In my last post titled “Will the COVID-19 Vaccine be the Mark of the Beast?” I attempted to encourage those who harbor some fears of taking the mark of the beast by learning that the verse in Revelation says the mark is not a visible or tangible thing, but a belief that puts the Beast power above Christ’s power. Revelation 13:17 says that the mark of the Beast is “the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” … Continue reading →
This afternoon our Psalms Bible study at CrossHope Chapel became a Q&A study on the mark of the beast and the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine. I want to share with all of you two important points when you hear others declaring the COVID-19 vaccine as being the mark of the beast. First, no one is going to accidentally take the mark of the beast. We will not be tricked into taking the mark of the beast, either. The believer in Jesus … Continue reading →
The account of Revelation 13 tells of an economical global enforcement that will punish those who refuse to acknowledge or employ “the mark of the beast” into their lives. Revelation 13:17 states, “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” My point here is not to explain who or what the details are on the mark or the beast, but to stir you to … Continue reading →
The marque sign outside of the United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama read: The End is Near!! Just Kidding We Don’t Know. That signed humored me because in my understanding of Christianity, the only way a church would not know that the end is near is if it does not open, read, or teach the Bible. The theme of the end as near is a very prominent one in the Bible, especially the New Testament, so it is simply fake … Continue reading →
Let’s look at the verse in question, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2 Peter 2:8). The word used here for “hell” is “tartaroo” which is a unique word and the only times it’s used in the Bible. I know that some have tried to work it up to mean some type of special location, but it simply means a confinement. It … Continue reading →
This morning as I was enjoying my hotel breakfast waffle I found myself sitting in front of a TV and forced to endure its fake news. What I witnessed was an interview with the El Paso mayor and a CBS reporter who badgered the man about….not his response to the despicable crime…not his actions for his citizens well being…not the absent of security at the store…not the philosophy of the murderer…not the future of his town, but President Trump. The … Continue reading →
If one looks at the sequence of events regarding the 1000 years of Revelation 20 through an Historicist view, these 17 points would explain its progression: Jesus returns for His as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. This is the first resurrection mentioned by Jesus in John 5:28-29. Then the saints who are alive will be translated from mortality to … Continue reading →
Why does the Bible refer to the return of Jesus Christ as the blessed hope? Titus 2:13 says that believers are “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” We ought to be looking more for that appearing and less at the difficulties that often assail us. Years ago I saw a little plaque on a desk that said something like this: “Every difficulty is a call to prayer.” That … Continue reading →
As an introduction to the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11; ESV). Whether you like it or not, the devil is scheming against you – if you sided with Jesus Christ. He can not snatch you out of the Savior’s hand (John 10:29), but he can try to lure you away from Him and … Continue reading →
War was first known in Heaven, not because it is holy, but because sin is so unholy. Revelation 12:7 says “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.” The chapter also gives us the account of Satan bringing war to earth against God’s people. The history of Israel was marked with war, especially as you read the record of leaving Egypt and establishing its nation in the … Continue reading →
We find the concept of the Seal of God in the book of Ephesians and in Revelation. There is a definite connection between the two books on the Seal of God. Let’s beginning by looking at Ephesians 4:30 where Paul says “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (ESV). In Ephesians 4:30 we are told that the sealing work is the work of the Holy Spirit is for our … Continue reading →
Here is something that makes me pause when considering the return of Jesus in a pre-tribulation rapture. It’s the use of the phrase “at the last day” as found in the Gospel of John. The reason it gives me pause, is because the Bible specifically mentions that there is only two resurrections, one for the saved and one for the unsaved. We have three different places in Scripture that teach two resurrections: John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; Acts 24:15. 1 Thessalonians … Continue reading →
There is a belief that during the 1000 years people will be born and people will die. Where does this idea of death being part of the saints experience of eternal life, post-rapture, and post-tribulation come from? The answer is Isaiah 65:20 which says “No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, … Continue reading →
The early followers of Jesus, who faced trials, persecution, and uncertainty about their future, took heart encouraging one another with an Aramaic greeting, “Maranatha!“ Maranatha means “the Lord is coming!” or “come, Lord Jesus” as in Revelation 22:20 “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (ESV). At CrossHope Chapel Bible Church we share in the encouragement of knowing the Lord is coming back, especially as current events remind us that our “redemption is drawing near“ (Luke 21:28). I recently viewed an hour … Continue reading →
Continue reading →When I first heard the news about the Florida High School shooting, my mind was already pondering a few other disappointing news stories of the day. I was thinking about the Lutheran minister in New Jersey who had a name changing ceremony Sunday because she has “transitioned” from female to male. The Lutheran Bishop was glowing about it and the transgender ceremony in the church sanctuary that officially recognized her name change from Rosa to Peter. Sadly, her congregation accepts … Continue reading →
In our teaching series at CrossHope Chapel we are in 2 Thessalonians 2 which seems timely when placed as the backdrop to President Trump’s current trip to the Middle East. President Trump has traveled to Muslim Saudis Arabia, then to Jewish Israel, on to the Catholic Vatican, and then to a world leader economic gathering. Maybe its just me, but the very optics of these stops remind me of end time prophecies dealing with the beasts of Revelation 13 and the … Continue reading →
Here is a 15-point sequence of events of the rapture that I pieced together from a couple different sources… The Lord Jesus Himself descends from His Father’s House where He has been preparing a place for His bride, the church. John 14:1-3 • 1 Thessalonians 4:16 He will come to receive us to Himself. John 14:1-3 He will resurrect those who have died – those who have fallen asleep and whom we will not precede. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 He will shout as … Continue reading →
What should be our attitude toward the return of Jesus and our rapture from the wrath of earth’s judgement? Well here are five Bible verses and my thoughts about that… 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – We are to eagerly be waiting and looking for our Lord’s return. As a child I remember days of anticipation in our house as my mom and my siblings waited for my dad to arrive home from work so we could all pile up the station wagon … Continue reading →
As a newly saved 18 year old I distinctly remember having a disappointing conversation with a local church pastor who told me “Don’t worry about trying to read Bible prophecy, because you don’t need to know that.” That was sadly funny to me, as I stood there in that particular Charismatic church in Toledo, Ohio, because I later read from 1 Corinthians 14:22 that “tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers … Continue reading →
The political issue of bathrooms and gender identity is far more than meets the eye. Individuals who are crying foul on laws that protect American citizens from predators and perverts seem to be advertising their absence of biblical morals, common sense, and is playing into the plans of Satan’s attack on God’s creation of distinction between male and female. Satan hates the image of God and the Lord’s creation of marriage and families. The devil is like a roaring lion … Continue reading →
