Ironside: “Substitution”—He Took Our Place

Reposted from www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/

November 20th, 2016 | Author: Lighthouse Trails author

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By Harry Ironside

Although the word substitution is not in the Bible, it stands for a great truth that runs through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. That is, the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, in infinite grace, took the place of poor, lost, guilty sinners, and made it possible for a holy God to reach out in mercy and save all who would come to Him in the name of His beloved Son.
I do not have one particular text in mind, but I have been thinking of five different passages in the New Testament where we get the same expression—He “gave himself”; and I want you to think with me of these Scriptures. The One who gave Himself was our Lord Jesus Christ, and I should like you to notice what it was for which He gave Himself.

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME
In the Epistle to the Galatians, the apostle Paul writes:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20; emphasis added)

Note the individuality of it. Paul, who had been a bitter persecutor of the people of God, who had been an enemy of the Cross of Christ, one day had his eyes opened, and he suddenly realized that the One who had died on that Cross went there for him, that He had taken his place, that it was love that led Him to go to that shameful death. From that moment the heart of Saul of Tarsus went out in adoration gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ; and until the very end of his days, he found his greatest joy in trying to give some evidence, by a life of service, of his love for the One who had thus loved him.

THE WORD IS NOT IN THE BIBLE—BUT THE DOCTRINE IS
Notice how Paul speaks of Him: “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” There you have the very heart of the Gospel—“Himself for me.” That is substitution. Some people tell us, because we do not find the actual word “substitution” in the Bible, that the truth of it, the fact of it, is not there. And so they talk of atonement by other means than by substitution—atonement by example or atonement by reconciling love, that leads men to turn to God adoringly, simply because of the goodness that He showed in seeking them out in the person of His Son. But no, the Word of God makes it very definite. The work that took place on Calvary was a substitutionary transaction. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s own blessed, eternal Son, who became man for our redemption, giving Himself on our behalf.
“The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me.” That is the language of faith. When a poor, needy sinner looks at that Cross and sees, as it were, the blessed Savior hanging there, he says, “He was there for me; it was my sins that put Him there; it was in order that I might be fitted for the presence of God that He went into the darkness and endured the judgment of God. He is my Substitute. The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me.

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR US
But it is not only for me, it is also for us. In the Epistle to the Ephesians, we read:

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2; emphasis added)

I am so thankful that in my thinking I do not have to limit the gift of God’s grace in the person of His Son to just some little group, as though it were just for a small elect company that Jesus died. “He gave Himself for us.” I can look out over the whole wide world, whether men are saved or unsaved, and say to them on the authority of the Word of God that “He gave himself for us”—for everyone of us. Whether you be Jew or Gentile, whether you be very religious or have no time for religion, I would say to you, “ The Son of God gave himself for us.” He saw us in our lost condition, and He went to Calvary’s Cross in order to redeem us. That is how the prophet Isaiah puts it. He looked on down through the centuries and by faith he saw the very scene of Calvary, and he cried out, “[H]e was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

THE GOSPEL FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ALSO “YOU KNOW THE GOSPEL, DON’T YOU?”
I remember a number of years ago, I went over to a town in Minnesota to hold some meetings. My wife and our eldest son, just a little child at the time, went with me. When we got there, a big, burly highland Scotsman met us. He said, “Now you come along with me; I am going to take you to my house. We are going to sleep you there, and then across the way at the McKenzies, they will eat you.” Of course, I new he didn’t mean anything cannibalistic, and I was glad to accept the provision made. We went to his house and settled ourselves and then went over to the McKenzies for our meal.

I remember one Sunday we left to go down to the meeting in the afternoon, and it happened that there was one daughter in the family who had not yet received the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. The mother said, “Will you pray for Jean? She knows the way, but somehow she doesn’t seem to want to come. She says she is young yet, and she wants to have her fling before she settles down.” Well, we did pray for her, and some way or other as I preached that afternoon in the big tent, I couldn’t help seeing Jean way in the back, eagerly listening to the message. When it was over, I thought she might be one who would move to the front when the invitation was given, but instead of that, I saw her get up and hurry away, and I felt a little bit disappointed. When I finished speaking, I felt a little bit disappointed.

When I finished speaking with those who had come forward, I went on home, and when I got there I found, as I opened the front door, my wife was sitting there with an open Bible and Jean beside her. My wife turned to me and said, “Come and join us. I am trying to show Jean that Christ died in our place, but someway or other she can’t seem to grasp it.” So I sat down with them and said something like this: “Jean, you know the Gospel, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, “I think I do.”
“What is the Gospel?”
“Well, it is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”
My wife said, “I have been showing her Isaiah 53.”

The Bible was open at that chapter so I said, “Look, you have it right here, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.’ Don’t you see, Jean? Christ died for you, He took your place, He bore God’s judgment against your sins.”
“I see what is written there,” she replied, “but somehow I can’t get hold of it for myself. It doesn’t seem to mean anything to me.”

So we got down on our knees and prayed that the Spirit of God Himself might make the great truth of the substitutionary work of the Cross real to her; and then I said to her, “Jean, while we are here on our knees, I want you to read the words for yourself, and we will pray that the Holy Spirit will open them up to you.”
And so she read them: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Then she said, “Yes, I see it, but I don’t seem to be able to make it my own.”

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE GOSPEL?
“Perhaps it would be different now if you will just read it again and change the pronoun, putting it into the first person singular. Read it like this: He was wounded for my transgressions’; because you see, Jean, it really means that. He was wounded for the transgressions of all of us, yours and mine. Read it that way.”

She started to read, “He was wounded for my transgressions.” She stopped as the tears began to flow. She wiped them away and read on, “He was bruised for my iniquities,” and again she stopped; and then she read, “The chastisement of my peace was upon Him,” and then she fairly shouted, “Oh, I see it! With His stripes, I am healed.” And in a moment the light had shone into her darkened heart. She saw that the Lord Jesus was her substitute; He had taken her place. We gave thanks, and then she said that she must go and tell her “Mother.” She didn’t know that all the while her mother had been standing outside the window and had heard the whole thing. Out the front door she went and down the garden path and around to the side, and she ran right into that mother’s arms, “Oh Mother, Mother, I’m saved; by His stripes I am healed.” What joy that brought to the mother’s heart, and what a happy time of rejoicing we all had then!

You see, that is substitution. That is the very pith and marrow of the Gospel. He gave Himself for our sins.

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR THE CHURCH
Next we do have a special group mentioned for whom He gave Himself. In the last part of the fifth chapter of Ephesians, we read:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25; emphasis added)

When we get home to Glory, when we who have been redeemed to God by His precious blood are presented faultless in the presence of our heavenly Bridegroom, we shall look up into His face, and we shall be able to say, “The Son of God loved the Church, and gave Himself for it.”

You remember the story that is told of one of the generals of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, and the one who overthrew, in God’s providence, the mighty Babylonian Empire. One of his generals came home from a campaign and was shocked to find that in his absence his own wife had been arrested and was languishing in prison, charged with treachery against her country, and the trial was to be held that very day. The general hastened to the court of Cyrus, and the guards brought in his own beloved wife. She, poor woman, pale and anxious, tried to answer the charges brought against her, but all to no avail. Her husband, standing near, heard the stern voice of the Persian ruler pronounce the death sentence. In a moment, as they were about to drag her away to behead her, he ran forward and threw himself down at the feet of the Emperor. “Oh sire,” he cried, “not she, but me. Let me give my life for hers. Put me to death, but spare my wife.” And as Cyrus looked down upon him, he was so touched by his deep devotion and his love for his wife that his heart was softened. He remembered, too, how faithful this servant had been, and he gave command that the wife should go free. She was fully pardoned. As her husband led her out of the room, he said to her, “Did you notice the kind look in the eyes of the Emperor as he pronounced the word of pardon?”

She said, “I did not see the face of the Emperor. The only face I could see was that of the man who was willing to die for me.”
Oh, when we get home, when we see the face of the Man who did die for us, how our hearts will praise Him! How we will rejoice in His presence as we say, “The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS
We need to realize that He died not only to deliver us from the judgment due to our sins, but He died for us in order that we might be delivered from the power and pollution of sins right here and now in this life. In Galatians 1:4, we have these words:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. (emphasis added)

He gave Himself for our sins, not simply that we might have our past sins forgiven, nor that we might stand justified before Him as to the future, but in order that the power of sin might be broken in our lives, that we might no longer be subject to Satan’s authority, that we might be free men and women, living here to the glory of the Lord Jesus.

This is one of those truths I do want to press upon you who have but recently been brought to a saving knowledge of Christ. Dear young Christian, do not be satisfied to know that you are saved from Hell, blessed as that is, but oh, go on day by day to a fuller walk with God, that you may be saved from sin, and that your whole life may be lived to His glory.

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR ALL
Somebody might raise the question, “Well, it is perfectly true that it says He gave Himself for us, and He gave Himself for the church, and He gave Himself for our sins; but are you really sure that it applies to everybody? May He not, after all, have had just some particular elect company in view when He thus gave Himself, and if we do not belong to that company, what right have we to come to Him at all and to expect Him to do anything for us?” For answer, will you look at the first Epistle to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 5 and 6:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (emphasis added)

Oh, dear friends, do not allow anything to narrow down your conception of the inclusiveness of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. “He gave Himself a ransom for all.” Do not try to read into that what it does not say. Some people say, “Well, of course, you know we must understand the words ‘the elect’ to come in there. He gave Himself a ransom for all the elect.” Oh no, God does not need you and me to help Him out. He knows what to say, and He means what He says. When He writes, “He gave Himself a ransom for all,” He means us to understand the words exactly as they are written.

They used to tell a story about a certain professor of theology at Princeton Seminary in the days when Princeton was pretty rigid as to what they called “a limited atonement.” One day one of the students looked up and said, “Professor, just what is our stand in this seminary on the atonement?”

The teacher replied, “Well, we stand with Dr. _____; we preach the theology of Dr. _____, and he taught a limited atonement—that Christ died only for the elect.”
Then said the student, “And over at New Haven, Connecticut, (At that time New Haven was a very sound seminary,) what do they teach there? What is Dr. Taylor’s theology?” The professor said, “Over there they teach that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“Oh,” said the student, “well, I’ll accept that because that is what the Bible says. That is not just Dr. Taylor’s theology nor New Haven doctrine; that is the Word of God.”

And so we say to you, whoever you may be, the Lord Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all. On Calvary’s Cross, He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. In other words, when He presented Himself there as a substitute for guilty humanity, He finished the work that satisfied every righteous demand of the throne of God and met all the claims of His holy nature, so that on the basis of it, any poor sinner in all the world who comes to Christ and puts in his claim will be saved on the basis of the substitutionary work of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the doctrine of the atonement as we have it in the Bible. There is no other in this blessed Book, and so we put the question to you: have you put in your claim? There are a lot of people who know all about it, but they have never believed and acted upon it.

THE TRAGEDY OF FAILING TO CASH IN GOD’S PROMISES
There is a story of a veteran of the Civil War who was found living in wretched poverty. The city authorities found him in such a deplorable state that they thought all they could do was to take him to the county poor farm. One of them happened to notice something on the wall. It wasn’t exactly a picture; it looked more like a document of some kind. He took it down and looked at it, then he asked, “What is this, my friend?”

The poor old man replied, “That was sent to me by Abraham Lincoln himself, and I kept it because it has his signature on it.” It turned out to be a check. I forget the amount of money, but it was really a pension check signed by the President and sent to this man years ago. Instead of cashing it, the poor man had kept it all the time and had framed it and hung it there on the wall. In the meantime, he got poorer and poorer, until he was a candidate for the county farm. They found that the government at Washington would still honor the check, although it was years old, and so they had enough to take care of the man comfortably until he died.
Oh, do not be content just to have the statement of the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus, but come to Him for yourself, trust Him as your own Savior. Cash in on it. He gave Himself a ransom for all.

Related Articles:
Celebrating the Atonement and the Resurrection While Promoting Contemplative – A Profound Contradiction
Understanding the Difference: Biblical Atonement or New Age At-One-Ment?
Marcus Borg on Atonement, the Resurrection, and the Son of God
The Shack Author Rejects Biblical Substitutionary Atonement

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“Thinking outside the box”

Reposted from lighthousetrailsresearch.com

By Tamara Hartzell (Author of Reimagining God and In the Name of Purpose)

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

The importance of the Word of God simply cannot be overstated. Without it, we do not have the truth, faith, or salvation of God. And without the truth, faith, and salvation of God, we do not have God. Scripture is replete with teachings and warnings that make this perfectly clear. One example of many is 2 John 1:9:

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

Where do we get the doctrine of Christ in which we are to abide to have God? From the Word of God.

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:14-16)
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

It is the faith of God that comes by the Word of God. Not only does the Word of God give us the truth and faith we are to believe in order to have God, but it also gives us the truth and faith we are to obey in order to please and serve God. And yet people in today’s Christianity are no longer willing to accept this faith as is. Rather than simply believe and obey, people want the freedom to “rethink” and “reimagine” God and His Word into a fashion that they are willing to accept and, incredibly, even go so far as to claim that God’s own Word of truth puts God in a “box.” In other words, they want the truth and faith of God set “free” from the Word of God. Thus, they do not see the Word of God as the truth but as merely a “story” with “changeable” and “debatable” “metaphor” that can be interpreted and retold however anyone chooses. This then gives people their desired freedom to “think outside the box” where they can conveniently “reimagine” their own “story” of who they “rethink” God to be.
Naturally, whether or not these stories line up with God’s Word is irrelevant to those who prefer to “think outside the box” of God’s Word. In fact, if they did line up with the Word of God, then it would defeat their purpose of “thinking outside the box.” And since “rethinking” and “reimagining” God and His Word is what people today actually want, they are turning to fables for their faith and “truth.” Fables are not the truth, and the truth is not a fable. This is why God’s Word warns that people are turning away from the truth and unto fables. Nevertheless, more and more people are trying to turn fables into the truth—i.e., “reimaginings” into reality—and are dancing around in circles desperately trying to bring the two together as one in a harmonious relationship. This is, in essence, turning the light off to look for “truth” in the corner of a dark round room.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23)
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

The light of God’s Word is just too bright for today’s light-intolerant eyes. More and more people are seeking relief outside the “box” and are intentionally turning away from the Word of God, away from the truth, away from the faith, trying to “find God” in the darkness. However, in the darkness people can no longer tell the difference between what is true and what is false, even when it is obvious. And as a result, they are blindly bearing with those who present them with “another Jesus,” “another spirit,” and “another gospel” that deceptively affirm their shift from light to darkness, and even lead them astray to another “God.” But they don’t see it that way. Since people imagine that God’s Word of truth is just a manmade “box” from which God and His truth need to be set free, they see it as simply a matter of “finding God” wherever they choose to look. Sadly, this rapidly increasing deception is clearly seen in today’s shifting Christianity.

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:4)
“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 I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-7, 11-12)
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Since more and more people in today’s shifting Christianity are rejecting the Word of God as the word of man, and even accepting the word of man as the word of God, one needn’t go far to see the many counterfeits being sold to the eager buyers who see no need to beware. In fact, since people now imagine that outside the “box” of God’s Word is the “genuine” and inside the “box” of God’s Word is the “counterfeit” they will only see a need to beware of God’s Word inside the “box.” Thus, reviling those who believe the genuine is the genuine and the counterfeits are the counterfeit, they are heeding those who believe the counterfeits are the “genuine” and the genuine is the “counterfeit” because the counterfeits are the “genuine” they are willing to accept. But, naturally, those who prefer to “think outside the box” don’t see it that way.

Many people are likewise choosing to see man’s fables as the “truth” about God because man’s fables are a “reimagined” “truth” they are willing to accept. Absurdly, those who seek to justify “reimagining” God and His Word even claim that Jesus taught parables in order to teach truth to the multitudes. This claim in itself “reimagines” God’s Word in order to justify “reimagining” God’s Word. Jesus Himself gave the reason for His parables, which is the opposite of man’s imaginations in more ways than one. He spoke in parables to keep the truth away from those who did not have ears to hear and had already chosen to close their eyes and ears to the truth. Sadly, some things never change.

“And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:4)
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.… For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” (Matthew 13:9-13, 15-16)

If that isn’t clear enough:

“And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.… Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” (Luke 8:10, 18)

Those who have chosen to turn their ears away from the truth and unto fables only seem to have the truth. The truth is “Thus saith God,” “Thus saith the Lord,” and “It is written.” This is the settled truth of God, which He has recorded for us in His Word. God’s truth is what it is and never changes despite man’s never-ending vain attempts to “rethink” and “reimagine” God’s Word for God. Truth tells us what is and what is right or wrong. Stories are the opposite. Stories are relativism and allow each person to decide for themselves what they want the meaning to be. This is exactly the freedom desired by those who are shifting from truth to fables. They want the freedom of uncertainty rather than the what is of certainty. Since having ears to hear the truth is necessary to be able to hear the certainty of its meaning, it was to His disciples and not to the multitudes that Jesus told the meaning of His parables:

“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.… And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.” (Mark 4:23-24, 33-34)

Because the Lord Jesus Christ is God, even His parables to the multitudes are “Thus saith God” and “Thus saith the Lord.” And since even the meaning of His parables has been recorded in God’s Word of truth, for us the meaning is not relative as many now think, but rather, “It is written.” On the other hand, man’s imaginative fables are nothing more than “thus imagines man.” Contrary to the popular opinion of those blinded in the darkness, they are not the truth and not the Word of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings are not a “style” to emulate. He is the Lord, Whom we are to believe and obey.

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalm 138:2)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.… From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:63-64, 66-68)
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Too many people in today’s shifting Christianity are seeking to set the truth of God free from the “box” of God’s Word rather than seeking to be set free themselves by God’s Word of truth. Instead of looking for “truth” in the corner of a dark round room they would be far better served looking for truth in a corner of the “box.” But, sadly, those who are shifting from the light of the narrow way of absolute truth to the darkness of the broad way of relative “truth” are doing so on purpose, albeit blindly, along with their eyes closed and ears covered. They feel “boxed” in by the narrow way, and the broad way gives them the freedom outside the “box” to “rethink” and “reimagine” God and His narrow way into a broader “truth.” With this freedom, people can have a relationship with God however they choose, right?

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)

Election 2016 and the Coming Rapture of the Church

Reposted from omegaletter.com
Perspective on the News
Monday, November 07, 2016
Pete Garcia 

November 8^th, 2016 is a day that many in the US and around the world have longed for since 2009. The US Presidential election has proven this year to be unprecedented in its twists, turns, and revelations in regards to the final two candidates. As with the previous elections, this one has divided the American public, but interestingly, has somewhat galvanized the Christian evangelical vote like never before. A civil war is brewing and the battlefield this time is not on the fields of Antietam or Gettysburg, but in the ballot boxes across the nation.

One candidate has been in the political arena in a number of roles over the last thirty years. At present, she faces charges of extreme corruption, and her power base is made up of globalists, banking cartels, Islamic nations, socialists, communists, and radicals of every type and flavor. Her worldview is blatantly secular humanist but as has been recently revealed it is bordering in and around the satanic.

The other candidate has been a successful businessman and media personality, who until recently, had not engaged much in the way of politics, but has crossed the lines to join both parties over the last three decades. His crude mannerisms, rough language, rash temperament, and economic proclivities have made him a tough candidate for Christian evangelicals to rally around…at first.

At stake are two visions of the America to come. One seeks a continuation of the last eight years. The other, more nationalist and populist, seeks to regain the former glory years of American economic and military might. Which one will emerge victorious? At this point, only God knows, but rest assured, either way, His will and His agenda will remain perfectly on track. Let us for a moment, look at the candidates and see how the political ramifications bear out in the prophetic.

Assessment
We know according to Scripture passages like Revelation 6 and 13 that the world one day ends up under the control of just one man we know as The Antichrist. He is the ‘man of lawlessness’ that Paul speaks of in 2^nd Thessalonians 2, and whom John sees as the ‘Rider on the white horse’ in Revelation 6. He is able to wrest control of all the nations of the world, and subjugate everyone into one economic system of buying and selling. Until this generation that would have been impossible simply because the world lacked the technology to tie every nation and every person into one economic system.

We also know that Jesus stated the world would be like the days of Noah, and the days of Lot just prior to His return. (Luke 17) We only have cursory information on both of those time periods but what we do know is that those periods of time were wrought with violence, sexual perversion, supernatural and satanic activity, and the thoughts of man were only evil continually.

At the same time, Jesus stated that the world would not know when He would return. This cannot be speaking of the Second Coming because that is preceded by 21 specific and global judgments that will reduce the world’s population by more than half. Furthermore, once the Tribulation begins (Daniel’s 70^th Week), it is marked at the halfway point by a very specific event…the abomination of desolation.

Rather, Jesus spoke of the time leading up to His return for His bride, the Church. He stated that the world, although reminiscent of the days of Noah and Lot would be carrying on business as usual. Paul added that people would be talking about ‘peace and safety’ and that this event, the Rapture, would catch the world by surprise and it would be followed by sudden destruction. Thus, the Rapture will be both surprising and catastrophic in its aftermath with the immediate removal of perhaps up to 1 billion humans from around the world.

Jesus, Paul, Peter, Jude, and John were all in agreement that global conditions would progressively go from bad to worse in every aspect of life here on earth. The closer it draws to the end, the more evil people would become, and the more ineffectual the church would become. (Matt. 24:3-14; 2 Tim. 3; 2 Peter 3; Jude; Rev. 3)

Two other very significant indicators also had to be in play for the world to be at the very doorsteps of Christ’s return; Israel had to become a nation again, and that the world would increasingly become united in their hatred of Israel. The reason they hate Israel, is because Israel is proof positive that God exists, that Bible prophecy is true, and that Christ will one day return.

So with the aforementioned signs and indicators, let us look at the scenarios each candidate brings to bear should they be the next presidential candidate on November the 9^th.

A President Clinton victory
A Hillary Clinton victory on Nov. the 8^th would be a resounding kick in the guts to Christians and patriotic people across the nation. It would be disheartening and I would venture to say, a bit frightening given some of her previous statements she’s made regarding reining in freedom of religion, particularly that of Christianity. The strongest case for her victory in terms of Scriptural reasoning would be that it is a resounding confirmation of the Biblical descriptions of the global conditions increasingly becoming increasingly vile and wicked.
Moreover, there is a great propensity that the first year of her term in office would largely be overshadowed by the investigations and potential indictment for illegal activity during her tenure as Secretary of State. Not to fear though, she will resort to the tactic that every other despot on the planet does when the scandal at home becomes too great-plunge us into another war. This isn’t a war in which she intends to win, she just needs the American public in a prolonged and fruitless distraction. Furthermore, an economic reckoning is coming and it will very likely fall in her lap during her first term.

In terms of Israel, she will keep the status quo with our greatest ally in the Middle East,  which means she will continue the current policies of blaming and ostracizing Israel. In terms of the Church in America, she will continue pressing and crushing the civil liberties we currently enjoy: freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of worship…specifically targeting only one group-Christians.

If she were to win, she’d only do so by squeaking a victory out, which would enrage a large portion of our society. Civil war is a greater potential under her than ever before, simply due to the amount of corruption and scandal she carries into the office. Furthermore, this wouldn’t be civil unrest by simply the tea party ‘mom and pop’ types…this would extend across law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies which have become galvanized like never before to stop her.

Prognosis: A highly divided America, embroiled in internal turmoil and scandal, wrought with massive economic problems, half-handedly attempting to engage enemy forces across the Middle East, and potentially being on the receiving end of both Russian and Chinese attacks, succumbs to military isolationism, but double-downs on international economic interdependency through ramping up of NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). America rapidly in decline in terms of global standing fits nicely with a non-participant situation in terms of coming to Israel’s aid in an Ezekiel 38 scenario.

A President Trump victory
Should Donald Trump be declared the victor on November the 8^th, his victory would bring a huge sigh of relief to millions of Americans and former allies of the United States around the world. The greatest moment of turmoil in beginning his transition with President Obama, would be in fact, the handing of ‘the baton’ from Obama to Trump. A Trump victory would signal a flurry of last minute edicts and executive orders from Obama to-- exonerate Hillary Clinton, further divide Israel, and force a selection of a Supreme Court justice.

In terms of social evils and the rapid cultural decline, I believe that Trump will attempt to emplace competent leaders at every level who will hold wide-scale lawlessness at bay. There is no stopping the overall direction the world is going, but a Trump presidency would start tapping on the brakes, instead of flooring the gas pedal as a Clinton presidency would.
This economic reckoning is still coming, and this will be one of the most significant things President Trump will have to contend with. Under Clinton, it would come, not because the powers that be wanted it to, but that the system itself is due for a course correction. They (power brokers, the Federal Reserve, central banks and international monetary agencies, OPEC, etc.) have largely held it at bay while Obama was busy selling off American sovereignty in exchange for an artificial economic uptick.

But with Trump, there will be no brakes, no stoppage, and no mercy in terms of how deep and far this economic downturn will be. The intent then would be to lay this all at the feet of the Republicans once and for all. Fortunately, Trump has made his fortune understanding economics, and the human condition. It is possible that he could turn this around and make the necessary changes that renegotiates our dealings in regards to currency strength, export/import balances, and the national debt.

In terms of our military standing, he would greatly revamp the ailing and strained US military forces. I would expect that anywhere the US has placed troops, he would seek also to renegotiate the terms of the arrangements so that the US is not wasting resources and potential in unnecessary commitments. I would expect that Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China would be more reluctant to test American resolve under his presidency than under Clinton’s.

Trump has made it clear that he would finally recognize Jerusalem as the sole, undivided capital of Israel, something no president has done since they recaptured the eastern half of it in 1967. Prophetically speaking, this is significant because Jesus said….and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

I am becoming less and less convinced that this means there will be a complete absence of Gentiles in Jerusalem milling about, as this has never been the case even when they were their own kingdom. But were President Trump, the leader of the world’s greatest nation, to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel after 49 years of Israeli ownership, this could signal the beginning of the end of Gentile dominion as the world begins to enter into Daniel’s 70^th Week. I believe that this is the only reason why it hasn’t happened yet.

*Put in another way, if recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel were to work in Satan’s favor, it would have already happened 49 years ago. But it doesn’t and this is why Satan has been working so hard to prevent this now through eight different US administrations.

Prognosis: This could also mark the time when Christians let their guard down in the United States. This supports the Biblically-based understanding that the church becomes largely lethargic and lukewarm. Hypothetically speaking, if Trump surrounds himself with as much Christian leadership (advisors and cabinet members) as has we have been led to believe, a Rapture would decimate much of our Executive Branch forcing a national realignment, in conjunction with an economic downturn.

Conclusion
First and foremost, the Rapture of the Church is a sign-less event. It doesn’t need anything to precede or accompany it for it to occur. That said, Jesus, Peter, and Paul allude to events surrounding it that do not give the day or hour, but point to the season for when it would occur. Secondly remember, that an economic course-correction is coming regardless of who gets elected.  Lastly, remember that Bible prophecy almost exclusively deals with only Israel in regards to God’s schedule, so Israel should always figure significantly in terms of knowing where and when we are on God’s calendar of scheduled events.

Clinton would never acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. First, it would infuriate her base, and secondly, it would infuriate a great many of her Islamic donors. Trump however, has made very clear that he intends to do from day one once he assumes the mantle. How does the recognition of Jerusalem figure into Bible prophecy? Well, if my understanding of Luke 21:24 is correct, it would trigger the end of Gentile dominion, and open the gate so to speak, for the end time events setting the stage for the Tribulation.
A recognition of Jerusalem could be the trigger for several prophetic events such as Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 38, and Daniel 9:27. Where does the Rapture figure into all these events? Well, it could be before or after a Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 scenario, but it looks like it precedes both an Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 9:27 scenario…so somewhere in the middle…right about the time when people are crying out for ‘peace and safety’

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape… 1 Thess 5:2-3

About Pete Garcia
Last article: Diary of a Dead Man

Very Cautiously Optimistic

Reposted from servehiminthewaiting.com

By STLloyd November 9, 2016 America blessings faith Politics

I’ve not been doing much writing for the past few months.  My voice is not what people needed.  I have probably posted more, but I have spend a lot less time doing it.  When I pray consistently and fervently about something, often God will eventually give me a release in my Spirit when that lets me know that my petition has been duly registered, and an answer has been dispatched.  Notice I did not say, He lets me know the answer, just that an answer is determined and will be forthcoming in His time.  I am not boasting when I say that I have spent a very significant amount of time petitioning the Lord on behalf of America for the past eight years.

I have Christian acquaintances and friends who, that I know of, do not feel that burden to pray for this nation, and instead they still cling to a belief in some invincibility they persist in attributing to this nation  Those same people will never know the magnitude of the “bullet” we just dodged.

My hope is that Donald Trump will do all he can to fulfill the promises he has made.  A businessman who is as successful as he is, doesn’t get there by failing to follow through.  He obviously has been “teachable” in listening to his advisers, and reigning in his loose cannon tendencies.  These are all good signs.

But make no mistake.  It was prayer, and God’s grace and mercy, which He prefers to extend whenever we exhibit the willingness to appeal to Him, that painted the map red last night.

I stayed up until they called it for Trump. After three a.m.  I wasn’t about to go to bed, only to wake up and see some craziness during the wee hours had snatched away the victory, and I certainly wanted to say thank you to the Lord for His mercy. I posted a video late last night before the announcement of Trumps win, that asserted the videos by Steve Piecznik were all just Psy-0ps, an attempt to mislead the vigilant and encourage them to let down their guard.  Don’t worry, it was a coup, but we’ve handled it now, so put your guns away.

Frankly, I have no idea whether it was true nor what the truth is behind so much of the filthy revelations via Wikileaks regarding Hillary.  I can tell you one thing, though.  I listened to Tim Kaine in his speech before Hillary’s concession speech.  And he is clearly as delusional as ever, as are those who sat in the audience and cried because Hillary did not win. Kaine praised Hillary’s devotion to “families and children”!  And Hillary kept right on lying when it was her turn to speak talking about how important it is that people be able to practice their religion.  All except for Christians, of course!.  Kaine used an example out of the New Testament about the vineyard owner who hired people at the last minute and paid them the same as the workers who had worked the full day. He compared Hillary to that Vineyard owner.  Who, by the way, is a “type” or metaphor for God Himself, in the way that He is generous and more than fair with us.  The irony is utterly lost on Kaine, Hillary, and all of those in the audience shouting their love to her and vowing to “keep fighting”..

Make no mistake.  This is merely a reprieve.  There is still a lot of praying to be done.  People who go to Washington end up part of the establishment eventually.  I do not expect there to be a lot of reversal of what Obama has done.  It is not the death of globalism as Ann Coulter claims.  We know this, because we look at these developments through the lens of Bible Prophecy.  The pendulum swings, and the arc may seem to go slowly, but only because it is so wide.  The wide swings may ultimately delay the inevitable just a little while, but the extremes, as we have seen these past four years, are getting lethal.  The sheer number of bizarre things that took place in these past eight years are unequivocally indicators of our having gone somewhere we as a world, we have never been previously.

But I am grateful for what feels like a moment to catch my breath, aren’t you?  I cannot imagine what the candidates feel that moment the results are verified.  Despite what any of us thinks of Hillary or Trump, the demands of the appearance schedule, the pressures and the attacks, even if things that are true, wrong, and criminally wrong, this  being exposed  all of that has to add up to exhaustion! I believe both sides were supernaturally sustained.  God allowed it.  Whether friends and associates of Hillary, or she herself were performing Spirit Cooking Rituals, incantations, calling up hoards of demons, participating in pedophilia,  God  allowed the curtain to be lifted and this glimpse into the “sausage-making procedure” of 21st Century politics in the battle of the Elites vs the rest of us, and I think it proves that Americans are not nearly as impervious nor as apathetic about the creep of immorality and debauchery and lawlessness, as television, Hollywood, Washington, and the devil himself, would like us to believe we are. Knowing or even wondering if Hillary was into pedophelia, and things demonic, apparently was deemed creepy enough by enough people, to sway them to go vote for Trump.  It’s a good sign that there is a discernable pulse of conscience left but lets not get carried away.  We all posses a dangerous (deadly) sin nature. Anyone who thinks to themselves, “I would never do anything as sick as that!”, better be careful.  If you believe that, you are exactly the person who has not yet grasped the concept of total depravity.  In us, that is in this flesh, dwells NO Good Thing!

Now, calling a spade a spade, as per the example of our illustrious new POTUS-elect, White America has been vilified.  Especially non college-educated whites, and especially white males.  I really hope that some of the rats will crawl back into their holes and just stay there for a while.  We have established a new standard, and even the rats seem to be behaving a little better today.   I don’t think many blacks are the haters some whites have made them out to be, and neither are whites the haters some blacks have made them out to be.  I think there is a hesitancy though, a guardedness, until we can figure out which way the wind blows when we meet someone who is different from ourselves. This black/white divide,  was a paradigm purposely resuscitated by the Obama administration and globalists.
Isn’t it also interesting how Glenn Beck was so prominent in the tea party days, and then after the Tea Party was co-opted, he became such a moderate and then a total anti-Trumper?

I believe God turned some lights back on in America last night.  A lot of people didn’t even know how badly they have been stumbling around in the dark.
God is the one who sets people up. As to Beck, God used a Mormon, not because he was a Mormon, but I feel that Glenn Beck really did a service to this nation in reminding us of our history, and filling in the huge gaps for those who never were taught history in the more recent generations.

God sets up rulers, and He takes them down. We did get the leader the nation, on the whole, wanted in Obama these last nearly eight years.  We are still on the same trajectory to prophetic fulfillment in relation to Israel and other nations of the Middle East.  Israel is still God’s time clock.  And Obama still has many weeks in which to lay the final groundwork for the next developments over there.  America will not instantaneously recover the influence and power she once had.  What we have possibly done, though, is slowed down the deconstruction of America, preserved a chance of retaining some religious liberty, reaffirmed the Constitution, and firmly established that there are enough people who are not on board with enough of the current administrations policies that they were simply not going to sit home and stay silent.

The map was red, ya’ll!  Not purple, not blue, Red with little patches of blue.  Even now, I don’t believe the report that Hillary won the popular vote.  But to quote herself, what difference, at this point, does it make?

I am pleased that there were no riots, no cities on fire.  I know that there were people who have dual citizenship, who viewed this election important enough to register and absentee-vote.  There probably were a significant number who voted illegally, voted multiple times, and there were probably areas where machines were rigged.  But none of that is an obstacle to God.

I also figured that even among Virginia’s criminals with their newly-restored voting privileges, and America’s Hispanics and Latinos whom the left assumed were  “in the bag” for Hillary, there were plenty of people who saw this as their best chance to “stick it to the man” or assert their autonomy by voting Donald Trump.

You know how God has judged man through the ages by the degree of the dispensation of revelation about Himself of their age?  He gave Adam and Eve perfection, and one singular temptation.  They sinned.  He gave the law, we broke it.  Right now, we are under grace, but we have surely progressed beyond Sodom and Gomorrah, and the time of Noah, yet because it is the age of grace, His cup of wrath has not yet run over.  Even during the reign of Christ, scripture tells us Christ will rule with a rod of iron, where the slightest move into or toward sin, will be nipped in the bud instantaneously without hesitation.

I sort of get the feeling this is what God is doing in America.  Proving us to ourselves for the faithless people we are.  9/11 seemed like a wake up call, but it wasn’t.  And few people will ever know the bullet we may just have dodged here in America.  So, we slowed the hemorrhage, but it is far from over.

Watchmen cannot afford to let down the guard now.  This is for you guys, and was sent by fellow blogger Jean-Louis who has frequently contributed here.

A personal perspective on blog writing and discouragement in the process
Written by Jean-Louis, circa August 2010

This is what I am supposed to do even though the reward will come later at the time of God´s own choosing.

Things, people change, circumstances and landscape will certainly change as the seasons of the year , but the gifts that God gave us remain.

It needs to be practiced, improved and even refined through difficult discipline and constant reach for excellence even though I can´t see the face, hear the voice of my readers and count on positive feedback through comments and critiques except from a few faithful and grateful friends who support me through prayer and kind words.

Another more comforting thought came to mind. That my Lord Jesus, the master teacher could be pleased with my writing. After all, most of it is a commentary of a sort, not a critique, but a way of understanding explaining, elaborating first to myself with the Holy Spirit as guide and instructor the thoughts of God that come as the form of insights with the meditating upon His Word and then sharing with my readers.

This is my part in obeying God and thinking about the most pure, true, holy, excellent of good repute things that Paul talked about in Philippians.

Think of it: God allowing me to write commentaries, notes about His Word that I cherish as my most important treasure in my life and in this world and not being displeased.

It is like a little child that wants to know and understand the secrets of life and comes to His Father to ask questions. Then, as part of the conversation, He listens to what the Father has to say and as a way of letting his Father he understand, he tells him in his own words what he heard His Father say. How patient and gracious our Father is! How full of mercy and understanding He is with us!

It is like us saying Amen! A feedback of agreement and acquiescence amplified that we acknowledge and receive the revelation of who He is in and through His eternal Word, like finding that the puzzle is taking shape all along life´s learning as the Holy Spirit reveals His wisdom, His will and His ways to us.

It gives a sense of security, of being understood and heard without the preconceived notions, the prejudices that are so prevalent in human beings without all the limitations and rules imposed by well-intentioned people to judge and control others.

When we understand that our Lord Jesus is our very best friend, even if we feel abandoned or neglected by the ones we love and at times feel the weight of loneliness, His presence in us is a reminder of His comforting words to His disciples: I will never leave you alone. Peace and joy are ours, we are complete in Him, we lack nothing, we are rich even though we own nothing that we are not going to lose or leave behind one day. Our life is hidden in Him in the heavenlies.

Then, we are not anxious about whether people love us, appreciate us or approve of us. What matters is what our Father thinks of us, whether we obey Him, whether we seek to please Him and do what He commands , whether we preach His word, serve our fellow-man, wait for His return while busy at doing His work as He commanded and being grateful and praising Him, rejoicing in the knowledge that He  “will make known to us the path of life; and that In His presence is fullness of joy; In His right hand there are pleasures forever”,  Psalm 16:11(NASB).

.May God be blessed and glorified in America again!

2016 11 06 John Haller's Prophecy Update "Prophetic Tsunami"

After much prayer and soul-searching, I have reluctantly decided to vote for the Trump-Pence ticket. Here’s why.

Reposted from https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

November 3, 2016 By joelcrosenberg in Epicenter

This is not easy for me. I did not get to this point lightly. Rather, it has been a matter of intense examination of the candidates and party platforms, studying the Scriptures (particularly I Samuel 8-12; see below), and listening to many thoughtful voices in the debate.

Anyone who has been tracking my writing during the course of this campaign knows how deeply concerned I am about Mr. Trump — his lack of experience, flip-flopping on issues, and the unkind and at times even vulgar or vitriolic language he uses against his critics. I had hoped he would be defeated in the primaries. Or challenged by a plausible third party candidate. Or would drop out after the release of the deeply offensive video of him speaking with Billy Bush.

But this is where we are. Now, it is truly is a binary choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. There’s no way around it, and the moment of decision has arrived.
True, I had previously stated that I could “never” vote for Mr. Trump. So I readily concede this is a reversal. I have no doubt I will disappoint some for changing my position. But this is where I am, and I want to explain how I got here.

The heart of the matter is this: I have been going through what many Evangelicals are going through – an internal battle between competing convictions.

I could never support Hillary. Indeed, much of my professional life has been fighting the Clintons, dating back to when I worked for Bill Bennett and Jack Kemp at Empower America, and for Rush Limbaugh as director of research. So the question for me has been this: should I vote for Trump, a third party candidate, write-in a candidate, or not vote at all? For many of my friends, this hasn’t been a difficult choice. For me it’s been difficult to determine which of my deeply held convictions should be elevated as paramount, even when the others I hold so dearly are being violated.

To be sure, my vote is not more important than anyone else’s. I know many Americans are struggling the same way I am. Indeed, in writing this I’m not even trying to persuade you to agree with me. I have friends whose deepest convictions tell them they simply cannot vote for Mr. Trump, that they will trust the sovereignty of God and live with the consequences. I respect them. I don’t question their motives. I know exactly where they’re coming from.
But for those who are interested, here are ten reasons why I have decided to vote for the Trump-Pence ticket:

1. The most important is this: Hillary Clinton must never be elected President under any circumstances. She must be stopped. As I have written, she would be an absolute catastrophe for America. Should she be elected and the Democratic Platform enacted, this dynamic would accelerate the country towards divine judgment and implosion.
2. Hillary and her advisors may have committed federal crimes. The decision by the Director of the FBI to reopen the criminal investigation put into sharp relief for me  the gravity of the situation facing us.
3. Electing Hillary could very well lead to a constitutional crisis that could paralyze the federal government and make us vulnerable. These were points made this week by Doug Schoen, a senior Democrat pollster and strategist who once worked for President Bill Clinton. Schoen announced that he – a long-time Hillary supporter – could no longer in good conscience vote for her. This helped persuade me that I could no longer in good conscience avoid casting a vote to stop her.
4. Aside from criminality, Hillary is the most corrupt and flawed candidate ever to run on a major party ticket for President. Americans are exhausted by the culture of corruption and scandal that perennially surrounds the Clintons. Four more years would distract us from tackling the serious challenges facing the American people.
5. Hillary Clinton is the poster child for “politics as usual” at a time when we need change.
6. Yes, as I stated above, I have deep reservations about Mr. Trump. I have not sugar-coated these concerns. Rather, I have written and spoken about them throughout the campaign. In January I wrote 39 reasons why a Trump presidency would be a catastrophe (see here and here). I concede this could still turn out to be true. But it also should be noted that in the ten months since I wrote those columns, an excellent Republican Platform was drafted and approved. Also, Mr. Trump has made a series of very specific and attractive commitments. He has promised:
   1. To pursue pro-life policies at the federal level
   2. To appoint Supreme Court Justices in the model of Antonin Scalia (and has issued a specific – and impressive – list of names from which he promises to draw to make his appointments to the Court
   3. To defund Planned Parenthood
   4. To rebuild the American military
   5. To protect America’s borders
   6. To strengthen America’s alliances with Israel and our Sunni Arab partners
   7. To repeal and replace Obamacare
   8. To cut taxes, reform the tax code, revitalize American manufacturing, create jobs for Blue Collar Americans, and expand economic freedom and opportunity for all Americans
7. Do I have concerns as to whether Mr. Trump will keep all of these promises? Yes. But I have come to believe it is worth electing him in the hopes that he will keep his word. I am certain Hillary will aggressively pursue an agenda that goes against everything I believe.
8. I believe Governor Mike Pence would make a superb Vice President.
   1. Lynn and I know Mike and Karen and have the highest respect for them. In our personal time with them, we have been deeply encouraged by their humility and character.
   2. Mike and Karen are devout Evangelical Christians.
   3. Mike is a principled conservative and is deeply knowledgeable and experienced in economic, social and foreign policy matters.
   4. Karen is a great friend, soulmate and counselor to her husband.
   5. More recently, we spent time with them in Jerusalem when the Governor led a trade delegation to Israel. They love Israel deeply. They love the Jewish people. Mike gets the seriousness of the threats posed by Radical and Apocalyptic Islam and is serious about countering them. He has deep respect for our Sunni Arab allies and understands the importance of working together with all our allies in the Middle East to counter Iran and ISIS.
   6. Mr. Trump was wise to choose Gov. Pence to serve as Vice President and deserves credit for the choice. If this is a signal of the type of leaders he will appoint in office, this would be a good thing.
9. Hopefully, Mr. Trump would also appoint solid, experienced conservatives to key positions throughout the Cabinet and Executive Branch. I know for certain Mrs. Clinton would appoint hardcore liberals if she is elected.
10. Finally, I have been studying I Samuel chapters 8 through 12 as I’ve been wrestling with the question, “Can I vote for a candidate for whom I have serious reservations?” In this fascinating passage, the Hebrew judge and prophet Samuel is grieved by the direction ancient Israel is going. He is grieved by Israel’s rebellion against the Lord. They want an earthly king, someone tall and strong and decisive — rather than the Lord — to govern them, lead them, protect them and solve their problems. Samuel goes to the Lord with great anguish to protest, but the Lord tells him three times to “listen to the voice of the people.” The Lord even directs Samuel to publicly anoint and bless a seriously flawed and woefully inexperienced man named Saul to be the king. The Lord does this even though He knows that Saul will fail the people and need to be replaced. But the Lord gives Samuel one further directive: Make sure the people understand what they are doing, and how urgently they need to turn back to the Lord – not to a man – to see their nation blessed and saved. “Now then, listen to their voice,” said the Lord. “However, you shall [also] solemnly warn them.” Did God tell Samuel to support a flawed man for the highest position of leadership in the nation even though it went directly against Samuel’s conscience? Yes, He did. But Samuel was never to stop calling the nation back to the Lord until the day he died. Now I am not Samuel, and Mr. Trump is not Saul. The details are different. But the principle is intriguing, and it has been helpful to me.

Today, I live in Israel and am a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. But I was born and raised in the United States. I am an American citizen and profoundly grateful for this birthright. Heroic men and women have laid down their lives to give me the right to vote, and I am grateful. I can’t say I am happy with the choices I have, but I am finally at peace about what I should do.

To be clear, I am not endorsing Mr. Trump. I am simply saying I am going to vote for him (by absentee ballot) because Hillary must be stopped.

In the meantime, I will continue to pray faithfully and earnestly for the Trump, Pence, Clinton and Kaine families and for their teams. I will pray the Lord has mercy on them, and mercy on each and every American.

Finally, I will also keep meditating on a sobering passage of Scripture at this critical moment — 1 Samuel 12:22-25 – and encourage other believers to do the same:
“For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself,” said Samuel to his nation. “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”
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[This column is based on my personal beliefs and opinions. I share them in my personal capacity as an American citizen and an author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Joshua Fund, which is a non-profit organization and takes no political or legislative positions.]

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Proving the Existence of Jesus

Reposted from gracethrufaith.com

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016

• Israel
• Old Testament
• Past Featured
• Prayer
• Prophecy

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Know and understand this. From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until The Anointed One the ruler comes there will be seven sevens and sixty two sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble. After the sixty two sevens the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. (Daniel 9:25-26a)


This information was given to Daniel in 538 BC in response to a prayer asking God to release His people from their 70 year captivity in Babylon. The Angel Gabriel visited Daniel with a message that has become known as the 70 weeks of Daniel (Dan 9:24-27). The title is somewhat confusing because the Hebrew word translated as “weeks” in the KJV and “sevens” in the NIV actually describes a period of seven years. So 70 “weeks” is really 490 years, and the seven “sevens” and sixty-two “sevens” referenced above combine to equal 483 years. This passage is the single most important piece of prophecy in all of scripture because it chronicles the coming of the Messiah, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the coming of the anti-christ and the timing and duration of the Great Tribulation. It is nothing less than the key that unlocks our understanding of the end times, and so mastering it is critical for any student of eschatology.

For our purposes today, the 2 verses of Daniel’s prophecy I’ve quoted presents us with a very narrow window of time into which we must fit the birth and death of anyone claiming to be the Messiah. This window of time can be measured in secular history, opening 483 years after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (issued in March of 445 BC by the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes Longimonus) and closing with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Do the math and you only have a 38 year span of time. In 6000 years of recorded history with millions of lives beginning and ending, what is the probability of any man being born within this 38-year time frame? Now factor in some of the unique aspects of the Messiah’s life. He had to fulfill over 300 prophecies written about Him hundreds of years before His birth, be recognized as Israel’s Messiah by thousands of people, incur the wrath of His country’s leaders, be falsely accused of a capital crime, make no defense though innocent, and be publicly executed by crucifixion.

Where Was He Born?

To try and assess the odds against of all this happening by chance, let’s review just 3 of these 300 prophecies. How about the place of His birth? 750 years in advance the Prophet Micah learned from God that Israel’s Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) even though it turns out His family was from Nazareth, several days travel away. He also learned that this Messiah would be unusual in that His origins would be “from of old, from ancient times.” Literally translated this means His family descent is from before time and perpetual. In other words He would possess eternal life. Furthermore verse 3, the one that doesn’t make it to your Christmas card, states that because of Him Israel would be abandoned until all His brothers return to join those who’ve accepted Him.

By the way, if you don’t believe the generally accepted dating for these prophecies, consider this. The Old Testament, from which they come, had been translated from Hebrew into Greek beginning in about 275 BC and by 150 BC was substantially complete. Therefore events foretold concerning the life of Jesus were a matter of public record at least 150 years before the fact. How many years prior to their fulfillment must a prophecy be given to have validity? Remember, prophecy is God’s way of authenticating Himself for us, because only someone who exists outside the restrictions of time can describe events before they’ve taken place with 100% accuracy.   The fact that sets the life of Jesus apart from all of humanity is not that He performed miracles. It’s that so many details about His life were foretold 100s and even 1000s of years in advance.

What about His betrayal?

In Zechariah 11:12-13 we’re told that the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver in the House of the Lord, and that the money would be used to buy a field from a potter. Though Zechariah wrote these things around 520 BC Matt 27:3-8 indicates that’s exactly what happened. Here you see the Lord’s betrayer and His sworn enemies fulfilling prophecies down to the last detail. If you happened to be born at the right time and were trying to force fit yourself into Messianic prophecy, we could understand getting your friends to cooperate, but how do you go about getting your enemies to do so? The fact that He was betrayed by a close friend during a meal was foretold in Psalm 41:9 and confirmed in John 13:18 & 26-27.

How Did He Die?

The Jews were people of the Law and their leaders prided themselves on their merciful application of justice. Yet in the case of Jesus they consciously and maliciously violated their own laws repeatedly. No one could be arrested with out formal charges being filed, yet Jesus was. It took 2 independent witnesses to convict but they couldn’t get this required collaboration, so they convicted Jesus on His own testimony, also forbidden. Trials couldn’t be held at night, but His was. Death sentences required unanimous consent of the Sanhedrin (ruling body) and a “sleep on it” rule wherein they had to come back the next day and vote again. But in His case they didn’t inform the Lord’s advocates among them of the trial thereby eliminating the possibility of a divided vote and then waived the sleep on it rule. Much of this was predicted in Isaiah 53:7-8 750 years before the fact.

Jewish law required death by stoning, but the Jews had lost the right to impose capital punishment, and so appealed to the Romans, whose method of execution was crucifixion. This was a particularly gruesome and painful method first used by the Assyrians in about 800 BC and adopted by the Romans 700 years later. But in Psalm 22, King David described in detail what it feels like to be crucified and then foretold the activities of the Lord’s executioners, down to splitting up his clothing and casting lots for His robe. David wrote this psalm over 1000 years before the fact.

So What’s The Point?

In Jesus we have someone who was born in Bethlehem though His family was not from there, and lived and died within the prescribed 38 years out of 6000. He was widely accepted as Israel’s Messiah but betrayed by a close friend and though innocent of any crime made no defense and was convicted and sentenced to death in an illegal trial. His enemies paid the prophesied amount of money for His betrayal and then when payment was returned to the Temple used it to buy a potter’s field. He was executed by a method foretold before its invention and his executioners split up His belongings just as predicted.

That’s only 4 out of over 300 fulfilled prophecies we could explore. But even with just these 4 the odds against them happening by chance are so astronomically high as to be ridiculous. It’s true, as I stated in last week’s message that these things are no longer taught in our schools, nor sadly even in many of our churches. But if you take it upon yourself to study just a few readily available reference books, you’ll find that you can prove the existence of Jesus, and that He is Who He claims to be, with greater certainty than you can prove that you are who you claim to be. No matter what standard you decide to use, rules of evidence as used by an attorney, statistical probability as used by a mathematician, or forensic logic as used by a debater, you’ll be persuaded beyond reasonable doubt. You can take His word for that: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13).