Feed aggregator

The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! [At the time of this writing] Christians around the world are remembering the resurrection of our Savior. If you are celebrating Easter in an English-speaking church (which is likely if you’re reading this blog), there is a good probability that you have sung or will sing the hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.”

For about 300 years now, this hymn and its variants have been sung in English churches to commemorate and celebrate that Sunday morning about 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ walked out of his tomb, demonstrating that he had forever triumphed over sin and death for both himself and all his people.

The earliest forms of the hymn can be traced back to a Latin text from the 14th century. In 1708 the four Latin stanzas were translated into English and published by J. Walsh in Lyra Davidica under the title “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.” A few decades later, in 1739, a modified version was published by John and Charles Wesley in Hymns and Sacred Poems under the title “Hymn for Easter Day.” It is this version, later shortened and supplemented with the “Alleluia” refrain, that has become the hymn that remains so popular today.

Here are all 11 stanzas published by the Wesleys. It is worth reading through each one thoughtfully, and perhaps especially the ones that we no longer sing. They are rich with biblical allusion...

1. “Christ the Lord is ris’n to-day,”
Sons of Men and Angels say!
Raise your Joys and Triumphs high,
Sing ye Heav’ns, and Earth reply.

2. Love’s Redeeming Work is done,
Fought the Fight, the Battle won,
Lo! our Sun’s Eclipse is o’er,
Lo! He sets in Blood no more.

3. Vain the Stone, the Watch, the Seal;
Christ hath burst the Gates of Hell!
Death in vain forbids his Rise:
Christ hath open’d Paradise!

4. Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O Death, is now thy Sting?
Once He died our Souls to save,
Where thy Victory, O Grave?

5. Soar we now, where Christ has led,
Following our Exalted Head,
Made like Him, like Him we rise:
Ours the Cross; the Grave; the Skies.

6. What tho’ once we perish’d All,
Partners of our Parent’s Fall,
Second Life we All receive,
In our Heav’nly Adam live.

7. Ris’n with Him, we upward move,
Still we seek the Things above,
Still pursue, and kiss the Son,
Seated on his Father’s Throne;

8. Scarce on Earth a Thought bestow,
Dead to all we leave below,
Heav’n our Aim, and lov’d Abode,
Hid our Life with Christ in God!

9. Hid; ’till Christ our Life appear,
Glorious in his Members here:
Join’d to Him, we then shall shine
All Immortal, all Divine!

10. Hail the Lord of Earth and Heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n:
Thee we greet Triumphant now;
Hail the Resurrection Thou!

11. King of Glory, Soul of Bliss,
Everlasting Life is This,
Thee to know, thy Pow’r to prove,
Thus to sing, and thus to love!

https://www.challies.com/hymn-stories/hymn-stories-christ-the-lord-is-risen-today/

He will not forsake His faith in God because he knows there had to be a Creator. But if the facts should prove evolution to be true, he would be willing to say, “I guess that’s the way God chose to do it”—even though that would make no sense. Francis Collins is evidence of this openness.

In contrast, the atheist cannot be this open-minded. He cannot “allow a Divine Foot in the door,” and that restricts his research and intellectual honesty. There is no such person as an “atheistic theist” who would be comparable to a theistic evolutionist.

In recent years, Iranians have launched countless uprisings, each filled with hope and courage, only to be met with violent repression from the regime, and mainly indifference from abroad. Each wave of protests saw the regime's security forces killing thousands of demonstrators, and imprisoning and torturing many more. These movements have shown the strength of the Iranian people's resolve, but despite their cries for freedom, support from the West— usually merely vocal, about the ideals of democracy — has remained disappointingly muted.

In the eyes of many Iranians, this silence from democratic nations that supposedly champion human rights stands in intolerable contrast to their principles and has repeatedly left Iranian protesters feeling abandoned in their struggle.

During the 2022 nationwide protests, sparked by the hijab laws, many Iranians, especially young women, took to the streets to protest against mandatory veiling and other repressive policies. The movement represented not only a push against strict Islamic dress codes but also a broader rejection of the regime's authoritarian rule. Even as the crackdown unfolded— with the regime arresting, beating, and even murdering protesters — the Western response remained largely passive and inert, instead of offering robust support.

In 2009, the Green Movement had erupted in Iran after a questionable presidential election. Millions of Iranians filled the streets, while chanting slogans, waving banners…Protesters sought recognition from world leaders, particularly from the Obama administration in the United States and European leaders, in the hopes that these democratic nations would support their call for a fair electoral process and an end to oppression.

Protesters chanted, "Obama, are you with us or the mullahs?" — a direct plea for then U.S. President Barack Obama to take a stand. Yet, to the disappointment of many Iranians, Western leaders remained largely silent, choosing not to intervene or offer any real backing. Obama later admitted that his administration's silence during this critical period was a "mistake," but even then, mentioned only ineffectual, verbal support: "In retrospect, I think that was a mistake. Every time we see a flash, a glimmer of hope, of people longing for freedom, I think we have to point it out. We have to shine a spotlight on it. We have to express some solidarity about it."

While most democratic nations have hesitated to align themselves visibly with Iran's pro-democracy movements, one country has stood out as an unwavering ally of the Iranian people: Israel. Despite the longstanding enmity between Israel and Iran's regime, Israeli leaders have boldly supported the Iranian people's right to freedom and self-determination. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called "The Churchill of the Middle East," has not only addressed Iran's nuclear threats -- when the US did not totally undermine Israel by leaking its plans beforehand -- but has reached out directly to Iranians through social media, encouraging them not to lose hope. "There's one thing Khamenei's regime fears more than Israel," Netanyahu declared in a message shared on X. "It's you – the people of Iran." He added: "They spend so much time and money trying to crush your hopes and curb your dreams. Don't let your dreams die. Don't lose hope, and know that Israel and others in the free world stand with you."

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21123/people-of-iran-seek-change

Question: Psalm:40:6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
See All... reads, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.” Why did David say this verse when a good chunk of Leviticus made rules on sacrifice?

Response: First of all, because he was inspired by the Lord to write this down. Secondly, he’s referencing 1 Samuel:15:22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
See All..., where Samuel was inspired to say, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Further, he is speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus. Verse 7 of Psalm 40 reads, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.”

Hebrews:10:5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
See All... explains further, “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me….”

Simply put, David wrote this verse because he was inspired by the Lord to do so and it speaks emphatically of the end of the Levitical sacrifices. In Hebrews:10:9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
See All..., God inspired the writer to say, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

*Our purpose in this section is to simply show what kind of feedback we receive. We may respond to some of them in private whether or not we agree with their views. 

Dear TBC,

Just finished reading TULIP and the Bible by Dave Hunt. Thank you! Answered a lot of questions. I have friends that hold to Calvinism so I wanted to learn more. MC (email)

Dear TBC,

Biblical ignorance is deadly to the soul. I pray each person [would] have a personal Bible and know it. Sadly, a lack of love and mentors in the church also leads to looking into wrong ways. The problem with the church is not hypocrisy, which is self-deception, but rather the number of intentional wolves within. 1 Samuel:15:23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
See All...: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” MS (email)

Dear TBC,

The deception of false Christs is flourishing. The Mormon-influenced The Chosen with their main actor, a Catholic, funneling watchers into their Catholic Hallow app, and now the JW's "Good News According to Jesus" drawing people to another cult. Jesus warned, "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" (Mt 24:26). People watching these productions are emotionally programmed by years of movie-watching to relate to actors and are ready to accept their false gospels and teachings. Anon. (email)

The Simplicity of the Gospel

[Taken from The Doctrine of Salvation: By Grace Through Faith, the Gift of God written by Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon, edited by Barbara Lay] 

Non-believers tend to get nervous when Christians start mentioning the concept of "being saved." It makes them uncomfortable. They may not understand some of the terminology used, or they may recall images of the less-than-scrupulous TV preachers crying out for them to be "saved" in one breath and then asking for money in the next.

And yet, the truth is that one of the most important concepts contained within the Word of God is the doctrine of salvation. Romans:1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
See All... states: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes...." The gospel is that declaration from God in His Word that very simply tells us that if we truly believe it, we are saved!

What exactly is this gospel? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:15:1-4 [1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
See All...: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." 

Then he continues with a clearer description of just what that gospel comprises: “...how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…." He gets a little more personal then, reminding them that, as proof, after Jesus rose He was seen by Cephas (Peter) and by other witnesses to the resurrection. And that is the gospel! It's a simple message.

In the Book of Acts, we read of the Philippian jailer, who was charged with the responsibility of keeping an eye on Paul and Silas. They had been thrown into prison for causing trouble in the city by teaching customs to the people that were not like what they had known previously. The two were locked up in the inner prison for their "crime," and their and their feet were fastened in the stocks. What did they do while there? Weep and groan? Curse God? Organize a protest? Demand legal representation?

Read the fascinating account: The Bible tells us that around midnight, "Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed. The keeper of the prison, awakening from his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying 'Do thyself no harm: for we are all here!' Then he [the jailer] called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'"

Paul didn't tell him, "Well, you have to get baptized now. You've got to join the church and go through the sacraments...." No, the jailer had asked a straightforward question, and Paul gave him a straightforward answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

To "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" means to believe in what Christ did for us when He died upon the Cross. We must understand and believe in the redemptive work that was finished then and there. If you truly believe this, you are saved! This is the gospel! It's not about works that we have done or might do. In John:3:36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
See All..., Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son has [present tense] everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him [italics added].”

The gospel is just a simple declaration of who Jesus Christ is and how we must receive Him into our hearts. In order to die for all the sins of mankind, He would have to be God. He alone could pay that infinite penalty—death—that His own infinite justice demanded, and then He rose from the grave the third day. He did it all. And He's alive now! We can have eternal life, pardon, and forgiveness as a free gift. The fact that it is a gift means we have to accept it as such. We can't pay for it. We can't earn it—and all of this together is the gospel itself!

T. A. McMahon

President

A person who rejects Christ may choose to say that “I do not accept it”; he may not choose to say there is not enough evidence.

—Simon Greenleaf, a principle founder of Harvard Law School (1783-1853)

Dino-to-Bird Dogma

Creation.com, 8/31/24, “Bird breathing anatomy breaks dino-to-bird dogma” [Excerpts]: Do we eat Kentucky Fried Dinosaur? According to the dogma of many evolutionary propagandists for the last decade or so, indeed we do—they believe that birds evolved from the carnivorous dinosaur group...theropods. Yet there are many problems with this idea. Research into the birds’ lung and leg anatomy provides more strong evidence against it.

However, there have been some lonely dissenters even among evolutionists. For example, Dr Storrs Olson, Curator of Birds at the National Museum [the Smithsonian Institution], wrote: “The idea of feathered dinosaurs and the theropod origin of birds is being actively promulgated by a cadre of zealous scientists acting in concert with certain editors at Nature and National Geographic who themselves have become outspoken and highly biased proselytizers of the faith.”

Yet another problem for the dino-bird theory is that birds and reptiles have very different lung systems. Reptilian lungs operate like bellows....But birds have a complicated system of air sacs, even involving their hollow bones. This system keeps air flowing in one direction through special tubes (parabronchi, singular parabronchus) in the lung, and blood moves through the lung’s blood vessels in the opposite direction for efficient oxygen uptake, an excellent engineering design.

Recent research has shown that Archaeopteryx skeletons had pneumatized vertebrae and pelvis. This indicates the presence of both a cervical and abdominal air sac, i.e. at least two of the five sacs present in modern birds. This in turn indicates that the unique avian lung design was already present in what most evolutionists claim is the earliest bird.

https://bit.ly/41GBQBi

Reading to Your Child Is So Important

IntellectualTakeout.org, 5/9/16, “Reading to Your Child: This Is Why It’s So Important” [Excerpts]: So what happens to children when they participate in shared reading? Does it make a difference to their learning? If so, what aspects of their learning are affected?

A number of studies have been conducted showing the value of shared reading in children’s language development, especially in vocabulary and concept development. Early childhood researcher Vivian Paley...found that kindergarten children learned when a story was dramatized in shared reading. Not only did children develop oral language, they imaginatively learned the conventions of a story, such as character, plot and themes....children also learned how to use language in multiple ways.

Other researchers have found that when parents, specifically mothers, knew how to interact with their children during shared reading using positive reinforcement and asking questions about the story, both children and mothers benefited.

What’s more, shared story experiences have also been shown to have an influence on children’s understanding of math concepts and geometry in kindergarten.

https://bit.ly/4gDdmgr

Divinity Students Forced to Read Witches Spell

TheCollegeFix.com, 9/3/24, “Yale divinity students forced to read from witch’s ‘spell’ at orientation” [Excerpts]: Yale’s Divinity School coerced students to read from a “spell” written by a “witch” as part of its Before the Fall Orientation.

One of these small group periods was the first activity of orientation. Participating as an incoming student in one of these circles, I saw how the discussion opened with a set of “Restorative Circle Rules.” These rules boiled down to a warning to be open minded: all viewpoints were expected to be heard, that you only have to take what you want from the circle and participate as wanted—at least nominally.

After this show of inclusion, we as students were led to read aloud, line by line and one by one, from Adrienne Brown’s “Radical Gratitude Spell.”

Brown has been described by Meeting of Minds as a “mixed-race Black queer American writer, community organizer, facilitator, witch and—may I say—goddess.”

This context of Brown, her work, and her particular spiritual inclinations was not given to students before participating in the reading. As such, the group reading of the spell took on an undeniable coven-like feeling, with students unable to fully consent to the pseudo-ritual knowingly, despite the Circle Rules.

https://bit.ly/4iI7jsB

Originally published December 1, 2003

Islam teaches that on the “last day” (which literally cannot come until Muslims have murdered all Jews on earth) all Muslims whose good deeds outweigh their bad deeds will enter Paradise. Following the example of their prophet Muhammad, killing non-Muslims, especially Jews, is among a Muslim’s best deeds. Dying in the process of killing any non-Muslim in jihad is the only assurance of Paradise that Islam offers. This is the tragic lie that motivates suicide bombers in Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere to deliberately target defenseless women and children.

Many who call themselves “Christians,” both Protestants and Catholics (though they may eschew the slaughter of Jews), have basically the same hope of reaching heaven by doing more good (in their estimation) than evil. Even elementary justice recognizes the folly of such an expectation.

No earthly court of law would annul a speeding ticket because the defendant had driven more miles within the speed limit than exceeding it—or set a killer free and reward him for saving the lives of more people than he had murdered. Surely such an outrageous concept, repugnant to the human conscience, would not justify anyone in the eyes of the infinitely holy and righteous Judge of the universe!

No matter how many “good deeds” a person may have done, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans:3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
See All...) and by His perfect standards are “condemned already” (John:3:18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
See All...). Nor can the One who says, “I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi:3:6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
See All...) and whose Word “For ever...is settled in heaven” (Psalm:119:89(LAMED.) For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
See All...) go back on His Word: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the [Word] that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm:89:34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
See All...).

We know that “God is love” (1 John:4:8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
See All...) and that He desires to “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy:2:4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
See All...). But He is also infinitely holy and righteous and cannot condone sin. He has declared, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel:18:4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
See All..., 20); and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans:6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
See All...). That sentence stands. “He cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy:2:13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
See All...).

Then how can God pardon sinners from eternal punishment without violating His own perfect justice? Would He not encourage sin and become an accomplice by forgiving the guilty? And how could He cancel the judgment He has pronounced without undermining His integrity?

Scripture declares that whoever breaks even one commandment “is guilty of all” (James:2:10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
See All...). Why? Disobedience of any of the Ten Commandments, no matter how slight it may seem from our perspective, is rebellion against God—and that is the essence of all sin. That being the case, how could the infinitely holy God fulfill His loving desire to forgive sinners?

This is the central issue. Yet this vital question isn’t even asked in Islam or Hinduism or any of the other world religions. They all promote the popular delusion that an excess of good deeds outweighing the bad will tip the scales of justice in the sinner’s favor. But that isn’t justice!

Clearly, keeping the law perfectly in the future (even if possible) could never make up for breaking just one law in the past. Is the failure to recognize that fact the fatal flaw in all religions? In fact, no thinking person could persist in this delusion. Men knowingly wink at such religious fraud in order to drive from conscience the awful fear of the consequences of rebellion against a holy God.

No, this deceit is maintained by stifling the convicting truth—the truth that God has placed in every conscience. Pride refuses to face the terrible implications of man’s guilt before God. Nor can Islam, Buddhism, false “Christianity,” or any human religion afford to admit the truth. It would lose its power over the masses if it confessed that it had nothing to offer, and that God alone could provide forgiveness to sinners.

Forgiveness of sin? How is that possible? Guilt, punishment, and pardon are clearly matters of justice—and justice cannot be set aside even by love, mercy, or grace. God’s righteous justice requires that sin’s penalty be paid in full. Any religion claiming to influence God to forgive sin is a fraud!

The penalty for the violation of God’s perfect law, which God’s infinite justice demands, is necessarily infinite. Man would be separated from God, eternally suffering to pay that impossible debt.

Only God Himself, who alone is infinite, could pay the infinite penalty. But how could He? He is not one of us. If only God could become a man...! And that is exactly the wonderful plan of salvation that unfolds throughout the pages of God’s Holy Word, the Bible—and only there.

Biblical prophets foretold that God Himself would come to this earth through a virgin birth: the seed of the woman “shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head” (Genesis:3:15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
See All...); “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]” (Isaiah:7:14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
See All...); “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...and his name shall be called...The mighty God, The everlasting Father...” (Isaiah:9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
See All...).

The Qur’an says that Allah is ever merciful and forgiving, yet he offers no just basis for such forgiveness. The Qur’an comes from one man, Muhammad, who claimed to be inspired by Allah speaking through Gabriel. Muslims rely upon Muhammad and the Qur’an, although the Qur’an itself exhorts the “Prophet” to confess his sins day and night (Surah 40:55, etc.) and declares that Allah changes his mind: “Such of our revelation as we abrogate or cause to be forgotten, we bring [in its place] one better or the like thereof” (Surah 2:106); “We put one revelation in place of another...” (16:101).

In contrast, the Bible came to us via about 40 men over the course of 1,600 years. Thus for each of its writers we have 39 other witnesses from different cultures and different times in history. Most of them never met. The only thing they had in common was the claim of being inspired by Yahweh, the one true God of “Abraham...of Isaac...and of Jacob” (Exodus:3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
See All..., plus 11 more times), the “God of Israel” (Exodus:5:1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
See All..., plus 202 more times). Their writings are harmoniously integrated with intricate themes developed from one to another in a manner that proves divine inspiration.

One theme running throughout from Genesis to Revelation is the crimson thread of God’s plan of salvation. This is carefully unfolded in deepening revelation from writer to writer—and supported by hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled without change or failure. God has left no doubt that He himself has come to earth through the virgin birth to pay the infinite penalty His own justice demands for sin, providing a just and eternal salvation.

Salvation for sinful man was part of God’s plan from all eternity. He knew that Adam and Eve would believe the serpent and that all their descendants would continue in that rebellion. God’s promise of forgiveness, however, is continually renewed through His prophets.

The means of salvation comes ever more clearly into focus through the unfolding picture presented in the Old Testament sacrificial system. It begins with the sacrificing of animals to provide the skins with which God clothed Adam and Eve after expelling them from the Garden. It was a temporary covering, not full forgiveness: “...the blood of bulls and of goats [can’t] take away sins” (Hebrews:10:4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
See All...).

The promised Savior was called the Messiah. That He would have to give His own life for the sins of mankind was pictured repeatedly in the sacrifices of innocent animals—especially the offering of a spotless, unprotesting lamb. We first meet the lamb as Abel’s sin offering. Cain’s insistence upon offering, instead, the efforts of his own hands was a clear rejection of God’s salvation and a prototype of all religions that have followed. The persecution throughout human history of those who obey God was also foreseen in Cain’s murder of his brother, Abel, because Abel’s slain lamb was accepted while Cain’s good works were not.

Repeatedly, a sacrificed lamb pictured the promise of the true Lamb of God, who would give “himself a ransom for all...” (1 Timothy:2:6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
See All...). That the Lamb would be the very Son of God was also foreseen. As Abraham led his son Isaac up Mount Moriah to sacrifice him there at God’s command, believing that God would raise him from the dead, Isaac asked, “...where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” In faith, Abraham responded, “God will provide himself a lamb...” (Genesis:22:7-8 [7] And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? [8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
See All...).

That promise runs through the Bible: “the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me” (Isaiah:48:16Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
See All...); “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John:4:14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
See All...). Failing to understand their own prophets, and thinking that the Messiah would immediately take the throne of David, most Jews didn't realize that He had to come first as the promised Lamb to be crucified for their sins in fulfillment of the Levitical offerings. Only upon His Second Coming in power and glory would He establish an earthly kingdom.

The sacrifice of a lamb and sprinkling of its blood upon the “two side posts and on the upper door post” of their houses (Exodus:12:7-13 [7] And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. [8] And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. [9] Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. [10] And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. [11] And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. [12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. [13] And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
See All...) caused the destroying angel to pass over the Israelites when God’s judgment fell upon Egypt, bringing Israel’s deliverance from cruel slavery, and is still celebrated as Passover by Jews worldwide.

Sadly, exactly as the prophets foretold, Israel mocked and crucified the “Holy One of God,” whom even the demons recognized (Mark:1:24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
See All...; Luke:4:34Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
See All...)! Few heeded John the Baptist: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John:1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
See All...).

In contrast, there is no just basis in Islam for forgiveness of sin. And even in Catholicism, which makes much of Christ’s crucifixion, its sufficiency is denied by the claim that in the “sacrifice of the Mass” He is being perpetually offered. Thus the penalty is never paid on Catholic altars. For if it were, as Scripture says, the Mass would have “ceased to be offered...the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins” (Hebrews:10:2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
See All...).

The continual offering of the supposedly “transubstantiated” body and blood of Christ on Rome’s altars rejects clear biblical declarations that “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many....[W]e are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once...after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, [He] sat down on the right hand of God....[B]y one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified....[T]here is no more offering for sin” (Hebrews:9:25-10
See All...:18). Every attempt to add to or to perpetuate Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross is a denial of Christ’s triumphant cry, “It is finished” (John:19:30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
See All...).

As in false “Christianity,” so in all the world’s religions, the penalty for sin is never paid but hangs over worshipers’ heads like a sword of Damocles: “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Romans:3:20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
See All...). Only Christ could and did pay the penalty of sin—but how can believing in Him justify a sinner? Paul confronts that very question: how could God “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans:3:26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
See All...)? He answers that there is nothing we can do but accept the sacrifice of Christ, which God has accepted on our behalf, and thereby we are “justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans:3:28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
See All...): “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts:16:31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
See All...)—“For by grace are ye saved through faith...not of works...” (Ephesians:2:8-10 [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
See All...).

Many who claim to believe in Christ insist upon adding their own efforts in partial payment for their salvation. But salvation is a gift: “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans:6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
See All...). To attempt to pay for salvation with church membership, prayers, or good deeds is an insult to Christ, who paid the full price—and is a rejection of the gift of God’s grace.

Some claim that Christ did not die for all mankind but only for those predestined to salvation, leaving the rest to eternal torment. Yet every picture of Christ’s sacrifice in the Old Testament was for all Israel. But every Jew was not saved, because all did not believe. Salvation is by faith.

The Passover was not only for all Israel but for all Egyptians also (Exodus 11-13), who would in faith kill a lamb and apply its blood to their houses. The manna was for all Israel; no one was left out. So it was with the water out of the rock: “[they] did all drink the same spiritual drink [from the Rock]...and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians:10:4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
See All...). And so it was with the Day of Atonement, all Levitical sacrifices, etc. These were for all Jews and for any strangers who would believe. There was never a hint that any sacrifice or other provision from God was for only a certain elect group.

We need not speculate whether John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All... means that God so loved all the world that He gave Christ to die for all. Christ settles that issue by introducing His cross to Nicodemus with another example from the Old Testament: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John:3:14-15 [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
See All...). Indisputably, being healed by looking to the serpent, exactly like all other Old Testament provisions pointing to Christ, was not for a limited number within Israel but for all who would believe.

So it is with every picture of the coming Lamb of God. Isaiah declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray...”(Isaiah:53:6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
See All...). This is an indictment of every person in Israel, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans:3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
See All...). In equally clear language, Isaiah adds the good news: “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all...” (Isaiah:53:6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
See All...). Just as all have gone astray, so Christ died for all: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...” (1 Timothy:1:15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
See All...). Satan tries to snatch these “good tidings of great joy...to all people” (Luke:2:10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
See All...) out of the hearts of those who hear it, “lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke:8:12Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
See All...).

Let us stand upon God’s Word, proclaiming to all the world that a Savior was born in Bethlehem, “the Lamb of God,” to bear away the sin of the world; that He died on the cross for the sins of all; and that the gift of eternal life is offered freely to all who will receive it in childlike faith.

TBC

• Question: Why do so many focus on Trump and America in regard to Israel?
• Question: Why do some believers fall away?
• Question: How can Psalm 40:6 and Leviticus exist at the same time?
• Letters
• TBC Notes
• Quotable
• NewsWatch
• A Return to Biblical Christianity—Part Two

Question: I have a question which simply asks, “In view of all the Lord has done for believers, why do some fall away or go into apostasy?”

Response: First, as Scripture tells us, there are those who claim to be believers, who have never been saved (See—https://bit.ly/41D6NWQ). Apostasy has been a part of every generation since the beginning and fall of mankind. Scripture tells us that it will culminate in the last days when the Antichrist is revealed. His religion will be an apostate Christianity—it will accommodate all religions. Although the apostasy will not be fully realized until after the Rapture of the church, its development has been ongoing from the time when sin entered the human race. Furthermore, down through biblical and church history, many true believers, either in ignorance or because of the weaknesses of their flesh, have contributed to apostasy. Solomon seems to exemplify this, he also married pagan women, which was contrary to Scripture. These women turned him to idolatry and he built temples for them to worship their false gods.

In church history, men such as Augustine and Martin Luther are regarded as true believers, especially by those who hold to Reformation theology. Yet Augustine conceptualized many of the dogmas that are foundational to the false theology and false gospel of the largest apostate institution in Christendom—the Roman Catholic Church. Luther is to be commended for his heroic stance against the Church of Rome but certainly not for his replacement theology and his anti-biblical hatred of the Jews. Later church history is replete with professing and confessing Christians who (knowingly or unknowingly) participated in the development of apostasy.

As Dave Hunt noted, “those who believe in falling away would say of a professing Christian who has denied the faith and is living in unrepentant sin that he has ‘fallen from grace’ and has ‘lost his salvation.’ In contrast, those who believe there is security for believers, while no more tolerant of such conduct, would say of the same person that probably Christ ‘never knew him’—he was never a Christian. We must give the comfort and assurance of Scripture to those who are saved; but at the same time we must not give false and unbiblical comfort to those who merely say they are saved but deny with their lives what they profess with their lips.

“Are we not then saved by our works? Indeed not! In 1 Corinthians:3:13-15 [13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
See All... every Christian’s works are tried by fire at the ‘judgment seat of Christ’ before which ‘we must all appear’ (2 Cor:5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
See All...). Good works bring rewards; a lack of them does not cause loss of salvation. The person who hasn’t even one good work (all of his works are burned up) is still ‘saved; yet so as by fire’ (1 Cor:3:15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
See All...). We would not think such a person was saved at all. Yet one who may seem outwardly not to be a Christian, who has no good works as evidence—if he has truly received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, is then ‘saved as by fire’ and shall never perish in spite of his lack of works.”

Question: Why do so many focus on President Trump and America in regards to Israel? I am expecting all nations to turn against Israel, but others seem to think America is the answer to Israel’s problems. I have quite a few of your books (Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon) and have been getting your newsletter for many years. I’m not swayed by these kinds of ideas, but I am bewildered at what is being promoted. Building the Third Temple? I know some are working on breeding red heifers, too.

Response:Some may consider America and President Trump to be the answer to Israel’s problems, but Scripture has another view. In Joel:3:2I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
See All..., the prophet writes, “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land [emphasis added].”

“All nations” must include the United States (if it still exists at that time). So, while Trump’s administration and possibly Vance’s (if he is elected) may grant some time for Israel to build a Third Temple, 2 Thessalonians:2:1-5 [1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, [2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. [3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. [5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
See All... tells us: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”

As to “the man of sin” (the Antichrist), there has to be a Third Temple existing for the desecration of “the temple of God” to take place. Further, we are reminded that in the Olivet discourse, Jesus prophesied, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains…. For then shall be great tribulation…” (Matthew:24:15-21 [15] When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) [16] Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: [17] Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: [18] Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. [19] And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! [20] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
See All...).

As we have noted, there are a growing number of “Bible teachers” who spiritualize these words of Jesus and them, for one example, to speak of the event or personage as symbolic of something else. Nevertheless, Jesus’ Jewish listeners clearly understood His Words quite literally. Indeed, they would point to an almost identical event when Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the king of Syria, captured Jerusalem in 167 BC and desecrated the temple by offering the sacrifice of a pig on an altar to Zeus (the Abomination of Desolation). The Words of Jesus are easily recognized as predicting a repetition of what Antiochus did, and to do so, there must be a real physical temple in Jerusalem at the End of Days.

The scientist who is a Christian, on the other hand, is willing to consider every possibility. If the evidence proves that he has believed a lie, he will abandon his faith. The fact that he is confident that no evidence, when all the facts are known, could ever prove that the Bible is wrong, does not prevent him from honest investigation to see whether evolution can be supported by objective evidence or not. He is free to examine all the facts and follow them wherever they may lead.

This is the gospel, that sins are remitted in the name of Christ; and no heart ever received tidings more glad….or when man through repentance has come to the knowledge of himself, he finds nothing but utter despair. Hence, wholly distrusting himself, he is forced to take refuge in the mercy of God. But when he has begun to do that, justice makes him afraid. Then Christ appears, who has satisfied the divine justice for our trespasses. When once there is faith in Him, then salvation is found; for He is the infallible pledge of God’s mercy.

Through Christ alone we are given salvation, blessedness, grace, pardon, and all that makes us in any way worthy in the sight of a righteous God.“

— Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531, Swiss Christian theologian, musician, and leader of the Reformation in Switzerland).

A humanitarian disaster in Gaza is being deepened by a total breakdown in law and order, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas is rendering the enclave uninhabitable, a senior official of the main UN aid agency there, UNRWA, said on Friday.

UNRWA official Natalie Boucly also said arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli politicians as well as a leader of Hamas by an international tribunal meant there would be a reckoning for the suffering inflicted on millions.

"Basically, the entire population of Gaza is in desperate need of assistance amid a looming famine," said Boucly, UNRWA's deputy commissioner-general, programs and partnerships.

Banning UNRWA

Israel's parliament passed a law last month that will ban UNRWA from operating in the country when it takes effect in late January. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said its implementation "will have catastrophic consequences."

UNRWA has faced a list of controversies since Hamas invaded southern Israel and murdered some 1200 people. Notably, some UNRWA staff have been accused of participating in the attacks, which saw over 250 people abducted. A UNRWA social worker abducted Yonatan Samerano during the attacks, and his mother has since campaigned for the UNRWA chief for his release. 

Speaking at a conference in Cyprus, Boucly said 500 trucks of pre-war aid entering the Palestinian enclave daily had now fallen to 37, with those supplies now at risk of looting by criminal gangs.

Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted by Hamas-led gangs on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13 months of war in the enclave.

"Gaza has become uninhabitable," she said, calling the situation a failure of humanity.

Israel has frequently drawn attention to this but has faced numerous barriers in ensuring that aid is distributed to the civilians of Gaza. During one point of the conflict, Egypt prevented aid from entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing in protest of Israel's military occupation of the Gazan side of the city - despite it being revealed Hamas had held hostages in Rafah and had constructed significant infrastructure. 

The United Nations has also been accused of failing to deliver aid, allowing it to pile up in wait, despite being it admitted into the enclave by Israel.

International efforts to increase aid flow into the enclave have also failed. Notably, the United States invested over $200 million in an aid pier which would later be deconstructed after failings.

Jordan, the US, Spain, and other countries also attempted to airdrop aid as a way to bypass Hamas, but the drop in aid proved insufficient. The US was later forced to reject reports that the aid had killed Palestinians.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-830296

Has he shown us that Darwinism can “explain the organized complexity of life?” No, he hasn’t even come within miles of doing that. Darwinism fails completely in this respect. Nor has Dawkins ever shown that creation by God could not account for the “organized complexity of life. . . .” In fact, it is the only alternative that can! But he won’t even consider that possibility. So the religion of atheism hampers the scientist in research and judgment because it restricts him to only one point of view.

Richard Dawkins dares to say, “I show that all the alternatives to Darwinism that have ever been suggested are in principle incapable of . . . explaining the organized complexity of life. . . . My reasoning, if it is correct, tells us something important about life everywhere in the universe.” If it is correct? He acknowledges that this is just a theory, and a shaky one at that—but that doesn’t prevent him from proceeding as though it were true because he has no other hope to explain life on earth. It must be correct—this is the best his atheism can offer—and atheism is the one thing he will not abandon under any circumstance.