Symptoms of a Sickness

When a patient visits a doctor and describes certain symptoms, the doctor prescribes something to make the patient feel better.

This is how I perceive Rob Bell. I don't disagree with his description of some of the symptoms of the church, but Bell's ideas are a misguided way to address the cause. Though the medicine Bell prescribes may make people feel better temporarily, it creates worse side effects than the symptoms themselves. God is the one who heals. Astute observations don't necessarily correlate to right answers.

Also, to wrap up the analogy, Rob Bell is not the Great Physician. Truth resists what is false by stating in unequivocal terms, It is written... The enemy of the soul raises questions such as, Did God really say...

God understands much better than we do what underlying conditions have created wrong-minded churches containing people who think God is out to do them in. The answer will certainly never be found in cutting the church off from its moorings, the trustworthiness of Scripture. That can easily poison the water and lead to apostasy.

Everyone, from Gandhi to Buddha, from Mohammed to Malcolm X, from you to me — all of us are plagued by the same, deepest need. It's the need for a Savior to save us from sin and its consequences, not to save us from God, but rather His wrath stemming from His unquestionable justice, and to renew our connection to Him as our origin, to save us from death in ourselves, eternally suffering existence (absence of light and life) apart from God.

Jesus shared our humanity and understands our deepest needs and longings. He lived His everyday life pleasing to God, to show us what it's like, so we can all live in right relationship with God. He pleased God in every way. That's why we can completely trust Him to lead us to please God as well.

Jesus even died for us, shedding His own blood, to convey to us the height and depth and width of the love of God. His resurrection was God's way of attesting to the fact that Jesus was His Son, pleasing to Him in all respects, and we must listen to Him.

Again, God gave us Jesus so we could know what it is to walk pleasing to our heavenly Father and enjoy fellowship with the only Creator of the universe. Jesus has shown the way and is the only way to do so. This is why He gave His Spirit — to reveal to us all He has given to us.

The wonder has nothing to do with God sending people to eternal punishment, a place where people are forever separated from all that is good, all that comes from God. The real wonder is that people will reject God and the true life He offers. How can anyone who understands all that Jesus has done in love and obedience in a Son's love for His eternal Father persist in relying on their own ideas of goodness apart from trusting the inerrant words of Messiah?

Followers of Christ recognize His voice when they hear it and will not follow another, just as sheep know the voice of their shepherd and respond with obedience.

Non-Traditional Look at Daniel 9:27

New King James Version

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;But in the middle of the weekHe shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,Even until the consummation, which is determined,Is poured out on the desolate.”

Many believe this verse describes the antichrist and a seven year treaty. Just to be clear, the verses are accepted by commentators on the whole as ambiguous, but here's why I believe that this Scripture does not support that view. 

Please consider the following:

Daniel wanted to know about the end of the exile in Babylon. He was asking God to forgive, cleanse, and remove the desolations from Jerusalem. We should read Daniel 9 with this in mind, that our focus should be upon God's answer of completion, wholeness, and restoration.

Here is God's answer in Daniel 9:24:
24 

“Seventy weeks[a] are determinedFor your people and for your holy city,To finish the transgression,To make an end of[b] sins,To make reconciliation for iniquity,To bring in everlasting righteousness,To seal up vision and prophecy,And to anoint the Most Holy.

God uses the seventy weeks to redeem those in exile and us. The seventy weeks speaks of completion, the time it takes to divide and determine the people of God and make sacred, or consecrate, the city. What is at stake here is complete restoration of the people of God, for them to know eternal righteousness, “the righteousness of the ages”.  Hebrews 12:14 speaks of this righteousness as, "the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." 

Daniel 9:24 refers to the Messiah's work of redemption completed on the cross as well as the restoration for His people at the end of the age. 

Daniel 9:25 goes on:

25 Know therefore and understand: From the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah, the Prince, are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street and the moat shall be built again, even in troublous times.

The seventy and sixty-two weeks of verse 25 appears to be explained in the very next sentence: "The street[c] shall be built again, and the wall,[d]Even in troublesome times."

The contrast between building and troublous times is expanded in the verses which follow. 

Messiah confirms His covenant with many for a week (one seven), implying protection and perfection, but He is crucified. The confirming or strengthening of the covenant is the covenant between God and His people. The word for covenant in Hebrew is used exclusively to describe the relationship between God and people and not of an agreement or a treaty between any other parties. 

It appears that we who are experiencing the victory of Christ are reaping the benefits of the fullness of time of the seventieth week.

A desolator arises in connection with abominations in the midst of the week, and he goes to destruction.

Seven days are the days of creation, God’s perfect plan, and through Christ we enter into Sabbath rest from all our works. Many accepted Christ, but those to whom He was sent, and ultimately the world, rejected Him, so much so that three and a half years into His ministry, they crucified Jesus. With Christ's death on the cross, He both fulfilled and ended the sacrificial system. Jesus told us what was going to happen, so we shouldn’t have been surprised at the destruction of the temple, its trampling by the Gentiles, and the abominations of desolation which continue until God pours out His wrath.

I realize this brief look at Daniel 9 may not answer or even address all questions about the chapter, but I am confident that Christ's victory over death means our everlasting relationship with Him and our being declared righteous before Him not because of anything we do but because of His blood that cleanses us and His grace that leads us. 

All praise to God who leads us in all victory through His one and only holy Son Jesus Christ.

One day, Christ Himself shall return with power riding on the clouds, we shall be revealed with Him in glory, and we shall be with Him and each other forever. 

What Do You Not See?

I'm becoming convinced that every one of us lives by the unseen.

We are all products of our accumulated experiences. People look at us, but they don't see the unseen thoughts and attitudes, hopes and disappointments, struggles and victories.

In this age of information, all of us choose what we will let in, what we will allow ourselves to see and, yes, believe.

Each one of us must choose wisely, for the unseen will determine our destiny.

Joshua and Caleb (cont.)

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah Protects and Provides.

Why was it that God told Israel to utterly destroy her enemies in the Old Testament?

God knew that mixing with other nations would ultimately bring desolation and destruction. Israel would commit apostasy by mixing light and darkness, evil with good. Compromise would destroy them. The words of Jesus divided people as did the message of Elijah in the Old Testament. The word of Jesus calls us to serve only one —God Himself.

Here in Psalm 92, King David of Israel prophetically spoke the promise of God which applies to all His people today:

¹² The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].¹³ Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.

David described life as an inheritance from the Lord. Being uncompromisingly righteous produces a flourishing life like the stately, upright palm tree and majestic cedar of Lebanon.

God promised Judah this Messianic inheritance, that the scepter of Christ would never leave the tribe. This inheritance explains our reign with Christ.

Joshua 15 teaches that Caleb, one of the faith-filled two witnesses to the power of God on behalf of His people, received his inheritance in Judah as God had promised.

Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, whose name meant he will be prepared, could not have been more ready to enter the promised land the first time he, Joshua, and ten others spied it out. He believed, hope against odds, what God had in store. Like Caleb, those who listen to and obey the voice of Christ uncompromisingly believe God’s word.    

Caleb saw the land while the rest of the nation were safely lodged in the desert, and he believed that God would grant it by His power as He had promised. God fulfilled His word to Caleb. He gave him his inheritance in Judah, in the land of Anak, the early giant people of Philistia and Hebron. The word Hebron meant tied in association. It also meant spell. 

We are not under a spell, but we are protected and hidden by the power of God in the reign of the the Lamb of God, the lion of the tribe of Judah. God kept Caleb alive while everyone else of his generation died in the wilderness. He provided Caleb with the land in Judah because against the mainstream and all that could cause doubt, Caleb believed God. He perceived God’s victory over all His enemies and God’s gift of a fruitful land.

God has also given us His inheritance in a land set apart within the realm of the reign of Christ. Some ways to prepare for this are better than others, but most importantly, we must allow God to lead us. We must not lose sight that preparation implies a goal or destination.

Jesus said to one of the churches in Asia Minor that He wants them either hot or cold. The lukewarm He will spit out of His mouth. Then He says, so buy from Him gold refined in the fire to become rich and white garments so that the shame of our nakedness won’t be seen.

God directs us to prepare so that we can flourish before God and appear fully clothed in His presence unashamed. 

Caleb and Joshua

Before God led Israel into the land He promised them, their inheritance, He told them how to prepare. How should Christians prepare for what is coming?

By listening to and responding by faith to the message of the witnesses, Caleb and Joshua.

Think about it. They had both been in the promised land, came back, and provided true testimony about God’s power to defeat the enemy. Had Israel originally believed their report, the generation delivered from Egypt could have entered into the promised land.

In Joshua 1, the leaders were instructed to tell the people to prepare to occupy the land. They were told they would cross the Jordan in three days:

¹⁰ Then Joshua ordered the leaders to ¹¹ go through the camp and say to the people, “Get some food ready, because in three days you are going to cross the Jordan River to occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Israel was to prepare food. All of us must be preparing as the Lord God Himself leads us. 

While the people were readying themselves, Joshua sent two spies into the land near Jericho. Rahab told the spies that the king’s men would search for them for three days and advised them to hide in the mountains for three days, which they did before returning safely to Joshua and Israel on the other side of the Jordan. 

Jesus told His disciples that at the time of the abomination of desolation, those in Jerusalem are to flee to the mountains.

The point?

God was keeping the spies safe during the time of preparation. These spies may remind us of Caleb and Joshua who provided true witness to the power of God in the face of the realities in Canaan in contrast to the ten false witnesses. 

The witnesses Joshua sent promised safety not to religious leaders but to Rahab, a prostitute, because of her faith and her simple obedience in faith. She protected the spies by not revealing them to the king’s men who wanted to kill them, and she received this promise:

"When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house. ¹⁹ If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible." 21 She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window.

Rahab didn't hesitate.


The members of Rahab’s household were under the umbrella of safety because of Rahab and the scarlet rope. The blood of Jesus keeps those who believe in the power of God and have made Jesus Lord and King. There is safety for us and our families for being where God wants us to be and for doing His will.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about Caleb, the other true witness.

America, The Beast, and The Harlot

Babylon is first a mystery. It is the mother of whores and the abominations of the earth. It rides the beast and so its influence cannot be divorced from the beast, even though the horns of the beast will hate the harlot and burn it with fire when God's message has been completed (Rev 17:16–17).

We know that Babylon must fall after all the people of God have come out of it. God calls His people out of Babylon, so they won't have to suffer God's judgment with it when it does fall.

This is where I see us as believers today.

Through the messages Jesus has given to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, Christ empowers His people to overcome, that is, to come out of the beast system. 

In Revelation 15, in contrast to the wrath of God, gaining victory over the beast is clearly connected with standing on the sea of glass mingled with fire before the throne of God. The meaning is even clearer when considering the victorious sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The word many translations interpret as overcome is “ek” in Greek meaning out of. Those who gain the victory have come out of the wild beast and out of its image and out of the number of its name. Israel was saved out of water and through the blood of Jesus. God has delivered the victorious in such a way that they stand upon the glassy sea mixed with fire, and as standing on the sea, the overcomers reflect God’s glory. 

This deliverance is all of God and is not at all mixed with man. Listen to the words of the song of salvation from Revelation 15:3–4 that the overcomers before the throne of God do sing:

Great and wonderful [are] Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty, righteous and true [are] Thy ways, O King of saints,
4 who may not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? because Thou alone [art] kind, because all the nations shall come and bow before Thee, because Thy righteous acts were manifested.'

Now is the time to come out of Babylon, not as a physical coming out but as a spiritual overcoming through the power and promises of Christ to His churches, so we, too, can join in the heavenly song.

Exposing the Delusion

Read between the Lines the Historic Deal with Iran

No will exists to win the most important concessions such as changing the message of hate and therefore the behavior behind it, so negotiators ignore it (along with non-negotiable lines in the sand conveniently given up) and pretend that the hate rhetoric and the other threats inherent in what’s been conceded don’t exist, that the haters don’t really mean what they say.

Instead, emphasize what we hope the deal could mean though we really know it doesn’t mean that either.

This is Obama’s m.o.

Here’s another example. According to the predominant thinking, approving homosexual marriage doesn’t mean hating or discriminating against Christians. We must protect the rights of the 3% minority and so spread fairness. However, the love of money is the root of all evil. How else but through the seductive power of money could 3% of the population set the course of the United States toward destruction? This is how those who believe a lie change the way people think and believe. For example, people believe that supporting same sex marriage is fair, even though the supreme court decision is paving the way for Christian persecution.

Read between the lines.

This unbelievable philosophy is the spreading delusion of people who choose to believe lies and bury the truth rather than stand for the truth and hold others accountable to it.

The Scroll Written In and Behind

Revelation 5

The scroll lay upon the open right hand of God Himself, the one on the throne. Whoever could take the scroll out of His hand and open it could only be one who has complete authority to do so. Jesus the Lamb of God has that authority, for by shedding His blood on the cross, He has redeemed men and women from every nation, tribe, and tongue on earth. 

When John felt no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was fit to open the scroll or even take a single look at its content, he felt something deep inside that caused him to weep bitterly and audibly about the need for someone to be worthy to open the seals and inspect the scroll. 

The word of one of the elders spoke comfort to John:

⁵ Then one of the elders [^[b]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!^(B)

Don’t we experience distress at what we see happening in the world? And doesn’t the question arise, where is Christ to deliver us? The answer is the same: we need to see Jesus as the lion of Judah and the root of David—the only true victor having all authority in heaven and earth. He is the Lamb of God and the only one who is worthy to open the scroll. 

^{As to the meaning of the scroll written on the front and back there are many differing opinions. John lived in a Roman world, so the understanding that a will was sealed with seven seals requiring authentication to access and communicate its contents makes sense as does attaching a Hebrew understanding to the text. Hal Lindsey in the The Late Great Planet Earth explains how a Jew may perceive the scroll written on both sides:}

"When a Jewish family was required to forfeit its land and possessions through some distress, the property could not be permanently taken from them. Their losses were listed in a scroll and sealed seven times, then the conditions necessary to purchase back the land and possessions were written on the outside of the scroll. When a qualified redeemer could be found to meet the requirements of reclamation, the one to whom the property had been forfeited was obligated to return the possessions to the original owner."

If John perceived that the scroll communicated both loss and the way of redemption, this sheds light on why he would be so distressed at no one being able to open the scroll. How then would the world be redeemed? This understanding also frames the messages to the churches and the remainder of Revelation not as doom but as means of bringing us into being God’s servants through the overcoming power of the Lamb of God.

Christ Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and He is bringing all things together under His reign.

Trains on Two Different Tracks

Since the supreme court's decision to defy the Word of God, rumors and news stories have been circulating about what's next and where it will all lead. Will legalizing bestiality or pedophilia be next? This is one train traveling on one track leading to nowhere but destruction.

Concurrently, God has been speaking to many about obeying the leading of Christ to prepare for what is about to take place. This is a train on track for a completely different destination.

I'd much rather be on board the train with Messiah as conductor. His guarantee to deliver us safely in His holy presence is unmatched and won't be deterred.

The good news is that it's not too late.

Christ who died and rose from the dead has the keys of death and sheol. On that basis, which is unequalled —His having been given all authority in heaven and on earth— He will deliver you from all your fears and in an instant transfer you from traveling in darkness to living in the glorious light of His never-ending reign.

The train heading for glory has no occupancy limit and all are welcomed to give their lives to Jesus, the true King of Kings, in exchange for a seat with Him in the Heaven-bound Express, where we can all share in His forgiveness, satisfy our thirst with living water, and enjoy His resurrection life forever.

Hardness of Heart

Mark 3:1–6 (The Complete Jewish Bible)

Yeshua went again into a synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.2 Looking for a reason to accuse him of something, people watched him carefully to see if he would heal him on Shabbat.3 He said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Come up where we can see you!”4 Then to them he said, “What is permitted on Shabbat? Doing good or doing evil? Saving life or killing?” But they said nothing. 5 Then, looking them over and feeling both anger with them and sympathy for them at the stoniness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” As he held it out, it became restored. 6 The P’rushim went out and immediately began plotting with some members of Herod’s party how to do away with him.

This is what churches have become. The pastor may preach directly from the Bible, but the church security is watching to make sure no one gets out of line or to take swift action if they do. They have become part of the police state.

Jesus felt both anger and sympathy at the hardness of heart He was witnessing. He spoke and healed anyway, but before He did, Jesus asked if it were better to do good or evil on the Sabbath. 

With total disregard for what Jesus said, the religious leaders went out and sought a way to kill Him.

Public leaders called Elijah a trouble maker and Jesus Himself divided people. We shouldn't be surprised if our obeying Christ also divides. 

Necessity Breeds Invention

The reason behind this blog came about from witnessing life as usual in a church I attended today.

The announcements done in all sincerity included a cupcakes fundraiser and barbecue fellowship. Compare this with Rabi Cahn's decision to cancel his scheduled trip to Israel because of all that he is seeing happening around us.

The time has come to be sounding the alarm not warming up the oven to cook cupcakes for the passengers sitting on the deck of the Titanic.

I cannot live as if life is the way it always has been. The Lordship of Christ demands much more. He demands my all.

Since the mainstream is no longer going with Christ, it appears that like salmon I must travel upstream.