Frances & Friends http://www.francesandfriends.com Tue, 21 May 2013 20:55:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 The Future Of Planet Earth – Part II http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-ii/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-ii/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 13:17:08 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1907 Continue Reading]]>
THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

“Now learn a Parable of the fig tree (the Bible presents three trees, the fig, the olive, and the vine, as representing the Nation of Israel, nationally, spiritually, and dispensationally); When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves (is meant to serve as the illustration of Israel nationally), you know that summer is near (refers to Israel as the greatest Prophetic Sign of all, telling us that we are now living in the last of the Last Days);
“So likewise you (points to the modern church), when you shall see all these things (which we are now seeing as it regards Israel), know that it is near, even at the doors (the fulfillment of Endtime Prophecies).
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass (the generation of Jews which will be alive at the beginning of the Great Tribulation; as well, it was a prediction by Christ that irrespective of the problems that Israel would face, even from His Day, they would survive), till all these things be fulfilled (there is no doubt, they will be fulfilled).
“Heaven and Earth shall pass away (doesn’t refer to annihilation, but rather a change from one condition or state to another), but My Words shall not pass away (what the Word of God says, will be!).
“But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the Angels of Heaven, but My Father only” (Mat. 24:32-36).

Verse 36 plainly tells us that no man should try to put a date on the Rapture of the Church or even the events here as it regards the Second Coming. When the Great Tribulation begins, which will commence when the Antichrist signs the seven-year agreement with Israel and the Muslim world, then it will be possible to tell what is going to happen simply because it is amply illustrated in the Book of Revelation. In other words, we know that the Battle of Armageddon will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation and that Jesus Christ will come back during that Battle. But as to exactly when all of this takes place, we do not now know; however, we do have a clue. As we have said in the above notes, Israel is likened by Christ to the “fig tree.” He then said, “When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves . . .” (Mat. 24:32). All of this pertains to Israel once again becoming a Nation in 1948 and of her troubles and difficulties, which have followed that time, even unto the present. As previously stated, Israel is God’s Prophetic Time Clock. In other words, if we want to know how late it is, we need only look at Israel. This tells us that it is very late. The Dispensation of the Church is about at an end. This will be followed by the Great Tribulation, which Tribulation will pertain to the whole world, but, more than all, to Israel.

NATIONS OF THE WORLD AND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

Daniel, the great Prophet/Statesman, gave us insight into the spirit world, as it regards nations and empires, as no other. Paul mentioned it but didn’t go into any detail at all. To set the stage, we’ll address Paul first.

PAUL THE APOSTLE

He said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
There are four designations listed in this Scripture. They are:
1. “Principalities:” the Greek word for “principalities” is “Archas,” and means, “powerful fallen angels who threw in their lot with Lucifer at the revolution ages past.”
2. “Powers:” the Greek word for “powers” is “exousias,” which means “authorities, those who derive their power from and execute the will of the chief rulers.” In other words, they answer to the “Principalities,” who answer to Satan.

These “Principalities” concern themselves with particular areas of the Earth, over which they have control. The “Powers” are the fallen Angels who carry out that control. In other words, they are the “authorities in the spirit realm,” who bring about the desired results of Satan, with the responsibility entrusted to the “Principalities.”
3. “Rulers of the darkness of this world:” these are those who carry out the instructions of the “Powers.” The Greek word for “rulers” is “kosmokrapopas,” which speaks of “spirit world-rulers” (Dan. 10:13-21; Eph. 1:21; 6:12; Col. 1:16-18). These are “Rulers” under the “Powers,” who, as stated, are under the “Principalities,” who are under “Satan.”
4. “Spiritual wickedness in high places:” this refers to demon spirits. The Greek words are, “pneumatika ponerias,” which means, “that of the wicked spirits of Satan,” i.e., “demon spirits.”
The words “high places” do not refer to Heaven or heavenly places, but rather the lower heavens, the lower atmosphere surrounding this Earth. That’s what the Holy Spirit through Paul is speaking about when he referred to Satan as “. . . the prince of the power of the air . . .” (Eph. 2:2).
As we have stated, the other three designations are fallen Angels, while the last designation refers exclusively to demon spirits. We know that the fallen Angels were originally holy and righteous before God and remained that way until their fall. However, we have no clue in the Word of God, at least of substantial note, which tells us of the origin of demons. This we do know, God did not originally create them in this fashion.

PRE-ADAMITE CREATION

Some scholars believe they were inhabitants of this Earth before the fall of Lucifer (not the Fall of Adam and Eve), and that they threw in their lot with Lucifer at the time of his rebellion against God. While I make no claims at being a Bible scholar, I, as well, do subscribe to this interpretation. As a result, this creation, whatever it was, became disembodied, thereby, seeking a body to inhabit, before they will be eternally consigned to the Lake of Fire.
Satan rules his kingdom of darkness on this Earth (and it is confined to this Earth), through these four designations. Human beings have no contact with fallen Angels, except possibly with Satan himself; however, the entirety of the human race has contact with demon spirits constantly. In fact, all unbelievers are controlled more or less by demon spirits, with some actually being possessed.

FALLEN ANGELS AND DEMON SPIRITS

All Christians face these spirits of darkness (demons) constantly, even as Paul is explaining here. While he mentions all four designations, the first three (fallen Angels) are involved in the carrying out of the plans of Satan, with, it seems, demon spirits alone making direct contact with human beings.
In fact, there is no mention of fallen Angels, except Satan, in the Ministry of Christ or in the Acts of the Apostles respecting the Early Church. It was all with demon spirits, even as it is presently.
It seems that the fallen Angels under Satan formulate the stratagems and plans respecting the kingdom of darkness in its opposition against Believers. However, it seems that they do not involve th emselves directly with humans, that being the task of demon spirits (Dan. 10:13, 20).

DANIEL’S VISION

Insight into the spirit world, which Daniel here portrays to us, is amazing indeed! In a sense, this is what the Apostle Paul was speaking of, although he did not go into any detail. Paul’s Ministry was not so much Prophecy as it was the meaning of the New Covenant, which is the meaning of the Cross. As it regards Daniel, he was given a greater insight into Endtime events, which will affect the entirety of the world, but more so Israel, than any other Prophet.
The narrative that I will give is taken directly from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE. We will pick it up in the middle of a Vision given to Daniel by the Lord. Even though the Scripture at this point does not particularly state such, it is almost certain that this was the Angel Gabriel speaking to Daniel. The Scripture says:


“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words. (‘For from the first day,’ speaks of his petition to God and his effort to understand God’s Purpose concerning His People. Then God commissioned Gabriel to come to him.)
“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the Chief Princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. (‘The prince of the kingdom of Persia,’ refers to an evil Angel appointed by Satan to control the Persian government, which, of course, was done without the knowledge of its earthly king. This Passage appears to reveal that Satan places an agent in charge of every nation [fallen Angel]; and, if so, this may explain national hatreds and national movements.
“Similarly, God has His Angelic Agents operating in opposition to Satan’s. The conflict of Eph., Chpt. 6, to which we have briefly alluded, and the Battle of Rev., Chpt. 12, harmonize with this supposition.)”

SUBJECT OF THE VISION

“Now I am come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the latter days: for yet the Vision is for many days. (‘What shall befall your people,’ refers solely to the Jews [9:24; 12:1]. Therefore, the Gentile nations are included, but only as they affect Israel, and only as Israel is ensconced in her land and offering sacrifices in the Temple; in fact, this Temple will soon be built.)
“And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. (Quite possibly, the many times mentioned concerning the Vision being fulfilled in the ‘latter days’ is because Daniel may have thought that these things would happen shortly, with Israel ultimately being restored to her place and position of power and supremacy; however, that was not the case.)
“And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke, and said unto Him Who stood before me, O my Lord, by the Vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. (Quite possibly, this was Christ, because Daniel addressed Him as ‘O my Lord!’)
“For how can the servant of this my Lord talk with this my Lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. (The implication is that it is not the Vision alone causing the physical weakness, but rather the very Presence of Christ.)
“Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
“And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto you, be strong, yes, be strong. And when He had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my Lord speak; for You have strengthened me. (It seems that this is the Lord in a pre-incarnate appearance, actually speaking to Daniel.)

THE PRINCE OF GRECIA

“Then said He, Know you wherefore I come unto you? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. (It seems that now Gabriel once again picks up the conversation. ‘And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia,’ did not mean that he would leave immediately, but, when the Vision was completed, he would resume the conflict with this satanic prince.
“‘And when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come,’ refers to Gabriel ultimately being successful in this conflict, allowing the satanic prince to bring in the Grecian Empire. This would take place less than 200 years in the future. “The ‘prince of Grecia’ is not an earthly prince, but, instead, a fallen Angel working under the direct instructions of Satan, who would control the Grecian Empire when it did come into being. It was this evil prince which helped Alexander the Great conquer the known world of that day, although without his knowledge. This ‘prince’ is now confined to the underworld, but will be released in the last days in order to help the Antichrist [Rev. 7:8-14].
“It is the same presently, with fallen Angels controlling entire nations [Eph. 6:12].)

MICHAEL AND GABRIEL

“But I will show you that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth: and there is none who holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince. (‘The Scripture of Truth’ refers to the dream originally given to Nebuchadnezzar [Dan. 2:39], which showed these empires, as well as the two Visions already given to Daniel, as noted in Dan. 7:5-6 and Dan. 8:3-8. ‘And there is none who holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince,’ denotes the truth that as these fallen Angels reigned supreme over certain empires, Michael served in the same position over Israel and, in fact, still does!)” (Dan. 10:12-21).

The following is extremely important simply because it deals with the fallen Angel who helped Alexander the Great, and who will help the Antichrist when he takes power, which will be in the near future.

FROM THE PERSIAN EMPIRE TO ALEXANDER’S DEATH

“Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. (‘I stood to confirm and to strengthen him,’ refers to Michael the Archangel helping Gabriel as it regards the conflict in question. We see from all this that force has to be used to remove certain satanic rulers [fallen Angels] regarding particular nations, so that another fallen Angel can take their place, even as it was with the Grecian Empire taking over the Medo-Persian Empire. All of this happens in the spirit world and is unseen with the natural eye; however, the effects can definitely be felt.
“All of this tells us that there is always conflict in Satan’s kingdom, which is here made obvious.)”

THE MIGHTY KING


“And now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. (These three Persian kings were Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius I. The fourth was Xerxes, who fulfilled this Verse according to riches. Actually, there were six Persian kings after the four mentioned in this Verse; however, the conflict against Greece began with Xerxes, who Gabriel said would ‘stir up all against the realm of Grecia.’)
“And a mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. (This pertains to Alexander the Great, who gained the throne when he was only 19 years old.)
“And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. (‘And when he shall stand up,’ means when he was at the height of his power, and refers to Alexander the Great. ‘His kingdom shall be broken,’ has to do with his sudden death at 32 years old, and to the breaking up of the Grecian Empire into four divisions, which were taken over by four of his generals. ‘And not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled,’ speaks of his son, who should have gotten the throne, but did not. It must be remembered that these Prophecies were given by Daniel nearly 200 years before they actually came to pass)” (Dan. 11:1-4).

THAT WHICH WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE CONCERNING PLANET EARTH

In fact, despite what many say or think, and despite some bad days, very bad days, which are coming shortly ahead, still, the future of this Planet is glorious. The great Prophet Habakkuk said:
“For the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (This Passage is very similar to what Isaiah said in 11:9 of his Book. As the Lord answers Habakkuk, His Statements, although alluding to coming Babylon, rather uses Babylon to symbolize the world as a whole without God. However, the Holy Spirit proclaims: ‘For the Earth shall be filled,’ not with injustice, murder, greed, avarice, hate, or oppression, but instead ‘with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD.’ This will take place in the coming Millennium, beginning immediately after the Second Coming of Christ)” (Hab. 2:14).

Of course, at this time, the Lord Jesus Christ will be reigning Personally from Jerusalem and will, in fact, be the President, so to speak, of the entirety of the Earth. Actually, He is referred to as, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16). True, were it not for the Second Coming, man would eventually succeed in destroying himself and, actually, the entirety of the Planet. But, the Lord most definitely will intervene and will do so with Power and Glory such as the world has never previously known. He came the first time as a lowly Shepherd, so to speak, and was beaten, lampooned, caricatured, and ultimately crucified. When He comes back the second time, which will be without sin unto Salvation, meaning that the sin debt was paid at Calvary and that He is now coming to save the world, it will be with a Power and Glory such as the world has never known before. In other words, He will show the Antichrist and all the world, for that matter, just Who He really is and what He can really do. That’s when Israel will accept Him as Saviour, as Lord, and as Messiah. Then they will realize that this One Who has come to their rescue is, in fact, the same One they crucified those long years before.

THE KINGDOM AGE

The Kingdom Age, sometimes called the Millennial Reign, will be 1,000 years in duration (Rev. 20:4). It will be a time of prosperity, peace, freedom, and happiness for the entirety of the world. It will not be a time when a few have everything, and most have nothing. It will be a time of plenty, and more than plenty, for everyone. At that time, there will be no favored nations, and other nations, which are in abject poverty. All will be in abundance. In fact, Isaiah said that:

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (Chapter 34 of Isaiah, which was the first part of this Prophecy, proclaims the cause of all sorrow, pain, heartache, and destruction, which is sin and man’s rebellion against God, which will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ; Chapter 35 of Isaiah, which contains the concluding part of the Prophecy, portrays what God can do in a heart and life that is yielded to Him. As the spiritual renewal takes place in hearts and lives, the material, economic, domestic, and physical renewal will take place over the entirety of the Earth as well.)”

THE GLORY OF THE LORD

“It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the Glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. (‘The Glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God’ is the cause of the ‘abundant blossoming’ and the ‘rejoicing even with joy and singing.’)
“Strengthen you the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (With these exceeding great and precious Promises, the servants of Truth are commanded to strengthen trembling and apprehensive Believers. With the ‘Glory of the LORD’ now paramount, even the ‘weak’ gain ‘strength,’ and ‘feeble knees’ are no longer so).
“Say to them who are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. (This Passage expresses again the Doctrine of the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. As well, this Verse points to the period predicted in II Pet. 3:10 and Rev. 19:11-21. However, we greatly shortchange the Scriptures if we limit this Passage only to the Second Coming of Christ. Its words are pointed at every Child of God in every period.
“The sentence, ‘He will come and save you,’ actually says, ‘He will come Himself to save you.’ There is One Alone Who can save, and He must do it Himself; to do it, He must ‘come’ to us.)”

HEALING

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (Verses 5 and 6 had a fulfillment in the Messiah’s First Advent, but their moral and plenary fulfillment belong to His Second and future Advent. Christ did not work miracles in His First Advent as mere wonders, but because it was predicted here that when He came, He would work miracles of this nature; hence, His performing these particular miracles proved Him to be the predicted Messiah. But His rejection postponed to the future the wonders and blessings of this entire Chapter.)
“Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. (The entire complexion of that future Glad Day [the Millennium] will be changed. Sickness and disease will be at an end. ‘Then’ the ‘lame man’ will not only be able to walk, but will have such freedom of movement that he will be able to ‘leap as an hart.’ ‘Then’ the ‘bound tongue’ will not only be able to speak, but ‘sing,’ as well!
“However, in the spiritual sense, this has even a greater meaning! Due to the Fall, men have been ‘spiritually lame’ as well as ‘spiritually dumb.’ ‘Then’ all such will ‘dance in the Spirit’ and ‘sing His Praises’!
“Due to the Fall, the world is a ‘wilderness.’ But at that time, the ‘waters’ and ‘streams,’ signifying the Holy Spirit, will make the ‘desert blossom as the rose’)” (Isa. 35:1-6).

NO MORE WAR

Some years ago, I read an article stating that the world was spending three million dollars a minute on weapons of war. That’s 180 million dollars an hour, translating into over four billion dollars a day, translating into approximately one and a half trillion dollars a year. Think as to what that could do if it were put to rightful use, which it will be in the coming Kingdom Age.
Concerning Christ and that coming time, Isaiah wrote, “And He (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4).
That means that West Point will go out of business; Sandhurst in England will go out of business; and, St. Cyr in France will shut its doors. These are some of the greatest war colleges in the world, and they will be no more.

CONDITIONS DURING THE MILLENNIUM

Read the following very carefully and feel assured that it’s going to come to pass exactly as predicted. The great Prophet said:

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (The character and nature of the Planet, including its occupants and even the animal creation, will revert to their posture as before the Fall.)
“And the cow and the bear shall feed (feed together); their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (This Passage plainly tells us that the carnivorous nature of the animal kingdom will be totally and eternally changed.)
“And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. (Even though some of the curse will remain on the serpent in the Millennium, in that he continues to writhe in the dust, still, the deadly part will be removed [Gen. 3:14])” (Isa. 11:6-8).

EZEKIEL

The great Prophet Ezekiel tells us in his Book of the building of the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem. He tells us that out from under the threshold, which will be out from under the door leading into the Temple, there will flow a river, with part of it going to the Dead Sea, which will no longer be dead, and part toward the Mediterranean.
On both sides of this river, which will run approximately 60 miles, the Prophet said:

“And by the River upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side (both sides), shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the Sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Ezekiel is shown the purpose of these miracle trees which grow on either side of these Rivers. These ‘trees’ shall perpetually bring forth new fruit because they are nourished by waters issuing from the Sanctuary. The fruit will heal as well as nourish. Such is the character of a Life and Ministry based upon Calvary and energized by the Holy Spirit.
“In fact, the population of the world [which will include all, with the exception of the Glorified Saints] will continue to live perpetually by the means of the ‘fruit’ and the ‘leaf’ of these trees. In other words, the aging process at a certain point will be halted. Of course, as it should be understood, Glorified Saints will not need such)” (Ezek. 47:12).

The evidence is that these trees will bear fruit 12 months out of the year, with that fruit and their leaves transported all over the world, which will guarantee an abundance for all. The “fruit” and the “leaves” will not so much heal sickness as it will prevent sickness. This means that there really won’t be any sickness in the coming Kingdom Age, neither any poverty, neither any war, etc. That’s when the “knowledge of the Word of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the waters cover the sea.”
Of course, after the Kingdom Age will come the eternal age, which will be without end. At that time, God will transfer His Headquarters from Planet Heaven, so to speak, down to Planet Earth, where He will abide with men forever and forever. Chapters 21 and 22 of the great Book of Revelation give us the information concerning this coming eternal time.
That is the future of Planet Earth, and, to be sure, we have only scratched the surface. Let me say it again, admittedly, the world would be completely destroyed were it not for the Second Coming of our Lord, but, to be sure and to be certain, He is coming back.

(This message was derived from the book, “ARMAGEDDON”)]]> http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-ii/feed/ 0 “IS IT TRUE? ONE CANNOT BE BIBLICAL AND RELEVANT AT THE SAME TIME” http://www.francesandfriends.com/true-biblical-relevant-time-2/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/true-biblical-relevant-time-2/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 13:16:41 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1919 Continue Reading]]>
In a recent issue of his “Ministry Toolbox,” Rick Warren made a shocking indictment against the Word of Almighty God! Warren states: “It’s easy to be biblical if you don’t care about being relevant. It’s easy to be relevant if you don’t care about being biblical.” No, your eyes weren’t playing tricks; you did just read what you thought you read. Rick Warren just arrogantly called the Everlasting Word of the Living God “irrelevant” to our time! Yet, in his usual sly and devilish fashion, Warren always has a clever explanation for his blasphemous statements. This time he “explains” that it is the job of the preacher to “build a bridge between the ancient text and the contemporary audience,” in order to be both biblical and relevant. But, wait a minute! If you are Biblical, you are automatically relevant! If you are a Biblical church, you are automatically a relevant church! “For I am the Lord, I change not; (Mal. 3:6-7).

FAILING TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THE WORLD

You see, what actually occurs during Warren’s indoctrinating lesson is that the message he truly intends to communicate is simply placed in a subliminal position while his fluff and puff occupies the active thoughts of the poor sheep. Do not be distracted! The entire goal is to keep your conscious mind busy, so that you fail to notice the overall message that’s being spoken to your spirit. And, like the serpent’s bogus claim in the garden, it is a message which brings doubt to God’s Word. “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace” (Jer. 50:6). If there is anything we do know about the present-day generation, it is that we are used to learning subconsciously. Television and movies, for example, entertain our thoughts with intriguing characters and/or dramatic events while teaching our subconscious the politically-correct ethics of the day. Since this tactic worked so well in the secular world, Rick Warren must have assumed it would give him the outcomes he desired in his “purpose-driven” church. He was right! The people have become so engrossed in solving the problems of the world they do not notice they are failing to share the Gospel with the world!

THE WORD OF GOD IS ALWAYS RELEVANT

You see, Warren’s fluff often begins with a dilemma that he plans to teach you how to solve. But, pay close attention. The dilemma is usually false. It is not usually a conflict that exists in true ministry in the first place. In this particular article, Warren said: “The best metaphor for preaching is bridge-building . . . On one side of the bridge is then [the ancient text]. On the other side is now [the contemporary audience].” Warren assumes that people today will automatically struggle trying to understand Scripture because it was written in an ancient culture. First of all, God does not view time in the same way we do. He is the Alpha and Omega and, therefore, knows the end from the beginning at all times. He actually views things outside of time. So, God is not the least bit worried that His Word is claimed by some to be outdated. He already knew it would not be! Time does not change the relevance of the Scripture! Furthermore, the nature of the Gospel is spiritual, not social. There can be no cross-cultural misunderstands when Biblical understandings are spiritual. The spirit world does not change with culture. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever . . . But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you” (I Pet. 1:23, 25).

PREACHING THE CROSS

In contrast to Warren’s inconsequential separation between the past and the present, the Bible talks about a separation that matters, the kind that is humanity’s real problem. This separation is not between ancient and modern environments, but between God and sinful man. On one side is man. On the other side is God. The true preacher of the Gospel has the task of pointing out The Bridge (Christ and Him Crucified), not building a bridge! Nowhere does Scripture tell preachers they are responsible for connecting people with God’s Truth. The preacher is simply the messenger. Getting the Truth inside a person’s heart is the Holy Spirit’s job! Spiritual revelation has to be accomplished spiritually. Thus, Rick Warren’s “solution” to the fabricated crisis also negates the work of the Holy Spirit! Ladies and gentleman, this is not preaching the Cross! Preaching the Cross allows the Holy Spirit to work. Rick Warren also muddies the water with these statements: “The message never changes . . . But the methods have to change with every generation. Otherwise you’re not being faithful to the intent of the Bible.” But, if this were true, why didn’t God give us those methods for future generations? Why are we supposed to blindly follow the ideas of Rick Warren, a mere man? Warren then proceeds to give us 4 Steps he thinks will help preachers make Truth relevant to today’s generation, but these 4 Steps are not found in Scripture either! Why? The reason, again, is because this job belongs to the Holy Spirit. It is not visible to the physical eye. Now, who is the one “not being faithful to the intent of the Bible”? The psalmist said, “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the Word which he commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8).

THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books written over a period of about sixteen hundred years by forty different authors. Among its authors was a wide variety of social class and background, including a fisherman, a shepherd, kings, prophets, and priests, but most importantly, it was the same Holy Spirit which inspired each writer. In essence, the Lord had men record His Word over time, but The Word existed with God, as part of God, before time began. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). Quoting from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE: “Knowing this first (harks back, as stated, to the Old Testament, which, in effect, was the Bible of Peter’s day), that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. (This refers to the fact that the Word of God did not originate in the human mind.) For the Prophecy (the word ‘Prophecy’ is used here in a general sense, covering the entirety of the Word of God, which means it’s not limited merely to predictions regarding the future) came not in old time by the will of man (did not originate with man): but Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (This proclaims the manner in which the Word of God was written and, thereby, given unto us.)” (II Pet. 1:20-21).

THE DIVINELY APPOINTED SAVIOR

The Bible, despite having sixty-six books, is really one outstanding story, one predominant theme – The Redemption of Mankind through a Divinely Appointed Savior! Because all the human authors were under the direction of one Author, the Holy Spirit, there is perfect unity throughout all Books of the Scripture even though there is a mingling of history, biography, and doctrine. The Bible’s Story, which produces this perfect unity, has for its foundation a Theme that has never failed! Its plan is well known! Its success and influence have been sensational! Its witness has been true! In the very beginning of Scripture we are told that man was separated from his Creator because a lie of Satan caused him to sin against God. Satan, by the way, has remained consistent in his attempts to prevent reconciliation between man and God to this day. But, Scripture then clearly informed us that Satan was defeated by Jesus Christ when He made the Ultimate Sacrifice that would deliver the human race! The Bible goes on to give us a picture of the ultimate destruction of Satan while the redeemed will be eternally united to God, living in a New Eden that shall never pass away! Hallelujah!

THE INERRANT WORD OF GOD

The Plan of Redemption found in Scripture is the Truth that satisfies both the human heart and the human mind. The Story and Plan of Redemption find their center in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, His Cross bringing life to all who believe! It is always Jesus to Whom all Scripture points. It is Jesus Who brings perfect unity to the varied stories and subject matter of the Bible. The Great Author assigned different portions of this same Story to different writers without necessarily letting them see or understand the Plan in its completeness. The Story’s full purpose and detail were not always shown to them, but they were faithful men who wrote down the inspired words of God without question or hesitation. They did not presume they would understand every detail immediately and try to fill in the blanks with their own ideas and plans, but they believed and trusted in a God who would reveal more to them as they sought Him above all other things! Where are such men of faith in the church today? The Bible has also taught us that Redemption is not canceled out by our outward failures. It is actually in the depths of our adversity and defeat when God’s Plan of Redemption asserts itself most clearly, and it is never more confident of victory than when the cause of the Kingdom of God seems hopelessly lost. We do not have to make the Gospel relevant; we just have to believe that it is! Christianity takes faith, not clever application techniques and “bridge-building” strategies! Luke asked, “. . . Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the Earth?” (Lk. 18:8).

THE ETERNAL WORD

We also learned that the great Truth of Redemption was sealed up, so to speak, in one nation – Israel, which was for a time the center of God’s Plan and the custodian of His Truth. But when the Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Redemption Truth was given to the whole world and now “whosoever will,” may come. Praise God! Now I would like to ask Mr. Rick Warren and others like him what part of this story and plan is not relevant to today? The Bible is as old as yesterday and as modern as tomorrow. It never changes! God never changes! What was spoken by God in the past is still Truth today! What man tries to do is change the Truth with his babble, which is exactly what’s happening in today’s churches! Do they not realize God knew there would be a twenty-first century? They should! Perhaps then they might realize God directly addressed this modern church and its unfaithful leadership! The Lord knew these “preachers” would try to say that the Bible is no longer relevant for this day and time. He knew deceivers of this sort would try to pervert His Word. And, not only did He know, but He warned us about them repeatedly in His Word: “Now the Spirit (Holy Spirit) speaks expressly (pointedly), that in the latter times (the times in which we now live, the last of the last days, which begin the fulfillment of Endtime Prophecies) some shall depart from the Faith (anytime Paul uses the term ‘the Faith,’ in short he is referring to the Cross; so, we are told here that some will depart from the Cross as the means of Salvation and Victory), giving heed to seducing spirits (evil spirits, i.e., ‘religious spirits,’ making something seem like what it isn’t), and doctrines of devils (should have been translated, ‘doctrines of demons’; the ‘seducing spirits’ entice Believers away from the true Faith, causing them to believe ‘doctrines inspired by demon spirits’); Speaking lies in hypocrisy (concerns the teachers of these ‘doctrines of demons,’ which pertain to anything that leads one away from the Cross); having their conscience seared with a hot iron (refers to the fact that these deceivers are not acting under delusion, but deliberately and against conscience)” (I Tim. 4:1-2; notes from The Expositor’s Study Bible).

WOLVES

God knew even before He sent His Son and His Word that false prophets in this twenty-first century would try to lead people away from the Faith. By using various perverted translations of Scripture they have made the Bible say what they wanted it to say rather than what it really says. Some such translations include the “Message Bible,” and the “New Century Version,” as well as others that water down the Truth until it is hardly recognizable. God warned of this as well: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (‘beware of false prophets’ is said in the sternest of measures! There will be and are false prophets, and are some of Satan’s greatest weapons)” (Mat. 7:15; notes from The Expositor’s Study Bible). Also, in Acts: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock (presents a perfect description of those who merchandise the Body of Christ, and in whatever way).” (Acts 20:29; notes from The Expositor’s Study Bible).

Now, what can one find in these Scriptures which we have just quoted that is not totally Biblical and relevant for today? Perhaps these “preachers” do not want you to believe the Bible is relevant today because it so clearly labels them as wolves! Believer, will you trust a wolf that has infiltrated the flock or The Great Shepherd? Do not be deceived! Trust God’s Word above all men!

(This article was originally printed in January, 2009.)

Frances Swaggart

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Adolph Hitler displayed fatherly-like care for the German people. He successfully identified with their needs and worked feverishly to stop their suffering. He unified the various branches of religious thought and geopolitical differences. He rooted them together and fed them ambition by a new centralized national purpose. Hitler is viewed by many to be one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century. Educational institutions and modern-day philosophers seek to capture his success of gaining unquestionable devotee’s to accept and champion his new national purpose. Should Pastors that claim to represent Jesus Christ use Hitler as an example of leadership? Should they use a man who prepared the hearts of an intelligent nation to go as far to accept the genocide of the Jewish people, racial superiority, and world domination?

LEADERSHIP INSTEAD OF MINISTRY

John Maxwell in his book, “Developing The Leader Within You” says, “leadership is influence.” He characterizes leadership as the “ability to obtain followers.” His examples of leaders are Adolph Hitler, Jim Jones, Jesus of Nazareth, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John F. Kennedy. His emphasis was on them having followers as being the identifying mark of their leadership quality. The Webster’s Dictionary’s primary definition of leadership is “guidance.” To clump Jesus Christ in a category of failed humanity is despicable at best. True leadership in the Church is being led by the Holy Spirit. He Alone will lead you into all truth. He will always point to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. The emphasis of leadership should be the message and where it leads one to.
Maxwell then reveals the sequence of importance for becoming a leader. He says, “Once you define leadership as the ability to get followers, you work backward from that point of reference to figure out how to lead.” This is the crux to the modern church growth phenomenon; train and make leaders of Pastors and once they get a following supply them with what to tell their followers. This is why there is so little Biblical doctrine taught today. The emphasis of the new leadership paradigm is not the quality of the message but on the quantity of people. The church growth leadership guru’s know that once the people are in place they have the “product” to help pastors lead and teach their sheep how to conform and perform their purposes.

RICK WARREN, THE DECEIVER

Rick Warren is the most dangerous person in the church today. He has a clear agenda to redefine church and its new role for his purpose. I will say it this way; he is destroying the church on purpose! In “Break Through These 3 Barriers To Growth” Warren outlines three essentials for breaking through barriers to church growth. Point #2 says:
You must change the primary role of the pastor from minister to leader.
Warren says, “. . . you learn ministry skills in seminary, but you learn leadership skills in seminars.” He shares with his devotee’s that you must learn five skills before your church can grow:

“1. Learn to communicate your vision;
“2. Learn the ability to motivate through messages;
“3. Learn how to equip for ministry. If you do not learn to coach, you will not be able to equip;
“4. Learn how to raise money. Those who write the agenda must be able to underwrite it; and,
“5. Learn the skill of managing your time and energy.”

You will not find any of this in the Book of Acts!
Rick Warren compares himself to Adolph Hitler. Based on the modern church paradigm definition of leadership Warren wants to see the success Hitler had with Germany happen for him and his followers. At Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, Warren said:
“In 1939, in a stadium much like this, in Munich Germany, they packed it out with young men and women in brown shirts, for a fanatical man standing behind a podium, named Adolph Hitler, the personification of evil. And in that stadium, those in brown shirts formed with their bodies in a sign that said, in the whole stadium, Hitler, we are yours. And they nearly took the whole world.”
Warren would then tell his excited adherents that when he hears those stories, “I think what would happen if American Christians, if world Christians, if just Christians in this stadium, followers of Christ, would say, ‘Jesus we are yours’? What kind of spiritual awakening would we have?” He later asked the crowd to hold up signs saying, “Whatever it takes.” He utilizes Jesus as a symbol, drawing people in and then substituting his own approach. The people think they are worshipping Jesus when in reality the target is Warren himself.

WARREN’S AGENDA = RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

In 2008 in Davos, Switzerland, Warren spoke at the World Economic Forum and said, “The future of the world lies in religious pluralism.” In his conversation with world leaders from various countries, corporate CEO’s, and religious leaders of all faiths, Warren tells them, “Can’t we just all get along? I don’t care why you do good, as long as you do good.” It was Warren in another place that said this new reformation he has created is not about “creeds” like the first one. The second reformation is about “deeds.” This is why his religious pluralism is based on a social gospel and can partner with anyone who simply wants to do good.

WARREN’S PARTNERS

Rick Warren refers to himself as a bridge builder. He seeks to find “common ground” with all faiths rather than looking at the differences when he seeks people who will work with him. For example, Warren serves on the advisory board of the Tony Blair Foundation. The primary goal of this organization is to unify all the world’s major religions. Following is Warren’s explanation for serving:
“The vision and values of the Tony Blair Foundation are desperately needed today . . . In any effort to help people learn to live and work together, we must engage the vast networks, resources, wisdom, and influence of the faith communities. My friends, Tony Blair (Roman Catholic) is uniquely prepared with the gifts of temperament, knowledge, experience, leadership and global respect essential for a task so great. I honestly don’t know anyone better suited for this challenge. It’s why I agreed to serve on the Advisory board. The Tony Blair Foundation’s potential for doing good is staggering.”
What we have here is a protestant preacher having no problems serving with a Roman Catholic plan to unite all religious faiths. The new interfaith spirituality is centered on interdenominational cooperation in works. Warren is involved with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). One of his roles with the CFR is connected to their Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative, where he and Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) work together on a “Religion and Foreign Policy Meeting Series” that has to do with the “impact of religious doctrine on foreign policy.” The CFR has historically been active in getting the churches to assist them with their goals to set up a global government via a “social gospel.” Warren described the 3-legged partnerships he is forming between the church, governments, and industry, and indicated that this new global activity isn’t about the Gospel anymore. Warren believes that government and industry can’t succeed in solving social problems unless they include faith groups, with their large volunteer forces and their worldwide networks. “People are so worried churches are going to be about conversion,” he said, “but everyone has a motive. Everyone has a world view. Christianity is a world view . . . I don’t care why you do good as long as you do good.”

DO GOOD-ISM

The “do good” gospel is, by definition, pluralism in action. It brings in everybody and everything, and stands for nothing but to “do good.” It partners with anybody – governments and corporations, and even other religions – for the overarching purpose to “do good.” Warren claims to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. He will use whatever tools are handy, with whoever shows up on the scene, by whatever methods, doing “whatever it takes,” never minding the integrity of the Gospel. Warren pinpointed the world’s problems in five main broader issues: spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership and corruption, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, and illiteracy.
Jesus did five things, the antidotes for those five problems: He promoted reconciliation, equipped servant leaders, assisted the poor, cared for the sick, and educated the next generation. I will address this with more details in future articles. Outside of the cliché, Jesus died for you, it appears Rick Warren has no idea what the Gospel is or he would be compelled to share it.

MAN’S PROBLEM: SIN

It takes a serious amount of deception to craft a plan for world peace that excludes the Gospel but is designed for Christians to champion and participate. Satan’s goal since his rebellion is to deceive man into believing he can make his own society without God. Warren’s social gospel and agenda to partner with the corrupt world shows the same demonic inspiration his idol Adolph Hitler had. The Purpose Driven movement ignores man’s problem of sin and, therefore, has no need to give the world the only solution for sin, the Cross of Jesus Christ. Sadly, Warren would also tweet his 900,000 followers to join him in prayer and fasting for the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church to get wisdom from God in selecting their new Pope. Once they selected the Pope he “tweeted” his followers, “we have a new Pope.” Warren, a so-called protestant minister, insulted the blood stained martyrs of the Reformation by recognizing the Pope instead of a real prayer of hope for the Salvation of Roman Catholics. Warren is destroying the hope of the world, on ecumenical “purpose.” Join me in prayer for the deceived victims of the apostate church. May the truth of The Gospel destroy the unfruitful works of their unrighteousness but have mercy to grant them a space to repent. ]]> http://www.francesandfriends.com/facing-tomorrow-yesterday-part-iv-2/feed/ 0 “AN INVITATION TO ATTEND WEBC&S” http://www.francesandfriends.com/invitation-attend-webcs/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/invitation-attend-webcs/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:47 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1893 Continue Reading]]>

THE ATMOSPHERE OF WEBC&S



II Timothy 2:15 – “Study to show yourself approved unto God (refers to a workman who has been put to the test and, meeting these specifications, has won the approval of the one who has subjected him to the test), a workman who needs not to be ashamed (Faith placed exclusively in the Cross will never bring shame; faith placed elsewhere will, without fail, bring shame), rightly dividing the Word of Truth. (If one doesn’t properly understand the Cross, one cannot rightly divide the Word of Truth.)”

When choosing a place to further your knowledge of the Bible, the atmosphere you surround yourself with must be considered. WEBC&S is firmly and intrinsically linked to Jimmy Swaggart Ministries (JSM). The atmosphere here is one that has a world Vision for souls. Since the launch of the SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN) in 2010, this Vision has quickly become more of a reality than at any other time in the Ministry’s history. You can be a part of this as it happens. We are distinctly Pentecostal in our beliefs. By that I mean that we believe in the Gifts of the Spirit and preach and teach the need for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, not for Salvation, but for personal growth and ministry. We believe in true Biblical Holiness and set our standards by the Word of God. We are not a “perfect” group as no such entity exists, but we have chosen to pursue Righteousness through the means of Faith and Grace, as outlined by the Scripture.

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS

Understanding what Jesus accomplished for us at Calvary is of paramount importance for both Saint and sinner. We gear our classes and our teaching towards the comprehension of this Knowledge. Not every Church, School of Ministry, or Bible College focuses on these truths. Every institute that promises to teach the Bible should. To fail to concentrate on these truths will produce a Believer who is not equipped to live the Christian life, much less be a consistent Minister of God’s Word!

THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE

This time of year, the senior in High School is making major decisions regarding their up-and-coming years. Some are sure of their direction, while others are wavering, unsure of what action to take. Whether you are a part of the first category or the second, let me suggest that there could be no better decision than to spend the first year away from home at WEBC&S. The reasons abound! First, you need the benefit of our one-year program to better understand and solidify your faith. You will learn the Message of the Cross and will be better equipped to handle the temptations, attacks, and efforts of Satan that will hit you in an atmosphere such as a Technical School or secular College. We have chosen what we feel is the best schedule of classes to best equip you in the Faith, give you a great overall understanding of the Bible, and give you a chance to express it with people of a variety of ages and backgrounds. This is a unique opportunity to solidify yourself in the Faith!

ALL AGES WELCOME

While most of our students tend to be under 30 years of age, there are some who have experienced a lot of life before coming to WEBC&S. This invitation to attend the school extends to you as well. Over the years we have had a goodly number of folk who feel the desire just to strengthen their knowledge of the Bible. There is an outline of our degree plans in almost every Evangelist Magazine and you can see that the first two years offer a variety of core classes that establish the Believer in the basic knowledge of the Faith. Give WEBC&S a chance to prepare you for the rest of your Christian life! For more information please call us at 225-768-3890, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time!

CAMPMEETING SESSIONS

Don’t fail to be with us at the upcoming Thanksgiving Campmeeting. We will be teaching special pre-campmeeting sessions. The dates and times are below

THANKSGIVING CAMPMEETING

• SPECIAL TEACHING SESSIONS:
Monday, November 25: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 26: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 27: 9 a.m.-12 noon
7 p.m. CampmeetingBegins

Loren Larson
President]]> http://www.francesandfriends.com/invitation-attend-webcs/feed/ 0 “WHEN FAITH MEETS A PROMISE – GOD GIVES A MIRACLE” http://www.francesandfriends.com/faith-meets-promise-god-miracle/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/faith-meets-promise-god-miracle/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:12:41 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1870 Continue Reading]]> Hebrews 11:6 – “But without Faith (in Christ and the Cross; anytime Faith is mentioned, always and without exception, its root meaning is that its Object is Christ and the Cross; otherwise, it is faith God will not accept) it is impossible to please Him (faith in anything other than Christ and the Cross greatly displeases the Lord): for he who comes to God must believe that He is (places Faith as the foundation and principle of the manner in which God deals with the human race), and that He (God) is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him (seek Him on the premise of Christ and Him Crucified).”

Not too many days ago, on one of SonLife Broadcasting Network’s (SBN) monthly Share-a-thon’s, I was hosting my normal shift when a statement rose up out of my spirit. Without really thinking about it, I responded and spoke what was in my heart. As I made the statement, I felt sure it was of the Lord, even though I had never heard it before or even thought about it. I felt then and even now that it was something that the Holy Spirit gave me for the people on that day and in that hour. As I said it, I knew it was right, but I had never really thought about making the statement, it just flowed out of me to the people. The statement was this, “When Faith meets a Promise – God gives a Miracle.” The statement is a simple one and is intended to cause the hearer to rise up in Faith and grasp hold of the Promises of God.

FAITH

Much has been stated about faith in the last fifty years, much of it incorrect. The Believer is not in charge of his faith as some teach. Let me explain that statement. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith (Heb. 12:1). Faith doesn’t come by speaking, Faith cometh by hearing (Rom. 10:17). When the Spirit of God reveals to the Believer some truth, He also furnishes the Faith for us to believe. Now that person to whom that Word has been revealed must act on the Faith received. How do we do that, you may ask? By simply believing what was revealed. The action side of Faith is belief. No matter how long it takes, no matter what obstacles are in the way, no matter how fiercely the world, the flesh, or the Devil oppose the truth revealed, we as Believers are to refuse to yield to a state of unbelief. All of us, at times, may waver momentarily in regard to Faith, but if we hold fast to the Word revealed, we are operating in Faith. God is the Source of the Word, not us. In Isaiah 55:11 the Bible says, “So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My Mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

THE PROMISE

The Promises that God makes to humanity come in two basic formats (of course, no one can put God in a box, we use this for teaching purposes only):

1. The first form of Promises are made to all men, such as the Promise of Salvation. In Romans 10:13, the Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be Saved.” This is a Promise for all of humanity. It can only be claimed by Faith. When God reveals to the sinner that he is separated from Himself by sin, but that the solution that ends this separation from Him is to accept Christ as one’s personal Saviour, the one who receives this Spiritual Revelation is given the Faith to believe it. He now must express his reception of that newly received Faith by believing what was revealed. Again, believing is the action part of Faith. God’s Word revealed is the Promise. So when the believing sinner reaches out by Faith and accepts Christ, just as God has revealed Him, that individual experiences the Miracle of the New Birth. They instantly become “Born-Again,” “begotten from above,” “a new Creation in Christ Jesus.” So when Faith meets this Promise – God gives a Miracle. 2. The second form of Promise comes in the form of an individual Promise. This is a Promise that pertains, not to all men, but specifically to you, the Believer. At times, God will Speak to our hearts and tell us something that involves no one but us. He will never violate the Principles of His Written Word when this occurs, so know that if what was promised violates His Written Word in any way, you didn’t hear from God. But, if what was revealed lines up with the Written Word, we can at least approach the Promise made, the Revelation given, as that which comes from the Lord. We are not the initiators of the Promise, neither are we the author of this Promise. Our role is to hold fast to the Word given, that Promise made, by believing. Again, believing is the action part of Faith and is the responsibility that falls upon the one who has received the Revelation, the one who has been given the Promise.

THE MIRACLE

Anytime that God enters into the realm of humanity and interrupts the natural flow of events, a Miracle occurs. Miracles happen around us almost everyday, as God, Who is our Refuge, enters into this world dominated by the Evil One and interjects His Will in a situation. It may be as simple as God Moving upon the heart of someone whom He wants to help you in some measure. That person then responds to God’s Prompting and comes to your aid. That is a Miracle! God has interrupted the natural flow of fallen humanity and brought about His Will. It may be a much larger Miracle such as a healing for a body, a supernatural Operation of one of the Gifts of the Spirit, a financial crisis resolved, a relationship healed and restored. All these things are Miracles, we simply don’t acknowledge them as readily as we should. Large or small, whenever God interrupts the natural flow of Satan’s darkened sin benighted kingdom, a Miracle occurs. Let me give one personal example.

MY FAMILY

Most of you are acquainted with two of my four children, Joseph and Grace, who are a part of the music team here at Family Worship Center. My wife Hannah and I are blessed that all four of our children (Joy and Rachel are our other two girls) are serving the Lord. When Joseph was born, there was some concern about an irregular heartbeat. We did not have health insurance and had made provision for a simple delivery of the baby at a local hospital for a specific price. When these problems surfaced, our previous financial plan was eliminated and after three days of intense tests, no problem was found. They sent us home with a bouncing baby boy and a $17,700 hospital bill. It might has well have been 17 million as far as we were concerned. To be honest with you, I got a little irritated with the Lord. “God,” I thought to myself, “You could have done this differently. I don’t understand why you’ve allowed this?” My pity party continued. A few days later, Brother Donnie Swaggart was preaching in the College chapel. My mind was wrapped up in all the trouble I was facing and my attitude was poor. In His message, Brother Donnie mentioned Joseph (referring to the Biblical son of Jacob) in his message. It was not the focus of his message, he just mentioned this Bible character in passing. The moment Donnie said the name Joseph, God gave me this Word that was directed to me about my son. He said, “He shall be like Joseph of old. I will position him to bring bread to his people in a time of famine.” My spirit soared. The problems were still there. The issues were still there. But God had just given me a Word. He was going to use my Son in His Kingdom! I didn’t care about the bill any longer. Faith rose up in my heart and joy filled my soul. Time and space do not allow the telling of this story in its totality but you should know that God Moved on my behalf and eliminated the entire hospital bill. Today, every time Joseph steps out on the platform of Family Worship Center and ministers in song, I see a partial fulfillment of the Promise God has made me. Whenever I have had reason to doubt that Joseph (or any other child of mine might not fulfill the Will of God) my mind goes back to the specific Promises that God has made to me concerning them, and as my Faith, once again, “shakes hands” with His Promise, God continues to give me a Miracle. What has God Promised you? Believe Him and you will experience the miraculous!

THANKSGIVING CAMPMEETING

SPECIAL TEACHING SESSIONS:
Monday, November 25: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 26: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 27: 9 a.m.-12 noon
7 p.m. CampmeetingBegins

Loren Larson
President]]> http://www.francesandfriends.com/faith-meets-promise-god-miracle/feed/ 0 The Future Of Planet Earth – Part I http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-2/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-2/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:27:02 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1842 Continue Reading]]>
Some of the prognosticators do not speak very positively at all concerning the future of this Planet. Some claim that global warming is going to take a deadly toll. Others say that the opposite will happen, and I refer to another so-called Ice Age.
And then, we have the climate conditions, which, in the recent past, have been worse than have ever been recorded. While there have always been storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc., the frequency and ferocity of that, which is presently happening, has taken it to a new level.
What is happening?
The Apostle Paul, after a fashion, addressed this situation. He said:

THE EARNEST EXPECTATION OF THE CREATION

“For the earnest expectation of the creature (should have been translated, ‘for the earnest expectation of the Creation’) waits for the manifestation of the sons of God (pertains to the coming Resurrection of Life).
“For the creature (Creation) was made subject to vanity (Adam’s Fall signaled the fall of Creation), not willingly (the Creation did not sin, even as such cannot sin, but became subject to the result of sin, which is death), but by reason of Him Who has subjected the same in Hope (speaks of God as the One Who passed sentence because of Adam’s Fall but, at the same time, gave us a ‘Hope’; that ‘Hope’ is Christ, Who will rectify all things),
“Because the creature (Creation) itself also shall be delivered (presents this ‘Hope’ as effecting that Deliverance, which He did by the Cross) from the bondage of corruption (speaks of mortality, i.e., ‘death’) into the glorious liberty of the Children of God (when man fell, Creation fell! when man shall be delivered, Creation will be delivered, as well, and is expressed in the word ‘also’).”

THE GROANING OF CREATION

“For we know that the whole Creation (everything has been affected by Satan’s rebellion and Adam’s Fall) groans and travails in pain together until now (refers to the common longing of the elements of the Creation to be brought back to their original perfection).”

WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION

“And not only they (the Creation and all it entails), but ourselves also (refers to Believers), who have the Firstfruits of the Spirit (even though Jesus addressed every single thing lost in the Fall at the Cross, we only have a part of that possession now, with the balance coming at the Resurrection), even we ourselves groan within ourselves (proclaims the obvious fact that all Jesus paid for in the Atonement has not yet been fully realized), waiting for the Adoption (should be translated, ‘waiting for the fulfillment of the process, which Adoption into the Family of God guarantees’), to wit, the Redemption of our body (the glorifying of our physical body that will take place at the Resurrection)” (Rom. 8:19-23).

TWO REASONS FOR THE CLIMATE DISTURBANCES

There are two major reasons, I believe, for the increase in climate disturbances, which have wreaked havoc over great parts of the Planet. It has nothing to do with El Nino or other similarities. The two reasons are “failure to preach the Cross” and “the last of the last days”:

FAILURE TO PREACH THE CROSS

The Cross of Christ is God’s Answer to the sin question, and God’s only Answer to the sin question. Paul wrote:

“But this Man (this Priest, Christ Jesus), after He had offered One Sacrifice for sins forever (speaks of the Cross), sat down on the Right Hand of God (refers to the great contrast with the Priests under the Levitical system, who never sat down because their work was never completed; the Work of Christ was a ‘Finished Work,’ and needed no repetition);
“From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His Footstool. (These enemies are Satan and all fallen Angels and demon spirits, plus all who follow Satan)” (Heb. 10:12-13).

The major message preached by the Apostle Paul was the Cross (I Cor. 1:23). He was given the meaning of the New Covenant, which is the Cross of Christ, and was made the masterbuilder of the Church by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Cross of Christ was the Foundation of all that he preached. If it’s not the foundation of all that we preach presently, then whatever it is we are preaching may be about the Gospel, but it’s really not the Gospel. Paul told us what the Gospel actually is by saying:
“Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (I Cor. 1:17).
My contention is, if preachers would once again begin to preach the Cross, which is the only thing that holds back the Judgment of God, this, I believe, would greatly lessen the climate disturbances. While it certainly would not end them altogether, I do believe it would have a very positive effect in the frequency and the ferocity. But yet, I do not labor under any illusion that this is going to be done. Hopeful, yes! But that’s about as far as I can go. Please note the following:

  • The Cross of Christ is the only thing standing between mankind and eternal Hell.
  • The Cross of Christ is the only thing standing between the Church and apostasy.
  • The Cross of Christ is the only thing that holds back the Judgment of God.

    • Were it not for the Cross, God could not even look at us, much less, have communion with us. It is the Cross which opened up the way to the very Throne of God. Please note the following very carefully:
    II Samuel, Chapter 24, records David’s sin in taking a national census in an unscriptural way.
    Without going into detail, the Scripture says:
    “So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even until the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men” (II Sam. 24:15). As would be obvious, this was a staggering number of men who died instantly, especially considering how small that Israel actually was.
    Then the Scripture says, “And when the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented Him of the evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now your hand. And the Angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite” (II Sam. 24:16).
    But then, the Lord sent Gad the Prophet to David:

    “. . . and said unto him, Go up, rear an Altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (the only answer for sin, and I mean the only answer, is the ‘Altar,’ i.e., ‘the Cross,’ of which the Altar was a Type)” (II Sam. 24:18).

    And then the Scripture said:

    “And David built there an Altar unto the LORD, and offered Burnt Offerings and Peace Offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. (There is a ‘plague’ called ‘sin’ that is destroying this world and causing multiple hundreds of millions to be eternally lost. There’s only one cure for that plague, and that is the precious, atoning, Vicarious Offering of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was done at the Cross, and our acceptance of Him. All the churches in the world will never stay the ‘plague.’ All the good works, good intentions, money, religion, prestige, or education will not stop this plague of sin. Only the precious Blood of Jesus Christ can, here symbolized by the ‘Altar’ – ‘and the plague was stayed’)” (II Sam. 24:25).

    Let me say it again! If preachers would begin to preach the Cross, this “plague,” if not stopped altogether, would be seriously slowed in this nation, and even the entirety of the world. Preach the Cross!

    THE LAST OF THE LAST DAYS

    We have already alluded to the following but please allow me to explain it further. When Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, the Creation, in some way, fell also. Of course, such is inanimate, but, still, it means that the Creation doesn’t function as God originally intended for it to function. That’s the reason for all the tornadoes, earthquakes, famines, droughts, hurricanes, etc. In a sense, all of this means that “. . . the whole Creation groans and travails in pain together until now” (Rom. 8:22). In the coming Kingdom Age when things will have been set right, there will be no more storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.
    The inclement weather patterns that the world is now experiencing, which means an increase, as previously stated, in frequency and intensity, is a sign that we are nearing the end.
    This doesn’t mean the end of the world because the world will never end, but it does mean the end of the Church Age, which will usher in the coming Kingdom Age when Christ will rule Personally from Jerusalem. However, there is a transition between the Church Age and the coming Kingdom Age called the “Great Tribulation.” This period of time, which will run seven or more years, will experience a convulsion such as it has never known before in all of its history. As it regards this particular period of time, Jesus said:

    “For then shall be great tribulation (the last three and one half years of the seven-year period), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (the worst the world has ever known, and will be so bad that it will never be repeated).
    “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved (refers to Israel coming close to extinction): but for the elect’s (Israel’s) sake those days shall be shortened (by the Second Coming)” (Mat. 24:21-22).

    In fact, during the seven-year Great Tribulation, climate conditions are going to be worse than ever. There will be earthquakes that will be greater and more destructive than the world has ever previously known. Concerning this, the Scripture says:

    “And I beheld when He (Christ) had opened the sixth Seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake (the first of several); and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair (probably caused by dust filling the air due to the earthquake), and the moon became as blood (doesn’t mean the moon was actually turned to blood, but that it ‘became as blood,’ again, probably referring to the dust particles filling the air);
    “And the stars of Heaven fell unto the earth (refers to meteorites or shooting stars), even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (There will be a bombardment on the earth of these meteorites, which will cause untold damage.)
    “And the Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together (pertains to the shaking of the heavens, which instigates the meteorites); and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (This proclaims power of unimagined proportions. The greater thrust will more than likely be in the Middle East)” (Rev. 6:12-14).

    The Scripture then says:

    “And the Angel took the Censer, and filled it with fire of the Altar (this is the Brazen Altar in Heaven that typified the Death of our Lord, which was necessary in order that man might be redeemed; as is obvious here, Heaven is filled with the portrayal of that Sacrificial, Atoning Death), and cast it into the earth (with the Salvation of the Cross being rejected by the Earth, the Judgment of the Cross will now commence): and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. (All of this speaks of the fact that it is Judgment coming, and Judgment such as the world has never seen before)” (Rev. 8:5).
    “And the same hour was there a great earthquake (this is one of five times that earthquakes are mentioned; it is the last one that will take place and happens under the seventh Vial, which is at the very conclusion of the Great Tribulation), and the tenth part of the city fell (refers to Jerusalem), and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave Glory to the God of Heaven. (There is some indication in the Greek Text that some of these people gave their hearts to Christ)” (Rev. 11:13).

    THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

    If it is to be remembered, our Lord predicted that earthquakes and other similar things would happen to a greater degree as the end approaches, and more particularly, in the coming Great Tribulation, as we’ve already noted (Lk. 21:11).

    DANIEL

    Daniel, the Prophet/Statesman, some 500 years before Christ, predicted that the Great Tribulation would last for seven years, with the last three and a half years being the worst. He said:

    “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (‘And he shall confirm,’ refers to the Antichrist. The phrase, ‘And in the midst of the week,’ refers to three and a half years, at which time the Antichrist will show his true colors and stop the sacrifices in the newly-built Temple. At that time, he will actually invade Israel, with her suffering her first military defeat since her formation as a Nation in 1948.
    “‘Even until the consummation,’ means until the end of the seven-year Great Tribulation period. The phrase, ‘And that determined shall be poured upon the desolate,’ refers to all the Prophecies being fulfilled regarding the great suffering that Israel will go through the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation [Mat. 24:21-22])”    strong> (Dan. 9:27).

    ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF CHRIST

    When Israel rejected Christ at His First Advent, this consigned the entirety of this Planet to now some 2,000 years of continued wars, troubles, and disturbances.
    John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of Christ, actually, the one chosen to introduce Christ, and who was the first Prophet in Israel in some 400 years, began his ministry

    “. . . preaching in the wilderness of Judaea;
    “And saying, Repent you: for the Kingdom of Heaven     (Kingdom from the Heavens, headed up by Jesus Christ) is at hand (was being offered to Israel).
    “For this is he (John the Baptist) who was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the Way of the LORD, make His Paths straight (Isa. 40:3)” (Mat. 3:1-3).

    As stated, John preceded Christ by a few months.
    When Jesus came, His Message was basically the same:

    “. . . Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (the Kingdom from Heaven, headed up by Christ, for the purpose of reestablishing the Kingdom of God over the Earth; the Kingdom was rejected by Israel)” (Mat. 4:17).

    In other words, the Kingdom was offered to Israel at that time, but Israel refused it. One must understand, to refuse the King, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, is, at the same time, to refuse the Kingdom.

    THE KINGDOM

    Of course, it is a moot point; however, if Israel had accepted Him as their King, Messiah and Saviour, how would the Plan of Redemption have been carried out?
    One must understand, if it was not possible to accept the Kingdom at that time, it would not have been offered to them by John the Baptist and, especially, by our Lord. Of course, the Lord knew through foreknowledge that Israel would reject Him and, thereby, reject the Kingdom.
    To answer the question as it regards Redemption, which required the Cross, if Israel had accepted Him, to be sure, Rome was waiting in the wings, and in no way would they have tolerated another King. They would have crucified Him.
    The point I wish to make is, when the Kingdom was offered to Israel, as it had to be because they were God’s Chosen People, their rejecting it plunged this Planet into a continuing time frame of trouble, war, and heartache that has now lasted for some 2,000 years. Jesus addressed this in His last Sermon, which was on the Mount of Olives that took place hours before His Crucifixion. Ironically enough, the Lord began His Ministry with a “Sermon on the Mount” (Mat., Chpt. 5), and closed it with a “Sermon on the Mount” (Mat., Chpt. 24). The first mountain was in Galilee, the second mountain, which was the Mount of Olives, was in Jerusalem.
    Knowing that Israel had rejected Him, which means that they were, by and large, consigning themselves to destruction, He gave a kaleidoscopic account of what this rejection would mean as far as Israel was concerned, the Work of God was concerned, and this Planet was concerned. The Scripture says:

    SIGNS OF THE ENDTIME

    “And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives (the coming siege of Jerusalem by the Romans some thirty-seven years later, began at this exact spot where Christ was sitting), the Disciples came unto Him privately (out of earshot of the many Pilgrims in the city for the Passover), saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? (Has to do here with the utterance He had just given concerning the destruction of the Temple.) and what shall be the sign of Your Coming (refers to the Second Coming, which has not yet taken place), and of the end of the world? (Should have been translated ‘age,’ because the world will never end.)”

    DECEPTION

    “And Jesus answered and said unto them (will now give the future of Israel and how it will effect the entirety of the world), Take heed that no man deceive you (places deception as Satan’s greatest weapon).
    “For many shall come in My Name (concerns itself primarily with the time immediately before the coming Great Tribulation, and especially its first half), saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many (the greatest of these will be the Antichrist, who will claim to be the Messiah).
    “And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars (has abounded from the beginning but will accelerate during the first half of the Great Tribulation): see that you be not troubled (concerns true Believers): for all these things must come to pass (we are very near presently to the beginning of fulfillment of what Jesus said), but the end is not yet (the end will be at the Second Coming).”

    WARS AND GREAT TROUBLES

    “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places (few places in the world, if any, will be exempt from these Judgments).
    “All these are the beginning of sorrows (first half of the Great Tribulation).
    “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you (pertains to the mid-point of the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist, whom Israel thought was the Messiah, will show his true colors): and you shall be hated of all nations for My Name’s sake (no nation will come to her rescue; Israel hates Christ, but Christ is the reason that the world hates Israel).
    “And then shall be many be offended (some Jews will accept Christ, which will be an offense to others), and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another (the Jews who accept Christ will be the brunt of this animosity).”

    FALSE PROPHETS

    “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many (they will help the Antichrist).
    “And because iniquity shall abound (the Antichrist called ‘the man of sin’ [II Thess. 2:3]), the love of many shall wax cold (some who accept Christ will turn their backs on Him).
    “But he who shall endure unto the end (refers to the end of the Great Tribulation), the same shall be saved (speaks of survival and not the Salvation of the soul).
    “And this Gospel of the Kingdom (refers to the same type of Gospel preached by Christ and Paul) shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations (not every person, but to all nations; this is close presently to being fulfilled); and then shall the end come (the Second Coming)”
    (Mat. 24:3-14).

    THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

    If it is to be noticed, this Olivet discourse has to do with Israel. So, in a sense, the Church is, by and large, omitted, with only the reference of the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached in all the world, etc. If it is to be remembered, the Disciples asked Him a question concerning the Endtime respecting Israel. At that time, they really had no knowledge of the Church. So, Jesus answered them according to what they had asked.
    While He alluded to this now some 2,000-year span, it was only to mention the fact that wars would continue and great troubles and difficulties, etc. But most of His Statements concerned the coming Great Tribulation. In fact, He now goes to the mid-point of that coming terrible time and says:

    “When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the Holy Place (speaks of the Antichrist invading Israel and taking over the Temple), (whoso reads, let him understand:) (Reads it in the Word of God [Dan. 8:9-14; 9:27; 11:45; 12:1, 7, 11].)
    “Then let them who be in Judaea flee into the mountains (when the Antichrist invades Israel at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation):

    “Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house (houses are flat on top in that part of the world; during the summer, people often sleep on top of the house; speaks of the necessity of haste):
    “Neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes.
    “And woe unto them who are with child, and to them who give suck in those days!     (The necessity of fleeing will be so urgent that it will be difficult for pregnant women and mothers with little babies.)
    “But pray you that your flight be not in winter (bad weather), neither on the Sabbath Day (concerns the strict religious observance of the Sabbath, doesn’t permit travel):”

    THE GREAT TRIBULATION

    “For then shall be great tribulation (the last three and one half years), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (the worst the world has ever known and will be so bad that it will never be repeated).
    “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved (refers to Israel coming close to extinction): but for the elect’s (Israel’s) sake those days shall be shortened (by the Second Coming).
    “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not (don’t be deceived).
    “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets (the Antichrist and the false prophet [Rev., Chpt. 13]), and shall show great signs and wonders (which will be offered as proof); insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (will attempt to deceive Israel).
    “Behold, I have told you before (is meant to emphasize the seriousness of the matter).
    “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not (the next Verse will tell the manner of His Coming, which will eclipse all pretenders).

    THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN

    “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west (is meant to proclaim the most cataclysmic event the world has ever known); so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be (no one will have to ask, is this really Christ; it will be overly obvious).
    “For wheresoever the carcase is (speaks of the Battle of Armageddon), there will the eagles be gathered together (should have been translated, ‘there will the vultures be gathered together’ [refers to Ezek. 39:17]).
    “Immediately after the tribulation of those days (speaks of the time immediately preceding the Second Coming) shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light (the light of these orbs will be dim by comparison to the light of the Son of God), and the stars shall fall from Heaven (a display of heavenly fireworks at the Second Coming), and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken (will work with the Son of God against the Antichrist at the Second Coming):
    “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven (pertains to the Second Coming, which will take place in the midst of these Earth and Heaven shaking events): and then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn (concerns all the nations of the world, which possibly will see this phenomenon by television), and they shall see the Son of Man (denotes Christ and His Human, Glorified Body) coming in the clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory (lends credence to the thought that much of the world will see Him by television as He makes His Descent).
    “And He shall send His Angels (they will be visible) with a great sound of a trumpet (announcing the gathering of Israel), and they shall gather together His Elect (Israel) from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other (Jews will be gathered from all over the world and brought to Israel)” (Mat. 24:15-31).

    Now the Lord gives us a clue as to when all of this is going to take place. He said:
    To Be Continued . . .

    (This message was derived from the book, “ARMAGEDDON”)]]>     http://www.francesandfriends.com/future-planet-earth-part-2/feed/ 0     The Hatred Of Israel http://www.francesandfriends.com/hatred-israel/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/hatred-israel/#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:00:56 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1789 Continue Reading]]>
    • There is an animosity against Jews all over the world. Why?
    • There is an animosity against those who are truly Believers in Christ. Why?
    • There is a hatred of Jesus Christ all over the world. Why?
    Let’s look at the origin of this hatred before we deal with the “why” of this hatred.
    Immediately after the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the Lord addressed Satan through the serpent. As is obvious in the Genesis account, the serpent had lent its body and faculties, such as they were, to Satan, which pertained to the temptation of Eve. The Scripture says concerning this:

    “And the LORD God said unto the serpent (as we shall see, presents no question or interrogation being posed toward the serpent at all; God judges him, and it is in listening to this judgment that the guilty pair hear the first great Promise respecting Christ), Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field (refers to this animal being reduced from possibly the highest place and position in the animal kingdom to the lowest); upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life (if, in fact, the serpent was an unwitting tool in the hand of Satan, then I think that the Lord would not have placed a curse upon this animal)” (Gen. 3:14).

    And now we come to the part that tells us the “why” of this animosity between mankind in general and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said to Satan:

    “And I will put enmity(animosity) between you and the woman (presents the Lord now actually speaking to Satan, who had used the serpent; in effect, the Lord is saying to Satan, ‘You used the woman to bring down the human race, and I will use the woman as an instrument to bring the Redeemer into the world, Who will save the human race’), and between your seed (mankind which follows Satan) and her Seed (the Lord Jesus Christ); it (Christ) shall bruise your head (the Victory that Jesus won at the Cross [Col. 2:14-15]), and you shall bruise His Heel (the sufferings of the Cross)” (Gen. 3:15).

    THE CAUSE FOR THE ANIMOSITY

    The reason for the animosity against the Lord Jesus Christ and all who follow Him is that Jesus Christ is real, whereas all the other claimed deities are just figments of man’s imagination. In other words, there is no such thing as “Allah.” In fact, the name “Allah” was one of the Babylonian deities of old, which was selected by Muhammad, etc. The real truth is, “Allah” is a demon spirit, the same as all other supposed deities, other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
    There is only one God but manifested in Three Persons. Those Three are, “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.”
    The name or title “God” does not garner much animosity because the name or title “God” is almost a generic term. In other words, many things are referred to as God, so that part of the world, which is almost all who don’t serve the Lord Jesus Christ, takes very little offense, if any at all, at the name “God.” However, Jesus Christ is something else altogether.
    The reason for that is very simple as well.
    Jesus said:

    “. . . I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (proclaims in no uncertain terms exactly Who and What Jesus is): no man comes unto the Father, but by Me (He declares positively that this idea of God as Father, this approach to God for every man, is through Him – through what He is and what He has done, referring to the Cross)” (Jn. 14:6).

    It is ironic, the Jews hate Jesus Christ, and the world that does not care for Jesus Christ either, hates the Jews because they killed Christ. It is somewhat like the old proverb of “the pot calling the kettle black.”
    However, the real reason for the animosity of the world against the Jews is simply because of their past and what will transpire in their future. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, “. . . Salvation is of the Jews” (Jn. 4:22). What did He mean by that?

    SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS

    It was to Abraham, from whose loins the Jewish people would come, to whom the knowledge was given as it regards “Justification by Faith.” In fact, the entirety of the Word of God was given to the Jews. The only writer that may have been Gentile was Luke; however, it is my opinion that Luke, as well, was Jewish. Irrespective, with Israel having the Word of God, it put them light years ahead of any other nation or group of nations in the entirety of the world. Above all of that, they served as the womb of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Regrettably, they would not accept Him, which has consigned them now to some 2,000 years of suffering and pain. Still, He did what He came to do, which was to serve as a Sacrifice for the whole of humanity, both Jews and Gentiles.
    Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “You worship you know not what . . .” (Jn. 4:22), and that’s the way it is with every religion in the world, even parts of Christianity, such as Catholicism, Mormonism, etc. They “worship they know not what.”
    Of course, due to the fact of Israel rejecting Christ, they, as well, at this present time, “worship they know not what.”

    ANIMOSITY

    So, despite the fact that Bible Christianity has been instrumental in bringing freedom and prosperity to the world, still, there is an embedded animosity in the hearts of most all the unredeemed against those who claim Christ.
    Years ago, I was somewhat naïve as it regarded this particular problem. I thought if we were perfectly honest with the news media, showed them exactly what they asked to see, and were totally up front with them, they would in turn be the same with us. To my dismay, I found that was not the case. In other words, their minds were made up before the interview even began. Unfortunately, as Preachers of the Gospel, we have at times furnished the ammunition for the news media to take the direction which they desire. We have only ourselves to blame for that. However, please understand, the more of God that a person has, the more he will be blacklisted, hated, and despised by the news media and much of the world. In fact, at this present time, there are powerful forces in America, who are doing everything within their power to erase God out of anything that pertains to public life and living. Of course, their ambition is to stop all Gospel whatsoever except the brand they choose, whatever that might be. Unfortunately, at the present time, the church is playing right into their hands.

    A PERSONAL EXAMPLE

    Back in the 1980’s, this Ministry (Jimmy Swaggart Ministries), built 144 schools in Third World countries. Actually, some 39 schools were built in Haiti alone. For the most part, these were schools that only went through the sixth grade. We would run two sessions a day to crowd in as many kids as possible. We would even furnish a hot meal at noon each day, many times, the only meal these kids would get all day long.
    Public broadcasting did a program on our schools (or I should say, school), which they aired over one station in the U.S., evidently, with plans to air it nationwide. At any rate, they claimed that we had only built one school, and that was for rich children.
    We contacted the PBS station over which the program aired and furnished the proof of the number of schools we had then built and were building, and that none of them were for rich kids, etc.
    To the credit of the station, they made a public apology over the station, and in their response to us, exclaimed their surprise that PBS would falsify a program as they had done.
    Why would they want to do this?
    It’s the animosity of which I speak! Some country western singer could give $50 for something in a Third World country, and it would be played up to the hilt. We could build all of these schools and not only would nothing positive be said, but every effort would be made to discredit what we were doing.

    ISRAEL

    As we have previously stated, about the only friends that Israel has in the world today are Canada and the USA, and, regrettably, it seems that our support, at least according to this present Administration, is beginning to weaken.
    In 2008, there was an economic downturn in the United States because of mortgages on millions of houses, which were bogus. If it is to be noticed, Canada was not touched with that. I wonder if, in the Mind of God, her support of Israel had something to do with that. I also wonder if the animosity toward Israel shown by the Obama Administration has something to do with our own economic downturn. As we have already stated, the Lord meant what He said, and He, in essence, said that He would bless those who blessed Israel and would curse those who cursed Israel (Gen. 12:3).

    THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL

    Despite the fact of Israel turning her back upon God and crucifying her Messiah, Who just happened to be the Lord of Glory, still, the Lord made many promises to the Patriarchs and the Prophets of old. The truth is, in the coming Kingdom Age, Israel will be the leading Nation in the world. That may be hard to realize when we consider how tiny that modern Israel is. Actually, Israel proper has approximately six million population. There are approximately 14 million more scattered all over the world, with the greatest number being in America, which makes a total of some 20 million. When it is considered that basically two-thirds of those living in Israel will die during the coming Great Tribulation, this only leaves approximately two million in Israel proper. Nevertheless, when Jesus Christ comes back, then every Jew on the face of the Earth will accept Him as Saviour, Lord, and Messiah. As well, they will learn to their chagrin that the One they crucified nearly 2,000 years ago was, in fact, their Messiah and their Lord. Every evidence is that, every Jew on the face of the Earth will, at that time, accept the Lord. This will be immediately after the Second Coming. In turn, they will finally gain the place and position, which had been promised to the Patriarchs and Prophets so long ago, and which they could have had 2,000 years ago had they only accepted Christ then. Concerning this coming time, the great Prophet Jeremiah said:
    “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the Name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk anymore after the imagination of their evil heart” (Jer. 3:17). The short phrase, “At that time,” refers to the coming Kingdom Age when Christ will reign supreme from Jerusalem and, in reality, over the entirety of the world. In fact, the city of Jerusalem will, at that time, serve as the capital city of the world and, actually, of His Throne.
    Concerning that coming day, the great Prophet Ezekiel said:

    EZEKIEL

    Regarding World War II, days after Germany surrendered, an American general was looking through one of the concentration camps. He stood staring at the most gruesome sight he had ever seen, looking at hundreds and hundreds of Jewish bodies that had been butchered by Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. The world was shortly to find out that some six million Jews had been slaughtered. As the American general stood looking at this gruesome sight that met his eyes, he said the words of Ezekiel came to his mind, “. . . Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, You know” (Ezek. 37:3).
    And then the Lord spoke to the great Prophet and said:

    “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, O My People, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. (As Prophecy sometimes does, the previous Verse spoke of the last few months or even weeks before the Coming of the Lord and, therefore, the relief of Israel, whereas Verse 12, which we have just quoted, goes back even to World War II and forward.)

    “And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My People, and brought you up out of your graves (‘And brought you up out of your graves,’ has reference in totality to the fact that Israel, and for all practical purposes, in the Battle of Armageddon is all but totally destroyed; actually, there is no earthly way they can be salvaged. However, there is a Heavenly Way! And that Heavenly Way is Christ),

    “And shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, says the LORD. (This Passage signals the great Revival that will take place in Israel at the Coming of the Lord. Zechariah gave in greater detail the happening of this great Moving of the Holy Spirit [Zech. 12:10-14; 13:1, 9])” (Ezek. 37:12-14).

    HOSEA

    Concerning the restoration of Israel, the great Prophet Hosea said this:

    “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up. (This speaks of Israel in the last half of the Great Tribulation, under great persecution, finally turning back to the Lord. And how do we know that? We know it because Israel as a Nation has never come to the Lord in the fashion represented here, but which they will do immediately before and after the Second Coming [Zech. 13:1].)

    “After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His Sight. (Verse 2, which we have just quoted, could very well apply prophetically to the period of Israel’s subjection, affliction, and Restoration. Her subjection has lasted 2,000 years, or nearly so [in Biblical Prophecy, two days], and her Millennial Reign will last for 1,000 years [the third day].

    “The word ‘day’ normally refers to a twenty-four hour period of time. However, it can be, and often is, used figuratively for a specified or unspecified period of time.

    “‘In the third day He will raise us up,’ refers to the Second Coming of Christ when He will deliver Israel from the Antichrist)”     (Hos. 6:1-2).

    THE PROPHET JOEL

    The Holy Spirit through Joel said:

    “And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great Army which I sent among you. (‘And I will restore to you the years,’ refers to that period of time which began with Nebuchadnezzar and which now has lasted for about 2,500 years. The mention of the ‘locust,’ etc., is meant to be symbolic of the years lost to the ‘times of the Gentiles.’ The phrase, ‘My great Army which I sent among you,’ speaks of the great empires which ruled Israel because of Israel’s sin and refusal to repent.)

    “And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you: and My People shall never be ashamed. (Now, Israel will function as she should; as a result, they will ‘eat in plenty, and be satisfied.’ As well, never again will God’s Chosen People ‘be ashamed.’)

    “And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and My People shall never be ashamed. (Once again, the Holy Spirit through the Prophet uses the phrase, ‘And My People shall never be ashamed,’ because Israel, in fact, has lived in ‘shame’ for over 2,500 years)” (Joel 2:25-27). THE PROPHET ISAIAH Isaiah had more to say about the coming Kingdom Age than any other Prophet. Much of his Prophecies concerned Israel. He said: “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (The word ‘saw,’ as used here by Isaiah, basically means the same thing as ‘Vision.’)
    “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s House shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Verses 2 through 4 in this Chapter correspond to Mic. 4:1-3. Micah’s Prophecy was 17 years later than Isaiah’s. Some wonder if the latter Prophet borrowed from the former, but this shows a want of intelligence. When God repeats a message, the repetition emphasizes its preciousness to Him and its importance to man.
    “In both of the Prophecies, Isaiah and Micah, the Lord reveals the character of the Kingdom He proposed to set up on the Earth; in the latter, it is repeated to the nations. All of this will take place in the coming Kingdom Age.)
    “And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His Ways, and we will walk in His Paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (The ‘Law,’ as referred to here, has no reference to the Law of Moses, but rather to instruction, direction, and teaching. Again, this is the coming Kingdom Age when the Messiah, ‘The Greater than Solomon,’ will rule the world by Wisdom, Grace and Love.)
    “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:1-4).

    JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS

    In fact, when Jesus Christ comes back to this Earth, which will be in the midst of the Battle of Armageddon, and which will signal the beginning of the great Kingdom Age, He is going to judge the nations of the world as nations. Why? Those nations that at least remained neutral toward Israel during the last half of the Great Tribulation will be treated kindly. The nations that threw in their lot with the Antichrist will actually cease to be as a nation. That’s what the Lord thinks of Israel, and every nation in the world at that time, and even of this time, should consider what the Word of God says about the matter. I quote:

    “When the Son of Man shall come in His Glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the Throne of His Glory (the Second Coming):
    “And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats (this is called the ‘judgment of the nations,’ which will commence at the outset, as stated, of the Kingdom Age):”

    THE SHEEP NATIONS AND THE GOAT NATIONS

    “And He shall set the sheep on His Right Hand (refers to nations which would not cooperate with the Antichrist), but the goats on the left (nations which cooperated with the Antichrist).
    “Then shall the King (the Lord Jesus Christ) say unto them on His Right Hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (this has nothing to do with Salvation, but rather these particular nations being allowed to enter into the Kingdom Age):
    “For I was hungry, and you gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and you took Me in (although the adage proves true for all time, Christ is basically here speaking of Israel and her treatment by various nations during the Great Tribulation):
    “Naked, and you clothed Me: I was sick, and you visited Me: I was in prison, and you came unto Me.
    “Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? or thirsty, and gave You drink? (The word, ‘righteous,’ does not pertain to the Righteousness of Christ given to Believers at Salvation, but instead, righteous dealings with Israel by these nations.)”

    YOU!
    “When saw we You a stranger, and took You in? or naked, and clothed You?
    “Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came unto You?
    “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My Brethren, you have done it unto Me     (as stated, the adage holds true for all time, but Christ is primarily speaking here of Israel and the help given her by certain nations during the Great Tribulation).”

    EVERLASTING FIRE

    “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand (the goat nations), Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (nations that hindered or tried to harm Israel during the Great Tribulation):
    “For I was hungry, and you gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink:
    “I was a stranger, and you took Me not in: naked, and you clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited Me not.
    “Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto You?
    “Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me     (to bless one who belongs to God is to bless God; to harm one who belongs to God is to harm God; we see here the results of such action).”

    LIFE ETERNAL

    “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (all of this will happen soon after the Second Coming; the leaders of the nations, who tried to help the Antichrist against Israel during the Great Tribulation, will evidently be executed and, consequently, will die eternally lost; conversely, the leaders of the nations, who tried to help Israel at that time, will be given an opportunity to accept Christ as Saviour, which they, no doubt, will and will, thereby, be given ‘life eternal’)” (Mat. 25:31-46).

    All of this means that Israel, as tiny as she might be, is not just another nation in the world. These people were chosen by God for a special purpose, and, to be sure, they have contributed greatly to the positive welfare of the entirety of civilization. In fact, no group of people can match their contributions, and I might quickly add, positive contributions, to society as a whole.

    A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

    Some years ago, 1987, if I remember correctly, I was asked to address a small Jewish gathering in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with the main speaker being the future Prime Minister of Israel. He made a statement I’ve never forgotten.
    He named several very famous Jewish scientists, doctors, etc., and noted what they had contributed to society. He mentioned Jonas Salk, who developed the serum stopping the polio germ, and then asked the question, “How many Jews, who could have made a contribution to society, such as Jonas Salk, were, instead, slaughtered in the concentration camps of Adolf Hitler?”
    I was listening to a particular radio program some time back when the host made mention of the fact that the Jews had received some 30 Noble Prizes, if I remember the number correctly, in a certain span of time. He noted that the world of Islam had only received two, I believe he said. At any rate, the disparity between the numbers spoke volumes.
    Yes, there is a hatred for Israel in the world today, which will come to a head under the Antichrist. However, that hatred will change when Jesus Christ comes back, and come back He shall!

    (This message was derived from the book, “ARMAGEDDON”)]]>     http://www.francesandfriends.com/hatred-israel/feed/ 0     “ABIDING IN CHRIST” http://www.francesandfriends.com/abiding-christ/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/abiding-christ/#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:00:45 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1811 Continue Reading]]>
    John 15:4 – “Abide in Me (look to Him exclusively, and what He has done for us at the Cross), and I in you (if we properly abide in Him, which we can only do by ever making the Cross the Object of our Faith, then He will abide in us without fail). As the branch (Believer) cannot bear fruit of itself (one cannot Sanctify one’s self! it is impossible!), except it abide in the Vine (abiding in Him refers to the fact that we understand that every solution we seek, for whatever the need might be, is found only in Christ and the Cross; we must never separate Christ from the Cross [I Cor. 1:23; 2:2]); no more can you, except you abide in Me.”

    THE SETTING

    In the setting of John 15:1-15, Jesus speaks to His Disciples of the need to produce Fruit. This term reveals the need, even the requirement, in regard to the Christian exhibiting the attributes of true Christianity. True fruit is produced by the flow of life-giving nutrients through the “vine” into the “branch.” Jesus makes it clear that He is the Vine and we are the branches. Without, Him, we can do nothing! Fruit-bearing can also be looked at in the sense of progressive Sanctification. The Believer is sanctified for God the very moment that he or she accepts Christ as their Saviour. We become the legal “Children” of God and we are “set apart” or “separated out” from all the other peoples of the world and set aside especially for Him. This is instant Sanctification. This Work is carried out by the Holy Spirit at the moment of Conversion. I Corinthians 6:11 says, “And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” With this done, the process of “fruit-bearing” can begin. Once we are connected to the Vine, God is expecting us to bring forth Fruit, to bear the resemblance of the source of our life, that is, to look like, act like, think like Christ by letting His Life flow through us.

    THE DEFINITION OF “ABIDING”

    In the Greek Text, the term “abide” is an imperative, meaning that this word is given as a command presented by one in authority. So “abiding in Christ” is not an option. It is the responsibility of each and every Believer. However, before we can attempt to keep this commandment, before we endeavor to carry out this word, we must understand what it means. First let’s look at what it is not. To abide doesn’t indicate an action. It does not indicate a labor or some work carried out by the Believer. We have a role to play in all this, but the role does not surround the idea of works. It doesn’t apply to the practice of true Christian disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, Church attendance, or a dozen of other needful and helpful activities that a Christian who loves God should be actively pursuing. To abide in something indicates the following:
    1. To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy) or
    2. To remain, abide, dwell, live.

    Therefore, if a Believer is to truly abide he must stay in a place already arrived at. He is to dwell in a state or a location already achieved. This does not require a “labor for payment” mentality, which most Christians (those with carnal or unrenewed minds) hold to. We abide by maintaining the relationship with Christ, which has already been granted. We abide by watching over the relationship with Christ, which was given at the moment of Salvation. For it was in that moment that we were granted the immense privilege of being united with Christ, baptized into the Person of Christ, by the Person and Power of the Holy Spirit, solely through the agency of Faith.

    THE APPLICATION

    Colossians 2:6 says, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him.” The simplicity of this statement reveals the true responsibility of the Believer when it comes to “abiding.” The same way in which we entered our relationship with Christ, is the same way by which we carry on our relationship with Christ. The Believer’s role is the role of Faith. Our simple Faith in Christ, who He is and what He did for us is what granted us access to God’s Grace in the first place. Therefore, to abide in Christ one should be exhorted to maintain and mature in the Faith that was present the moment you got Saved. The Object of Faith was and is the key. When you came to Christ Jesus you had to stop trusting in anything you did and had to rely totally upon His Finished Work in order to be acceptable to God. You had to relinquish all faith in self (deny self) and rely exclusively upon Christ. That’s how the supernatural event of Salvation occurred. Now, as a Believer, you must maintain that simple Faith in Christ. As you do, the maturing process begins and is carried out. For the “branch” to stay connected to the “vine” the branch is required to believe that the vine already has in it everything the branch needs to be fruitful. We are to abide in the vine by Faith. As we apply our Faith to this truth, the evidence of this action being correct is clearly seen in our lives.

    THE RESULTS

    The results of abiding is Fruit. As we continually believe in Who Christ is and what He has done for us (Christ and Him Crucified) our lives begin to change. The life-giving nutrients that reside in the vine find an open pathway by which the branch is nourished. The Father, seeing Fruit evidenced, aids in the process by “purging” the branch. He cuts away the things unwanted so that the things desired are far more prevalent and obvious. So, where is your faith today? Is it in Christ Crucified as it was on the day you received Salvation? Or have you misunderstood the command to abide and made it a work, an effort, a labor? Repent of trusting in yourself and turn holistically to Faith in Christ and His Cross. Remember that our responsibility is one of Faith. It won’t be easy, and some “fruit” will take a long time to develop. Just remember what abiding truly means and how it is accomplished. For Jesus said in John 15:5, “I Am the Vine, you are the branches: he who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing.”

    CAMPMEETING SESSIONS

    Don’t fail to be with us at the upcoming Easter Campmeeting. We will be teaching special pre-campmeeting sessions. The dates and times are below.

    • SPECIAL TEACHING SESSIONS:
    Monday, March 25: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
    Tuesday, March 26: 1-4 p.m. • 6-8 p.m.
    Wednesday, March 27: 9 a.m.-12 noon
                            7 p.m. Campmeeting Begins

    Loren Larson
    President]]>     http://www.francesandfriends.com/abiding-christ/feed/ 0     “Obedience Or Rebellion?” http://www.francesandfriends.com/obedience-rebellion/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/obedience-rebellion/#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:00:37 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1776 Continue Reading]]> “Obedience Or Rebellion?”

    By:  Frances Swaggart

     Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

    “We ought to obey God rather than men” – no truer words have ever been spoken, for He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords!”  When the requests of men and the requests of God do not agree, it is the Higher Authority to Whom we must answer – even when it means we must rebel against the lesser.  If any human authority says “no” to God, we can say “no” to that authority.  We are not slaves of man, but slaves of God.  And ultimately, every human authority will also have to answer to the One True Lord!

    SATAN’S MINISTERS

    We live in a day and time when the Evil One (Satan) is doing everything within his power to silence the Mouth of God, namely by silencing the mouths of God’s People.  Satan’s “ministers” come into the church “transformed” as “ministers of righteousness” (II Cor.11:15), and they indoctrinate people to think that it is somehow righteous to obey men rather than God!  God’s People are being trained that it is His Will to be obedient to human leadership no matter what!  Now, of course, we respect civil government, and we believe in obeying the laws of this great country.  Any American who truly loves God and country will believe and respect the laws laid down by our government – that is, as long as the government does not infringe upon our right to worship and serve God!  But, today, our nation has come to a point where we, as Believers, are going to have to take a stand.  We can’t live on the heroism of our forefathers any longer.  We will have to become heroes of Faith (and of country) for ourselves.  We will have to be willing to face the persecution of other men.  There are laws being activated now that will indeed force Christians to choose:  “will I ‘obey God and His Word’ or will I ‘obey man’?”  We must once again become men and women of God who will obey Him no matter the cost!

    OBEY?

    The brainwashing to “obey our leaders” extends to both church and civil government, and many are failing to see the victory the enemy is gaining through this deception.  People have come to believe that obedience to evil is Biblical and rebellion is wrong, even rebellion against blatant heresy!  Amazingly, this lie of the enemy has made compromise and fear appear to be godly.  Never mind the Church of Jesus Christ was actually born in rebellion.  As well, this great nation of America was birthed in rebellion!  Thomas Jefferson stated, “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God,” and that is true whether we are speaking of civil tyrants or religious tyrants.  The reformers had to rebel against the established church.  “All powers” are not ordained of God.  And those that are not, we have to resist.  We must not bow before the feet of Baal!  Yes, even Christianity itself was birthed in rebellion, and so I have to reiterate the question once again:  “Is it wrong to disobey those in leadership over us?”  Again, the answer is “no,” not when hierarchical leadership is disobeying the Word of God!  The motto of the true Church of Jesus Christ must once again ring loud and clear, “. . . let God be true, but every man a liar . . .” (Rom 3:4).

    DOMINION?

    The modern church has succumbed to a few other lies of “Satan’s ministers” as well, lies which distract Believers from taking the stand that both our country and church need right now for its very survival.  For instance, instead of standing for freedom from all civil and religious dictatorship, the modern church has become too busy trying to take “dominion” for themselves.  Modern “dominionist” theology promises Believers they will hold positions of power and authority in society, if they will just climb the ranks of leadership.  But, of course, you can’t climb their ranks and stand against their unbiblical teachings at the same time.  Modern Believers have also become too busy expecting to be treated like kings and queens themselves.  Joel Osteen has said, “. . . I’ve come to expect to be treated differently.  I’ve learned to expect people to want to help me.  My attitude is:  I’m a Child of the Most High God.  My Father created the whole universe.  He has crowned me with favor, therefore, I can expect preferential treatment.  I can expect people to go out of their way to want to help me.”1   No wonder we do not see many Believers being willing to face the possible consequences of standing for Truth and Freedom in this country!  They are expecting “preferential treatment” rather than recognizing what they should be willing to endure for Christ.  Jesus said, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord” (Mat 10:24).

    DESPISED AND REJECTED

    Christ Himself was despised and rejected for His Stand.  His Disciples were also hated.  Why do we believe we will not also be?  Why do we believe we are only here to be blessed by God without ever having to take a stand for Him?  “Prosperity preachers” meet “persecution!”  What if the only reward for obedience is harassment and hatred?  Will you still consider yourself blessed?  Will you still obey God rather than men?  The Word of God says, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (I Jn. 3:13).  When you obey God, other men will not be pleased!  This is not to say that God does not bless His Children, because He most certainly does, even materially, but sometimes a Spiritual Blessing is far greater in the Eyes of God.  “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My Sake” (Mat 5:11).

    WAS IT RIGHT?

    I was reading an article over the weekend, which gives credit to Dr. Brook Stockton for the following statements made about resisting ungodly authority:

    “Was it right for Joseph to disobey his boss’ wife? (Gen. 39).  Was it right for Moses’ parents to disobey the civil authority over them and not kill their baby? (Ex. 1).  Was it right for the Hebrew midwives to disobey the Egyptian government and save the babies? (Ex. 1).

     “Was it right for Rahab to disobey the king of Jericho? (Josh. 2).  Was it right for Ruth to disobey her mother-in-law? (Ruth 1).  Was it right for the judges in the Book of Judges to take up the sword, organize an army, and overthrow wicked governments?

     “Was it right for Sampson to disobey the Philistine government officials? (Judg. 16).  Was it right for David to disobey his older brothers and not go home as ordered? (I Sam. 17).  Was it right for Jonathan to disobey his Father and not deliver David to Saul? (I Sam. 20).  Was it right for David not to surrender himself to the will of the king who wanted him dead and destroyed? (I Sam. 19-30).  Was it right for the younger prophet to disobey the older prophet? (I Ki. 13).

     “Was it right for Naboth to refuse the offer of King Ahab to purchase his property? (I Ki. 21).  Was it right for Elijah not to obey the summons of king Ahaziah? (II Ki. 1).  Was it right for Elisha to disobey Elijah and not ‘Stay here’? 

    (II Ki. 2).

     “Was it right for Israel to submit to her idolatrous kings? (II Ki. 17).  Wasn’t Israel sent into captivity because they obeyed their idolatrous kings? (II Ki. 17).  Wasn’t Israel chided by God for obeying the laws of King Omri? (Mic. 6:16).  Was it right for Jehoiada the priest to resist the de facto queen and over throw her rule? (II Ki. 11).

     “Was it right for the three Hebrews to remain standing after the king’s order to bow? (Dan. 3).  Was it right for Daniel to pray after an executive order forbidding prayer to any God but the king? (Dan. 6).  Was it right for Habakkuk and Zechariah to encourage Israel to disobey the Persian king and revive the building of the temple after they were ordered to stop? (Ezra 4 & 5).

     “Was it right for Peter to keep on preaching Christ after Israel’s government ordered him to stop preaching? (Acts 5).  Was it right for Martin Luther to disobey the Pope? (15th Century).  Was John Huss wrong for resisting the hierarchy of the Catholic Church? (14th Century).  Was it right for John Bunyan to refuse to take a government license to preach the gospel—something that cost him years in prison? (16th Century).

     “Was it right for the Pilgrims not to submit to the King of England (1620)?  Was it right for John Hancock, George Washington, and Patrick Henry to declare independence from rebellious King George because of taxation and other reasons (Declaration of Independence)?

     “Was it right for the Germans at the concentration camps to obey their wicked, elected officials and kill Jews?  Was it right for the French underground to disobey the German authorities and to smuggle Jews out of France?

     “Was it right for General Robert E. Lee to teach his slaves how to read and write so they could earn a living upon their release when the laws of Virginia forbid him to do so?  Was it right for General Robert E. Lee to resist the federal forces marching into Virginia, to take up arms, and resist the order of President Lincoln?

     “Was it right for Bostonians to trespass on private property and to dump tea in the Boston Harbor to protest a tea tax?  Should Christians in the 1850’s have obeyed the Fugitive Slave Laws and sent runaway slaves back to their owners?”

         If we are to take the stands necessary in these final and trying days, we will need the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit!  We will need the supernatural strength of the Lord working in us to “obey God rather than men.”  We received a Word from the Lord not too long ago that is proving itself more and more crucial everyday:  “Church, read the Book of Acts, and get ready!”

    Frances Swaggart

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    1     Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now, 2004, pgs. 38-39.]]>     http://www.francesandfriends.com/obedience-rebellion/feed/ 0     The Doctrine Of The Bible – Part II http://www.francesandfriends.com/doctrine-bible-part-ii/ http://www.francesandfriends.com/doctrine-bible-part-ii/#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:03:52 +0000 Admin2 http://www.francesandfriends.com/?p=1760 Continue Reading]]> “Apocrypha” is believed to be spurious, or at least non-Canonical. Eleven of these Apocryphal Books have been accepted by the Catholic Church, included in the Roman Catholic Canon and placed in the “Douay Version” of the Bible. Why were these Books not considered inspired or Canonical by the rest of the Church? Some of the reasons relate specifically to the Old Testament, some to the New Testament. THE REASONS • As far as the Old Testament was concerned, these particular Books were not included in the Hebrew Canon of Scripture. • The Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, nor any other writer in the New Testament ever quoted from these writings. Yet they quoted frequently in the New Testament from the Books that were included in the Hebrew Canon of Scripture. • Josephus, the Hebrew historian, expressly excluded these as “false writings.” • None of the Apocryphal books claimed Divine Inspiration. • The Apocryphal have historical, geographical, and chronological errors. • As literature, they are considered to be myth and legend. • Their spiritual and even moral stance is generally far below both the Old and the New Testaments. • Most of these books were written much later than the Books that were considered to be authoritative and inspired. DIVINE INSPIRATION Satan has done everything within his power to hinder, destroy, dilute, and outright do away with the Word of Almighty God. But through the Power of God, the Bible as we have it today — all 66 Books, both Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation — is the Word of God. Nothing else can be added to it. When any person or any Church claims that other writings, other books, other so-called inspirations should be included in the Canon of Scripture, we can be sure that the Evil One has been at work. Paul put it aptly when he said, “Though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9). Some so-called scholars have said that the Bible is filled with historical, chronological, and doctrinal contradictions. But a close examination of their objections reveals that the problem lies, not with the Bible, but with our limited perspective. CONTRADICTORY PASSAGES EXPLAINED For instance, there are several seemingly contradictory Passages about what happens when men gaze upon the Face of God, etc. St. John 1:18 says, “No man has seen God at any time” and Exodus 33:20 says, “And God said, You cannot see My Face: for there shall no man see Me, and live.” Yet, in Genesis 32:30 it says, “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face.” Further, Exodus 33:11 says, “And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend.” Which is correct? What most of us fail to realize is that the word “seen” or “see” also means “to comprehend” or “to understand.” So, the Verse in St. John does not contradict the Verses in Genesis and Exodus at all. What John was saying was that no man has ever comprehended or understood everything about God — not at any time. We use the same kind of terminology in our conversations today. For instance, we will explain something to someone and then say, “Do you see?” But we don’t really mean “see,” as to look with the natural eye. We simply mean, “Do you understand? Do you comprehend?” So there is clearly no contradiction here. Another quote of inconsistency, so-called, along this line appears in Exodus 3:20 where God says “No man can see My Face and live.” Yet Genesis 32:30 says that Jacob saw God face-to-face. Again what must be understood is that God was not talking about appearance only. He was not talking about Moses looking upon His Face, as we would look upon someone’s face. The word, “see” in Exodus 3:20 pertains to more than outward features. Here God was talking about His Glory, because He said in Exodus 33:22, “And it shall come to pass while My Glory passes by, that I . . . will cover you with My Hand.” Moses wanted not just to see God’s Face, but to see it in His usual Glory — in the Light in which He dwelt — which no man has seen or can see (I Tim. 6:16). Actually, God has appeared a number of times, according to the Word of God, and they did look upon His Face. They did not, however, behold His Glory. ANOTHER WORD EXPLAINED Another apparent contradiction that scholars wrestle over concerns Jesus’ warning against calling anyone a fool. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus said that if a person called another a fool, he would be in danger of Hellfire. Yet, Jesus Himself repeatedly called people fools in Matthew and in Luke. In Matthew, Chapter 5, where Jesus forbade the use of that kind of accusation, the Greek word translated fool is “moros,” which means a wicked reprobate, destitute of all spirituality. This, in effect, consigned a person to Hell. No one but God has the right to pass that kind of judgment. But, in Luke, Chapter 11, as well as in Matthew, Chapter 23, the word “fool” in the Greek is a totally different word — “aphron” — which means “senseless ones without reason; foolish; stupid; acting without intelligence,” so I think it’s fairly obvious that Jesus was not saying the same in Matthew, Chapter 5 as He was in Matthew, Chapter 23 and Luke, Chapter 11. Our English word “fool” was used in each instance, but it meant two different things altogether in the Greek. The problem then comes with the translation from one language to another. Often the only way to resolve these complex difficulties is to study the Text of Scripture in the original Greek and Hebrew languages. We may have trouble understanding the context of a Passage or a translator may have been imperfect in his choice of words, but the Bible itself is error-free. THREE SUCCESSIVE STEPS AS IT REGARDS PROPERLY UNDERSTANDING THE WORD OF GOD They are: 1. Revelation; 2. Inspiration; and, 3. Illumination. We’ll look at “revelation” first of all! REVELATION “But as it is written (Isa. 64:4), Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them who love Him” (I Cor. 2:9). The first step in the transmission of Truth from the Heart of God to the heart of the Believer is “Revelation,” the Act of God the Holy Spirit uncovering the things in the Heart of God to the Bible writers, thus imparting the Truth of Scripture to them. Paul explains that the Bible did not come by way of scientific investigation and human reason, because it could not come that way, but that it came in another way, by Revelation. He further said, “But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (I Cor. 2:10). The word “revealed” is the translation of a Greek word which means “to uncover, to lay open what has been veiled or covered up.” The word “us” in Verse 10 pertains to both the writers of Holy Scripture, and, as well, to whom they were writing. The Apostle continues by saying, “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Cor. 2:11). Paul is actually saying in his explanation that while it may be possible for us as human beings to know and understand some things about our fellowman, and even that is very limited, by that same means we cannot know nor understand God in any manner. What we are to know about God and His Word can only be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. In fact, it can come no other way, even as the Holy Spirit here through Paul tells us. So, to attempt to understand God by natural means, simply cannot be done; however, when we come to “illumination” the Holy Spirit will then inform us through the Word as to how the Lord actually does reveal Himself to us. INSPIRATION The Apostle now says, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Cor. 2:13). Paul now tells us exactly as to how the Word of God was given by God to man, how it was received, and how it was written down. The Apostle tells us that the Word of God, as it was given to the writers who served as instruments, was what they were given and what they wrote down and not words taught by human wisdom. That is, the words which the Bible writers used were not dictated by their human reason or wisdom. In other words, none of the Bible writers embellished at all what God gave them to give to the world. Paul plainly tells us that the way the Word of God was given was “but in words taught by the Spirit.” He says that the words which the Bible writers used were taught them by the Holy Spirit. It means that the Holy Spirit searched through the vocabulary of the writer, choosing the correct word, which content of meaning will give to the Believer the exact Truth God desires us to have. This, however, does not imply mechanical dictation or something different from the writer’s own personality. The idea is, the Holy Spirit took the writers as He found them and used them infallibly. That’s the reason that every single Word of God is important, meaning as we have related in this article, that a word-for-word translation of the Bible is an absolute necessity. These books that claim to be Bibles, which give a thought for thought translation, which fill the land presently, are not Bibles at all, but only religious books and, in fact, will do no one any good whatsoever, but rather great harm. When Paul used the phrase, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual,” this tells us as to exactly how the Holy Spirit gave the Divine Text, and how it was inspired. The word “comparing” means “to judge,” or better yet, “to judge with.” It speaks of the action of judging something with something else. In other words, somewhat like a computer that would search for the word, the Holy Spirit would search for the right word to be used in every sentence, which came from the writer’s vocabulary. Thus, the Holy Spirit allowed the writers the free play of their personalities, vocabulary, and training, while at the same time guiding them to make an infallible record of truth infallibly revealed. ILLUMINATION We now come to this part, which is also very important, namely the Act of God, the Holy Spirit, enabling the Believer to understand the Truth written down given by “Revelation” and by “Inspiration.” Paul says, “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14). The word “natural” as the Holy Spirit used it through Paul, describes the unregenerate man at his best, meaning very educated. No matter, as to how educated he might be, he simply by that means cannot understand the Word of God. So, the natural man here spoken of is the educated man at the height of his intellectual powers, but devoid of the Spirit of God. Actually, the things of the Lord are but “foolishness” unto such a man, Paul says! “But he who is Spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” (I Cor. 2:15). The word “judgeth” is the translation of a Greek word rendered “discerns.” Continuing with our explanation of “Illumination,” we understand from the Word of God that it was to Paul that the Revelation, i.e., the meaning of the New Covenant was given. In fact, the entirety of the New Covenant is wrapped up in the Cross of Christ (I Cor. 1:17-18, 23; 2:2). If we study Paul at all, we have to come to the conclusion that the Jew from Tarsus preached the Cross. Understanding this, we must come to the conclusion that unless one properly understands the Cross of Christ as it regards both Salvation and Sanctification, then one cannot truly understand the Word of God as one should. Considering that the Cross of Christ is the foundation of all that we know and understand as it regards the Plan of God, then we find that this is the key that unlocks the door. THE CROSS OF CHRIST I think one could probably say, and without fear of Scriptural contradiction, that all error, all false doctrine, stems from an improper understanding, or an ignoring, or an outright denial of the Message of the Cross. MATURITY AND THE CROSS OF CHRIST Maturity in the Lord, in His Word, is dependent solely on a proper understanding of the Cross of Christ. That’s the reason that Paul further said: “And I, Brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom (means that he depended not on oratorical abilities, nor did he delve into philosophy, which was all the rage of that particular day), declaring unto you the Testimony of God (which is Christ and Him Crucified). “For I determined not to know any thing among you (with purpose and design, Paul did not resort to the knowledge or philosophy of the world regarding the Preaching of the Gospel), save Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified (that and that alone is the Message which will save the sinner, set the captive free, and give the Believer perpetual victory)” (I Cor. 2:1-2). We must understand that the Lord desires, and does so strongly, that we understand His Word. He hasn’t made it hard or difficult; however, if we ignore His Way, which is the Way of the Cross, our understanding will be most unfruitful, or even harmful! “For the preaching (Word) of the Cross is to them who perish foolishness; but unto us who are Saved it is the Power of God” (I Cor. 1:18). “Your Word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). The only “Lamp” in the world that produces “true Spiritual Light” is the Bible. It is the road map for life, and the blueprint for eternity, and it is the only road map for life and the only blueprint for eternity. (This message was derived from the book, “Brother Swaggart, How Can I Understand The Bible?”)]]> http://www.francesandfriends.com/doctrine-bible-part-ii/feed/ 0