The Reigning King

By Justin Edwards

Transcript:

"He is the heir of all things.

He is the Creator of the universe.

He is the radiance of Divine Glory.

He is the facsimile of God's nature.

He is the providential Lord.

He is the successful High Priest.

And finally, He is the reigning King!

After He provided purification for sins He sat down.

Where?

At the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

He sat down at the Supreme Place in of all the universe.

You see, in the ancient world the right hand of the monarch symbolized royal power, absolute authority, and unparalleled glory.

At the accomplishment of His purifying work, Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and He sat down at the Father's right hand - to reign.

And one day He will leave that throne again.

He will return to this place as King to judge.

The unequaled greatness of God's Son.

God's Final Word.

He is the heir of all things.

You belong to Him.

He is the Creator of the universe!

He made you.

He is the radiance of Divine Glory!

To walk away from Him in any direction is descent.

He is the facsimile of God's nature.

All you need to know about God you will find in Him.

He is the providential Lord.

All of your ways have been marked out by His design.

He is the successful High Priest.

Purification for your sin can be found in no other source.

And He is the reigning King.

The One to whom you owe ultimate allegiance.

The One to whom every man, every woman, every boy, every girl will one day bow." - Art Azurdia

Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath - Part 2

By Justin Edwards

Is the Jesus you know the Jesus of the Bible?  Or is the jesus you know a figment of your imagination - one that you have crafted to be palatable with your lifestyle and worldview?  If you do not have an objective and absolute source of truth from which to base your understanding of Jesus, then all you are left with is your opinion, the consequences of which will leave you condemned.

What do you know of The Great White Throne Judgment?

There are many types of jesus' in the world today - there's the mystical jesus, the prophet jesus, the good teacher jesus, the good example jesus, the philanthropic jesus, the liberal jesus, the social gospel jesus, and the "love wins" jesus.  These jesus' are mere figments of people's imaginations because none of these jesus' exist.  They are false christs and have no power to save because they are dead gods created after man's own image.  They base these jesus' on mystical experiences or on loose interpretations of Scripture, cherry-picking verses while ignoring the rest of the Bible.

The Jesus of the the Bible, on the other hand, is the glorious and sovereign King of the universe.  He is Lord of lords and there is none like Him. He is supreme ruler of creation, robed in glory, majesty, power, and honor. This Jesus is beautiful and pure, and He is worthy of praise and worship.  No, there is none like Him.  And as yesterday's post clearly showed, the Jesus of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament, and this God does not change.  He is the First and the Last and He is a God of compassion, mercy, grace, and love.  But His attributes do not stop there.  The same Jesus who is compassionate, merciful, gracious, and loving is the same Jesus who is holy, righteous, just, and wrathful.  Without understanding this Jesus, the One represented by the whole counsel of God, then one cannot know Him, or worse, one is not known by Him.

Let's begin with the holiness of God.

God Is Holy, Holy, Holy

And one called to another and said:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” - Isaiah 6:3

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,  “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” - Revelation 4:8

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? - Exodus 15:11

There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. - 1 Samuel 2:2

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! - Psalm 99:1-3

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. - Luke 1:35

What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God. - Mark 1:24

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” - Luke 5:8

What does it mean to be holy?  Most simply, it means to be set apart.  God is totally set apart from man.  There is none like Him.  He is totally "other".  Note too that no other attribute of God is so elevated than that of His holiness.  To make this point, R.C. Sproul says in The Holiness of God,

Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy that the whole earth is full of His glory (source).

We must begin with the holiness of God; we must begin with the holiness of Christ, who is God.  Jesus Christ is holy, holy, holy, and there is none like Him.  Let us now look at the righteousness of God.

God Is Righteous

The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. - Psalm 129:4

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. - Deuteronomy 32:4

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. - Psalm 97:2

Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. - Psalm 119:142

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ - Jeremiah 23:5-6

What is righteousness?  This attribute of God defines His goodness, rightness, perfection, and justice.  Psalm 18:30 says,

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

His standard for good is perfection and is revealed through the Law.  This is why we all fall so short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  This is what is revealed about the Law of the Lord in Psalm 19:7-9:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 

Yet, those who hold contempt for the perfect Law of God will by judged by the perfect Law of God. If you find yourself being one who has rejected the Word of God or dismissed it for any reason, or perhaps you love your sin more than the righteousness of Christ, know that you will be held accountable for your contempt of His righteousness.  Psalm 1:5-6 tells us,

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

And perish you will if you are not reconciled by God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  You will perish by the justice of God and under the wrath of God.  You will perish under none other than the wrath of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come.

This leads us into Part 3 that covers the divine justice and wrath of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath - Part 1

By Justin Edwards

Opinions may be hazardous to your soul - read the source of Truth.

Who exactly is Jesus?  Was He merely a great teacher that provided us an example for which to live by, or is He God Himself who was manifest in the flesh 2,000 years ago to save His people from their sin?  Did Jesus come to merely show us how to love, or did He come to testify to the Truth, proclaiming a message of salvation rooted in repentance and faith?  Did Jesus come to tell us that "love wins" in the end, or has He commanded all men everywhere to repent unto Life lest they remain condemned under the wrath of divine judgment?  Who really is Jesus, and how can we know He is who He says He is?

The opening paragraph provides a brief contrast between today's liberal and missional postmodern jesus that has plagued the visible church and the Jesus who is clearly shown to be God in the inerrant and sufficient Holy Scriptures.  The false jesus of postmodernism tells us the church should be only concerned with social justice and healing the world with a positive message of "love".  They aim to redefine Christianity so to rid it of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).  The god of this world has blinded them to the glorious Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) and they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25).  They are ignorant of the One True God of Scripture:  the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of both the Old and New Testament.

Let's take a look at Scripture to see who Christ really is.  By observing just a few verses (not exhaustive by any means), we can easily see that neither the God of the OT nor Jesus changes, we see that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, we see that both God of the OT and Jesus is Lord, and we see that both are one in the same - the Alpha and Omega. If we do not base our understanding of Christ on the Word of God, then all we are left with are opinions based on the figment of our imagination, the consequences of which are fatally hazardous to the soul.

God Does Not Change

For I the Lord do not change... - Malachi 3:6

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. - James 1:17

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind... - Numbers 23:19

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

God of the OT and Jesus Are Both Lord

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. - Deuteronomy 10:17

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. - 1 Timothy 6:13-16

Jesus Is God

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” - Exodus 3:14

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. - Colossians 2:8-9

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1

The Alpha and Omega

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. - Isaiah 44:6

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. - Isaiah 48:12

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last - Revelation 1:17

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. - Revelation 2:8

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” - Revelation 22:13

Now having established that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, let's take a look at a few Scriptures showing God having compassion and showing grace toward His people (even to the wicked) in both testaments.

God Is Merciful, Gracious, and Love

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. - Exodus 34:6

For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. - Deuteronomy 4:31

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. - Psalm 86:5

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. - Psalm 108:4

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. - John 13:1

He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. - Acts 14:17

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36

Yet even though Jesus is a God of love, grace, and mercy, Scripture reveals He is also a holy, righteous, just, and wrathful God.  We'll take a look at these attributes of God later this week.  Please continue to Part 2.

14 Reasons to Hope for Christ's Return in 2011

By Justin Edwards

1. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know  just as I also am known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

2. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2

3. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. - John 17:24

4. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: - Matthew 25:34

5. but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. - 1 Peter 4:13

6. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will... - Ephesians 1:11

7. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Colossians 3:4

8. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. - Romans 8:18

9. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. - Philippians 3:21-22

10. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

11. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

12. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

13. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:8

14. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - Revelation 19:6-9

Of course, there are many more reasons and Scriptures to give us hope for that glorious day when the Lord Jesus Christ will snatch His church out of this fallen world. I'd love to read your comments and additional Scriptures below!

And if for any reason you are not excited about the return of Christ in 2011, I encourage you to post why you might not be ready for Him to come back today. These reasons could vary tremendously, but I'll just leave it open-ended for discussion.

I hope to see a some encouraging comments as we look forward to our Redemption!

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. - Revelation 1:7

Be Comforted, My Brethren

By Justin Edwards

It's been about 5 weeks since I began a series titled The Coming of the Lord that was to be based on a sermon series from my pastor, Loran Livingston, on 1 Thessalonians 1-5. As the messages on chapters 3 and 4 were not necessarily on the coming of the Lord as I had anticipated, I did not feel led to write about them. However, the message on 10/31/10 was quite uplifting and comforting for the Bride of Christ, so I will conclude the series with this message and a different title (you can read Parts 1 and 2 here: The Coming of the Lord - Part 1; The Coming of the Lord - Part 2 (A Message on Pastors)).

The Apostle Paul ends chapter 4 with a reference to the Rapture of the Church, and in combination with references from John 14:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, we have the clear biblical basis for this doctrine. Although the rapture doctrine cannot be honestly disregarded in Scripture, the timing of the rapture of the Church has caused much division in the Body of Christ. Moreover, extreme views and extra-biblical liberties have led many to attempt to predict the date of the rapture (datesetting), but the fact of the matter is, NO ONE knows the hour, and to suggest foreknowledge of this spectacular event is utter foolishness. Discussing the timing of the rapture is perfectly fine, but when division occurs between different "camps" (pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib), there is nothing that edifies the Body or brings glory to God. If this topic creates a stumbling block for the furtherance of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's best not to argue over such things if it cannot be done peaceably.

With that said, Scripture is indeed quite clear that the Bride of Christ will not be here for the Day of the Lord, otherwise known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble, the 70th week of Daniel, and the 7-year tribulation (the latter half often referred as the Great Tribulation). Scripture references supporting a pre-tribulation rapture include:  Revelation 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. There are other Scriptures that show imminence and provide logical evidence the Church will not be present during the tribulation, but for the sake of brevity in this article, I will focus on the Scripture of yesterday's message.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 reads,

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 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. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Paul opens by saying the brethren have no need to be concerned with the timing of the tribulation. He exhorts them to not be distracted with the timing of God's final judgment, but rather to occupy their time in living godly lives knowing full well that judgment is coming unexpectedly upon the people of the earth. As verses 2 and 3 make clear, judgment will come as a thief in the night when the people of the earth least expect it. At a time when the world is saying "peace and safety" (which will have culminated with the signing of the 7-year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel), sudden destruction will come upon them and they shall not escape. Yet, distracting ourselves with trying to figure out who the Antichrist is or when this covenant will be signed is futile because no one knows, and more importantly, we will not be here to find out (so why are you stocking up on supplies?).

We are not in darkness so to be overtaken by this unexpected judgment. We, the Body of Christ, are children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7). Those who walk in darkness, however, are subject to the wrath of God as children of wrath and disobedience (Ephesians 2:2-3, Ephesians 5:6, 1 John 1:6). Paul also makes this contrast clear in verses 4 and 5.

And because we are not children of darkness but of light, let us walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1, Philippians 1:27, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:1). As such and as instructed in verses 6 and 8, let us be sober and be watchful of the spiritual darkness around us. As we have been redeemed from our fallen spiritual condition, we must live accordingly by the power of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, those who are walking in darkness will be drunk with darkness when the wrath of God falls on the earth, as if jolted out of a coma for they are spiritually unconscious. And while we wait for the coming of our Lord, we must continue in our work of faith, labor of love, and hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 1:3) that awaits us when we are glorified with the Son of God (Romans 8:18).

My brothers and sisters, God has not appointed us to wrath and the Apostle Paul makes this evident in verse 9 and also 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (in addition to the Lord's revelation in Revelation 3:10). Whether born again believers have already died or they live today, we will all be together one day soon (verse 10). To make this all the more clear (that we have no reason to fear the Day of the Lord), let's take another look at verses 1-10. Pay special attention to the contrasting pronouns Paul uses to distinguish between believers and those in darkness:

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 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. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Isn't it clear? There is a marked difference between "us" and "them". "They" will incur the wrath of God. "We" will be kept from the hour of trial that will come upon dwellers of the earth. "They" are sons of the devil (1 John 3:8), while "we" are already citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). "Their" end is destruction and have their minds set on earthly things (Philippians 3:19), while "we" have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22) and have our minds set on heavenly things (Colossians 3:1-2). "They" stand condemned (John 3:18), while there is no condemnation for "us" who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

So be comforted, my brethren. If you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, then you need not fear the days to come. Once God has planted His seed in you (1 John 3:9), you are His forever as God does not revoke His promises (Romans 11:29). If you have been called, you will be justified, and if you have been justified, you will be conformed to Christ, and if you are conformed to Christ, you will be glorified (Romans 8:29-30). All who the Father has given to the Son will never be lost (John 6:39), no one can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:28-29), and nothing in ALL of creation will ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Let us take comfort in knowing that God has secured our salvation for His glory alone, and He has not appointed us to His wrath but has made for Himself a bride that is holy and blameless before the sight of God (Colossians 1:22).

If you have some time now or this week, please take a moment to watch or listen to Loran Livingston's message from Sunday (see below). If you need to be spiritually renewed and find yourselves weary of this world and the things of the world, this is a timely message for you. The days ahead may be few or many, and they will surely be difficult as the darkness continues to restrict around us. But keep your eyes on Jesus and take comfort in the Hope of your salvation Who has delivered you from the wrath to come, and know that He will never forsake you no matter the trials and tribulation you are currently going through.

The King is coming, let us watch and be sober.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Loran Livingston Video 10/31/10 

Loran Livingston mp3 10/31/10

Free Hot Dogs, Drinks, and the Gospel!

By Justin Edwards

Free hot dogs, free snacks, free drinks, and free trillion dollar bills! That's right, every person who received free food and free drinks this past Saturday afternoon at the Carolina Panthers tailgate also received the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! An event organized by a local baptist church to share the Gospel with the lost, we were able to bring the Good News to hundreds, if not thousands, of football fans attending the NFL game.


The plan Saturday was to give out 400 free hot dogs and several hundred cold beverages. We were in a perfect location being only 2 or 3 blocks from the stadium along a primary pedestrian route where everyone tailgating on that side of the stadium had to pass by us. It was amazing to see the look on people's faces when we told them free food. Some knew there had to be a catch, and the only thing we required of them was to receive a Gospel tract. But this gave many opportunities to get into spiritual conversations and share Jesus Christ. We also ran into lots of believers, many of which actually helped us in our mission by "recruiting" people to come check us out. I must have seen one female security guard return 4 or 5 times to get more food and some of the resources we were distributing. It was such an awesome site to see!

Only God knows how many lives were touched on Saturday and I could spend a long time sharing conversations I had and witnessed of others. Suffice it to say, it was truly a blessing to be used by Him in this way, and this event is only the beginning of many more to come. A fire was lit in me several months ago to be bold in sharing my faith in public, and I pray that I can only live a life worthy of the calling.

I have been so blessed over these last several months to come in contact with some great brothers and awesome resources to be equipped with sharing the Gospel. One brother shared Mark Cahill with me back in April and it has proved to be a great encouragement to me in learning how to adequately share the unadulterated gospel. Common fears in witnessing are being overcome and the more opportunities I have, the more confidence and trust I have in knowing God will not charge us with any work He has not sufficiently equipped us for. 

So I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to begin praying and thinking of ways you can organize and take the Gospel to the streets in your area. The internet has been so beneficial in equipping me to have face to face encounters with the lost, but there is so much more out there than from behind the keyboard. We have started a facebook page titled The Speak:Truth Project and I invite you to join the group. This page will be a platform for organizing our local events but also to share ideas and to encourage and equip other believers to fulfill the Great Commission in their own towns.

There are untold opportunities for you to engage in. Rock concerts, bar alleys, club scenes, sporting events, malls, piers, amusement parks - anywhere! All it takes is 1 or 2 believers to trust God to work through them as they obey the command of Jesus Christ to spread His salvation to all people. If you have the same fears I had, then you must get a copy of Mark Cahill's book, One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven.  This is the book that "started it all" for me, and I believe it's potentially the most important book a born again believer will ever read. What else are we here for other than to glorify God through salvation and taking this message to the lost? For additional resources, check out airō's page, Evangelism - Equip Yourself.

Bride of Christ, the hour is getting late. Current global events are screaming of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is time to get out of our comfort zones, evaluate our priorities, and do absolutely everything necessary to get the Gospel out. God is very patient so that none should perish, but His patience has an expiration.

The question must be asked: how many people do you know on their way to hell because they don't know Jesus, or rather, Jesus doesn't know them? How many people in your local towns are headed to the same place?

And now a more important question must be asked: what are you going to do about?


Jesus is coming soon - let us be faithful to the end!

And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. - Mark 16:15

Eagerly Await His Return

By Justin Edwards

In this last message of the When Christ Returns series, Loran Livingston exhorts us to eagerly await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ! He is coming back any moment now and we must continue to sound the alarm that His return is imminent and we must all be ready. We must continue to pursue Him in holiness and for those who have yet to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, the time to do is now! Judgment Day is coming! The great wrath of God will be the worst devastation this world has ever seen - it is unimaginable as revealed in the Book of Revelation. But there is an escape! There is a way! There is a door to run through to escape God's judgment against the earth and it comes only through the narrow way of Jesus Christ! For God has promised His Bride (the Body of Christ) will not face the wrath to come as the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 regarding those who have repented,

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

 We also see this in 1 Thessalonians 5:9,

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

What is this wrath? It is the wrath of God that is coming against the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 2:1-3,

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Born again believers used to be dead in their trespasses and sins and we once walked according to the flesh and according to the ways of the world. But there are many, professing Christians even, who are still slaves to sin and will yet face the wrath of a Holy God. Ephesians 5:6,

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

 What are "these things"?  They are the works of the flesh mentioned in the Ephesians 5:5,

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

And in Galatians 5:19-21,

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We see Paul repeating this yet again in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 

However, by the saving grace of God, those who have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ are no longer controlled by these practices for we see in 1 Corinthians 6:11,

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

So with that, born again believers can eagerly await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:18-23,

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Even creation moans and longs for it to be delivered from the curse to which it is subjected. How much more then should we eagerly await with anxious anticipation to be delivered from the captivity of our flesh and receive our glorified bodies! Where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more curse, no more death, no more temptation, no more corruption, no more weakness, and no limitations!

Who is it that Jesus is coming back for? It is those who are eagerly expecting His return - that is, born again Christians who expect Him to physically return to earth. Hebrews 9:27-28,

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

 This will be the completeness of our salvation - Jesus Christ Himself! He will receive us unto Himself as promised in John 14:3. So how can we prepare ourselves for heaven? How must we prepare ourselves to meet Jesus face to face? 1 John 3:3,

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

And in 2 Corinthians 7:1,

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

But you cannot purify yourself, which is your submission to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, unless you have first been justified by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you profess to believe in Jesus for your salvation, can you remember a time when you were lost? Can you remember a time when you were controlled by sin and have since been delivered from it? Are you still pursuing the things of God or have you returned to the ways of the world and the desires of your flesh? This is how we can know we have fellowship with God and therefore are cleansed by His blood - 1 John 1:6-7,

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

As Paul Washer has so correctly explained, "we have assurance that we have come to know Him not just because one time we repented, but we are continuing to repent today. It is not just that at one time we believed, but that we are continuing to believe today. It is not just that one time we walked with Him; we continue to walk with Him today because He who began a good work will finish it." 

Do you want this assurance that you will go to heaven? Do you want assurance that you will spend the rest of eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you want assurance that you will avoid the wrath of God to come, which culminates in the final resting place of the damned in the Lake of Fire? 

You can have this assurance today. You must repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation alone. Please visit this page to be sure you know how to receive this free gift from God that will break the power of sin over you. Don't hesitate to contact me if you still are unsure. Tomorrow is not promised to you - can you guarantee you will wake up in morning? Can you guarantee you will see heaven?

This has been a wonderful series and I am blessed to have been able to share it with you. Please take the time to watch the message below, and you can find all messages from the series here: When Christ Returns.

May we all be able to say from the deepest cry of our hearts, Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Cling to the Cross! A Message for Muslims

By Justin Edwards

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

The Express Image of God

By Mike Ratliff

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2 ESV)

I heard a sermon once a long time ago in which the preacher defined a cult as any religious group that called itself Christian but denied the orthodox view of any person of the our Triune God. That means that those who deny the Doctrine of the Trinity, according to that definition, are not Christians, but heretics. The man-centered part of each of us, that is the flesh, rebels from such a strict “legalistic” view, but as our faith becomes more and more God Centered in all its aspects, that view becomes entirely justified in our hearts because as we come to know God as He reveals Himself to His children, we will not doubt His Word nor will we attempt to overlay His truth with “altered” truth nor will we add to it nor subtract from it nor take it out of context in order to make it more man centered. If we compromised and did those things we would do so in order to become more acceptable to the majority and not be excluded and hated by the world and those who call themselves Christians, but who are really just part of the world system.

᾿Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. (John 1:1-2 GNT)

Above is John 1:1,2 from the Greek New Testament. I placed the ESV version of this passage at the top of this post. I remember writing a post once in which I exegeted this passage, focusing primarily on the Apostle John’s use of Λόγος or logos here, which the ESV translates as “Word” to refer to our Lord Jesus Christ. The discussion was very good, but I was amazed at the contact I received from so many who were upset that we were focusing on our Lord Jesus Christ this way as being eternal and God even though there was absolutely no way they could refute the exegesis of the passage without doing serious damage to context. The reason I brought this up before we go to our primary text for this post is that we must understand that not everyone who claims that they are Christians or Christ followers or whatever they call themselves nowadays, is truly in Christ because in their theology, He is not God.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

In the first four verses from Hebrews 1 in order keep v3 in context. I wanted to make sure that everyone would understand who the “He” is that the writer of Hebrews is referring to. As we can see, it is the Son, who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is v3 from the Greek New Testament.

ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν ποιησάμενος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, (Hebrews 1:3 GNT)

The ESV says that our Lord is, “the radiance of the glory of God” this is wonderful and we have already looked at this. The Apostles witnessed this when our Lord was Transfigured before them just prior to His crucifixion. In any case, let us concentrate on the next phrase, “and the exact imprint of his nature.” This is a translation of the Greek words, “καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως.” The KJV translates this as “and the express image of his person.” Of course the “his” there is referring to God. The ESV’s rendering of “exact imprint” and the KJV’s rendering of “express image” are attempts to translate χαρακτὴρ or charaktēr. I am sure you can see that our English word “character” is a direct transliteration of χαρακτὴρ. This word is used in the Bible only here in Hebrew 1:3. The history of this word’s development in Greek tells us that it always referred in some way to an engraving process or the impression made by a carver or the stamp for making coins or a character in writing. However, eventually it came to refer to the basic bodily and psychological structure with which one is born, which is unique to the person and which cannot be changed by education or development. Of course, the Word of God is telling us here that our Lord Jesus Christ is the χαρακτὴρ of the person of God and as we see in John 1, He was not created or born, but was there as God in the midst of the creation of the Universe. Jesus Christ is God because His the χαρακτὴρ of the person God.

The next part of the phrase “ὑποστάσεως” or hupostasis speaks of that which stands under something else, that is, the foundation of something, the true essence and substance of it. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the express image of God and of the exact same essence and substance as Him. Our Lord is not a created being. He is not a glorified angel or man. He is God. He and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are the Triune God whom genuine Christians love and worship and serve daily with their all. Jesus Christ became incarnate as a man and when we go to be with Him in eternity, we will be with Him and He with us forever. This is what I live for now. Do you?

Soli Deo Gloria!

(HT: Possessing the Treasure)

What is Ramadan?

By Dr. David Hocking

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered to be the month of fasting. Muslims are to refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity from dawn until sunset. Muslims believe that fasting teaches them about patience, humility, and spirituality.

Muslims are encouraged to pray more than usual during this month and to ask forgiveness from Allah (the name of their god) for past sins and to purify themselves through self-restraint and good works.

Muslims believe that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muhammad at Ramadan, and all Muslims are encouraged to read through the entire Quran during this month.

A Christian Response: We believe that only the true God, the LORD GOD of Israel and His Messiah, our blessed LORD YESHUA, can forgive the sins of any person. Yeshua (Jesus) died for our sins - paid for them with His own blood, and we are saved from sin, death, and hell, by believing that He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the only One Who can save us! Yeshua arose from the dead on the third day after His death, and ascended into heaven and will soon return for those who believe in Him. John 14:6 quotes Him when He said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Acts 4:12 teaches that there is no salvation in any other Person or Name!

Bible-believing Christians have a great desire and passion to present the true gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the Muslims of this world.

(HT: BPT)

Mormonism vs. Christianity

By Justin Edwards

This is an excellent message on Mormonism from Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. Whether you are a Mormon looking for biblical answers or a born again Christian looking to share the true Gospel with a Mormon, you must watch this. We as born again believers should not shy away from Mormons when they knock on our door or we meet them in public. We must share the truth with them in love and show them how they do not have to work for their salvation, but rather by trusting in the completed work of Jesus Christ alone, they can rest in the grace and mercy of God for their eternal security.

Jesus Christ Is Everything, or He Is Nothing

By Justin Edwards

 

 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. - Jesus in Revelation 3:15-16

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. - Colossians 3:1-11

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple...whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Jesus in Luke 14:26-33

When Christ Returns - What Will He Do?

By Justin Edwards

We continue with the series When Christ Returns as Loran Livingston teaches what Christ will do when He returns to set up His Kingdom.

Direct mp3 download: When Christ Returns - What Will He Do? mp3

Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?

By Justin Edwards

Have you ever thought about what happens when you die? What's on the other side when you walk out of here? Since the life after death is for eternity, it's a pretty important answer to find out, wouldn't you agree? It is guaranteed that 10 out of 10 people die, and I'm sure every one of us wants to go to heaven. In fact, arguably 5-10% of the United States population are atheists/agnostics, so that's a pretty good assumption that most Americans believe they will be in heaven after they breathe their last breath. But that's not exactly accurate with Jesus' words in Matthew 7:13-14

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

How do we know we will go to heaven when we die? How do we know if we are on the narrow path that leads to eternal life? Well, there is a way we can know with 100% confidence where we will spend the rest of eternity, so let's see if you are good enough to go to heaven.

God has a standard whereby He judges us to see if we are good enough to enter His presence. You may have heard have of these before - they are called the 10 Commandments. Let's look at a few of them:

Have you ever told a lie before? If so, you would be called a liar - join the club.

Have you ever stolen anything before? Even something small and a long time ago? If so, you would be a thief.

How about using God's name in vain? Substituting God's name for any expletive is breaking His Law, and this includes the various derivatives of God or Jesus Christ. This is called blasphemy.

Have you ever been angry at anyone before? If so, God says you commit murder in your heart (Matthew 5:21-22).

Have you ever lusted after anyone? Jesus says if you have, you have committed adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28).

If you have answered yes to these questions, and if you are like me you probably did, you have admitted that you are a lying thief, a blasphemer, an adulterer at heart, and a murderer at heart. When you stand before God on Judgment Day and He judges you according to His standard, would you be guilty or innocent? And if you are guilty, would you deserve heaven or hell? If you are like me, then your answer is probably hell.

You may have admitted to breaking these laws of God and that would make you a law breaker. When we break the law of America, there must be a penalty paid for that offense. We can't just tell the judge we're sorry and we'll never do it again. He would tell us "well you should be sorry and you shouldn't do it again", but if he is a just judge, he cannot let us go simply because we were sorry. It's the same thing with the Law of God. When the Law is broken, there must be a penalty paid. God would be more wicked than any of us if He allowed our lawlessness to go unpunished. Unfortunately, none of us are able pay this debt. We are all condemned and must pay the consequence, which is spending eternity in hell separated from God forever. That is, of course, unless someone paid our fine for us.

There is good news! 2,000 years ago, God loved us so much that He became a man in the flesh through His Son Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and went on to live a perfect, sinless life. The only way sin can be atoned for is through the offering of a bloody sacrifice. In the Old Testament, this was done by offering a spotless lamb and this would atone for sins temporarily. But Jesus offered Himself as the spotless Lamb of God in order to wash away the sins of the world once and for all, thereby no longer requiring a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins ever again. It is why He said, "It is finished." Jesus the Son of God paid the penalty for your sins, for my sins. He stepped in and actually took the punishment for you. He paid a debt He did not owe because you and I have a debt we cannot pay. He actually became sin on the cross so God could punish His own Son instead of us. When God raised Jesus from the dead 3 days later, He accepted the sacrifice of His one and only Son as payment in full. This is God's gift to us.

Would you like to know how to receive this gift? Do you believe that Jesus did this for you? Do you believe that He is the Son of God, who died on the cross for you, and God raised Him from the dead 3 days later? Do you believe you are a sinner? Do you believe you need a Savior?

Jesus says we must repent and believe in the Gospel. Confessing you are a sinner means you agree with God that you have broken His Law. Repenting means that you realize you cannot save yourself, that your life is hopeless without Jesus Christ, and you turn from yourself and what you can do for you and you turn to God in complete trust in Him to save your soul. You forsake yourself and your sins. No amount of work can save you, being a good person doesn't save you, Jesus Christ is the only one who can justify you before God. This means you can be declared innocent before the Righteous Judge in Heaven, but you must give up on yourself and put your faith and total confidence in Jesus and what He did for you 2,000 years ago.

If you believe in these things, and you are ready to commit everything you are to Jesus Christ, you can do this now. All you have to do is cry out to Him - ask Him to save you. Tell Him you are a wretched sinner in desperate need of a Savior, that you cannot do this on your own, and you are hopeless without Him. Cry out to Him with all of your heart and commit your life to Him. Call on the name of Jesus and confess Him Lord of your life and you will be saved. You must surrender your life to Jesus Christ, but before you do, make sure you have counted the cost.

Are you ready to count the cost? Are you ready to lay your life down for the King of kings and the Lord of lords? His grace and mercy await you - run to Him, with nothing in your hands. Flee from the wrath that is to come, and run to Him.

Urgent Message Gospel Tract Resource (Free PDF Download)

By Justin Edwards

Many of you have read the Urgent Message over the last year and have shared in my excitement that Jesus is coming for His Church - and soon! Lately I have wanted to format it in a way to share it in person and was able to do that over the weekend. Most importantly, I updated with Scripture and made it more concise for easier reading. Perhaps some day soon I will be able to have these printed in bulk, but in the meantime, I am printing them from my computer.

I welcome you to do the same if you are able with your own printing resources. Printing the 2 pages front and back allows for the letter to be folded nicely. I recommend printing with the option "fit to printable area". I plan on handing these out and leaving in random places. I'm really looking forward to following in Mark Cahill's footsteps and leaving them in a case of beer - what a surprise that would be, huh?

In all seriousness, I pray God takes one of these pamphlets to stir someone to realize just how urgent it is they come to Christ today. Whether the urgency is to escape the tribulation to come or escape death itself, every person breathing oxygen is in dire straights without the Lord Jesus Christ. Please, if you do not use this message to share Jesus with the lost, by all means share Him any way you can - with Gospel tracts, your mouth, or through the internet.

Time is indeed of the essence, make sure you KNOW where you will spend eternity, and make sure you are obedient in proclaiming His name to the ends of the earth.

To download the pdf, please click here: Urgent Message PDF

I will keep you updated if I am able to offer these pamphlets in bulk.

God bless you all and continue to look up as our Redeemer draws near!

When Christ Returns - The Rule of God

By Justin Edwards

We continue in this series with the rule of God when Christ returns. If you didn't get a chance to watch previous messages, you can find them at the following links:

When Christ Returns

The Son of Perdition

Pastor Loran Livingston

Scripture Ref: Revelation 12:1-5; 22:1-2; Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 21:24; Isaiah 53: 8-10; 9:16-17; Zachariah 14: 4, 10-11

Topic: End Times

Notes:

- True theocracy: the rule of God alone, judges, priests, kings and lords
- Rule from Jerusalem, leveled by earthquakes...
- Holy Oblation
- Temple North of City; Center of global worship
- Highway of Holiness
- River from altar of temple to Jerusalem, brings life to Dead Sea, life giving trees
- Beast with seven heads and ten horns
- Rule with a rod of iron; not about our happiness, but His holiness
- Happiness is to fall at the foot of the cross and live according to His rule

Direct mp3 download: When Christ Returns - The Rule of God mp3

Dear Catholic Friend

By Justin Edwards

Dear Catholic Friend,

I love you. I want to make that clear. I love you enough to share the Truth with you. This post is not about bashing the Catholic church or Catholics, and I pray it does not come across as such. I simply love you and I want you to join me in heaven one day. I ask that you continue reading and allow me to explain.

You have probably had conversations with protestant Christians before, and it's likely been argued who was right or who was wrong. Issues about the Catholic church and its teachings were brought up, and you probably found no shortage of reasoning to support your religious beliefs.

Please allow me to be frank with you: it matters not who is right or who is wrong. It matters not what you believe to be the correct set of beliefs. The only thing that matters is the truth. Understanding and coming to a saving knowledge of the Truth is the most important thing you will ever do in this life. I compel you to take some time and consider what I present to you. Surely it is worth your time to determine if your beliefs are true, or whether you have been deceived. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5,

 ⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

The Bible is clear that deception and lies abound, and if this is true, we must consider where those lies and deceptions are present.

There are numerous resources to explain the trappings and false teachings of the Catholic church. The most critical false teaching is the Catholic doctrine of salvation as it contradicts the biblical pathway of salvation. As is the case with many other Catholic doctrines, the gospel of the Catholic church is fundamentally opposed to the Word of God. I love you enough to tell you this. It gives me no joy to have this discussion, as it may very well divide us. But division is no excuse to compromise the truth, and if one is deceived into believing something contrary to the fundamentals of Christianity, it is my responsibility to share this with you so that you might come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I love you enough to tell you. I want you to be with me in heaven. I urge you then with all of my heart to please continue reading.

The first resource I want to share with you is a message from Mark Cahill. Mark was born into a Catholic family but was saved by the blood of Jesus Christ more than 25 years ago. In his message posted below, he compares the official and current Catechism of the Catholic Church  to Scripture. I plead with you to consider how the catechisms contradict the Word of God, and by doing so, you may be on the road to reading the Bible for yourself and coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In no way is this an exhaustive study of Roman Catholicism versus the Bible, but it is certainly a beginning for future study and consideration.

To stream via Windows Media Player: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible
To download mp3 directly: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible

For your convenience as you listen to the audio message and for future reference, I have listed below several of the catechisms Mark addresses and the Scriptures that refute them. I encourage you to listen to the audio for an explanation of each. Please prayerfully consider the implications of these teachings and how they cannot possibly lead to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and compare to the Word of God for yourself. You can also open up the Catechism link in a new window to view online.

Paragraph 97

97 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God"...

 The Bible: 

Colossians 2:8-10 ⁸ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Here, the Catholic church teaches that tradition PLUS the Bible makes up the Word of God. The Bible, however, warns us to beware of traditions of men and that Christ, who is the Word, makes us complete. 

Paragraph 181

181 "Believing" is an ecclesial act. the Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. the Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother" (bold emphasis mine)

 The Bible: 

John 6:44 ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

How can the Catholic church claim motherhood of all believers when the church was not even established before Jesus spoke these words in John 6:44?

Paragraph 868

868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation...

You will find nowhere in Scripture that the church possesses the fullness of the faith or the totality of the means of salvation. Jesus Christ is the fullness of the faith and the totality of salvation, and any tradition or doctrine beyond Him and His finished work on the cross is utterly unbiblical. 

Paragraph 1493

1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. the confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. (bold emphasis mine)

Paragraph 1461

1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,⁶⁵ bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (bold emphasis mine)

 The Bible 

Matthew 9:6 ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

Mark 2:7  ⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Psalm 51:4  ⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,

Only God has the power to forgive sins, no one else. We may ask forgiveness from someone we have offended, and they have the responsibility to forgive us of our offense, but every sin we commit is against God. It is He, and He alone, who can forgive our trespasses.

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 1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.

The Bible 
 

Ephesians 2:8-9 ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 The Catholic Church has added works as a means of salvation. Further:

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1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (bold emphasis mine)

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1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. (bold emphasis mine)

 The Bible

1 Corinthians 1:17 ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Salvation comes by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone as Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches. Moreover, if baptism was required for salvation, Paul would have been sent to baptize, not preach the gospel. Adding baptism as a requirement to salvation strips away the doctrine of grace, and thereby strips away true salvation if one puts their trust in the baptism and not in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins.

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1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.⁶⁰⁴ The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire

Did you catch that? The church "formulated" this "tradition" at the Councils of Florence and Trent, which took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, respectively.


The Bible

1 John 4:10 ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus Christ was the propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the debt of sin once and for all. Nothing else must be done to satisfy this penalty. The Catholic church, however, teaches that one must go through this purification process in order to gain entry into heaven. The Bible, contrarily, teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Jesus said "It is finished", and that means there is no more payment for sin to be made. As CARM indicates regarding purgatory:

1. It is not explicitly found in the Bible.
2. It implies that the righteousness of Christ does not cleanse from all sin.
3. It implies that justification is not by faith alone.
4. It implies that there is something we must do in order to be cleansed of sin.

To learn more about purgatory, please visit these links:

• Purgatory
• Does Purgatory Deny the Sufficiency of Jesus' Sacrifice?
• Purgatory and 1 Cor. 3:15

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494 ...without a single sin to restrain her...

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411...Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life. (bold emphasis mine)

The Bible
 

Luke 1:46-47 ⁴⁶ And Mary said:

      “ My soul magnifies the Lord,
       ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

If Mary was perfect, with no original sin, having "committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life", why is it that she needed a Savior? And because all men are appointed to die once because of the consequence of sin, the Catholic church had to formulate yet another doctrine to appease this false teaching:

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966 "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things... (bold emphasis mine)

The Catholic church teaches Mary did not die. So not only are they in error to teach Mary was sinless, they required another lie to account for the first deception.

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By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the "Mother of Mercy," the All-Holy One.

This is blasphemy. There is only one All-Holy One and He is the Lord of lords and King of all kings. He is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come!

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969 ...Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (bold emphasis mine)

The Bible

1 Timothy 2:5 ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 John 2:1  ¹ My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Hebrews 9:15 ¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

John 16:7 ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Psalm 54:4 ⁴ Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.

Do you see what has happened here? The Catholic church has given Mary the same names as Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Mediatrix, Advocate, Helper). Though she is blessed among all women, the Catholic church has exalted her to a place she does not deserve. Many of the names given to her are reserved for Christ alone. To review a list of prayers to Mary, please see A Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

These teachings of the Catholic church are merely the tip of the iceberg. Future posts will address the many other errors and false teachings of the Catholic church. It has not been my intention to bash Catholics or the Catholic church, but rather to share the truth in love and hold the teachings of the Catholic church against the absolute truth of the Word of God.

I have family and friends who adhere to Catholicism. I have you all in my prayers that you will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is true freedom to be had in Christ, and as He says Himself, the truth will set you free. Free from the bondage of a works-based system where you will never be able to attain salvation by any work of your own, and free from the weight of sin that would condemn us all to an eternal hell had it not been for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, who offers us all the gift of grace through faith in Him, and Him alone.

This is a lot of information, admittedly. Please take time to listen to Mark Cahill's audio message and consider what I have presented to you. I will post more in the future, Lord willing.

Acts 20:26-31 ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.²⁸ Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God^[c] which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.