Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Being Wise In A Wicked World - Bill Perkins - www.compass.org
Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful? Job 21:7 Over 4000 years ago, Job asked the same thing many of us ask today... why do the wicked seemingly get a free pass? King David echoed the same sentiments 1000 years later: "For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD." Psa. 10:3 Obviously we know that on Judgment Day the righteous win and the wicked lose, but it just seems like God is letting a lot of very wicked people get away with a lot of bad stuff during their time on this earth, lying in particular. But the Lord says He is always watching the world. The wicked are not getting away with anything. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth ..." 2Chr. 16:9a God sees all and knows all. He's always sovereign. Even though sometimes it seems like He's silent, He says He's watching-He sees all, and knows all. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. Psa. 139:1-4 Even though this is lost in our present-day political arena, we Believers know He's the One Who puts people into power to achieve His purposes. "...whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him." Col. 1:16b God controls the world's leaders' decisions, whether they know it or not. "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1 "... Let [the wicked] be caught in the plots which they have devised." Ps. 10:2b Therefore, sometimes God lets people reap what they sow in this life, before the Rapture or final Judgment Day. Not always, but sometimes. For instance, now we're beginning to see God exposing the corruption in our political system-the depths of which few realized. The Washington Post has a new article entitled, "Obama took lying to new heights with the Iran deal." (19) Unbelievable!! And as they wrote, if you change out "Obama" for "Trump" in what happened, it would be all over for President Trump. No wonder so many politicians were trying to keep an outsider, Donald Trump, from getting elected or from being reelected. They're being caught with their hands in the financial cookie jar. One day, hopefully sooner than later, God will expose EVERYTHING. The righteous will win. The wicked (as defined by Scripture) will lose. We have to be content with God's timing. But of course politics isn't the only area where lies are rampant these days-here are some other things to watch where God will eventually expose what's really going on: Education Things have gone downhill since we publicly kicked God out of the classroom in 1962. And with God out, guess who filled the gap? Satan, but not with a red outfit and a pointy tail. No, he spiffed up, sounded compassionate and concerned, and he grabbed full sway over education. "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." 2Cor. 11:14 If you look closely at what kids are being taught these days, it's not hard to understand why so many think it would be better to change our quite successful Republic and become another failed socialist country. Over 90% of all college level professors admit to supporting issues that are opposite what the Bible teaches. Evolution, socialism, perversion tolerance, gender neutral identities, lack of absolutes, American success is due to evil white men...to name a few, but the list is long. Recently a teacher in Indiana was fired for exposing what the schools were openly teaching-anti-God, anti-Bible across the board.(1) More will come out and one day the world will see what Satan did/is doing in our schools. Climate Change More and more scientists are speaking up about the stupidity of the so-called "Climate Change."(2) First it was touted that the earth was cooling. When that fell apart, then they said the earth is overheating. Then that fell apart so they changed to just "climate change." This is because the real reason is that the world elites want to use Climate Change to gain more control. The truth is beginning to come out. Compass posted an article documenting the inaccuracies lauded by politicians and world leaders entitled "Climate Change is Real" because one day God WILL burn up the earth! (3) Abortion Satan gets an "A+" for this one. How in the world Christians sat back and did practically nothing while women and men murdered 60 million innocent Americans is beyond understanding. Over 50 million abortions/murders are performed worldwide each year. Planned Parenthood, who is responsible for the vast majority of abortions in America, gives out birth control pills that are 91% effective (according to the CDC), meaning one out of every ten times a women has sex, she can get pregnant. No wonder Planned Parenthood wants to give out birth control pills-women are being set up to need abortions without their realizing it! Satan hates God so much he wants women to abort their babies because every new life is designed and created in the image of God. Now with the ultrasound showing a living baby in the womb, it's becoming harder and harder to call it "just a clump of cells." Women like Abby Johnson and others are coming forward to condemn the murdering of innocent babies. God is exposing the abortion lies, and hopefully the Supreme Court will soon stop these horrific murders of our most innocent citizens. Crops Since 1976 Round Up has been used as pesticide for crops. Now we find out it's not only causing cancer for people who spray the pesticide on their veggies but also for those who eat the food. Compass posted an article on compass.org entitled "Killers in the Kitchen" that explains this and a lot more.(4) God is allowing the truth to come out, albeit slowly. In the meantime, pay attention to the ingredients in your food purchases! Pharmaceutical Companies The first thing you need to remember is that ALL drug companies are in business to make a profit, and the bigger the profit the better. They're not operating like non-profit hospitals that are trying to get you well. The bottom line is that they're in business to make money, not save you money. This is why the drugs available in America are the MOST expensive in the world. You can buy the same drugs in almost all other countries for a lot less. Drugs are generally good. I was close to death about 10 years ago until they found a drug to cure an infection in my neck. Naturally they wanted to charge me $3,000 a week for eight weeks. It's hard to argue about the price since it was going to save my life. Thankfully, my salary was so minimal I qualified for free drugs. But not everything the drug companies test and market is in our best interest. A whistle-blower working for Tamiflu just exposed that the $1.5 billion it billed our government for medicine to stop a potential influenza pandemic was based on falsified studies.(4) In other words, the drugs don't work. It was proven that the pharmaceutical company knowingly lied in order to make a profit. Never forget that. Vaccines are another example. First let me say, I'm not anti-vaccine. It seems reasonable that there are times they've been quite useful. Smallpox was wiped out by vaccines. And most of the people my age had polio vaccines in the 1950s and we seemed to do ok. However, most kids were older when they received these single vaccines in the 50s and 60s. And those shots didn't contain mercury or aluminum like today that have been linked to cancer and autoimmune disease.(10) Yes, you read that correctly. Problems started in 1986 when Congress inexplicably exempted drug companies from lawsuits.(8) One of the stipulations to receiving this exemption was that they had to do periodic scientific studies to show all they were offering the public was good and above board. Yet, since 1986 not one study has been done. But it gets worse, not only are the pharmaceutical companies not liable, can't be sued, they got the government to set up a tax payer funded program to deal with all the lawsuits stemming from the side effects of vaccines. Called National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, it pays out hundreds of millions of dollars every year.(17) Do you see a problem here? I bet if you checked the reelection bank accounts of those who voted for this exemption back in 1986, you'd be dumbfounded! But regardless of how they got it through Congress, they got exempted from lawsuits. And with no potential liability, the drug companies are now telling our doctors that our children need 72 vaccine shots before the age of 18, and over half of them before age 6! (15) Good grief!! Don't think for a minute that our God-designed human bodies need 72 shots to live safely in this world! The New York Times said "Vaccine Costs Are Soaring." Follow the dollar. If they're making over $100 per vaccine on our 80 million children in the USA, no wonder they're pushing all these vaccines.(16) Do the math, billions of dollars are at stake. According to the CDC, from 2006 to 2018 over 3.7 billion doses of covered vaccines were distributed in the U.S. The pharmaceutical industry revenues are now approaching 1 trillion dollars.(14) Really big bucks! This may or may not have something to do with vaccines, but verified statistics show that the increase in autism/developmental disability has increased from 1 in 10,000 in the 1950s and 1960s, to 1 in 5,000 in the 1970s, to 1 in 300 in the 1990s, to 1 in 150 in the 2000s. Currently the CDC says the ratio is around 1 in 45. Many expect the next round of surveys will show 1 in 25 of our children are dealing with developmental disabilities. Boys are four to five times more likely to be affected, meaning about 1 in 5 male children have some form of developmental disability. Ask any school teacher how many kids in their class have autistic or developmental problems. When faced with FACTS like that, who in their right mind doesn't think we have a health crisis with our children? Our kids are the most vaccinated children in the world and yet they're the sickest in the world.(11) But if you ask questions about this, you're considered in the same league as flat-earthers. The public is waking up to these facts and eventually the truth will come out, but at what cost to our children? If you want more info about vaccines, I've put two good resources at the bottom of this article... a book and a website. Please don't shoot the messenger! When you read all this, you have to keep in mind that this world is not heaven and we're not up against people, but rather the dark god of this world. (2 Cor. 4:4) Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:11-12 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC has long been suspected of being heavily influenced by big Pharma. For instance, the CDC releases summary stats for each of their always-long publications that sound awful... like "30K will die of influenza and pneumonia this year!" Scary, huh? Well, not really. If you read the whole CDC report, it tells a different story. Most of the deaths in that particular stat, 94%, are from pneumonia. And a very large number of our elderly population dies of pneumonia. But the CDC lumps pneumonia deaths with influenza deaths in the summary page, knowing few will read the whole report. And by listing influenza and pneumonia together, and putting influenza first in the list of two, it sounds like you need to get a flu shot or you might die of influenza! You would think the drug companies owned the CDC! But let me repeat, I'm not against drugs. I just see too much potential for drug companies to lie to doctors about what they want them to buy without any repercussions when caught. Docs don't have time to do their own research so they have no choice but trust the pharmaceutical companies who tell them they have "research" to back up their claims. However, I think it's possible that the drug companies could be lying by citing skewed statistical evidence in order to sell more drugs. We have proof they've lied before, as I've shown above. If that IS the case, that they've been knowingly lying to docs, eventually whistleblowers will come forward and expose them. I certainly hope the pharmaceutical companies are not blatantly hiding research in order to sell more drugs. But, at the moment, why do our children get the most shots/vaccines but are the sickest in the world and getting worse each year?(11) The truth will come out. And some argue the drug companies DO control the CDC. They point to the fact that over 25% of former Food and Drug Administration employees who approved drugs now work for big Pharma companies. (12) The story of how aspartame, an artificial sweetener, got approved after twice being denied is legendary. It was approved late on a Friday, the person approving resigns, and Monday morning goes to work for a pharmaceutical company with a $500,000 bonus.(18) If you were an FDA employee and big Pharma wanted you to approve a drug, then resign and come to work for them for a $500K bonus and a big salary, you too would be tempted. We are all sinners. Not an excuse, just a fact! For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, 1Tim. 6:10a Coronavirus Every year we have a flu season and many of us will catch the flu. It happens. Pretty much everyone has had the flu at least once in their life. You just deal with it. But this year the coronavirus, referring to two specific strains of flu, has become a media sensation. But the stats don't bear out the amount of coverage given it. As of a few days ago, there were about 80,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide. 78,000 or so are in China and only 2,000 cases of coronavirus were in other countries. There have been 2,595 deaths in China, 23 in the rest of the world. Yet all flu in general will cause roughly 400,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide this season. So why are we so worried about a the people who have died from the coronavirus when hundreds of thousands die every year from the flu? Could this be a political fake news to stop a rolling economy? If not political, then it's about money. Again, just follow the dollar. I believe the drug companies could be mesmerized by the financial benefits from selling millions of vaccines. Other than lying about what's going on, there's no rhyme or reason for all of the hype given to this coronavirus flu. God designed our bodies to combat diseases, and they do quite well when left alone. But it's just all too easy to make millions of dollars scaring people into getting a flu shot by just giving a strain a name like "SARS" or "coronavirus" and mentioning "pandemic." Then the fear sets in. Now the Governor of California just declared a state of emergency because of just one death attributed to the coronavirus. Yet last year thousands of Californians died from the flu and not one peep from the Gov's office. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease with 10 million new cases last year killing 1.45 million people. Why is that not catching any publicity when the numbers are far, far worse? So who is choosing what we should worry about? You would almost think the media have to have an ongoing reason to blame something on President Trump. They've tried Climate Change, Brexit, Russia collusion and Ukraine and they've all fizzled into nothing. But whether the coronavirus is political or it's big Pharma trying to sell more flu shots, a lot of lying is going on. And if Satan is getting ready to take over the earth post-Rapture, we're definitely watching him ramp-up! You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 If you do get the coronavirus flu, 80% of the cases are what you would call mild flu and you should recover quickly. And of the other 20%, only those who are really, really old and really, really sick and in poor health are in danger of exiting this mortal world. Instead of running room to room with our hands in the air, maybe it's time to step back and balance the fact God is in control and before you were born he knew your death day. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. Psa. 139:16 And you can't change the day you die! "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?" Matt. 6:27 But we are also to choose to be smart and not put the Lord to a foolish test (Luke 4:12). We don't go stand in traffic citing God's providence... not long at least. Instead we're commanded to pray for wisdom to make good decisions. So suffice it to say, Satan is alive and well and his lies are getting more and more bold. He knows his time is about over and he's doing all he can to cause humans pain. And never forget that ultimately we will all be disease free in heaven if we BELIEVE the Good News of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. That's really good news for the families dealing with all these developmental disabilities. One day their kids will be 100% cured for eternity! These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1John 5:13 And all this is going on WITH the Holy Spirit, the Restrainer, still present on the earth. Imagine what it will be like after the Rapture when Satan will really go after the nations! "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! Is. 14:12 We are the most successful nation in the history of the world. And it's no secret that Satan looks forward to the day he has unrestrained power over both the United States and the whole earth. (Is. 24) Shalom! References: https://compass.org/being-wise-in-a-wicked-world/ Resources: A good place to do research on the effect of drugs on our kids is on Amazon.com-because they just sell books and don't block your searches. And the reviews for each book are incredibly helpful and insightful. An excellent book I found on Amazon is How to End the Autism Epidemic, authored by a Stanford graduate who minutely details the parallel of autism to the rise of drugs given to children. Also, another good book is Dissolving Illusions by Dr. Suzanne Humphries. The best website I found is TRUTH WILL PREVAIL: http://www.chiropractic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/1200-studies-The-Truth-Will-Prevail-3.pdf Robert De Niro, whose son has autism spectrum disorder, once held a press conference in which he announced he'd offer $100,000 to anyone who can present them with a peer-reviewed study that proves thimerosal (used in vaccines) is safe. No takers. More Than Just a Looming Pandemic - By Edwin Tan - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/03/05/more-than-just-a-looming-pandemic-by-edwin-tan/ When our Lord Jesus walked the earth in His First Coming, He was quick to cite the lack of faith amongst the planet's inhabitants. Such were his chastisements: first with his disciples when a storm threatened (Matthew 8:26) and then again in Mark 9:19 when faced with a near-impossible situation concerning a seemingly incurable case. Our dear Lord was pulling no punches when he alluded to the paucity of faith when the Son of Man returns to the earth (Luke 18:8). Fast forward to the current situation: any brave faces in the face of the terrifying scourge of the coronavirus? So many faces hidden by surgical masks tells you something. What about airlines slashing their routes as tourist and business travel dives? On the other hand, there are many instances of hoarding up of essentials in a spree of panic buying. Rock concerts and other major events are cancelled in droves as the fear of contagion compels many to shun large gatherings. This is even the case where churches have postponed services. Without a doubt, the coronavirus has a hefty mortality rate besides making many people very ill. The consequences of such a trend have resulted in lockdowns, which in turn have severe socio-economic ramifications. Such is the case with global equity markets reeling from a gloom and doom outlook that has produced losses to the tune of five trillion dollars! While the physical toll of the coronavirus can be quantified, what about the psychological impact which is difficult to compute? More like the bark being worse than the bite! The turmoil that is rapidly evolving is primarily a product of fear - countless souls are simply running scared. Such is the case of normalcy as many know it being "out the window." Routines are dispensed with while the unfamiliar takes the forefront, like the case of temperature checks followed by the recording of contact information before entering a public facility. There are a few quarters who claim that the current malady is the pale horse so mentioned in Revelation 6:8. But these individuals got it terribly wrong because we are not yet in the seven-year Tribulation. The Age of Grace is still in existence. However, everyone is given a kind of sneak preview of what will be the case in earth's worst moments. But what is happening pales in comparison to that trial which will be coming to people who are in the Tribulation. A few days ago, the head of the World Health Organization made a telling remark while choosing not to declare a full-blown pandemic. He spoke of the utilization of every effort to effect a successful containment. With an educated guess, it could translate into a host of iron-fisted measures: stringent contact-tracing protocols, which implies monitoring every human being across the continents. Whether the present problem is dealt with effectively or not, the justification for a global-monitoring framework will very well gather wind in its sails. As for the shell-shocked if not panic-stricken masses, there is little need for a brute-force cajole. Many will inadvertently subscribe to this mantra as an accepted practice. The way things are playing out only points to the shaping of things the scoffers poked fun at - that is, if they took matters seriously. Shadows of the hour of testing are fast and furious as the case for a one- world government gathers pace. This concept is no longer material for a comic book but could be hard reality in a matter of years! Then, there is that remnant, myself included, who see the silver lining in what is fast evolving. While more than a sizeable number of hearts fail because of that which is coming, we look up as our redemption draweth nigh. Why? We do not just have cognizance but a bigger note we believe strongly, as demonstrated by our faith. Do not be surprised if the current state of play foreshadows the delusion that will plague those without faith, who are mired in unbelief. Because of the Blessed Hope, we are out of the picture when things get nasty. Maranatha Edwin The Dangers of Globalism - By Isaiah Anderson - [email protected] The globalist in the West are trying to destroy nationalism, which is the basis God has chosen to protect people from tyrants and evil ideologies. Stable moral Christian societies have built great communities, not perfect nations, but strong and enduring states, which have protected the world from immoral evils like communism, Islam, and Nazism. The global-socialist have indoctrinated the youth through public education and the media to reject this great heritage and accept the lie of Globalism, Secular Humanism, and Socialism. The Globalist have pushed the horrible lie of self-creation, and Darwinian evolution. It has become the scientific model of a new utopia, one that promotes "Do what you will, determine your own reality, be your own god." Secular humanist is using this lie in an attempt to answer the dilemma of self-creation (no God), which is a scientific impossibility (Having a first cause event, without cause and effect). Atheistic naturalism has thus become the scientific foundation of this present generation. The Secular Humanist have infused into the minds of our people, the lie of moral relativism, which has become the moral foundation for our self-destructive laws. The very same lie Satan told Eve, you can be like God, knowing good from evil, or said in contemporary language, "you can choose for yourself what is right and what is wrong." Sound familiar? They're teaching the people of the West, "there is no right, there is no wrong, only what you feel is right and wrong matters," we have no absolutes, no God, no ultimate moral lawgiver or foundation to build a robust righteous nation upon. Relativism has become the moral ideology of this present generation. The Socialist have pushed the ideology of inequality and oppression by the once Judeo-Christian centric nations, and only through unlimited migration can this wrong be righted, all in their attempt to destroy national borders, both literal and ideologically. The Global-socialist believe only a global government can save humanity. Yet, we all know, absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially consolidated power. And with no national state to resist such a force, one can only imagine the level of oppression that will result. Socialism has become the economic model for this present generation. The globalist-socialist use language in our schools and media to criticize and shame those with traditional, historical, and Biblical beliefs. We hear them commonly us names like: Nazis, xenophobic, Islamophobic, homophobic, and many other names, all in an attempt to silence us. We are seeing them attempt to systematically dismantle our community structures and destroy our societies. As Christians we cannot allow others to silence us. We have a higher calling, one that comes from a higher authority, Jesus Christ. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20, NASB. We are commanded to teach, preach, and reach the lost in this fallen age, even when our words may seem to run diametrically against the flood that's enveloping our world. The Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to each of us, His disciples, to faithfully be His ambassadors in this fallen world, calling all men to repentance and reconciliation with God, through faith in Christ Jesus. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, NASB. Why do we see migrants from other countries brave long travels, crossing rivers, enduring horrible weather, crossing oceans, climbing walls, all in an attempt to get here? Because their ideologies are inferior and destructive! Why do the global-socialists in power so often pass laws that make private education illegal, or at least very difficult in our countries? To control and indoctrination the people of this world! The battle is real, and the enemy is real. Our enemy is not flesh and blood, but spiritual forces that are controlling those who oppose the saving message of Jesus Christ, all in their vain attempt to be gods of this world. But we are God's children, and we are called to love our enemies and pray for their salvation. We are commanded to be salt and light in this dark and decaying age. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. - (Matthew 5:13-16, NASB). If you have any doubt about my warning, read the Book of Revelation. We are quickly moving towards this prophetic fulfillment. Don't believe their lies, reject their deceptive words, reject globalism, reject their soon coming global economic marking system, and reject their hatred of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and Christianity! For those who are not Christians, I say to you, repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ! Blessings. OSAS, The Whole Story - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley - https://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/eternal-security/osas-the-whole-story/ If you follow our "Ask a Bible Teacher" feature, you know how many comments I've received lately that question the Doctrine of Eternal Security (aka Once Saved Always Saved or OSAS). Based on their content I've concluded that many people neither understand OSAS nor have they considered the alternative. Let's Begin At The Beginning It's time to set the record straight once and for all. What does it take to be saved? I think the best answer to that question is the one the Lord gave in John 6:28-29. Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Here was a perfect opportunity to list all the things we have to do to meet God's requirements. Jesus could have rattled off the 10 commandments. He could have repeated the Sermon on the Mount. He could have listed any number of admonitions and restrictions necessary to achieve and maintain God's expectations of us. But what did He say? "Believe in the one He has sent." Period. It was a repeat of John 3:16, confirming that belief in the Son is the one and only requirement for salvation. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. A few verses later in John 6:38-40 He said that this wasn't just His idea, as if that wouldn't be enough, but that His Father was in complete agreement. And not only would our belief suffice to provide us with eternal life, but that it was God's will that Jesus lose none of those who believe. You and I have been known to disobey God's will, but has Jesus ever done so? And isn't He the one who's been charged with the responsibility for keeping us? Let's read it. "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:38-40) Just in case we missed this promise, Jesus made it again even more clearly in John 10:28-30. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." The Father and the Son have both accepted responsibility for our security. Once we're in Their hands, no one can get us away. I have purposely only used words straight from the Lord's own mouth to make this case because I can already hear the choruses of "Yes Buts" mounting as those who refuse to take them at face value get ready to trot out their favorite verses denying Eternal Security, misinterpreted though they are. The one characteristic of God's that gives us the most comfort is knowing that He can't lie or change His mind or contradict Himself. He can't say something in one place and then say something entirely different in another. He's consistent. If He says that we're saved solely because of our belief in Him, and that He's accepted responsibility for keeping us so, then we can count on that. As we'll see, anything in the Bible that seems to contradict these simple, straightforward statements has to be talking about something else. But first, since He puts so much emphasis on belief, let's take a closer look at that word. What does He mean when He says "believe"? It must be more than just a casual thing because reliable statistics show, for example, that 85% of those who come forward to "receive the Lord" at a crusade or other evangelistic outreach never form any connection with a church or Bible Study or in any other way demonstrate a relationship with the Lord afterward. And Jesus spoke of the seed that fell on rocky places. He said, "This is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." (Matt. 13:20-21) If these people were saved and then fell away, all His promises above have been broken. There must be more. So what does it mean to believe? The Greek word for believe is "pistis." According to Strong's Concordance, it's a "conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it." In connection with the Lord Jesus, it means "a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God." The Apostle Paul gave us valuable insight into the nature of this belief. He wrote, If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) This isn't just some intellectual thing that carries us away on the words of a captivating speaker, only to leave us flat a short time later. It's a conviction that's formed deep in our heart, the realization that Jesus is not just a man. He's the Lord Himself, and He took upon Himself the penalty due us for our sins, which is death. And to prove that God counted His death as sufficient, He raised Jesus from the dead to be seated beside Him in the Heavenly realms. (Ephes. 1:20) Since God can't dwell in the presence of sin, and since the wages of sin is death, every one of our sins has to have been paid for. If even one remained unpaid, Jesus would still be in the grave. We have to believe that Jesus rose from the grave in order to believe that we will. It's that kind of belief that gets you saved and keeps you that way, because it sets in motion a chain of events that's irreversible. There are four links in this chain. You supply two and the Lord supplies two. You hear and believe, and the Lord marks and guarantees. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14) The word translated "deposit" is a legal term. Today we would say Earnest Money. It's a down payment that constitutes a legal obligation to follow through with the purchase. If you've ever bought any Real Estate, you're familiar with the term. If not, here's another example. It's like we've been put on "layaway." The price has been paid and we've been taken off the display shelf until the one who has purchased us returns to claim us. In the meantime, we cannot be bought by anyone else, because we legally belong to the one who has paid the deposit. "You are not your own," we're told. "You were bought with a price." (1 Cor. 6:19-20) All of this happened at our first moment of belief, before we could do anything to either earn or lose our position. The man on the cross beside Jesus is the prototype for this transaction. Having done something bad enough to get himself executed, he was promised a place in Paradise solely because he believed in his heart that Jesus was the Lord of a coming Kingdom. Paul made it even clearer when he repeated this incredible promise in 2 Cor. 1:21-22. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. This time He removed all doubt as to just Who it is that keeps us saved. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. What could be clearer? Union And Fellowship If the Doctrine of Eternal Security is so clear then why all the disagreement about it? I've found two reasons. The first is the two-sided nature of our relationship with the Lord. I call one side Union. It's eternal and unconditional, based only on our belief. Ephesians 1:13-14 describes our Union with God, sealed and guaranteed. Once we're born again, we can't become unborn. It's good forever. The Holy Spirit is sealed within us from our first moment of belief until the day of redemption. I call the other side Fellowship, and it's a bit more complicated. Fellowship is that state of continual closeness to God that enables Him to bless us in our daily lives, by making things happen for us and protecting us from attack. It's like He's teamed up with us to give us a supernatural advantage. Fellowship is defined by 1 John 1:5-9 as being both Earthly and conditional upon our behavior. Even as believers, as long as we're here on Earth we'll continue to sin. Since God can't abide in the presence of sin, our unconfessed sins interrupt our Earthly relationship with Him and may deprive us of blessings we might have otherwise received. We're still saved in the eternal sense, but out of Fellowship here on Earth. When we're out of Fellowship, we're legitimate targets for our enemy's mischief, just like Job was. His sin was self-righteousness and because he wouldn't confess it, God had to let Satan afflict him in order to bring him to his senses. For a New Testament illustration, look at the parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) Like the younger son, we'll still belong to our Father's family but won't receive any of its blessings while we're out of Fellowship. And like both Job and the Prodigal, when we return to our Father and confess our sins, we're immediately purified from all unrighteousness and restored to Fellowship. One reason that many Christians live such defeated lives is that having only learned about the Union part of being a believer, they only know that God has forgiven their sins and that they'll go to be with Him when they die or are Raptured. They don't realize that they still need to confess every time they sin to stay in Fellowship. And so, being deprived of God's providence, they may become discouraged and even stop praying and attending church. Other believers, who don't understand the dual relationship either, look at the mess they're in and think they must have lost their salvation. Like Job's friends, they look in God's Word for confirmation, and by taking verses out of context, believe they have found the proof. Union and Fellowship are not just New Testament ideas. In the Old Testament, even when Israel was obedient in thought and action, doing their best to please God, the priests still had to sacrifice a lamb on the altar every morning and every evening for the sins of the people. 1 John 1:9 is the New Testament equivalent of those daily sacrifices for sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. It was written for believers who are already saved, but are in danger of being out of Fellowship because of their sins. The Gift And the Prize The other reason people get confused is that there are two types of benefits in Eternity. The first is the free Gift called Salvation that's given to all who ask in faith irrespective of merit and guarantees our admission into the Kingdom. Ephesians 2:8-9 is the model, saying that salvation is a Gift from God. The second consists of Heavenly rewards we can earn for the things we do as believers here on Earth. Philippians 3:13-14 are good verses for explaining this. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. In addition to the Gift, there's a Prize. A gift is something given out of love, irrespective of merit, and is never taken back. A prize, on the other hand, is something we qualify for and earn. And if we're not careful we can lose it. (Rev. 3:11) Paul had already received the Gift of salvation, it was behind him. Now he was focused on winning the Prize as well. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 he explained the difference in greater detail. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. No Olympic athlete was satisfied just to have qualified to participate in the games. Everyone wanted to win the victor's crown. Likewise, we shouldn't be satisfied just to have received the Gift of salvation. We must now live our lives as believers in such a way as to win the Prize as well. The Bible calls some of these prizes crowns, and while the athlete's crown soon wilted away (it was a wreath of ivy) the crowns believers can win last forever. They're worth making some sacrifices for. That's why Paul said, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Cor. 9:27) The crowns are identified as the Everlasting Crown (Victory) in 1 Cor 9:25, Crown of the Soul Winner in Phil 4:1 and 1 Thes 2:19, Crown of Righteousness in 2 Tim 4:8, Crown of Life in Jas 1:12 and Rev 2:10, and the Crown of Glory in 1 Peter 5:4. The difference between the Gift and the Prize is also seen in 1 Cor. 3:12-15. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. At the judgment of believers, the quality of our work on earth will be tested by fire. Only work that survives the test will bring us a reward. But notice that even if all our work is destroyed in the fire, we'll still have our salvation. Why? Because it's a free Gift, given out of love, irrespective of merit. The Lord mentioned other rewards as well. In Matt. 6:19-21 He advised us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." There are things we can do as believers while here on Earth that will cause deposits to be made to our heavenly account. Some believe that this passage refers to the way we use the money we're given. Do we use it to enrich ourselves, stacking up possessions that far exceed our needs? Or do we use it to further the work of the Kingdom? Here's a hint. Our tithe is what we owe to God. It's what we do with the money we have left that really counts. And with the measure we use, it will be measured to us. (Luke 6:38) To summarize, in the New Testament there are verses like Ephesians 1:13-14 that talk about Union. There are verses like 1 John 1: 8-9 that talk about Fellowship. There are verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 that talk about the Gift and there are verses like 1 Cor 9:24-27 that talk about the Prize. Union verses: The verses that stress belief, explain the permanent nature of our bond with God, and are directed toward eternity are Union verses. Gift verses: Those that involve grace and faith are Gift verses. Fellowship verses: Those that require work and are directed at the quality of our lives on Earth are Fellowship verses. Prize verses: And those that require work and involve eternal rewards are Prize verses. When you view Scripture from this perspective, all of the apparent contradictions disappear and you no longer have to wonder why God seems to be saying one thing here and something different there. The issue becomes one of correctly identifying the focal point of the particular passage you're looking at. Determine the context by reading verses around it, and assign it to one of the four categories. Give Us An Example Hebrews 6:4-6 is a passage often cited in opposition to Eternal Security. The entire letter is to Jewish believers who are being enticed back into keeping the Law, so the context is New Covenant vs. Old. And in verse 9 the writer hints that he's been talking about things that accompany salvation. That tells us that verses 4-6 are not related to salvation but things that accompany it. More importantly, the idea that a believer could do something to irretrievably lose his salvation is in direct contradiction to the very clear promise that the Holy Spirit is sealed within us from the very first moment of belief until the day of redemption. So what could these believers be in danger of falling away from due to their sins? Fellowship. And what could prevent them from being restored? The practice of Old Covenant remedies for sin rather than invoking 1 John 1:9. They'd be relegating the death of the Lord to the same status as that of the twice-daily lamb. The Law was only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. Once the Reality appeared, the shadow was no longer effective. And what would be their penalty? Living a defeated life, bearing no fruit, all their works burned in the judgment of 1 Cor. 3. But still saved? Yes. Hebrews 6:4-6 is a Fellowship passage. Suppose There Is No Security? In closing, let's look at the alternative. What are we faced with? If Hebrews 6:4-6 for example applies to our salvation then if we ever sin after being saved we'll be lost forever with no way back, because the Lord would have to be crucified all over again to retrieve us. The New Covenant would be worse than the Old, not better. They were condemned for their actions. According to Matt. 5, we'd be condemned for our thoughts. They couldn't murder. We couldn't even be angry. They couldn't commit adultery. We couldn't even have a lustful thought. Think of it. No anger, ever. No lust, ever. No envy, ever. No idolatry, ever. No favoritism or discrimination, ever. No impure thoughts or deeds of any kind, ever. Is this the Good News, the incomparable riches of His Grace? Did God become man and die the most painful death ever devised only to put His children into an even more untenable position than before? Are we saved by grace only to be placed under the constraints of an even more severely administered law? I can't believe so. Some take a more moderate view of this saying that God would never take back the gift of salvation, but that we can return it. To justify this position they have to put words in the Lord's mouth. When He says in John 10:28, "No one can snatch them out of my hand," they have to insert the phrase "but us" after "no one". Same with Romans 8:38-39. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. They have to insert the phrase "but us" after "in all creation". None of this defense of Eternal Security is intended to condone sin. As an indication of our gratitude for the gift of salvation, believers are continually admonished in Scripture to live our lives in a manner pleasing to God. Not to earn or keep it, but to thank the Lord for giving it to us. And to help us do that, the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us to guide and direct us, and to pray for us. Since the Spirit of God lives in us we are no longer controlled by the sin nature and can choose to please God by the way we live. And even though we do this out of gratitude for the Gift He's already given, which is Union with Him, He blesses us both here on Earth (Fellowship) and in Eternity (the Prize). Daily Jot: Human Trafficking-the dream and the nightmare - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com This is the story of Anna (not her real name) who, by the grace of God, was saved from being taken into slavery in Saudi Arabia. Anna grew up in an 8 X 10 concrete and mud hut with parts of the metal roof missing. Her father, mother and younger sister shared this abode that had a community shower about 20 yards from the house. This is important because it gives you, someone who likely never lived in such a place, perspective. There is a great big world out there beyond this hut, and people that live in them, have dreams just like you and I do. And with those dreams comes not the promise of opportunity, like we have in America, but the fact that someone lurks on the edges of the dream to turn it into a nightmare. At 20, Anna got a job as a houseworker in Accra, several hours from her rural home. Not long thereafter, a lady that came to the house often, approached Anna. She told Anna that her daughter was in Saudi Arabia, had a great job and that Anna could join her. The woman promised employment, enough money to buy cars and build buildings. It was Anna's dream to travel the world and to make enough money to care for her family. So she gave her employer notice she was leaving. Within the week, the woman told Anna that all the arrangements had been made for her to go to Saudi Arabia, and that all costs were taken care of. She was told not to tell anyone, so it would be a surprise for her family when they heard of her good fortune. There were three other girls who Anna met that were going to Saudi Arabia with her. Two days before leaving, Anna had worrisome dreams and started to put together that something was amiss. By chance, really a "God" appointment, she met Pastor William Agbeti. Sensing something was wrong William talked to Anna, and she told him what had happened. William advised her to cut off contact immediately. Once Anna told the woman that the deal was off, the woman and a man working with her began calling Anna repeatedly. So much so, Anna wisely dumped the phone in a bucket of water. Yet, the woman and man continued searching for her. Anna went back to her employer to get her belongings, and the woman found her there. The woman tried to force Anna to go with her. And when Anna refused, the woman called the man to come. The man reasoned that their investment would be lost if she didn't go. As Anna refused to go, the man began to physically force her into a waiting car to the airport. Anna began making a public scene, telling the man she will tell everyone what he was doing. Finally, the struggle ended because people were beginning to notice. Anna moved back to her rural home, where she lives now. The other three girls had disappeared and still have not been found. This is what we at the Daily Jot are developing an educational effort about the signs of human trafficking, the huge network that backs it, the cunning ways of the traffickers, and the perils of accepting a dream that becomes a nightmare. Proverbs 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty." Usually if something sounds too good to be true, it's too good to be true. Daily Devotion: Leave Your Legacy - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. -2 Corinthians 5:10 The Bible tells us there will be a judgment when we are in Heaven. It won't be a judgment as to whether or not we make it there. This judgment actually takes place on the other side, in glory. And it's called the judgment seat of Christ. It almost will be like an awards ceremony. But the question is this: How will we be awarded? It won't be so much about quantity; it will be about quality. In other words, it will be about our motives. God has given each of us a job to do. He won't hold me accountable for what He has called you to do. And He won't hold you accountable for what He has called me to do. But He will hold each of us accountable for the responsibilities, opportunities, and resources He has given to us. The Bible tells us, "Each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is" (1 Corinthians 3:13 NKJV). So if you have built on the right foundation and used what God gave you, then you will receive a reward. And if you haven't done that, then you won't. We want to be able to hear the Lord say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I believe we are living in the last days. Jesus Christ could come back at any time. And I believe that we need to make sacred and wise use of every opportunity. I urge you to think about your life. Think about your legacy. Think about what matters. No one is guaranteed another day. So live the way you ought to be living today. Make your life count. Leave your legacy. 
FROM THE HEART
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