainly forbids. We find this topic raised by an incident with the apostle Paul in Acts 23: 1-6, which reads:

“And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not [Did not know], brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

This often misunderstood passage — and very badly handled — has many good exegetical cues built into it for our edification and admonition.

First, we need to know precisely what Paul said that caused him to repent of what he had said just prior. Then we will look for immediate synonyms and parallels in the local context. Third, we will look briefly at the source being cited here from the Older Testament to make the case for the proper NT interpretation of the sense and proper application of this commandment.

First, we have Paul’s saying after being striken — punched — at the command of the high priest. He says, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?”

The first part of this utterance is that which brought the infraction challenged by those standing near the high priest (likely the temple body guards appointed to his specific protection). For the Temple had its own guard (a small armed force), not appointed by the Romans.

“God shall smite thee [in like manner],” — the implication of what He has said amounts to invoking a curse upon the chief ecclesiastical authorities within his nation. Notice that Paul understood that God adminsters justice in reciprocal fashion — Lex talionis. Well had Paul studied the law of the Lord under Gamaliel.

Second, we note synonym for Paul’s action used by his detractors, “Do you REVILE God’s high priest?” Third, Paul had acted in ignorance, meaning that the high priest was not wearing his formal vestments, and the time of the incident was not near the time of sacrifice. This was not required of the high priest — or chief priests since there were by the time of the apostles more than one. This came about at the time of John Hyrcanus in the second century B.C., but bears little on our present study meriting more than simple notation.

So we have the example of speech “God will smite you [also]” — (a curse in the Name of God)

We have the verb “revile” used as a synonym for the curse, and we have the citiation “Do not speak evil against the ruler of your people” from the first testament. This shows clearly that Paul does not forbid simply criticism or any kind of speech whatsoever that may been seen to detract from the honor of the office. That is not the point. The point was VIOLENCE, first of the fist, and then of Paul’s retaliatory VERBAL violence, the invoking of a curse with God’s title (which is included in the biblical sense of God’s Name or reputation).

Repeatedly the Proverbs speak of wicked men saying, “Violence covers their lips,” or “their mouths feed on violence.” These expressions refer specifically to CURSING others in the Name of God, with the attending hope that God will in fact bring about the curse from their lips, since they themselves may not be strong enough or in the right position to do it with their own fists.

Cursing is verbal violence, invoked in God’s Name in the hope that the Lord will honor the curse. This does not mean it is always inappropriate, just that it is covenantally specific, and highly regulated in the Bible. Now the fact of Paul’s curse is not questioned even by Paul; only the object of the curse is in question, and whether the invoked curse was proper. Paul, upon learning his error, retracts it, and reproves himself from the law.

But what of the verse he cited? Exodus 22:28 reads,

“Thou shalt not revile the gods, *nor curse* the ruler of thy people.”

Here, “gods” [elohim] simply means “judges.”  The point is that the judge must be free from pressure of any kind to impose the sanctions specified in the law of God without fear of retribution or intimidation, lest he pervert the law and justice. Thus, no man is allowed to retaliate against the judge for issuing a judgment with which he disagrees. This does not mean that no appellate courts existed in Israel. They did. But the man was not free himself, apart from due process of biblical law (taken as a whole), to retaliate against the judge issuing an unfavorable judgment, whether by physical or verbal violence (cursing or reviling).

This has nothing to do with criticizing a nation’s foreign policy, or voicing one’s dissent let us say from Clinton’s known adulterous relationship in the Whitehouse. That is not the imposition of a curse, but the repeating of public information one may (and should) strongly disapprove of.

The U.S. Constitution itself provides for free speech so that citizens may issue in public speech, or else in writing, their grievances against the abuses of power in government. The Bible does not dispute this right, but it does add qualifications, such as gracious speech and taking care not to incite insurrection by what one says — using speech to arouse violence or incite crimes.

By noting the original source of Paul’s quote, and the parallels in its immediate context, we may conclude with confidence that the saints do have the right and duty to speak out against abuses in places of power, so long as they do so carefully and “seasoned with salt, so that they may know how to answer everyone.”

Those ordained as ministers of the gospel have a special duty to resist wickedness, providing something of a system of checks and balances between church and state. But the relationship between these two specified in the Word is another post — or series of them — altogether.

Speaking violence against a ruler is simply not permitted. Even Paul reproved himself for ignorantly invoking such against one of the chiefest of judges among his people, even when that judge has plainly abused his power. I have no doubt, however, that Paul was right, since striking an apostle was likewise an extraordinary offense which the high priest committed without repentance (unlike Paul). This is not something you want on your resume.

“Had one of Jesus’ — the Judge of all men – favorite people struck on the mouth”

This was an extremely bad idea, to put it mildly. Nevertheless, Paul conducted himself within the limits of his office to the best of his knowledge. And obeyed the law of Exodus in the New Testament period — insert theonomy sermon here — even when reproved by the wicked properly citing it against him. Paul was a humble man.

This was not one of the ten commandments, but a case law, or ordinance in Israel, whose authority continued into the Newer Testament simply because there was no retraction of it stated or implied in the Newer. Paul was clearly a Theonomist in modern terms. Apart from this hermeneutic – and Theonomy provides both a hermeneutic as well as an objective moral standard — one cannot make sense of Paul’s actions here. For when he spoke of food and dietary laws, he freely urged that one can eat what he likes, for his freedom in the Lord. Not so with Exodus 22:28 and many other laws which continue for the single reason that they were nowhere countermanded later.

For the Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. This does not mean, only a small part, but the whole, of the law of the Lord, since no qualification attends the affirmation. This is what the judges are to impose in pronouncing sentence. Any other standard would necessarily be unjust, since God has but one standard of justice.

SOURCE: Christians and The State – Do Not Speak Evil Against The Ruler of Your People

NOTE: Mr. Day is a Presbyterian. I do not agree with The Westminster Confession that Mr. Day adheres to, but I do believe he is 100% accurate in his exegesis of Acts 23:1-5.

It is clear that Paul’s preaching of the Gospel was making people angry, which is what got him into trouble in the first place. We read in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Paul quickly realized his mistake of threatening violence against the high priest; but there certainly was nothing wrong with Paul’s argument that his “rights” were being violated as a Roman citizen. In Acts 22:25, Paul stood up for his “rights” as a Roman citizen, questioning why he was being punished without due process of law. In Acts 22:28, Paul affirms his right to freedom by birth as a Roman citizen. The Apostle Paul knew his legal rights, and you can rest assure that if Paul lived in the United States today that he would fully know and defend his Constitutional rights. Many average Christians today cannot explain their First Amendment rights even if their lives depended on it.

Conclusion

It is unbiblical for any so-called “Bible scholar” to teach blind submission to abusive government. As believers, we ought to take an uncompromising stand against evil, waste and corruption in government (Psalm 94:16). Thank God for Christian leaders like Dr. John R. Rice who understood this:

“So, as an honest Bible preacher, obeying the plain commands of God, I must speak out against corruption and immorality. Waste, corruption, the taking away of men’s freedom and the seizing of men’s property, these sins every honest preacher must condemn and every honest Christian must disavow.”

SOURCE: Dr. Rice… Here Are More Questions; Question: Should politics and religion be mixed?; by Dr. John R. Rice, pg. 249, Sword of the Lord Publishers; 1973, ISBN: 0-87398-157-X

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights don’t give us our rights; but rather, simply outline our God-given rights. Yet, these “legal” documents ought to be precious to every U.S. citizen who enjoys and cherishes their freedom. The Bible does not prohibit Christians from exposing evils working within our government; such as: criminal leaders, the theft of trillions-of-dollars of taxpayer money, blatant crimes being committed by The White House, treasonous acts of betrayal against America’s citizens (such as the open Mexican border and the outsourcing of America’s jobs), warmongering,…etc. America today is headed for the dust. The American people are to blame, because of their tolerance of wickedness and love for sin.

Christian Separation

Christian Separation

by David J. Stewart

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” -James 4:4

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” -2nd Corinthians 6:17

The Bible is NOT vague on the matter of separation from the world. God’s children are commanded in the Bible to be SEPARATED from the world (i.e. the sinful, wicked world). In what way should we be separated from the world?

1. We are to be separated in our beliefs. The heathens have their own system of beliefs. As believers, we should meditate in the Bible day and night as David did in Psalm 1:2. We must not fall into the foolish sayings, beliefs, and inferior values of the godless world. Such statements as “Only the strong survive” or “You deserve a break today” or “If it feels good, do it!” surely are not based upon the Bible, but rather humanism. We all deserve to burn in hell, nothing better. We are to rely upon the Lord’s strength and not our own. The Apostle Paul said he was strong when he was weak, because his weakness caused him to rely upon God more. We must obey the Bible, whether it feels good or not. We must constantly be on guard against adopting worldly quotes and reasoning into our mind. Since we have a tendency to repeat what we hear, we must analyze everything we hear using the Bible as our measuring stick. Carnal thinking is completely backwards from the Bible. As Christians, we need to seek the truth, asking God’s Holy Spirit to guide us.

2. We are to be separated in our lifestyles. We should not go to the taverns, nightclubs, and other heathen establishments. No Christian should ever spend a dime at Disney World, most of their movies are no better than Hollywood’s garbage. We should not support anything produced by the godless world (including rock music, country music, rap music, sensual videos,…etc). We are surrounded by Satan. Television is nothing but hellivision, I rarely watch TV except some news here and there. It makes me angry that the devil is trying to corrupt my mind and Christian walk through the TV. The remedy is to avoid watching TV as much as you can. I really hate the television. The technology itself is not sinful, but the way mankind uses it certainly is. Technology simply allows mankind to go further down the road he is already traveling on, and it’s the road to hell. Here’s a song that my pastor taught us to sing.

(Sang to the tune of, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

Oh be careful little feet where you go,

Oh be careful little feet where you go,

For the Father up above is looking down in love,

Oh be careful little feet where you go.

Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

For the Father up above is looking down in love,

Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

For the Father up above is looking down in love,

Oh be careful little ears what you hear.

And so on…

3. We are to separated in our fellowship. Christians should have little dealings with homosexuals other than ministering the gospel to them. We should never be unkind or mean to anyone, rather we should always be loving and kind. The Bible commands us to be blameless and harmless as believers, not rendering evil for evil.

“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” -Philippians 2:15

We should be wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves. The Apostle Paul warns us about making friends with covetous and scornful people (1st Corinthians 5:11). We are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers or heathen believers (2nd Corinthians 6:14). Christians should associate with other God-fearing believers who are living an upright life for Jesus. No Christian should ever become a Freemason which is a Satanic organization. Christians must decline invitations to join non-Christian groups which will draw us away from the Lord and holy living. The church is the organization which Jesus founded, so let’s support our local New Testament churches. Promise Keepers is a heathen organization, Catholic friendly (ecumenical), and draws much money away from the churches. No surrogate organization can replace the church. Jesus may have been a Friend of sinners, but He certainly was not a companion of those living in sin. Jesus ministered to the people and talked with them openly; whereas the religious Pharisees looked down upon them, refusing to even associate with them.

4. We are to be separated in our conversation. From listening to many professed Christians, you’d never know that they were a Christian. I have always been saddened in the workplace when I hear a professed “Christian” take God’s name in vain (or anyone for that matter). I used to work for a boss who claimed to be a Christian. I heard him curse loudly in God’s name one day in the main office in front of everyone. I am not judging him at all for we are all sinners. My point is that we are the only Jesus that someone may know. If we are worldly, others may miss heaven because of our tarnished testimony. We should be very careful about what we say. God tells us to “season” our words with grace (i.e. look for opportunities to include God in our conversations). Sadly, many people look for opportunities to make sexual innuendos because their mind is continually in the gutter. This should not be the testimony of a child of God. If nothing else is needed to say, keep your mouth shut.

5. We are to be separated from the world in marriage. If you marry an unsaved person, then you will have the devil for a father-in-law. God forbids us from marrying an unsaved person. We should also be careful about the type of person we marry, even if they do profess to be a Christian. Listen carefully friend, love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. Be careful who you marry, make sure that you truly love that person. Would you be willingly to escort that person around in a wheel-chair for the rest of your life if their health fails? Only true love would answer “yes”.

6. We are to be separated from the world in music. The same boss I mentioned above came strutting in the door one day at work, listening to some heathen “Christian” rock. He asked me to listen to it. It certainly didn’t sound very Christian. The average believer is very immature in the Lord. I can sadly say that I have only met a small handful of truly mature Christians in my life. Listen folks, there ain’t no such thing as “Christian” rock. All “rock” is straight from hell. Any music that makes people want to sin is evil. Country music and divorce go hand-in-hand. Do you know what you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your job back, your wife back, your home back, your truck back, your dog back,…etc.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” -James 4:4

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” -2nd Corinthians 6:17

You Mean I Can Get Saved and Live Anyway I Want?

You Mean I Can Get Saved and Live Anyway I Want?

By David J. Stewart

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” —Romans 4:5,6

Yes, that’s biblically correct! A man recently wrote to me, expressing his frustrations over my teaching that a person can be saved without works. He sarcastically asked: “Do you mean to tell me I can get saved and live anyway I want? I can murder, steal, commit adultery?” I wrote back and told him: “Yes!” Get mad at me if you want, this is what the Bible teaches. Romans 4:6 plainly states that salvation is WITHOUT WORKS! If a person has to stop sinning to be saved, then that is self-righteousness! Romans 10:3,4 condemns a man trying to establish his own righteousness “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Now before you get all bent-out-of-shape, let me say that God will hold every believer accountable for the good AND THE BAD done in life “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2nd Corinthians 5:10). The very fact that the Scriptures make this statement is PROOF that believers can and will do BAD things. Every single believer is going to be judged by the Lord (Romans 14:12). So, no believer has a license to sin. Jesus saved us from our sins so we wouldn’t live that way anymore. Pastor Lester Roloff said “Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore.” Brother Roloff didn’t mean that you have to stop committing sin to be saved; he meant that genuine repentance brings forth a changed life. Although a person is not forced to stop committing sin to be saved, God does expect each believer to obey the Bible because they are believers “Be ye holy; for I am holy“ (1st Peter 1:16).

We must never drift away from the simple Gospel truth that salvation is a free gift. Salvation is receiving; NOT giving. Our only part in salvation is to BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive our sins. Jesus came into the world to save sinners “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to save us from the condemnation, penalty and guilt of sin. This is why Jesus Christ came in the flesh—TO SAVE SINNERS! Luke 19:10 states “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Oh, how foolish, when false prophets require lost sinners to forsake their sins to be saved. Salvation is of God; not mankind. You mean I can get saved and still live in sin? Yes, that is 100% correct! You mean I can live just like the unsaved heathens and still go to Heaven? That is exactly right. But you say, that’s utterly ridiculous! No, that’s Bible. A gift, if it’s a genuinely free gift, only requires us to receive it. I recently saw a commercial on TV, where a bank was offering a “free gift” to anyone who opened a new account with them. The truth is that it’s a false advertising. The gift is no gift at all, because it requires you to open a new bank account to get it. A gift must be unconditionally given, with no strings attached, if it is a genuine gift. All we need to do is receive it.

Romans 8:29 tells us that God the Father has predestined each believer to be conformed to the image of his Son. God’s ultimate plan for every believer is for us to be just like Jesus. What a precious promise! Every believer should want to be like Jesus. However, most believers DON’T live like Jesus. This does not mean they are absolutely unsaved. Peter cursed the name of Jesus. Noah got drunk. Samson went with a prostitute. David commit murder and adultery. Solomon build altars for his heathen wives to worship Satan. Those were all genuinely saved believers. I am neither condoning nor encouraging sin, not at all. I am simply saying that the Word of God teaches that Jesus came to save sinners, because we could not save ourselves. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe; because we owed a debt we could not pay. The very notion that we must stop sinning to get saved is impossible, because no one can stop sinning. As long as we are in the flesh, we will sin. At best, all we can do is saturate our minds with the Bible, and pray for God to help us live right in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn’t want to help us live the Christian life—He wants to live the Christian life through us.

In 1st Corinthians 5:1-5 we read about a believer who was entangled in the sin of fornication. The Apostle Paul states concerning the man “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” Although sin often destroys a believer’s health, happiness, and home—the Bible says that his spirit will be saved in the end when the Lord Jesus returns. We read in 1st Corinthians 3:15 “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Some believers will have NO rewards in Heaven. They will have barely escaped the fires of Hell.

The Bible is filled with Christians who committed horrible sins. Anyone who tells you that you have to depart from sin to be saved is a LIAR! Is there a believer who doesn’t sin? No! 1st John 1:10 makes this clear “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We are all dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinners. Thankfully, Jesus came to save us sinners. When we feel like utter failures, and that everything we do is wrong, and that we are hopelessly lost in sin—it is at those times that we must be reminded that Jesus came to save such people “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matthew 9:12).

Yes my friend, you can still be saved and live in horrible sin; but you will answer to God for it, just as we all must give account to God for the good and bad done in the flesh. Salvation is based upon the precious literal blood of Jesus Christ, and not upon man’s self-righteousness. You need HIS righteousness to go to Heaven (Matthew 6:33); not your own.

Questions and Answers Concerning Israel

Questions and Answers Concerning Israel

by David J. Stewart

There is much controversy today concerning the modern nation of Israel and it’s people—the Jews. Sadly, there is much heresy taught today in America’s churches concerning Israel. It is my sincere hope to provide Biblical answers to some of the common questions concerning the chosen nation of Israel. I am not anti-Semitic (i.e. anti-Jew). No Christian can be Anti-Semitic and please the Lord; but I am also not anti-Arab. God loves both races and they all desperately need the Gospel.

What About the Ten Lost Tribes?

There are actually no “lost tribes” of Israel. The truth is that ALL 12 tribes were carried away captive from Jerusalem, including the southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah by Babylon. The other 10 tribes were carried away captive centuries earlier by the Assyrians. The fact of the matter is that many of the individuals from these captive tribes intermarried into the Gentile cultures and lost their pure Israeli heritage. A remnant of Jews from each tribe did return to Israel and they are true Israel today.

There are no “lost tribes” of Israel who migrated to Europe, and maintained their identity and heritage as pure Jews. The Scriptures do not teach any such doctrine.

Is the Sabbath Day Still Valid Today?

No. The Sabbath was a ceremonial law given only to a specific people (the Jews), during a specific time period (the Old Testament), in a specific region (Palestine). The Sabbath was an object lesson for the Jews, picturing the coming Messiah in Whom believers rest for salvation. When men cease from their self-righteous labors, and rest upon the redeeming blood sacrifice of the Son of God, they are saved (1st Peter 1:18,19). Colossians 2:14-17 plainly teach that the Old Testament ceremonial laws are no longer applicable concerning Christians or Jews “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17 — Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the trustworthy King James Bible).

Today we honor the “Lord’s Day” on Sunday, the first day of the week, when Jesus rose from the dead; but this is voluntary and not obligatory. It is grace and not law.

Is the Nation of Israel Today God’s Doing?

No. The Illuminati (via the United Nations) put Israel back on the map as a nation in 1948. The Illuminati is an elite group of occult members, who own the largest banks (e.g. the Rothschilds), and control the world today through The Council On Foreign Relations. Interestingly, the United Nations itself was created by The Council On Foreign Relations. Their admitted goal is a New World Order, i.e. a Global Godless Totalitarian Communist Police State.

The “Star of David” (the national symbol for Israel today) is a demonic symbol not found in the Scriptures. This symbol is seen in star formation above the eagle on back of every U.S. one-dollar bill, showing that America is under the control of elite Illuminati Jews via Freemasonry.

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and WILL RETURN and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.” —Deuteronomy 30:3

Please read that again… WILL RETURN!!! God promised to regather Israel only when HE RETURNS! As difficult as it is for some people to accept, the nation of Israel today was not placed there by God. Certainly, God in His permissive and sovereign will allowed it to happen, but the restoration of Israel to their Promised Land won’t happen until Jesus returns after the 7-year Tribulation Period. Of course, biblically, the Rapture will occur BEFORE the Tribulation Period begins. Zionism, therefore, is a doctrine of the Devil.

The Synagogue of Satan

It is important for believers to understand that there is in the world today—a diabolical group of elite Jews (not the average Jews mind you) who are committed to the destruction of Christianity, freedom and patriotism.

In the New Testament, in His message to the Church at Smyrna, the Lord Jesus Christ referred to a “synagogue of Satan” as “them which say they are Jews, and are not.” In other words, there was a synagogue of Israel that was not Jewish:

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:9-10)

The “Synagogue of Satan” which is the subject of this series must not be confused with the “Remnant” of Jews, who will receive the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming and be saved by Him. The Synagogue of Satan are an occult power elite which, having rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel, conspire to substitute another messiah made in the image of their master, Satan, and to establish a world kingdom under Satan. The Synagogue of Satan claims Jewish descent, but does not fit God’s definition of a Jew, either in the Old Testament or the New: “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:29)

The Synagogue of Satan have contempt, not only for Jesus Christ, His Church and the Gentile masses, but for the Jewish “Remnant” who are Torah-observant and anti-Zionist and are, therefore, awaiting the kingdom of Israel to be restored when the Messiah appears, and not before. As well, the Synagogue of Satan have conspired to eliminate all people, whether Jew or Gentile, who stand in the way of their world kingdom. To this end they have developed a staggering number of fronts, as well as the capacity to create blinds and diversions, to obscure the fact that they are Cabalist Jews with an anti-Christ agenda. Through the centuries, the Synagogue of Satan have, by means of false identities, infiltrated Gentile institutions where they act as agents provocateurs—undercover agents who provoke violence and beget scandals, which are used to bring reproach upon Jesus Christ and His Church.

SOURCE: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT: CATHOLIC OR JEWISH

Satan is the god of this sinful world (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and he operates secretly through occult organizations such as Freemasonry, Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove,…etc. Freemasonry, as with Mormonism and other Satanic cults, are rooted in the demonic Jewish Kabbalah and the sexually-immoral Talmud. This is the synagogue of Satan. Titus 1:14 warns: “Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.“

Who Owns the Land of Palestine Today?

God owns it. God has promised the “future” Land of Palestine to the seed of Abraham (Genesis 13:14-17; 17:6-8), Isaac (Genesis 21:12), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13,14). Of course, Jacob’s name was changed by the Lord to “Israel”. Muslims have no Biblical claim to the land of Palestine today, NOR do the Jews. The Lord did not promise to restore Israel to their land until HE RETURNS. Israel was removed from their land by force in the 8th and 6th centuries B.C., by the Assyrians and Babylonians, respectively. Israel was again removed from their land in A.D. 70 and A.D. 135 by Rome. Consider what Hitler did to the Jews in WWII. Clearly, Israel has not been restored to their homeland yet.

Again, God will regather Israel WHEN HE RETURNS.

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and WILL RETURN and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.” —Deuteronomy 30:3

The Bible tells us in Luke 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Please don’t miss this Scripture. Biblically, Jerusalem will be defeated again and again by the Gentiles until the Lord returns. It is very possible that Jerusalem may once again be taken away from the people of Israel.

Will Unsaved Jews Enter the “Future” Promised Land?

No, absolutely not. No unsaved Jew will ever enjoy the splendors of the future Promised Land.

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” —Romans 2:28,29

Clearly, the Word of God teaches that “Jew” in the Bible, as regards all the future promises to Israel, refers ONLY to born-again Christian Jews. It is the circumcision of the inward heart, and not the outward flesh, that makes one a Jew in God’s eyes. No unconverted Jew can ever claim the promise of God concerning Palestine, unless he first BELIEVES on Jesus Christ as his personal Messiah.

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” —Galatians 3:29

The Bible teaches that God’s promises were not made to all Jews; but only to saved Jews.

“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” —Galatians 3:16

“So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” —Galatians 3:9

How tragic that most Jews today have been blinded by sinful pride and false religion, that they reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Only by faith in Jesus Christ can any Jew claim the promise of the future Promised Land. All unbelievers, whether Gentiles or Jews, will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

What Does “All Israel Shall Be Saved” Mean in Romans 11:26?

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” —Romans 11:26–27

Here is an excellent explanation of Romans 11:26,27 from the mighty Bible scholar, J. Vernon McGee:

When Paul says “all Israel shall be saved,” he does not mean every individual Israelite will be saved. It is the nation he has before us in this chapter. In every age, only a remnant is saved. The quotation Paul uses is from Isaiah 59:20 in the Old Testament: “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.” The message to the individual is that he or she will have to “turn from transgression” to the Lord. There will be a remnant that will turn to Him. All of them will be saved. He speaks of the saved remnant as the nation Israel.

There is always only a remnant that is saved. There was a remnant in Elijah’s day; there was a remnant in David’s day; there was a remnant in Paul’s day; there is a remnant in our day; and there will be a remnant during the Great Tribulation Period.

SOURCE: Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Romans 11:26-27

All of the “remnant” will be saved, i.e. those who turn to the Lord to be forgiven of their sins.

Should Jews Be Treated Special?

No, not at all. Acts 10:34 states: “…God is no respecter of persons.” Romans 10:12 states: “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek…” Jews are no better, or worse, than anyone else. To teach that Jews are special, and should be treated better than other people, goes contrary to the Scriptures “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” Christians are commanded to love Arabs as much as Jews.

The following is an excellent explanation on the falsehood of Zionism by Pastor Thomas Williamson:

Zionists say, based on their non-literal, speculative, spiritualized interpretation of Genesis 12:3, that we are to give total, unquestioned support to some of Abraham’s children, while others of Abraham’s children are to be hated, persecuted, ethnically cleansed, bombed back into the Stone Age, maybe even nuked.

But in Genesis 21:13, 17-18 God also bestows His blessing on Ishmael and his descendants, saying, “For I will make him a great nation.” According to the same principles of interpretation by which we have made Genesis 12:3 a command for political support of the modern nation of Israel, Genesis 21:18 must be taken as a command for political support of the modern Arab nations. (Anybody want to start up a “Christian Ishmaelist” movement to lobby for Arab national greatness?) …

Zionism is based on a total misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches.

SOURCE: Zionism Verses the Bible -by Pastor Thomas Williamson

I’d highly recommend that you read the entire article by Pastor Williamson.

Concerning Israel, Zechariah 2:8 states: “…for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” This Scripture has been used exhaustively by Zionists in an attempt to rally support for the nation of Israel in modern times; however, Zechariah is referring to the Tribulation Period, when the Lord will defend Israel and destroy her enemies. Historically, Rome (Titus), Germany (Hitler), and others, have attacked Israel in the past and prospered thereafter. God hasn’t defended Israel since the Old Testament, because of their sin and rebellion “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble” (Jeremiah 11:14). The only thing Christians should be praying for today concerning Israel, is that they would repent towards God from their unbelief and get saved. Israel is a wicked nation today, as is America.

Matthew 18:4-6 pronounces judgment upon anyone who messes with a Christian.

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Jesus clearly warned against mistreating anyone who BELIEVES on Him. Although God will certainly avenge every innocent child, that is not the intended meaning of Matthew 18:4-6. Jesus clearly promised to avenge those who “believe in me“. The reason why God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3 to “bless them that bless thee” and “curse them that curse thee” was because Abraham was a born again Christian (Genesis 15:6) who loved the Lord. Abraham was unquestionably a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8,17). God did not bless Abraham merely because he was Hebrew. In fact, Deuteronomy 28:15-68 pronounces numerous CURSES upon the Jews if they fail to obey God’s commandments. God’s promise of blessing upon Israel is conditioned upon their obedience to the Word of God. The same is true of all mankind (Acts 17:30).

We are told in Mark 9:41 “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” The emphasis in the New Testament is upon rewarding those who help Christians (i.e. those who “belong to Christ“); and not heathen Jews.

Some people superstitiously think that they will receive a special reward for giving money or assistance to a natural Jew—no matter how immoral, Godless, or sinful that Jew may be. No such heresy is taught in the Bible. As we read earlier in Romans 2:28,29:

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” —Romans 2:28,29

There is no Biblical obligation for Christians today to help the nation of Israel in any way, form, or fashion. God promised to make of Ishmael “a great nation” (Genesis 21:18) as much as He did to Abraham (Genesis 12:2). The Word of God clearly states that God doesn’t view Jews as being any better than Gentiles.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” —Galatians 3:28

Again, the emphasis is upon the born-again believer, whose sins are washed away by the redeeming literal physical blood of Jesus Christ (1st John 1:7; 1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12; Revelation 1:5). Every genuine born-again believer is “one” in Jesus Christ.

“…For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel… That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God” (Romans 9:6,8).

The Jews are God’s chosen people; but sadly most are not God’s children. Israel ceased to exist as a nation in 586 B.C. when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews into captivity for 70-years. Since then, God has set Israel aside for a time, turning instead to the gentiles to preach the Gospel (i.e. “the times of the gentiles” – Luke 21:24). The Bible does not contain any prophecy concerning Israel today, except that she will continue to “fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). Christians shouldn’t be focusing upon the Middle East today; but rather, upon preaching the Gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19,20). We are to love all people, of all nations, of all races.

Jesus commanded believers in Mark 13:37 to “watch” for His coming. This ought to be our eager hope and desire. I am reminded of a precious hymn…

There is coming a day when no heartaches ever come

No more clouds in the sky

No more tears to dim the eyes

All is peace for evermore

On that happy golden shore

What a day, Glorious day, that will be

CHORUS

What a day that will be

When my Jesus I will see

When I look upon His face

The one who saved me by His grace

When he takes me by the hand

And leads me to that promised land

What a day, Glorious day, that will be

Does the Middle East Conflict Today Have Any Prophetic Significance?

No! There are no Biblical prophecies concerning Israel to be fulfilled before Jesus returns and removes His own, i.e. the Church, at the Rapture. The Bible instructs us to “watch” for Jesus’ return “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37). The Lord’s return may come at any time, and I believe the trumpet is out of the case.

Does Romans 15:27 Require Christians to Give to Jews?

“It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things” —Romans 15:27

No, not at all. Here once again are the scholarly words of the great J. Vernon McGee concerning Romans 15:27:

Paul makes it clear that it was a freewill offering. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). This is the offering Paul collected. Paul makes it very clear that it not only was a freewill offering (they couldn’t give any other way to please God), but he also enforces the fact that they had a moral obligation and debt to pay. The Gentiles had received the gospel from Israel. Our Lord Jesus said, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). You see, the gospel began in Jerusalem. Macedonia and Achaia were obligated to Jerusalem. Now some of the saints in Jerusalem were having financial difficulties, evidently because of persecution. Macedonia and Achaia could now pay a spiritual debt in the coin of the realm. This is foreign missions in reverse! It is the missionary church helping the home church. This very thing may take place in our nation, by the way, in the not too far distant future!

SOURCE: Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Romans 15:27

It is important to notice that the Apostle Paul was seeking support for his ministry, to further the preaching of the Gospel. Thus, Romans 15:27, if taken in proper context, is teaching that Gentile Christians should be willing to support the preaching of the Gospel receiving by the hand of Israel. The Saviour came through Israel. The 12 Apostles were all Jewish. The Bible came to the world through Israel. God used Israel, His chosen people, to accomplish His sovereign plan. This is why Israel is called the “apple of his eye” in Zechariah 2:8, and not because Jews are better than anyone else. Israel, as a nation, represents the work of God.

Why Did God Choose the Jewish People?

Genesis 18:19 tells us “why” God chose to bless the world through Abraham “For I know him [Abraham], that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.“

God DIDN’T choose the Jewish people because they’re better than the Gentiles—they are not! God DIDN’T choose the Jews because they’re a superior race—they are not! God, in His divine sovereign plan, chose to accomplish His work through Abraham because He knew that Abraham would guide his children in the commandments of God. Abraham was a mighty man of faith, even willing to offer his own son in sacrifice to the Lord (Genesis 22:1-13). Of course, the Lord stopped Abraham, and he sacrificed a ram instead.

It is important to realize in Genesis 12:3 that God was speaking to Abraham as an individual “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God promised to bless those who blessed Abraham, and curse those who cursed Abraham (because Abraham was a genuine Christian). God doesn’t bless the wicked. Zionists today claim that Genesis 12:3 applies to all Jews, which is simply not biblical. At the time God made this promise to Abraham, neither Isaac nor Ishmael had been born yet. So the promise would have to apply to BOTH Jews and Arabs if the promise reached beyond Abraham.

Time after time, the Jews were utterly destroyed throughout history (in accordance with Luke 21:24). According to the History Channel, in their documentary titled, Cities of the Underworld: Underground Apocalypse, the city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt and destroyed 17 times throughout it’s history. The “Times of the Gentiles” began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by Babylon (when Israel ceased to be a nation), and will continue until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (when the Lord will regather and restore Israel once again to The Promised Land).

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and WILL RETURN and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.” —Deuteronomy 30:3

Why is Israel “the Apple of His Eye”?

Now God did say that He would bless the families of the world through Abraham’s seed—the Jews. This is “why” Israel is so precious to God—because God chose Israel to be His ambassadors to the human race. God gave us the Saviour through Israel. God gave us the Word of God through Israel. God gave us the Gospel through Israel. Salvation is to the Jew first, and also to the Greek “…For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). How could the people of Israel not be precious to God, seeing that God has accomplished so much through the Jewish nation? However, we must remember, and never forget, that God is NO respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). God’s loyalty to Israel is to the nation in accordance with His own divine purpose and plan; and NOT to the Jewish race because they are more special than anyone else.

God DIDN’T bless the Jews when they sinned against Him in the Bible. The Jews went into 70-years of captivity for failing to keep the Sabbath for 490 years (7 x 70 = 490). God punished them one year in exile for every 7-years they refused to keep the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 clearly make the blessings of God CONDITIONAL upon Israel.

We learn in Deuteronomy 28:15,16:

“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these CURSES shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: CURSED shalt thou be in the city, and CURSED shalt thou be in the field.”

There goes Zionism!!! Israel, i.e. the Jewish people, are for the most part, cursed today! It is no secret that some of the wealthiest people in this world are Jewish; but they are cursed in their wealth, hellbound in their sin of unbelief. God will not bless a wicked person, or a wicked nation. Financial success is not an indicator of God’s blessings. Most of the most wicked heathens in this world are very wealthy.

Are Israel and the Church the Same Thing?

Here is a good explanation of this question:

Romans 11:16-36 records the illustration of the olive tree. This passage speaks of Israel the (“natural” branches) being broken off from the olive tree, and the Church (“wild” branches or shoots) being grafted into the olive tree. Since Israel is referred to as branches, as well as the Church, it stands to reason that neither group are the “whole tree” so to speak, but rather the whole tree represents God’s workings with mankind as a whole. Therefore, God’s program with Israel, and God’s program with the Church are part of the outworking of His purpose among men in general. Of course, this is not intended to mean that either program is of little significance, because as most commentators have noted, more revelation is given in the Bible regarding God’s programs with Israel and with the Church than any of God’s other dealings!!

SOURCE: Are Israel and the church the same thing? Does God still have a plan for Israel?

Romans 11 portrays Israel as an “olive tree” and the Church as a “wild olive tree“. Some of the “natural” branches (physical Jews) broke off because of unbelief (vs. 20). They forfeited the promises of God by their own unbelief. The Gentiles were given the Gospel and many of them turned to Jesus Christ in faith for salvation. Those Gentile converts (i.e. the Church) were grafted into the olive tree. So we learn that the Church and Israel are NOT the same; but yet are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Again, Romans 2:28,29 states that the unsaved Jew is not a Biblical Jew. All saved Gentiles are spiritually related to Abraham through Jesus Christ, and will partake of the same types of blessings and privileges as saved Jews.

God has a divine plan for Israel and for the Church. Israel will be Regathered when Jesus, their Messiah, returns. But don’t be fooled friend, all unsaved Jews will be cast into Hellfire forever (2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9; Revelation 20:11-15).

A Remnant of Israel Will One Day Repent and Turn to Their Messiah for Salvation

The idea that God will bless America for assisting Israel in their apostasy today is unbiblical. God didn’t bless Israel when they sinned in the Old Testament, and God won’t bless Israel today until they repent of their unbelief and turn once again to the Lord. Thankfully, this will happen at the end of the Tribulation. Here are the eloquent words of the mighty Bible teacher and soulwinner, Oliver B. Greene:

A NEW COVENANT

After the reign of terror and the destruction of the Antichrist and his armies, there will be a new covenant.  When Jesus comes in the Revelation with His saints, there will be a great national repentance on the part of Israel and they will see the Messiah the King.  They will recognize Him by the scars in His hands and they will fall at His feet to worship:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

In Hebrews 8:7-13 Paul gives the same truth.  Please study this passage carefully in connection with that just quoted from Jeremiah. Paul here declares the promise of the new covenant, and makes it very clear that this is for the Jews, not the Church.  The Church will share in it, in that we will reign with Christ; but the NEW covenant is definitely to the seed of Abraham, and it will be made with the Jews when they repent nationally and accept Christ as King.  Their sins and iniquities will be forgiven and put away, God will again be their God, and Jesus will reign from the throne of David in the Holy City, Jerusalem.

SOURCE: Bible Prophecy, by Oliver B. Greene, pg. 317-318, The Gospel Hour (1970)

Please keep in mind that only a remnant of Israel will be saved. This has always been the case. Only a remnant of America will be saved. Only a remnant of Jews returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. There is a remnant today of born-again Jews, who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and are soulwinners. However, most Jews today do not know Jesus Christ, and are still hellbound in their sins. Oh how the nation of Israel needs Gospel preaching today!

Will God Defend the Literal Nation of Israel in the Tribulation?

Yes. The Jews are God’s chosen people, and He will defend them when the time comes. Keep in mind that 144,000 literal Jews will be saved during the Tribulation Period, and will become mighty soulwinners for the Lord, and will turn multitudes of lost souls to Jesus Christ for salvation (Revelation 7:4,14). So when Russia and its allies attack the nation of Israel during the Great Tribulation Period, God will be defending a nation of many Christians at that time. God won’t defend a Godless nation today, nor did He in the Old Testament.

After the Tribulation is ended, Jesus will reign literally from the actual city of Jerusalem during the literal 1,000-year Millennial Period. Jesus will reign over the earth as a Divine King, seated upon the throne of king David in the Holy City.

What About the Arabs Forced from Their Homes and Land?

The modern nation of Israel was established by theft, tyranny and injustice.

The lawgiver Moses commanded the Hebrews that they should not oppress the strangers or non-Jews in their lands, Exodus 12:49, 22:21, 23:9, Leviticus 19:33-34, 25:35, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, 23:7, 24:17, 27:19. That message, of course, is not mentioned today – it is considered “politically incorrect.”

When King Ahab and Queen Jezebel unjustly expropriated the vineyard of Naboth, the prophet Elijah publicly denounced the kind for this unjust action, 1st Kings 21:17-24, Jehu cited this official action of the government of Israel against Naboth as justification for overthrowing that government, 2nd Kings 9:25-26.

But nowadays, when the Israeli government expropriates the lands and properties of Palestinians without compensation, we look the other way and say nothing about it.

SOURCE: Zionism Verses the Bible -by Pastor Thomas Williamson

Here are the compassionate words of Dr. John R. Rice concerning the theft of Arab homes by the Illuminati-controlled United Nations in 1948:

I have great sympathy for more than a million Arabs who live in refugee camps, either driven out or terrorized until they fled from their homes and lands in Palestine—theirs by purchase and theirs by possession and theirs for centuries in their families.  And I have a great deal of sympathy for that spirit of nationalism among Arabs who feel they have been robbed and defrauded and abused and imposed upon and who want back their own land.  I can understand that.  I think they will never be given back the land that was given Israel by the United nations in 1948, but I think that provisions must be made for those millions and a third refugees in refugee camps in Jericho, in Amman, in Beirut, in the Gaza strip, and elsewhere.  God loves those people and they must have the Gospel.

SOURCE: Dr. Rice… Here Are More Questions, by John R. Rice, pg. 315, Sword Of The Lord Publishers (1973)

I don’t understand so-called “Christian” Zionists who continually demonize the Arabs and whitewash the Jews. The Jews are dirty, rotten, Hell-deserving, sinners, just like everybody else (Romans 3:10,19-23; 6:23). The Arab people are the descendants of Abraham, just as are the Jews. As Christians, we must love them all with God’s unconditional love.

It seems that Zionists are more interested in war in the Middle East than they are in peace. There must be a compromise concerning the land. You can’t just make millions of refugees disappear.

The bogus “War On Terror” is being used by the New World Order gang to achieve a global Communist government; hence the takeover of Iraq and theft of their oil. Iraq possesses 11% of the world’s oil (i.e. before we stole it). Few students today are taught the truth about WWII, i.e. that Hitler’s War Machine was financed by America’s Wall Street. Many U.S. companies supported the holocaust, including IBM who manufactured the stamping machines to imprint numbers of the Jewish prisoners. According to William Guy Carr, the elite banking cartel has financed both sides of every major war for the past 200-years. As shocking as it may seem, both Israel and the United States today are controlled by a criminal syndicate known as The Council On Foreign Relations. If further interested, you may like to research about the Rothschild Dynasty and the evil Federal Reserve.

Blessings Promised for Those Who Befriend Christians (spiritual Jews); Not Natural Jews

The Bible promises blessings for those who befriend true Christians, especially those who are serving the Lord (Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41). Certainly, God will bless Gentiles and Jews who support the work of God—SOULWINNING. God chose Israel, the Jews, to do the work of God. They refused. God instead turned to the Gentiles (i.e. the Church) and commissioned them to preach the Gospel. Jesus said giving even a cup of water to one of His disciples would result in a sure reward (Mark 9:41).

The Biblical focus then is not upon the Jewish people themselves as being a super race, not at all; but rather, upon the preaching of the Gospel which God entrusted to the nation of Israel to do. Israel was to be God’s ambassadors to mankind, but they refused. There is nothing in the Bible which teaches that the Church is expected to financially support heathen Israel, or assist Israel in any capacity. God promised to regather and restore Israel at the Second Coming of Christ, and not before. The notion that Christians today are obligated to financially support a nation that was founded by the theft of Arab homes and land is insane. The so-called nation of Israel today is not of God; but of men. God’s promise to restore Israel to the Promised Land is in the “future“.

It is ridiculous, as some people today believe, that hurricane Katrina was punishment from God upon America for failing to help Israel. Not so. There are hundreds of reasons why God should punish America (such as for the 50,000,000 murderous abortions), but our relationship to the nation of Israel is not one of them. Germany decimated the Jews under Hitler’s reign of terror, but Germany is a thriving nation today. Rome utterly destroyed the Jews in A.D. 70, yet still prospered for centuries to come.

Conclusion

The Jews are God’s chosen people, i.e. God chose Israel as the means by which to BLESS the world with the Word of God, the Saviour, the Apostles, salvation, and Christianity itself. This is why the nation of Israel is precious in the eyes of God. However, the Bible plainly states that God is NO respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and that there is NO difference between the Jews and the Gentiles (Romans 10:12). Christians are not obligated, nor expected to befriend the heathen nation of Israel today. Luke 21:24 plainly states “And they [Jews] shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” This means, biblically, that the Jews have NO GUARANTEE of possessing their homeland until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, i.e. when all Gentile world-power is destroyed by the “stone cut out without hands” (Daniel 2:34,35,44). The “Stone” will be the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Glory (Revelation 19:11,21).

The New Testament teaches that Christians are to focus on the heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly one (John 4:21, Galatians 4:24-28, Hebrews 12:18-24). We are told in Hebrews 11:13-16 that even Abraham has no further interest in a restored Jewish state on earth, because he is in a much better place in Heaven. How foolish that so many believers today are choked by the cares and riches of this world (Luke 8:14), when they ought to be soulwinners preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost and sinful world.

Everything that God ever did through Israel was with one intent—to bring salvation to the human race. Thanks be to God for the precious redeeming literal blood of Jesus Christ that washes our sins away (1st Peter 1:18,19; Revelation 1:5).

The Miracle of Prayer

The Miracle of Prayer

by David J. Stewart

It is disturbing to find so many people that fail to believe God answers prayer. Several top “authors” and so-called “professionals” being interviewed on TV lately, have claimed that prayer is a great therapy (as an end in itself). You never hear them mention God. It is sad that prayer has been diminished to the status of going to the park to watch the birds. Prayer is not effective because it is a good therapy. Prayer is effective because there is an omnipotent (all powerful) God up in heaven that hears and answers prayer! I am leery of bumper sticker theology. I see bumper stickers promoting about the “Power of Prayer” but prayer is nothing without a Powerful Divine God. I believe in the “Power of God.”

Answered prayer can only happen by a miracle of God. A “Miracle” is defined in the Random House College Dictionary as “an event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a divine or supernatural cause”. In other words, GOD DID IT! Everything God does then is a miracle because His power is divine, not human or natural. When we pray, we are petitioning the Creator of the universe for a miracle. If God decides to grant our request (s), it can be nothing less than a divine miracle performed by an Almighty God.

Prayer is not to be taken lightly because God just may give you what you ask. I remember a country song by Garth Brooks, “I thank God for unanswered prayer”. He had been praying, as a youngster, for God to give him a certain girl to be his wife. God didn’t answer his request. He sees this same woman many years later, and then thanks God that his prayers were never answered! So be careful what you pray!!!

Jesus never preached an all night sermon, but he prayed all night! Luke 6:12 says concerning Jesus “He went out into a mountain to pray, and CONTINUED ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER to God.” Jesus disciples could not even watch and pray for “ONE HOUR” (Matthew 26:40,41). Are we guilty of the same negligence in prayer? The Bible says Jesus “continued”, he simply started praying and kept on praying as he felt necessary. Too many Believers center their life around the TV, not Jesus Christ.

Daniel was also a man of prayer! “…he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he KNEELED UPON HIS KNEES THREE TIMES A DAY, AND PRAYED, and GAVE THANKS before his God, AS HE DID AFORETIME” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel had a prayer life. He was about 80 years old now and kept his windows open toward Jerusalem (about 600 miles away) because that’s where his heart was. Jerusalem was his home town. He had been taken into Babylonian captivity as a young lad and longed to be back with his own people again, in the city of his God. We too, are pilgrims passing through this old dark world, and we should open the windows of our heart in prayer towards heaven (home). Daniel prayed morning, evening and afternoon! “Elijah was A MAN SUBJECT TO LIKE PASSIONS AS WE ARE, and HE PRAYED EARNESTLY THAT IT MIGHT NOT RAIN: and IT RAINED NOT on the earth by the space of three years and six months” (James 5:17). What a wonderful truth! Elijah was just a plain, common, everyday human being just like you and me; yet he obtained an answer to his prayer for something VERY BIG! That’s exactly why God is telling us about it, so we will be encouraged to do the same. Even more wonderful is that God is telling us this as pertaining to physical illness and healing. “…PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, THAT YE MAY BE HEALED. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous (saved) man availeth (accomplishes) much.” “Effectual” and “fervent” are words meaning ”energy”. In other words, you really mean business and are sincerely pouring your heart out to God the best you know how for a miracle. “…the PRAYER OF FAITH SHALL SAVE THE SICK…” (James 5:15). We need to pray and have “just enough” faith to simply keep praying! It matters not where the faith comes from: a child, someone at church, mom, dad (faith is faith). More than likely it was the elders of the church who had the faith, but not necessarily. It is Jesus Who heals the sick (Matthew 8:16,17), we simply must ask for the healing. “Asking” is faith in itself. One would not ask God for something without at least some degree of faith. Christ is alive today! Go to Him in prayer now.

Now here’s a heart warming truth in Acts 12:1-16. Wicked King Herod had just killed James the Apostle “with the sword”, probably by beheading. Herod saw that “it pleased the Jews”. The Jews were a wicked, rebellious people and most hated Christ. They demanded that the Roman government crucify Jesus, and they did! The persecution continued. Steven was brutally murdered by the Jews in Acts 7:54-60. Jesus, Steven and James had been slain by the Jews, who would be next? Herod now had Peter bound in prison and looked forward to killing him. “…but PRAYER WAS MADE WITHOUT CEASING of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). Guess what? A miracle happened! God answered their prayers and sent an angel to rescue Peter—divine power at work! After Peter was freed, the angel departed. Now Peter comes to the house where everybody was still praying for him (vs. 12). He knocks on the door and Rhoda asks who it is. When she heard Peter’s voice, she was so happy that she ran to tell the others and forgot to open the door! They told Rhoda “THOU ART MAD”. Your nuts! Crazy! Peter was still outside knocking. The Bible says when all those who had been praying opened the door, “THEY WERE ASTONISHED” (vs. 16). “Astonished” means “to put out of wits”. In other words, their minds were amazed! Here’s the beauty of this truth— even though this group of believers didn’t have much faith, God still answered their prayers. They had so little faith that when God did answer their prayers, THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE IT! Wow! What an encouragement to pray! Praying is faith in itself! If you have JUST ENOUGH FAITH to pray (ask) God for something, that’s all the faith God requires. What a Savior! Do you have doubts? Did you know that the more doubt you have, the greater is your faith—as long as you act on the faith! Faith is believing, in spite of the doubts. No matter how much you may doubt that God will answer your prayers, if you simply ask—that’s all the faith needed for your prayer to be answered!

Likewise, all the faith you need to become a born-again believer is JUST ENOUGH. If you have “just enough” faith to “call upon the name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13), you will be saved. “Call” means “to rely upon.” Won’t you make that decision NOW to “rely” 100% upon Jesus Christ as your Savior? Admit to God you’re a sinner, deserving of hell. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and take you to heaven when you die. Let God work the miracle of salvation in your soul now. God bless!