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.

Paragraph 1129

 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:

Paragraph 1257 

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

Paragraph 1263

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.

Paragraph 1031

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

Paragraph 494

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

 Paragraph 411

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:

Paragraph 966

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.

Paragraph 2677

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!

Paragraph 969

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.

Meet Me in Heaven

If you are saved yourself, be on the watch for the souls of others. Your own heart will not prosper unless it is filled with intense concern to bless your fellow men. The life of your soul lies in faith; its health lies in love. He who does not pine to lead others to Jesus has never been under the spell of love himself. Get to the work of the Lord—the work of love. Begin at home. Visit next your neighbors. Enlighten the village or the street in which you live. Scatter the word of the Lord wherever your hand can reach.

Reader, meet me in heaven! Do not go down to hell . There is no coming back again from that abode of misery. Why do you wish to enter the way of death when Heaven's gate is open before you? Do not refuse the free pardon, the full salvation which Jesus grants to all who trust Him. Do not hesitate and delay. You have had enough of resolving, come to action. Believe in Jesus now, with full and immediate decision. Take with you words and come unto your Lord this day, even this day. Remember, O soul, it may be now or never with you.

Let it be now; it would be horrible that it should be never.

Again I charge you, meet me in heaven. - C.H. Spurgeon

Lukewarm No More

By Justin Edwards

Teenagers, college students, adults - this message is for you. That pretty much sums up all believers, right? This is especially for college students, as 50% of you fall away from your professed faith come graduation time - Christian and secular universities alike. We are living in a time where lukewarm is the norm for the professed church. Jesus said this would happen as the church age comes to a close. But as Mark Cahill discusses in his message, Lukewarm No More, Jesus' letter was not to the church of Laodicea, but rather to the Laodiceans. This letter is to individuals in the church:

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” - Revelation 3:14-22

Are you lukewarm? Is your faith stagnant? Do you have need of nothing? Do you have the desire to share your faith? Do you share your faith? Why don't you? Is it because you are lukewarm? 10 out of 10 people die - have you shared your faith with one?  Are you tired of being lukewarm? Jesus says, "be zealous and repent."

This message is a must listen for those who are ready to make a change. Sharing your faith is a command of Jesus, so not doing so is willful disobedience. The Great Commission is not optional. The following is from an African martyr before he died:

Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit

Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has

been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow

down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,

and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight

walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,

mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or

popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,

regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by

patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my

way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,

or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the

pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of

mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed

up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a

disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,

preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My

colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the

power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

Are you ready to make a stand?

For Media Player: Lukewarm No More
Direct mp3 download: Lukewarm No More mp3

Turkey, Jihad, and Prophecy

By Michael G. Mickey

I know I've done it repetitively, but I want to point out, once again, that the nation of Turkey, presently a member of NATO and a candidate nation for membership in the European Union, has a different future than its recent history has been indicative of.

According to Ezekiel 38 & 39, Turkey is to be part of an Russian-Arab confederacy of nations that will attack the nation of Israel in the last days. For many, seeing this as Turkey's future has been difficult to grasp until now, but are things changing rapidly or what?

In the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla incident, the anti-Israel sentiments streaming from Ankara have been nothing short of outrageous, at times coming close to threatening in tone. Not only that, recent stories in the news seem to indicate there is going to be no turning back for Turkey where relations with Israel are concerned. Truly, it seems, we are witnessing Turkey's long-anticipated move toward foreign policy unity with it future Gog-Magog allies where Israel is concerned.

Who would've imagined getting online and reading a headline like "Turkey is calling for a jihad against Israel" a year ago or even 6 months ago? Few I imagine, but that is the headline of a story on The Guardian's website dated 6-8-10.

The following is an excerpt from that article (emphasis added mine):

Support for Turkey is at an all-time high in the Arab world. The last time Turkish flags were carried through the streets of Middle Eastern capitals was during the first world war, as people took to the streets in continued support for the Ottoman sultan-caliph against the western entente powers. The sultan-caliph had proclaimed a jihad. Thanks to Turkish government support of a blockade-running mission led by a group of Hamas sympathisers, they are flying once again. No ruling Arab leader is as popular as the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose discourse amounts to calls for a jihad against Israel.

Israel's relations with Ankara – military, economic, and tourist (Israelis once flocked to Turkey) – have been sacrificed on the altar of Turkey's retrograde aspiration to lead the Islamic world and establish itself along with Iran as an alternative to American power. Turkey is once again turning eastwards.

Turkey establishing itself alongside its Gog-Magog ally Iran, as an alternative to American power in the Middle East? It's almost surreal for me to read that even though it's precisely what I've anticipated was going to occur at some point.
How blessed are we, as Christians keeping watch for the return of Jesus Christ for His Church, to be witnessing what we are at this juncture in the prophetic timeline? Think about it!

A short time ago it was difficult to see how Turkey was going to go from being a firmly-entrenched pro-Western nation to a key power in the prophesied battle of Gog-Magog described in Ezekiel 38-39, but now - RIGHT NOW - the transition is occurring in rapid-fire fashion before our very eyes! We are witnessing in our flesh the prelude to what the prophet Ezekiel foretold was going to be a battle occurring in the "latter years" or last days! (Ezekiel 38:8) Wrap your mind around that and give thanks to the Lord that you were chosen to live in a moment such as this, bible prophecy literally exploding to life in the news of our world today!

The end times drama continues.

(HT: The RaptureAlert Blog)

Don't Play Games with Your Eternity

By Justin Edwards

It is an absolute fact that you will spend eternity somewhere. There are only 2 options: heaven or hell. Many professed Christians are banking their eternity on what they think they believe. Some might say they will go to heaven because they are a good person. Others might say it is because they are active in church (merely playing the role). Others might say because they pay their tithes, serve the poor, or do any other number of religious deeds they will see the "pearly white gates".

Some think calling themselves a Christian or saying they believe in Jesus seals the deal (contrary to James 2:19), yet never do they open their Bibles (if they own one), conversations about Jesus are taboo, they only pray to God when they need something, Christmas and Easter services are the only times they make it to church, they have no Christian fellowship, truth might be relative and Jesus isn't the only way, or the whole of their life is marked by habitual practice of sin, but they are still Christian because they "believe in their heart".

The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it - Jeremiah 17:9

They are idolaters, for the god they believe is the one they have made up to justify their lifestyle. Their invented god is not the holy, just, righteous, and sovereign Lord God of the Bible, and it is certainly a god that does not save. It is for this reason there will be professing Christians in hell.

Jesus says the Truth will set you free, but nominal Christians are in double bondage for not only are they lost, but they are deceived in thinking they are saved when they are not. It's such a tragedy, especially when they reject any discussion on the matter of genuine salvation. The Bible clearly teaches there is false conversion, and we find these examples in Matthew 13 with the Parables of the soils and of the wheat and tares.

Additionally, the book of 1 John shows the contrasts between genuine faith in Jesus Christ versus those who profess with their mouths they are saved but their life gives no evidence of their faith. They love the world and the things of the world. They say they have fellowship with God, but they walk in darkness and the truth is not in them. They say they love God, but hate their brother. The commandments of God are burdensome to them. They justify their sin or say they have no sin at all. They are not sensitive to their sin. They live according to their sinful nature and have their minds set on that nature's desires. They are not submitted to the law of God, nor can they be. They are slaves to sin. They practice lawlessness, and they remain unrighteous.

Dear friend, when Jesus saves you by the grace of God, you become a new creation, you are given a new nature, you are changed from within, and you will outwardly begin to produce fruit that manifests the characteristics of God. You are a slave of righteousness. You are a slave to Christ! You have died to yourself and have been made alive in Christ. Your life is marked by repentance. Out of love, you seek God, you pursue God, you obey God, you long for Christ, you draw close to Christ, you are sanctified, purified, washed, justified, regenerated, and you will be renewed, conformed, made holy, and transformed. You are born again of the Spirit of God! The sole reason one does not experience change in their life is because there is no repentance. Jesus says in Matthew 13:15,

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their and turn,
So that I should heal them.

There can be no healing without turning, and there can be no turning without hearing and seeing, and there can be no hearing or seeing without seeking. God says in Hebrews 11:6 that He rewards those who diligently seek after Him and that without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Do you find your life not adding up? Do you find a void in your heart that you don't know how to fill? The bad news is you can't fill it, but the good news is that God can! The only thing required of you is surrendering to Jesus Christ through faith in Him, His finished work on the cross, and His bodily resurrection from the dead. This means it is the end of the road for you and your sinful passions and desires. You must give up on yourself and turn to God for He is the only one who can save you. If there is anything you are not willing to give up for God, then you are not ready to receive Him as Lord and Savior of your life. Jesus asked the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-30  to sell all of his belongings and give them to the poor, and when he realized how high the cost, he turned and walked away in sorrow for he was not willing to forfeit everything he was and everything he had.

It will cost you everything. But isn't everything worth an eternity with Jesus Christ? Are you willing to reject eternity for the riches and cares of this life now? Your religiosity and churchianity, your job, your friends, your parties, your entertainment, your drug of choice, your sexual immorality, your drunken stupors, your fame, your fortune, your lying, and your cheating - are you still willing to let these rule your life instead of the Lord Jesus Christ?  Your sin and pride are killing you! This life is nothing but a vapor in the backdrop of eternity. There is no computer known to man that can count the years of infinity. It never ends. It is forever. Trillions times 10 trillions times 100 trillions of years - and yet that is even a vapor. 

C.H. Spurgeon spoke of hell:

You and I can never imagine all the depths of hell. Shut out from us by a black veil of darkness, we cannot tell the horrors of that dismal dungeon of lost souls. Happily, the wailings of the damned have never startled us, for a thousand tempests were but a maiden’s whisper, compared with one wail of a damned spirit. It is not possible for us to see the tortures of those souls who dwell eternally within an anguish that knows no alleviation. These eyes would become sightless balls of darkness, if they were permitted for an instant to look into that ghastly shrine of torment. Hell is horrible, for we may say of it, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the horrors which God hath prepared for them that hate him.

We are all running after something. Are you running in vain?

Turn to Jesus Christ in faith and surrender your life to Him today. Tomorrow may not come, and then it will be too late. Which words of Jesus would you rather hear?

Well done, good and faithful servant

or

I never knew you; depart from Me, you worker of iniquity!

 Repent, and believe the gospel.

I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. - Jesus in John 6:35-40

Who Are Your Friends?

By Justin Edwards


Today's Scripture from 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 prompted me to repost this from February. As we continue into this late hour, let us evaluate our relationships with the world and assess whether they be stumbling blocks in our relationship with our Lord and Savior. Who is in your inner circle? Believers or non-believers? Our closest friends must be born again believers. Scripture is clear on the matter - how do you fair? As Steve Lawson highlights, we must "run with the righteous."

Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or 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 effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Ephesians 5:3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

2 Corinthians 6:15-18 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord.
"AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;

And I will welcome you.
18"And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,"
Says the Lord Almighty.

Gog-Magog Alliance Continues to Take Shape as Russia, Iran, and Turkey Discuss Security

By Justin Edwards

I continue to stand in awe as we watch what seems to be prophecy unfolding before our very eyes. Joel Rosenberg reports on the forming alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran which are the major players in the alliance of Ezekiel 38-39.  For more on this development, check out Jimmy DeYoung's piece here: The Leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey Meet to Discuss Security Needs that Will Affect the Stability of Our World

RUSSIAN, IRANIAN, TURKISH LEADERS MEET: Pray for Helen Thomas

Joel Rosenberg

The plot thickens.

As Israel becomes increasingly isolated from the world, anti-Semitism rises, and Helen Thomas — dean of the White House press corps — retires after an anti-Semitic rant in which she said Jews should ”get the —- out of Palestine” and go back to Germany and Poland, there are intriguing new developments in the epicenter. The leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting today in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss how to form a closer alliance, fueling further interest in whether the events we are seeing unfold are consistent with the coming fulfillment of the Bible prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 and the “War of Gog and Magog.”

“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkey on Tuesday to attend the third summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and hold bilateral talks with top officials from Turkey and other countries,” reports the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti. “The CICA is an inter-governmental Asian security forum, which was established in 1992 and currently comprises 18 member states, including Russia, China, South Korea and Turkey….Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti Monday that in Istanbul, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also discuss bilateral cooperation. [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev visited Turkey’s capital Ankara on May 11-12. The Istanbul talks are seen as a continuation of the dialogue started at the level of the heads of state.”

Let’s keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and let’s pray, too, for Helen Thomas, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. Her recent remarks were anti-Semitic and reprehensible. If she hadn’t retired, she should have been fired. But let’s pray for her to come to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. She’s confused, but God loves her, as He does us all.