Can LGBTQ People Go To Heaven And Have Eternal Life? Is It Possible For Them To Be Saved?

 In this video Dr. Bob Wilkin of the Grace Evangelical Society, lays out what the Bible says about LGBTQ people and their place in God's plan.

Is Climate Change The Biggest Threat To The World? Yes, But The Solution May Surprise You!

I believe that climate change, more specifically global warming, is part of a series of judgments that will pose the greatest threat to mankind.

The Bible describes a coming series of catastrophic judgments known as the Great Tribulation in which nearly two thirds of the world population will be killed. 

The whole train of destruction begins when a meteor strikes the Earth and kills millions of people and animals. But another peculiar judgement is described in Revelation 16:9, "And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues; and they did not repent to give Him glory".

The origin or cause of this heat blast is not man and his heavy carbon footprint. It is not the flatulence of millions of livestock animals. No, the cause or source is the Almighty God who sits in Heaven and commands an angel to empty the fourth vial judgment of the Tribulation upon the Sun. 

Because I believe we are living very close to the time when God will finally have had His fill of man's sin and directs His wrath toward Earth, I am not at all in doubt that this judgment may already be in play. We are seeing unusual occurrences on the surface of the Sun that are directly affecting our planet. Unusual weather patterns, record heat and cold spells are obvious and hard to deny. 

I think that scientists and world rulers are trying their best to prevent this judgement from taking place. The two methods that man is deploying to stop this vial or bowl judgement are 1 . Reducing carbon emissions and attempting to remove carbon from our atmosphere. 2. Using solar shielding to reflect the Suns rays back into space.

The first method is extremely expensive and frankly, hard to do. The second method is much cheaper and offers quicker relief from the heat but is regarded by most in the scientific community as a temporary "band aid" to the problem. Source

The technique that the "elite" have been using for several years goes by different names, chem trails, stratospheric injections and geo-engineering. It amazes me how few people are even aware that something very bizarre and sinister is going on in our skies. I am absolutely dumbfounded by how few people ever take the time to gaze into the sky and see the evidence clearly displayed.

The article I sourced says that the point of these Sun barriers is to deflect heat back into space. They are dumping millions of tons of metals (aluminum, barium and sulfur) into our atmosphere. Most people don't know the difference between a contrail and a chem trail. A contrail is the condensation from passenger planes that quickly dissipates and then disappears. A chem trail is the result of stratospheric injection and does not disappear but spreads out and dims the entire sky.

In 2019 only 19% of Americans believed in the existence of chem trails, yet, our government has told us repeatedly that it is going on. 

I not only believe that scientists are trying to reflect Sun rays but I believe that many of them are aware of God's coming judgments and are trying to thwart the plans of God. This much I know for sure, they will fail. 

Notice the precise wording of Revelation 16:9, it says that God has power, or control, over this plague. It also says that even when the heat is at it's highest point they will not repent and give God glory. We are living in a post-Christian era and fewer and fewer people believe in God or His Holy Word so it's no wonder when the judgment arrives they don't repent.

In the midst of this judgment God still shows mercy. We are told in Matthew 24:22 , "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved...". The good news is that God does shorten the length of those day so that all of mankind does not perish. 

The real solution to global warming will be when men start calling out to God in repentance and faith and God responding by commanding the Sun's heat to abate. Ultimately, the real solution to climate change will come after these judgments when God creates a New Heaven and a New Earth.  Man's futile attempts to shield the Sun will never be enough.

The best advise I can give you now is to believe on Jesus Christ for eternal life so that you might escape the wrath to come and stand before God in His Heaven.

Other Articles You Might Like:

 What Is The Meaning Of “The Lord Is Not Slack Concerning His Promises”?

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?/Is Religion Dying In The West?

A Departure Is What Starts The Great Tribulation

Does The Antichrist Come Before The Rapture ?

The Tyre Nichols Incident Reminds Me Of The Days Of Noah!

Are Mega Churches Biblical? No They Are Not!

Are Mega Churches Biblical? No They Are Not!

 Before I give you my answer to the question of whether mega churches are Biblical or not, let us define what a mega church is. The Hartford Institute defines a mega church as any church that averages over 2000 in weekly attendance. By this definition, there are over 1500 in the U.S. with over 200 in the state of Texas alone.

The largest mega church is Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. They average just over 43,000 every Sunday.

I find it strange that in these last days we are seeing the multiplication of mega churches while the overall numbers and health of the church is in decline.

I would like to offer my reasons why mega churches are not Biblical.

First, they are not the model given to us in the Scriptures. In Romans 16:1-3, the Apostle Paul mentions two of his helpers who also had a church meeting in their house. "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus. Who for my life have laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house."

You can read the New Testament and find other references to churches in the homes of believers. They could have used other buildings and they could have built their own structures to conduct their ministries but they met in homes. 

House churches and small churches offer a chance for interpersonal growth and discipleship that the mega church has no clue on how to address. Small house churches were the incubator of spiritual gifts and the growth of the number of these churches was amazing. I know that the mega church response is the cell group or community groups but it's just not the same experience.

Second, mega churches foster an atmosphere of entertainment instead of spiritual intimacy. They have the resources to assemble musicians and author/speaker "pastors" that little churches can't even imagine. The growth of mega churches strangles the small church, they just can't compete with all the specialists accumulated in the mega church. I call it the Walmartization of the church. In the consumer world Wal-mart has literally run multitudes of mom and pop businesses out of existence and the same thing is occurring with the smaller churches. 

Third, mega churches have enormous attendance and membership drop outs. It's much easier to leave a mega church to check out the many offerings of the newer mega church in town. 

Finally, the mega churches are "brands" that produce rock star pastors. The pastors of these churches become celebrities. The small church is usually sustained by servants of God who answer the call to shepherd the small church and often times are poorly supported financially. There just seems to be something wrong with the astronomical salaries, speaking fees and book royalties that the mega church pastor commands.

I just don't see that mega churches are Biblical in any sense of the word.

Other Stories You Might Like:

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?/Is Religion Dying In The West?

A Departure Is What Starts The Great Tribulation

Does The Antichrist Come Before The Rapture ?

What Is The Meaning Of "The Lord Is Not Slack Concerning His Promises"?

 One of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption. One of the most memorable characters in that movie was the warden of Shawshank prison played by Bob Gunton. In the warden's office is a plaque that covers his wall safe. The plaque reads, "His judgement cometh and that right soon."

Let's be honest, most of us who are believers and have experienced the love and mercy of the Lord would like to see God unleash his fury on those that we deem as wicked. In fact, we would like to see His judgement come right now, right soon.

But since the Lord Jesus made the promise to His disciples that He would one day return to Earth to receive them to Himself (John 14:1-3) it has been a pretty long wait, over 2000 years.

So the question is often asked "why is it taking so long?". The fact that it has taken a long time, at least by our standard of time, has prompted many to scoff at the promises of Christ's return. The most famous passage in the Bible concerning this truth is found in Second Peter, chapter three and verse nine... 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This verse is Peters answer to the mockers and scoffers. But what does it actually mean?

If we go to some of our favorite Bible sites and look at the definitions of this King James word we discover that the word "slack" can mean slow, hesitant, loitering and delayed. Peter makes it clear, God has taken His time but it doesn't mean He is slow, or hesitant, or delaying, or loitering. In fact, as far as God is concerned, everything is right on time. Let me explain.

Acts 17:31 in the New Living Translation says, "For He has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.”

God is going to send His Son to this earth to execute judgement and rescue His people and it is a "set day" an "appointed day". God is not slow, He is intentional. This date is set in stone, it isn't a moving target. God is not slack, slow or hesitant. He is patient, waiting for the appointed day.

Another reason that God is not slow or hesitant is because we are not viewing time the way that God views time. In that third chapter of Second Peter and verse eight we are told that a 1000 years is like one day with God. If that is the case, and I believe that the Word of God is truth, then in God's economy of time it has only been two days since Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended into Heaven. Mock and scoff all you want, it's only been two days!

Peter urges his readers to "be not ignorant" of this amazing fact. God is not slow, He is not loitering. It's only been two days, cool your jets! Judgement is coming and it's coming right soon.

Finally, God is not slack because He is merciful. Peter says that God has allowed this time between His promises and His judgement because He is merciful and He desires all men to be saved. 

Men should watch their words. Men should refrain from mocking God because God is counting time differently then us, He has appointed a set day when He will return and He is a loving and merciful God who is waiting patiently for mankind to receive His Son.

I love Henry Wadsworth Longfellows song, Christmas Bells. The last stanza makes my heart sing when Longfellow wrote...Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; God is not dead nor doth He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail: with peace on earth good will to men!

What does it mean that God is not slack? He doesn't slumber, He doesn't sleep, He is not indifferent, He doesn't lie about His promises, He isn't hesitant and He is not loitering in Heaven. He is an exacting and perfect Being who will keep everyone of His promises to the last detail. 

His judgement cometh, and that right soon!

Related Story:

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns? / Is Religion In Decline In The West?

The Tyre Nichols Incident Reminds Me Of The Days Of Noah!

 The Killing of Tyre Nichols by police in the Memphis Police Department has reminded me of something that the Bible says about the culture of earth dwellers just prior to the great flood and Noah's escape in the Ark.

Genesis 6:11 says "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence."

I won't bother to include the video of Tyre Nichol's beating. It has been seen enough times by enough people. It is repulsive and upsetting to watch. I am still mystified that police would be so foolish as to beat a man to death in public with body cams running!

I don't understand, especially after George Floyd's death, why police in the country have not been trained in the better use of non- lethal methods to subdue suspects. With all of our evadvances in technology, especially with the doubling of knowledge every nine hours, why we can't come up with safe and effective ways to arrest suspects.

I have come to a conclusion on all these matters. I still don't think the main issue is racism even though racism is a reality. I think the prevailing evil is violence. Senseless, savage, unrestrained violence. I believe we are reaping what we have sewn in our entertainent, video games, movies and literature. 

God sent a flood for two basic reasons in Noah's day. First, according to the sixth chapter of Genesis, the nephilim had genetically manipulated animals, people, plants and the whole planet so that only one family (Noah's) was left untainted. Second, God sent a flood because the earth was "filled with violence".

Who can deny that our earth is filled with violence? Something must change and change fast before we completely spin out of control and destroy ourselves!

Other Stories of Interest:

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?/Is Religion Dying In The West?

A Departure Is What Starts The Great Tribulation

Does The Antichrist Come Before The Rapture ?

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?/Is Religion Dying In The West?

I came to faith in Jesus at an early age, 11 to be precise. Having grown up in protestant churches I was taught very early on that just before Christ returns the world would be in the  midst of a fervent revival and Christ will find a vibrant church waiting to usher in His kingdom. But is that what the Bible really says? Will Jesus really find faith when He returns?

As I approach my 67th birthday I have been able to observe the church for the last 56 years. My conclusion is that the church is in decline and a recent article that I read on TheTrumpet.com gives some evidence that supports a rapid decline that was beginning even before the COVID pandemic.

According to this article, in 2019 there were 4500 churches that closed in the U.S. with about 3000 new church starts. This marked the beginning of a trend that has seen a decline in the total number of churches in America. 

The number of Americans who describe themselves as Christian has declined over the last decade by 12%. According to the Pew Research Center, one out of three practicing Christians completely dropped out of church during COVID. That is a shocking statistic but I can attest from personal experience in my own church that it is most definitely true.

Thousands of churches, many of them small, could not survive the lock downs and restrictions of the pandemic and closed their doors forever. Sadly, for the first time since 1950 church membership in this country dipped below 50%.

One of the reasons that church membership and attendance is declining in our nation is because the church has lost its appeal to young Americans. We now know that only 30% of young adults who attended church regularly through their high school years are continuing to regularly attend church. 

The time between 2019 and 2021 has been traumatic for the church at large. Those people who said they attended worship once or twice a month declined in every demo graphical category regardless of age, race or marital status. The church in the west has suffered immensely from the pandemic.

Modern church statistics are not the only reason why I believe religion is dying in the West. The word of God gives us some hints about what it will be like just before Jesus comes back. In Luke 18:1-8 we find the Parable of the Unjust Judge also referred to as the Parable of the Persistent Woman

And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man; and there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying; Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Now look at verse eight in a couple of other translations.

New Century Version...I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?

 The Amplified Bible...I tell you that he will defend and avenge them quickly However, when the

Son of Man comes, will He find (that kind of persistent) faith on the earth?

The first example from the New Century Translation leads us to believe that when Christ returns He will have trouble finding believers. The second example from the Amplified Bible says that when Christ returns He will have trouble finding persistent praying Christians.

Perhaps both of these translations offer a glimpse into the not too distant future. Christ will return and find a declining church both in it's membership and in it's faithfulness. Both realities are difficult to process mentally. A true sign of the times is a declining worldwide body of believers especially in the west.

We could point a finger of blame at a lot of possible reasons why the church limps to the finish line. By and large the church doesn't preach against social sins, we are too interested in social justice! The church has not taken a stand against immorality, shedding of innocent blood and has failed to preach Bible prophecy and the soon return of Christ.

One thing remains in our own control though. We can control whether we individually have faith, even persistent and relentless faith so that when Jesus returns He finds faith in us.

Let us continue to pray for the repentance and revival of the church in these last days.

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Does Antichrist Come Before The Rapture?

A Departure Is What Starts The Great Tribulation!

The key to what starts the Great Tribulation is found in a passage of Scripture that I have addressed in a previous article. That passage is Second Thessalonians, chapter two, verses one through three.

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The King James translates the Greek word apostasia as "a falling away". There are just a handful of other translations that do the same. Most Bible versions translate apostasia as "apostasy" or "rebellion".

If you would go to the wonderful website, blueletterbible.org, and look up this passage of Scripture then you would see some great Bible tools. One of those tools is called An Outline of Bible Usage. In this category the word apostasia can mean a falling away, defection or apostasy. The word apostasia does not always mean religious apostasy.

If you were to Google the word defection you would find these synonyms ...absence or desertion. It is interesting that the earliest English Bible translations such as Coverdale, Tyndale and Geneva Bible all translated apostasia as "departure". I am not alone in asserting that the Apostle Paul said that before the man of sin or Antichrist can come on the world scene there must "first" come a departure!

I believe that this departure is the rapture of the church. If the great sign preceding the coming of Antichrist was going to be religious apostasy then I would submit that this represents a pretty weak sign because of the multitude of heresies in the first century to this present hour. Take your pick!

During its early centuries, the Christian church dealt with many heresies. They included, among others, docetism, Montanism, adoptionism, Sabellianism, Arianism, Pelagianism, and gnosticism.

Today we are absolutely deluged by heresy in the church. Here are just a few, the redefinition of marriage, the approval of mass murder of the unborn, the rejection of the inerrant  Scripture, the rejection of the creation account as found in the Bible, the rejection of the Bible as literal truth, the denial of Jesus being the only way to Heaven, the rejection of the eternality and deity of Jesus, the denial of a bodily resurrection of Christ, the belief that humans are basically good, the denial of a literal Devil and literal evil and I could go on and on and on.

So I would challenge this interpretation of apostasia in Second Thessalonians, chapter two and verse three. Religious apostasy is so prevalent that trying to find one key indicator that the tribulation has started would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Bible teacher, Brian Brodersen, agrees with the "departure" meaning of apostasia...

The word “apostasy” is only used two times in the New Testament. Second Thessalonians 2:3 is one of them, and the other is in Acts 21:21, where there is a reference to the Jews forsaking the teachings of Moses. The word apostasia is translated “forsaking” there. And interestingly, in 1 Timothy 4:1, where the very words appear, “In the latter times, some will depart from the faith, the word apostasia is not used. Also, in Hebrews 6:6, where it says, “If they fall away,” a different word is used. My point is this, the word apostasia does not necessarily mean a falling away from the faith. That is why Miles Coverdale, John Tyndale, and the translators of the Geneva Bible simply translated it as “departure”. Source

The Apostle Paul made it abundantly clear, before the tribulation starts, before the Antichrist is revealed, there is going to be a mass departure of millions of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The same man, Paul, referred to this event as the "blessed hope" and our "gathering together unto Him". 

Curtis Mayfield wrote the soulful hit, People Get Ready. The lyrics of that song are appropriate to our topic.

People get ready

There's a train a comin'

You don't need no baggage

You just get on board

All you need is faith

To hear the diesels hummin'

You don't need no ticket

You just thank the Lord

There is a departure coming for those who have trusted Jesus as Savior.

The great escape is imminent, it could happen at any time. Have you believed

on Jesus for eternal life?

All aboard!

Related Stories:

Does Antichrist Come Before The Rapture?

Does The Antichrist Come Before The Rapture?

 It might surprise readers of this blog that the question that forms this post title (does the Antichrist come before the rapture?) is an exact search term on Google. People are interested in these two topics and they are searching for answers. Fortunately, the answer is easily found in the pages of Scripture.

According to a recent Pew Research article nearly 39% of Americans believe we are living in the end times. Evidently, there are a significant number of Americans who believe in the reality of the "rapture" and the "Antichrist" as well.

It is a question that believers were asking in the first century and it is a question that the Apostle Paul answered in the second chapter of the book of Second Thessalonians. The following is from the first eight verses in the King James Bible...

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The first thing that I would point out is that Paul described the second coming of Christ as having  two distinct phases. He mentions our gathering together unto Him and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

It is my firm opinion, and I'm not alone, that the gathering together unto Him is a reference to the rapture. The rapture is the event called "harpazo" in the Greek which means a sudden and violent snatching away. This is a wonderful description of the moment when Christians will hear the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and will be snatched from this earth into the clouds to be with the Lord Himself!

The coming of the Lord is a reference to the event which will occur seven years after the rapture which is the second coming of Christ. Believers will accompany Christ at his second coming. At the rapture we go up to meet Christ and at the second coming we come back down with Christ to vanquish the Evil One at Armageddon.

The seven years in between the rapture and the second coming is referred to as the tribulation or time of Jacob's trouble. The Thessalonians had been taught by false teachers that they had missed the rapture and were in the middle this terrible time. Paul was trying to make them aware that they had not missed the rapture and they were not in the tribulation.

In verse three Paul urged them to not be deceived. They were not in the tribulation because that Wicked (Antichrist) had not been revealed yet. The tribulation will be the center stage for the Antichrist. One can't happen without the other!

The Antichrist's behavior is described in verse four. He will oppose God, he will exalt himself above God and he will claim to be God. This is the goal of Satan himself. 

In verse five Paul reminds them that he had instructed them in a previous letter concerning the Antichrist. In verses six and seven Paul answers our question, "which comes first, the rapture or the Antichrist?". Paul said that there is something 'with-holding" the Antichrist from being revealed. In verse seven he says there is someone "he" who "letteth" or restrains the coming of Antichrist. The Antichrist cannot appear until this restrainer is "taken out of the way".

Scholars in the premillennial camp, to which I belong, believe this restrainer is the Holy Spirit who is restraining or holding back the evil one until His restraining influence is removed when the church is gathered unto the Lord at the rapture.

The answer to the question does the Antichrist come before the rapture is NO. The rapture comes before the Antichrist.

The rapture will come before all hell breaks loose on planet Earth. This should bring great comfort to those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. But this great eschatological truth should strike fear into all those who have never believed on Jesus. 

In the sixth chapter of John, verse 47, we read the promise of Jesus, "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." It is my sincere hope that you will believe on Him as Savior today.