WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST?

“I will go and return to My place, til they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me early.

“Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.” (Hosea 5:15; 6:1-2)

This is one of the most significant scriptures in the entire Bible dealing with the ‘Second Coming’ rapture of Jesus Christ!

Thousands of years ago, the Old Testament prophet pin-pointed the sins of the Jewish nation in: No. 1 - breaking the Mosaic Covenant and No. 2 - the rejection of their Messiah, as well as their terrible suffering and return to God in repentance and faith in the last days! 

For nearly two thousand years, the Church of Jesus Christ has lived in the hope of His promised return. Old Testament prophets HAD FORETOLD IN DETAIL the time and place of His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miraculous ministry, His vicarious death and His glorious resurrection. They also prophesied His second advent and triumphant millennial reign!

WHY HAVE JEWISH PEOPLE SUFFERED SO TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE MILLENNIA'S?

THE UNDERLYING REASON for the terrible suffering, pain and sorrows meted out to the Jews over centuries and millennia, is because they broke the covenant Moses made with God on their behalf!

If you doubt that, read the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy which details the blessings of God upon Israel if they keep the covenant (vs. 1-14) and the curses of God upon Israel if they break the covenant (vs. 15-68).

THE SECOND REASON - which accounts for only a limited period of ‘one generation’ - is that they rejected their Messiah!

Jesus stated, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: THAT UPON YOU (only that specific generation which rejected Jesus as their Messiah, not subsequent generations!) may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matt. 23:34-39)

Please Note: The rejection of the Messiah was only the tip of the iceberg in a long list of “killing the prophets & stoning them that have been sent to you”!

As a matter of fact, the crucifixion of Jesus was not included in the reason for God’s judgment upon them. Jesus specified the blood shed from Abel to Zacharias. He did not mention His own blood!               

For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church as well as some Protestant Churches said the Jewish race was cursed because of their rejection & condemnation of Jesus Christ which culminated in His crucifixion by the Romans!

That teaching was terribly flawed and became a tool which was used to denigrate & destroy Jewish people! For centuries, Jews were called Christ-killers and only recently has the Roman Catholic Church renounced that evil, devilish doctrine! It’s almost bizarre that the Roman Catholic Church would call Jews by that terrible name, since it was Italians (Romans) who crucified our Lord. Yet no one thought of calling Italians, ‘Christ-killers’!

The teaching I refer to is, that the reason for Jewish suffering is because they made a deal with Governor Pontius Pilate, saying: “Let His blood be upon us and upon our children”. (Matt. 27:25)       

Let me make myself abundantly clear on this point: It is impossible for the blood of Jesus to harm anyone or bring any curse upon Jews or anyone else! THE BLOOD OF JESUS BRINGS ONLY FORGIVENESS, HEALING & ETERNAL LIFE! IT CANNOT BRING A CURSE! (1 John 1:7; Col. 1:20)

I repeat: Israel’s grievous sin of breaking their covenant with God is the primary reason for their suffering

The Bible says, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke...until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken Me. The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.”

“The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart...Moreover He will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God...and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other...

“And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships...and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.” (Deuteronomy  15, 20-22, 27-29, 59-64, 68)

It is of vital importance for everyone to know that even though Moses - God’s prophet & lawgiver - prophesied 2000 years earlier concerning the blessings of keeping the covenant (v. 1-14), the Jewish people had made with the Almighty as well as the curses that would come upon them if they broke the covenant (v. 15-68), his prophecy came to pass in the minutest detail!

Verse 68 states that if they broke the Mosaic Covenant, they would be taken back to Egypt - as slaves - in ships. It stated further, that no man would buy them. Here are the brutal facts: After General Titus had destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, killing 1.1 million Jews in the siege, 89,000 Jews were taken to Egypt as slaves. There was such a hatred against Jews, that it was below the dignity of any Roman to own a Jewish slave. Among our nations, only Egypt would take Jews as slaves! That’s how perfectly true God’s prophetic Word is!

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST?

Jesus was born to die! (1 Corinthians  15:3; Romans  5:7-8; 1 John 3:8) He was ordained to be the propitiation for our sins, in order to satisfy the DEMANDS OF DIVINE JUSTICE (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10) He was crucified by the foreknowledge of God. (Acts 2:23)

Although God used Judas, a human instrument to betray our Lord, the Jewish leaders to unjustly condemn Him to death and the Romans to do the terrible deed, it was according to God’s will, plan & purpose. (Romans  8:32)

IN FACT, IT WAS GOD THE FATHER WHO LAID THE STRIPES UPON HIM AND SMOTE HIM. I never fully understand God’s love, until it was revealed to me during a crusade in Kenya. When He showed me His great love, I wept for 3 days and nights! Here are the scriptures that touched my heart, and I pray will also minister to you!

“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” (Rom. 8:28)

St. Paul declared that God’s love is so great that He did not spare His only Son but turned Him over to murderers and gangsters (delivered Him up) to be humiliated, tortured & crucified on the “cursed tree” for us.

And since Jesus paid the ultimate price by making the supreme sacrifice for us, God will freely give us whatever Jesus’ death & resurrection has provided, since He is seated - even now - on God’s right hand as our Saviour, Redeemer & Advocate!

Not only did our Heavenly Father deliver up His Son to die, HE ALSO LAID OUR SINS AND SICKNESSES UPON HIM (Isaiah 53:4-6; Matt. 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24). God’s love regarding our salvation was so intense that He rejoiced when Jesus suffered & bled for us. The Bible says, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He hath put him to grief”. (Isaiah 53:10)

The Norwegian translation says: “Det behaget Herren til å knuse ham - it pleased the Lord to CRUSH Him”.

MUCH BITTERNESS IN OLDER JEWISH PEOPLE & UNBELIEF IN THE YOUNG!

The ‘children of Israel’ suffered terribly for thousands of years, from the time of the Babylonian captivity until Hitler’s holocaust! This suffering continued under the cruel yoke of Soviet Communism for decades more. Since the coming of glasnost and perestroika and the dissolution of the ‘Evil Empire’ in 1991, however, hundreds of thousands of these precious people have immigrated to Israel!

In my dealings with older Jewish people, I HAVE DISCERNED MUCH BITTERNESS TOWARD CHRISTIANS, GOD AND LIFE IN GENERAL, because of the treatment their forbears received at the hands of cruel Papal armies during the Middle Ages. That is understandable because the evil, unholy acts carried out BY THAT RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION were done in the name of Jesus Christ!             

In order for Jewish people, however, to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, they must - like everyone else - stop blaming other people for their own problems!

The Bible says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...for there is no difference: For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:10-23)

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-13)

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew...But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (Col. 3:11, 24-25)

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES. ALL HAVE SINNED AND ALL NEED A SAVIOUR. AND JESUS CHRIST IS THAT SAVIOUR!

The truth is, that only Jesus Christ can forgive and save lost humanity! He alone has the power to forgive sins, remove fear and condemnation and give peace to troubled hearts and minds, having defeated death, hell and the grave and purchased full salvation for all who receive Him as Lord and Saviour!             

WHY IS THIS? Only Jesus Christ qualifies as the Saviour of the world, because He shed His precious blood as the sacrificial ‘pascal lamb’ on Mount Calvary and died as our substitute, according to the Old Testament Scriptures! (Rom. 1:4)

A very great injustice has been done to Christianity in general, however, and the Church of the Living God, in particular, because of:

Recent books, articles and statements made by a few Jewish authors, linking the horrible beliefs of Adolf Hilter and Nazism to the teachings of the Christian Church.

The very vocal and totally unfair books and statements made by prejudiced, liberal Protestant authors who attack Christianity and the teachings of St. Paul, employing the same biased linkage!

The totally unfair, prejudiced and accusatory film "Anti-Semitism" of the United States Holocaust Museum which lays blame for the Holocaust, on the teachings of Christianity~

MANY JEWS FEEL THAT GOD DESERTED THEM, BECAUSE OF THE HOLOCAUST! 

A recent report by ‘Christianity Today’ states: “Now, a group of prominent Jews has accused the United States Holocaust Museum...of misleading the public by blaming Hitler’s genocidal program on historic Christian beliefs about Jews. “The film paints with a broad brush. A dull voice intones disconnected facts and quotations that leave the viewer believing that anti-Jewish bias is the result of Christian influence on the Roman Empire, that it has been Christian society alone that has marginalized and oppressed Jews, and that Nazi racial prejudice against the Jews was in clear continuity with earlier religious prejudice. The Anti-Judaism that preceded Christianity and that had long existed outside Europe, is ignored.”

The New York Times quoted Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches as saying, “If you look at the Nazi regime, you can see in it the philosophy of Christian superiority.”

‘Christianity Today’ points out how inaccurate that statement is, “ignoring Nazi beliefs about the defects in historic Christianity”. And ironically, Campbell made that statement in an interview where she downplayed the awful persecution, suffering and torture inflicted upon Christians around the world today!

Incidentally, it is a Jewish Barrister, Michael Horowitz who is awakening clergymen and politicians alike to the horrible persecution, torture, enslavement and other atrocities being carried out against Christians by many governments in the world today!

In her book, ‘Faith and Fraticide’, Rosemary Radford Ruether, called upon Christians to abandon the belief that Jesus is the Saviour for everyone in favor of the notion that Jesus is the saviour of some while others will have their own ‘saviours’, stated the ‘Christianity Today’ article.

A GREAT AWAKENING HOWEVER, IS HAPPENING TODAY AMONG THE JEWISH PEOPLE. THEIR HEARTS ARE OPENING TO THEIR MESSIAH AS HE PROPHESIED!

Hundreds of years before His first coming, the Jewish Messiah stated that He would “GO AND RETURN TO MY PLACE” referring to Heaven, until the Jewish people acknowledge their offence (sin) and seek My face. They are doing that now!

In 1971,  I conducted a Gospel crusade in the YMCA building in Jerusalem. We distributed 10,000 handbills there as well as carried ads in the ‘Jerusalem Post’. A lot of Arabs, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Protestants attended. Only a miniscule number of Jews came to our meeting!

Even 20 years ago, you couldn’t find more than 100 born again Christian Jewish believers in Israel. Today, there are more than 70,000 in 90 different congregations in that nation!

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? The ‘Law of the Return’ opened the door for any Jewish person with at least one Jewish grandparent, to immigrate to Israel. About 750,000 returned from Eastern Europe and several hundred thousands from South America. Some of these were believers in Jesus Christ and they brought the gospel (the good news) with them to the land of the Bible!

Hosea states that they will recognize their grave error and with repentant hearts return to the Lord, realizing that God had to punish their forefathers for breaking the Mosaic Covenant, and for rejecting their Messiah!

Notice, they will say, “Come, let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up”. Then the prophet interjects something very important - A TIME-DATE LINE! “After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight”. (Hosea 6:1-2)

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The Word of God interprets itself and we read in 2 Peter 3:8-9: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”.

As I see it, the period of suffering for the Jewish nation is almost at an end and the Lord God Almighty will restore them to their rightful place, and JERUSALEM will become the most important city on earth!

It’s about 2000 years since God’s judgment fell upon Israel and according to St. Peter, “one day with our Lord is as a thousand years with us”. The prophecy states, “After two days (2000 years) will He (the Lord) revive us (bring us back to life) and in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight”.

Without doubt, this refers to the ‘Millennial Reign of Christ’, which will be one thousand years of peace upon earth with Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, ruling from Jerusalem!

There are four significant signs that show us where we stand today in relation to our Lord’s return, namely:

The Sick Condition of our Planet
The Sick Condition of the World
The Sick Condition of Israel
The Sick Condition of the Church

NO. 1 - THE SICK CONDITION OF OUR PLANET

1) Mankind is groaning under the terrible weight of sin and condemnation. Satan - the enemy of God and man - has bound the human race with shackles of rebellion, unbelief, fear, torment, lust, greed, hatred and perversion! It was Adam’s acquiescence to the Evil One’s lying temptation that brought sickness and death (spiritual and physical) upon the human race!

The Bible states: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope,

“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:19-23)

People everywhere are waiting for the ‘MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD’! What does that mean? Six billion people are looking for an escape from the emptiness, fear, torment, sickness and bondage in which they live.

THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US - GOD’S CHILDREN TO BE SO FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE CAN FREE THEM FROM THE TYRANNY AND LIES OF THE DEVIL AND HIS EMMISARIES!

Don’t believe for a moment, that the millions lost in sin and bound by evil spirits of occultism, superstition, false religion, satanic oppression and sexual perversion are happy in that state! No one enjoys being in slavery to witchcraft, fear, torment and evil spirits!

Oh, some are sufficiently deceived to live in a fool’s paradise having convinced themselves that everything is A-Okay, but the opposite is true. If everything is all right, why do so many rock musicians die of drug overdoses and commit suicide? Why do many Hollywood stars die of alcoholism? And why do some of the greatest performing artists die of AIDS due to an unhealthy, filthy, perverted lifestyle of sodomy? And why do wealthy, successful people - who seem to have everything going for them - take their own lives?

The Bible says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, bringing forth mire and dirt. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked”. (Isaiah 57:20-21)

Our enemy is not flesh and blood, but Satan himself and all his demons that tempt, deceive, coerce, inhibit, afflict, torment, steal and kill! Our battle is with the devil - not with human beings, however he does use people to do his bidding! The devil must have his emissaries & ministers, to do his evil work!

And what of the Hindu extremists constantly fighting the Muslims in India and the Seiks battling the Hindus? And the (political) ungodly Roman Catholic IRA killing the (political) ‘Christian-in-name-only’ Protestants and vice versa?

And if the pagan are so happy in their religious life, why are there so many ‘holy jihads’? Two examples: Muslim Iran against Muslim Iraq in a seven year war that saw one million men die, and at present Islamic extremists terrorizing and butchering hundreds of their own people in Algeria?

THEY DO NOT KNOW GOD and have not been changed by His mighty power. Anyone who has been converted to Christ, being born again by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, would certainly not be waging ‘holy wars’ against their fellowmen. The only warfare that we are commanded to fight is the ‘Good Fight of Faith’!

HOW DO WE FIGHT THE DEVIL?

The Bible says, “Satan, your adversary, goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour, whom resist in the faith...” (1 Peter 5:9) We resist him by serving Jesus to the best of our ability; by living a holy and righteous life, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, healing the sick and casting our devils!

The Scripture says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

IN OUR SEARCH FOR MORE LAND TO CONQUER, NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE OUR LIVING STANDARDS AND THE PURSUIT OF MORE WEALTH, MANKIND HAS ENGAGED IN WARS, ENSLAVEMENT, VIOLENCE AND POLLUTION WHICH HAS RAPED OUR ENVIRONMENT, WATER, LAND & AIR!

No. 2) Our Planet is groaning under the terrible weight of the awful harvest of mankind’s sins of rebellion, greed, hatred, violence and slavery!

In the beginning, after the fall of our first parents, THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE was plunged into sin, fear, sickness & death! God immediately placed a curse upon the earth - “And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life”. (Gen. 3:17)

OUR PLANET is struggling to stay alive and is groaning under this burden! The ‘second law of thermodynamics’ began after the fall and continues today with aging, deterioration and decay. Only the return of Jesus Christ will salvage the earth. Mankind will not be allowed to destroy the earth, but will be punished for defiling and polluting it, as is prophesied in the last book of the Bible.

THE BIBLE SAYS, “And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; And shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Rev. 11:18)

God will have the last word and will judge polluters! If you want a good example of this, look at the former Soviet Union which polluted the land, sea and air and after raping the environment, ended up totally bankrupt!

JESUS CHRIST MUST RETURN IN ORDER TO SAVE US FROM OUR OWN DESTRUCTIONS, SO THAT HE CAN REIGN ON THIS EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY!

No. 3) Believers in Jesus Christ, like St. Paul, are waiting for the moment when we can be free from the limitations of our weak, carnal flesh and to be glorified (in the next life) to forever be in Heaven with Jesus Christ and all the redeemed from all ages! WE WILL THEN RECEIVE A RESURRECTED BODY WITHOUT THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE TODAY!

The Bible says, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:23)

Eternity will be a joyful time of peace and glory as we live eternally in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ and all the redeemed from every nation, tongue and people of all ages!

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Rev 19:6-9)

NO. 2 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE WORLD!

The Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

These are Satan’s three knockout-punches which he uses to tempt the “children of men”, namely: 1) the lust of the eyes, 2) the lust of the flesh and 3) the pride of life!

Satan used these three temptations on Eve with great success. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of th eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Gen. 3:6)

King David fell under this temptation also: He saw a beautiful woman taking a bath in the privacy of her garden (the lust of the eyes). He desired her and sent for her, committing adultery (the lust of the flesh). HE FELL AFTER ONLY TWO STRIKES!

JESUS DEFEATED HIM TOTALLY!

It was a different story when Satan used his time-tested strategy on our Lord Jesus Christ. He withstood the temptation and defeated the devil each time he came with a new “trick up his sleeve”!

After Jesus had fasted 40 days, Satan said to Him: “Command that these stones be made bread.” (the lust of the flesh) Jesus answered, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The devil tried again: “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (the pride of life) Jesus answered, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” IN OTHER WORDS, GOD DOESN’T CLOWN FOR ANYBODY!

Finally, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said: “All these things will I give thee (pride of life), if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” WHAT A DESPICABLE, ARROGANT, EGOTIST SATAN IS! Jesus rebuffed him immediately with the Word of God saying, “Get thee hence, Satan (enemy): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:1-11)

SATAN HAD TO LEAVE HIM, THEN!

The Bible affirms that Satan is “the god of this world” and “the spirit which now worketh in the children of the disobedience”. (John 12:31; Eph. 2:2) He is the world’s greatest liar and the father of lies and a murderer extra-ordinaire (John 8:44)!

The whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one (1 John 5:19) and he “goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We however, can “resist him in the faith and he will flee from us”. (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7)

The Bible records that Demos was swayed by the bright lights of Thessalonica and forsook Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). And St. John commends the young men in the Church for overcoming the wicked one! (1 John 2:13)

ST. PAUL WARNED OF THE TOTAL DETERIORATION OF MORALITY, DECENCY AND FAIRNESS IN THE LAST DAYS. DECADENCE & PERVERSION WILL RULE JUST PRIOR TO OUR LORD’S RETURN, STATED THE APOSTLE! AS WE READ THE PROPHECY WE FEEL SADDENED BY THE RESEMBLANCE OF OUR PRESENT AGE TO THE PROPHETIC WORD OF GOD!

“This know also, that IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

“Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” (1 Tim. 4:1) “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Eph. 5:11-12) “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Phil. 3:17-20)

Interjected among the reports of hypocrisy, backsliding & gross moral evils, St. Paul interjects the Blessed Hope of the Return of Jesus Christ!

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our thoughts, actions, prayers, plans, goals and complete agenda here, is tied to Heaven’s plans, purposes and desires. We belong to His heavenly kingdom and labour first and foremost for Christ!

Why is this so important? Only our Blessed Jesus Christ has the mandate, power & desire to straighten out this wicked world. Therefore we wait for Him to come!

PERVERSION VYING FOR RESPECTABILITY!

Jesus prophesied that the time will come, “that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service”. (John 16:2)

And the prophet stated, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes...Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Is. 5:20-23)

St. Paul expounded, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” (2 Cor. 4:3-5)

That this WORLD IS EVIL AND PERVERTED is no secret! The world system that despises that which is good and glorifies that which is EVIL is a product of Satanic invention, since he is the “god of this world”!

Again Paul declares that Jesus Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father”. (Gal. 1:4)

VIOLENCE: A SIGN OF LAST DAYS!

Jesus warned of the tremendous increase of violence which would identify the time just prior to His return. He made the comparison between that time and the Antedeluvian age of Noah, as well as the days of Lot!

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30)

  NO. 1 - THE DAYS OF NOAH!

The Bible gives us a good description of the wickedness, violence and ungodliness which pervaded the antedeluvian age. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth...

“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Gen. 6:5-7, 11-13)

In verses 11 and 12, the Bible characterizes “the Days Before the Flood” as corrupt and violent! People in general had forsaken the Lord and were living only for themselves, filled with greed, lust, pride and unrighteousness!

THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE THESE TIMES, with people turning their backs upon the teachings of God’s Word, so that they can do their own things?

  NO. 2 - THE DAYS OF LOT!

The Prophet Ezekiel pinpoints the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah as follows: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” (Ezek. 16:49-50)

Here is a list of their sins:

  PRIDE
  FULLNESS OF BREAD
  ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS
  LACK OF COMPASSION
  PERVERTED SEX

Our world is guilty of all these five sins in this generation. Sin is the transgression of God’s law, a rebellious spirit against that which is godly!

Pride is the sin which caused Lucifer’s fall!

When there is too much wealth, people usually get spoiled and want more! Never satisfied, they strive for more and more!

Abundance of idleness - is the devil’s opportunity to fill the mind with nonsense. Shorter work weeks gives people more time to serve the lusts of the flesh, the world and the devil!

A lack of compassion for the poor and needy is always a sign of pride, arrogance and selfishness!

Sexual perversion is one of the final signs of a fast dying society! And when perverted sex is mandated by law as an alternate lifestyle and heralded by the media as healthy and normal, then you know we are in desperate straights.

That’s where we are today in CANADA! Oh, how badly we need a red-hot revival in our land and across the world! May God help us!

My prayer is that God will speed the day that Heaven will come down to us with abundant blessings for everyone! Will you join me in prayer? Send us an offering to continue preaching the gospel by radio, TV and the printed page! Please help us to reach more with the TRUTH before it is too late! Thank you!

  NO. 3 - THE SICK CONDITION OF ISRAEL

At this moment in history, Israel is very vulnerable because of the pressure placed upon them by the nations of the world to give up land for peace.

And the United States - who traditionally has been their friend, is turning the screws the hardest of all.

Eventually, Israel will succumb to all this pressure and give away so much land that they will be unable to defend themselves. Sometime in the future, Israel will be deceived into accepting the Antichrist as their Messiah and will suffer terribly because of that. Referring to this, our Lord said to the Jewish leaders,

“I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another (the anti-Christ) shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (John 5:43)

The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus Christ Who came to save them in His Father’s Name. When Antichrist comes in his own name, they will receive him!

WHAT A SAD & TRAGIC COMMENTARY ON WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

My guess is that Iraq will eventually be reduced in power after the United States and her allies are finished with her. Then undoubtedly, Iran will pick up the pieces and gobble up Iraq (and possibly Syria) and control all the oil flow in the Middle East!

Iran will then be the dominant power in the area, with the USA and Israel giving in to their demands! According to God’s Word, Russia will rise in great power again and lead the march against Israel!

The prophet Ezekiel declared that Iran (Persia) together with Ethiopia, Libya & Turkey will march against Israel in the great battle of ‘Gog and Magog’.

GOD WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL AND DEFEND HER! A great slaughter will unfortunately take place however, before God’s chosen people come to their senses. They will ultimately receive their long awaited Messiah Jesus Christ, when He comes again in power and great glory at the end of the age!

He will then rule and reign for 1000 years of peace upon planet earth, as King of kings and Lord of lords!

  NO. 4 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE CHURCH!

Celebrated Canadian writer, Peter Newman exposes the weaknesses in our churches and outlines wherein and how we have failed to communicate the Gospel to our children, grandchildren and our neighbours.

In his recent book, ‘The Canadian Revolution’ Peter Newman chronicles the free-fall of the United Church of Canada’s membership as well as their influence in society during the past three decades.

Newman writes, “The United Church, formed in 1925 through a union of Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, suffered the steepest decline. Three million Canadians declared their United Church affiliation to the latest census takers but less than 380,000 bothered going to church. Although the most liberal of the mainstream congregations, allowing for the ordination of gay priests and promoting the social gospel, the United Church found itself paradoxically unable to attract the young.”

A footnote says, “An increasingly typical event was the closing, during the fall of 1994, of Chalmers United Church in downtown Vancouver. There wasn’t a single member left on its congregational rolls who was less than 80 years old.”

For years, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby has tracked the religious life of Canadians. In his book ‘Unknown Gods’ , Bibby states: “Tragically, religious groups are failing in what appear to be spiritually prosperous times. The churches are inept religious companies that cannot get the faith out of the ware house …The news is that interest and intrigue persist, in spite of the problems of organized religion. The result may be a very sizable, ongoing spiritual vacuum.”

The Anglican Church, according to the census has 2.2 million members with 784,000 active adherents. Addressing the church synod in 1994, Archbishop Peter O’Driscoll warned: “In the next ten to fifteen years the largest age group in the present Anglican Church of Canada will be dead. At the end of two generations, there won’t be enough people to say there’s still an Anglican Church alive in this country.”

HOW SAD AND TRAGIC!

While the Anglican Church lost 250,000 members from 1981 to 1991, and the United Church lost 665,000 members during that same period - that’s 10 % and 20 % respectively - the Pentecostal Church grew by 100,000 adherents and the Christian & Missionary Alliance doubled in size!

The November,1965 issue of Canada’s Revival Magazine, ‘Cry of His Coming’ carried the following prophetic headline: 1965 UNITED CHURCH NEW CURRICULUM SETS STAGE FOR MORE APOSTACY! MODERATOR REV. HOWSE DENIES PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST !

In that article, this author wrote under the by-line, ‘THE GREAT FALLING AWAY’ - St. Paul warns: “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.” (2 Thess. 2:3)

The ‘Great Falling Away’ is Here Now- with entire denominations of Christian Churches turning their backs on the Holy Scriptures, declaring them fallible and contradictory. They despise the great truths of the Bible, and exchange them for their own humanistic, man-made philosophies!

As strange as this may seem, these reprobate preachers actually play-out the exact role of ‘backsliding Israel’ in Old Testament times.

“For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jer. 2:13)

HERE IS A LIST OF THEIR BACKSLIDINGS!

They have violated the sanctity of the Holy Bible, discarding the eternal truths of God’s Word. Man-made philosophies, secular humanism and blatantly spurious doctrines have filled the void!

They rely almost totally on man’s wisdom and carnal knowledge, having rejected the wisdom that comes solely from the Holy Scriptures. This leaves them incapable of making sound spiritual decisions!

They have rejected the counsel of the Holy Spirit- divine paraclete- and draw their inspiration from the teachings of others similarly deceived. Serious decision making regarding spiritual matters and doctrine is therefore prejudiced, flawed and compromised!

Their emphasis is on good works, rather than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. The ‘social gospel’ they preach is devoid of the grace of God and faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Their ‘good works’ message offers only secular and political rhetoric to undo social injustices, without a sound spiritual foundation!

They have desecrated the Holy Scriptures by substituting their own verbiage instead of the correct translation of the original Hebrew and Greek, in reference to God Himself. These literary counterfeiters have unilaterally -without any jurisdiction- decided to change the gender of Almighty God from masculine (Father) to Mother . Instead of addressing God as He, they refer to Him as She and the Lord Jesus is not the Son of God, but the Child of God!

How dare these philosophizing theologians change the original manuscripts to please the radical feminists and lesbians and namby-pamby, milque-toast preachers?

The Word of God conclusively states: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim. 4:1-2, 16)

AN URGENT WARNING ISSUED TO THOSE TAMPERING WITH GOD’S WORD

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 2:22-23; 4:1-3; 5:1, 4-5, 9-12)

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? SIMPLY THIS:

Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is God is a false teacher and an enemy of God!

Every spirit that confesses that ‘Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ is of God. Those who do not are of Satan and the Antichrist spirit!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”?

There are millions of babies born daily across the world. They are all born of flesh & blood. They have all “come in the flesh”. That is no miracle, but when God is incarnated in human flesh, that is a miracle. It simply means that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh! God the Son came down from Heaven, through the very miraculous and complex process of the virgin birth!

God the Holy Spirit placed within the virgin Mary’s womb a specially created body for the Lord Jesus. He was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin woman without the aid of a human father. Jesus Christ - true God & true man, in order to suffer and die for our sins and rise again for our justification. ( )

“The new United Church curriculum - now taught to thousands of children - denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, leaving the inference that Joseph or some other man was Jesus’ father. This would indicate that His mother Mary was sinful and promiscuous, instead of a chaste virgin and that Jesus Christ was not divine!

Have you heard of such SACRELIGE? And this - not from an atheistic journal - but from the official organ and pulpits of Canada’s largest Protestant denomination!

That same ‘curriculum’ calls the first eleven chapters of Genesis - which deal with God’s marvellous creation, Noah and the flood - a fable or myth! It denies the miracles in the Bible, rejects the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and ridicules His ascension and second coming!

Read the blasphemous statements made by Rev. Ben Smilie- United Church chaplain at the University of Saskatchewan, as chronicled by Regina Leader Post’s Tom Jarvis in an article titled, ‘A MASSIVE IRRELEVANCY’:

“The Toronto Telegram printed it in full with the somewhat shocking passage in large type which speaks of fundamentalist belief in “clay-made man, a floating zoo, an amphibious-footed Jesus, a son of God who was a home brew artist, and an ascension that looks like a Cape Kennedy blast-off”.

Have you heard of anything more blasphemous and anti-Christian, coming from the pen of an ordained Protestant clergyman!

We’ll let the moderator of the United Church speak for himself. The following was carried by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 5, 1965. ‘HOWSE SAYS LITERAL BELIEVER IN BIBLE LACKS UNDERSTANDING’.

“The moderator of the United Church of Canada says Christians who believe literally in all of the ‘metaphors and imageries’ of the Bible exhibit ‘lack of understanding’.

“The Rt. Rev. Ernest Howse of Toronto, in an interview Thursday said that one of the most significant religious trends today is the movement away from ‘medieval imagery and hypocrisy’.

“Dr. Howse, who had been in Banff for a meeting of the United Church’s Alberta Conference, said people should not take literally such events as Christ’s physical resurrection and the virginity of Mary. The moderator said the United Church’s new curriculum which allows for liberal interpretation of the Bible, is ‘really nothing new at all’.

“There is nothing in the curriculum which was not accepted when I was in College thirty years ago. If people are shocked by it, then it is evident our ministers have not been adequately teaching their congregations”.

NEW MODERATOR: SAME OLD APOSTASY IN UNITED CHURCH!

Bill Phipps probably learned ‘APOSTACY’ from professors, who were themselves corrupted while in College! The new moderator of the United Church is Rev. Bill Phipps - a little known Calgary pastor - who is making big waves with his outspoken, irreverent and blasphemous remarks. It appears that he has excelled in unlearning the basic, fundamental doctrines of Christianity, in the tradition of the Rev. Howse and the liberal theological College to which he referred!

‘AN ACTIVIST MODERATOR IS ROCKING THE UNITED CHURCH’               -Edmonton Journal

In a major news story carried across Canada in the Southam Press, Nov.1, 1997, Rev. Phipps made these statements: “I don’t believe Jesus is the only way to God. I don’t believe he rose from the dead as a scientific fact. I don’t know whether those thing happened. It’s an irrelevant question.”

In a follow-up article, the ‘Ottawa Citizen’ wrote: ‘CHURCH MODERATOR A HERETIC, PROFESSOR SAYS’ - “The moderator of the United Church of Canada is a heretic, says a professor of modern Christian history.

“A heretic is defined as someone who chooses a doctrinal path other than that of the church to which he belongs”, says John Stackhouse, of the University of Manitoba.

“By that standard, Rev. Bill Phipps “is a heretic according to the United Church of Canada’s own standard of doctrine. He’s also a heretic in generic Christian terms, because he denies the creeds that all Christians have subscribed to, whether they’re Catholic, Protestant or Eastern Orthodox.”

“In interviews with media organizations, Phipps denied the divinity of Christ, denied the reality of the resurrection as a historical fact, and said he was unclear ‘The historic Church says there are such realities, which are crucially important to human life,’ said Stackhouse, a former president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association.”

THE WHOLESALE BACKSLIDING OF CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS DURING THESE PAST THIRTY YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST DECADE, SIGNALS THE SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT THIS VERY CRUCIAL MOMENT IN HISTORY - THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THE MILLENNIUM!

A very sad commentary on the Church is found in Christ’s message to the Church where He states:

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:14-18)

Again He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits...

“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

“...Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven...And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:15-23)

Jesus asked a very pertinent question: “...Nevertheless. When the son of man cometh will He find faith on the earth?” The answer is “not very much”! That is why He stated, “Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many, I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be able”. (Luke 13:24)

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)

WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SURE WE ARE READY FOR CHRIST’S SOON RETURN?

St. Peter warned, “Make your calling and election sure...” (2 Peter 1:10) It behooves each one to do a reality check to be absolutely certain that you know Jesus Christ personally as your Lord & Saviour.

Remember that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead for our justification. Only He has the power to save you because He is the Redeemer of the world.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”. (John 14:6) “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9-10)

The Bible says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Tim. 2:5) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

St. Paul declared, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11)

Jesus Christ invites us to receive Him as personal Saviour and Lord with the promise: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) And, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

We are warned: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28