The Mystery of Revelation

By Pastor Doug Batchelor

He was born in a small, obscure village, the child of poor parents. He quietly worked alongside His father as a carpenter until He was about 30. He then, unexpectedly, set out on His own, traveling as an itinerate preacher for three-and-a-half years.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held office. He also never married or attended college. In fact, He never seemed to do any of the typical things that we associate with greatness today. Yet in the 20 centuries that have passed since His death, this man remains the most intriguing character of the human race. He is revered by billions.
Someone once said, “All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of man on the earth as much as that one solitary life.”
During the three centuries that followed His death, Jesus’ teachings remained the central focus of the Christian faith, and the principles that He taught were the foundation of the church. Yet gradually, this religion became distorted as His followers adopted strange, mystic traditions such that, over time, the church that Jesus started bore very little resemblance to His simple teachings as found in Scripture.
As a result, a period of great darkness settled upon the Christian church, bringing bloodshed and fostering a lust for pride, power, and financial gain—all in the name of the humble Carpenter. What really happened?

The Revelation Chronicles

Within the book of Revelation, there are many vivid visions and prophecies that clearly foretold these things would happen, in addition to what is still to come upon the Christian church and the entire world in the future.
In fact, Revelation is one of the most spectacular books ever written. Within its pages, we see a kaleidoscope of bizarre beasts, mysterious women, and powerful angels. It is also a book of great contrasts, from the terrible trumpets and devastating plagues to the most beautiful pictures of heaven and paradise found in Scripture.
Yet many say that these mystic symbols are sealed—and that nobody, especially laypersons, could ever truly know what Revelation is trying to tell us.
But contrary to that notion, God Himself commands that Revelation not be sealed! “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10 NKJV). And it never has been sealed. (By contrast, the book of Daniel was “sealed” for a short time.)
The very name “Revelation” means “unveiling,” “opening,” or “revealing”—the complete opposite of being sealed—and Revelation begins with the words, “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book reveals His last-day plans for His work and people. Moreover, a special blessing is pronounced upon those who read Revelation and obey it—“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
Does that sound like something God doesn’t want you to read or understand?
In fact, Revelation describes God’s end-time people and church with startling clarity. It makes the Bible come to life when you see the last-day events depicted in Revelation that have taken place—and some are taking place now!
Indeed, Revelation is written geared to the people of our time—just before Jesus’ return. It is written “to show His servants what must soon take place,” and “because the time is near.” All throughout, Jesus declares, “I am coming soon.” (For example, see Revelation 1:1–3.)

Decoding Revelation

Still, without some guidance, reading Revelation can be a frustrating and perplexing study experience, with all its deep spiritual content.
For millions, the symbols and language of Revelation are often enshrouded in confusing and contradictory interpretations. How are we, living nearly 2,000 years after it was written, to understand it? If the book truly is unsealed, how can we know the true nature behind such symbols as the two brides, the beast, and Babylon? How can we know which interpretation actually makes the most sense?
If you’ve ever Googled “Revelation,” you’ve probably heard of the three most common theories that guide students in their study of the book—called preterism, futurism, and historicism.
Preterism is the belief that the apostle John wrote Revelation as a book of history, a history that ends by AD 70, describing with symbolic elements the extreme challenges of the early church in overcoming the Antichrist power of pagan Rome and the influence of Judaism.
Futurism is the belief that John wrote primarily about events that have yet to occur even in our day, including the future rise of the Antichrist. Futurism is the interpretation put forth by the popular Left Behind series and today enjoys the most support from mainstream Protestant Christianity. Ironically, this theory was first put forth by a Jesuit—Francisco Ribera—in the late 1500s.
Historicism is the belief that John was writing future history as it would unfold from his day to the end of time, detailing through a panorama of prophecies the events of the church and major world powers all the way through to the second coming of Christ and the New Jerusalem. This is the theory that most Protestant reformers used in their teachings.
While each school of interpretation has its arguments, only one is logically and spiritually consistent.
For instance, preterism implies that because all biblical prophecy was fulfilled by AD 70, God has no prophetic message for Christians living today—and, worse, it implies that many prophecies simply did not and will not come to pass, such as the great Christian apostasy Christ warned would strike at the church just prior to His second coming in Matthew 24. And unfortunately, along with its inconsistent approach to symbols and dates, futurism promotes a fire-escape gospel that encourages a wait-and-see approach to salvation—and it is the one most commonly associated with the endless failed predictions of Christ’s return, such as the book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.
Amazingly, these false interpretations were subtly advanced in the Christian church by design, and both by the very same power at work today. Satan would rather have us continue to believe Revelation is sealed, because if you read it, you will learn about the strategies he has for God’s children, to leave you unprepared for his deceptions.

Historicism Unlocks Revelation

As mentioned, historicism was the view of the majority of the great reformers and preachers, including Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Spurgeon, who each believed the Antichrist power had already arisen in their lifetimes. And it presents a case that is simple, providing a logical interpretation that makes identifying such characters as the two brides, the beast, and Babylon much more consistent with the evidence of Scripture and history.
Amazing Facts actually presents this case in our brand-new documentary called Revelation: The Bride, The Beast & Babylon, a 90-minute presentation that reveals Bible keys to help you make sense of Revelation in the way it was always meant to be understood, exploring key moments in the history of the Christian faith and its relationship to Revelation’s prophetic stories of Jesus’ church, and the rise of a dark power called Babylon.
In development for more than three years, Amazing Facts has created a professional and groundbreaking presentation featuring stunning footage from historic locations throughout Europe; professional reenactments of major events and Bible symbols; and compelling interviews with respected theologians and historians
The key insights explored in this feature-length documentary include:

• Identifies of the bride of Revelation 12 and the harlot of Revelation 17
• The conflict between the woman, dragon, and child
• The significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in prophecy
• The persecution of the early church and how it survived
• The impact on Christianity with the reign of Constantine
• The adoption of Christianity in Rome and its consequences
• What happened when the church mixed with pagan traditions and philosophies
• The Dark Ages and the rise of the Reformation
• Our time in the chronology of Revelation

By the end of this feature, I’m sure you will be as confident as ever in your understanding of the core teachings of Revelation and know the real-world identities of the beast power, the harlot of Revelation 17, and the bride of Revelation 12, while also understanding the conflict between these great powers through history and how it affects your future—all just as the apostle John understood it.

Life-changing Bible Study DVD

God sent His Son into the world not only to save man from their sins and from a world of sin, but to teach us a new way to live and to love one another. As Jesus was about to ascend back to heaven, He encouraged His followers to teach “them to observe all things whatsover I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). These last words effectively started His church—the Christian faith.
Before his death the apostle Paul warned believers, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves (Acts 20:29, 30).
Just as predicted, these things happened as pagan customs and beliefs spilled into the church. Likewise, we can know that before Jesus returns, His church will once again shine with the profound yet humble principles that launched the Christian church. The clutter of human interpretations and teachings must now be swept away in order for the true and unadulterated church to thrive again.
Revelation: The Bride, the Beast & Babylon takes you on a thoughtful, whirlwind journey that illustrates the depths to which Christianity fell and the exciting restoration of truth during a period known as the Reformation, when the Bible, and the Bible alone, once again became God’s people’s source of faith and hope, ushering in a triumphant church that would be alive again until the end of the age.
While the breadth of information contained in this documentary will amaze and educate you, it is especially designed to show that God’s hand is clearly evident in the Bible and in church history, urging people to give their hearts to Jesus as a Lord they can trust.
So whatever your religious background, we promise you that this unique documentary will explain some of the most important questions of life and truth; we pray that you find it insightful and transforming.


http://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/inside-report/id/849/the-mystery-of-revelation.aspx

Determining the Will of God

 

By Pastor Doug Batchelor

An Amazing Fact: In 1692, the city of Port Royal, Jamaica, literally slid into the sea when it was struck by a massive earthquake. Many had predicted that this corrupt city of pirates and cutthroats would one day suffer God’s judgment. Therefore, the disaster surprised no one, least of all the handful of religious men who were swept to their doom along with the wicked. One such man was Lewis Galdy. When the first violent shock came, Galdy was buried deep beneath the earth. Amazingly, he remained conscious and understood what had happened. In prayer, he resigned himself to the will of God. But a few moments later, another earthquake threw Galdy high in the air and out over the churning sea. He landed unhurt in the water and swam until a boat picked him up.

The safest place in the world to be is in the middle of God’s will.

It doesn’t matter if you are surrounded by war, typhoons, tornados, volcanos, or earthquakes; if you’re in the middle of God’s will, you have nothing to worry about. The Bible says, “The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17 NKJV). If you are following God’s will, you have eternal life.

As a pastor, I often hear the questions: “How do I know that I’m doing what God wants me to do? How do I determine the will of God for my life?” These are very good questions. In fact, they’re the most important questions you can ask. Why? Because Jesus taught us to say “Thy will be done.”

Of course, we all must abide by the general principles regarding the will of God, which are universal. It is God’s will for everyone to be holy, loving, and true. But the Lord also has individual plans for each person that are as varied and unique as snowflakes.

Where Do We Begin?
We face a lot of big decisions in our lifetimes. When young people get out of high school, they have to ask: “What college will I attend? What will I study? Will I even go?” Then they must decide about a job and a spouse. “What job should I pursue? Who am I going to marry? Should I marry at all?”

Before we get into determining what God would have you do in any given circumstance, let’s deal with some basics. First and foremost, it is God’s will for you to be saved. The Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). What you are doing in life as a vocation should take a back seat if you don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Second, when a natural disaster strikes, insurance companies often refer to it as “an act of God.” That’s not always true. Not everything that happens is the will of God. Even though God is not willing that any should perish, some are going to perish. Obviously, you and I have also done things in our lives that were out of God’s will.

Besides, why would He tell us to pray that His will be done if it is always done anyway? That’s why we should be pursuing the will of God in our lives. Because God’s will doesn’t always happen, we have to do our best to search out — and be in — God’s will for the sake of His kingdom.

So I’m going to give you a brief list that will help you determine God’s will in your life. This list comes from those whom I respect the most: the Holy Spirit speaking through the Bible, great Bible scholars and commentators, and friends and fellow pastors. I believe this list is both grounded in the Word of God and everyday common sense.

Be Willing and Surrendered
The first step is the most important and often the most difficult: Be willing and surrendered. John 7:17 says, “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (NKJV). God will let you know His will — if you are truly willing to do it once you know what it is. Ask God to give you a submissive and willing heart.

Moreover, surrender yourself to Jesus before expecting Him to lead you some place to work on His behalf. If your heart is in a state of rebellion and you’re not surrendered, why would God show you His will? All He would do is add to your compounded guilt.

I especially like this simple prayer, “Lord, you be the needle, I’ll be the thread. You go first, and I’ll follow wherever you lead.” That’s the kind of humble attitude we need to discern God’s will. (See Psalm 25:9.) You might not like what He’s about to show you, but make up your mind that by His grace you will do it before you even know what it is.

Be Guided by His Word
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). When you are searching for God’s will, you need to open the Bible even more than you normally would. Ask God to help you find specific guidance for your life in His Word.

Sometimes, it’s possible to find out what the Bible says on the exact options you’re considering. Indeed, the Word has a lot of practical things to say about God’s will. For starters, the law of God can help you discern whether He wants you to do one thing or another. That can mean an emphatic “yes” or “no” found right in the commandments.

As a pastor, I’m still surprised that a lot of married Christians wonder, “Should I leave my spouse and go off with another person?” They might say, “It just feels so right. We can see God’s blessing. We see this as God’s will for us.” But this isn’t something you need to pray about. The answer is right in the Ten Commandments. God has clearly told His people never to do this kind of thing. “I delight to do thy will, … thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).
Consider Christian Counsel

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). When searching for God’s will, find others who have good judgment and will be honest with you.

What kind of counselors? “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV). In other words, don’t get counsel from people whose lives are a disaster; they’re probably not in the best position to give you advice.

However, godly friends can help you take honest inventory of yourself and discover your gifts and talents. They might point you in a direction you weren’t even considering. Growing up, no one thought I was going to be a pastor. It didn’t occur to me when I became a believer. But when I started giving Bible studies to friends, more and more people I respected said, “Doug, have you considered the ministry? We think you have a gift in that area.” So through collective counsel of godly people, I moved in this direction. God will do the same for you, if you ask Him.

Pray (and Fast)
“This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14, 15). When you want to know God’s will, you need to pray He will guide you. But you also need to harmonize your requests with His will.

In John 15:15, Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (NKJV). If you want to know the will of God, be a friend of God. How do you become His friend? You talk to Him. Friends talk about their plans together, so spend time praying and talking to the Lord. God reveals His will to His friends and servants.

In addition to prayer, your discernment of God’s will might include fasting, which is a deeper level of seeking clarity. In 2 Chronicles 20, when Israel was surrounded by her enemies, Jehoshaphat commanded the people to fast and pray. In response to their obedience, God gave the nation guidance and deliverance. Fasting often clears the mind and helps us separate the carnal desires from spiritual priorities. Put more simply, the radio reception improves.

Glorify God and Don’t Be Selfish
 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). When you are seeking after God’s will, make sure you avoid options that don’t glorify Him. If one of your options is going to harm His kingdom, then it is the wrong option. (See Matthew 6:33.)

In every decision, ask, “Lord, is this going to reach more people for you? What will make the biggest impact for your kingdom?” This is a vital factor in your decision process. It is part of loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

And much like considering God’s glory in our decisions, we need to remember the effect it will have on our neighbors — whether that’s our spouse, parents, children, or whoever. “None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7).

I’m always saddened when I hear people trying to make a decision about their life, and all they’re saying is, “What is this going to mean for me?” Instead, they need to be thinking of their families and how their decision is going to affect those around them. Galatians 5:14 says, “All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” It’s a sign of true conversion when someone isn’t always saying, “What’s in it for me?”

Be Patient and Faithful
“We count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11). In deciding the will of God, you must be patient.
Sometimes we become restless and want to do just about anything but keep guessing at what we should do. We want to act sooner than later, but sometimes God wants you to wait. Believe me, you’re better off waiting for God’s will having the right job, the right spouse, or the right school than rushing ahead of the Lord and having the wrong job, the wrong spouse, or the wrong school. You’re going to be miserable if you aren’t patient.

In fact, apparent delays could mean that rather than you picking an option, God’s will is coming to you special delivery. You just need to stay where you are and watch what happens. God could be saying, “Stay right there. I’m going to change everything without you doing anything.”

“Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23). But while you’re waiting patiently for new directions, continue to do the work at hand with all your heart. Many fail to fulfill the present will of God for their lives because they are too busy longing for something different.

Tally the Evidence
“In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). When you first turn on a GPS device, it can’t tell you immediately your location or which way you need to go. You need to wait a moment as the device begins to acquire satellites. But you’ll notice that it will often say “awaiting more satellites” or “awaiting better accuracy” even though it has already given you a path to go. As it picks up another satellite, it will give you more accurate directions because it has “triangulated” your position.

It should work that way when you are trying to discover God’s will. We’ve looked at a number of biblical criteria of how you can determine the will of God in any aspect of your life. Sometimes you are going to need a number of these criteria to overlap, to “triangulate,” before you can truly see where God is pointing you.

Make a list. Ask yourself, “What does God’s Word say.” If the answer isn’t as obvious as you think you need, ask, “What do my counselors say?” and “Which one of my choices truly glorifies God?” Keep tallying the results until you have a decision you can stand on firmly.

The Perfect Will of God
Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Many otherwise faithful Christians are finding themselves doing the imperfect will of God. They are restless and unhappy. As a result, they aren’t being the consistent witness God knows they could be.

Even though we’re separated from God because of sin, He has given us a way to discover His will — and the power to do it. Eventually, everyone in heaven will be doing the perfect will of God. If we want to be there, we must start practicing right now!

Is your life off track? Are you struggling to make the right decision? Are you afraid of where God might lead you — out of your comfort zone and into a strange land? Remember always that God doesn’t want what’s worst for you; He wants what’s best for you. You’ve got to trust Him that in the end, you’ll always be happier being in the middle of His will. Be pliable clay in the Potter’s hands and keep calibrating. Not only will you have joy in heaven; you’ll have it right here on earth.

The Promises of God

By Pastor Doug Batchelor
An Amazing Fact: William Penn, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well-liked by the Indians. They once told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day. Early the next morning, he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were greatly surprised, for they really didn’t expect he would take their word seriously. But they kept their promise and gave him the large tract that today is part of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn simply believed what they had said. Should we do less with God?

You have heard the expression, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”

In the Bible, we’re told over and over again that God’s promises never fail.

That’s in stark contrast to the situation in which the United States currently finds itself: We’ve got an epidemic of bankrupt business and credit crises because of a failed financial industry that was built on the gelatinous foundation of men’s promises.

In the resulting monetary morass, people have lost their jobs and businesses. Ironically, they also signed contracts to make payments that they can no longer make. Cars are being repossessed. And in the wake of immense financial strain and blame, couples are rescinding their promises of “through good times and bad” and are seeking divorce.

It’s enough to make everyone wonder if we can trust anybody’s word these days. Does a promise still mean anything?

A Perfect Credit Record
A number of companies today evaluate our credit scores to determine our dependability in keeping covenants. I have some very good news: God has a perfect credit score. Even in this world of broken contracts and violated vows, you can still completely trust God’s promises. When God says something, it never fails. That’s why my goal is to encourage you to read your Bible more and help you believe in and take advantage of the wonderful array of promises found throughout His Word.

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; … hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” We humans are pretty weak-willed. Sometimes out of fear we’ll make an impulsive promise, even though we know we can’t keep it.

But God doesn’t need to do that. For one, He never feels threatened or pressured. But most important, the Bible says He simply cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). In Matthew 24:35, Jesus explains, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

In fact, God goes out of His way to guarantee Himself for all eternity: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34). Then He backs it up by doing what He says.

You might be thinking, “Lord, you said you’re coming back; where are you?” Has His promise failed? Not at all. He promised to come the first time, and He did. It’s now about 2,000 years after that, and I think He is just about to come again. We might forget what He promises because we’re so impatient. But God is very patient. He doesn’t measure time the way we do. “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV).

You can trust the promises found in the Word of God — they are a solid, immense, immovable rock that we can stand on forever (Luke 6:47, 48).

My question is: Why do so few of us do so?

Unbelief in God’s Promises
Failure to believe God’s promises insults Him, His Word, and His character.

For example, after all the Lord did to bring the Jews out of Egypt, they wouldn’t believe He could take them all the way to the Promised Land. “In this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day” (Deuteronomy 1:32, 33). These fortunate souls had seen the Red Sea part, a fiery pillar lead them through the wilderness, and bread rain from heaven, but they still lacked faith.

When God brought them to the borders of the Promised Land, they sent in scouts to get a feel for the condition of the land. Ten of them came back to express overwhelming doubt about what God could do. But the Promised Land was called the Promised Land for a reason!

Their faithlessness ended up costing them dearly: “The LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth … saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers” (vs. 34, 35). They were not permitted to enter “heaven on earth” for their unbelief.

In the same way, if you want to get into the heavenly Canaan, you must believe in God’s promises. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). The ironic thing is that if I were to ask a group of Christians whether they think Jesus was preparing a room for them in heaven, most would say yes. But if I were to ask how many believed they could have victory over sin, they would express doubt, even though God specifically promises it to them. (More on this promise later!)

I’m worried that many who have experienced the truth of God will get to the border of the Promised Land only to lose faith in the Lord. We’re often good at believing that God can do anything around us, but not in us. But if God can rain down brimstone and part seas, He can keep His promise of giving you a new heart. Hebrews 4:1 warns: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” We need to fear falling into an attitude of unbelief. We need to be “fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” in our hearts and minds (Romans 4:21).

Cashing in on His Promises
One of the most successful gimmicks of retailers is selling gift cards. They make a lot of money off people who fail to use the cards or lose them before they use all the funds on them. Retailers can make a 50 percent profit from them and, worse, sometimes they go out of business rendering the purchased gift cards useless!

By God’s grace, His promises have no expiration date. So how do we cash in?

For one, we have to know what those promises are. That means reading His inspired Word regularly. It’s thrilling to track the Lord through biblical history by His promises; His actions are always following His promises. So often we miss out on these stirring gems of hope because we don’t read them and wrap ourselves around them in study. The Word of God is everything; it must come alive in our minds and hearts. It must be seen and heard before it can be believed.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were threatened with incineration by Nebuchadnezzar, I believe they remembered and claimed a Scripture found in Isaiah 43: “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you” (v. 2 NKJV). I imagine these faithful servants learned of this promise at their mothers’ knee, and when Nebuchadnezzar said, “I’m going to throw you into the fiery furnace,” the Holy Spirit reminded them of it.

Are you going to redeem His promises, or are you going to let His “gift card” disappear somewhere in your pile of papers?

Ask for and Believe in His Promises
Have you ever heard the ABCs of prayer — ask, believe, and claim? That’s a pretty good nugget of advice in experiencing God’s promises in your life. And there are literally thousands of promises in the Bible. I would have loved to include a list for you here, but there simply isn’t enough room. God’s promises are an inexhaustible mine filled with wealth. (I will list a few promises for you later, but you really need to search His Word to learn as many as you can. You have all the reason in the world to read your Bible.)

Next, you need to ask. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego claimed God’s promise when they said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from your hand, O King.” Did God honor His word? I can see it now — as they were being tied up by soldiers, the three men were probably muttering the promise to each other: “Remember the promise in Isaiah. When we go through the fire, it will not burn us. Lord, you hear that? You said it.” They presented it to the Lord, and the whole world would have had to pass away before God failed in that promise. God miraculously protected them.

To receive a promise, we also need to pray in Jesus’ name. “All the promises of God in [Jesus] are yea, and in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Then you need to believe that God will come through for you. Of course, we don’t deserve a promise based on what we have done, but we can have it on the good name of His Son. How wonderful is the righteousness of Jesus Christ!

Your prayer can be as simple as, “Lord, I believe in your promise. I am asking you, in the name of Christ, to fulfill it. Thank you.” When you approach the Father like this, believing in the integrity of His Word, you honor Him, His promise, and His Son. What do you think your chances are of God honoring your faith? I think they are pretty good. Hebrews 11:33 proclaims that His people “through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises.”

Now, while I have a little room left, let me share some of God’s most powerful promises. The more you read your Bible, the more you will see that the promises of God are like stars. The darker the night, the brighter they will shine for you.

The Promise of His Spirit
It’s our most important need as Christians: God’s Spirit dwelling within us. In Acts 2:38, 39, Peter says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (NKJV). God has promised us His Holy Spirit.

When anyone sincerely calls upon the name of the Lord in baptism, God offers the Holy Spirit in the same way it was given to Jesus when He was baptized. Indeed, part of the reason the Spirit came down was to empower Jesus for a life of holiness and ministry. God will also do that for you.

I wonder how many people have been baptized but have never received the Holy Spirit because they went through a baptism but neglected to claim His Spirit. Have you prayed and asked for His Spirit? Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13 NKJV). If you don’t think you have received the Spirit, it’s not too late. God can provide it even before baptism, as He did with Cornelius, or after baptism, as He did with the Apostles. If you’re still waiting for the Holy Spirit to come, maybe God has been waiting for you to ask.

The Promise of Everlasting Life
An elderly Christian was in much distress as he lay dying. “Oh, Pastor,” he said, “For years I have relied upon the promises of God, but now in the hour of death I can’t remember a single one to comfort me.” Knowing that Satan was behind this poor man’s doubt, the preacher said, “My brother, do you think that God will forget any of His promises?” A peaceful smile came over the face of the dying believer as he exclaimed joyfully, “No. No! He won’t!”

Of course, one of the best promises we can claim is the gift of eternal life. “This is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life” (1 John 2:25 NKJV). Just in case one witness is not enough for you, here is a second: “For this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant … that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15 NKJV).

“Oh,” you might think, “I’m not good enough!” If that’s your fear, stop trembling. God promises to fix that too. He knows you’re not good enough, but He promises to change your heart and prepare you for eternity. And if you lack the faith — well, He promises to give you faith.

The Promise for Holy Living
While you are believing in the promise of eternal life, believe this: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). This is a powerful promise — He has given power in all things that pertain to life, practical living, faith, and godliness.

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill promises; these aren’t even just great promises. They are “exceeding great and precious promises.” Through them, we can be “partakers of the divine nature.”  Whose nature is that? The nature of Christ Himself. Imagine that!

Sadly, many want to brush this aside and suggest it means that God merely looks upon you as if you had the nature of Christ. But that’s not what it says. “By these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4, emphasis added). Is that clear enough? Maybe it hasn’t happened because you don’t believe it, but the promise is right there. You can live a holy life.

Just to belabor the point, Jude 1:24 says, “Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (emphasis added). Do you believe the devil can tempt you to sin? If so, do you believe that Jesus can keep you from sin? If not, then you actually believe that the devil is more powerful than God! Yet if you believe, all things are possible — even sinless living. Of course, you’re not trusting in your own word or abilities or promises. You’re trusting in God’s promises and depending on Him to see you through all things.

Total Trust
When the Apostle Paul was on his way to Rome, a horrible storm overtook his boat. Everyone on board thought they were going to die … except Paul. For 14 days, the crew had been lost at sea, and now it looked like the ship was going down. They even threw tackling overboard in an attempt to save themselves. Yet here was Paul, totally unfazed.

They wondered, “Why are you so calm?” Paul answered, “God said I have to talk to Caesar, and I haven’t talked to him yet — so I know I’m living through this storm.” God made a promise, and Paul was totally fearless. Instead of trembling in fear, he prayed for everyone else on the boat, and God heard his prayer and saved them. Not one perished because of the intercession and total faith on the part of Paul. You might have been jaded from promises from family members, friends, or even politicians. We sometimes break our covenants with one another, but God does not.

He’s in the Next Room
Robert Murray McCheyne once wrote, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.” How true is that? If you could know, right now, that Jesus is in the next room praying for you, would you be afraid of anything?

Yet McCheyne concluded his statement this way: “Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” Christ lives to make intercession for you. Just because He’s a little farther away and you can’t see or hear Him, He is praying for you to trust in and to receive God’s promises.

There is an old rabbinical legend that when Joseph was prime minister to Pharaoh during the Egyptian famine, he emptied the chaff of his granaries into the Nile River. It floated far away on the moving currents. When the people on the shoreline saw it pass by, they were filled with comfort. It was only chaff, but it meant that there was plenty of corn somewhere. They only needed to trace it to its source. God has promises of plenty for you, but you must track them.

I hope you will bank everything you have on that truth and begin to read your Bible to locate God’s promises. You need to read them — underline them — and start asking, and believing, and claiming them in your life. No matter what your challenges are, you’ll experience a complete transformation and even total victory. Do you have a problem with your character, a problem with your child, a problem at work? God can take care of those. Don’t underestimate the power or range in the arsenal of His promises.

Finally, they say that in the contracts of men, “The big print gives, and the small print taketh away.” So what is the fine print of God’s promises? “All things are possible for those who believe!” If you’re not in the Promised Land, it’s because you didn’t believe that He could take you there. Unlike the disbelieving spies, Joshua and Caleb did believe. They said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30 NKJV). And God rewarded them the same way He wants to reward you.

The Bible and Evolution

 

By Pastor Doug Batchelor
Contributions by Emily Simmons

An Amazing Fact: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Imagine, if you will, downtown New York City during rush hour. Subways roaring; elevators whizzing up and down skyscrapers; cabs … well … idling in traffic; people humming in and out of buildings, over bridges, across streets. From 10 stories below street level to 180 stories above, it’s a dynamo of activity and a complex network of electrical and telecommunications systems.

But according to even most evolutionary scientists, one single human cell of life is staggeringly more complex than New York City rush hour. “Each of those 100 trillion cells functions like a walled city. Power plants generate the cell’s energy. Factories produce proteins, vital units of chemical commerce. Complex transportation systems guide specific chemicals from point to point within the cell. … Sentries … monitor the outside world for signs of danger. Disciplined biological armies stand ready to grapple with invaders. A centralized genetic government maintains order” (Peter Gwynne, “The Secrets of the Human Cell,” Newsweek, August 20, 1979, p. 48).

Despite this confession, much of the modern world teaches that if you believe in creation, that God simply spoke things into existence … well, your intelligence is pitiful.

However, you’re also in good company. Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46 NKJV). Christ took Moses’ writings as plain truth; He authoritatively and liberally quoted from the Old Testament regarding Creation, the Exodus, and the Flood. He never suggested that any part of Genesis was a parable or fable. In fact, Jesus referred to Adam and Eve as real people. (See Mark 10:6–9.) No matter what the world thinks of us, we should believe like Jesus.

This subject is very close to my heart. I grew up believing in evolution. Most of the 14 different schools I attended taught that we are here because of evolutionary processes that took millions and billions of years. Surprisingly, some of these were even religious schools!

William James, the father of modern psychology, said, “There’s nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.” Thus, the ridiculous view that, given enough time, chaos will produce order has taken a firm hold on our culture. And now, more and more Christians are being swept up by it, suggesting that God created all the sophisticated design around us using evolutionary processes. But this compromise creates an enormous problem: It makes it logically impossible to believe the rest of God’s Word as it is written.

However, even with my simple faith in God’s Word set aside, both reason and science soundly refute evolution. Indeed, mounting scientific evidence indicates that intelligent creation is truth.
The Whole World Can Be Wrong
As a child, I wanted to be a paleontologist. I could name all the dinosaurs and many different layers of the geologic column. Evolution fascinated me, and I thought people who believed in creation were fools. The evidence was as plain as day, right? It was in National Geographic and all those beautifully filmed nature programs on television. All these scientists couldn’t be wrong … could they?
Then I gradually discovered they were, in fact, very wrong.
But it wasn’t the Bible that convinced me. When I became a Christian, I didn’t check my brain at the church’s door. I’m still inquisitive about our world and our universe; I still love science. So at first I tried to marry the Bible and evolution. But science and reason kept getting in the way.
How can so many people be wrong? It’s human nature to follow the crowd, even when the crowd is clearly in error. The Bible says, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2 NKJV). That covers our actions, yes, but it also covers our philosophies. It doesn’t matter if the whole world believes in the theory of evolution; the Bible is our standard of truth. Besides, evolution is totally incompatible with biblical Christianity.
Darwinism: The Evolution of Atheism
If you think creation is a fairy tale, you won’t find much else in the book of Genesis relevant either. You must eventually accept creation as a fact for any of the other great biblical truths — including God’s standards of morality — to be significant in your life.
Indeed, Darwin’s theory of evolution was a daring attempt to make God’s existence unnecessary; evolution really is the origins myth of atheism. It was developed for the purpose of giving humans the freedom to act without accountability to a higher power.
At its very core, atheism balks at the existence of an objective right and wrong. Obviously, not all atheists are ready to commit the evil their beliefs would allow for. However, to the atheistic evolutionist, humans have simply evolved into a society that currently frowns on theft and murder. But we could just as easily evolve into something else, and the result could not objectively be called good or bad. Blood could run in the streets and evolutionists could simply label it as “eliminating the weaker members of the species.”
Is it so surprising then that the horrors of the Holocaust find their underpinnings in the theory of evolution? An examination of the writings of Hitler and other Nazis reveals that Darwinism heavily influenced the policies of WWII Germany. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that the entire title of Darwin’s Origin of Species is: “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life” (emphasis added). Hitler labeled Jews as an inferior race and less than human, thereby justifying murder, torture, and ghastly human experiments in the name of survival of the fittest. And racism continues today because many people believe that some humans are more highly evolved than others. But racism directly contradicts the Bible, which says God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26 NKJV).
A Bad Foundation
Teaching our children the lesson that there is no absolute right and wrong is very dangerous. It has caused a disaster in our public schools, our court system, and for the very fabric of our society.
A false understanding of human origins ultimately degrades society. Consider the nations that have made atheism the core of their culture — the former Soviet Union, Cuba, China, and Vietnam. I’ve been to Russia and China and have seen the devastating effects of atheism: Suicide, alcoholism, and spousal abuse are epidemics. Atheism offers no hope or purpose for life.
But exhibit “A” would be the drastic differences between North and South Korea. If you stand on the 38th parallel, you’ll see a very bleak and backward existence of the imprisoned people of the North. Look south toward Seoul and you will see a bright and free civilized existence. The core difference? South Korea is a Christian stronghold; North Korea teaches evolution and atheism.
Satan told Adam and Eve that if they rejected God’s Word, they would be freed and experience unlimited human advancement. Instead, they were enslaved by sin. Today, Cuba, North Korea, and China aggressively persecute Christianity, all the while suppressing freedom, advancement, and hope — enslaving their people in unspeakable evil.
Evolutionists can also rationalize all kinds of immoral behaviors as merely part of the evolution of man; nothing is inherently bad. As a teenager, I learned that my science teacher had an affair with a woman in the loft of his home while his pregnant wife was downstairs. Though it deeply hurt his wife, he appeared indifferent to her feelings. He excused himself by saying, “Not all of the primates we’ve evolved from are monogamous, so adultery is perfectly natural. We can’t help it.” Evolution clearly undermines Christian living.
False Assumptions, Faulty Conclusions
But what about all the supposed scientific evidence that proves evolution? The truth is that the theory of evolution is based on huge assumptions about things that happened in the unobservable past. (Remember that the scientific method requires observation and repeatable research. So calling evolution “science” doesn’t make any sense.
For instance, the theory stands on dubious dating methods. One is carbon dating, a method used to date dead plants and animals. All living plants and animals contain the same ratio of two types of carbon, 14C and 12C, which they get from the atmosphere and from space. When an organism dies, 14C begins disintegrating while 12C levels remain constant. Thus, measuring the 14C/12C ratio in a dead plant makes it possible to estimate how long ago the plant died.
But to precisely determine the plant’s age, at least two questions must be answered: How fast does 14C decay? And how much 14C did the organism contain when it died? In answer to the first question, 14C has a half-life of 5,700 years. (A “half-life” is the amount of time required for half of the atoms — in this case, carbon atoms — in a given sample to decay.)
To answer the second question, scientists made an assumption that the atmosphere’s 14C/12C ratio has remained constant throughout earth’s history. If so, they argue accurate dating is possible up to about 80,000 years — after that the amount of 14C left in a specimen is so small it is undetectable. But if this assumption is wrong, any dates calculated by this method are untrustworthy.
In science experiments, assumptions are critical. But if the starting assumption is false, the ensuing experiment will lead a scientist to draw a flawed conclusion, even if his calculations appear correct. Willard Libby, the developer of carbon dating, drew his conclusions based on the assumption that the earth was millions of years old. He calculated that it would take about 30,000 years for an atmosphere’s 14C/12C ratio to reach equilibrium. When he discovered that earth’s ratio was not in equilibrium, meaning it must be younger than 30,000 years, he dismissed it as an experimental error!
Suppose you enter a room with one door and no windows. In the middle of the room, a burning candle sits on a table. With nothing else to do, you try to figure out how long the candle has been burning. You start by observing how fast the candle is currently burning; how many inches per hour, for example. Does that tell you how long it’s been burning? No, because you don’t know how tall it was when it started burning. Suppose a note on the table stipulates that the candle was three feet tall when it was first lit; now you can calculate how long it’s been burning based on how tall it was to begin with and how fast it’s burning now.
But wait. When you entered the room, the open door let in more oxygen, so now the candle would be burning at a faster rate than before. Even if you know the present oxygen level of the room, you wouldn’t know what it was before you opened the door. Without an observer taking careful notes during the entire process, you can only guess as there are simply too many unknowns to make an accurate calculation.
It’s the same with carbon dating: There are simply too many variables. Scientists don’t know how old the earth is because they don’t know and can’t observe what has happened in the past. Or how the environmental factors have changed. Amazingly, an entire religion has been established on these dubious assumptions. It seems strange then that evolutionists ridicule the faith of Christians. Believing in evolution requires far more faith than believing in creationism.
Evidence for Creation
Increasingly, genuine science suggests a young earth, which supports the biblical creation story. Bear in mind that even the most advanced techniques cannot detect 14C in specimens older than 80,000 years. In 1997, the Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth group (RATE) began an eight-year project researching data typically ignored or censored by evolutionists. One of their discoveries was significant levels of 14C found in various samples of both coal and diamonds collected worldwide. The finding indicates that the coal and diamonds could not be billions of years old, as evolutionists claim.
Scientists also now know that the 14C/12C ratio has not been the same throughout earth’s history. (For one thing, the amount of 14C in the atmosphere increased sharply around the time of the Industrial Revolution.) Physicists Suess and Lingenfelter have now shown that 14C is entering the atmosphere about 30 percent faster than it is leaving. When it comes to carbon dating, this means that a thousand-year-old specimen appears much older than it really is when dated by a method that assumes atmospheric equilibrium. In fact, the older a specimen, the greater the error!
Even when correcting for the known increase of 14C during the Industrial Revolution, specimens still appear older than they really are. Moreover, the layer of water described in Genesis as surrounding the pre-Flood earth could have shielded the atmosphere from much of the 14C entering from space. Thus, pre-Flood specimens would contain so little 14C that they would appear to have been decaying for tens of thousands of years.
Where Are the People?
Consider the world’s population, now approaching seven billion. Around 1960, there were only three billion people; in 1804, one billion. In Christ’s day, only about 200 million people lived on the earth. Calculate this same growth rate back about another 2,500 years — to the time of the Flood — and you get just eight people: Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives.
But now use this same growth rate, an observable scientific fact, to project the world’s population if man had begun multiplying, say, just 10,000 years ago. (Never mind the millions of years that evolutionists postulate!) We should be standing shoulder to shoulder, 100 deep, over every square foot of the planet! Where have all the people gone? Moreover, there aren’t enough human remains, graves, or even artifacts to account for that many people having lived and died on the earth.
Ida: Follow the Money
Found in two pieces in Germany in 1983 by amateur fossil hunters, Ida, supposedly 47 million years old, was passed around the fossil-collecting community until she ended up in the hands of a research team. Earlier this year, the media eagerly dubbed Ida “the newest missing link” in response to a press release bent on promoting the find rather than the science.
Indeed, Ida has come under immense scrutiny by evolutionists as just another sham meant to drive DVD and book sales. Examine her photograph and you’ll see a skeleton that looks identical to a modern lemur, not an ape. Moreover, her remarkably intact skin, fur, and stomach contents suggest rapid burial (consistent with a flood) and an age of thousands of years (consistent with a young earth) rather than millions. Remember also that not a single so-called missing link ever submitted as proof of human ancestry has ever been uncontested in the science community. Some have been utter frauds. That’s important to consider the next time our evolution-fawning media prints another fossil fable as truth.
The Un-Fossil Record
In 1990, Dr. Mary Schweitzer and her colleagues discovered some T. rex bones to be partially un-fossilized. Adding to the excitement, when examining the bone specimens under the microscope, Schweitzer’s team identified little reddish-brown, translucent, round objects: red blood cells!
Further investigation revealed the presence of hemoglobin in the bone specimens. These findings can only mean that dinosaurs are much younger than previously claimed. Since then, Schweitzer continues to find soft, fibrous tissue and blood vessels in other dinosaur bones. Why have these never been found before? Probably because, blinded by their assumptions of an old earth, scientists have never looked for them before. And, true to form, Schweitzer automatically questioned the clear evidence rather than re-examining her assumptions! But when a creationist scientist does that, it’s labeled unscientific.
Censored!
I used to believe in the Big Bang theory. I still do in a sense — I believe that God spoke, and bang!, it happened. Controversy over the Big Bang rages even among scientists who believe it; there are many problems with the theory that simply can’t be explained. For one thing, no scientific experiment has ever demonstrated that an explosion can produce order and interworking systems.
Yet blatant persecution of scientists who merely question it (or other “established scientific facts”) is widely practiced. Once highly esteemed scientists, such as astronomers Geoffrey and Margaret Burbridge, who dared to suggest different explanations, find themselves censored, ostracized, even without a career. Physics professor Dr. Stefan Marinov actually committed suicide because of the intolerance he experienced in response to his “non-mainstream” work.
When a scientist’s conclusions contradict the Bible, it doesn’t mean we should reinterpret the Bible. Thousands of true scientists believe in creation, but they are consistently silenced by the atheists who have a vice grip on science journals, academic privileges, and a fawning media who put the beliefs of faulty men above the Word of God.
Evolution: At Odds With God’s Word

• The Bible teaches that creation was instigated by the supernatural word of God. There was no death, no suffering, no pain. Everything was “very good.” Evolution teaches that creation was instigated by a “supernatural” big bang. There was death and decay from the very beginning.
   
• The Bible teaches that a global cataclysmic flood formed the geologic layers and that mankind has been devolving since his creation. Evolution teaches that slow wind and water erosion formed the geologic layers over millions of years. Man has been evolving since the beginning.
   
• The Bible teaches only Jesus Christ can save the human race and restore us to paradise — and only through grace by faith. Evolution teaches, as the devil said 6,000 years ago, that the human race can save itself, and we will one day become like gods if we try hard enough.

In the Beginning
Honest science and logic show that our incredibly marvelous and complex world could never have evolved by accident. It happened as Jesus says it did, and it’s crucial that we believe it.
Sadly, many churches and Christian universities are compromising on this issue. “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). If your pastor or professor suggests God used evolutionary processes to produce the earth, ask them if this means the saved will have to wait a few billion years while God creates the new heavens and the new earth. Then ask if our new resurrected bodies will have to evolve from a single cell again.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). Which is harder: to speak a galaxy into existence or to change a human heart? Salvation relies upon God’s miraculous, instant creative power. When you toss aside the six-day Creation account, you do more than clear a pathway to immorality — you remove the hope of salvation!
Ultimately, something very simple but very important lies at the heart of someone who rejects biblical creation. If “in the beginning, God created” is true, then God is the supreme authority and, as His creation, we are subject to Him. Fallen human nature doesn’t like that arrangement.
Do you believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days? If so, praise the Lord! Then you can also believe that He will give you a new heart through a similar miracle of creation. (See Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17.) Could we have a better hope than that?

The Smooth Road to Destruction

 By Pastor Doug Batchelor
An Amazing Fact: The California highway department noticed that on long, smooth stretches of highway, drivers were falling asleep and running off the road. So as a safety measure, they started adding line bumps to awaken sleeping motorists if they began drifting out of their lane. Most states now have these “drunk bumps” to keep drivers awake and alive.
“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:8–10).

A Protestant missionary in the South Pacific, after working among the indigenous population for several years, decided to return to the United States for a nine-month furlough. During this time, he planned to visit several churches to raise funds for the island mission.
He also persuaded a local chief, a recent convert to the faith, to join him on the trip. The tall chief had an imposing presence — a muscular body accentuated by a broad, pearly white smile. The missionary knew that having this living trophy of his evangelistic efforts would greatly impress the church members in North America to give more generously.
When the two arrived stateside, the missionary took the chief from church to church. After showing slides of their mission station, he paraded the chief around in a colorful native costume. People were thrilled to hear about the chief’s conversion from paganism. But along the journey across America, to avoid the gawking of onlookers, the missionary dressed his friend in typical western garments and fed him American food. It was hard to find a pair of shoes wide enough for the burly chief’s rough feet.
After the nine-month whirlwind tour, the Western lifestyle had taken a toll on the Polynesian king. His feet softened from the shoes, and he lost definition and tone in his muscles from lack of exercise. Unaccustomed to the sweet, highly processed foods, the chief even began to lose his teeth and was plagued with frequent stomach ailments.
By the time he returned to his island home, many of his own villagers barely recognized him. “Soft living” had nearly killed him.
Baby Food
When whole wheat is milled into white flour, 83 percent of the nutrients are removed; mostly only starch remains. The fiber is also gone, along with most of the Vitamin E and 21 other nutrients. The flour that is left is so drained as a food that it must be fortified with chemically manufactured thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. In fact, refined bread is so depleted, 35 U.S. states require that white flour must be synthetically enriched to be sold.
In the same way that processed wheat and soft living can make us physically weak, spiritual food with refined fiber-less pabulum produces churches full of weak, infantile invalids. Physicians are constantly reminding us that we must have sufficient roughage and grist in our diets to be healthy. This also applies to our spiritual diet, yet many Christians have been gumming baby mush for so long they are offended by real food.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12–14 NKJV).

Tasty Terms
Especially in North America, our brains and bodies have been gradually weakened by convenience stores, elevators, auto dial, and remote control. Why expend the energy to do anything when it can all be done for you electronically?
This love of comfort, ease, and generally smooth living has affected our terms, as well as our time. A TV network explains, “This program is not for sensitive viewers” — instead of the truth: “This program is bloody, gruesome, grisly, and violent.” In fact, marketing executives know that as soon as they announce a program is not for sensitive viewers, the average person will pay even closer attention. You’ve also heard, “The following program is for mature audiences.” Of course, they really should warn that the “following program contains perverted, lustful, crude material.” (Is being perverted really “mature”?)
We’ve all heard the warning: The church is in the world, but the world is not supposed to be in the church! (See John 17:16–18.) Yet sadly, the fact is that the trends of the world are having an obvious influence on our church. The same longing for easy living is infecting God’s people. In this age of fast food, everyone wants a sermonette. (A friend of mine once said, “Sermonettes are for christianettes.”) In fact, to secure popularity among the clamoring of comfort-loving members, many pastors are falling into the same pattern as politicians who travel from one district to another telling everybody what they think will please them.
What are some of the smooth, popular, yet poisonous doctrines that some pastors are telling their flocks these days?

• As long as you pray over your food, you can eat or drink anything without consequences.
• If you have enough faith, you’ll be prosperous and comfortable.
• Abortion is not really killing an unborn baby; it’s simply “pregnancy termination.”
• Practicing homosexuality is not really a sin; it’s simply an alternate lifestyle.
• It’s not necessary to honor the Sabbath commandment literally as long as you are resting in Jesus.
• Once you say the sinner’s prayer, you’re saved and you can’t be lost.
• The most prevalent and deadly lie: Jesus came to save us in our sins, rather than from them.

The church is striving so hard to be politically correct and sensitive to the world. The result is that we are becoming increasingly indifferent to God’s Word.
Deadly by Any Name
The devil wants to soothe our conviction to sleep, lest we should realize our peril and turn from our sins. He is afraid we will discover how lethal sin really is — “That sin through the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans 7:13) — and that we’ll start looking for a Savior.
My grandfather smoked Lucky Strike cigarettes for years. He made a few feeble attempts to quit, but his health was fair so he was not too alarmed and, therefore, not very motivated. But one day, he was admitted into the hospital for a simple procedure and was appalled when he saw the man in the bed next to him smoking those same cigarettes through a hole in his throat — his voice box had been removed from smoking-related cancer. When my grandfather understood how exceedingly dangerous smoking is, he threw away his cigarettes and never smoked again.
If a doctor is afraid to upset you so that he says that you have a touch of poison ivy when you really have skin cancer, he is not your friend. Likewise, as Christians, we should honestly diagnose ourselves if we are going to receive the appropriate treatment.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Ministers and church members have a responsibility to faithfully and lovingly warn the world that there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun, that persisting to live a life of sin will end in irrevocable loss.

“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 33:7–9).

As we near the end of the world, seeing the imminence of the second coming, it is no time to proclaim smooth things. Every gospel presentation should be saturated with a sense of power and urgency. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).
Jesus has told us that one of the signs of the end is that the church will be softly singing Satan’s lullaby, “Peace, relax, rest in your sins.”
“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 Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV). I used to believe this passage was speaking of the world, but perhaps Paul is warning us of conditions in the church!
The Truth Can Hurt
On many occasions, Jesus had to say some rough things for the purpose of saving souls. And on more than one occasion, droves of followers turned away from Him because of these challenging statements. “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? … From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66).
I cannot improve on this statement from the book Steps to Christ:

“Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He spoke the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity; but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes” (p. 12).

The hard sayings of Jesus were never designed to simply wound or offend those hearing Him. He said them to save us and help us grow the fruits of the Spirit. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 NKJV).
False Prophets
Peter Marshall, in his vivid style, describes 20th century Christians with these words: “They are like deep-sea divers encased in suits designed for many fathoms deep, marching bravely forth to pull plugs out of bathtubs.”
Jesus warns us that there will be many false prophets in the last days preaching smooth things (Matthew 24:11). That’s why we must know how to distinguish the true from the counterfeit. But to take the high, straight, and rough road of biting honesty when everyone else is sliding down the smooth road buttered with platitudes of popularity requires a rare breed of courage.
In the first book of Kings, we find a story that dramatically illustrates how most people in this world are hungering to hear smooth things, while God still has faithful followers who want to tell the truth at any cost.
Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, wanted to recapture his town of Ramothgilead from the Syrians, but he needed help to take on the mighty army of Syria. So he asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in his campaign against their common enemy.
Jehoshaphat was willing to join forces with Ahab, but he believed that they should first seek God’s counsel. Ahab had forsaken the Lord years earlier to worship the pagan god Baal, so he called in his 400 hired false prophets to come before the two monarchs and prophesy. As the two kings sat on thrones, all the pompous pagan prophets said, with a loud dramatic display, “Go and fight the Syrians and you will be victorious!” It was a very impressive pep rally.
Yet Jehoshaphat was skeptical. Seeing these were all prophets of Baal and knowing how they always told the king what he wanted to hear, he requested to hear from a prophet of the Lord. Ahab was disturbed at this request but said that there was one prophet of God left, called Micaiah — but he added, “I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8). Nevertheless, at Jehoshaphat’s urging, Ahab reluctantly sent a servant to fetch Micaiah.
The messenger sent to bring Micaiah told him, “Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. [Preach smooth things!] And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.” Now there’s a novel thought — tell the truth regardless of the consequences. The prophet went to the kings and bravely told Ahab that if he went to fight the Syrians, he would surely die in the battle.
Now Ahab was faced with a tough decision. Should he believe 400 prophets of Baal who preached smooth things — or one lone prophet of the Lord with a rough message? Ahab made the wrong decision, even though he knew what was right. He persuaded Jehoshaphat to disregard the warnings of Micaiah and join him in a war promoted by Baal’s prophets. After all, how could one prophet be right over 400 others?
Still, just in case, Ahab thought he could outsmart the Lord by dressing in full armor and avoiding the front lines. But the wicked king learned too late that you can never escape the Word of God. In the battle, a stray arrow struck Ahab in the joints of his armor and he bled to death in his chariot. Ahab was killed by embracing the fatal flatteries of false prophets.
In the Age of Smooth Things
When the famous evangelist Billy Sunday would preach direct and powerful sermons against specific sins, such as the evils of alcohol, local leaders would often ask him to tone down his direct preaching. They would say, “Pastor Sunday, you are always rubbing the cat’s fur the wrong way.” But the famed evangelist would respond, “I am rubbing the cat’s fur the right way; the cat just needs to turn around.”
Jesus warns, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26 NKJV). Jeremiah put it this way: “Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you” (Jeremiah 12:6 NKJV).
Paul goes on to tell us that this dilemma will be one of the characteristics of the church in the last days. Church members will be looking for ministers to tell them what pleases their carnal nature, for smooth, easy religion without a cross.
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:2–4 NKJV).
Many people in our church today want a form of religion without the power to overcome their sins. Many churches are accommodating them, providing bazaars, bingo, and soothing social programs — but avoiding a message of salvation from sin. Their sermons are like a saw with no teeth. The sharp sword of God’s Word is replaced with a rubber baby spoon!
Sadly, the people leave church feeling like they have been feasting on molasses. It is sweet to eat, but then everyone walks away sick. It’s all gooey, sloppy sermons for cotton candy Christians.
One Sunday, Abraham Lincoln was riding home from church in his carriage when his secretary asked him how he liked the sermon they just heard. “Not very much.” The secretary was surprised, because most people felt the preacher was very gifted. What was the problem? Lincoln answered, “He did not ask me to do anything great.”
The true word of God will always challenge us to press onward and upward to greater things. One great writer put it this way:

“Preachers should have no scruples to preach the truth as it is found in God’s word. Let the truth cut. I have been shown that why ministers have not more success is, they are afraid of hurting feelings, fearful of not being courteous, and they lower the standard of truth, and conceal if possible the peculiarity of our faith. I saw that God could not make such successful. The truth must be made pointed, and the necessity of a decision urged. And as false shepherds are crying, Peace, and are preaching smooth things, the servants of God must cry aloud, and spare not, and leave the result with God” (Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, pp. 284, 285).

Avoiding Disaster
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat” (Proverbs 23:1–3).
So what can you do to resist the temptation of gobbling up Satan’s sweet but deceptive delicacies?
1. Measure all teachings by the Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
2. Be willing to do His will, regardless of the consequences! “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17).
3. Never accept a teaching just because it is popular. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).
4. Place yourself under a well-balanced diet of spiritual teaching and feed your own soul with God’s Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Several years ago, a man living in China bought a microscope. At first he was thrilled with his new acquisition; he marveled looking at the wonders of flowers and feathers magnified hundreds of times. But one day he made the mistake of looking at his rice under the microscope and saw that it was crawling with tiny creatures. Rice was his favorite food. Very disturbed, the man smashed his microscope with a rock because it revealed his rice had bugs, but he didn’t want to give up his beloved staple.
We are all faced with a similar challenge today. We can either place ourselves under the scrutiny of God’s Word and allow Him to boil away the bugs — or we can turn the microscope of His law out of focus to blur our defects and listen to the fancy fables of false prophets.
God desires that we look deep to find out what we really want. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). May our sincere response be, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24).

7 Facts About the Seventh Day

Adapted from Why God Said Remember by Joe Crews.

Part of Satan’s strategy to destroy humanity’s trust in God has been to attack His claim as the Creator. Obviously, the theory of evolution is part of this deceptive and soul-destroying effort. With its amoral humanistic emphasis, Darwin’s doctrine has turned millions into religious skeptics and enshrouded in darkness their need for the Savior.

Yet while many Christians rightly denounce this unscientific belief, ironically, many are still falling into the devil’s trap of denying God’s sovereignty over the earth. That trap is the ages-long effort to twist and destroy the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

Through Satan’s false information and man’s trust in traditions over the sure word of Scripture, millions of Christians have been led to discount or even reject the importance of observing the Sabbath. “The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord: … in it thou shalt not do any work” (Exodus 20:10).  No one disagrees with the clear meaning of this text, yet millions are finding ways not to follow it.

Why? The general Bible ignorance of the church and the clever arguments of Satan have created a climate of prejudice against the holiness of the seventh day in favor of the observance of Sunday. So in the interest of promoting God’s law over the theories of men, let’s take a moment to rediscover some amazing facts about the seventh-day Sabbath.

Fact #1: The Seventh-day Sabbath Establishes God’s Sovereignty
Why does Satan hate the Sabbath so much? Because the Sabbath identifies the true God and His claim of ultimate sovereignty.

God certainly anticipated the controversy over the Genesis account of Creation. He knew that after the fall of man, there would be doubts about His claims of manufacturing all the staggering mass of matter by merely commanding it to exist.

To safeguard His sovereignty, He established a mark that denoted His absolute right to rule as Lord. He chose to memorialize His display of creative power by setting aside the seventh day of the Creation week as a holy day of rest and remembering.

God wrote these words: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. … For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is: … wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

Once a week, as the earth rotates on its axis, the Sabbath reminder travels around the earth reaching every man, woman, and child with the message of an instant creation and the one who did the creating.

Why did God say remember? Because to forget the true Sabbath is to forget the true Creator.

Does it really matter that much? See “The One Unimportant Commandment?” below.

Fact #2: The Seventh-day Sabbath Was Made for Everyone
A multitude of Christians call God’s fourth commandment the “Jewish Sabbath.” But nowhere is this expression found in the Bible. The seventh day is called “the sabbath of the Lord,” and it is never called “the sabbath of the Jew” (Exodus 20:10).

Luke, a Gentile writer of the New Testament, often refers to things that were particularly Jewish. He writes of the “nation of the Jews,” “the people of the Jews,” “the land of the Jews,” and the “synagogue of the Jews” (Acts 10:22; 12:11; 10:39; 14:1). But he never refers to the “sabbath of the Jews,” although he mentions the Sabbath repeatedly.

Christ also taught that “the sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). Adam and Eve were the only two people who existed when God actually established the Sabbath. There were no Jews in the world until 2,000 years later, so it was never meant just for the Jews. Jesus uses the term “man” in the generic sense, referring to all mankind. The same word is used in connection with the institution of marriage that was also introduced at creation. Certainly no Christian can believe that marriage was made only for the Jews.

Fact #3: It’s Not About Just Keeping Any Day
Every word of God’s Ten Commandments was written by His own hand in stone. Every word is serious and meaningful. No line in them is ambiguous or mysterious. Sinners and Christians, educated and uneducated, are not confused about the words “seventh day.” So why do they discount those words if every other word in the commandments is considered to be ironclad?

Satan wants the world to accept Sunday as the day he has chosen for worship, but any day will do for him so long as it means we’re breaking God’s command.

Genesis describes the origin of the Sabbath like this: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made. … And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:1–3).

Which day did God bless and sanctify? The seventh day. How was it to be kept holy? By resting. Could any of the other six be kept holy? No. Why? Because God commanded not to rest those days but to work. Does God’s blessing make a difference? Of course. Parents pray for God to bless their children because they believe it makes a difference. The seventh day is different from all the other days because it has God’s blessing.

Has God ever given man the privilege of choosing his own day of rest? No. In fact, God confirms in the Bible that the Sabbath is a matter settled and sealed by His own divine power. Read Exodus 16. For 40 years, God worked three miracles every week to show Israel which day was holy: (1) No manna fell on the seventh day; (2) they could not keep manna overnight without spoilage; (3) but when they kept manna over the Sabbath, it remained sweet and fresh!

But some Israelites had the same idea as many Christians have today. They felt that any day in seven would be okay to keep holy: “It came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.” What happened? “And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” (Exodus 16:27, 28).

God met them and accused them of breaking His law by going forth to work on the seventh day. Would God say the same thing to those who break the Sabbath today? Yes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

But why the seventh day, exactly? See “Why the Seventh Day?” below.

Fact #4: We Know the True Seventh Day
Some reject the seventh-day Sabbath over the belief that we cannot know which day it falls on today, so picking any day should be okay. But this is fallacy. Here are four proofs that identify the true Sabbath.

1: According to Scripture, Christ died on Friday and rose on Sunday, the first day of the week. Practically all churches acknowledge this by observing Easter Sunday and Good Friday. “This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. The women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:52–56).

This is clear evidence that Jesus died the day before the Sabbath! The day of His death was a “preparation day” because it was the time to get ready for the Sabbath. Notice, then, that the women rested over the Sabbath “according to the commandment.” The commandment says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath,” so we know they were resting on Saturday. The very next verse says, “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared. … And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre” (Luke 24:1, 2).

2: The calendar has not been changed so as to confuse the days of the week. Just as we know that Jesus and His followers observed the same day as Moses, we can be positive that our seventh day is the same day Jesus observed. Pope Gregory XIII did make a calendar change in 1582, but it did not interfere with the weekly cycle. What did Gregory do to the calendar? He changed Friday, October 5, 1582, to be Friday, October 15, 1582. He did not affect the weekly cycle of days.

3: The Jews have observed the seventh day from the time of Abraham, and they still keep it today. An entire nation of people, all around the world, continue to observe a Sabbath they have known for more than 4,000 years.

4: Over 100 languages on earth use the word “Sabbath” for Saturday. For example, the Spanish word for Saturday is “Sabado,” meaning Sabbath. What does this prove? It proves that when those languages originated long ago, Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day.

Fact #5: The Sabbath Is Not a Memorial of Deliverance Out of Egypt
This is a belief taken and twisted out of the Old Testament: “The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:14, 15).

Some people suggest this means that God gave the Sabbath as a memorial of the Exodus from Egypt. But the Genesis story of the making of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1–3) and the wording of the fourth commandment by God (Exodus 20:11) reveals the seventh-day Sabbath as a memorial of creation.

The key to understanding these two verses rests in the word “servant.” God said, “Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt.” And in the sentence before, He reminds them “that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” In other words, their experience in Egypt as servants would remind them to deal justly with their servants by giving them Sabbath rest.

It was not unusual for God to harken back to the Egyptian deliverance as an incentive to obey other commandments. In Deuteronomy 24:17, 18, the Bible says, “Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge. … Thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.”

Neither the command to be just nor to keep the Sabbath was given to memorialize the Exodus, but God told them that His goodness in bringing them out of captivity constituted a strong reason for them to deal kindly with their servants on the Sabbath and treating justly the strangers and widows.

In the same way, God spoke to them in Leviticus 11:45, “I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt … ye shall therefore be holy.” No one would insist that holiness did not exist before the Exodus or that it would be ever afterwards limited only to the Jews!

Fact #6: The Sabbath Is Not Meant to Memorialize the Resurrection
It is true that Jesus rose on a Sunday. It is one of the pivotal moments in the history of the world.

But nowhere does the Bible hint that we should keep Sunday holy. Many other wonderful events occurred on certain days of the week, but we have no command to keep them holy either.

There is, of course, a memorial of the resurrection commanded in the Bible, but it is not to determine a new day of worship. Paul wrote: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Baptism is the memorial of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. However, the Sabbath is a memorial of creation.

Still have a question about this? See “The Upper Room” below.

Fact #7: The Sabbath Will Be Celebrated for Eternity
The Sabbath is an arbitrary arrangement of God that serves a powerful purpose. It is His claim — His seal — over the world and all human life. It is also a sign of the redemption He offers to every single one of us.

Surely this is why God will preserve Sabbathkeeping throughout eternity. That’s right! “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

The Sabbath is so precious to God that He will have His people observe it throughout all time in the beautiful new earth to come. If it is so precious to Him, should it not be precious to us? If we are going to keep it through all eternity, why not keep it now as our pledge of obedience to Him?

Trust and Obey: There Is No Other Way
It is easy to understand why the devil has waged a continuing, desperate battle against the seventh-day Sabbath. He has worked through the pride of tradition, misinformation, and religious bigotry to destroy the sanctity of God’s special sign of authority — the Sabbath.

But with these Sabbath facts in hand, may God grant every Christian the courage to honor the Sabbath commandment as His special test of our love and loyalty.

It might be a duty to keep the seventh-day holy. But it should not be a burden. In an age of false gods and spirituality, of atheistic evolution, and the stubborn traditions of men, the world needs the Sabbath more than ever. It is more than just a test of our loyalty to the Creator. It is more than just a sign of our sanctification through His power. It is His promise of a lasting, eternal gift of restoration.