Truth is, most of us are already pretty obsessed with ourselves—we love ourselves too much. We’re constantly thinking about our own needs, our own happiness, and we even live in a society that encourages us to do so. But Jesus completely flips the script on the world’s approach to self-focus and self-love. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Truth is, most of us are already pretty obsessed with ourselves—we love ourselves too much. We’re constantly thinking about our own needs, our own happiness, and we even live in a society that encourages us to do so. But Jesus completely flips the script on the world’s approach to self-focus and self-love. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Truth is, most of us are already pretty obsessed with ourselves—we love ourselves too much. We’re constantly thinking about our own needs, our own happiness, and we even live in a society that encourages us to do so. But Jesus completely flips the script on the world’s approach to self-focus and self-love. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Yes, Satan is the god of this world, and he has deceived millions. But his deception hasn’t stopped there. It has moved into the church. Despite what the Bible says—that Satan is real, a deceiver, and the god of this world who blinds minds—look at what has happened. According to the Barna Research Group: "In 2004, an incredible 50% of those who profess to be 'born again' actually deny Satan’s existence."
Are you looking forward to the day when Christ returns? Does the thought of Jesus coming back at any moment cause your heart to leap with excitement? Or does it sink with dread? I think your response is a good litmus test of your spiritual character.
In Romans 11, Paul is proclaiming that even though Israel rejected Jesus, that doesn’t mean God’s plan of redemption was thwarted. Instead, it was spread to the nations and the once-severed relationship between God and His creation was reconciled in Jesus. That’s real good news. However, the news gets even better, Paul looks ahead prophetically to that day when Jesus will return
At the heart of the disagreement between the various eschatological viewpoints lies the Millennium. We have addressed the theological variance in those perspectives many times, but suffice it to say that anyone who simply opens the Book and reads God’s prophetic revelations will tend to come to a Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Millennial understanding.
Paul was calling out Corinth and its culture. He loved the people enough to tell them the truth and wasn't afraid to confront sin using the power of the Gospel in love. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." What was the result? The Corinthian church exploded. Prostitutes became believers, and idolaters became worshippers.
Jesus wept for the people of Israel long ago because they did not recognize that their Messiah walked among them. Does He not feel a similar grief when pastors and believers push biblical prophecy aside and fix their hope on earthly aspirations? I believe so. Bible prophecy is not just about recognizing the signs and drawing peoples’ attention to the lateness of the hour in which we live, although these things are vitally important. Its primary focus must be Jesus and the eager expectation of His appearing (Philippians 3:20-21).
Wokeness teaches that we are not responsible for our own lives. We’re born privileged or oppressed. The Bible says we are personally accountable for our sins (James 1:13-15). God created us all equal. Acts 17:26 says we are all created “of one blood.” The sin of racism requires repentance, like any other sin. Wokeness replaces repentance with reparations.
In its most extreme form, Preterism will tell you that Jesus has already come back, there is no future resurrection of the dead, and we are currently living in a spiritualized version of the New Heavens and New Earth! Preterism is on the rise in the American church, and Christians should be aware of some of the issues involved.
They either say that God’s promise to Abraham was conditional or that it was only spiritual or that it was all part of a grand scheme to do a “God’s chosen” quick swap with the advent of the church age. This doctrine continues to spread rapidly through the body of Christ, and it is not new. There have been many in the history of the church who have been doing all they can to erase the ongoing importance of Israel.
Our world is getting worse. At first we might think, Who would want to be an end-times Christian? However, we have been called for such a time as this, and we are here on assignment! It is a privilege and a challenge to be alive in these days. We have a front-row seat to the last act. The drama has become intense. The players are all in place. The stage is being set. And you can’t understand the times without developing a biblical perspective that helps to shine the light of God’s truth on everything.
Few in the body of Christ would deny that America has fallen into unprecedented moral depravity. The question is, who is to blame? Is it the politicians? Hollywood? The liberal media? I’m inclined to think that we should lay a big part of the blame on the pulpits of the nation. Let me tell you why.
Failing to understand God’s judgment means that you also neglect to recognize your desperate need for a Savior—and what you have been saved from. Severely downplaying the horrific nature of Hell may be popular in a culture not wanting to be judged for their sins, but it undermines the entire Gospel message.
Nathan's presence in the genealogy of Jesus underscores the divine orchestration of history and the fulfillment of God's promises, which have been given in detail throughout the Bible. So, this Christmas, as you celebrate the cradle, make sure you also celebrate the fact that Jesus will wear the crown and rule from David’s throne, as revealed to Mary in Luke 1:32-33: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
A few weeks ago, a short documentary from a secular news media outlet proclaimed “the quiet surge of France’s evangelicals,” sharing that “evangelical churches are booming in France, a country often seen as one of the most secular [atheistic] in Europe. They’re multiplying so fast that every ten days, a new evangelical church opens its doors”—a new church every ten days!
The Rapture agnostics tell us we cannot determine whether or not we will go through all of the Tribulation or perhaps a part of it. This is not true. The Bible provides us with a clear path leading to the certainty that Jesus is coming to take us home before the start of the Tribulation period, or what the Old Testament describes as the Day of the Lord. The absence of nary a hint that we must prepare for this time adds confirmation to this trek through Scripture.
Our society has gotten lost in the addiction of “cancelling.” But let’s be real... this is not a new phenomenon. It’s time for you to decide for yourself. Will you blend in and accept the current calm while surrendering what God has laid on your heart? Or will you step forward boldly, knowing that God is behind you, before you, and beside you, no matter what the world says?
When you think of the book of Revelation, what comes to mind? Fire? Destruction? 666? Whether you have read the book many times or your experience is limited to a youth group showing of Left Behind, the terrifying scenes don’t always spur excitement for the future. And yet, the book that concludes the story of the Bible—and the story of the world as we know it—is a story of hope.
"People are hungry for what’s real and true,” said Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion’s founder and CEO. “The Bible stands alone as the source of truth, carefully passed from generation to generation. It’s alive and active, and relevant to our everyday lives. These numbers represent millions of changed lives—people finding hope, direction and purpose in God’s Word.”
Distinguished leaders, policymakers, and survivors unmasked the brutal realities of oppression and Christian persecution worldwide. However, they not only rallied together to promote solutions to end it, they also put a special focus on journalism, and the role news tellers have in covering the grave reality of Christian persecution with piercing clarity.
Why did Anna and Simeon so readily accept that the infant Joseph and Mary brought to the temple was the promised Messiah? They believed Bible prophecy, and more specifically, the opening lines of Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” They didn’t seem at all surprised that the baby they held in their arms was indeed the long-awaited Christ. They believed what Scripture said and didn’t try to allegorize (symbolize) the promise that the Messiah would arrive as a baby.
"Do you support Israel because you want Jesus to come back?” I had been asked this question a handful of times before by Jewish friends but never in this setting. Riding on a tour bus through Poland, I was the only Gentile and, as far as I know, the only follower of Jesus on the bus. We were all part of an educational trip on the Holocaust. He was seated next to me on the bus when he asked me the question. The man went on to explain that the evangelicals he knows told him they support Israel and want the Jewish people to return to the land because they believe doing so will hasten Jesus’ return. He was understandably dubious of Christians like myself who say they support Israel.
There is hope in the headlines. And while what is happening in the church shocks us, it is not a surprise to God. The falling away of the church is prophesied in Scripture and points to the soon return of Christ. And for His own, the faithful and redeemed, salvation is secure. This shift away from biblical faith has become so common that the term "exvangelicals" is now used to describe these defectors from evangelicalism. Why is this happening, and what does it mean?
Post-truth. It’s a term some have heard. Essentially, it means objectivity has lost its footing to subjectivity; feelings and opinion are preferred over facts. What do churches (and especially pastors) appeal to as their final authority? Do they regard the Bible as God’s unchanging Word? His timeless, transcendent truth? Or is the Bible weighed along with societal norms and public sentiment?
We’re living in a time when people are standing up for all sorts of causes. And in some cases, people are even willing to lay down their lives for what they believe in. Isn’t it time that we, as Christians, stand up for what we believe? It seems to me that at a time when so many are standing up for so many causes, there are many in the church who are not standing up for anything. We are embarrassed. We are ashamed. But it’s time to stand up and be counted.
Whether this Thanksgiving finds you surrounded by the embrace of family or facing seemingly insurmountable challenges all on your own, remember that if you belong to Jesus, you have every reason for thanksgiving. Your salvation is secure, having been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Your future is bright, having been guaranteed by God’s faithfulness. And, your hope is imminent, in that Jesus could call His children home at any moment. These are the eternal realities that should fill your heart with gratitude, not just on one holiday, but every single day.
Saints, future generations need us. They rely on our loving care and biblical consistency. This is true on many levels. They need us to be careful and consistent with the gospel, in how we love them, how we lead them, and how we teach them. They especially need us to be lovingly careful and biblically consistent when teaching about the last things—eschatology.
The message of the Gospel invites scorn, ridicule and even violence from those who hate the truth. Christian persecution is growing in our country. American churches and synagogues are increasingly facing attack. As a member of President Trump’s recently appointed Religious Liberty Commission, I’ve been inspired to see how Christians are boldly standing on God’s Word and refusing to bow to a woke culture that thumbs its nose at God.
God says in Zechariah 2:8 that whoever touches Israel "touches the apple of His eye." There are numerous scriptures that I could mention which point to God keeping His promise to Israel, but perhaps the strongest of all is Exodus 4:22, which states, "Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn." Lila, you have done an incredible job championing the pre-born, but God doesn't turn his back on His "firstborn."
False teachings, particularly in regard to eschatology (the doctrine of future things), flourish today because of a lack of sound biblical teaching on the matter. Most pastors either ignore Bible prophecy or teach that the church is God’s promised kingdom on the earth (or will be). When we let the words of Scripture speak for themselves, they lead us to a belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture. Our hope does not rest on human wisdom or experience, but rather upon what the Bible says.
Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California, had initially scheduled a 2027 Harvest Crusade in Salt Lake City at the request of local evangelical churches there, but Kirk’s death gave impetus to Harvest and local church leaders to move the date up and change the location to the campus about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
I had found and told a story about a youth who broke a speeding law and couldn’t pay his fine. When he was put in prison, his father came and paid it for him. I reasoned that if the youth had been told the good news before he understood he had broken the law, the good news would have seemed meaningless. Modern evangelism has made that very mistake. It preaches the good news (the fine being paid) without first convincing the sinner that he is a lawbreaker.
There is no doubt that fear is rising in the world. It is palpable in many circles, even within the ranks of those who are well-versed in Bible prophecy. But as any good military commander can tell you, fear is debilitating and contagious. That is why we are told to encourage one another—and all the more as we see the Day drawing near. Hope is also contagious.