“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless
the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed.”
—2 Thessalonians 2:3

Why We’ll Still Be Here on May 22, 2011

Setting dates for the return of Christ is a big temptation for many students of apocalyptic Scripture. It is tantalizing to study prophecies and numbers and symbols in Daniel and Revelation with a calculator in one hand. Some feel compelled to roll up their sleeves, punch out prophetic figures, and do number crunching. Surely there is a hidden answer in Scripture predicting when Christ will come!

But if we are true to the Bible, if we seek the message of Christ’s words in Matthew 24 and 25 with an open heart, we will close our holy calculators. Preparation

for Jesus’ return has less to do with figuring out a date and more to do with how we are to live in the present.

Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster and president of Family Radio, has used mathematical predictions to predict that the end of the world will happen on May 21, 2011 at exactly 6:00 p.m. He is convinced that a rapture of God’s people will take place. Then, five months later, God will destroy the Earth and the universe.

Some people laugh at Camping. Others wonder, “Could this be true?” The answer is not to be found in blogs, posts, or interesting articles. The answer is found by studying the Word of God for yourself.

What does the Bible say about the timing of Christ’s coming? Here are seven passages from Scripture that guide us in understanding whether Camping’s prediction is true.

1. Matthew 24:36 says, “Of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
   The Bible tells us every effort we make to nail down the time for Christ’s return will fail. Camping directly contradicts Christ’s words.
2. Luke 21:9 says, “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them” (Luke 21:8).
   The Bible warns us there are false prophets who attempt to predict the timing of Jesus’ coming. Camping demonstrates that he is a false prophet by trying to set a date for Jesus’ return.
3. Matthew 24:32, 33 says, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
   While the Bible shows us we cannot know the precise time of Christ’s second coming, it helps us know from signs that it is near.
4. Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
   A repeated emphasis in the Scriptures is to watch and be ready always because we do not know exactly when Christ will return (Luke 12:35-40, Matthew 24:50, 1 Thessalonians 5:6).
5. Acts 1:6, 7 says, “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” God has not revealed when Jesus will come again. Our focus is not to be on time-setting, but mission.
6. Luke 12:37 says, “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.” The passage teaches that no matter when the master returns, the servant is blessed because he is always ready. The servant is not fixed on a time for the master’s return.
7. Luke 12:45 says, “But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming.’” Here is a warning that putting off preparation for Christ’s coming will catch people off guard. We must not smugly point out false predictions and neglect our own preparation for Jesus’ return or we will not be ready.

Article courtesy of Amazing Facts for more info: http://www.aftermay21.com/

More and more individuals seem to want to have a place to worship.  However, almost simultaneously, the atheist population seems to being growing and making strides to share their message.  Billboards are sprouting up all over the country with messages like, “Good without God.”  Surprisingly, that growing population includes African-Americans.  Of course, we can not be so naive that we believe that no African-American would identify themselves as being an atheist.  Honestly, it makes most of us more comfortable if a person simply says they are not ready to accept Christ than if they identify themselves as being atheist.  But why?

The fact is that a vast majority of Christians are unable to defend their faith.  Do Christians view Christian faith as important enough to make it a priority when teaching their children what they believe and why they believe it? Or do they place greater emphasis on their children getting a good education than on learning about the things of God? The danger in believers taking such a passive position regarding their faith is that it leaves our children vulnerable.  When our children say they are Christians it should be because they recognize the need for a Savior.  If there is no connection to the cross and the redemptive work that Christ accomplished there when challenged by non-believers, and they will be challenged, they will find themselves unable to intelligently articulate a response.  However, if they know what they believe their faith will not waver leaving no opportunity for atheist or any other group to persuade them otherwise.

According to 1 Peter 3:15, we should know more than a little about the Bible.  The average skeptic should not be able to pin us to the wall.  When we attempt to give a defense for our faith and we are unprepared, not having studied the Word of God, we are giving a black to the faith!  We can no longer be biblically illiterate.  Nor can we simply rely on Sunday School and Vacation Bible School to teach our children the fundamentals of their faith.  We must become fluent in the Word of God and the things of God and teach our children.

Let us know what you think…

We love Easter because it is not only one of the most spiritual holidays, but a time for reflection and family to come together. It is the remembrance of Jesus’ rising from the dead, known as His Resurrection.  If you are anything like me, having grown up in church, you knew early on the significance of the resurrection and why Jesus rose from the dead.   I only knew that I was getting dressed up for Jesus and I would say a nice speech to let everyone know I knew what he had done for us all.

What I did not know however, was exactly where the bunnies and eggs came in.  Why and how did the eggs become pastel colored and how did they relate to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection?  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed each and every Easter egg hunt and the Cadbury bunnies that I got to enjoy.  My cousin even penned a song about the Easter bunny that over 20 years later, I can’t forget the lyrics to.  Was the Easter bunny good to you?  Was he good to your mama and your daddy too?  Was he good to your sister and your brother too?  Was the Easter bunny good to you? Catchy isn’t it?

A Little History Lesson

Easter is named after Eastre, a pagan Saxon goddess!  Eastre (earlier, Eostre, derived from the Saxons’ Germanic heritage) was the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of dawn, spring and fertility. Our word, “east” is related to this deity’s name.   Her male consort was the Sun god, and the sun does rise, after all, at dawn and in the east.   Rites of spring were celebrated in her honor at the vernal equinox (first day of spring). The first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox was also sacred to her, and this pagan holiday was given her name — Eastre.   The full moon represented the “pregnant” phase of Eastre — she was passing into the fertile season and giving birth to the Sun’s offspring.

Eastre’s symbols were the hare and the egg. Both represented fertility and rebirth.  Rabbits are more common in various parts of the world than hares so, over time the rabbit has been substituted — not without merit, since rabbits are notorious for their fertility. This is where the  “Easter Rabbit” or “Easter Bunny”  tradition comes from.

Dyed eggs were already being used as part of pagan rituals at the dawn of history in the Near Eastern civilizations. These were the first “Easter eggs.” As the traditions of the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs evolved, they were lumped together. As a result, in our modern Easter tradition, although the Easter Bunny is sometimes thought of as laying the Easter eggs so eagerly sought by children, the Easter Rabbit is usually regarded as male.   Since rabbits don’t lay eggs there isn’t much point for us to debate over its gender.

When the emerging, Christian religion, with its emphasis on rebirth (through the Resurrection), found it expedient to continue celebrating Eastre’s holiday. The focus simply switched to Christ — and the spelling, eventually, to “Easter.”

It is now, in retrospect that I caution parents to not allow the commercialism of this most sacred of celebrations to overshadow the message that we need to convey to our children and to anyone that has not been introduced to the Messiah. Galatians 2:20 reads: “I am crucified with Christ. I no longer live but Christ lives in me, the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NKJV It was not the Easter Bunny that bore our sins and suffered the shame of the cross for us.  This most selfless of acts deserves our undivided attention and it our responsibility to share with the world the truth about the greatest of love stories.

Let us not get so caught up in all of the images that we are literally being force fed.  Chicks emerging from their shells and chocolate bunnies emerging from eggs are just a couple of the ways the world celebrates the birth of spring as opposed to the resurrection of the Son of the true and living God.  Is it not God who creates all things and gives them life?  Even if we wanted to just celebrate the season it would still point to Him because we are surrounded by His handiwork continually.  He created it all!    Psalm 24:1  The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  Psalm 19:1-2 While you’re searching for eggs don’t forget to seek first the kingdom of God and all of its righteousness.  Moreover, in all thy getting, get understanding.

GEICO, Allstate, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Fidelis; there are many different insurance companies. There are many different kinds of insurances.  There’s life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, flood insurance, house insurance, pet insurance, and there’s even now car maintenance insurance.  People feel safer when they know they insured.  Amen but, how safe can this type of insurance really make you?

Life insurance can only be benefited from in the event of your or someone’s death.  Something would actually have to happen to your car for your car insurance to take effect, and health insurance is there for when your heath fails. Whether it’s just a cold or if it’s full blown cancer, you still have to be in a bad way to benefit from the insurance.  And what’s the best thing that could happen with these insurances, the best case scenario?  Well if you’re not dead, your car is not wrecked and you and your family is not sick…..you get to pay the insurance company, and feel safe.

But, how would you really like to be “in good hands.”  I mean the best hands.  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I would like to present to you….a better than life insurance….the eternal life insurance established over 2,000 years ago.  An insurance that you can benefit from whether you are sick or well.  Those other types insurance talk about constant coverage but don’t pay your premium and see how constant that coverage is.  With our plan you’re covered under the blood of Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer.  But wait—there’s more; regular life insurance ends with the physical death of the policy holder. It provides for his or her funeral expense and may even give saved up money or possessions to loved ones.  I tell you that there is an insurance that provides your sweetest benefit after your physical death.  Membership and compliance guarantees eternal life in heaven in the presence of our Holy Father.  I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

This type of life insurance—or a better term might be life assurance, is insurance for your soul.  It works great not only in the hereafter but right now.  You’re able to have joy, peace, and contentment houses and land, the whole nine.  Our Father owns all of this and if you only believe with your heart and confess with mouth that our elder brother and savior Jesus Christ died for our sins on a cross and resurrected himself on the 3^rd day you too can become a policyholder.  Let me apologize because in my excitement I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me tell you a little bit about our organization.  The name of our organization is called The Way.  Our founder is all mighty God who resides in heaven.  Our C.E.C. and co-founder is Jesus who currently resides in heaven at our Father’s right hand.  Our vice president and co-founder in charge of training and also runs the help desk, our comforter the precious Holy Ghost.  Down my chain of command or my upline are Bishop Frazier, Elder Campbell and finally Pastor and Deacon Robinson.

Our instruction manual or standard operating procedure (S.O.P) for short consists of 66 books and as of 2007 approximately 7.5 billion have been distributed world wide.  Talk about a best seller.  All or a part of it has been printed in over 2.370 languages.  Our members today,  number between 1.5 and 2.2 billion believers.  Some famous retirees in our organization consist of Brother John, Brother Matthew, Brother Timothy and Bishop Fuller.

The way is available to everyone, all nations and all races.  Our Master’s plan is so elegant,  yet so simple that even the most educated and smartest person couldn’t mess it up by over thinking things.  In fact,  in Matthew 18:4 of our instruction manual Jesus said this (And he said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.) The way was not always available to us all; up until approximately 2,000 years ago the way was a hand to adhere to system called the Law and only God’s original people the Jews had the rights to it.  Even when Jesus came down to earth to simplify the system it still wasn’t available to us.  But thanks to one of our pioneering representatives, Brother Paul (and the Jews rejection and crucifixion of our savior and C.E.O. Jesus) we are all, worldwide, privy to this pearl of great price.

You may by now be thinking what is the cost for something so wonderful.  Well worry not, for the premium has been paid in blood no less by our Lord and savior (our C.E.O if you will).  All you have to do is believe on Him, believe that he actually did pay that price for us and do this while the blood is still running warm in your veins.  And with that belief comes membership and with membership your name will be written in the Lamb Book at our corporate headquarters in Heaven.

Let me give you a few examples by way of personal testimony, what the way can do for you.  When I was a younger man I could end up in places and situation that make the hair stand on the back of my neck but whatever situation that was lurking m never revealed itself.  How many people know that before you ever enroll in this great plan, someone who already knows the way will put you on their policy?  All they have to do is bring your name up when they’re on their upline communicating with our C.E.O.  No doubt our pastor and deacon had a group policy for most of us back then.

My daughter gave us cause for concern with headache and a disturbing prognosis from her doctor.  It resulted in a couple of trips to Chapel Hill.  I myself got sick in 09; my condition could have had serious consequences.  In both cases we used a medical insurance through my job called Medcost.  I was lucky to have it but how many of you know that medcost was just my supplementary or secondary insurance.  The way was, and is my first to go.

Now as I’ve said before, the cost of membership has been paid in full.  As I ‘m sure you’ll remember someone said; salvation is free but it costs to keep it.  You must supply a sanctified life a godly life.  You must stay in contact with your C.E.O. on your upline constantly.  You must read your instruction manual daily.  And you love your brother as you love yourself, maybe better.  Our organization is a lean green efficient company. We keep advertisement costs down by using word of mouth, in fact every member is compelled to go out into the hedges and hi ways and tell people about our C.E.O. and the way.

As I conclude, keep in mind being on someone else’s policy will not get your name written in the Book of Life.  You need to secure a personal policy.  If you do not know the way tonight you are in a good place at a most opportune time. If you wish to secure for yourself a policy of peace that surpasses all understanding all you need to do is come down to the alter and you name can be added right now.  So don’t be without coverage a minute longer get yourself a peculiar policy.  Become one of us a royal priesthood come with us, on the way.

-Brother Darrin Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudvtDdc1Vk

Sisters of the Faith has also provided information for those who want to provide information, and/or seek assistance for themselves and others.  We also have shared stories of those who have been directly effected by abortion and most importantly, how God views us and the love He has for us even before we were conceived.  This is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts.  Please pray continually for this cause.

http://www.sistersofthefaith.com/index.php?s=abortion

Check out the lyrics for yourself here:  http://www.elyricsworld.com/empire_state_of_mind_lyrics_jay-z.html

Yesterday, 44th president Barack Obama, proclaimed the month of June to be LGBT Pride Month.   LGBT is an acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender.”  Should a sexual orientation that God considers to be a perversion of nature – even calling it blasphemous – be something we as a nation celebrate and take pride in?  Such proclamations only fuel those who support same-sex marriage and other initiatives that undermine God’s law.  Such a proclamation is the gateway to legislation that will destroy the sanctity of both marriage and the family.

Pro-family activist Peter LaBarbera says it is sad, but not surprising, that President Obama chose to issue a proclamation celebrating homosexuality. The president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality said Obama is pandering to homosexual political activists.

“Homosexuality is nothing to be proud of — bottom line,” says LaBarbera. “The fact is people have left the lifestyle, people have overcome homosexuality [with God's help] — I think that’s something to be proud of….”

LaBarbera warns of the repercussions of the president’s pursuit of expanded rights for those who are confused about their sexual orientation.

“This proclamation talks about the entire radical homosexual agenda that Obama supports — including homosexualizing the U.S. military [and] federal so-called ‘rights’ based on homosexuality, which will impinge on the religious freedoms and freedom of conscience of other Americans.”

The Bible is very clear on the matter of homosexuality.  1 Timothy 5:20 says, “Them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear.” KJV  Additionally, Ephesians 5:11 states, that we are to take no part in unfruitful works, but we are to expose them.  Sadly, the Pew Forum recently reported that the Presbyterian Church is now moving to allow gay clergy, as have the United Methodists, United Church of Christ, Baptists, Lutherans and Episcopalians and Anglicans!

Homosexuals, which make up 1% of the populace, have choked the will out of Christians.  However, as believers, we must reach out to homosexuals, lovingly, with the message of the gospel.  We have work to do!

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Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (John 13:8)

This is an ultimatum of identification through participation. Yet it remains that many join the local church and remain unserviceable. They have taken the initial obstinate position of Peter, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.”

Such a posture is evidenced by the unchanged life. There are those who have entertained the idea that a true believer can remain unchanged. However, Jesus’ rebuke of Peter excludes such a notion.

They gathered in an upper room setting. The greater took the position of the lesser, removed his garment, girded Himself with a towel, and begin to wash the feet of His disciples. Yet He comes to one who thought he knew how things ought to be better than Jesus . Peter emphatically objected to Jesus washing his feet. However, Jesus cancels his statement with an absolute declaration. Jesus asserts here that purification is as essential to one’s Christian identification as believing itself, not as a means of salvation, but as an indicator of salvation.

A fellow I once went to speak for was living with his girlfriend. My flesh said stay out of it, yet I knew that it was my God-given duty to participate in this fellow’s washing. I addressed the matter, expressing to him the mess he was making of his life and consequently his church. He married the woman a few months later. Thank God he was serviceable!

The word of Jesus here does not relegate washing to a secondary or non-essential matter. In the Old Testament temple the laver was on the inside of the holy place. One did not wash until he went in, yet one did not go in and fail to wash.

Jesus is saying to Peter, no one can have anything to do with Him and He has nothing to do with that person’s life. Every Christian in some sense will be able to say, “I may not be all that I ought to be, but thank God I am not what I used to be.  For every Christian is serviceable and has endured a degree of washing.

Yuri Solomon holds degrees from Gospel Ministry Outreach Theological Institute and the College of Biblical Studies. He currently serves as Senior pastor of the New Life Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and is the Secretary of Christian Education in the Union Baptist Fellowship of Churches.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com CHRISTIAN WRITERS